Episode 60 Pointless

Thank you very much indeed. Hello, I'm Alexander Armstrong and welcome to Pointless,

the quiz where all the questions have been asked to 100 people before the show

and all our contestants have to do is come up with those answers those 100 people couldn't think of.

-Let's meet today's players.

-APPLAUSE

First up, we welcome EJ and Laura. How do you to know each other, EJ?

Well, we went to Newcastle University together

and we happened to be in the same halls.

-What did you study?

-I studied maths.

-What did you study, Laura?

-I studied psychology.

What do you like to get up to in your spare time?

I love running and swimming and going to the cinema.

Do you have any particular kind of film you like?

-Anything that makes me cry.

-OK, anything that makes you cry. Laura?

-Just the same, really.

-Going out, going to the cinema. Socialising, really.

-Very good.

A very warm welcome to you, EJ and Laura. It's lovely to have you on the show.

-Next we welcome Simon and Martin. How do you to know each other, Simon?

-Mart's my big brother.

-What do you do, Simon?

-I am an owner/operator HGV driver, so I drive an eight-wheel tipper.

That's just the best. If my boys were here, they'd be so excited.

An eight-wheel tipper.

So basically you go from heavy plant to heavy plant.

Yeah, we do a lot of roadworks. We've been doing a lot on the M1 up by Milton Keynes.

Very good. What are you hoping's going to come up today, Simon?

I like my science. Always used to watch Tomorrow's World.

Like a nice bit of industrial archaeology and Thunderbirds.

And Thunderbirds. Brilliant. OK, Martin. Do you want to add anything to that?

I like geography, because I've been fortunate enough to travel around the world.

-I've visited all five continents.

-Excellent. Lovely to have you here. A warm welcome to you.

Next we welcome back Rachael and Brian, who were on the show last time.

Everyone gets two chances to reach the Pointless final. This is your second and final chance.

-Rachael, remind us how you know each other.

-This is my dad.

-Excellent.

Always lovely to have a father/daughter team.

They always do quite well. Brian, remind us what happened last time.

-It was round two, I think.

-Political constituencies.

-That's right.

You answered correctly, we had Gordon Brown and Tony Blair from you.

-Yeah, just too high, that's all.

-They polled quite high on that occasion.

Rachael, what are you hoping's going to come up today?

-English literature, theatre, maybe.

-OK, Brian?

-Television, music.

-I love music, although I've only ever been to two concerts.

-Have you?

-What were they?

-I went to see Wet Wet Wet with my wife.

I bought her the tickets for Christmas, thinking she would take her sister, but she took me.

And then I took Rachael and her elder sister, Charlotte, to see Steps when they were about 10.

Never knew one night could last so long.

A warm welcome back to the show, Rachael and Brian. It's lovely to have you back.

Finally, we welcome back Claire and Nat who were on the show last time as well.

-Claire, remind us how you know each other.

-We're primary school friends but haven't seen each other

-really since then.

-Brought back together through the social networks.

-That's correct.

-Nat, tell us what happened last time.

We got to head-to-head and it was an anagrams-of-state-capitals question.

My answer was neither a correct anagram nor a state capital.

It was hard, that. Anything you'd like to see come up today particularly?

I know quite a lot about animated films,

-I'm really into my animated films, so...

-Very good.

Also, books of the Bible. I go to church and when I was younger,

there was a competition to memorise all 66.

-Wow. You've got them all.

-I can't do that now, but, you know.

-But you've got a few left.

A few obscure ones. Claire, anything to do with Germany would be great.

Germany, theatre. German theatre would be the best combination.

-Maybe medieval German.

-That would be too exciting for words. Medieval German theatre.

A warm welcome back, Claire and Nat. You did so well last time, we have high hopes for you today.

Best of luck. We'll find out more about all of you throughout the show as it goes along.

There's only one person left for me to introduce. His phone has been hacked by the papers,

but the messages were so obscure, they couldn't understand them. It's my Pointless friend, Richard.

Hiya. Hiya.

-Good afternoon.

-Good afternoon to you.

