Eggheads: How to improve the show

I love the show. It passes half hour whilst munching away on my dinner. Plus, unlike mastermind, i stand a good chance of answering or at least guessing the answers to the questions. However, the show is quite dry and simple. The latter helps everyone follow it along nicely and it'll likely never ever be significantly altered in format as it runs for the next 20 years. But, if I could have my way for five minutes and make some changes that I reckon will improve the show, this is what I'd do.

Bring back the Egghead's introduction

"Hello, my name is Chris Hughes. Now, back in 1980 ..."

I loved hearing the Eggheads introduce themselves. It never took up much time and gave us all a decent nudge to remember how they got to be on the show and their credentials.

Then, for some reason, this was ditched.

Suddenly it's not important that we hear their CV and get to empathise and relate to the legendary Eggheads. Yet, we have to sit through listening to the opposition for almost a minute, whom we've never met before.

The Eggheads are the show. We should hear more from them and not just little chit-chats every so often when Jeremy Vine doesn't understand an answer to a question. It doesn't have to be long, just a quick "Hello, my name is x. I got all these x quiz awards etc. Away from quizzing I like to x."

We don't get to nearly enough interact with the Eggheads, which is a big shame in my book.

Tension

It's so quiet in the studio that you could hear a pin drop.

It's so dry that you are surprised a camel doesn't walk along every so often, followed by some tumbleweed.

I'm not asking for much. I don't want the Who Wants to be a Millionaire light-show or drums beating away like everyone is about to be eaten by cannibals.

All I'd like to see is a little chirpy sound to indicate an answer was right or wrong, some gentle background tension music when we go to sudden death, and maybe a little shifting in lighting to make the final general knowledge section seem just that little bit like it really matters.

This would all combine to make it all feel like this is something more than a family quiz over the dinner table and that it's a contest between minds. Plus, there is money on the line, our UK license taxpayer's money, and it should mean something to those playing and us watching.

So, lets use a little technology to make it seem like there's money up for grabs here, and that getting a question wrong is more than a little inconvenience.