Episode 11 Pointless

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Thank you very much.

I'm Alexander Armstrong and a warm welcome to Pointless,

the quiz show where popular answers mean nothing

and obscure answers mean everything.

-Let's meet today's players.

-APPLAUSE

So first we welcome back Sam and Lee who were on the show last time.

Everyone gets two shots to reach the Pointless final and this is your second chance.

-Remind us how you did.

-Last time we got to the second round

but missed out on getting to the head to head.

-What did for you?

-The category was on famous Toms.

-Famous Toms.

-Yes. What are you hoping for today, Sam?

-Something on history or politics would be quite nice.

History or politics. Very highbrow. Very best of luck to you.

Next it's Andy and Phil. How do you two know each other?

We've been together about 15 years.

We had our civil partnership four years ago and we met at university.

Many congratulations for four years ago.

-What are your subjects, Andy?

-You'll be amazed to hear this

but I'm quite good at food and drink.

LAUGHTER

Films, certain kinds of sport, but not all of them.

Very good. How about you, Phil?

Well, food and drink would be good.

Geography. Geography's probably my best subject so far.

Geography, eh? Mm. Very best of luck to the pair of you.

Next we welcome back Mike and Fran. You were on the show last time.

-How did you do?

-We were pleased to get to the head to head last time

but we didn't have that pointless knowledge about BBC news broadcasts.

That's my line. You just didn't have that pointless BBC news broadcast knowledge.

You did incredibly well, though.

-What do you do in your spare time, Fran?

-I like anything to do with food -

cooking it, eating it, watching it on TV.

-I love celebrity chefs.

-Very good. Does Fran cook for you, Mike?

No, she's away at university, so it's the other way round.

It tends to be that I'm the housekeeper since I retired.

Fran has been known to refer to me as Cinderella on a number of occasions.

Every time they go out shopping or something,

they leave Dad behind to do the housework.

Very best of luck to the pair of you.

And finally we welcome Maxine and Matt.

-How do you two know each other?

-We've been married for six years

and we first met about 10 years ago in a pub in Manchester.

What would you like to come up this afternoon, Matt?

Probably TV or film or sport. One of those would be OK.

TV or film or sport. We have two academics amongst our eight.

We have Mike, obviously,

and we also have Andy, who lectures in film and media.

Little bit scary. Yeah!

I just mention that in passing.

Sharp intake of breath from the assembled company.

-So watch your film and media, Matt.

-Maybe sport.

-Be careful what you wish for.

-Maybe sport.

-Maxine, how about you?

-I'm thinking very lowbrow would be good for me.

None of the highbrow politics. Geography is a no-no as well.

Well, very best of luck to you. We'll be finding out more about all of you.

The final person to introduce

sits in the crow's nest of obscurity, shouting "Facts ahoy!"

-He's my Pointless friend. He's Richard.

-Hello.

-How are you today?

-I'm very well.

I bumped into someone this morning who watched the show

and she said to me, "What is Alexander like?"

And as always, I lied. I said he's very nice.

But she said, "You know who he looks exactly like?"

George W Bush.

LAUGHTER

-George W Bush?

-George W Bush.

-She said, "He's the spit of George W Bush."

-George W Bush?

Are you saying I have a folksy charm?

Yeah. Yeah, maybe. That's a nice way of putting it.

-Yeah. A folksy charm.

-Yeah.

We've got two returning pairs today, both of whom are very strong.

It's going to be a very good game today

and I didn't realise we had a media intellectual in our midst as well.

-That's a terrifying thought.

-Isn't it?

-We must make sure we do everything correctly.

-Mm.

And watch the subtext of what you do as well as the text.

Don't leave yourself wide open to a Marxist interpretation of your role as a game show host.

-OK?

-OK.

-Because you're not going to come out of that well.

-No.

-OK, thank you for that.

-No, it's an absolute pleasure.

Thanks for the heads up.

OK, we put all our questions to 100 people before the show

but this is Pointless, so we're after answers they didn't get.

What everyone is trying to do is find a pointless answer,

an answer 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 add another £1,000 to that,

so today's jackpot starts off at £5,750.

WHOOPING

Right, let's play Pointless.

OK, so in the first round, each of you must give me one answer

and you cannot confer with your partner.

The team with the highest score at the end of the round will be eliminated.

Our first category this afternoon is:

Decide who's going to go first, who's going to go second.

