>> JOE HANSON: Major funding for "High School Quiz Show" is provided by Safety Insurance.

Coming up, it's the "High School Quiz Show" championship match featuring Buckingham Browne & Nichols School... (cheers and applause) ...taking on Lexington High School.

(cheers and applause) That's next on "High School Quiz Show."

(cheers and applause) ♪ ♪ (cheers and applause) >> HANSON: Hello, everybody, and welcome to the "High School Quiz Show" final.

I'm Joe Hanson, your host.

What a season this has been, and it all comes down to today's match between Buckingham Browne & Nichols from Cambridge and Lexington High School.

This is actually a rematch of last year's final, and I bet it's gonna be another great contest to determine who goes home with this coveted trophy.

We start, as always, with the toss-up round.

All answers are worth ten points.

There are no point deductions for wrong answers and players may confer.

All right, teams, if you're ready, good luck.

Here we go.

In 2019, two penguins broke into a sushi restaurant twice in one day in what capital city of New Zealand?

Andreas.

>> Wellington.

>> HANSON: Wellington is correct.

A chemical substance is defined as acidic if its pH is lower than what number?

Owen.

>> Seven.

>> HANSON: Seven is right.

In July 2024, with the Labour Party's landslide election win, who became the new prime minister of the United Kingdom?

Owen.

>> Keir Starmer.

>> HANSON: Correct.

Which U.S. state earned the nickname "Mother of Vice Presidents" because it has produced six vice presidents, including Dan Quayle and Mike Pence?

Shishir.

>> Indiana.

>> HANSON: Indiana is right.

For our next question, take a look at your monitors.

Best known for her iconic roles as Professor McGonagall in the Harry Potter films and the acid-tongued dowager countess in "Downton Abbey," what legendary British actress, seen here, passed away in 2024 at age 89?

Alvan.

>> Maggie Smith.

>> HANSON: Dame Maggie Smith is correct.

Lake Powell, a reservoir on the Colorado River, straddles the border between Arizona and what state to the north?

Alvan.

>> Nevada.

>> HANSON: No.

BB&N, you have a chance.

Andreas.

>> Utah.

>> HANSON: Utah is right.

"Hamlet" has a high body count of nine deaths.

What loyal friend to Hamlet is the only major character left standing at the end?

Owen.

>> Horatio.

>> HANSON: Horatio is right.

NASA's first space shuttle, OV-101, was set to be named Constitution, but after a massive influx of over 100,000 letters from "Star Trek" fans, its name was changed to what?

Andreas.

>> Enterprise.

>> HANSON: Enterprise is right.

Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race on July 21, 2024. Who was the last sitting president not to seek re-election?

Dean.

>> H.W.

Bush.

>> HANSON: No.

Lexington, you have a chance.

Alvan.

>> L.B.J.

>> HANSON: L.B.J.-- Lyndon B. Johnson is correct.

Next question is a video question.

Take a look at your monitors.

>> Hello, I'm Patrick Tutwiler, Secretary of Education for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Congratulations to all of the teams in this year's competition, and a special thank you to all of the coaches who helped make this all possible.

Here's my question: known as the "father of American public education," what prominent abolitionist helped establish the Massachusetts State Board of Education in 1837 and served as its first secretary?

>> HANSON: Asher.

>> Mann.

>> HANSON: Horace Mann is correct.

Best known as the lead singer of Culture Club, what music icon starred in a Broadway production of "Moulin Rouge" in 2024?

Asher.

>> Tveit.

>> HANSON: No.

Lexington, you have a chance.

Alvan.

>> Johnson.

>> HANSON: No, we're looking for Boy George.

"The Arabian Nights," the story of Aladdin and his lamp, is actually set in what non-Arabian country?

China, India, or Greece?

Andreas.

>> India.

>> HANSON: No, Lexington, you have a chance.

Owen.

>> Greece.

>> HANSON: No, it is set in China.

