Back to London again this week, for 3 competitors from London, Middlesex and Surrey, and one from Cardiff. Oh yes, I was torn. In the end I had to throw the dubious benefit of my support behind Michael Parsons from Cardiff. His wasn’t a name the rings a bell, but that doesn’t necessarily mean anything as we well know.
Michael was drawn to go fourth as it happened, and so the show kicked off with Graham Bennett from Surbiton – Good Life country. Graham kicked off confidently with 2 correct answers. The Laura Ingalls Wilder Prize did for him, and gave my boy Michael a first point in the shape of a bonus. Charmian Griffiths from London missed her first question, a tricky one on good old Harold Bluetooth. I did know this, but only because I studied Old Norse as part of my English degree (don’t ask, just accept it). Nobody else did. Glen Kirton from Middlesex took the first question, but missed out on the city which is the HQ of the African Union. Its Addis Ababa, and nobody knew it. Michael then faced his own first question, but failed on a type of US folk dance. Not surprised at that. So Graham led into round two.
Graham couldn’t supply the title to the musical sequel to Phantom of the Opera. Charmian knew Love Never Dies. She added to this with two of her own questions, in what was to prove her best round of the whole contest. She didn’t know that .lk on the internet refers to Sri Lanka. Michael did, though. Glen took another of his own questions, and then Michael took another bonus by giving HM the Queen’s two middle names – Alexandra Mary. He added two of his own, before giving Glen back a bonus when he couldn’t identify a term referring to the surgical procedure for removing a kidney stone. Michael now led with 4, to Glen and Charmian’s 3, and Graham’s 2.
Poor Graham was going to struggle for points for the rest of the contest. His first question on The Old Curiosity Shop proved unanswerable to all 4 of the contestants. Charmian couldn’t dredge up the name of the faun in The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe, but Michael knew it. Both Glen and Michael failed on their own first questions, and indeed, falling at the first hurdle was to be something of a recurring motif in this show. Still, Michael and Glen were doing what you really have to do, continuing to rack up bonuses each round. Michael led by 5 to Glen’s 4. Round Four would, in hindsight, finish the match as a contest. Charmian picked up one point for her first answer, Glen , Graham and Michael each picked up a bonus. However Michael put together a string of five correct answers, and by the end of the round , which preceded the listener’s questions, he led by 11 to Glen’s 5, Charmian’ 4, and Graham’s 3.
Two questions on the NASA Apollo missions followed. Given a list of names, the team failed to see they were all call signs of Apollo lunar modules that landed on the moon, and so the first would have been Eagle. Even more difficult, they were asked to name the bird from which the feather used by Dave Scott to conduct the old Galileo experiment on the moon had come. It was a falcon, that being the name of the LEM on his mission.
None of the contestants managed to answer any of their own questions in round five, and only Glen and Michael picked up single bonuses. Round 6 was only slightly better, when both Charmian and Michael managed one of their own questions. Michael though kept the bonuses coming. Not only that, but he also had a nine point lead at this stage, with 15 to Glen’s 6. Again, in round 7 and also the last round nobody could answer any of their own questions, with Michael and Glen picking up a bonus apiece in both of them. That was it, then. To be honest, even if Michael had scored nothing on round 4, rather than getting 5 and bonus, he would still have won clearly. He was better on the buzzer, and to be honest I think that his knowledge seemed wider than the other contestants. Well done Michael, and good luck in the semis, carrying the hopes of Wales with you.
The Details
Graham Bennett – 3
Charmian Griffiths – 5
Glen Kirton – 8
Michael Parsons – 17
Monday, 8 November 2010
Sunday, 7 November 2010
Where Have All The Quiz Shows Gone ?
Yes, or should I say, where have all the new quiz shows disappeared to ? Here we are, only just a few weeks away from the end of the year, and in all honesty there has been only one new TV quiz show this year which I can think of. More about that one later .
Take last year for instance. Nominees for the best new quiz show of the year 2009 were, if I recall correctly, “A Question of Genius “ , “Divided”, “The Chase”, “The Fuse”, “Guesstimation”, “Knowitalls” and “Pointless”. Not nominated, yet still flaring briefly into life on Sky was “Sell Me The Answer”. Even if we say that 2009 was perhaps an exceptional year for the quantity of new quiz shows, if we look back to 2008 we can see that “Perfect Recall” , “Battle of the Brains”, “Sports Mastermind”, “Are You An Egghead” and, yes, “Only Connect” all began that year.
So, what on Earth has gone wrong ? I’m not sure. Partly I’d guess its because some of those that have come along in the past couple of years have been successful. “Pointless” has certainly cemented its place in the hearts of its audience, and there’s no reason why it might not in time become a perennial BBC favourite like “The Weakest Link “ and “Eggheads”. It may well be that the BBC feel the same about “A Question of Genius”. As regards “Only Connect”, BBC4 have got the best team quiz on television which is open to any members of the public. In 2 years and 4 series it has established itself as one of the big 4 most prestigious quizzes there is, right up there with “Mastermind”, “Brain of Britain”, and “University Challenge”. As for ITV, they have persisted with “Divided”, and “The Chase” is, I believe, currently auditioning contestants for a third series, so they seem pretty well on their way to being established in the ITV teatime slot.
I only mentioned all this in the first place since last night was the first time that I caught a part of the new quiz I mentioned earlier. Namely, Channel 4’s Million Pound Drop live. I watched a couple of these when the first series went out earlier last year. Which explains why I haven’t watched any of this series yet. I’m really sorry if you’re a fan of the show, and by all means feel free to disagree with me, but I really dislike this show. If you want me to go into detail : -I don’t like the presenter , Davina McCall- or Shouty McGurney as she is far-from-affectionately called in my house. I think the pace is positively funereal. I watched the show for about 20 minute last night, and in that time I think three questions were asked. Unless it is a quiz- such as University Challenge – which is meant for a particular group of people, then I don’t think that its right to limit the contestants to a very limited age range. OK, I haven’t watched the show much, but I’m not the first to point out that it seems like the contestants are all drawn from the 18 – 30 demographic. From what I’ve seen, as well, it would be nice to see fewer ‘pure guessing ‘ questions too.
Not that I think for one minute that this show has been designed to appeal to people like me anyway. But it is a shame that this seems to be pretty much all that we can manage for the genre this year. Dare I say it, this raises the spectre of the LAMMY Award for the Best New Quiz Show not being awarded this year . Oh, the shame of it.
Take last year for instance. Nominees for the best new quiz show of the year 2009 were, if I recall correctly, “A Question of Genius “ , “Divided”, “The Chase”, “The Fuse”, “Guesstimation”, “Knowitalls” and “Pointless”. Not nominated, yet still flaring briefly into life on Sky was “Sell Me The Answer”. Even if we say that 2009 was perhaps an exceptional year for the quantity of new quiz shows, if we look back to 2008 we can see that “Perfect Recall” , “Battle of the Brains”, “Sports Mastermind”, “Are You An Egghead” and, yes, “Only Connect” all began that year.
