Yeah…remember AD/BC?
And Letters and Numbers too.
Marc Fennell has replaced Jennifer Byrne as quizmaster for season 3, which premieres on Monday, February 22 at 6pm. But before that, Byrne will host the season 2 finals from Monday, February 15 at 6pm, with an hour-long grand finale Friday, February 19 at 7.30pm.
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Whilst I don’t mind Marc taking over as host, it’s a shame Jennifer has left the show. She gave the show a level of prestige and authority over the first two seasons.
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I really don’t get the appeal of him, he’s very bland and doesn’t offer up much in any of his hosting roles. He’s especially bad on The Project.
It must just be an aberration that he’s managed to amass an extensive list of credits and awards for his work over the past decade and continues to be in demand given your assessment of his talent. I’ve never seen him on The Project but always enjoyed his calm demeanor and wit on The Feed, his brief stint as fill in host on Mastermind and on his world renowned podcasts.
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Cool
i thought that Jennifer Byrne was a great host on Mastermind. Glad she’ll still be seen on the Finals, which is coming up soon. I dont mind Marc Fennell either. I liked his earlier work on The Feed and his movie reviews on the short lived Movie Show and on one of the morning shows. His stint on The Project is a bit of a hit and miss of late.
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I agree, but at the same time Marc Fennell should do well. Given all the stuff he’s done for them in recent years, Marc will probably eventually become one of the main faces of SBS-TV if he hasn’t already.
Besides, most who watch Mastermind will probably still tune in for as long as it remains more intellectual than the quiz shows on commercial TV. I swear it’s not overly uncommon for cross promotion and product placement (eg, questions about advertising slogans or current/former Nine programs) to be sneakily incorporated into Hot Seat!
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Mastermind returns Quizmaster Jennifer Byrne presents the long-awaited Season 2 finals before welcoming new host, Marc Fennell, for Season 3
The wait is finally over for Mastermind fans! Australia’s toughest quiz show returns on Monday 15 February at 6pm with Season 2 finals, and a new season with new host, to premiere the following week.
Viewers have been eagerly awaiting last year’s finals results after filming for the quiz show was delayed due to COVID-19. After a nail-biting season, the Mastermind Australia 2020 winner will finally be crowned after almost a year’s wait.
Jennifer Byrne returns one last time as quizmaster for finals week before handing over the reins to Walkley -winning journalist, Marc Fennell , who will helm the third season from Monday 22 February. Marc, best known for The Feed (SBS) and Download This Show (ABC), is no stranger to Mastermind having jumped into the iconic quizmaster seat for a short but successful stint in 2019.
Marc Fennell said: “I think Mastermind is a genuine insight into Australia’s psyche. Every one of us has that one obsession, that one thing we know and love above all things. The best part of being the quizmaster is seeing the wild diversity of obsessions and topics that the contenders bring with them. But make no mistake, it is the toughest quiz show on Australian television. I’ve been both a fill-in host and celebrity contender on Mastermind Australia, I know first-hand how intimidating it can be. While I may be the one holding the questions, I truly marvel at the gumption of the contenders. It’s going to be intense.”
SBS Commissioning Editor, Josh Martin, said: “It’s been a long wait, but we’re thrilled to finally be presenting the 2020 Mastermind winner. Jennifer has expertly quizzed contenders since we re-launched Mastermind to Australian audiences in 2019. She leant the show her considerable intellect, warmth and authority and we thank her for the instrumental role she has played in the show’s success. We’re excited that the quizmaster baton will be passed on to SBS’s own Marc Fennell, no stranger himself to the Mastermind hosting role, who will bring his own unique style and energy to this one-of-a-kind quiz show.”
After a season of speciality subjects such as Lady Gaga, the Nimitz UFO Sighting, Sydney architecture, the Stolen Generation, Donald Glover, Aussie slang, the history of European beers, the comedies of Shakespeare and nuts (just to name a few), it is down to 16 contenders competing in the Season 2 finals.
Specialist subjects for finals week will include the Kokoda Track Campaign, The Wombat, Monty Python’s Life of Brian , The Kingkiller Chronicle , Casablanca , Ozzy Osborne, Joan of Arc and the Spike Milligan War Memoirs.
Who can handle the pressure to be crownedAustralia’s 2020 Mastermind? Find out when Mastermind Season 2 semi-finalsreturn weeknights from Monday 15 February at 6pm on SBS culminating in an hour-long grand finale Friday 19 February at 7.30pm. Season 3 begins Monday 22 February at 6pm. Both the seasons will be available to stream on SBS On Demand.
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The set looks really good at the end of this new promo.
As the photos show, only the host Jennifer Byrne was in the main studio.
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i watched it last night, and thought it was great.
Yes - it was done differently, as only Jennifer Byrne was the only one in the main studio. The four contestants were in another studio. I don’t know if all were in the same studio or not - it wasn’t explained. There were four “chairs” for the contestants to sit at. There were four small screens of the contestants hears at where they’d sit. When it was their turn for the questions, they were moved onto a big screen, and Byrne would talk and ask questions to that screen.
When the lady was announced winner at the end, confetti did fall into the main studio. Jennifer was happy 
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Am watching Mastermind tonight and have to say Marc Fennell is doing a great job. His slightly more casual style works very well with the format.
SBS need to get rid of the corny promos featuring Mark though. They look like a horrible throwback to promos from the 70s.
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Tickets to the filming of Celebrity Mastermind are now available from That’s the Ticket website. There will be five sessions, with two sessions each next Monday (March 8) and next Friday (March 12), followed by the grand final on Monday, March 22. All sessions will be filmed during daytime hours at SBS studios at Artarmon.
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It’s good that Fennell is injecting some of his personality into this show. Jennifer Byrne was very dull.
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Mastermind - Season 3 Grand Final
Friday 18 June at 7:30 pm
Tonight, it comes down to the final four contenders.
Who will take home the title of Australia’s Mastermind?
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Tomorrow? As in the 4th of June?
Sorry - 18th
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