Episode 24 Pointless

-APPLAUSE

-Thank you very much indeed.

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

the quiz show where the lowest scorers are the biggest winners.

Let's meet today's players.

First we welcome Darren and Keith. You're our first pair today.

-How do you two know each other?

-Er, we go way back, from nursery.

-Do you really?

-Primary school, high school, college...

-Have you been best friends all that time?

-Pretty much!

-Are you very competitive?

-Yes.

-Yeah.

-Very good indeed.

Very best of luck. It's lovely having you here.

Er, next we welcome Stephanie and Pamela.

-How do you two know each other?

-We're sisters.

We've known each other for 42 years.

LAUGHTER

Stephanie's the younger, lucky, bossy one,

-and I'm the older, clever, geeky one.

-Hang on. Younger, lucky, bossy?

Is that the set? That's what you get?

-Is that true, Stephanie? You're not disagreeing?

-Absolutely!

OK, right! Very best of luck to the pair of you.

Next we welcome Jo and Richard. How do you two know each other?

Jo is my wife. We've been married for nearly four years.

Many congratulations. How did you meet, Jo?

Richard was singing in a band with some mutual friends.

Oh! Does he still sing?

A little bit, yeah, now and again.

So music would be a good category for you?

-Possibly, yeah.

-Possibly?

Jo, how about you? What would be a lovely dream category

-for this first round?

-Disney. Old Disney.

-Old Disney?

-Yes, please.

LAUGHTER

Good luck, the pair of you.

Lovely having you here.

And finally we welcome back Jake and Barney.

You were on the show last time. We give everyone two shots

at the final. This is your second and final chance.

-Remind us what happened last time.

-We could've done better.

-Yeah.

-Considerably better.

-Yeah.

-We're going to do better this time.

-This time round.

What are you hoping will come up, Jake?

It's got to be sport, I think. I play a lot of sports,

read up on sports. Fingers crossed, something...

Barney?

-Um, UK politics.

-LAUGHTER

With the exclusion of the current cabinet.

-No. I'm really good at that now.

-You should be.

Well, best of luck to you as well. We'll find out more about you all

throughout the show. There is only one person left to introduce.

He is a directory of obscure facts and figures.

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

-Hiya.

-Afternoon.

-Good afternoon to you, sir.

-How are you?

-I'm well!

-And you?

-Yeah, very well. It's a very interesting show today,

because we've got three new pairs,

but each of those new pairs

has answered as many questions correctly as our returning pair.

I do think Jake and Barney have something to prove,

I suspect. You can't go out in round one twice.

-At least get through to round two.

-That's the plan.

-Then who knows what happens from there?

-Who knows?

Thanks, Richard. We put all our questions to 100 people

before the show, but this is Pointless,

so we are looking for the obscure answers they didn't get.

Everyone wants a pointless answer, one none of our 100 people gave.

Each time that happens, we will add 250 quid to the jackpot.

Andrew and Sue won the jackpot last time,

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

Right! Let's play Pointless.

Right. 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.

OK. Our first category this afternoon is...

..cartoons!

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

THEY WHISPER

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

We gave 100 people 100 seconds to name as many Peanuts characters

as they could.

Peanuts characters, Richard.

The correct answers will all be characters who featured regularly

in Charles Schulz's Peanuts cartoon strip.

Right.

Now, Darren and Keith, you all drew lots before the show,

and you get to go first this afternoon.

We're going to give you a choice of seven answers on the board

in each part. A bit of a relief for everyone there!

The first set of seven answers reads like this.

I can tell you that at least one of those answers is pointless.

but be careful - at least one answer is also incorrect.

Pick one of those ones and you will score the maximum of 100 points.

So, then, Darren - Peanuts.

Um, not even heard of it.

-No.

-Not even heard of it?

I've really no idea. I'm going to go with...

-Jose Peterson.

-Jose Peterson. Very good indeed.

There he is, one up from the bottom. OK.

