1{2 "document_id": "lb_hotpotqa_561c378ca284bab34f735f05e21dae8653ca251f6480d6e4",3 "family": "public_hotpotqa",4 "split": "dev",5 "text": "Passage 1:\nCNN World News\nCNN World News, a program that airs on CNN International and CNN International Asia Pacific. It is supplemented by CNN World News Asia and CNN World News Europe The show's traditional time run is 24-hours if it is followed by CNN World News Middle East The show's regular presenters include Errol Barnett. Its main role is to update viewers of the latest news in the world. It contains a weather update from the CNN World Weather Forecast News. CNN World News can usually air up to three times on weekends, and is known to be bringing the latest on a story.\n\nRegular presenters\nErrol Barnett\n\nSchedule\nDaily:\n24-hours (all times EST) – Errol Barnett (North America)\n24-hours (all times HKT) – Errol Barnett (Asia Pacific)\n24-hours (all times UTC) – Paula Hancocks (Europe)\n\nInternational broadcasts outside United States\nIn Singapore, it is broadcast live on MediaCorp TV Channel 5 daily at 6:00–6:30 am.\nIn Hong Kong, it is broadcast live on ATV World and TVB Pearl daily at 7:30–8:00 am.\nIn Indonesia, it is broadcast live on RCTI (relayed on RCTI; recorded on SCTV (simulcast on RCTI)) and SCTV (relayed on RCTI; recorded on RCTI (simulcast on SCTV)); carrying simulcast relayed and recorded network on RCTI daily at 05:30–06:00 am.\n\nSimulcast in the International\nInternational simulcast relay network Radio and Television on CNN International News Asia Pacific such : \n\nTelevision Indonesia : RCTI (recorded on SCTV in 1997 and now recorded on JakTV and MNC International)/SCTV (recorded on RCTI in 1997)/JakTV (recorded on RCTI and MNC International)/CNN Indonesia\n Malaysia : TV1/TV Kuala Lumpur/TV Selangor\n Singapore : MediaCorp TV Channel 5/MediaCorp HD5\n Brunei : RTB TV2\n Philippines : DZKB-TV\n China : Shanghai International Television\n Hong Kong : ViuTVsix\n Thailand : TrueVisions\n United States : CNNRadio:\n\n Indonesia : Radio Elshinta News and Talk\n Malaysia : Klasik Nasional FM/Kuala Lumpur FM/Selangor FM/Suara Malaysia/Radio24\n Singapore : CNA938\n Brunei : Radio News in English\n China : China English International News Radio\n Hong Kong : Radio Hong Kong National News in English/Radio Hong Kong International News in English\n United States : IRN/USA Radio Network\nPassage 2:\nFoil bearing\nA foil bearing, also known as a foil-air bearing, is a type of air bearing. A shaft is supported by a compliant, spring-loaded foil journal lining. Once the shaft is spinning fast enough, the working fluid (usually air) pushes the foil away from the shaft so that no contact occurs. The shaft and foil are separated by the air's high pressure, which is generated by the rotation that pulls gas into the bearing via viscosity effects. The high speed of the shaft with respect to the foil is required to initiate the air gap, and once this has been achieved, no wear occurs. Unlike aerostatic or hydrostatic bearings, foil bearings require no external pressurisation system for the working fluid, so the hydrodynamic bearing is self-starting.\n\nDevelopment\nFoil bearings were first developed in the late 1950s by AiResearch Mfg. Co. of the Garrett Corporation using independent R&D funds to serve military and space applications. They were first tested for commercial use in United Airlines Boeing 727 and Boeing 737 cooling turbines in the early and mid-1960s. Garrett AiResearch air cycle machine foil bearings were first installed as original equipment in 1969 in the DC-10's environmental control systems. Garrett AiResearch foil bearings were installed on all US military aircraft to replace existing oil-lubricated rolling-contact bearings. The ability to operate at cryogenic gas temperatures and at very high temperatures gave foil bearings many other potential applications.Current-generation foil bearings with advanced coatings have greatly exceeded the limitations of earlier designs. Antiwear coatings exist that allow over 100,000 start/stop cycles for typical applications.\n\nApplications\nTurbomachinery is the most common application because foil bearings operate at high speed. \nCommercial applications in production include microturbines, fuel cell blowers, and air cycle machines. The main advantage of foil bearings is the elimination of the oil systems required by traditional bearing designs. Other advantages are:\n\nHigher efficiency, due to a lower heat loss to friction; instead of fluid friction, the main source of heat is parasitic drag\nIncreased reliability\nHigher speed capability\nQuieter operation\nWider operating temperature range (40–2,500 K)\nHigh vibration and shock load capacity\nNo scheduled maintenance\nNo external support system\nTruly oil free where contamination is an issue\nCapable of operating above critical speedAreas of current research are:\n\nHigher load capacity\nImproved damping\nImproved coatingsThe main disadvantages are:\n\nLower capacity than roller or oil bearings\nWear during start-up and stopping\nHigh speed required for operation\n\nSee also\nFluid bearing – Type of bearings which use pressurized liquid or gas between the bearing surfaces\nTribology – Science and engineering of interacting surfaces in relative motion\nPassage 3:\nGordon Burns (footballer)\nGordon Burns (born 2 December 1978) is a Scottish former professional footballer who played in the Scottish First Division for Ayr United.\n\nPlaying career\nBurns began his footballing career with local boys club Troon Thistle, and also spent time playing with Prestwick Boys Club & Coylton Boys Club, before joining Ayr United Boys Club. He was scouted by several senior teams and trained with Motherwell, Dundee United, Hearts and Celtic before deciding to sign 'S' forms with Ayr United under Manager George Burley. He left Marr College at 16 to sign a 2-year YTS contract at Somerset Park with Manager Simon Stainrod, before signing his first professional contract at Ayr United at the age of 18.\n\nAyr United\n\"Burnsie\" began his professional career with his local senior club Ayr United in July 1995 and made an early impact when he made his first team debut at the age of 17 against Berwick Rangers at Shielfield Park. He didn't have to wait long for his first start either, which came at Somerset Park against Raith Rovers when he was just 18.\nIn 1997, along with fellow starlets Keith Hogg, Neil Scally, Gareth \"Bo\" Armstrong and Joe Carruth, he enjoyed a spell on loan at Glenafton Athletic under Alan Rough which prepared him for the rough and tumble of Scottish football.\nNext season, in February 1998, he was thrown in at the deep end by manager Gordon Dalziel as a versatile youngster in an Ayrshire derby match against Kilmarnock at Somerset Park, with the home side recording a famous 2-0 victory courtesy of an 83rd minute headed goal from Jim Dick & a beautiful lob from Ian Ferguson over the head of Killie keeper Gordon Marshall.\nA period of vast investment in the playing squad at Ayr from millionaire Chairman Bill Barr saw the arrivals of high-calibre players such as Neil Duffy, Pat McGinlay, Eddie Annand, John Hughes, James Grady, Andy Walker, Glynn Hurst and Gary Teale. This left youngsters like Burns sidelined, and in 1999 he was signed by legendary Manager John Lambie (footballer, born 1941) for Partick Thistle on loan with a view to a permanent move. He made 6 appearances in an impressive spell, but chances of a permanent move were scuppered when Ayr demanded a transfer fee and he was recalled to Somerset Park.\nBurns enjoyed a brief spell at his hometown club Troon F.C. under Manager John Redmond during his rehabilitation from injury in 2000.\nAfter making 28 league appearances for the club, he was released in December 2001 seeking regular first-team football.\n\nQueen of the South\nBurns was signed for Queen of the South by Manager John Connolly (Scottish footballer) in December 2001 to supplement a title-chasing squad.\nThe club won the 2001–02 Scottish Second Division, finishing 8 points clear of Alloa Athletic in 2nd place, but it was a frustrating period for Burns who only made a solitary appearance.\n\nPeterhead\nAfter completing a pre-season campaign with Forfar Athletic in the summer of 2002, Manager Neil Cooper decided against signing Burns permanently, but recommended him to Peterhead Manager Ian Wilson who was delighted to sign him up for the 2002-03 season. This was a hugely enjoyable season for Burns, as he was an integral part of the team who were chasing the Balmoor side's first ever promotion, with the season ending in spectacular fashion as an incredible four sides went into the final day chasing the title. A 1–0 defeat away to Greenock Morton at a packed Cappielow saw Morton crowned champions and East Fife narrowly pip Peterhead to promotion.\nDespite enjoying being a first team regular, the travelling from Burns' home in Troon to Peterhead was taking its toll and Burns rejected the offer of a new contract with the club in search for something closer to home.