Thursday news quiz: final curtain calls and fiendish questions

Willow, the official dog of the Guardian Thursday quiz, is sad we lost all these people this year. Photograph: Martin Belam/The Guardian

Something a little different this week. As the year draws to a close, the Thursday quiz pauses to pay tribute to some of the notable pop culture, sporting and public figures we lost over the past 12 months, with the annual in memoriam edition. No prizes, except the chance to remember the joy they (mostly) gave us – via the medium of trying to recall obscure trivia about them. Let us know how you get on in the comments. Allons-y!

The Thursday news quiz, No 226 – annual in memoriam edition

1. 

   Dave Ball (pictured with Marc Almond), responsible for some of the greatest electronic pop music of the early 1980s as half of Soft Cell, died in October. Who recorded the original version of the duo's huge hit Tainted Love?

   1. Gloria Jones

   2. Brenda Holloway

   3. Ruby Andrews

   4. Barbara Wright

2. 

   Patricia Routledge was well known for her role as Hyacinth Bucket, but what was the name of the detective series she starred in?

   1. Hetty Wainthropp

   2. Hetty Wainthropp Investigates

   3. Hetty Wainthropp Solves It

   4. Hetty Wainthropp Explains It All

3. 

   We lost Michelle Trachtenberg far too young at only 39. What was the name of the character she played in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as Buffy's sister (both pictured)?

   1. April

   2. Midnight

   3. Dawn

   4. Hannah

4. 

   Henry Kelly passed away in February, having delighted people for years presenting which game show that shares its name with a Shed Seven hit?

   1. Chasing Rainbows

   2. Countdown

   3. Getting Better

   4. Going for Gold

5. 

   Ace Frehley of KISS has played his last solo. Which character in the band was he during their heyday?

   1. The Spaceman

   2. The Elder Thing

   3. The Moonwalker

   4. The Chrome Cowboy

6. 

   John Stapleton died at the age of 79. He used to present which consumer programme on the BBC?

   1. Points of View

   2. Watchdog

   3. You and Yours

   4. Working Lunch

7. 

   Former world boxing champion and Manchester City fan Ricky Hatton died in September. When did he make his professional boxing debut?

   1. 1977

   2. 1987

   3. 1997

   4. 2007

8. 

   Legendary cricket umpire Dickie Bird took a last metaphorical walk back to the pavilion in September. Where is this statue of him located?

   1. Barnsley

   2. Gosport

   3. Preston

   4. Harrogate

9. 

   Bobby Hart died this year. He was part of a songwriting team with Tommy Boyce, who wrote a string of hits for which band in the 1960s?

   1. The Lovin’ Spoonful

   2. Herman’s Hermits

   3. The Byrds

   4. The Monkees

10. 

    We lost Robert Redford (pictured, being menaced by a giant Oscar). Which of these did he help found?

    1. South by Southwest

    2. Sundance film festival

    3. The Film Independent Spirit awards

    4. The Sierra Club’s Creative Fellows programme

11. 

    Marianne Faithfull (pictured in 1979) died in January after an amazingly eventful life and career. What was her hugely successful debut single, which featured Mick Jagger and Keith Richards among the writing credits?

    1. As Tears Go By

    2. Heart of Stone

    3. Those Were the Days

    4. Time Is On My Side

12. 

    Tony Slattery passed away early in the year. What was the name of the improvised comedy show that helped make his name?

    1. Why Don't You …?

    2. Totally Unrehearsed

    3. Say Something!

    4. Whose Line Is It Anyway?

13. 

    David Lynch died in January, a couple of years after frequent collaborator Julee Cruise also passed away. In his legendary Twin Peaks show, which location did her character regularly appear in as a singer?

    1. The Roadhouse

    2. The Double R Diner

    3. One Eyed Jack’s

    4. The Great Northern

14. 

    Denis Law was one of Scotland's greatest footballers, but he only played in one match in a World Cup finals tournament (not pictured, that is against England at Hampden Park). Which of these was it?

    1. Scotland v El Salvador in 1970

    2. Scotland v Zaire in 1974

    3. Scotland v Peru in 1978

    4. Scotland v New Zealand in 1982

15. 

    Gene Hackman died in February. Which movie did he win his first Oscar for?

    1. The French Connection

    2. Bonnie and Clyde

    3. Mississippi Burning

    4. The Conversation

16. 

    American astronaut Jim Lovell passed away aged 97. Which Apollo mission did he fly on, wearing this helmet?