Jose Peterson. Let's see if it's right, and if it is,

let's see how many people said it. Good luck, Darren.

-It's right!

-Yes!

It's a brilliant answer by the looks of things.

-Look at that!

-CHEERING

Very well done, Darren. That's a pointless answer.

It adds 250 quid to today's jackpot,

bringing the total to £1,250, and it scores you nothing!

You knew nothing. You scored nothing.

-Very well done. Richard?

-Jake and Barney, that's the way you do it.

That is very much how it's done. He was a baseball player

on a local team in the cartoon strip,

-Jose Peterson.

-Jose Peterson.

OK. Now, Stephanie, remember we are looking for Peanuts characters.

-Do you remember Peanuts?

-Um, yes. No, I liked Peanuts,

and I think there are a few obvious answers.

I think I'm going to have to go kind of safe and say Pig-Pen.

Pig-Pen.

OK. Well, let's see if PigPen is a correct answer,

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

It's right.

Very good!

APPLAUSE

No flies on you, Stephanie.

Pig-Pen scores you four. Very good. Richard?

Well played. Yeah, Pig-Pen. He's always covered in dirt.

-Darren, you must find this round so bizarre.

-Yes.

And it's still meaning nothing!

"What on earth is everybody talking about?"

Now, then, Jo... Remember, we are looking for Peanuts characters.

I think I know three,

and I'm going to go for...

Marcie.

Marcie. Let's see if it's right, and if it is,

let's see how many people said Marcie.

It's right.

Oh, very, very well done!

APPLAUSE

Extremely low-scoring round so far.

-Marcie, Richard?

-Well played, Jo. It's a great round so far,

with a mixture of knowledge and absolute chance.

Yeah. She's the best friend of one of the other characters,

who we may see later.

Very good indeed. Well done, Jo. That scored you two.

-Now, then, Barney!

-LAUGHTER

-Please tell me you know about Peanuts.

-I know Peanuts a bit.

Um... Do I play safe or do I risk it?

-I'm going to go Lucy van Pelt.

-Let's see if Lucy van Pelt is right,

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

Very well done.

Seven!

Very well done, Barney.

Lucy scores you seven.

-Richard?

-I love the look of relief on your face, Barney.

Very well done. Very good answer.

She started off as a very cute character

and got increasingly bossy and crabby as the series went on.

Let's fill in the rest of the board.

Charlie Brown, obviously, is in the Peanuts cartoons.

It would've scored you a fairly hefty 52.

Woodstock, who was the little bird, would have scored nine,

and Pecel, by a process of elimination,

is an incorrect answer. It's an Indonesian peanut-based dish.

That sounds delicious!

If I had an Indonesian strip of cooked chicken on a skewer,

I would dip it into that pecel and I would...

eat it!

LAUGHTER

Shall we - here's a thought - move on?

HE LAUGHS

Yeah, all right. Yeah. OK.

-HE LICKS HIS LIPS

-Pecel!

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

On nought,

Darren and Keith, looking so strong there!

Likewise Jo and Richard on two. Stephanie, again, four,

not bad at all. Barney and Jake, who would've thought seven

would leave you exposed as the high scorers?

But I'm afraid seven leaves you exposed as the high scorers.

-It's better than last time.

-It is.

And a world better, I hope, in your case, Jake,

when it comes to the next pass. We'll come back down the line.

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

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

We are looking for Peanuts characters and we have got...

At least one of those answers is pointless,

and at least one of those answers is incorrect.

Try and avoid those incorrect ones at all costs.

Jake, you remember Peanuts, don't you?

Er, I have read it in the past, but, er...

whether I remember it's a different matter.

I think...I will go with...

Linus van Pelt.

Linus van Pelt.

OK. Let's see if that's a correct answer, and if it is,

let's see how many people said it. Linus van Pelt.

It's right.

14.

That takes your total up to 21. Richard?

