Episode 43 Pointless

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Thank you. Hello.

I'm Alexander Armstrong. Welcome to Pointless, the quiz show

where high scores count for nothing, and obscurity counts for everything.

-Let's meet today's players.

-APPLAUSE

First we welcome Louise and Chris. You are our first pair on the show.

-How do you two know each other?

-We've been together for five years.

-We've got two children together.

-You have two children together.

-What ages are they?

-We've got Lily who is seven,

-and Frankie who's three.

-Very good indeed.

-What do you do, Chris?

-Er, I work as a finance manager

-for a company in Tamworth.

-A company in... Where's Tamworth?

-Just north of Birmingham.

-Just north of Birmingham,

famous for pigs. Why do I think that? Tamworth, pigs!

Very best of luck to you, Louise and Chris.

Laura and Glenda, welcome back. You were on the show last time.

Everyone gets two shots to reach the final. This is your last chance. Remind us how you did.

We did very well to come in third place, I think.

-We were very lucky.

-You did very well indeed.

You just had some unfortunate choices of subject.

Exactly, yeah.

-What do you hope is going to come up today, Laura?

-Um, film questions,

-entertainment. More kind of...

-Entertainment.

-Yeah.

Glenda?

-Musicals, nature...

-I was about to say musicals.

Everyone wants musicals - until it comes up.

Very best of luck to both of you.

-Kath and Stephen, welcome. Where have you come from?

-Leigh.

-Leigh, which is...

-Near Manchester.

Near Manchester. Very good. What do you do, Stephen?

-I'm a civil servant.

-Which bit of the civil service?

I'm in training. I'm a training officer.

I see. You're in training, or you're IN training?

-I am a training officer.

-I see. How about you, Kath?

I also work for the DWP, and I'm in customer services.

Very good. Work and Pensions. I've just worked that out myself. No flies at all on me today.

Very good. Best of luck to the pair of you.

Finally we welcome back Rachel and Ryan. You were also on the show last time.

-Remind us how you did.

-We got to the head-to-head,

sadly got some questions we didn't do too well in.

-Happy days!

-Yes, exactly.

Oh, dear. Let's hope you do equally well, maybe even better, this afternoon.

We'll find out more about all of you later.

There is one more person for me to introduce -

the man behind all the facts and figures, my Pointless friend.

-He's Richard.

-Hiya.

-Good afternoon to you.

-Good afternoon to you.

-How are you?

-I couldn't be better.

-Good.

-What kind of a show have we got?

We've got two returning pairs. We've got Rachel and Ryan,

who were in the head-to-head, so they're very good.

I think Laura and Glenda we didn't see the best of,

but, Laura, there is a film question, question 2.

Glenda, you're a primary school teacher. Question 1 should suit you.

So maybe Laura and Glenda today might go a bit further than last time.

So tough competition for our two new pairs, I think.

OK. Very exciting. We've put all our questions to 100 people before the show.

But this is Pointless, so we're after the obscure answers they didn't get.

To stay in the game with a chance to win our jackpot, all our players need to do

is score as few points as they possibly can.

Everyone's trying to find a Pointless answer, one that none of our 100 people gave,

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

Nobody won the jackpot last time, so we'll add another £1,000 to that.

So today's jackpot starts off at £2,000.

There we are. OK, let's play Pointless!

In the first round, each of you must give me one answer, and you cannot confer with your partner.

Whichever team has the highest score at the end of the round will be eliminated. Right!

Our first category this afternoon is...home economics.

Home economics. There we are. Can you decide on your pairs?

Who will go first? Who will go second?

-THEY WHISPER

-Whoever's going first,

please step up to the podium.

Let's find out what our first question is going to be.

We gave 100 people 100 seconds to name as many cooking methods

as they could. Cooking methods. Richard?

The correct answers in this round, it says word-for-word here,

"Any word used to describe a method of cooking."

Glad we have you on hand. Louise and Chris, you all drew lots before the show.

Today you get to go first. What we'll do in this round,

we'll give you a choice of seven possible answers on the board in each pass.

OK. And the first set of seven answers reads like this.

-I'll read those again.

-HE READS LIST

I can tell you that at least one of those is Pointless,

and at least one of those is incorrect. Be very careful to avoid the incorrect one, or ones,

because they will score you the maximum of 100 points. OK, Louise.

-Yes.

-Is this a good subject for you? A good area?

