Yorkshire Television produced a series of five, hour-long, live shows for Friday evenings in 1999 (in fact two half-hour slots either side of the main ITN night-time news).  These shows were broadcast from the studio-set of "The Woolpack", a pivotal setting for much of the action in the popular long running YTV soap "Emmerdale Farm".  Since the programme's premise was to re-create a night-out in the local pub, it naturally had to feature a quiz of some sort!

The show's producer approached the Wise Old Owls and asked if we'd supply a list of names of "quiz people" prepared to take part  in the show.  It so happened the producer knew the late Steve Crew, one of the founders of the Wise Old Owls.  He was aware we ran quizzes right across the region and so would be able to supply contestants that were both capable and representative of Yorkshire TV's audience.  Moreover, our ability to put them directly in touch with likely contestants obviated the need for expensive and time consuming auditions.

The quiz itself, rather than being a team affair like most pub quizzes, was for individuals.  Four contestants appeared on each of the first four shows, the winner of each heat going through to the final which was to form part of the fifth show.  In each instance the contestants were faced with twenty questions, all about things which had been in the news or were otherwise topical.  The questions were thrown out to all four contestants and the fastest to the buzzer would get the chance to answer.  A point was awarded for each correct answer, and the highest score would win (a tie break question was available for tied matches).

Chris himself appeared in the fourth and final heat broadcast on 20 August 1999.  In so doing he represented the Robin Hood in Altofts (a pub he used to frequent on Monday evenings to take part in Tim Johnson's excellent multi-part quiz night). Chris stormed his heat, winning with 9 points.  The heat's other contestants were Paul Stone (Old Halfway House, Horbury) 3 points, Chris Chappell (Masons' Arms, Ossett) 3 points, and Lorna Rouse (Morley Dashers, Morley) 2 points.

The following week, i.e. the fifth and last show, the final was staged.  The other heat winners taking part were Darryl Sunderland of Todmorden, Chris Randal of Worksop, and Julian Barker from the British Queen in Bradford.  Chris won but only after a low scoring tie with Darrell and only then by virtue of getting the second bite at a  tie-break question!  There was no prize but a handsome trophy now sits on Chris' office bookcase!  He certainly enjoyed the experience and through going along to the TV studios got to meet a living Yorkshire legend, the one-and-only Dickie Bird!