Brainy Babes Quiz | Things in Common

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1. Going back 25 years for my first question, I offer you my first example. I know the term 'babe' is biased to one's personal point of view. While the people behind the scenes tried to detract from her appearance, actress Gabrielle Carteris played the education driven, no nonsense do-gooder of "The West Beverly Blaze" high school newspaper on "Beverly Hills, 90210". What was her character's name?

Answer: Andrea Zuckerman

Gabrielle Carteris was the oldest cast member of the show about teens going to high school in West Beverly Hills. She was 29 years old when the series debuted in 1990, and she was playing a sixteen year old. I found her to be quite attractive, despite the glasses they had her wear, and enjoyed her story line. The writers of the show played up the sexual tension between Andrea and Brandon Walsh throughout high school, but he was never truly interested in her at the same time she was in him. Andrea eventually became pregnant her freshman year in college and married the baby's father Jesse.

Gabrielle went on to have guest starring roles in many TV series. Her co-star, Ian Ziering, was the second oldest cast member, born in 1964. The show ended in 2000, but was brought back as a reboot simply called "90210" in 2008. Andrea's daughter, Hannah, was mentioned, but not featured.

2. It never fails to astound me how attractive scientists are on TV. That's not because a scientist can't be attractive, but because they are ALL so attractive on the shows I've watched. One of my favorite TV scientists has also been a law enforcement agent with the BAU on "Criminal Minds". Dr. Spencer Reid is the son of a schizophrenic mother, has an eidetic memory, carries a gun, and can rapidly and logically ascertain details that help solve crimes for the FBI. He is tall and slight of build, but very pretty and has a soothing voice. Who plays Dr. Reid and has also directed several episodes of "Criminal Minds"?

Answer: Matthew Gray Gubler

BAU is the initials for Behavioral Analysis Unit, which is a special department within the FBI created to profile killers. On the show, Reid is the on scene brains of the outfit (as of seasons 1-11), and Penelope Garcia is the computer hacker back at Quantico. He has an eidetic memory, sometimes referred to as a photographic memory, and can recall anything he has seen or read. Apparently this is more common in children than adults, but Spencer Reid has always had it. He has also always held the fear he'd develop schizophrenia like his mother.

Matthew Gray Gubler has played Spencer from the beginning and, as of the writing of this quiz, has directed eight episodes of "Criminal Minds" as well.

3. One exceptionally smart babe is played by Emily Deschanel. Dr. Temperance Brennan is a forensic anthropologist at the Jeffersonian Institute in Washington D.C. She and her co-workers help solve crimes with FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth. Brennan has a knack for a no-nonsense, emotion free analysis, and working environment. She also says, "I don't know what that means" a lot. But, in which TV series can she be found?

Answer: Bones

The series debuted in 2005, and as of 2015 was in its 11th season on Fox. When the series began, Seeley gave Brennan her nickname of 'Bones', hence the series title. In the first season, she was far more entertaining in her exchanges with both Seeley and her co-workers.

As her backstory was developed by Hart Hanson and the writing team, they steered her character into a very specific personality type. She became extremely logical, had almost no pop culture awareness, was an atheist, and showed very little emotion. And without spoiling anything to future readers of the book series, Bones on TV is nothing like Tempe Brennan from the books.

The books are great, but in my opinion, the TV series has become too predictable and its science is "Jump the Shark" level science fiction.

4. In 2010, creators Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat brought forth yet another edition of this marvelous character created first by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The character was played by Benedict Cumberbatch, who many people consider to be quite a babe in his own right. Which character is it that can solve many a complicated riddle whilst driving his partner Watson mad with worry, frustration, and confusion?

Answer: Sherlock Holmes

I watched the first three seasons on Netflix myself, and found it extremely entertaining. And, while Benedict Cumberbatch is not quite my cup of tea, I can see what others see in him. He played Sherlock superbly, and Martin Freeman played his sidekick Dr. Watson even more so. I do not usually include any fill in the blank questions in my quizzes, but felt this one would be easy.

There were three episodes per season, each 90 minutes long, in the first three seasons. Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman have both enjoyed a lot of success in films as well, so it may be a reason why seasons are stretched out so far from one another. Cumberbatch has received Emmy nominations for playing Sherlock and an Academy Award nomination for his role in "The Imitation Game".

5. This brainy boy was played by sexy Aussie actor Simon Baker. Patrick was not psychic, nor a hypnotist, nor was he a magician. What he was, was a mentalist. He could read body language exceptionally well, and ascertain or predict what would get a person to reveal their truths. He spent years looking for the man who murdered his wife and daughter, and eventually married another brainy babe named Teresa Lisbon. Who was that cryptic serial killer Patrick Jane was hungry to find on "The Mentalist"?

Answer: Red John

It was a mixed bag of fan opinion on whether or not the Red John mystery went on too long. I won't reveal its outcome here. Simon Baker and Robin Tunney had a quiet and intellectual chemistry as Patrick and Lisbon. I find it similar to the simmering and growing love story between Mulder and Scully on "The X-Files".

Sylar was a villain from the series "Heroes", played by Zachary Quinto. Jigsaw was the orchestrator of terror in the "Saw" film franchise, played by Tobin Bell. Leatherface was the chainsaw wielding work of fiction in the first "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and played by Gunnar Hansen. Hansen passed away from pancreatic cancer in November 2015.

6. All of the female clones from "Orphan Black" have to be babes, right? They are played by the beautiful Tatiana Maslany. And they all must be brainy right? Well, yes they all seem to be very smart in their own ways, some more obviously babe-like than others. But which is the brainy, lady loving, PhD who's also dying of some disease which is apparently a coding defect in their DNA?

Answer: Cosima

As of three seasons aired, only Cosima is the name of one of the clones out of the list here. Tatiana Maslany has played characters with all of these names, but in other projects. Cosima Niehaus is the clone who is medically brilliant, a lesbian, and dying of a DNA defect.

She is very beautiful, and somehow looks nothing like Alison, Sarah, or Helena, all played by the same actress. I just couldn't have a brainy babes list without Tatiana on it.

7. She started from a humble place before her role as slayer sidekick launched her into some pretty hefty dark power. On "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", this go-to gal learned to hone her magic and, in the process, gained much needed self-confidence. But, as with many things, a little can go a long way afar and a sweet young thing can become nicknamed "Darth Rosenberg". Which redheaded "homework gal" once said to her girlfriend Tara, "Hard to believe such a hot mama-yama came from humble, geek-infested roots"?

Answer: Willow

Yes, sweet young Willow Rosenberg, who seemed to be last to do everything important turned out to be the Big Bad of season six. Brainy babe for sure, though much of her babe-ness was hidden until season three when we saw her in alternate reality/vampire form. Alyson Hannigan played Willow so well, I actually couldn't stand Willow much through seasons five and six. And kudos to the writers, directors, and wardrobe people on the series who made her less likable in many subtle ways.

Jessica Hamby was a redhead on "True Blood" (did not exist in the novels), and Sansa Stark was a redhead on "Game of Thrones" (did exist in the novels).

8. The actress who plays this brainy babe of a school teacher has a sister who also appears in this quiz. Zooey Deschanel played a woman dumped by her longtime boyfriend, which made her homeless. So, she decided to become roommates with Nick and Schmidt, when their third roommate Coach left in the first episode. Which brunette "New Girl" was it that Zooey played?

Answer: Jess Day

"New Girl" premiered in 2011. Coach left, only to return later as the fourth roommate, and Jess moved into the Los Angeles loft with Nick and Schmidt. Through the fourth season of the show, fans still had not discovered what Schmidt's first name was. Zooey is the younger sister of Emily Deschanel, who appeared in this quiz for her role on "Bones".

Missy Pantone and Torrance Shipman are from the movie "Bring It On", and Elle Woods was the main character in the "Legally Blonde" movies.

9. When you're rich and in trouble, who ya gonna call? Pope, Olivia Pope. She's a lawyer, she's beautiful, and wickedly smart. She "fixes" all manner of crises, saves the lives of former assassins, has affairs with men in high power, drinks lots of wine, and occasionally she even eats. On which series does Kerry Washington portray the sexy problem solver Olivia Pope?

Answer: Scandal

Olivia helped get Fitz elected, had an ongoing affair with him during his two terms, saved former assassins Huck and Quinn (though Quinn wasn't an assassin when she was first saved), and made a controversial choice in the 2015 winter finale episode. Annalise Keating is a lawyer and professor on "How To Get Away With Murder", another brilliant series for females in power. Though, in my mind, Annalise is a sociopath as well. I hold out my hat to Viola Davis, who plays Annalise so well, you almost feel sorry for her.

10. She's a medical doctor who joined the FBI, probably because of someone's machinations. She spent a while practically laughing at her partner's unwavering belief in UFOs and the paranormal. Then, she was "abducted" herself, and returned almost dead. When she discovered an implant in her neck, she had it removed, and the ensuing cancer almost killed her again. She and Mulder studied the cases marked "X", and by the show's seventh season he finally asked why she always questioned him when he was right 99% of the time. This seemed a turning point for which brainy red-haired agent played by Gillian Anderson?

Answer: Dana Scully

I saved Dana Scully for last because not only has Gillian Anderson played her ongoing longer than the other characters in the list (22 years as of late 2015), but I started watching the series again from the start. So, she is on my mind as I write this. Nine seasons on the original series, Dana Scully was the scientific skeptic to Mulder's desire to believe in extraterrestrial life. She also appeared in films between season five and six, and then after the original series ended in 2002. It was in that second film it was clear the pair had become lovers. Before that, the audience could never be sure.

In January 2016, Dana was to be back for the six episode "X-Files" revival. Gillian played all of the characters listed.

Source: Author Gamemaster1967

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor ladymacb29 before going online.
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Brainy Babes Trivia Quiz

In a more modern age (1990s on forward), it has seemed to me that even the smartest, nerdiest, and socially clueless TV characters have been cast with extremely attractive actors. Of course, 'babe' is solely based on my own opinion.

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