Well, I actually had an answer in my head before they came up,

-and it's come up on the board.

-How... What about that, Richard?

Hasn't everyone just kicked a goal?

As always, the most obscure answer will score you the lower points,

-and that's what you want. So you're going to go with your hunch?

-Yes.

The hunch you had even before you saw the board!

-Louise, what's it going to be?

-Broiling.

Broiling. OK. There it is on the board, third one down.

Let's see if that's correct, and how many people said broiling.

It's right!

-14, Louise. Well done.

-AUDIENCE APPLAUDS

Not a bad score at all. Broiling, Richard.

Broiling is cooking by direct heat over a flame, like barbecuing,

and it's what the Americans call grilling as well.

-Thank you very much, Richard. Laura?

-Mm-hm?

I think you might be pretty strong on this one as well.

Yeah. Cooking is one of my stronger subjects,

and I think I know which one's the wrong answer, so I can steer clear of that one.

-There is at least one Pointless answer.

-I know. At least.

At least one Pointless answer. Go on. Add 250 quid to the jackpot.

I think I'm going to go with...devilling.

I believe you devil kidneys. I don't personally,

-but it's possible to devil kidneys.

-Devilling. OK. There we are.

Let's see if devilling is a correct answer, and if it is, how many people said devilling.

Right!

Look at that! Well done!

That is a Pointless answer, and it adds £250 to today's jackpot,

taking the total up to £2,250. And best of all, Laura,

-it scores you nothing.

-Brilliant.

-Thank you!

-My mouth's now watering. Devilled kidneys!

-Devilled kidneys.

Devilling is a way of grilling with hot condiments. You get devilled eggs as well.

OK, so we are looking for cooking methods. Stephen...

There could easily be another Pointless on that board.

-Another Pointless. Do you watch cookery programmes?

-Not really, no.

Kath, does Stephen ever don an apron, get his pinny on and cook?

Not very often, no. I keep him out of the kitchen.

-Is that a blessing?

-Probably, yes.

-So, Stephen, this might as well be in Chinese for you?

-Absolutely, yes.

-Right. OK.

-I'll go pretty safe with...

Is it steaming, the second from the bottom?

Steaming indeed is second from the bottom.

Let's see if steaming is a correct answer,

-or let's see if it is steaming.

-LAUGHTER

It's right.

45.

APPLAUSE

Not too bad a score for a guess, Stephen.

-Steaming?

-Cooking food that's been placed above hot water.

Anything that is steamed will not be tasty.

-Have you ever seen, on a menu...

-Oh, my friend!

-..when it's a steamed something?

-Oh, how wrong!

-Oh, here we go.

-Steamed... Steamed dumplings!

-Oh, OK!

-Steamed dumplings in Chinese restaurants, dim sum.

Asparagus steamed, very nice. But the butter's the exciting bit.

-Well, quite.

-I begin to see what you're saying.

OK. We are looking for methods of cooking.

Rachel, I think you're going to tidy up here,

literally. You are the last person to have this board.

But I think you might be able to truffle out a very low score,

and possibly even a Pointless answer.

I know microwaving and frying are options,

but primping I've never heard of,

but I have heard of blanching foods, so I'm going to go for blanching.

Do you know what blanching is?

No. I think it's something to do with fish, I think,

or taking the flavour out of something. I don't know.

I've heard of it somewhere in the world.

-Taking the flavour out of a fish.

-THEY LAUGH

It's what all good cooks learn to do on the second day.

It's for people who don't like fish. "I'll have a blanched cod."

Who like eating fish, but without the taste. Blanching.

Let's see if that's a correct answer, and if it is, how many people said it.

Blanching.

This could go quite a long way down, I think, Rachel. Look at that.

And it does! A very good answer indeed.

-APPLAUSE

-Blanching scores you 4 points.

-Richard?

-It comes from "blanche", the French. It means "to whiten",

like whitening almonds by taking off the skin, usually in hot water.

Blanching. Let's take a look at the rest of them.

Frying is a way of cooking - would have scored you a hefty 80 points.

Microwaving again, counts as cooking. That would have given you 21,

so, by a process of elimination, primping is an incorrect answer,

so would have scored 100 points.

-What is primping, Richard?

-To tidy or smarten up

in a slightly affected manner, like in Primp My Ride, that TV programme.

-THEY LAUGH

-We're halfway through the round,

so let's take a look at the scores as they stand.

