Viewers threaten to 'defund the BBC' after scheduling shake-up

BBC viewers were left seething after a significant reshuffling of the schedule, resulting in three shows being yanked from their usual time slots.

Devotees of quiz shows were left feeling let down when a trio of programmes were removed from their regular Monday evening schedules on BBC Two.

Mastermind, presented by Clive Myrie, typically kicks off at 7.30pm, followed by Victoria Coren Mitchell'sOnly Connect, and finally Amol Rajan grilling the University Challenge teams, all wrapping up at 9pm.

However, on Monday night (October 13), viewers were less than pleased to find out that a FIFA World Cup Group A qualifier match between Northern Ireland and Germany would be occupying the slot from 7.30pm until 10pm.

The quiz shows have instead been rescheduled for tonight, Tuesday 14 October, at their usual times, reports Wales Online.

One fumed: "No Only Connect?!?! What sort of BBC nonsense is this."

Another said: "Bloody inconsiderate of the BBC to replace the usual quiz night with some random kickabout! Give me my Only Connect you b******s!"

A third seethed: "No Monday quiz night on @BBC 2 because of sodding football - no #mastermind, #onlyconnect #UniversityChallenge."

Someone else said: " So BBC has decided that the whole nation would rather watch Northern Ireland football rather than Mastermind, Only Connect, University Challenge... another reason to #DefundtheBBC."

Someone else wrote: "So there was no #QuizzyMondays last night. And for us they'll be no #QuizzyTuesdays cos of the footie, then tomorrow and Thursday is the traitors Have to catch up with #Mastermind #OnlyConnect #UniversityChallenge over the weekend."

"Stupid football," another said, while yet another wrote: "I like football but why can't it be on iPlayer? Stop moving #mastermind and #onlyconnect #QuizzyMonday."

Someone else said: "No #UniversityChallenge or #OnlyConnect ruins my Monday night," while another echoed: "No Mastermind OnlyConnect or UniversityChallenge I am bereft."

"Outrageous!!!" one fan wrote, while someone else called it "Scandalous".

This comes after Only Connect host Victoria Coren Mitchell spoke about the success of the quiz show.

The writer has fronted the beloved programme since its inception in 2008, and it has built up a loyal fan following.

When asked about the secret to its success, she told The Guardian: "It's hard for me to talk in straightforwardly positive terms about anything I'm involved in. I struggle with compliments. I want to say: "God knows! With its clumsy host, weird vibe and impossible questions, I don't know why anyone would watch!"

"But I am proud of the brilliant people who work on it, by which I don't mean myself, and I think there's a lesson in its surprising popularity. Only Connect isn't obvious or mainstream; its spirit is Welsh and clever and BBC Four.

"It's a bit strange, it does its own thing and it's never consciously tried to be popular. Viewers respond to that - they recognise when they aren't being patronised. We trust our audience and they trust us."