Last year was so successful the programme was picked up for a second series of 85 shows in 2020. Jennifer Byrne fires off the questions to the contestant in the black chair, a situation more stressful than those of us watching from home believe it to be.
In this round, the specialty subjects are Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Baby-Sitters Club books series 1–8, the laws of cricket, and the early photographic process.
In this round, the specialty subjects are Douglas Mawson, Australian parrots, 2006 FIFA World Cup, and famous guitars and guitarists.
In this round, the specialty subjects are High fashion: French and Italian, Norse mythology, Company the musical, and Red Dwarf seasons 1–8.
In this round, the specialty subjects are Sir Joseph Banks, Brisbane Lions AFL team 1996–present, medical history of human immunisation, and Star Trek: Discovery (TV series).
In this final round, the four reigning champions from this cycle battle it out to progress to the semi-finals.
In this round, the specialty subjects are History of the men's 100m Olympic sprint, The life of Agnes Varda, the moons of Jupiter, and the personal computer in the 20th century.
In this round, the specialty subjects are The Australian magpie, Keith Haring, Anne Tyler novels, and Irish migration after the Potato Famine.
In this round, the specialty subjects are National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, The non-fiction works of George Orwell, Treaty of Versailles, and BioShock (video game).
In this round, the specialty subjects are The B52's: 70s–80s, British middleweight boxers 1985–2000, Birds of South Africa's Kruger National Park, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
In this final round, the four reigning champions from this cycle battle it out to progress to the semi-finals.
In this round, the specialty subjects are Pink Floyd — Dark Side of the Moon to The Wall, New Japan Pro Wrestling, the Master Golf Tournament 1980s, and Clueless the film.
In this round, the specialty subjects are Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas, Dumb and Dumber 1 and 2, comedies of Moliére, and the Battle of Leyte Gulf.
In this round, the specialty subjects are romantic comedy films of Hugh Jackman, China Australia relations post the Chinese Revolution of 1949, history of Apple Inc., and The Grateful Dead 1968–1972.
In this round, the specialty subjects are Australian players in the NBA, The Cornetto Trilogy, the Thor movies, and the Chronicles of Narnia books by C.S. Lewis.
In this final round, the four reigning champions from this cycle battle it out to progress to the semi-finals.
In this round, the specialty subjects are Saladin, Sherlock Holmes novels, Maximilien Robespierre and the Committee of Public Safety, and Savage Garden.
In this round, the specialty subjects are Oasis, pi history and usage, Alabama Crimson Tide, and the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
In this round, the specialty subjects are Robert Redford movies, World Expo '88, Seattle grunge music of the '90s, and the assassination of JFK.
In this round, the specialty subjects are Australia in the Eurovision Song Contest, David Sedaris Books, The Dutch Republic 1609–1713, and the meaning of the names of African Capitals.
In this final round, the four reigning champions from this cycle battle it out to progress to the semi-finals.
In this round, the specialty subjects are big wave surfing, Visigoths 360–410 CE, the human muscular system, and the life of Monica Dickens.
In this round, the specialty subjects are the Australian SAS, first aid, Porsche 1948–1990, and triple j Hottest 100 2010–2018.
In this round, the specialty subjects are the Marx Brothers, Mr. Men and Little Miss, Dresden Files Novels books 10–15, and The Rock films I–V.
In this round, the specialty subjects are 90s films of Emma Thompson, 2000AD comics, the operettas of Gilbert and Sullivan, and Sir Henry Parkes.
In this final round, the four reigning champions from this cycle battle it out to progress to the semi-finals.
In this round, the specialty subjects are Prisoner series 1, Monet, the 1970s Giallo films of Dario Argento, and the voyages of Captain Cook.
In this round, the specialty subjects are Churchill's WWII speeches, Australia in the 2019 Netball World Cup, the Ant-Man films, and Futurama seasons 1 to 3.
