Episode 33 Pointless

APPLAUSE

Thank you very much indeed. Hello, I'm Alexander Armstrong.

Welcome to Pointless, the quiz where the lowest scorers are the biggest winners.

Let's meet today's players.

We welcome back Susan and Wayne. You were on the show last time.

Everyone gets two chances to reach the Pointless final. This your last chance.

Susan, how do you two know each other?

We've been married for five years.

-And how did you get on last time, Wayne?

-We did OK in the first round.

-It was Round Two, wasn't it?

-Round Two, yes. It was Politics.

-That's right! We had Nick, Ed and Dave.

-Indeed.

You gave us David Miliband and Nick Clegg!

-Whay!

-Good obscure knowledge!

-Yes, quite obvious!

-Very good.

Actually, talking of second names, your surname is fantastic.

-Wayne Friday.

-Yes, indeed.

-Wayne Friday!

-From the clan Friday.

Wayne Friday! That's the best name ever!

-I know!

-You should be at the front of a band! Wayne Friday and the...

Wayne Friday and Something For The Weekend.

That's what I'd call it.

Welcome back to the show, Susan and Wayne.

Round Two last time. We've got to hope you're finalists, our only returning pair.

-BOTH: We hope.

-Well, very, very best of luck.

And next we welcome Aidan and Gavin. How do you two know each other?

We both play for Whalley Rangers.

-You've probably all heard of Whalley Rangers.

-Yes!

We're a five-a-side football society.

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

-I've been in a lot of musicals,

so that's something at the back of my mind.

Sport's always quite good, particularly cricket.

-Gavin, how about you?

-I've been collecting records since I was about seven, eight.

And I do a community radio show on a Sunday,

-playing stuff from charity shops.

-That's fantastic!

Comedy things you've found in charity shops or...?

It can be comedy. I played a bit of Ken Dodd the other day.

But are they genuinely things that you like?

Some I like, some I don't,

but it's rescuing something from a dusty corner of a charity shop

and giving it a bit of love and attention.

-So, old "Mrs Mills" records!

-That kind of thing.

-Excellent!

Very best of luck with that. Great to have you on the show.

Next we welcome Steven and Tanya. How do you two know each other?

-We work together and are quite good friends, aren't we, Tanya?

-Yes.

Do you hear how he qualifies that? Just "quite good friends"!

I think we're quite good friends. I don't think Tanya quite agrees.

-Tanya, what do you reckon?

-We are.

-Really good friends?

-Yes.

-Whose idea was it to come on Pointless?

-It was mine.

-And Steven - the obvious choice?

-No, no.

-No, I wasn't.

A colleague of mine was the obvious choice and I butted in and offered my services.

-Didn't take no for an answer.

-Fair enough!

-Anything you're looking forward to coming up?

-Football.

Comic books.

-Maybe soap operas.

-OK.

Tanya, anything you want to add to that?

Maybe geography, that sort of thing, yes.

-European geography, world geography?

-Yes.

-OK.

Very, very best of luck. It's great to have you here.

Finally, Yasmin and Heather. How do you two know each other?

We met 21-and-a-half years ago when Yasmin was born. We're mum and daughter.

-Where are you from, Yasmin?

-Newport in South Wales.

And what do you do, Yasmin?

I'm a full-time student. I'm studying criminology in Newport University.

-How about you, Heather?

-I'm also a student.

I work part-time in a department store,

but I'm a full-time student at the same university.

Wow! Did you start at the same time?

No, I started a year earlier.

How's that been, Yasmin?

It's great. I bump into her in the bar in uni now and again.

That's great! I really wish my mum had been at university with me.

-Ah, that would've been awesome, wouldn't it?

-Yes.

I'm quite glad, actually, maybe she wasn't.

We were at university together. I might've pulled your mum.

LAUGHTER

Just met her in the bar one evening. "Ah, Mrs Armstrong...!"

-How do you know you didn't, Richard?

-LAUGHTER

Yes. You might've.

Mm. I've actually gone red!

-Have you?

-Yeah! I have.

Well, Yasmin and Heather, it's lovely to have you here.