\n\nKilwinning Rangers\nBurns joined the all-conquering Buffs side in July 2003, becoming a key member of the side that went on to win the West of Scotland Super League Premier Division in season 2003-04. The departure of the Management team led by Mark Shanks sparked a remarkable change of fortunes which saw the Abbey Park side relegated the following season to the West of Scotland Super League First Division under new manager Paul Wright.\nBurns rejected the offer of a new contract in order to concentrate on a new career, and left Abbey park in the summer of 2005.\n\nTroon\nAfter 2 years out of the game due to work demands, Burns signed for his home-town team Troon in June 2007. Signed by Manager Michael O'Neill, it wasn't long before Burnsie was named Club Captain as he enjoyed some of the best years of his career at Portland Park.\nNiggling injuries and work commitments forced an early retirement from playing at the age of 31, although returning Manager John Redmond was keen to utilise Burns's knowledge in a coaching capacity.\n\nCoaching career\nAfter serving on the coaching staff under John Redmond following his retirement from playing, Burns formed part of the new management team with Jimmy Kirkwood when Redmond stepped down in March 2011 and the two oversaw a dramatic overhaul of the club and the playing staff with an emphasis on youth development & attractive football. Results were erratic to begin with, but the improvement was remarkable and a title push was well underway in season 2011-12 with the team narrowly missing out on the second promotion spot by one point. The club went one better in 2012-13, securing second place with weeks to spare after a season long title battle with Kilwinning Rangers and promotion back to the Super League was assured.\nSeason 2013-14 saw unprecedented success, as the club were crowned the Super League First Division Champions, Ayrshire Cup winners and were also West of Scotland Cup finalists.\nBurns became manager of Troon in the summer of 2015, after Jimmy Kirkwood stepped aside due to work pressures, and he led them to their highest ever league finish in his first season in charge as well as an appearance in the Final of the Ardagh Cup. Following the club's relegation from the West of Scotland Super League Premier Division, Burns stood down in May 2017 after 10 years at the club to spend more time with his family.\nPassage 4:\nThe Krypton Factor\nThe Krypton Factor is a British game show produced by Granada Television for broadcast on ITV. The show originally ran from 7 September 1977 to 20 November 1995, and was hosted by Gordon Burns and usually broadcast on the ITV network on Mondays at 7.00pm.\nContestants from across the United Kingdom and Ireland competed in a series of rounds that tested their physical stamina and mental attributes. The title of the show is a reference to Superman's home planet Krypton, the title perceiving that the contestants had strong superhuman \"powers\" for taking part in the challenges they were set. The contestants, from 1986 onwards, all had their own corresponding colour, either red, green, yellow or blue. The points contestants earned through the game were not referred to as their score, but as their \"Krypton Factor\", e.g. \"The winner, with a Krypton Factor of 46, is the technical specialist from Birmingham, Caroline White\". The 1987 series won the prestigious Premios Ondas – Spanish Television Award for Entertainment.\nThe show was revived for two series which aired in 2009 and 2010, presented by Ben Shephard.\n\nHistory\nOriginal series\nThe first series of the show was shown on Wednesdays, presented by Gordon Burns and ran for eleven weeks, consisting of eight heats, two semi-finals and the final. It was then on Fridays for two years before arriving on Mondays in 1980. Up to and including the 1979 series, Gordon Burns would be seen standing next to the master scoreboard before being given a desk at which to sit from 1980 onwards (he would be seen sitting next to the master scoreboard for the 1980 and 1981 series before taking his traditional place in front of the audience and facing the contestants for the series which followed). In the first few series, there were no groups and eight heats, the winner of each advancing to a semi-final. The top two of each semi-final qualified for the Grand Final.\nFrom 1981 to 1985, each series had twelve heats, from which each winner along with the top four runners-up progressed to the four semi-finals, the winners of which competed in the Grand Final. In 1986 and in 1987, the series was divided into four groups (A, B, C, and D). Each group consisted of three heats, with the winner of each heat and the highest scoring runner up of the heats within a group making it to the group final. The winner of each group final would qualify for the grand final. From 1988 to 1995, the series had 13 episodes, and only had three groups (A, B, and C). The highest scoring runner-up from the group finals would then go through to the Grand Final.\nIn 2009 and 2010, each series has seven heats and the winners of which in addition to the highest runner-up of the heats would qualify for the two semi-finals, the winners of which in addition to the top two overall runners-up advancing to the Grand Final. The overall winner of the Grand Final would receive a bronze trophy and would traditionally be titled as Superperson of the Year. Unusually and possibly uniquely for the time, until 1993, the series had no advert break in the middle even though it was on ITV in a primetime 7.00pm slot. This explains why some of the elements (most notably, the time for the quiz) were shortened in later series.\nIn the 1991 series, for two weeks in a row, contestants Tony Hetherington and Paul Evans won all of the first five rounds in their heats, scoring 50 points; in addition, Hetherington set an all-time record of 62 points. They both later met in the same Group Final, in which Evans won and Hetherington qualified as the Highest Scoring Runner-up, and went on to win the Grand Final.\nIn 1995, the show was heavily revamped, including the introduction of co-host Penny Smith. In that series, the intelligence round was dropped, first round being physical ability with the rules in each round changed dramatically, with the exception of General Knowledge. The second half of the show was a \"super round\" which included a 3D maze, code cracking and a race up Mount Krypton, with points accumulated being exchanged for equipment to assist the contestants with the challenge. While some viewers liked the changes, others felt that scrapping the Intelligence round was a sign of dumbing down and that changing the format so dramatically was a mistake.\n\nRevival\nSince its cancellation in 1995, there had been persistent rumours of a revival on the BBC. In April 2005, it was widely reported that the BBC would be going ahead with a revival. However, the source of this story turned out to be a misinterpretation of comments by Wayne Garvie, head of BBC's Entertainment Group (and previously the last producer on The Krypton Factor) naming it as the next \"TV gem\" that \"should\" (rather than would) be revived.On 24 September 2008, Broadcast reported that ITV was expected to commission a new series within weeks. As part of their wider Business Brains campaign, The Sage Group funded the return of the show, and in November it was confirmed that it would be hosted by Ben Shephard. The first episode was shown on Thursday 1 January 2009 at 7.30pm and ran for 10 consecutive weeks. The new series is based on the original five-round format of the show with every round being \"brought bang up-to-date\" and features \"state-of-the-art\" technology, although The Guardian described the rounds as having \"irritating bleeping noises and confusing graphics\". The series was recorded at Granada Studios in Manchester from 7–10 December 2008. It was filmed in London for the 2010 series, which used a four-round format, as the Intelligence round was dropped again.\nCritical reception to the revival were poor, with UKGameshows stating \"it's hard to think of anything they've done differently this time where the change is an improvement\" and The Guardian ultimately describing it as \"like getting back together with an ex (drunkenly, on New Year's Eve). And then sobering up quickly and realising why you split up in the first place.\" The launch episode of the revival was watched by only half as many viewers as a repeat of Wallace and Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death.\n\nRounds\nDuring the original series, the rounds were usually in the same order as below, with exception of the 1995 series. However, in the earlier series, there were only five rounds, as Response had yet to be introduced; this round was also dropped for the 2009 revival.\nIn all rounds except the final round, 10 points were awarded to the winner, then 6 (8 in early series), 4 and 2 to the remaining contestants. In the event of a tie, all tied players would receive the score for the higher place – in an extreme case, if three contestants tied with the highest score, they would all receive 10 points, with just 2 points for the unlucky fourth contestant. In the Mental Agility and Observation rounds, the contestant who answered faster would sometimes be awarded the higher place; in other cases, a tiebreaker question was used. On rare occasions, an Observation round would have the players answer a five-part question, such as \"Name the five continuity errors in the film clip,\" and players would receive 2 points for each correct answer.