Episode 19 Beat the Brain

Hello, it's Brain here.

I've created some real mind teasers for our team today.

Here's a couple for you to try.

Here's another one.

What veg is in the pot?

I'll give you the answers at the end of the show.

Now let's see whether our team today has what it takes to...

Beat The Brain.

Please welcome an unquestioned master of his trade.

It is John Craven.

Thank you very much indeed. And welcome to Beat The Brain.

Now, this is your chance to test yourself against the sharpest

mind on television. I am talking about Brain.

-Are you feeling good today?

-Super fit.

I've had my nutritional bowl of brain flakes and I am raring to go.

Well, let's meet our team today. Please introduce yourselves.

I am Sue and I am a retired primary school teacher.

I am Ant and I am a county councillor in Hertfordshire.

I'm Gill and I am a university research associate.

I'm Kevin. I am the team captain and I am a project manager in banking.

Kevin, as a captain, what are you going to call your team?

Our team is called Wickett Brood.

-Not a wicked brood?

-Not a wicked brood, no.

We're Wickett Brood.

Why Wickett?

Where we practice, as a morris side, it is a little village called

Bricket Wood. So we have spoonerised it and switched the first letters

-around and called...

-So, are you all morris dancers?

-Yeah.

-We are.

-Ah.

Anyway, are you ready to play?

-We are ready to play The Brain.

-Good. Well, here is how works.

The show's brain is divided into six Zones.

Now, The Brain will select four of these six Zones for you to

play today. Kevin, as captain,

you must then nominate which team member you think will perform

-best in each of the Zones. Got that?

-I've got that, yeah.

You are playing for time instead of points,

with every correct answer adding

three seconds to your total,

what we call your Brain Bank.

And the more time you build up,

the more chance you have of beating The Brain in the big final

and walking away with today's jackpot

of £3,000.

So, Wickett Brood, are you ready to play?

-ALL:

-Yes!

-All right.

Well, time to find out which Zone you'll be facing first.

Brain, a Zone, please.

Orientation it is. So, Kevin, who are you going to nominate?

-I'm going to put Gill in for Orientation.

-Why is that?

Gill's big hobby is geocaching.

That means a lot of walking around the country with maps

and GPS stuff and trying to find her way around.

Sounds like an ideal candidate. So, Gill, please come and join me.

-Good to see you.

-Hello.

-Hi.

Please explain a little bit more about geocaching.

Well, it is a hobby that really came into its own

since GPS has been available, in about 2002.

People hide little boxes in the landscape

and they post their coordinates onto a shared website.

You can download them and go and find them, which sounds in itself

fairly boring, but actually, they put them in really unusual places.

If you know secret places that even the tourist world doesn't

know about, put a geocache there

and those in the know go and find it.

You think it is a wise choice of Kevin to put you here...

-SHE LAUGHS

-..at this very moment?

We decided which Zones we liked best,

and I was the only one who said, "I'll do Orientation."

Well, let's see if you find our version of Orientation

as challenging as geocaching.

You will play two games in this Zone,

both games of three questions, worth three seconds each.

So, Brain, what is the first game?

-Hello, Gill.

-Hello, Brain.

-Are you nervous?

-Yes.

So you should be, my dear.

Your first game is...

Gill, which wheel matches the one on the left? To help you,

have a trial run.

Ooh. Aah. Umm... Yeah. There.

Oh, dear, that set is quite difficult, actually.

-So there's...

-Look at the three at the top, say.

-Yes, OK.

So there's a green and a blue together,

so I'm looking for one with a green and a blue together.

A and D have got...

-What about D?

-No, I think it is A.

-No.

-You think it is A?

-Yes. I think it is A.

Cos it is going to spin around. Let's see if it is A.

-You're right.

-Oh! That's good.

-So not as easy as it might look.

-No, no. It definitely isn't.

So let's play the game.

Well, Gill, you got there eventually.

But remember, you have a maximum of 45 seconds to answer three questions.