So, what on Earth has gone wrong ? I’m not sure. Partly I’d guess its because some of those that have come along in the past couple of years have been successful. “Pointless” has certainly cemented its place in the hearts of its audience, and there’s no reason why it might not in time become a perennial BBC favourite like “The Weakest Link “ and “Eggheads”. It may well be that the BBC feel the same about “A Question of Genius”. As regards “Only Connect”, BBC4 have got the best team quiz on television which is open to any members of the public. In 2 years and 4 series it has established itself as one of the big 4 most prestigious quizzes there is, right up there with “Mastermind”, “Brain of Britain”, and “University Challenge”. As for ITV, they have persisted with “Divided”, and “The Chase” is, I believe, currently auditioning contestants for a third series, so they seem pretty well on their way to being established in the ITV teatime slot.
I only mentioned all this in the first place since last night was the first time that I caught a part of the new quiz I mentioned earlier. Namely, Channel 4’s Million Pound Drop live. I watched a couple of these when the first series went out earlier last year. Which explains why I haven’t watched any of this series yet. I’m really sorry if you’re a fan of the show, and by all means feel free to disagree with me, but I really dislike this show. If you want me to go into detail : -I don’t like the presenter , Davina McCall- or Shouty McGurney as she is far-from-affectionately called in my house. I think the pace is positively funereal. I watched the show for about 20 minute last night, and in that time I think three questions were asked. Unless it is a quiz- such as University Challenge – which is meant for a particular group of people, then I don’t think that its right to limit the contestants to a very limited age range. OK, I haven’t watched the show much, but I’m not the first to point out that it seems like the contestants are all drawn from the 18 – 30 demographic. From what I’ve seen, as well, it would be nice to see fewer ‘pure guessing ‘ questions too.
Not that I think for one minute that this show has been designed to appeal to people like me anyway. But it is a shame that this seems to be pretty much all that we can manage for the genre this year. Dare I say it, this raises the spectre of the LAMMY Award for the Best New Quiz Show not being awarded this year . Oh, the shame of it.
Saturday, 6 November 2010
Return trip to 1927
OK – here are the answers given to the questions from the 1927 quiz book which I posted last week : -
1) What is Wren’s most famous building ?
St. Paul’s Cathedral ( can’t really argue with this one, but its not the sort of question I like a great deal since ‘famous’ is very much a subjective concept )
2) What years are Leap Years ?
All years which are divisible evenly by four
3) Which blossom first – apple trees or pear trees ?
Pear trees ( I wouldn’t argue – but its just a boring question )
4) How are herrings caught ?
In nets ( d’oh ! )
5) From what animal do we get venison ?
Deer
6) What is flannel made of ?
Wool
7) Who was the Prince Consort ?
Prince Albert – husband of Queen Victoria
8) Where is the Coronation Stone ( in 1927 )
In Westminster Abbey ( now in Edinburgh Castle )
9) Where are cockles found ?
ON sandy sea shores
10) What is chiefly manufactured in Sheffield ?
Steel
11) In what county is the New Forest ?
Hampshire
12) What is Perry made from ?
Pears
13) What is larding ?
A method of introducing bacon fat into meat or fowl to be cooked
14) What is the postage on a letter to the USA ? ( in 1927 ! )
A penny-halfpenny ( daylight robbery )
15) When is Low Sunday ?
The Sunday after Easter
16) What is the highest weight for Parcel Post ? ( in 1927 )
11lbs
17) What is beetroot chiefly used for
Making Sugar
18) Who was Julius Caesar ?
The First Emperor of Rome (debatable – nowadays the consensus seems to be that Augustus was the first )
19) What happened at Runnymede ?
Signing of the Magna Carta ( terrible question, since other things have happened a Runnymede, although none quite as significant, I admit )
20) What is the Bodleian ?
The Oxford University Library
21) Who was Balak ?
The king of Moaab who employed Balaam to curse Israel
22) Who wrote Ivanhoe ?
Sir Walter Scott
23) What is flannelette made of ?
Cotton
24) What does I.L.P. stand for ?
Independent Labour Party
25) What is an isthmus ?
A narrow neck of land connecting two larger areas of land
26) What birds like building their nests under eaves ?
Swallows ( I would imagine that there are other birds who do this too )
27) What birds like building their nests in sandbanks ?
Sand Martins
28) What birds leave their eggs to hatch themselves in the sun ?
Ostriches
29) What do you connect with the name Butterick ?
Paper patterns of garments
30) What is measured in reams ?
Paper
31) Which British bird lays the largest egg ?
The swan ( little vague – I’d have liked to know which species )
32) Who is supposed to have said that the battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton ?
The Duke of Wellington
33) What is the meaning of Sinn Fein ?
Ourselves ( I’ve also heard it rendered as we, ourselves – and – ourselves alone )
34) In what year did Queen Victoria come to the throne ?
1837
35) How old is the Prince of Wales ( in 1927, later Edward VIII and Duke of Windsor )
33 in June 1927
36) Quote the proverb which tells you when it is safe to change winter for summer clothes
Cast ne’er a clout till May be out.
37) What is a sweetbread ?
The pancreas of an animal. A very digestible form of food ( his words, not mine )
38) Who is the fourth lady in the land ( in 1927 )
Princess Elizabeth ( now HM the Queen – Gawd Bless ‘Er )
39) How does cotton grow ?
On bushes in fields, in pods
40) What is the capital of Somerset ?
Taunton
41) What is the capital of Devon ?
Exeter
42) Where are the Cotswold Hills ?
Gloucestershire
43) Where are the Quantock Hills ?
Between Somerset and Devon
44) Where is Dartmoor ?
Devon
45) What is Worth famous for ?
Standing by shop windows and making silly reflections – no, not really , - Creator of fashions in women’s clothes
46) Who was Man Friday ?
Robinson Crusoe’s ‘savage’ companion on his island
47) What is November 11 , 1918, famous for ?
The Armistice
48) What is a barnacle ?
A shell fish which attaches itself to the bottom of ships
49) What two primary colours mixed together make purple ?
Blue and red
50) What are complines ?
The last of the daily hours of prayer in most monastic rules
How did you do ? Remember, George says that ANY adult ought to achieve at least 50% !
1) What is Wren’s most famous building ?
St. Paul’s Cathedral ( can’t really argue with this one, but its not the sort of question I like a great deal since ‘famous’ is very much a subjective concept )
2) What years are Leap Years ?
All years which are divisible evenly by four
3) Which blossom first – apple trees or pear trees ?
Pear trees ( I wouldn’t argue – but its just a boring question )
4) How are herrings caught ?
In nets ( d’oh ! )
5) From what animal do we get venison ?
Deer
6) What is flannel made of ?
Wool
7) Who was the Prince Consort ?