-We're still trying to get rid of this jackpot.

-Yes.

-Biggest jackpot in Pointless history.

-We're a squeak shy of 20 grand.

We are one pointless answer away from 20 grand.

-It's up for grabs, isn't it?

-I'll say.

-The money is all there.

Round One, when you hear the question, it's going to get a snigger from the audience.

It's going to get a childish snigger.

That's what it's going to get and you should be ashamed of yourselves, all of you.

Can't wait for that. OK. Thanks very much indeed.

All our questions on Pointless have been asked to 100 people before the show.

In order to get to the final round and be in with a chance of winning the jackpot,

our contestants need to find the obscure answers, those our 100 people couldn't think of.

The fewer people who knew the answer, the fewer points you'll score.

Everyone is trying to find a pointless answer.

This is 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 an eye-watering...

AUDIENCE: Whoo!

Worth winning. If everyone's ready, let's play Pointless.

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

and you cannot confer with your partner.

The pair with the highest score at the end of the round will be eliminated,

so try and make sure that's not you. OK, our first category today is...

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

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

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

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

-words ending...

-LAUGHTER

..in ANK.

Words ending in ANK.

-Oh, Richard.

-Yes, we're looking for any word that has its own entry

in the Oxford Dictionary of English that ends in the letters ANK, please.

As always, no proper nouns, no hyphenated words, trademarks, anything like that.

We also won't allow anything that the Oxford Dictionary of English

describes as vulgar slang, I'm afraid.

Nicely put. Thanks very much indeed, Richard.

Now then, Laura and EJ, you all drew lots before the show

and today, you are going first. Laura.

-Right, OK. I've got a few in mind, but I'm going to go for "rank".

-"Rank".

"Rank", says Laura. Rank.

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

-52.

-Yeah, a big scorer. Tough on that first podium.

All sorts of meanings, "rank".

-Simon.

-I'm going to go for "sheepshank".

LAUGHTER

This is the gift that keeps on giving, isn't it?

"Sheepshank", says Simon. Let's see that's right

and if it is, let's see how many of our 100 said "sheepshank".

Oh, very well done, Simon.

I'm really hoping this might do what it might...what it promises to do.

Oh! One! One!

Oh!

I thought that was going to take us up to 20,000.

That's a terrific answer, Simon. Well played.

It's the type of knot, used to shorten the length of a rope temporarily.

-Sheepshank.

-Mm. Now then, Rachael.

-I've got a few in my head.

-I think I'm going to go for "crank".

-"Crank", says Rachael. "Crank".

Let's see if it's right and if it is, how many of our 100 people said "crank"?

24.

Well played, Rachael. Another good answer.

It can mean an eccentric person, or to start the crankshaft of a car.

Whichever you fancy.

-Claire.

-Yes.

I'm trying to think of a long one, but I can't, really.

-I'm going to say "flank".

-"Flank", says Claire.

Let's see if that's right, let's see how many of our 100 said "flank".

14 for flank.

The good low score there from Claire. Means, amongst other things, the side of your body

-between the ribs and the hip.

-OK, we're halfway through the round.

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

Very much the best score of the pass was Simon's lovely low score of one.

Simon and Martin, I have to say you are looking particularly strong

at this stage of the game. Then we travel up to 14, where we find Claire and Nat,

then up to 24 where we find Rachael and Brian

and then up to 52, I'm afraid, where we find Laura and EJ.

But, EJ, you've got the rest of this round to come up with a brilliant low-scoring answer.

Let's hope you do that and it's enough to keep you in the game. Very best of luck with that.

We're coming back down the line, second players please take your places.

OK, we are looking for words ending in ANK.

Now, Nat. You are on 14, the high scorers are EJ and Laura on 52.

A score of 37 or less will be enough to see you through to the next round.

It's always difficult to know what's obscure in these ones,

but I'm going to take my cue from another answer and say "shank".

"Shank", says Nat. "Shank". Here comes your red line.

Get below that red line, "shank" has done it for you and seen you into Round Two.

Let's see if it's right and if it is, let's see how many of our 100 said "shank".