We'll find out more about all of you throughout the show.

There's only one person left for me to introduce.

Here's here to destroy common knowledge,

-he's my Pointless friend, he's Richard.

-Hiya!

Hello! Hi, everyone.

I haven't quite got over the last show yet. Have you?

-No!

-The single biggest and most profitable fluke in Pointless history.

-That was amazing.

-I asked for politicians called Nick, David or Ed

and Natalie said, "I don't know anyone at all.

"I'm going to pick one of those names and add a colour to it."

There's only one answer and she came up with it -

Nick Brown, former agriculture secretary. Gordon Brown's chief whip.

Saw her through to the final, won an absolutely fortune.

-Amazing, wasn't it?

-There you are.

So I think we're back on solid ground today.

We've only one returning pair - Susan and Wayne. Didn't see much of them last time.

-So everything up for grabs.

-Thanks very much, Richard.

All our questions have been put to 100 people before the show.

In order to be in with a chance of winning our jackpot,

our contestants need to find the obscure answers those 100 people couldn't get.

The fewer of the 100 people who knew the answer, the fewer points they will score.

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

an answer that none of our 100 people gave.

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

As Richard said, Natalie and Vanessa won the jackpot last time,

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

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

In this first round, each of you must give me one answer and you cannot confer.

Whichever pair has the highest score will be eliminated, so make sure that's not you.

Our first category today is...

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

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

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

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

-Richard.

-I can't believe we haven't done this category before.

We've done about 4,000 shows and it's never come up.

We're looking for any Top 40 hit released by Elton John,

or which had him as a named featured artist.

So Any Elton John single that's reached the Top 40 prior to April 2012.

EPs don't count.

Thanks, Richard. Susan and Wayne, you all drew lots before the show

and today, you go first.

-So, Wayne, Elton John...

-Yes.

Erm, I do like Elton John and there's quite a few answers,

but, erm, I'm trying to think of an obscure one.

Erm...

Let's go with, erm,

-Nikita.

-Nikita, says Wayne.

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

-18.

-APPLAUSE

18 for Nikita.

Solid start from Wayne. A number-three hit in 1985.

-Gavin.

-I'm not a big Elton John fan.

Ah, but still! Charity shops... You must have a few Elton Johns.

One I can think of is I'm Still Standing.

I'm Still Standing, says Gavin. Let's see how many of our 100 people said I'm Still Standing.

-21.

-APPLAUSE

From 1983, I'm Still Standing. A number-four hit.

He's had so many hits! So many proper big hits.

-Yes. And for decades.

-Absolutely right.

-Now then, Steven.

-Not the strongest subject, I must admit.

But I'll go with Tiny Dancer.

Tiny Dancer, says Steven. Let's see if that's right

and let's see how many people said Tiny Dancer.

APPLAUSE & CHEERING

Very well played, Steven.

That's why Tanya picked you. That scores 1.

-Very impressive score there.

-Well played, Steven.

Funnily enough, never a hit for Elton John in his own right. I think it's his best song.

But it was a big hit for Ironik Featuring Elton John and Chipmunk.

Thanks very much, Richard.

Yasmin, what's the most obscure Elton John Top 40 single you can think of?

There's a few, I just don't know which one's more obscure.

I think I'll go for one he featured on.

Ghetto Gospel.

Ghetto Gospel, says Yasmin. Let's see if that's right,

let's see how many of our 100 said Ghetto Gospel.

Absolutely right.

Very well done! That's fabulous, Yasmin! That's a pointless answer!

It adds £250 to today's jackpot. Takes the total up to...

It scores you nothing. Very well done indeed.

Very well played, Yasmin. That's the way to introduce yourself to Pointless.

Ghetto Gospel, from 2005. A number-one hit single, Elton John and Tupac.

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

Yasmin and Heather looking strong, after that brilliant pointless answer from Yasmin.

Then up to 1, where we find Steven and Tanya.

Up to 18, where we find Wayne and Susan.

And then up to 21, where we find DJ Gavin and Aidan.

