The WORST episodes of Only Connect

#1 - Radio Addicts v Brit Poppers

Season 4 - Episode 11 - Aired 11/22/2010

In the third quarter-final, a doctor, a teacher and an accountant with a unifying love of the radio return to challenge the brainpower of three Camden-based lynchpins of the British music industry. They compete to draw together the connections between things which, at first glance, seem utterly random, from Rachel Stevens to Newfoundland dog, Stalin and Donald Duck.

#2 - Epicureans v Courtiers

Season 4 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/6/2010

A team of three old university pals with a shared love of exotic foods and fine dining pit their wits against a trio of Ulstermen from the Northern Ireland Court Service. They compete to draw together the connections between things which, at first glance, seem utterly random, from USS Constitution to Edmund II to Cromwell's cavalrymen to Raymond Burr.

#3 - Radio Addicts v Taxonomists

Season 4 - Episode 3 - Aired 9/20/2010

A doctor, a teacher and an accountant with a shared passion for radio square up to a trio of professional taxonomists - three women who make companies more successful through their precise use of language.

#4 - Brit Poppers v Geocachers

Season 4 - Episode 4 - Aired 9/27/2010

Three stalwarts of the Camden music scene (including the man who discovered Blur) pit their wit and wisdom against a husband, wife and pal who share a love of geocaching, the craze for treasure-hunting using GPS. They compete to draw together the connections between things which, at first glance, seem utterly random, from Mao to David Hume to Casanova to Philip Larkin.

#5 - Fantasy Writers v Bridge Players

Season 4 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/4/2010

Three fantasy writers, captained by a man who has written for Doctor Who, lock horns with a trio of bridge players, each with post-grad qualifications from Oxford University. They compete to draw together the connections between things which, at first glance, seem utterly random, from monocaine to the helmet of Perseus to Siegfried's cloak to James Bond's Aston Martin.

#6 - Mensans v Bloggers

Season 4 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/11/2010

Three friends who originally met through British Mensa pit their wits against a team drawn together by their love of TV blogs and forums. They compete to draw together the connections between things which, at first glance, seem utterly random, from mice to Madeleine to Gabriel.

#7 - Mountain Men v In-Laws

Season 4 - Episode 7 - Aired 10/18/2010

Three dedicated hill walkers from Derbyshire face off against a family threesome of husband, wife and brother-in-law. They compete to draw together the connections between things which, at first glance, seem utterly random, from Race for Life to the Sanctuary Spa to the Oaks Stakes to the Orange Prize for Fiction.

#8 - Alesmen v Pool Sharks

Season 4 - Episode 8 - Aired 10/25/2010

Three men joined by their enthusiasm for real ale confront two maths graduates and a pharmacist who are a regular fixture at their local pool hall. They compete to draw together the connections between things which, at first glance, seem utterly random, from Pugachev's Cobra to Split S, Cuban Eight and Barrel Roll.

#9 - Epicureans v Bridge Players

Season 4 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/1/2010

In the first of the quarter-finals, three old chums from university days who share a passion for fine dining take on the combined knowledge of three Oxford graduates with a love of bridge. They compete to draw together the connections between things which, at first glance, seem utterly random, from Agamemnon to Jim Morrison, Marion Crane and Jean-Paul Marat.

#10 - Wrights v Bloggers

Season 4 - Episode 10 - Aired 11/8/2010

In the second quarter-final, the Wright family of mum, dad and daughter return to pit their wits against a trio of committed bloggers who met on TV gossip forum sites. They compete to draw together the connections between things which, at first glance, seem utterly random, from Unloose to Debone, Irregardless and Inflammable.

#11 - Gamblers v Strategists

Season 3 - Episode 15 - Aired 4/12/2010

In the series final, cunning and tactics combine with logic, recall and tangential inspiration, as three committed Gamblers resist the temptation to take too many risks and the Strategists fight the impulse to err on the side of caution. Whose approach will win out in this battle of the giants? They'll compete to draw together the connections between elements which at first glance seem utterly random, from Captain Scarlet to Reg Cox to Marty Hopkirk to Arnold J Rimmer.

