diginova and a very warm welcome to Pointless, the quiz show where the popular answers mean nothing and the obscure answers mean everything.
Let's meet today's players. Give a big round of applause for
CuddlyCaucasian
,
Cybele
,
N
and
xofelf
!
Today's Jackpot currently stands at £1,500.
On each of the following questions, the BBC polled 100 people and gave them each 100 seconds to come up with as many answers as possible for each subject. Find out what they didn't know, and you'll end up victorious!
Spoiler: Rules
Rounds I-IV
Starting from Player 1 and going down the list, you will be given a subject and have to give a response that matches the subject. If you give an answer that is
wrong
, you get
100 points
. Points are bad.
If the answer is correct, you earn a number of points equal to the number of people that came up with your answer. If you happen to come up with an answer that
nobody
came up with—a
Pointless
answer—you get
0 points
, the best possible score, and £250 is added to the Jackpot.
After everyone has answered, we then go up the list in the reverse order for a second pass (the player that answered first will also answer eighth and so on). The player with the
highest score
at the end of every other round is eliminated and has to leave.
Round V
In this round, the remaining two players go Head to Head to determine who will take home our Pointless trophy and entry into the Semifinals of the Game Show Marathon!
The lowest-scoring player overall gets to answer first. They choose one of the clues up on the board and give an answer that fits. Then the other player gets to choose one of the remaining clues.
After both players have answered, the scores are revealed, and the lowest scoring player wins the point.
The right to answer first switches to the other player and another question is asked.
The player to get
two out of three
correct advances to both the Pointless Final and the Semi-Final Round of Game Show Marathon 2015!
Final
In the Final, the champion is given a choice of two categories. Once they choose a category, three sub-categories are given.
They must then give three answers that fit the sub-categories, in any ratio they choose.
If any of those answers happens to be Pointless, they win the Jackpot, otherwise they still retain their spot in the Semi-Finals.
Last edited by diginova on Fri Feb 27, 2015 3:51 pm, edited 39 times in total.
On each pass, we're going to give you seven pairs of actors and a year. I want you to tell me which film with a one-word title those actors appeared in in that year.
Demi Moore & Patrick Swayze (1990)
Cher & Nicolas Cage (1987)
Ingrid Bergman & Humphry Bogart (1942)
Keira Knightley & James McAvoy (2007)
Sandra Bullock & Keanu Reeves (1994)
Faye Dunaway & Jack Nicholson (1974)
John Travolta & Queen Latifah (2007)
CuddlyCaucasian
, you have been randomly selected to go first.
Choose which of the seven items you want to answer—and remember, we're looking for the
most obscure
, but if it's wrong, it scores the maximum 100 points!
Last edited by diginova on Sun Feb 22, 2015 7:47 am, edited 2 times in total.
Let's see if that is correct, and if so, how many points it is worth.
Spoiler: Result
10! Looks like the one you knew was a good one!
It's based off the musical, which is itself based off the 1988 film of the same title, but that one didn't feature Travolta in drag.
Cybele
, which of the six remaining will you take a shot at?
Demi Moore & Patrick Swayze (1990)
Cher & Nicolas Cage (1987)
Ingrid Bergman & Humphry Bogart (1942)
Keira Knightley & James McAvoy (2007)
Sandra Bullock & Keanu Reeves (1994)
Faye Dunaway & Jack Nicholson (1974)
Also, a quick update as I realized Pointless is far shorter than the other games in the Marathon and far more dependent on narrow fields of knowledge:
I'm going to double up the first two rounds—Two passes each on two separate categories before elimination, total I+II score (so a maximum of 400). Once it gets down to 2, it will still be best of 3 though.
Sorry for the inconvenience in announcing this after the round had started.
Let's see if it's up there and where the discs stop.
Spoiler: Result
57... I think that's a higher score than you expected.
It seems like people in the UK love their cheesy '90s Keanu Reeves movies.
N
, there are five films still on the board. Which one will you choose?
Demi Moore & Patrick Swayze (1990)
Cher & Nicolas Cage (1987)
Ingrid Bergman & Humphry Bogart (1942)
Keira Knightley & James McAvoy (2007)
Faye Dunaway & Jack Nicholson (1974)
I'm sorry, that's incorrect, so you score the maximum of 100 points.
I'll go into more details after the pass as xofelf can have another shot at it.
xofelf
, still five films on the board. You're last on this pass, so feel free to talk through the board.
Demi Moore & Patrick Swayze (1990)
Cher & Nicolas Cage (1987)
Ingrid Bergman & Humphry Bogart (1942)
Keira Knightley & James McAvoy (2007)
Faye Dunaway & Jack Nicholson (1974)
Let's see if that is correct, and how many points it is worth if so.
