Episode 17 Pointless

APPLAUSE

Thank you very much indeed.

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

the show where the aim of the game is to avoid the obvious answers

and find the obscure ones. Let's meet today's players.

-And, couple number one.

-Hi, I'm Scott.

This is Sarah, my girlfriend. And we're from Hartlepool.

-Couple number two.

-Hi, I'm Ellie.

This is my mum Carroll and we're both from Wymondham in Norfolk.

-Couple number three.

-Hi, Alexander. I'm Sam.

This is my friend and former work colleague, Rob, and we're from north London.

-And, finally, couple number four.

-Hi, I'm Euan.

This is Lindsay, and we work together in Leeds.

And these are today's contestants.

Thanks very much. We'll find out more about each of you

throughout the show as it goes along.

That just leaves one more person for me to introduce.

His global internet viral, Osman Style, has now been banned

in over 100 countries. It's my Pointless friend, it's Richard.

Hiya. Afternoon. Hiya.

-Good afternoon to you.

-And to you.

-It's been crazy the last few days, hasn't it?

-Oh, it's been nuts.

-The jackpots. We've given away three jackpots in a row.

-Yeah.

-We're like a cash machine.

-We are a little bit, aren't we?

But we've never, ever given away four jackpots in a row.

So that's the challenge for today. Can we make it four out of four?

It would be amazing. In fact, over the last nine jackpot answers

-we've had, five of them have been pointless, as well.

-Yeah.

We had two on the last show from Liz and Paul,

three on the show before that. So it's an amazing run of form.

Ellie and Carroll, our only returning pair, welcome back.

Hopefully we'll see a bit more of you today.

And welcome to our three sets of newcomers.

-It will be exciting to get to know them, won't it?

-It really would.

OK, well, thanks very much indeed, Richard.

We've asked every question on Pointless

to 100 people before the show.

As ever, the aim of the game is to find a pointless answer

that none of our 100 people gave. Do that, and we will add £250 to the jackpot.

So, Liz and Paul won the jackpot last time,

so we start today's jackpot off at £1,000.

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

OK, the pair with the highest score

at the end of the round will be eliminated.

That's all you have to remember.

Do everything you can to make sure it's not you.

Our first category today is...

Contemporary Fiction.

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

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

OK, and the question concerns...

Booker Prize novelists. Richard.

On each pass we will show you the surnames of seven authors

who have won the Booker Prize. We just need you to tell us

the first name by which they are most famously known, please.

So you'll have seven surnames on each pass,

14 first names to guess at home. Very best of luck.

OK, so we are looking for the first names of these famous Booker

prize-winning authors, and here is our first board of seven. We have:

I'll read those all one last time.

There we are. Seven authors in search of first names.

Now, Sarah, welcome to the show. Good to have you here.

-Oh, Sarah, you are not looking happy.

-No.

-Oh, Sarah!

Forget about the board for a second.

Tell me about yourself. What do you do, Sarah?

I work in customer services, in a restaurant.

When you're not doing that, Sarah, what do you like to get up to?

We like to go to gigs a lot, watch films.

-What was the last did you went to?

-A band called Killswitch Engage.

-Which no-one has probably heard of.

-Killswitch Engage.

-Rich, Killswitch Engage?

-Oh, I love Killswitch Engage, do you?

-Yeah.

I think I saw you there.

Yeah, I used to love them when they were just

-as Dave Kill and Elaine Switch.

-Switch Engage?

-And then Dave Engage joined them.

-No, Dave Gauge.

It's Kill, Switch And Gauge.

-And Gauge, yeah. Great band.

-What a cracking band.

Are they still engaged?

-Yep.

-Or has somebody thrown the switch on them?

-No, they're still going. Killswitch Engage.

-Yeah, that's the one.

OK, now, Sarah, Sarah.

OK, now we can address the matter in hand.

-Look at all those surnames there.

-Yeah.

I'm just going to have to guess, because I don't know any, and say...

-Richard Barnes.

-Richard... I see what you've done there.

Flattery is not going to win you the point, I'm afraid. Richard Barnes.

Let's find out if that's correct, and if it is,

let's see how many of our hundred people said Richard Barnes.

I'm sorry, Sarah. I'm afraid Richard Barnes is an incorrect answer,

scores you the maximum of 100 points.

Yeah, sorry. Not Richard Barnes, I'm afraid. Though it's a good name.

-A lot of gravitas to that name.

-Hasn't it?

-Richard Barnes.

-Yeah, Richard Barnes.

-Not so sure about the Barnes.

-Bringing it down a little bit. But good name.

-Mmm.

Ellie. Now, welcome back. Remind us what you do.

I work for a media company which does consumer insights

-and market research.

-And what are your hobbies, Ellie?

I like everything to do with food, so cooking, eating, restaurants.

That sort of thing.

I also quite like singing, so I've just started singing lessons.