Prince Albert – husband of Queen Victoria
8) Where is the Coronation Stone ( in 1927 )
In Westminster Abbey ( now in Edinburgh Castle )
9) Where are cockles found ?
ON sandy sea shores
10) What is chiefly manufactured in Sheffield ?
Steel
11) In what county is the New Forest ?
Hampshire
12) What is Perry made from ?
Pears
13) What is larding ?
A method of introducing bacon fat into meat or fowl to be cooked
14) What is the postage on a letter to the USA ? ( in 1927 ! )
A penny-halfpenny ( daylight robbery )
15) When is Low Sunday ?
The Sunday after Easter
16) What is the highest weight for Parcel Post ? ( in 1927 )
11lbs
17) What is beetroot chiefly used for
Making Sugar
18) Who was Julius Caesar ?
The First Emperor of Rome (debatable – nowadays the consensus seems to be that Augustus was the first )
19) What happened at Runnymede ?
Signing of the Magna Carta ( terrible question, since other things have happened a Runnymede, although none quite as significant, I admit )
20) What is the Bodleian ?
The Oxford University Library
21) Who was Balak ?
The king of Moaab who employed Balaam to curse Israel
22) Who wrote Ivanhoe ?
Sir Walter Scott
23) What is flannelette made of ?
Cotton
24) What does I.L.P. stand for ?
Independent Labour Party
25) What is an isthmus ?
A narrow neck of land connecting two larger areas of land
26) What birds like building their nests under eaves ?
Swallows ( I would imagine that there are other birds who do this too )
27) What birds like building their nests in sandbanks ?
Sand Martins
28) What birds leave their eggs to hatch themselves in the sun ?
Ostriches
29) What do you connect with the name Butterick ?
Paper patterns of garments
30) What is measured in reams ?
Paper
31) Which British bird lays the largest egg ?
The swan ( little vague – I’d have liked to know which species )
32) Who is supposed to have said that the battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton ?
The Duke of Wellington
33) What is the meaning of Sinn Fein ?
Ourselves ( I’ve also heard it rendered as we, ourselves – and – ourselves alone )
34) In what year did Queen Victoria come to the throne ?
1837
35) How old is the Prince of Wales ( in 1927, later Edward VIII and Duke of Windsor )
33 in June 1927
36) Quote the proverb which tells you when it is safe to change winter for summer clothes
Cast ne’er a clout till May be out.
37) What is a sweetbread ?
The pancreas of an animal. A very digestible form of food ( his words, not mine )
38) Who is the fourth lady in the land ( in 1927 )
Princess Elizabeth ( now HM the Queen – Gawd Bless ‘Er )
39) How does cotton grow ?
On bushes in fields, in pods
40) What is the capital of Somerset ?
Taunton
41) What is the capital of Devon ?
Exeter
42) Where are the Cotswold Hills ?
Gloucestershire
43) Where are the Quantock Hills ?
Between Somerset and Devon
44) Where is Dartmoor ?
Devon
45) What is Worth famous for ?
Standing by shop windows and making silly reflections – no, not really , - Creator of fashions in women’s clothes
46) Who was Man Friday ?
Robinson Crusoe’s ‘savage’ companion on his island
47) What is November 11 , 1918, famous for ?
The Armistice
48) What is a barnacle ?
A shell fish which attaches itself to the bottom of ships
49) What two primary colours mixed together make purple ?
Blue and red
50) What are complines ?
The last of the daily hours of prayer in most monastic rules
How did you do ? Remember, George says that ANY adult ought to achieve at least 50% !
Friday, 5 November 2010
Mastermind - First Round - Heat 12/24
The first round continues to run its inexorable course, as we reach the end of the first half. We’ve seen some amazing scores already, and doubtless the series has many more surprises to unfold.
Enough of such chaff. Tonight’s first specialist subject, offered by Stephen Gault, was 80’s gloom-mongers The Smiths, a band whom even people who weren’t fans should admit have stood the test of time. Stephen set off at a good pace, and picked up the first five answers without loss or hesitation. However the next two questions stopped him in his tracks, and from then on he was really scrabbling for answers. By the end of the round he had managed 9 altogether.
David Malone was answering on The Third Battle of Ypres – often called the Battle of Passchendaele. Actually that was the answer to one of his questions. He too began very well, and maintained form for two questions longer than Stephen had. However once again the first wrong answer proved to be a real momentum – stopper , and he could only add another 4 to his total. Still, this at least took his score into double figures, with 11 points altogether.
I amazed my nearest and dearest tonight, by predicting that Gillian Taylor who came next would post a massive score, and probably even get all of them right. Which is exactly what she did . What on earth possessed me to make such a prediction ? Well, the fact that when Gillian last appeared in the first round, in Nancy’s 2008/9 series, she did just that, 18 question and 18 correct answers ! Of course, that was on a different subject, and tonight Gillian was offering The Life and Career of Josephine Baker, the American dancer who became something of a sensation in Paris by dancing wearing little else than a short skirt made of bananas, unless I am very much mistaken. You pays yer money . . . Let me take nothing away from Gillian. It was an outstanding round.
Poor Christopher Payne had the incredibly difficult job of having to follow Gillian into the chair. His subject was the Literary Works of John Betjeman. Like his fellow contenders he started confidently enough. However the fifth question stopped him, and his confidence took an absolute nosedive. After a wrong answer a pass spiral grasped him in its deathly clutches, and 4 passed in a row before he managed to find another answer. 2 correct answers, 2 wrong answers, and another 4 passes later the bell kindly put him out of his torment. If you watched the round I think you’d probably agree with me that this was not a case of a contender not having prepared, but of one being virtually paralysed by nerves. And when that happens, my friends, there is next to nothing you can do. Still, it didn’t bode well for the next round, considering that Christopher would be making a very quick return .
Before that, however, John didn’t miss an opportunity to rub it in that Gillian was ‘way out in front ‘ . So, thus encouraged, Christopher returned to the chair, and managed to add a further 8 points to his score. His final score was that rare bird, a score in which the total points and the total passes were equal. At least Christopher will have possibly derived a crumb of comfort from the fact that he did beat Stephen in the General knowledge round. Stephen struggled, and never really got to grips with the questions. He finished with 16. So even though two contenders had now finished, Gillian was still in the lead, with her own general knowledge round to come.
There was still much for David Malone to play for, though, even if a win looked unlikely. A high score would give him a chance of making the runners- up board. He certainly provided a pretty decent round, and even in a 2 and a half-minute round 14 is certainly not to be sniffed at. However 25 left Gillian needing 9 for an outright win without recourse to a pass countback.
