Episode 31 Pointless

APPLAUSE

Thank you. Hello, I'm Alexander Armstrong and welcome to Pointless,

the game where we aim for the obscure and we ignore the obvious.

Let's meet today's players.

APPLAUSE

And couple number one.

Hi, I'm Emyr, I'm from Cardiff and this is my friend Claire,

-she's from Barry Island.

-And couple number two.

Hello there, I'm Barbara, this is my husband Chris

and we're from Collingham in Nottinghamshire.

Couple number three.

Hello, my name's Howard, I'm from Christchurch in Dorset

and this is my brother-in-law Gwilym from Milton Keynes.

And finally couple number four.

Hi, my name's Laura, I'm from Bristol

and this is my friend Amanda from London.

And these are today's contestants.

APPLAUSE

Thanks very much all of you,

we'll find out more about you later as the show goes on.

That just leaves one more person for me to introduce.

His facts speak for themselves, but good luck shutting him up anyway,

it's my Pointless friend, it's Richard.

Hiya. Hi, everyone.

APPLAUSE

-Hi, how are you?

-I'm very well, thank you.

-Excellent.

Again we keep giving away the jackpot.

-Careless.

-It is careless, isn't it?

-It is.

Again, we had a proper good finish last time as well

because the show before went 2 points, 1 point, pointless.

-Last time we went wrong answer, 1 point to pointless.

-It was perfect.

It's not bad going. That's the way to win the jackpot, everybody.

That's how we like to see it done.

We've only got one returning pair from that show, it's Gwil and Howard.

Got knocked out in Round Two last time

so hopefully we'll see a little bit more of them this time.

-Should be a cracker.

-Excellent. Thanks, Richard.

Now all our questions on Pointless have been put to 100 people

before the show. Today's contestants are looking for a pointless answer,

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

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

So as you've just gathered, David and Nick won the jackpot last time

so today's jackpot starts back again at £1,000.

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

APPLAUSE

The pair with the highest score at the end of the round will be

eliminated and there is to be no conferring during the round itself.

Our first category today...

Cinema. Can you all decide in your pairs who's going to go first?

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

OK, and the question concerns...

Movie Characters. Richard.

On each pass we're going to show you the names of seven movie characters

and the actor who played them, we need you to tell us

the name of the film they appeared in, please. There's going to be seven

on each pass, going to be 14 in all to have a go at at home.

As you'll spot as the round goes on, all the films have something else

in common, they're all directed either by Alfred Hitchcock,

Steven Spielberg or Martin Scorsese.

Thanks very much indeed, Richard.

So we're looking for the films in which these characters

played by the actors also on the board appear.

Here's our first board of seven.

I'll read those all again.

Now then, Emyr and Claire, you all drew lots before the show

and today you are going to go first.

-Emyr, I'm saying your name right, aren't I?

-Yes, yes.

-You say it again.

-Emyr.

-But he says it beautifully.

-That's nice.

-It's the R.

-"Emyrrr".

-"Emyrrr".

-I'm going to try and see if I can remember that.

-What do you do, Emyr?

-I'm a civil servant in Cardiff.

Can I ask which department of the civil service?

No, I can't, I can't, I will not put you on the spot like that, Emyr.

Thank you.

-Another spy. We get a lot of spies on the show, don't we?

-It's fun.

-Extraordinary.

-You know, if I was a spy...

Normally people say, "I work for the civil service,

"I can't tell you what." But I just wouldn't even say I worked for

the civil service. I would say, "Me? I work in... I'm a bank manager."

-Import-export?

-Import-export.

-Yeah.

And what do you do in your spare time, Emyr?

I like to travel.

I also love to watch my Carry On movies.

-Erm, I do some research on my family tree as well.

-How's that gone?

I've gone... On my dad's side, I've gone back as far as the early 1700s.

See, that's exciting, isn't it?

Well, I mean, the nearest I've got is basically...

not really know what they do, just as far back as I can go.

-Do you know where they lived? Have you found that out?

-In Norfolk.

-In Norfolk?

-Yeah, in the Aylsham area.

-Fantastic.

Now, Emyr, what are you going to go for from this board?

Erm, it's a tough one.

The only one that I know is...

Norman Bates, Anthony Perkins.

Psycho.

-Psycho...

-Yes.

-..said Emyr.

OK, let's see if that's right

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

It's right.

67.

APPLAUSE

I tell you what, it's a high score, Emyr,

but you might be taking one of the answers off the board that

everyone else knows, so tactically not a bad thing to go for. 67.

Exactly, Psycho was Hitchcock's last black and white film, Psycho.

He could've done it in colour,

he was worried the murder might be a bit too gruesome in colour.

-Oh, was that what it was?

-Yeah.

-It does work,

-the effect of it in black and white. It is quite creepy.