The Treaty of Kadesh is the earliest known peace treaty in history.

Known as "the Great," what pharaoh agreed to end Egypt's long war with the Hittites?

You-Yan.

>> Ramesses.

>> HANSON: Ramesses the Great is correct.

For the 1964 film "Mary Poppins," who did Walt Disney personally select for the title role because he was impressed by her loud, clear whistle, which you can hear in "A Spoonful of Sugar"?

Dean.

>> Andrews.

>> HANSON: Julie Andrews is correct.

When asked in 1923 why he was attempting to summit Mount Everest, what British mountaineer famously replied, "Because it's there"?

Owen.

>> George Mallory.

>> HANSON: George Mallory is correct.

We are off to a great start in this championship match.

But let's take a moment to thank the folks who make "High School Quiz Show" possible.

Major funding for "High School Quiz Show" is provided by Safety Insurance.

>> From "Whoops"... (fire alarm blaring) ...to "Uh-oh" to "Oh, no," Safety Insurance can help you manage life's storms.

Even the indoor kind.

>> HANSON: Additional funding is provided by the Museum of Science.

♪ ♪ (crowd cheers and applauds) ♪ ♪ (cheers and applause) >> HANSON: Welcome back.

The score is Buckingham Browne & Nichols with 60 points, Lexington with 70 points.

Let's get back to the game.

The proverb "Perfect is the enemy of the good" is attributed to what French author of "Candide"?

Shishir.

>> Voltaire.

>> HANSON: Voltaire is right.

A native of Worcester, Massachusetts, gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik is a specialist on what apparatus that helped the U.S. men's team win bronze at the 2024 Paris Olympics?

Atreya.

>> Pommel horse.

>> HANSON: Pommel horse is right.

In the early 1900s, who became the first Black female millionaire in America by developing and marketing her own line of hair-care products for Black women?

Madam C.J.

Walker, Annie Malone, or Susie King Taylor?

Andreas.

>> "A."

>> HANSON: Madam C.J.

Walker is correct.

Also known as M dwarfs, what color dwarf stars are the longest-lived and the most common in the universe?

Owen.

>> Red dwarfs.

>> HANSON: Red dwarfs is right.

What animated children's series from Australia was the second-most-streamed TV show in 2023, second only to "Suits"?

Andreas.

>> "Bluey."

>> HANSON: "Bluey" is right.

In normal spiral DNA, the bases form pairs between the two strands.

Thymine pairs with adenine, and guanine pairs with what?

Owen.

>> Cytosine.

>> HANSON: Cytosine is right.

In 2024, Catherine, the Princess of Wales presented the Wimbledon men's trophy to what 21-year-old Spanish player?

Atreya.

>> Alcaraz.

>> HANSON: Carlos Alcaraz is right.

"You can miss a person every day, and still be glad that they are no longer in your life."

Tara Westover wrote this in what memoir about leaving her Mormon survivalist family to pursue college?

Owen.

>> "Educated."

>> HANSON: "Educated" is right.

In the TV series "Bridgerton," what is the maiden name of the sisters Philippa, Prudence, and Penelope?

Ashwood, Patmore, or Featherington?

Alvan.

>> Featherington.

>> HANSON: Featherington is right.

Known for "Sweatin' to the Oldies," which the "Denver Post" once called "the 'Citizen Kane' of workout videos," what fitness guru and television personality passed away in 2024 at age 76?

(buzzer) Richard Simmons is who we're looking for there.

A public intellectual known in her day as the most well-read person in America, what prominent Transcendentalist was an inspiration for Hester Prynne in "The Scarlet Letter?"

You-Yan.

>> Hawthorne.

>> HANSON: No, Lexington, you have a chance here.

Shishir.

>> Fuller.

>> HANSON: Margaret Fuller is correct.

Freetown is the capital of what country whose name is derived from the Portuguese for "Lion Mountains"?

Owen.

>> Liberia.

