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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 1
15 Episodes
September 11, 1972
Season 2
17 Episodes
September 3, 1973
Season 3
17 Episodes
September 5, 1974
Season 4
17 Episodes
September 4, 1975
Season 5
17 Episodes
September 7, 1976
Season 6
17 Episodes
August 30, 1977
Season 7
17 Episodes
September 7, 1978
Season 8
17 Episodes
September 5, 1979
Season 9
17 Episodes
August 31, 1980
Season 10
17 Episodes
September 6, 1981
Season 11
17 Episodes
January 9, 1983
Season 12
17 Episodes
January 29, 1984
Season 13
17 Episodes
January 6, 1985
Season 14
23 Episodes
January 12, 1986
Season 15
23 Episodes
January 4, 1987
Season 16
23 Episodes
January 7, 1988
Season 17
23 Episodes
January 15, 1989
Season 18
22 Episodes
January 7, 1990
Season 19
17 Episodes
January 20, 1991
Season 20
17 Episodes
February 16, 1992
Season 21
17 Episodes
January 10, 1993
Season 22
17 Episodes
March 20, 1994
Season 23
17 Episodes
April 9, 1995
Season 24
17 Episodes
May 29, 1996
Season 25
14 Episodes
June 9, 1997
Season 30
17 Episodes
July 7, 2003
Season 31
31 Episodes
June 21, 2004
Season 32
31 Episodes
March 8, 2005
Season 33
31 Episodes
March 30, 2006
Season 34
31 Episodes
July 9, 2007
Season 35
31 Episodes
September 5, 2008
Season 36
31 Episodes
August 28, 2009
Season 37
31 Episodes
August 20, 2010
Season 38
31 Episodes
November 4, 2011
Season 39
31 Episodes
August 10, 2012
Season 40
31 Episodes
August 9, 2013
Season 41
31 Episodes
August 8, 2014
Season 42
31 Episodes
August 7, 2015
Season 43
31 Episodes
July 13, 2016
Season 44
31 Episodes
July 28, 2017
Season 45
31 Episodes
October 5, 2018
Season 46
31 Episodes
August 9, 2019
Season 47
31 Episodes
October 5, 2020
Season 48
31 Episodes
August 23, 2021
Season 49
31 Episodes
September 19, 2022
Season 50
31 Episodes
August 28, 2023
Season 51
31 Episodes
August 12, 2024
Season 52
31 Episodes
July 14, 2025
Season 53
15 Episodes
July 13, 2026
The specialist subjects are the 15th-century king Edward IV, the band Depeche Mode, the Films of Yorgos Lanthimos and Roy Keane.
Specialist subjects include British and Irish cheeses, Jonathan Creek and Johannes Brahms.
Subjects include Madness, the films of Wes Anderson and the history of the Paris Metro.
Specialist subjects include British birds of prey, Roger Moore's tenure as James Bond and Sylvia Plath.
Specialist subjects include Iron Maiden, Transport for London moquette and the Tintin books of Hergé.
The specialist subjects are the Tour de France, George Harrison, Virgil’s Aeneid and Lyndon B Johnson.
This time, the subjects are the essays of George Orwell, the films of Madonna, the pilot Pauline Gower and the 2000 AD comics in the 1980s and 90s.
The specialist subjects are Neil Young, Rory McIlroy, Sally Ride and British brutalist architecture.
Subjects include the films of Nicole Kidman and the novels of Jeanette Winterson.
Subjects include Monica Seles, artist Kerry James Marshall and the music of George Michael.
The specialist subjects this time are the Aztec Empire, singer Janis Joplin, Agatha Christie's Poirot and Formula One driver Max Verstappen.
The specialist subjects are The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien, the band Talking Heads, the television series Foyle's War and the PDC World Darts Championship.
The specialist subjects this time include Peep Show, Joni Mitchell and the Lake District.
The specialist subjects are Creation Records, The X-Files, the Waterloo campaign and Gene Tierney.
The specialist subjects include the TV series Succession and the artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.
