1987

Mastermind is back for its 15th series. The first four of 64 hopeful contenders set out tonight to see who can become Mastermind 1987. The season opens at the University of Aberdeen when contenders from Scotland and Northern Ireland meet to decide who wins the first place in the semi-finals. Jill McFatridge (area reporter to the Children's Panel) The life and times of Ferdinand of Aragon 1452-1516 Gary Fortune (law graduate) Hungarian history 1848-1919 Hilary Frazer (charities advice officer) The history of Belfast 1600-1900 John Crippin (schoolteacher) BBC radio comedy 1947-1967

The University of Aberdeen is host as four more contenders from Scotland do friendly battle in the quest to find Mastermind's 1987 champion. John Sutherland (retired civil servant) Admiral Thomas Cochrane , 10th Earl of Dundonald, 1775-1860 Eric Forrester (private investigator) The life and works of Robert Burns Sheila Fleming (schoolteacher) The wild flowers of Scotland George Combe (revenue assistant HM Customs and Excise) Battleships and battle cruisers, 1860-1980

Stockport Grammar School, this year celebrating the quincentenary of its foundation, is host to four contenders from the north of England competing for the title Mastermind 1987. Anthony Attree (Catholic priest) The life and works of Antonin Dvorak Yvonne Weir (retired teacher) The Earls of Orkney, 874-1200 David Kirkham (teacher) The history of the German Democratic Republic John Chester (data communications manager) The railways of Greater London

From Stockport Grammar School Tonight's four contenders are: Elsie Sadek (retired teacher) The history of Egypt, 1700-1952 Ian Potts (railway signalman) The science fiction works of John Wyndham Frank Crowhurst (Peripatetic teacher) The life and works of Hector Berlioz Rosemary Waugh (commercial and technical assistant) The novels of Evelyn Waugh

The College of St Mark and St John, Plymouth, is host to four contenders from the west of England. In the drama theatre they compete in the challenge for Mastermind 1987. Peter Bird (writer) Papua New Guinea, 1965-1975, the decade to independence Joan Bridgman (college lecturer) The life and works of Samuel Beckett Michael Newman (chartered surveyor) English antiques, 1660-1830 Jeremy Bradbrooke (general practitioner) The Franco-Prussian War, 1870-71

Tonight's four contenders all come from the south and west of England and compete in the drama theatre of the College of St Mark and St John, Plymouth. Mira Little (retired) The life and films of Greta Garbo Steve Priestley (House of Commons clerk) Sino-Soviet relations, 1949-1976 Joy Thwaytes (lecturer and writer) John Stow and his survey of London Geoffrey Dearnley (retired headmaster) The life and plays of J.B. Priestley

The Great Hall of Eltham Palace is the historic setting for this week's Mastermind. The Royal Army Educational Corps host four contenders from the south east of England who seek the title of Mastermind 1987. Stanley Todd (retired teacher) Chamber music, 1750-1950 Ann Kelly (housewife) The life and works of Sean O'Casey Marcia King (patchwork designer) History of the White Star shipping line Alistair Hanson (diamond valuator) Life and works of Franz Kafka

Four contenders from London and the south east seek a place in the semi-finals. They are the guests of the Royal Army Educational Corps at Eltham Palace. Denise Latimer-Sayer (retired secretary) The life and poetry of Lord Byron Georges Renard (postal executive) Republican Spain and the Civil War, 1931-39 Alison Kelly (freelance lecturer and writer) The life and work of Thomas Chippendale Colin Edgar (local government valuer) The Falkland Islands, 1750-1982

Tonight Mastermind celebrates its 250th edition. During the last 15 years nearly 1,000 contenders have sat in the famous black chair 5 to be asked around 36,000 questions. Four more contenders now seek a place in this year's semi-finals in the Gulbenkian Theatre at the University of Kent, Canterbury. Donald MacCarron (publicity executive) The history of powered flight since the Wright brothers Michael O'Sullivan (local government officer) The lives and works of the Strauss family, 1825-1940 Peter Chitty (telephonist) History of the British Secret Service, 1909-1940 Margaret Spiller (civil servant) The life and times of Emperor Nero, AD37-68

The University of Kent at Canterbury is the host to this week's four contenders from London and the south of England. Dorothy Middleton (writer and lecturer) Exploration of Africa, 1788-1888 Kevin Ashman (civil servant) Political history of the United States, 1923-1980 Marjorie Huntley (housewife) The novels of Paul Scott Graham Cooke (civil servant) The life and career of Major-General Orde Wingate

Tonight's four contenders come from the Midlands and compete at the Assembly Rooms, Derby. Pauline Francescon (part-time visiting lecturer) The life and poetry of Andrew Marvell Brian Davenport (retired warrant officer) The life and works of Pushkin 1799-1837 Andrew Harley (library analyst) The life of the Emperor Tiberius 42BC-AD37 Mike Billson (milkman) The American-Indian wars 1860-1890