Wow! Well, Laura and Glenda - what a fantastic answer from you, Laura.

-Devilling!

-My dad will be proud.

He will be. Very good. Kath and Stephen, 45!

45! Normally not such a bad score, but you are way out in front.

-I blame Jamie Oliver.

-THEY LAUGH

Everyone seems to know about cooking methods - apart from Stephen.

Louise and Chris, 14. That's not a bad score.

And Rachel and Ryan, fantastic score from Rachel with her blanching,

scoring just 4. We're going to come back down the line.

Can the second players please take their places at the podium?

We'll put seven more answers on the board.

We're looking for cooking methods. Here is our second list.

-I'll read those one more time.

-HE READS LIST

Again I can tell you that at least one of those answers is Pointless,

and at least one is incorrect, so be very careful to avoid those incorrect ones.

Right, now, Ryan. Rachel did so well with blanching.

Please don't let her down. OK, Ryan, you're on 4.

You need to score 40 or less with this answer.

I've heard of a few of those. I've definitely had a sauteed potato,

so I'm going to go for sauteing.

OK. You are going to go with sauteing.

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

If it's correct, and it's below that red line, you are "sauteed".

THEY LAUGH

OK. Let's see if that's right.

It's right!

And you're through to the next round. 22, that scores you.

-Takes your total up to 26. Richard.

-Yes, sauteing. Well done.

Safely through to the next round. It's cooking in a small amount of oil

-or other liquid, occasionally.

-It's basically...

-..posh frying, isn't it?

-Yeah. That's exactly what it is.

Very good indeed. Kath, you are on 45,

thanks to Stephen's fantastic understanding of the skills of the kitchen.

You have a bit of a job to do here. You have to score as low as you possibly, possibly can.

There is a Pointless answer on that board. Maybe there are two.

-Do you think you can spot it?

-Um, I'll do my best.

I've...got an idea.

What's it going to be, then, Kath?

It's something that I've heard, and I'm hoping it's a cooking method,

-and that's fricasseeing.

-Fricasseeing?

-Yeah.

OK. We are looking for methods of cooking, and you are saying fricasseeing.

You are the high scorers, so there's no red line for you.

You just have to hope it scores as low as it possibly can.

Let's see if it's right, and if it is, how many people said fricasseeing.

Well done, Kath. It's going down. Look at that! Well done!

Fricasseeing is a Pointless answer, and it adds £250 to today's jackpot,

taking the total up to £2,500. And it scores you nothing,

giving you a total of 45 points.

Well done. Another Pointless answer. Fricasseeing is chopping meat into pieces and cooking it

in a gravy, essentially. It's one of those things everyone's heard of

because they're always fricasseeing stuff on MasterChef.

-They always do.

-They do, don't they? Now then, Glenda.

Do you think you can defend Laura's Pointless score

with another Pointless? You'll have to find one.

-I'm sure you'll find another.

-Fricasseeing was my answer,

which would have been quite impressive if you hadn't said it.

-THEY LAUGH

-So I'm going to go for coddling,

-because you coddle eggs, I'm sure.

-You're going to go for...

You coddle eggs and mollies. Let's see if that's a correct answer.

Here is your red line. If you come below that red line,

you are through to the next round.

You want to score 44 or less with that answer. There's your red line.

Let's see if coddling will get you below it. If it's correct, let's see how many people said it.

Well done, Glenda.

Oh, very good indeed!

Coddling scores you 2, giving you a grand total of 2. Richard?

Very good. Coddled eggs is the most famous version.

That is to cook just below boiling point.

Very good, Glenda. Brilliant, brilliant answer.

Now, then, Chris - this has left you...

-well, in a pickle!

-LAUGHTER

There you are. You're on 14. Louise scored 14.

You have to score 30 or less with your answer.

A lot of good answers have gone from that board. However,

you can take me through the rest. Talk me through them.

OK. Um, well, actually, fricasseeing was one that I had heard of.

-I'm not very good in the kitchen.

-Is that true, Louise?

-Yeah.

-LAUGHTER

-Pretty much.

-Yeah. So we are looking for cooking methods.

I'm just going to take a stab, try and get the least amount of points as possible.

-Let's go for toasting.

-I think that's probably the right approach.

Let's see if it gets you below that red line.

You have to score 30 or less with toasting.