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

OK, here's the question.

We gave 100 people 100 seconds to name as many card games as they could.

-Richard.

-Yes, the correct answers in this round will all be games

in which the main item of play is a deck of playing cards.

A card game is another way of putting that.

LAUGHTER

Right, Sam and Lee, you all drew lots before the show

and this afternoon, you get to go first.

We're going to give you a choice of seven possible answers

in each pass.

Your first set of seven answers reads like this.

Right. At least one of those answers is pointless

but there is at least one incorrect answer on that board

and if you pick that, you will score the maximum of 100 points.

-So, Sam.

-There's one or two unusual ones

that I'm pretty sure I have played at some point.

Spectacularly unusual ones.

Erm, I seem to remember playing it at school for some reason,

so I think I'll go for Newmarket.

-Newmarket.

-Yes.

OK, let's see if Newmarket is a correct answer

and how many people said Newmarket. Good luck, Sam.

It's right!

It's going to go quite a long way down, Sam.

It is! Four points. Very well done.

Very good score.

-So, Richard, Newmarket.

-Well played, Sam. Good score.

Newmarket is a game where you gamble on the cards in your hand

against four cards laid out from another deck.

Now, then, Phil. Do you play a lot of card games?

-Not massively. I have played Newmarket, which was the one I was going to pick.

-Mm.

So it's a choice between maybe trying to find something obscure

or going safe and hoping Andy can pull something out of the bag.

So I'm going to say whist.

You're going to say whist. And wistfully, as well.

-Yeah.

-Very clever.

There it is. Three up from the bottom. Whist.

I think we know it's correct. Let's see how many people said it.

It's correct.

-Not bad.

-That's OK.

-31. Not a bad score at all.

-So whist scores 31, Richard.

-Better than a wrong answer, so a good answer.

It's a fairly basic trick-taking game.

Knockout whist you can play as well.

OK, very well done, Phil. Now, then, Mike.

We are looking for card games.

I'm very tempted by two which I think could be pointless.

I'm going to stick with one I think I played with the children

-which is old maid.

-Old maid. Let's find out.

Let's see if it's correct and how many people said old maid.

Good luck.

It's right.

Very well done, Mike.

-Very well done. That scores you six. Richard?

-Well played, Mike.

It's the game where around the table you have to put down pairs

but there's only three queens in the pack,

so whoever's left with the old maid, the queen of spades, is the loser.

Very good. Thank you, Richard.

Matt, you're the last person to have this board,

so you can talk us through all of them, if you like.

Blackjack is right but it will probably be the highest score.

The other three, I've not heard of any of them.

I can't believe someone's made up Grandpa Is Alive,

so I'm tempted to go for that

-but I'm going to go for blackjack.

-OK. You're going for blackjack.

Let's see if it's correct and how many people said blackjack.

It's right!

APPLAUSE

42.

-Mm, 42 points, Richard.

-Yes, it's the biggest score on the board.

It's a popular casino game, very similar to pontoon or vingt-et-un.

Let's have a look at the rest of these.

There's two incorrect answers there and one pointless answer.

-What do you think's pointless?

-Perudo is a dice game.

It is. Liar's dice it's sometimes called.

Grandpa Is Alive is a stupid, stupid name for a game

but it has to be a card game, in which case All Fours must be the wrong one.

You're 100% wrong. Grandpa Is Alive is actually a cocktail,

a mixture of Kahlua, amaretto and vodka.

-No wonder he's alive. Blimey.

-I'm amazed he is.

All Fours is a 17th century card game and it was a pointless answer.

OK, well, thanks very much. Let's take a look at the scores.

Sam and Lee, what a fabulous low score, there.

Four points for Newmarket. Very well done.

Mike and Fran, six. Fabulous answer there for old maid.

And then we come to Phil and Andy, 31. Quite a high score, there.

But then Matt helped you out by saying blackjack,

which was a bit of a lifeline for you. So, yes, Matt on 42.

Maxine, you're going to have to answer as cannily as you can

on the next pass.

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

We're going to put seven more answers on the board.

We are looking for card games, remember,

and we have got:

One more time.

At least one of those answers is pointless

and at least one is incorrect.

Pick an incorrect one and you will score 100 points.

-So, then, Maxine?

-Well, I'm torn because answers that I think might be pointless

probably a lot of people have heard of.

There's two that I'm thinking, "Will I go for?"