You're not that far ahead, Aidan,

but you'll need to find a good low-scoring answer on the next pass to keep you in the game.

OK, can the second players please take their places at the podium?

OK, we are looking for Elton John UK Top 40 Singles.

Heather, you're on 0 after that fantastic answer from Yasmin.

The high scorers are Aidan and Gavin on 21.

If you can score 20 or less, you are though to the next round.

I do like Elton John.

I'm looking back a bit to think of something that's a little bit older,

so I'm going to go with Crocodile Rock.

Crocodile Rock, says Heather.

Here is your red line. If you can get below that line, you avoid becoming our high scorers.

Crocodile Rock. Is it right? How many people said it?

It's right.

-31 for Crocodile Rock.

-APPLAUSE

-31 - Crocodile Rock.

-The biggest score so far.

It was his first number-one single in the US.

Tanya, the high scorers are now Heather and Yasmin on 31.

You are on 1. If you can score 29 or less,

you are through to the next round.

Er, I'll have a guess with this one.

A Song For Guy.

A Song For Guy, says Tanya. Let's see.

Is it right? How many people said it?

Absolutely right.

Yep, you're through. Very well done.

-Ooh, 6!

-APPLAUSE

-Very well played indeed, Tanya. Takes your total up to 7.

-Well done.

A Song For Guy - one of the few hits that he wrote all by himself.

-Without Bernie Taupin?

-Bernie Taupin or any of his other co-writers, who I won't mention.

I see.

Aidan, you are on 21. The high scorers on 31 are Heather and Yasmin.

If you can score 9 or less, you are through to the next round.

OK, the one I'm going to go for

I believe was a double A-side, so I don't know if it matters which one I say,

so I'll say Sacrifice.

Sacrifice, says Aidan. Here's your red line. Quite low.

Get below that red line, though, you are through to the next round.

Sacrifice. Is it right? How many people said it?

Absolutely right.

-Ooh! 12!

-APPLAUSE

12. Takes your total up to 33.

It's just the wrong score, isn't it?

-That was his first UK solo number one, amazingly.

-Really?

-Never had a number one before.

Isn't that incredible, when you think of the huge hits he's had before then?

-So, Susan...

-Mm.

-Susan, are you feeling confident?

-No!

Well, let me tell you,

the high scorers on 33 are Aidan and Gavin.

If you can score 14 or less, you are through to the next round.

I'm thinking of quite a recent one.

There was a video with Robert Downey Jr singing the song

and I think I know what it is and I think it's quite obscure,

but I'm worried I'll get it wrong,

so I'll go with one that I do know is right.

-Is it a low score?

-I don't know! Erm, it's called Daniel.

-Daniel.

-Yes.

-Daniel. 14 is what you have to score.

There is what 14 looks like on the column.

Get below that red line, you are through to Round Two.

How many of our 100 people said Daniel?

It's right.

Oh, no! Bad luck, Susan!

-28!

-APPLAUSE

28. Takes your total up to a whopping 46.

-I'm sorry.

-Sorry, Susan.

Another one of his well-known songs. Written and recorded in one day.

Bernie Taupin wrote the lyrics upstairs and took them down to Elton.

What was the one you were going to go for?

I wanted to say I Want Love.

-That is exactly the title.

-Oh, no. Please tell me it was awful!

-Not only would it have scored you less points, it was a pointless answer.

-I'm sorry!

As you say, a more modern one from 2001.

Oh, no! OK, never mind.

It's one of those things. Let's take a look at the pointless answers.

There's Ghetto Gospel, from Yasmin. I Saw Her Standing There.

I Want Love.

Little Jeannie. Runaway Train with Eric Clapton.

Something About The Way You Look Tonight was pointless.

READS LIST

The Bitch Is Back. Kiss The Bride. Well done if you said any of those.

Take a look at the most popular answers.

These are the most well-known Elton John singles.

Here's the top-three most well-known.

We've already heard number three from Heather. That was Crocodile Rock.

Number two was Rocket Man. Would've scored you 35.

And right at the top, no surprise, Candle In The Wind - 63.