Well played, Jake. Linus van Pelt, Lucy's brother

and Charlie Brown's best friend.

Now, then, Richard. You're on two.

The high scorers are Jake and Barney on 21.

If you can score 18 or less with this answer,

you are through to the next round. Peanuts characters.

It's a complete stab in the dark, and I hope I'll be as lucky as Darren.

I'm going to say Shermy.

-You're going to say Shermy?

-Mm.

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

It's right!

Very well done, Richard.

Fantastic!

-Oh!

-APPLAUSE

"Shermy" the money!

That scores you one, takes your total up to three.

-Very well done indeed. Richard?

-Well played.

Everyone's riding their luck well. Shermy's one of the original four characters in Peanuts, from 1950.

-Pamela?

-Yes.

-You're on four.

-Yes.

Jake and Barney still the high scorers on 21.

If you can score 16 or less,

you are through to the next round.

Remember, we're looking for Peanuts characters.

Really, I just have to take my chances and hope it's low,

-and I'll go for Schroeder.

-Schroeder.

-Yeah.

There's your red line. Let's see if Schroeder can get you below it.

Is it right, and if it is, how many people said Schroder?

It's right.

It's right.

-Yes!

-You're through!

Wow!

APPLAUSE

Very, very well done! Schroeder is a pointless answer.

It adds another 250 quid to today's jackpot,

so it takes the total up to £1,500.

THEY APPLAUD

It scores you nothing, and it leaves you with a total of four.

-Richard?

-Well done, Pamela. That's a proper pointless answer.

Someone knows, and it's pointless. He was the little boy who was always playing the piano.

-Admirer of Lucy.

-Keith!

Now, then, Keith...

-I've got a tough act to follow here.

-You have got a tough act to follow.

Er, I know Snoopy. Not personally, but...

HE LAUGHS

Um... That's going to be too obvious.

Peppermint Patty's another one. I think Monroe was a character,

-and that's what I'm going to go for.

-You're going to go for Monroe.

The high scorers are Jake and Barney, on 21.

You are on nothing. If you can score 20 or less with this answer...

..you are through to the next round. Let's see if Monroe's correct,

if it is, how many people said it. There is your red line.

Below that, you are through to the next round.

Bad luck!

-From hero to zero, I'm afraid.

-LAUGHTER

I'm afraid that's an incorrect answer,

which means you score the maximum of 100 points.

Takes your total up to 100. Richard?

I'm so sorry. That seems very unfair.

-Monroe is Charles Schulz's middle name, I'm afraid.

-Oh!

If you had said Peppermint Patty, which you know absolutely,

it would've scored you six points.

You'd be safely through to the next round.

Snoopy, as you rightly say, that's a big score.

It's 48. And Max Yasgur is the man on whose land Woodstock was held,

the original Woodstock. That was an incorrect answer as well.

Very good. Thank you, Richard.

So, at the end of round one, the losing pair with the highest score, it's Darren and Keith!

Oh, dear! You're still smiling, though, Keith, which is great.

He knew nothing and then he got no points!

-He knew nothing and scored nothing.

-It clearly, clearly doesn't matter.

-It clearly doesn't.

-We'll be back.

-You most certainly will be back.

It's been brilliant having you here. I'm sorry to say goodbye,

but lovely contestants. Fantastic. Thanks for playing.

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

Only two pairs will make it through to the head-to-head,

so one team will be leaving us at the end of this round.

Our category for round two this afternoon is history.

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

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

OK. Our second-round question concerns...

historical events and their countries.

We're about to show you a list of historic events.

We asked 100 people to tell us in which country

each event took place. Richard?

Yeah. We're going to show you six historical events

on each pass, and all you have to do is tell us the country that it took place in.

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

An incorrect answer will score 100 points.

See if any of these 12 you can get at home.

We're looking for modern-day country names,

and by country we mean a member of the UN which is a sovereign state.

Thank you very much, Richard. So we are looking for the country

in which these historic events took place.