Let's see if it's a correct answer, and if it is, how many people said toasting.

Oh, well done, Chris!

Toasting scores you 11.

I raise my glass to you.

That gives you a total of 25.

Well done. It's just browning food by exposing it to a direct heat -

er, bread, for example... you can toast.

If you're at home now, a couple of pieces of bread, toasted up...

You say that like it's easy. How would you go about doing this?

-LAUGHTER

-You got your bread...

-I'm thinking in a sliced format.

-First you slice your bread.

-Yeah.

-You can get it pre-sliced now.

-Get out of here!

A marvellous... LAUGHTER

It is a marvellous new invention.

Let's take a look at the rest of the board. No surprises here.

I often ask you to go through the rest of the board and guess things,

-but, um...

-Don't do it now. I would be at sea.

Er, boiling is, of course, a method of cooking.

86 people mentioned that when asked to mention different ways of cooking.

Baking, obviously, as well. Would have scored you 57,

and the incorrect answer there was peaching.

Peaching. You cannot peach anything. Don't try.

-LAUGHTER

-Thanks very much, Richard.

At the end of round one, the losing pair with the highest score - I'm afraid it's Kath and Stephen.

-Oh, dear, oh, dear! You scored a Pointless as well!

-I did!

It just wasn't enough to make up for Stephen's terrible answer.

-LAUGHTER

-His terrible kitchen skills.

Oh, dear! Steaming! Steamed cabbage for Stephen for supper tonight.

But you will be coming back next time, that I promise you.

-Thank you.

-Who will be watching this show at home?

Um, our children. We've got three. They'll be watching, we hope.

-Do they know about cookery?

-Probably less than Stephen.

-No shame.

-There's no shame there at all.

I'm sure you'll be with us longer next time, but thanks for playing. Great contestants.

But for the remaining three pairs, it's now time for round two.

It's now time to find out which two teams will be going through to the head-to-head

for the chance to reach the Pointless final. The category for round two is...

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

-who's going to go second?

-Yeah. Yeah!

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

OK. And the question for round two concerns...

Biopics and their subjects.

In this round, we're about to show you a list of films.

We gave 100 people 100 seconds to tell us the person the film was centred on.

-OK, Richard.

-Yeah. We're going to give you six in each pass,

and the obscurer ones, and there are a few, will score you fewer points.

If you give us an incorrect answer, you'll score 100 points.

-See if you can get all six at home.

-OK. Here is your first six.

Let me read that again.

HE READS LIST

OK. So we are looking for biopics and their subjects.

Now, then, Chris.

-How good is your film knowledge?

-Film knowledge wasn't too bad.

-You thought.

-Till this came up.

-Till now.

HE LAUGHS EVILLY

Going to go with...

Raging Bull, Rocky Marciano.

-Raging Bull, Rocky Marciano.

-I believe.

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

-Oh!

-AUDIENCE GROANS

Bad luck, Chris. Unfortunately that is an incorrect answer,

which means that you score the maximum of 100 points.

Yeah. Unlucky, Chris. I won't say who that is about,

in case Laura or Ryan want to answer that question.

OK. Now, then, Laura.

Films. It's the subject everybody says they'd like to come up.

It's not so much my knowledge as my husband's.

-He's very into film.

-So how... Are you channelling him at the moment?

So should I get it wrong, there will be trouble. There's two up there

I think are relatively obscure.

-I'm going to go for La Vie En Rose...

-Mm-hm?

..which I believe is about Edith Piaf.

Edith Piaf. La Vie En Rose, you are saying. Let's see if that's right,

and if it is, how many people knew that answer.

It's right!

Down it goes! 15, Laura. Well done. La Vie En Rose scores you 15.

-Richard?

-Yeah. Well done, Laura. Your instincts pay off.

It's all about Edith Piaf, played by Marion Cotillard, who won an Oscar for it.

-Best actress.

-Very good. Now, then, Ryan - film.

Biopics and their subjects. This is like a gift for you, isn't it?

-It should be, but...

-It should be?

-I haven't seen many of those films.

I've seen Raging Bull, but I can't remember who that was about.

I think I'll go with Ray,

which I believe is about the musician Ray Charles.

You believe it's about Ray Charles? Let's see if it IS about him.

Ray.

Yep, it is.

29.

Ray scores you 29.

-Now, then, Richard.

-Yeah. Well done, Ryan. Ray Charles.