Obviously it was a big hit over here,

but it was in the Canadian Top 20 for three years.

It spent 46 weeks at number 1.

In its 1970s incarnation or its 1990s?

In its 1990s incarnation. 46 weeks at number one.

Very good.

-Thanks very much, Richard.

-Pleasure.

At the end of our first round the pair who'll be leaving us,

with the highest score of 46...

-I know.

-..are Susan and Wayne, our returning pair.

-I said you'd be finalists.

-I know.

-I was convinced!

I wish I hadn't have known a pointless answer.

-That really doesn't help, does it?

-No.

-I've got a lot of apologising to do.

-That's all right, then!

Think of the glory you'd be covered in now

-if you'd said I Want Love.

-I know. Don't rub it in!

-Put the jackpot up to 1,500!

-I know.

Wayne running round the studio with you on his shoulders! "Ayy!"

-I

-knew

-a pointless answer, I can take that home.

-You can.

I just didn't say it!

-We have to say goodbye.

-I know. Thank you.

Such a shame. Susan and Wayne, lovely having you on the show.

-Far too soon to be saying goodbye. Excellent contestants.

-Thank you.

APPLAUSE

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

So four pairs become three pairs

and at the end of this round, three pairs become two as we approach the head-to-head.

That round was very, very revealing.

Very best to all three pairs.

Our category for Round Two is...

Historical Figures. Can you all decide who's going to go first?

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

OK, our question concerns...

Figures Of The 18th Century. Richard.

We'll give you a series of clues to prominent figures who were active in the 1700s.

Can you name them, please? We will accept just surnames.

The more obscure your answer, the fewer points you will score. Incorrect answers score 100 points.

There's 12 to have a go at at home. Very best of luck.

We are looking for the figures described by these clues.

We have got...

I'll read those one last time.

There we are. Six clues to famous 18th-century figures.

You're going to try and find the one the fewest of our 100 people knew.

-Gavin.

-It doesn't look too bad. I've got a good chance of getting a few of those.

I'll go for the Artist Whose Engravings Include 'Gin Lane' as Hogarth.

Hogarth, says Gavin. Let's see if that's right.

Let's see how many people knew that answer. Hogarth.

Absolutely right.

-11.

-APPLAUSE

Not bad at all, Gavin.

-Hogarth.

-Well done, Gavin. Its companion piece was Beer Street.

It was supposed to extol the virtues of beer and warn of the evils of gin.

It was a big deal, gin, wasn't it, back then?

-People used to make their own.

-Huge gin palaces in London.

Tanya! Tanya.

This must be the worst thing. I cannot really think much of any of the answers.

I'll have to have a really big guess at the Poet Who Wrote 'Auld Lang Syne',

Robbie Burns?

Robbie Burns, says Tanya.

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

-47.

-APPLAUSE

47. Not bad, Tanya. It's a lot better than 100.

-Well guessed. Richard?

-Celebrated by his countrymen on January 25th, Burns Night - his birthday.

His countrymen being the Scots, of course.

Oh, yes. Thanks, Richard.

Yasmin, you're the last person to have this board, so you can talk us through it.

I'd love to be able to.

This is the worst thing that could come up for me. I have no idea.

I'll have to take a guess.

I said to the contestants if I didn't know an answer I would just say Smith,

so I'll say Smith...

..for President of the USA.

The First President of the USA - Smith.

Let's see if that's right and how many people said 'Smith' for the First President of the USA.

Bad luck, Yasmin.

-You should've tried a colour!

-I know!

Bad luck. That's an incorrect answer and scores 100 points.

-Richard.

-Sorry, Yasmin. Did you know there's never been a President Smith

in the history of the United States.

-Extraordinary! What an oversight.

-LAUGHTER

-There's a gap in the market, certainly.

-Definitely, yes.

The First President of the United States - George Washington.

Would've scored you 34 points.

Let's test Xander on some of these.

-The Author of the English Dictionary Published 1755?

-Doctor Johnson.

Yes. Samuel Johnson. Would've scored 8 points.

-Wrote the Music for the Royal Fireworks?

-George Frideric Handel.

