TV series
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
Checked Jul 22, 2026
Mastermind premiered September 11, 1972. We don't have a confirmed streaming, rental or purchase option yet.
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.
Choose an episode, then use the watch options above for the show.
Episode 1
The quest to find the Mastermind champion begins in Aberystwyth at the National Library of Wales. Tonight's subjects include American president Benjamin Franklin and poet Philip Larkin. Magnus Magnusson asks the questions.
Where to watch MastermindEpisode 2
The quest to find the 1995 champion continues in Aberystwyth at the National Library of Wales. Tonight's subjects are ballerina Margot Fonteyn , Roman emperor Hadrian, the architecture and art of Spain and composer Ivor Gurney. Magnus Magnusson asks the questions.
Where to watch MastermindEpisode 3
Tonight's subjects at Salisbury Cathedral areformerwortd heavyweight boxing champion Joe Louis , Lord Chancellors from 1885-1940, British wildlife, and rocket pioneer Robert Goddard. Magnus Magnusson asks the questions.
Where to watch MastermindEpisode 4
Salisbury Cathedral in Wiltshire hosts the continuing search to find the Mastermind champion for 1995. Tonight's specialist subjects are astronomy, German romantic composer Ludwig van Beethoven, The Wars of the Sicilian Vespers and Queen Elizabeth I of England. Magnus Magnusson is the questionmaster.
Where to watch MastermindEpisode 5
From Warwick Castle, where the specialist subjects are Richard the Lionheart, philanthropist Thomas Coram , steam locomotives of the LNER, and traditions and cultures of Great Britain. With Magnus Magnusson.
Where to watch MastermindEpisode 6
From Warwick Castle. The specialist subjects are John of Gaunt, the Battle for Arnhem, Martin Luther King, and the history and repertoire of the clarinet. With Magnus Magnusson.
Where to watch MastermindEpisode 7
From the Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk. Tonight's subjects are the Wild West 1861-1900, Victorian Prime Ministers William Ewart Gladstone and Benjamin Disraeli, and poet John Milton. With Magnus Magnusson.
Where to watch MastermindEpisode 8
Tonight's subjects from Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk are Jack the Ripper, champagne, the Apollo Space programme, and barrister Sir Edward Marshall Hall. With Magnus Magnusson.
Where to watch MastermindEpisode 9
From Gibside Chapel, Newcastle upon Tyne. Tonight's subjects are the Falklands war, Robert the Bruce, US presidential elections and the chemist William Henry Perkin. With Magnus Magnusson.
Where to watch MastermindEpisode 10
Tonight's programme comes from the 18th century Gibside Chapel, near Newcastle upon Tyne, where four contestants from the north of England answer questions on general knowledge and specialist subjects, which this week are German V weapons of the Second World War, Alfred Hitchcock, local industrialist William George Armstrong, and world land speed records. Presented by Magnus Magnusson.
Where to watch MastermindEpisode 11
Tonight, from a Victorian banking hall in the City of London, where the specialist subjects are John Lennon , King George V, Shakespeare's plays and Magna Graecia (the Greeks in southern Italy). With Magnus Magnusson.
Where to watch MastermindEpisode 12
From the National Westminster Hall in the City of London, where the specialist subjects are; French novelist Marcel Proust ; Gordon of Khartoum; Theories of Comedy and Laughter; and James Boswell , biographer of Dr Johnson. Magnus Magnusson asks the questions.
Where to watch MastermindEpisode 13
The first of the semi-finals, from the Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon. Specialist subjects: African mammals, the Italian monarchy 1861-1946, the life and works of Rupert Brooke , and the life and career of Thomas Jefferson. Magnus Magnusson asks the questions.
Where to watch MastermindEpisode 14
From Stratford-upon-Avon, the second semi-final where the specialist subjects are: Dutch humanist Desiderius Erasmus 1466-1536, the life and work of folk music legend Woody Guthrie, the history of the Western film to 1990, and venomous snakes. Magnus Magnusson asks the questions.
Where to watch MastermindEpisode 15
From Queen's University, Belfast, the third semi-final with specialist subjects RMS Titanic, Hedley Verity , Byzantine Empire AD 324-1453 and the Rolling Stones. With Magnus Magnusson
Where to watch MastermindEpisode 16
The four highest-scoring losers from the heats compete for the last place in the final. The specialist subjects at Queen's University, Belfast are: Italian composer Giacomo Puccini , World Series Baseball 1903-50, 19th-century novelist Anthony Trollope , and Richard Cromwell , son of and successor to Oliver.
Where to watch MastermindEpisode 17
This year's competition climaxes in Edinburgh at the General Assembly Hall of the Church of Scotland, where the specialised subjects are: Abraham Lincoln; Ancient Egypt: the New Kingdom; Winter Olympic Games since 1924; and the Zulu War. With Magnus Magnusson.
Where to watch MastermindEpisode information updated Jul 25, 2026
Available now in United States
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