Quizology.Online

Tag: television

  • Spaghetti Tree | Answers

    The answers to my earlier post are shown in bold below..

    Duck-billed platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus), Scottsdale, TAS, Australia. Wikipedia
    1. True—Male platypuses have spurs on their hind feet that deliver painful venom making them one of only a few species of venomous mammals.
      Harriet Beecher Stowe by Alanson Fisher (1807 – 1884).
      Google Art Project/Wikipedia
    2. False—Harriet Beecher Stowe was born in Litchfield, Connecticut. Stowe, an American writer and philanthropist, is best known for her novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin, which significantly impacted public opinion against slavery and is considered a contributing factor to the American Civil War. Growing up in a family of intellectuals and abolitionists, Stowe’s experiences in Cincinnati, Ohio, and her interactions with fugitive slaves deeply influenced her writing.
      Yogi Bear. Hanna-Barbera Productions/Wikipedia
    3. False—Yogi first appeared on Hanna-Barbera’s The Huckleberry Hound Show in 1958.
      Jewish girls during Bat Mitzva in Alexandria, Egypt (before 1967).
      Nebi Daniel Association/Wikipedia
    4. True—a bat mitzvah is a solemn ceremony held in some synagogues where a girl of 12 to 13 years of age is formally accepted as an adult member of the Jewish community. It is equivalent to a boy’s bar mitzvah.
      Roadrunner. Wikipedia
    5. True—Roadrunners, or chaparral birds, are two species of fast-running ground cuckoos found in deserts across the southwestern and south-central United States, Mexico and Central America. The roadrunner, popularised by Warner Bros. cartoons, is depicted as faster than coyotes, but in reality, coyotes are twice as fast. The cartoons also perpetuate the misconception that roadrunners say “meep, meep”.

      The Simpson-Reed Grove of coast redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens) on US Route 199, California, USA. Wikipedia
    6. False—Sequoia is a genus of redwood coniferous trees. Bigfoot, or Sasquatch, is a large, hairy mythical creature said to inhabit forests in North America. It holds significant cultural importance in American and Canadian folklore.

    Spaghetti tree

    Why Spaghetti Tree? The BBC’s 1957 April Fools’ Day hoax, broadcast on the current-affairs programme Panorama, featured a convincing three-minute segment showcasing a family in southern Switzerland harvesting spaghetti from “spaghetti trees”. The report, which claimed the eradication of the dreaded spaghetti weevil had resulted in a bumper crop, was given credibility by being voiced by respected journalist Richard Dimbleby. At the time, spaghetti was relatively unfamiliar to the British public, prompting many viewers to contact the BBC for tips on cultivating their own spaghetti trees. This cleverly executed prank has since been hailed by CNN as

    “undoubtedly the biggest hoax that any reputable news establishment ever pulled.”

    —CNN.

    The Spaghetti tree hoax on BBC’s Panorama current-affairs programme was voiced by respected journalist Richard Dimbleby. Wikipedia

  • Spaghetti Tree

    Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner in Zoom and Bored, 1957. Wikipedia

    April 1. Some of these may be true, indeed they may all be, but on the other hand they may, some or all, be false. Don’t be fooled!

    1. True or false: a platypus, aka a duck-billed platypus, is a venomous mammal.
    2. True or false: novelist Harriet Beecher Stowe, who wrote Uncle Tom’s Cabin, was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama?
    3. True or false: Yogi Bear made his television debut in The Bugs Bunny Show.
    4. True or False: A bat mitzvah is a coming-of-age ritual in Judaism.
    5. True or false: The roadrunner is one of two species of fast-running ground cuckoos.
    6. True or false: Sequoia is another name for Bigfoot, the legendary creature from the forests of North America’s Pacific Northwest.

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • Who, What, When, Where, Why and How II | Answers

    Here are the answers to my earlier post.