Looking back on Gillian’s 2008/9 performances, it has to be said that her General Rounds never matched her specialist rounds. Before tonight’s show she had scored a 9 and an 8, which are relatively modest even for a 2-minute round. However, with an extra half minute I had no doubt that Gillian would make it. Indeed, for much of the round she seemed to be doing considerably better than in previous GK rounds. Then, as we’ve seen before this series, a little fatigue kicked in with about 45 seconds to go. She kept pushing on, and in the end scored 12 to reach the magical 30-point mark. To be honest, after the specialist round there had only looked one winner tonight, and it means that Gillian joins the ranks of those who have twice made it to the semi finals. Well done !
The Details
Current Highest Scoring Runners Up
Hamish Cameron – 30 – 2
Anne Skillen - 30 -7
James Collenette - 29 – 2
Duncan Byrne – 27 - 2
Ian Packham - 27 – 7
Chris Harrison - 26 – 1
Enough of such chaff. Tonight’s first specialist subject, offered by Stephen Gault, was 80’s gloom-mongers The Smiths, a band whom even people who weren’t fans should admit have stood the test of time. Stephen set off at a good pace, and picked up the first five answers without loss or hesitation. However the next two questions stopped him in his tracks, and from then on he was really scrabbling for answers. By the end of the round he had managed 9 altogether.
David Malone was answering on The Third Battle of Ypres – often called the Battle of Passchendaele. Actually that was the answer to one of his questions. He too began very well, and maintained form for two questions longer than Stephen had. However once again the first wrong answer proved to be a real momentum – stopper , and he could only add another 4 to his total. Still, this at least took his score into double figures, with 11 points altogether.
I amazed my nearest and dearest tonight, by predicting that Gillian Taylor who came next would post a massive score, and probably even get all of them right. Which is exactly what she did . What on earth possessed me to make such a prediction ? Well, the fact that when Gillian last appeared in the first round, in Nancy’s 2008/9 series, she did just that, 18 question and 18 correct answers ! Of course, that was on a different subject, and tonight Gillian was offering The Life and Career of Josephine Baker, the American dancer who became something of a sensation in Paris by dancing wearing little else than a short skirt made of bananas, unless I am very much mistaken. You pays yer money . . . Let me take nothing away from Gillian. It was an outstanding round.
Poor Christopher Payne had the incredibly difficult job of having to follow Gillian into the chair. His subject was the Literary Works of John Betjeman. Like his fellow contenders he started confidently enough. However the fifth question stopped him, and his confidence took an absolute nosedive. After a wrong answer a pass spiral grasped him in its deathly clutches, and 4 passed in a row before he managed to find another answer. 2 correct answers, 2 wrong answers, and another 4 passes later the bell kindly put him out of his torment. If you watched the round I think you’d probably agree with me that this was not a case of a contender not having prepared, but of one being virtually paralysed by nerves. And when that happens, my friends, there is next to nothing you can do. Still, it didn’t bode well for the next round, considering that Christopher would be making a very quick return .
Before that, however, John didn’t miss an opportunity to rub it in that Gillian was ‘way out in front ‘ . So, thus encouraged, Christopher returned to the chair, and managed to add a further 8 points to his score. His final score was that rare bird, a score in which the total points and the total passes were equal. At least Christopher will have possibly derived a crumb of comfort from the fact that he did beat Stephen in the General knowledge round. Stephen struggled, and never really got to grips with the questions. He finished with 16. So even though two contenders had now finished, Gillian was still in the lead, with her own general knowledge round to come.
There was still much for David Malone to play for, though, even if a win looked unlikely. A high score would give him a chance of making the runners- up board. He certainly provided a pretty decent round, and even in a 2 and a half-minute round 14 is certainly not to be sniffed at. However 25 left Gillian needing 9 for an outright win without recourse to a pass countback.
Looking back on Gillian’s 2008/9 performances, it has to be said that her General Rounds never matched her specialist rounds. Before tonight’s show she had scored a 9 and an 8, which are relatively modest even for a 2-minute round. However, with an extra half minute I had no doubt that Gillian would make it. Indeed, for much of the round she seemed to be doing considerably better than in previous GK rounds. Then, as we’ve seen before this series, a little fatigue kicked in with about 45 seconds to go. She kept pushing on, and in the end scored 12 to reach the magical 30-point mark. To be honest, after the specialist round there had only looked one winner tonight, and it means that Gillian joins the ranks of those who have twice made it to the semi finals. Well done !
The Details
| Stephen Gault | The Smiths | 9 – 4 | 7 – 4 | 16 – 8 |
| David Malone | The Third Battle of Ypres | 11 – 1 | 14 – 4 | 25 - 5 |
| Gillian Taylor | The Life and Career of Josephine Baker | 18 - 0 | 12 - 1 | 30 –1 |
| Christopher Payne | The Literary Works of John Betjeman | 6 - 8 | 8 – 6 | 14 – 14 |
Current Highest Scoring Runners Up
Hamish Cameron – 30 – 2
Anne Skillen - 30 -7
James Collenette - 29 – 2
Duncan Byrne – 27 - 2
Ian Packham - 27 – 7
Chris Harrison - 26 – 1
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
TV Watch - Only Connect
Quarter Final 1 – Epicureans v. Bridge Players
What, already at the quarter final stage, Dave? Yes, indeed we are, and tonight’s match saw the return of the record breaking Epicureans, against the doughty fighters of the Bridge Players. In the first round David Brewis, Aaron bell and captain Katie Bramall-Stainer beat the excellent Courtiers in a most memorable match, only settled by a record breaking vowels round. The Bridge Players Chris Cooper, Tim Dickinson and captain Nick Smith themselves came from behind to defeat the Fantasy Writers.
Round One – What’s the Connection?
The Players kicked off the show with an early outing for the horned viper. Which concealed the music starter, as it turned out. It kicked off with The Streets’ Dry Your Eyes. Now, they latched onto the Streets, when they ought to have latched onto the title of the song. They knew that one of the following clues was Smokey Robinson, but took it as The Tracks of My Tears, rather than Tears of A Clown, and so they went down the street/ track/ pathway route. The Eps, who got the privilege of listening to a snatch of Roy Orbison singing Crying, knew that tears were the connection. A big thank you to David B and the team for sparing us Ken Dodd’s song of the same name there. The Eps took Water, and were rewarded with The Trial – Raphael’s Transfiguration, by which time they pretty much knew the answer – and Mozart’s Requiem, which confirmed for them that these were all works finished posthumously by some one else. Nice cultural set that, I thought. The Players put points on the board knowing that the Lower Part of a Shield, the middle part of a transistor, something to do with something that accepts protons, and a home plate are all bases. I fancy I might have had the connection lurking behind reeds in 2, when Agamemnon was followed by Jim Morrison. The Eps took Marion Crane and Marat to be sure that they all died in the bathroom or bathtub. Behind Lion lurked the pictures for the Players, who guessed wrong after Thor Heyerdahl and Limahl, going down the anagram route, which is what Mr. Hamill did to become Limahl. The Eps knew it was all names ending in HL – Sophie Dahl being the last of the set. So the Eps looked behind the eye of Horus to finish the round, and found another cultural set, the Supremacy of Pericles, Between Domitian and Commodus, Wide Use of Steam locomotives, and Elizabeth I’s reign. They knew that the epithet golden age could apply to each of these. So they carried a healthy lead of 6 to 1 into round two.
