ROUND 1 - Hidden theme

The theme may be part of a longer word in the answer

1.

Created by Raymond Allen, which BBC sitcom character, who first appeared on screen in 1973, was married to Betty and had a daughter called Jessica?

2.

Created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, which animated sitcom character, who was first seen in 1997, was the subject of a running gag for the first five seasons of the programme as he inexplicably died in many episodes?

3.

Nicknamed the ‘Turbanator’, which Indian cricketer, who was the first person from his country to take a test hat-trick, claimed Ricky Ponting as his 300^th test wicket?

4.

Which Greek international footballer, born in 1985, has played for Heerenveen, Manchester City and Celtic in his senior career?

5.

Which American singer-songwriter, who was born with the surname Cook in 1981, released her debut album Songs In A Minor in 2001, and won 5 Grammy Awards in 2002, including Best New Artist and Song of the Year for the single Fallin'?

6.

Which American fashion magazine that was founded in 1867 and has featured the likes of Florence Welch and Victoria Beckham on its cover, styles itself as the resource for 'women who are first to buy from the best, from casual to couture'?

7.

Which West Highland Scottish clan, whose official charter was established in 1472, have a main branch called Lochiel and have lands in Lochaber which include the mountain Ben Nevis?

8.

Which small town in Texas, with a population of 2,637 at the 2000 census, was founded as Windmill Town in around 1880 when the Texas and Pacific Railway was built?  It was renamed after its first settler who had emigrated from Germany and has retained the name ever since.

Sp1

Which Ukranian male tennis player reached his only Grand Slam final in 1999, losing the French Open title to Andre Agassi after having a two-set lead? 

Sp2

Which 2002 film directed by Alexander Payne, loosely based on a Louis Begley novel, stars Jack Nicholson as a retired man embarking on a journey to his estranged daughter’s wedding?

ROUND 2 - The Elements

The answers to the clues in each question in this round include an element

To score the points you must provide the symbol for that element, e.g. for Lead the answer would be Pb. (the suffixes -um and -ium are by and large ignored)

1.

A children’s novel by Ted Hughes / an English heavy metal band formed in 1975 by Steve Harris.

2.

A Marvel Comic character, former love interest of Wolverine and sometimes known as Madame Hydra / a nocturnal insect, lover of moist areas, Latin name lepisma saccharina.

3.

TV Channel, home to Power Rangers, Spongebob Squarepants and Rugrats / A variety shop or price point retailer / Colin Stagg was originally falsely accused of her murder.

4.

An opera by Wagner / City in south-east Queensland, 54 miles south of Brisbane / Hamandir Sahib, built in the 16^th century by Guru Arjan Dev.

5.

Jack Haley played this character in an iconic 1939 film / 1959 novel by Gunther Grass. 

6.

1977 hit for our Eurovision singer Bonnie Tyler / Capital city of Martinique / The airline that along with KLM set up ‘Flying Blue’ as its air miles system.

7.

A favourite thing of Maria von Trapp / A group of 6 canyons in the Sierra Madre, Mexico, which is overall larger and sometimes deeper than the Grand Canyon.

8.

1976 play and 1978 film by Neil Simon / State with the highest and lowest points in the USA.

Sp.

Author, whose first novel was The White Peacock / The common name for a series of canals and locks between the Atlantic and the Great Lakes / The last winner of the Best Actress Oscar.

ROUND 3 - Pairs

1.

What is the real first name of multi award winning singer Emeli Sande?

2.

What is multi music award winning and now Oscar winning singer Adele’s surname?

3.

“It was a queer, sultry summer, the summer they electrocuted the Rosenbergs, and I didn’t know what I was doing in New York” are the opening lines to which 1963 novel?

4.

“The snow in the mountains was melting and Bunny had been dead for several weeks before we came to understand the gravity of our situation” are the opening lines to which 1992 novel?

5.

What is missing from this basic hummus recipe: chickpeas, lemon juice, garlic, salt, olive oil?

6.

What is missing from this basic pesto recipe: basil, parmesan cheese, olive oil, garlic?

7.

The 'Lightbulb' moment for this beer brand’s advertising slogan was conceived whilst the creative team were on a shoot for another client in Marrakech.  The account man presented the slogan, written on the back of a sick bag on a flight with the client en-route to St Petersburg.  During the 1980s the Danish actor Victor Borge did the voice-overs for the commercials.  It is one of the most iconic advertising slogans in history, running from 1974 to 1998.  What is the slogan?

8.

This advertising slogan was conceived in 1994 by creative team Liz Whiston and Dave Shelton and is still used today. The line totally bombed in research which said it wasn’t 'advertising enough'.  The slogan has entered the English vernacular and has even been used in Parliament.  David Cameron has used it at least twice, most recently in his summing up of the state of the coalition government at its halfway point speech, in January 2013.  What is the slogan?

Sp1

The Tibetan name for Mount Everest is 'Chomolungma'.  What is the literal translation of 'Chomolungma' in English?  

Sp2

The African name for Victoria Falls is 'Mosi-oa-Tunya'.  What is the literal translation of 'Mosi-oa-Tunya' in English?

ROUND 4 - Hidden theme

1.

Which legendary rock writer who died in 1982 is name-checked in the REM song It's the End of the World as we Know it, along with Leonard Bernstein, Lenny Bruce and Leonid Brezhnev?

2.

Who said: "I never miss a chance to have sex or appear on television"?

3.

What is the name of the evil entity that plays a crucial role in the plot of the David Lynch TV series Twin Peaks?

4.

I married D H Lawrence and was a distant relation of the Red Baron.  Who am I?

5.

6.

The Golden Shoe (previously the Golden Boot) is awarded to the leading scorer in European club football every season. What links the Austrian winner in 1987 and the Italian winner in 2006?

7.

Born Too Late was a US and UK hit for which orthographically challenged girl group in 1958?

8.

Provide the nickname of the public figure born 1945 who first came to prominence at Norwood in 1973 and has been in public life ever since.

Sp.

What's the common name of Mugil cephalus, a food fish found in coastal tropical and subtropical waters?

ROUND 5 - Hidden theme - 'The Name of the Game'

1.

Which Irish politician was Taoiseach twice, serving in office from July 1981 to February 1982 and again from December 1982 to March 1987?

2.

Which Anglo-Irish satirist, born in 1667, had his first published success with A Tale of a Tub?

3.

He is one of the few footballers to have played for both Manchester City, and that other, lesser Manchester team, United. Actually born in Manchester, in 1957, he won a total of 22 international caps, scoring 5 goals.  Name him.

4.

This cricketer, born in 1943, played his county cricket for Warwickshire.  He played for England in 50 test matches from 1966 to 1977.  A right-handed top-order batsman, his nickname was 'Sacker' but who is he?

5.

6.

Although more famous for another literary character, who created the Professor Challenger stories?

7.

Although much better known for his comedy work, this actor played Winston Churchill's butler David Inches in the 2002 production The Gathering Storm.  He died in 2005; can you name him?

8.

Although named Keith at birth, this international business man is better known by his middle name.  He studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oxford, where he became a leading activist for the Labour Party.  For the last 40 years he has been constantly making news headlines!  Who is he?

Sp.

Which famous Briton, who died in famous circumstances on 29 March 1912, was married to sculptress and socialite Kathleen Bruce?

ROUND 6 - 'It's all Greek to me'

Each answer contains a Greek letter - sometimes in 'sound-alike' form

1.

Which actress made her UK TV debut in The Darling Buds of May in 1991?

2.

What is the name of the group of wizards and witches in the Harry Potter books that support Lord Voldemort and wish to maintain blood purity of the wizards?

3.

Who recorded the hit song Gangnam Style?

4.

Name the spicy Parsi dish that includes squash and lentils along with its traditional meat ingredient.

5.

Name the people from Southern Egypt and Northern Sudan who in ancient times were famed for their skill with the bow.

6.

Name the largest member of the grouse family.

7.

Name the forage crop that is also called lucerne.

8.

Name the last film that Roman Polanski made in the US.

Sp.

Name the type of Indonesian music that influenced Claude Debussy.

ROUND 7 - Connections

Who or what links the following?

1.

Balboa, Lake Gatun and Colón?

2.

Ditcheat, Seven Barrows and Pond House?

3.

Nigel Evans, Dawn Primarolo and Lindsay Hoyle?

4.

Gingerbread, Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich, Jelly Bean?

5.

Henry Havelock, Charles James Napier, George IV, and various since 1999?

6.

Liz Bonnin, Jem Stansfield and Dallas Campbell?

7.

Currently Carolyn McCall, Alison Cooper and Angela Ahrendts, and until October 2012, Marjorie Scardino?

8.

Good Times, Bad Times, Whole Lotta Love, Immigrant Song and Black Dog?

Sp.

ROUND 8 - 'Dave's Mistakes'

By some minor miracle, the Prodigals' reserve Dave Rainford has ended up on the panel for the BBC2 quiz Eggheads. Rather than being tremendous, some of the answers he has given on screen have been mediocre at best. This round is a selection of some of the numerous errors he has made. See if you can do better (which I’m sure you will)

1.

‘Hoist by your own petard’ is derived from a line first used in which Shakespeare play?

2.

Julia Donaldson’s children’s book The Gruffalo tells the story of what type of creature’s walk through the woods?

3.

Euboea is the second largest island of which country?

4.

What does the 'H' stand for in the name of the novelist H P Lovecraft?

5.

On 11 July 2011, which planet of the solar system completed its first barycentric orbit since it was discovered?

6.

Who was the first British monarch to be a passenger in an aeroplane?

7.

Who wrote the play on which the film The Prince and the Showgirl was based?

8.

Which vitamin, which can be used as a deliberate orange-red food colour additive, has the designation E101?

Sp1

A song from which musical features the line "When I’m stuck with a day that’s grey and lonely, I just stick out my chin and grin and say....."?

Sp2

In which city is the Queen’s yacht Britannia permanently moored as an exhibition ship?

ROUND 1 - Hidden theme

The theme may be part of a longer word in the answer

1.

Created by Raymond Allen, which BBC sitcom character, who first appeared on screen in 1973, was married to Betty and had a daughter called Jessica?

Frank Spencer

(Some Mothers Do ‘Ave Em)

2.

Created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, which animated sitcom character, who was first seen in 1997, was the subject of a running gag for the first five seasons of the programme as he inexplicably died in many episodes?

Kenny

(Kenny McCormick from South Park)

3.

Nicknamed the ‘Turbanator’, which Indian cricketer, who was the first person from his country to take a test hat-trick, claimed Ricky Ponting as his 300^th test wicket?

Harbhajan Singh

4.

Which Greek international footballer, born in 1985, has played for Heerenveen, Manchester City and Celtic in his senior career?

Georgios Samaras

5.

Which American singer-songwriter, who was born with the surname Cook in 1981, released her debut album Songs In A Minor in 2001, and won 5 Grammy Awards in 2002, including Best New Artist and Song of the Year for the single Fallin'?

Alicia Keys

6.

Which American fashion magazine that was founded in 1867 and has featured the likes of Florence Welch and Victoria Beckham on its cover, styles itself as the resource for 'women who are first to buy from the best, from casual to couture'?

Harper’s Bazaar

7.

Which West Highland Scottish clan, whose official charter was established in 1472, have a main branch called Lochiel and have lands in Lochaber which include the mountain Ben Nevis?

Clan Cameron

8.

Which small town in Texas, with a population of 2,637 at the 2000 census, was founded as Windmill Town in around 1880 when the Texas and Pacific Railway was built?  It was renamed after its first settler who had emigrated from Germany and has retained the name ever since.

Merkel

Sp1

Which Ukranian male tennis player reached his only Grand Slam final in 1999, losing the French Open title to Andre Agassi after having a two-set lead? 

Andriy Medvedev

Sp2

Which 2002 film directed by Alexander Payne, loosely based on a Louis Begley novel, stars Jack Nicholson as a retired man embarking on a journey to his estranged daughter’s wedding?

About Schmidt

ROUND 2 - The Elements

The answers to the clues in each question in this round include an element

To score the points you must provide the symbol for that element, e.g. for Lead the answer would be Pb. (the suffixes -um and -ium are by and large ignored)

1.

A children’s novel by Ted Hughes / an English heavy metal band formed in 1975 by Steve Harris.

Fe

Iron

(Iron Man/Iron Maiden)

2.

A Marvel Comic character, former love interest of Wolverine and sometimes known as Madame Hydra / a nocturnal insect, lover of moist areas, Latin name lepisma saccharina.

Ag

Silver

(Silver Fox/silverfish)

3.

TV Channel, home to Power Rangers, Spongebob Squarepants and Rugrats / A variety shop or price point retailer / Colin Stagg was originally falsely accused of her murder.

Ni

Nickel

(Nickelodeon/Nickel ‘n’ Dime Store/ Rachel Nickell)

4.

An opera by Wagner / City in south-east Queensland, 54 miles south of Brisbane / Hamandir Sahib, built in the 16^th century by Guru Arjan Dev.

Au

Gold (Das Rheingold/Gold Coast/The Golden Temple)

5.

Jack Haley played this character in an iconic 1939 film / 1959 novel by Gunther Grass. 

Sn

Tin

(Tin man/The Tin Drum)

6.

1977 hit for our Eurovision singer Bonnie Tyler / Capital city of Martinique / The airline that along with KLM set up ‘Flying Blue’ as its air miles system.

Fr

Francium

(Lost in France/Fort-de-France/Air France)

7.

A favourite thing of Maria von Trapp / A group of 6 canyons in the Sierra Madre, Mexico, which is overall larger and sometimes deeper than the Grand Canyon.

Cu

Copper

("Bright copper kettles"/Copper Canyon)

8.

1976 play and 1978 film by Neil Simon / State with the highest and lowest points in the USA.

Cf

Californium

(California Suite/California)

Sp.

Author, whose first novel was The White Peacock / The common name for a series of canals and locks between the Atlantic and the Great Lakes / The last winner of the Best Actress Oscar.

Lr

Lawrencium

(DH Lawrence/The St Lawrence Seaway/Jennifer Lawrence)

ROUND 3 - Pairs

1.

What is the real first name of multi award winning singer Emeli Sande?

Adele

2.

What is multi music award winning and now Oscar winning singer Adele’s surname?

Adkins

3.

“It was a queer, sultry summer, the summer they electrocuted the Rosenbergs, and I didn’t know what I was doing in New York” are the opening lines to which 1963 novel?

The Bell Jar

(by Sylvia Plath)

4.

“The snow in the mountains was melting and Bunny had been dead for several weeks before we came to understand the gravity of our situation” are the opening lines to which 1992 novel?

The Secret History

(by Donna Tartt)

5.

What is missing from this basic hummus recipe: chickpeas, lemon juice, garlic, salt, olive oil?

(accept sesame seed paste)

6.

What is missing from this basic pesto recipe: basil, parmesan cheese, olive oil, garlic?

Pine nuts

7.

The 'Lightbulb' moment for this beer brand’s advertising slogan was conceived whilst the creative team were on a shoot for another client in Marrakech.  The account man presented the slogan, written on the back of a sick bag on a flight with the client en-route to St Petersburg.  During the 1980s the Danish actor Victor Borge did the voice-overs for the commercials.  It is one of the most iconic advertising slogans in history, running from 1974 to 1998.  What is the slogan?

'Heineken – refreshes the parts other beers cannot reach'

8.

This advertising slogan was conceived in 1994 by creative team Liz Whiston and Dave Shelton and is still used today. The line totally bombed in research which said it wasn’t 'advertising enough'.  The slogan has entered the English vernacular and has even been used in Parliament.  David Cameron has used it at least twice, most recently in his summing up of the state of the coalition government at its halfway point speech, in January 2013.  What is the slogan?

'Ronseal – it does exactly what it says on the tin'

Sp1

The Tibetan name for Mount Everest is 'Chomolungma'.  What is the literal translation of 'Chomolungma' in English?  

'Holy Mother'

Sp2

The African name for Victoria Falls is 'Mosi-oa-Tunya'.  What is the literal translation of 'Mosi-oa-Tunya' in English?

'The smoke that thunders'

ROUND 4 - Hidden theme

1.

Which legendary rock writer who died in 1982 is name-checked in the REM song It's the End of the World as we Know it, along with Leonard Bernstein, Lenny Bruce and Leonid Brezhnev?

Lester Bangs

2.

Who said: "I never miss a chance to have sex or appear on television"?

Gore Vidal

3.

What is the name of the evil entity that plays a crucial role in the plot of the David Lynch TV series Twin Peaks?

Bob

(or 'Killer' Bob)

4.

I married D H Lawrence and was a distant relation of the Red Baron.  Who am I?

Frieda von Richthofen

5.

Clarke

(Clarke University; John Cooper Clarke; Clarke Carlisle)

6.

The Golden Shoe (previously the Golden Boot) is awarded to the leading scorer in European club football every season. What links the Austrian winner in 1987 and the Italian winner in 2006?

The name Toni

(Toni Polster and Luca Toni)

7.

Born Too Late was a US and UK hit for which orthographically challenged girl group in 1958?

The Poni-Tails

8.

Provide the nickname of the public figure born 1945 who first came to prominence at Norwood in 1973 and has been in public life ever since.

Red Ken

Sp.

What's the common name of Mugil cephalus, a food fish found in coastal tropical and subtropical waters?

(accept Mullet)

ROUND 5 - Hidden theme - 'The Name of the Game'

1.

Which Irish politician was Taoiseach twice, serving in office from July 1981 to February 1982 and again from December 1982 to March 1987?

Garrat Fitzgerald

2.

Which Anglo-Irish satirist, born in 1667, had his first published success with A Tale of a Tub?

Jonathan Swift

3.

He is one of the few footballers to have played for both Manchester City, and that other, lesser Manchester team, United. Actually born in Manchester, in 1957, he won a total of 22 international caps, scoring 5 goals.  Name him.

Peter Barnes

4.

This cricketer, born in 1943, played his county cricket for Warwickshire.  He played for England in 50 test matches from 1966 to 1977.  A right-handed top-order batsman, his nickname was 'Sacker' but who is he?

Dennis Amis

5.

George Carey

(former Archbishop of Canterbury)

6.

Although more famous for another literary character, who created the Professor Challenger stories?

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

7.

Although much better known for his comedy work, this actor played Winston Churchill's butler David Inches in the 2002 production The Gathering Storm.  He died in 2005; can you name him?

Ronnie Barker

8.

Although named Keith at birth, this international business man is better known by his middle name.  He studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oxford, where he became a leading activist for the Labour Party.  For the last 40 years he has been constantly making news headlines!  Who is he?

Rupert Murdoch

Sp.

Which famous Briton, who died in famous circumstances on 29 March 1912, was married to sculptress and socialite Kathleen Bruce?

Robert Falcon Scott

ROUND 6 - 'It's all Greek to me'

Each answer contains a Greek letter - sometimes in 'sound-alike' form

1.

Which actress made her UK TV debut in The Darling Buds of May in 1991?

Catherine Zeta Jones

(zeta)

2.

What is the name of the group of wizards and witches in the Harry Potter books that support Lord Voldemort and wish to maintain blood purity of the wizards?

Death Eaters

(theta)

3.

Who recorded the hit song Gangnam Style?

(psi)

4.

Name the spicy Parsi dish that includes squash and lentils along with its traditional meat ingredient.

(lambda)

5.

Name the people from Southern Egypt and Northern Sudan who in ancient times were famed for their skill with the bow.

Nubian

(nu)

6.

Name the largest member of the grouse family.

Western capercaillie

(accept just capercaille)

(kappa)

7.

Name the forage crop that is also called lucerne.

Alfalfa

(alpha)

8.

Name the last film that Roman Polanski made in the US.

(chi)

Sp.

Name the type of Indonesian music that influenced Claude Debussy.
 

(gamma)

ROUND 7 - Connections

Who or what links the following?

1.

Balboa, Lake Gatun and Colón?

Panama Canal

(Atlantic entrance, lake in canal and Pacific entrance)

2.

Ditcheat, Seven Barrows and Pond House?

Horse-racing stables

(Paul Nicholls, Nicky Henderson and David Pipe)

3.

 Nigel Evans, Dawn Primarolo and Lindsay Hoyle?

Current Deputy Speakers of the House of Commons

(allow Chair/Deputy Chair of Ways and Means)

4.

Gingerbread, Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich, Jelly Bean?

(for smartphones, tablets, etc.)

5.

Henry Havelock, Charles James Napier, George IV, and various since 1999?

Occupants of Trafalgar Square plinths

6.

Liz Bonnin, Jem Stansfield and Dallas Campbell?
 

Original presenters of Bang Goes the Theory

7.

Currently Carolyn McCall, Alison Cooper and Angela Ahrendts, and until October 2012, Marjorie Scardino?

The only female Chief Executives of FTSE 100 companies

(Easyjet - from March 2013; Imperial Tobacco, Burberry and Pearson)

8.

Good Times, Bad Times, Whole Lotta Love, Immigrant Song and Black Dog?
 

Opening tracks on Led Zeppelin I, II, III and IV

Sp.

The most recent holders of the office of Speaker of the House of Representatives

ROUND 8 - 'Dave's Mistakes'

By some minor miracle, the Prodigals' reserve Dave Rainford has ended up on the panel for the BBC2 quiz Eggheads. Rather than being tremendous, some of the answers he has given on screen have been mediocre at best. This round is a selection of some of the numerous errors he has made. See if you can do better (which I’m sure you will)

1.

‘Hoist by your own petard’ is derived from a line first used in which Shakespeare play?

Hamlet

2.

Julia Donaldson’s children’s book The Gruffalo tells the story of what type of creature’s walk through the woods?

Mouse

3.

Euboea is the second largest island of which country?

Greece

4.

What does the 'H' stand for in the name of the novelist H P Lovecraft?

Howard

5.

On 11 July 2011, which planet of the solar system completed its first barycentric orbit since it was discovered?

Neptune

6.

Who was the first British monarch to be a passenger in an aeroplane?

Edward VIII

7.

Who wrote the play on which the film The Prince and the Showgirl was based?

Terence Rattigan

8.

Which vitamin, which can be used as a deliberate orange-red food colour additive, has the designation E101?

Riboflavin

Sp1

A song from which musical features the line "When I’m stuck with a day that’s grey and lonely, I just stick out my chin and grin and say....."?

(the song is Tomorrow)

Sp2

In which city is the Queen’s yacht Britannia permanently moored as an exhibition ship?

Edinburgh or Leith