Prime v Variorum Hive Minds

Welcome to Hive Minds,

the quiz where simply knowing the answers isn't enough.

You've got to find them as well.

Today's two teams both lost their first matches,

so they are in the last chance saloon.

The winning team will live to fight another day,

the losers will have to go home. Let's meet them.

Prime, first of all, would you introduce yourselves, please.

I am Will. I am a retired maths teacher from North London.

I'm John. I'm a barman from Aldershot.

I'm Jill. I'm a dyslexic coach from North London.

Very good to meet you all again.

John, last time we met you, you delighted us with a limerick.

I was wondering if you might have another one up your sleeve.

-I have come up with another one.

-Brilliant. Let's hear it.

Allow me to brag, if you please

But I'll tackle this quiz show with ease

For to find your first letter in the hive is made better

By its merciful absence of bees.

-Very good indeed. We like that. What do we think?

-Boom boom.

-Boom boom.

I'd give that ten out of ten. Excellent.

Variorum, introduce yourselves, please.

My name's Ting and I'm from Newbury in Berkshire

and I work in corporate banking.

I'm Stuart. I'm a London Tube driver and I'm from Ilford in Essex.

I'm Joyce. I'm a retired management consultant

and I'm from Lurgan in Northern Ireland.

Very good to meet you all again. Stuart,

one thing I wanted to ask you about is poker,

cos I know you're a bit of a demon poker player.

I have my moments.

And you were in the World Poker Series.

Yeah, I went to Vegas and played in the World Series of Poker.

Didn't last very long but it was an experience.

Right, well, let's see if it's a bit more straightforward for you today.

Welcome to both of you. Let's play Hive Minds.

All the answers are hidden in a hive which looks like this.

If the answer to my question was

"What are the names of this week's teams?",

you'd be looking for Prime

and Variorum. There they are.

As you can see, answers use adjoining cells,

can go in any direction and no cell is used more than once.

In Round One, as you're looking for answers in the hive,

letters will start to disappear and, as they do, the points go down.

So, the faster you answer, the more you score.

So, Prime, here's your first question,

and when you think you've found the answer,

hit the first letter to stop the clock. Find...

Reveal the hive.

What are we looking for?

-Cirrus, cumulus.

-Cirrus?

Cirrus goes to a dead end, I think.

-Cumulus?

-Cumulus...

-Stratus?

Cumulus goes to a dead end as well.

-Is Stratus there?

-Stratus.

-Stratus is there.

-We'll have that.

-Well done.

-Your answer?

-Stratus.

-Let's see if you're right.

Stratus, yes, for 4 points.

OK, Variorum. A city where one of the traditional

Seven Wonders of the Ancient World was located.

Reveal the hive.

Thebes. Alexandra...

Thebes, Alexandra, um...

-Alexander, Alexander.

-Alexand-RA.

-Alexandra.

-Your answer?

-Alexandra.

Alexandra.

Let's see if you're right.

-Ooh.

-I'm afraid not. You haven't found the right answer.

I'm going to throw it over to you, Prime, for a bonus point.

Let's see what you would have been left with.

-Rhodes.

-Ephesus.

-Ephesus?

-Ephesus.

-Your answer?

-Ephesus.

Let's see if you're right.

Ephesus is correct. Well stolen for a bonus point.

-And what I think you were looking for was Alexandria.

-Yeah.

Not Alexandra. Alexandria,

-and it was nearly there but not quite.

-Yeah.

OK, Prime, I'm still with you.

A species of primate which, if you remove two letters,

becomes an Irish singer. Reveal the hive.

-Bono's the singer.

-Bonobo. Bonobo.

Bonobo. OK, so where do we start?

Here, I think. Yeah.

-Your answer?

-Bonobo.

Bonobo. Let's see if you're right.

There you are. Bonobo, of course, resembles a chimpanzee.

-And the singer?

-Bono.

-Bono.

"Boh-no" or "Bonno", depending how posh you are, I guess, Will.

Bono, of course, from U2, for the full 5 points.