Round Two – What comes Fourth?
Neither team finished Superset – Union and subset with intersection, which was the Players’ connection on Lion. The Eps again chose water, getting 4 – ship’s prow – 3 – Hand grenade - 2 Power cable under the water . It looked like David who knew that these were the way that the sharks were killed in the various Jaws sequels, and so the last would b 1 – holding an air tank which explodes when shot etc etc. Good shout. The Players took the pictures behind the viper, seeing someone they didn’t know – Buster Keaton – General Custer – by which time I was shouting Duster at the screen. Neither team got it actually, I didn’t know Mr. Auster, the writer in the first picture. Behind the Flax the Eps revealed Southampton – Cherbourg and Queenstown ( now Cobh ) which gave Katie a lightbulb moment, as she immediately knew that these were stops on the itinerary of the Titanic’s maiden voyage, with the last being new York. So the Players finished with Reeds, for Servant of God – Venerable ( and I might have guessed correctly at this point ) – Blessed . They were correct in going for saint or sainted, this being the stages in the process of canonisation. The Eps were left again with the eye of Horus, and had worked out what Cave – Arch – Stack were all about – coastal erosion processes, but neither team knew that stump would be 4th. Needless to say that I didn’t either. The Eps continued to lead by 10 to 3.
Round Three – The Connecting Walls
Going first now , the Eps chose Water. They unravelled the sets extremely well, taking the first two, then checking and rechecking the last two sets before keying them in. So , Steel – Cable – Campbell and Kennedy made up a set of Lib Dem leaders. Then Browning – Owen – Lanchester and Thompson were all sub machine guns. Orange – Barlow – Williams and Donald were obviously members of Take That. However the last set , Psychic – Fighting – Dragon and Grass was one of those nasty sets probably obvious to anyone under 20, but not to the rest of us. All types of Pokemon character. Hardly surprising the Eps didn’t quite get it.
The Players then were left with the Lion wall. I was very pleased with myself for spotting that Clock – Surprise – Military and London were all Haydn Symphonies. I was impressed with the way that they also unravelled platen – ribbon – key and carriage as parts of a typewriter. However time ran out. When the last two sets were unravelled they could see that Alarm, cuckoo , candle and chess were all types of clock, while potato – storm – needle and Jupiter all have at least one eye. Tricky, but it did mean that the Eps stretched another point ahead, by 17 to 9.
Round 4 - Missing Vowels
Look out – it’s the Eps on the missing vowels again. Fireworks alert ! On ores they scored a full set of 4. They slipped a bit on Pirates and privateers, only managing the three to the Players’ 1. Likewise with theatrical script terms. Both Aaron and Katie contributed their share to the Eps, but it has to be said that David was absolutely on fire tonight. The Eps took two from both Food Writers and Ancient Cities respectively, then three on numbers, before the curtain came down before Victoria could ask any cattle breeds. So the final score was a pretty resounding 34 – 13 to the Eps. Hard lines, Players, but well done on getting this far, and take satisfaction from the fact that it took a most formidable team to beat you. The Eps then sail through to the semis. Well done !
What, already at the quarter final stage, Dave? Yes, indeed we are, and tonight’s match saw the return of the record breaking Epicureans, against the doughty fighters of the Bridge Players. In the first round David Brewis, Aaron bell and captain Katie Bramall-Stainer beat the excellent Courtiers in a most memorable match, only settled by a record breaking vowels round. The Bridge Players Chris Cooper, Tim Dickinson and captain Nick Smith themselves came from behind to defeat the Fantasy Writers.
Round One – What’s the Connection?
The Players kicked off the show with an early outing for the horned viper. Which concealed the music starter, as it turned out. It kicked off with The Streets’ Dry Your Eyes. Now, they latched onto the Streets, when they ought to have latched onto the title of the song. They knew that one of the following clues was Smokey Robinson, but took it as The Tracks of My Tears, rather than Tears of A Clown, and so they went down the street/ track/ pathway route. The Eps, who got the privilege of listening to a snatch of Roy Orbison singing Crying, knew that tears were the connection. A big thank you to David B and the team for sparing us Ken Dodd’s song of the same name there. The Eps took Water, and were rewarded with The Trial – Raphael’s Transfiguration, by which time they pretty much knew the answer – and Mozart’s Requiem, which confirmed for them that these were all works finished posthumously by some one else. Nice cultural set that, I thought. The Players put points on the board knowing that the Lower Part of a Shield, the middle part of a transistor, something to do with something that accepts protons, and a home plate are all bases. I fancy I might have had the connection lurking behind reeds in 2, when Agamemnon was followed by Jim Morrison. The Eps took Marion Crane and Marat to be sure that they all died in the bathroom or bathtub. Behind Lion lurked the pictures for the Players, who guessed wrong after Thor Heyerdahl and Limahl, going down the anagram route, which is what Mr. Hamill did to become Limahl. The Eps knew it was all names ending in HL – Sophie Dahl being the last of the set. So the Eps looked behind the eye of Horus to finish the round, and found another cultural set, the Supremacy of Pericles, Between Domitian and Commodus, Wide Use of Steam locomotives, and Elizabeth I’s reign. They knew that the epithet golden age could apply to each of these. So they carried a healthy lead of 6 to 1 into round two.
Round Two – What comes Fourth?
Neither team finished Superset – Union and subset with intersection, which was the Players’ connection on Lion. The Eps again chose water, getting 4 – ship’s prow – 3 – Hand grenade - 2 Power cable under the water . It looked like David who knew that these were the way that the sharks were killed in the various Jaws sequels, and so the last would b 1 – holding an air tank which explodes when shot etc etc. Good shout. The Players took the pictures behind the viper, seeing someone they didn’t know – Buster Keaton – General Custer – by which time I was shouting Duster at the screen. Neither team got it actually, I didn’t know Mr. Auster, the writer in the first picture. Behind the Flax the Eps revealed Southampton – Cherbourg and Queenstown ( now Cobh ) which gave Katie a lightbulb moment, as she immediately knew that these were stops on the itinerary of the Titanic’s maiden voyage, with the last being new York. So the Players finished with Reeds, for Servant of God – Venerable ( and I might have guessed correctly at this point ) – Blessed . They were correct in going for saint or sainted, this being the stages in the process of canonisation. The Eps were left again with the eye of Horus, and had worked out what Cave – Arch – Stack were all about – coastal erosion processes, but neither team knew that stump would be 4th. Needless to say that I didn’t either. The Eps continued to lead by 10 to 3.