#12 - In-Laws v Alesmen

Season 4 - Episode 12 - Aired 11/29/2010

In the last quarter-final, a family team featuring a patent lawyer, a graphic designer and a business analyst return to the field of conflict to take their chances against a trio unified by their love of authentic cask-conditioned ales. They compete to draw together the connections between things which, at first glance, seem utterly random, from early return from transportation to destroying a fishpond, sacrilege and treason.

#13 - Epicureans v Wrights

Season 4 - Episode 13 - Aired 12/6/2010

In the first semi-final, three lovers of luxurious wines and exotic dishes set aside their shared passion to address the challenge of the combined wits of the Wright family. They compete to draw together the connections between things which at first glance seem utterly random, such as completing the sequence: 1950: Soap; 1952: Tea; 1953: Cream, eggs, sweets, sugar; ????

#14 - Alesmen v Radio Addicts

Season 4 - Episode 14 - Aired 12/13/2010

In the second semi-final, three lovers of authentic beer lock horns with the cunning of a team bound by their love of the airwaves. They compete to draw together the connections between things which at first glance seem utterly random, from Norman Conquest begins to Stella Artois brewery founded to Great Fire of London to ????

#15 - Wrights v Alesmen

Season 4 - Episode 15 - Aired 12/20/2010

In this play-off between semi-final losers, the Wright family combine their wits to take on the mental firepower of the alesmen in a last battle for glory. They compete to draw together the connections between things which, at first glance, seem utterly random - from I, Libertine to Venus on the Half-shell to the Tales of Beedle Bard to Fly Fishing.

#16 - Epicureans v Radio Addicts

Season 4 - Episode 16 - Aired 12/27/2010

In the series finale, cunning and tactics combine with logic, recall and tangential inspiration as three committed gourmands set aside their love of fine foods to concentrate on the job in hand - battle for victory over the radio addicts, a team with the diverse combined knowledge of a doctor, a teacher and an accountant.

#17 - Social Networkers v Vegetarians

Season 5 - Episode 1 - Aired 8/15/2011

A trio of social networkers who met online take on three committed vegetarians. They compete to draw together the connections between things which, at first glance, seem utterly random, from the Barghest of Yorkshire to the Mail on Sunday's political column to Winston Churchill's depression to Gnasher.

#18 - Edwards Family v Inorganic Chemists

Season 5 - Episode 2 - Aired 8/22/2011

A father, son and daughter-in-law square up to three postgraduate chemistry students from Oxford University. They compete to draw together the connections between things which, at first glance, seem utterly random, from French nuclear tests in 1960 to the Krzysztof Kieslowski film trilogy to the Luxembourg flag to the Minis in The Italian Job.

#19 - Analysts v Editors

Season 5 - Episode 3 - Aired 8/29/2011

A team of professional analysts with degrees in modern languages, English and maths pit their wits against a trio of editors who delight in their meticulous attention to detail. They compete to draw together the connections between things which, at first glance, seem utterly random, from Ho to Beetlejuice to I Divorce You to White Rabbits.

#20 - Cambridge Quiz Society v Rugby Boys

Season 2 - Episode 8 - Aired 8/31/2009

We discover what connects Spock, Lisa Simpson, Brachiosaurus and Adolf Hitler.

#21 - Crossworders v Edinburgh Scrabblers

Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired 11/17/2008

#22 - Bankers v Lapsed Psychologists

Season 1 - Episode 14 - Aired 12/15/2008

#23 - Crossworders v Lapsed Psychologists

Season 1 - Episode 15 - Aired 12/22/2008

#24 - Cambridge Quiz Society v Oxford Librarians

Season 2 - Episode 1 - Aired 7/13/2009

Three lads from the Cambridge Quiz Society battle a trio of Oxford Librarians.

#25 - Chessmen v Charity Puzzlers

Season 2 - Episode 4 - Aired 8/3/2009

Three chess players take on a team who write puzzles for charity in the connections quiz.