In this round, the specialty subjects are Tron and Tron: Legacy films, Lucius Cornelius Sulla, Earth’s Children books 1 to 3, and XTC 1978–1990.
In this round, the specialty subjects are Jackie French: The Matilda Saga books, Watergate, Willem de Kooning, and the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man trilogy.
In this final round, the four reigning champions from this cycle battle it out to progress to the semi-finals.
In this round, the specialty subjects are women of jazz: 1930s to ‘50s, Tasman Series 1964–1975, the history of autopsy, and the Star Wars prequel trilogy.
In this round, the specialty subjects are comedies of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ralph McTell, rivers of the world, and Mark Latham as federal Labor leader.
In this round, the specialty subjects are Mary Poppins (film), Elon Musk, The Strawbs in the ‘70s, and Gavin & Stacey seasons 1–3.
In this round, the specialty subjects are the Predator movies 1–4, The Eagles, Admiral Horatio Lord Nelson, and women’s fashion in the Victorian era.
In this final round, the four reigning champions from this cycle battle it out to progress to the semi-finals.
In this round, the specialty subjects are The Wizard of Oz (1939), the life and music of Son House, penguins, and Die Hard (1988).
In this round, the specialty subjects are Shrek films 1–3, Indian prime ministers 1975–2000, Charli XCX, and The Young Ones.
In this round, the specialty subjects are Saturday Night Fever, Castle (TV Show) season 1–3, Womens Big Bash League (Season 3, 4), and the Emperor’s New Groove (2000).
In this round, the specialty subjects are X-Men movies, the comedies of Shakespeare, US state capitals, and Absolutely Fabulous.
In this final round, the four reigning champions from this cycle battle it out to progress to the semi-finals.
In this round, the specialty subjects are the wives of Henry VIII, Sydney architecture, Chelsea FC, and Happy Days season 1 and 2.
In this round, the specialty subjects are Dragonriders of Pern — the original trilogy, General George Patton Jr, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and Scrubs seasons 1–3.
In this round, the specialty subjects are Batman films 1989-1997, Boston Celtics 2000 to present, the RMS Titanic, and the 2000 US presidential election.
In this round, the specialty subjects are the Saga Comic book series, the history of European beers, WWF: The Attitude Era, and Sex and the City seasons 3–6.
In this final round, the four reigning champions from this cycle battle it out to progress to the semi-finals.
In this round, the specialty subjects are the prime ministership of John Howard, the High School Music trilogy, Knoxville Nationals sprint cars, and Firefly the TV series.
In this round, the specialty subjects are Cary Grant, Women’s artistic gymnastics at the Olympics 2008–2016, George Orwell’s 1984, and Mahatma Gandhi.
In this round, the specialty subjects are James Bond films — the Pierce Brosnan era, the life and work of Friedrich Froebel, Brazil in the World Cup 1958–1970, and The Simpsons Movie.
In this round, the specialty subjects are Joh Bjelke-Petersen, the Nimitz UFO sighting, Japanese Sumo Wrestling, and Maria Gaetana Agnesi. Famed comedian Arj Barker joins this round as a contestant.
In this final round, the four reigning champions from this cycle battle it out to progress to the semi-finals.
In this round, the specialty subjects are Wayne's World, Woody Guthrie, The Fifth Element, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers 1991–2011.
In this round, the specialty subjects are Placebo, Moog analogue synthesisers, the Voyager space program, and TISM.
In this round, the specialty subjects are the Scream movies 1–4, the rules of netball, dinosaurs, and U.S presidents.
In this round, the specialty subjects are Johnny Depp in Tim Burton films, Pathefinder (1st edition), the Greek-Persian wars 490–479BC, and INXS.
In this final round, the four reigning champions from this cycle battle it out to progress to the semi-finals.
In this round, the specialty subjects are Twin Peaks seasons 1 and 2, the history of Triumph motorcycles, Will & Grace seasons 1–5, and the musical comedy of Tim Minchin.
