Episode 48 Pointless

APPLAUSE

Thank you very much indeed.

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

the show where the more obscure your knowledge,

the better your chances of winning. Let's meet today's players.

And couple number one?

Hi, I'm Darren, this is Jonathan,

we're friends and ex-colleagues and we're from the city of Hull.

Couple number two?

Hi, I'm John, this is my sister, Helen,

we're brother and sister and we are from Rawtenstall in Lancashire.

Couple number three?

Hi, I'm Lola and this is Alice

and we're friends and flatmates from London.

And finally couple number four?

Hi, I'm Julie, this is my best friend, Sue,

and we're from Nottingham.

And these are today's contestants.

APPLAUSE

Thanks very much, all of you.

We'll get to know more about each of you later on in the show.

So that just leaves one more person for me to introduce.

He only lasted a day in the last series of Celebrity Big Brother,

kept hitting his head on the diary room.

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

-Hiya.

Hi, everybody. Afternoon.

-Good afternoon to you.

-And to you.

-Once again, we've got four new pairs.

-I know.

-Makes me a bit shy, as you know.

-But we'll get to know them fairly soon, won't we?

-We will.

We've had a couple of very different endgames recently, haven't we?

We had David and David the other day

and they got three answers, all of which scored one point.

Three in a row, one point each. And then, on the last show,

we had John and James, who were very bright,

and got through to the final very well.

They had to come with seven-letter answers to things,

so seven-letter chemical elements, seven-letter capital cities.

-And two of their answers had six letters in them.

-Yeah, I think...

I think there's a syndrome of people who count "O" as two letters.

I think something was definitely up, because, as I say,

they managed everything else very well.

But that's what you've got to follow today.

So, whoever's in the jackpot round today,

you can't do much worse, that's the good news.

Thanks very much indeed, Richard.

Now, all our questions on today's show have been put to 100 people

before the show, and our contestants here are looking for the answers

that those 100 people couldn't find.

Of course, what you're trying to find is a pointless answer, that being an answer that nobody gave.

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

As you'll have gathered,

John and James didn't win the jackpot last time,

so we add another £1,000 to that,

so today's jackpot starts off at £4,500.

APPLAUSE

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

OK, all you have to remember is that the pair with the highest score

at the end of each round will be eliminated,

so try and make sure that's not you. Best of luck.

Our first category today is...

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

Who's going to second?

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...

Year end world number one tennis players. Richard?

Yeah, we're looking for the name of any female or male tennis player

who've been the world number one at the end of any given year.

The male rankings started in 1973, the female rankings in 1975.

So anyone who's topped the world rankings at the end of any year

since then, please. And that's up to the end of 2013.

-Thanks very much indeed. So, Darren, welcome.

-Hi. Thank you.

Welcome to the show.

Now, you and Jonathan, you said, are ex-colleagues.

Yeah, that's right - we used to work together at a radio station.

-What did you do in the radio station?

-I'm a radio presenter.

-You're a radio presenter?

-Yeah, and he used to work in sales.

-I was in sales.

Now that's... Do you know what?

I'm going to say, for a radio presenter, you have a very nice...

I mean, obviously, all radio presenters have good voices.

But usually when we have radio presenters on,

before you've even asked, you can tell...

-RADIO VOICE:

-..because they talk like that.

What a relief it is you don't, is all I'm saying.

-I thought you were going to say I've got a face for radio.

-I was never...

-No!

-Never.

-And we don't talk like that in Hull.

No... Well...

-RADIO VOICE:

-..even with the Hull accent, quite often, there's a...

Anyway, you don't. I think that's good.

-Now then, Darren.

-Yes.

-Tennis.

It's not bad. It's not bad, actually.

Could be a lot worse. I'm going to have a punt

and it could be a risky one, but I going to say Gustavo Kuerten.

Gustavo Kuerten.

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

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

It's a good answer, look at that.

Down it goes to 1, Darren!

Hats off to you, what a brilliant start to the show,

1 point for Gustavo Kuerten.

That's a terrific answer. Great start to the show, very well played.

He had 43 weeks at number one, Gustavo Kuerten, he's Brazilian.

43, that's even longer than Bryan Adams, isn't it?

-It is, that's two weeks longer than Bryan Adams.

-Brilliant.

You can get postage stamps in Brazil with Gustavo Kuerten's face in it.

-You can also get CURTAINS with...

-I was going to say!

-Half a face on each one and then it comes together.

-There you go.

-That's a good idea, isn't it?

-That's good.

OK, thank you very much indeed. Now then, Helen...

Helen, welcome to the show, good to have you here, from Rawtenstall.

-Yes.

-I've never been to Rawtenstall, but I know someone from Rawtenstall.

-Yeah.