Excellent. Ellie, what was the last band you saw live?

Let's see this one through.

-Be honest now.

-Oh, it WAS Beyonce.

-I said, "Be honest," but still...

-Oh!

-You Beyonce as you like. OK, Beyonce.

-Beyonce.

-Excellent.

Now then, what are you going to go for?

I've got lots of names, and I'm worried I'm getting them jumbled up.

But I think I have read something by Barnes,

and I'm fairly sure it's Julian Barnes.

Julian Barnes, says Ellie. Let's see if that's right,

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

Absolutely right.

-Four. Wow.

-APPLAUSE

Good play there, Ellie. Well played.

Well played, Ellie. He's been nominated four times

and he won for The Sense Of An Ending in 2011.

Now then, Rob. Rob, welcome to the show. What do you do, Rob?

I am a community manager on a website for small businesses.

How long have you done that for?

This particular one, I've been working there for about three months.

Oh, I see. So quite new.

Yeah, but I've done this sort of thing in other places.

You've done other places. What happened to the previous one?

-Was it sold up or shut down?

-They're still going.

-You were headhunted?

-Or did you leave under a cloud?

-They're soldiering on without me.

Left under a cloud. OK. And you are happy with the new place?

-They're all nice? Helping you settle in?

-Yeah, really nice.

Allowing you some days off here and there to come on daytime game shows.

-Yeah, which is very kind of them.

-Yeah. Good stuff.

Rob, what are your hobbies?

-I like cycling.

-I do a lot of cycling.

I notice the absence of reading, Rob. Do you do a lot of reading?

-Well, it's quite difficult to read on a bike.

-I'm not suggesting...

We don't have to combine your hobbies!

How much time off are these people giving you?

-You can do them one at a time.

-Well, it's a bit embarrassing,

-because I did do a literature degree.

-Ah.

On paper I should do well in this round.

I'm going to take a bit of a punt,

-and I know you like that, Xander.

-I do.

I'm going to say Golding, and I'm going to say William Golding.

William Golding, says Rob. Let's see if that's right.

Let's see how many people said William Golding.

It's right. Well, our high score is 100. You are well below that.

Our low score is 4, currently.

15.

APPLAUSE

-15 for William Golding. Well played, Rob?

-Yeah, good answer.

Most famous for Lord Of The Flies,

but won the Booker for Rites Of Passage in 1980.

Thanks very much indeed. Now then, Lindsay.

-A warm welcome to Pointless.

-Thank you.

-What do you do, Lindsay?

I'm a solicitor and I specialise in commercial litigation.

That sounds brilliant. So this is when...

Yeah, this is quite literally commercial litigation.

Let me unpick this for people at home.

-Is that fun?

-Really fun.

-Challenging?

-Very varied.

I mean, it is actually quite fun, because you are getting in there.

-Yes.

-You are doing something that sort of makes sense.

-It makes sense in people's lives.

-Yes, absolutely.

-It's very rewarding as well.

-Yeah.

Are you litig... I really am making this up as I go along. Litigant?

-Litigator.

-A litigator?

-That's right.

-Wow.

-The litigant is the person who brings the case.

-That's right.

-Oh, they bring the case? And you then fight it?

-Yep. Absolutely.

I see. Good. What do you do when you're not litigating?

Or fighting the litigants?

I'm almost afraid to say that I really enjoy reading.

Given the category that has come up, I'm a bit concerned.

I imagine in your job it's a good thing to enjoy reading.

Is there a lot of reading involved?

-Yeah, I'm a big fan of crime fiction.

-OK. Ah, right.

But this is your board.

-This is your board, Lindsay.

-Yes, um...

-You can talk us through it.

-You can do anything you like with it.

-Yeah. Struggling a little bit.

I knew William Golding.

That was my sort of fallback answer.

Tempted to think that McEwan is Ian,

but I don't know if I'm just making that up.

I think Mantel is Hilary.

Again, not sure where that's coming from.

I've not got a clue about the others.

-I think I'm going to go with Hilary Mantel.

-OK.

You're going to go with Hilary Mantel.

-A bit of a punt, you think?

-I think it is.

-Let's find out if it is right,

and if it is, let's see how may people said Hilary Mantel.

Absolutely right. Well, 15 is our highest correct answer.

18 is the new highest correct answer,

but you're well below the highest score there. Well done.

Yeah, Hilary Mantel.

She won it twice, actually, with two huge bestsellers.

Wolf Hall, and then the follow-up, Bring Up The Bodies.

Both of them won the Booker Prize. You were right about Ian McEwan.

Would have scored you a few more points,

actually the biggest scorer on the board, 25, for that.

-How are you on the rest?

-Howard, I can give you for Jacobson.

Howard Jacobson, yes. For The Finkler Question, he won.

Desai... The trouble is, I keep thinking of Bruce Desai,

-who is the comedy reporter on Time Out.