-Famously,

it's chocolate sauce going down the plughole in that film, not blood.

Interesting.

Barbara, welcome to the show. Great to have you here.

-From Nottinghamshire?

-That's right.

And what do you do in Nottinghamshire?

I am an assistant practice manager in my local GP surgery.

-That sounds challenging, I knew that because I'm a son of a GP.

-Right.

-So I know how hard work that is.

-You know that we're the hardest workers.

-I do happen to know that.

-And the GPs...

-Yeah. Oh, they have it easy, they have it easy.

-Definitely.

It's the practice managers that are carrying those things.

What do you do in your spare time?

-You don't really get much spare time, I happen to know as well.

-No.

But what do you fill it with?

No, you're right, I don't get a lot of spare time,

but the usual thing, like reading and sewing and knitting, and I too

do my family tree as well but I haven't touched it for a while.

-Did you get as far back as the early 1700s, though?

-Oh, yes.

-Oh, yes!

-Oh, yes.

-Oh, and beyond?

-Oh, yes.

-Where did you go?

-I went to mid-1600s.

-Oh, that's good.

Well, Barbara, what about these? It's quite tough, that board.

Yeah, I like the top one but I gather I can't go for that one.

-Yep, you'd gather right.

-Yep.

So it's going to be a guess and I hope

I don't get into trouble about it but Jake La Motta, Godfather?

The Godfather?

Jake La Motta, The Godfather, says Barbara,

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

I'm sorry, Barbara.

It's really sweet, both you

and Chris did an identical thing at the same time, you both went...

Just like that then. That's nice.

Anyways, it's an incorrect answer, I'm afraid.

That scores you 100 points.

It may not be the last 100 points of this round so, yes,

don't be too disconsolate.

Yes, I'll give you the correct answer at the end of the pass, Barbara.

Thanks very much. Now then, Howard. Welcome back.

Our only returning pair, you and Gwil.

Tell us what happened last time.

We got a question on new countries to join the UN and we did

very well but sadly not quite as well as our fellow contestants.

Yeah, it wasn't bad. They were nice low scores.

-I think you were on 29 or something.

-Yeah, that's right.

-That's a very low score to be leaving.

-Just got squeezed out.

That just shows the kind of calibre of contestant

-we had on the last show.

-Exactly.

Do you remember those heady days, last show?

-They were good, weren't they?

-Yeah.

On this one, there's promise here, but 67 and 100...

-Well, there's always promise, Richard.

-You would've had trouble

on the last show, they were wonderful, weren't they?

-They were absolutely.

-Very clever.

-Yeah.

-I miss them.

I wonder what they're doing now. I guess they're probably

-captains of industry these days, aren't they?

-I don't know,

I know what Gwil and Howard are doing, but apart from them

I don't know what any of them are up to.

-Do you guys keep in touch?

-Not much, no.

-Haven't kept in touch, no.

You lose touch after a while, don't you?

-For a while you ring and write and then...

-They were bright.

They were...

They were going places, that lot.

-Just extraordinary intelligence.

-Yeah.

-And charm.

Oh, well. Today! Today's show.

-Howard, what are you going to go for?

-Erm, I knew Psycho.

Erm...

I'm pretty sure I know a couple of others

but I think I'm going to go for Elliott,

which I think is ET.

ET, says Howard. ET.

Let's see if that's right

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

It's right.

67 is our lowest score and you pass that.

Still going. 23, Howard.

APPLAUSE

-That is a very good answer.

-That's a very good answer, Howard.

Yes, I suspect some people at home won't have got it and the second

you say that it's ET, everyone will remember,

Elliott and all that stuff.

Now, Amanda, welcome to the show, great to have you here.

What do you do?

-I work in HR for a software company.

-And what are your hobbies?

What do you like doing when you're not doing that?

I like reading, watching TV and I love eating out,

I like going to new restaurants, trying different foods.

Very good indeed, and do you research that quite assiduously?

There are some restaurants that I do aim to go to

but otherwise I can just go where the wind takes me.

-And whose idea was it to come on the show?

-It was mine.

And Laura, the obvious choice?

You have to say yes obviously, she's standing right next to you.

-Yes, she was with me when I decided.

-OK, very good indeed.

-Amanda, you're the last person to have this board.

-Yes.

-Anything left there for you?

-Not really, not really my genre of film.

For the Leonardo DiCaprio film,

there's a couple of films it could be.

So I'm thinking maybe Gangs Of New York or The Departed,

and the others I don't really have a clue.

I think I'm going to go for Gangs Of New York.

OK, Gangs Of New York, says Amanda, for Amsterdam Vallon.

Let's see if that's right and, if it is, let's see

how many of our 100 people said Gangs Of New York.

It's right. Very well done indeed.

Look at that, best score of the round.

