University Challenge scored 520 points in the final ITV season in 1987. In the Jeremy Paxman era, the team from Open University scored the highest score, 415, in the semi-final in 1997 against Charing Cross Hospital. The producers of the programme have taken the more recent inclusion of mature students to its logical conclusion by making two series without any student participants: "University Challenge Reunited" (2002) brought former teams back together, while "University Challenge: The Professionals" (from 2003) matched occupational groups such as civil servants, architects and doctors against each other. In 2003, the former was won by the 1979 team from
University Challenge 2008–09 in June 2008, before the filming of the quarter, semi-final and final matches, despite telling viewers he was studying chemistry. Kay left Corpus Christi after failing to get funding for his PhD and at the time of the final was working as an accountant. The captain of the Manchester team, Matthew Yeo, rejected calls for a rematch of the final. However, in a statement on 2 March 2009, the BBC and the programme's makers, Granada, stated that:"The University Challenge rules on student eligibility are that students taking part must be registered at their university or college for the duration of