Episode 33 Pointless

APPLAUSE

Thank you very much indeed.

Hello, I'm Alexander Armstrong, and welcome to Pointless, the quiz

show where we are always striving to find the most obscure answers.

Let's meet today's players.

And couple number one.

Hello, my name is Sheila, this is my friend Sarah,

-and we're work colleagues from Oxfordshire.

-Couple number two.

Hi, I'm Phil, this is my daughter Ruth,

we're Lancastrians now living in Yorkshire.

Couple number three.

Hi, I'm Alice, this is my friend Matthew,

we used to live together while studying at Bristol University.

And finally couple number four.

Hiya, I'm Ron, this is my work colleague and friend John,

and we're from Aberdeen.

And these are today's contestants.

APPLAUSE

Thanks very much.

We'll find out more about you throughout the show as it

goes along, so that leaves just one more person for me to introduce.

Shouting from the touchlines like a spitting,

shrieking Sunday league parent, it's my Pointless friend, it's Richard.

Hiya. Hi, everybody.

APPLAUSE

-Good afternoon/early evening. How are you?

-And to you.

-Yeah, I'm very well, thank you. How are you?

-I'm not bad at all.

Cracking show last time, wasn't it? The Jackpot Round was terrific.

We have three pairs from today's show who were all down, Chloe and Stu made

it through, and they played ancient Rome, which was

a really tough subject to go for, and three good answers but they said

a pointless answer in their conferring but they didn't go for it.

So they didn't win the money, but they said it in their 60 seconds.

It's always tough when that happens.

So, three returning pairs so only one new pair, that's Matthew and Alice.

It's going to be very tough for you today, but you never know.

Sometimes it happens that new players come along and sweep the board.

Two lovely first questions today, two very different questions

-but both good ones.

-Thanks very much indeed.

Now, all our questions have been put to 100 people before the show.

Our contestants need to find the obscure answers

those 100 people didn't get.

Everyone's trying to find a pointless answer,

this being an answer that none of our 100 people gave,

and each time that happens, we will add 250 quid to the jackpot.

As you'll have gathered,

Chloe and Stu didn't win the jackpot last time, so we add

another £1,000 to that, so today's jackpot starts off at £2,000.

APPLAUSE

Right, if everyone's ready, let's play Pointless.

OK, in this first round, I'll take an answer from each of you

but there is to be no conferring.

Whichever pair has the highest

score at the end of the round will be heading home.

Right, our first category today is...

Can you all decide in your pairs who's going to go first, who's going

to go second, and whoever's going first, please step up to the podium.

OK, let's find out what the question is.

We gave 100 people 100 seconds to name as many...

We're looking for any act that's had six or more UK number one

singles, please.

It has to be in their own right,

so things like Band Aid and stuff like that doesn't count.

That's of February 2013.

28 acts who've had six or more, it's more than I thought.

Thank you very much indeed.

Now then, Sheila and Sarah, you all drew lots before the show

and today, you are going to go first.

-Sheila, welcome back to the show.

-Thank you.

Now then, Sheila, remind us what you do.

I'm a school improvement advisor and that means that I go and help

schools, usually before Ofsted comes,

I help them to get better management systems and better teaching.

-What's the harshest advice you've ever dished out?

-Ooh, the harshest?

I think actually telling people just to relax and be confident

and sometimes people think they are relaxed and confident, like now.

So, if you were a Sheila-and-Sarah improvement advisor,

your advice would be just relax.

Keep calm and carry on. OK, very good.

Now, what are you going to go for?

I'm going to go for Cliff Richard.

Cliff Richard. Surely one of the 28. Cliff Richard says Sheila.

Let's see if that's right and if it is, how many people said it?

It's right.

39.

APPLAUSE

39 for Cliff Richard.

Yeah, 14 number ones he's had,

he's had number ones in five different decades.

His last one, though, was Millennium Prayer in 1999,

so didn't have one in the noughties.

But he sang at Wimbledon, so there we are.

He did, yeah, that wasn't in the noughties either.

-Was that in the nineties?

-Yeah, yeah, that was a long time ago.

-We're really old, don't forget.

-Yeah, I keep forgetting that.

THEY SIGH

-There it is.

-Ah, well, there we go.

Now, Phil, welcome back to Pointless. Head-to-head last time.

-Yep.

-How are we feeling this time?

Um, it's Pop Music again, which did for us last time.

-That's right, Girls Aloud was what you lost out to.