The Assembly Rooms, Derby, is the location for tonight's Programme in which, for the first time on Mastermind, a husband and wife appear in direct competition. Malcolm Seymour (British Rail clerk) English theatre 1570-1620 Christine Hancock (teacher) Life and works of Rembrandt Paul Hancock (Police inspector) The life and times of William Pitt the Elder 1708-1778 Michael Lynch (lecturer) Chinese history from 1911

Christ's Hospital, Horsham, is the setting for four contenders from London and the south-east seeking a place in the semi-finals of Mastermind. Gery Bramall (translator) Opera 1780-1930 Jeff Wells (bookmaker) The life and paintings of J. M. W. Turner Suzannah Harris (pharmacist) The life and novels of Nancy Mitford William Bellingham (schoolmaster) Nigeria 1900-1966

Four contenders from London compete in the theatre of the Arts Centre at Christ's Hospital, Horsham. Heinz Spitz (schoolmaster) The first Austrian republic, 1918-1938 Anne Fowler (housewife) The life and works of F. Scott Fitzgerald Alistair Kerr (HM Diplomatic Service) The history of Kenya, 1890-1964 David Roberts (solicitor) History of the US Eighth Army Air Force in Europe, 1942-1945

The Queen's Hall Arts Centre at Hexham in Northumberland is the location where four contenders from the north and east of England compete for a place in the semi-finals. John Taylor (headmaster) The life and career of Beniamino Gigli Sandra Pitman (teacher) The life and times of Peter the Great of Russia Richard McLaughlin (writer) The history of professional world-heavyweight boxing Paul Henderson (Oxfam district organiser) Russian music 1860-1960

Tonight sees the end of the first round of Mastermind 1987. The last place in the semi-finals is at stake as four contenders from the north and east of England compete at the Queen's Hall Arts Centre, Hexham, Northumberland. Jim Hollingsworth (teacher) The life and works of H. G. Wells Jean Burke (secretary) Tsar Nicholas [number removed]-1918 Keith Scott (chartered accountant) Classical music 1600-1950 Stewart Cross (Department store general manager) Italian Renaissance painting

Tonight Mastermind reaches the semi-final stage. Four of the early first-round winners compete in the imposing setting of the great transept of Lincoln Cathedral. Alistair Hanson (diamond valuator) The life and novels of Thomas Hardy John Sutherland (retired civil servant) The life and times of John Paul Jones , 1747-1792 Jill McFatridge (area reporter) The 'Flashman' novels of George MacDonald Frazer Ian Potts (railway signalman) The life and times of Alexander the Great

The great transept of Lincoln Cathedral is the imposing setting for the second semi-final of this year's Mastermind. Four more first-round winners compete for the second place in the final. Georges Renard (postal executive) The French Second Empire, 1852-1870 Jeremy Bradbrooke (general practitioner) The Anglo-American War of 1812-1815 John Chester (data communications manager) The works of Larry Niven Joy Thwaytes (lecturer and writer) The history of the Mary Rose

The University of Leicester is host for the third of this year's semi-finals. Four first-round winners from Darlington, London and Oxford compete. Paul Henderson (Oxfam district organiser) The life and works of Shostakovich Suzannah Harris (pharmacist) The films of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers Mike Billson (milkman) The life and times of Manfred von Richthofen, 1892-1918 Heinz Spitz (schoolmaster) British theatre, 1945-1975

The last four outright winners in the first round of this year's competition are in contention for the fourth place in the final. The University of Leicester is the setting. Margaret Spiller (civil servant) Minoan Crete Kevin Ashman (civil servant) World cinema, 1960-1980 Jean Burke (secretary) The plays of William Shakespeare Paul Hancock (police inspector) The works of C.S. Forrester

The last semi-final is reserved for the four highest-scoring losers in the whole of the first-round programmes. The competition has been intense and the four who made it now compete for the last place in the final. The location is the University of Leicester. John Crippin (teacher) The life and works of Raymond Chandler David Kirkman (teacher) The history of the City of York Christine Hancock (teacher) The English novel, 1870-1970 Keith Scott (chartered accountant) The life and works of Anton Chekhov

Magnus Magnusson introduces a closer look at the five contenders who have made it to the final of Mastermind 1987. Tonight's five will compete on Sunday for the coveted title: Jill McFatridge, an area reporter from Angus, Scotland; Jeremy Bradbrooke, a general practitioner from Trowbridge, Wiltshire; Michael Billson, a milkman from Oxford; Margaret Spiller, a civil servant from Walton-on-Thames, Surrey; and the winner of last Sunday's semi-final.

After nearly six months of intense competition, the five finalists out of the original 64 contenders now seek the coveted title of Mastermind 1987. The quarterdeck of the Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, is the impressive setting for this final, and the winner will receive the specially engraved Caithness glass trophy from Admiral Sir Julian Oswald, Commander-in-Chief, Fleet. The five contenders are: Margaret Spiller (civil servant) - The life and times of Emperor Nero, AD37-68 John Crippin (schoolteacher) - BBC Radio comedy, 1940-1970 Jeremy Bradbrooke (general practitioner) - The Crimean War, 1853-56 Jill McFatridge (area reporter) - The life and times of Ferdinand of Aragon, 1452-1516 Mike Billson (milkman) - The American Indian wars, 1850-1890