#110 Robert Redford is Pointless...
Truly

BBC1: (2012)
Text by: Jim Williams 

BBC One's "Pointless" is best described as sort of a reverse take on "Family Feud". Instead of teams looking for the most popular answers to a survey of what people said, they're looking for the least popular correct answers to said survey. The aim, naturally, is to have the lowest score possible.

On a recent episode of "Pointless", the four teams in play started off with the following subject.



All they had to do was name a movie that Robert Redford either starred in or directed. Seems simple enough.

Let's start with Team 1 and Fiona.

"I'm going to have a stab at 'The King of Tides'."

Oh boy.

"The King of Tides" isn't even a movie. Perhaps she was thinking of "The Prince of Tides" starring this guy.

Not even close to Robert Redford. He couldn't hold Redford's jock!

Play passes to Team 2 and Steve.

"I'm going to have to have a wild stab in the dark, and I'm going to say 'Prince of Persia'."


"Can I make absolutely clear the criteria? I know it's different than normal, but it's not name a film with 'prince' in the title."

On to Team 3 and Stephanie...

"I'm really sorry. I can't even think who he is."


"I think he might be maybe more of a classic actor, so I'm going to for 'The Seven Samurai'."

Wow. Just...wow.


"On the plus side it didn't have the word 'prince' in the title."

Play passes to Team 4 and Karl.

"I don't know anything by him either...I'm going to say 'The Good, The Bad and The Ugly'."


"I don't know about the good and the ugly, but that's just bad!"

At the halfway point in the round, let's recap the scores.

You know what Chuck, you're right.

"Well, let me just say this...it's neck and neck."

The second players on each team get their turn. Liz of Team 1 gets a solid score of 19 for "The Sting" giving her team 119.

We go to Paul on Team 2.

"I've heard of Robert Redford. I'm aware he works in the film industry. If he hasn't made a movie called "Stake Out", he should."

Everybody put their arms in the air. Good. Now, cross them like the symbol you're about to see in the next picture.

Thank you.

"It's a shame of course because 'Prince of Steakhouse' is a Robert Redford film." I love me some British "humour".

James from Team 3 gets a correct answer with "The Horse Whisperer" which nets them 19 points tying Team 3 for the lead with Team 1 at 119.

We move on to Team 4 and Kevin.

"I'm going to take a guess at something he might have been in. I'm gonna go for 'The Towering Inferno'."

It was the kind of film he might have done, but he wasn't in it.

So the two teams with 119 points are through to the next round, but we have a stalemate with two teams at an imperfect 200. To break the tie, each team will get the chance to name another Robert Redford film. Unlike in round play, the members of each team can confer with one another.

"Like that's gonna help."

Kevin & Fiona name a correct answer in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" which was worth 36 points. In order to move through to the next round, Paul and Stephanie need to not only name a correct answer, but have that answer score 35 points or lower.

Paul & Stephanie Concur


And mercifully, the round is over and so is this article. But, for what it's worth, I know five Brits who could have performed better than the majority of the contestants seen above.

Have any questions about the site? Submit them to us via our Facebook page, our Twitter, and through e-mail. We'll be sure to answer them to the very best of our ability.

(c) 2009-2017 - A CQS Production.


(GSG is a JRW Creations website)

Help GSG pay some bills!