-It's not him.

-It's not.

-It's Kiran Desai.

-Kiran, of course it is.

-For The Inheritance Of Loss.

Her mother, Anita Desai, was nominated as well a few times.

-One point for that.

-And Peter Carey.

-Peter Carey, yes.

Would have scored you six points.

So Kiran Desai is the best answer there.

Thanks very much, Richard. Let's take a look at the scores.

We're halfway through the round.

The best score of that pass, Ellie,

yours by a bit of a margin.

Then up to 15, where we find Rob and Sam,

up to 18 where we find Lindsay and Euan...

I'm sorry. Sarah and Scott, you are ahead of the field there.

-Scott, are you comfortable with this as a category?

-So-so.

OK, well, best of luck.

A lovely low score from you might be enough to keep you in the game,

so best of luck. We'll come back down the line now.

Can the second players please step up to the podium?

OK, we're going to put seven more authors up on the board.

And here they are.

I'll read those all again.

Now, Euan. Welcome to the show. Remember, we are looking

for the first names of these Booker Prize-winning authors

and you are trying to find the one

the fewest of our hundred people knew.

-Euan, what do you do?

-I'm an employment lawyer.

-It's just law!

It's just law, law, law on that far podium.

I think I might need to speak to Rob, actually,

-after what he was saying earlier.

-Well, yes. You might, yes.

-Employment, is that fun? Are you enjoying that?

-It is.

You'd be amazed by the things people think they can get away with

in the workplace.

-You say that looking at me, as if...

-No, I wasn't looking at you.

Just out of interest, what things would you not be allowed

to get away with the workplace?

Well, funny you say that, because it's mainly people looking at

naughty movies on work laptops in work time.

LAUGHTER

Wow. Euan, what do you get up to in your spare time?

I like playing a bit of sport, I like playing a bit of squash,

tennis, cricket and golf, very badly indeed.

-And I also like food as well. I love cooking.

-Good stuff.

Well, listen, you're on 18, the high score of Scott and Sarah

-way ahead of you. 81 or less keeps you in the game.

-Yeah.

The problem is, I've got guesses

for a few of them.

There's only one I'm certain about, and given

the fact there's been 100 pointer already,

I'll have to go safe, and go Salman Rushdie.

Salman Rushdie, says Euan. Let's see if that's right,

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

There's your red line.

Very well done. You are through to the next round.

Salman Rushdie scores you 48, a high score. But it's low enough.

-66, your total.

-You did exactly the right thing there, Euan.

Nice tactics, and safely through. Won for Midnight's Children.

-Thanks very much indeed. Now, Sam. Welcome to the show.

-Hi.

-What do you do, Sam?

-I work for a company that makes puzzle magazines.

-Oh, that's fun.

-Yeah, it is.

-Kind of like wordsearch type magazines?

-Wordsearches, sudokus.

-And logic?

-All the fun of the fair.

-Well, these things just fly off the shelves.

-They do, actually.

Do you eat off gold plates at the puzzle magazine headquarters?

-We eat off square gridded plates, actually.

-Made of platinum. Wow.

Are there lots of puzzles around the workplace?

Well, we have a whole team of checkers, whose job it is

just to make sure everything's right.

Because obviously you don't want an error in one, do you?

No, you certainly do not.

If a visitor comes to the headquarters,

are the names on the doors of the loos sort of anagrams, and...

Yeah! I think so.

It would be good to have an anagram of "men" on the gents, wouldn't it?

-I was thinking "gentlemen".

-Ooh.

-Yeah, a bit of an anagram.

-Go on, there we are.

-I will.

-OK, now, Sam. Anyway, listen. You're on 15.

-Yep.

84 or less carries you safely into Round Two.

Well, Euan just took my banker,

so I'm going to go with something that

I'm about 50-50 on, but it's Murdoch.

And I'm going to say Iris.

Iris Murdoch, says Sam. There's your red line.

If you can get below that with Iris Murdoch,

you're comfortably in Round Two.

Let's find out if you can do it.

Absolutely right, and through you go.

There you are.

23, takes your total up to 38.

Yeah, Iris Murdoch, won for the wonderful The Sea, The Sea.

-Thanks very much indeed, Richard. Now, Carroll.

-Hello.

-Welcome back.

-Great to have you here.

-Great to be back.

-A farmer from Norfolk.

-Indeed I am, yes.

-And a breeder of Charollais sheep.

-That's the ones, yes.

-Oh, they sound lovely.

We should adopt some Charollais sheep.

-I can soon sell you some if you'd like some, no problem.

-Oh, OK.

-Not so keen now?

-Yeah, maybe.

Can it be over now? Cut to us with some sheep

and we don't know what to do with them.

They're really hard to look after, sheep.

I mean, they are no walk in the park, are they?

-They are quite challenging, it's true.