He's right.

Very well done.

18. Takes your total up to 32.

-Shank.

-Well played, Nat. Safely through. In an animal, the shank is below the flank.

Also, in golf, to hit a shot off the heel of the club.

It's a very bad thing to do.

Now then, Brian.

Spank.

Don't say it so saucily, Brian.

LAUGHTER

"Spank,"

says Brian. Spank. Now, there is your red line.

If you get below that you are through to the next round.

Let's see if that's right and,

if it is, let's see how many of our 100 said "spank."

It's right.

You've done it. Very well done.

21 takes your total up to 45. Spank sees you through.

Come on then.

Yeah, spank. We know what spank means.

OK, now then, Martin,

you are on 1.

The high-scorers at this stage on 52 are EJ and Laura,

which means a score of 50 or less

will be enough to keep you in the game.

Simon was just one away from

a pointless answer. I think you might have found a pointless answer.

I think you're probably wrong and, strangely enough,

I had three in my mind and two have just gone.

So, I'll go for "stank."

OK, let's see if that's right. Stank.

Here is your red line. Can you get below it with stank?

Very well done. You are in the next round.

23.

APPLAUSE

23 takes your total

up to 24. Richard.

Yeah, past tense of stink, of course.

-So, sort of like when a bad smell goes away.

-Yeah, I guess.

EJ, I have bad news. I'm afraid you are the high-scorers

even before you give your answer. But maybe,

just maybe, you've got

a brilliant answer that will take us up to £20,000.

To be honest, all the words that I had thought of have gone.

The only thing I can think of, and it might be a proper noun,

I'm not sure, but I'm going from the film Shawshank Redemption

and I'm going to say "Shawshank."

-Shawshank. Worth a punt.

-Yeah.

-Shawshank.

Let's see if it's right and,

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

Shawshank. Is that allowed?

No. Bad luck.

It was worth having a punt but an incorrect answer,

which means you score the maximum of 100 points

and that takes your total up to 152.

Yes, worth a punt but couldn't save you.

It is actually the exact opposite of the Shawshank Redemption.

Yeah. Exactly, yeah.

-The Shawshank Sentence.

-So, do you have a word?

I've got three but I think probably the one I'd submit would be "skank."

Skank.

-Four points.

-Oh!

Sorry about that. There's a couple - Shawshank was a good guess -

there's a couple of shank words that would have been pointless.

Let's look at all the pointless answers though.

Databank would have been pointless.

Gangplank - what you walk off to get off a ship or something.

The greenshank, which is a bird.

Interbank, which no-one had heard of until earlier this year

when Bob Diamond made it famous.

Mountebank, which is a deceiver or a conman.

The sort of thing that PG Wodehouse talks about.

Sandbank is a pointless answer. Well done if you said that.

Scrimshank is someone who shirks their duty. A scrimshank.

Stopbank and trank.

And I'm not going to describe either of those because I am a scrimshank.

Fair enough. Thanks very much, Richard.

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

with their high score of 152,

I'm sorry, it's EJ and Laura. It's been lovely having you on the show.

We'll see you next time. That's the good news. Thank you

for playing, EJ and Laura.

APPLAUSE

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

APPLAUSE

And so four pairs become three pairs

and at the end of this round three pairs become two.

I'm just wondering which pair will be leaving us.

Our category for Round Two is...

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

and who's going to go second?

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

OK, our question concerns...

Richard.

On each pass we'll show you the names of six fictional characters.

You need to tell us the occupation most associated with them.

As always, a nice obscure answer will score you fewer points

but an incorrect answer will score you 100.

There's going to be 12 in all.

12 occupations to guess at home. Good luck.

See how far through the board you can go.

Thanks very much, Richard. We are looking for the occupations

of these famous fictional characters.

And our first board has these people on it.

I'll read those on one last time.

There we are. Six fictional characters.

What are their professions? Martin.

I'll take Atticus Finch and he was a lawyer.

"Atticus Finch, lawyer," says Martin. Let's see if that's right.

Let's see how many people knew that answer. Lawyer, Atticus Finch.