OK, Variorum. The name of a fictional doctor

which, if you change two letters

becomes the name of a travel-related website. Reveal the hive.

Expedia. Travelocity.

Nothing...

Doctor Zhivago?

-Your answer?

-Zhivago.

-Zhivago.

Let's see if you're right.

Correct. Zhivago.

-And the travel-related website, if you remove two letters?

-Trivago.

Trivago, correct. Let's see where we've got to.

Prime, you're in the lead.

Quickly off the mark with 10. Variorum, you're on 3.

We're going to make things a bit more complicated now.

I'm looking for two answers and you must spot both to score the points.

Prime. Find a first-class cricket county

and the location of their county ground.

Reveal the hive.

Right, is Essex there?

Essex and Chelmsford?

-Chelmsford's there, yeah.

-Well done.

Oh, it's gone. Let's take that off.

Chelmsford's just gone, hasn't it?

Colchester? No.

-Um...

-Kent? No.

-Gloucester? Worc...? No.

-Um...

Gloucester? Isn't Essex one of them?

-No.

-Essex is still there.

No, it can't be. No.

OUT-OF-TIME BUZZER

-Out of time. Variorum, for a bonus point?

-Yeah. Um...

Your answers?

I pressed the wrong letter.

It's Sussex and Hove.

Sussex and Hove.

Let's see if you're right.

Pressed the wrong S.

You've got to get the right S

to get the right Sussex.

The answer is Sussex and Hove,

but you didn't manage to find it

in the right place in the hive for that point.

Variorum. Find a film directed by Woody Allen

and one of its female stars. Reveal the hive.

-Manhattan.

-Oh, yeah. Manhattan.

H-A-T-T-A-N, yeah. Manhattan.

And who is it?

-Streep. Streep, Manhattan?

-Kitten?

-King?

-Keaton.

-Keaton.

-Keaton, yeah.

-Manhattan and Keaton.

-Go on then.

-Your answers?

-Manhattan and Keaton.

You were straight in there, Ting, with Manhattan.

Let's see if you're right.

Manhattan and Keaton.

Diane Keaton, Woody Allen's muse.

OK, Prime, over to you.

Reveal the hive.

Right, Pentagon, Five.

-Is it there?

-P-E-N-T-A-G-O-N...

It comes to a dead end.

-You're right.

-What about Octagon?

-Octagon?

-That's a "Gon".

-Yeah.

-Octagon goes there.

-Octagon, Eight.

Eight, where? No, it's a dead end.

Well, Octagon does...

Something Five. Square?

Does Pentagon not come to a dead end?

-Pentagon.

-Where does it go?

-Pentagon and Five.

-Where does it go?

No, it doesn't. No.

OUT-OF-TIME BUZZER

-You haven't found the answer I'm afraid. Variorum?

-Yeah.

Pentagon and Five.

Let's see if you're right.

No. The answers you're after are...

You can nearly get Pentagon but you can't use the same N twice,

-that's the problem.

-Yeah.

-Variorum.

Find two adjacent letters in the Greek alphabet.

Reveal the hive.

Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta.

-Alpha, Beta, Gamma...

-Alpha.

-A.

Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon.

Psi. Is Psi...?

That's going to be three, yeah.

-There's Psi.

-3 points.

Psi and...?

Er...

Psi and...

STUART SQUEALS

OUT-OF-TIME BUZZER

-I've got it.

-A little squeak coming out of you, Stuart, there,

but not quite the answer we were after. Prime?

-Kappa and Lambda.

-Kappa and then...

-Lambda.

-Lambda.

Let's see if you're right.

Correct, for the bonus point.

-Well stolen, Prime. Psi was in there, Stuart.

-Yeah.

But there's no adjacent Greek letter in the hive.

We see Kappa after that.

And once you got Psi, you were fixated on finding the letter,

but it wasn't there, I'm afraid.

It was Kappa and Lambda. Well stolen, that 1 point.

That brings us to the end of the round.

Prime, you are ahead on 11.

Variorum, a little way to catch up with 5.

In Round Two, you'll each face two hives

containing three answers related to a specific topic.

