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

It's the championship match, with Buckingham Browne & Nichols School... (cheers and applause) ...taking on Sharon High School.

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

(cheers and applause) ♪ ♪ (cheers and applause) Hi, everybody, and welcome to the "High School Quiz Show" final.

I'm Joe Hanson, your host.

The competition this season has been truly amazing, and today's final promises to be just as exciting.

To kick us off, here's a message from a very special guest.

- Hello, and welcome to the "High School Quiz Show" season 17 championship.

I'm Governor Maura Healey, and it's an honor to be with you.

To all the teams who competed, congratulations.

Your dedication, passion, and pursuit of academic excellence are inspiring.

You remind us that curiosity is a true superpower.

And to the coaches, schools, communities that supported these remarkable students, thank you.

Thank you for fostering a love of learning that will last a lifetime.

HANSON: Wow, the governor, that's pretty cool.

And no pressure.

(audience laughs) All right, let's get going.

As always, we start with the toss-up round.

All answers are worth ten points.

There are no point deductions for wrong answers.

And players, you may confer.

Okay, teams.

If you're ready, good luck.

Here we go.

Which planet in the solar system is closest to the sun?

Andreas.

- Mercury.

HANSON: Yes.

Champion racing drivers Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have cameos in what 2025 movie starring Brad Pitt?

Julius.

- "F1."

HANSON: That's right.

"Party Pooper" is the 20th and latest title in what hugely popular children's book series by Jeff Kinney?

Josh.

- "Diary of a Wimpy Kid."

HANSON: Correct.

In 2025, what New York governor called for the construction of the state's first new nuclear power plant in decades?

You-Yan.

- Hochul.

HANSON: Yes, Kathy Hochul is correct.

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

This year marks the 60th anniversary of "Star Trek."

What "Star Trek" creator, seen here, envisioned a future where diversity is celebrated, not feared, and problems are overcome through reason and exploration?

Josh.

- Smith.

HANSON (chuckles): No-- BB&N, you have a chance.

Andreas.

- Jones.

(audience chuckling) HANSON: Also an excellent phone book guess, but no.

That is Gene Roddenberry.

California's Mount Whitney is the highest peak in what mountain range that's about 400 miles long?

Andreas.

- The Sierra Nevada.

HANSON: Yes.

What 18-year-old superstar from Duke was selected by the Dallas Mavericks as the number-one overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft?

Josh.

- Cooper Flagg.

HANSON: Yes.

In a 1967 interview, author Vladimir Nabokov raved about Ernest Hemingway's "wonderful fish story," a reference to what classic novella?

Andreas.

- "The Old Man and the Sea."

HANSON: Yes.

Our next question comes from a special guest, so take a look at your monitors.

- Hello, I'm Patrick Tutwiler.

Congratulations to all teams competing on "High School Quiz Show" this season.

Here's my question: prominently featured in the film "Good Will Hunting," what community college in Charlestown is named for an early battle of the American Revolution?

HANSON: Josh.

- Bunker Hill.

HANSON: Bunker Hill Community College is right.

Meaning "three cities" in Greek, what capital city of Libya was founded by the Phoenicians?

Alex.

- Tripoli.

HANSON: Yes.

As a percentage of GDP, which NATO member spent the most on military spending in 2024: Great Britain, Germany, or Poland?

Alec.

- Poland.

HANSON: Poland is right.

The first Black female principal dancer in the American Ballet Theatre, what celebrated dancer retired from the company in 2025, at age 43?

Andrew.

- Copeland.

HANSON: Yes, Misty Copeland.

About 2,300 years ago, what Indian king had Buddhist edicts carved into stone pillars throughout his vast empire as both a moral guide and a tool of governance?

Andrew.

- Ashoka.

HANSON: Ashoka is right.

"He's not my Luke Skywalker."

What actor said this about the dark turn his character took in "The Last Jedi," calling him a "suicidal hermit"?

Josh.

- Mark Hamill.

HANSON: Mark Hamill is right.

All right, we are off to a really great start, but let's take a moment to thank the folks who make this show possible.

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

- Welcome to another edition of New England Survivalists, the game we all get to play.

You can ask an independent agent about Safety Insurance and learn more at the resource center at SafetyInsurance.com.

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

- Curiosity runs wild at the Museum of Science, Boston.

Feel the power of indoor lightning, see robots dance and navigate obstacles, and meet Cliff, a 65-million-year-old Triceratops.

