episodes
- 1. Episode 1 Tonight Mastermind's tenth season opens and, between now and Christmas, 48 contestants will pit their wits against each other in the quest to win television's premier quiz battle. Magnus will be 'sta...
- 2. Episode 2 Heat 2 in the search for Mastermind 81 from the Royal Air Force College, Cranwell Captain Patrick Lawrence (retired soldier): The Indian Mutiny (1857) Tim Parry (trainee hospital administrator): Bri...
- 3. Episode 3 Four more contenders for the Mastermind 81 title meet in this third heat of the competition at the University College of North Wales in Bangor. Janet Barker (housewife): History of fashion 1920-70 A...
- 4. Episode 4 The University College of North Wales at Bangor is host to the contenders in the fourth heat. Ian Barton (university lecturer): Roman emperors of the first and second centuries AD Anthony Dart (char...
- 5. Episode 5 The fifth heat of Mastermind 1981 comes from the Great Hall at the University of Bradford and features contestants from the Midlands. John Mellor (HGV driver): The Battle of Waterloo Peter Shilston...
- 6. Episode 6 Four contestants from the North of England take up the challenge in the sixth heat of Mastermind 1981 at the University of Bradford. Hutton Barton (probation officer): Battle-cruisers and battleships...
- 7. Episode 7 Four contestants from the South East of England meet at Middlesex Polytechnic in this seventh heat of Mastermind 1981. James Bitton (retired civil servant): The Second Boer War Maureen Blakesley (sc...
- 8. Episode 8 The search for Mastermind 1981 reaches the half-way point - as contestants from the South and East meet at Middlesex Polytechnic. Thomas Dyer (financial consultant): Works of William Shakespeare Iri...
- 9. Episode 9 Four contestants from the South of England are assembled on the Quarter Deck at the Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth. Katherine Davies (department store buyer-manager): Life of Queen Mary, Co...
- 10. Episode 10 The Britannia Royal Naval College at Dartmouth is host for this tenth heat of Mastermind 1981. On the Quarter Deck are contestants from the West of England. Godfrey Abbott(ordnance surveyor): History...
- 11. Episode 11 Scots and Irish contenders for the Mastermind 1981 title meet tonight at Scotland's oldest university, in the Younger Graduation Hall of the University of St Andrews. Arthur Arnold (schoolmaster): 17...
- 12. Episode 12 The first-round heats of Mastermind 1981 are completed tonight at the University of St Andrews as contestants from Scotland and Northern Ireland challenge for the last place in the semi-finals. Derri...
- 13. Episode 13 Winners from the first round return to face each other in the debating chamber of the Oxford Union Society in this, the first of the semi-finals. Janet Barker (housewife): The films of Alfred Hitchco...
- 14. Episode 14 Another finalist in Mastermind 1981 is chosen tonight as four more winners from the first round pit their wits against each other in the Debating Chamber of the Oxford Union Society. Godfrey Abbott (...
- 15. Episode 15 The third semi-final from St Aidan's College, Durham University Ian Barton (university lecturer): Classical Greek and Roman architecture Richard Beatty (biologist): Life and works of Oscar Wilde Jo...
- 16. Episode 16 St Aidan's College, Durham University is the setting for this special Semi-final when five' runners-up ' compete for a place in the final. James Bitton (retired civil servant): History of Brighton A...
- 17. The Final from The Metropolitan Police Cadet School at Hendon. Ian Barton (university lecturer): Roman emperors of the 1st and 2nd centuries AD Leslie Grout (schoolmaster): St George's Chapel, Windsor Nichol...