Episode 13 Mastermind

First in the spotlight tonight is Malcolm Sumner, a teacher from Cheltenham.

His subject, Bing Crosby.

Next, Pat Baker from London. She answers questions on EastEnders.

Diana Muir, an antiques dealer from Galashiels.

Her subject, the 18th-century naturalist and explorer Sir Joseph Banks.

And John Tanner, a systems support administrator from Greenford.

His subject, the hangman Albert Pierrepoint.

APPLAUSE

Hello, and welcome to Mastermind, with me, John Humphrys.

Four more contenders are about to take television's ultimate test of nerve and knowledge.

In the famous black chair, they will answer two minutes of questions

on their specialist subject, and then two and a half minutes on general knowledge.

The winner goes through to the semifinals,

and takes a step closer to owning the great glass bowl,

but the real prize, the honour of becoming the nation's Mastermind.

So, let's get on with it and ask our first contender to join us, please.

Bing Crosby, two minutes, starting now.

Which song, first performed by Bing Crosby in the film Holiday Inn,

is still one of the biggest-selling records of all time?

White Christmas.

Yes. Crosby played Father Chuck O'Malley in two films.

Going My Way is the first. What's the title of the sequel?

The Bells Of St Mary's.

Yes. Who was the third member of Paul Whiteman's Rhythm Boys

alongside Al Rinker and Crosby?

He co-wrote Mississippi Mud for the new threesome.

Harry Barris.

Yes. When Crosby got married, it prompted a number of headlines,

such as "20th Century Fox Star Marries Obscure Crooner".

Whom did he marry?

Dixie Lee.

Yes. Which song, performed by Crosby in The Big Broadcast,

became his theme song and was an instant bestseller?

Where The Blue Of The Night Meets The Gold Of The Day.

Yes. Which of his school friends is credited with first calling him Bingo,

from a character in a newspaper comic feature? It was later shortened to Bing.

Val Hobart.

Yes. What starring role did he play in the 1966 remake of John Wayne's Stagecoach,

directed by Gordon Douglas?

Doc Josiah Boone.

Yes. In the late 1940s, Crosby bought a share

in which Major League Baseball team

that didn't win the World Series until 1960?

Pittsburgh Pirates.

Correct. In 1931, he recruited a fellow former pupil

of Gonzaga High School as his chauffeur and movie stand-in.

Who was he?

Leo Lynn.

Yes. Crosby was nominated for an Oscar for his role

as an alcoholic singer and actor in which film?

It was his co-star Grace Kelly who actually won one.

The Country Girl.

Yes. What's the name of the church in Las Vegas

where Crosby finally married Kathryn Grant in 1957,

after the wedding had been called off several times?

St. Anne's.

Yes. What's the title of the road film

originally intended to be called The Road To Mandalay,

in which he starred with Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour?

Road To Singapore.

Yes. When Crosby became the first signing for the new Decca record label,

he recorded Just A-Wearyin' For You and which other track?

Pass.

Which guitarist did he first meet

when they both played with The Paul Whiteman Band?

Crosby toured with him until the guitarist's death in 1933

after a routine operation to have his tonsils removed?

Eddie Lang.

Correct. What condition did Crosby suffer from

which made him unfit for service in the Second World War?

Colour blindness.

Yes. What was the title of his last album, which included a tune

for each part of the year including April Showers and June in January?

Seasons.

It was. In which 1935 film co-starring WC Fields

did Crosby have to don sideburns...

BEEP

I'll finish the question.

..a moustache and a girdle because he'd put on weight?

Mississippi.

Is correct.

You had one pass.

When he became the first signing for the new Decca record label,

he recorded Just A-Wearyin' For You and I Love You Truly.

You have, however, 16 points.

APPLAUSE

And our next contender, please.

EastEnders in two minutes, starting now.

In a controversial story line in March 2008,

which character was buried alive by his wife Tanya?

Branning. Max Branning.

Yes. June Brown was nominated for a Bafta Television Award

for her performance in a 2008 episode-long monologue.

What was she doing for her husband Jim in this episode?

They were listening to music.

No, recording a message for him.

In March 2011, the Royal Mail announced that the Olympic Park in east London

will share a postcode with the fictional area

of Walford in Eastenders. What is it?