>> HANSON: No, BB&N, you have a chance.

Andreas.

>> Sierra Leone.

>> HANSON: Sierra Leone is correct.

Based on Terry Gilliam's 1981 film of the same name, what comedy series created by Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement follows an 11-year-old boy who discovers a time portal in his bedroom?

(buzzer) That show is "Time Bandits."

According to the ancient Greek historian Thucydides, what king of Crete was the first person to establish a navy?

Asher.

>> Minos.

>> HANSON: King Minos is right.

In 2024, what prominent New York congresswoman introduced articles of impeachment against Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito?

Atreya.

>> A.O.C.

>> HANSON: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is right.

(bell ringing) That's the end of the round.

The score is Buckingham Browne & Nichols with 100 points; Lexington in the lead with 160 points and a lot of game to play.

Let's hear it for both teams.

(cheers and applause) Last week, Lexington beat Acton-Boxborough to make it to the finals.

And today's match is for all the marbles to see whether Lexington can defend their title, or whether BB&N can win it back this year.

The head-to-head round is next.

But first, we're gonna take a minute to get to know our players-- one of my favorite moments of every match.

BB&N, we start with you.

If you had a theme song that played every time you walked into a room, what would it be, and why?

Andreas.

>> So I would choose "Run This Town" by Jay-Z, Rihanna, and Kanye West because it's like a really upbeat song, it's really motivational, and I hope tonight we can run this town.

>> HANSON: That's good.

You're telling everybody what you plan to do.

I like that.

You-Yan, how about you?

>> So, in a similar vein to Andreas, to, you know, really sum up our run on "High School Quiz Show" season 16, I decided to go with "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey because we've had some really close games these past couple of games and we have... definitely have not stopped believin'.

>> HANSON: And maybe if you win, you can sing it all for us?

>> Sure.

(laughter) >> HANSON: Dean, how about you?

>> I'm gonna do "FE!N" by Travis Scott.

I don't really like the song, but I noticed that if you changed "FE!N" to "Dean," the song is completely the same.

(audience laughter) >> HANSON: I like that.

>> Yeah.

(singing "Dean" to the tune of "FE!N") Sorry, just singing in my head.

Asher, how about you?

>> I'm gonna go with "The Office" theme song because whenever it plays you know you're in for a few good laughs, so I think that would be a great song to go before you enter a room.

>> HANSON: That's great.

Nice.

Also on the Buckingham Browne & Nichols team we have mascot Bucky, alternate Vartan, and coaches Chip Rollinson and Sam Crihfield.

(cheers and applause) All right, let's move over to Lexington.

If you had a theme song that played every time you walked into a room, what would it be, and why?

Atreya.

>> I would have to go "Sweet Caroline" just 'cause it's so iconic.

>> HANSON: Bum, bum, bum.

>> Exactly.

>> HANSON: Shishir, how about you?

>> I'd go "Come Together" by the Beatles.

I mean, it's the start of the greatest album of all time, so.

>> HANSON: And it's kind of about teamwork if you think about it.

>> Yeah.

Uh-huh.

>> HANSON: That's important today.

Alvan?

>> I'd say "Lay All Your Love On Me" by ABBA.

>> HANSON: That's a dark horse pick.

Why'd you pick that one?

(audience laughter) >> 'Cause I like the way it sounds.

>> HANSON: All right.

And there's a lot of love in the room today.

We got you.

Owen, how about you?

>> In a little bit of a different vein, I'm gonna say the "Interstellar" official soundtrack.

>> HANSON: Dude, that gets me pumped every time I have some, like, studying or hard work to do.

I see you.

Rounding out the Lexington team are alternates Adam and Eric and coaches Andrew Baker and Josh Olivier-Mason.

Let's hear it for both teams.

(cheers and applause) It's time to go head to head.

In this round, correct answers add ten points to the team total.

And wrong answers do result in a ten-point deduction.

The clock is set at 90 seconds.

