This tense, dramatic and highly-rated quiz competition embarks on its fifth series to discover the ' Mastermind ' for 1976.

The contenders for the title are faced with a formidable challenge to their intellect, requiring them to be complete masters of their chosen subject and have a wide general knowledge.

Contenders:

ROBERT ORR, student, Russo-German War, 1941-1945;

ALWYN JAMES, freelance editor, Life and Works of Dylan Thomas;

MARY KEAN , housewife, Switzerland

MICHAEL DYCHE, RAF navigator, Captain Cook

Contenders from Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen strive for a place in the Mastermind semi-finals.

To succeed they require the knowledge of the specialist, a wide range of general knowledge and the ability to think and act quickly under the pressure of time.

Edinburgh University again provides the venue for tonight's contest.

Contenders:

ROBIN WALDEN, export manager Life and works of Michelangelo

GAY SINCLAIR-GIEBEN, schoolmistress Scottish Wars of Independence 1306-1320

ALAN BRUFORD, archivist The Hebrides to 1914

MARTIN NICHOLS, retired neurosurgeon,

Naval history 1793-1815

Tonight, contenders for the Mastermind title are from Brighton, Bury St Edmunds, London and Cambridge.

The venue for this mind marathon is the University of Hull.

Contenders:

David Morris, government scientist - Books of the Apocrypha

Susan Grant, doctor's secretary - Brighton and its inhabitants from 1750

Lance Howard, solicitor - Venice

Henry Button, research student - Cambridge Colleges

Two teachers, a warehouseman and a housewife make up tonight's group of aspirant ' Master-minds'. Whoever is to succeed requires supreme concentration, thorough subject specialisation and a wide general knowledge. A formidable task, but an exciting challenge. Contenders:

JOHN TAYLOR, warehouseman - Northumbrian Kings of the sixth and seventh centuries

MARGARET GARRATT, housewife, Dietetics JOHN BYERS , schoolmaster, Life and work of Evelyn Waugh NICHOLAS SPRUYTENBURG , teacher, Life and times of Edward II

Tonight's heat comes from Bangor University in Wales. Contestants are:

SIMON ST QUINTIN, bus conductor/driver - History and geography of Ethiopia JANET SAVAGE, medical social worker - Life and works of John Keats LEO TWYMAN, translator, the Anglo-Saxon period to circa 655 HENRY PANTIN, geologist, Gliding and its history

The half-way stage has now been reached in this preliminary round. Contestants in the sixth heat are: JOHN MAYNARD, Security adviser, Life and times of Richard III JUNE MAGGS, Librarian, The County of Gwent

THOMAS GODFREY, Lecturer, Chaucer's Canterbury Tales

GEORGE SHELDRICK, Local Government Officer, Life and works of Rembrandt

Tonight's heat comes from the University of Leicester, where we welcome four contestants from Northern Ireland. Depth of knowledge, concentration, and nerves of steel will help one of them to find a place in the Semi-final round.

Contestants are:

Robert Dunbar, Teacher - Life and work of Samuel Becket

Lisa Duffin, Librarian - 17th-century Mathematicians

Oliver Ferguson, Teacher - Geography of South East Asia

Rodney Smith, Teacher - 20th-century British Politics

One of tonight's contestants m the eighth heat will win a place in the semi-final round. -

From Leicester University

TEDDY VON KOENTGSTAEDTE, teacher - Life and works of Hans Christian Andersen

SANDYA NARAYANSWAMI, student - Genetics DAVID WILSON, lorry driver -The life and works of James Joyce JOHN SYKES, lexicographer - Mathematics

London University provides the venue for this ninth heat.

The contestants are:

DENIS VANDERVELDE, freelance management consultant - World Postal History

ANN-MARY HILLS, housewife - Life of Horatio Nelson

JOHN PALMER-BARNES, baker - Life and works of Sir Barnes Wallis

ALAN ILIFFE, psychologist - Novels of Anthony Trollope

Tonight's heat takes place at the University of London and the contestants are

VERNON LEEM-BRlGGEN, commissionaire -

The war in Burma (1943-45)

ANNE' GOLDSTEIN, freelance writer - English Civil War (1642-1648)

DAVID DELVIN, medical journalist - Operas

ASHLEY BRAMALL, barrister - British Politics since 1918

A wide area of interests are Covered in the specialist subjects by tonight's contestants, whose professions are as varied as the subjects. Tonight's heat comes from the University of Exeter. Contestants: DAVID FLOWER, applied mathematician - The USA

AMANDA HILL, postal officer - The descendants of Queen Victoria ROBERT SMITH, London taxi-driver - Viking Atlantic voyages

JOHN LANGFORD, careers officer - Oliver Cromwell

Tonight's contest comes from Exeter University and completes the first round heats. Contestants: STEWART THOMPSON, Naval Officer - The Rebellion of 1745 DIANA PUGH, housewife - Life and works of Percy Bysshe Shelley TIMOTHY WALLACE-MURPHY, salesman - Medical History 1700-1850

ROGER PRITCHARD, civil servant - Life of the Duke of Wellington

Durham University is the venue for the beginning of this semi-final round with four of the 12-heat winners trying for a place in the Final.

They are

ALAN ILIFFE, psychologist - English theatre 1950-75

SUSAN GRANT, doctor's secretary -The wines of France

NICHOLAS SPRUYTFNBURG, teacher - The life of Cardinal Wolsey HENRY PANTIN, geologist - Life and works of Berlioz

Tonight's contestants meet at the University of Bristol. They are: GEORGE SHELDRICK, local government officer - French medieval history 987-1328 LISA DUFFIN, librarian - Life cycle/habits of the honeybee ROGER PRITCHARD, civil servant - British warships from 1914 to the present day

DAVID DELVIN, medical journalist - Field and track athletics (amateur) 1855-1960

The University of Bristol is the scene for the last of the Semi-finals. A chance for the four best heat-losers to gain the fourth and final place in this year's Mastermind Final. They are GAY SINCLAIR-GIEBEN, schoolmistress - The fictional novels of C. P. Snow

DAVID FLOWER, applied mathematician - Physics

JANET SAVAGE, medical social worker - The Gunpowder Plot DAVID WILSON, lorry driver - Life and works of Ibsen

The Final

NICHOLAS SPRUYTENBURG, teacher - Life and times of Edward II

ROGER PRITCHARD, civil servant - Life of the Duke of Wellington AMANDA HILL, postal officer - Descendants of Queen Victoria Best runner-up