I'm going to go for baccarat.

-You're going to go for baccarat.

-Yes.

There's no red line for you because you are the highest scorers.

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

Well done. It's right.

Very good, Maxine!

You did exactly what you needed to do, Maxine.

Baccarat scored you just one. It takes you up to an impressive 43.

-Richard?

-That puts the pressure on the other three pairs.

-It's a gambling game. James Bond's favourite game.

-Exactly.

So, Fran. Remember, we are looking for card games.

Now, there's one that I've heard of

but I'm really not sure if it's a card game or not.

-Mm.

-I don't think I'm going to risk it.

It's just a case of choosing which could be the most obscure.

-I'm going to go for rummy.

-You're going to go for rummy?

-Yeah.

OK. If rummy gets you below

that red line, you're through to the next round.

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

It's right.

-Oh!

-45 that's scored you.

It takes your total up to 51.

Don't worry, Fran, there are two more pairs yet to answer.

-Rummy, Richard.

-Yeah, a big score.

-Rummy, it's collecting sets and runs of cards.

-OK, thanks very much.

Now, Andy.

Andy, Andy. Do you play a lot of cards?

Erm, when I was younger. Not much these days.

-What was your card game of choice?

-I used to like crib or cribbage,

which isn't up there.

Well, I think this is going to be an OK answer

but will it be good enough? We will have to find out.

So I'm going to say canasta.

OK, well, let's see if canasta is correct. There is your red line.

If canasta gets you below that, you are through to the next round.

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

It's correct.

Looks good.

-Oh, it is good. 15.

-APPLAUSE

Very well done. These are tense times for Fran and Mike.

Canasta takes your total up to 46. You're through to the next round.

-Richard?

-Good answer. It originated in South America in the 1940s.

I think crib is the best card game there is. Cribbage.

-Cribbage?

-Yeah. Lots of poker players have started playing it.

-Really?

-Mm.

-My favourite card game is bezique. No-one plays it.

OK, so Lee, you are our last player. You can talk us through the board.

You're on four, a fantastic low score from Sam.

If you can score 46 or less with this answer,

we say goodbye to Fran and Mike.

If you score more than 46, we're saying goodbye to you and Sam.

-I've heard of two of them.

-Tell us what they are.

I've heard of bridge, so that's going to be quite a high scoring one,

so I won't go for that.

and I'm pretty sure Go Fish is a card game.

I've not heard of the other two, so I'm going to go for Go Fish.

You're going to go for Go Fish.

-OK. And you're confident that's a card game?

-Yes.

I think it's where there's a group of you playing cards

and you have to ask the person next to you if they've got a card that you want

and if they haven't, they say, "Go fish."

OK. There's your red line. If Go Fish gets you below that red line,

you are through to the next round.

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

It's right.

It's right and it's good enough.

Look at that. Eight points.

Fabulous answer. Eight takes your total up to a winning 12.

-Richard.

-Yeah, Lee's explanation was exactly right, that's the game.

That's tough luck on Mike and Fran. A low-scoring round, there.

Let's take a look at the rest of the board.

Bridge, obviously, is a high scorer,

though only 37, so less than rummy, bridge.

so if you'd said bridge, you'd be through to the next round.

-Don't tell me that!

-Sorry. You wouldn't be through.

Jack in the pulpit and pinochle.

Jack in the pulpit, as anyone knows, is a cocktail.

LAUGHTER

Jack in the pulpit is actually a plant,

also known as the wild turnip or the bog onion.

-That's the jack in the pulpit.

-Bog onion?

And pinochle, very well done if you got that at home,

that's a pointless answer and it's a variant on bezique.

-Is it?

-Your favourite game. It's played a lot in American prisons.

-Do they really?

-They do, they do.

At least I think that's what they're doing. They do.

-Pinochle. Very popular.

-Very good. Very good. Thank you, Richard.

After round one, the losing pair with the highest score,

I'm so sorry to say, it's Fran and Mike.

Rummy. It cost you dear.

I thought Go Fish would score higher than rummy but obviously not.

-What can we say?

-I'll put it down to her upbringing.

-I didn't introduce enough...

-Not nearly enough card games.

-Bezique as soon as we get back.

-Bezique, it's a game for two.

-You can play it on the train home.

-Great.

-There you are.

So we have to say goodbye to you.

This is your second chance, as well, but you've been wonderful.

-Thank you for playing.