-She was called Ursula, which is a Rawtenstall accent

is about the best name you could wish for.

-LANCASHIRE ACCENT:

-"Ursuler."

Anyway, enough about Ursula. Hi, if you're watching.

Now, Helen, what do you do?

-I'm an assistant footwear buyer for a wholesaler.

-That's quite fun.

-How long have you done that for?

-About seven years.

You have to predict trends and things like that.

Yeah, we have to sort of look at the trends online

and the retailers on the high streets

and predict what's going to be the fashion.

Richard...Richard is a slave to his foot fashion.

What tips can you give him?

Fortunately, I don't buy men's footwear. Only ladies'.

No, that's not going to rule him out.

I tend not buy men's footwear, either, I tend to...

I think, maybe for you, not platforms.

OK, remember that, not platforms.

-Helen, tennis.

-Not too bad.

I think I'm going to go for...

-Pat Cash.

-Pat Cash, says Helen.

Let's see if that's right

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

Oh, Helen. Oh, I'm sorry.

-No Pat Cash on that list.

-Never mind.

I'm afraid that scores you the maximum of 100 points.

Yeah, sorry, Helen, he's never been world number one,

Pat Cash, I'm afraid.

That's why you won't find his face on a stamp. They won't have it.

-They should have his face on money, though.

-Yeah!

HE PATS HIS POCKET

-You saw what I did there?

-Oh, "pat cash"? Oh, very good.

I was thrilled with that.

Thank you very much indeed. Now, Lola, welcome.

A very warm welcome to you. What do you do, Lola?

I'm a sales manager for an events company.

Oh, that's fun. What kind of events?

Um, stag, hen and activity weekends.

Oh, that's even better. I thought you were going to say conferences

and I was going to go, "Oh, no..." But stag, hen....

Do you do them in this country

-or do you go abroad to the former Eastern Bloc?

-We even do Vegas.

We do Eastern Europe, a lot of Eastern Europe,

stags like it out there, obviously.

-Poor Eastern Europe.

-What do you mean, "obviously"?

-Well...

the women are very beautiful.

-So I hear.

-Are there many people doing that?

Are there lots of companies that organise that sort of thing?

There are, but we're the only good one.

LAUGHTER

-Lola, tennis.

-Yes.

Not generally two words that go together.

I'm going to say Venus Williams.

Venus Williams, says Lola.

A lot of nods along the line there.

Let's see if it's right. Let's see how many people said Venus Williams.

Oh, no!

A lot of wrong nods. I'm afraid an incorrect answer.

Another 100 points. But that's nice, you've got some company up there.

It's not like there's just one of you up on 100.

It's opened the game up a little bit. I'm afraid an incorrect answer.

Yeah, I think that's unlucky. Venus Williams, obviously,

very well-known, but hasn't been number one very often in her career,

certainly hasn't been number one at the end of a season, I'm afraid.

-OK. Now, Sue.

-Hello.

A very warm welcome to you, lovely to have you here from Nottingham.

-Yes.

-And what do you get up to in Nottingham, Sue?

I'm a reception at Nottingham University's student union.

-Do you love it?

-Love it.

-How long have you done it for?

-12 years.

-Oh, I bet they love you, too.

-Mm...

THEY LAUGH

But you get on well with all the students?

-Yeah, go clubbing with them now and again.

-You don't?

-I do.

-That's fantastic.

We have a student nightclub and we have...

Me and my friend, who I work with,

we have our own booth, which is roped off.

I thought you said, "Our own booze."

-Special.

-We have that, too.

They make it themselves, a little still round the back.

Anyway, Sue, tennis.

Are we happy with tennis?

I think I'm all right with tennis,

but I'm going to go for an obvious answer,

I'm going to go for Roger Federer.

Roger Federer, says Sue. Let's see if that's right, and if it is,

let's see how many people said it. Roger Federer.

Well, it's right.

Our scores are quite extreme.

High score is 100, low score is 1,

43 for Roger Federer. Almost exactly halfway.

APPLAUSE

Very well done, Sue.

Yeah, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009,

he was world number one at the end of the year.

Do you think by 2009 he was just a bit bored...

-Yeah, of course he was.

-..of being number one?

It's tiresome, isn't it? I think that's why occasionally he dips down a bit, just so he can go back up.

-Keep it spicy.

-Exactly right.

-Thanks very much indeed.

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

-1, Darren, what about that?

-Thank you.

-Very well done.

That puts you and Jonathan, I would say,

absolutely certainly in the next round.

Something would have to go catastrophically wrong

and catastrophically right for someone else

for that not to be the case, so very well done.

Then we travel up to 43 - Sue, very well done.

Good answer there,

then 100 for Lola and Alice 100 for Helen and John.