E20.

Yes. Which character returned to the Square in time to catch

the bride's bouquet at Phil and Kate Mitchell's wedding in 2003?

Lisa Shaw.

Yes. What object did Archie Mitchell leave to Janine in his will

"in the sure and certain knowledge that it would drive her absolutely nuts"?

Pass.

Frank Butcher was wearing what particularly memorable accessory and not much else

when he turned up at Pat's door for a secret liaison in 2000?

A spinning bow tie.

Yes. Before she gave her up for adoption,

what name did Sonia give to her baby who was born in October 2000?

Chloe.

Yes. On which London landmark did Jim Branning

propose to Dot Cotton on 21st December 2001?

The London Eye.

It was. What was the online username of the man

that Heather Trott met on the Internet?

Pass.

For what purpose did Arthur Fowler steal

the Christmas Club money in 1986?

The theft resulted in him having a breakdown

on Christmas Day of the same year.

To pay for Michelle's wedding.

Yes. Which character, who left the soap in August 2009,

thought that he was Bobby Beale's biological father,

until a blood test proved the father was Ian?

Garry Hobbs.

Yes. The WOOF campaign was launched in Walford

to fight for the freedom of which character,

incarcerated after biting Ian Beale on the backside?

Wellard.

Yes, the dog. What was the name of the disused pub in Turpin Road

that ex-army officer James Willmott-Brown converted into a wine bar?

Simon Wicks, Angie Watts and Kathy Beale all worked there at various times.

The Dagmar.

Correct. Which actress played Lou Beale,

one of the characters when the soap began in 1985?

Anna Wing.

Yes. In the 20th anniversary episode in February 2005,

three characters colluded to cover up Den's so-called "second" death...

-BEEP

-..Samantha Mitchell, Chrissie Watts and...?

Zoe Slater?

Yes, absolutely right. You had two passes.

Kevin68 was the online username of that guy who turned out to be Ben Mitchell,

and the object that Archie Mitchell left to Janine

"in the sure and certain knowledge that it would drive her absolutely nuts" was a Newton's cradle.

-Thank you.

-You have a total, Pat Baker, of 12 points.

And our next contender, please.

Sir Joseph Banks, two minutes, starting now.

In 1768, Joseph Banks joined a scientific expedition

to the south Pacific Ocean on a ship under the command of Captain Cook.

Which ship?

The Endeavour.

Yes. Which astronomer and musician benefited from Banks's patronage,

becoming the King's private astronomer on his suggestion?

Erm, Flamsteed?

No, Herschel. Whom did Banks marry in March 1779 at St Andrew's Church, Holborn?

Dorothea Hugessen.

Yes. Banks was a special adviser and director to George III

and in 1773 was a director of which of the Royal Gardens?

Kew.

Yes. What was the name of Banks' close friend and patron,

a First Lord of the Admiralty who helped him gain his overseas commissions?

Sandwich.

Yes. Which Oxford college did he attend in the early 1760s,

where his interest in botany increased?

Christchurch.

Yes. In 1772, Banks turned down the opportunity

for a second voyage with Captain Cook,

and in July set sail on the Sir Lawrence.

Which country was his main destination?

Iceland.

It was. The first major plant collector for Kew Gardens,

appointed in 1771, was directed by Banks on many expeditions,

on which he collected thousands of valuable plants. What was his name?

Hooker?

No, Masson. What official position was held

by the Rvd Dr Nevil Maskelyne, with whom Banks had various disagreements?

Erm, head mathematician.

He was Astronomer Royal.

Which society was founded in 1804 by Banks

and a group of his friends, including John Wedgwood?

Er, the Society of Antiquaries.

No, the Royal Horticultural Society.

What name did Captain Cook give to the Australian bay

where Banks and Solander first landed

because of the number of new plant species they collected there?

Botany Bay.

Yes. In 1784, Banks was forced to defend his position in the Royal Society

against a vote of no confidence.

Which clergyman and mathematician led the group against him?

-Hutton?

-Horsley. Who painted the best-known portrait of Banks,

completed when he was 30? It now hangs in the National Portrait Gallery.