Please remember, I can only accept your first answer.

Every correct answer will add three seconds to your Brain Bank.

Gill, your game starts now.

OK.

Uh...

A black next to a green and a white.

Um...

Ah!

Oh, I think it is D.

D, right, correct. Next one.

Oh, gosh, that was fast. Two blues together with a green.

I think it is C.

Let's see if you are right. Yes, you are right.

One last one, with 15 seconds to go.

Concentrate.

Sorry, black and white. Ah... Dah, dah, dah...

Green, blue... That's B.

B, you are saying B. And you are correct, with three seconds left.

-Thank you!

-THEY LAUGH

That was a bit close to the wire, wasn't it?

So, that's a pretty good start.

Let's see what The Brain has for you in game two.

Oh, Gill, I can feel your confidence mounting.

You can?!

No. Here is your second game.

Ah.

Match the viewpoint on the left to the number two position on the right.

To get your eye in, Gill, have a trial run.

Oh, wow.

There is a ring and a cone

and a triangular thing.

It looks to me like it must be five.

Five, you are thinking.

And you are correct. On we go, Brain, please.

Gill, you have a maximum of 45 seconds to answer

-three questions.

-Right.

Your game starts now.

Oh, that is a big one in the foreground.

-And that's the middle. I think it is seven.

-Seven, you say.

And you are correct.

Next one, please.

Oh, they are coming very fast.

-I think it is six.

-Six, you're saying.

Are you correct? Yes, you are.

Well done. And you have one more coming.

Here it is.

-I think that must be one.

-That was quick. Number one.

And you are correct. Well done.

Well done for those two.

She really showed you how to play the games there, Brain.

Don't say that, John.

Nobody shows me how to do anything, I am a brain, The Brain.

Gill, it was a very good start.

You added 18 seconds in that Zone.

This means, in total, Wickett Brood

-have 18 seconds in their Brain Bank.

-Well done, Gill.

You couldn't have done better than that. Maximum points

-for your team in the first round, so well done.

-Thank you.

Well, it is time to find out which Zone we are going to next

and who is going to take it on.

So, Brain, a Zone, please.

Memory, so, Kevin, team captain.

-Well...

-Who are you selecting for Memory?

Since teachers have to remember all the children's names,

students' names,

I think this one is down to Sue.

-Thank you(!)

-OK, Sue, come on in.

-Pleased to meet you, John.

-And you too. Very pleased to meet you.

Are you still teaching?

No, I retired last summer to help my daughter look

-after my grandchildren.

-Do you miss it?

Um, I miss the teaching with the children,

I don't miss the paperwork.

And when it comes to mental tests, are you a great games player?

I love playing games on the computer and in the newspapers, yeah.

-I like doing Sudokus and other things like that.

-OK.

So, Brain, please reveal the first game Sue will be playing today.

-Hello, Sue.

-Hello, Brain.

A little bit of advice about this first game -

some people play it well and some don't.

It's called...

Sue, you will see four named pictures.

After five seconds, the pictures will disappear.

One will come back.

Tell us what its name is. To give you some practise, have a trial run.

-So, who is that?

-That was Sylvester, the bear.

-Sylvester, the teddy bear.

Let's see if you are correct.

And you are indeed. So well done. Brain, over to you.

Please remember, Sue, I can only accept your first answer.

Your game starts now.

-That's Chico.

-Chico, let's see. Chico, you're right, yes.

Good, good.

-That's Platt.

-Platt, the boot.

Let's see if you're right. You are indeed.

And just one to go now.

That's Helen.

Yes, you are right. Good. That is a pretty good memory, isn't it?

-Thank you.

-In that round, certainly. So let's see how you do in game two.

-You did very well there, Sue.

-Thank you, Brain.

Here is your second game.

You will see different ingredients being added to a pot.

You must tell us how many of each went in. Have a trial run.

Three carrots, two broccoli, one onion.

So that is...

-Oh. A, I think.

-A.