Round Three – The Connecting Walls
Going first now , the Eps chose Water. They unravelled the sets extremely well, taking the first two, then checking and rechecking the last two sets before keying them in. So , Steel – Cable – Campbell and Kennedy made up a set of Lib Dem leaders. Then Browning – Owen – Lanchester and Thompson were all sub machine guns. Orange – Barlow – Williams and Donald were obviously members of Take That. However the last set , Psychic – Fighting – Dragon and Grass was one of those nasty sets probably obvious to anyone under 20, but not to the rest of us. All types of Pokemon character. Hardly surprising the Eps didn’t quite get it.
The Players then were left with the Lion wall. I was very pleased with myself for spotting that Clock – Surprise – Military and London were all Haydn Symphonies. I was impressed with the way that they also unravelled platen – ribbon – key and carriage as parts of a typewriter. However time ran out. When the last two sets were unravelled they could see that Alarm, cuckoo , candle and chess were all types of clock, while potato – storm – needle and Jupiter all have at least one eye. Tricky, but it did mean that the Eps stretched another point ahead, by 17 to 9.
Round 4 - Missing Vowels
Look out – it’s the Eps on the missing vowels again. Fireworks alert ! On ores they scored a full set of 4. They slipped a bit on Pirates and privateers, only managing the three to the Players’ 1. Likewise with theatrical script terms. Both Aaron and Katie contributed their share to the Eps, but it has to be said that David was absolutely on fire tonight. The Eps took two from both Food Writers and Ancient Cities respectively, then three on numbers, before the curtain came down before Victoria could ask any cattle breeds. So the final score was a pretty resounding 34 – 13 to the Eps. Hard lines, Players, but well done on getting this far, and take satisfaction from the fact that it took a most formidable team to beat you. The Eps then sail through to the semis. Well done !
TVWatch - University Challenge
University Challenge - Round Two - Heat 1
Well, in the repechage matches we saw it amply demonstrated that first round form doesn’t count for anything. Would it prove to be so again in round two proper? Christ’s College Cambridge probably hoped that it would. In the first round they comfortably beat Liverpool, but the team of Jack Belloli, Joe Walmswell, Alexander Greaves and Captain Natasha Simonova didn’t break the magic 300 barrier. Opponents Edinburgh did just that, in a first round demolition of Jesus, Oxford. Ben Grey, Jack Binns, Andrew Gray and skipper Ben Sherry doubtless would settle for more of the same.
The first starter fell to Jack Belloli, after Ben Skerry failed to identify a set of words and definitions relating to the word big. Christ’s certainly signaled their intent with a fine 3 correct bonuses on latin poets. Natasha Simonova impressed with some very nifty buzzer work by coming in early to recognize a quotation from Milton on the subject of divorce. I thought it was Tammy Wynette, myself, but I digress. An early entrant for the most weird and wonderful bonus category was then revealed, in the shape of hi-tech swimsuits. Christ’s impressed me by managing to get one of these. Natasha Simonova continued the good work with a correct buzz to recognize that the area being talked of in the next starter was Bloomsbury. Another enjoyable set of bonuses followed, with pairs of rhyming words, as in Ralph Roister Doister. Not familiar with it ? Never mind, Christ’s were, and they took two bonuses.
All the while poor Edinburgh were languishing with a minus score. Not for much longer though, as Gray of Edinburgh buzzed in to recognize a definition of the condition Porphyria. For bonuses they were given a set of scientific terms beginning with Az -. I was going to offer azimuth for each of them, but as it was the answer to the first bonus that was that. It was the only one Edinburgh got too, hardly surprising really since the rest were all what-the-‘ells. There was a great UC starter for the fifth set. If you transpose numbers on a dartboard, with the corresponding letter, a being 1, reading anticlockwise, which 3 letter word is spelled by three consecutive numbers ? The answer was rat, brilliantly worked out by Jack Belloli, who was to continue having a very good night. Bonuses followed on people with similar names – Ben Jonson and Ben Johnson, Richard Rogers and Richard Rodgers, Kate Moss and Kate Mosse. 2 bonuses were taken. Natasha Simonova didn’t quite manage the picture starter correctly . She knew it showed the route of the pilgrimage to Santiago da Compostela, but didn’t give the correct name of the route, which is what JP wanted. So the bonuses belonging to the picture actually fell on the next starter, where Jack Belloli correctly identified that the neologism being described was downsizing. They identified two of the three cities pictured on the earlier map. We were hurtling towards the 15 minute mark, and it was very much advantage to Christ’s. This state of affairs continued as they took the next two starters. I was particularly impressed with a full set of bonuses they managed on countries in which various so-called revolutions had happened. Ben grey stopped the rot then by buzzing early to identify an address as belonging to the prime minister of Canada, Alas, they managed none of the bonuses on poetry. So after a break neck first half, Christ’s led comfortably by 145 to 15.
Andrew Gray began the task of hauling Edinburgh back into contention with the next starter, about sand. A set of bonuses on symbols fell by the wayside. Jack Binns continued the good buzzer work by identifying the music starter exceptionally quickly. Edinburgh earned two great bonuses by identifying tracks, and the original song by the Clash which they sampled. A lot of work asked for in order to get the points, I though. Edinburgh’s hat trick of starters came when Ben Grey identified the river being described as the Rio Grande. One bonus on EU cities followed. Edinburgh were still some distance in arrears, but now making the fight of it which I think we had all expected. All the contestants were far too young to know anything about Stanley Holloway’s Monologue Albert and the Lion, but Edinburgh were a little harshly treated with the next. Asked to provide the names of 3 EU capital cities whose English names have 6 letters, Ben Grey produced two very quickly, but was hardly allowed any hesitation at all before it was passed over, for Alexander Greaves to give the same two and one other for the points. When things don’t run for you, they just don’t run for you. A costly call for Edinburgh, since Christ’s took a full set of bonuses on latin expressions.
Neither team recognized a self portrait of Claude Monet, but Edinburgh took the bonuses when the impressive Andrew Gray recognized a definition of adenoids. Only one other self-portrait, that of Gauguin was recognized for a bonus. The superfast Jack Belloli of Christ’s came in like an express train to take the next starter on works which were based on King Lear – Kurosawa’s Ran being one of them. Only one bonus fell to them on Prime Ministers born the same year as other famous people. Joe Walmswell had been having a quiet evening starter-wise so far, but he took the next recognizing a tango when he heard about one. Not quite so hot on their greek as their latin, Christ’s took 2 bonuses on –epi – words. Ben gray hadn’t given up yet though, and his next starter earned a good set of bonuses on the NATO alphabet, which brought them a full set of three. Tempus, as Christ’s doubtless could have told us, was fugitting madly away. The gap was narrowing, but still too wide as the next starter went begging. Andrew Gray took another starter on the skull, and then they achieved two of the bonuses on cities and Museums. Joe Walmswell took another starter with an early buzz on King Midas. No bonuses were taken. Edinburgh were clearly in the ascendancy, but the finishing post was growing larger all the time as Ben Grey took the final starter, supplying the French word commune. Alas, only one bonus was possible before the gong. Christ’s won by 220 to 160.