How about a quick handshake?

>> Good luck.

>> Good luck.

>> HANSON: Here we go.

What New Hampshire mountain is the tallest-- >> Mount Washington.

>> HANSON: Yes.

New research suggests that what planet's Great Red Spot may be-- >> Jupiter.

>> HANSON: Yes.

The NAACP was founded on February 12, 1909, in honor of the 100th birthday of which U.S. president?

>> Lincoln.

>> HANSON: Yes.

In ancient Egypt and in Classical antiquity, what mythical bird is reborn from its own-- >> Phoenix.

>> HANSON: Yes.

The ACL is an example of what connective tissue-- >> Ligament.

>> HANSON: Yes.

The Pulitzer-winning novel "All the King's Men" takes its title from what nursery rhyme?

>> "Humpty Dumpty."

>> HANSON: Yes.

What city is home to the U.S.

Naval Academy?

>> Annapolis.

>> HANSON: Yes.

What prominent abolitionist and women's rights advocate wrote the lyrics to "The Battle Hymn of the Republic?"

(buzzer) Julia Ward Howe.

Translated as "rod" or "baton," what word refers to a traditional type of French bread?

>> Baguette.

>> HANSON: Yes.

The Michael J.

Fox Foundation is dedicated to finding a cure-- >> Parkinson's.

>> HANSON: Yes.

In Homer's "Iliad," what patron god of Troy is associated-- >> (haltingly): Zeus... >> HANSON: No, Apollo.

The piano, the tambourine, and the timpani belong to what-- >> Percussion.

>> HANSON: Yes.

Tiananmen Square is a large public-- >> Beijing.

>> HANSON: Yes.

Which American president is on the $20 bill?

>> Jefferson.

>> HANSON: No, Jackson.

Completed in 1825, what New York canal connects the Atlantic-- >> Erie.

>> HANSON: Yes.

What type of cobra is the largest venomous snake in the world, reaching up to 18 feet?

(buzzer) The king cobra.

Who wrote the thrillers "Gone Baby Gone" and "Mystic River," both set in Boston?

(buzzer) Dennis Lehane.

What does the G stand for in Super G alpine skiing?

(buzzer) Giant.

What-- (bell ringing) And that's the end of the round.

Let's take a look at the score.

BB&N has 130 points; Lexington is in the lead with 230 points.

Let's give it up for both teams.

(cheers and applause) All right, teams, it's time for the category round.

Today's categories are: Takin' It to the Streets, After Careful Consideration, Renaissance Faire, Laboratory Retrievers, Gangnam Style, and The Peanut Farmer.

All categories have five questions with increasing point value.

Teams will choose two five-question categories each, and have the option to toss one question per category to the other team that the other team must answer.

Players are able to confer.

BB&N, who's your spokesperson?

Andreas.

All right.

Lexington, how about you?

Alvan.

All right, BB&N, you've got a little ground to make up on the scoreboard, you have the first category.

>> We're gonna go with The Peanut Farmer.

>> HANSON: The Peanut Farmer.

These are questions about Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States.

For ten points: Jimmy Carter, the nation's longest-living former president, passed away on December 29, 2024, at what age?

>> 100.

>> HANSON: 100 is correct.

For 15 points: before he was elected president in 1976, Carter served as the governor of which U.S. state?

>> (whispering): Georgia.

>> Georgia.

>> HANSON: Georgia is right.

For 20 points: Carter had the longest marriage in presidential history.

He was married for 77 years to what woman he called "my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished"?

>> Rosalynn Carter.

>> HANSON: Yes.

Rosalynn Carter.

For 25 points in The Peanut Farmer: President Carter brokered the 1978 Camp David Accords, a historic peace agreement signed by Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin and what Egyptian president?

>> Nasser.

>> HANSON: No, it's Anwar Sadat.

And for 30 points: beginning in 1984, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter set aside one week per year to build houses for what nonprofit organization that helps low- to moderate-income earners purchase their first homes?