So, yes, Alice,

John...

it's a tennis-off between the pair of you,

good luck with that.

Back down the line - second players, step up to the podium.

-Julie, a very warm welcome to you, too.

-Hello!

And what do you do up in Nottingham?

Oh, I'm retired now, I was an admin assistant for a sign company.

-A sign company?

-Yes.

-Any old sign?

-Oh, yes.

Just... A sign to go above shops?

Interior, exterior, shops, businesses, hotels...

OK, Julie. Well, there you are on 43.

Good work from Sue in the first pass.

The high scorers are 100.

-56 is what you need to score, 56 or less.

-OK.

I think you can do it.

Oh, I'll go back a few years, I'll say John McEnroe?

John McEnroe, says Julie. There is your red line.

Let's see if John McEnroe can get you below it.

It's right.

Very well done, look at that.

-Whoa.

-22!

Surprisingly low for John McEnroe but it gets you up to 65,

sees you very comfortably through to the next round, well done.

Well played, Julie. Four years in a row in the early '80s,

-John McEnroe ended the year world number one.

-Thanks very much.

-Alice, welcome to Pointless.

-Hello.

Now, this is where the competition starts. What do you do, Alice?

-I am a financial journalist.

-And how long have you done that for?

Four years now.

Alice, I happen to know, was Financial Journalist Of The Year.

-No way?

-Yeah.

-That's good.

-Financial Journalist Of The Year!

That's... That's amazing.

-I mean, there are a lot of financial journalists out there.

-Yes.

Do you get a lot of people

asking you to go and be a journalist for them, after that?

Winning an award definitely helps

-with getting jobs.

-Very good.

Do you have it on your by-line, does it say

-underneath your picture?

-Everywhere, yeah.

A picture of you holding the award, kissing the award,

-wearing it on your head.

-We should get Julie to make you a big sign.

-Yeah, some kind of placard, that would be great.

-Illuminated.

Yeah, have it above your desk. And just carry it with you everywhere.

"Sorry, open the door."

"Sorry about this, I don't know why I carry it."

"I've just been given it, so I've kind of got to carry it."

"It's actually an awful nuisance, but I don't... I just...

"I'm attached to it."

Listen, enough of that, let's get back to tennis.

-What are you going to go for, Alice?

-I'm going to go, I think...

..based on McEnroe being fairly low...

Just before you... Take a look at John, take a look at John.

-I...

-Across the court there...

I know...

I've got a risky answer,

but I'm going to play my middle answer.

-I'm going to say Pete Sampras.

-Pete Sampras.

-Yeah.

-Ooh, has she ACED it?

Let's find out. Pete Sampras, how many people said that?

No red line, obviously, cos you are the joint high scorers.

It's right.

Still going down, 27.

27, 127 your total. Is it enough to keep you in the game?

He was world number one at the end of the year

for six successive years, Pete Sampras.

Also the name of Father Dougal's rabbit in Father Ted.

Indeed! I'd forgotten about that.

Thank you very much indeed.

Now then, John.

ALEXANDER EXHALES DEEPLY

Let's just put all thoughts of the contest aside for a second or two.

John, tell me what you do.

I'm a regional surveyor for an insurance claims validation company.

So I'm people's best friend or worst enemy.

Oh, I like the way you smile on "worst enemy".

Oh, right, so you come round after an event...

I say yea or nay, basically. Scope it up.

Right.

But I'd imagine... Most insurers are really nice people, aren't they?

-Yeah...

-They'll always do what they can.

Sometimes a bad rep, but it is a genuine...

-You know, we do the right thing where... You know.

-Yeah.

Good stuff. Now then, tennis. 127 is the high score.

26 or less is what you have to score, John.

It's tough, this. I'm going to have to try and...

It's like bingo, up here.

I've got balls, it's just whichever one comes out.

-LAUGHTER

-I-I don't know either.

JOHN LAUGHS

I'm going to take a moderate risk and say Mark Philippoussis.

Mark Philippoussis. Helen, what do we think about Mark Philippoussis?

-It's a good shout.

-It is a good shout. If it's right...

-If it's right.

-..it's a very good shout.

Let's find out if it's right.

Mark Philippoussis, there's your red line, you have to get below it.

Oh, no! I'm sorry, John.

Out in a blaze of glory.

I'm afraid that's an incorrect answer, scores you

the maximum of 100 points, but you really had to do that, I think.

200 is your total.

Sorry, John, the good news is though you've made

the Financial Journalist Of The Year very, very happy.

So that's something.

He's never been higher than eighth, Philippoussis.

You've both gone for Australians,

neither of whom have ever been world number one.

John looks a bit like a tennis player.

You know when you're watching Wimbledon and the first round

Andy Murray always plays the Croatian world number 87?

