This idea that where people are "from" defines their class is bonkers.

Some of the OU team made a point of saying where they live, presumably because they aren't from the area they now live in. Being mature students they probably moved home for work or because of a relationship, so any criticism of their lack of an authentic local accent is daft.

Or escaped to the countryside which is why they specify a county rather than a town. And yes, where you're from doesn't define you in any way, but where you choose to live might, mightn't it?

Would it help you all if I said that their performance and demeanour clearly identified them as beer-swilling, down-to-earth working-class heroes, struggling to juggle studying with being single parents (those twenty-somethings can be a handful) while holding down part time cleaning jobs?

Actually, it was you that first mentioned class wasn't it? I generally don't classify people like that, other than in what was obviously intended as a humourous response to your reference which fell on completely stony ground. So how did you arrive at your definition, other than the bonkers suggestion that being young, white and at university defines them as middle class?

People on here constantly snipe at and ridicule the more outlandish and different looking, or even alternatively gendered, contestants all the time. Seems like double standards at work, yet again.

I am Shropshire by birth Staffordshire by choice and none of the areas I have lived in are middle class.

Liking Dale already

Ireland?

Well done, Edinburgh!

Areas aren't. There are some very middle class people, even in Sunderland.

Specifically, how would you characterise the open team, in the archaic context of the British class system?

If only one of them posted on here

Arland!

I couldn't find that anywhere, but did find Åland, which belongs to Finland and is a cluster of islands to the north of Gotland (which is what I guessed ).

I thought he said Ireland too!

I thought Edinburgh were just a little bit too self congratulatory after they got any question right. Nearly high fiving after getting a starter.

Subtitles say Aland near Finland.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%85land_Islands

Miss O'Connor was a bit too strung up and her team took too much time guessing wrong answers. That was awfully close and they might have won had Stenner-Matthews (so cute) made that answer.

Monkman - Romulan or Cardassian?

He's great - so earnest!

I had to google those two names to see what you meant.

I thought Roy Cropper

Roy Cropper's lovechild (with Traceyluv obv)

Andorian - he's in disguise though and hidden his antennae.

Yes, he does have a touch of Jeffrey Combs about him.

This shouty guy is hilarious.

I reckon that's Monkman's sex-face as well.

Bit harsh on the interruption penalties tonight. One to each side where he clearly HAD finished the question I thought.

Monkman needs a valium, bless him.

Really tense and fun comp this.

Monkman wins - Earth is safe!!

If you've ever wondered, as I often have, what it would look like if Roy Cropper was replaced by a killer robot, well there you go.