“There is much pleasure to be gained from useless knowledge.”

— Bertrand Russell

And Now For Something Completely Different — Answers

Written by

Quizologist

Pursuit of the Trivial

Today’s Answers .

Sean Connery as James Bond. See question four.
Image Wikimedia Commons

One

On 5 October 1969, I was in my mid-teens and interested in aviation, so I settled in to watch a new BBC TV series at its debut. Although it turned out to be unrelated to flight, it was excellent and became a turning point for television comedy: what was the programme, and who were the half-dozen people who created, wrote, and performed in it?

Answers: Monty Python’s Flying Circus; Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, and Terry Gilliam.

Monty Python’s Flying Circus is a British surreal sketch comedy series created by the “Pythons”—Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, and Terry Gilliam. Premiering in 1969, the show aired 45 episodes over four series until 1974 and is known for its absurd situations, observational sketches without punchlines, and unique animations by Gilliam. The troupe also produced five films including Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) and Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979).

Two

Born on this day in 1975, this actress portrayed Ophelia, Rose, Hester, and Iris across five years starting in the mid-nineties. Who is she, and in which four films did she assume these roles?

Answer: Kate Winslet; Hamlet; Titanic; Enigma and Iris.

Kate Winslet is an English actress known for her roles as headstrong women in independent films and period dramas. Born in 1975, she has won numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, two Emmys, five BAFTAs, and five Golden Globes, and was appointed a CBE in 2012. She studied at Redroofs Theatre School and made her screen debut at age fifteen.

Three

In October 1970 PBS began broadcasting on American television taking over many of the functions of what predecessor organisation; and what children’s show featuring live-action, sketch comedy, animation, and puppetry were one of its great successes?

Answer: National Educational Television (NET).

PBS, a nonprofit in Arlington, Virginia, distributes educational programmes via over 350 member stations. Funding includes dues, pledges, sponsorships and donations; Corporation for Public Broadcasting support runs from 1969 to 2025. Standards prevent funding influence.

Four

In 1962, the first ‘official’ Bond movie by Eon Productions premiered on this day. What was the film and what actress, although she is not to appear on the screen in this film, is widely regarded as the first ‘Bond girl’ and what was her role?

Answers: Dr. No; Ursula Andress as Honey Ryder.

Dr. No, directed by Terence Young and starring Sean Connery, launched the James Bond series in 1962. Bond investigates a disappearance in Jamaica, uncovering Dr. No’s plot against Cape Canaveral. It established iconic elements and achieved financial success. Although Honey Rider is widely regarded as the first Bond girl, Eunice Gayson as Sylvia Trench and Zena Marshall as Miss Taro.

Five

In 1961, the comedy Breakfast at Tiffany’s premiered. Your answers are four names: who starred as Holly Golightly and Paul Varjak; who directed the film; and who wrote the novella the film was based on?

Answers: Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard; Blake Edwards; Truman Capote.

Directed by Blake Edwards from George Axelrod’s screenplay, Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) stars Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard. It earned two Academy Awards and was preserved in the National Film Registry, though Mickey Rooney’s role caused controversy as being perceived as racist.