They weren't going to make a film about Ray Reardon, were they?

Although they should think about it. They should. Played by Jamie Foxx,

who also won a best-actor Oscar for his portrayal.

-He played all the piano himself.

-It's brilliant.

-Yeah.

-And sounded pretty like Ray.

But also the prosthetics he wore that took him... 14 hours a day.

-He was blind while he was doing it, because of the prosthetics.

-Wow!

Let's take a look at the rest of this. Raging Bull is a boxing film,

but it's... Robert de Niro plays Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull,

from 1980. Would have scored you 8 points.

Would have been a very good answer. What's Love Got To Do With It?

-Tina Turner.

-Exactly, or Tina and Ike Turner, we'd have accepted.

45 points. That is a big score. Born On The Fourth Of July?

-Ron Kovic.

-The Vietnam vet, played by Tom Cruise, of course.

That would have only scored you 1 point, so very good.

-De-Lovely is a Pointless answer. Would have made £250. Who's that about?

-Cole Porter.

It is, played by Kevin Kline. Very well done, if you got that.

OK. Well, it's time to take a look at the scores, as we're halfway through the round.

Well, there is our scoreboard. Louise and Chris, I'm afraid,

way out in front there. Oh, Rocky Marciano,

-why weren't you in that film?

-LAUGHTER

Laura and Glenda, by contrast, looking fantastic there.

15! What a wonderful answer that was.

Glenda, keep that up, you should be through to the head-to-head.

Rachel and Ryan likewise. 29. Not a bad answer from Ryan.

Rachel, keep that up, and you should be through.

But, Louise, you've got a mountain to climb.

Can the second players please take their places at the podium?

OK. We're going to put six more biopics on the board.

And we have got...

We are looking for the people these films are about, and the one the fewest of our 100 people knew.

Now, then, Rachel. Oh, my goodness. Something's just alerted you.

-No.

-What happened there?

-I thought one might have come to me,

and then I was, like, "It's a different film", which isn't the best.

OK, what is this list of six looking like to you, Rachel?

Absolutely appalling. This is awful! Um...

-I'm going to have to go for the most obvious one on the board...

-Mm-hm.

..and go for Evita, because it's about...Evita!

The lady who ruled that place that Madonna played. I can't remember her name!

Madonna played a place? I know her acting talents are phenomenal...

-LAUGHTER

-Oh, it's Argentina. Got that. Um...

-In the role of Argentina...

-No! No, no.

-..Madonna.

Oh, what's her name? It's obviously Evita. Do I need a surname?

We need the name of the lady she played.

SHE GROANS

I'm going to have to say, like, Queen Evita, because I don't know.

Queen Evita? You are saying Queen Evita.

-Ryan...

-He's looking appalled right now.

Do you know, he's not - to your eternal credit, Ryan.

You are looking stoical.

SHE GROANS

Little bit resigned. But you're going to go with Queen Evita.

You're on 29. You wanted to score 70 or less with Evita.

Yeah. I'm not going to do that, because I think it's wrong.

There's your red line. If you come below it, you're through to the head-to-head.

It's not the end of the world if this is wrong.

There may be more wrong answers to come. Let's see if Queen Evita is correct,

and if it is, how many people said it.

-AUDIENCE GROANS

-Bad luck, Rachel.

That is an incorrect answer, so you do score the maximum of 100 points,

-and your total goes up to 129.

-Er, yes. Sorry about that.

I won't say what the answer is, in case any of the others want to have a go.

Queen Evita is a type of crispbread, I'm afraid.

-AUDIENCE LAUGHS

-Glenda, you are on 15.

I'm going to tell you right now the news that is music to your ears.

-Not really, but -

-You cannot lose.

-Oh!

You cannot lose. It doesn't matter. Even if you score 100 points,

-you are through to the next round.

-Brilliant.

-So listen -

-why not have a bit of fun?

-You don't know my knowledge of films.

I... Something about your...your expression.

Well, the last list, I hadn't a clue.

This one - I have seen Evita, I have sung Evita,

but the name will not come to me.

Great Balls Of Fire I am hoping was Jerry Lee Lewis.

Sounds reasonable to me. Jerry Lee Lewis, you are saying -

Great Balls Of Fire. Let's see if that's right and how much it scores.

It's right!

Down it goes, Glenda. 26!

Not a bad answer at all. 26 for Jerry Lee Lewis.

