Episode 8 Mastermind

First in the spotlight tonight is Paul Whittaker from Bournemouth. His subject - George Harrison.

Next, Philip Wharmby from Bury. He'll answer on the city of Rome.

Alan Sharp from Edinburgh. His subject - mountaineering on Everest.

And Christine Plume from Southampton.

Her subject - Anthony Powell's novels A Dance To The Music of Time.

Hello and welcome to Mastermind with me, John Humphrys. Tonight, four contenders put their knowledge

to the test in their bid to become the nation's Mastermind, the highest honour the quiz world has to offer.

And the toughest. Two rounds - two minutes on their specialist subject,

two and a half on general knowledge. That's the one they fear the most.

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

And your name is...?

In two minutes. What grammar school was Harrison attending when he first met Paul McCartney?

-Liverpool Institute.

-Which solo triple album released in 1970

achieved chart success in the UK and America?

-All Things Must Pass.

-On what track on Rubber Soul did Harrison first use the sitar in a Beatles song?

-Norwegian Wood.

-What was the label founded by Harrison in 1974, initially distributed by A&M?

-Dark Horse.

-What was the first Harrison song on a Beatles album?

It was on With The Beatles in 1963.

-Don't Bother Me.

-To which town did the Maharishi, Harrison and the other Beatles travel in August, 1967

after a lecture on transcendental meditation at the Hilton Hotel in London?

-Bangor.

-What was the film company co-founded by Harrison in 1978,

formed to fund Monty Python's Life of Brian and later producing Withnail And I and The Missionary?

-Handmade Films.

-What is the Gothic mansion in Henley on Thames built in the 19th century

and bought by Harrison in the early '70s for £200,000?

-Friar Park.

-Frank Sinatra is said to have considered which of Harrison's compositions from Abbey Road

to be the greatest love song of the past 50 years?

-Something.

-He organised the Concert for Bangladesh at Madison Square Garden in 1971

and raised money for which organisation?

-UNICEF.

-In a court case, his composition My Sweet Lord

was found to have been subconsciously plagiarised from which song, a hit for the Chiffons?

-He's So Fine.

-Who attacked and repeatedly stabbed Harrison at his Friar Park home in 1999?

-Michael Abram.

-What was the name of the so-called supergroup he formed in 1988

with Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, Jeff Lynne and Tom Petty?

-The Traveling Wilburys.

-Revolver was the first Beatles album to feature three of his compositions -

I Want To Tell You, Love You Too and which other?

-Taxman.

-He co-produced...

-BEEP

..two albums for Billy Preston on the Apple label.

That's The Way God Planned It in 1969 and which one the next year?

-Encouraging Words.

-Correct.

No passes. You got them all right! 15 points.

And our next contender, please.

And your name is...?

The city of Rome and a long period. According to legend,

on which of Rome's seven hills did Romulus found his settlement?

-Capitaline.

-No, Palatine. Whose contribution to the architecture of the city included a new forum

with a fine colonnaded square and a temple to Venus Genetrix?

-Trajan.

-Julius Caesar. Which 15th-century building in the Piazza di San Marco

did Mussolini adopt as his official headquarters in 1929? He made speeches from its balcony.

-Palazzo Venezia.

-Who was crowned Emperor of the Romans at St Peter's by Pope Leo III in 800?

-Charlemagne.

-What lavish palace did Nero have built after the fire that destroyed much of Rome in 64AD?

-Golden House.

-What Italian name has been given to the 22 districts of the central part of the city?

-Rioni.

-Which people entered Rome in 410AD, the first time in nearly 800 years it was occupied?

-Goths.

-Yes, Visigoths. During the reign of which emperor did building of the Colosseum begin about 72AD?

-Vespasian.

-When Rome became the capital of the united Italy in 1871,

Victor Emmanuel II established the official residence of the heads of state in which building?

-Quirinal Palace.

-Which Pope moved the Papal residency from Rome to Avignon in 1309 for 68 years?

-Benedict VI.

-Clement V. A statue of which emperor stood on a column built in 113AD

to commemorate his Dacian campaign? Pope Sixtus V later replaced his statue with one of St Peter.

-Trajan.

-The mutinous forces of the Holy Roman Emperor sacked Rome in May, 1527.

Which leader was killed in their assault?

-Duke of Bourbon.

-Who led the unsuccessful defence of Rome in 1849 against the French army

who had been invited by the Pope to overthrow Mazzini's Roman republic?

-Garibaldi.

-Which Pope persuaded Attila, King of the Huns, not to invade Rome in 452AD

and three years later persuaded the Vandals not to destroy it?

