Episode 1
Episode 1
29m
In the first heat of the series, Clive Myrie puts four contenders to the test on specialist subjects including Peaky Blinders and Team GB at the 2020 Summer Olympics.
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TV series
Mastermind
1972NR49 seasons5.7 / 10
Mastermind is a British quiz show, well known for its challenging questions, intimidating setting and air of seriousness. Devised by Bill Wright, the basic format of Mastermind has never changed — four and in later contests five contestants face two rounds, one on a specialised subject of the contestant's choice, the other a general knowledge round. Wright drew inspiration from his experiences of being interrogated by the Gestapo during World War II. The atmosphere is helped by Mastermind's famously ominous theme music, "Approaching Menace" by the British composer Neil Richardson. The quiz programme originated and was recorded in Manchester at studios such as New Broadcasting House and Granada Studios, before permanently moving to MediaCityUK in 2011.
Availability
Not streaming in United States
Checked Jul 22, 2026
Mastermind premiered September 11, 1972. We don't have a confirmed streaming, rental or purchase option yet.
Synopsis
Mastermind is a British quiz show, well known for its challenging questions, intimidating setting and air of seriousness. Devised by Bill Wright, the basic format of Mastermind has never changed — four and in later contests five contestants face two rounds, one on a specialised subject of the contestant's choice, the other a general knowledge round. Wright drew inspiration from his experiences of being interrogated by the Gestapo during World War II. The atmosphere is helped by Mastermind's famously ominous theme music, "Approaching Menace" by the British composer Neil Richardson. The quiz programme originated and was recorded in Manchester at studios such as New Broadcasting House and Granada Studios, before permanently moving to MediaCityUK in 2011.
Season 49 episodes
Choose an episode, then use the watch options above for the show.
Episode 2
Episode 2
29m
Clive Myrie hosts the classic quiz where contenders take the famous black chair. Subjects include the history of the Orkney Islands and the films of Laurel and Hardy.
Where to watch Mastermind
Episode 3
Episode 3
29m
Clive Myrie hosts the classic quiz where contenders take on the famous black chair. Specialist subjects include Emily Wilding Davison, The Thick of It and the New Romantics.
Where to watch Mastermind
Episode 4
Episode 4
29m
Clive Myrie hosts the classic quiz where contenders take on the famous black chair. Specialist subjects include the ‘Alice’ books of Lewis Carroll, Detectorists and Sir Elton John.
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Episode 5
Episode 5
28m
The hunt for the nation's Mastermind continues as Clive Myrie tests four more contenders on their specialist subjects and general knowledge. The specialist subjects are Marie Curie, the BBC sitcom Ghosts, Elizabeth Woodville and Banksy.
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Episode 6
Episode 6
28m
Clive Myrie asks the questions in another heat, with the contenders answering questions on the life and works of John Cage, the wines of Portugal and Only Fools and Horses.
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Episode 7
Episode 7
28m
Clive Myrie hosts another heat of the classic quiz where contenders take to the black chair. The specialist subjects include Neil Armstrong, Shakespeare's comedies and Rupert Bear.
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Episode 8
Episode 8
28m
The hunt for the nation's Mastermind continues as Clive Myrie tests four more contenders on their specialist subjects and general knowledge. The specialist subjects are the Peter Wimsey stories of Dorothy L Sayers, Arnold Schwarzenegger, The Wire and the Falklands conflict.
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Episode 9
Episode 9
29m
Clive Myrie presents another heat of the classic quiz where contenders take on the famous black chair under the glare of the spotlight and the ticking clock in an attempt to become the next Mastermind champion. The specialist subjects are Christopher Hitchens, Ayrton Senna, Killing Eve and Field Marshal Montgomery.
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Episode 10
Episode 10
28m
Clive Myrie tests four more contenders on their specialist subjects and general knowledge in the tenth heat of the series. The specialist subjects are the life of Anne Lister, Dear Evan Hansen, Elizabeth I and the feature films of David Lynch.
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Episode 11
Episode 11
29m
Clive Myrie hosts as another four contenders take to the black chair, answering questions on their chosen specialist subjects to earn a place in the semi-finals. The specialist subjects are Michael Palin's travel documentaries, Lady Gaga, Emily Dickinson and the BBC sitcom Mum.
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Episode 12
Episode 12
30m
Four more contenders take to the black chair under the spotlight and the ticking clock to answer questions on their specialist subjects and general knowledge. Clive Myrie asks questions on the films of Judy Garland, The Cure, Hi-de-Hi! and the French Wars of Religion.
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Episode 13
Episode 13
28m
The hunt for the nation's Mastermind continues as Clive Myrie tests four more contenders on their specialist subjects and general knowledge. This time, the subjects are the jazz pianist Bill Evans, Georges Remi and Tintin, William Morris, and Torchwood.
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Episode 14
Episode 14
28m
Four more contenders face the black chair under the spotlight and the ticking clock in an attempt to become the next Mastermind champion. Clive Myrie hosts and asks the questions on their specialist subjects, which are Tudor rebellions, Christina Aguilera, the US space shuttle program and James Parkinson.
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Episode 15
Episode 15
28m
Clive Myrie presents another heat of the classic quiz where contenders take on the famous black chair under the glare of the spotlight and the ticking clock in an attempt to become the next Mastermind champion. The specialist subjects are the British Industrial Revolution, the films of Christopher Guest, Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Succession.
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Episode 16
Episode 16
28m
Another four contenders take to the black chair, answering questions on their chosen specialist subjects to earn a place in the semi-finals. Clive Myrie hosts an episode where the specialist subjects are Stephen Hawking, the music of Radiohead, Theda Bara and the Richard Sharpe novels of Bernard Cornwell.