\nFrom 1986 to 1991, each round was introduced by the distinctive K logo, which would morph into a symbol for the round. A similar version of this was used in the 2009 revival.\n\nPersonality (1977)\nThis round only took place in the first series, where it was third. In it, the contestants were sequestered where they had to write a 30-second script on a subject given to them like a destination brochure, a letter of complaint, etc., which they had one chance to perform. The performances were filmed and a focus group taken in twenty cities and towns across Great Britain voted on the best effort.\n\nMental agility (1978–1995, 2009–2010)\nFirst played in the second series, this often took the form of a memory test (though other versions would require mental computation of time and date differences, or to add up a sequence of numbers and return the number which, when added to that sum, gave a pre-determined answer). The contestants frequently had to memorise a sequence and then answer a series of progressively more complicated questions. For instance, if the sequence to be memorised was a series of coloured blocks, the questions might start as \"What is the colour of the third block from the left?\" and progress to \"What is the colour of the block two to the left of the block to the right of the green block?\". Other forms of memory test might require contestants to remember a phrase or proverb and answer a series of questions about it (e.g. \"What was the fifth letter of the fourth word?\" or \"Spell the last word backwards\").\nOriginally the round consisted of a \"knock-out\" format, where contestants were asked increasingly difficult questions in turn and eliminated for wrong answers. If two or more players were eliminated on the same turn, ties were broken based on who had answered the most parts of their question correctly. Later, the contestants were shown 9 images along with a statement read to them by Charles Foster and the contestants had to pick which 4 images were correct and they scored 2 points for each correctly identified image, with a maximum ten points for all four. In the semi-finals and final, this would change to showing two sequences in turn and asking each player a 3-point question about each sequence. A third sequence was then shown to all players at once and one toss-up question, worth four points, was open to all players on the buzzer. If a player jumped in with the incorrect answer, that player was not penalized and any other player could jump in. Then, until 1987, the Mental Agility round alternated between the knock-out format (without tiebreaks) and a 45 or 50-second \"speed test\" where each player had to come up with as many correct answers as possible before time expired, and could pass on any of them. Only if they answered incorrectly would they be informed of it, possibly as to discourage guesswork.\nFrom 1988 onwards, the Mental Agility round consisted entirely of 40-second speed tests, and from 1991 to 1993, ties were broken by the amount of time it took each player to achieve their score. In the 1995 series, a set of four images (such as numbers, letters, or dates) were shown to the players, who were all read a statement pertaining to one or two of the images, and the contestants had to touch the correct image(s) on their screen. The monitors were placed on a rotating turntable, in order to increase the difficulty of being the first to answer. This round lasted for two minutes, with the set of images changing every eight questions. Only the first player to provide a correct answer would score for that answer, with answering time used to break ties.\nThis round was originally conducted with all contestants wearing headphones to prevent the other participants from hearing their competitors' answers. However, from the 1991 series, each contestant came on individually to perform their test in front of the audience before sitting down in their respective places behind them, no headphones were worn. By the end of the round, all 4 contestants would be seated. In the 2009 revival, the Mental Agility round followed the 1988 format, only using the tiebreaker rules when there is a tie for first place. Contestants individually complete this round in an isolation booth referred to as \"The Kube\", and their heart rates were also measured while they took the test. The time each contestant had was increased from 40 to 45 seconds for the 2010 version, and the tiebreak rule from 1991 returned.\n\nResponse (1986–1995)\nThe Response round was introduced by new producer Geoff Moore for the 1986 and 1987 series. In 1987, the Response round in the initial heats was a combination of a race between the contestants using double-odometer bicycles, and a video wall which would display random numbers of coloured blocks; the contestants were required to press one of four coloured buttons corresponding to the highest number of blocks of any one colour being displayed. This alternated with a test in which the contestants had to walk a balance beam to the first challenge - placing coloured wooden blocks into frames either side of them, swinging from side to side in doing so (this was known as the Fleischmann Flexibility Tests). They then had to run across a balance beam linked to the Minnesota Manual Dexterity Test, where they had to take a shape and place it into a corresponding space. After a final balance beam, they jump onto their respective mat to finish the race. The 1986 series consisted of the contestants competing in twos to perform first the Minnesota Manual Dexterity test (moving differently coloured cylinders from one side to the other), then running over to perform the Fleischmann Flexibility Test and then the final test, which involved hitting the relevant button whenever a colour flashed up on the screen (only one colour at a time in this case).\nIn the Group and Grand Finals in the 1986 and 1987 series, this consisted of each player taking turns on a flight simulator and being marked by an actual flight instructor. From 1988 onward the Response round consisted entirely of flight simulator tests. In 1988, the contestants had to land a BAe 146 in the heats, a Harrier jump jet in the Group Finals and a Sea King on an aircraft carrier in the Grand Final (recorded at Culdrose Navy base in Helston, Cornwall). In 1989, the heats used three different simulators. The first heat in each group required the contestants to land Concorde, the second heat required the contestants to land a Red Arrow, and the third heat required them to land a Boeing 737. The group finals required the contestants to land the Sea King on an aircraft carrier. The Grand Final of the 1989 series saw the contestants use a Space Shuttle simulator in California.\nIn 1990, the contestants landed Concorde in the heats, the Sea King on an aircraft carrier in the group final and in the Grand Final, the contestants were in the Sea King again, but this time they used the simulator in a rescue mission. They started from an oil rig (carrying an injured passenger), and had to take off from the oil rig and land on the aircraft carrier. From 1991 to 1993, the heats and group finals were the same; Boeing 737 in the heats and the Sea King in the group finals. The 1991 Grand Final involved the contestants using a Nimrod simulator in a refuelling mission involving a Hercules aircraft. The 1992 and 1993 grand finals required the contestants to land a real plane. In 1995, all tests involved the Red Arrows flight simulator and the simulator scored each player automatically, with losses based on their overall flight time prior to either crashing or losing contact with the lead plane for too long. The 2009 revival of the show did not include this round.\n\nObservation (1977–1995, 2009–2010)\nThis round often involved watching a specially made clip that was being broadcast at the time, with an edited together clip from a feature film or a television programme which was out in that particular year. In the earliest series, contestants were each asked three two-point questions (the first was an either or question, the second was visual and the third pertained to dialogue) on the clip in turn, followed by an identity parade where they were shown nine similar-looking actors, one of whom appeared in the clip. Each player who identified the correct actor earned four points. This was later changed so that each contestant was asked two two-point questions in turn, followed by a series of four one-point toss-up questions open to all players with no penalty for a wrong answer, and the identity parade was worth two points.