And we have got...

-So, Pamela...

-Yes.

-..you're first out of the blocks.

-How confident are you feeling?

-I love history.

-It's one of my most favourite topics ever.

-I am so pleased!

Unfortunately it's the only O level that I failed at high school.

LAUGHTER

So I'm just going to have to play a little bit safe,

but maybe... I'll say... storming of the Bastille in France.

OK. Storming of the Bastille in France.

-Little bit safe, but...

-Yeah.

-..better safe than sorry.

-Yeah.

-OK. Well, let's hope that works for you.

Let's see if it's right, and if it is, how many people said storming of the Bastille was France.

68.

It's 32 better than 100, Pamela. Not that bad.

-68 for France, Richard.

-Yeah. 14th of July 1789,

the storming of the Bastille, in the very early days of the Revolution.

There were only seven prisoners inside it at the time.

-They kept that quiet, didn't they?

-Yeah, they did.

LAUGHTER

OK, thanks, Richard. Now, then, Jo...

This is going to be a total guess, cos I have no clue on any of them.

-You have no clue about any of these?

-No.

-Oh, dear.

-So as a complete guess, I'm going to go for...

-Yeah?

-..reign of Ferdinand and Isabella,

-and I'm going to say Spain.

-You're going to say Spain

for Ferdinand and Isabella. OK. Let's see if it's right,

and if it is, let's see how any people knew that answer.

Very well done, Jo. That was a brilliant guess.

APPLAUSE

And a pleasingly low-scoring one, as well.

29 for that. Richard?

This is like a fluke special, isn't it?

Yeah, Ferdinand and Isabella.

Ferdinand set up the Spanish Inquisition,

he funded Columbus's travels,

and one of their children was Catherine of Aragon.

-Lucky!

-Isabella sounded Spanish.

THEY LAUGH

Very good. Well, it scored you 29, so well done.

-Now, then, Barney.

-Yes, Alexander?

Remember we're looking for the modern-day country

in which these events took place.

OK. Well, I can tell you that Pompeii...

was in an episode of Dr Who.

LAUGHTER

I'm going to go Pompeii,

Italy.

Pompeii, Italy, you're going to say. Let's see if it's right,

and if it is, how many people said Pompeii, Italy.

Very well done.

61, that scores you.

Not a terrible score at all. 61 for Pompeii, Italy, Richard.

It's a little like being at the International Symposium of Historians.

Isn't it?

Er, yes. Pompeii, Italy, Dr Who. Absolutely right,

and I'm looking forward to your thesis.

LAUGHTER

Shall we fill in the board? Alexander, do you fancy any of these?

Jesse Owens was actually a very high scorer.

-Germany, is it?

-Yes, it was the Berlin Games,

-so it's in Germany. The Boer War?

-South Africa.

Absolutely right. Would have scored 40.

The best answer is Biafra declares independence.

-Well done if you got that. Any ideas?

-Nigeria.

-Nigeria. Exactly right.

It would've scored eight points, so well done if you got that at home.

Let's take a look at the scores, as we are halfway through the round.

On 29, Jo.

-29!

-Not bad!

It's like having Simon Schama standing in front of me.

Then we come to Barney and Jake. Dr Who.

-All about Dr Who.

-All about Dr Who.

Taught me pretty much everything I know.

On 61, and then on 68, not very far ahead, Pamela and Stephanie.

Stephanie, nominally you are the high scorers,

but I wouldn't say there's that much in it.

So anything can happen in this next pass.

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

We're going to put six more historic events on the board,

and here they are.

Remember we're looking for the modern-day country

in which these events took place,

and you're trying to find the one the fewest of our 100 people knew.

Now, then, Jake, you're on 61. You're not the high scorers.

The high scorers are Stephanie and Pamela on 68.

If you can score six or less with this answer,

you are through to the head-to-head.

I do know some of them,

so I'm going to go for...

I'm going to go ancient Olympics and Greece.

