University Challenge was a long-running New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

 television quiz show

Quiz Show

Quiz Show is a 1994 American historical drama film produced and directed by Robert Redford. Adapted by Paul Attanasio from Richard Goodwin's memoir Remembering America, the film is based upon the Twenty One quiz show scandal of the 1950s...

. The format was based on the British show of the same name

University Challenge

University Challenge is a British quiz programme that has aired since 1962. The format is based on the American show College Bowl, which ran on NBC radio from 1953 to 1957, and on NBC television from 1959 to 1970....

, which was itself based on the American College Bowl

College Bowl

College Bowl was a format of college-level quizbowl run and operated by College Bowl Company, Incorporated. It had a format similar to the current NAQT format. College Bowl first aired on US radio stations in 1953, and aired on US television from 1959 to 1970...

. It was produced by Television New Zealand

Television New Zealand

Television New Zealand, more commonly referred to, and stylized as TVNZ, is a government-owned corporation television network broadcasting in New Zealand and parts of the Pacific. It operates TV1, TV2, TVNZ7, TVNZ Heartland, TVNZ U and new media services....

 in Dunedin

Dunedin

Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...

.

At its inception in 1976 it was hosted by University of Otago

University of Otago

The University of Otago in Dunedin is New Zealand's oldest university with over 22,000 students enrolled during 2010.The university has New Zealand's highest average research quality and in New Zealand is second only to the University of Auckland in the number of A rated academic researchers it...

 lecturer Richard Higham, but after the first series it gained Peter Sinclair

Peter Sinclair (New Zealand)

Peter Sinclair was a New Zealand television personality and radio host.Born in Sydney, Australia, he rose to fame in the 1960s and early 1970s firstly on New Zealand radio and then as host of Let's Go, Happen Inn and C'mon, New Zealand's primary rock music television shows of the time.In the late...

 as regular host; he continued in this capacity until the show's demise in 1989.

Format

As with the British show, "starter" questions were answered individually "on the buzzer", and are worth 10 points. The team answering a starter correctly got a set of "bonus" questions worth a potential fifteen points, over which they can confer. In the last few series, a "jackpot bonus" was also available once per game, signalled by a bell. In that, each part of the bonus was worth five points, but getting all three parts right doubled the value of the question to 30 points.

An incorrect interruption of a starter resulted in a five point penalty. The pace of questioning gradually increased through the show, becoming almost frantic in the last minute or so before the "gong" which signalled the end of the game. In the event of a tied score at the sound of the gong, a "sudden death" question was to be asked (although in practice this never occurred during the 14 years that the series was run). In this circumstance the first team to answer correctly would have been deemed the winner, with the process repeated until one or other of the teams answered correctly.

Teams consisted of four members, each representing a single New Zealand university. All six of the universities in New Zealand at the time competed (Auckland

University of Auckland

The University of Auckland is a university located in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the largest university in the country and the highest ranked in the 2011 QS World University Rankings, having been ranked worldwide...

, Canterbury

University of Canterbury

The University of Canterbury , New Zealand's second-oldest university, operates its main campus in the suburb of Ilam in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand...

, Massey

Massey University

Massey University is one of New Zealand's largest universities with approximately 36,000 students, 20,000 of whom are extramural students.The University has campuses in Palmerston North , Wellington and Auckland . Massey offers most of its degrees extramurally within New Zealand and internationally...

, Otago

University of Otago

The University of Otago in Dunedin is New Zealand's oldest university with over 22,000 students enrolled during 2010.The university has New Zealand's highest average research quality and in New Zealand is second only to the University of Auckland in the number of A rated academic researchers it...

, Victoria

Victoria University of Wellington

Victoria University of Wellington was established in 1897 by Act of Parliament, and was a former constituent college of the University of New Zealand. It is particularly well known for its programmes in law, the humanities, and some scientific disciplines, but offers a broad range of other courses...

 and Waikato

University of Waikato

The University of Waikato is located in Hamilton and Tauranga, New Zealand, and was established in 1964. It has strengths across a broad range of subject areas, particularly its degrees in Computer Science and in Management...

), along with a seventh team, representing Lincoln College (now Lincoln University).

The format of the series was seven first round matches, with each of the teams competing twice (having been randomly drawn against their opponents). Two semi-finals between the highest points-scorers followed, after which there was a final.