>> Habitat for Humanity.

>> HANSON: Habitat for Humanity is correct.

Lexington, your first category.

>> We're going for Renaissance Faire.

>> HANSON: Renaissance Faire.

These are questions about the Italian Renaissance.

For ten points: Lorenzo de' Medici was the most powerful patron in 15th century Italy.

He was the ruler of what city widely acknowledged as the birthplace of the Renaissance?

>> Florence.

>> HANSON: Florence is right.

For 15 points: in his famous drawing "Vitruvian Man," what Italian Renaissance artist attempts to depict ideal human proportions by means of a scientific portrayal?

>> Da Vinci.

>> HANSON: Leonardo da Vinci is correct.

For 20 points: partly because he fathered four illegitimate children, Alexander VI was one of the most controversial Renaissance popes.

He was part of what noble family infamous for its nepotism and scheming?

>> Borgia.

>> HANSON: The Borgia family is correct.

For 25 points in Renaissance Faire: known as the "Father of Humanism" and sometimes even the "Father of the Renaissance," what 14th century Italian poet celebrated Rome in his "Letters to the Ancient Dead"?

(indistinct whispering) >> Pass.

>> HANSON: We're looking for Petrarch.

For 30 points in Renaissance Faire: set in 1348 during the Black Death, what famous collection of 100 tales by Boccaccio has been adapted into a dark comedy series by Netflix?

>> "Decameron."

>> HANSON: "The Decameron" is right.

BB&N, your next category.

>> We're gonna go with Laboratory Retrievers.

>> HANSON: Laboratory Retrievers.

These are questions about chemists.

For ten points: named after her native country of Poland, the radioactive element polonium was discovered in 1898 by what scientist while she was working in France?

>> Marie Curie.

>> HANSON: That is correct.

For 15 points: in the 19th century, rabies was widely prevalent and greatly feared.

What French scientist developed the first rabies vaccine in 1885?

>> (whispering): Pass.

>> Pass.

>> HANSON: We're looking for Louis Pasteur.

For 20 points: drawing on the work of many earlier scientists, in 1803 what English scientist proposed what is now called modern atomic theory?

>> Dalton.

>> HANSON: John Dalton is correct.

For 25 points in Laboratory Retrievers: what Italian scientist is known for his namesake law, which states that equal volumes of gases under the same conditions of temperature and pressure will contain equal numbers of molecules?

(indistinct whispering) >> We're gonna pass.

>> HANSON: We're looking for Amedeo Avogadro.

For 30 points: in 1992, what chemical engineer and physician became the first African American woman to travel into space, as a mission specialist aboard the space shuttle Endeavour?

>> Um... (whispering): Mae Jemison?

(normal): Mae Jemison.

>> HANSON: Mae Jemison is correct.

Lexington, final category to you.

>> Gangnam Style.

>> HANSON: Gangnam Style.

These are questions about hallyu, or the Korean Wave of pop culture.

For ten points: often cited as the "biggest girl group in the world," what K-pop band consisting of Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa is a leading force in the Korean Wave?

>> BLACKPINK.

>> HANSON: BLACKPINK is correct.

For 15 points: created for Netflix, what striking K-drama has a simple premise: 456 contestants, all facing financial debt, compete in six children's games?

>> "Squid Game."

>> HANSON: "Squid Game" is right.

For 20 points: the best-selling musical act in South Korean history, what K-pop band went on hiatus in 2022 so all seven members could fulfill their mandatory military service?

>> BTS.

>> HANSON: BTS is right.

For 25 points in Gangnam Style: with its catchy tune and trendy horse-riding moves, "Gangnam Style" was the first music video to reach one billion views on YouTube.

It was recorded by what South Korean rapper?

>> (whispering): P-S-Y.

>> (whispering): P-S-Y.

>> (whispering): P-S-Y.

Spell it out.

>> P-S-Y.