Let's see if Greece is indeed the answer to the ancient Olympics,

and if it is, how many people said it.

There. We're gone.

71.

APPLAUSE

Quite a high-scoring one, not surprisingly,

and that takes your score up to 132. Richard.

Er, yeah. The first champions were recorded in 776 BC

in the Olympic Games.

Now, then, Richard, you are through to the next round whatever happens.

You are on 29. Even if you score 100,

there's no way you will overtake Jake and Barney's high score of 132.

I think I'm going to try and have a bit of a guess then,

at the storming of the Winter Palace.

Oh, I don't know.

Norway. HE CHUCKLES

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

Bad luck. Unfortunately Norway's an incorrect answer,

but who cares? You're through to the next round.

Your score total is 129. Richard?

Yes. Not Norway, I'm afraid, unless we've uncovered a whole new strain

of historical thought, which I'm not ruling out.

I won't say what the answer is,

just in case the other team want to have a go.

Now, then, Stephanie, you are on 68.

If you can score 63 or less,

you are through to the head-to-head.

Remember, we are looking for the modern-day country

in which these historic events took place.

I'm going to say India

and the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.

India, the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. Here comes your red line.

If you can get below that red line, you are through to the head-to-head.

If you're not, we say goodbye to you,

and Jake and Barney go through to the head-to-head.

OK. Let's see if India is right

for the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi,

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

It's right.

Oh!

-HE LAUGHS

-Oh!

64, that scores you.

It takes you to precisely 132.

-Very, very exciting.

-APPLAUSE

That means you are both joint high scorers.

There is going to have to be a tiebreak. Richard?

Yeah. It's not highbrow, but it's quite exciting.

-THEY LAUGH

-Yeah!

Yeah, Mahatma Gandhi is 64 points. 1948, he was assassinated.

Well, this is ridiculously exciting.

The tied pairs have to give me one more answer each.

Now, your scores are going to be reset to zero,

and the pair that gets the lowest score will win.

You are now allowed to confer - for what it's worth.

THEY LAUGH

We're looking for the modern-day country

in which these events took place.

OK. Stephanie and Pamela, you are going to go first.

Whoo!

What answer are you going to give me?

I'm going to plump for, because I'm pretty sure about it,

storming of the Winter Palace, and that's Russia.

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

SHE WHISPERS

It's right.

-38.

-CHEERING

It's a good one.

APPLAUSE Yeah.

OK. 38 for you, Stephanie and Pamela.

Now, then, Jake and Barney...

38 is the score you must be lower than.

-OK.

-THEY LAUGH

-OK. Here we go.

-Are you ready for this?

We're going to go for the Hundred Flowers Campaign,

-which, of course, was in the Netherlands.

-Netherlands.

OK. Let's see if that is a correct answer,

and if it is, how many people said it.

The score you have to get lower than is 38.

37 or less will see you through to the head-to-head,

but it has to be correct. Netherlands.

Bad luck! That is an incorrect answer.

You score 100 points.

So, Stephanie and Pamela,

you are through to the head-to-head. Richard?

That sound you can hear is a nation of history teachers sighing.

THEY LAUGH

Watergate everyone avoided, and it is a big score,

so the United States, and the high scorer on the board with 66.

The bombing of Guernica is, of course, Spain.

The Germans bombed it and it inspired Picasso's famous painting.

The Hundred Flowers Campaign. Do you know? It's not the Netherlands.

It's not Belgium, either.

-It's China.

-China!

-It's China.

1956, Mao Zedong's attempt

to get people to tell him what they thought about Communism.

Well done if you got that. It's the best answer on the board.

Thanks, Richard. So, at the end of round two,

the losing pair with the high score, I'm afraid it's Jake and Barney.

Well, you made it through to round two, which was good.

-Better than last time.

-Better than last time.

But alas, no trophy. But thank you very much for playing.

You've been great contestants. Thanks very much.

