User reviews

Normally I'm not a fan of this kind of programme but for some reason I really enjoy 'Pointless'. I suspect this is largely down to presenters Alexander Armstrong and Richard Osman; they frequently have a laugh at contestants' answers but it never seems to be in a mean spirited way. It also helps that most of the contestants don't take thing too seriously; it isn't unknown for them to laugh as their wrong answers means they won't be going home with the cash prize.

The format is simple; the game starts with four teams of two answering questions on various subjects and after each round one pair is eliminated. For each question the lowest score wins… A hundred people were given a hundred seconds to give as many correct as possible… the score gained matches the number of people who gave that answer and a wrong answer scores 100 points.

The rounds are equally simple; using today's episode as an example:

Round one: One person in each pair had to name a Country that had won Miss World, the other had to name an England goalkeeper.

Round two: A list of six US TV shows was shown and one member of each team said which city one of them was set in, the list was then changed and the second team member named the city.

Round three (The head to head round): The first team to get the best score for two varied questions gets to the final.

The Final: The surviving team selects the topic, out of three possibilities, to be questioned on… today it was 'Sporting Greats' and they had to identify boxers who fought Mohammad Ali. In this round they give three answers and one of them must be 'Pointless' if they are to win the prize money… if they lose they still get the 'prestigious Pointless Trophy'.

I don't always watch the programme but if I start watching or walk in to the room when it is on I'll almost always watch to the end. I like how the questions with have multiple answers so not only do you have to get it right you must try to pick one that you think few other people will know… there is also enough time for viewers to think of the answers so even if you aren't lightning fast you have a chance to compete at home!

However I find it very unfair and somewhat demoralizing that contestants do not receive the $250 awarded them for their "pointless" answer while competing during the general competition. When a competing couple has been fortunate enough to provide that all illusive "pointless" answer and been awarded $250 for their answer, their winnings gets added to the night's jackpot for them or one of the other contestants to win during the big showdown. It's really unfair bc the "pointless" round winners may not win latter and they actually seem to be being penalize twice for winning/losing. I think if a couple offers a "pointless" answer during the game, the $250 should be theirs. It should be their winnings, separate from the jackpot. It makes no sense to tie it to the jackpot, none.

Great show with brilliant idea. I watched it for first time on TV when I was visiting London in 2012 since then I love to watch the show every other time

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.

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.

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.

Great concept but the inane and sometimes irritating chatter between the hosts prolong what should be a 30 minute program - Richard in particular.

Stephen Fry described 'Pointless' as 'the greatest show in the history of television' - and who am I to argue with him?

If you can stomach the sickeningly obvious political correctness you will be frustrated because the show is so padded out with their inane banter there is no time left for Richard to give any answers so we can't even play along!

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 game show is vaguely interesting, but of late, the PC 'diversity' thing is justs getting obvious now!

All the 4 groups of contestants MUST be a mix of black/white/asian/gay/trans.

Yawn!

Game shows range from daft to extremely good. I'd say pointless was both, on the surface it seems a daft idea, but when you've watched it a few shows, it really works, and the concept feels like a rare piece of TV inspiration, absolutely brilliant original idea for a show, and there is tons of quiz mileage in it, it could run and run.

Then you have the choice of presenters. Have to say at first this put me off watching it for ages. I briefly looked in, didn't really know what it was or understand what they were doing, looked at the question setter guy sitting down and thought 'Oh no, this is far too dry for me'. Armstrong didn't do a lot for me at the time either. Well, opinions can change because after finally getting into it, I think they are fantastic together, dry and formal yes but very witty and often really funny together. Osman is Stephen Fry like in his knowledge and wit, but drier, probably sharper and nowhere near as smug about it. I think he's a great find and would like to see him on some more panel shows. Armstrong is just a natural frontman, very clear and concise, warm and friendly. What's surprised me is how funny he can be too, as I was never really convinced by his more overt comedy routines.

This show has stiff competition from some great gameshows like Millionaire, Weakest Link and Eggheads but I think this is the best of the lot, inventive, very entertaining, humorous and stupidly addictive. It's a cracker. Oh and the celebrity specials they do are a scream, with these two upright, slightly nerdy looking, well spoken chaps quietly sitting or standing there in ridiculous outfits. Absolute belter of a show, really! Do give it a go, if you've avoided it like I did, it's well worth getting into.

Greatest show on television, I watch it every hour of every day. I record them in advance and watch each one at least 5 times. I have been a dedicated fan for 20 years and regularly sacrifice newborn lambs for Alexandra Armstrong. In 2014, I married the love of my life to the pointless theme song. I tried to become a contestant last year, but was turned away because Richard osman was unsettled by my hyper-realistic mask of his face which I wore proudly during my interview. I love pointless, pointless loves me, this show will last for eternity. If pointless ever ends, I will shoot myself in the temple. Thank you for coming to my ted talk

This is a BBC quiz show that began in 2009 and is still running.