Unleash your curiosity.

Tickets available at mos.org/fun.

(cheers and applause) HANSON: Welcome back.

The score is BB&N with 50 points, Sharon has 80.

Now let's get back to the game.

While celebrated for its storytelling and vivid characters, what novel by Margaret Mitchell has also been widely criticized for its romanticized view of the Old South?

Andrew.

- "Handsmaid Tale."

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

You-Yan.

- "Gone With the Wind."

HANSON: "Gone With the Wind" is right.

Built around the Lorraine Motel, the site of Martin Luther King, Jr.

's, assassination, the National Civil Rights Museum is in what city?

Andreas.

- Memphis.

HANSON: Memphis is right.

Which of the following happens to a movie if it is bowdlerized: its offensive parts are removed, it gets a modern remake, or it gets banned?

Josh.

- Its offensive parts are removed.

HANSON: That is right.

From the Greek meaning "work measurer," what apparatus, such as an indoor rowing machine, measures the amount of work performed?

Andreas.

- Ergometer.

HANSON: Correct.

In 1877, what 19th U.S.

president had the first telephone installed in the telegraph room of the White House?

Josh.

- Benjamin Harrison.

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

Andreas.

- Hayes.

HANSON: Rutherford B. Hayes is right.

And his phone number was just 1.

(audience laughs) Which U.S.

capital city was named by a French Canadian explorer who noticed a red cypress stick marking the boundary between two Indigenous tribes?

Josh.

- Baton Rouge.

HANSON: Baton Rouge is right.

For years in the "Peanuts" comic strip, Peppermint Patty did not realize that "the funny-looking kid with the big nose" was actually what dog?

You-Yan.

- Snoopy.

HANSON: Snoopy is right.

Which of the following is the visible surface of the sun: the photosphere, stratosphere, or ionosphere?

Andreas.

- Um, the stratosphere.

HANSON: No-- Sharon, you have a chance.

Josh.

- The photosphere.

HANSON: The photosphere is right.

In 1972, who became the first American-born player to win the World Chess Championship, defeating Russian Grandmaster Boris Spassky in what was dubbed the "Match of the Century"?

Julius.

- Fischer.

HANSON: Yes, Bobby Fischer.

In 2024, a gold pocket watch sold at auction for nearly $2 million.

The inscription is from three grateful Titanic survivors to Arthur Rostron, the captain of what passenger ship that raced to their rescue?

Josh.

- The Carpathia.

HANSON: That is right.

From the Greek meaning "pointedly foolish," what figure of speech is a combination of apparently contradictory words, such as "sad joy" or "wise fool"?

Andrew.

- Oxymoron.

HANSON: That's right.

Boston's Museum of Fine Arts has the tallest Classical marble statue in the United States.

It's a 13-foot-tall statue of what Roman goddess and wife of Jupiter?

Andreas.

- Juno.

HANSON: Juno is right.

What children's novel by C.S.

Lewis features a cameo by Father Christmas in chapter ten, "The Spell Begins to Break"?

Dean.

- "Narnia."

HANSON: No.

Sharon, you have a chance.

Alex.

- "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe."

HANSON: Yes.

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

The score is BB&N: 110 points.

Sharon has 150 points.

Let's hear it for both teams.

(cheers and applause) In the last match, Sharon beat Weston to earn their spot here today.

And in this match, Buckingham Browne & Nichols and Sharon are both hoping to claim that trophy.

The head-to-head round is next, but first, we're gonna take a minute to get to know the players a little bit better.

We're gonna do that with a question.

BB&N, we'll start with you.

We want to know, what pearl of wisdom would you like to share with us and why?

Andreas?

- So I like to say, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going."

It's a classic, and I really think it describes, like, us over the past two years.

We've made it to the finals both times, and we've had to be tough and strong and determined in order to get there, so I really think that represents us as a team.

HANSON: That's great.

And you don't mean, like, "Get going."

You mean, like, "Get going!"

- No, no, no.

We're not gonna leave here any, anytime soon.

HANSON: All right.

(audience chuckling) You-Yan, how about you?

- So, my rowing coach actually shared with us the name of his boat, which is Sisyphe Heureux, which is French for, "One must imagine Sisyphus happy."

Which is obviously a line from a famous, famous essay that one of our alternates, Peilin, is actually a huge fan of.