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

Well done, Jo and Richard, Stephanie and Pamela.

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

Only one pair can make it through to the final and play for the jackpot, which currently stands at £1,500.

You'll go head-to-head on the best of three questions. For each one,

each pair needs to give me just one answer.

You are now allowed to confer. Come up with an answer that scores less than the other pair,

and you will win that question. The first pair to the best of three will play for today's jackpot.

Let's play Pointless.

Here is your first question. Good luck.

We gave 100 people 100 seconds

to name as many pedestrian crossings with animal names as they could.

Pedestrian crossings with animal names. Richard?

Yeah. A good question. In the Highway Code up to the start of 2011,

under rules for pedestrians, there are four crossings listed

which have animals in their names.

Which is the most obscure of those crossings?

Phew! Right. Jo and Richard, because you played best

throughout the show so far, you get to go first.

We are looking for pedestrian crossings with animal names.

-We'll go for that one, then.

-We're going to go for pelican crossing.

You're going to go for pelican? OK.

-Stephanie and Pamela?

-We're going to have to go for "zeebra". Or zebra.

-"Zeebra".

-Tomato, "tomayto".

-Potato, "potahto".

I will call the whole thing off, actually, if you...

THEY LAUGH

OK. We have pelican, we have zebra. In the order they were given,

Jo and Richard went for pelican. Let's see if it's right,

and if it is, how many people said it. Pelican crossing.

-It's right. Ooh!

-Ooh...

Got a high score there. 91 for pelican crossing.

Zebra crossing. Let's see if that's right,

and if it is, how many people said zebra crossing.

-Ooh!

-Oh!

94! So, after the first question it is one-nil to Jo and Richard.

APPLAUSE

-Richard?

-As we can see there, everyone knows zebra and pelican.

It's a question of what are the other two.

Let's take a look. They're all rather well-named, I think.

Puffin crossing, which is like a pelican crossing,

but if you press the light and walk across before it goes red,

it will cancel it, so it's pedestrian user-friendly intelligent crossing.

Er, toucan crossing, which is again like a pelican crossing

but one that bikes can use as well, so "two can",

so they call it the toucan crossing. Pelican crossing,

which comes from pedestrian light-controlled crossing, 91,

and zebra crossing, 94. So toucan crossing and puffin crossing.

-You learn something new every day, don't you?

-You really do, Richard.

-Thank you very much for that.

-Absolute pleasure.

OK. Here is your second question.

Jo and Richard, if you win this, you are straight through to the final.

Stephanie and Pamela, you have to win this one to stay in the game.

We gave 100 people 100 seconds

to name as many double-letter states as they could.

-Double-letter states, Richard.

-Yeah. There are nine US states

that contain at least one double letter -

that's the same letter occurring next to each other.

OK. Thank you very much indeed.

Stephanie and Pamela, you get to go first this time.

-Tennessee? Mississippi?

-Tallahassee.

-OK.

-I think we're going to go for Tallahassee.

-Tallahassee?

-Yeah.

-Jo and Richard?

-Shall we go for Dallas, then?

-Yeah, Dallas.

-We've been through a few, but we'll go for Dallas.

You're going for Dallas.

We have Tallahassee and we have Dallas.

Let's put them to the test in the order they were given.

Stephanie and Pamela said Tallahassee. If that's right, let's see how many people said it.

No. Unfortunately that's an incorrect answer.

Jo and Richard have gone for Dallas. All it needs to be is correct

at this stage.

Ooh, that's not correct either. Richard?

Yeah. Shall we forget this one ever happened, as well?

Stephanie and Pamela, Tallahassee's in Florida,

-and Dallas is in Texas.

-Texas.

Neither of them are states. Let's look at nine things that are states.

Pennsylvania would have scored two, Minnesota seven,

Connecticut eight. There's Tennessee, so a very good answer on nine,

and Missouri on nine as well.