APPLAUSE

Great answer and great score. 19, Amanda.

That's a terrific answer, Amanda. Very well played. Well worked out.

Leonardo DiCaprio's first agent tried to get him to change his name,

he said, "Look, people are not going to really go with

"Leonardo DiCaprio." He suggested Lenny Williams.

-No.

-Now let's look through the rest of this board.

Erm, Jake La Motta, not in The Godfather.

He's the boxer in Raging Bull, would've scored you 38.

Tommy DeVito, Joe Pesci one? It's a very famous Joe Pesci performance.

-It's, "Am I funny?" That one.

-Goodfellas.

Goodfellas, thank you very much. Are you laughing?

That would've scored you 18 points.

Newland Archer, Daniel Day-Lewis, is Age Of Innocence.

That's a tough one, 2 points.

And at the bottom there, it's turned up a few times, this, Sean Connery

was in Hitchcock's Marnie, and that was his character there, 3 points.

So Age Of Innocence, the Daniel Day-Lewis one's the best answer.

We're halfway through the round, let's take a look at those scores.

Well done, Amanda, the best score of the pass was yours, 19,

putting you and Laura in a very strong position at this stage.

Then up to 23, where we find Howard and Gwil.

Then up to 67, Emyr and Claire,

and then up to 100, Barbara and Chris.

That was a tough board. Let's hope the next one's less tough.

Chris, it may well not have been the last 100 points scored.

Let's hope the next one isn't yours, though!

We need a low score from you but best of luck with that, Chris.

We're going to come back down the line now,

can the second players please step up to the podium?

OK, let's put seven more characters up on the board, and here they come.

We've got...

I'll read those all one last time.

There we are. Now then, Laura, welcome to Pointless.

Great to have you here, what do you do, Laura?

I work in marketing and event management for accountancy events.

And what are your hobbies?

I quite enjoy running, generally keeping fit,

-and I sing in a choir as well.

-What sort of choir is it?

We're quite a kind of young fun choir, we do a bit of Disney,

a bit of Queen, and we all kind of teach each other songs as well,

so it's all very light-hearted and good fun.

Excellent. Been such an explosion of these since Gareth Malone.

-Definitely.

-What an amazing thing.

-We were there first, though.

-Were you?

-Yeah.

-Got in there ahead of the Malone.

-Yep.

-I like that.

Because, I mean, it's fun, it's always surprisingly good fun.

It is, and it's a really great bunch of people as well, we all

get on really well and we all go out together as well, so it's great.

Very good. Now then, you're the first person to have this board.

Again, it's quite a tough board.

-It is, it's definitely better than the last one.

-Yeah.

I really didn't know anything from the last one

and I've got an inkling for two of these but I'm not 100% on either.

I think I'm going to go for Dr Alan Grant and Jurassic Park.

Jurassic Park, says Laura, for Dr Alan Grant.

Now, there you are on 19, Chris and Barbara,

our high scorers on 100, so 80 or less sees you through.

There's your red line, let's see if Jurassic Park's right,

let's see how many people said it.

It is right.

39.

APPLAUSE

39 takes you up to 58 and sees you comfortably through.

Well played, Laura, safe and sound into Round Two.

Based on Michael Crichton's novel, he was paid 2 million

for the novel before it was even published, just on the idea alone.

-Good work.

-By the film people.

-What a pitch that must've been.

-It shows what you can do if you have a good idea, doesn't it?

-Yeah, yeah.

Now then, Gwil. Welcome back.

-Thank you.

-Remind us what you do, Gwil.

I am a freelance management consultant.

That's just the tip of the Gwil iceberg. Tip of the Gwilberg.

Now, what do you like getting up to in your spare time?

Mostly...I like to do as little as possible.

Oh, that's good, it's a much overlooked pastime.

I get on with the guitar quite well, I'm self-taught on the guitar,

self-taught on the piano. I want to learn the violin.

-I'm a little bit of a...

-You really do?

-You want to learn it?

-I do.

-How far have you gone with this wanting?

I'm looking for a violin to purchase, that's how far I've got!

OK.

If you want to become a pop star, I've got a good name for you.

-Let's hear it.

-Gwil.i.am.

LAUGHTER

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

I am in the embarrassing position of hardly knowing any of these.

I'm going to go for...

Celie Johnson and Ghost.

-Ghost.

-Yeah.

-OK, that's a bit of a guess, is it?

-It's a slight bit of a guess, yeah.

-OK.

Well, there is your red line.

If you can get below that, you're in Round Two.

Let's see how many of our 100 said Ghost if it's right.

Bad luck, Gwil, I'm afraid that's an incorrect answer,

scores you the maximum of 100 points. 123, your total.

-Sorry, Gwil, she was Oda Mae Brown in Ghost...

-Of course!