But I think it speaks to rowing, it speaks to trivia, you know, having to work through those long, hard practices, you know, these long, hard games.

You know, I think, as long as we can do it with a smile on our face, it's a, it's a win.

HANSON: All right.

Early mornings, hard work, pays off.

Dean, what's your pearl of wisdom?

- I would go with, "It's not over till it's over."

I feel like you can never give up, and you just gotta keep on pushing, and see what you can make.

HANSON: I like that.

Alec, how about you?

- I guess I have to go with, "When times are tough, there is no other choice than perseverance."

Really have to work through any struggles you have and take the, the good that comes from it.

HANSON: I love it.

Also on the BB&N team, we have mascot Bucky, alternates Peilin and Seth, and coaches Chip Rollinson and Sam Crihfield.

Okay, let's move over to Sharon, some other wise characters.

Julius, what's your pearl of wisdom?

- Right, so mine might be a little cliché and unpopular, but don't skip school, even if you have an exam you have not studied for.

(audience laughs) HANSON: It's very wise-- you need to study.

Josh, what's your pearl of wisdom?

- Mine might be a little basic, but I try to live by it.

It's just, like, you know, stay positive, keep your head up, don't let your worries get the best of you.

And, like, the sun's always gonna come up in the morning.

HANSON: Hey, we've had some tough matches in this tournament, and I think that's the attitude that you've gotta have to get to those final rounds when the score is close.

All right, Alex, how about you?

- I'd say mine is, "Fall down 99 times, get up 100."

Just gotta keep going-- even if you fail, sometimes it's worth it, sometimes it's not, but you just gotta keep going.

HANSON: Maybe you could fall down a little fewer than 99 times.

(audience chuckling) But, hey, thanks for getting up.

Andrew, how about you?

- Knowing when not to speak is just as important as knowing what to say.

HANSON: Especially in those rounds where we have deductions for wrong answers.

(audience laughs) All right.

Rounding out the Sharon team are mascot the Sharon Eagle, alternates Avalee and Esme, and coach Zach Snow.

Let's hear it for both teams.

♪ ♪ It's time to go head-to-head.

In this round, correct answers add ten points to the team total and wrong answers result in a ten-point deduction.

The clock is set at 90 seconds.

How about a nice handshake before we begin?

- Good luck.

- Good luck.

HANSON: All right, good luck-- here we go.

In Greek myth, who rules as king of the gods... - Zeus.

HANSON: Yes.

In Major League Soccer, what color penalty card is the equivalent... - Red.

HANSON: Yes.

What mosquito-borne illness is abbreviated... - Malaria.

HANSON: No, West Nile virus.

"Leaves of three, let it be" is an old... - Poison ivy.

HANSON: Yes.

What country celebrates July 26 as National Rebellion Day, commemorating an early coup attempt by Fidel Castro?

- Cuba.

HANSON: Yes.

The Coral Sea is in which ocean?

- Pacific.

HANSON: Yes.

On roadways in the United States and most other countries, what shape is a yield sign?

- Triangle.

HANSON: Yes.

What prominent abolitionist was born Araminta Ross?

- Harriet Tubman.

HANSON: Yes.

The 1494 Treaty of Tordesillas divided the New World between Spain... - Portugal.

HANSON: Yes.

Musicians Phil Collins, Sheila E., and Ringo Starr are all renowned for their skill on what instrument?

- The drums.

HANSON: Yes.

Willy Loman realizes he's a failure in what tragic play by Arthur Miller?

- "The Crucible."

HANSON: No, "Death of a Salesman."

What blood component found only in mammals helps form clots to stop... - Platelets.

HANSON: Yes.

Karachi is the largest city... - Pakistan.

HANSON: Yes.

Which U.S.

president commissioned the Lewis and Clark Expedition?

- Jefferson.

HANSON: Yes.

What city is home to the headquarters of the United Nations?

- New York.

HANSON: Yes.

Chosen to house much of the U.S.

gold reserve partly because of its distance... - Fort Knox.

HANSON: No, Kentucky.

What Asian capital city was once known as Edo?

(bell ringing) We were looking for Tokyo there-- didn't quite make it.

That's the end of the round.

Let's take a look at the score.

BB&N has 140 points.

Sharon has 220 points.

Let's give it up for both teams.

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

Today's categories are: Kiwi Be Friends?, The Faust and the Furious, Spill the Tea, The Force Awakens, Droids We're Looking For, and Okay, Bloomer.

