It Happened in California Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Big Bang Theory

Premiering in 2007, "The Big Bang Theory" followed four friends - Leonard, Sheldon, Howard and Raj, all of whom worked in the field of science. The 'regular' people element was brought in by Sheldon and Leonard's neighbour, Penny, an aspiring actress.

The play of opposites - Penny's street smarts v/s the boys book smarts, brought in most of the laughs. The show was so successful that it lasted for twelve seasons and even had a spin-off "Young Sheldon", on Sheldon's childhood years.

Answer: Hotel California

"Hotel California" featured on "The Eagles" album of the same name. It is one of the band's most popular songs and won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 1978. According to the band, the song was based on their experience of the high life in Los Angeles.

The song ends with the lines:
"You can check out any time you like,
But you can never leave!"

Answer: Paint Your Wagon

"Paint Your Wagon" was written by Alan J. Lerner. The musical followed the lives of a group of men during the Californian Gold Rush. One of the popular songs from the musical is "They Call the Wind Maria". The success of the musical led to a movie adaptation by the same name. The film starred Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood.

Answer: Sweet Valley High

Francine Pascal created the fictional setting of Sweet Valley High in the real state of California for her books featuring twins, Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield. The books became so popular that she ended up hiring a team to write the actual books based on plot lines set by her.

There are various sub-series including those set in junior high and aimed at a younger audience, and Sweet Valley Life, a series that follows the twins into adulthood.

Answer: Clueless

Written and directed by Amy Heckerling, this Austen adaptation was set in Beverly Hills. Alicia Silverstone played the matchmaking Emma, named Cher in this case, who tried to pair up people at her Californian high school. The movie achieved cult status and also spawned spin-offs or adaptations of its own, in other mediums.

It was especially appreciated for how close the dialogues matched the high school teen lingo of the 1990's.

Answer: Full House

"Full House" centered on Danny Tanner, a widower left with three little girls. His best friend, Joey, and brother-in-law, Jesse, pitch in to help him raise his daughters. The show aired during the 1980's-90's. In 2016, a spin-off called "Fuller House" was released on Netflix which followed the eldest daughter, DJ, bringing up her children with the help of her sister, Stephanie, and best friend, Andrea.

Some of the other original cast members also made appearances.

Answer: I Left My Heart In San Francisco

Originally released as a single, the song was later also included on an album with the same name. Written by Douglass Cross, "I Left My Heart In San Francisco" became one of Tony Bennett's most popular songs. It has been designated as one of the official anthems for the city of San Francisco. It is also played after every victory of the San Francisco Giants at their home games.

Answer: Flower Drum Song

The Broadway musical, "Flower Drum Song", was based on a book of the same name by C.Y.Lee, a Chinese-American author. Set in San Francisco's Chinatown, this was one of the earlier works of fiction to examine the generational gap between first and second generations of American-Chinese.

The story was later also adapted for the big screen and was one of the first Hollywood movies to cast Asian Americans in lead roles.

Answer: Of Mice and Men

George and Lennie go on a road trip hoping to find work on farms across California. Set during the Great Depression, the novel highlights the economic challenges of the period. The novel's title is taken from the Scottish poet, Robert Burns' poem, "To A Mouse".

Answer: Sister Act

Whoopi Goldberg played the main character of Deloris in this fun, musical act. Deloris inadvertently sees a murder taking a place and is put into a witness protection program for her safety. As a result, she ends up pretending to be a nun, while hiding in a convent in San Francisco. Using her skills as a former lounge singer in Las Vegas, Deloris helps train the convent's nuns to put up a performance for the visiting Pope.