-A pleasure.

-Thank you.

-APPLAUSE

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

CHEERING

Now, there's only room for two pairs in the head to head,

so one of you three teams will be leaving at the end of this round.

Try and make sure it's not you. The category for round two is:

Decide in your pairs who's going to go first, who's going to go second

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

So our round two question this afternoon concerns:

In this round we're about to show you a list of events

all of which happened in the 20th century.

We asked 100 people to tell us the years in which they occurred.

-Richard?

-We're going to show you six events in each pass.

The more obscure the event, the fewer points you score.

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

Thanks very much, Richard. So we're looking for the years in which these events occurred

and here they are.

I'll read those again.

-So, Lee.

-There's only one of those that I definitely know

and it's probably the most obvious one,

-so it's the one I'm going to have to go for...

-Yeah.

..unfortunately.

England winning the World Cup was in 1966.

OK, well, let's see if that scores less than 100.

England winning the World Cup, 1966.

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

APPLAUSE

It's not bad.

That scored you 75. Richard?

Yes, 1966, England won the World Cup.

I think the 25 people who didn't get that were holidaying Germans.

OK, thank you very much. Andy?

There's a couple that I definitely know

but I think they'll be high, rather like the football one.

There's one where it's either one year or the next year.

-Exactly.

-So we will take a punt, I think.

The Beatles' She Loves You reached number one

and I think that was in 1963.

1963, you're going to say.

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

let's see how many people said it. 1963.

Very well done, Andy. Very well done indeed.

This could go a long way down.

-Six!

-APPLAUSE

Whoo!

Excellent. Scores you six. She Loves You, 1963.

Well played, Andy. If it was a risk, it was a calculated one.

Best-selling single of 1963. She Loves You.

Matt, remember, we are looking for the years in which these historical events occurred.

There's two that I don't know, one that I could have a stab at.

Tell us what they are.

The Hindenburg Airship disaster and Queen Victoria died,

I wouldn't be confident in having a go at those.

The man first walked on the moon, I know roughly when that was

but I wouldn't be certain of the year.

But I'm reasonably confident about Word War One ending,

so I'm going to go for World War One ending in 1918.

1918, you're saying was the end of World War One.

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

Well, it is right.

-46.

-APPLAUSE

46, a safe and not terrible score. Richard?

Yes, it's a big score in points

but quite a depressing score in terms of the general knowledge of the populace,

the dates of World War One.

-The '14-'18 war, as sometimes they call it.

-Exactly.

-The clue is there, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Let's fill in all the rest

to see if you got them all at home.

-Man first walked on the moon.

-'69.

You should know that because, of course, it was your father.

It was, yes. That's right, that's right.

And perhaps it was while he was doing that

that old George Bush Senior came over and...

came a-knocking. I don't know, I don't know.

That would have scored you 40 points.

The Hindenburg airship disaster. That's quite a tough one.

'30s? Early '30s?

It was late '30s. 1937.

So well done if you got that. That would have scored you three points.

-And Queen Victoria died in...?

-1901.

-1901. Exactly right.

That would have scored you 23 points.

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

Andy, looking very, very strong. Six points, there.

Now, Matt and Maxine, 46 you are on.

Lee, 75. You did the right thing because 75 is better than 100

but Sam has an uphill battle for the second pass.

OK, we're going to come back down the line. Can the second players please take their places?

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

and here they are.

I'll read those again, quickly.

Now, remember, we are looking for the years in which these events occurred

and you are trying to find the one that the fewest of our 100 people knew.

-Maxine.

-I'm just going to go for one I know

and hope that not many people knew it.

Do you think it's an obscure one?

I know it, so everyone will know it, surely?

But you know, I'm going to go for the first test-tube baby born,

who I think was born in 1978 - Louise Brown.

Very good knowledge. There's your red line.

If Louise Brown gets you below that red line, 1978,

then you are most assuredly through to the next round.

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

It's right.

And through you go to the next round.

-APPLAUSE

-That's a wonderful answer, Maxine.

Very, very well done indeed.

That scores you four and takes your total up to 50. Richard?

Brilliantly played, Maxine. 1978.

And Robert Edwards, who developed the treatment, recently won the Nobel prize.

Phil. You are on six points.

If you can score 68 or less with this answer,

you are most definitely through to the head to head

and we will be saying goodbye to Sam and Lee.