Winners

Year	University/College	Members of champion team
1976	University of Otago University of Otago The University of Otago in Dunedin is New Zealand's oldest university with over 22,000 students enrolled during 2010.The university has New Zealand's highest average research quality and in New Zealand is second only to the University of Auckland in the number of A rated academic researchers it...	Grant Liddell, Mark Allen, Dennis King, Bruce MacKay
1977	University of Otago University of Otago The University of Otago in Dunedin is New Zealand's oldest university with over 22,000 students enrolled during 2010.The university has New Zealand's highest average research quality and in New Zealand is second only to the University of Auckland in the number of A rated academic researchers it...	Graham Pendreigh, Nicholas Dodd, Stephen Kennedy, Wayne McLachlan
1978	University of Otago University of Otago The University of Otago in Dunedin is New Zealand's oldest university with over 22,000 students enrolled during 2010.The university has New Zealand's highest average research quality and in New Zealand is second only to the University of Auckland in the number of A rated academic researchers it...	Graeme Smaill, Robin St. Clair, Paul Corwin, Michael Jackson
1979	University of Canterbury University of Canterbury The University of Canterbury , New Zealand's second-oldest university, operates its main campus in the suburb of Ilam in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand...	Richard Surridge, Graham Buckley, Brian Wilson, Martin Browne
1980	University of Otago University of Otago The University of Otago in Dunedin is New Zealand's oldest university with over 22,000 students enrolled during 2010.The university has New Zealand's highest average research quality and in New Zealand is second only to the University of Auckland in the number of A rated academic researchers it...	Jocelyn Brown (first woman contestant, now Jaquiery), James McPetrie, Bruce Russell, Grant Holloway
1981	University of Canterbury University of Canterbury The University of Canterbury , New Zealand's second-oldest university, operates its main campus in the suburb of Ilam in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand...	Liz Wilson, Jill Scott, Alistair Fletcher, Peter ?
1982	Massey University Massey University Massey University is one of New Zealand's largest universities with approximately 36,000 students, 20,000 of whom are extramural students.The University has campuses in Palmerston North , Wellington and Auckland . Massey offers most of its degrees extramurally within New Zealand and internationally...	Bryan Kirk, Judith Bowen, Richard Major, Richard Rumball
1983	Victoria University of Wellington Victoria University of Wellington Victoria University of Wellington was established in 1897 by Act of Parliament, and was a former constituent college of the University of New Zealand. It is particularly well known for its programmes in law, the humanities, and some scientific disciplines, but offers a broad range of other courses...	Daniel Morgan, Stewart Bartlett, Dean Sole, Jeremy Millar
1984	University of Otago University of Otago The University of Otago in Dunedin is New Zealand's oldest university with over 22,000 students enrolled during 2010.The university has New Zealand's highest average research quality and in New Zealand is second only to the University of Auckland in the number of A rated academic researchers it...	James Dignan, Geoff Boon, Richard Soper, Nick Thompson
1985	University of Auckland University of Auckland The University of Auckland is a university located in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the largest university in the country and the highest ranked in the 2011 QS World University Rankings, having been ranked worldwide...	Adam Lowe, Lindsay Diggelmann, Scott Mataga, Grant Shirreffs
1986	University of Otago University of Otago The University of Otago in Dunedin is New Zealand's oldest university with over 22,000 students enrolled during 2010.The university has New Zealand's highest average research quality and in New Zealand is second only to the University of Auckland in the number of A rated academic researchers it...	Prudence Scott, Richard Nyhof, Camilla Owen, Clive Copeman
1987	University of Auckland University of Auckland The University of Auckland is a university located in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the largest university in the country and the highest ranked in the 2011 QS World University Rankings, having been ranked worldwide...	Graham Coop, Sue Jensen, Charles Chauvel Charles Chauvel (politician) Charles Pierre Chauvel is a New Zealand lawyer and politician. Since 2006 he has been a Member of Parliament in the New Zealand House of Representatives. He is the first New Zealand MP of Tahitian ancestry... , Bruce Williams
1988	University of Canterbury University of Canterbury The University of Canterbury , New Zealand's second-oldest university, operates its main campus in the suburb of Ilam in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand...	Mark Wilson, Alex Lojkine, Jolisa Wood (now Gracewood), Tony Smith
1989	University of Waikato University of Waikato The University of Waikato is located in Hamilton and Tauranga, New Zealand, and was established in 1964. It has strengths across a broad range of subject areas, particularly its degrees in Computer Science and in Management...	Keith Sircombe, Wendy Moffitt, Duncan Stewart, Stephen Brown

International shows

Two international series were held in 1986 and 1987 between the British and New Zealand champions of the previous year. The first of these was held in Dunedin

Dunedin

Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...

, New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

 (the venue for the filming of the New Zealand domestic series); the second was held in Manchester

Manchester

Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

. Each of these was a best of three series. Both series resulted in a win to the British team.
There was also a one-off match between the Australian and New Zealand champions in 1989 filmed immediately after the completion of the Australian filming in Hobart, Tasmania, resulting in an Australian win.

Results

Year	Venue	British/Australian Team	New Zealand Team	Result
1986	Dunedin	Jesus College, Oxford Jesus College, Oxford Jesus College is one of the colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship Street, Cornmarket Street and Market Street...	University of Auckland University of Auckland The University of Auckland is a university located in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the largest university in the country and the highest ranked in the 2011 QS World University Rankings, having been ranked worldwide...	2-1 to Great Britain
1987	Manchester	Keble College, Oxford Keble College, Oxford Keble College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its main buildings are on Parks Road, opposite the University Museum and the University Parks. The college is bordered to the north by Keble Road, to the south by Museum Road, and to the west by Blackhall...	University of Otago University of Otago The University of Otago in Dunedin is New Zealand's oldest university with over 22,000 students enrolled during 2010.The university has New Zealand's highest average research quality and in New Zealand is second only to the University of Auckland in the number of A rated academic researchers it...	3-0 to Great Britain
1989	Hobart	University of Tasmania University of Tasmania The University of Tasmania is a medium-sized public Australian university based in Tasmania, Australia. Officially founded on 1 January 1890, it was the fourth university to be established in nineteenth-century Australia...	University of Waikato University of Waikato The University of Waikato is located in Hamilton and Tauranga, New Zealand, and was established in 1964. It has strengths across a broad range of subject areas, particularly its degrees in Computer Science and in Management...	Win to Australia