-They are quite a challenge.

Various sorts of illnesses and ticks and things like that. And lambing.

-Delicious though.

-Hmm?

-Delicious.

Oh, they're certainly a reward.

A carrot at the end of the stick, certainly.

Now, Carroll. You are on 4.

All you have to do is score is 95 or less, and you're in.

There's two I'm fairly certain I know.

And I'm going to go for Brookner,

which is Anita.

And I'll give you the book, which was Hotel Du Lac.

Hey! Get Carroll.

-She hasn't actually given you the book though.

-Oh.

I know, she'll sell me it.

OK, Anita Brookner, let's see if that's right.

There's your red line. Get below that, you're in Round Two.

How far down the column will Anita Brookner get you?

It is absolutely right.

-Look at that! Very well done indeed.

-APPLAUSE

Four, you equal Ellie's low score

from the previous pass.

Great performance there on podium two. Eight is your total.

Terrific answer, Carroll, well done.

You're absolutely right, Hotel Du Lac in 1984.

Thank you very much indeed. Now, Scott.

-Listen, a warm welcome to Pointless.

-Thanks.

-You have...

Yes, you have our warmest,

-warmest welcome for this possibly briefest moment.

-Yeah!

Scott, yes, there is writing on your podium there.

And it's in red.

You are the high scorers, even before you have given your answer.

-What do you do, Scott?

-I'm a TV and film production graduate.

At the moment I do some voluntary writing for a film and TV website.

-OK, and you are based up in Hartlepool?

-Yeah.

-Where did you do your degree?

-Teesside University.

-Excellent.

What film work are you doing at the moment? What you doing to keep your hand in there?

I had a brief placement with a television and film production

company, and then obviously I do film reviews for the website.

-And you enjoy all that? You're going to see that through?

-Yeah.

-And I love writing screenplays and stuff.

-Good stuff.

Well, very, very best of luck to you for that.

Now, there you are on 100, as I say.

You will be leaving us at the end of this round.

But to sweeten that, I'm going to give you this board.

Not to take away, but to fill in for us now.

Well, I only know one.

Well, I knew Salman Rushdie.

I'm just going to have to go for

Arthur Conan Doyle.

OK, Arthur Conan Doyle, says Scott. Arthur Conan Doyle.

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

No, I'm afraid a different Doyle there.

Scott, that scores you another 100 points.

Takes your total up to 200.

Yeah, after Arthur Conan Doyle's time, I'm afraid. It's Roddy Doyle.

A wonderful Irish writer. Would have scored you 19 points.

-Top one?

-Penelope.

Dame Penelope Lively, yep, would have scored you five. Hollinghurst?

-Alan?

-Alan Hollinghurst, won for The Line Of Beauty.

Two points. And do you know Berger?

-John Berger, is it?

-It is John Berger, yes.

That would have scored 3 points.

But Alan Hollinghurst is the best answer on the board.

Thank you very much indeed.

So at the end of our first round, the pair heading home

with a high score of 200, I'm afraid it's Scott and Sarah.

I'm sorry, you were ill-served

by what we dished up for you first round.

But we will see you again next time.

Our newest members of the 200 Club. Thanks very much for playing,

Scott and Sarah, great to have you here. We'll see you next time.

APPLAUSE

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

So, three pairs remain. Obviously at the end of this round, we will

whittle that down to two pairs. Well, you've all done pretty well.

Ellie and Carroll,

exceptional performance there on the second podium, I'll say.

Sam and Rob, well done. Not bad at all.

Euan and Lindsay, you were the high scorers of our remaining pairs,

but you did pretty well, I think. It should be a very good second round.

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

Football.

Football. Can you all decide in your pairs who will go first,

who will go second. And whoever is 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 Premier League managers

at the start of the 2013/14 season as they could.

Premier League managers at the start of the 2013/14 season. Richard?

Yeah, we're looking for the names of any of the managers of the 20

Premier League clubs, English Premier League,

at the start of 2013/14, please. So any managers at the start.

Quite a few of them, seven or eight of them,

lost their jobs by the end of it. But who were they at the beginning?

Thank you very much indeed. Now then. Ellie.

I think I probably have one, maybe. Probably the highest scorer.

I'm going to have to go for Jose Mourinho. Jose Mourinho, says Ellie.

Let's see if that's right. If it is, let's see how many of our 100 people

said Jose Mourinho.

It's right.

-47. Not bad.

-APPLAUSE

-47 for Jose Mourinho.

-Well done, Ellie.

You did some good damage limitation with Jose Mourinho.

I think the world is a more fun place when he's managing in England.

Isn't it?

Thank you very much indeed, Richard.

-Now, Rob.

-Yes.

-What are you going to go for?

Is this a good category for you?

I do follow football, but I support League Two Oxford United.

But I think I'm going to go for, I think, Norwich City's boss,

I hope, at the start of the season, was Chris Hughton.