-That's right.

We knew that one but we didn't know any of the others.

Anyway, Phil, remind us what you do.

I'm a retired secondary school headteacher.

And you fill your time how?

We do a lot of walking,

cos we live in the Yorkshire Dales, I like a lot of music, I play

the piano, I sing in a choir and at the moment, I'm learning Italian.

-So how long have you been doing that for?

-Eh, just since I retired.

And how's it coming on?

-I went to Venice last week and managed to get by.

-That's not bad.

But I have got a background in languages anyway.

But still, a new language, that's impressive.

Good news for all of us. Anyway, now, what are you going to go for?

A band or act that has had six or more UK number ones.

I think I'm going to leave it to Ruth to come up with

something really clever.

I'll go with The Rolling Stones.

The Rolling Stones, says Phil.

Let's see if that's right and if it is, how many people said it?

It's right.

Well, Cliff Richard scored 39, the Stones have passed that, 32.

APPLAUSE

Yes, eight number ones for The Rolling Stones,

all within five years, all within 1964-1969.

Haven't had one since then.

Thanks, Richard. Now, Matthew, welcome to Pointless. Our new pair.

What do you do, Matthew?

I do a PhD in plant biology in the University of Edinburgh.

Are you attached to the Botanical Gardens up there?

My second supervisor works there but I'm not up there.

And when you're not doing that, Matthew, what are your other interests?

I'm actually a big music fan, listening and playing, I play

a few instruments - piano, guitar, violin, drums and I sing a bit.

OK, so perhaps you want to expand a bit more, Matthew?

-Do you play in bands?

-I've done a few things.

I played in my local orchestra

and we got the opportunity to play with the LSO at the Barbican

and we played at the Royal Albert Hall, so that was fun.

But then I've also done a few toilet venues around the country

playing with bands.

OK, now then, what are you going to go for?

It sounds like you might have some good knowledge of this.

I think I'm going to go for somebody who I really don't like

but I'm pretty certain will have lots of number ones,

in fact I think he has the record at the moment, and it's Calvin Harris.

-Calvin Harris.

-Mm-hm.

-OK, so Matthew says Calvin Harris.

Let's see if that's right

and if it is, how many people said Calvin Harris?

AUDIENCE GROANS

-Oh, Matthew.

-He doesn't have the record.

Oh, no, I'm sorry, I thought that was a brilliant answer there,

I thought that was going to go all the way down to zero

but I'm afraid it did the other thing.

It went up to 100, I'm afraid.

That's an incorrect answer, I'm sorry, Matthew.

Sorry, Matthew, up to March 2013,

he's only had four number one singles.

I say only four, it's still a lot, Calvin Harris.

He does have one record, which is he's had the most top ten

singles from one album.

He released eight songs from the same album and all of them

got into the top ten, that might be the record you're thinking of.

Thanks very much indeed. Now, Ron, welcome back. Remind us what you do.

I'm a graphic designer up in Aberdeen.

And what are your hobbies, Ron?

I like to snowboard, I've just been on my honeymoon recently

and we went snowboarding over in the USA.

Now, be honest, does your wife like snowboarding as well or...?

She does, yeah,

but she broke her wrist a couple of years ago snowboarding.

We're both a bit accident-prone.

-John actually broke my wrist a few years ago, as well.

-Snowboarding?

No, football.

-No, just fighting.

-I've given up football now.

-You have?

-Pretty much.

OK, now then, what are you going for?

An artist or group that have had six number ones in the UK.

I don't think I have a great answer

but since there's been 100 scored, I'll go reasonably safe.

-Spice Girls.

-Spice Girls says Ron, the Spice Girls.

Let's see if that's right and if it is, how many people said it?

It's right.

31 is our new low score.

Yes, nine number ones for the Spice Girls, they only

released 11 singles in all, so nine out of those 11 went to number one.

-They had three consecutive Christmas number ones as well.

-Thanks, Richard.

Now, we're halfway through the round, let's look at the scores.

31, the best score of that pass, Ron, very well done indeed, then up

to 32 where we find Phil and Ruth, up to 39, Sheila and Sarah,

and then up to 100 where we find Matthew and Alice,

but that's an honourable 100, Matthew.

You were trying to do the right thing.

But it's all pretty close at the bottom end, I'd say.

Alice, we need a brilliant answer from you to make sure

you have the best chance of staying with us at the end of this round.

Can the second players please step up to the podium?