Absolutely right.

12.

APPLAUSE

Well played. The central character in Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird,

-Atticus Finch. It's my daughter's favourite book.

-Is it?

She came to me delighted the other day because she just found out

Harper Lee was a woman which, to her, makes it even better.

She was genuinely delighted. That's nice, isn't it?

That is nice. Sounds very nice.

-Brian.

-I'm hoping Rachael's going to help me with this one.

I think Jean Brodie was a headmistress.

"A headmistress," says Brian. A headmistress.

Let's see if that's right and,

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

Headmistress for Jean Brodie.

Oh, bad luck, Brian.

I'm afraid that's an incorrect answer

so you score the maximum of 100 points. I'm sorry.

Richard.

Sorry, Brian. I'll give the correct answer at the end of the pass.

So, Nat, we come to you and you're last person to have this board

so you can talk us through it if you like.

OK, I don't know Oliver Mellors at all.

Hercule Poirot was obviously a detective.

Nick Bottom, I'm wondering

if he is the Shakespeare character from Much Ado About Nothing

in which case it's a weaver but I don't know his first name.

So I might go for Jean Brodie as well cos I don't know Vianne Rocher.

I'm going to say that Jean Brodie was a teacher.

"A teacher," says Nat. Let's see if that's right.

Let's see how many people said, "teacher" for Jean Brodie.

Absolutely right.

50.

APPLAUSE

50 for teacher.

Yeah, well played, Nat. That's unlucky, Brian.

I think you knew as soon as you gave the answer

she wasn't the headmistress.

Miss Mackay was the headmistress in The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie.

Played by Maggie Smith, of course, Jean Brodie in the film.

If you had gone for "weaver" for Nick Bottom,

you wouldn't have 50 points you would have 1 point.

It's the correct answer.

From Midsummer Night's Dream.

Would have been a terrific answer but it would have been a risk.

Oliver Mellors is a gamekeeper. He is Lady Chatterley's lover.

Would have scored six.

Hercule Poirot, as you rightly say, is a detective.

That would have scored 79. And do you know Vianne Rocher?

I happen to know that one. She is a chocolatiere.

Yeah, a chocolatiere.

From Joanne Harris's Chocolat.

Vianne Rocher. Two points for that one.

So, some low-scorers there. Anyone who got all of those, very well done.

And Nick Bottom - the best answer on the board.

Thanks very much indeed, Richard.

We're halfway through the round. Let's look at the scores. 12.

Again, Martin and Simon, looking very strong at this halfway point.

Lovely low score there.

Then up to 50 where we find Nat and Claire, then up to 100

where we find Brian and Rachael.

So, yes, Rachael, we need a low score from you in

the next pass. We are going to come back down the line now.

Can the second players, please, step up to the podium?

OK, we will put six more fictional characters on the board

and here they are. We have got...

I'll read those on one last time.

There we are.

Six more fictional characters and we are looking for their occupations.

Claire, we need you to name the one

you think the fewest of our 100 people will have known.

You are on 50. The high scorers are Rachael and Brian on 100.

If you can score 49 or less you'll avoid becoming our high-scorers.

Erm...

Well, I've heard of three but I haven't read much other than

German books recently and I don't think any of those

are the characters from a German book so I'm going to have to go...

It's going to be high but I'm going to say

barber for Sweeney Todd.

Sweeney Todd, barber. OK, here's your red line.

If you get for that red line with barber, you're in the next round.

Let's see if barber is right and,

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

Absolutely right.

73.

APPLAUSE

That takes your total

up to 123. There is a lifeline for Rachael.

Big score. Better than 100 though. The demon barber of Fleet Street.

Thank you very much indeed, Richard. So, Rachael, you're on 100.

The high scorers are Claire and Nat

on 123. A score of 22 or less

keeps you in the game.

-Is this a good board for you?

-The previous one was better.

I'm going to go for one. I don't know if he is the title character.

Yuri Zhivago. So, I'm going to say

doctor.

You're going to say a doctor for Yuri Zhivago.

Here comes your red line.