A real game of two halves , this one. Christ’s carried all before them for almost 20 minutes, but wilted slightly under the pressure of a superb come back. But they go through, and very well done for that. Great match.
Jeremy Paxman Watch
It seems that even JP was impressed with Christ’s prowess on their latin bonuses. Still, even that he couldn’t allow to pass without a backhanded compliment –
“ No need to look disdainful because its easy !” They are only easy if you have the answers written on the card in front of you, Jezza !
Interesting Fact That I Didn’t Already Know Of The Week
Not actually a fact necessarily, more of a query. Was I right in thinking that they said that the Tower Armoury is the oldest museum in England ? I thought it was the Ashmolean
Well, in the repechage matches we saw it amply demonstrated that first round form doesn’t count for anything. Would it prove to be so again in round two proper? Christ’s College Cambridge probably hoped that it would. In the first round they comfortably beat Liverpool, but the team of Jack Belloli, Joe Walmswell, Alexander Greaves and Captain Natasha Simonova didn’t break the magic 300 barrier. Opponents Edinburgh did just that, in a first round demolition of Jesus, Oxford. Ben Grey, Jack Binns, Andrew Gray and skipper Ben Sherry doubtless would settle for more of the same.
The first starter fell to Jack Belloli, after Ben Skerry failed to identify a set of words and definitions relating to the word big. Christ’s certainly signaled their intent with a fine 3 correct bonuses on latin poets. Natasha Simonova impressed with some very nifty buzzer work by coming in early to recognize a quotation from Milton on the subject of divorce. I thought it was Tammy Wynette, myself, but I digress. An early entrant for the most weird and wonderful bonus category was then revealed, in the shape of hi-tech swimsuits. Christ’s impressed me by managing to get one of these. Natasha Simonova continued the good work with a correct buzz to recognize that the area being talked of in the next starter was Bloomsbury. Another enjoyable set of bonuses followed, with pairs of rhyming words, as in Ralph Roister Doister. Not familiar with it ? Never mind, Christ’s were, and they took two bonuses.
All the while poor Edinburgh were languishing with a minus score. Not for much longer though, as Gray of Edinburgh buzzed in to recognize a definition of the condition Porphyria. For bonuses they were given a set of scientific terms beginning with Az -. I was going to offer azimuth for each of them, but as it was the answer to the first bonus that was that. It was the only one Edinburgh got too, hardly surprising really since the rest were all what-the-‘ells. There was a great UC starter for the fifth set. If you transpose numbers on a dartboard, with the corresponding letter, a being 1, reading anticlockwise, which 3 letter word is spelled by three consecutive numbers ? The answer was rat, brilliantly worked out by Jack Belloli, who was to continue having a very good night. Bonuses followed on people with similar names – Ben Jonson and Ben Johnson, Richard Rogers and Richard Rodgers, Kate Moss and Kate Mosse. 2 bonuses were taken. Natasha Simonova didn’t quite manage the picture starter correctly . She knew it showed the route of the pilgrimage to Santiago da Compostela, but didn’t give the correct name of the route, which is what JP wanted. So the bonuses belonging to the picture actually fell on the next starter, where Jack Belloli correctly identified that the neologism being described was downsizing. They identified two of the three cities pictured on the earlier map. We were hurtling towards the 15 minute mark, and it was very much advantage to Christ’s. This state of affairs continued as they took the next two starters. I was particularly impressed with a full set of bonuses they managed on countries in which various so-called revolutions had happened. Ben grey stopped the rot then by buzzing early to identify an address as belonging to the prime minister of Canada, Alas, they managed none of the bonuses on poetry. So after a break neck first half, Christ’s led comfortably by 145 to 15.
Andrew Gray began the task of hauling Edinburgh back into contention with the next starter, about sand. A set of bonuses on symbols fell by the wayside. Jack Binns continued the good buzzer work by identifying the music starter exceptionally quickly. Edinburgh earned two great bonuses by identifying tracks, and the original song by the Clash which they sampled. A lot of work asked for in order to get the points, I though. Edinburgh’s hat trick of starters came when Ben Grey identified the river being described as the Rio Grande. One bonus on EU cities followed. Edinburgh were still some distance in arrears, but now making the fight of it which I think we had all expected. All the contestants were far too young to know anything about Stanley Holloway’s Monologue Albert and the Lion, but Edinburgh were a little harshly treated with the next. Asked to provide the names of 3 EU capital cities whose English names have 6 letters, Ben Grey produced two very quickly, but was hardly allowed any hesitation at all before it was passed over, for Alexander Greaves to give the same two and one other for the points. When things don’t run for you, they just don’t run for you. A costly call for Edinburgh, since Christ’s took a full set of bonuses on latin expressions.
Neither team recognized a self portrait of Claude Monet, but Edinburgh took the bonuses when the impressive Andrew Gray recognized a definition of adenoids. Only one other self-portrait, that of Gauguin was recognized for a bonus. The superfast Jack Belloli of Christ’s came in like an express train to take the next starter on works which were based on King Lear – Kurosawa’s Ran being one of them. Only one bonus fell to them on Prime Ministers born the same year as other famous people. Joe Walmswell had been having a quiet evening starter-wise so far, but he took the next recognizing a tango when he heard about one. Not quite so hot on their greek as their latin, Christ’s took 2 bonuses on –epi – words. Ben gray hadn’t given up yet though, and his next starter earned a good set of bonuses on the NATO alphabet, which brought them a full set of three. Tempus, as Christ’s doubtless could have told us, was fugitting madly away. The gap was narrowing, but still too wide as the next starter went begging. Andrew Gray took another starter on the skull, and then they achieved two of the bonuses on cities and Museums. Joe Walmswell took another starter with an early buzz on King Midas. No bonuses were taken. Edinburgh were clearly in the ascendancy, but the finishing post was growing larger all the time as Ben Grey took the final starter, supplying the French word commune. Alas, only one bonus was possible before the gong. Christ’s won by 220 to 160.
A real game of two halves , this one. Christ’s carried all before them for almost 20 minutes, but wilted slightly under the pressure of a superb come back. But they go through, and very well done for that. Great match.
Jeremy Paxman Watch
It seems that even JP was impressed with Christ’s prowess on their latin bonuses. Still, even that he couldn’t allow to pass without a backhanded compliment –
“ No need to look disdainful because its easy !” They are only easy if you have the answers written on the card in front of you, Jezza !
Interesting Fact That I Didn’t Already Know Of The Week
Not actually a fact necessarily, more of a query. Was I right in thinking that they said that the Tower Armoury is the oldest museum in England ? I thought it was the Ashmolean
Monday, 1 November 2010
Brain of Britain - Round One - Heat Two
An innovation for this year’s tourney is that alternate heats are going to be hosted in Manchester. That’s nice if it saves people a journey, and its nice also for the Manchester and environs audience to get the chance to pop along too. Just a shame for those contestants who don’t get to perform in the iconic Broadcasting House, not that I should think too many are too upset about that.