-..and not by any of those directors either.

-Oh, I thought Spielberg, OK.

-Thanks very much indeed. Now, oh, Chris, you see? I told you.

-You did.

-What just happened there?

-Yeah.

-There we are.

So you now have a target of 22 or less. Welcome to the show, Chris.

-Thank you.

-Great to have you here, what do you do?

I'm sort of semi-retired but I do casual work

and some of that I work at the surgery for Barbara.

And what other things do you fill your retirement time with?

I have an allotment, as most retired people tend to go for,

-and I'm a beekeeper.

-Oh, that's fun, how long have you done that for?

-Five years now.

-And...was it quite easy?

Or is it quite a steep learning curve?

There is a very steep learning curve when they die, yes,

-because you've got quite an investment just disappear.

-Right.

And that's happened?

Oh, a couple of times, yeah, couple of times over the years, I'm afraid.

-Not having a good time, beekeepers, at the moment.

-No.

OK, you've still got quite a long way to go on this round as well,

you have to score 22 or less.

Is there anything on that board you think will do it for you?

It's that 22, that's the difficult bit, because there's two I know

but...

I think I may have to gamble here.

Because it's Tippi Hedren, I'm going to go for The Birds.

The Birds, says Chris.

OK, well, let's see if The Birds is right.

If it is, will it get you below that red line?

It's right. Well done, Chris.

Is it going to get you down?

Ooh, not quite, 36 it scores.

APPLAUSE

136 is your total.

Not a bad answer at all there, Chris. Well played.

Hitchcock was frightened of eggs, that was his big...

-Frightened of eggs?

-Yeah, he hated them.

He thought yolk coming out of an egg was worse than blood.

It's worse than chocolate sauce, certainly.

-Ah, really? Frightened of eggs?

-Yeah.

-I mean, a man who looks not unlike an egg.

-He does.

Famously he would order like three main courses and three desserts when

he went to a restaurant, he'd have three steaks and three ice-creams.

-No eggs, though.

-No eggs. Interesting.

-Now, Claire.

-Hi.

-Welcome to the show.

-Thank you.

Great to have you here, what do you do, Claire?

-I'm a civil servant as well.

-In Barry?

-In Cardiff.

-In Cardiff, and you work alongside Emyr?

-Yes, we do, yes.

-What do you do in your spare time?

-I do loads of different things.

I really enjoy going to live concerts,

-particularly I quite like musicals and stuff like that, so...

-Fair enough.

Now then, Claire, 136 the high score from Chris and Barbara behind you.

You have to score 68 or less.

It's not the easiest board but you don't look too bothered by it.

No, there are a few on there that I don't know,

I don't know the James Stewart one, I really should.

I think that Captain Miller is probably Saving Private Ryan.

The Jack Nicholson one, again, I should know that and I don't.

Brody, I think that's Jaws, but I'm going to go for the last one,

Whoopi Goldberg, and I think that was The Color Purple.

The Color Purple.

There's your red line. If you get below that with The Color Purple,

you are in Round Two. Let's see if it's right and, if it is,

let's see how many people said it.

Yes!

Very well done. That did everything it needed to do for you, Claire.

12.

CHEERING

The best score of the round in fact there, very well done indeed,

79 is your total.

Very well played, Claire. It was only her second movie

and she received a nomination for Best Actress at the Oscars for that.

Now, you're right about Saving Private Ryan,

that is Captain Miller, Tom Hanks. Would've been a bigger scorer though,

would've scored you 20.

Brody, you're right as well, was Jaws, again a bigger scorer,

would've scored you 43.

Now, these other two, Frank Costello, Jack Nicholson,

that's the film Amanda mentioned just now, The Departed,

would've scored you 3 points.

And right at the top there, the James Stewart, it's a Hitchcock film.

-It's Vertigo.

-It is Vertigo, yep. Would've scored you 4 points,

so Frank Costello is the best answer on the board.

Thanks very much indeed.

So at the end of our first round the pair who will be heading home

with their high score of 136, I'm afraid, Chris and Barbara.

-Yeah, tough round, though.

-It was.

Hard to remember the character names but that was a nice,

low score on the second pass, I'm afraid just not quite

low enough to keep you in the game. We'll look forward to seeing you

next time but thanks very much meantime.

-Chris and Barbara.

-Thank you.

APPLAUSE

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

And so we're down to just three pairs and obviously

at the end of this round we'll have to say goodbye to another pair

in time for our head-to-head round.

Well, Gwil and Howard, a little bit lucky there, I'd say,

-just a little bit lucky.

-Very lucky, yes.

-Great answer from you, Claire.

Fantastic, The Color Purple, best answer of the round.

Second best was yours Amanda, Gangs Of New York, so very well played.

Yeah, Gwil and Howard, need to pull your socks up a little bit.

