(bright music) - Welcome to the season nine premiere of "High School Quiz Show Maine."

Once again, we have 16 schools from across the state competing to be this year's champion and take home the $1,000 prize for their school's project graduation.

In our first qualifying match of the year, it's the Huskies of Gould Academy.

(majestic music) Taking on the Cougars of Mount Blue High School.

(majestic music) That's next on the season premiere of "High School Quiz Show Maine."

(upbeat music) - [Announcer] Production support for High School Quiz Show Maine is provided by... - Welcome to season nine of High School Quiz Show Maine.

I'm Todd Gutner.

Last fall, dozens of schools from across the state took the qualifying test to be part of this season.

The top 16 scoring schools have made it onto the show, and each one is hoping to become our newest champion and take home the $1,000 grand prize for their school's project graduation.

In our first game for season nine, we have a veteran taking on a newcomer.

The Huskies of Gould Academy from Bethel are making their sixth appearance on the show, and they're taking on the Mount Blue High School Cougars from Farmington in their first time on Quiz Show.

Let's meet the players for our kickoff match.

For Gould, we have Aleksandra, Andy, Ezra, and Maria, with alternates Soleil and Anastasia, and they're coached by Adam Lapp.

And for Mount Blue, we have Lincoln, Julian, Brynne, and Casey, with alternates Connor and Finley, and coached by Melanie Prescott.

Now, the competition has four rounds.

The toss-up round, the head-to-head round, the category round, and finally, the lightning round.

We'll start with the toss-up round.

All answers are worth 10 points, and this is the only round with no point deductions for wrong answers.

Players must wait for me to complete the question, and if one team answers incorrectly, the other team will be given a chance to answer.

All right, let's get started with our first question.

What British overseas territory situated 665 miles from Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, is an island known for its pink sand beaches and a particular style of shorts?

(buzzer dings) Lincoln, Mount Blue.

- The Bahamas.

- That's incorrect.

Gould Academy, you wanna try?

- Aruba.

- Go ahead, Ezra.

- Aruba.

- Incorrect also, it's Bermuda, Bermuda.

Our next question.

What noun can refer to a place to go swimming or to an alternate name for billiards?

(buzzer dings) Go ahead, Lincoln.

- Wool.

- Wool is correct.

From March 31st to April 1st, 2025, what US Senator from New Jersey set a record for the longest continuous Senate floor speech, delivering remarks for 25 hours and five minutes?

(buzzer dings) Mount Blue, Lincoln again.

- Cory Booker.

- Cory Booker is also right.

In "The Legend of King Arthur," what is the name of the wizard who was Arthur's teacher and advisor?

(buzzer dings) Andy, Gould.

- Merlin.

- Merlin is right.

Up next, we have a picture question.

So you're gonna wanna take a look at this monitor right over here.

"One if by land, two if by sea," refers to the lanterns hung in this Boston church to alert the local militia when the British army was making their attack.

What is the name of this church?

(buzzer buzzing) The name is the Old North Church.

Next question.

What code of dots and dashes is named for the man who patented the telegraph around 1840?

(buzzer dings) Go ahead, Lincoln.

- Morse code.

- Morse code is right.

The national flags of Ecuador and Venezuela have stripes of red, blue, and what other color that symbolizes agricultural abundance?

(buzzer dings) Andy, Gould.

- Yellow.

- Yellow, yes.

What American abolitionist and social activist guided enslaved people to freedom during the 10 years she spent as a conductor on the Underground Railroad?

(buzzer dings) Julian.

- Harriet Tubman.

- Tubman is correct.

What river, named for a reptile, is a major tributary of the Columbia River, originating in Wyoming and winding through Idaho on its way to Oregon?

(buzzer dings) Lincoln.

- Rattlesnake.

- That is incorrect.

Gould Academy, would you like to take a shot at it?

(buzzer dings) Go ahead, Ezra.

- Snake.

- Snake is correct.

I don't know if that was a guess or not, but if it was, great guess.

All right, next up, we have a video question.

So again, take a look at the monitor right over there.

- Hi, I'm Aislinn Sarnacki, the host of "Borealis" on Maine Public Television.

And here's my question for you.