On with the show. First off was Ian Cassidy. He ripped in with three answers straight off, but the Ramsey Hunt syndrome was too much for him, as it was for the others too. Stephen Masters then went one better, taking his first four, but just falling short of a full set, and it was a shipping area that did for him. Again, Fair Isle defeated all the contenders. Third contender tonight, Carolyn Pearce also managed a good three points. She guessed, as did I, that Abe Lincoln was born on the same day as Charles Darwin. She zigged with veteran cars being those made between 1919 and 1930, when she should have zagged with vintage, as Chris Wills did for a bonus. Chris, who I believe is the same Chris who has been a Countdown winner, then failed on his own first question, when he couldn’t answer who would use a swozzle. Stephen knew a Punch and Judy performer would. So at the end of the round Stephen led with 5, Ian and Carolyn both had three, and Chris one.
The scoring slowed up a little in the second round, with no contender answering more than 2 questions correctly. I liked Chris’ question about the city in modern day Turkey where “The Comedy of Errors “ is set. I remembered Dromio of Syracuse and Dromio of Ephesus, which gave me the answer. Stephen took a bonus. End of round 2 – Stephen led with 7, from Carolyn with 5, Ian with 4, and Chris with 2. If Ian and Stephen had found it harder to score in round two, then they found it impossible in round three. Chris managed a bonus on Ian’s music question, recognising the dulcet tones of Frank Sidebotham. Other than that, though, only Carolyn scored, a run of 4 only being ended by a Dickens question nobody could answer. So at the break for the Listener’s questions, she now led by 9 points from Stephen with 7, Ian with 4 and Chris with 3.
The Listener’s questions were to name the surnames of Ginger in Just William, and Ginger in Biggles. They were respectively , Flowerdew ( or Merrydew ) and Hebblethwaite. No, I didn’t know, and neither did the panel.
Only Stephen and Carolyn added to their score in the next round. Poor Chris was continually stuffed by his first questions, and was not, alas, to add to his score before the end. There were a couple of old chestnuts they might have had – the entrails in an ‘umble pie, for example, and the language giving us the word gingham, but I can personally vouch for the fact that it’s a lot easier to answer them at home than in the theatre. In the next round, Carolyn made what looked like a decisive move. She took a full set of five, and although Stephen and Ian took a bonus on each other’s first question, this gave Carolyn a seemingly decisive lead. She now had 16, to Stephen’s 9, Ian’s 5, and Chris’ 3.
Two more rounds remained. Neither Ian nor Stephen managed to cut seriously into the lead. Ian, to be fair, answered two of his own, and managed two bonuses, but Carolyn added three to her own score. So with one round to go she had a 10 point lead over both Ian and Stephen. With a maximum of 9 points available to either of them, she was home and dry. Still, the question remained, who would come second? Ian laid down a serious marker by taking 4 in a row. Funnily enough, that was it, no other question was answered correctly by anyone in the round, and so this saw Ian move up to second place. No doubt about the winner, though. Carolyn impressed today with a wide general knowledge, and marched confidently through to the semis. Well done.
My favourite Russell Davies moment today – when commenting that the Messalina Complex is another term for nymphomania he commented more in sorrow than in anger – I’ve never met one.
The Details
Ian Cassidy – 13
Stephen Masters – 9
Carolyn Pearce – 19
Chris Wills – 3
On with the show. First off was Ian Cassidy. He ripped in with three answers straight off, but the Ramsey Hunt syndrome was too much for him, as it was for the others too. Stephen Masters then went one better, taking his first four, but just falling short of a full set, and it was a shipping area that did for him. Again, Fair Isle defeated all the contenders. Third contender tonight, Carolyn Pearce also managed a good three points. She guessed, as did I, that Abe Lincoln was born on the same day as Charles Darwin. She zigged with veteran cars being those made between 1919 and 1930, when she should have zagged with vintage, as Chris Wills did for a bonus. Chris, who I believe is the same Chris who has been a Countdown winner, then failed on his own first question, when he couldn’t answer who would use a swozzle. Stephen knew a Punch and Judy performer would. So at the end of the round Stephen led with 5, Ian and Carolyn both had three, and Chris one.
The scoring slowed up a little in the second round, with no contender answering more than 2 questions correctly. I liked Chris’ question about the city in modern day Turkey where “The Comedy of Errors “ is set. I remembered Dromio of Syracuse and Dromio of Ephesus, which gave me the answer. Stephen took a bonus. End of round 2 – Stephen led with 7, from Carolyn with 5, Ian with 4, and Chris with 2. If Ian and Stephen had found it harder to score in round two, then they found it impossible in round three. Chris managed a bonus on Ian’s music question, recognising the dulcet tones of Frank Sidebotham. Other than that, though, only Carolyn scored, a run of 4 only being ended by a Dickens question nobody could answer. So at the break for the Listener’s questions, she now led by 9 points from Stephen with 7, Ian with 4 and Chris with 3.
The Listener’s questions were to name the surnames of Ginger in Just William, and Ginger in Biggles. They were respectively , Flowerdew ( or Merrydew ) and Hebblethwaite. No, I didn’t know, and neither did the panel.
Only Stephen and Carolyn added to their score in the next round. Poor Chris was continually stuffed by his first questions, and was not, alas, to add to his score before the end. There were a couple of old chestnuts they might have had – the entrails in an ‘umble pie, for example, and the language giving us the word gingham, but I can personally vouch for the fact that it’s a lot easier to answer them at home than in the theatre. In the next round, Carolyn made what looked like a decisive move. She took a full set of five, and although Stephen and Ian took a bonus on each other’s first question, this gave Carolyn a seemingly decisive lead. She now had 16, to Stephen’s 9, Ian’s 5, and Chris’ 3.
Two more rounds remained. Neither Ian nor Stephen managed to cut seriously into the lead. Ian, to be fair, answered two of his own, and managed two bonuses, but Carolyn added three to her own score. So with one round to go she had a 10 point lead over both Ian and Stephen. With a maximum of 9 points available to either of them, she was home and dry. Still, the question remained, who would come second? Ian laid down a serious marker by taking 4 in a row. Funnily enough, that was it, no other question was answered correctly by anyone in the round, and so this saw Ian move up to second place. No doubt about the winner, though. Carolyn impressed today with a wide general knowledge, and marched confidently through to the semis. Well done.
My favourite Russell Davies moment today – when commenting that the Messalina Complex is another term for nymphomania he commented more in sorrow than in anger – I’ve never met one.
The Details
Ian Cassidy – 13
Stephen Masters – 9
Carolyn Pearce – 19
Chris Wills – 3
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