The 3rd Degree (radio series)

The 3rd Degree (sometimes written as The Third Degree) is a British quiz show broadcast on BBC Radio 4, hosted by comedian Steve Punt and made by Pozzitive Television. The series is recorded at different universities around the country, the contestants all coming from the university in which the recording takes place. One team consists of three students and the other of three lecturers (known as the "Dons") who teach the subjects the students are studying. The 3rd Degree aired from 21 February 2011 to 19 October 2025.

Format The show consists of several rounds which are as follows:

The General Knowledge Round: Each team are asked general knowledge questions in turn, which they are allowed to confer on. If they get the question right, they score two points. If they get it wrong the question is thrown over to the other team for a bonus point. Specialist Subject Round 1: The first of three specialist subject rounds. The rounds are between one student and the Don who teaches them. The questions are on the academic subject that the student is learning and the Don teaches. The scoring is asymmetric in favour of the student. Correct answers score two points. If a Don gets a question wrong it can go over for a bonus point to the student, but if a student gets a question wrong no bonus is given. The List Round: Each team is given 30 seconds to list as many things in a given category (time begins after Punt finishes reading the question). One point is given for each correct answer (indicated by a "ping" sound effect). If eight correct answers are given in the time limit, a ninth bonus point is awarded. Specialist Subject Round 2: The second specialist subject round. Follows the same format as the first. Highbrow Lowbrow: Referred to by some as the show's "Signature round", here each contestant is given a short clue to a question and are then asked if they want to answer a highbrow or a lowbrow question based on the clue. The students score two points if they get the highbrow question right or one point if they get the lowbrow question right. For the Dons, it is the other way around (one point for highbrow, two points for lowbrow). When the contestant chooses the question, their academic rival has to answer the question not chosen. Specialist Subject Round 3: The third and final specialist subject round. Follows the same format as the others. The Quick Fire Round: The final general knowledge "bell and buzzer" round (the students have a bell, the Dons have a buzzer). Correct answers score one point. Incorrect interruptions lose one point. Questions are not thrown over to the other side.

Reception

Reviews for The 3rd Degree have been mixed. A review in The Guardian, published during the show's first series, was critical of the show's pacing. The reviewer wrote: "There are lots of rather lukewarm, predictable asides", adding that the show "lacks pace and excitement, and you know the dons will win." Iain Weaver from UKGameshows gave a positive review of the series, saying: "We're not tremendously upset by the way the teachers went through the series unbeaten, they are university lecturers, and university lecturers are meant to know an awful lot. We also liked the way Steve Punt kept the programme flowing at a decent pace, adding jokes and asides, and keeping proceedings moving along most enjoyably. He's probably helped by the audience at the student bar, who have doubtlessly taken this opportunity to have their one pint of something for the week. If there's one slight criticism we'd make, it's that the Highbrow Lowbrow round is a bit of a block in the middle of the programme. We might prefer to split the round into two parts, perhaps shifting the first immediately before the lists round. That would add a little bit more variety, and make the programme a little less imposing. That's just a minor criticism: most of what The 3rd Degree does, it does well. Given that it replaced the venerable Quote... Unquote, it didn't have a high bar, but we can see this programme running for a fair few years."

Awards In 2015 The 3rd Degree was nominated for the Rose d'Or in the "Radio Game Show" category.

Episodes

Series 1 Episode Date broadcast University Specialist subjects Students score Dons score 1 21 February 2011 University of Southampton Biomedical sciences English Mathematics 20 25 2 28 February 2011 Durham University English literature Earth science Law 20 45 3 7 March 2011 University of Stirling Psychology English literature Marketing 23 23 4 14 March 2011 University of Reading Food science English and American literature International relations 32 40 5 21 March 2011 University of Salford English literature (Romantics to Modern) Criminology Military history 18 35 6 28 March 2011 Middlesex University Child nursing Art and Design Biology 27 37

Series 2 Episode Date broadcast University Specialist subjects Students score Dons score 1 12 March 2012 University of East Anglia Film studies Computer science History of art 19 30 2 19 March 2012 Swansea University Classics Law English literature 22 34 3 26 March 2012 University of Warwick Philosophy Chemistry Economics 37 26 4 2 April 2012 University of Sussex European literature Cognitive science 20th century drama 25 35 5 9 April 2012 Queen Mary, University of London Biology Modern history Law 22 35 6 16 April 2012 University of Northampton History of crime Journalism Popular music 25 35

Series 3 Episode Date broadcast University Specialist subjects Students score Dons score 1 25 March 2013 Anglia Ruskin University Film studies Social work Graphic design 28 35 2 1 April 2013 University of Exeter Biosciences Psychology Philosophy 25 22 3 8 April 2013 University of Edinburgh Biosciences History of art International relations 29 36 4 15 April 2013 University of Leicester Medicine Sociology Astrophysics 33 38 5 22 April 2013 Bath Spa University Creative music technology Creative writing Geography 22 24 6 29 April 2013 University of Leeds Civil engineering Popular music Psychology 29 27