That takes your total to 41. Richard?

Well played, Glenda. Safely through to the next round.

Dennis Quaid played Jerry Lee Lewis, a 1989 film.

Very good indeed. Now, then, Louise - the moment of truth.

It's a little mini head-to-head here between Rachel and Ryan

and Louise and Chris. If you can score 28 or less with this answer, Louise,

you are through to the head-to-head and we say goodbye to Rachel and Ryan.

-OK.

-What's that board looking like? Talk me through it.

I know one completely, but I think it'll be a really high answer.

Another one I can't...

Oh, I think, I think, I think it's right. But...

I'm not going to take the easy option.

-You can't. You can't afford to.

-No. I can't afford to.

So I am going to say...The Aviator is about...Howard Hughes.

The Aviator, Howard Hughes. OK, there's your red line.

If you can get below it, with The Aviator being about Howard Hughes,

you are through to the head-to-head. Let's see if it will do it for you.

The Aviator, Howard Hughes...

..is right!

-It's done it.

-APPLAUSE

Well done.

That scores you 14, giving you a total of 114. Richard?

Yeah. Well done. Really worth taking the risk.

Leonardo DiCaprio plays Howard Hughes, nominated for an Oscar.

-What was the obvious one you were going to go for?

-Eva Peron,

-otherwise Queen Evita.

-Yeah. Eva Peron,

AKA Queen Evita, is absolutely, um... That would've got you 39 points, though. You would've gone out,

so it was the right thing to do to take the risk.

Let's take a look at the other ones there.

-W. Do you know who that's about?

-George Bush.

-Yes. Dubya.

You can also call him George Bush. Oliver Stone's movie. Bird?

-Charlie "Yardbird" Parker.

-Charlie Parker, the jazz musician.

Would have scored you five points. I'm Not There is a Pointless answer.

-Do you know who -

-Bob Dylan.

-It is Bob Dylan, played by -

-Four.

-Six.

-Six people?

-Six different people,

one of whom is Cate Blanchett, if you can imagine that.

Thanks. At the end of round two, the losing pair with the highest score...

Oh, Rachel and Ryan! This wasn't meant to happen.

-You were meant to go through to the final!

-I know.

-That was the plan.

-Never mind.

-It's films!

-Everybody says they want films!

-Not today.

-Did any of those other ones -

-I'm Not There is the one that jumped out at me,

and I was, like, "I know that film." I've never seen it,

but I remember when it was being filmed, the whole hype

about it being six people, but I couldn't remember who it was about.

Well, never mind. It's been great having you on the show.

Thanks very much for playing. Thank you.

For the remaining two pairs, things will get even more exciting, as we enter the head-to-head.

We've already said goodbye to two teams. Which of our remaining pairs

will be playing for today's jackpot, which currently stands at £2,500?

AUDIENCE APPLAUDS

OK. So, Laura, Glenda, Louise and Chris,

you are going head-to-head on the best of three questions.

You are now allowed to confer. All you have to do is score,

with each answer, less than the other pair to win that question.

The first pair to win two questions will go through to the final

to play for the jackpot. OK, let's play Pointless.

Right. Here's your first question. We gave 100 people 100 seconds

to name as many leaders of Germany as they could.

Leaders of Germany, Richard.

We're looking for any post-war chancellor of West Germany or Germany.

Post-Second World War. And that's up to May 2010,

-and we would accept just surnames.

-OK. Thanks, Richard.

Laura and Glenda, because you've played best so far,

you get to go first.

We are looking for leaders of Germany.

-I only know one.

-Who?

-Helmut Kohl.

-GLENDA WHISPERS

-Germany?

-Yeah. And Angela Merkel.

-I'll go for Angela Merkel or Kohl.

OK. Laura and Glenda, what are you going to say?

-We've decided to go for Helmut Kohl.

-Helmut Kohl.

OK, Louise and Chris. You can talk out loud if you need to.

-I'll do it.

-I don't know any.

-Um...

-So it's just down to you, then, Chris.

The... The only one I know, other than...

-Chancellor Kohl, is Angela Merkel.

-OK. Angela...

-HE SAYS NAME WITH A HARD "G"

-..or An-GEH-La, as they pronounce it.

OK. Helmut Kohl first. Let's see if it's correct, and if it is,

how many people said Chancellor Helmut Kohl.

Brilliant answer! Only 10 points for Laura and Glenda.