You have 45 seconds to complete each hive

and score a maximum of 5 points. Prime, you're in the lead,

so you get to choose from the following topics.

-Which one would you like?

-OK.

-What do you think, guys?

-Classical Music?

-Yeah.

-You guys are both good on classics.

-We listen to a lot of Radio 3.

-Yes.

-So, hopefully, that means we know a fair bit about it.

-Who knows?

-As long as you dump things into my brain.

-Yes, OK. Classical Music.

Classical Music. So, no pressure on you.

You've got to dump things into John's brain. OK.

You've got two passes, but remember one wrong answer

and your team will be locked out of the hive.

So, you will be looking for...

-Ten seconds to confer.

-London.

-Surprise.

-Clock.

-Surprise.

-Clock, Surprise, London.

-Military. Farewell.

-Wow.

-OK, right.

So, London, Clock, Military, Farewell, Surprise.

-Time's up.

-OK.

-Stop conferring. Will, we're going to start with you.

You're looking for nicknames

of Haydn symphonies. Reveal the hive.

Clock.

Clock. Press the first letter.

Oh, sorry. Yeah.

Correct. John.

Surprise.

Surprise. Correct. Jill.

-Military.

-Military.

Oh.

I'm afraid not. So, you're locked out of the hive.

Military is a nickname of a Haydn symphony. It's nearly there.

Yes, I've just seen it.

-What you're looking for was another Haydn symphony...

-Farewell.

-..beginning with M.

-Miracle.

Miracle, Will. That's what you were after.

That's what you needed to get the full 5 points.

You got 2. That takes your score up to 13.

Variorum, over to you now. Which topic are you going to go for?

We're left with...

-Food and Drink?

-I like Board Games but...

-I'm useless at Board Games.

-Up to you.

-Food and Drink.

-We all have food and drink.

-OK, let's go for that.

-We'll go for Food and Drink.

We all love food and drink, absolutely.

OK, you've chosen Food and Drink

and I can tell you that you will be looking for...

You have ten seconds to confer.

-Sherry.

-Sherry, Port.

-Marsala.

-Marsala.

Um, I can't really think of any more.

That's about the only three I really know. Any others you know?

-Sherry, Port and Marsala.

-Time's up.

We'll try those and see if we can find anything else.

Ting, we're going to start with you. You've 45 seconds.

We're looking for three fortified wines.

Reveal the hive.

Port.

Port.

Correct. Stuart.

You can pass.

Madeira.

Madeira. Correct. Joyce.

-Marsala.

-Marsala.

Correct.

With 15 seconds to go.

You found all three - Port, Madeira and Marsala. 5 points.

Prime, we're back with you.

Which topic would you like? We're left with...

-Which would you like?

-I have a leaning towards Board Games.

-Board Games, yes, OK.

-I'm easy on any of them really.

-Board Games?

-OK.

-OK.

-Board Games.

-Board Games. Are you all board games players?

-A little bit.

-Sometimes.

-I play chess but...

-I love your confidence.

You've chosen Board Games. You will be looking for...

Right, we should get this.

-The library.

-Hall.

-Is the Study?

-Dining room?

-There's only one room, so Kitchen...

-Bathroom?

-Hall...

-Is Bathroom in there? No.

-I don't think there was.

-So, Hall...

Time's up. OK, Will, we're starting with you. Reveal the hive.

-You can pass.

-Pass.

-John.

-Hall.

-Hall.

Correct. Jill.

Um...

There's one pass remaining.

Um...

I'm going to have to pass.

-Will.

-Conservatory?

Conservatory.

Correct. John.

Why can't I see this?

Um... Oh.

-Lounge.

-Lounge.

-Well done!

-Correct.

-With one second to go.

-Well done.

-Well done, John.

And at the last possible minute.

So, Hall, Conservatory and Lounge.

That's what you found. You got the full 5 points.

That takes your score up to 18.

Variorum, over to you.

You could do with the full five points again

to narrow the lead between yourselves and Prime.

Let's see if you can do it.

Which topic are you going to choose from what we have left?

-I'd be OK with Religion but...