Reynolds.

Yes. The purpose of the Endeavour's voyage

was to observe what rare astronomical event?

-The Passage of Venus.

-Yes. Who captained the ship that Banks commissioned

to collect bread-fruit trees from Tahiti

for transport to the West Indies...

BEEP

-Bligh.

-..to provide cheap food for the slaves on the plantations?

-Bligh.

-And Bligh, William Bligh, is correct.

No passes, Anna Muir, you have 10 points.

And our final contender, please.

Albert Pierrepoint, in two minutes.

The first person Pierrepoint hanged after his appointment as chief executioner

was Antonio Mancini. What single word did Mancini say to him

as he waited for the drop?

-Cheerio.

-Yes. Pierrepoint's first commission came not from the Home Office

but from his Uncle Tom, who asked him to act as his assistant

for a hanging at which prison in Dublin?

-Mountjoy Gaol.

-Yes. What was the name of the pub near Oldham

that Albert took over after the Second World War?

Help The Poor Struggler.

Yes. In which prison did Albert train for the post

of assistant executioner and later work as head executioner for the first time?

-Pentonville.

-Yes. Who chaired the Royal Commission on Capital Punishment

to which Pierrepoint gave evidence?

-Sir Ernest Gowers.

-Correct. After applying to join the list of executioners,

Pierrepoint had his initial interview at which prison

at the same time as 11 others?

Strangeways.

Yes. Pierrepoint resigned in 1956 because he didn't think he'd received enough expenses

after travelling to Manchester for the execution of which prisoner, later reprieved?

Joseph Broadbent.

No, Thomas Bancroft. Where did he start working part-time

at the age of 12-and-a-half?

Marlborough Mills.

Yes, cotton mills. In which town in Somerset was the American military prison

where Pierrepoint participated in executions during the Second World War?

-Shepton Mallet.

-Correct. In December 1945, at which prison

did he carry out 13 executions in a single day,

mainly for war crimes committed at Belsen?

Hamelin.

Yes. Pierrepoint received an anonymous gift each Christmas for years

after he'd executed the Nazi war criminals.

The first time he received it, the envelope included a piece of paper

with "Belsen" written on it. What was the gift?

£5.

Yes. Who was hanged for treason in December 1945,

having greeted him with the words "I've always wanted to meet you Mr Pierrepoint,

"but not, of course, under these circumstances"?

John Amery.

Yes. In May '51, he completed the hanging of James Inglis

at Strangeways Prison in what record time?

-Seven seconds.

-Yes. Pierrepoint's father Henry moved his family

to which part of Manchester during the First World War after a newspaper

ran articles on his experiences as an executioner?

-Failsworth.

-Correct. What was the name of the so-called "Acid Bath Murderer"

who was hanged by Pierrepoint in August 1949?

-Neville Haigh.

-John George Haigh. James Corbitt,

a regular at Pierrepoint's pub,

-was found guilty of strangling his girlfriend...

-BEEP

..and Pierrepoint had to carry out his execution.

What nicknames did they have for each other?

Tish and Tosh.

Tish and Tosh is correct.

No passes. John Tanner, you have 14 points.

Well, that's a high-scoring first round.

Let's have a look at the scores.

In fourth place, Diana Muir,

third place, Pat Baker,

second place, John Tanner,

first place, in the lead,

Malcolm Sumner.

Which takes us to the General Knowledge round now,

and if there's a tie at the end of it,

then the number of passes is taken into account,

and the contender with the fewer passes is the winner.

If they're tied on passes as well, then there's a tie-break.

The six highest-scoring runners-up will also claim a place in the semifinals.

So, let's get on with it and ask Diana to join us again, if you would, please.

And you begin this round with 10 points with your knowledge of Joseph Banks.

Two and a half minutes now of general knowledge.

What name is given to a folk dance

performed around a tall column garlanded with ribbons

that are woven into elaborate patterns?

-Maypole dance.

-Yes. Which soprano, born near Doncaster,

has appeared in television series such as Strictly Come Dancing and Viva La Diva?

Pass.

Which atmospheric gas is absorbed by plants during photosynthesis?

-Carbon dioxide.