In this round, the specialty subjects are The Witcher (TV series), the Battle of Agincourt, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and Bruce Springsteen 1975–1985.
In this round, the specialty subjects are Friends seasons 6-10, Carl Sagan, AFL premierships 1969–2019, and The Goon Show.
In this round, the specialty subjects are the history of Lego, Albert Speer, the life and work of Marie Curie, and Gone With The Wind.
In this final round, the four reigning champions from this cycle battle it out to progress to the semi-finals.
In this round, the specialty subjects are Talking Heads, western astrology, children of Queen Victoria, and Stephen King’s book IT.
In this round, the specialty subjects are M*A*S*H seasons 6–11, UN Security Council, the Adrian Mole books 1–3, and the life and music of Taylor Swift.
In this round, the specialty subjects are the life and times of Johnny O’Keefe, nuts, Roman mythology and religion, and The Office (UK).
In this round, the specialty subjects are 1980s Steven Spielberg films, the Hungary national football team 1949–1946, P.D. James — Adam Dalgliesh books, and Nikola Tesla.
In this final round, the four reigning champions from this cycle battle it out to progress to the semi-finals.
In this round, the specialty subjects are The League of Gentlemen seasons 1–3, Lazarus Long and the Future History series by Robert Heinlein, asteroids, and Rafael Nadal.
In this round, the specialty subjects are English Staffordshire terriers, Nike Air Jordans, the Sprawl Trilogy, and the New York Giants 2009–2019.
In this round, the specialty subjects are U2, the life of Jane Austen, the life and times of Richie McCaw, and Doc Martin seasons 1–3.
In this round, the specialty subjects are the life of Freddie Mercury, Pope Alexander VI — The Borgia Pope, Flanders & Swann, and Dennis Lillee.
In this final round, the four reigning champions from this cycle battle it out to progress to the semi-finals.
In this round, the specialty subjects are Siouxsie and the Banshees 1976–1996, the stolen generations, Williams Formula 1 team, and the Bill and Ted movies 1–2.
In this round, the specialty subjects are Brett Whiteley, Aboriginal bush foods, MIKA, and Mars Rover: Curiosity.
In this round, the specialty subjects are The Matrix, the cardiovascular system, Aerosmith, and Indiana Jones 1–4.
In this round, the specialty subjects are Keith Moon, squids, Norman conquest of England, and Fright Night (1985).
In this final round, the four reigning champions from this cycle battle it out to progress to the semi-finals.
In this Second Chance round, the specialty subjects are Extras (seasons 1 and 2), Lady Gaga, Aussie Slang, and Donald Glover.
In this Second Chance round, the specialty subjects are Little Britain, duty of care law, the Tiffany Aching books, and English Premier League managers 2000–2019.
In this Second Chance round, the specialty subjects are Weezer, Tokugawa Ieyasu, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and the sci-fi films of Ridley Scott.
In this Second Chance round, the specialty subjects are Keeping Up Appearances (Seasons 1 and 2), HMS Bounty, Benazir Bhutto, and Australian spiders.
In this Second Chance final round, the four reigning champions from this cycle battle it out to progress to the semi-finals.
In this semi-final round, the specialist subjects are Charles Kingsford Smith, The Jurassic Park trilogy, The Kokoda Track campaign, and The Beatles Album: Revolver.
In this semi-final round, the specialty subjects are The Wombats, The West Wing: seasons 1–3, the bovels of Jane Harper, and Fleabag: seasons 1 and 2.
In this semi-final round, the specialty subjects are Monty Python’s Life of Brian, The Kingkiller Chronicle, the film Casablanca, and Kanye West.
In this semi-final round, the specialty subjects are Ozzy Osbourne, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Joan of Arc, and Spike Milligan’s War Memoirs.
Tonight, it comes down to the final four contenders. Who will take home the title of Australia's Mastermind?