Mastermind has been produced by the BBC since 1972. It is filmed in Manchester and broadcasts on the BBC in the UK. The show runs for 30 minutes for regular episodes and 60 minutes for finals. Although there is no Mastermind merchandise, the show has been adapted internationally and has had celebrity and comedy specials over the years. As it films in one location and reuses sets, Mastermind is considered an inexpensive show for the BBC to produce.
8. What merchandise is associated with the
show?
There is no merchandise for mastermind :(
9. Is the show international?
In Australia they broadcasted mastermind from 1978-1984 on ABC.
In New Zealand it was broadcasted in the 1980s, then revived by a new host in
2016.
From 1998-2002, India broadcasted their own version on BBC India.
In 2006 and 2007, a Welsh version of the show aired on called Mastermind
Cymru and a junior version aired on the same channel in 2008 and 2009.
In 2012 an Irish version of the show aired on TV3 known as Mastermind Ireland.
In 2013 a Turkish version of the show aired on NTV known as Mastermind T端rkiye,
hosted by Altan Erkekli.
10. Have there been any spin-offs/ Celebrity
specials/ etc.?
There have been many TV spoofs, including a Two Ronnies sketch and a spoof by
the Dead Ringers team.
They had a 2005 Christmas special, in which a comedy duo French & Saunders
parodies the show.
In 1974 Morecambe and Wise performed a sketch based on Mastermind.
There is a show called Celebrity Mastermind which is a celebrity version of
Mastermind which began in 2002
11. Evidence for the show being cheap to
produce
They film only at one location, in one studio, which would be cheaper than most
TV shows which need multiple expensive locations.
Also the setting of the show is very similar throughout the whole series, which
suggest they dont ever need to buy any new equipment and can film the
episodes back to back, saving money on setting up all the equipment.
Also, online you can apply to get tickets for the show, meaning they dont have to
pay the audience and this is the same for the contestants, causing it all to be
cheaper since they dont have to pay for anyone to come on the show.