Chris Hughton, says Rob. Let's see if that's right.

I'm just trying to read Carroll's face,

because I suspect that was probably her one.

Let's see how many of our 100 people said Chris Hughton.

It's right.

It's a good answer. Down it goes.

-8, single figures.

-APPLAUSE

Can I just ask, Ellie, were you deliberately not saying

-Chris Hughton to leave that for your mum?

-Well, I just couldn't remember.

-I should know it, but...it had gone.

-OK.

Yes, I had forgotten Carroll was a Norwich City fan.

A nice question for you. But very well played.

You've taken him off the table. Chris Hughton.

-Thanks very much indeed. Now then, Lindsay.

-Yes.

What are you going to go for?

Yeah, not a brilliant question for me, I must say.

I've got a few answers in mind,

but I don't think any of them will be very low.

-I think I'm going to go with David Moyes.

-David Moyes, says Lindsay.

David Moyes. Let's see if that's right.

Let see how many of our 100 people said that.

It's right.

-52 for David Moyes.

-APPLAUSE

Yeah, famously took over at Manchester United at the start

-of that season, after 11 years at Everton.

-Thanks very much, Rich.

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

8 the best score of that pass, Rob, very well done.

Then up to 47, Ellie and Carroll, well done. 52, Lindsay and Euan.

You are not miles ahead, but you are our high scorers.

So, Euan, a low score from you is what we need.

Best of luck with that.

We are going to come back down the line now. Can the second players please step up to the podium?

OK, Euan, remember, we are looking for the name

of anyone who was the manager

of an English Premier League club at the start of the 2013/14 season.

You are the highest scorers on 52.

Football a good category for you, Euan?

This question is OK, and I think I've got a few answers. Again, given

our points score, it's working out which will be a decent low score.

-OK.

-This is a slight punt.

I'm, I'd say 75% sure that Steve Bruce was in charge of Hull.

Steve Bruce, says Euan.

No red line for you, as you are the highest scorers.

Let's see how many of our 100 people said Steve Bruce.

It's right! I think that will be a good answer.

8 is our lowest score so far.

-10!

-APPLAUSE

10 takes your total up to 62.

Well played, Euan. Good tactics as well. You knew you had to go for a low answer.

-Steve Bruce, Hull City, absolutely right.

-Thanks, Rich. Now then, Sam.

-Hi.

-Sam, is this good for you?

-Yeah,

-it's all right. It's OK.

-OK, well, 62

is the high score. You are on 8, so 53 or less sees you through.

Um, well, I've got a few.

I'm a big Arsenal fan, but I think he might be quite a big answer.

So I'm going to go for Southampton's manager, Mauricio Pochettino.

Mauricio Pochettino, says Sam.

Here's your red line. Let's see if you can get below that.

If you can, you are in Round Two.

Let's see how many people said Mauricio Pochettino.

It's right.

And you are through.

-It's 1! Look at that.

-APPLAUSE

Well done indeed. Takes your total up to 9.

-A single-figure total.

-That's a terrific answer, yeah. Well played.

The former Argentinian international took over at Southampton in 2013,

quite controversially. But did a decent job in his first season.

Thanks very much, Rich. Now, Carroll. It all comes down to this.

You have to score 14 or less. But you follow the Premier League.

-I do, yes.

-A keen Norwich fan.

-Yep.

-Talk us through your thoughts.

OK, so I'm going to go on the Norwich theme,

-and a guy who's not there now, Malky Mackay.

-Malky Mackay. OK.

There's your red line. If Mackay can get you below that red line,

you are through to the head-to-head.

Let's find out if it's going to happen.

-It's right!

-Go, go, go! Keep going!

Still going down.

And still going down. And you've got it!

-7.

-APPLAUSE

Very well done indeed, 54 is your total.

You are in the head-to-head. Brilliant end to the round.

Well played, Carroll.

Terrific work from all three podiums in that final round.

He was Cardiff City manager at the start of that season,

fired and replaced by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Now, there's no pointless answers at all.

The best answer on the board by a mile is Mauricio Pochettino,

the best answer you could have gone for.

Then we got to 7, where the next best answer was Malky Mackay,

and also Steve Clarke, who would also have scored you seven.

So terrific answering there.

In case you got others at home,

you would have got 10 points for Michael Laudrup or Sam Allardyce,

12 for Manuel Pellegrini, the Man City manager.

13 for Paul Lambert, another Norwich connection there.

You'd have got 14 for Mark Hughes, Paolo Di Canio, Ian Holloway

and Roberto Martinez. 18 for Alan Pardew or Andre Villas-Boas.

You'd have got 25 for Brendan Rodgers, we've seen Moyes

and Mourinho, and Wenger, if you had gone for him,

the Arsenal boss, was 43 points.