-Leo the Great.

-Yes, Leo the First. What celebrated feature of Rome's landscape, built in the 1720s...

-BEEP

-..was paid for from a bequest by the French Ambassador Gueffier?

-I...

-It's the gardens of the Farnese Palace.

-I think you'll find it's the Spanish...

-Steps.

-Yes.

No passes, Philip. You've got 11 points.

And our next contender, please.

And your name is...?

In two minutes. In what year did Hillary and Tenzing become the first people to reach the summit?

-1953.

-Who became the first woman to climb Everest when she reached the summit on 16th May, 1975,

in the Japanese women's expedition?

-Junko Tabei.

-What monastery is on the northern approach, where early parties sought the Lama's blessing?

-Rongbuk.

-Who was asked why he wanted to climb Everest and gave the reply, "Because it's there"?

-George Mallory.

-Which climber reached 28,126 feet in 1924,

a height equalled but not beaten for 30 years?

-Edward Norton.

-In February, 1980, climbers from which country made the first winter ascent?

A compatriot of theirs was the first European woman to reach the summit.

-Poland.

-What were controversially claimed to have been photographed by Eric Shipton in 1951?

-Er...pass.

-How many official British expeditions to climb Everest were mounted during the '30s?

-Four.

-By what previously unclimbed route did Scott and Haston become the first Britons

known to have reached the summit on 24th September, 1975?

-South-west Face.

-Who made the first solo ascent in August, 1980, without bottled oxygen?

-Reinhold Messner.

-What feature of Everest's North Face did Hornbein and Unsoeld find a way through

in 1963 by the couloir now called after Hornbein? It's named after the apparent colour of its rocks.

-The Yellow Band.

-Who set a record in 1996 by reaching the summit for a 10th time, without bottled oxygen?

-Apa Sherpa?

-Ang Rita Sherpa. When Tenzing reached the summit, he waved an ice axe with flags -

British, Indian, Nepalese and...?

-New Zealand?

-United Nations. What route, reckoned by Mallory to be too difficult,

-was conquered in 1983 by an American team?

-1983...

-The North-East Ridge.

-East Face. Who led the expedition that saw the first American reach the summit

on 1st May, 1963?

-Norman Dyhrenfurth.

-In 1913...

-BEEP

..which British army officer made an illicit journey into Tibet to try to find a route to Everest?

He got within 40 miles, nearer than any Westerner before.

-John Noel.

-Correct. Just one pass.

The photographs that Eric Shipton took were supposed to be or said to be Yeti footprints.

-We'll never know. Alan, 12 points.

-Thank you.

And our final contender, please.

And your name is...?

In two minutes. The collective title for Powell's 12 novels is taken from a 17th-century painting by whom?

-Poussin.

-Which close friend of Nicholas Jenkins is described as "classical in type

"with a massive Beethoven-shaped head"?

-Moreland.

-What garment worn by Kenneth Widmerpool at school was considered the wrong sort?

-Overcoat.

-BooksDo-FurnishA-Room is the nickname of which character who has a taste for white port?

-Bagshaw.

-When Jenkins first sees Professor Sillery at a party,

he describes his trousers as being like those of which comedian?

-Charlie Chaplin?

-Yes. Where in Cairo does Widmerpool first meet his future wife, Pamela Flitton?

-Groppi's.

-Jenkins plays what role in Sir Magnus Donner's series of photos of the Seven Deadly Sins?

-Sloth.

-According to Capt Gwatkin, what is a man's best friend in time of war?

-Pass.

-In the penultimate book, Temporary Kings, a reference is made to the source of its title.

-What book does it come from?

-Pass.

-What is the name of Donner's castle, "a piece of monumental vulgarity"?

-Stourwater.

-What is the title of the book Jenkins is writing on the 17th-century writer Robert Burton?

-Borage and Hellebore.

-In Hearing Secret Harmonies, which writer's idea of time is contrasted

-with that of Poussin and described as "appallingly restless"?

-Burton?

Ariosto. Charles Stringham charms Mrs Maclintick out of her cold rage towards her husband

by comparing her to a fictional character. Which one?

-Pass.

-Which of Jenkins' friends dies on a secret operation in WWII?

Pamela Flitton accuses Widmerpool of his murder.

-Templer.

-In A Question of Upbringing, Stringham is compared to the depiction of Alexander

in a famous painting. Who was the artist?

-Deacon.

-Veronese. What does Barbara Goring do to Widmerpool that helps Jenkins overcome his infatuation?

-Pours sugar over him.