OK, we're looking for the name of any artist or group who've

had six or more UK number ones.

Now, John.

-John, welcome back, you were also a graphic designer.

-Yes.

Working hand-in-glove with the oil and gas industry.

Yes, indeed.

A lot of call for graphic design in oil and gas?

Yeah, a lot more than you'd think.

We produce a lot of courses for people going offshore,

sort of mandatory training, so, yeah,

we do a lot of animations and graphics and it's fun.

And when you're not doing that, John, what interests you?

I like football, I play basketball, I like tennis, I support Liverpool.

You like breaking wrists at football.

I like breaking wrists at football, yeah.

How exactly did you break Ron's wrist playing football?

Well, it was the dying seconds of the game,

-I was charging towards goal, Ron was the goalkeeper...

-Ah.

-Safe hands.

Safe hand.

I took a shot to win, blasted it, Ron put his hand out, snap.

-But...

-Did it save...?

-..it saved the goal.

There we are, Ron. Good stuff.

-It's a happy ending.

-Hmmm, ish.

OK, now, John, what are you going to go for?

Eh, I'm going to go for a band that I don't particularly like either

but I would say Westlife would have had quite a lot.

Westlife says John.

Now, you're on 31,

you want to score 68 or less to ensure a place in the next round.

Let's see if that's right and if it is, how many people said it?

It's right.

And you are through, very well done, John.

32.

APPLAUSE

Very much around the score everyone seems to be getting,

that takes your total up to 63.

-14 years together and 14 number ones for Westlife.

-14?!

-Yeah, that's quite impressive, isn't it?

-Yeah. Alice.

-Hello.

-Alice, welcome to the show.

Now, you were also at Bristol

with Matthew and what are you doing now?

-I'm studying a PhD at UCL.

-And what's that in?

I'm trying to produce biofuels in algae.

Wow. Now, that's a very worthwhile thing to be doing.

How are you doing? Have you found anything yet?

Not really, no.

What can we rule out at this stage?

Where have you not found a potential for biofuels?

It's just very long, I suppose, the process.

You just have to wait for stuff to grow, that's the issue.

Yes, I can see that would be quite testing.

Now then, what about bands or acts, I should say,

who have had six or more UK number ones?

I don't know if I should risk it.

Well, you are the high scorers

on 100 so we need a low score.

I don't know if they've had enough number ones

-but I'm just going to say S Club 7.

-S Club 7.

OK, S Club 7 says Alice, let's see if that's right

and if it is, how many people said it?

No red line for you as you're the high scorers.

Oh, no.

Bad luck, Alice.

I'm afraid S Club 7, another incorrect answer,

which means that you have now scored 200.

You are our newest members of the 200 club.

Sorry, Alice, they had four number ones as well, like Calvin Harris.

They also had five number twos

so they weren't a million miles away.

Don't laugh at number twos. LAUGHTER

I was just about to stretch that into a joke as well,

so I'm glad they did.

Can I apologise to everybody at home? Such a shame.

It's such a shame.

Quite funny, though.

I have to say I think that's quite a valiant

membership of the 200 club, two not-bad answers at all there.

Thanks very much indeed. Now then, Ruth, welcome back to the show.

Remind us what you do.

I'm a primary school teacher teaching music

and Spanish at the moment.

Music and Spanish, and in your spare time, Ruth, what do you get up to?

I haven't got lots of spare time cos I've got two small children

but I play the piano, mainly for my own pleasure, and I read quite

a lot and I like going to watch live comedy when I can get a babysitter.

Do you have a favourite live comedian?

Oh, who have I seen?

-Dara O Briain had me in stitches.

-Good stuff.

Now then, you are through to the next round, this is the good news.

Have you got a good answer, though?

I think I've got a few answers, I don't think...

It's really hard though cos they're all be going to well known.

You've just got to try

and think of the more forgettable of the well-known acts.

Yeah.

Well, seeing as we're through, I'm just going to say

something from my youth and hope it's right and say East 17.

East 17. Well, why not? Let's see if Ruth's right with East 17.

No red line for you, you're already through,

but let's see how many people said East 17.

No, bad luck, Ruth, I'm afraid.

An incorrect answer scores you 100 points,

takes your total up to 132 but you're through anyway.

Worth a punt, Ruth.

They only had one number one, actually,

which was Stay, a very big hit,

but it was their only number one single.

-Now then, Sarah, good news, you are through.

-Good.

But we need an answer from you.