You think, "This'll be fine," and then the Croatian takes a set off him

and you think, "Oh, here we go." And then Murray steamrollers him.

-I could imagine John in that role.

-Do you play?

You'd be quite handy. And you'd have a lethal serve.

I used to when I was younger, not so much any more.

-Oh, the John serve!

-Oh, can you imagine that?!

Fo-o-o-om!

-Pow!

-Aah! Oh...

-Whoa!

-Wow.

I think if we had a game of tennis, everyone in the studio,

John would... Maybe not the studio, there might be some useful tennis players in the audience,

but between the ten of us - which would be a good sport -

I think John there would win.

I think he would, I think he would. Thank you. Now, Jonathan.

-Oh, we owe Darren a vote of thanks.

-We do owe Darren.

-It's a nice position to be in.

-He did very well.

Now, Jonathan, you are no longer a colleague of Darren's.

You've left the...

No, we still keep in touch as friends.

I now work for Humberside Fire and Rescue Service

in their press office.

Very good.

Now, Jonathan, tell me something absolutely extraordinary

and unique about you.

Er, I was born with a tooth.

There we go, that's the one I was after.

-Which is...

-That...

-Yeah, were you breast-fed?

-It's...

Yeah, I don't think my mum was overly happy about it!

Ow! I'm just thinking... That's all I'm... Yeah, mm.

It doesn't mean I've got any sort of special powers, but...

-I will be the judge of that.

-You might do, you never know.

You might.

Well, I was just thinking, I do want to join in this tennis game though.

-Oh, really?

-With you guys.

Oh, you reckon yourself a little bit?

Well... The tennis is...

I've played since I was this high up, I still coach.

-You still coach?

-You know what?

I wish I hadn't put that bet on John now.

OK, which means you might even be better than Darren.

Let's have a pointless answer from you. There might be one in there.

He was definitely world number one,

whether it was at the end of the year, I don't know - Marcelo Rios.

Marcelo Rios.

OK, no red line for the lovely reason that you are already through.

But let's see - Marcelo Rios, is it right, how many people said it?

Oh, no! Good punt though. And fun.

And well done you for taking a bit of a risk.

101 your total, but, yeah.

It's a perfectly good answer, he was world number one,

not at the end of the year. I might have gone for Rios.

A Chilean, he was.

Now, there's two pointless answers, but I'll go through the very low scorers before we get to those.

You'd have got four points for Stefan Edberg,

three points for Andy Roddick.

You'd have got one point for Caroline Wozniacki,

for Mats Wilander, Lindsay Davenport, Ilie Nastase, Lleyton Hewitt -

that would have been a very good Australian to go for, Hewitt -

or Jim Courier.

Also Victoria Azarenka,

but there's two pointless answers, let's take a look at them.

Jelena Jankovic or Justine Henin - both of those pointless answers,

terrific answers as well.

Let's take a look at the top three answers,

the ones that most of our 100 people said.

In third place...

Well, Venus has never been world number one at the end of a year,

but Serena has and she would have scored you 28 points.

Then we've already heard Roger Federer on 43,

who d'you think's top there?

-Anybody?

-Nadal.

-Nadal.

Nadal, absolutely right. Rafa Nadal.

-He would have scored you 47.

-There we are.

Thank you very much. So at the end of our first round, the pair heading home

with their impressive high score of 200, I'm afraid John and Helen.

But, you know,

you took a punt, you did exactly what you needed to do, they just...

-It's quite tough, the year-end business.

-Yeah.

-Yeah, really tough.

-Never mind.

Never mind, the good news is...

I was going to go for Lleyton Hewitt.

We'll see you next time, look forward to that very much.

John and Helen, thanks meanwhile. Great contestants.

APPLAUSE

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

APPLAUSE

So, three pairs remain.

Obviously, we have to say goodbye to another pair

at the end of this round.

Well, the lesson of that round, Julie and Sue,

-was to do as you did, nice, steady...

-Yes.

Steady play, middle of the bat stuff saw you through,

you were the low scorers that round.

We had some fireworks at this end. Kuerten was a cracking answer.

Sadly, Rios incorrect, but I liked the spirit of it.

And not bad at all from Lola and Alice,

keep that up and it should be a very exciting second round.

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

Novels And Plays.

Can you all decide in your pairs who's going to go first and second.

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

OK, and the question concerns...

Fictional Families, Richard.

Yeah, on each pass we're going to show you six pairs of fictional relatives.

You need to tell us the name of the play or novel they first appeared in, please.

We'll give you the year it came out in brackets as well.

So pairs of relatives - which play or novel did they first appear in?

There'll be six on each board, 12 in all to have a go at at home.

OK, so we're going to show you six pairs of relations on each board.