\nFrom 1986 to 1988, contestants were shown a clip twice and asked to spot five differences between two similar clips (six differences in 1988) and in 1986 and 1987, each player earned two points for each correctly identified difference. Many of the sequences recorded for the 1988 series were written by, and featured, Andrew O'Connor. From the 1989 and 1990 series, contestants were invited to spot six deliberate continuity errors (five in the 1990 series) contained in one single clip. Steve Coogan, in some of his earliest television appearances, starred in many of the sequences featured in the 1989 series. From 1991 to 1993, contestants answered six multiple-choice questions (five in the 1993 series) relating to the clip (e.g. \"What did he say when he entered the room?\" or \"What was on the table?\"), and the time used to provide the correct answers was used to break ties.\nSometimes, original serials specially produced for the show were used; such as 1990's Sam Smith: Private Detective (starring Gwyneth Strong), which saw the female detective investigating rather silly cases (which often featured her young chubby nephew, Wallace). Some guests in then Sam Smith stories included Derek Griffiths, Matthew Kelly and Keith Chegwin, who all appeared in the final instalment of the series. The 1991 series featured the saga Where is Don Day? starring Tony Robinson and Michelle Collins, about a bank manager whose dull life is suddenly changed when he accidentally becomes involved in a robbery from his own bank. 1992 saw Dead Ringer starring Tony Slattery; a thriller about a man suffering from amnesia trying to discover who he really is, whilst being hunted down by a hitman named Preston, played by Roger Lloyd-Pack. In 1993, the round featured Roy Barraclough and Annabel Giles in a collection of investigative police stories, with Barraclough playing a retired police detective.\nIn 1995, short computer-animated segments commissioned from Bournemouth University's Department of Media Production were used for the test, and only five questions were asked. As with Mental Agility round, answers were provided via touch screen monitors, placed on a rotating turntable with Penny walking around the turntable asking the questions.\nIn the 2009 revival, each contestant was asked one individual question, then four further questions were asked on the buzzer. If a player answers incorrectly, one more player can buzz in, but there are no penalties for a wrong answer. Contestants are ranked on how many correct answers, and if two or more players are tied they each receive the same number of points. The exception to this is when there is a tie for the most correct answers. In this case, an extra question is asked to break the tie. In the 2010 version, each player is asked two questions in turn, and the contestants are awarded two points for a correct answer; however, like General Knowledge, one point is deducted away for a wrong answer, and the next player to jump in has a chance to steal. The point totals for this round are then used to rank each player.\n\nPhysical ability (1977–1995, 2009–2010)\nIn the original series, this pre-recorded segment involved the contestants racing to complete an army assault course located at Holcombe Moor in Bury. This round typically included 20 obstacles including vertical and flat cargo nets, rope swings, water jumps, Burma rope bridges, and a rope slide into water. Gordon Burns stated in some of the episodes that the contestants trained for the assault course in the physical ability round for up to five weeks in advance. In the first series, the assault course was done as an athletics track type with all of the contestants starting at the same time from different starting points, handicapped by age and sex. The second series onwards featured the more recognised assault course, but didn't feature the aerial slide until the early 1980s; instead the contestants would jump from a high platform onto a mat below to end their run of the course.\nIn this round, female contestants were allowed a head start over their male competitors, and in early series, contestants were given staggered starts to the assault course; following practice sessions with army personnel, the contestant of the weakest physical ability would set off first. The physical ability criteria were established from a simple formula derived from age of the contestant and the gender. Typically, in 1980, this meant two seconds per year of age difference and a 40-second advantage for female competitors. In the 1980 semi-final, the youngest competitor, Ted Stockton, (a taxi driver, aged 25) started 56 seconds after the only female semi-finalist who was 33. The age-based calculation was abolished in 1988. In 1995, the Physical Ability round was moved to the start of the show as the first round and all contestants started at the same time, and were ranked according to how far ahead each had come of an individual \"par time\" based on age and sex.\nThe 1990 series saw many of the metal obstacles on the course replaced by wooden substitutes, including a wooden S-bend frame contestants had to descend. In the first episode of the 1978 series, one female contestant (Diane Lindsay) injured her arm while practising for the long drop at the end of the course, but later ran and completed the course, and was found to have broken her arm in the practice run. Another female contestant (Judith Stafford) in 1989 broke her ankle after landing badly on one of the obstacles (near the end of the course), but managed to complete the rest of the course and finish in third place. Another female contestant (this time in 1987), Sue Dandy completed the course despite having torn ligaments in her leg while coming out of a narrow, upward-sloping tunnel. (In 1982, a male contestant cut his forehead on this obstacle). A male contestant (Paul Evans) in 1991 who fell from the top of the A-frame net managed to not only complete the course but actually win the round despite suffering from shock as a result of his fall. Another male contestant (Jackie Harte), this time in 1992, broke the safety rules when he went down the aerial slide not placing his feet in the water. Another male contestant (Jon Johnson), this time in 1993, fell off the Burma rope bridge towards the end of the course, but luckily, he landed in the net below and was able to finish in second place. For at least some series (around 1986–88), the fastest man and fastest woman on the assault course both received a special trophy. Winners include: Barbara Murray and Stuart Worthington (1986), Marian Chanter and Ted Daszkiewicz (1987), Elizabeth Hayward and Alan Robbie (1988).\nThe 2009 revival used a new assault course which only has room for two contestants at a time. The time it took each contestant to complete the course was recorded, and revealed when the main part of the show was recorded. Female contestants had 45 seconds deducted from their time. The assault course was once again changed for the 2010 version, with all four contestants competing at the same time.\n\nIntelligence (1977–1993, 2009)\nA two or three-dimensional puzzle where shapes had to be put together to fill a rectangular grid or make a bigger shape was the basis for this round. Most of these were devised by Dr. Gerry Wickham of the University of Manchester's School of Mathematics. As the contestants performed the task, presenter Gordon Burns provided a commentary to viewers at home on the contestant's progress and advice on how to solve the puzzle. The contestants do not see beforehand what the completed puzzle should look like. In the first series this round was first, and tests varied, often taking the form of what would later be Mental Agility tests.\nIn the event a contestant is injured and unable to physically participate in this round (as happened to Diane Lindsay in the first episode of the 1978 series), an assistant may be brought in to complete the task under the contestant's instructions, but the assistant may not speak back or otherwise interfere with the task.\nIt is reputed that some of the intelligence tests featured took contestants hours to solve, with edited highlights of their performance in the round shown on the programme. At least one contestant was moved to tears by the difficulty of the puzzles. In 1990, Gordon Burns told contestants that over the years, some of the tests had taken 15 or 20 minutes to complete, but that in one programme in the 1980 series, when the competitors' tables had been placed too close together for this round, two competitors accidentally picked up pieces from each other's table, making it impossible to complete the puzzle, and nearly an hour went by as they vainly attempted to finish, before the problem was realised. This round was eliminated from the 1995 series.\nIn the early series, as well as the 2009 revival, a time limit was placed for completion and after the time runs out, the contestants who have not finished are ranked according to the progress they have made on the puzzle. This round was removed (again) in the 2010 series.