Have you been thinking of a really good answer all this time or

have you had all your best answers taken by other people?

No, I have got some answers, most of them are probably quite safe,

people like ABBA, the Carpenters, Boyzone, if Westlife was there,

-but I'll go for JLS.

-JLS says Sarah.

No red line, you're already through

but let's see how many of our 100 said JLS.

It's right. Now, our lowest score so far has been 31.

JLS passes that easily, down it goes to three,

best answer of the round, Sarah.

APPLAUSE

Hats off to you, that takes your total up to 42.

That's a great answer, Sarah, they had six number one singles.

I think you're a maths teacher, aren't you, as well?

I imagine that's going to go down well at school.

If you're a maths teacher who just said JLS on national television,

that's a terrific answer.

-And it's the lowest score of the round.

-Lowest score of the round.

Very well played. Now, there's only two pointless answers in this, there are 28 acts on the list.

I imagine you've guessed a few at home,

but let's take a look at the two pointless answers.

They both had six number one singles.

Very well done if you said either of those, I'll take you through some of the other low scorers.

A very good answer was The Shadows, who, of course, backed Cliff on so many of his number one singles,

so they are an answer on this round, would have scored one point.

Eminem would have scored you one point.

Our favourites, McFly, would have scored you one point.

You would have got two points for George Michael or Slade,

both of those very good answers.

Three points for Rod Stewart or Britney Spears,

alongside JLS, which is a terrific answer.

Let's take a look at the top three,

the ones that most of our 100 people said.

Elvis Presley had 21 number one singles,

would have scored you 41 points.

Take That would have scored you 49,

and right at the top with 17 number one singles,

-the Beatles, 80 points.

-Amazing.

I'm amazed Sugababes were so low, because if you are female

and aged 36 or less, you are statistically likely

-to have BEEN in the Sugababes, at one stage or another.

-Exactly right.

We have eight members of Sugababes in the audience!

LAUGHTER

There we are, thanks very much indeed.

At the end of the first round, the pair leaving us with their dazzling high score of 200,

I'm afraid it's our newcomers, Matthew and Alice.

But, as Richard said, that was an honourable 200, you did it for the right reasons.

Which all bodes very well for when we see you next time, we look forward to that.

Thanks for playing, Alice and Matthew.

APPLAUSE

But for the remaining three pairs, it's time for Round Two.

Obviously, there's only going to be room for two pairs in our head-to-head,

so we will have to get rid of another pair at the end of this round.

Well, that was pretty good.

Out of all our correct answers, they kind of all fell in the 30s

and it was all pretty good grouping, with one exception, Sarah.

JLS.

That was a perfectly judged answer, lovely low score.

So, yes, Sheila and Sarah are the pair to beat, I would say.

Best of luck to all three pairs, our category for Round Two is...

Can you all decide in your pairs who is going to go first and second?

Whoever's going first, please, step up to the podium.

OK, and the question concerns...

LAUGHTER

-French body parts.

-My new favourite types of rounds, these ones!

-Mine, too.

Firstly, we hear your pronunciations of things, and secondly, they are fun.

We will give you six French body parts on each pass,

you just have to give us the English translation, please. So, what are these French body parts?

There will be 12 in all to have a go at at home, so very best of luck.

OK, we are looking at English words for these French body parts and here is our first board of six.

I'll read those one last time.

There we are, six French body parts. Sarah.

-Yes.

-Sarah.

I think I know a few of them.

Um...it's just deciding which one might be the lowest score.

I'm going to go for le coeur, and heart.

The heart, says Sarah, for le coeur. Let's see if that's right,

and if it is, let's see how many people said heart.

It's right.

-49 for heart.

-Well played, Sarah.

Like Sacre Coeur - sacred heart.

Cri de coeur...

-Coeur.

-Coeur.

-Now, Ruth...

-Yes.

-Ruth. Of course, you speak French as well.

I mean, Spanish is what you teach. You speak a bit of French.

-I do, I've got a French A-level and I did a bit at university as well. It's just, it's rusty...

-OK.

-I just don't want to...

-Do you know all of those?

-Be honest, now!

-I am struggling with the top one, to be honest.

Your father is shaking his head!

My dad and my husband are going to be horrified,

because they are both French speakers.

I'm going to go for le pied, foot.

Le pied, the foot, says Ruth.

Let's see if that's right and let's see how many people said that.

Well, heart took us down to 49.

Foot is down to 71, what about that?