We just want the work, novel or play that they first appeared in and here's our first board of six.

I'll read those all one last time.

Jonathan.

I think that's the face of a man who's quietly confident.

Yeah, I think I know two or three.

I will go with the third one down and say Lady Bracknell

and Gwendolen Fairfax is The Importance Of Being Earnest.

The Importance Of Being Earnest, says Jonathan.

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

It's right.

Wow, 17. Good... Good score.

Another good answer there.

Oscar Wilde's final and most enduring play...I would say.

In 2007, a charity shop found a very rare first edition of it.

-And they found it inside a handbag, rather appropriately.

-No!

-Yeah.

-Wonderful.

-Isn't that nice?

Thanks very much. Now, Alice.

-(Yes.)

-Alice, what are you going to go for?

I'm going to go for Prospero and Miranda, The Tempest.

Let's see if that's right, The Tempest.

Let's see how many people said it.

It is right. Well, 17, our lowest score at the moment,

where does The Tempest end up?

Still going down... Oh, you pass it! 15, very well done, Alice!

-APPLAUSE

-Good work.

Another good answer. Yeah, Prospero was Miranda's dad, or father,

probably Shakespeare might have said.

There we are. Now, Julie. Julie.

You're the last person to have this board.

Do you fancy taking us through it and having some thoughts?

No, there's only one, I think.

I recognise some of the names, but I can't think of the books or plays.

But I think Heathcliff and Linton...

-Is that Wuthering Heights?

-Wuthering Heights, says Julie.

Let's see if that's right

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

It's absolutely right. 17 is our high score, 15 our low. Ooh!

Wuthering Heights.

Talking of heights...

45.

Yeah, big score, a very famous character, of course, Heathcliff.

Been played many times.

Been played by Ralph Fiennes, Laurence Olivier and Cliff Richard.

-In the stage musical.

-Yes.

-He gave the definitive Heathcliff.

-Didn't he? I'm told.

Now, let's look through the rest of the board.

The top one is Pride And Prejudice.

That would have scored you 33.

Lord Marchmain and Sebastian Flyte is Brideshead Revisited.

That would have scored you 7 points.

And the bottom one, Hazel and Fiver, is Watership Down.

That would have scored you 13 points.

Thank you very much indeed.

OK, let's take a look at those scores,

we're halfway through the round.

15 the best score of that pass,

very well done indeed, Alice and Lola.

Then up to 17, where we find Jonathan and Darren.

All quite close

at the bottom end of the scoring.

And then up to 45,

where we find Julie and Sue.

So, yes, you are a little bit ahead there, Sue.

You will get first dibs on the new board though.

Very, very best of luck. We can come down the line now.

Second players, step up to the podium.

OK, we're going to put six more pairs on the board

and here they come.

We have got...

I'll read those again...

Now, remember, we are looking for the title of the literary work

in which each of these pairs of relations first appeared

and, Sue, you're going to try and find the one you think

the fewest of our 100 people knew.

There you are on 45,

our highest scorer.

I'm not sure on any of them, but I'm going to go with Charlie Bucket

and Grandpa Joe, and say Charlie And The Chocolate Factory.

Charlie And The Chocolate Factory.

There we are.

No red line for you as you are the high scorers but let's find out

how many of our 100 people said Charlie And The Chocolate Factory.

42.

APPLAUSE

Takes your total up to 87, Sue.

Is that going to be good enough to keep you in the game?

It's another big score, isn't it?

Yes, grandfather and grandson, Grandpa Joe and Charlie Bucket.

In the film when... Gene Wilder played Willy Wonka, of course,

-and Roald Dahl wanted Spike Milligan.

-There you go. Good.

-Amazing stuff.

Yep.

Anyway, Lola. Lola, 15 is your score

so 71 or less gets you through to the head-to-head.

How we feeling?

OK, actually. I think I know three.

I'm going to go Nick Carraway and Daisy Buchanan, The Great Gatsby.

The Great Gatsby, says Lola. Here comes your red line.

Get below that red line, you are in the head-to-head.

Will The Great Gatsby get you below it?

Very well done.

10.

APPLAUSE

10 takes your total up to 25,

sees you comfortably through, very well done.

Yeah, well played, Lola.

Nick Carraway narrates the book and he and Daisy Buchanan are cousins.

-Indeed. Thank you very much. Now then, Darren.

-Yes.

Darren, 17, your score.

Looking pretty good. 69 or less gets you though.

Are you feeling comfortable with this category?

Um, there are a couple I think I know.

I'm not 100% so I wouldn't put a bet on them.

I've a feeling the bottom one could be The Old Curiosity Shop

but I'm going to go for the second one, Blanche and Stella

and A Streetcar Named Desire.

