Quiz TV Today, Wednesday 16 September: The Chase at 5pm, Pointless 46 of 47 with Lucy Porter
Wednesday is the quiet middle of the British quiz week. There's no BBC Two block tonight — Mastermind, Only Connect and University Challenge are Monday shows — so the whole lot happens between 2.10pm and 6pm, and then ITV1 hands the evening over to football.
The one to circle is Pointless at 5.15pm, episode 46 of 47, with Lucy Porter beside Alexander Armstrong. Series 35 has only two episodes left. Before that, Countdown opens the afternoon at 2.10pm and ITV1 runs Tipping Point and The Chase back to back from 4pm.
What quiz shows are on TV today?
| Time | Show | Channel | Today's episode |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.10pm | Countdown | Channel 4 | Series 94, Ep 58 (new) |
| 4pm | Tipping Point | ITV1 | Ben Shephard hosts |
| 5pm | The Chase | ITV1 | No episode number listed |
| 5.15pm | Pointless | BBC One | Series 35, Ep 46 of 47 |
Four shows, nothing moved, and no gong at the end of the night. If you want the contrast, Monday carried seven quizzes, and all five days sit in this week's UK quiz TV.
What time is The Chase on tonight?
5pm to 6pm on ITV1, straight after Tipping Point, with catch-up on ITVX afterwards. ITV's guide links tonight's slot to the programme but not to a numbered episode, so we can't yet say whether it is a new Series 19 show or an archive one. Tuesday's turned out to be a Series 17 repeat once ITVX filed it.
Treat tonight's episode as unlabelled rather than new, then. Catch-up, signing in and the series numbering are all in our how to watch The Chase guide, and the earlier days are on the Chase page.
Is Pointless on tonight, and who's co-hosting?
Yes: 5.15pm to 6pm on BBC One, then BBC iPlayer. The BBC's listing for episode 46 has Lucy Porter returning as Alexander's co-host, with a 'word' board and a round on Miles Davis.
Two sums are worth doing here. Episode 46 of 47 means Thursday closes Series 35, and Friday 18 September opens Series 36 — with Lucy Porter co-hosting that first episode too, so she covers both ends of the changeover. The dates are set out in our Pointless Series 36 guide.
Who's in Dictionary Corner on Countdown today?
Marcus Brigstocke, for a second afternoon running, alongside Susie Dent. Colin Murray and Rachel Riley host episode 58 at 2.10pm on Channel 4, and the channel's own guide marks it new rather than a repeat.
It's the only one of the four that finishes before the school run, which is why most people meet it on catch-up. Our other explainers are collected under UK Quiz Guide.
Does tonight's football move The Chase or Tipping Point?
No. Carabao Cup Live runs from 7.30pm to 10.25pm on ITV1, which is 90 minutes after The Chase has finished. Quiz viewers lose nothing tonight.
Soap viewers lose two episodes, because Emmerdale and Coronation Street normally fill 8pm to 9pm on that channel. Our sister site has why Coronation Street isn't on tonight and what's left of the soap night.
When is the next BBC Two quiz night?
Monday 21 September, if the published schedule holds: Mastermind at 7.30pm, Only Connect at 8pm and University Challenge at 8.30pm, where Southampton meet Queen's University Belfast.
How the three formats differ, and how each scores, is explained in our Monday night quiz guide.
Questions readers ask
Do The Chase and Pointless clash?
From 5.15pm to 6pm, yes. One of them has to be catch-up.
Is Countdown on at the usual time today?
Yes, 2.10pm to 3pm on Channel 4, with an early-morning repeat on Thursday.
Why is there no quiz after 6pm?
The BBC Two run is weekly, not nightly, and ITV1 has the football. Thursday returns to the standard four.