Yeah, good answer, I'm going to get Phil to take us through

-the whole board at the end, don't you think?

-Yeah.

-Like a proper French teacher.

-I think so.

Now then, Ron.

-Hello.

-Ron, how's your French?

-It's a bit rusty again, yeah.

It's been a while since I had to speak French properly.

-When did you last do French?

-When I was at the Academy, at school.

I've only been to France once, and that was when I was 11, so...

OK, right you are.

But one phrase comes to mind from when I was at school,

it was, "Fermez la bouche"!

LAUGHTER

-Is that it? That's the extent of your French.

-Yeah.

-Pretty much.

I mean, you can sort of venture a guess at some of these, maybe.

La bouche is mouth.

L'oeil... That's eyes, I think.

And la tete is head.

-So, I'm going to go for la bouche.

-La bouche.

-Yeah.

And you're going to say...?

-Mouth.

-Mouth, for la bouche. Let's see if that's right,

and if it is, let's see how many people said it.

It's right. 49, our low score, 71, our high.

77, our new high.

It's actually the highest scorer of the ones you knew,

so you were right about those other two, but they would have scored you less.

La tete, which is head, would have scored you 76.

And l'oeil, which is eye, would have scored you 52.

Now, Phil, no-one knows what le poumon means.

-Do you know what it means?

-Can I just have a guess? Is it lung?

-Yeah. Pulmonary!

-It is lung, indeed.

Would have scored you 12 points as well. I think

with your dad on the next pass, it's best to just get

-a correct answer and let him do the heavy lifting!

-No pressure!

Thanks, Richard, we are halfway through the round, let's take a look at those scores.

49, the best score of that pass,

well done, Sarah.

Then up to 71, Ruth and Phil.

77, Ron and John.

Now, you're not miles ahead, John, but a nice, deft, low score,

early on in the next pass, might be enough to see you into the head-to-head.

Heading back down the line, can the second players please take their places at the podium?

OK, we'll put six more French body parts up on the board,

and here they come.

I'll read those again.

-John. We need a low score.

-Mm-hm.

OK.

OK. Again, rusty, I've got to say.

Is your French better than Ron's, do you think? Or pretty much on a par?

-No.

-No, no.

I don't think so. I'll go for the one at the bottom,

-which is bottom!

-Bottom at bottom, says John.

Let's see if that's right, no red line for you as you are

the highest scorers, but derriere - bottom, is that right?

Whee! Look at that. 95!

And I'm afraid to say, that takes your total up to 172,

which is a total out of everyone else's reach.

Yeah, sorry, John, a very, very big score for derriere.

We use it ourselves, don't we, in the English language, as well?

There's your problem.

Now, Phil, which of these ones are you going to go for?

It's a question of which is the most obscure. Um...

I'll go for le coude, elbow.

Elbow. Le coude, elbow, says Phil.

Let's see if that's right, no red line for you as you are already

through, but let's see how many people said elbow for le coude.

It's right.

There we go.

Best score of the round, appropriately enough.

Nine, Phil, very well done. Takes your total up to 80.

Well played, Phil, nothing less than we expected.

If you do the maths, with 95 for derriere and nine for le coude,

you can work out how many people know the difference between...

LAUGHTER ..their backside and their elbow!

Sheila. The board is all yours.

And you are through to the next round,

you are in the head-to-head, so no pressure,

but for fun, see if you can take us through all those remaining answers.

La jambe is the leg.

I think le doigt is a finger.

Le bras is an arm.

And I would guess le genou is the knee.

-But I think...

-Well, you're through anyway, so why not?

-I'll try le genou, knee, then.

-Why not?

Knee, le genou, let's see if that's right,

and if it is, how many people said it?

It's absolutely right.

19, there we go, Sheila, very well done.

-68, your total.

-That's a great answer, Sheila, well done.

-Where did that knowledge come from?

-Genuflect.

-Absolutely right.

Let's take a look at the other three. You got them right as well.

La jambe, leg, that would have scored you 52.

Le doigt, finger, that would have scored you 57.

And le bras, arm, would have scored you 45.

So, you went for the right one as well.

So, elbow and knee were the best ones there and you did very well on those last two podiums.

Thanks, Richard.

At the end of our second round, I'm sorry to say it's John and Ron.

It was Round Two last time, it's Round Two this time.

There is a pleasing symmetry to that, but I'm afraid it means we have to

say goodbye to you far too soon. It's been great having you, thanks very much for playing.