Thank you very much, Richard. So at the end of our second round,

the pair who are heading home with their high score of 62.

It's not a bad highest score,

but I'm afraid in this context, it just is.

You are out in front there. Euan and Lindsay, I'm so sorry.

We'll see you again next time.

We'll look forward to that very much. Meantime, thanks for playing. Euan and Lindsay.

APPLAUSE

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

Congratulations, Sam and Rob, Ellie and Carroll,

you are now one step closer to the final and the chance to play

for our jackpot, which currently stands at £1,000.

Well, this is the point where we decide who goes through to the final

and plays for that money. And we do that by making you go head-to-head.

The difference is you can confer before giving

your answers. The first pair to win two questions will be

playing for that jackpot. Very, very well done, both pairs.

Some great play there. I think this is going to be a real tussle.

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

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

Stars of The Avengers and The New Avengers. Richard?

We're going to show you five images of actors who appeared

in one or other of these.

Tell us the name of the most obscure, please.

-Good luck.

-Thanks very much indeed.

OK, let's reveal our five pictures, and here they are. We've got:

There we are, five stars of The Avengers and The New Avengers.

Sam and Rob, you've played best throughout the show so far,

so you will go first.

THEY WHISPER

We only know one. This is tough.

So we are going to go with C, and Joanna Lumley.

You are going to say C, Joanna Lumley. OK.

Now, Ellie and Carroll, the board is all yours.

-Talk us through it if you can.

-I can tell you one other, I hope.

-Which is E, which is Diana Rigg.

-You are going to say E, Diana Rigg.

So we have Joanna Lumley, we have Diana Rigg.

Sam and Rob have said that C is Joanna Lumley.

Let's see if that is right.

And if it is, let's see how many of our 100 people said

Joanna Lumley for C.

It's right...

72.

APPLAUSE

72 for Joanna Lumley.

Now, Ellie and Carroll have said Diana Rigg for E.

Let's see if that's right,

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

It's right.

And it beats Joanna Lumley.

-43.

-APPLAUSE

Good answer, which means, Ellie and Carroll,

-after one question you are up 1-0.

-Yes, very well played.

Let's look through the rest of the board. A is Gareth Hunt.

He would have scored you 23.

-Used to be in all the Nescafe adverts as well, Gareth Hunt.

-Yeah.

In our youth. B, of course,

-is Patrick Macnee.

-Sir Denis Eaton-Hogg.

Would have scored you 35.

D is the best answer up there, Linda Thorson. Very well done if you

said Linda Thorson. Seven points for that.

Thanks very much. Here comes your second question.

Sam and Rob, you have to win this to stay in the game,

so best of luck. It concerns...

Prime Minister's Question Time. Richard?

We'll show you five clues to facts about Prime Minister's Question Time.

Give us the most obscure answer.

OK, let's reveal our five clues, and here they come.

We have got:

I will read those one last time.

Ellie and Carroll will go first.

Er, we have sort of hit a wall,

but we're hoping they have too.

We'll go with day of the week,

and say, just in case I forget...

-Wednesday.

-Wednesday!

-Wednesday.

OK, that day of the week PMQs was moved to, Wednesday.

Now then, Sam and Rob. Over to you.

You can talk us through the board.

OK. I think the Labour MP

was Harriet Harman.

The length of time it now lasts,

-I don't know.

-Probably about an hour,

but I don't know.

Prime Minister in 1961, who was that?

-Macmillan?

-Yeah, but... I don't know.

I haven't a clue about the number

-of questions to ask.

-No idea.

Shall we go for Harriet Harman?

I think it's the most solid.

OK, you are going to say Harriet Harman was the second woman

to answer Prime Minister's Questions.

Ellie and Carroll said Wednesday was the day of the week

they were held on. Let's see if that's right.

If it is, let's see how many people said Wednesday.

-It's right.

-Keep going, keep going...

-32.

-APPLAUSE

Sam and Rob have gone for Harriet Harman.

Let's see if that's right,

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

Well done! That beats it. 18 for Harriet Harman.

Which means, Sam and Rob, you're back in the game.

-After two questions, it's 1-1.

-Yeah, good head-to-head so far.

Terrific stuff. The length of time PMQs lasts,

it seems about 14 hours, it's actually 30 minutes.

Would have scored you 14.

The Prime Minister who was in office for the first formal PMQs,

you're right, it was Harold Macmillan.

It would have been a very good answer, it would have scored you 17.

And the total number of questions a leader is permitted to ask is six.

And that would have scored you 7.

Thanks very much indeed, Richard. So, here comes your third question.

Whoever wins this goes through to the final.

Best of luck to both pairs. It concerns...

Marilyn Monroe films. Richard?

We've given you the titles of five Marilyn Monroe films,

but we've missed out alternate letters.

Whoever fills in the blanks and gives us the best answer

will go through to play for the jackpot. Good luck.