A little bit.

Remember you represent the last show, those guys, remember?

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

It's Cricket.

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

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

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

We gave 100 people 100 seconds

to name as many of the 2013 Ashes cricketers as they could.

2013 Ashes cricketers.

Yeah, we're looking for anyone who played in any of

the summer Ashes test between England and Australia in 2013,

that's any of the five tests between June and August 2013, please.

Anyone who played in any of those matches. Very best of luck.

-Thanks very much indeed. Now then, Emyr.

-Ooh.

Oh, really, not good?

No, watching cricket is like watching paint dry for me,

so not a good subject for me.

Erm...

I'll have a think. Erm...Graham Edwards.

-Ooh, Graham Edwards.

-ALEXANDER LAUGHS

-He was a Glamorgan player from the '30s.

-Must be, must be.

Graham Edwards, let's see if that's right

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

Bad luck, Emyr. I'm afraid an incorrect answer,

scoring you the maximum of 100 points.

-Can't believe he didn't make the Test team, can you?

-No.

After the county season he had as well.

-He was knocking in runs for fun, wasn't he?

-Yeah, yeah.

-For Middlesex.

-Yeah.

-Didn't make it. Is that a completely made-up name, Emyr?

-Yeah.

LAUGHTER

There is actually a Graham Edwards cricketer,

a Zimbabwean called Graham Edwards but, yeah, not, er...

Not playing in the Ashes 2013.

-Anyway, Howard.

-Yes.

-Howard.

Yeah, cricket, I follow cricket a little bit, not that much.

I think there's an Aussie batsman, maybe the captain even,

called Michael Clarke.

Michael Clarke. Michael Clarke, says Howard,

let's see how many of our 100 people said Michael Clarke.

It's right.

10.

CHEERING

Very well played, Howard.

10 for Michael Clarke.

Yeah, terrific player, terrific captain and a terrific answer,

-well played.

-Thanks very much.

-Now then, Amanda.

-Yes.

Amanda, how's this for you?

I don't think I've ever seen a cricket match in my life.

-OK.

-Erm...

Well, one thing I really will say is Graham Edwards not playing so...

OK, good to know. I was trying to think of A cricketer.

Erm, so I'll go with...Stuart Broad.

Stuart Broad, says Amanda.

Stuart Broad, let's see if that's right,

let's see how many of our 100 people said it.

Absolutely right, Amanda.

Good answer, down it goes.

17 for Stuart Broad.

APPLAUSE

That's a very good answer. See, you don't have to have watched cricket

to know that cricketers exist.

-They sort of percolate through our culture, don't they?

-They do.

Thank you very much indeed. We're halfway through the round.

Let's take a look at those scores.

Howard, very well done. 10 the best score of that pass, putting you

and Gwil back where you belong.

Up to 17, where we find Amanda and Laura, then I'm sorry,

Emyr and Claire, up to 100.

So Claire, luckily, you've got some brilliant answers stashed away there

and we'll need them if you're going to stay in the game so best of luck.

We're going to come back down the line now.

Can the second players please step up to the podium?

So, Laura, there you are on 17.

-Brilliant scoring from Amanda, wasn't it?

-Yeah, it was amazing.

I'm really going to let her down now.

I don't know if he's ever played cricket, and if he has I don't know

if he played in 2013, but the name that came to mind was Alastair Cook.

Alastair Cook, says Laura.

Here's your red line, if you get below that with Alastair Cook,

you are through to the next round.

Is it right? How many people said it?

It's absolutely right.

You are through to the head-to-head.

Very, very well done indeed, Laura.

22.

CHEERING

39 is your total, very well done.

Well played, Laura. Very good answer, he's got a great nickname,

the guys in the team have come up with an absolute belter for him.

-Cooky, they call him.

-That is good!

-That's clever, isn't it?

-Very good.

Now, Gwil. Gwil. I have a feeling you're going to be good at this.

No, you're quite wrong.

I've just going to go with Michael Vaughan and hope for the best.

OK, Michael Vaughan, says Gwil.

You need to be scoring 89 or less with Michael Vaughan.

Here's your red line. It just has to be correct.

Is it?

I'm sorry, Gwil.

An incorrect answer, scores you 100 points, takes your total up to 110.

Yeah, long time after Michael Vaughan's time, I'm afraid.

Which means, Claire, a brilliant answer like the one you've got

which scores 9 or less gets you into the head-to-head.

Come on.

-I know nothing about cricket.

-I don't believe you, come on.

I know absolutely nothing and my dad is obsessed with cricket,

he talks about it all the time

and it just falls out of my head after he's said it so...

I think that the only cricketer I can think of, and I think he might

be married to someone in Liberty X actually, is Kevin Pietersen.

-Kevin Pietersen.

-Yes.