What hooved mammals that were once native to Maine and died out in the early 20th century were reintroduced in 1963 and 1993, but only survived for a few years?

(buzzer dings) - Lincoln, Mount Blue.

- Caribou.

- Caribou, that is correct.

Nice job.

Our next question is, if someone offers you the scuttlebutt, which of these things are they gonna share with you?

Cake, gossip, or the answers to a quiz?

(buzzer dings) Go ahead, Brynne.

- Gossip.

- Gossip, right.

Up next is a quick math question.

Simplify the fraction 25 over 40.

(buzzer dings) Ezra.

- 5/8.

- 5/8, nice job.

Next question.

A bipartisan congressional bill that was passed in 1980 gives the Environmental Protection Agency the money and authority to clean up contaminated sites, such as old industrial facilities and mines.

By what name is this toxic waste cleanup program commonly known?

(buzzer buzzes) The answer is Superfund, Superfund.

A series of 85 essays written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison, and published in 1787 and 1788, are commonly known by what name?

(bell rings) Andy.

- Federalist Papers.

- Federalist Papers, yes.

Microwaves and other electromagnetic waves are examples of which of the two primary categories of waves whose vibrations are perpendicular to the direction of the wave?

(buzzer buzzes) The answer is transverse, transverse.

Performed for the first time in 1867, a famous waltz composed by Johann Strauss, the second mentions what major European river in its title?

(buzzer dings) Julian, Mount Blue.

- The Thames.

- That's incorrect.

Gould, you wanna give a shot?

(buzzer dings) - Styx.

- Ezra, Styx is also incorrect, it's the Danube.

The Danube.

Which high altitude city is nicknamed the Mile High City?

Albuquerque, New Mexico, Denver, Colorado, I'm sorry, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Denver, Colorado, or Flagstaff, Arizona?

(buzzer dings) Ezra.

- Denver.

- Denver is correct.

And that's the end of our first round.

We have a score of, ooh, we got a good one, it's tied.

60 to 60.

A great start to season nine.

We'll meet the teams when we get back.

(upbeat music) So before we go to the head-to-head round, we like to pause and get to know our players with a slightly silly question.

Our first question of the season is, what movie or TV show have you seen way too many times, but you still love it?

And we'll start over here with Gould Academy and Aleksandra.

- "The Flash," the CW version.

- The Flash, CW?

I have never seen it.

What is it about?

Give me the plot.

- It's about Barry Allen who gets hit by lightning and becomes a- - Superhero type thing?

- Superhero, yeah.

Okay, sounds pretty cool.

You watch it all the time?

- All the time.

- Andy, what's your favorite show or movie that you keep watching?

- I would say any of the "Indiana Jones" movies.

- Oh, yeah.

- I love adventure and history, so combining them together is.

- Boom, you got it.

Perfect, perfect recipe, right?

- Yeah, exactly.

- Ezra, your turn.

- I have watched "The Princess Bride" once, maybe twice a year since I was about five.

It's just a classic.

Every single time I watch it, it's just great.

- What do you love most about "The Princess Bride"?

- I think the man in black.

I was him for Halloween two years in a row.

I don't know, just this whole character.

- All right, Ezra, thank you.

And Maria, your turn.

- I gotta say "Umbrella Academy."

I was putting off watching it for a long time because I thought it was gonna be not so good, but then I kept watching it and I watched it again and again and again.

- And now you're hooked?

- Yeah.

- Okay, I have no idea what Umbrella Academy is.

What is it?

- It's this family that were all like adopted and they all have special superpowers.

And they like break up, like the family breaks apart and then they have to save the world.

- Do they?

- Yeah.

- Nice, thankfully, right?

Thanks, Gould Academy.

Let's head over to Mount Blue.

Lincoln, your turn.

- I would say "The Office," definitely for sure.

- I was hoping, Lincoln, I was hoping somebody was gonna say The Office.

- I feel like it's pretty basic, but I mean, I've probably watched it three or four times through at this point.

- Who's your favorite character from The Office?

- I go Dwight.

- Yeah, you gotta go Dwight, right?

- Yeah.

- That's interesting.

- The beet farmer.

- Yeah.

- Julian, what do you got?

- I would say any of the Star Wars.