-I'd prefer Science.

Out the two, I think Science is probably the one we'll go for.

-Science wins the day.

-Yeah.

-Bad luck, Joyce. OK, Science it will be.

Let's see what you'll be looking for.

You've ten seconds to confer.

Thiamine, Riboflavin.

They're all going to end in "In" or "Ine", aren't they?

-Give me some easy ones cos I don't know any others.

-Riboflavin.

-Is Magnesium?

-No, they're not vitamins.

-Time's up.

Ting, we're going to be starting with you.

-Sounds like it might be tricky.

-Yeah.

-Chemical names of vitamins.

You've 45 seconds, two passes, remember.

Reveal the hive.

-Pass.

-Stuart.

-Thiamine.

-Thiamine.

Correct. Joyce.

You've one pass remaining.

-Pass.

-Ting.

OUT-OF-TIME BUZZER

That was tough. Ting, you were left holding the baby.

You couldn't pass and you said right from the get-go,

"I don't know about chemical names of vitamins."

And it all came down to you. Well, you found one.

Stuart, you found Thiamine.

Have you spotted any others now the pressure's off?

I'm not sure if Riboflavin was there or not.

-I don't think it is. It's nearly there.

-It's nearly there.

-Yeah.

And that was the one that you knew.

-Yeah.

-Biotin.

B complex vitamin.

Retinol, another name

-for vitamin A.

-Retinol, yeah.

-That's what was there.

So, as you could see, Riboflavin was nearly there.

Niacin was also nearly there.

But you needed Thiamine, Biotin and Retinol for the full 5 points.

You got Thiamine, you got 1 point. That brings you up to 11.

Still trailing Prime, I'm afraid, who have 18.

We've arrived at my favourite point of the game, Round Three,

where you're each faced with a superhive.

You're looking for a number of answers that fit a certain category,

but your challenge is to use every letter to find one perfect solution.

Prime, it's your turn. Which hive would you like to go for?

-A hive or the B hive?

-B?

-We'll go for the B hive.

-The B hive.

You've two minutes and you will be looking for...

Reveal the hive.

-Sweden.

-Sweden comes up

nicely across, so shall we try that?

-And then...

-Netherlands is.

-Netherlands...

-Lichtenstein.

Malaysia. Oh, Malaysia

-and Jordan we can have.

-Yes.

We can have Malaysia here.

-Is Jordan one?

-Yeah.

-Jordan.

-Jordan.

Pop that in.

Nepal is a monarchy.

Sweden. We've got Sweden.

Norway is a monarchy.

-Cambodia.

-And Spain as well.

And Spain, of course, yeah.

-Cambodia.

-Spain.

-Spain.

-Yeah.

Let's lock that in. Spain.

Then what could the...?

-Morocco.

-Monaco.

These could be two.

Monaco.

Well, Monaco starts...

Cos it could be both.

-OK, right.

-A-C-O.

Got Kuwait up here.

That should leave Morocco,

-shouldn't it?

-And Morocco.

You've cracked it. Countries which are monarchies.

Let's see which you managed to find there.

You were hesitating between Monaco and Morocco, weren't you?

-Yes.

-Working out which way it was going to go.

-Yeah.

-And also you nearly put in Norway at one point.

-Yes, yeah.

And what stopped you?

We couldn't find a W in the right place, I think that's what it was.

We started off with Sweden and that took the opportunity from Norway.

Denmark was in there.

Oman was there, absolute monarch.

Japan was in there.

The Emperor and the Chrysanthemum Throne.

Norway was there. But somehow, you managed not to fall into our traps.

I congratulate you. It's slightly infuriating at the same time.

And you got the full 10 points.

Variorum, let's see if you can match that. No pressure.

You are left with the A hive and you'll be looking for...

Reveal the hive.

Makes of car.

Is that Citroen or is it...?

No, there's Ford, Renault.

Daihatsu.

How do you spell Daihatsu?

-D-A...

-Doesn't matter.

-No, "HAT".

-Take it out.

-No.

-You've spelt it wrong.

That's it, that's it. No.

