The mysterious transformation of Mornington Crescent

[GuyBarry]

I'm not expecting a definitive answer to this (since by definition there can't be one), but I'd still be interested in comments.

The spoof "game" of Mornington Crescent started on I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue in 1978. When it launched, I'm pretty sure that the players mainly named London streets, as in this recording from 1991:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjOsOB4erZI

Now it seems that they mainly name London Underground stations. Most descriptions of the game I've seen refer to Underground stations rather than streets. Obviously there are some street names that are also the names of Underground stations (specifically Mornington Crescent itself), but the entire premise of the game seems to have changed by stealth!

How, when and why did this happen? Did nobody notice?

[RobbieM]

Ah yes. Nowhere do I remember the rules stating that the places have to be Underground stations, though this is the common assumption these days. There are still plenty of valid ’moves’ played in today’s Mornington Crescent championships which aren’t stations. It’s just the way the game has evolved over the years, I guess.

I seem to remember this evolution is discussed in chapter 7 of N.F. Stovold’s comprehensive work Mornington Crescent: Rules & Origins, though sadly the book is out of print now, and very difficult to get hold of.

Maybe we’ll never know…

[RobbieM]

P.S.

The spoof "game" of Mornington Crescent…

What do you mean, “spoof”?