Get below that red line and you are in the head-to-head.

Dr Zhivago, says Rachael. Is it right?

How many people said it if it is?

It's right.

43, I'm afraid, Rachael.

And I'm afraid that takes your total up to an unbeatable 143. Richard.

Correct answer there.

Dr Yuri Zhivago from the novel by Boris Pasternak.

Played by Omar Sharif in the film.

Now then, Simon. You're through, whatever happens,

to the head-to-head because you won't overtake Rachael

and Brian's high score of 143.

Take us through the board. You're the last person to have it.

Can't remember what Billy Budd does.

Think it's something to do with the sea. James Bond, everyone will know.

Never heard of Aibileen Clarke. But in going for Henry Detamble,

who works in a library, so presumably is a librarian.

Henry Detamble, librarian, says Simon. No red line, you're through.

But let's see how many people said librarian for Henry Detamble.

Absolutely right.

Oh, very well done, indeed, Simon!

There we go, a pointless answer that adds £250 to today's jackpot,

taking it up to the big, round,

£20,000. Good Lord! That scores you nothing, leaves your total at 12.

Fantastic play, once again,

-from the boys on the first podium.

-Yeah, 20 grand, very well done.

Terrific answer, as well. Yeah, he's the time traveller

in Audrey Niffenegger's Time Traveller's Wife, Henry Detamble.

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

Billy Budd does have something to do with the sea. He's a sailor.

7 points that would have scored. James Bond is a spy.

89 points. Do you know Aibileen Clarke?

If you've read the book or seen the film, she is

-a maid in The Help.

-Ah.

-3 points.

Thanks very much. At the end of Round Two, the losing pair

with the highest score, I'm sorry to say,

it's Rachael and Brian, 143, I'm afraid.

No arguing with that. It was a tough second board.

-Yeah.

-I let her down.

Yeah. Oh, headmistress.

And you knew, as Richard said, the minute you'd said that. Bad luck.

I'm so sorry to say this is where we have to say goodbye.

It's been lovely having you on.

Thanks very much for playing. Great contestants.

APPLAUSE

For the remaining two pairs, things are about to get more exciting,

as we enter the head-to-head.

Congratulations, Simon and Martin, Claire and Nat,

you are now only one round away from the final and a chance to play

for that whopping jackpot, which currently stands at £20,000.

AUDIENCE: Whoo!

You'll now go head-to-head and the first pair to win two questions will play for that jackpot.

The big difference is you are now allowed to confer. Best of luck

to both pairs. Let's play the head-to-head.

APPLAUSE

Here comes our first question, and it concerns...

European Monarchs, Richard.

We'll show you five pictures of reigning monarchs, as of May, 2012.

We need you to tell us the main European country they reign over.

As always, by country, we mean a member of the UN that is a sovereign state.

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

We have got...

There we are. Five European monarchs. Simon and Martin,

you've played best throughout so far, so you go first.

THEY WHISPER TO EACH OTHER

-Shall we go for that?

-Yep.

-OK. We're going to go

for A, which we think is Spain.

A - Spain, say Simon and Martin. A - Spain. Claire and Nat.

-I have a feeling you might be able to talk us through the board.

-No!

-We're having a debate at the moment.

-We're unsure if D or E

-is Denmark.

-I think I've seen a video about her.

She does production design on films and stuff. Why did you think D..?

I don't know. I think he's married

to a blonde lady.

LAUGHTER

I think Denmark, It could be Monaco, but that's not a sovereign state.

-Just say E, Denmark, then.

-Are you sure?

-Mmm.

I'm not sure, but we're going

to go for E as being Denmark.

You're going to say E, Denmark, which means

we have A - Spain and E - Denmark.

Simon and Martin, you said A is Spain. Let's see if it's right

and if it is, how many of our 100 said A - Spain.

Absolutely right.

20.

APPLAUSE

We are going to resolve this. Nat, you went with

your gut. I think you won out there and said that E was Denmark.

Claire was thinking D was Denmark.

We'll find out which of you was right. Nat said E - Denmark.

If that's right, how many of our 100 said E - Denmark?