OK, let's reveal those five Marilyn Monroe films, and here they come.

I'll read those out one more time.

Sam and Rob, your go first.

THEY WHISPER

OK, so we know two of them. So it's trying to pick which one

is harder to guess. Which one shall we go for?

We are going to go for the fourth one down, which is

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.

OK, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, say Sam and Rob.

Now, Ellie and Carroll, could you talk us through

-the rest of the board?

-No.

-I'm trying to make up words.

I think the top one might be something... Crash My...

But I can't work out what it would be.

Um, so we're going to have to go for what the second one

-and say Some Like It Hot.

-Some Like It Hot, say Ellie and Carroll.

So, we have Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, we have Some Like It Hot.

Sam and Rob said Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, let's see if that's right.

and how many people said it.

It's right.

-59.

-APPLAUSE

59. Now then, Ellie and Carroll. You have gone for Some Like It Hot.

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

-It's right. 87.

-Ooh!

-A popular answer there.

APPLAUSE

Well, Sam and Rob, very well done.

After three questions, you are through to the final 2-1.

Yeah, very big score.

All of the remaining ones would have seen you into the final.

The top one, she had a very small part in this Fritz Lang film,

-and it's Clash By Night, is the answer.

-Ooh!

Clash By Night would have scored five.

This next one would have seen you through to the final as well,

-a very famous Marilyn Monroe film.

-The Seven Year Itch.

Seven Year Itch, yep. That would have scored you 35.

The bottom one you can work out quickly,

-the something and the something.

-Prince...Showgirl.

It's The Prince And The showgirl, yeah. Laurence Olivier film.

Would have scored 19. So Clash By Night is the best answer there.

Thanks very much. So the pair leaving us at the end of the head-to-head round,

I'm sorry to say, Ellie and Carroll.

-Did you know any of those other ones?

-Yes.

-I didn't.

-It's so hard to do under the circumstances.

I'm afraid we have to say goodbye. What a performance today. Superb.

I think that second round with Malky Mackay was particularly good.

I'm afraid we have to say goodbye.

-But thanks very much for playing.

-It's been great.

-Ellie and Carroll.

APPLAUSE

But for Sam and Rob, it's now time for our Pointless final.

Congratulations, Sam and Rob. You've seen off all the competition

and you've won our coveted Pointless trophy.

You now have a chance to win our Pointless jackpot.

At the end of today's show, the jackpot stands at £1,000.

This could be historic. As Richard said earlier,

this would be our fourth jackpot win in four consecutive shows.

Never happened before. Very, very best of luck.

As always, you get to choose your category in this last round.

You have four options to choose from. And here they are.

How's your Cornish geography? Come on. Do you remember Falmouth?

If you remember Falmouth, they say you weren't there, don't they?

-We could take a gamble.

-All right, let's go for it.

OK, so Cornish culture and geography it is.

Yes, this was turned down the other day by someone who essentially

works in Cornwall. They said, "I don't think I'd know enough."

So guys, fingers crossed for four in a row here.

Three very different categories. One of them I think will suit you.

We are looking for the name of anybody who is credited with

four or more appearances in the TV series Doc Martin,

so anyone who's accredited by IMDb with four or more appearances.

We are looking for any major settlement in Cornwall,

that is any city or town with more than 3,000 inhabitants,

that's according to the Cornish Council website,

that's the Office Of National statistics.

Or we are looking for any novels by Daphne Du Maurier.

So, Doc Martin actors, any town or city with more

than 3,000 inhabitants in Cornwall, or Daphne Du Maurier novels.

-Very, very best of luck.

-Thanks very much indeed, Richard.

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

All you need to win the jackpot is just one of those answers to

-be pointless. Are you ready?

-Yes.

OK, let's put 60 seconds on the clock. There they are.

Your time starts now.

OK, so Gweek, Perranporth, Helston,

-these are all places. OK.

-Doc Martin, no.

-No.

-And Daphne du Maurier...

-Rebecca?

-I don't know her.

-Gweek, Perranporth, Helston...

-You're in charge here.

-Truro...

-Truro's too big.

-Um. Fowey...

-Falmouth?

Falmouth, Penryn. I don't know if these are all over 3,000 though.

-Well, don't go hamlet.

-Go sort of...

-OK, so Helston is definitely one.

-OK.

-But it might be a bit famous.

-Newquay's going to be too famous.

-Yeah, yeah.

Truro will be too famous. Falmouth will be too famous.

-Falmouth is too famous, you think?

-I reckon.

-OK.

-Helston, Gweek...

Gweek? Is that a place?

-Gweek is definitely a place.

-Amazing.

-I love Gweek.

I'm more of a Latin fan.

-I'm going to go Perranporth as well.

-Perranporth.

-Perranporth.

-OK.

-Perranporth, Gweek, and...

-Helston.

-I can't believe you're not name-checking Falmouth.

