Not sure if this counts but when I went to see Countdown the contestant picked a different word for the conundrum and it was in the dictionary so they decided to refilm it and the contestants had to pretend they didn't know and only that contestant could buzz and guess.
Poor Richard was very sheepish as the other contestant was not happy.
On the link there were a lot of inconsistencies with accepted answers.
There were four "hidden" links which when revealed would point to one answers that connects all four words. The quiz master asks the first question and the answer is the first link. The contestant who gets it correct then gets to guess what the link is. They get more money if they get it on the first clue however its harder.
The inconsistencies come where sometimes they say "brad pitt films" which is incorrect as the first three clues may be brad pitt films, but the fouth clue which they are yet to know is something that makes the answer "brad pitt".
Sometimes it goes the other way that brad pitt wouldnt be accepted but brad pitt films would be. But theres no consistency show to show.
I complained about Million Pound Drop, where a couple was eliminated on a Dr Who question which was "who was the longest serving Doctor" and of the options they chose Sylvester McCoy - which was correct.
However the idiot producers said the answer was David Tennant.
McCoy of course briefly appeared at the start of the Paul McGann Tv movie so played the part for 9 years - technically.
They let the couple come back in another show, and they actually won some money next time around - as they got really easy questions - wonder why ???
I remember that debate and the general consensus was that the original decision should have stayed. The question was who played the Doctor in the TV series Doctor Who for the longest period of time. Doctor Who was axed in 1989 and although Sylvester McCoy made a brief cameo in the mini series in the intervening years he was not playing the Doctor in the Television series. However if the question was who served in the role of the Doctor for the longest period of time then Sylvester McCoy would have been correct.
Many years ago on Magnusson era Mastermind, a chap was answering questions on Britain's railways, which I have some knowledge of. He was asked someting like "what is the latest type of electric locomotive on the west coast main line". He answered "AL6". Magnus asked him "is that class 87" and he said yes and was given the point. In fact AL6 was the old designation for the class 86 and he must have known that but got away with his cheating.
One was the tennis one you alluded to: as you mentioned, it was the theoretical minumum number of strokes needed to win a set (not a match), as it was 12 that were needed (your opponent double-faults each of their serves and you ace each of yours). They acknowledged their mistake and allowed the contestant to keep the money they had won (£125,000). Incidentally, 12 was one of the answers.
Another one was the motto of the United States, when translated from Latin. Which is irrelevant, as the American motto isn't of Latin origin. (They were allowed back to answer a different question - although they decided not to risk it and kept the half-million they won for charity, as it was a celebrity edition).
I think that was the Lawrence Llewellyn Bowen one where the question was about the motto of the USA on it's currency. He answered E Pluribus Unum (one out of many) which was the old, unofficial motto that still appears on coins. The 'correct' answer was In God We Trust, that appears on US banknotes.
If I remember rightly it wasn't Columbus but Marco Polo who was the subject of the question and he actually was from Venice. Given that the question asked what his nationality was and Italy didn't exist at the time but Venice was an independent country with its own empire then Venetian was actually the correct answer.
There was an issue earlier in the series though when he didn't give a contestant the point when he answered Muslims instead of Islam. They ended up inviting the guy back at a later date.
I watched this episode last night and the question was "What nationality was Christopher Columbus?" and the accepted answer was "Venetian"
Also the Muslim / Islam one was there. Not sure about that one. The religion is Islam isn't it?
15 To One had barely started today when the errors started. Stewart asked, At Which Battle was The Young Pretender defeated by the Duke of Cumberland in 1764? The answer was Culloden but that was 1746.
The second one was, which was the first ship to use the SOS distress signal? The contestant said Titanic and was given correct but the first ship to send an SOS was in 1909. Nearly 3 years before.
Then he asks who was the only US president elected for 4 terms? He accepted the answer, Roosevelt without asking which one.
I watched this episode last night and the question was "What nationality was Christopher Columbus?" and the accepted answer was "Venetian"
Also the Muslim / Islam one was there. Not sure about that one. The religion is Islam isn't it?
Fair enough that then definitely is a mistake because Columbus was from the Republic of Genoa. I probably retconned the answer in my head! It's funny spotting all these mistakes because William G Stewart can be quite snotty with people when they get questions wrong and yet he and his question setters make huge numbers of errors!