It's absolutely right, Nat.

Very, very well done.

And it wins the point for you! Very well done, indeed. 3.

APPLAUSE

Well done. You held your nerve there, Nat,

and it paid off in spades. After one question,

you are up 1-0. Richard.

Terrific answer, Nat. That takes some guts, with all this money on the line.

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark. Absolutely right, she's a theatre designer, as well.

Recently did the costumes and sets for The Nutcracker Suite.

There you go.

Let's take a look at the rest.

-B is... He looks like a British royal, doesn't he?

-He does a bit.

That's actually Henri, the Grand Duke of Luxembourg.

Would have scored nothing at all. That's a pointless answer.

Very well done, if you said that. That's terrific. C is Queen Beatrix

of the Netherlands. Hello to our Dutch viewers.

That would have scored 13 points.

And D is Prince Albert of Monaco. He would have scored you 34 points.

Thank you very much, indeed. Here is the second question.

Simon and Martin, you have to win this question to stay in the game. Best of luck.

Our second question concerns Michael Caine films.

Michael Caine films.

We're going to show you five sets of initials.

They all represent a different Michael Caine film. Can you pick the most obscure from this list?

OK, let's reveal the initials of our Michael Caine films.

We have got...

I'll read those all one last time.

Claire and Nat, you go first this time.

SHE WHISPERS

I'm going to kick myself,

but I think I can only think of the two most obvious ones.

I'll have to go for Z - Zulu.

Z - Zulu, say Claire and Nat. Simon and Martin,

talk us through the board.

ER is Educating Rita and TIJ is The Italian Job.

But like the other guys, the other two escape us.

The Italian Job is probably so well known,

so I think Educating Rita has got to be our choice.

OK, Educating Rita, say Simon and Martin.

We have Zulu, from Claire and Nat. Let's see if that's right and see how many people said Zulu.

Absolutely right.

62.

APPLAUSE

Simon and Martin have gone for Educating Rita. Let's see

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

Absolutely right.

Very well done, indeed. You win the point.

Ooh, 7!

APPLAUSE

That's a great score. Well done, Simon and Martin.

After two questions, you are back on the game. It's 1-1.

Well played. It's tense now, I have to say.

Let's fill in this board, before we go on to that all-important last question.

TIJ was The Italian Job, as both teams knew. Would have score 40.

The others, which neither knew, he won Oscars for both.

TCHR is The Cider House Rules.

He won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for that. 3 points.

And won a Best Supporting Actor for this one, as well.

-Essentially, Christmas round at your house.

-Hannah and Her Sisters, yeah!

There we go. That would have scored 2 points.

His wife is called Hannah and she has many sisters.

Lots of sisters.

Thank you, Richard.

Here comes your third question. This is the decider.

Whoever wins, goes through and plays for that colossal jackpot.

It concerns...

Literally, a photo finish for this. We'll show you five clues to facts

about photography. Can you pick the most obscure answer?

Thanks, Richard. Let's reveal our five clues.

I'll read those all one last time.

Five clues to facts about photography.

Simon and Martin, once again, you go first.

We're going for the English chemist, which was Henry Fox Talbot.

-Henry Fox Talbot, say Simon and Martin.

-We hope!

-Maybe.

Henry Fox Talbot. Sounds like a cracking answer.

Claire and Nat, talk us through the board.

-Erm...

-Tripod?

-We've got that.

-That would be too high.

-Yeah, too big.

I can't think what SLR stands for. I'm guessing L is probably lens.

Individual light-sensitive cell in a digital camera. Could be a sensor.

I can't think what the box camera is called.

-Just guess the top one.

-Yeah, I'm just going to have a punt

for the top one. I think it's just called a sensor -

-the individual light-sensitive cell.

-OK, you're saying a sensor.

OK. so we have our two answers. Simon and Martin have said, Henry Fox Talbot.

This to decide who goes through to the final to play for that enormous jackpot,

our record-breaking jackpot of £20,000.

Simon and Martin, Henry Fox Talbot.

Is it right? How many people said it?

It is right.