\n\nGeneral knowledge (1977–1995, 2009–2010)\nA quick-fire question round with a varied time limit (which depended on the year) and only one player could answer each question. For most of the run this final round was conducted in darkness using a side shot of the four contestants lit in profile – when a contestant buzzed in, the remaining three players' spotlights would go out. A feature of this round was that, as each question was answered, the next question contained either the answer to the last question, a word from the last answer, or a word that sounded like it. Originally players were asked as many toss-up questions as time allowed, with two points added for a correct answer and two points deducted for an incorrect response or none at all (+/- 1 in the first series).\nLater the round was in two stages: the first stage had the contestants answering three general knowledge questions each from the same set of categories with 2 points for each correct answer, then it was on to stage 2 which was the quick-fire stage, which lasted 90 seconds, with each question worth +/- 1. Starting in 1986, the round consisted solely of a quick-fire round. Until 1987, the round lasted 100 seconds and each question worth +/- 1. In 1988 the values changed to +/- 2 points, and the time was reduced to 90 seconds (100 in 1989, and 75 in 1993 and 1995). In 2009, the round lasted 70 seconds, and a correct answer was worth two points while an incorrect answer cost one point. In the 2010 series, time was increased from 70 seconds to 90 seconds. The player with the highest Krypton Factor won the game, and in the event of a tie, the tied players were asked further questions until the tie was broken.\n\nSuper Round (1995)\nIn 1995, the game was decided by a \"Super Round,\" a race that encompassed all abilities from the previous rounds. At the start of the round, players were shown five coloured circles, each with a letter or number, and the players had to memorize the sequence before making a parachute jump down 50 feet to the floor. They then entered the Kryptic Rings, a three-dimensional maze of interlocking rings with numbered and lettered junctions where following and correctly interpreting the sequence (by following the circles clockwise, starting with the circle of their colour) would lead each player to their correct exit. Each exit was marked with a letter, which they would memorize on their way to the next part of the race, the Laser Matrix, preceded by a computer where each player had to log in by hitting the letter key matching their exit. Each player then had to type in four words with a common thread, however each key corresponded to a different letter according to a code (such as each key giving the preceding letter).\nAfter cracking the code and typing in the four words, each player had to cross a corridor of shifting laser beams, where breaking each beam resulted in a seven-second penalty. Once out, the players entered the Response Revolve, a rotating cylinder where each player had to collect six batons of their colour from their holds, however, each baton could only be removed when a light by the baton flashed, and all lights flashed according to a sequence. Once all six batons were out and placed in the player's pedestal, each player had to run to the Krypton Mountain, where they first had to build a four-piece ladder, which they ascended before making a vertical climb up the Krypton Mountain, completing the race by grabbing a letter K of their colour at the top of the Krypton Mountain.\nThe players started at the same time and place, and used their points from the first five rounds to buy advantages, such as directional arrows in the Rings, completed words at the computer (in Heat 2 of Group C, an easier path through the Laser Matrix), batons already removed from the Response Revolve, or ladder pieces already built. The value of each advantage varied with the heats, group finals and final. The player who won the Super Round won the game, and completion time was used to determine who held the wild card spot.\nThe Super Round was also notable for a few incidents regarding cheating; in Group B, two contestants (both wearing yellow) were disqualified for unknowingly breaking the rules of the Super Round. Heat 1 contestant Simon Evans was disqualified as he had not completely finished all four words at the Laser Matrix computer (having produced a \"j\" instead of an \"h\" in the third word) yet continuing through the rest of the round regardless (Penny told him about his disqualification at the top of the Krypton Mountain) and in Heat 2 the following week, contestant Alison Riley was disqualified as she had forcibly pulled out batons from the Response Revolve when their adjacent lights weren't flashing and unlike Evans, she was edited out of the remainder of the round after she had begun her ascent on the ladder and a replay was shown of her illegal move. As a result of their actions, Simon Evans and Alison Riley were the only two contestants in Krypton Factor history to be disqualified.\n\nYoung Krypton\nA spin-off series was produced for children, Young Krypton, and was presented by Ross King. The series was based on a similar structure to the adult version, but with simpler intelligence tasks and a shorter obstacle course (located at The American Adventure Theme Park near Nottingham, owned by the Granada Group at the time) in place of the Physical Ability round.\nThe 1988 series, which had only five rounds (Mental Agility, Response, Observation, Physical Ability and General Knowledge, with Intelligence in place of Response in the Group and Grand Finals) followed the tournament format of the regular series, while the 1989 series, which only ran 8 episodes, consisted of five heats, two semi-finals, and the Grand Final. The five heat winners plus the three highest runners-up advanced to the semis, the winners of which along with the top two runners-up from both matches qualifying for the Grand Final.\nAt the end of both series, Gordon Burns appeared to present the trophy to the winner. Also in the 1988 Grand Final, Ross King presented a special trophy to Phillip Westwick, who completed the adventure course in the fastest time.\n\nSpecial episodes\nThe Krypton Factor had several Champion of Champions episodes; the first edition aired on 22 December 1980, featuring the winners of the first four series which was won by Philip Bradley (1980) and the trophy was presented by Ian Botham. This was followed by another Champion of Champions edition of the show on 22 July 1985, featuring the winners from the previous four years: John McAllister (1981), John Webley (1982), Chris Topham (1983) and Paul Smith (1984), with McAllister winning the game and trophy. The next Champion of Champions episode aired on 27 March 1989, featuring four star contestants: Marian Chanter and Alison Heath (1987), David Lee (1988) and Andrew Gillam (1985). This match was won by Alison Heath.On 28 March 1988, an International special was broadcast in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand as part of Australia's bi-centennial celebrations. Made in the UK and presented by Gordon Burns, the episode featured Marian Chanter and Alison Heath, winner and runner-up respectively of the UK Krypton Factor Grand Final 1987 and John Cargill and Christopher Connolly, winner and runner-up respectively of the Australia & New Zealand Krypton Factor 1987 final. The International title was won by Alison Heath, and the trophy was presented by Fatima Whitbread.\n\nTheme tune\nDuring the original series of The Krypton Factor, four different theme tunes for the programme were used. The first two theme tunes (the first from 1977 to 1982, and the second from 1983 to 1985) were written by Mike Moran. The theme tune used between 1986 and 1993 was performed by Art of Noise, and is perhaps the programme's best-known theme. It was written by band members Anne Dudley and J. J. Jeczalik. The exact version of this theme tune varied in some episodes/series-for example, the drum beats in the music in some episodes/series were more emphasised, as was the synthesizer melody, but generally it remained the same. Mistakenly referred to as \"Beat Box\", the track which appeared on their debut album Who's Afraid of the Art of Noise?, it is in fact an original composition, and was reworked as \"Crusoe\" in 1987. A version of the Art of Noise theme, first heard in 1986, was released on the compilation album Influence in 2010. For the 1995 series, the theme tune was a reworked version of the 1986–93 theme tune, but was performed by Dudley alone with the incidental music composed by Mike Woolmans.The music used during the scoring at the end of the Response round in 1988 was \"Forgotten Town\" by The Christians. In the 1989 series, \"Left to My Own Devices\" by the Pet Shop Boys was used.\nGenerally, during the opening title sequence, the contestants were introduced by former Granada Television continuity announcer Charles Foster.The music to the 2009 revival was created by Paul Farrer. In their review, UKGameshows asked \"can anyone actually remember the new theme \"tune\"?\".\n\nMerchandise and commercial representations\nThe Krypton Factor had a number of clothing merchandises, including a pair of black trainers bearing the Krypton K on the sides and the tongue. A Krypton Factor sports bag, mug and teatowel was also produced. Although, not mentioned on the air, all the contestants were given a Sports bag and some clothing with the Krypton Factor logo on them as gifts for appearing on the programme.\nA computer game version of The Krypton Factor was published by TV Games and released in 1987 for the home computers of the era. A Krypton Factor Quizbook was published in 1989.\nITV released The Krypton Factor interactive DVD board game via their website in 2010, and then again in 2011. The DVD game is hosted by Ben Shephard.Adrenalin in North Yorkshire markets itself as the home of the obstacle course from the TV series, which offers paying public a chance to take on the Assault course.Demon Wheelers have developed a team-building event based around the rounds from The Krypton Factor TV series and incorporating an inflatable assault course.\nThere have also been several Krypton Factor tie-in books published.\n\nOther versions\nThe Krypton Factor was later exported to the United States. Two short-lived United States versions of The Krypton Factor aired. In 1981, Dick Clark hosted a 5-week summer series on ABC. In 1990, Willie Aames hosted a syndicated version for children. In 2000, a version hosted by Pat O'Brien in production by Fox TV was never shown to the public. In 2015, another version in production for Syfy was also never shown to the public.The New Zealand version of The Krypton Factor ran from 1987 to 1991 on TVNZ on TV2 and was hosted by veteran presenter Dougal Stevenson. There was no Response round in the New Zealand version, and the video clips used for the Observation test were taken from the United Kingdom version. The Physical Ability test was done at Burnham Military Camp, just south of Christchurch. The first season in 1987 consisted of a challenge between Australian and New Zealand contestants, with all of the series hosted in New Zealand and aired on ABC in Australia during that time. The winners of the 1987 series competed against the winners of the 1987 series in the United Kingdom. Reruns of The Krypton Factor were screened on TVNZ 6.\nA German version of the show called Krypton Faktor presented by Jörg Draeger aired in 1991, with 13 episodes shown on Sat.1 before the show was cancelled.\n\nIn popular culture\nThe series was parodied, in darkly comic form on BBC1's The Armstrong and Miller Show as \"The Critical Factor\". Here, the contestant coming last in each event is brutally killed in the background by two figures dressed in black. Plus, the three male contestants are all 'consultant civil engineers', a reference to the number of contestants in the actual show that came from 'white collar' middle-class backgrounds, with the winner, Susan Small, referred to as a 'housewife'.A 1990 sketch in series 2 of A Bit of Fry and Laurie depicts a scene in which a representative of an unnamed organisation (Stephen Fry) holds a clandestine meeting in an underground car park with a gruff, vaguely criminal type with an extensive record of adventures (Hugh Laurie). The \"impossible\" task that the organisation wants this man to attempt: to watch a full episode of The Krypton Factor, a feat which, according to the organisation's representative, has never been done before.\nEven after the axing of the 2009 revival (due to lack of funding), there were plenty of references to The Krypton Factor, especially as one of the prizes on The All-New Blockbusters (hosted by Simon Mayo). Ironically, in the same year, the \"1\" and the \"2\" in the logo for the London 2012 Olympics had accidentally made a reference to the show, as fans pointed out its similarities to the very first Krypton Factor \"K\" from the early 1980s.\nA deleted scene from the ITV variety series It'll Be Alright on the Night made it to many compilations; it showed Ben Shephard biting his tongue, after he accidentally said \"two points for second\", instead of fourth. It was subsequently referenced on the game show Tipping Point (which Shephard also presented) as a question.\nThe series was also referenced in the ITV documentary Come On Down: The Game Show Story, with current Krypton Factor presenter Ben Shephard and former presenter Gordon Burns both hinting that it was a mistake on ITV's part to end the programme.\n\nTransmissions\nUnited Kingdom Superperson of the Year\nThis is a complete list of all winners (include one female and 19 male contestants) from 20 series of the show:\nPassage 5:\nA Word in Your Ear\nA Word in Your Ear is a game show that originally aired BBC1 from 19 April 1993 to 14 October 1994 then on The Family Channel from 1995. \nThe programme originated on ITV Tyne Tees in 1990 and ran for two series locally, on Fridays at 6:30pm, also hosted by Burns as seen in this TV guide from the time. https://transdiffusion.org/2014/10/18/tonights-tv-in-1991/\nIt was hosted by Gordon Burns, best known for hosting ITV's The Krypton Factor (1977-1995). The host presided over male and female pairs of celebrities as they participate in a few rounds of communication games. Celebrities appearing included Lynsey De Paul, Nick Owen, Philippa Kennedy and Bob Holness.\n\nTransmissions\nPassage 6:\nKrypto the Superdog\nKrypto the Superdog is an American animated television series produced by Warner Bros. Animation, based on Superman's canine companion Krypto, which premiered on Cartoon Network on March 25, 2005 (exactly 50 years after his comic debut), and aired on The CW's Saturday morning block Kids' WB from September 23, 2006 until September 15, 2007. 39 episodes were produced.A comic book series (based on the TV show) was published by DC Comics under the Johnny DC imprint, which lasted 6 issues, from 2006 to 2007.\nThe show was developed by producers Alan Burnett and Paul Dini, who had produced the successful Batman: The Animated Series and Superman: The Animated Series. Instead of continuing in that style, Krypto was produced in a manner reminiscent of the Hanna-Barbera shows of the 1960s to the 1980s, from the sound effects down to the animation style (veteran Hanna-Barbera designer Iwao Takamoto served as a creative consultant).\n\nPlot\nAs the planet Krypton is about to be destroyed, Superman's father Jor-El makes a ship and puts a white puppy named Krypto into it for a test flight to see if it is safe enough for interstellar travel. While aboard the ship, Krypto was playing with his ball when he accidentally destroyed several wires and causes the ship to release a sleeping gas to put him into a deep sleep while it heads on to Earth. When he arrived in Earth's solar system he woke up and found himself fully grown. The rocket's computer system gave him a collar and an ID with an intergalactic communicator.\nUpon landing on Earth, Krypto is a full-grown dog, possessed of superpowers similar to those of Superman's (since all Kryptonian life-forms gain superpowers from exposure to a yellow sun, such as Earth's sun). Later, he is adopted by Kevin Whitney, a 9-year-old boy, with whom Superman arranges for him to stay (as Superman himself is often too busy saving the world to take care of him). Krypto poses as an ordinary dog while living with Kevin's family, but adopts the secret identity of Krypto the Superdog for his superheroic deeds; Kevin is aware of Krypto's dual identity, but the rest of Kevin's family is not (excluding Kevin's spoiled cousin Bailey, who found out accidentally). Kevin lives next door to Andrea, a girl who takes care of Krypto's best friend, Streaky.\nIn the series, the various animals, including Krypto, all are capable of speaking to each other, but not to humans, except for Kevin and later Andrea (they are able to communicate with Krypto and the other animals thanks to a universal translator that they wear, known as an intergalactic communicator). The viewers can understand them, though, especially when Krypto and Streaky talk to the camera.\nWith his allies Streaky the Supercat, Ace the Bat-Hound, and Stretch-O-Mutt, Krypto fights the plots of Lex Luthor's pet iguana Ignatius, Joker's pet hyenas Bud and Lou, Penguin's trained birds called the Bad News Birds, and Catwoman's cat Isis. When working either alone or with a group of alien dog superheroes known as the Dog Star Patrol, Krypto faces off against the evil Mechanikat and his agents Snooky Wookums and Delilah.\n\nEpisodes\nCharacters\nMain\nKrypto the Superdog (voiced by Samuel Vincent) is the main protagonist of the show, formerly Superman's pet on Krypton before it was destroyed. Krypto came to Earth in a rocket when it malfunctioned. He is a white Labrador Retriever and has all of the powers of Superman, though some are heightened due to being a dog, such as his super hearing and sense of smell. Krypto also shares Superman's moral values and feelings.\nStreaky the Supercat (voiced by Brian Drummond), Krypto's best friend and sidekick, is an orange Somali cat with a yellow streak along his back who lives next door to Krypto and Kevin's family. He gained Kryptonian-like powers and weaknesses after an accident involving a duplicating ray that was aimed at Krypto, but deflected off him and hit Streaky instead. Unlike Krypto, Streaky is less serious about his superhero activities, and sometimes needs prodding to perform heroic deeds, but usually is dependable. He also has a nephew named Squeaky who is the leader of the Supercat Fan Club. Streaky often refers to Krypto as \"K-Dog\".\nAce the Bat-Hound (voiced by Scott McNeil) is Batman's pet Great Dane (though Ace says that he is Batman's partner) who is the mentor of Krypto, Streaky and the Dog Star Patrol. Ace fights crime utilizing various detective skills and gadgetry built into his collar (an analogue of Batman's utility belt); he also uses a rocket sled for traveling long distances. Ace wears a dark-colored cape and collar similar to Batman's, and (like Batman) possesses a stoic personality. However, Ace does occasionally work alongside Krypto and considers him an ally. Ace's nemeses are Catwoman's pet cat, Isis, the Joker's two pet hyenas Bud and Lou, and the Penguin's three trained pet birds Artie, Griff, and Waddles.\nKevin Whitney (voiced by Alberto Ghisi) is the 9-year-old young boy who Krypto lives with in the series, with Superman's permission. Kevin enjoys Krypto's company greatly, and is able to communicate with him and the other animals in the series thanks to a universal translator device. Kevin has a bratty cousin named Bailey who finds out Krypto's secret, but fortunately, he is such a notorious liar that no adult believes him.\nAndrea Sussman (voiced by Tabitha St. Germain) is Kevin's next-door neighbor and the owner of Streaky. Andrea enjoys making Streaky play dress-up, but was unaware of his (or Krypto's) superheroic identity until later in the series, when she accidentally stumbles upon Krypto's spaceship. In \"Iguanikkah\", it is revealed that Andrea is Jewish and celebrates Hanukkah. She loves to play and dress up Streaky, and she treats him like a baby.The Dog Star Patrol are a superpowered group of canines who each possess a unique superpower, and fight crime across the galaxy. Krypto joined the Dog Star Patrol by helping the group out on a mission. Ace the Bat-Hound and Streaky the Supercat also helped them out on different occasions. The group is based on DC Comics' Space Canine Patrol Agents with elements of the Legion of Super-Heroes. Members of the Dog Star Patrol include:\n\nBrainy Barker (voiced by Ellen Kennedy) - A purple Saluki and leader of the Dog Star Patrol. Brainy Barker possesses telepathic/telekinetic powers, allowing her to read minds, project force fields, and levitate objects.\nMammoth Mutt (voiced by Kelly Sheridan) - A pink Chihuahua with the ability to inflate her body to an enormous ball-shaped size, allowing her to use her size to attack foes. She can also expand other parts of her body.\nBull Dog (voiced by Michael Dobson) - A lavender Bulldog with a stereotypical British accent and two retractable, bull-like horns that can be used for attacking foes and breaking objects.\nPaw Pooch (voiced by Dale Wilson) - A yellow and brown Basset Hound with eight legs that enable him to dig and run quickly. They can also grow in size, as seen in \"Puss In Space Boots\".\nTail Terrier (voiced by Peter Kelamis) - A green Scottish Terrier with the ability to stretch his tail and use it like a lasso. He also has a stereotypical Texas accent.\nTusky Husky (voiced by Terry Klassen) - A sky blue Alaskan Malamute with a stereotypical French-Canadian accent and a giant front tooth which is incredibly durable and can be used as a drill.\nHot Dog (voiced by Trevor Devall) - A red Dachshund with the ability to generate tremendous heat from his body and breathe fire. He also has a short temper, but started to control his anger in \"Bones Of Contention\".\nDrooly (voiced by Ty Olsson): An Old English Sheepdog who can use his drool as a weapon in various ways, such as grabbing objects, creating bubbles, and using it as projectiles. Appeared only in \"The New Recruit\" and was made a reserve member after defeating Mechanikat's forces.\n\nSupporting\nSuperman (voiced by Michael Daingerfield) - The main superhero of Metropolis and Krypto's original owner. He was only seen in \"Krypto's Scrypto\", allowing Kevin to watch over Krypto because of how busy he is.\nStretch-O-Mutt (voiced by Lee Tockar): Buddy, a Bloodhound at S.T.A.R. Labs, accidentally fell into a vat of chemicals and developed shape-changing powers similar to Plastic Man and Elongated Man. Sometimes he can be too silly for his own good.\nThundermutt (voiced by Phil Hayes) - An egotistical, world-famous canine actor who was somewhat jealous of Krypto when he \"stole\" the limelight at one of his movie premieres (Thundermutt II: Scratch And Sniff). Though he is cowardly, he is also mostly good at heart. The films he has appeared in, that are mentioned in the show, are Thundermutt II: Scratch And Sniff, Invasion of the Alien Cats, K-9 Krusader and Harry Rottweiler and the Doghouse of Doom (a parody of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom).\nJimmy the Rat (voiced by Phil Hayes) - A rat and informant for Krypto and Ace.\nRobbie the Bird Wonder (voiced by David Paul Grove) - An American robin whose life was saved after he witnessed an encounter between Ace and the Joker's hyenas. After that, he decides to be Ace's sidekick, much to Ace's dismay. Robbie was based on Robin. Like Ace, he has gadgets like a glider, birdarangs, and egg bombs and he also came back to Gotham to be partners with Ace.\nThe Supercat Fan Club - A group of kittens who are fans of Streaky, and occasionally assist him in crime-fighting despite not having powers. They consist of Streaky's nephew Squeaky (voiced by Lee Tockar), Nikki (voiced by Kathleen Barr), Puff (voiced by Samuel Vincent), and Ramone (voiced by Brian Drummond).\nMelanie Whitney (voiced by Tabitha St. Germain) - Kevin's 2-year-old baby sister. She knows that Krypto (\"Kippo\" as she puts it) is Superdog, but being a baby, her parents do not take her seriously.\nSmokey (voiced by Phil Hayes) - A Dalmatian who appears in \"Old Dog, New Tricks\". He believes that the firemen are going to replace him with a new puppy. So Streaky paints spots on Krypto to prove that Smokey is still up to the job, though at the end of the episode, he is still in the Fire Service working with Blaze.\nBlaze - The Dalmatian puppy in \"Old Dog, New Tricks\". Streaky thought Blaze was intended to be Smokey's replacement, but Smokey explained that Blaze is his new trainee. The firemen believe that Smokey can teach Blaze the ropes until the time he helps in fire emergencies.\nDooley (voiced by Brad Swaile) - A dolphin who befriends Krypto and Streaky when they were turned into fish in \"Furry Fish\".\nDogbot (voiced by Scott McNeil) - A robot dog built by Jor-El to keep Krypto company while he was in space, he appears in the episode of the same name and Dogbot to the rescue.\n\nAntagonists\nMechanikat (voiced by Mark Oliver) is the main antagonist of the series, he is based on Metallo. Mechanikat is a cyborg feline, who constantly plots to conquer Earth. He usually keeps a bit of green Kryptonite on hand to use against Krypto, or to power up his machines with so they can affect Krypto. He is also a member of the Intergalactic Villains Club (a spoof of the Legion of Doom) who gather in a base similar to the Hall of Doom. Due to Mechanicat's repeated failure to defeat Krypto, he has been unable to get elected as leader with the recent election having the members voting for Glorg to be the leader of the Intergalactic Villains Club.Snooky Wookums (voiced by Nicole Bouma) is Mechanikat's sidekick and secret agent. Snooky is a blue kitten mastermind who uses his cuteness and intelligence to cause trouble. He later became part of the Supercat Fan Club.\nDelilah (voiced by Kathleen Barr) is another feline agent of Mechanikat. She helped make the Katbots, and is skilled in kung fu.\nThe Katbots are the foot soldiers of Mechanikat.\nIgnatius (voiced by Scott McNeil) is the pet green iguana of Superman's archenemy, Lex Luthor. Like Luthor, Ignatius is very intelligent, vain and is morally ambivalent; however, he is effete, selfish and tends to behave in a much less dignified manner than Luthor. He is also more prone to engaging in frivolous (and dangerous) personal whims, such as employing a growth ray to enlarge a caterpillar for food or using a wind tunnel to harvest one of Krypto's hairs as part of a scheme to grow a lovely fur coat. Notable is that on occasion, he shows basic morals and honor.\n\nOther antagonists\nLex Luthor (voiced by Brian Dobson) - An evil genius and the owner of Ignatius, who is very intelligent and uses technology to take over the city. He is Superman's archnemesis that is always causing chaos and is the CEO of LexCorp where he makes his own top secret gadgets.\nBud and Lou (voiced by Peter Kelamis and Lee Tockar) - A pair of spotted hyenas who serve the Joker, previously having been created for Batman: The Animated Series. Their names are references to comedians Abbott and Costello. Additionally, they are depicted with red fur and are practically identical in appearance, only being distinguished by their collar colors - Bud purple and Lou green.\nIsis (voiced by Kathleen Barr) - Catwoman's cat, originally created for Batman: The Animated Series, who like her is seductive, and a master thief. In Batman: The Animated Series she was a black or dark gray cat - possibly a Russian Blue; here, she is a Siamese.\nThe Bad News Birds - Three trained birds who work with the Penguin and are usually up to some elaborate caper. They consist of the puffin Artie (voiced by Dale Wilson), vulture Griff (voiced by Matt Hill), and penguin Waddles (voiced by Terry Klassen),\nDogwood (voiced by Louis Chirillo) - A half-dog, half-plant hybrid who can bring plants to life. He bears a striking resemblance to another cartoon canine, Muttley.\nMertin the Magnificent (voiced by Scott McNeil) - A magician's rabbit who wields a magic wand that he stole from his master. His only real intentions are stealing carrots, but he can hold his own against Krypto and Ace if confronted by them. His name is a reference to the famous wizard, Merlin.\nSuperflea (voiced by Scott McNeil) - A Kryptonian flea who stowed away on Krypto's ship. Like all Kryptonian creatures, it gained a multitude of powers under Earth's yellow sun. It was ultimately driven off by a spray can, and stowed away on a plane.\nThe Junkyard Dogs - A group of never-do-well stray dogs. At best small-time hoods, they do periodically menace the heroes, and once took advantage of Krypto when he lost his memory due to Red Kryptonite. They consist of Mutsy (voiced by Lee Tockar), Beazel (voiced by Brian Drummond), and Beane (voiced by Samuel Vincent). Additionally, Rosie (voiced by Janyse Jaud) was formerly part of the group and Mutsy's girlfriend, but later left and was adopted by flower saleswoman Mrs. Fritch.\nKrypto's Tail (voiced by Samuel Vincent) - Once, when Krypto was exposed to Red Kryptonite, his tail became sentient, separated from him and caused havoc in Metropolis. After Krypto and the Dog Star Patrol defeated it, they learned that it only wanted freedom, and brought it to an island to roam until the Kryptonite's effects wore off.\nBailey Whitney (voiced by Reece Thompson in Season 1 and Noel Callahan in Season 2) - Kevin and Melanie's bratty cousin, who bullies Kevin and Krypto. Bailey too discovered Krypto's secret and has unsuccessfully tried to reveal it.\nBlackbeak (voiced by Brian Drummond): A thorn on Stretch-O-Mutt's side. Blackbeak is a parrot who leads a pirate crew called the Pi-Rats, who steal cheese and crackers. He additionally wears a Kryptonite necklace and hates cats.\nBarrump Barrump (voiced by Phil Hayes) - A sinister space monkey who pulls pranks all around the galaxy. In his self-titled episode, he steals a device that freezes time so that he can pull pranks on everyone on Earth. He is known as the \"Primate Prankster\" and is one of the galaxy's most dangerous criminals.\n\nVoice cast\nSamuel Vincent as Krypto the Superdog\nBrian Drummond as Streaky the Supercat and Edward 'Eddy' Whitney (Kevin's father)\nScott McNeil as Ace the Bat-Hound, Ignatius, Mertin the Magnificent and Super-Flea\nEllen Kennedy as Brainy Barker\nKelly Sheridan as Mammoth Mutt\nMichael Dobson as Bull Dog\nDale Wilson as Paw Pooch and Artie\nPeter Kelamis as Tail Terrier\nTerry Klassen as Tusky Husky and Waddles\nTrevor Devall as Hot Dog\nLee Tockar as Stretch-O-Mutt\nDavid Paul Grove as Robbie the Robin\nMark Oliver as Mechanikat\nNicole Bouma as Snooky Wookums\nAlberto Ghisi as Kevin Whitney\nTabitha St. Germain as Andrea Sussman and Melanie Whitney\nNicole Oliver as Mary Whitney (Kevin's mother)\nMichael Daingerfield as Kal-El / Clark Kent / Superman\nBrian Dobson as Lex Luthor\nKathleen Barr as Isis and Delilah\nMatt Hill as Griff\nTy Olsson as Drooly\n\nAdditional voices\nEnding and broadcast reruns\nOn December 15, 2006, the series ended. Reruns were shown on Kids' WB as part of the then-new CW network's E/I requirement, but stopped airing due to Kids' WB opting to use Cookie Jar Entertainment's shows Will & Dewitt and Magi-Nation. Krypto was aired on Boomerang from February 5, 2007 for a duration of 7 years until January 3, 2014. The two-part holiday special, \"Iguanukkah\", aired on Cartoon Network, December 21, 2008 (as well as Christmas Eve and Christmas Day), as part of the all-day holiday specials marathon. It was shown on Boomerang.\nOverseas, the show currently airs on Boomerang in Australia and on France 3 (as part of Ludo) in France. The show began airing on Boomerang Latin America in 2014. In the UK & Ireland, the series, upon starting, aired on the CBBC Channel before later moving to Cartoonito. However, as of November 2017, it appears to be no longer broadcast on that channel. Since September 2018, It started airing reruns on Tooncast in Latin America.\n\nHome media\nWarner Home Video released two DVD volumes in 2006 - each featured a few episodes from the first season; no further releases took place until it was announced that the complete series would be released on DVD on September 27, 2022. The series was recently added alongside other DC animated shows onto HBO Max, but currently only in Latin America.\nPassage 7:\nGordon Burns\nGordon Henry Burns (born 10 June 1942) is a Northern Irish journalist and broadcaster. He was the host of The Krypton Factor for its original 18-year run (1977–1995) and was the chief anchorman for the BBC regional news programme North West Tonight from January 1997 to October 2011. In November 2011, Burns moved back to Belfast where he was born.\nDue to his work commitments with Granada Television on programmes such as World in Action and Granada Reports and later BBC Manchester for North West Tonight, he resided in Manchester for over thirty years. Burns most recently hosted a Sunday morning radio show for BBC Radio Manchester and BBC Radio Lancashire. He is known for a bona fide style of presenting which has made him popular with his audience.\n\nEarly life\nBurns was born in Wellington Park, in Belfast. When he was a child his family moved to Kent where he attended the local primary school and then went to Dulwich College in London. The family then returned to live at Belfast's Belmont Road, where Gordon attended Campbell College.\n\nCareer\nHe began his journalism career working on the Belfast Telegraph and worked on BBC radio's long-running Sports Report before joining Ulster Television as a sports editor and programme producer in 1967. Two years later, Burns began presenting the nightly news programme UTV Reports, first as a stand-in for regular frontman David Mahlowe and later as a chief anchor, during the early stages of The Troubles. In 1973, Burns joined Granada Television to anchor their nightly news programme Granada Reports and to work on the station's current affairs output, including World in Action.\nIn September 1976 he presented a edition of the North West Friday night Football preview programme Kick Off covering for the regular presenter Gerald Sinstadt who that weekend was covering for Dickie Davies on World of Sport and was also covering the presenter and commentator roles for the Sunday Afternoon match highlights based version The Kick Off Match where he presented the programme and commentated on Sunderland v Manchester City at Roker Park which was being covered by Tyne Tees cameras for Granada viewers which was the main match that weekend at the time he was the producer of both Kick Off and The Kick Off Match but this stint as presenter and commentator was a one-off\nBurns' national profile began with his association of ITV's game show The Krypton Factor which he presented for eighteen years from 1977 to 1995. He was the presenter of Password for Ulster, one of their few programmes shown throughout the ITV network, and also hosted a segment in several series of LWT's Surprise Surprise. During the 1980s, Burns also continued reporting from the political party conferences for the ITV network and presenting the Channel 4 current affairs series Irish Angle. In the early 90s, he also presented two parlour game shows for the BBC – A Word in Your Ear and Relatively Speaking. He has also appeared as a guest on Noel's House Party, and on Shooting Stars as a member of Ulrika Jonsson's team.\nFrom 1997 to 2011, Burns presented North West Tonight, alongside its shorter lunchtime version, North West Today. In 2007, Ranvir Singh joined as co-anchor of the previously single-headed main evening programme. Burns announced in April 2011 that he would be retiring from the role but would move on to present a Sunday morning show on BBC Radio Manchester and BBC Radio Lancashire in September 2011 with his last TV bulletin broadcast on 30 September.\nHe was the voice of \"The Chain\" feature and other features on the Radcliffe & Maconie show on BBC Radio 6 Music. He appears as a guest on the show when The Chain reaches a significant milestone, for example, for the 5,000th (musically based) item on 3 March 2015 which was the single \"Dancing Queen\" by ABBA.\nIn 2013, Burns retired properly after stepping down from his radio show.\n\nPersonal life\nBurns is the second cousin of British singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran. Burns is married and has two adult children.",6 "char_len": 72785,7 "document_hash": "10d63faef5345948a48b92dbdf592c0e9b6af82bd55f229b9e544574374309b1",8 "questions": [9 {10 "question_id": "q00",11 "qtype": "hotpotqa",12 "question": "What time did the show, in which Gordon Burns was the host, usually air on Monday?"13 }14 ]15}