>> HANSON: That is correct-- Psy.

And for 30 points: the first foreign-language film to win the Oscar for Best Picture, what 2019 South Korean film follows a poor family that infiltrates the life of a wealthy family?

>> (whispering): "Parasite."

>> (whispering): "Parasite."

>> (whispering): Yeah.

>> "Parasite."

>> HANSON: "Parasite" is correct.

(bell ringing) That is the end of the category round.

The score is Buckingham Browne & Nichols: 240 points.

Lexington: 405 points.

Let's hear it for both teams.

(cheers and applause) Okay, we're heading into the final round of play, the lightning round.

Correct answers add 20 points to the team total, and there is a 20-point deduction for incorrect answers.

The clock is set.

Here we go.

Egypt fell under Roman rule immediately after the death of what Egyptian queen?

Alvan.

>> Cleopatra.

>> HANSON: Yes.

What desert covers much of the African nation of Mali?

Dean.

>> Sahara.

>> HANSON: Yes.

British author Eric Arthur Blair is-- Andreas.

>> George Orwell.

>> HANSON: Yes.

The Azores are a chain of islands-- Owen.

>> Portugal.

>> HANSON: No, Atlantic Ocean.

Sir James Chadwick received the Nobel Prize for Physics-- Owen.

>> Neutron.

>> HANSON: Yes.

What kind of animal is Arthur in the children's book-- Atreya.

>> Aardvark.

>> HANSON: Yes.

What city on the Red River is the capital-- Atreya.

>> Winnipeg.

>> HANSON: No, Hanoi.

What epic poem is a sequel to John Milton's "Paradise Lost?"

Andreas.

>> "Paradise Regained."

>> HANSON: Yes.

According to psychiatrist Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, what's the first of the five stages of grief?

Shishir.

>> Uh... mourning.

>> HANSON: No, denial.

In what 2004 teen comedy does Amanda Seyfried say, "On Wednesdays we wear pink."

Dean.

>> "Mean Girls."

>> HANSON: Yes.

Signed right before the wedding ceremony, a ketubah is a formal marriage contract in what religion?

Asher.

>> Judaism.

>> HANSON: Yes.

In the Jimmy Durante song "Frosty the Snowman," Frosty's eyes are made of what?

Andreas.

>> Coal.

>> HANSON: Yes.

In Greek mythology, what princess was cursed by Apollo so that no one would-- Owen.

>> Cassandra.

>> HANSON: Yes.

In 1911, the Supreme Court ordered the dissolution of Standard Oil, ruling it was in violation-- Asher.

>> Rockefeller.

>> HANSON: No, the Sherman Antitrust Act.

What author of "Tess of the d'Urbervilles" r-- Shishir.

>> Hardy.

>> HANSON: Yes.

What famous comet is expected to return to the inner-- Atreya.

>> Halley's Comet.

>> HANSON: Yes.

In "The Hobbit," Bilbo Baggins kills-- (bell ringing) And the championship team this year is Lexington with 465 points.

(cheers and applause) BB&N finishes with 340 points.

Congratulations to both teams for a great match and to all the teams that competed in our 16th season.

And thanks to all of you at home who tune in to see these amazing teams.

We will see you next season on "High School Quiz Show."

(cheers and applause) ♪ ♪ Major funding for "High School Quiz Show" is provided by Safety Insurance.

>> Boston traffic is the worst.

Safety Insurance offers auto insurance policies designed to help for when the worst happens.

You can ask an independent agent about Safety Insurance.

Safety Insurance: we'll help you manage life's storms.

>> HANSON: Additional funding is provided by UMass Amherst.

>> At the University of Massachusetts Amherst, a revolutionary spirit runs through our veins.

>> It inspires us.

>> To think in new ways.

>> To challenge convention.

>> We are committed... >> ...to the relentless pursuit of progress.

>> Be revolutionary.

♪ ♪ (cheers and applause) ♪ ♪