The 'black chair' stands ready in the centre of the Mastermind arena awaiting the presence of the 48 aspirants to the title 'Mastermind 1978', chosen from the many thousands of viewers who applied to take part in this year's series.

The Open University at Milton Keynes is the venue for the first of these opening heats and the contenders are:

Jean Robinson, nurse - life and works of W. S. Gilbert

Aubrey Lawrence, assistant librarian - Britain between AD 350 and 600

Jonathan Allum, civil servant - 20th-century British philosophy

Raymond Fell, Detective Sergeant, New Scotland Yard - notable British poisoners

In this second heat the challenge of Mastermind is faced by four contenders from Northern Ireland. The contenders are; ROY ALCORN, teacher, Hollywood films, 1929-1959

MICHAEL BLOCH, student barrister, life and work of Philip Guedalla JOHN KNIPE , retired civil servant, history of Abbey Theatre, Dublin DAVID MCKIBBIN , teacher, history of professional boxing

Cranfield technical university provides an ideal setting for one of tonight's specialised subjects - History of Aviation.

Cranfield has its own airfield and has long-standing associations with the RAF.

The contenders are:

FELICITY MORRISEY, musician, life and works of Ludwig van Beethoven KEITH BOGLE, librarian, Greek mythology

ROBERT GLEESON, bookseller, Westminster Abbey

KEITH BLAKE, Fire Brigade Administrator, history of aviation

Tonight an American Attorney takes up the brief on behalf of Thomas Jefferson , one-time President of the USA, which is just one of the interesting specialised subjects in tonight's Mastermird heat. The contenders are:

CHRISTINE SHAW, teacher, English history 1603-1660

MICHAEL DIXON, Post Office manager, Life and works of Sergei Prokofiev JOHN GEORGE, Herald, The Papal Conclaves 1799-1878 ANDREW REISH, attorney, Thomas Jefferson

In this visit to Newcastle University, Liverpool, Kirkby, Sheffield and Manchester provide the ' brain power' in this fifth heat of Mastermind.

The contenders are

ROSEMARY BIRKILL, part-time medical practitioner, History of psychiatry NEIL WRIGHT, medical laboratory assistant, The life of Gaius Julius Caesar FRANK LYNCH, teacher, Classical music 1660-1960 ANTHONY MARTIN, librarian, The reign of the Emperor Augustus

Tonight's Northern group of contestants hail from South Wirral, York, Bolton and Sheffield: ROSEMARY JAMES, teacher, Mythology of Greeks and Romans

RAY WARD, graduate, Manned space flight FREDERICK HOUGH, HM Inspector of Factories, The religion of Ancient Egypt JOLYON COOMBS, stage manager, Roman History 146 BC - 44 BC

Contestants from Edinburgh, Inverness, Dumbarton and Falkirk gather at the oldest University in Scotland - St Andrews. There to face a barrage of questions designed to test their specialised and general knowledge, and their ability to concentrate under pressure.

The contenders are

ELIZABETH WHITE, housewife, The Novels of the Bronte Sisters

NEIL SPENCER, Local Government officer, Celtic Culture before AD 1200 JOHN STRATHEARN, teacher, The Clyde Passenger Steamer , 1812-1962

NEIL MACGILLIVRAY, scientific assistant, Israel and the European Zionist Movement from 1858

Nerve, concentration, recall are just some of the attributes required of the contestants taking part in this second Scottish heat from St Andrews University. The contenders are

CYNTHIA MUNRO, freelance translator, Life and works of Hieronymus Bosch DOUGLAS BLACK, medical student, Napoleon's '100 Days', 1815

DAVID LEES, schoolmaster (retired), The life of Hannibal IAIN COPLAND, teacher, History of Edinburgh

Tonight sees the inauguration of a new chair at Bath University, the 'Black Chair' of specialised and general knowledge awaiting contestants from Oxford, Mitcheldean, Swindon and France Lynch, near Stroud, to prove their worth in this ninth heat of Mastermind.

Kathryn Jones, student - Richard III

Donald Walters, rector - R.S. Surtees and fox-hunting

Patrick Brough, solicitor- Life and reign of Nicholas II

Michael Glover, author - Wellington in the Peninsula

Contestants from Cheltenham, Chipping Campden, Glastonbury and Swansea take up the challenge of Mastermind at Bath University. The contestants are

MARGARET SOUTHON, midwife, Alexander the Great

SEUMUS STEWART, bookseller, Life and works of Robert Burns

JULIAN FETTERLEIN , tax consultant, Life and works of Oscar Wilde

COLIN HUNT, freelance translator, The works of John Cowper Powys

Astley Farm, near Leeds, provides Mastermind with its first-ever farmer competitor. A doctor, graduate and lecturer make up the rest of the group, who will be in contention for a place in the semi-finals. Tonight's venue is Hull University.

The contenders are -

Anne Falloon, graduate: Life of Lord Byron

Christopher Booth, farmer: World War II

Nicholas Gold, doctor: Life of Admiral Horatio Hornblower

Bill Bent, lecturer: Battles in England 1066-1715

This is the final competition of the first-round heats, and apart from tonight's winner, the four best losers over the 12 heats will become known, moving forward to take their place in the special runners-up semi-final. Contenders: OLGA KEVELOS, licensee, Genghis Khan

PAUL BOLITHO, librarian History of British Methodism ANTHONY TOOHER, teacher, Life and works of Sir Edward Elgar

MICHAEL WALKER, civil engineering technician, Alaska and the Yukon Territory

The crucial stage is now reached with the first of the semi-final matches taking place at Leeds University. The contenders are

COLIN HUNT, freelance translator, German literature, 1900-1950 CHRISTINE SHAW, teacher, Life and works of Rudyard Kipling NEIL WRIGHT, medical lab scientist, Astronomy

and the Winner of Heat 12

There are four places available in the final of Mastermind for the contestants who win through the semi-final round.

One place has already been taken and in tonight's visit to Leeds University the second place will be filled after a keenly fought contest between

ROBERT GLEESON, bookseller, London city churches

MICHAEL GLOVER, author, Sir Robert Wilson

DAVID LEES, schoolmaster (retired), Classical mythology RAY WARD, graduate, Librarianship

Liverpool University, venue of the first-ever Mastermind in 1972, plays host to four would-be finalists in this third semi-final match. The contenders are BILL BENT, lecturer, The geography of England AUBREY LAWRENCE, librarian, History of Rhodes up to AD 1522 DAVID MCKIBBIN, teacher, History of World War I

JOHN STRATHEARN, teacher, Military operations of the 1745 Rebellion

The traditional Mastermind match for the best losers from the first round takes place tonight at Liverpool University, in this fourth and last of the semi-finals. The contenders come from Merseyside, Bolton, Manchester and York - a truly Northern occasion.

The contenders are:

Jolyon Coombs, stage manager - Commedia dell'Arte

Rosemary James, teacher - Life and works of Frederick Rolfe

Frank Lynch, teacher - European history, 1900-1945

Anthony Martin, librarian - Greek mythology

The Mastermind title and trophy are now within the reach of four worthy contenders, who meet tonight in competition at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh. ROBERT GLEESON, bookseller, Westminster Abbey

NEIL WRIGHT, medical laboratory scientist, Julius Caesar DAVID MCKIBBIN, teacher, History of professional boxing BEST RUNNER-UP