Spoiler: Result
10! It seems like the first pick of each round is lucky!
Very good job, and your combined score of
80
means you'll be in a safe position going into the next question.
N
, which of the six remaining do you know?
Kate Winslet & Leonardo Di Caprio (1997)
Meryl Streep & Woody Allen (1979)
Honor Blackman & Sean Connery (1965)
Madonna & Antonio Banderas (1996)
Sigourney Weaver & Sam Worthington (2009)
Jessica Lange & Dustin Hoffman (1982)
, the film that beat out Titanic at the box office?
Let's see if two years made all the difference.
Spoiler: Result
Definitely, and with a relatively low score of 27. Truthfully, I was expecting N to take it this time.
It also leaves you with the lowest total so far of
37
.
Now to look at the ones that weren't picked.
For Honor Blackman & Sean Connery (1965), you're right it was a Bond film and you even got the "gold" part right, but it was
Goldfinger
, scoring
11
.
Madonna & Antonio Banderas (1996) were in
Evita
, scoring
25
.
But the best answer on the board was Meryl Streep & Woody Allen (1979) in
Manhattan
, which would have given you 4 points.
N isn't out of it at
196
, but he'll need a couple good-scoring answers to get back in it. The low scorer so far is CuddlyCaucasian on
We'll randomize the order again for this second question of the first round...
Cybele
N
CuddlyCaucasian
xofelf
Our next category for tonight is
SPORT
.
We gave one hundred people one hundred seconds to name as many...
Countries with 100 or more gold medals won at the summer Olympics.
...as they could.
We're looking for any country that has won 100 or more gold medals in total from first summer Olympics in 1896 up through 2012, and by country this time I mean a team that competed in at least one edition according to the IOC.
Cybele
, you have the honour of going first this time.
Last edited by diginova on Mon Feb 23, 2015 8:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
46... A high score but it may be enough to keep you in this. They have won a total of 174 gold medals.
Your total after three passes is now
120
.
N
, can you give us a wonderful answer to this category?
(and bad luck with googling Avatar... one of those things they didn't have to deal with in the actual show. I thank you for your honesty but I'd have still called it acceptable.)
Last edited by diginova on Mon Feb 23, 2015 3:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Their cheers are loud, but do they translate into medals?
Spoiler: Result
38 is where the discs stopped. They've won 138, and are one of only five countries to have competed in all twenty-seven Games.
That answer brings your total to
234
.
CuddlyCaucasian
, give us an answer that scores 96 or less and you're through.
They're definitely a winter powerhouse, but are they as powerful on the beach as they are on the mountain?
There's your red line. Get below it and you're definitely through.
Spoiler: Result
I'm sorry, but that is incorrect. They've only won a total of 56 medals in their 24 appearances. If this question involved the winter Olympics instead, though, they would be the only correct answer with 118.
That gives you 100 points and brings your total to
137
.
xofelf
, you're up for two answers in a row. You can give me both at once if you feel confident. Score less than 53 on your first or 153 total and you're in!
A risky proposition as Norway was an incorrect answer, but good for you for not playing it safe.
There's your red line. Get below it and welcome to the final three.
Spoiler: Result
A splendid result of 4! They've actually won more Golds than Australia with 143, but being a Nordic country, I guess you wouldn't expect that. They've been in every edition except the 1904 games of St Louis.
That brings you to
84
and secures you a spot in the next round.
Next up are the
Italians
.
They hosted in 1960, but how did they do in the other years? Let's find out.
No red line as you're already through; this is just for glory.
Spoiler: Result
A 10 means you already have the best score this question and can't be beat. They're sixth on the medal table with 198 Golds. Like Sweden, they only missed the 1904 games of St Louis.
That means your final score is
94
, and you're the only competitor to stay in double figures.
CuddlyCaucasian
, can you make up for your slight blunder last pass? Again, under a 97 guarantees you a spot.
Okay, that was terrible. Are they an Olympic powerhouse as well?
A nice high red line for you, so I suspect if the discs start moving, you're through.
Spoiler: Result
Sadly one person stopped you from having a Pointless answer. They've actually won more than both Australia and Sweden with 167—more than any other country that has never hosted the Games.
That brings your final score to
138
.
N
, it looks like we're sadly going to be saying goodbye to you at the end of the round, but give us an amazing answer to leave here in a blaze of glory.
Were they able to win enough medals before capitalism turned them into a bunch of -stans? Let's find out.
You aren't bad at Mish Mash, you just got an unlucky category. I'm sure there are all sorts of categories in which you could score less than 10 points; movies just happened to not be one of those.