-Correct. What is the common name of the herb Armoracia rusticana,

grown for its roots, which are crushed to make a pungent sauce

sometimes served with roast beef?

-Horseradish.

-Yes. The 1908 Olympics were planned to take place in Rome

but had to be moved following an eruption of Mount Vesuvius.

Which stadium was built in London to host the games instead?

Olympia?

White City. Which 2009 film about an American army unit that uses paranormal powers

in their missions stars George Clooney, Ewan McGregor and Kevin Spacey?

-X-Men?

-No, The Men Who Stare At Goats.

What item of clothing did Arthur Wellesley instruct the firm

Hoby of St James's Street to make for him?

It's named after the title by which he's better known.

-Boots.

-Yes, Wellington boots.

Which former footballer and Green Party spokesman

announced on Terry Wogan's show in 1991

that he believed he was the Son of God?

-George Best?

-David Icke. Which small Emirate is bordered by Iraq to the north and west,

Saudi Arabia to the south and the Persian Gulf to the east?

-Dubai?

-Kuwait. Which brothers, born in the Isle of Man,

wrote much of the original music for the film Saturday Night Fever?

-The Bee Gees.

-Yes, the Gibbs. Llandaff Cathedral is situated a few miles

northwest of which city centre?

Er, Caernarfon?

No, Cardiff. What is the name of the teenage criminal mastermind

created by the Irish writer Eoin Colfer?

-Erm, Lemony Snicket?

-Artemis Fowl. Which Christmas decoration

was once particularly associated with the druids

and therefore traditionally excluded from church decorations?

-Mistletoe.

-Correct. In which American medical television series

is the title character, played by Edie Falco,

well-known for her role as Carmela in the television series The Sopranos?

-House.

-Nurse Jackie. What's the name of Queen Victoria's home near Cowes

on the Isle of Wight where she died in 1901?

-Osborne.

-Yes. Which form of iron, traditionally used for railings

and decorative purposes, gets its name because it is beaten into shape while hot?

-Erm, pass.

-Which two letters are placed after the surnames

of Members of the Lower House of the Irish Parliament?

Erm...

BEEP

RM.

It's TD. And your two passes - which form of iron is traditionally used for railings and so on?

It's wrought iron, as opposed to cast iron, I suppose.

And on that soprano, Strictly Come Dancing and all that, Lesley Garrett.

Two passes, Diana Muir, you have 17 points.

APPLAUSE

And now Pat Baker again, please.

And you begin this round with 12 points

with your knowledge of EastEnders. An awful lot of EastEnders programmes to mug up on.

Let's see how you do with your general knowledge.

Two and a half minutes, starting now.

Which female amateur detective was played on television

by Joan Hickson from 1984 to 1992?

-Miss Marple.

-Yes. What colour were the uniforms

that were issued to British troops in India in the 1840s?

The name derives from the Persian for "dust".

-Khaki.

-Yes. What common name is given to the type of bursitis

that takes the form of a swelling at the base of the big toe?

-Pass it, I know what it is.

-A Village Affair, A Passionate Man and Daughters-in-Law

are novels by which author, credited with the creation of "Aga sagas"?

-Jilly Cooper?

-No, Joanna Trollope.

Which Kentish castle, the childhood home of Anne Boleyn,

was confiscated by Henry VIII and later given to Anne of Cleves

in return for a quick divorce?

-Dover?

-Hever. In cookery, what term is used for a vessel with closely

perforated holes at the bottom used as a sieve or strainer?

-Colander.

-Yes. Who became the world's first elected female prime minister

when her party won the 1960 general election in Ceylon?

-Bandaranaike.

-Yes. In the Flanders and Swann song, which animal told a man

who "thought he knew the lot" that he was "g-not a camel or a kangaroo"?

A gnu.

Yes. Which everyday object contains a regulating device known as an escapement?

-A microwave?

-A watch or clock. The bridge in Venice between the prisons

and the Judgment Halls in the Doge's Palace is known by what name?

-Bridge of Sighs.

-Yes. Which sea monster of Norwegian folklore

is thought to have been inspired by sightings of a giant squid or octopus?

-Pass.

-In the UK, what name is given

to a small, sloping writing desk with drawers at the side?

