Pointless

I love this show! For Americans, I'd describe it as a blend of Jeopardy (you do need to know your stuff) and an anti-Family Feud (as you are trying to find the answer the studio audience previously knew least, not most). Contestants are rewarded most if their knowledge is deep on some subject, but one must also have broad knowledge because any one question could trip them up and eliminate them from play that day.

The presenters are perfect (I'd already loved Osman from QI, but Armstrong was new to me.) I laugh at myself for my total lack of knowledge of snooker and rugby (really not things here in the US, though I did play snooker one weekend in Canada), and I enjoy the heck out of knowing all the answers to the word and literature questions and most of the plant ones. I've been surprised at how much Brits know about American politics and how little about literature. I'm pleased at how different our favorite desserts and childhood games are. We are cousins, but we are not identical. All of that is wonderful, for it increases my knowledge of our similarities and differences, and also makes me want to bone up on my knowledge of UK politics! Turn about is, after all, fair play. I wish my streaming subscription carried more seasons, back to the beginning, but I'll hunt more down somehow on the interwebz. I'm addicted.

The thing that makes this show so brilliant is that it actually feels like an accomplishment when you know a good (obscure) answer. Who was the director of "The Terminator"? James Cameron. Was that fun? Of course not. However, when you have to name a James Cameron movie and try to go for an answer few people have heard of, that's an actual challenge. And because there's never one right answer you either know or don't know, you can actually sort of play this within family circles and such and such. The format has been tinkered with a lot already, but really the changes were all for the better. While there used to be four rounds that were somewhat slow-paced and similar to each other, now the show has actually transformed into a more compact program with less contestants, more interesting variations on the basic concept and just generally more fun. I also really like Alexander Armstrong and Richard Osman, who host this show in quite a unique, atypical way. Richard's interventions can be well, pointless, as he has to say roughly the same stuff every episode (we're aware obscure answers score less points and wrong answers score 100, why the hell does he say that before the SECOND round?), but more often they're hilarious. Behold, the only quiz show I've ever liked, may it be on forever.

Alexander is a tremendous host, he's funny, but he's smart and down to Earth, I really like him, but I really do miss Richard Osman, it's just not quite the same anymore.

The format still works, and it's always great to see people scoop the prize. Somehow it needs a different kind of knowledge, sometimes the questions leave you absolutely stumped.

As of 2025, there's still no permanent replacement for Richard Osman, a shame, some have worked well, some are just out of place.

I've also noticed now that episodes have someone signing, BBC please could you give us an option to switch it on or off? I just can't watch it, I understand about inclusivity, but give us the choice, it's made me switch off.

7/10.

I am a bit of a saddo, as I really like this show when I catch it. Alexander Armstrong is an excellent front man for it and I really like him as a performer and was surprised to see him doing this. He has a special quality which comes across to the viewer (well this viewer anyway). The premise is that people try to find a pointless answer to the question posed thereby scoring as low as possible. Gentle humour is employed throughout and I like the fact that no-one is humiliated or made fools of in any way. I feel that the programme would benefit from a little faster pace but that is a minor quibble. It is almost educational sometimes too as one finds out facts one did not know before. Long may it last. Well I am adding to my review 16 months on and I am still addicted to it. If anything more so. It has really hit it's stride and Richard and Alexander's banter is witty, original and, unusually for a daytime quiz, funny. This one should run and run.

On the programme shown on the Monday 23rd of January 2012 two teachers from Scotland reached the final and their final question for £6250 was- Name an Australian Tennis player that won a Wimbledon tennis title either singles or doubles from 1980 to the present day. The finalists went for Mark Phillippousis,Mark Woodford and Todd Woodbridge. There first answer was Mark Phillippoussis which was 100 pointer meaning it was a wrong answer. Bong.

Mark Phillippoussis won the Wimbledon Junior Mens doubles championship title with Ben Ellwood in 1994. If I were one of the contestants I would be after my prize money.