Let's see if you are correct.

-Yep, your logic was right on that one, wasn't it?

-Yes.

-Right, so, are you confident?

-I think so.

-Ready to go?

I hope so, yeah.

OK, Brain, please play the game.

Please remember, Sue, I will only accept your first answer.

Your game starts now.

Carrot, carrot. That's two carrots. One broccoli. One pepper.

Three carrots. Two broccoli. One pepper.

Three broccoli, three carrots, one pepper.

-So...

-Three carrots, three broccoli, one pepper.

-That is B.

-B.

Let's see if you are correct. You are indeed. Well done.

So move on to our second one.

That's a pepper. Two peppers. And an onion. Two onions, two peppers.

One carrot.

Three peppers, two onions, three...two carrots.

Three peppers, two carrots, two onions.

That's... Oh!

Oh. I might have gone wrong. It might be four peppers.

-I'm going to go for D.

-You are going to go for D.

-Let's see if you are right.

-Yeah.

-Correct.

Must have missed one of those peppers.

I was too busy focusing on the onion, probably.

You went for the right one eventually, didn't you? Yes.

-One more to go.

-OK.

That is a carrot and an onion. One carrot, one onion, one broccoli.

Two carrots, one onion... Two, two, one.

Two, two, two.

One, two.

Right, three... I am looking for three carrots.

I am looking for two onions.

I'm looking for a pepper and some broccoli.

-I am going to go for C, but I am not that confident.

-C.

-Let's see if you are right.

-SHE GASPS

-No!

-It was B, I'm afraid.

-I'm so sorry.

You were very, very close.

So you just caught her out at the end, Brain, didn't you?

I know, and I don't care!

Sue, you added 15 seconds in that Zone.

This means, in total,

Wickett Brood have 33 seconds in their Brain Bank.

-That is pretty good.

-Thank you very much. Thank you.

Right now it is time to find out which Zone is next

and who's going to take it on.

Brain, a Zone, please.

Language it is.

So, Kevin, who are you going to say will do well in Language?

-I am going to land Ant with Language.

-Cheers, mate(!)

That's all right.

OK, well, Ant, come and join me in the Language Zone.

-How are you feeling, Ant?

-Yes...

I've got a hard act to follow after the girls.

-You have, they have done very well, haven't they?

-Yeah, yeah.

-So, do you like games?

-I do.

I like puzzles. Cryptic crosswords is my sort of favourite,

although I wouldn't say I'm brilliant at them. It's challenging.

Well, that sounds to me as though you should be really good.

-We'll see.

-Let's find out.

So, don't forget,

there are another 18 precious seconds on offer in this Zone.

That is three seconds for every correct answer.

Brain, please reveal the first game that Ant is going to play.

How do you do, Ant?

Very well, thank you, Brain.

Yowzer, there is something about a man in tomato red trousers that

makes my neurons pulse.

Anyway, on with the game. Here is your first one.

Find the word that fits between the other two.

Each dash represents a letter.

You can warm up by having a trial run, Ant.

Phone, plate. Six letters.

I would say that is number.

Phone number. Number plate.

Let's see if that is correct. It is indeed. Well done.

-So, let's play the game, shall we?

-Right.

You can have as many guesses as you like, Ant, but I will not move

on to the next question until you give me the correct answer or pass.

-OK.

-You only have 45 seconds to answer three questions.

Every correct answer will add three seconds to your Brain Bank.

Your game starts now.

Legal eagle.

Legal...

Angel. Angel. Something Angel.

-Six letters.

-You can always pass.

-I was thinking... Pass.

-Pass, OK.

The answer is guardian.

-Legal guardian, guardian angel.

-Oh!

-Next one.

Hand.

Second hand, you say.

Correct. Last one.

Double...

Oh, my goodness.

-Double...

-Five letters.

Cheese. Big cheese. No.

Double...

-Two seconds left.

-Oooh...

No? Oh, dear me, your time is up, Ant. What was it?