Massachusetts and Illinois both on 11,

Hawaii with a double I at the end there on 17,

and the classic of all double-letter states, Mississippi, on 49.

OK. Thanks very much, Richard. Here is your third question.

Again, Jo and Richard, if you can get this question,

you are straight through to the final.

We gave 100 people 100 seconds

to name as many D.I.S.C.O. words as they could. Richard?

They can put any of the words or phrases

for which the letters D.I.S.C.O. stand

in the song by Ottawan. There are 16 different phrases or words,

and where it's a phrase, we'll need all the words of it, please.

OK. Jo and Richard, you get to go first this time.

I'm not going to say it.

Which one do you want? Shall we go for the...

-THEY WHISPER

-Super sexy.

We think I is irresistible.

I, irresistible.

OK.

We have irresistible from Jo and Richard.

-Stephanie and Pamela?

-I'm going for S, super sexy.

-Super sexy.

-S, super sexy.

Let's take them in the order they've been given.

Jo and Richard are going for irresistible.

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

Well done. It's right.

-Down it goes. 13!

-CHEERING

13 for irresistible.

Stephanie and Pamela have gone for super sexy.

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

Super sexy.

It's right!

Will it go down further than irresistible?

Ooh!

17.

Which result means that, after three questions,

Jo and Richard are through to the final two-nil.

-Richard?

-They were actually the top two answers.

There were a couple of "S"s, though, that were pointless.

Instead of saying super sexy, if you'd said superficial

or super special, you'd have won the point. They were pointless.

Disastrous and complicated were both pointless.

Crazy, crazy and candy both would have scored you one point.

Sensational, two, impossible, two, delightful, five,

incredible, seven, delirious, eight.

Actually, I must listen to this song less.

LAUGHTER

Oh, oh, oh is nine, cutie, ten, desirable, 11,

and there's the two everybody heard - irresistible, 13, and super sexy, 17.

OK. Thanks, Richard. So the losing pair at the end of the head-to-head,

I'm afraid it's you, Stephanie and Pamela.

Never mind. We will see you again next time

when you'll bring all this newfound Pointless know-how to play,

and I'm sure you will do fantastically well.

Thanks so much for playing. Great contestants. Thank you.

But for Jo and Richard, it's now time for our Pointless final,

and the chance to win our jackpot of £1,500.

Congratulations, Jo and Richard. You've seen off all the competition,

and you have won our coveted Pointless trophy. Very well done.

Brilliant.

You now have a chance to win our Pointless jackpot.

At the end of today's show, the jackpot stands at £1,500.

The rules are very simple. To win that money,

all you have to do is find a pointless answer,

an answer that none of our 100 people gave.

We've had two pointless answers today.

You only have to find one more.

First you've got to choose a category,

and you can choose from these three options. Here they are.

Which do you want?

-Um...

-I don't think American fiction.

-No.

-That's out straight away.

-Wildlife...

-HE CHUCKLES

-Possibly. Media...

-I think we're going to know more about media.

-Let's hope so.

Yeah. We're going to go for media.

OK. Well, let's find out what the question is.

Here goes. We gave 100 people 100 seconds

to name as many directors-general of the BBC as they could.

Directors-general of the BBC, Richard.

We're looking for any permanent general manager

or director-general of the BBC from 1922

right through to the start of 2011.

We're not looking for anyone who's had that post

on a temporary basis, in case you were tempted

to give us one of their names. Any permanent director-general,

as it's now known, of the BBC. I wish you all the luck in the world.

OK! You now have up to one minute to come up with three answers,

and all you need to win that £1,500

is for just one of those answers to be pointless.

Your 60 seconds start now.

-I've got no idea.

-Right!

THEY LAUGH

That's a good basis, then.

So, er... Oh, blimey! Directors-general of the BBC.

It's kind of current affairs, isn't it? But, um...

-the names escape me.

-I haven't even got...

I can picture one guy, but I can't remember his name.

I haven't got an inkling.

