
Mastermind Australia
2019– · SBS · 30 min · 8 seasons
S08E85 · Episode 85: Grand Final
Fri, 31 July, 7:30 pm
It's the final showdown for our semi-finalists. Their specialist subjects? Crime and Punishment, the Academy Award for Best Actress, the Golden State Warriors and the Evil Dead trilogy.
About
Famous for its challenging questions, intimidating setting and pervading air of tense expectation, Mastermind is a legendary tournament quiz show beloved around the world, from the UK to Russia – and soon, Australia, when it returns to our screens after 34 years, weeknights on SBS from April.
With highly respected TV host, journalist and self-confessed quiz junkie Jennifer Byrne (ABC's First Tuesday Book Club, Sunday, 60 Minutes, Foreign Correspondent) at the helm, the program places contenders in the iconic Mastermind chair and gives them two tense minutes to answer as many questions as possible on their chosen specialist subject.
Specialist subjects will include everything from Australian Parrots to The Harry Potter Series; John Cusack to The Whitlam Government Dismissal; Wicked: The Musical to Women in Australia Rallysport – and everything in between.
The contenders will advance to a general knowledge round, and the person with the highest combined score for both rounds is declared the winner. Each Friday the weekly finals will see one person advance to the semi-finals and eventually compete against other winners at the end of the season for the prestigious title of Australia's Mastermind.
Episodes
- E01
Episode 1
Mon, 6 Apr· 30 minThe Coutinho family kick off Family Week with the West Coast Eagles, Good Luck Charlie, Thirsty Merc, and 1970s Chrysler Valiants.
- E02
Episode 2
Tue, 7 Apr· 30 minThis family has mastered their individual niches: Australian politics, World War Two operation Shetland Bus, the Melbourne Football Club and St George Illawarra.
- E03
Episode 3
Wed, 8 Apr· 30 minWhat do Manchester United, JDM cars, the human muscular system and Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead have in common? Tonight's family somehow fits them all under one roof.
- E04
Episode 4
Thu, 9 Apr· 30 minTonight's family tree has four distinct branches: bestselling author Matthew Reilly, murder mystery game Blood on the Clocktower, the band Twenty-One Pilots and the history of Wi-Fi.
- E05
Episode 5
Fri, 10 Apr· 30 minOur weekly family winners are back with two minutes of general knowledge, plus the dreaded slow burn round. Tonight's slow burn topics are an annual event, a sportsperson, a band and a country.
- E06
Episode 6
Mon, 13 Apr· 30 minThe animated series Steven Universe, composer Cliff Martinez, Breaking Bad, and The Da Vinci Code. I can just hear Professor Robert Langdon thinking, what does it all mean?
- E07
Episode 7
Tue, 14 Apr· 30 minTonight's subjects are the TV series Housos, the ARIA Top 10 Songs from 2000 - 2009, Narendra Modi and Jean Greenhowe's Knitting Patterns.
- E08
Episode 8
Wed, 15 Apr· 30 minTonight, Air Crash Investigation, Florence Nightingale, Percy Jackson, and the Scream films.
- E09
Episode 9
Thu, 16 Apr· 30 minContenders go deep diving for knowledge on the Barbie animated movies, Terry Pratchett's City Watch novels, the making of Adolf Hitler, and the Human Eye.
- E10
Episode 10
Fri, 17 Apr· 30 minOur weekly winners are back with two minutes of general knowledge, plus the dreaded slow burn round. Tonight's slow burn topics are a TV Show, a Food, a Landmark and a Song.
- E11
Episode 11
Mon, 20 Apr· 30 minThe subjects are the Rush Hour trilogy, Essendon Football Club, Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games and professional wrestler The Undertaker. Quite the mix.
- E12
Episode 12
Tue, 21 Apr· 30 minThe line-up of subjects spans galaxies, genres and ancient curses: the planets of the Solar System, singer-songwriter Chappell Roan, One Piece manga, and The Mummy trilogy.
- E13
Episode 13
Wed, 22 Apr· 30 minTonight's topics are revved up, wrapped up, written up, and powered up. Michael Schumacher at Ferrari, Prince's Purple Rain, the novels of David Nicholls, and Yu-Gi-Oh! trading cards.
- E14
Episode 14
Thu, 23 Apr· 30 minTonight, Futurama, Kirby's Return to Dream Land, Gone with the Wind and the history of tarot. Sounds like a fun half hour is on the cards.
- E15
Episode 15
Fri, 24 Apr· 30 minOur weekly winners are back with two minutes of general knowledge, plus the dreaded slow burn round. Tonight's slow burn topics are a Pop star, a Toy, a Year and a Historical Event.
- E16
Episode 16
Mon, 27 Apr· 30 minThe speciality subjects are Queens of the Stone Age, classic Bollywood, the razor-sharp Oxbridge satirists and TV's Law and Order SVU.
- E17
Episode 17
Tue, 28 Apr· 30 min - E18
Episode 18
Wed, 29 Apr· 30 min - E19
Episode 19
Thu, 30 Apr· 30 min - E20
Episode 20
Fri, 1 May· 30 minOur weekly winners are back with two minutes of general knowledge, plus the dreaded slow burn round. The slow burn topics are a film, a city, an animal and a constellation.
- E21
Episode 21
Mon, 4 May· 30 minThe topics are The Red Rising trilogy, Labrador retrievers, the works of John Lennon and the art of Jackson Pollock. In a battle of generations, Labs are guaranteed to stay neutral and adorable.
- E22
Episode 22
Tue, 5 May· 30 minTopics include Australian red wine, Swedish band Roxette, The Elder Scrolls and Critical Role: Exandria Unlimited.
- E23
Episode 23
Wed, 6 May· 30 minTopics include Aunty Donna's web and TV series, Douglas MacArthur, Freaks and Geeks and the life of ballet dancer Nijinsky. They should keep you on your toes.
- E24
Episode 24
Thu, 7 May· 30 min - E25
Episode 25
Fri, 8 May· 30 min - E26
Episode 26
Mon, 11 May· 30 minA night of celebrating Eurovision: Eurovision 2020-2025, Sweden in Eurovision, early Eurovision winners and Eurovision 2010-2019.
- E27
Episode 27
Tue, 12 May· 30 min - E28
Episode 28
Wed, 13 May· 30 minThe Troubles in Northern Ireland, smallpox, lucid dreaming, and the films of Tim Burton. So yes, a perfectly normal mix for another perfectly normal show.
- E29
Episode 29
Thu, 14 May· 30 minTonight, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, the Brisbane Broncos, the video game Jet Lag, and the surprisingly smoky history of Cuban Cigars - that's a lot to inhale in the one episode.
- E30
Episode 30
Fri, 15 May· 30 minOur weekly winners are back with two minutes of general knowledge, plus the dreaded slow burn round. Tonight's slow burn topics are a Musician, a Sport, a Character and a Country.
- E31
Episode 31
Mon, 18 May· 30 minAlex Garland's films, Little Women, Joan Didion, and classic Doctor Who. If you're still mixing up Daleks and Cybermen, well, this is an intervention.
- E32
Episode 32
Tue, 19 May· 30 minRomeo and Juliet, ancient Stoic philosophy, asbestos, and The Clone Wars. A journey from star-crossed lovers to a galaxy far, far away.
- E33
Episode 33
Wed, 20 May· 30 minTonight, we delve into the novels of Thomas Pynchon, Japanese Mascots, the history of Blackpool FC, and The Mighty Boosh. With subjects like this, it can only be one show.
- E34
Episode 34
Thu, 21 May· 30 minTonight, K-POPS Stray Kids, Audrey Hepburn films, the mayhem of Monkey, and Henry VIII, a man whose love life needed its own risk assessment.
- E35
Episode 35
Fri, 22 May· 30 minOur weekly winners are back with two minutes of general knowledge, plus the dreaded slow burn round. Tonight's slow burn topics are an Annual Event, a Word, a TV Show and a Book.
- E36
Episode 36
Mon, 25 May· 30 minNew week, new fascinating facts. The Melbourne Vixens, the History and Geography of South Dakota, the 90s films of Brendan Fraser, and the YouTube chaos of Smosh.
- E37
Episode 37
Tue, 26 May· 30 min - E38
Episode 38
Wed, 27 May· 30 minThe topics are cricketer Rahul Dravid, AC/DC's Angus and Malcolm Young, the Battle of Long Tan, and Australian 20th-century art.
- E39
Episode 39
Thu, 28 May· 30 minTonight: two TV classics - Stargate and Band of Brothers, two iconic women - Marilyn Monroe and Indira Gandhi, and one Mastermind legend - the black chair of course!
- E40
Episode 40
Fri, 29 May· 30 minOur weekly winners are back with two minutes of general knowledge, plus the dreaded slow burn round. Tonight's slow burn topics are a film, a landmark, an invention and a band.
- E41
Episode 41
Mon, 1 June· 30 minTonight is all achievement with Cathy Freeman, Be More Chill, The Hives, and the Harry Potter films, because apparently magic is now part of your Monday.
- E42
Episode 42
Tue, 2 June· 30 minThe Men's Spring Classics cycling, TV's Parks and Recreation, Beyoncé's solo albums, and the history of Monopoly, a set of subjects so strong you should be slightly intimidated.
- E43
Episode 43
Wed, 3 June· 30 minTonight, Death Cab for Cutie, TV's Weeds, US punk music, and Cold War submarines. Sounds like there'll be a lot going on above and below sea level.
- E44
Episode 44
Thu, 4 June· 30 minTonight: the career of Luc Longley, Winx the racehorse, Bob Marley & the Wailers and True Detective - four topics that have absolutely nothing in common, which is exactly how we like it.
- E45
Episode 45
Fri, 5 June· 30 minOur weekly winners are back with two minutes of general knowledge, plus the dreaded slow burn round. Tonight's slow burn topics are an annual event, a pop star, a book and a food.
- E46
Episode 46
Mon, 8 June· 30 minSome nostalgia to kick of the week. The Legend of King Arthur, Blondie's 70s albums, Beverly Hills 90210 and Untitled Goose Game. Actually, that last one is only nostalgic for Gen Z.
- E47
Episode 47
Tue, 9 June· 30 minMary, Queen of Scots, The Cornetto Trilogy, Bruce Springsteen and machine lubrication. If that's not a reason to tune in, we don't know what is.
- E48
Episode 48
Wed, 10 June· 30 minTonight, Tasmanian Lighthouses, Capital Cities of Eastern Europe, Dachshunds and The Beatles' experimental albums. Basically, a great Australian mixtape.
- E49
Episode 49
Thu, 11 June· 30 minTonight, we celebrate the passion, drama, and history of the FIFA World Cup. Four football fanatics, each tackling a World Cup themed subject.
- E50
Episode 50
Fri, 12 June· 30 minOur weekly winners are back with two minutes of general knowledge, plus the dreaded slow burn round. Tonight's slow burn topics are an Animal, a Country, a Song and a Musical.
- E51
Episode 51
Mon, 15 June· 30 minIs a love of learning inherited? In this family, absolutely, even if their passions range from Red Dwarf to Hercule Poirot, Australians in the Bougainville Campaign to Olivia Rodrigo.
- E52
Episode 52
Tue, 16 June· 30 minTonight: Rivers of London, the WA election, Scurvy and the legendary Burt Bacharach. Because what the world needs now is love... and a little trivia mayhem.
- E53
Episode 53
Wed, 17 June· 30 minTonight, we summon the Sun Gods for wisdom and lighting as we dive into Family Guy, Eurovision's "nul points", the Throne of Glass books and Sun Gods.
- E54
Episode 54
Thu, 18 June· 30 minTonight: the Green Bay Packers, The Strokes, South Park and Ronnie O'Sullivan.
- E55
Episode 55
Fri, 19 June· 30 minOur weekly winners are back with two minutes of general knowledge, plus the dreaded slow burn round. Tonight's slow burn topics are a Sport, a Landmark, a Musician and a TV Show.
- E56
Episode 56
Mon, 22 June· 30 minSit back and enjoy Italian landmarks, Neil Diamond, the '90s films of Macaulay Culkin, and TV hit Succession.
- E57
Episode 57
Tue, 23 June· 30 minTonight: all you ever needed to know about the Big Short, TV series Sharpe, Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung and Death on the Nile.
- E58
Episode 58
Wed, 24 June· 30 minAll ages are covered as participants delve into My Thomas Story Library books, Disney Pixar films, the music of Ashnikko, and Only Fools and Horses.
- E59
Episode 59
Thu, 25 June· 30 minThe much-loved Blue Heelers, Queen Victoria, Pink Floyd, and the legendary John Candy in John Hughes films, these are subjects that are equal parts nostalgia, history and pure cinematic joy.
- E60
Episode 60
Fri, 26 June· 30 minThe weekly winners are back with two minutes of general knowledge, and the dreaded slow burn round. The slow burn topics are a Film, a Natural Event, a Sportsperson, and a Band.
- E61
Episode 61
Mon, 29 June· 30 minKicking off the week with the Excellent Experts who have: On the Beach, the UK top 20 singles of the 80s, Byzantine history and Bluey!
- E62
Episode 62
Tue, 30 June· 30 minThe Love Cafe Trivia team with the Richmond Tigers, the Ocean's Film Trilogy, the Boston Red Sox and Pixar's Cars Films.
- E63
Episode 63
Wed, 1 July· 30 minTonight: The Family von Maddox with cricketer Brian Booth, TV series Miranda, Guys & Dolls and Hurry Up Tomorrow.
- E64
Episode 64
Thu, 2 July· 30 minTonight, it's every drag queen for themselves with Florence & The Machine, The Dark Crystal, Charmed and Lady Gaga's Mayhem Ball.
- E65
Episode 65
Fri, 3 July· 30 minOur weekly winners are back with two minutes of general knowledge, plus the dreaded slow burn round. Tonight's slow burn topics are an Album, an Historical Event, a City and an Actor.
- E66
Episode 66
Mon, 6 July· 30 minKicking off the week with Flight of the Concords, Skyhooks, the Geography of North Africa and the British Raj.
- E67
Episode 67
Tue, 7 July· 30 minMore fun facts than you can poke a stick at: the Jurgen Klopp era at Liverpool, Best Picture Academy Award Winners, the Acts of the Apostles and The Phantom Comics.
- E68
Episode 68
Wed, 8 July· 30 minTonight: Richard Hannay novels, The North Sydney Bears, Anna Karenina and the life of Marilyn Monroe. Spies, tries, romantic ties and a life of timeless glamour.
- E69
Episode 69
Thu, 9 July· 30 minTonight a show to really sink your teeth into with the Jaws films, The Classic Mini, the revolutionary Che Guevara and singer songwriter Kelsea Ballerini.
- E70
Episode 70
Fri, 10 July· 30 minOur weekly winners are back with two minutes of general knowledge, plus the dreaded slow burn round. Tonight's slow burn topics are a Discovery, a Sport, a Franchise and a Musician.
- E71
Episode 71
Mon, 13 July· 30 minTonight's contenders are about to empower you with knowledge of Ange Postecoglou at Celtic FC, Dance Moms, 90s Aussie Punk Music and the Miss Universe Pageant.
- E72
Episode 72
Tue, 14 July· 30 minTonight we're heading off on a journey with The Making of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, The Outsiders, The Great Gatsby and the World Surf League.
- E73
Episode 73
Wed, 15 July· 30 minTonight: Mick Herron's Slough House Novels, the History of Dubbo and the Formula 1 Grand Prix and Australian Ratites.
- E74
Episode 74
Thu, 16 July· 30 minGrab your hat and the Aero guard because we're going on some Great Australian Bushwalks and we're taking Coco Chanel, classic Survivor and some Vintage Fender Guitars with us.
- E75
Episode 75
Fri, 17 July· 30 minOur weekly winners are back with two minutes of general knowledge, plus the dreaded slow burn round. Tonight's slow burn topics are a Film, an Historical Event, a Game and a Pop Star.
- E76
Episode 76
Mon, 20 July· 30 minAndy Weir's novels, Dragon Ball's Vegeta, the Mark Renton books and Duran Duran. Eclectic? Absolutely. Accidental? Probably.
- E77
Episode 77
Tue, 21 July· 30 minTonight, another batch of almost-winners with Tame Impala, Black Books, the Multimedia Novels 17776 and 20020, and the Electric Light Orchestra.
- E78
Episode 78
Wed, 22 July· 30 minTonight: TV classic Daredevil, the Australian 1967 Referendum, Stingless Bees and Lily Allen. Who will end up smiling at the end?
- E79
Episode 79
Thu, 23 July· 30 minTonight's second-chance contenders bring an eclectic mix: Laufey, Resident Evil, the Vietnamese Boat Exodus and Stray Gods. A little chaotic ... but we love that for them.
- E80
Episode 80
Fri, 24 July· 30 minOur weekly winners are back with two minutes of general knowledge, plus the dreaded slow burn round. Tonight's slow burn topics are a Musician, an Invention, a Country and a Character.
- E81
Episode 81: Semi-Final #1
Mon, 27 July· 30 minTonight's semi-finalists take on Colin Jost, Miranda July's novels, the Austin Powers Trilogy and the Alien franchise - where surviving extreme pressure is kind of the whole deal.
- E82
Episode 82: Semi-Final #2
Tue, 28 July· 30 minTonight, another semi-final smackdown with wrestler Trish Stratus, Fever Pitch, the Life of Li Cunxin, and the Marvel Crisis Protocol.
- E83
Episode 83: Semi-Final #3
Wed, 29 July· 30 minTonight: The Boys, the Thirty Years' War, Philippine Presidents and Plato. Now to see who's done the homework ... and who's hoping for divine intervention.
- E84
Episode 84: Semi-Final #4
Thu, 30 July· 30 minFour contenders. One spot. Not rocket science. NASA: Apollo and Gemini Programs, Alan Turing and The Enigma Machine, The Hap and Leonard Novels and Apple Varieties.
- E85
Episode 85: Grand Final
Fri, 31 July· 65 minIt's the final showdown for our semi-finalists. Their specialist subjects? Crime and Punishment, the Academy Award for Best Actress, the Golden State Warriors and the Evil Dead trilogy.
Cast

Marc Fennell
Host

Jennifer Byrne
Host













































