Let's see what that missing word was. Cream.

-Double cream.

-Double cream.

-Cream cheese.

-Shucks.

-Easy now, isn't it?

Once we have seen the answer.

Oh, Brain, you were being hard on him there.

I know, I was being so evil!

Taking your revenge on the tomato-coloured trousers.

-Absolutely.

-Right, Brain, can we have the second game, please?

Here you are. And here is your second game.

Ant, what word is missing from all three others?

Here is a trial run of what I mean.

There is a word in the middle of those three, what is it?

Three-letter word.

Din.

Yes, you are right. You did very well there, Ant.

-Thank you, John.

-Are you ready to play?

-Yep, go for it.

-OK.

Please, can we play the game, Brain?

You have 45 seconds to answer three questions.

Your game starts now.

The missing word there.

Three letters.

U-something-I-A.

30 seconds left.

-Sculp, sculped. Cul.

-Hm.

-Cul?

-Co?

Cul, C-U-L.

C-U-L, let's see if you are right.

No, it was top.

Next one, please.

Ill.

Ill.

Yes, it is. Well done. Next one, you've got 11 seconds.

HE MUTTERS

-For. F-O-R.

-For, F-O-R.

-Well done. Just in time.

-Whoa!

-In the nick of time there.

-That one was tough.

-Yeah, well, two out of three is not bad.

Brain, how you think Ant did there?

Well, Ant, I got you breathing heavily there, didn't I?

-You sure did.

-The story of my life.

Ant, you added nine seconds in that Zone. This means, in total,

Wickett Brood now have 42 seconds in their Brain Bank.

Going incredibly well for your team, Ant.

So, Kevin, you are the final player.

So why don't you swap places with Ant

and we'll find out which Zone you will be playing?

-Hi, John.

-Good to see you, Kevin. A lot resting on your shoulders now.

-Oh, broad shoulders.

-And how are you at playing games like this?

I thought I was very good till I saw some of these questions earlier.

I think they're tougher than we thought.

Well, you've got Multitasking, Logic and Observation still left.

Which would you like?

Oh, I'd like Multitasking, but I don't want to tempt

-The Brain into giving me something I don't like.

-OK.

Let's find out which Zone The Brain has got in store for you.

Brain, the Zone, please.

-Ah.

-Oh, thank you, Brain(!)

-JOHN LAUGHS

You don't think it might be your strongest point?

-I'm fairly sure it is not my strongest point.

-We'll see.

Brain, please reveal the first game that Kevin will be playing today.

How do you do, Captain Kevin?

-How do you do, Brain?

-You know, I love brain teasing morris dancers.

It's the only time you can truthfully hear the words,

"Pull the other one, it's got bells on."

LAUGHTER This is your first game, Captain.

Count the number of times the lights come on.

Kevin, have a trial run.

-How many times did the lights flash?

-Yeah.

I think that was 19.

19, you're saying. Let's see if that is correct.

It is, yes.

Very well observed.

OK, Brain, let's play the game for real.

Please remember, I can only accept your first answer.

Your game starts now.

-How many times did they flash?

-16.

-16, you are saying.

Is he right?

He is indeed. Right. On to the next one.

-So, how many times did they flash?

-Oh, I think that was 14.

14, you are saying. Is he correct?

He is indeed. You are pretty good at Traffic Lights.

Here comes the last one.

-How many times that time?

-I lost count.

JOHN LAUGHS

-Going for 16.

-You are going for 16. That is a guess, is it?

So, we'll see. It was a brilliant guess.

-I counted 15, but I thought I'd lost count.

-Well, well done indeed.

-Yeah, that was a fantastic guess, wasn't it?

-Yeah, it was lucky.

Brain, can we have the next game, please?

-Oh, you lucky, lucky boy, Captain Kevin.

-Yes, thank you, Brain.

Here is your second game.

Tell me the order in which the balloons pop.

Here is a trial run to help you get a feel for the game.

That was... I think that was blue, purple, red.