-Which ex-Trotskyist changed his name...

-BEEP

..and was the author of Bronstein: Marxist or Mystagogue?

-Guggenbuhl.

-Correct. Three passes.

-Charles Stringham compared her to a fictional character - Little Bo Peep.

-Yes.

-That's who it was.

And in Temporary Kings a reference is made to the source of its title. It came from The Golden Bough.

And Captain Gwatkin was rather fond of his rifle. That was his best friend. Three passes, 12 points.

A high-scoring round there. Let's have a look at the scores.

In fourth place, Philip Wharmby.

Joint second place, Alan Sharp and Christine Plume.

In the lead, Paul Whittaker.

Round two now, general knowledge. If there's a tie, the number of passes is taken into account.

The contender with the fewer passes wins. If they're tied on passes as well, there will be a tie-break.

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

Everything to play for. Let's get on with it and ask Philip Wharmby to join us again, please.

And you scored 11 points with your knowledge of Rome. What a long period of Rome's history you took!

General knowledge, 2½ minutes now.

Which cage bird, kept for its song, takes its name from the islands that are one of its original homes?

-Canary.

-How is the Latin phrase "tempus fugit" translated?

-Time flies.

-Which writer was born in Portsmouth in February 1812, the son of a clerk in the Navy pay office?

-Charles Dickens.

-Miles Standish was the military leader of which emigrants who left Britain in 1620?

-Pilgrim Fathers.

-Who plays the title role, US president Merkin Muffley and British officer Lionel Mandrake

in Dr Strangelove Or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb?

-Peter Sellers.

-Which rock on the right bank of the Rhine near Koblenz

is the haunt of a siren who lures boatmen to their death?

-Lorelei.

-The detective Sam Spade was created by which crime writer?

-Dashiell Hammett.

-What was the name of the youngest son of George V and Queen Mary who died aged 13 in 1919?

-Prince John.

-Which type of kebab of marinated meat and vegetables

takes its name from the Turkish word for "skewer"?

-Pass.

-Which popular composer, born in what is now Belarus in 1888,

received a Congressional Gold Medal for his song God Bless America?

Oh...

-Pass.

-In January 1954, on what subject did George Cowling become the first person

to present a bulletin on BBC TV with pencils and hand-drawn charts?

-The weather.

-Which French wine-growing region

includes the great vineyards of the Cote d'Or escarpment?

-Bordeaux.

-Burgundy. Which close ally of Margaret Thatcher was a pilot with BOAC

before entering politics in 1970?

-Tebbit.

-Yes, Norman Tebbit. What colour was the Mainbocher wedding gown worn by Wallis Simpson

on her marriage to the Duke of Windsor?

-Light blue.

-Which football club did businessman Michael Knighton try to buy for £20 million in 1989,

only for his backers to fail to raise the money?

-Manchester United.

-Which conifer, widely planted in Britain, is one of the few to shed leaves in winter?

-Spruce.

-Larch. Who wrote in The Nake Civil Servant, "There was no need to do any housework at all.

"After the first four years, the dirt doesn't get any worse"?

-Anthony... Pass.

-Quentin Crisp.

In the first act of which opera by Beethoven

do Marzelline, Jaquino, Leonore and Rocco sing the quartet, "Mir ist so wunderbar"?

-Egmont.

-Fidelio. Which island in the Caribbean is divided into Haiti in the west

and the Dominican Republic in the east?

-Hispaniola.

-What word meaning "odd" or "eccentric" may come from the Basque for "beard"?

-Pass.

-In which TV programme from the 1950s and '60s did panellists try to guess the profession of a contestant

-by asking questions that could be answered only "yes" or "no"?

-BEEP

Oh...

-Take a guess.

-It's not Animal, Vegetable or Mineral.

-It's not. It's What's My Line?

-What's My Line?

Yeah, you knew it. Three passes you had.

That word meaning "odd or eccentric" is "bizarre".

-Irving Berlin wrote God Bless America.

-I knew that.

-Of course.

And that type of kebab was a shish kebab.

Those three passes, Philip, you have 24 points.

APPLAUSE

And now Alan Sharp again, please.

And you begin this round with 12 points with your knowledge of mountaineering on Everest.

Let's see how you do with general knowledge. 24, the score to beat.

The Russian city known at various times as Petrograd and Leningrad reverted to what name in 1991?

-St Petersburg.

-Which singer, who won the Eurovision Song Contest, was born Sandra Goodrich in 1947?

-Sandie Shaw.

-Which dignitaries of the Catholic Church have a name from the Latin for "hinge"

because of the pivotal role they play?