I don't know if Adam Crozier was director-general of the BBC.

He did a couple of things. He was the FA, wasn't he?

I think he went to the Post Office. He might have been at the BBC.

Um... Isn't it Eric...

Oh, I can't remember his name. Terry...

John Birt as well, I think.

And there's another guy, but I can't remember.

Um... I want to say Eric Sykes, but I don't think it's him.

THEY LAUGH But it's something like that.

Um...

Five seconds.

Just...give the two you've given, and make someone up.

OK. There is your minute up.

We were looking for directors-general of the BBC.

I now need three answers from you.

I think there's a guy called John Birt.

-John Birt.

-We'll go for Adam Crozier.

Adam Crozier.

And I can't think of this other guy's name,

so, um, we will go for...um, somebody who came from media, so...

-somebody like Alan Sugar. It's not going to be Alan Sugar, but...

-OK.

-But Alan Sugar.

-Why not? Why not?

-Of those three,

which is your most confident answer to be pointless?

-The most confident to be pointless I guess would be John Birt.

-OK.

We'll put him last. Shall we put Alan Sugar first?

-Yeah.

-Lovely. We'll put them up on the board in that order.

There they are. We were looking for directors-general of the BBC.

You said this was your least-confident answer.

You only have to find one pointless answer to win that £1,500 jackpot.

So let's see if your first answer is correct,

and if it is, let's see if anyone said Alan Sugar.

Yeah. OK. Well, we knew that, we knew that.

Unfortunately that is not a pointless answer.

That was just one to fill a place.

You only have two more chances to win today's jackpot.

£1,500. How would you spend that?

We're hoping to move house, so it would help a little towards that.

Very good. OK. Well, we were looking for directors-general of the BBC.

Let's hope nobody said your next answer,

Adam Crozier. You mentioned the Post Office and the FA.

Did he also head the BBC?

Let's find out. Is it right, and if it is, how many people said Adam Crozier?

Well, it was a good guess.

Happens to be wrong, so I'm afraid that also isn't a pointless answer.

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

Now, this last one - where did this name come from?

I don't know. I don't know where it's come from,

so it could be completely made up.

You said this was the answer you had most faith in.

It's your best shot at a pointless answer.

Let's see if it's right. If it's right, it could go a long way down,

maybe. This for the jackpot of £1,500.

Let's see if John Birt is right, and if it is,

let's see how many people said it. John Birt.

It's right!

It's right.

Down it goes. 50s. 40s. This has to go all the way down.

Into the teens. Single figures! Down it goes. Six!

-Oh!

-APPLAUSE

Close!

That was a good answer, Richard. A good answer.

Scored you six. You didn't manage to find that all-important pointless answer,

so you don't win today's jackpot of £1,500,

which rolls over to the next show, but you have been amazing contestants.

You do take home our Pointless trophy, of course.

APPLAUSE

-So, Richard...

-Yeah. Unlucky, Jo and Richard.

I think the Eric Sykes you're thinking of may be Greg Dyke.

-Yeah.

-He would have scored 17 points,

so he's not a pointless,

but he was a director-general. There's only five pointless answers.

Lots of the directors-general got points.

Let's look at the five pointless ones.

Cecil Graves, who was director-general briefly

during the Second World War, Charles Curran,

who was director-general from 1969 to '77,

Hugh Carleton Greene, who was Graham Greene's brother

and Charles Curran's predecessor. Ian Trethowan.

He took over from Charles Curran,

and Ian Jacob. Those were all pointless.

Very well done if you got any of those.

Thank you. Unfortunately we have to say goodbye to you, Jo and Richard.

It's been great having you on the show. Thank you.

APPLAUSE

Nobody's won our jackpot today, which means it rolls over

onto the next show, when we will be playing for £2,500.

CHEERING

Join us next time to see if someone can win it.

-Meanwhile, goodbye from Richard...

-Goodbye.

-And from me. Goodbye.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd