General Knowledge Quiz

[Seacook]

Mark Williams was the first snooker player to do what at the world championships

Was he the first to use an extension to his cue rather than the butt or half-butt?

 

[Meridian richard]

Yes he was the first left handed player to win the title

It's AlterEgo's go

 

[AlterEgo]

OK:

Which was the first Barry Gray television feature shot in "Supermarionation"?

 

[Buttsy]

Fireball XL5?

 

[Mvann]

Fireball xl5

Great minds think alike.

 

[Ivo]

Barry Gray was the music arranger for the various Supermarionation series They were Gerry Anderson's creations.

But I would also agree on Fireball XL5. Unless Mr Gray wasn't around at the start?

 

[Mvann]

I don't think fireball xl5 was the first Gerry Anderson production. Wasn't there one called space cars or something like that before it?

 

[Ivo]

There was, yes. I forgot. You (probably) mean Supercar. There was even one before that, known as Four Feather Falls, which used a primitive form of Supermarionation - albeit without the description "Supermarionation". At least one series came before FFF as well, which was Torchy the Battery Boy (the oldest series of any kind, besides Tom & Jerry, I have any memory of at all), although I don't think it used the same form of puppetry.

With all of this in mind, I am going to change my answer to Supercar, because it is where the term originated.

 

[Mvann]

Fireball xl5 is the earliest series I've seen and that's only because it was on during the school holidays during the early 80s.

 

[AlterEgo]

The answer was Supercar - well done to Ivo.

(Also well done to everyone who pointed out that it was Gerry Anderson and not Barry Gray who produced these shows - no idea what I was thinking!)

 

[Ivo]

Sticking with Gerry Anderson series...

Not including people associated with International Rescue, the most frequent character in Thunderbirds was The Hood (not too surprisingly), who appeared in six episodes. Not including instances of "stock footage", i.e. the recycling of previously used film to save time and money, which character appeared in the next highest number of episodes, and in how many episodes did (s)he appear?

 

[Heinz57]

That would be London Airport (Heathrow) controler Commander Norman. With 5 appearences. The Fireflash captain whos name escapes me did also apear 5 times however some of that was recycled film.

 

[Ivo]

That would be London Airport (Heathrow) controler Commander Norman. With 5 appearences. The Fireflash captain whos name escapes me did also apear 5 times however some of that was recycled film.

Unfortunately a slight loophole in the question means that I have to accept five as an aswer, even though four was the answer I wanted. This is because there is no reference in the question to the status of Episode 26, Security Hazard, which is effectively a clip show; there is a difference between recycling older film and replaying entire passages of film as a new episode! (I am certain that you would have said four instead of five had I made this clear though.)

He appears in four other episodes:

1: Trapped in the Sky (the source of Scott's section in Security Hazard)
8: Operation Crash-Dive
16: Edge of Impact
29: Alias Mr. Hackenbacker

I may have to provide further Thunderbirds question in future. For now though, the floor is yours.

P.S.: The FireFlash pilot was Captain Hanson, although only two of his appearances (Norman's first two) were "live".

 

[Heinz57]

Question removed.

I couldn't make my question quite right so I'm going to declare an open floor

 

[Ivo]

If the floor is open...

Wh-wh-wh- Why does Brains speak like th-th- this?

 

[Trainfan344]

If the floor is open...

Wh-wh-wh- Why does Brains speak like th-th- this?

Because he has a stutter?

 

[Ivo]

But why does he have a stutter? Just saying that he has a stutter isn't good enough because the whole concept of speaking li-li-li- like this is called "stuttering"...

 

[Trainfan344]

Sorry for pointing out the obvious..

 

[EM2]

Post-traumatic stress disorder? His childhood home was destroyed in a tornado(?).

 

[Ivo]

Nope.

Sorry for pointing out the obvious..

Not something to be sorry for It's just that the answer wasn't adequate.

 

[D841 Roebuck]

He wrapped one of his strings round his tongue as a youngster?

 

[Ivo]

He wrapped one of his strings round his tongue as a youngster?

That made me laugh

Sadly not. A clue would be to think of stereotypes related to people of "extreme" intelligence.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
No-one?

 

[D6975]

People who stutter often have assymetric brains.
Is this what you're after?

 

[Ivo]

Warm, but not correct. It is something to do with his brain - but more specifically, its function.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Warm, but not correct. It is something to do with his brain - but more specifically, its function.

I have decided to return to this quiz from my self-imposed exile..

Would it be that such is the development that has occurred in the functioning of his brain as a very intelligent individual, his brain power far outstrips his verbal dexterity.

 

[Ivo]

I have decided to return to this quiz from my self-imposed exile..

Would it be that such is the development that has occurred in the functioning of his brain as a very intelligent individual, his brain power far outstrips his verbal dexterity.

Close enough.

Gerry Anderson was once "quoted" - I say "quoted" in inverted commas because I can't remember the the exact quote - as saying that his speech pattern is based on the stereotype that a genius's brain works at 1,000,000mph and is therefore too fast for the mouth.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Open Floor.

 

[Trainfan344]

Which team won the "Milk Cup" 1985 and who did they face in the final?

 

[Buttsy]

Norwich, Sunderland and Chisholm of Sunderland scored the own goal that won it for Norwich.

 

[Trainfan344]

Norwich, Sunderland and Chisholm of Sunderland scored the own goal that won it for Norwich.

Correct.