The bad news of the week is that Jeremy Paxman is retiring from University Challenge. The worse is that most of those lined up to succeed him are nothing like as good. University Challenge is a quiz show that JP has very much made his own: the curled lip, the incredulity at culpable ignorance, the reluctant admiration when a team really does know its stuff… it’s all part of the Paxman persona. At least on air it is: I do know one acquaintance of his who declares that for Jeremy Paxman to sparkle in private life, he really needs a camera permanently trained on him, to give the illusion that he’s actually on air.
Few have that combination of authority, apparent knowledge, disdain and occasional kindness which makes the show so very viewable
Some of the contenders who are in the running – or at least being talked about – to be his successors are fine.
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