WWTBAM Prep, Part 7 (5-Mar-2019 to 9-Mar-2019)
Notes taken while watching the UK edition of WWTBAM, February and March 2019. New editions (2018 onwards, broadcast on ITV) are titled “NEW WHO:”, older editions are titled “WHO:” or “OLD WHO:” and were broadcast on Challenge. Specific dates for these notes: 5-Mar-2019 to 9-Mar-2019. [6,387 words in this piece.]
NEW WHO: 4-Mar-2019, 500k, 16k
[05/03/2019 11:42] I watched it live, not taking notes (I was doing the last of Saturday’s Sudokus, fairly quick progress, and we were snacking it up on Skittles, on Shrove Tuesday Eve).
FFF: Pixar Films in order of release
DBCA gives us: Toy Story / Finding Nemo / Up / The Incredibles 2
Not sure I got that right / Oh, I did, that’s fine
4/6 get it right, John Robinson from Birmingham is fastest in 3.25s
He’s an English teacher /
1k: Cambodia is on this continent: (Asia)
2k: (Bees) produced royal jelly [He’s not sure and uses Ask the Audience, 66% get it right, less than I thought]
4k: Prince William studied for his A levels at (Eton) not Harrow, Winchester or Gordonstoun
CHECK: Famous Winchester students
8k: 2018 was the bicentenary of the birth of this author: Barbara Cartland / Virginia Woolf / Agatha Christie / (Emily Bronte)
16k: Film character played by Harrison Ford first to debut on screen: Indiana Jones / Rick Deckard / (Han Solo) / Jack Ryan
CHECK: Rick Deckard, Harrison Ford character, was it Bladerunner? YES
32k: Biblical figure said to have lived 969 years: (Methuselah) Nimrod Potiphar Caleb
Safety net set at 64k
64k: On which continent has the men’s FIFA World Cup finals tournament been held the most times: (Europe) Asia / Africa / South America
125k: Which of these is an official currency of the Cook Islands: US Dollar / Australia dollar / (New Zealand dollar) / British pound [50/50 leaves him with New Zealand and GB]
250k: The diplomat Ferdinand de Lesseps was a key figure in the construction of what: Brandenburg Gate / (Suez Canal) / Eiffel Tower / St Gotthard Pass [He uses Ask The Host who says he has 2 degrees in engineering and he doesn’t know, and that’s his final answer / Phone-A-Friend: he worked at the MOD, he’s 100% it’s Suez Canal]
500k: Which of these GEOLOGICAL PERIODS occurred most recently: Triassic / Permian / Devonian / CRETACEOUS [He knows it, without hesitation]
REVISE: GEOLOGICAL PERIODS Triassic / Permian / Devonian / CRETACEOUS is the most recent of these four
1m: Which of these UK prime ministers have never served as Foreign Secretary? Winston Churchill / Alec Douglas-Home / Anthony Eden / Harold Macmillan [He thinks Churchill did / I thought the right answer was Churchill: would I have risked it? I hope that I’d have had my 50/50 left, or maybe I’d have used those on the Geological Periods / He would have gone Anthony Eden, so it’s as well that he didn’t / He wins 500k, the most anyone has yet won in these new episodes]
FFF: Put these numbers in alphabetical order when written out as words in English
DCBA gives: 50 40 30 20
3/5 get it right, Michael Gilbey is fastest in 6.64s
He’s a law student from Aberystwyth
1k: Enamel and dentine form part of the (tooth)
2k: Black Forest Gateau traditionally includes this fruit: Bananas / raspberries / Pears / (Cherries) [Ask the Audience: 88% get it right]
4k: Lin-Manuel Miranda performs the song “Underneath the Lovely London Sky” in this 2018 film: A star is born / (Mary Poppins Returns) / Bohemian Rhapsody / Mamma Mia! Here we go again [I got that thanks to the “Graham Norton Show” really]
8k: VAL D’ISERE is a ski resort in which country? FRANCE / Austria / Canada / Switzerland [I would have needed a lifeline here to be sure / he’s using Ask the Host: Clarkson huffs and puffs and then goes for France, he’s been there often enough]
REVISE: Ski resorts in France and Switzerland, and link them to Winter Olympics host cities / VAL D’ISERE is a ski resort in FRANCE
16k: How many goals did Harry Kane score to win the Golden Boot at the 2018 FIFA World Cup: 4 / (6) / 8 / 10
He sets his safety net at 32k
32k: What type of bird is a condor: VULTURE / Eagle / Kite / Harrier [I might have gone wrong here, with eagle / he’s not sure / Clarkson would have known it – loves them, and knows that Condors are Vultures / Phone-A-Friend doesn’t know either / He doesn’t risk it]
He leaves with 16k
[05/03/2019 12:14] Okay, that’s 32 minutes
NEW WHO: 5-Mar-2019, 64k, 1k, 1k
[06/03/2019 13:00] I caught much of it live but didn’t make notes, on Shrove Tuesday, so here’s my usual flick through, on the hard drive
FFF: Starting with the most, put these words in order of the number of VOWELS they contain
ACDB gives us: Communicate Voice Speak Talk
3/6 got it right, Stephen Fadian was fastest in 3.31s [the other 2: 4.30s and 4.52s]
A financial investigator from Wolverhampton
1k: Mona Lisa is on permanent display at the (Louvre)
2k: The ball must weight 2.7g in (table tennis)
4k: Wars of the Roses fought between Royal Houses of (York and Lancaster)
8k: Ayia Napa is on SE coast of (Cyprus)
16k: CATCHING FIRE is the 2nd novel in a trilogy of books by: Stieg Larsson / (Suzanne Collins) / Stephenie Meyer / Philip Pullman [By elimination there, really]
REVISE: Names of Fantasy series of books, like Twilight, “Game of Thrones”, Hunger Games, and major characters and plots [The contestant mentioned Mockingbird films – check whether they’re called Mockingjay]
He sets his safety net at 32k
32k: Which of these snakes is venomous: GREEN MAMBA / Yellow Anaconda / Emerald Tree Boa / California Kingsnake [50/50 left him with the Mamba and the Anaconda, and he knew that the latter is a constrictor, so it’s Green Mamba]
REVISE: Snakes, GREEN MAMBA is venomous, Yellow Anaconda is not, it’s a constrictor
64k: A GURNEY FLAP is used in which sport: Rowing / Cycling / Bobsleigh / MOTOR RACING [Ask the Audience: inconclusive, with 31% Bob, 29% Motor Racing and 20% on each of the other two / Ask the Host: He’s not sure but knows that DAN GURNEY raced Ford GT40s in the 1960s, at Le Mans and places, and had a bubble cut into the roof of his cars because he was so tall, so he offers Motor Racing as his final answer]
125k: Which planet was discovered by astronomer WILLIAM HERSCHEL in 1781: (Uranus) / Neptune / Saturn / Venus [He doesn’t know if it’s U or N, or does his Phone-A-Friend / She’d probably go with U / He thinks it’s N / and doesn’t risk it]
[21/04/2019 22:07 This question has JUST been on in a Challenge repeat, from 14-11-99, and it was also a 125k question which the contestants didn’t risk, Lance Jones left with 64k: NO NOTES yet, but I some point soon.]
Stephen Fadian leaves with 64k
REVISE: Dates of planet discoveries, though I was already okay on the basis: UNP discovered 18th 19th 20th Cs, so I knew that Uranus must have been the one discovered in 1781
FFF: The 4 stages of winemaking in the order they occur
ACDB gives us: Grape Harvesting / Grape Crushing / Fermentation / Bottling
4/5 get it right, Anne Flynn is fastest in 3.95s
She’s needs a little help to get up into the chair / a retired jewellery shop supervisor from Sunderland / about to celebrate 50 years of marriage
1k: Alsatian is an alternative name for (German Shepherd)
2k: Liverpool International Airport is named after (John Lennon)
4k: The 2017-18 Premier League title was won by: (Man City) [She says that she hates football, uses Ask the Host, and he gets it right]
8k: Name that does not appear in the title of a Charles Dickens novel: Martin / Nicholas / (Daniel) / David
16k: Capital city of the state of QUEENSLAND: Perth / Sydney / Adelaide / Brisbane [I knew it wasn’t Perth (Western Australia) or Adelaide (South Australia) / She goes 50/50, is left with Adelaide and Brisbane, so that makes it Brisbane / She confidently picks Adelaide and leaves with 1k]
Anne Flynn leaves with 1k
FFF: Songs in the order they reached number one in the UK singles chart
ACDB gives us: My heart will go on / Crazy in love / Umbrella / Uptown Funk
2/4 got it right, Anna Watson-Smith is fastest in 5.08s (the other guy got it in 9.32s)
A digital retouch artist from Leytonstone, joined by husband Andy in the audience
1k: Maths symbol consisting solely of 2 horizontal parallel lines (equal)
2k: In Greek mythology, which monster is often depicted with writhing snakes instead of her hair: Centaur / (Medusa) / Pegasus / Minotaur
4k: Paper size equivalent to 210 x 297 mm A2 A3 (A4) A5
8k: On the Periodic Table the two lightest chemical elements both have English names beginning with (H)
16k: Famous composer known by the first name Frederic: (Chopin) Mozart Debussy Liszt [She goes 50/50, is left with Debussy too, and she knows he’s a Claude]
REVISE: Top composers, years of birth and death, first names, countries, was HAYDN the father of the symphony?
She sets her safety net at 32k
32k: Sailing due south from Land’s End in Cornwall, in which country would you next reach the mainland: France / SPAIN / Portugal / Morocco [She uses Ask the Host, he says it’s definitely not Morocco and then wonders / He talks about the Isle of Man: Due south would take you to Antarctica / He doesn’t know, and that’s his final answer / She goes for Morocco but it’s Spain]
Anna Watson-Smith leaves with 1k
OLD WHO: Challenge, 5-Mar-2019, 10pm, repeated 6-Apr-2019 11pm
[06/03/2019 13:36] Okay, so it took 36 minutes to go through last night’s NEW episode, and here’s the single episode from Challenge at 10pm
10 new contestants
FFF: Starting with furthest west, put these ferry ports along the south coast in order
CADB gives us: Portsmouth / Newhaven / Folkestone / Dover
Only 1/10 got it right, John Ramsden in 7.18s
Some chat: An insurance underwriter from BROUGH in East Yorkshire, his wife Amanda is there, she’s just been made redundant / he’s run the London marathon 3 times, including 3:25, and has been overtaken by a gorilla and a fairy
1k: Type of cushion used as a seat (beanbag) not tomatobag, peabag, that sort of thing
2k: Luxor is in (Egypt)
4k: Betty Boothroyd was first woman (Speaker of the House of Commons)
8k: Caribou is another name for: Walrus / Hippopotamus / (Reindeer) / Fox [Easy thanks to the other answers]
REVISE: Large mammals, deer, reindeer, elk, caribou, different names for the same things: RED Deer, I think, is the only deer native to Africa, that sort of thing
16k: Former newsreader, appointed Chairman of English National Ballet in 2000: Jan Leeming / Sue Lawley / (Angela Rippon) / Pamela Armstrong [50/50 leaves him with Lawley and Rippon]
REVISE: Newsreaders, retirements, other posts; who was Pamela Armstrong?
32k: Billy Bones is a character in: Robinson Crusoe / Treasure Island / Moonfleet / Kidnapped [I’m pretty sure it’s Treasure Island, but would I risk it for 32k? / His Phone-A-Friend is 100% that it’s Treasure Island]
Cheque reads 8-3-01
REVISE: Classic children’s books that I haven’t read, like Treasure Island and Kidnapped / Billy Bones is in Treasure Island / Who are the main characters in Kidnapped?
64k: A noisette chocolate is made or flavoured with which type of nut: Brazil nut / Walnut / Almond / (Hazelnut) [Ask the Audience: 69% go right]
125k: British monarch, first to give a Christmas Day broadcast to the nation: Victoria / George V / Edward VIII / Elizabeth II [I’d go George V / So does he, and Tarrant does a total wind-up: “You had 32k; you’ve STILL got 32k … and you’ve got another 93k to go with it”, and he’s ALL OVER this guy: very touchy-feely, it’s not just the women who get the big hugs]
250k: Which actor is the father of Vanessa Paradis’s daughter Lily-Rose: Keanu Reeves / (Johnny Depp) / Brad Pitt / David Arquette [He doesn’t know, and doesn’t risk anything – he would have gone David Arquette on that one]
John Ramsden leaves with 125k
FFF: Starting with first, UK educational establishments in the usual order they would be attended:
BDCA gives us: Nursery / Primary / Comprehensive / University
7/9 get it right, Simon Steer is fastest in 4.91s
Some chat: a civil servant from London, his wife’s from Trinidad, he’s got an older son, and a 2 year old at home
1k: Goes before Egg and Pancake to make names of things to eat: (Scotch) Irish English Welsh
2k: Noakes, Purves, Singleton presented (Blue Peter)
4k: Simon Rattle and Thomas Beecham are most associated with (Music) not painting, architecture and so on [Ask the Audience: way out, 40% architecture, 30% music, 27% sculpture, 3% painting / Phone-A-Friend: Paul is confident that it’s music]
8k: George Smiley created by (John le Carré)
16k: Not an Australian film: Crocodile Dundee / Max Max / Strictly Ballroom / (Top Gun)
32k: “Beefy” was the nickname of this English cricketer (Ian Botham) [50/50 leaves him with Mike Brearley and Ian Botham / he takes the money]
Simon Steer leaves with 16k
FFF: prime ministers in order
DCAB gives us: Walpole / Pitt the Younger / Disraeli / Heath
1721 / 1783 / 1868 / 1970
REVISE: prime ministers and their titles – what was Pitt’s title? [Chatham I think] And was PITTSBURGH named after him? I think so
Only 2/8 get it right: Dave McGregor is fastest in 6.64s
A builder from Shepherds Bush
1k: (Font) is the part of a church that shares its name with a printing typeface [Ask the Audience: 88% get it right]
[And there’s been a change of clothes here, so we’re not on 8-3-01 any more]
2k: (Mel Gibson) stars with Helen Hunt in ‘What Women Want’
4k: Tiananmen Square is in (Beijing)
8k: A musical that features a character called Maria: The King and I / (Westside Story) / Carousel / My Fair Lady
16k: A cep is a (mushroom) [Phone-A-Friend doesn’t know / 50/50 leaves Nut and Mushroom / he goes for mushroom / no he doesn’t / he doesn’t risk it]
Dave McGregor leaves with 8k
[06/03/2019 14:07] Okay, job done, that’s 67 minutes transcribing 2 episodes of “Who wants to be a millionaire?”
NEW WHO: Wed 6-Mar-2019, 64k, 1k
[07/03/2019 08:27] I was out last night when this was on live, doing my Number One Guy thing, so here I am on Thursday morning catching up
6 new contestants (as always for each new show these days)
FFF: Starting with SMALLEST, Orchestral string instruments in order of size
CDAB gives us: Violin / Viola /Cello / Double Bass
That’s about as easy as they can be to predict – there are only 4 to choose from / I must have been under 3s there
Only 2/6 got it right, and Paul Curievici got it in 2.05s / Blimey
He’s an opera singer, from Gadalming and his girlfriend Emily is in the audience
1k: Bleed key is used on a (radiator)
2k: (Lady Godiva) rode naked through the streets of Coventry
4k: Newts are Reptiles / Mammals / (Amphibians) / Fish
8k: Does NOT feature in the name of a team in the 2018/19 Premier League season: Rovers / City / Town / United [Good one, is it Rovers or Town? ROVERS – there’s Huddersfield Town in the Prem this season]
16k: The dog happily chewed on an expensive cushion: (Happily) is the adverb
32k: British artist has featured their childhood teddy bear ALAN MEASLES in many of their works: Grayson Perry / Tracey Emin / Anish Kapoor / Damien Hirst [I thought it was GRAYSON PERRY, and he’s sure, and that’s Perry’s Twitter Handle too]
REVISE: Twitter handles, ALAN MEASLES is Grayson Perry, and the name of his Teddy Bear
64k: Title of the SECOND UK #1 by Spice Girls: Viva Forever / 2 Become 1 / Too Much / (Say you’ll be there) [He doesn’t know, Ask the Audience: 54% have gone for 2 Become 1, only 26% for the right answer / They don’t know / 50/50 leaves Viva Forever and Say You’ll be There / Phone-A-Friend: Chris Moon-Little, a director, he doesn’t know, but his hunch would be Viva / He uses Ask the Host: He argues for Viva, sort of / And he goes for the right answer, finally.]
125k: NOT a member of the Commonwealth: Mozambique / Botswana / Cameroon / Liberia [Really tough question this, and I’ve looked up countries in the Commonwealth in the past / I’d guess Liberia if there was no money on it / It is LIBERIA]
REVISE: Commonwealth countries: Mozambique, Botswana and Cameroon ARE in the Commonwealth, Liberia is NOT
Paul Curievici leaves with 64k
FFF: Start with EARLIEST, toys and games in order they were introduced
ADBC gives us: Scrabble / Barbie Doll / Rubik’s Cube / Tickle Me Elmo
I’ve NEVER heard of Tickle Me Elmo, but I got the order right
4/5 got it right, Jackie McLeod is fastest in 6.94s
From Richmond, retired administrator
1k: GUERNSEY is the second largest island in which ARCHIPELAGO of the British Isles: Isles of Scilly / Farne Islands / (Channel Islands) / Orkney Islands
2k: ingredients in a ROUX: (Butter and flour) / Eggs and lemon juice / Ginger and garlic / White wine and vinegar [Easy thanks to the other answers]
4k: After a six-month journey, NASA’s InSight spacecraft landed on which planet in November 2018? Mars / Venus / Saturn / Neptune [No idea, that’s as hard a 4k question as I’ve seen / It’s MARS / Maybe the 6-month journey time was the clue there]
REVISE: NASA missions, InSight Spacecraft landed on MARS in November 2018
8k: In the world of Harry Potter what is a Nimbus 2000: Wand / Invisibility cloak / Broomstick / Cauldron [I think it’s a broomstick but it could be a wand / It’s BROOMSTICK]
16k: Has NEVER won an Oscar for Best Director: (David Fincher) / Francis Ford Coppola / James Cameron / Ron Howard [At last, one I don’t have to think about / She doesn’t know, Ask the Audience: Inconclusive, 39% on the right answer, 35% Howard, 10% FFC and 16% Cameron / She knows it’s not Cameron and FFC, goes 50/50 and is left with Howard and Fincher / Phone-A-Friend: He knows that Ron Howard has done lots of big films so thinks he would have won it, but a bit confused at the end – “I’d go Ron Howard 70/30” and he’s never heard of David Fincher / She’s gone for Ron Howard, and Clarkson says he knew]
Jackie McLeod leaves with 1k
FFF: UK police force ranks in order of seniority from highest to lowest
ABDC gives us: Superintendent / Inspector / Sergeant / Constable
Not so quick for me there, I had to swap my last two answers around
2/4 got it right, Mick Frith is fastest in 4.16s
He’s a baker at the BEAMISH MUSEUM in Durham / His wife Susan is in the audience
1k: (Excel) is Office spreadsheet program, not Word PowerPoint or Outlook [Ask the Audience: 97% get it right]
2k: Main alcoholic ingredient in a classic pina colada cocktail: Vodka / Whisky / Gin / (White Rum)
[07/03/2019 09:03] And that’s the end of the show, with Mick Frith on 2k
OLD WHO: 4-Mar-2019 11pm on Challenge, 21-9-00 and 24-9-00
[07/03/2019 13:28] 2 episodes on the hard drive to clear
Andy Down on 21-9-00
16k: Rolling Stone autobiography Stone Alone: Bill Wyman Ask the Audience: 45% correct, 50/50 left him with Watts and Wyman
32k: Country formerly known as British Honduras (Belize)
The cheque clearly shows my birthday, 21-9-00
64k: American campaigner for women’s rights, after whom a pair of trousers were named: (Bloomer) Jodhpur / Jean / Trew [He thinks it’s Trew, doesn’t use Phone-A-Friend]
Andy Down leaves with 32k
10 new contestants, 7 women & 3 men
FFF: TV costume dramas in order they were first seen
BDAC gives us: The Forsyte Saga / Upstairs Downstairs / Brideshead Revisited / Sharpe
67 / 71 / 81 / 93
3/10 get it right, Phil Nicholls is fastest in 6.22s
No chat before the questions again
1k: Nelson’s Column is in (Trafalgar Square)
2k: Mother Teresa is most associated with (Calcutta) [Ask the Audience: 92% get it right]
4k: “Up and under” is associated with (Rugby)
8k: (Mangetout) is “eat all” in French
16k: (Oliver Reed) starred in Women in Love and The Devils
32k: What type of creature is a SAMOYED: Dolphin / Deer / (Dog) / Duck [I was pretty sure it was dog, but would I have been confident for 32k? / Phone-A-Friend is 75% sure it’s a dog / 50/50 gives dog and deer / he doesn’t risk it / oh, and then he does]
Cheque shows 21-9-00 again, as you’d expect
Revise: Samoyed specifically and other DOGS
64k: In cookery a ‘marmite’ is a (Casserole Dish) but he’s gone for serving ladle
Phil Nicholls leaves with 32k
FFF: Words in the order they appear in Little Jack Horner
DBCA gives us: Corner / Pie / Thumb / Boy
Quite tricky that one
4/9 get it right, Tania Edgar is fastest in 9.26s
[Strike means knocking down all the pins with the first bowl of a single frame]
1k: Deutschmark is currency in (Germany)
2k: Tool for banging in and removing nails: Chisel / Bradawl / (Claw Hammer) / Hacksaw
4k: Headwear associated with Sherlock Holmes (deerstalker)
8k: Dickens character visited by ghost of Jacob Marley (Scrooge)
REVISE: Which Dickens novel is Mr Micawber in? David Copperfield, and his first name is WILKINS: something will turn up
16k: Duke of Edinburgh was born on: Cyprus / Sardinia / Sicily / (Corfu) [Ask the Audience: 43% Corfu 33% Cyprus, pretty inconclusive, she goes for Corfu / This was tough at the time, and even now, a few months after the DoE died, and all the obituaries, I had to think about that one]
32k: “Wildebeest” is an alternative name for which African mammal: Hippopotamus / giraffe / Hyena / (Gnu) [Phone-A-Friend: He’s positive it’s gnu / she goes for 50/50 anyway]
Tarrant’s all over her, he’s got his hands round her neck, giving her a kiss, all that stuff
New episode on the original broadcast: she’s now wearing a light blue top, previously it was a dark top
64k: Which of these people would perform a “veronica”? Ballerina / BULLFIGHTER / Figure skater / Singer [She goes for Figure Skater]
REVISE: Bullfighter terms, and what exactly is a VERONICA, and also check what figure skaters do – triple Salchow, that kind of thing
The cheque shows us 24-9-00
Tania Edgar leaves with 32k
It should be a new set of 10 contestants, but they haven’t shown us them yet
FFF: Starting with LOWEST, numerical terms in order:
DACB gives us: Baker’s Dozen / three score and ten / ton / grand
3/10 get it right (and they’re all new names compared to the last set of contestants we saw, and we have 6 guys and 4 women), Dave Bailey is fastest in 7.73s
Once again, there’s no chat before the questions
[07/03/2019 13:54] And that’s the end of that episode from Challenge, it’s taken me 26 minutes to get through it
OLD WHO: 4/5-Mar-2019 midnight on Challenge
[07/03/2019 13:56]
The 300 quid question was used last night on the new series, over 18 years later: PORT is the side of a ship (not sherry, rum, vodka or whatever]
1k: Morecambe and Wise first names (Eric and Ernie)
2k: Number of the Transpennine motorway connecting Manchester and Leeds (62) [50/50 leaves him with 6 as well]
4k: (Warsaw Pact) was the international alliance, the Eastern European counterpart of NATO during the Cold War
8k: (Duke of Windsor) was Edward VIII’s title after his abdication
16k: Named after a Napoleonic Battle: Chicken Marengo / Lobster Thermidor / Beef Stroganoff / Peach Melba [Definitely not C or D, I think it’s A / Ask the Audience: inconclusive, 33% Chicken / 35% Beef / 18% and 14% for the others / Phone-A-Friend: she’s 90% sure it’s chicken / It’s taking some time to get to a Final Answer / but he goes for it in the end: It IS CHICKEN Marengo]
Revise: Chicken dishes, Hunter chicken, Chasseur / And what is Lobster Thermidor / Chicken MARENGO is named after a Naopoleonic battle]
32k: Founder of the London Philharmonic Orchestra: Henry Wood / Thomas Beecham / Malcolm Sargent / Charles Halle [I thought Wood before it came up / would I go for it? He doesn’t risk it / He thinks it’s Thomas Beecham and he’s right: THOMAS BEECHAM]
Dave Bailey leaves with 16k
REVISE: Orchestras and their founders: Thomas Beecham founded the LPO, did Malcolm Sargent or Henry Wood found any Orchestras?
FFF: Poker hands in order of value
I went wrong on this, ADCB for: Pair / Full House / Flush / Royal Flush
BUT it should be:
ACDB gives us: Pair / Flush / Full House / Royal Flush
A Full House beats a Flush
Only 1/9 gets it right, Alun Wadlow in 9.5s
200 quid is tricky: first person to cross the threshold on New Year’s Day is FIRST-FOOTER (not clogger, slipper or booter, but it’s not a phrase I’ve heard often) [Ask the Audience: 92% get it right]
1k: (Prompter) stands offstage to remind actors of lines [to left of actor in UK and right of actor in US, CT tells us]
2k: (Diameter) divides a circle into 2 equal halves [50/50 leaves him with Radius and Diameter]
4k: Noah’s Ark rested on (Mount Ararat) after the flood
8k: A narrow strip of land linking two larger areas of land: dune / firth / (isthmus) / gulf [Phone-A-Friend: he’d guess isthmus]
16k: In Britain, which of these RAF ranks is the highest: Air Marshal / Air Chief Marshal / Marshal of the RAF / Air Commodore [He doesn’t risk it / I don’t know, it’s MARSHAL OF THE RAF]
REVISE: Once again we’ve got something do with military ranks, a 16k question on an old WHO and Marshal of the RAF is higher than Air Marshal / Air Chief Marshal / Air Commodore]
Alun Wadlow leaves with 8k
FFF: Cities in the order they hosted the Olympic Games
CDBA gives us: Tokyo Moscow Barcelona Atlanta
Only 2/8 get it right, Elaine Briggs is fastest in 8.50s
1k: (Clementine) a girl’s name and a citrus fruit
2k: Smithfield Market sells (meat)
[And for the next question she’s in a different top, so it’s a new show in the original broadcasts]
4k: Liam Gallagher and Patsy Kensit’s son born September 1999: (Lennon) / McCartney / Harrison / Starr [Ask the Audience: 87% get it right] [It’s Lennon FRANCIS Gallagher]
8k: In Britain who do you associate with the NAAFI: Police / (Armed Forces) / House of Lords / Freemasons [NAAFI = Navy, Army, Air Force Institutes]
16k: In 1993 Eritrea gained its independence from Ecuador / Estonia / Egypt / (Ethiopia)
32k: (John Buchan) wrote “The Thirty-Nine Steps”
The cheque shows us: 25-9-00
64k: Oxeye is a variety of this flower: Orchid / Rose / Buttercup / DAISY [She was sure of that one]
REVISE: OXEYE is a variety of DAISY, so many flowers I still don’t know
125k: Great grand-daughter of Liberal prime minister Herbert Asquith: Miranda Richardson / Kate Winslet / (Helena Bonham Carter) / Kristin Scott Thomas [50/50 leaves her with Kate Winslet as well]
250k: The voice of Willo the Wisp in the TV cartoon series: David Jason / Peter Sallis / Brian Cant / Kenneth Williams [I think it’s Kenneth, but don’t know / she’s never heard of it / Phone-A-Friend thinks Kenneth too but he’s not certain / It IS Kenneth Williams]
Elaine Briggs leaves with 125k
REVISE: Willo The Wisp cartoon series, Kenneth Williams provides the voice – find the odd episode, and do the same with Dangermouse (Ran 1981-92, 89 eps, David Jason was the voice, Count Duckula was a spin-off / The Reboot began in 2015, Alexander Armstrong in the new voice) / PENFOLD the Hamster is his assistant, Baron Silas von Greenback is his main enemy) / and who is the cartoon who lives in Baker Street – is that Dangermouse? Yes, in a Pillar Box on the corner
[07/03/2019 14:28] Okay, that’s it, exactly an hour for 2 episodes
WHO: Wed 6-Mar-2019 on Challenge is MISSING [But it looks like it was repeated 6/7 Apr at midnight, so there are notes elsewhere]
[08/03/2019 08:51] I forgot to tape it when I went out and it was over by the time I got home. I mention this because we will be out of sequence for now, there’s ONE missing for the first time in several weeks.
OLD WHO: Thu 7-Mar-2019 on Challenge, 29-03 and 31-03-01
[08/03/2019 08:48] As noted above, for the first time in a while I’ve missed an episode, so we’re not continuing from where we were
1k: (Top brass) is senior military personnel, not top pewter or other alloys
2k: Hove lies adjacent to (Brighton)
4k: In an Orchestra tubular bells are in (percussion) section [Ask the Audience: 79% get it right]
8k: Sweet-smelling aromatics placed in a drawer or cupboard: (Pomander) pommel pompom pomfret
16k: Dickens novel that features Betsey Trotwood: Barnaby Rudge / Oliver Twist / Bleak House / (David Copperfield) [Phone-A-Friend: doesn’t know / 50/50 leaves Bleak House and DC / he goes for DC]
32k: What is George W Bush’s middle name: Woodrow / Wilson / Warren / (Walker)
PHIL KEANE leaves with 16k
8 players left
FFF: Words in a Steven Spielberg film
BCAD gives us: Close Encounters Third Kind
7/8 get it right, no familiar names there, Nathan Birtle is fastest in 4.72s
Some chat: he’s from Battersea, wife Jo at home with 4 year old boy Hugo / he’s business manager of a computer company / we learn that they do a rehearsal before the show, which is worth knowing
1k: (Bunny Girl) is associated with the magazine Playboy
2k: (The Mall) runs from Admiralty Arch to Buckingham Palace
4k: The breed of dog that stars in the 1992 film Beethoven: Alsation / Poodle / (St Bernard) / Yorkshire Terrier
8k: In chess the rook and the (king) take part in “castling”
16k: Bombay Duck is: Smoked Sausage / (Dried Fish) / Cured Meat / Boiled Egg
REVISE: Why is Bombay Duck called that?
32k: In the final episode of ‘Dad’s Army’ who married Mrs Fox? Captain Mainwaring / Sergeant Wilson / Corporal Jones / Private Pike [I think it’s Jones, and it is, for reasons he goes through, he’s as familiar with it as me]
Cheque reads 29-3-0, and the final digit is obscured at first glance
64k: Which poet wrote the line “East is East and West is West”: John Betjeman / Rudyard Kipling / Robert Browning / Alexander Pope [Phone-A-Friend, his mum: she’s confident it’s KIPLING, as I thought]
Ah, and now we’ve got the new shirt thing – so it’s a different episode from the original broadcasts
125k: Designer Patrick Cox is most associated with: Hats / Scarves / Handbags / Shoes [NOPE, I don’t know this one, he’s sure it’s SHOES, and so it is]
The next cheque is entirely visible: 31-3-01
REVISE: Fashion: Patrick Cox is most associated with SHOES
250k: Which of these planets is NOT in Holst’s suite called ‘The Planets’: Venus / Saturn / (Pluto) / Neptune
REVISE: Holst’s Planet Suite, names of the pieces / dates (as given by CT on WHO), completed 1916, Pluto was discovered 1930
500k: In 1938, which liner took the Blue Riband for the fastest Atlantic crossing: Normandie / Queen Mary / United States / Queen Elizabeth [NO idea on this one, never heard of anything like this / Ask the Audience: 64% go Queen Mary, which is surprisingly high, the rest are no bigger than 16% / 50/50 leaves Normandie and Queen Mary / he doesn’t risk it / it’s QUEEN MARY]
Nathan Birtle leaves with 250k
REVISE: fast ships, crossings across the Atlantic and other oceans and seas / The Queen Mary won the Blue Riband in 1938 for fastest Atlantic Crossing
10 new contestants including Liz West from London,
FFF: Starting with the north, put these creatures in order of their natural habitat
DABC gives us: Polar Bear / Giant Panda / Koala / Emperor Penguin
5/10 get it right, Trevor Luscombe is fastest in 6.56s
A painter and decorator from Dagenham, he says he met his partner at a Grab-A-Granny competition / son Rory wants him to give a silly wave
He’s using Ask the Audience on his 500 quid question, about where Adam and Eve first lived in the Bible: (Garden of Eden) / Garden of Babylon / Garden of Gethsemane / Garden of England [96% get it right, 3% go for Garden of England and 1% for Babylon]
1k: Cote d’Azur is in (France)
2k: Calista Flockhart is best known for portraying (Ally McBeal) NOT Murphy Brown, Mrs Merton or Penelope Pitstop [50/50 leaves him with Ally & Murphy]
CHECK: TV character Murphy Brown
4k: Kids, UK 2000 hit single for Robbie Williams and (Kylie Minogue) [Phone-A-Friend is sure it’s Kylie]
8k: Hard white substance that covers the crown of a tooth: Sucrose / Dentine / Alabaster / (Enamel)
16k: Name that appears in the title of a Shakespeare play: Winchester / Elsinore / (Verona) / Stratford-upon-Avon [He doesn’t know and doesn’t risk it / He leaves with 8k]
FFF: Madonna singles in the order they reached #1
BCDA gives us: Into the groove / Papa don’t preach / Vogue / Frozen
Only 1/9 gets it right, Angie Reddy in 7.28s
[08/03/2019 09:31] And that’s the end of the show, she doesn’t even get to the chair
OLD WHO: From Challenge Fri 8-Mar-2019, 31-03-01 and 2-4-01
[09/03/2019 09:34] We’re carrying on from the last one, with ANGIE REDDY in the chair, having just answered the question about Madonna #1s
She’s a garden designer from Hornsey who designed the chill-out garden at Glastonbury
1k: (Solitaire) game intended for a single player, not Ludo and so on
2k: An area of Liverpool (Knotty Ash) / Bumpy Oak / Twisty Elm / Lumpy Yew [Ask the Audience: 88% get it right]
4k: Car manufacturer SAAB originated in (Sweden)
8k: Before her marriage Eva Peron’s occupation: Nurse / (Actress) / Teacher / Cook [Phone-A-Friend: doesn’t know / 50/50 leaves her with Nurse and Actress, and she goes for Nurse]
ANGIE REDDY leaves with 1k
FFF: parts of a ship in clockwise order
ACDB gives us: Bow Starboard Stern Port
I got this one wrong watching it last night, got my bow and stern mixed up
3/8 get it right, Peter Inwood is fastest in 6.44s
An IT Consultant from Enfield, his wife is in the audience and 2 sons are at home
[March 2001 Crossroads returned to TV after a 13-year absence]
1k: (Ricky Martin) is a popular singer
2k: Film director who became an honorary knight in 2001: Tim Burton / Quentin Tarantino / Steven Spielberg / Francis Ford Coppola [I think it’s Steven Spielberg, and it is]
4k: French monetary unit = 1/100 of a franc (centime)
CHECK: What is a kopek, and other currencies
8k: (Elizabeth I) was on the throne at the time of the Spanish Armada
16k: Queens is a borough of (New York City)
[That’s the end of the original broadcast, he’s in a different shirt]
32k: The Seventh Scroll is a best-selling novel by: Martin Amis / Bernard Cornwell / Tom Clancy / Wilbur Smith [Never heard of it / Phone-A-Friend: She’s fairly sure it’s Wilbur Smith, and it is]
REVISE: Wilbur Smith, Tom Clancy, Bernard Cornwell, and popular book series too
Cheque reads 2-4-01
64k: MP Peter Mandelson is the grandson of (Herbert Morrison) [Ask the Audience: way out, 17% on the right answer, 37% Harold Macmillan, 24% Hugh Gaitskell, 22% Neville Chamberlain / he goes for Macmillan]
Peter Inwood leaves with 32k
10 new contestants, all men I think, including Steve Butler and Colin Coward
FFF: Put these St George’s Day events in the order they took place
ACDB gives us: Shakespeare born / Charles II crowned / Wordsworth died / decimal coins issued
1564 / 1660 / 1850 / 1968
3/10 get it right, Mark Starkey is fastest in 8.22s
Civil engineer from Lancaster, mum Vi is in the audience, partner and 2 kids are at home
1k: WARNER BROTHERS cartoon character Sylvester is a (Cat)
2k: Cajun dish of rice with chicken and ham (Jambalaya) not jacaranda jalopy or jumble
4k: (Baseball) featured in 1989 film “Field of Dreams”
8k: Sinbad the Sailor appeared in (“The Arabian Nights”)
REVISE: Grimm, Aesop, Just So Stories, “The Arabian Nights” too
16k: Calligraphy is (handwriting)
REVISE: Words for tying knots and other hobbies
32k: Elvis Presley was born in (Tupelo) [Ask the Audience: 45% say Tucson, 20% say Toledo, 11% say Topeka and only 24% give the right answer / Phone-A-Friend: doesn’t know / 50/50 leaves Topeka with Tupelo, he goes right, and there’s an ad-break]
Cheque shows 2-4-01
64k: Mount Kilimanjaro is in (Tanzania) Mozambique Zambia Zimbabwe [I probably wouldn’t have known this 18 years ago]
125k: Which English county is home to the Glyndebourne Festival Opera: Surrey / East Sussex / Kent / West Sussex [It’s one of the Sussexes, I might have gone West, but it’s EAST SUSSEX / he doesn’t know and he leaves with 64]
Revise: East and West Sussex, where is the border, exactly, and what are the main places in both? Glyndebourne is in EAST Sussex
Mark Starkey leaves with 64k
[09/03/2019 10:03] Okay, and straight on to another NEW one [In Part 8]
The Compartments 