We lost a pub quiz a few weeks back when the question master insisted the correct answer to the question "When do Americans celebrate Thanksgiving?" was "The last Thursday in November"
We had put the 4th Thursday in November. When we complained he said our answer made no sense as sometimes there are 5 Thursdays in November
The following week he came over and apologised and admitted he'd got it wrong:D
I was in a pub quiz team once where we were playing 'away' at another pub.
One of our team had failed to show, and my wife, who had just come along to support the team and have a couple of drinks with us, was cajoled into taking his place.
One of her individual questions was, "What instrument did Frederic Chopin play, and write music for?"
She was sitting opposite me and I could see the pain in her eyes, as she didn't know the answer.
I surreptitiously gently, silently, and slowly drummed my fingers on the table, while looking into her eyes.
She piped up, "The typewriter!"
Sorry to take this thread off topic but I was mentally scarred for life, maybe a slight exaggeration, by a incorrect judgment on an answer I gave in a spelling test at primary school and I need to get it off my chest.
Every week throughout the final year I was at the school the deputy head asked us to spell ten words. Spelling was one of my better subjects, if you can call it that, and I confidently wrote down h-a-r-b-o-u-r when asked to spell that word. It was marked incorrect as the deputy head said the correct spelling was h-a-r-b-o-r. I bravely went to see him after class, raised myself up to my full four foot six, and politely asked him to reconsider. He refused and it was the only mark I dropped in spelling for the entire year.
It's not as if he was from the USA. He was Welsh. Even if they spell it that way in Wales surely he knew there was an alternative spelling.
Apologies again for going off topic. Every now and then I need to unburden myself of this terrible injustice.
Sorry to take this thread off topic but I was mentally scarred for life, maybe a slight exaggeration, by a incorrect judgment on an answer I gave in a spelling test at primary school and I need to get it off my chest.
Every week throughout the final year I was at the school the deputy head asked us to spell ten words. Spelling was one of my better subjects, if you can call it that, and I confidently wrote down h-a-r-b-o-u-r when asked to spell that word. It was marked incorrect as the deputy head said the correct spelling was h-a-r-b-o-r. I bravely went to see him after class, raised myself up to my full four foot six, and politely asked him to reconsider. He refused and it was the only mark I dropped in spelling for the entire year.
It's not as if he was from the USA. He was Welsh. Even if they spell it that way in Wales surely he knew there was an alternative spelling.
Apologies again for going off topic. Every now and then I need to unburden myself of this terrible injustice.
I'm so sorry you were a victim of this miscarriage of justice. Have you considered appealing to the high court?
Catchphrase really annoyed me a few months ago when a lady guessed a catchphrase as "Wipe the floor with him", this was disallowed and the other contestant guessed " Mop the floor with him", which meant the lady had to leave the show.
I remember on here everyone saying she was robbed, I'd have been livid if I was her!
Slightly off topic, but i saw Paul Rankin on Saturday Kitchen a few years ago and someone phoned up and asked if you could get food poisoning from rice. He said it was impossible.
Well he is a dirty liar
Catchphrase really annoyed me a few months ago when a lady guessed a catchphrase as "Wipe the floor with him", this was disallowed and the other contestant guessed " Mop the floor with him", which meant the lady had to leave the show.
I remember on here everyone saying she was robbed, I'd have been livid if I was her!
But then this is the show who used 'Celebrity juice' as a catchphrase. Which it isn't....Was just some free advertising i reckon.
Fair enough that then definitely is a mistake because Columbus was from the Republic of Genoa. I probably retconned the answer in my head! It's funny spotting all these mistakes because William G Stewart can be quite snotty with people when they get questions wrong and yet he and his question setters make huge numbers of errors!
He's at it again today with that old false story about POSH being an acronym for Port Out, Starboard Home.
On The Chase, to the question " Which artist created Spiderman"? The incorrect "correct" answer given by the presenter Bradley Walsh was Stan Lee.
Lee was only ever a writer and editor, He never drew. And the actual answer is debatable as both Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko had a hand in the original costume concept etc though Ditko produced the final recognised image. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider-Man#Creation_and_development
They tell you in studio if you disagree with a quiz answer not to say so there and then. Wonder how far it gets you.
Doesn't seem fair.
In a show like Pointless where there is a daily total & rollover you could have the chance of winning 10k.