Quite a big scorer. Well done to our 100. 29 points.

The best answer on the board, the Artist Who Painted 'Mr & Mrs Andrews'.

-It's Gainsborough.

-It is. Thomas Gainsborough. Very well done.

4 points. Well done if you got that at home.

Thank you very much. We're halfway through the round. Let's take a look at the scores.

11 - best score of that pass. Gavin and Aidan looking very strong.

Then up to 47, where we find Tanya and Steven.

And it's quite a hike up to 100, where we find Yasmin and Heather.

So then, Heather, you get first dibs on the next board.

Find a nice low-scoring answer and let's hope that's enough to keep you in the game.

OK, can the second players please take their places at the podium?

OK, let's put six more clues on the board. Here they are.

We have got...

I'll read all of those one more time.

We are looking for the 18th-century figures described by these clues.

Heather, you have to find one

you think the fewest of our 100 people knew.

Well, erm, I'll have to look for something...

I'll have to take a risk rather than play safe.

So I'm going to go for the Utilitarian Philosopher

and I'm going to say John Stuart Mill.

John Stuart Mill, says Heather. John Stuart Mill.

There's no red line for you.

Let's see if John Stuart Mill is right and how many said it.

-Bad luck.

-Oh, well!

That's an incorrect answer, which scores you 100 points. Takes your total up to 200.

-Richard.

-Sorry, Heather. You had to take a risk, though.

I'll give you the correct answer at the end of the pass.

Steven, you're through to the head-to-head, whatever happens.

I don't have a clue about any single one of them, so I'll take a guess.

The Inventor Who Patented An Improved Steam Engine,

I will go with...

..James Harrison.

-James Harrison.

-Yes.

James Harrison. No red line for you as you are already through.

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

Bad luck. An incorrect answer, which scores you the maximum of 100 points.

Takes your total up to 147.

OK, there we are. Aidan, you're on 11.

You are through to the head-to-head whatever happens.

Talk us through the board, if you can.

The top one, I can't think of an answer to, unfortunately.

Robinson Crusoe was, I believe, Robert Louis Stevenson.

The Queen of France will be Marie-Antoinette.

The Prime Minister, I ought to know. I can't remember his name. Fortunately, it doesn't matter.

The Inventor Who Patented The Steam Engine, I'm guessing would be Stephenson.

And the composer, Mozart or Beethoven.

I have a feeling it wasn't Mozart for Salzburg, but it may just be.

I don't think any of them are pointless, so I'll go with Robert Louis Stevenson.

Robert Louis Stevenson, you say, is the author of Robinson Crusoe.

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

No. An incorrect answer, Aidan.

It scores you 100 points, taking your total up to 111.

-Well, that went very well!

-LAUGHTER

Terrifically well done, everybody. That is great!

Treasure Island, perhaps you're getting it mixed up with. Robinson Crusoe was Daniel Defoe.

Would've scored 36 points.

Blimey, we get to fill in the whole board!

Often I'll say, "You took us through the board very well"

but you got them all wrong apart from, erm...

..apart from the Queen of France, Marie-Antoinette.

Absolutely right. Would've scored 43.

What's the answer to the inventor one?

It's, erm, Watt.

Watt's the answer. Absolutely right. James Watt. 19 points.

The composer was Mozart, not Beethoven. Would've scored 31.

Regarded as the First British Prime Minister?

-I don't know.

-Robert Walpole. It's one of those things you should know and people don't.

4 points that would've scored you.

And the Utilitarian Philosopher,

his body is on display at the University of London in a glass case.

He left it to them. It's still there. Jeremy Bentham.

That would've scored 1 point. Well done if you said that.

Thank you very much. At the end of Round Two,

the losing pair, I'm afraid, our newest members to the 200 Club,

Heather and Yasmin. You had a crack at it.

John Stuart Mill, not a bad guess, but wrong sadly.

But, er, that was a tough board.

In fact, both of those were tough.

I knew a few of them but I knew they'd be high scoring,

so with already 100, I thought I'd just...

-..take a gamble.

-No, you had to.