    Calvin Coolidge.
    Wikipedia
    1. Calvin Coolidge—was US President on the 26 March 1925. Calvin Coolidge, the 30th US President, served from 1923 to 1929. He is known for his small-government conservatism, taciturn personality, and support for racial equality. Coolidge oversaw economic growth during the “Roaring Twenties” but is criticised for failing to address economic inequality and for his potential role in the Great Depression.
    2. World War I—The First Battle of Gaza, fought on 26 March 1917, was a British defeat during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of World War I. The British Desert Column, nearing capture of Gaza, withdrew due to darkness and Ottoman reinforcements.
    3. 2000—Vladimir Putin, a former KGB officer, has served as President of Russia since 2012, with previous terms from 2000 to 2008. His rule has been marked by economic growth, military conflicts, authoritarian tendencies, and human rights violations. Putin’s actions have led to international sanctions and a war crimes warrant.
      Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian president Anwar Sadat with U.S. president Jimmy Carter at Camp David in September 1978.
      Wikipedia
    4. Camp David, Maryland—the Camp David Accord was reached the previous September (1978) when President Carter hosted Egypt’s President Sadat and Israel’s Prime Minister Begin at his Maryland retreat.
    5. They believed a spacecraft was arriving to take them as immortal extraterrestrials to a better place—
    6. 16-years—

  • Who, What, When, Where, Why and How II

    Kremlin, Moscow.
    Wikipedia

    All of the following relate to today’s date, 26 March.

    1. Who was the president of the United States of America 100 years ago today, 26 March 1925?
      • Warren G. Harding
      • Calvin Coolidge
      • Herbert Hoover
    2. What conflict saw the First Battle of Gaza take place on this date?
      • The Six Day War
      • World War I
      • World War II
    3. When was Vladimir Putin, a Russian intelligence officer and politician, elected president of Russia for the first time.
      • 2000
      • 2004
      • 2006
    4. Where did talks, mediated by US President Jimmy Carter, between Menachem Begin, the Israeli Prime Minister, and President Anwar Sadat of Egypt take place? These talks led to an historic peace treaty between Israel and Egypt that was signed on 26 March 1979.
      • Camp David, Maryland
      • Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
      • Plains, Georgia
    5. Why did these members of Heaven’s Gate kill themselves? On 26 March 1997 the bodies of 39 members of Heaven’s Gate were found after a mass suicide.
      • They believed they alone would be reincarnated as gods in an earthly paradise
      • They believed a spacecraft was arriving to take them as immortal extraterrestrials to a better place
      • They believed they had to poison themselves to meet Jesus
    6. How long had this interlude lasted? After a hiatus, the BBC sci-fi series Doctor Who made a triumphant return to television with a new episode in which Christopher Eccleston reprised the iconic role of the Doctor.
      • 6-years
      • 10-years
      • 16-years

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

    Tardis
    Wikipedia

  • And Now for Something Completely Different—Answers

    The first Monty Python Live (Mostly) reunion show at the O2 Arena in London, 2014.
    Wikipedia

    The answers to my earlier post are shown here in bold.