    1. Apollo 11

    2. Apollo 13

    3. Apollo 15

    4. Apollo 17

17. 

    John Woodvine, pictured here in Danger Man, died in October. He played Dr J S Hirsch in which horror movie?

    1. Scanners

    2. Halloween II

    3. An American Werewolf in London

    4. The Omen

18. 

    Pope Francis died in April. Where was he born?

    1. Córdoba

    2. Mendoza

    3. Montevideo

    4. Buenos Aires

19. 

    The football world was shocked by the death of Diogo Jota and his brother in a car accident in Spain in July. Which team did he join Liverpool from in 2020?

    1. Wolverhampton Wanderers

    2. Burnley

    3. Southampton

    4. Derby County

20. 

    Frederick Forsyth was 86 when he died in June. When was Day of the Jackal published?

    1. 1966

    2. 1971

    3. 1976

    4. 1981

21. 

    Musical genius Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys died over the summer. What was the band originally called before adopting the name under which they became famous?

    1. The Pendletones

    2. The Ripcordtones

    3. The Coraltones

    4. The Wavetones

22. 

    Stella Rimington passed away in August. She was the first woman to head …

    1. Special Branch

    2. MI5

    3. The Metropolitan police

    4. MI6

23. 

    Ozzy Osbourne went to the great gig in the sky shortly after playing the final Black Sabbath show in which venue?

    1. Aston Villa's Villa Park

    2. Birmingham City's St Andrew's

    3. Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Molineux Stadium

    4. Melchester Rovers' Mel Park

24. 

    Terence Stamp, who died in August, got his image removed from the cover of which classic 1980s indie banger?

    1. What Difference Does It Make? by The Smiths

    2. The Killing Moon by Echo & the Bunnymen

    3. April Skies by Jesus and Mary Chain

    4. Rip It Up by Orange Juice

25. 

    And finally, what did Tom Lehrer, who died in July, like poisoning in the park?

    1. Squirrels

    2. Pigeons

    3. Rats

    4. Very naughty miniature dachshunds

Solutions

1:A - It was originally recorded by Jones in 1964, and became a smash in 1981 when Ball and Almond covered it, 2:B - Four series aired between January 1996 and September 1998 on BBC One, 3:C - She appeared suddenly one season, with everybody acting as if she had always been there, as part of a magical plot, 4:D - It ran from 1987–1996 and used to be on in the UK at lunchtime, usually after Neighbours, making it a student viewing staple during the era, 5:A - The other members in the classic line-up were the Starchild (Paul Stanley), the Demon (Gene Simmons) and the Catman (Peter Criss), 6:B - He presented the BBC’s Watchdog programme between 1985 and 1993 alongside his wife, Lynn Faulds Wood, who died in 2020, 7:C - Hatton, who won 45 of his 48 professional bouts, made his debut in 1997, and earned notable world title wins over Kostya Tszyu in 2005 and Jose Luis Castillo in 2007, 8:A - Harold Dennis 'Dickie' Bird was born in Barnsley in 1933, 9:D - The pair also wrote the Monkees' theme song, 10:B - What began as the Utah/US film festival was renamed after an area of land that Redford purchased and named after one of his most prominent roles, 11:A - It was a top 10 hit in the UK in 1964, 12:D - He often appeared as one of the four performers creating characters, scenes and songs based on suggestions by its host, Clive Anderson, or the studio audience, 13:A - It was the town's local bar and music venue, 14:B - He retired from international football after the tournament finished, 15:A - He won the best actor award in 1972 for his performance as Jimmy 'Popeye' Doyle, 16:B - He was commander of the ill-fated mission that nearly ended his life in 1970, 17:C - He was also an exceptional theatre actor as well as appearing on TV and film, 18:D - He was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Argentina's capital, 19:A - He made 131 appearances for the club before his move to Anfield, 20:B - It was his first novel, 21:A - It was a pun on the name of a shirt manufacturer, 22:B - John Major approved her appointment in 1992, 23:A - Of course he was a Villain. Those other options would be taken as insulting, 24:A - His image was used without permission so the single ended up having a cover with the singer from the Smiths recreating the pose. The quiz wonders whatever happened to that guy?, 25:B - Thank you for doing the quiz …

Scores

1. 0 and above.

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If you really do think there has been an egregious error in one of the questions or answers – and can show your working and are absolutely 100% positive you aren’t attempting to factcheck a joke – you can complain about it in the comments below. Why not watch Frightening Machines by Katherine Priddy instead?

Frightening Machines by Katherine Priddy