If you'd got a correct low-scoring answer,

given the answers given by the remaining pairs, you would've been safely through.

-If only you'd known everybody else was going to get 100, as well...

-Exactly.

-That would've made it much easier.

-Yes.

It's been lovely having you on the show, Heather and Yasmin. See you again next time.

-Thanks for playing.

-APPLAUSE

But for the remaining pairs, things are about to get more exciting

as we enter the head-to-head.

Congratulations, Aidan and Gavin, Steven and Tanya. You are one round from the final

and a chance to play for our jackpot which currently stands at...

You're now going to go head-to-head. The first pair to win two questions will play for that jackpot,

the difference being, from now on you are allowed to confer.

You can put your heads together.

Aidan and Gavin, you are our lowest scorers, despite scoring 100 points in the second round.

I wouldn't say covering yourselves in glory in Round One.

Steven and Tanya, what did you make of that 18th-Century Figures round?

-Nightmare.

-It was tough.

-It was tough.

-I knew a few on the first board, so...

-Yes.

Hogarth very much the best score in that entire round, so well done for that, Gavin.

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

Here comes your first question. It concerns...

-Swedes, Richard.

-We'll show you five photographs of different varieties

of swedes or turnip, commonly grown in Britain. No, we're not really!

We're going to show you...

Phew. We'll show you five photographs of people born in Sweden.

Can you identify the most obscure? Very best of luck.

Thanks very much, Richard. Let's reveal our five Swedes.

We have got...

There we are. Five Swedes.

Aidan and Gavin, you played best so you get to go first.

-What do you think of our Swedes?

-I'm just glad they're not the vegetables!

Er...

-B?

-(It's Neneh Cherry, I think.)

-THEY WHISPER

Yes. We're going to go for B, Neneh Cherry.

B, Neneh Cherry.

Now then, Steven and Tanya, talk us through the board.

That was the one we were going to go for.

-I know A and D.

-You can say who they are.

-Sven-Goran Eriksson, Ulrika Jonsson.

-Those names go together very well, don't they?!

I know who C is and I know what he's in, but I can't remember his name.

Was he in one of those Rocky films?

Yeah, he's in Rocky...IV?

Something Van Something?

-What about E?

-He looks like a tennis player, but I don't know.

I know A and D and you knew B, but...

Well, they're both going to be high.

-We'll just have to go for D.

-Yes.

-D, Ulrika Jonsson.

OK, D, Ulrika Jonsson. We have Neneh Cherry and Ulrika Jonsson.

Aidan and Gavin said Neneh Cherry. Let's see how many people said Neneh Cherry.

It's right.

-8!

-APPLAUSE

Very well done.

And Steven and Tanya have said that D is Ulrika Jonsson.

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

-69.

-APPLAUSE

Which means, Aidan and Gavin, after one question, you are up 1-0.

-Richard.

-Couldn't have beaten Neneh Cherry. Born in Stockholm.

Let's take a look through the rest.

Sven-Goran Eriksson would've scored slightly less than Ulrika. 64.

C you recognised from allsorts of films. Dolph Lundgren.

Photographed during the Great Button Shortage of 1987.

18 points he would've scored you.

And E, you're right, he looks like a tennis player, he's Stefan Edberg.

He would've scored you 15 points.

Two of those people famously had an affair, didn't they?

-Remember, Dolph Lundgren and Stefan Edberg?

-Yes! Ooh!

Thanks very much indeed, Richard. Here comes your second question.

Steven and Tanya, you have to win this question.

Question two concerns...

US States and their Capital Cities.

-Richard.

-We're about to show you five sets of abbreviations.

We'll show you two letters, an abbreviation of a state,

and then one letter, which is the first letter of that state's capital.

Can you tell us what the capitals of these states are, please?

OK, let's show you our five abbreviated states

with the initial of their capital. We have got...

I'll read those one last time.

OK, Steven and Tanya, you go first this time.

Remember, you have to win this one.

(..the other one is Boston, Massachusetts.)

Er, I'm not 100 percent, but AZ - P, Pittsburgh, Arizona?

Pittsburgh, Arizona.