-That's the answer you're going to go for.

I'm going to try that one, yes.

OK, there's your red line. Get below that with Kevin Pietersen,

you're in the head-to-head. Let's see if that's right,

let's see how many people said Kevin Pietersen.

It's right.

26.

APPLAUSE

26 takes your total up to 126.

Unlucky, Claire, it's a good answer.

It's a bad advert for dads talking all the time, isn't it?

I know, isn't it? Ooh, no.

If he literally talks about cricket all the time but it's only

the one who got married to someone from Liberty X that you can remember.

All the pointless answers, they're all Australian bowlers.

Let's take a look at a few of them.

Jackson Bird, fast bowler. James Faulkner, he's an all-rounder really.

James Pattinson.

You also could have had Nathan Lyon, the spinner, and Mitchell Starc,

another of the fast bowlers.

1 point for Brad Haddin, Simon Kerrigan

and Chris Woakes both would've scored you 1 point. David Warner, 2 points.

Phillip Hughes, Steven Smith. 3 points for Ashton Agar.

3 points for Ed Cowan and Chris Rogers as well.

Those were the low scorers,

let's take a look at the three highest scorers.

Already heard a couple of them.

Graham Swann with 18, so we know what the other two are.

Alastair Cook with 22 and Pietersen on 26.

Thanks very much indeed, so at the end of our second round the pair

who are heading home with their high score of 126, it's Claire and Emyr.

Oh, dear. Well, you did pretty well though, 126.

It could've been a great deal worse.

-It could.

-Absolutely, yeah.

-It really could've been.

Yeah, I could've made up a name as well.

Listen, Graham Edwards, you could've made up a worse name as well.

-It's a great name.

-That's true.

We will see you again next time, Claire and Emyr,

and we'll look forward to that, but meantime, thanks for playing.

-Claire and Emyr.

-Thank you.

-APPLAUSE

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

Congratulations, Laura and Amanda, Gwil and Howard,

you're now one step closer to the final

and a chance to play for our jackpot,

which currently stands at £1,000.

We have to decide who's going to play for that money

and to do that you are now going to go head-to-head.

The big difference is you're now allowed to confer and the

first pair to win two questions will be playing for that jackpot.

I think this is going to be an excellent head-to-head,

best of luck to both pairs, let's play it.

APPLAUSE

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

US TV Duos, Richard.

We're going to show you five pictures now of duos from different

American TV series, you just need to tell us

the name of the series in which you'd find these duos. Good luck.

OK, thanks very much.

So let's reveal our five duos, and here they come. We've got...

There we are, five US TV duos.

Laura and Amanda, you've played best throughout the show so far

so you will go first.

-WHISPERS:

-I think A is Franklin & Bash.

-Shall we take it?

THEY WHISPER

I think we're going to go for A and Franklin & Bash.

Franklin & Bash, say Laura and Amanda. Franklin & Bash.

Now then, Gwil and Howard, the board's all yours.

-Do you want to talk us through it?

-Yeah, I think B is Breaking Bad.

C is French Prince... FRESH Prince Of Bel Air.

D is Starsky And Hutch and E is The Odd Couple

and I don't know which one to go for.

Going to stay with B, Breaking Bad. What do you think?

-Yeah, that's fine.

-B, Breaking Bad.

-B, Breaking Bad.

So we have Franklin & Bash and Breaking Bad.

Laura and Amanda said Franklin & Bash, let's see if that's right

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

It is right.

Good answer.

4.

CHEERING

Very well done, Laura and Amanda, 4 for Franklin & Bash.

Gwil and Howard have gone for Breaking Bad for B, let's see

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

It's right.

Another good answer. 14.

APPLAUSE

But Laura and Amanda, you win that one.

After one question, you're up 1-0.

-Laura and Amanda are pretty good, aren't they?

-Yeah.

That's very well played. Nothing you could've done

to beat that. Actually, you gave the next best answer,

so that was well played as well, and you knew all of them.

Let's go through the other scores.

Biggest answer on the board by some way, Starsky And Hutch,

would've scored you 74.

Very well done if you said Franklin & Bash at home, a terrific answer.

Thanks very much indeed. OK, here comes your second question.

Gwil and Howard, you'll get to answer it first but you'll have to

win it to stay in the game, so good luck. It concerns...

-Freshwater Fish. Richard.

-Yeah, if Laura and Amanda can do this

then they're really clever. We're going to show you

five freshwater fish now but we've removed alternate letters

from their names. Can you fill in the gaps and give us the best answer?

Thanks very much indeed.

OK, let's reveal our five freshwater fish, and here they are.

I'll read those all again.

So Gwil and Howard will go first.

-Have you got one?

-No idea on the top one?

THEY WHISPER

I'm going to have to go with the second one and say tench.