Remember, we are looking for the years in which these historical events occurred.

What do you think? What's that board looking like to you?

Well, there are some that I definitely know

and it's whether that many people also know them. Erm...

I think I'm going to go with the Titanic

and I think it sank in 1912.

1912, Titanic.

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

How people said 1912?

It's correct.

Well done!

APPLAUSE

Very well done indeed.

That scores you 49 and takes your total up to 55.

-Richard?

-Yeah. More people know when the Titanic was sunk

than know when the First World War ended,

-which I guess is the power of movies.

-The power of film.

-Yeah. Exactly.

Had Celine Dion sung the soundtrack to the First World War,

it would all be very different.

It would have been over a lot quicker.

Everyone would have gone, "You know what, we'll leave it."

Sam and Lee, I hate to say this

but the writing is not only on the wall, it is in red.

Your 75 score is already the highest score

before you've given your answer, Sam, which is a shame,

because this could be quite a strong round for you.

I think I'm going to go for the D-Day landings,

which was 1944.

1944, D-Day landings, you're saying.

Let's see how many people said that. No red line, I'm sorry to say,

because you will be leaving us come what may.

You say 1944. Let's see how many people said that.

-19!

-APPLAUSE

That scores you 19 and it takes your total up to 94.

-Richard?

-Yeah, June 1944, but not enough to save you,

so that's unlucky.

-What about the rest of them?

-Let's fill in the rest of the board.

-Tony Blair first elected Prime Minister.

-May 1st '97.

'97, exactly right. That would have got you 26 points.

-JFK assassinated.

-1963.

-'63 is exactly right. 23 points.

-And the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.

-1953.

-1953.

That scored 18 points.

So the test tube baby was the best answer on the board.

Very, very good answer, Maxine. Thanks very much, Richard.

So at the end of round two, the losing pair are Sam and Lee.

And history being your subject, Sam.

Well, we came and enjoyed the experience and that's what matters.

It is and it's been lovely for us as well.

What would you liked to have come up other than history?

Possibly something like current affairs, something like that.

-Yeah, yeah.

-Perhaps.

Well, thanks very much. You've been great contestants.

APPLAUSE

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

So very well done, Maxine and Matt, Andy and Phil.

You've made it through to the head to head.

Only one pair can play for the jackpot,

which, in case you've forgotten, currently stands at £5,750.

CHEERING

Now, you're going to go head to head on the best of three questions.

For each question, each pair needs to give me just one answer

and you are now allowed to confer.

If your answer scores less than the other pair, you win that question

and the pair who get the best of three will be playing for today's jackpot.

OK, let's play Pointless.

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

to name as many US states beginning with W

as they could. Richard?

I've got nothing to add. Just US states beginning with W and there are four on the list.

Maxine and Matt, you've played best so far,

so you get to go first, with US states beginning with W.

THEY WHISPER

-OK.

-Yes.

-Do you have an answer?

-Yes.

-We can think of three and we're going for Wisconsin.

-Wisconsin.

-Yes.

Wisconsin has gone, Andy and Phil.

Well, if there's four, that probably leaves Wyoming...

Washington

and... another one.

-Do you know one?

-I suspect Wyoming.

I'm wondering if Washington because of people thinking of Washington DC.

-You choose.

-Washington.

Washington. OK.

We have Wisconsin and we have Washington.

In the order they were given, Maxine and Matt said Wisconsin.

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

-Ooh!

-51.

-APPLAUSE

51 for Wisconsin.

-What are you thinking?

-Mm.

-I thought...

-It would lower than that?

-We're thinking we should have gone for Wyoming.

Erm, Andy and Phil went for Washington.

Will your logic pay off, Phil?

OK, let's find out. How many people said Washington?

-Oh!

-APPLAUSE

72 for Washington against 51 for Wisconsin.

So after the first question, it is one-nil to Maxine and Matt.

-Richard?

-I think both teams had Washington, Wyoming and Wisconsin.

The one you're both missing is the one that would have won you the lowest score of all,

-with 27, it was West Virginia.

-Ah!

There's Wisconsin, 51, Wyoming with lots of points on 57

and Washington up the top on 72.

Here is your second question.

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

..as they could.

A posthumous number one. Richard?

Yeah, we're looking for any artist who's had a UK number on single

after their death

and that's either individually or as a group or a duo

and it's up to the beginning of 2011.

OK, thanks very much, Richard.