John and Ron, great contestants.

APPLAUSE

But for the remaining two pairs, it's time for the head-to-head.

Well, congratulations, Sheila and Sarah, Ruth and Phil,

you're one step closer to the final and the chance to play

for our jackpot, which currently stands at £2,000.

Now, we need to decide which pair is going to play for that money,

so you are now going to go head-to-head.

Now you are allowed to confer, and the first pair to win two questions

will be playing for the jackpot. Ruth and Phil, you were in this position last time.

In fact, EXACTLY this position, you were the highest scoring pair of our two head-to-head pairs.

And Stu and Chloe pipped it from you, but it was very close.

How are you feeling today?

Ready for revenge!

OK!

But then, Sheila and Sarah have got a point to prove, they went out

in Round One last time, I wouldn't say unfairly,

but for the right reasons - it was a very good answer that just happened to be wrong.

-LAUGHTER

-So, here you are....

Well, you know what I mean! So, yes, you have a point to prove.

And of course, you can now confer,

which just takes some of the pressure off.

It's going to be very exciting, I think, best of luck to both pairs, let's play the head-to-head.

OK, here comes your first question, and it concerns...

Scottish football managers, Richard.

We will show you five pictures now of people who

-have managed the Scottish national team. Can you tell us who they are, please?

-Thanks.

Let's reveal our five Scottish football managers.

There we are, five Scottish football managers.

Sheila and Sarah, you've played best throughout the show so far, so you get to go first.

THEY CONFER

We are going to go for A, Gordon Strachan.

A, Gordon Strachan, say Sheila and Sarah.

Now, Ruth and Phil, the board is yours,

talk us through it, if you can.

Right, well, E is obviously, er, Ferguson. We'll not go for him.

I should know D, but I...

I've got the name William in mind,

but that might be for some other reason, I don't know.

-We are going to go for C, Jock Stein.

-Jock Stein, OK.

So, we have Gordon Strachan and we have Jock Stein.

Sheila and Sarah said Gordon Strachan, let's see

if that's right and if it is, let's see how many people said that.

It's right.

44.

44, for Gordon Strachan.

Now, Ruth and Phil are saying Jock Stein for C.

Let's see if that's right

and if it is, let's see how many of our 100 people said Jock Stein.

It is right.

And it beats 44.

Very well done indeed, 16.

Which means, Ruth and Phil, after only one question, you're up 1-0.

Well played, Phil.

The great Jock Stein had two spells as Scotland manager.

Now, B, he managed for one game. He was caretaker manager.

It's Tommy Burns.

And that would have scored you five points, a terrific answer.

D, you were right with Willie.

Willie Ormond took Scotland to the 1974 World Cup.

He would have scored four points. He is the best answer up there.

And Sir Alex Ferguson was the interim manager for Scotland after

Jock Stein died after he passed away

and Sir Alex Ferguson would have scored you 89 points.

Thanks very much indeed.

OK, here comes your second question. Sheila and Sarah

you have to win this to stay in the game. Best of luck.

It concerns... European Sausage Origins.

LAUGHTER

It's kind of a gift. European Sausage Origins.

Yeah, European Sausage Origins.

We usually say ESOs, but we will give it the full title.

We will show you the name of five sausages in this round.

You need to tell us from which European country do

they originate, please?

OK, thank you very much indeed.

Let's reveal our five sausages and here they are.

ALEXANDER READS THE LIST ALOUD

I will read those all again one last time.

Now, Ruth and Phil, you go first this time.

The bottom three are easy.

THEY CONFER QUIETLY

I think the second one is Sweden.

K-O-R-V is Swedish for sausage.

OK, we are going to take a bit of a risk on this one

but I think that "korv" is Swedish for sausage.

So, Sweden for falukorv.

Falukorv. Swedish, or Sweden, you are saying.

The country of origin.

OK, Sheila and Sarah.

The board is yours.

Um, we think krakowska is Poland.

And mortadella is Italy. Bratwurst is Germany and Boudin Blanc...

That one! We think is French.

Um, we are going for the top one, krakowska, as Poland. Polish.

OK, Poland, you are going to say for krakowska.

So, we have Sweden and we have Poland,

Ruth and Phil have said Sweden, let's see if that's right

and if it is let's see how many people said it.

It is right. Fantastic reasoning, Phil.

Six, that's a great answer.

Something tells me that's going to be hard to beat, but Sheila

and Sarah have had a game effort, they've filled in all the other

answers on the board, I suspect correctly, and have gone for Poland.