In America, the same word denotes a sofa bed.

-Espetral?

-Davenport. The overture to which opera by Rossini was used

as the theme music for the television series The Lone Ranger?

Thieving Magpie?

William Tell. Which 19th-century American president

discarded his first name Hiram

and accidentally acquired the middle initial S?

Harry S. Truman?

Ulysses S. Grant.

Some 230 of the world's airlines

are represented by an organisation founded in 1945.

By what acronym is it known?

ABTA?

IATA. On which Caribbean island is Pitch Lake,

an area of natural asphalt covering over 100 acres?

Jamaica?

Trinidad. In 1995, who became the first athlete

to break the 18-metre barrier in the triple jump, setting a new world record?

Jonathan Edwards?

Yes. Which film star's final wish was granted in March 2011

when she arrived 15 minutes late for her own funeral?

Marilyn Monroe?

Elizabeth Taylor. What name for an otter's den

is a variant of an Old English word for a stronghold?

-Set?

-Holt. In the novel by Kate Douglas Wiggin...

-BEEP

-I'll finish the question.

..the lively Rebecca Randall comes to live with her aunts

Miranda and Jane in Riverboro. Which farm does she come from?

Animal Farm?

Sunnybrook Farm is the answer.

You had two passes.

The sea monster was the Kraken, hence The Kraken Wakes,

and that type of bursitis that leads to such swelling...

-Yes.

-Bunion.

-Bunion.

-You've got it! You knew it all the time.

Two passes, you have now a total, Pat Baker, of 19 points.

APPLAUSE

And now John Tanner again, please.

And you start out with 14 points with your knowledge,

your rather gruesome knowledge of Albert Pierrepoint.

Let's see how you do with your general knowledge. Here we go, two and a half minutes.

Which vegetable is a symbol of Wales, along with the daffodil?

-Leek.

-Yes. In the human body, the clavicle is more commonly known by what name?

-Collarbone.

-Yes. What name of Old French origin for a young animal

is applied to a young deer, especially a fallow deer?

-Doe.

-Fawn. Which month features in the opening lines

of Robert Browning's poem Home Thoughts From Abroad,

following the line, "Oh! To be in England?"

-Now it is April?

-Yes. The battles of Blenheim, Ramillies,

Oudenaarde and Malplaquet were the principal engagements of which war?

Thirty Years' War.

No, War of the Spanish Succession.

Who captained India to victory in the 2011 ICC World Cup,

hitting the six that won the final against Sri Lanka?

Sachin Tendulkar.

No, Dhoni.

Which German composer was befriended by Schumann and his wife,

and wrote his Alto Rhapsody in response to the engagement

of their daughter Julie?

-Brahms.

-Yes. Which Greek god of wine and vegetation

was also known as Bacchus?

-Eros.

-Dionysus. In building, what name is given

to a mixture of sand, cement and water

used to bond bricks or stones together?

-Mortar.

-Yes. Which former Newsnight presenter

took over Jimmy Young's lunchtime spot on Radio 2 in January 2003?

-Jeremy Vine.

-Yes. Which French penal colony was situated

on a rocky island of the Iles du Salut in the Atlantic Ocean

and held political prisoners including Alfred Dreyfus?

-Devil's Island.

-Yes. What is the name of the 15-member council

of the United Nations whose primary responsibility is

to maintain peace and international order?

Security Council.

Yes. Who wrote the novel The Cobra, about an ex-CIA man's battles with drug dealers?

It was first published in 2010.

-Jack Pullman.

-Freddie Forsyth. Which giant-screen film projection system

has its origins in Montreal's EXPO '67?

-IMAX.

-Yes. With what phrase did Lord Haw Haw usually begin his propaganda

to Britain during the Second World War?

-Germany calling.

-Yes. In which county are Sulgrave Manor,

the ancestral home of George Washington,

and Althorp, the family home of Diana, Princess of Wales?

-Northamptonshire.

-Correct. Which popular American tune of uncertain origin has often

had nonsensical words added to it and appears to be referenced

in the finale of Dvorak's New World Symphony?

Clementine.

Yankee Doodle. What do the initials DPI stand for when measuring

the quality or resolution of the image produced by a printer or scanner?