Andy and Phil, you get to go first this time.

I am being deferred to, so I will say, as a member of a group,

Freddie Mercury as a member of Queen.

I was thinking that you were a member of a group.

"As a member of a group, I am going to say..."

Erm, now, then, Maxine and Matt.

Eva Cassidy, who did that Songbird, she was only famous after she died,

but whether she got a number one single - she had a number one album.

I was thinking about John Lennon or Elvis Presley.

-But they'd be more popular than Freddie Mercury.

-Go with that, then, go on.

We'll go with Eva Cassidy.

We're going to go with Eva Cassidy.

OK, so we have Freddie Mercury, we have Eva Cassidy.

You, Maxine and Matt, are on one-nil.

If you win this question, you are through to the final.

Andy, Phil, you have to win this point to stay in the game

and go through to that final.

OK, in the order they were given, Andy and Phil said Freddie Mercury.

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

This is going to be a low score, I feel.

Yeah, eight points.

OK. Maxine and Matt, Eva Cassidy, you said.

Is it right? Eva Cassidy.

How many people said it and is it correct?

It's right!

This is going to be interesting.

Down it goes... Down it goes to two!

Wow. Very, very well answered, Maxine and Matt.

It means after just two questions, you are through to the final, two-nil. Richard.

Great answer, Maxine. That was tough to beat, guys.

She died in 1996 and had a number one in 2007 with Katie Melua.

They did What A Wonderful World. There were five answers that would have beaten Eva Cassidy.

There are 13 in all, this is according to everyHit's website.

Eddie Cochran and Aaliyah, both pointless answers.

Well done if you said either of those.

Notorious B.I.G. and Jimi Hendrix and 2Pac

all scored one point. There's Eva Cassidy.

Jackie Wilson had a Christmas number one after he died, in 1986

with Reet Petite - that scored three.

George Harrison had a number one with My Sweet Lord, four points.

Jim Reeves, Distant Drum, five.

Freddie Mercury on eight, Buddy Holly, 12.

John Lennon had three number ones -

Just Like Starting Over, Imagine and Woman - after he died.

And Elvis Presley, way up the top there on 66.

Thanks very much, Richard. So the losing pair at the end of the head-to-head round,

it's Andy and Phil.

Did you have any of those other answers?

Erm, I should've got Jimi Hendrix, really,

but I didn't say that, did I?

No. You weren't banking on Maxine pulling Eva Cassidy out of the bag.

-No.

-Impressive stuff.

-That was a really obscure answer.

The good news is we get to see you again next time

and I would imagine you'll be the pair to beat next time.

You're great contestants. Thank you, Andy and Phil.

But for Maxine and Matt, it's now time for our Pointless Final

and the chance to win our jackpot of £5,750.

Well, many congratulations, Maxine and Matt,

you have fought off all the competition and you have won our coveted Pointless trophy.

You now have a chance to win our Pointless jackpot

and at the end of today's show, the jackpot stands at £5,750.

WHOOPING

Now, all you have to do to win that money

is find a pointless answer that no-one could think of.

We haven't had any pointless answers today.

You only have to find one now to go home with that money.

First you choose a category from these three options.

-It's going to have to be words.

-Words? Do you speak languages?

-I speak English.

-You speak English. That could come in handy.

-Right.

-Words.

-We're going to have to go for Words.

The lesser of three evils, we're going to have to go for Words.

-It might be the best category you've ever picked.

-It could be.

Right, you're going to go for Words.

Right, well, there's no putting it off any longer.

Let's see what that question is. We gave 100 people 100 seconds

as many words ending in "..oud" as they could.

-Richard?

-We're looking for any words from the Oxford English Dictionary

that end "..oud". We won't accept hyphenated words or proper nouns

but any word ending in "..oud".

There are 30 of them in the Oxford English Dictionary.

There is a word itself, oud, which is a type of lute,

but we won't accept that in the unlikely event you were going to come up with it.

Wow, OK. You can have up to one minute to come up with three answers.

All you need to win that £5,750

is for just one of those answers to be pointless.

Your 60 seconds start now.

-Things I was thinking of were loud.

-And cloud.

What about words that are joined, like overloud?

-Is that one word?

-I think that is.

-So overloud.

Can you think of any? I don't even know if overloud's a word.

-I think I might have made that up.

-Overloud.

Cloud. Just go through the alphabet.

Boud, coud, doud...