Let's see if that's right and how many people said that.

It is right.

Ooh, 70. 70 for Poland.

Very well done, Ruth and Phil.

After only two questions you are now through to the final, 2-0.

There's nothing you could have done. It's the best answer on the board.

I suspect, Phil, you're one of the few contestants in Pointless

history who knows the Swedish for sausage.

It is korv and the falukorv is a sausage from Falun, which is a Swedish town.

Mortadella is Italy and would have scored 48,

a slightly better score, but still nowhere near what you needed, and bratwurst is Germany

and would have scored you 93 points. Boudin Blanc A L'Ancienne

is French.

-That would have scored you 65.

-It's where we get the word pudding from.

-Boudin.

-Is that right?

-Yes. Thanks very much indeed.

So, the pair leaving us at the end of the head-to-head round is

Sheila and Sarah.

You've done so well on this show after your early exit last time.

Fantastic performance but I'm afraid you came up against Ruth and Phil who know their stuff.

I'm afraid we have to say goodbye to you but it's been lovely having you on the show.

Thank you both so much for playing, Sheila and Sarah.

APPLAUSE

But for Ruth and Phil, it's time for our Pointless final.

Congratulations, Ruth and Phil you have seen off all the competition

and you've won our coveted Pointless trophy, so very well done.

You now have a chance to win our Pointless jackpot

and at the end of today's show, the jackpot stands at £2,000.

APPLAUSE

You've really come back on a mission today

and some of the rounds have fallen quite nicely for you linguistically, I suppose

but still you know your stuff. You don't teach Swedish, after all. That was a great answer.

I did a tiny bit of Swedish in the sixth form

and it's the only word I remember!

I've been about four times because we've got family in Sweden

but I'm vegetarian so what do I know about sausages?!

So, there you are. We've had great answers.

The only misstep we had from you was East 17 but even then...

I wouldn't have said that if I wasn't already safe.

I would have said something like Rihanna. I can say that now.

Anything you would particularly like to see come up this round?

Scandinavian Playwrights.

LAUGHTER

-No, I think he means that.

-He does.

-OK, Scandinavian Playwrights.

As always, you kick this round off choosing a category.

And you have four choices and they are...

HE READS THE LIST ALOUD

-We're spoilt for choice.

-Germany would be great.

Booker Prize Winners looks great.

We have both spent time living in Germany...

-That's really tempting. What do you want to do?

-Germany.

OK, Germany it is. Richard...

If you've spent time living in Germany, this might go quite well.

I will show you the three categories, take your answers from any of these.

We are looking for any of the 16 Lander,

federal states of Germany, we are looking for any person

born in Germany who has won the Nobel Peace Prize, or we are looking for

any German film that has ever been nominated for a

Best Foreign Language Picture at the Oscars.

So, any of the 16 federal states of Germany, any German Nobel

Peace Prize winners or any German film that's been nominated

for Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars. Very, very best of luck.

Thanks very much. As always, you've got up to a minute to come up with three answers

and to win the jackpot just one of those answers needs to be pointless.

Remember your answers can come from any of these categories, all three

from one category, one from each, two from one, one from another.

-It's entirely up to you. Are you ready?

-Yes.

Let's put 60 seconds on the clock.

There they are, your time starts now.

Can we discount the Nobel prize winners from the start?

Niedersachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt...

I do know...

Oh, peace prize, I was thinking literature. Forget that.

Niedersachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt, Nordrhein-Westfalen.

Bremen. Schleswig-Holstein

OK, are we sticking with that, forgetting the films?

There's that East German film about when the mum is in the coma

and she wakes up, they try to make it....

No, is that not ringing a bell? Forget that.

-We will stick with the federal states.

-Goodbye To Lenin.

-Good Bye, Lenin!

-Did that get to the Oscars?

-Let's go for that.

-OK.

-Let's do the states.

-Schleswig-Holstein. Sachsen-Anhalt.

-Can we say that? Is Bremen obscure?

-No.

-Thuringia

-Yes.

And... Schleswig-Holstein.

OK, that's your time up. I now need your three answers.

We are giving all three answers Federal States of Germany.

OK, they are all federal states.

I'm going to say Schleswig-Holstein.

Schleswig-Holstein.

-Thuringia.

-Yes. Thuringia.

-Thuringia.

-And Sachsen-Anhalt.

-And Sachsen-Anhalt.