Oh, two!

Wow, two for Henry Fox Talbot.

Fantastic photography knowledge there from Simon and Martin.

Now then, Claire and Nat,

you need to score one point or less

to get into the final. You've said the sensor

for the light-sensitive cell in a digital camera.

Let's see if that's right

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

No, bad luck Claire and Nat.

Well, that means after three questions,

Simon and Martin,

you are through to the final, 2-1.

Yeah, Henry Fox Talbot was the best answer on the board.

Nothing you could have done there, guys.

Terrifically played, Simon and Martin.

Very well done. Let's take a look through the rest.

No, it's not a sensor, it's actually a pixel.

Pixel, The name comes from "picture element."

That would have scored six points, so wouldn't have saved you.

Good answer if you got it at home.

The SLR, you're right, the L is lens, but it's Single Lens Reflex.

That would have scored 27.

The tripod wouldn't have helped you cos that would have scored 85,

and the box camera introduced by Kodak,

I suspect plenty people will know, was the Box Brownie.

-That would have scored 44 points.

-Thanks very much indeed, Richard.

So the losing pair at the end of the head-to-head, I'm afraid,

Claire and Nat. Well, once again, you've made it through

and you've stared into the abyss.

But we have to send you packing.

I'm sorry, and this time it really is goodbye,

but it's been brilliant having you on the show.

You've played so well on both shows.

Claire and Nat, brilliant contestants.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

But for Simon and Martin, it's now time for our Pointless final.

Congratulations, Simon and Martin, you've fought off the competition

and won our coveted Pointless trophy.

You now have a chance to win our jackpot, and at the end of today's show,

the jackpot stands at £20,000.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

You have done so well, you've come through the show

with some wonderful low scores, all the way through the rounds.

A pointless answer with Henry Detamble.

Brilliant low score with Henry Fox Talbot.

Very impressive Pointless knowledge.

You could be on the cusp of making Pointless history

and winning our biggest ever jackpot.

I hope you brought a wheelbarrow with you.

Erm, well, very best of luck to you.

You really deserve it. The rules are simple.

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

We've had one pointless answer today and that was from you.

You only have to find one more now

and you will go home with that £20,000.

It won't even be hard to split!

We've made it as easy as we possibly can.

First though, you have to choose a category,

and you have a choice of five options.

Well, Sportsmen... we could do Sportsmen,

UK Politics could be anything.

-Place Names?

-Place Names could be good.

-International Pop, don't fancy International Pop.

-British Actors?

-Depends who it is.

-The films of whatever.

Place Names. We're pretty well travelled, in't we?

Yeah, I mean, it's got to be something off the wall, really.

-You think?

-Yeah.

-Shall we?

-Yeah.

-Not a clue what it is, but yeah.

-We'll go for Place Names.

-Place Names it is.

OK, very best of luck.

Let's find out what the question is, here it comes.

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

..as they could.

Single Vowel Countries. Richard.

We're looking for any country of the world

that has only one of the vowels in its name, so A, E, I, O or U.

It can have it more than once,

so if we were looking for Capital Cities,

London would be an acceptable answer cos it only has Os in it.

Paris wouldn't, cos it's got an A and an I.

And as always, by country we mean a member of the UN

that is a sovereign state.

Very good luck, guys. £20,000. We all wish you well.

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

and all you need to win that £20,000 jackpot

-is for just one of those to be pointless. Are you ready?

-Yep.

Let's put 60 seconds on the clock.

There they are. Your time starts now.

Yemen. Erm...

-God, can't think of anything else.

-Canada.

-Canada.

-England, Scotland, Wales.

-A, E, I...

-God, this is hard!

-Andorra. Erm...

India...

I just can't think of any apart from those two.

There must be loads.

Pakistan. There's got to be some country.

New Zealand...

Erm, Paraguay, no.

-Fiji, Fiji!

-Fiji. That'll do, that's a good one.

Erm...

That's going to, Cook Islands doesn't work...

Panama?

-Yes, that'll do.

-So we've got Panama, Yemen...

10 seconds left.

