Only Connect - Specials
1 - Crossworders v Rugby Boys: The Champion of Champions
Air Date: December 21, 2009
Quiz in which connections are made between seemingly random elements. The winners of series one meet the champs of series two.
2 - Children in Need Special
Air Date: November 15, 2010
A special Children in Need episode of the quiz show presented by Victoria Coren in which knowledge will only take you so far, as patience and lateral thinking are also vital. The cunning wiles of the Wheel Men (Rev Richard Coles, Adam Hart-Davis and Grub Smith) take on the combined brains of the Larks (Michael Bywater, Sir Andrew Motion and Stuart Maconie), trying to work out what connects the likes of Fawlty Towers to St Joseph's Wort, Pesto and the Great Mouse Detective.
3 - Series 3 vs Series 4 Winners Special
Air Date: January 10, 2011
Special edition of the quiz in which links must be made between seemingly random things, as the Gamblers square up to the Epicureans.
4 - University Challenge Special
Air Date: January 17, 2011
Victoria Coren presents a special edition of the quiz show in which knowledge will only take you so far, as patience and lateral thinking are also vital. Undefeated champions of champions, the Crossworders, risk their reputation by confronting the awesome brainpower of the University Challengers, captained by the illustrious Alex Guttenplan. It isn't going to be an easy ride for either team, as they try to connect Fortis shareholders with Muntadar al-Zaidi, sabateurs and Nikita Kruschchev.
5 - Comic Relief Special
Air Date: March 14, 2011
The Treesome (Brian Sewell, Adam Hart-Davis and Grub Smith) lock intellectual brains with the Larks (Michael Bywater, Sir Andrew Motion and Stuart Maconie) as they try to work out what connects the Golden Gate Bridge and David Dickinson.
6 - Children in Need Special: Great Believers vs Free Speakers
Air Date: November 14, 2011
In this Pudsey Special, two teams of clever celebrities prepare to lose their dignity in honour of Children in Need. The cunning wiles of the Great Believers (Nick Hornby, Dame Joan Bakewell and John Lloyd) take on the combined brains of the Free Speakers (Ian Hislop, Simon Singh and John Sessions). So join Victoria if you want to know what connects Erté, Hergé, Jeep and Esso.
7 - Wall Night 1 (1)
Air Date: December 12, 2011
The first half of Only Connect's inaugural Wall Night Special, in which eight teams return to face off against the Wall.
8 - Wall Night 1 (2)
Air Date: December 12, 2011
Victoria Coren presents a special edition of the quiz show in which knowledge will only take you so far, as patience and lateral thinking are also vital. The semi-finals and final of the mini-tournament, plus wall-solving tales from celebrity alumni.
9 - Champion of Champions: Crossworders v Epicureans
Air Date: January 2, 2012
Special edition of the quiz in which series 3 & 4 champions the Epicureans take on Series 1 & 2 champions the Crossworders.
10 - Only Connect vs Mastermind Special: Crossworders vs Masterminders
Air Date: January 9, 2012
Victoria Coren hosts a special edition of the word quiz in which a trio of Mastermind series winners take on Only Connect champions the Crossworders.
11 - Wall Night 2 (1)
Air Date: January 30, 2012
Victoria Coren presents a special edition of the quiz show in which knowledge will only take you so far, as patience and lateral thinking are also vital. Eight seasoned Only Connect teams return to take part in a Connecting Wall mini-tournament.
12 - Wall Night 2 (2)
Air Date: January 30, 2012
Victoria Coren presents a special edition of the quiz show in which knowledge will only take you so far, as patience and lateral thinking are also vital. The semi-finals and final of the mini-tournament featuring seasoned Only Connect teams, plus wall-solving tales from celebrity alumni.
13 - Sport Relief Special: Cutters vs Backhanders
Air Date: March 19, 2012
Victoria Coren hosts a special celebrity edition of the quiz, as two teams prepare to lose their dignity in honour of Sport Relief.