In this show, teams of two compete to give correct answers that none of the hundred members of the public gave - those are pointless answers. For example, if the question is "Name a country beginning with B", then Benin might be a pointless answer, whereas Brazil would be a high score. In each round, a team is eliminated.

The host Alexander Armstrong wastes a lot of time with irrelevant chat between him and the contestants. Even worse is the annoying, arrogant banter between him and his assistant Richard Osman. The rounds vary to a ridiculous extent in that it often quickly changes from very serious, high-brow topics (such as constellations) - to silly things (such as nursery rhymes). Osman is a serious geek one minute - then making fun of Armstrong or a contestant the next. It should either be a serious high-brow quiz or trivial messing around - not jolt from one to another in the same episode like it often does.

There is also a celebrity version, as well as an American version and several European versions.

I love Pointless , Alexander and Richard are superb but I do sometimes think that some of the questions are geared more for men than women. For example football, rugby, basketball, snooker to name a few are mostly male sports. Yes I'm sure there are a lot of women who watch these sports but as I said they are watched and played by predominantly males. I for one don't watch any of these sports. I therefore feel it would make things a little more even if some of the questions were more female orientated, you may argue that there are some and yes there are but very rarely and certainly the questions don't come up as often as the above mentioned. It's just my opinion and I still love the show. Jaqui Peyton

Totally useless 2 rounds on pointless This show is rapidly becoming unwatchable.

Congratulations in getting rid of osman and having less opinionated co- hosts, please keep it that way The show really needs updating and less modern questions to be asked. No classical music questions or science categories being researched and asked. If I hear.lewis capaldi or Ed sheeran as answers in music rounds again I will scream. Where are the questions on British musicals in the sixties, seventies and eighties. Or political events of the same time span. Rock and pop existed before the spice girls and some great albums were,produced as well.

I was unable to read the text of the questions( TOO SMALL). and am often unable to see the photo questions. Mainly I get to see the faces of the contestants and hosts. What use is that on a quiz show for viewer participants. IT IS VERY FRUSTRATING.!!!!!!!!.Wont watch again.SHAME cos I like quizzes.!!!!!!!!!!!!

Let's face, Armstrong and Rani earn more per show than any contest and can win! The production itself, cameras, editing, swamps the prize money.

It's entertaining though, Rani is passionate about the role. It's also informative- giving obscure facts just before we see the news.

Interesting how they let losers back for another go, it's one of the better quiz shows - but not life changing prizes, a grand or two does not go far - hardly who wants to be a millionaire, and even a cool million wouldn't last you long these days.

It is like QI, in a different format, obscure facts you can use down the pub.

It is a completely ridiculous show. The questions are completely of obscure subjects and almost impossible.

Pointless shouldn't work. It's basically Family Fortunes in reverse. And yet it does work and continues to be one of the most popular game shows in the UK.

I didn't really care for Alexander Armstrong when he and Ben Miller did sketch shows but he excels in his role as host and his banter with his co-host Richard Osman makes the show.

It's easy enough viewing and unlike many similar shows the rules don't take half the length of the show to explain.

Yes, like any gameshow the format gets a bit stale after a while and is boosted by Z list celeb editions, but for now people seem to really have embraced this show and finally having obscure knowledge seems to have paid off.

Too much wasted time on boring chats with the contestants, a lot of the trivia is too specific to UK.

They should have a broader range of quiz questions from across the Commonwealth, USA, other English-speaking countries, plus some global trivia.

The host blabs on a bit too much about random garbage. We don't care about you or whatever you're going on about.

We also don't care about the life stories of the contestants, way too long spent on them blabbing on.

Some of the celebrities and references are just British only. They should use more globally-known celebrities in the Commonwealth or USA.

I go round to my grandma and grandads house every week and every single time without a doubt pointless is on the tv, they ignore me and dismiss everything i say all for this stupid programme. I find it utterly disgraceful and think the programme is a pointless show taking up time on our tvs that could be better used with something actually worth watching and that is actually enjoyable to watch. The name really does fit well, pointless, this programme is absoloutly pointless. No one learns anything from it, no one is intrested in it, and overall it's just so so boring. I don't know many people(apart from my grandma and grandad) that even like this programme. I hope you see this as i really do hope this programme gets cancelled soon, it's so bad you need to sort yourselfs out as soon as possible, you should all be ashamed of yourslefs.

You get to win a thousand quid!!! Hooray!!!! Maybe you get a pointless answer and you can add another 250 pounds! Wowzers. What a cash grab!

Just a silly silly show with the most ridiculous set of questions once you reach the final round. You can see why the presenters of The Chase, Tipping Point, and Who Wants to be a Millionaire are always mocking this show. The presenters are both great. They're intelligent, funny, and very entertaining. The premise is also fine. The first, second, and third round questions are all good, BUT who the heck knows who polished Elvis's space trombone in December of '66?!?!

I've had it with Pointless. I'll be watching The Chase from on. I like the concept but he banter between Alexander Armstrong and Richard Osman so gets on my nerves. Love Richard Osman on House of Games but Alexander Armstrong, ugh! The way he answers the questions after the round? Boost that ego or what? Makes me sick.