    1. Norwegian Blue and
    2. Graham Chapman—The Dead Parrot Sketch from Monty Python’s Flying Circus is a satire on poor customer service, featuring a non-existent parrot species, the “Norwegian Blue”. It was written by John Cleese and Graham Chapman.
      Carol Cleveland and Michael Palin performing the Lumberjack Song during the Monty Python Live (Mostly) show, 2014.
      Wikipedia
    3. Tree to tree—A man, dissatisfied with his job, expresses his desire to be a lumberjack. He then sings, backed by a choir of male singers dressed as Royal Canadian Mounted Police, about the wonders of being a lumberjack in British Columbia and “Leaping from tree to tree”. The lumberjack reveals cross-dressing tendencies to his best girl and the Mounties, who become increasingly uncomfortable and eventually leave in disgust. The girl, shocked, rejects him and runs off.
    4. And Now for Something Completely Different—And Now for Something Completely Different is a 1971 British sketch comedy film featuring sketches from the first two series of Monty Python’s Flying Circus. The film, released in the UK in 1971 and the US in 1972, consists of 90 minutes of sketches and animation sequences.
      Graham Chapman, ‘The Colonel’.
      Wikipedia
    5. Graham Chapman—Graham Chapman, a British actor, comedian, and writer, was a member of the surrealist comedy group Monty Python. He was openly homosexual, a supporter of gay rights and an alcoholic until he quit drinking before working on Life of Brian. Chapman died of tonsil cancer in 1989.
      Spike Milligan.
      Wikipedia
    6. Spike Milligan—Spike Milligan, born in British India, was a comedian, writer, and actor known for his work on The Goon Show and Q, a comedy sketch show which ran for six series from 1969 until 1983. He also wrote books, including Puckoon and a seven-volume autobiography, and comical verse, much of it for children. Spike Milligan, visiting Tunisia, was included by the Pythons in a scene of Life of Brian. He had left before being included in close-ups or publicity shots.
      Terry Gilliam, in the Spanish Inquisition sketch during Monty Python Live (Mostly) show, 2014.
      Wikipedia
    7. Terry Gilliam—Terrence Gilliam is an American-British filmmaker, comedian, and actor. He gained stardom as a member of Monty Python, collaborating on sketch series and films. Gilliam transitioned to directing serious films with themes exploring imagination and oppositions to bureaucracy and authoritarianism. He has directed 13 feature films, gaining acclaim for, among others, Time Bandits (1981), The Fisher King (1991) and 12 Monkeys (1995).
      A title card for Monty Python’s Flying Circus.
      Wikipedia
    8. John Philip Sousa—Sousa’s Liberty Bell March performed by the Band of the Grenadier Guards, was used as the opening theme for Monty Python’s Flying Circus as it was in the public domain and would not be associated with the show’s content.
      Knights Who Say “Ni!”
      Wikipedia
    9. Ni—In the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, King Arthur encounters the Knights Who Say “Ni!”, who demand a shrubbery as a sacrifice. After obtaining a shrubbery, the knights change their name to the Knights Who Say “Ekke Ekke Ekke Ekke Ptang Zoo Boing!” and give Arthur a new test, which he passes by saying the word “it”, incapacitating the knights.
      Spambot poster.
      Wikipedia
    10. Spamalot—Spamalot is a stage musical by John Du Prez and Eric Idle parodying Arthurian legend, based on the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The original Broadway production, directed by Mike Nichols, received 14 Tony Award nominations and won three, including Best Musical.
    See question 5. Graham Chapman. Blue plaque erected by The British Comedy Society on 6th September 2012 at The Angel Inn, 37 Highgate High Street, London N6 5JT
    Wikipedia

  • And Now for Something Completely Different

    Michael Palin (left) and John Cleese (right) performing the Dead Parrot sketch during the Monty Python Live (Mostly) show (2014).
    Wikipedia
    1. What features in the sketch pictured above?
      • Danish Turquoise
      • Norwegian Blue
      • Swedish Indigo
    2. Who co-wrote the above sketch with John Cleese?
      • Michael Palin
      • Terry Jones
      • Graham Chapman
    3. In a sketch from the ninth episode of Monty Python’s Flying Circus Michael Palin’s character sings that he wants to ‘leap from…’
      • The cliff
      • Tree to tree
      • The tallest building
    4. The first Monty Python offering on film for cinematic release was…
      • Monty Python and the Holy Grail
      • And Now for Something Completely Different
      • Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life
    5. In Monty Python’s Life of Brian which Python is described as “a very naughty boy”
      • Eric Idle
      • Michael Palin
      • Graham Chapman
    6. What veteran from The Goon Show appeared as a prophet in Monty Python’s Life of Brian?
      • Harry Secombe
      • Spike Milligan
      • Peter Sellers
      A title card for Monty Python’s Fling Circus.
      Wikipedia
    7. Which of the Pythons created the animations?
      • Terry Jones
      • Eric Idle
      • Terry Gilliam
    8. The Liberty Bell was the title music for this series, who composed it?
      • William L. Dawson
      • Eleanor Everest Freer
      • John Philip Sousa
    9. Monty Python and the Holy Grail features the Knights Who Say…
      • Eh
      • Ni
      • Yees, pleeze
    10. What is the title of a Monty Python stage musical?
      • Clamalot
      • Edamalot
      • Spamalot

  • From House Demolition to Dining Out—Answers

    Douglas Hydro.
    Wikipedia

    Below, in bold, are the answers to my earlier post.