If you are cheated out of a correct anwer and after the you complain and they allow you another appearance you might only be playing for £500.
Comments
Ooooops.
Interesting post.
Thanx.
There were four "hidden" links which when revealed would point to one answers that connects all four words. The quiz master asks the first question and the answer is the first link. The contestant who gets it correct then gets to guess what the link is. They get more money if they get it on the first clue however its harder.
The inconsistencies come where sometimes they say "brad pitt films" which is incorrect as the first three clues may be brad pitt films, but the fouth clue which they are yet to know is something that makes the answer "brad pitt".
Sometimes it goes the other way that brad pitt wouldnt be accepted but brad pitt films would be. But theres no consistency show to show.
I remember that debate and the general consensus was that the original decision should have stayed. The question was who played the Doctor in the TV series Doctor Who for the longest period of time. Doctor Who was axed in 1989 and although Sylvester McCoy made a brief cameo in the mini series in the intervening years he was not playing the Doctor in the Television series. However if the question was who served in the role of the Doctor for the longest period of time then Sylvester McCoy would have been correct.
I think that was the Lawrence Llewellyn Bowen one where the question was about the motto of the USA on it's currency. He answered E Pluribus Unum (one out of many) which was the old, unofficial motto that still appears on coins. The 'correct' answer was In God We Trust, that appears on US banknotes.
Also the Muslim / Islam one was there. Not sure about that one. The religion is Islam isn't it?
The second one was, which was the first ship to use the SOS distress signal? The contestant said Titanic and was given correct but the first ship to send an SOS was in 1909. Nearly 3 years before.
Then he asks who was the only US president elected for 4 terms? He accepted the answer, Roosevelt without asking which one.
Fair enough that then definitely is a mistake because Columbus was from the Republic of Genoa. I probably retconned the answer in my head! It's funny spotting all these mistakes because William G Stewart can be quite snotty with people when they get questions wrong and yet he and his question setters make huge numbers of errors!
We had put the 4th Thursday in November. When we complained he said our answer made no sense as sometimes there are 5 Thursdays in November
The following week he came over and apologised and admitted he'd got it wrong:D
One of our team had failed to show, and my wife, who had just come along to support the team and have a couple of drinks with us, was cajoled into taking his place.
One of her individual questions was, "What instrument did Frederic Chopin play, and write music for?"
She was sitting opposite me and I could see the pain in her eyes, as she didn't know the answer.
I surreptitiously gently, silently, and slowly drummed my fingers on the table, while looking into her eyes.
She piped up, "The typewriter!"
Every week throughout the final year I was at the school the deputy head asked us to spell ten words. Spelling was one of my better subjects, if you can call it that, and I confidently wrote down h-a-r-b-o-u-r when asked to spell that word. It was marked incorrect as the deputy head said the correct spelling was h-a-r-b-o-r. I bravely went to see him after class, raised myself up to my full four foot six, and politely asked him to reconsider. He refused and it was the only mark I dropped in spelling for the entire year.
It's not as if he was from the USA. He was Welsh. Even if they spell it that way in Wales surely he knew there was an alternative spelling.
Apologies again for going off topic. Every now and then I need to unburden myself of this terrible injustice.
I'm so sorry you were a victim of this miscarriage of justice.
I remember on here everyone saying she was robbed, I'd have been livid if I was her!
Well he is a dirty liar
But then this is the show who used 'Celebrity juice' as a catchphrase. Which it isn't....Was just some free advertising i reckon.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JS0oKu88jG0
LOL
Mart Peters, who i had never heard of.
I realised soon after that they had typed it wrong, and really meant MARY Peters, which i am sure he would have got.
It was a really big competition they were running, with a massive prize.u
He's at it again today with that old false story about POSH being an acronym for Port Out, Starboard Home.
I noticed that one too! Mind you, the quiz is only in its infancy in the episodes currently being shown, hopefully they'll tighten up.
Lee was only ever a writer and editor, He never drew. And the actual answer is debatable as both Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko had a hand in the original costume concept etc though Ditko produced the final recognised image.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider-Man#Creation_and_development
In a show like Pointless where there is a daily total & rollover you could have the chance of winning 10k.
If you are cheated out of a correct anwer and after the you complain and they allow you another appearance you might only be playing for £500.