Series 4 Episode Date broadcast University Specialist subjects Students score Dons score 1 7 April 2014 University of Bristol English literature to 1700 Physics Religion and theology 30 40 2 14 April 2014 University of Kent Anthropology Journalism Computing 32 31 3 21 April 2014 University of Bedfordshire Psychology Theatre and professional practice Sports science 23 31 4 28 April 2014 Aberystwyth University Information studies Welsh language and literature History of art 19 29 5 5 May 2014 University of Nottingham History Management studies Philosophy 20 17 6 12 May 2014 University of Birmingham History of medicine Social policy American studies 34 25

Series 5 Episode Date broadcast University Specialist subjects Students score Dons score 1 27 April 2015 Cardiff University Biology Journalism, media and cultural studies Astrophysics 31 29 2 9 May 2015 University of Manchester Biology American studies Medicine 22 36 3 11 May 2015 University of Essex Politics Literature 20th century history 31 41 4 18 May 2015 De Montfort University Forensic science Film studies Contour fashion 30 28 5 25 May 2015 Aston University Law Psychology Computer science 22 38 6 1 June 2015 University of Surrey Politics Business studies Physics 25 35

Series 6 Episode Date broadcast University Specialist subjects Students score Dons score 1 9 May 2016 University of York History of art Theatre, film and television studies Physics 22 30 2 16 May 2016 University of Gloucestershire Biosciences Media studies Religious studies 20 32 3 23 May 2016 University of Chester Archaeology English Computer science 27 26 4 30 May 2016 University of Glasgow Earth sciences Medicine Astrophysics and cosmology 22 33 5 6 June 2016 Birmingham City University Visual communication English literature Sociology 25 29 6 13 June 2016 University of Bath Biology Politics Maths 17 30

Series 7 Episode Date broadcast University Specialist subjects Students score Dons score 1 22 May 2017 University of Roehampton Anthropology Law Linguistics2233 2 29 May 2017 Queen's University Belfast History Medicine English2430 3 5 June 2017 University of Derby Forensics Education studies Theatre arts2726 4 12 June 2017 St John's College, Cambridge History Human, social and political sciences Physics2232 5 19 June 2017 University of Hull American studies History Business and management 2227 6 26 June 2017 University of Liverpool Physiology Egyptology Psychology3132

Series 8 Episode Date broadcast University Specialist subjects Students score Dons score 1 25 June 2018 Newcastle University Physiological sciences Sociology Media and communication studies3030 2 2 July 2018 University of Hertfordshire Aerospace engineering English language and communication Computer science2329 3 9 July 2018 University of Dundee Geography Animation Physics1932 4 16 July 2018 Merton College, Oxford Biology Classics History3926 5 23 July 2018 University of Sheffield Archaeology Dental hygiene and therapy Civil engineering 24 31 6 30 July 2018 Brunel University Politics Theatre Computer science 27 30

Series 9 Episode Date broadcast University Specialist subjects Students score Dons score 1 22 July 2019 Royal Holloway, University of London Criminology English Law 27 36 2 29 July 2019 University of Aberdeen Linguistics Law Music 27 25 3 5 August 2019 University of Plymouth Geology History Human biosciences 24 33 4 12 August 2019 St Catharine's College, Cambridge Veterinary medicine French studies Geography 29 33 5 19 August 2019 University of Brighton Biomedical sciences Marketing Globalisation 24 38 6 26 August 2019 Oxford Brookes University Anthropology Motorsport engineering Human biology 26 23

Series 10 Episode Date broadcast University Specialist subjects Students score Dons score 1 29 June 2020 Bournemouth University Psychology Nursing Economics 28 29 2 6 July 2020 Imperial College London Material science Biochemistry Mathematics 21 39 3 13 July 2020 University of Reading Linguistics Law Film and theatre studies 17 32 4 20 July 2020 Durham University Classics Education Modern history 36 30 5 27 July 2020 Ulster University Engineering Sports science Pharmacy 25 40 6 3 August 2020 Mansfield College, Oxford English Physics Theology 2336

Series 11 Episode Date broadcast University Specialist subjects Students score Dons score 1 31 May 2021 University of Southampton Biological Sciences Fashion Design Film studies 29 31 2 7 June 2021 University of Cumbria Marine and freshwater biology Education Forestry management and conservation 28 32 3 14 June 2021 Brasenose College, Oxford Philosophy Law Chemistry 32 21 4 21 June 2021 Anglia Ruskin University Sociology Optometry Psychology 38 30 5 28 June 2021 University of Northampton International Development Law and Organized Crime Nursing 24 25 6 5 July 2021 Nottingham Trent University English Literature Broadcast Journalism Law 29 37

Series 12 Episode Date broadcast University Specialist subjects Students score Dons score 1 20 June 2022 University College London Biochemical engineering Psychology English literature 15 29 2 27 June 2022 Leeds Beckett University Journalism Sport and exercise science English literature 29 29 3 4 July 2022 Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge History Physics Economics 29 33 4 11 July 2022 University of Warwick Engineering Linguistics Statistics 33 27 5 18 July 2022 Bangor University Zoology with herpetology Film studies Educational sciences 26 41 6 25 July 2022 Lancaster University Marketing French studies English literature 31 31

Series 13 Episode Date broadcast University Specialist subjects Students score Dons score 1 3 July 2023 University of Exeter Economics Natural sciences History 18 35 2 10 July 2023 University of Strathclyde Creative writing Business analysis and technology