Blue, purple, red, you are saying.

And you are correct. Yes.

Well, I think, Kevin, you got the hang of that one.

So, ready to play?

-Give it a go.

-Right, off we go.

Please remember, I can only accept your first answer.

-OK, Brain.

-Your game starts now.

Red, yellow, blue.

Are you correct?

You are indeed. Next one, please.

-Purple, blue, yellow.

-Purple, blue, yellow, you are saying.

Indeed, you are correct. You have got one more balloon popping to go.

Oh, there's four.

Blue, yellow, red, purple.

Blue, yellow, red, purple.

You are absolutely right.

You weren't caught out by that extra balloon, were you?

-And they were moving.

-They were moving, yes. So well done.

I don't think you could've done better than that, Captain.

-Thank you.

-In fact, your team have done very well. Haven't they, Brain?

Well done, Captain Clever Clogs. Not that I am bitter.

But, Kevin, you added 18 seconds in that Zone.

This means, Wickett Brood, you have finished with a grand total of

60 seconds in your Brain Bank.

60 seconds! Well done.

Well played. A captain's innings there.

So, we have finished our individual Zones

and it is now time for our team to try to beat The Brain one last

time and take home some cash, some serious cash, in today's final.

Well, Wickett Brood, our team of morris dancers,

you were playing for time and now you are playing for money.

You need to get eight questions right within the 60 seconds that

you added to your Brain Bank.

Do that and you win our jackpot today of £3,000.

If you fail to get the eight right within that time,

all is not lost.

The Brain has given you another two minutes to get the answers

that you need. However, as the time counts down, so does the money.

And if the clock reaches zero, you win nothing.

Kevin, you have chosen the order in which your team are going to play.

-I have.

-What is your strategy behind that?

Ant wanted to go first to get it over with, I think.

Gill really wanted to go second and I thought I'd bring up the rear.

-And left Sue to go third.

-OK.

It is time to get serious. Let's start today's final.

Over to you, Brain.

Wickett Brood, you will only face questions from the games you

have already seen today.

But for every game in the final, I will only accept your first answer.

Beat me if you can.

As usual, we'll start with the player on the left, that's Ant.

Once you have given me two correct answers, Ant,

we move on down the line.

OK?

Let's start the game.

Which wheel matches the one on the left?

B.

Correct.

Charlie.

No.

What word in the middle?

Roller.

Yes. Gill.

What's in the pot?

C.

Correct.

Nine.

No.

What is the missing word?

Old.

Incorrect.

Which viewpoint?

Eight.

Yes. Sue.

Purple, yellow, red.

Correct.

Barack.

Yes. Kevin.

Nine.

Correct.

Which wheel matches the one on the left?

D.

Stop the clock!

-So, eight correct answers and you have won £2,275.

-Wow!

THEY CHEER

Team, well done!

That deserves a little morris dance, doesn't it?

Kevin, you must be proud of your team.

Oh, I am very proud of the team. I'm totally exhausted,

I don't know about them.

So, how are you going to spend the money, any idea?

-Straight down to the sweet shop.

-THEY LAUGH

Well, what do you think about all that, Brain?

Well, just to show I am not a sore loser,

imagine the sound of melodeons and bells.

Here I go...

IRISH ACCENT: # Oh, I thought that I was perfect

# But my confidence was misconstrued

# For they beat me hard with bells on

# Oh, how I hate that great Wickett Brood. #

Well done, Brain.

On that note, I'll say thank you, all, for watching at home.

I hope you have enjoyed playing the game.

-It is goodbye from Wickett Brood.

-TEAM:

-Bye!

-It is goodbye from Brain.

-Goodbye.

-And it is goodbye for me.

See you the next time. Bye for now.

Before you go, here are the answers to the two questions

I gave you at the beginning of the show.

The answer is yellow, blue, red.

And here's the second one.

What veg is in the pot?

The answer is...B.

Did you get them right?

Join in for more challenging games

next time on Beat The Brain.