Louise and Chris have gone with Angela Merkel. Let's see if that's right, and if it is,

let's see how many people said Angela Merkel.

Low! Oh, 15.

APPLAUSE

So on the first question, Laura and Glenda are ahead one-nil. Richard?

Yeah. The top two answers, actually, but let's look at all of them.

Let's see how many of these you got at home.

Erhard and Kiesinger, who were both chancellors

in the '60s, were both Pointless answers,

so well done if you got either. Gerhard Schroeder, who was chancellor before Angela Merkel,

would have scored you 1. Konrad Adenauer,

who was the first post-war German chancellor...

Let's look at the other answers. He would have scored you 3.

Helmut Schmidt, the world's most German name, would have scored you 3.

Willy Brandt would have scored you 6.

Helmut Kohl, who was chancellor from '82 all the way to '98,

including reunification, all of that, 10 points,

and Angela Merkel, the current chancellor, on 15.

OK. Here is your second question.

Louise and Chris, you have to win this point to stay in the game.

We gave 100 people 100 seconds

to name as many ballroom dances as they could.

Louise and Chris, you get to answer first this time. Richard?

We are looking for any of the standard or Latin dances accepted in competitive ballroom dancing

by the World Dance Council as of April 2010.

OK, now. Louise and Chris, you get to go first this time.

HE WHISPERS

-Um, salsa...

-No. Too obvious.

-Foxtrot?

-Too obvious!

-OK.

-Do you reckon?

-Yeah. Go on.

-Yeah.

-OK. We have an answer?

Yes. I can think of a few, but, um,

-hopefully it'll come under this category. Merengue.

-OK.

Merengue.

-Laura and Glenda?

-Yeah, you can say that. Yeah.

We'll go for Viennese waltz.

Viennese waltz. OK, so we have merengue and Viennese waltz.

Let's see if merengue's right, and how many people said it. Merengue.

-AUDIENCE GROANS

-Huh?

Apparently merengue is wrong, Louise and Chris.

-What?

-I... I...

Viennese waltz, say Laura and Glenda.

Let's see how many people said Viennese waltz,

and if it's correct, it's all it has to be. If it is,

you are through to the final.

It's right!

Wow! 6!

Very, very low score indeed.

So, after two questions only,

Laura and Glenda are straight through to the final. Two-nil.

-Richard?

-The merengue is a dance, but our friends at the World Dance Council...

It's not a competitive ballroom dance in that category.

Viennese waltz is a good answer, the second-best you could have given. One was better,

and that's the jive, with 5 points.

Viennese waltz was 6, paso doble 10, rumba 18, cha-cha-cha 20.

Foxtrot 22, samba 22, quickstep 22,

the waltz on 32 and tango on 43.

So very, very well played with Viennese Waltz.

OK. Well, thank you very much.

So the losing pair at the end of the head-to-head is Louise and Chris.

Oh, dear! Angela Merkel and the merengue.

The merengue... Is it a good dance, the merengue?

It was in the film Dirty Dancing. I though it was quite obscure,

-but it might be...

-No, it's very obscure.

-It was a brilliant answer.

-Too wild to be included.

-That's probably why.

-THEY LAUGH

Well, you're going to be back on the show next time.

You've come all this way. You've done incredibly well.

Thank you for playing. You've been wonderful contestants, Louise and Chris.

But for Laura and Glenda, it's now time for our final,

and the chance to win £2,500.

Congratulations! You've seen off all the competition,

and you have won our coveted Pointless trophy.

APPLAUSE

Now, though, you have a chance to win our Pointless jackpot.

At the end of today's show, the jackpot stands £2,500.

The rules are very simple. To win, all you have to do is find a Pointless answer,

an answer that none of our 100 people could think of.

We've had two Pointless answers today. You just have to find one more, and you'll win that money.

First choose a category from these three options, and you can go for...

-What do you think?

-There's one we can rule out straightaway.

-American sport.

-Which would be American sport.

-Chemistry...

-Elements?

-Possibly.

-Could do elements.

-Classic British soul... Who's that?

-It's actually me.

-LAUGHTER

I can only think of one person, and I can't remember her name.

I don't know which to say. I don't like any of those.

-I think...

-You choose.

-I would have a guess at chemistry.

British soul - if it's names, and you don't know the names,

-you won't know anything. In chemistry...

-Chemistry.

-Chemistry.