-Monsignor.

-Cardinals. What does Mercutio wish on the houses of Capulet and Montague

in Act 3, Scene 1 of Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet?

-A plague.

-Which Confederate General died after being accidentally shot

by his own men at the Battle of Chancellorsville in May 1863?

-Pass.

-In rugby union, there are 15 players on each side. How many are there in rugby league on each side?

-13.

-Which Oliver Stone film about the Vietnam War won the 1986 Oscar for Best Film?

-Platoon.

-Which animal closely related to the ferret secretes a foul-smelling scent

from a gland at the base of the tail,

giving rise to its old, alternative name the foumart or foul marten?

-Skunk.

-The polecat. Who entered parliament as Ulster Unionist MP for North Antrim in 1970,

co-founding the more hard-line Democratic Unionist Party the following year?

-Ian Paisley.

-Which is the largest island of Norway's Svalbard archipelago?

-Its name means "jagged peaks".

-Pass.

Anthony Horowitz's 2011 novel The House Of Silk is set in 1890

and features which detective created by another writer?

-Sherlock Holmes.

-What name is given to Chopin's Waltz in D Flat, Opus 64 Number 1,

because of the time it lasts when played very fast?

-Minute Waltz.

-The British architect Sir Edwin Lutyens drew up the plans

for which Asian capital city, including the Viceroy's House?

-New Delhi.

-Which is Britain's largest bird of prey? It was reintroduced in the 1970s and '80s

when 85 young birds were brought from Norway to the island of Rum.

-Golden eagle.

-Sea eagle. Who rose to fame when she took over as hostess

of the American TV talk show AM Chicago in 1984, turning it into a ratings success?

-Oprah Winfrey.

-Which country was invaded by Italian troops on the 3rd of October, 1935?

-Ethiopia.

-Yes, Abyssinia at the time

What term for the lower part of the digestive system comes from the Latin for "little sausage"?

-Bowels.

-Which Northumberland river i spanned by Robert Stephenson's Grade One listed Royal Border Bridge,

opened by Queen Victoria in 1850?

-The Wye.

-The Tweed. Which green variety of dessert plum is known in France as the Reine Claude

after the wife of King Francis I?

-Greengage.

-What sort of music, popular in Britain in the 1950s,

-featured home-made instruments such as the washboard and tea chest bass?

-BEEP

-Skiffle.

-Is correct. Two passes.

Spitsbergen is the largest island of Norway's Svalbard archipelago.

And Stonewall Jackson was shot by his own men by mistake. You have a total, Alan, of 26 points.

APPLAUSE

And our next contender, Christine Plume again, please.

And you also start with 12 points with your knowledge of Anthony Powell's novels.

Let's see how you do with general knowledge. 26 is the score to beat.

The Viennese and Boston are types of which ballroom dance?

-Waltz.

-Who won an Oscar for Best Director for the 1982 film Gandhi?

-Richard Attenborough.

-In which novel by Thomas Hardy does Bathsheba Everdene marry Sergeant Troy

and later the shepherd Gabriel Oak?

-Far From The Madding Crowd.

-Which landmark was formally dedicated by President Grover Cleveland in 1886

on what was Bedloe's Island in New York harbour?

-Statue of Liberty.

-Whose 5th Symphony first performed in 1937

was described as "a Soviet artist's practical creative reply to just criticism"?

-Shostakovich.

-Which spring flower is distinguished by its bell-shaped corona known as a trumpet?

-Pass.

-John Suchet, Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen and Myleene Klass are presenters on which radio station?

-Classic FM.

-In Greek mythology, what was the name of Odysseus's wife

who unravelled her weaving each night to keep her suitors at bay?

-Penelope.

-Which spicy meat dish, sai to have originated in Texas, is known there as "a bowl of red"?

-Chilli.

-In 1877, on which planet

did Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli observe a series of straight lines

that he called "canali", meaning "channels"?

-Saturn.

-Mars. In what post did South Korean diplomat Ban Ki-Moon succeed Kofi Annan on 1st of January, 2007?

-UN Secretary-General.

-Which racecourse, known as Prestbury Park,

hosts a celebrated meeting in March that includes the Champion Hurdle and the Gold Cup?

-Ascot.

-Cheltenham. Which French film actress born in 1943 became the muse of the designer Yves Saint Laurent?

He designed her outfits for several films.

-Catherine Deneuve.

-The publisher of the 1818 Family Shakespeare gave his name

to what term for the removal of "indelicate" words from a text?

-Bowdlerise.

-Which stereotypical Englishman was created in 1712

by the Scottish physician and satirist John Arbuthnot?