Pittsburgh, Arizona, say Steven and Tanya.

-Aidan and Gavin, what do you say?

-I'll defer to Gavin, who can probably talk us through the board.

-Will you, please?

-I'll try!

I think the first one is Nashville, Tennessee.

The second one Hartford, Connecticut.

Boston, Massachusetts is the fourth one.

Austin, Texas. And I think it's Phoenix, Arizona.

But I'll go for Hartford, Connecticut.

Hartford, Connecticut, you're going to say.

OK, so Steven and Tanya have said Pittsburgh, Arizona.

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

Ooh, no! Bad luck. I'm afraid an incorrect answer.

Which means Aidan and Gavin, your answer of Hartford, Connecticut merely has to be correct

and you'll go straight through to the final. Is it right?

It is absolutely right.

-Great answer! 5!

-APPLAUSE

5 for Hartford, Connecticut.

Which means, Aidan and Gavin, after only two questions, you are though to the final 2-0.

-Very well done.

-Well played, Gavin. You took us through the board perfectly, as well.

Pittsburgh is in Pennsylvania. Let's take a look at what the others would've scored.

Arizona is Phoenix. That was the biggest scorer. 25 points.

It's the most populous of any state capital. There's an obscure quiz question for you.

It's got more people than Boston, Massachusetts,

and that would've scored you 9 points.

Austin, Texas. It was originally called Waterloo.

That would've scored you 24. Nashville, Tennessee up the top. 20.

So Hartford, Connecticut, the best answer on that board. Well played.

Thanks very much. So the losing pair at the end of our head-to-head

is Steven and Tanya.

They were quite tough, weren't they? You made it to the head-to-head, which is no mean feat.

We'll see you again next time. Maybe you'll make it through to the final.

Lovely having you on the show, Steven and Tanya.

-Thanks very much for playing.

-BOTH: Thank you.

But for Aidan and Gavin, it's time for our Pointless final.

Congratulations, Aidan and Gavin.

You fought off all the competition and you've won our coveted Pointless trophy.

You now have a chance to win our Pointless jackpot.

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

It was a pretty solid performance throughout the show.

-Are you happy with how things have gone?

-Yeah.

Handy revision subject for Gavin before we came on, the capitals!

Very good indeed.

The rules are simple. To win the money, all you have to do is find a pointless answer.

We've had one pointless answer. You only have to find one

and you will go home with that £1,250.

You've got to choose a category. You have five options. They are...

European authors, I may know some.

19th-century stuff...

-Diplomacy. Are you going to be good on Music Awards?

-Possibly. Depending on...

It's most likely... Acting Greats - that won't be me.

I think Music Awards gives us our best chance. We'll give it a go.

OK, Music Awards it is. Let's find out what the question is.

We gave 100 people 100 seconds to name as many

'Best British Male Brit Award Winners' as they could.

-Richard.

-We're looking for the winner of any Best British Male

or Best British Male Solo Artist at the Brit Awards,

from 1977 all the way through to 2012. Best of luck.

You now have up to one minute to come up with three answers.

All you need to win that £1,250 is for just one of those answers to be Pointless.

Are you ready? OK, let's put 60 seconds on the board.

There they are. Your time starts now.

OK, mate. Late '70s, who have we got?

The obvious one's Robbie Williams, but he's going to be high scoring.

Maybe Elton John at some stage.

Possibly Freddie Mercury?

-Possibly. Is Seal British?

-Seal... Erm...

I think he is British, yes.

-Is that an obscure one?

-Possibly.

-Late '70s - who was a big act?

-GAVIN SIGHS

I can't think.

-The '80S...

-Howard Jones or Nik Kershaw?

-That's a good guess.

-Popular when we were at school.

-Yes.

Howard Jones with the ladies!

-Paul Young?

-That's a good one.

-OK. So we're... Shall we go for Seal?

-Yes.

And we'll go for...

-10 seconds left.

-Howard Jones and...

-What was the other one?

-Paul Young or Nik Kershaw?

-Paul Young.

-Paul Young.

-Yes.

-OK.