14 - Children in Need Special: Goldfingers v Fowls
Air Date: November 12, 2012
Victoria Coren hosts a very special celebrity edition of the quiz where knowledge will only take you so far, and patience and lateral thinking are also vital. In this Pudsey Special, two teams of clever celebrities prepare to lose their dignity in honour of Children in Need. The cunning wiles of the Goldfingers (Charlie Higson, Daisy Goodwin and Matthew Parris) take on the combined brains of the Fowls (Rosie Boycott, Richard Osman and Clarke Carlisle). So join Victoria if you want to know what connects Mark Antony, Henry VIII, Sir Sidney Ruff-Diamond and the Black Fingernail.
15 - Champion of Champions: Analysts v Scribes
Air Date: January 7, 2013
Series 5 champs the Analysts take on Series 6 winners the Scribes in a bid to be named Champion of Champions.
16 - Special: Eggheads v Davids
Air Date: January 14, 2013
Three Eggheads take on three champion captains all called David, drawing together the connections between things which, at first glance, seem utterly random. So join Victoria Coren if you want to know what connects Apollo 12, Pan Am Flight 214, Lee Trevino and York Minster.
17 - Comic Relief Special 2013: Neuromantics v Muppets
Air Date: March 11, 2013
Victoria Coren hosts a special celebrity edition of the quiz where knowledge will only take you so far, and patience and lateral thinking are also vital. Two teams of clever celebrities prepare to lose their dignity in honour of Comic Relief, as the Neuromantics (Charlie Higson, Rufus Hound, and Baroness Susan Greenfield) take on the combined wits of the Muppets (David Mitchell, Rosie Boycott, and Bill Turnbull). So join Victoria if you want to know what connects £100,000, PG Wodehouse, deep reddish-purple and Jack Horner's thumb.
18 - Children in Need Special: Scrabblers v The Balding Team
Air Date: November 11, 2013
In this Pudsey Special, two teams of clever celebrities prepare to lose their dignity in honour of Children in Need, as the Balding Team (Clare Balding, Clive Anderson and Sir Simon Jenkins) take on the Scrabblers (Alice Arnold, Konnie Huq and John Finnemore). So join Victoria Coren Mitchell if you want to know what connects: Bread song, Steve Bell cartoon, Lindsay Anderson film and Rudyard Kipling poem.
19 - Sport Relief: Scribblers v Terriers
Air Date: March 17, 2014
Two teams of clever celebrities prepare to lose their dignity in honour of Sport Relief as the Scribblers (Alice Arnold, Charlie Brooker and Ed Smith) take on the Terriers (Clare Balding, Val McDermid and Joshua Levine). So join Victoria if you want to know what connects: Howard's End, Veterans' Day, Caesar's Palace and Every dog has its day.
20 - Children in Need: Noggins v Curiosities
Air Date: November 10, 2014
In this special Children in Need episode, two teams of celebrities put their collective reputations on the line in the name of charity. The Noggins - Robert Peston, Patrick Marber and Sophie Grigson - and the Curiosities - Kevin Eldon, Professor Steve Jones and Kate Mosse - compete to draw together the connections between things which at first glance seem utterly random.
21 - Comic Relief Special: Waterbabies v Tillers
Air Date: March 9, 2015
Two teams of celebrities put their collective reputations on the line in the name of charity. The Waterbabies (Reeta Chakrabarti, Tom Holland and captain Patrick Marber) compete against the Tillers (Katie Derham, Steve Pemberton and their captain, Professor Steve Jones) to draw together the connection between things which at first glance seem utterly random. So join Victoria Coren Mitchell if you want to know what connects truth, malice, cava and prose.
22 - Children in Need: Music Monkeys v Chess Pieces
Air Date: November 9, 2015
In this Children in Need special, two teams of celebrities compete to draw together the connections between things which, at first glance, seem utterly random. The Music Monkeys, featuring captain David Baddiel with Clemency Burton-Hill and Philip Hensher, square up to the Chess Pieces, a team lead by Hugh Dennis and featuring Bonnie Greer and AN Wilson.
