A trio of social networkers who met online take on three committed vegetarians. They compete to draw together the connections between things which, at first glance, seem utterly random, from the Barghest of Yorkshire to the Mail on Sunday's political column to Winston Churchill's depression to Gnasher.

A father, son and daughter-in-law square up to three postgraduate chemistry students from Oxford University. They compete to draw together the connections between things which, at first glance, seem utterly random, from French nuclear tests in 1960 to the Krzysztof Kieslowski film trilogy to the Luxembourg flag to the Minis in The Italian Job.

A team of professional analysts with degrees in modern languages, English and maths pit their wits against a trio of editors who delight in their meticulous attention to detail. They compete to draw together the connections between things which, at first glance, seem utterly random, from Ho to Beetlejuice to I Divorce You to White Rabbits.

Three running enthusiasts play three colleagues from a creative engineering company

Three online football team managers take on a team who love historical things.

Three Listener crossword fans play a trio of choristers from Sheffield University

Three rowers play a trio of linguists.

Three aficionados of the Scottish rock music scene pit their wits against three members of an executive council trade union group. They compete to draw together the connections between things which, at first glance, seem utterly random, from Isabelle Dinoire to Tycho Brahe to the Maid in the Garden to the Sphinx.

Three online pals take on a trio of history buffs in the first of the quarter-finals. They compete to draw together the connections between things which, at first glance, seem utterly random, from elephant to hippopotamus to Mississippi to one thousand

A team of rowers encounter three fans of the Listener crossword in the second of the quarter-finals. They compete to draw together the connections between things which, at first glance, seem utterly random, from Steiff to Veuve Clicquot to Deutsche Grammophon to Boddingtons.

A father, son and daughter-in-law pit their wits against three members of an executive council trade union group in the third of the quarter-finals. They compete to draw together the connections between things which, at first glance, seem utterly random, from Little Venice to Silver to Christopher Columbus to The Equator.

Three professional analysts square up to three colleagues at a creative engineering firm in the last of the quarter-finals. They compete to draw together the connections between things which, at first glance, seem utterly random, from Private Wilhelm to Jelly Babies to Mandrakes to David Sutch.