You're going to say tench? OK, Laura and Amanda, the board is all yours.

We think the third one's pike

but we're going to go with the last one and say stickleback.

Stickleback, say Laura and Amanda. So we have tench versus stickleback.

Gwil and Howard have said tench, let's see if that's right

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

It's right.

41.

APPLAUSE

41. Laura and Amanda have said stickleback.

Let's see if that's right

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

It's absolutely right, and if that beats 41 you go straight through...

Very well done! ..to the final.

20.

APPLAUSE

Very, very well played indeed.

That means, Laura and Amanda,

after only two questions you're straight through to the final, 2-0.

Yeah, very well played, well played both teams throughout the show.

The biggest scorer on that board is pike

but it would've scored you 93 points.

Do you know what the main constituent of a pike's diet is?

-Er...shopping trolleys? No, it can't be that.

-No.

It's smaller pike.

-Aw, guys!

-That's not good, is it?

-Don't do that.

-I know, right?

Go for sticklebacks!

We know they are too because they've got their backs a bit stickly.

-Yeah, you don't want that, do you? Give you a cough.

-Yeah.

-Now the next one down beginning with B?

-Bream.

-It's not bream.

-Oh, it's not, because that's E-A-M.

-Bureem that would be, yeah.

-B-U-R-E-E-M, bureem.

-Oh, yeah. No, two Rs.

It's barbel.

-Oh, yeah, OK, fair enough.

-That would've scored you 4.

-And the top one is?

-But I do know the one at the top, for obvious reasons.

It's a zander. Would've scored you 12 points.

-Have you ever eaten a zander?

-Never have.

-Have you not?

-No.

Even smaller zanders, I don't eat.

Yeah, the main diet of a zander is... foie gras and good claret.

-Thanks very much.

-You don't eat foie gras, do you?

-No.

-No. No, good. Good boy.

-Thank you very much indeed, Richard.

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

I'm afraid it's Gwil and Howard.

Well, you made it through to the head-to-head, which was great,

nothing wrong with either of your answers.

In fact, Breaking Bad, a lovely low score there,

-but you were just up against Laura and Amanda.

-Yeah.

-They know everything.

-They do know everything.

Very impressive indeed,

really nothing much you could do against that.

-Yeah, no shame in losing to them.

-No shame whatsoever.

But it's been great having you on both shows, thanks so much,

-Gwil and Howard.

-Thank you.

APPLAUSE

But for Laura and Amanda it's time for our Pointless final.

Congratulations, Laura and Amanda, you fought 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 £1,000.

Well, I mean, I'm delighted you've come through to the final

because you played so well, consistently the lower scorers

and then 2-0 in the head-to-head.

I mean, fantastic, and pretty random questions as well.

What would you like to see come up in this last round?

I don't think it can get any worse than what we've had to be fair.

-Yeah, we've been quite lucky so...

-Yeah, we've been...yeah.

-I don't know.

-Maybe music or celebrities, something like that.

Yeah, bit more pop culture.

OK, well, we've been giving away a lot of jackpots...

I say giving away, people have been winning a lot of jackpots recently

so let's hope that run can continue.

Here are you four options, they are...

I mean, that's just all pop culture, isn't it?

What do you make of that?

Nothing is good for me, so this is on you.

The fourth one is going to be the best of them.

I did a theatre-related degree, so this might not go down so well

-when I don't get it.

-Let's go for it...

-Yeah, let's do it.

-..because I'm not good at anything.

-OK, 20th Century Theatre it is.

-Richard.

-Yeah, we're looking for any of the named characters

in the first production of any of the following plays.

So any named character in Pygmalion when it first appeared on the stage.

Any named character in The Mousetrap when it first appeared on the stage

or any named character in An Inspector Calls

when it first appeared on stage. I think that's pretty tough.

Looking for any of the named characters in Pygmalion,

The Mousetrap or An Inspector Calls.

-Very, very best of luck.

-Thanks very much indeed.

As always, you've got up to one minute to come up with three answers

and all you need to win that jackpot of £1,000 is

for just one of those answers to be pointless.

The answers you give can come from any of these three categories

and how you spread them across the categories is entirely up to you.

It can be all from the same category if you like or one from each.

Two from one, one from another. Entirely down to you. Are you ready?

-Yes.

-Yes.

-OK, let's put 60 seconds on the clock.

There they are, your time starts now.

-OK, Pygmalion is My Fair Lady.

-Yes.

-So it's characters from there.

You've got Professor Henry Higgins.

Don't think he's obscure, though.

-Oh, what's the boy that she falls in love with?

-Erm...

Freddy, Freddy...

Oh, my God, what's his surname?

Do you know either of the other two?

Something Hill, it's Freddy something Hill.

No, I don't know The Mousetrap.