23 - Sport Relief: Royal III v BBC
Air Date: March 14, 2016
In this Sport Relief special, two teams of celebrities compete to draw together the connections between things which, at first glance, seem utterly random. This game sees the Royal III - David Baddiel, Dr John Cooper Clarke and Philippa Gregory - square up to the BBC - Hugh Dennis, Julian Lloyd Webber and Lynne Truss.
24 - Champion of Champions: Europhiles v String Section
Air Date: December 18, 2018
Series 9 champions the Europhiles take on Series 11 winners the String Section. Victoria Coren Mitchell presents.
25 - Sport: Footballers v Korfballers
Air Date: December 19, 2018
The Footballers and Korfballers return for a very special one-off sports special. Victoria Coren Mitchell hosts.
26 - Family: Lasletts v Meeples
Air Date: December 20, 2018
Victoria Coren Mitchell hosts the series where knowledge will only take you so far. The Lasletts and Meeples return for a special family edition.
27 - Quiz: QI Elves v Inquisitors
Air Date: December 25, 2018
Victoria Coren Mitchell hosts the quiz show about making connections. The QI Elves and Inquisitors compete in a special edition of the quiz.
28 - Travel: Globetrotters v Eurovisionaries
Air Date: December 30, 2019
Victoria Coren Mitchell hosts the series where knowledge will only take you so far. In this episode, two former teams with a connection to travel return.
29 - Happy Hour: Alesmen v Cosmopolitans
Air Date: January 1, 2020
Victoria Coren Mitchell hosts the series where knowledge will only take you so far. In this episode, two former teams with a connection to drinks return for a happy hour special.
30 - Education: Clareites v Beaks
Air Date: January 2, 2020
Victoria Coren Mitchell hosts the series where knowledge will only take you so far. In this episode, two former teams with a connection to education return for a special.
31 - Champion of Champions: Verbivores v Escapologists
Air Date: January 3, 2020
Victoria Coren Mitchell hosts the series where knowledge will only take you so far. Series 12 champions the Verbivores take on series 13 champions the Escapologists.
32 - Christmas: Edwards Family v Wrights
Air Date: December 29, 2020
Victoria Coren Mitchell is back in the host’s chair for a one-off special of Only Connect. Two favourite family teams from previous series return for a family-themed Christmas special.
33 - North and South: Scunthorpe Scholars v Oxonians
Air Date: December 30, 2020
Two favourite teams from previous series – one from the north and one from the south - return for a very special episode with a geographical flavour.
34 - Doctors: Medics v Gallifreyans
Air Date: December 31, 2020
Victoria Coren Mitchell is back in the host’s chair as six favourite contestants from previous series return for a one-off special themed around doctors.
35 - Music: Festival Fans v Choristers
Air Date: January 1, 2021
Victoria Coren Mitchell is back in the host’s chair for a one-off special of Only Connect. Two favourite teams from previous series return for a very special musical episode of Only Connect.
36 - Christmas: Turophiles v Corkscrews
Air Date: December 27, 2021
Victoria Coren Mitchell is back in the host's chair for a one-off special as two favourite teams from previous series return for an evening of cheese, wine and Christmas quizzing.
37 - The Birds and the Bees: Birdwatchers v Beekeepers
Air Date: December 28, 2021
Victoria Coren Mitchell is back in the host's chair for a one-off special of Only Connect as two teams from previous series – the Birdwatchers and the Beekeepers - return for a special episode.
38 - Cold: Nordiphiles v Apres Skiers
Air Date: December 29, 2021
Victoria Coren Mitchell is back in the host's chair for a one-off special of Only Connect as the Nordiphiles and Apres Skiers return for a very special and chilly episode.