Spoiler: Result
28
is not a bad result at all! The Soviets only competed in 9 Games, but their domination was enough to put them second all-time with an astonishing 395. They still have more gold medals in gymnastics, wrestling, weightlifting, canoeing, volleyball and handball than any other country.
That brings your final score to
262
.
Cybele
, feel free to talk us through your mind as you're the last to go this round.
They've hosted once before and will again in 2020, but did they get enough gold to make it on the list?
You're already through, so no red line for you.
Spoiler: Result
13
, exactly one-tenth of the number of gold medals they've earned. Their best sport is judo, but they also have strong gymnastics and wrestling programmes.
That brings your final score to
133
, and by five points you do get the middle position next round.
Now let's see what some other possible answers were.
The three highest-scoring answers:
85
United States of America - They've won 976, a full two and a half times more than the Soviet Union in second place.
72
Russia - They've only been in 5 Games, but they've won 133 gold medals.
65
China - They had a great showing in Beijing, and have 209 medals in 9 appearances.
And on the other end, most of the low-scoring ones have been picked, but two that hadn't:
2
Finland - Sydney pushed them to exactly 100, and they won one in Beijing since then.
7
East Germany - Only five games before the Berlin Wall fell, but that was enough for 153 medals.
Strangely enough, the public didn't seem to have much faith in Team GB, as it would have scored you
Congratulations on making it to Round II!
All scores have been reset to zero, for good or for bad, you all have a fresh slate going into this round.
Our first category is
LITERARY TITLE CHARACTERS
.
We're going to give you two lists of six literary characters, and you have to tell us how they are described in a title of a famous book. Some of these characters have appeared in more than one book, we're just looking for the title of the
first
book they appeared in.
Harry Lime
Bilbo Baggins
Cedric Errol
Valentine and Proteus
Quasimodo
Lisbeth Salander
xofelf
, give us the first answer, please. (After you, the order is Cybele and then cuddlycaucasian).
Choose which of the six items you want to answer—and remember, we're looking for the
most obscure
, but if it's wrong, it scores the maximum 100 points!
isn't too bad, but I was expecting better from the Family. The Don is probably better known for his films than the books by Mario Puzo.
That puts your total for this round at 57.
Cybele
, your shot at the five remaining.
Athos, Porthos and Aramis
Michael Henchard
Oliver Mellors
Count Almasy
Homily, Arietty and Pod
...Yes, it is! Another pointless answer!
We add another £250 to the Jackpot, bringing it to £1,500, and it brings your final total for this question to a massive
0
.
Let's see the ones that weren't picked.
Athos, Porthos and Aramis are
The Three Musketeers
, which would have scored
39
.
Michael Henchard is the
Mayor of Casterbridge
, scoring
3
, and Oliver Mellors is
Lady Chatterley's Lover
, scoring
6
.
This was a very good pass for all of you; CuddlyCaucasian is in third with
points isn't bad, especially after two Pointless answers last round.
'Min svävare är full med ål' is how you say 'my hovercraft is full of eels' in Swedish, by the way.
will put you in good standing for the final pass. Croatian just became an official language when Croatia joined the EU in 2013.
Continuing with useful phrases, 'moja je lebdjelica puna jegulja' is 'my hovercraft is full of eels' in Croatian.
CuddlyCaucasian
, give us two great answers to put pressure on your opponents.
is the best answer so far! Slovak is the official language of Slovakia.
You'd say 'moje vznášadlo je plné úhorov' in Slovak if you were trying to tell someone 'my hovercraft is full of eels'.
Next up is
Latvian
.
Kā latviešu valodā būs Pointless?
Spoiler: Result
Another
5
! You did what you could to see you through... let's see if you can make it with a score of
67
.
'Mans transportlīdzeklis uz gaisa spilvena ir pilns ar zušiem!' That's 'my hovercraft is full of eels' in Latvian.
means you're through to the Head to Head with a total of
32
. We'll see who you're facing shortly, and we'll see if your better answer was in the bottom 3 at the end of the pass.
Let's keep this tired joke going as 'mu hõljuk on angerjaid täis' is 'my hovercraft is full of eels' in Estonian.
xofelf
, 39 or less gets you through. Otherwise, CuddlyCaucasian's in the Head to Head.
. I'm sorry, CuddlyCaucasian... you played amazingly, you just happened to be against two people last round who were amazing at the category.
And finally, 'mano laivas su oro pagalve pilnas ungurių' is 'my hovercraft is full of eels' in Lithuanian.
Let's see the top and bottom three answers given to this question.
Slovenian was the only Pointless answer on the board.