    1. Douglas Adams—The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is a renowned science fiction comedy series created by British writer Douglas Adams.
    2. Paranoid Android—Marvin the Paranoid Android. A robot endowed with a “brain the size of a planet” but cursed with chronic depression. Often providing dry, sardonic humour, Marvin’s character contrasts sharply with the other characters’ antics.
    3. Agrajag—A tragic figure who is continually reincarnated and inadvertently killed by Arthur Dent in various lifetimes, harbouring a grudge that adds a darkly comedic layer to the narrative.
    4. Eaten—The concept of an Ameglian Major Cow is that it genuinely desires to be consumed and satirises ethical debates around eating meat.
    5. Mattress—An inhabitant of the planet Squornshellous Zeta, Zem is a sentient, albeit somewhat dim-witted, swamp-dwelling mattress, showcasing Adams’ flair for the absurd.
    6. Ford Prefect-—Arthur’s eccentric friend who masquerades as an out-of-work actor but is actually an alien researcher for The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy who is here to write an entry for Earth for inclusion in the next edition of the guide. His quick wit and knowledge of the intergalactic landscape often prove invaluable.
    7. Infinite Improbability Drive—A revolutionary propulsion system aboard the Heart of Gold spaceship. It allows the craft to traverse vast interstellar distances instantaneously by passing through every conceivable point in the universe simultaneously. Its unpredictability leads to many of the series’ most absurd and humorous moments.
    8. Slartibartfast—A Magrathean planet designer passionate about crafting coastlines, notably Norway’s fjords. His calm, methodical approach adds depth to the exploration of cosmic mysteries.
    9. Arthur Dent—The quintessential everyman protagonist whose mundane life is upended when Earth is destroyed to make way for a hyperspace bypass. Arthur’s bewildered journey through space forms the heart of the narrative.
    10. Radio series—Initially debuting as a radio series on BBC Radio 4 in 1978, it gained immense popularity, subsequently evolving into a series of novels, a television adaptation, stage shows, a text adventure game, and a feature film released in 2005.

  • Prime Ministers, Vampires and Assassins—Answers

    The answers to the questions from earlier are in bold below.

    The Right Honourable Kim Campbell, PC, CC, OBC, QC, served as Canada’s 19th and first female Prime Minister in 1993
    Wikipedia
    1. Kim Campbell—Kim Campbell, born on 10 March 1947, in Port Alberni, British Columbia, became Canada’s first female prime minister in June 1993, serving until November. Educated at the University of British Columbia and the London School of Economics, she taught political science and practiced law before entering politics. Campbell served on Vancouver’s school board and in the British Columbia provincial legislature before joining federal politics. She held several ministerial roles, including justice minister and defence minister, before becoming prime minister. Her tenure ended with a significant electoral defeat. Post-politics, she was active in academia and international organisations. Jenny Shipley and Helen Clark  were consecutive prime ministers in New Zealand from 1997-1999 and 1999-2008 respectively. 
      Welcome to Sunnydale
      Wikipedia
    2. Sunnydale—Buffy Summers, portrayed by Sarah Michelle Gellar, is the “Slayer” destined to battle evil forces with enhanced powers like strength, agility, and precognition. Initially reluctant, she embraces her role with guidance from her Watcher, Rupert Giles, who provides supernatural insights and training. Buffy’s friends at Sunnydale High, Willow Rosenberg and Xander Harris, support her. Willow, an academic prodigy, evolves into a powerful witch and identifies as a lesbian. Xander, lacking supernatural abilities, offers comic relief. Buffy and Willow appear in all 144 episodes, while Xander is in 143.
      FBI wanted poster fugitive poster of James Earl Ray; the later convicted murderer of civil rights leader and anti-war activist, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
      Wikipedia
    3. James Earl Ray—James Earl Ray, born on March 10, 1928, in Alton, Illinois, was an American criminal who assassinated civil-rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. Ray had a history of petty crimes and prison sentences, including escapes. After the assassination, he fled to Toronto, obtained a Canadian passport, and traveled to London and Lisbon. He was apprehended on June 8, 1968, at Heathrow Airport and extradited to the U.S. Ray pleaded guilty on his 41st birthday to King’s murder, receiving a 99-year sentence, but later recanted his confession, which was not accepted. He died on April 23, 1998, in Nashville, Tennessee. Lee Harvey Oswald, John F. Kennedy’s assassin, was born in New Orleans. Leon F. Czolgosz, who killed William McKinlay in 1901 was born in Detroit, Michigan.
    Martin Luther King, Jr.
    Wikipedia

  • Prime Ministers, Vampires and Assassins

    Flag of Canada.
    Wikipedia

    All these relate one way or another to 10 March. 