I love- - Star Wars?

- Love Star Wars.

- Okay, do you watch like all the new, like Mandalorian, all that stuff too?

Yeah, some of them, some of the series just don't- - They don't hit it for you?

- Andor's really good, but then I just kind of, the new ones are just not as good.

- Not as good.

All right, Julian, thank you.

Brynne, your turn.

- I'd have to say the original "Hocus Pocus."

- The movie?

- Yeah.

- And why?

- I don't know, I just, I love it.

It's my favorite.

I watched it a couple of times.

- Who's your favorite, the actress, who's your favorite actress on there?

Isn't it like, isn't like Neve Campbell one of them or something like that?

I've got the wrong movie probably.

- I have no idea.

- Yeah, I probably have the wrong movie.

I'm terrible with like pop culture and stuff like that.

So I probably have it wrong, but thank you Brynne.

Casey, your turn, the last step.

- Not to piggyback off of Julian, but I'm gonna be more specific and say "Revenge of the Sith."

- Oh.

- It's the only movie I've cried to and I've watched it a lot.

- Okay, I'm not super familiar with "Star Wars" stuff, but what part did you actually cry to in the "Revenge of the Sith"?

- The betrayal when Obi-Wan Kenobi was really upset with Anakin and saying he loved him like a brother.

- Oh, wow.

That's powerful stuff in "Star Wars-ville."

- Very much so.

- Casey, thank you.

Thank you, both teams.

All right, the head-to-head round is next.

But let's see how well you do with our viewer question of the week.

(upbeat music) - Hi, I'm Amanda Vicinanzo from Unitil.

And here is your America @250 viewer question of the week.

Built around 1720, one of the oldest surviving houses in the state of Maine is the John Bray House in Kittery, which overlooks the Piscataqua River.

What famous musician bought it in 2007 and restored it to near its original condition?

(upbeat music) The answer is Darryl Hall of Hall and Oates.

The rocker who has a passion for history has bought and preserved several homes, both in America and in England.

- All right, welcome back.

It's time for the head-to-head round.

Players are gonna alternate facing off one-on-one right here at the desk.

Correct answers are worth 10 points.

Incorrect answers will cost you 10 points.

We have 90 seconds on the clock.

Players ready?

All right, here we go, first question.

A cube has how many faces?

(buzzer dings) Go ahead.

- Six.

- Six, yes.

What city is the capital of Ireland?

Go ahead.

- Dublin.

- Dublin is correct.

The face of which US president is on the $1 bill?

(buzzer dings) - Washington.

- Washington, right.

What's the name of the firetruck character in the Pixar movie "Cars"?

(buzzer buzzes) The answer's Red.

Next question.

The Sparks in the WNBA and the Lakers in the NBA represent what city?

(buzzer dings) - Los Angeles.

- LA, yes.

One day on Earth consists of approximately how many full hours?

(buzzer dings) - 23.

- That's incorrect, it's 24.

Emmy awards are given for outstanding achievement in what entertainment medium?

(buzzer dings) - Movies?

- Incorrect, television.

By definition, a carcinogen is a substance that can cause what disease?

(buzzer buzzes) Answer's cancer.

What's the name of sisters Charlotte and Emily who wrote "Jane Eyre" and "Wuthering Heights" respectively?

(buzzer dings) - Bronte?

- That's correct.

What position in the US House of Representatives includes the roles of presiding officer and majority party leader?

(buzzer buzzes) Speaker of the House.

Which planet has the most oxygen by weight in the atmosphere?

(bell ringing) The answer is earth.

All right, that wraps up our head to head round.

We've got a score of Gould Academy 90, Mount Blue 60.

The category round is next, so don't go away.

All right, next up is the category round with the following choices.

A Winter's Tale, M'm!

M'm!

Good, So Many People, Cell Science, It Was a Good Day, and Spirit of '76.

Each team will alternate control of two categories.

Questions have increasing point values.

With each question, they can choose to answer it and either gain or lose points.

They can skip it and neither gain nor lose points, or once per category, they can toss it to the other team and force that team to answer.

Players will have about five seconds to confer and decide what to do.

Mount Blue, you're trailing by a few points.

Lincoln, you have control of the board.

Which category would you like to go with?