There's a character in An Inspector Calls called Sheila

but I don't remember her surname. Erm...

-It's something like, it's Freddy, Freddy Eynsford-Hill.

-OK.

So Freddy Eynsford-Hill.

Then there's his mother who's Mrs Eynsford-Hill,

I don't know if they ever mention her first name.

Go for it. And then...?

Professor Henry Higgins, Eliza Doolittle, there's her dad.

-What's her dad's name?

-Mr Doolittle?

-No, his first name's definitely mentioned.

-10 seconds left.

-OK, Freddy Eynsford-Hill, Mrs Eynsford-Hill.

-Yeah.

-And, erm...

-Go for Professor Henry Higgins?

-OK.

OK, that's your time up.

It sounds like you've just arrived at your three answers.

-What are they going to be?

-Freddy Eynsford-Hill.

-Freddy Eynsford-Hill.

-Mrs Eynsford-Hill.

-Mrs Eynsford-Hill.

And Professor Henry Higgins.

And Professor Henry Higgins, and they all come from which category?

-They all come from Pygmalion.

-Thank you very much.

OK, of those three, which is your most likely to be pointless,

-do you think?

-I think Freddy Eynsford-Hill.

OK, Freddy Eynsford-Hill we'll put last. Least likely?

Professor Henry Higgins.

I think that's probably right, let's put him first.

OK, let's pop them all up on the board in that order,

and here they are.

We have Professor Henry Higgins, Mrs Eynsford-Hill

and Freddy Eynsford-Hill.

Well, very best of luck.

Your first answer, the one you thought was probably least

likely to be pointless was Professor Henry Higgins.

Remember, only one of these answers has to be pointless

for you to win that jackpot of £1,000.

What would you do if you won it, Laura?

Probably be really boring because I'm going to be moving house

next year so it's going to go towards agency fees.

Fair enough. All to a good end.

-And some shopping, some shoes and something as well.

-Good.

Amanda, how about you?

I have got a friend who is teaching English out in Ethiopia

-so it would be pay for a flight out to go and see her.

-Excellent.

Very best of luck. Three answers on the board, let's hope one of them

at least is pointless. Professor Henry Higgins, first answer.

Obviously it has to be correct, it then has to be pointless -

might be more of a challenge,

but if it's both of those things you will win that jackpot.

So for £1,000, let's see how many people said

Professor Henry Higgins was a character from Pygmalion.

Well, it's right.

Obviously if it goes all the way down to 0, you leave with £1,000.

Professor Henry Higgins now going down through the twenties,

into the teens, even.

14! Not bad.

APPLAUSE

I tell you what,

I'm suddenly much more excited about your two subsequent answers.

It might be looking pretty good for Freddy Eynsford-Hill.

Anyhow, only two more chances to win today's jackpot.

Your second answer was Mrs Eynsford-Hill.

For £1,000, let's find out.

Mrs Eynsford-Hill, is she a character in Pygmalion?

Yes, she is.

Now then, if she goes all the way down to 0,

and let's just remember Professor Henry Higgins only

went down to 14, then you leave here with £1,000.

Still going down, down it goes,

you've done it! That's fantastic.

CHEERING

Very well done indeed, that is just superb. Brilliant answer.

APPLAUSE

Wow, congratulations!

And so our jackpot run continues.

Congratulations, Mrs Eynsford-Hill was a pointless answer,

which means you leave here with our jackpot of £1,000.

Very well done indeed.

APPLAUSE

Can have my head held high with my degree.

How about that?

I have to say, from start to finish, one of the best performances

we've seen on Pointless in a very, very long time, so very well played,

especially as Freddy Eynsford-Hill was also a pointless answer.

APPLAUSE

Let's go through the pointless answers

in all the different categories. See how well you did at home.

Alfred Doolittle was Eliza's father.

There's Freddy Eynsford-Hill.

Mrs Higgins, Henry Higgins' mother.

Mrs Pearce, who's Henry Higgins' housekeeper.

All of those were pointless answers.

Characters in The Mousetrap that would've won you the money.

Christopher Wren, Detective Sergeant Trotter, Mollie Ralston

and that Mr Parvacini.

I won't say who did it. All of those pointless answers.

And Sheila Birling was the character name you were looking for

and in fact all the Birling family are pointless,

her parents Sybil Birling and Arthur Birling, also pointless,

as was her brother, Eric Birling.

Gerald Croft is her fiance, also pointless,

and Edna the parlour maid, also pointless.

Very well done if you said any of those at home

but terrific performance, very, very well played.

Thanks very much, Richard.

Well, thanks once again to our winning players, Laura and Amanda,

who go away with today's jackpot of £1,000.

Very well done.

APPLAUSE

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

-Meanwhile, it's goodbye from Richard.

-Goodbye.

And it's goodbye from me. Goodbye.