, welcome to the Head to Head!
At most three questions stand between you and the Pointless Trophy (and the semifinals of Game Show Marathon)!
Each of you will give an answer, then after both are given, I will reveal the results.
Whoever scores lowest gets a point, and the first to score two points wins the game.
xofelf
, you played the best so far this game, so you get to go first. Cybele will go first on Question 2.
Let's play Pointless: Head to Head!
Our first category is
Music
, and we're looking for...
Each of the above hit songs has an animal in the title, which we've replaced with a dash. Give us the most obscure animal and win the point.
Cybele, once xofelf gives her answer, you can immediately give yours, as I won't reveal the results until both are chosen.
Let's see if those answers are correct, and if so, which one is the most obscure.
Spoiler: Cybele
You said that D was in
Rome
.
Did your year of art history pay off?
Spoiler: xofelf
You said that E was in
Firenze
.
I'm pretty sure the people of Florence would object to you saying they didn't live in a "normal city". On Pointless, though, as long as you give us an official name of the city, it's fine. But is it correct?
, it's 1-all. Whoever gives us the most obscure answer wins the point and the game.
Our final category is
History
, and we're looking for...
We're looking for any crowned King or Queen of Britain who ruled during the Tudor and Stuart dynasties between 1485-1714.
We will not accept Oliver Cromwell who was Lord Protector from 1653-1658, or his son Richard. Nor Lady Jane Grey who was never crowned.
We will also not accept any Stuart who was only a monarch of Scotland instead of holding the English and Scottish thrones simultaneously as King or Queen of Great Britain.
Let's see if those answers are correct, and if so, which one is the most obscure.
Spoiler: xofelf
You said
Queen Mary II
.
Did she reign? Did anyone remember?
She reigned for just over five years, from 1689–1694.
Spoiler: Cybele
You said
Harald Hardrada
.
Did he come back from the grave to reign?
Spoiler: Results
xofelf, with a
1
point answer, you go through to the finals 2-1.
I'm sorry, Cybele, but there was nothing you could do... even if you had known that particular era of history, the human search engine known as xofelf gave the best answer on the board.
Let's see the highest and lowest scoring answers.
xofelf, you advance to the Pointless final and the semi-finals of Game Show Marathon 2015.
Cybele, I hope we'll see you again sometime soon on Pointless. (hint)
Last edited by diginova on Fri Feb 27, 2015 10:23 am, edited 1 time in total.
, welcome to the Pointless final.
You've already won the important part, our coveted Pointless trophy.
That's the real reason everybody comes here, but I guess you could try winning our Jackpot as well.
Thanks to your two Pointless answers earlier, today you're playing for
£1,500
.
Choose one of the following two categories for the Final, then I'll reveal your three answer categories.
Let's see the three categories we are looking for today.
First is
Bond Theme Artists
.
We're looking for the name of any act or artist who has been credited as performing the theme tune that plays over the opening credits to an official film from the James Bond series.
Next we're looking for an actor that has played Bond, but we aren't only looking for his Bond roles:
Daniel Craig Films
.
We're looking for a cinema release for which Daniel Craig receives an acting credit, prior to the end of 2014.
Short films, TV films, documentaries, and films where he plays himself will not be accepted, but voice performances will. We will not accept 'Ten Minutes Older: The Cello' as this is a collection of short films. Nor will we accept 'Saint-Ex', as it is part drama, part documentary.
And finally, we're looking for
'Goldfinger' Actors
.
We're looking for any person with an acting credit in the 1964 film 'Goldfinger'. Only people who are listed in the ending credits of the film will be accepted.
Very best of luck.
You have (expired on 2015-02-28 19:11:28) to come up with three answers in any combination of categories you see fit.
And all you need to win the jackpot is just one of those answers to be Pointless.
For those of you playing at home, all of the Pointless answers:
Bond Theme Artists
Monty Norman and Orchestra created the 'James Bond Theme', first in the opening credits for Dr No and later in From Russia With Love.
Rita Coolidge wrote All Time High, used for Octopussy.
Daniel Craig Films
Love is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon
The Mother
The Jacket
Renaissance
Obsession
Infamous
I Dreamed of Africa
Flashbacks of a Fool
Fateless
Enduring Love
A Kid in King Arthur's Court
'Goldfinger' Actors
Martin Benson
Cec Linder
Austin Willis
Lois Maxwell
Bill Nagy
Michael Mellinger
Peter Cranwell
Nadja Regin
Richard Vernon
Burt Kwouk
Mai Ling
Varley Thomas
Margaret Nolan
John McLaren
Robert MacLeod
Victor Brooks
Alf Joint
Gerry Duggan