OK, A Streetcar Named Desire for Blanche DuBois and Stella Kowalski.

There's your red line, you have to get below that.

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

Absolutely right, done exactly what you needed to do there.

17.

You equalled Jonathan's score, takes your total up to 34.

APPLAUSE

Well played, Darren. Another good answer.

Play by Tennessee Williams, of course.

-Been very TENNIS-Y this show so far, hasn't it?

-Hasn't it?

-And quite Williams as well, the first round.

-It really has.

Let's look through the rest of these now.

Miss Havisham and Herbert Pocket is Great Expectations.

That would've scored you 25 points.

And the top one, Jo March and Marmee is Little Women,

that would've scored you 23

and the Reverend Samuel Parris and Abigail Williams is The Crucible.

-Oh, it's The Crucible.

-Very well done if you said that, 2 points,

the best answer on either board.

Thank you very much indeed, Richard.

At the end of our second round the pair who'll be heading home,

I'm afraid, this instance, it's Sue and Julie.

Not a bad score, 87.

But they were just quite high scores individually, I suppose.

But we'll see you again next time, look forward to that very much.

Meantime, thanks very much, Sue and Julie.

APPLAUSE

But for Lola and Alice, Darren and Jonathan,

it's now time for the head-to-head.

APPLAUSE

Congratulations, Darren and Jonathan, Lola and Alice.

You are now one step closer to the final

and a chance to play for our jackpot,

which currently stands - quite impressively - at £4,500.

APPLAUSE

So we now have to decide who's going to play for that money

and to do that you're now going to go head-to-head.

The difference is you can now chat before you give your answers and

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

Best of luck to both pairs, let's play the head-to-head.

APPLAUSE

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

Sketch Comedy Groups. Richard.

Going to show you five pictures now of comedy sketch groups,

-can you just tell us their names, please?

-OK, thanks very much.

Let's reveal our five sketch comedy groups and here they come.

We have got...

There we are, five sketch comedy groups.

Darren and Jonathan, you played best throughout the show so far

so you will go first.

-WHISPERS:

-I know A, D and E.

-Do you know B and C?

-No, I don't.

THEY WHISPER

-We're going to go for E.

-Yep?

-And the League of Gentlemen.

The League Of Gentlemen, say Darren and Jonathan for E.

Now then, Lola and Alice.

That was the one we knew.

So D, that's Rowan Atkinson.

And Mel...

Mel Smith and what's his name?

-Griff.

-Griff Rhys Jones?

-That Ade Edmondson in A?

-Maybe.

-Oh, I don't know.

-Smith and Jones?

-Yeah, just say it.

-Smith and Jones is our answer.

So you're going to say Smith and Jones for D.

OK, so we have Darren and Jonathan saying E is the League of Gentlemen.

League Of Gentlemen for Darren and Jonathan,

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

It's right.

21.

APPLAUSE

Very well done indeed.

Now, Lola and Alice, they've said that D is Smith and Jones.

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

let's see how many people said that.

I'm afraid not Smith and Jones

although Smith and Jones are part of it.

But that means, Darren and Jonathan,

after one question, you are up 1-0.

Yeah, well played. Unlucky, Lola and Alice, you didn't get the point

but you have succeeded in making everyone here feel very old

by not recognising A or D, so something has been gained here.

A, the one who looks like Ade Edmondson is Graeme Garden

and that is The Goodies, that would've scored 67 points.

-B is a pointless answer.

-The excellent Cardinal Burns.

Cardinal Burns, absolutely right.

Had a couple of series on E4, both of which are brilliant.

C, there's Greg Davis, Steve Hall and Marek Larwood in We Are Klang,

would've scored you 4 points.

And D, it's Not The Nine O'Clock News is the answer to that one.

It's a big scorer though, it would've scored 44 points

-so wouldn't have won you the point.

-OK, thank you very much indeed.

Here comes your second question.

Lola and Alice, you will get to answer this one first

but you have to win it to stay in the game so best of luck.

Here it comes. It concerns...

Songs Containing Metals, Minerals And Gems. Richard.

We're going to give the titles of five hit singles,

we're going to give you the initials of the acts who had a hit with

those singles, just have to tell us who the acts are, please.

OK, let's reveal our five songs and here they are. We have got...

I'll read those all again...

Lola and Alice, it's all yours.

-WHISPERS:

-I think we can go Brass In Pocket, The Pretenders.

-WHISPERS:

-It's the Kaiser Chiefs, isn't it, Ruby?

-Yeah.

Let's go Kaiser Chiefs.

OK, we're going to go for Kaiser Chiefs for Ruby.

OK, Kaiser Chiefs, say Lola and Alice.

Now, Darren and Jonathan, the board is all yours.

Well, we think the top one is The Pretenders.

Iron Lion Zion, Bob Marley and The Wailers.

We don't know Mercury

but we'll kick ourselves when we find out what it is, I guess.

We're going to go for the fourth one, Silver Lady, David Soul.

David Soul, say Darren and Jonathan.

Lola and Alice, you have said Kaiser Chiefs for Ruby.

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

let's see how many people said Kaiser Chiefs.

It's right.

43.

APPLAUSE

OK, now Darren and Jonathan have said the DS

who sang Silver Lady is David Soul.

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

Absolutely right. Is it going to beat Kaiser Chiefs?

Yes, it does.

25, very well done indeed.

APPLAUSE

Which means, Darren and Jonathan, for the first time in a while,

you've won it in straight sets so that's 2-0 to you,

you're going straight through to the final.

Well played, Darren and Jonathan.

Yeah, two number one singles there, 30 years apart.

David Soul was 1977, Kaiser Chiefs in 2007.

You were right about The Pretenders, let's take a look at the score.

You'd have got 29.

Iron Lion Zion, as you say, Bob Marley and The Wailers,

would've scored you 36 and the best answer on the board is Mercury

and it's by Bloc Party, it would've scored you 6 points,

very well done if you said that.

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

is Lola and Alice, but an exemplary performance across the show today.

Well played, the good news is we get to see you again next time

so we'll look forward to that very much.

Thanks very much for playing, Lola and Alice.

APPLAUSE

But, for Darren and Jonathan, it's now time for our Pointless final.

Congratulations, Darren and Jonathan, you fought off all

-the competition and you've won our coveted Pointless trophy.

-Wahey!

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...

CHEERING

Well, you've done very well. Just one performance, just one show

and straight through to the finals. Lovely low scoring, pretty much,

consistently throughout. Anything you'd particularly like to see

-to round the show off?

-Well, I've been watching this programme,

probably since day one, and to the best if my knowledge

Rugby League Challenge Cup Finals of the 1980s hasn't come up yet.

LAUGHTER

-OK.

-But if it does...

-Surely, the odds have got to be on? Yeah.

Very... Jonathan, anything you'd particularly like to see?

-Anything sport, er, films, films would be fine.

-OK.

-Yeah.

Well, best of luck. As always, you get to choose your category,

from these four options and here they are...

-Um, shall we go for the Olympics?

-I think so.

-We'll go for the Olympics.

OK.

OK, three options here, worth remembering, the 2000s is the decade

not the century so we're looking just in that decade.

We are looking for...

anyone who won...

So that's 2000, 2004 and 2008 Olympics.

Anyone who won a medal

rowing in a coxless four with Matthew Pinsent in the 2000s.

Or any...

..in any of those three Olympics. So anyone who won any medal -

gold, silver or bronze - in any of the field events.

So...

Very, very best of luck.

Thanks very much indeed. Now you've got up to a minute

to come up with three answers and all you need to win that jackpot

of £4,500 is for just one of those answers to be pointless.

-Are you ready?

-We are.

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

There they are, your time starts now.

Who's the...

high jumper from Liverpool? Not Steve Smith...?

-Rob, Rob...

-He got a bronze medal, didn't he? In...

-Yeah.

-Was it Beijing?

-We'll come back to him. What about the rowers?

I think we should scrap them unless you can think of one, can you?

-Yeah, Ed Coode. And the... Steve Partridge.

-Very good.

-Didn't they write his name on the boat?

-Yes, they did.

Was it Steve? It's not Alex, is it? Steve Partridge.

-So we go Steve Partridge, Ed Coode.

-Coode.

-That's a good one.

Gold medals at Summer Olympics in the 2000s...

You're thinking either...

-Cyclists.

-Cyclists.

-Ed Clancy...

-You've got some of the British girls...

-Yeah.

-Rebecca Romero.

-Yeah, she's won a couple, she's done well. Um...

-Lisa Cook...

-Er, the field medallists...

-Ten seconds left.

-We've, obviously, got people like...

er, Jonathan Edwards, obviously... Phillips Idowu, er,

Greg Rutherford, et cetera...

CONFERRING

-Ed Coode...

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

-what are you going to give me?

-Well, we're going to go...

Ed Coode for the middle one.

For Matthew Pinsent, fellow rower, Ed Coode.

-Steve Partridge.

-Steve Partridge, same category.

-For the middle one.

-And then...

-For the top one we will go for the cyclist who you said...

-Ed Clancy.

-Ed Clancy, winner of two or more golds...

-Yeah.

-..at a single Olympics.

-Yeah.

-OK. Now, of those three,

which of those do you think is your best shot at a pointless answer?

-I think...

-The rowers, Ed Coode, I think.

-Ed Coode we'll put last. OK.