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Episode 17
Episode 17
28m
The hunt for the nation's Mastermind continues as Clive Myrie tests four more contenders on their specialist subjects and general knowledge under the glare of the spotlight and the ticking clock. The subjects in this episode are Marcus Trescothick, Rupert Brooke, Thomas Cromwell and the films of Wes Anderson.
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Episode 18
Episode 18
29m
Clive Myrie asks the questions as four more contenders take on the black chair under the spotlight and the ticking clock in an attempt to become the next Mastermind champion. The specialist subjects are Catherine the Great, Wallace and Gromit, Egon Schiele and hyenas.
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Episode 19
Episode 19
29m
Clive Myrie presents another heat of a new series of the classic quiz where contenders take on the famous black chair under the glare of the spotlight and the ticking clock in an attempt to become the next Mastermind Champion. Tonight's Specialist Subjects are the films of Nicole Kidman, constellations of the northern hemisphere, the children's books of Roald Dahl and Take That.
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Episode 20
Episode 20
28m
Four more contenders face the black chair under the spotlight and the ticking clock in an attempt to become the next Mastermind champion. Clive Myrie hosts, asking the questions on the contestants' specialist subjects: film adaptations of Shakespeare's tragedies, the Great Fire of London, the career of John Barnes and The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien.
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Episode 21
Episode 21
29m
The hunt for the nation's Mastermind continues as Clive Myrie tests four more contenders on their specialist subjects and general knowledge under the glare of the spotlight and the ticking clock. The specialist subjects are U2, toy dog breeds, the Mitford sisters and guest stars in Friends.
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Episode 22
Episode 22
28m
Clive Myrie asks the questions as four more contenders take on the black chair under the spotlight and the ticking clock in an attempt to become the next Mastermind champion. The specialist subjects are the plays of Tennessee Williams, American First Ladies from 1945 to the present, NBA MVP award winners since 2000 and Mithridates the Great.
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Episode 23
Episode 23
28m
Four more contenders face the black chair under the spotlight and the ticking clock in an attempt to become the next Mastermind champion. Clive Myrie hosts and asks the questions on the contestants' specialist subjects, which are the Empress Matilda, Stevie Nicks, the What Katy Did novels and Universal’s Frankenstein films of the 1930s and 40s.
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Episode 24
Episode 24
31m
In the final heat, four contenders take on the famous black chair, answering questions on their chosen specialist subjects to earn a place in the semi-finals. Clive Myrie hosts, with contenders answering questions on Christiaan Huygens, Jonathan Creek, the life and works of Artemisia Gentileschi, and European mammals.
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Episode 25
Episode 25
28m
Clive Myrie presents the first semi-final of the classic quiz where contenders return to the black chair under the glare of the spotlight and the ticking clock to win a place in the grand final. The specialist subjects are Oscar-winning performances of the 1990s, the life and death of stars, Peep Show and The Great Escape.
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Episode 26
Episode 26
28m
Clive Myrie presents another semi-final of the classic quiz where contenders return to the black chair under the glare of the spotlight and the ticking clock to win a place in the grand final. The specialist subjects are the Norman Conquest, Borussia Dortmund, popes of the Renaissance and the film musicals of Alan Menken.
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Episode 27
Episode 27
28m
Clive Myrie presents the third semi-final of the classic quiz where contenders return to the black chair under the glare of the spotlight and the ticking clock to win a place in the grand final. The specialist subjects are the PDC World Darts Championship, the history of transportation to Australia, Parks and Recreation, and Queen Anne.
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Episode 28
Episode 28
28m
Clive Myrie presents the fourth semi-final of the classic quiz where contenders return to the black chair under the glare of the spotlight and the ticking clock to win a place in the grand final. The specialist subjects are Frank Zappa, the life and works of Siegfried Sassoon, pioneering British and Irish female aviators, and winners of the Eurovision Song Contest.
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Episode 29
Episode 29
29m
Clive Myrie presents the fifth semi-final of the classic quiz where contenders return to the black chair under the glare of the spotlight and the ticking clock to win a place in the grand final. The specialist subjects are Fridtjof Nansen, the record label 4AD, Christina Rossetti and the Jason Bourne films.
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Episode 30
Episode 30
28m
Clive Myrie presents the last semi-final of the classic quiz where contenders return to the black chair under the glare of the spotlight and the ticking clock to win a place in the grand final. The specialist subjects are Sir Edwin Lutyens, Coldplay, the Karen Pirie novels of Val McDermid and the films of Terry Gilliam.
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Episode 31
Final
59mfinale
Clive Myrie presents the grand final of the classic quiz where six contenders return to the black chair in a bid to become the next Mastermind champion. The specialist subjects are British and Irish Lions tours in the 21st century, Princess Margaret, the Rocky films, Bletchley Park during the Second World War, Augustus Caesar and the BBC sitcom Extras.
Where to watch MastermindEpisode information updated Jul 23, 2026
Available now in United States
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More about Mastermind
Cast
Magnus Magnusson
John HumphrysSelf - Host
Clive MyrieSelf - HostCredits
- Created by
- Bill Wright
Production details
- Status
- Returning Series
- Series type
- Talk Show
- Episodes
- 1,151
- Original language
- English
Networks & production
BBC OneUnited Kingdom
BBC TwoUnited Kingdom
Hat Trick ProductionsUnited Kingdom- Hindsight Productions
Themes
knowledgequiz