D-A-I-H-A... Yes.

-Is that right?

-Yep.

Right, you've got Buick,

but I don't know if that'll...

Because of these.

There's Buick,

but then it leaves, um...

Er...Jeep?

You've got Jeep, Ferrari.

-F-E...

-Go Ferrari then.

Yeah, and there's Maserati.

F-E-R-R-A-R-I.

There's Maserati. Enter.

-Maserati.

-Yeah, go with that.

M-A-S-E-R... Let me spell it.

-That's it.

-You've spelt it...

-Yeah, that's right.

-Jeep.

-A minute to go.

-Jeep.

You've got an extra E in Maserati.

Right, take it out.

Spell it M-A-S...

-E.

-..E-R-A-T-I.

-Yeah.

-Peugeot.

-Yeah.

-Peugeot.

P-E-U-G-E-O-T, yeah.

You've got...

You've got Buick. B-U-I-C-K.

-And...

-Lancia.

-Lancia.

-No, no.

-Don't forget to press "Enter".

Right, Lancia.

L-A-N-C-I-A.

We're good? Yeah, we're good.

-Whoa-ho.

-Ooh.

-You were in there like a rocket.

Renault, Daihatsu, and then you were away.

So, you got the full 10 points.

Shall we just unpick that for a moment?

Let's see what you got there.

Jeep suddenly became clearer, once you got the others around it.

Maserati - a little bit of toing and froing over how to spell that,

but you got there.

So, you got them all.

There are a few others hiding in there, you know.

I don't know if you spotted them.

No, we didn't see any other ones. We were quite lucky.

-Fortunately.

-That's why you weren't derailed.

But we'd also hidden in there...

Citroen,

Jaguar,

Honda,

Fiat,

and Kia.

But, of course, as soon as you start putting those in,

you can't get the perfect solution. You got the full 10 points.

So, that brings you, Variorum, to 21. Prime still in the lead with 28.

So, Prime, you may be in the lead now,

but it's the final buzzer round. It could all change.

This time, the hives are filled with answers.

If you pay attention,

you might spot an answer to a question you haven't even heard yet.

Fingers on buzzers. Reveal the hive.

OUT-OF-TIME BUZZER

That was a tricky one.

Peckinpah.

Sam Peckinpah.

Minor.

BUZZ

-Did begin with M. Mockingbird.

-Oh.

OUT-OF-TIME BUZZER

Anyone been there?

Changi in Singapore?

Changi, yes.

I have been there too. Oh, well.

-Dynamo.

-Correct.

Cinnamon?

What else could it be?

Panic?

Panic On The Streets Of London.

So, you've made up the point that you lost.

Let's refresh the hive.

Porcini.

They are delicious.

Anyone?

OUT-OF-TIME BUZZER

You'll kick yourselves.

Mamet. David Mamet.

-Chimera.

-Correct.

-JILL WHISPERS:

-MoMA...

I could hear you whispering it, Jill. Prime.

-MoMA.

-That's right.

Museum of Modern Art.

-Charlemagne?

-Correct.

-Chamonix.

-Correct.

Prime, you're racing ahead at the moment.

Let's refresh the hive.

-Chianti.

-Correct.

-Marvin.

-Correct.

Hank Marvin from The Shadows, of course.

-Richmond.

-Correct. You're catching up.

-Miro.

-Correct. Juan Miro.

-Montelimar.

-Correct.

Anyone?

OUT-OF-TIME BUZZER AND END-OF-ROUND MUSIC

Castle. I've spotted him. Castle.

I could hear you say it too late.

-What was it?

-Castle.

-Andrew Castle.

-Too late though.

That was too late and that brings us to the end of the game.

Prime, you have romped away with 38. That was clearly your round.

Variorum, a very respectable 23.

Congratulations, but commiserations to you.

I'm afraid that means we say goodbye.

We look forward to seeing you again, Prime,

in the next round.

Join us for more brilliance and bewilderment

in Hive Minds next time. But before we go,

here's one for you just at home.

Find a 1970s English pop group and its lead singer. Bye-bye.