(audience chuckling) All categories have five questions with increasing point value.

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

Players, you are able to confer.

BB&N, who's your spokesperson?

Andreas.

Sharon, how about you?

Julius.

All right, BB&N, you've got a little ground to make up.

First category is yours.

- We're going with Kiwi Be Friends?

HANSON: Kiwi Be Friends?

These are questions about New Zealand.

For ten points: in Polynesian mythology, what demigod created the North Island of New Zealand by hauling it up with his magical fish hook?

- Maui.

HANSON: Maui is right.

For 15 points: each year on ANZAC Day, April 25, New Zealanders commemorate the anniversary of Gallipoli, a disastrous campaign to capture the Dardanelles strait in Turkey.

This took place during which war?

- World War I. HANSON: That is correct.

For 20 points: New Zealand's iconic bird, the kiwi, has features more characteristic of a mammal.

Its feathers are more like fur and, unlike other birds, its bones are heavy and filled with what soft, spongy tissue?

- Bone marrow.

HANSON: Bone marrow is right.

For 25 points in Kiwi Be Friends?

: in 1988, at Kawarau Bridge near Queenstown, New Zealand, A.J.

Hackett created the first commercial venture for what adrenaline-filled sport?

- (softly): Bungee jumping.

- (aloud): Bungee jumping.

HANSON: That is correct.

And for 30 points: often performed by New Zealand's sports teams, what traditional Maori dance is used for celebrating achievements, welcoming guests, mourning the dead, and, historically, as a war dance?

- The haka.

HANSON: The haka is right.

Sharon, your category.

- Okay, Bloomer, please.

HANSON: Okay, Bloomer.

These are questions about flowers.

For ten points: said to be created with just three shades of yellow and "nothing else," what iconic series of flowers was painted by Vincent van Gogh in Arles in the South of France in 1888 and 1889?

- "Sunflowers."

HANSON: Correct.

For 15 points: Sarah J. Maas is the author of the best-selling fantasy series "A Court of Thorns and" what?

- (whispers): Roses.

Roses.

- (aloud): Roses.

HANSON: Roses is right.

For 20 points in Okay, Bloomer: in Homer's "Odyssey," the sailors eat the fruit of what flower that causes them to become forgetful and lose their desire to return home?

- (whispers): Pomegranate.

- (slowly): Sure.

- Pass.

I think Pass.

- Pass.

- Pass.

- (aloud): Pass.

HANSON: That fruit is the lotus flower fruit.

For 25 points: widely cited as the world's first economic bubble, what speculative mania for a highly valued bulb flower occurred during the Dutch Golden Age in the 17th century?

- Tulip.

HANSON: Tulip Mania is right.

And for 30 points: in reference to its national flower and royal symbol, Japan's highest civilian honor is called the Supreme Order of the what?

- (whispers): Chrysanthemum.

- (aloud): Chrysanthemum.

HANSON: That is correct.

BB&N, your next category.

- We're going for The Force Awakens.

HANSON: The Force Awakens.

These are questions about physics.

For ten points: in 1905, who asserted that the speed of light in a vacuum remains the same no matter how fast one travels, also known as the theory of special relativity?

- Einstein.

HANSON: Albert Einstein is right.

For 15 points: what 17th-century English physicist wrote the "Principia Mathematica," one of the most important works in the history of science?

- Newton.

HANSON: Yes.

For 20 points: the element Meitnerium is named after Austrian physicist Lise Meitner.

She played a key role in the discovery of nuclear fission, with her research on what radioactive element with atomic number 92?

- Um... Uranium.

HANSON: Uranium is right.

For 25 points: also known for his discovery of the electron, what English physicist proposed the now-discredited plum pudding model of the atom, in which particles are studded like raisins in a plum pudding?

- J.J.

Thomson.

HANSON: That is right.

And for 30 points in The Force Awakens: described by Einstein as a "second Newton," what New Zealand-born scientist disproved the plum pudding model of the atom and correctly described the atom as a miniature solar system?

- (whispers): Should we?

- It's up to you, it's up to you.

- (aloud): We're gonna pass.

HANSON: Okay.

We're looking for Ernest Rutherford.

Sharon, your category.

- Spill the Tea.

HANSON: Spill the Tea.

These are questions about the American Revolution, in honor of its 250th anniversary this year.