OK, there we are, just as your time runs out.

We were looking for Best British Male Brit-Award Winners.

-I now need your three answers.

-We'll go with Seal.

-Seal.

-Paul Young.

-Paul Young.

-And Howard Jones.

-And Howard Jones.

-Three complete guesses.

-BOTH: Yes.

-But three pretty good guesses.

I mean, wow. Who knows?

It could be very exciting.

Which do you think is your best shot at a pointless answer?

-Paul Young.

-We'll put him last.

-Your least likely?

-BOTH: Seal.

-We'll put him first. Howard Jones in the middle.

Let's pop those on the board. Here they are...

So we were looking for

Best British Male Brit-Award Winners.

Seal was your least confident answer.

You only need to find one pointless answer to win that £1,250.

Let's see. Seal - is it right? How many people said it?

It's absolutely right. Seal.

Your first shot at the jackpot.

You've hit the bull's eye in terms of being right.

Will it be pointless? Single figures. Still going down.

-2! Wow!

-APPLAUSE

Wow. Well done, you. That's amazing.

The margin for error here was pretty substantial.

Correct answer. Seal. And only two people said it.

Unfortunately, not a pointless answer, but still a brilliant one.

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

-What would you do with £1,250, Aidan?

-There's two things.

I need to go back to Australia with my wife and baby daughter to meet the family out there.

The more money would help to go around cricket.

If we could go round The Ashes rather than around the end of the Australian summer, it would help.

-Is that your wife's family or your family?

-My wife's.

-Gavin, how about you?

-It's our 15th wedding anniversary next year,

so we plan to go to San Francisco, where we had our honeymoon,

and do a bit of new York, as well. So that'd help.

Very good. Two fantastic things to put your money towards.

Let's hope one of your two answers will see you win that jackpot.

Howard Jones is your next answer. We are looking for Best British Male Brit-Award Winners.

Let's hope nobody said Howard Jones.

It has to be right. It has to be pointless for you to win that jackpot.

How many people said it?

Ooh!

Bad luck. Howard Jones an incorrect answer.

Not a Brit-Award Winner in that category.

Only one more chance to win today's jackpot.

Everything is now riding on Paul Young.

-Again, complete guess?

-Yes.

But surely a likely contender. When would that be - 1984/'85?

-'84, I think.

-'83ish, yes.

-No Parlez, around then.

-Exactly!

-There we go!

We are looking for Best British Male Brit-Award Winners.

Your final answer was Paul Young, your most confident shot at a pointless answer.

It has to be right. Then it has to be pointless. If it's both, you will win £1,250.

Let's see - Paul Young, is it right? How many people said it?

Absolutely right. Seal was right. Took us down to 2.

Howard Jones turned out to be an incorrect answer, but Paul Young is on the money.

Down it goes into single figures.

Down it goes! Yes! You've done it! Very well done!

-That's brilliant! Superb. Very well done indeed!

-Thank you.

Yes! You beauty!

Brilliant! And somehow all the better for being a guess. Makes it even more exciting.

Very well reasoned. Paul Young was a pointless answer,

which means you go home with our jackpot of £1,250.

-Very well done indeed.

-Well done, mate.

Good game.

Well played, gents. You haven't put a foot wrong since the head-to-head.

Paul Young won in 1985, where one of the nominees was Howard Jones.

It's one of those categories where you could've come a cropper. An awful lot of answers with 1 point.

1 point for Sting, Tom Jones, Elton John, Dizzee Rascal,

Mark Ronson, Mick Hucknall, Mike Skinner,

Ed Sheeran, Peter Gabriel, all of those scoring 1 point.

There's only three pointless answers You got one of them.

Let's take a look at the other two.

2004, it was Daniel Bedingfield.

In 1998, Finley Quaye.

Paul Young being the other one. Very well done if you got any of those three.

Thanks very much indeed, Richard. Thanks to our winning players, Aidan and Gavin,

who go away with today's jackpot of £1,250. Brilliant!

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

-It's goodbye from Richard.

-Goodbye.

-And it's goodbye from me. Goodbye.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd