Mastermind viewers sank their claws into the ‘dumbed down’ BBC quiz show after one player’s ‘pathetic’ specialist subject was revealed on Monday night. 

The latest episode of the programme, hosted by Clive Myrie, 60, saw four contestants take on each other to make a place in the final.  

Teacher Phil Nowek picked comedy series Blackadder, actuary Claire Reynolds chose the British industrialist and statesman Joseph Chamberlain, retired accountant Rashmi Bhardwaj was answering questions on actor Gregory Peck and project manager Lewis Jones picked video game Zelda. 

Phil managed to gain an impressive 11 points during his round, but those watching at home raged that the subjects are ‘getting easier every week’.   

Many took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to complain. 

One said: ‘Got all the #Blackadder questions right and my parents nearly did as well.’

Mastermind viewers sink claws into ‘dumbed down’ BBC quiz after player’s ‘pathetic’ specialist subject – raging ‘they get easier every week!’

The latest episode of the programme, hosted by Clive Myrie , 60, (pictured), saw four contestants take on each other to make a place in the final. 

Another added: ‘I haven’t seen Blackadder in about five years, but I got four, so that set of questions was clearly far too easy…’ 

A third chimed in: ‘Seems I know more about Blackadder than Joseph Chamberlain, Gregory Peck and the Legend of Zelda combined. The latter is obviously a 0.’

‘Think I’d do well on Blackadder….,’ a fourth said. 

A fifth tweeted: ‘Blackadder?! What’s that, 14 hours of TV to bone up on? Pathetic. I managed to answer all bar two of those and I’ve not seen any of it for years. So dumbed down now. #Mastermind.’

This isn’t the first time that viewers have complained about the specialist subjects on the show.    

Earlier this month civil servant Eddie Crawford answered questions on 12th-century monarch Henry II, consultancy director Kate Bleazard’s topic was Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple novels, financial crime investigator Nathan Hamer picked Wales Rugby Union Test matches from 2000, and retired teacher Gary Austin answered questions on TV show Friday Night Dinner. 

Eddie managed to bag six points, while Kate got nine, Nathan seven and Gary an impressive 12. 

When they got to the general knowledge round, Gary, who was last to take on the questions, was told he had to beat Eddie’s 21 points to get to the next round.  

By the end of the round, Gary answered 22 questions correctly, meaning that he had won the show. 

Phil managed to gain an impressive 11 points during his round, but those watching at home raged that the subjects are ‘getting easier every week’

Retired teacher Gary Austin answered questions on TV show Friday Night Dinner  

Question master Clive Myrie has been the host of the long-running BBC quiz show since 2021

But his success angered some viewers of the show, which is hosted by Clive Myrie, as they thought that Gary’s topic was easier than the others.

Many took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to complain. One fumed: ‘I got almost as many right as him – Friday Night Dinner is a great show, but hardly Mastermind material.’

Another chimed in: ‘Can we please up the bar for acceptable specialist subjects?’  

A third added: ‘That’s not a specialist subject, that’s a pᴀssing interest.’

‘#Mastermind shouldn’t allow TV programs as specialist subjects! You watched a few episodes of a program? Great. That’s not the as studying world history, science, literature. Moan over haha,’ a fourth chimed in.  

Mastermind contestants have been impressing viewers with incredible knowledge around their specialist subjects since 1972.

However in recent years, some fans have kicked off over the ‘dumbed down’ topics on the BBC quiz show – and have called for the rules and regulations over what gets picked to be overhauled. 

Just last year other fans slated the show as ‘a shadow of its former self’ after the contestants revealed their specialist subjects – which consisted of Narnia, The Matrix films, Madagascar and Robbie Williams’s solo career.

Mastermind airs on BBC Two and is available to stream on iPlayer.