39 - Champions: 007s v Puzzle Hunters
Air Date: December 30, 2021
Series 15's champions, the 007s, take on Series 16's champions, the Puzzle Hunters, in a competition to be named Only Connect Champions of Champions.
40 - Christmas: Polyhymnians v Channel Islanders
Air Date: December 23, 2022
Victoria Coren Mitchell hosts the quiz where knowledge only gets you so far. She asks what connects the following: Ange, Sedge, Christmas Eves, and God, frankincense and myrrh.
41 - Mystery: Endeavours v Whodunnits
Air Date: December 26, 2022
Victoria Coren Mitchell hosts the quiz where knowledge only gets you so far. It’s a mystery-themed special, and two teams emerge from the mists of time to solve a series of mysterious puzzles.
42 - Love: Part-Time Poets v Romantics
Air Date: December 27, 2022
Victoria Coren Mitchell hosts the quiz where knowledge only gets you so far. In this love-themed special, two teams from previous series have been lured out of retirement for some lovely questions.
43 - Champion of Champions: Dicers v Data Wizards
Air Date: December 28, 2022
Two all-conquering teams from previous series battle for the title of champion of champions – the Dicers (Series 14) and the Data Wizards (Series 17).
44 - Christmas – Relatives v Muppets
Air Date: December 19, 2023
A special festive edition of the quiz hosted by Victoria Coren Mitchell. Two family teams return for a yuletide battle of wits.
45 - Fashion – Dandies v Peacocks
Air Date: December 20, 2023
Another special edition of the quiz hosted by Victoria Coren Mitchell, where knowledge only gets you so far. Two fashionable teams from yesteryear return to strut their stuff.
46 - Boxing - Wrestlers v Arrowheads
Air Date: December 26, 2023
Another special edition of the quiz, hosted by Victoria Coren Mitchell, where knowledge only gets you so far. Two ‘sporting’ teams from previous series have returned to fight it out.
47 - Politics: Politicians v Activists
Air Date: December 28, 2023
Previous contestants return – professional politicians, including a real, live Conservative MP (correct at time of recording), face a team of activists.
48 - Royal Special: Vikings v Antiquarians
Air Date: December 23, 2024
Victoria Coren Mitchell hosts the quiz where knowledge only gets you so far. Two teams from previous series return for a battle royal, and the questions are as tricky as ever.
49 - Christmas Special: Mothers Ruined v Godyn Family
Air Date: December 24, 2024
Victoria Coren Mitchell hosts the quiz where knowledge only gets you so far. It’s Christmas, and two family teams return for Only Connect’s most Christmassy Christmas special yet.
50 - Books Special: Orwellians v Jillies
Air Date: December 26, 2024
Two teams from previous series, both taking their names from giants of literature, face fiendish, bookish questions.
51 - BBC Special: Bankers v Science Writers
Air Date: December 27, 2024
Victoria Coren Mitchell hosts the quiz where knowledge only gets you so far. Teams from the first series return to celebrate 60 years of BBC Two.
52 - Transatlantic Special: Cinephiles v Harlequins
Air Date: December 30, 2024
Anything and everything relating to the ‘special relationship’ is on the cards, as two British quizzers and their US captain take on a British captain and his two US teammates.
53 - Single Special: Brews v Irregulars
Air Date: December 31, 2024
Victoria Coren Mitchell hosts the quiz where knowledge only gets you so far. It’s the ‘single special’, celebrating singles, solos and everything that comes in groups of one.
54 - Sound Special: Record Collectors v Jukeboxers
Air Date: January 1, 2025
Victoria Coren Mitchell hosts the quiz where knowledge only gets you so far. Two teams from previous series return, but there’s a twist to the format – nearly all the questions are audio only.
55 - Champion of Champions Special: Strigiformes v Thrifters
Air Date: January 2, 2025
Victoria Coren Mitchell hosts the quiz where knowledge only gets you so far. It’s everyone’s dream to be a champion, and it’s every champion’s dream to beat another champion. Now is their chance...