- [Lincoln] I think we're gonna go for Cell Science.

- Okay, Cell Science.

So this category is all about cells.

So here we go with the first one for 10 points.

Plant cells have specialized organelles that contain what green photosynthetic pigment that absorbs sunlight and transforms it into usable energy?

(group whispering) (buzzer ringing) We're gonna need an answer, Lincoln, or you can skip it.

- Skip.

- You wanna skip it?

The answer is chlorophyll, chlorophyll.

All right, Cell Science for 15.

E. coli and streptococcus are examples of what type of single-cell organism that lacks organelles and a true nucleus?

(group whispering) - Bacteria.

- Bacteria is right.

Cell Science for 20.

Known as the powerhouses of a cell, what organelles are the primary site of cellular respiration?

- Mitochondria.

- You got it, mitochondria.

Cell Science for 25.

What process of diffusion within a cell involves water passing through a membrane from an area of high concentration of low concentration until a balance is reached.

(group whispering) - Equilibrium.

- No, the answer is osmosis.

Let's do the last question in Cell Science for 30.

Peroxisomes are organelles in plant and animal cells that contain what enzyme used to convert hydrogen peroxide into water?

(group whispering) - We'll toss.

- You want to toss it over to Gould Academy.

Peroxisomes are organelles in plant and animal cells that contain what enzyme used to convert hydrogen peroxide into water?

(group whispering) - Hydrolytic enzyme?

- It's incorrect, the answer is catalase.

- Oh, catalase.

- All right, so that wraps up Cell Science.

We're gonna go over to you guys, Mount, Gould Academy, excuse me.

Andy, what category would you like?

- M'm!

M'm!

Good.

- M'm!

M'm!

Good is, let's see, these are questions about foods that start with the letter M.

- Okay.

- All right, here's the first one.

Button, cremini, and portobello are varieties of what edible fungus?

- Mushrooms.

- Mushrooms is right.

M'm!

M'm!

Good for 15.

Used in tuna salad and coleslaw, what creamy condiment is made from egg yolks beaten with a little oil and an acid like vinegar or lemon juice?

- Mayonnaise.

- Mayonnaise, yes.

M'm!

M'm!

Good for 20.

Most pizzas in the United States are topped with what mild white cheese that becomes gooey when it's melted?

- Mozzarella.

- You got it, mozzarella.

M'm!

M'm!

Good for 25.

What is the M name for fruit preserves, similar to jelly and jam, that are made from the flesh and rind of bitter citrus fruit, especially oranges?

- Marmalade.

- Marmalade, nailed it again.

And the last one in the category.

- M'm!

M'm!

Good for 30.

What is the four letter M name for fermented soybean paste that flavors the soup often served as an appetizer in Japanese restaurants?

- Miso.

- Great job in that category, you got it that one too.

All right, we're going back to Mount Blue.

Lincoln, what's your second category gonna be?

(group whispering) - [Lincoln] We'll do, It Was A Good Day.

- It Was A Good Day.

These are questions related to days of the week.

Here's the first one.

Jane Curtin, Kate McKinnon, and Tina Fey have all been cast members on what television show that aired its first episode on October 11th, 1975?

- Saturday Night Live.

- That is correct.

It Was A Good Day for 15.

In 1894, the US Congress passed an act declaring that what federal holiday is observed on the first Monday of September?

- Labor Day.

- Labor Day, also right.

It Was A Good Day for 20.

The political agreement to bring an end to conflict in Northern Ireland was signed in 1998 on what Christian holiday that's observed two days before Easter?

(group whispering) - Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's it.

- Good Friday.

- Good Friday, you got it.

Nice job.

It Was A Good Day for 25.

Jenna Ortega plays the title character series Wednesday.

What is Wednesday's last name?

- Adams.

- You guys all knew that one.

(laughs) That's good.

All right, It Was A Good Day for 30, the last one in the category.

In French, it's "Juedi."

In Spanish, it's "Jueves."

What is the English name for this day of the week?

(group whispering) - Tuesday.

- Oh, you picked the wrong one.

It's Thursday.

Oh, well, nice try.

All right, that wraps up that category.

We're back to Gould for the final one.

What do you got Andy?