We'll have to go for loud. Overloud. Underloud.

-Can you think of any others?

-I can't think of any others.

He's going to show us the pointless answers, we're going to know them.

-We'll go for overloud.

-Overloud. Cloud.

-What about undercloud?

-Is that a word?

-I don't know.

Five seconds left.

Go for cloud.

-There is your minute up.

-That was hard.

-I'm looking forward this.

So what are your three answers? We were looking for words ending in "..oud".

-What are your three answers?

-I think we decided on cloud.

Mm-hm.

-Did we say under...?

-Undercloud.

-Which we made up.

And overloud.

It's brilliant. Under and over. A brilliant, brilliant device.

-Which is your most confident shot at a pointless answer?

-Overloud.

-If it's right.

-If it's right, overloud.

-Overloud.

-Which is your least...?

-Cloud.

-Cloud.

-Cloud. OK.

Well, let's put them up in that order.

Then...

LAUGHTER

And overloud.

Oh, I think your third answer is extremely good.

-Do you think it's a real word?

-Bear in mind I know nothing

but I think it's great.

Right, we were looking for words ending in "..oud".

This was your least confident answer.

You only need to find one pointless, remember,

to win that £5,750 jackpot.

So, cloud is your first.

-I think it's right.

-LAUGHTER

Let's see how many people said cloud.

It's right. There we are.

-Down it comes.

-Ooh!

-69.

-What a surprise.

Well, it was basically just filling the space, wasn't it?

-Pretty much, yeah.

-Which is, appropriately, what cloud does.

Fabulous. That scored you 69. Not a pointless answer but you knew that.

You only have two more chances to win our jackpot.

What would you do with £5,750?

I think we would put it towards a holiday.

I would take a little bit to buy some shoes with, I think.

-Just a tiny amount.

-We didn't discuss that!

Is that an area of your wardrobe that's rather understocked?

Oh, yes. I've only got about 70 pairs.

-Only 70?

-Yes.

-Has it...? Has it become her thing, Matt?

-I had to build a cabinet for her to store them all in.

-Right.

-So what would you spend it on, Matt?

-I don't know.

Something, maybe, that I've never spent money on before,

seeing as it would be an unexpected windfall,

so I'd have to put my thinking cap on.

-OK.

-I could spend it on a cap.

-You could buy me a pair of shoes.

-You could. It would be a perfect present.

-Yes!

Exactly. OK, well, we were looking for words ending in "..oud".

Let's hope nobody said your next answer.

Let's hope it exists.

Undercloud. This has to be pointless for you to win that jackpot.

It has to be correct, of course. Undercloud.

Does it exist? Did anyone say it?

-No!

-Oh!

-What a surprise.

Well, you did make that word up in front of us,

so it would have been brilliant if it existed.

OK, it's all down to this last one.

You have one more chance to win today's jackpot.

Everything is riding on overloud. There it is.

As you said it, it sounds like a word I've heard before.

Is it a word that the OED recognises?

Did anyone remember it?

We're looking for words ending in "..oud".

This is your most confident answer. Overloud.

If this is pointless and exists,

you will be leaving here with £5,750.

Overloud. Let's have a look.

It's right! It's right.

Your last correct one went down to 69. This is going a long way down.

It's your last shot at the jackpot. Is it going to do it?

-Yes, it is!

-CHEERING

Very well done. That's brilliant. Well done.

That's, oh, superb. Very well done.

Well done, you.

Oh, that's brilliant. Congratulations.

You managed to find that important pointless answer,

which means you go home with the jackpot of £5,750.

-Very well done.

-CHEERING

Absolutely wonderful.

-So, Richard.

-That's the way to do it.

Overloud means excessively loud.

You weren't a million miles away with undercloud

because overcloud is a pointless answer.

-No way!

-As are protocloud, encloud, uncloud, intracloud

and thundercloud, of all things.

Thanks very much, Richard.

-Overloud.

-Yes.

That just came in. You've answered spectacularly.

We've had Eva Cassidy, we've had Louise Brown.

-It's just my day.

-It's just your day.

And fortunately, Matt came with me.

LAUGHTER

Well done. Many congratulations to you once again.

Maxine and Matt, you go away with today's jackpot of £5,750.

CHEERING

Join us next time when we put more obscure knowledge to the test.

-It's goodbye from Richard.

-Goodbye.

-And from me. Goodbye.

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