    1. Born on 10 March 1947 who, in June 1993, became the first woman to serve as Canadian prime minister?
      • Kim Campbell
      • Helen Clark
      • Jenny Shipley
      Buffy the Vampire Slayer logo
      Wikipedia
    2. Buffy the Vampire Slayer debuted on television on the 10 March 1997. What high school do Buffy, Willow and Xander attend
      • Sunnydale
      • Sunnyside
      • Sunnyvale
    3. Which 20th century assassin was born 10 March 1928 in Alton, Illinois?
      • Leon F. Czolgosz
      • Lee Harvey Oswald
      • James Earl Ray

    Good luck! The answers will be posted later today.

  • Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happy Hour—Answers

    The answers are in bold below.

    1. Radar O’Reilly—Gary Burghoff played Corporal Walter Eugene Radar O’Reilly in both the film and television series. It was only on TV that he had this full name as he is known simply as Radar in the film. Hot Lips was played by Sally Kellerman in the film and Loretta Swift on TV; Trapper John was played by Elliott Gould (film) and Wayne Rogers (TV). 

      Theatrical release poster for the 1970 black comedy–war film M*A*S*H. The caption “M*A*S*H Gives a Damn” refers to the Ratings Administration taking issue with the film’s frequent use of the word.
      [Image Wikipedia]
    2. Three—the Korean War lasted from 1950 to 1953.
    3. Benjamin Franklin Pierce—Hawkeye (Alan Alda in the TV series), a central character in the MASH series, is known for his medical expertise, humour, heavy drinking and womanising ways. He becomes the Chief Surgeon early in the first season. Donald Sutherland played Hawkeye in the 1970 film. It is a quote from Hawkeye that provides the title of this post—Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happy Hour.
    4. Mobile Army Surgical Hospital—Mobile Army Surgical Hospitals were U.S. Army field hospital units operational from the Korean War to the Gulf War. Each MASH unit had 60 beds and provided support to army units of 10,000 to 20,000 soldiers, with a low mortality rate due to shorter transportation times.
    5. Jamie Farr—Maxwell “Max” Klinger, an Arab-American orderly in the 4077th MASH unit, initially attempts to gain a Section 8 discharge by cross-dressing and engaging in eccentric behaviour. After becoming the company clerk, he abandons these antics and later marries Soon Lee Han, a Korean refugee, choosing to stay in Korea to help her find her family. In AfterMASH, they move to the US, facing challenges that lead Klinger to bookmaking and eventual employment at a veterans’ hospital.
    6. 4077th—loosely based on the historic 8055th MASH unit.
    7. Father John Mulcahy—a Catholic priest and US Army chaplain, serves at the 4077th. He is known for his compassionate nature, boxing skills, and ecumenical approach to religion. Despite his unshakable faith, he struggles with the importance of his role compared to the doctors’ life-saving abilities. Appearing in the novel, film and television series he is played by René Auberjonois (film) and William Christopher on television with the exception of the pilot episode when George Martin had the role.
    8. Suicide is Painless—is a song from the 1970 film M*A*S*H, performed by characters and The Ron Hicklin Singers. It was composed by Johnny Mandel with lyrics by Mike Altman (the directors 15-year-old-son). The instrumental version became the theme music for the TV series.
      Cover of MASH, by Richard Hooker. 1969 edition, Pocket Books [Image Wikipedia]
    9. Richard Hooker—the pseudonym of Hiester Richard Hornberger Jr., who authored the novel MASH based on his experiences as a surgeon with the 8055th MASH during the Korean War. The novel was adapted into the successful film and television series.
    10. Amen—Goodbye, Farewell and Amen