-No way.

-OK, have you landed on your three answers?

-I think so.

-Are they going to get any better than that?

-With time to spare.

With time to spare. That's nice.

We can just enjoy those last couple of seconds for nothing.

There we are, your time is now up. I now need your three answers.

-So, Helston, Gweek...

-Gweek?

-Perranporth.

-Perranporth. And all of these are from...

-Cornwall. Major settlements in Cornwall.

-Major settlements in Cornwall. OK.

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

-I think probably Gweek.

-Gweek. OK. Least likely to be pointless?

Least likely, Helston, because I think people will know it.

Helston. OK, let's pop those up on the board in that order,

and here they are.

We have...

Well, very, very best of luck. Your first answer was Helston.

Now, let's just imagine you make Pointless history here.

What would you do with the money? Sam?

I think with 500 quid I'd probably just put it behind the bar

at the Swimmer in Holloway and tab my friends, for a big night in a pub.

-Very nice. OK, Rob?

-Well, I'm getting married soon.

-Congratulations.

-So that will pay off a little bit more.

-Well, every little helps, as they say.

-They're expensive, weddings.

Yes, indeed they are. Sam and Rob, your first answer was Helston.

Only one of these has to be pointless to win the jackpot.

Let's find out if Helston is right in the first instance,

pointless in the second.

If it's both of those, you will win £1,000.

Helston is right. That was the first thing it had to be.

Now, if this goes all the way down to 0,

you will leave here with £1,000, and a slightly enhanced wedding.

Down it goes, still going... 5 for Helston.

APPLAUSE

Everyone knows Helston. That was never going to be pointless.

OK, only two more shots at today's jackpot.

Your second answer was Perranporth. Best of luck, let's find out.

It has to be correct, then it has to be pointless.

If it's both of those, you'll win £1,000. How many people said Perranporth?

It's right!

So Helston took us all the way down to 5.

Perranporth, still taking us down into single figures, down it goes...

-3 for Perranporth.

-Ah!

Phew. Well, you've ordered these perfectly.

So far it's been absolutely exceptional ordering there.

You put Helston, it stopped at 5. Perranporth, stopped at three.

It's all riding on Gweek.

As so often happens on Pointless. OK, let's find out.

Your third and final answer, the one you thought was your best shot

at a pointless answer. It must be right and it must be pointless.

For £1,000, let's see how many people said Gweek.

No! Oh, I'm so sorry. Oh, that would have been a perfect answer there.

Oh, that's cruel, isn't it? It was all going in the right direction.

Oh, we had all the pointless record people up there, the archivists,

ready with their pen, dipped in the ink, ready to mark it up.

The worst thing was, cos it was going to make history as well,

I'd said, let's give them 100 grand as well.

That was going to be the prize. That going to be my big surprise,

The hundred was going to light up, the money was going to come down from the ceiling.

Now we can't do it. Oh, that's annoying.

Oh, Sam and Rob, I'm sorry. Unfortunately you didn't manage to find that all-important

pointless answer, so I'm afraid you don't win today's jackpot of £1,000.

That rolls over to the next show. We've really enjoyed having you on the show.

You've been brilliant contestants. Only one appearance, right through to the final.

Of course, you get to take home a Pointless trophy.

It hasn't all been in vain. Well done.

APPLAUSE

You went for the right category, I think. You gave yourself a good chance.

Gweek, lovely, but too small, unfortunately.

667 people, according to the Cornish Council website.

A select place, Gweek is.

There's a lovely Gweek restaurant on the high street as well, have you been there?

Let's go through all the pointless answers.

I know you'll be most interested in the settlements, but we'll start with Doc Martin.

You could have had:

Felicity Montagu of course is Lynn in Alan Partridge as well.

Jeff Rawle is George from Drop The Dead Donkey,

also could have had Katherine Parkinson, Ian McNeice,

both of those were pointless answers.

Now, let's look at some of these settlements.

Callington. Saltash, that is a big place right across from Plymouth,

16,000 people there. Torpoint, Wadebridge you could have had.

You could have had another couple as well.

You could have had St Columb Major, you could have had Millbrook,

you could have had Pool as well.

All of those would have been pointless answers.

And Daphne Du Maurier novels, you could have had...

I'll give you a couple more. You could have had I'll Never Be Young Again, The Parasites

and The Progress Of Julius. Well done if you said any of those.

Thanks, Richard. Unfortunately we have to say goodbye, Sam and Rob.

It's been great having you on the show. You have done such a good job.

Thank you so much for playing. Sam and Rob.

APPLAUSE

Well, sadly, Sam and Rob didn't win our jackpot today, which means

it rolls over on to the next show, when we will be playing for £2,000.

APPLAUSE

-Join us next time to see if someone can win it. Meanwhile it's goodbye from Richard...

-Goodbye.

And it's goodbye from me. Goodbye.