-Saxony-Anhalt, is that in English?

-Sachsen-Anhalt in German.

Sachsen-Anhalt. I'm enjoying saying that!

-Of those three, which is your best shot at a pointless answer?

-Sachsen-Anhalt.

Sachsen-Anhalt we will put last, and your least likely?

-Schleswig-Holstein.

-Schleswig-Holstein.

OK, let's put those up on the board in that order and here they are.

We have got Schleswig-Holstein, Thuringia and Sachsen-Anhalt.

Now, very, very best of luck. Your first answer was Schleswig-Holstein.

If this is correct and it's pointless,

you will leave here with £2,000.

I am sorry it's not a bigger jackpot to be playing for

but it's better than nothing. Ruth, what would you do with that?

I think I would pay off my library fines to begin with.

How big are your library fines?!

Not as big as they used to be since I stopped using the library.

-And after...

-You want to start taking your books back.

It sounds like an expensive habit.

Yeah, and then take the family to Legoland, we've never been

-and my boys have just discovered Lego.

-Yeah, mine too. Phil?

We've got a really good restaurant around the corner

from where we live so I would like to take the whole family there and we wouldn't need a taxi back!

You can eat all the sausages you like from Europe!

OK, so Schleswig-Holstein, your first answer - let's find out,

for £2,000, if that's one of the federal states of Germany.

It is.

Now, if this takes us

all the way down to zero you will leave here with that jackpot of £2,000,

down it goes, striding down through the teens into single figures,

still going down, down it goes.

You have done it with your first answer!

Very well done indeed.

That is impressive. Brilliant.

Very good.

What about that?

Well, congratulations,

Schleswig-Holstein was a pointless answer which means you leave

here with that jackpot, those library fines are going to get paid.

You'd better book your table at the restaurant round the corner. That is fantastic.

I have a hunch those other two answers might be pretty low

scorers too but we will find out.

That was lovely, what a category to get, guys.

You deserve it as well for how well you have played over two shows.

The other two you gave us, Thuringia, a pointless answer.

APPLAUSE

But Sachsen-Anhalt would have scored you... nothing at all! Also a pointless answer.

It's incredibly rare.

I think that's about the fifth or sixth time we've ever had

three pointless answers in the endgame

so it's incredibly rare in 600 odd shows. Very well done.

A nice category but you had to play it and you played it absolutely perfectly.

Let's take a look at pointless answers in all the different

categories in case people playing at home were going for a different one.

We start with the federal states.

Baden-Wurttemberg would have been a pointless answer.

Stuttgart is the capital of that.

Brandenburg, which is around Berlin, I think.

Hesse and Schleswig-Holstein is up at the top near Denmark.

Do you know any others you might have gone for?

I wanted to go for Bremen because I know Bremen.

Bremen would have scored you two points. Dreadful!

What are you thinking, Phil?! Bremen.

Nordrhein-Westfalen.

Would have scored one point.

So, he knows the Swedish word for a sausage, but Bremen...!

People at home openly laughing at you now(!) No, that's terrific work.

You could also have had Saarland for a pointless answer.

Let's look at some of the Nobel prizewinners.

Nobel Peace Prize winners.

Carl Von Ossietzky, Gustav Stresemann. Henry Kissinger was born in Germany

so he would have been a pointless answer.

Ludwig Quidde also pointless.

Your pronunciation would be so much better than mine

so do pick me up if I do anything too terrible!

And let's take a look at some German foreign-language films.

I think you said Good Bye, Lenin! which wasn't a correct answer

so you did right to stick with the states. Jacob, The Liar, Schtonk!

I once saw a trailer for Schtonk! and you would think that's the least

likely film I'm ever going to see in my entire life.

The title has always stuck with me.

The Baader-Meinhof Complex would have been a pointless answer,

as would The Tin Drum.

So, very, very well done if you said any of those at home.

There's a couple more on the German films - Angry Harvest,

Nowhere In Africa, The Bridge,

you could have had The Nasty Girl or The Glass Cell.

Very well done if you said any of those.

Wasn't that a terrific performance all the way through? Brilliant.

OK, well, well done, Ruth and Phil. Fantastic performance.

Thanks once again to Ruth and Phil, who go away with today's jackpot of £2,000.

APPLAUSE

Join us next time when we will be putting more obscure knowledge to the test on Pointless.

-Meanwhile, it's goodbye from Richard.

-Goodbye.

-And it's goodbye from me. Goodbye!