For ten points: described in the musical "Hamilton" as "the Lancelot of the revolutionary set," what French aristocrat led approximately 4,500 American troops at the Battle of Yorktown?

- (whispers): Marquis de Lafayette.

- Marquis de Lafayette.

- (aloud): Marquis de Lafayette.

HANSON: Correct.

For 15 points: in 1776, what future first lady famously urged her husband to "remember the ladies" and grant women more rights after America won its independence?

- (whispers): Martha Washington.

- Are you sure?

- Yes.

- Okay.

- (aloud): Martha Washington.

HANSON: No, that is Abigail Adams who said that.

For 20 points in Spill the Tea: also known as the Coercive Acts, what series of punitive laws was passed by Britain in 1774 in retaliation for the Boston Tea Party and other acts of colonial defiance?

- (whispers): Intolerable Acts.

- Intolerable?

(aloud): Intolerable Acts.

HANSON: Yes, the Intolerable Acts.

For 25 points: "I only regret that I have but one life to give to my country."

This quote is attributed to what American patriot captured by the British and hanged as a spy in 1776?

- (whispers): Nathan Hale.

- (aloud): Nathan Hale.

HANSON: Correct.

For 30 points: referring to the opening shots of the battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, the phrase "the shot heard round the world" was popularized by what author in his poem "Concord Hymn"?

- (whispers): I think we should pass to keep safe.

- You think?

- Yeah.

- Pass?

- Gonna pass?

(aloud): Pass.

HANSON: Okay.

We were looking for Ralph Waldo Emerson.

(bell ringing) All right, that's the end of the category round, with the score, BB&N: 310 points.

Sharon has 340.

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.

Who assassinated Abraham Lincoln?

Andreas.

- Booth.

HANSON: Yes.

What Czech city is called "the City of a Hundred..." Andreas.

- Prague.

HANSON: Yes.

In Greek myth, Icarus met his demise by... Josh.

- The sun.

HANSON: Yes.

What Minnesota governor was Kamala Harris... Josh.

- Tim Walz.

HANSON: Yes.

Absolute zero is zero degrees on what... Alec.

- Kelvin.

HANSON: Yes.

Which U.S.

state is nicknamed the "Lone Star State"?

Andreas.

- Texas.

HANSON: Yes.

Andrew Jackson was the first president to be elected... Andreas.

- Democrat.

HANSON: Yes.

Latin for "female warrior," what bright star... Andrew.

(buzzer sounds) Bellatrix.

Gary Oldman won an Oscar for playing what British prime minister in the... Julius.

- Churchill.

HANSON: Yes.

What gas commonly used in advertising signs has atomic number... Josh.

- Neon.

HANSON: Yes.

What 1844 French novel features Athos, Porthos, and Aramis?

(buzzer sounds) "Three Musketeers."

In a children's book by Richard and Florence Atwater, what kind of animal does Mr.

Popper keep?

Alec.

- A penguin.

HANSON: Yes.

Abbreviated TVA, what New Deal agency built dams... Alec.

- Tennessee Valley Authority.

HANSON: Yes.

Since 1889, what city has been the state capital of North Dakota?

Dean.

- Bismarck.

HANSON: Yes.

"The Impossible Dream" is a song from what 1965 Broadway musical based on the Spanish novel "Don Quixote"?

(buzzer sounds) "Man of La Mancha."

The Aare River flows through what capital... Andreas.

- Bern.

HANSON: Yes.

The Affordable Care Act is based on the 2006 healthcare reform legislation... Andrew.

- Obama.

HANSON: No, Massachusetts.

(bell rings) - (cheering) And the winning team this week, and new "High School Quiz Show" champion, is Buckingham Browne & Nichols with a final score of 490 points.

Sharon finishes with 380 points.

Congratulations to both teams for a fantastic match and to all the teams that competed in our 17th season.

And thanks to you at home for tuning in.

We'll see you next year right here on "High School Quiz Show."

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

- It happens every day-- someone falls for a phishing scam.

Cyber risk coverage from Safety Insurance is designed to help protect businesses from data breaches, ransomware, and other cyberattacks.

Safety Insurance.

We'll help you manage life's storms-- even the cyber kind.

HANSON: Additional funding is provided by UMass Amherst.

- The future doesn't need bystanders.

It needs self-starters with limitless ambition eager to look at our challenges and step up.

At UMass, be the future you want to see.

Be revolutionary.

♪ ♪ (cheers and applause) ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