So there's this quiz show on the ABC (Australia's national broadcaster) that I rather enjoy called Hard Quiz. It's hosted by an entertainingly prickly comedian (Tom Gleeson) and starts with four contestants per show, the schtick being that they each have an "expert subject" to be quizzed on. The first round features each contestant being given five fairly easy questions about their expert subject to answer, while other contestants can buzz in to "steal" that answer for double points. Then there's a round of specialist questions on a random subject (say dinosaurs, or Australian Prime Ministers), after which one contestant is sent home. Then there's a round of "people's" questions (current affairs/pop culture/basic knowledge) followed by another exit. The remaining two contestants then go "head to head" with harder questions on their expert subjects. I've often thought if I were to go on this show I would obviously want to choose Sherlock. So far there have been experts in Buffy, The Simpsons and Modern Family, but I haven't seen Sherlock yet *g*

Anyway, while I'm several weeks behind on shows, I watched one yesterday and was highly amused when one contestant (Dave, from the Australian Bureau of Statistics) had chosen "Benedict Cumberbatch" as his expert subject. Even though I've fallen out of the Cumberbatch fandom for the most part I got all of his easy questions, plus two harder ones he didn't get. So I thought I'd share, for you would-be experts.

Easy round
1. Cumberbatch earned his first BAFTA nomination in 2005 for his portrayal of which theoretical physicist?
2. In which Benedict Cumberbatch show are his character's parents played by his actual parents in recurring roles? (LOL - I think there are an exceedingly limited number of BC "shows" to pick from!)
3. Cumberbatch has expressed concerns that the cause of feminism was being set back by which collective name used by his fans?
(During the ensuing discussion, Dave mentioned he'd also heard "CumberOtters" as an alternative but could not - or possibly would not - explain why this might be a collective noun, saying only that it probably referred to "cute" fans because otters are cute :P)
4. In 2013, Cumberbatch played two roles in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, and also played two roles in which long-running animated sitcom?
5. In 2015, the Queen appointed Cumberbatch as a Commander of what?

Head to head
1. Early in his career, Cumberbatch experimented with a change of name. What professional name did he take?
2. In a stage version of Frankenstein at the Royal National Theatre, Cumberbatch alternated the lead roles with which actor?
3. For scenes in Sherlock, where Holmes plays the violin, Cumberbatch was coached by a member of which best-selling band? (I would not have got this one, or even known her name, although I do know she wrote about it, lol.)
4. In a prank while filming Star Trek: Into Darkness, Cumberbatch was convinced he had to wear protective cream on a laboratory set. What was the protective cream called?
5. According to his high school drama teacher, a teenage Cumberbatch was strikingly mature as a saucy French maid in which farce? (Nope, although I recognised the title once I'd heard it.)

How did you go? For the record, Dave got all five of the first round but only one of the second round correct (2). He lost to the expert on Led Zeppelin *g*

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