- [Andy] A Winter's Tale.

- Winter's Tale.

These are questions about literature relating to winter.

Here's the first one.

"Stopping by woods on a snowy evening" is a 1923 poem by what New England poet with a wintry name?

- Robert Frost.

- Nice job.

Next one, A Winter's Tale 15.

The first book published in the Chronicles of Narnia series is what novel in which the land of Narnia is trapped in a never ending winter?

(group whispering) - Skip.

- You wanna skip that?

It's "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe."

A Winter's Tale for 20.

Which novel by Louisa May Alcott begins in December with the four March sisters talking about a Christmas without any presents?

- "Little Women."

- "Little Women," great job.

And the next one in A Winter's Tale for 25.

Anastasia is a figure skater aiming to make the US Olympic team and Nate is the captain of his college hockey team in what best-selling 2022 sports romance novel by Hannah Grace?

- Icebreaker?

- Aleksandra, you know all of these.

She got it again.

A Winter's Tale for 30, Ezra Jack Keats is best known as the author and illustrator of what 1962 children's classic about a boy named Peter exploring his neighborhood in winter?

- Toss.

- Toss.

- Come on, Aleksandra, you don't know that one?

(laughs) I'm just kidding.

You guys want to toss it over to Mount Blue?

All right, Mount Blue, I'll reread the question for you.

Ezra Jack Keats is best known as the author and illustrator of what 1962 children's classic about a boy named Peter exploring his neighborhood in winter?

(group whispering) - Snow Day.

- One more time, Lincoln.

- Snow Day.

- It is "The Snowy Day," the Snowy Day.

All right, that wraps up our category round.

We have a score, Gould Academy 215, Mount Blue still in it with 80.

Everything can change in the lightning round, so sit tight, we'll be right back.

(upbeat music) Okay, we're heading into the final 90 seconds of gameplay, the lightning round.

Players, you do not have to wait for me to finish the question.

You can buzz in at any time, but do not answer until I call your name.

You get 20 points for each correct answer.

Incorrect answers will cost you 20, and the other team does not get the chance to answer that question.

Our clock is set.

Good luck, both teams.

Here we go with the first question.

In football, a team scores how many points for a-- (buzzer dings) Go ahead, Casey.

- Six.

- Six is correct.

Which chemical element is composed of one proton and one electron?

(buzzer dings) Julian.

- Hydrogen.

- Yes.

At more than 6 million square miles, what is the world's largest country by area?

Casey.

- Russia.

- Yes.

What is the name for the line that divides a circle into two equal parts?

(buzzer dings) Ezra.

- Circumference.

- Incorrect, diameter.

The Divine Comedy is a 14th century work by what Italian- - Alighieri.

- Andy, one more time.

- Alighieri.

- That is correct.

Once considered our ninth planet, what celestial body was- Go ahead, Ezra.

- Pluto.

- Yes.

What part of speech is defined as a person, place, or thing?

Casey.

- Noun.

- Yup.

In Greek mythology, Orpheus played what small, handheld harp with a four-letter name?

Julian.

- Lyre?

- Like L-Y.

- Yes, that's right.

Calgary and Edmonton are the most populous cities of which Canadian... Lincoln.

- Ottawa.

- Incorrect, Alberta.

A standard stop sign has how many sides?

Julian.

- Eight.

- Yes.

Together, the anther and the filament make up what part of a flower?

(buzzer buzzes) - Stamen.

The Boxer Rebellion was a 1900 uprising in what country?

Andy.

- China.

- [Todd] Yes.

Florida, California, and Texas all have counties named for what fruit that is also... Lincoln.

- Orange.

- [Todd] Yes.

Vienna is the capital city of what... Casey.

- Austria.

- Yup.

What naval officer led the US victory... (bell ringing) That's the end of the round.

We have a score of 255 to 220.

Gould Academy wins it, but it got really tight at the end.

Mount Blue, you guys should be really proud of yourselves.

That was a really great comeback.

Nice, nice job.

Great match to kick off our season.

We want to thank both teams, congratulate them too.

Be sure to tune in next time as Falmouth takes on Erskine Academy.

Thanks for watching and we'll see you next time on "High School Quiz Show Maine."

(upbeat music)