Chemistry it is. Let's find out what the question is.

We gave 100 people 100 seconds

to name as many six-letter chemical elements as they could.

Six-letter elements. Richard.

We're looking for any elements on the periodic table whose name contains six letters,

in British spelling, not American English.

Any element whose name contains six letters. Very best of luck.

OK. You now have up to a minute to come up with three answers,

and all you need to win that £2,500 is for just one to be Pointless.

-Your 60 seconds start now.

-Helium is one.

-Yeah.

-Is there one called...

-K, R, Y, B, T...

Xan... There's one that begins with X, Xan...

-Don't know. Er...

-Potassium.

-Er, mercury's seven.

-Sulphur.

-No, spelled wrong.

I'd think oxygen, but that's an...er, a compound.

-Nitrogen? No.

-Six?

-LAURA LAUGHS

-Um...

There's one beginning with Z and one beginning with X.

-Xenon. Xenon!

-Oh, it's five.

30 gone.

-Oh, no!

-Well, we've got one. Um...

It might be right.

Sulphur...

Carbon. C-A-R-B-O-N. Carbon.

OK. Think of an inert gas besides helium.

Argon,

xenon,

-er...

-SHE MUTTERS

OK, come on. There must be some more. Carbon dioxide...

Hydrogen... That's too many.

Carbon...

Zinc, lead...

OK. That is your minute up, I'm sorry to say.

Right. We were looking for six-letter chemical elements.

-Now I need your three answers. What are they?

-We have two.

-We have two, yes.

-So what were they?

-Carbon...

-And helium.

-And helium.

-Sulphur. I know it's seven, but...

-Carbon, helium and sulphur. OK.

Which of those is probably your best bet?

-None of them.

-Helium. I think carbon's very common.

-We'll put helium last, sulphur first, carbon in the middle.

-OK.

OK. Let's put them up on the board in that order.

Sulphur...

Sulphur, carbon...

Helium.

OK. We are looking for six-letter chemical elements.

Your first answer, sulphur - we'll get that over and done with quickly.

Let's see if anyone said sulphur, and if it's a correct answer.

-Oh!

-Bad luck.

-AUDIENCE GROANS

Not a Pointless answer. OK, we're now in business.

-Did you like chemistry at school?

-I had a rhyme, when I did GCSEs,

for remembering all the elements and the order that they came in.

What was that rhyme, Laura?

It was something like nam, gam, zips, galah, h-heli, bev, cnophne.

But then you had to know what all the letters stood for, which is where I failed today.

I'm not sure I didn't buy the single of that.

I think I did.

Right. OK. Your second answer was carbon.

Let's put it to the test. Carbon.

Well, it's going down. We're in the 60s. We're in the 50s!

Carbon, down to the 40s. Has to go down to zero.

Into the 20s! Teens! Look at that!

-Better than I thought.

-16!

-APPLAUSE

See, you now have a sort of insight into the 100 people

who we had in our survey. Only 16 of them said carbon.

-OK.

-Looking pretty good for helium, isn't it?

-That's not too bad.

-So, then - £2,500. How would you spend it?

I'd like to be able to pay for a holiday for next year for my family.

OK. You said this was the answer you had most faith in to be Pointless.

This is your last shot at the jackpot. It is helium.

This has to be Pointless for you to win. Let's see if it's correct, and how many people said helium.

So, 16 people remember carbon.

Helium, much lesser known. Down it goes. Into the 40s.

Has to go all the way down to the 30s, the 20s. If it gets to zero...

Oh, no!

APPLAUSE

-Oh!

-Unfortunately you didn't find that vital Pointless answer,

so I'm afraid you don't win today's jackpot of £2,500,

which will roll over to the next show, but you do take home our Pointless trophy.

-Don't forget that.

-CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

-So, Richard?

-Yeah. Three quite tricky categories up there,

and there are five Pointless answers. These would have all won you the money. Let's look at them.

Cerium, curium,

erbium...

..and indium and osmium. Well done if you got any of those five at home.

Unfortunately we do have to say goodbye to you.

-You've been great. Thank you so much for playing.

-Thank you.

Nobody's won our jackpot today, so it rolls over.

On our next show we'll be playing for £3,500.

-APPLAUSE

-Join us next time.

-See if someone can win it. It's goodbye from Richard...

-Goodbye.

..and it's goodbye from me. Goodbye.

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