-John Bull.

-What Latin word meaning "field" is used for the grounds and buildings of a university?

-Campus.

-Which historian and broadcaster presented the TV series What The Romans Did For Us,

spawning spin-off series involving the Victorians, Tudors and Ancients among others?

-Pass.

-Which major port lies on the New Meuse River,

one of the channels in the North Sea delta formed by the rivers Rhine and Meuse?

-Rotterdam.

-Who began her writing career in the 1890s

by sending animal stories in letters to Noel Moore, the sick child of her former governess?

-Beatrix Potter.

-Which decisive battl of the Hundred Years' War was fought on the 25th of October, 1415?

-Agincourt.

-In the old music hall son recorded by Charles Penrose in 1922...

-BEEP

-..which character arrested a man and laughed until he cried?

-The Laughing Policeman.

-Is correct.

You had two passes. Adam Hart-Davis was the historian and broadcaster.

And the spring flower with the bell-shaped corona is daffodil.

-Of course.

-There we go.

However, you've got 29 points.

Thank you.

APPLAUSE

And finally, Paul Whittaker again, please.

And you scored 15 points with your knowledge of George Harrison.

In order to get into the semi-finals, you have to score more than 29 points.

Here we go. What fruit juice is mixed with champagne or sparkling wine to make a Buck's Fizz?

-Orange juice.

-Which novel by Charles Kingsley about a young chimneysweep

called Tom highlighted the plight of child labourers?

-Lucky Jim.

-The Water-Babies.

Which actress played the Bond girl Jill Masterson who was painted gold in the film Goldfinger?

-Pass.

-Puffin Island, also known as Priestholm or Ynys Seiriol in Welsh,

lies just off the eastern tip of which larger island?

-Anglesey.

-Who unexpectedly announced his resignation as Britain's Prime Minister

on the 16th of March, 1976?

-Harold Wilson.

-Which 19th century French chemist and biologist's achievements

include developing vaccines for diseases such as rabies and anthrax?

-Pasteur.

-The grey or timber is the best-known species of which carnivore?

-Wolf.

-What name was given to the coastal region of North Africa notorious for its pirates

between the 16th and 19th centuries?

It comes from the Berbers who lived there.

-Barbary Coast.

-Which West Indian batsman, who played in 121 Test matches between 1974 and 1991,

was known as the Master Blaster?

-Vivian Richards.

-The title character in which poem by Coleridge

decreed the building of a stately pleasure dome in Xanadu?

-Kubla Khan.

-What is the name of the body of Islamic law governing how Muslims should live,

based on the teachings of the Quran and the sayings of Muhammad?

-Sharia law.

-The bombing of which Basque city in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War

inspired a celebrated painting by Picasso?

-Pass.

-Which actress, whose grandfather George was the leader of the Labour Party in the 1930s,

played the sleuth and writer Jessica Fletcher in the TV series Murder, She Wrote?

-Angela Lansbury.

-What nickname is usually given to Tartini's Violin Sonata in G Minor?

According to legend, he wrote it after a dream where he sold his soul to Satan who then played his violin.

-Devil's Concerto.

-Devil's Trill. Which Order of Chivalry supposedly got its name from an item dropped

by the Countess of Salisbury while dancing with Edward III who picked it up and wore it on his leg?

-The Garter.

-In angling, what type of bait is sometimes known as a "gentle"?

-Lugworm.

-A maggot. What name is given to the outer defence of a castle or fortified town,

especially a projecting tower over a gate or drawbridge?

-A bailey.

-No, a barbican.

Which Andrew Lloyd Webber musical is based on a 1950 film starring Gloria Swanson and William Holden?

-Sunset Boulevard.

-How many bells are traditionally rung...

-BEEP

-..at the end of each four-hour watch on board a ship?

-Six.

-No, it's eight. You had two passes.

-Picasso's much celebrated painting was of Guernica.

-Yeah.

And Shirley Eaton played the Bond girl Jill Masterson.

You, Paul, have 27 points.

APPLAUSE

He nearly made it, but not quite. Let's have a look at the scores.

In fourth place, Philip Wharmby.

Third place, Alan Sharp.

Second place, Paul Whittaker.

First place, Christine Plume.

APPLAUSE

Christine Plume is tonight's winner and goes through to the semi-finals.

Congratulations to her. Commiserations to Paul,

but with a high score of 27, it's possible we will see him again in the semi-final.

If you want to be a contender on the next series, do go to our website.

And do join us again next time for more Masterminds.

Thanks for watching. Goodbye.

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