Editorial: Want the best brain? Try the Bay

Hawke's Bay's William Barnes was crowned Mastermind 2016 champion.

It's official. Hawke's Bay has the sharpest knife in the drawer.

According to Mastermind, we boast the country's best intellect.

Napier's Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Te Ara Hou teacher William Barnes was last night crowned Mastermind 2016 champion.

Filming for the popular series took place back in Easter, which he said had made it a drag waiting months to come clean, "especially being a school teacher".

The cerebral show that aired between 1976 and 1991 with Peter Sinclair as host was revived this year. And while some things changed, much remained the same.

That is, while Peter Sinclair may have morphed into Peter Williams, TV's most austere game show remains TV's most austere game show. Its sombre, Westminster-like format has changed little from its earlier rigid incarnation.

So, too, the foreboding chair and warden-like host.

Despite the wealth of many trivia-based TV game shows, Williams' starchy demeanour was a warning to all that with Mastermind, intelligence-gaming is a serious business.

Still, who can argue with an average audience of 477,000 viewers this year. Besides, the step back in time took nothing away from the Havelock North teacher's win. Peppered with arcane questions under the spotlight, the 35-year-old rarely faltered, and even said the pressure was "addictive".

What a credit to his school, profession and province.

His triumph, if nothing else, can only inspire much confidence in his students. Fancy being taught by the country's top brain?