Digital pixels per inch.

Dots per inch. Which independent state in the South Pacific,

whose capital is Apia, removed the prefix "Western"

from its official name in 1997?

-South Georgia.

-Samoa. The name of...

-BEEP

-I've started, so I'll finish.

The name of which fruit is used to describe deep pink or red glass?

Cherise.

Cranberry.

No passes. John Tanner, you have 25 points.

APPLAUSE

And finally, Malcolm Sumner, please.

And you start with a substantial 16 points from your first round.

The score to beat is 25. Let's see if you can do it with your general knowledge.

Two and a half minutes.

What kind of pastry is used for profiterole and eclairs

and also for savoury items such as cheese puffs?

Choux.

Yes. In which Asian country is the 33.8-mile-long Seikan rail tunnel,

which was opened in 1988 and is the longest in the world?

-South Korea.

-Japan. In which year is the French Revolution

generally considered to have started?

-1789.

-Yes. What term, meaning "to rope down" in German,

is used in mountaineering for the technique

of lowering oneself down a rock face using a rope?

-Abseiling.

-Yes. Which marsupial, native to the southeastern part of Australia

and Tasmania, is the largest burrowing herbivorous mammal?

-Wombat.

-Yes. Ken Clarke, John Patten and Gillian Shephard

were secretaries of state in which department

during John Major's years as prime minister?

It merged with the Department of Employment in 1995.

-Education.

-Yes. Which television series

starred Trevor Eve as a private detective

and radio presenter who asked listeners to phone in with cases for him to solve?

-Shoestring.

-Yes. Which group of remote Hebridean islands has been unpopulated

since the inhabitants of the largest island, Hirta, left in 1930?

-Pass.

-In football, who was restored to the England captaincy

in March 2011 after being stripped of it prior to the 2010 World Cup?

-John Terry.

-Yes. A cartoon by Richard Doyle was used continuously

from 1849 to 1956 on the front cover of which magazine?

Punch.

Yes. Which European city gave its name to the syndrome

whereby hostages bond positively with their captors,

following a bank robbery that occurred there in 1973?

-Stockholm.

-Yes. Who wrote and had the original hit version

of Blue Suede Shoes in May 1956?

-Elvis Presley.

-Carl Perkins. Which American monument, completed in 1941,

was the work of the sculptor Gutzon Borglum,

although the final details were added by his son?

-Mount Rushmore.

-Yes. In which 1969 film does Michael Caine say,

"Just remember this - in this country,

"they drive on the wrong side of the road"?

The Italian Job.

Yes. In meteorology, the okta,

a unit equal to one eighth of the visible sky area,

is used to express the extent of what?

-Light. Daylight.

-Cloud, cloud cover.

David Lodge's novel A Man Of Parts is based on the life of which writer,

best remembered for his science fiction?

Ray Bradbury.

HG Wells. The Lakes Albert, Edward, George

and Victoria all lie wholly or partly within which African country?

-Uganda.

-Yes. What name was given to the first mainline steam engine

to be built in Britain since 1960? It was publicly launched in 2008.

-Pass.

-Which classical composer, who died in 2006,

won an Academy Award for The Bridge On The River Kwai,

and also wrote the scores for the St Trinian's films?

BEEP

Think of a composer!

Come on, I've got to hurry you. You're out of time.

-Sorry, no.

-All right, I'll tell you. Malcolm Arnold.

You knew it!

The other passes - the name given to that first mainline steam engine built since 1960

was the Tornado, and the island - you'll kick yourself for this as well - St Kilda.

Didn't matter, thought, because in spite of those three passes, you have 28 points.

Thank you.

APPLAUSE

Well, there it is. A clear lead at the end of it all, so let's have a look at those scores.

In fourth place, Diana Muir.

Third place, Pat Baker.

Second place, John Tanner.

In first place, Malcolm Sumner.

Which means that Malcolm Sumner is tonight's winner, of course,

and he goes through to the semifinals.

Congratulations to him.

If you would like to play an online version of Mastermind,

or indeed be a contender on the next series, do go to our website.

And do please join us next time for more Mastermind.

Thanks for watching. Goodbye.

APPLAUSE

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