-Which do you think is your least likely?

-We'll go Steve Partridge, cos we're not 100% on that one.

Doesn't matter, Steve Partridge first.

Steve Partridge we'll put first, and Ed Clancy in the middle.

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

We have got...

Very best of luck, three good-looking answers

up there on the board, we just have to discover if they're right.

Your first answer was Steve Partridge,

-this is the one you were probably the least confident.

-Yes.

However, it could be a brilliant answer,

it could win you that jackpot.

-It's quite a nice jackpot, £4,500.

-It is.

-What would you do with that, Darren?

-Well, I've travelled quite a bit

but I've been around the world and places in Europe and farther away

so I'd love to go around Scotland on a train.

-Train journey round Scotland, that would be nice.

-Jonathan, how about you?

I think it might be time for a new set of golf clubs.

The old ones are... a bit worse for wear. Er, and then, probably,

-take the family to Turkey, something like that.

-Very nice.

Best of luck, as I say. So first answer was Steve Partridge.

In this case, he was a fellow rower with Matthew Pinsent, you thought.

Let's find out if it's right, let's find out if it's pointless.

If it is, it will win you £4,500.

Oh, bad luck!

Bad luck. You were wondering if it was Alex Partridge.

I wonder of that was where you went wrong? But who knows?

We'll discover at the end.

Unfortunately, not a pointless answer.

So only two more chances to win today's jackpot.

Your second answer was Ed Clancy.

And this was somebody who'd won two or more gold medals at a single

Summer Games. Let's find out if that's right. Let's find out

if it's pointless. If it is, it'll win you £4,500 -

how many people said Ed Clancy?

Oh, no!

Ed Clancy.

For a reason we will discover, not a correct answer.

So everything is now riding on your third and final answer.

Which is Ed Coode. There it is. Now, this one you were

-pretty confident in.

-It was the first one that came into my head

as... aside from Redgrave, obviously...

Pinsent, Cracknell...

-Just...

-Ed Coode. OK. It has to be right,

then it has to be pointless for you to win that jackpot.

So, for £4,500, let's see how many people

named Ed Coode as a fellow rower with Matthew Pinsent.

Oh, it's right.

That's the first thing it had to be.

Steve Partridge and Ed Clancy were both incorrect answers.

Ed Coode, no mistaking that.

Down it goes...!

You've done it! Very well done indeed!

CHEERING

-Congratulations. Very well done.

-Thank you very much.

-Brilliant.

-Brilliant work there.

-Well done.

Ah...!

Oh, it's been a long time coming, that jackpot win.

AGES since we've given the jackpot away,

so, many, many congratulations.

-Thank you.

-Ed Coode was a pointless answer.

You only had to find one correct answer in there

and it just happened to be a pointless one

so very, very well done indeed. You will be leaving with that jackpot

-of £4,500, congratulations.

-Thank you.

APPLAUSE

Terrific work, guys. Very well played. Well deserved.

Steve Partridge, I think you're mixing up Alex Partridge,

as Xander said, with one of the other answers, which we'll come to.

Ed Clancy - he won one gold in 2008, he won a second one in 2012

-but, obviously that's not...

-Yeah.

-..included in our question here.

But let's take a look at the pointless answers in all the different categories.

Ian Thorpe won five in all, across two Olympics.

Maurice Greene, the American sprinter, won two in 2000.

Ryan Lochte won two in 2008, also won two in 2012 but he'd won two in 2008.

And Venus Williams, who won the women's gold

and the women's doubles gold, as well, in Sydney.

Other than those four, actually, virtually everybody who won

two gold medals or more is a pointless answer apart from...

Chris Hoy, Usain Bolt, Kelly Holmes, Rebecca Adlington, Michael Phelps

and Bradley Wiggins.

Everybody else - if you said another answer, you've just got a pointless,

so very well played. Let's take a look at the rowers.

-Steve Williams...

-Ah!

-..was the...

-Williams has been a recurring theme of the whole show, hasn't it?

-Mm.

LAUGHTER It really has.

And Ed Coode there as well.

Very well played. Tim Foster would have scored you one point

and the others were big scorers, Cracknell and Redgrave.

Germaine Mason who won a silver in the high jump,

-I think that's who you're thinking of?

-Yeah, yeah.

-Yes.

-And you mentioned Phillips Idowu as well.

-Steve Backley and Jonathan Edwards the only other two answers in that whole category.

-Oh.

But very well done if you got a pointless at home.

Congratulations for getting a pointless in the studio. And a very, very well-deserved win.

Thanks very much indeed, Richard.

Thanks once again to our winning players, Darren and Jonathan,

who go away with today's jackpot of £4,500!

-Well done, mate.

-Well done.

-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.