-..Fiji, cos Canada's no good.

-Canada's no good.

-Right, so shall we go for those three?

-Panama, Fiji, Yemen.

Yeah, OK. No, that'll do. Them three will do.

OK, your time is up.

We were looking for countries with a single vowel in their name.

I now need your three answers.

-Panama.

-Panama.

-Fiji.

-Fiji.

-Yemen.

-Yemen. Good answers.

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

-Er, I reckon Panama might be.

-All right.

And we both thought of Yemen first, so we'll put that first.

OK, let's put them up on the board in that order and here they are.

We have got Yemen, Fiji and Panama.

OK, so we were looking for countries with a single vowel in their name.

Your first answer was Yemen.

I think that's a great answer, but you came up with it quite quickly,

so you've decided that's your least likely shot at a pointless answer.

Remember, you only need to find one pointless answer

to win that jackpot of £20,000.

-What would you do with £20,000, Simon?

-Ooh, nice cruise.

-Love our cruises.

-A very nice cruise.

-A very nice cruise.

-Martin?

Similar, travel probably.

I want to go to the Arctic Circle and all of that,

so a nice cruise in the winter up to see the Northern Lights.

Very good indeed. Very, very best of luck.

Three great answers there, three really good chances of winning.

Let's see if Yemen is right...we know that!

Let's see how many people said the Yemen.

Well, it's right.

If this goes all the way down to zero,

you will leave here with £20,000.

It's still going down, down into single figures.

Down it goes, still going...

Oh, one! One! Ha!

APPLAUSE

Unfortunately, not a pointless answer. Not a pointless answer.

That's pretty good going for your first one, though,

the one you thought was least likely to be pointless.

One person said it, so only two more chances to win today's jackpot.

Your second answer, which came to you

quite near the last quarter of your allotted time,

Fiji, it suddenly came in,

has to be pointless for you to win that jackpot of £20,000.

But there's a pretty good chance

that maybe nobody else thought of Fiji.

Let's find out. How many people said Fiji? Is it pointless?

OK, so the Yemen took us all the way down to one.

Fiji, slightly more confident answer,

now taking us down into single figures.

Down it goes, still going down...

Oh, two! Two!

APPLAUSE

This is torture.

LAUGHTER

So, two people came up with Fiji.

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

Everything is now riding on Panama.

We're looking for countries with a single vowel in your name.

Your third and final answer, your most confident answer was Panama.

To win the jackpot of £20,000, this has to be pointless.

Let's find out, Panama. Did anybody say it? For £20,000.

So Yemen took us down to one point, Fiji took us down to two points.

Let's see where Panama takes us.

If this stops at zero, you are leaving here with £20,000.

Yes, you've done it!

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Very well done indeed. That's fantastic! Brilliant! Oh, wow!

APPLAUSE DROWNS SPEECH

Oh, congratulations.

Panama was a pointless answer,

which means you go home with the jackpot of £20,000.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Wow.

-Richard, what about that?

-Absolutely brilliant. Well done, guys.

You've been brilliant since the moment you set foot on that stage.

Terrific, so well deserved. Three brilliant answers as well.

If you're going up the M1 any time soon

and you see a digger lorry gold plated, that's Simon.

Let's look at some of the other pointless answers.

You can just watch these and bask now, it's just for

intellectual curiosity cos you've already done it.

Comoros would have been a pointless answer,

Congo would have been pointless.

Kazakhstan, only got As in it.

Kyrgyzstan, it's only got one vowel at all

and that's right at the end there, the A.

There's Panama and Seychelles, also a pointless answer.

Those are all the pointless answers, there's only six

and you found one of them.

It's absolutely terrific. Well played, guys.

A brilliant way to finally give away that jackpot as well. Well deserved.

Absolutely, fantastically well done.

Thanks again to our winning players, Simon and Martin,

who go away with today's record-breaking jackpot of £20,000.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.

Join us next time

when we'll be putting more obscure knowledge to the test on Pointless.

-Meanwhile, it's goodbye from Richard.

-Goodbye.

And it's goodbye from me, goodbye.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd