What Time Is Pointless On Tonight? BBC iPlayer and Series 36 Co-Hosts
| Day | Time | Episode | Listed as |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 26 Oct | 5.15pm | Series 30, Ep 35 | Repeat (marked (R) by the BBC) |
| Tue 27 Oct | 5.15pm | Series 30, Ep 36 | Repeat (marked (R) by the BBC) |
| Wed 28 Oct | 5.15pm | Series 30, Ep 37 | Repeat (marked (R) by the BBC) |
| Thu 29 Oct | 5.15pm | Series 30, Ep 38 | Repeat (marked (R) by the BBC) |
| Fri 30 Oct | 5.15pm | Series 30, Ep 39 | Repeat (marked (R) by the BBC) |
| Mon 2 Nov | 5.15pm | Series 30, Ep 40 | Repeat (marked (R) by the BBC) |
| Tue 3 Nov | 5.15pm | Series 30, Ep 41 | Repeat (marked (R) by the BBC) |
| Wed 4 Nov | 5.15pm | Series 30, Ep 42 | Repeat (marked (R) by the BBC) |
| Thu 5 Nov | 5.15pm | Series 30, Ep 43 | Repeat (marked (R) by the BBC) |
| Fri 6 Nov | 5.15pm | Series 30, Ep 44 | Repeat (marked (R) by the BBC) |
| Mon 9 Nov | 5.15pm | Series 30, Ep 45 | Repeat (marked (R) by the BBC) |
| Tue 10 Nov | 5.15pm | Series 30, Ep 46 | Repeat (marked (R) by the BBC) |
| Wed 11 Nov | 5.15pm | Series 30, Ep 47 | Repeat (marked (R) by the BBC) |
| Thu 12 Nov | 5.15pm | Series 30, Ep 48 | Repeat (marked (R) by the BBC) |
| Fri 13 Nov | 5.15pm | Series 30, Ep 49 | Repeat (marked (R) by the BBC) |
Michael Ball has had the co-host's seat since Series 36, Episode 3 on Tuesday 22 September, after Lucy Porter took the first two. The BBC counts 46 episodes in Series 36. Friday 9 October breaks the run with an older Series 30 episode in the same slot, and the break isn't a one-off: BBC One's schedule, read on Wednesday 7 October, keeps Series 30 repeats (Episodes 25 to 34) at 5.15pm on every weekday from Monday 12 to Friday 23 October, so Series 36 pauses after Episode 15 on Thursday 8 October. The BBC hasn't listed a date for Episode 16: when we re-read BBC One's schedule on Thursday 22 October, it ran to Friday 13 November and every weekday in it was still a Series 30 repeat, up to Episode 49; Pointless wasn't listed yet for Monday 16 November. On Monday 12 October the same schedule ran to Friday 30 October, up to Episode 39. The other weekday quizzes are in which quiz is on each weekday.
The gist: Pointless is on BBC One at 5.15pm every weekday and runs until the BBC News at Six, so each episode is 45 minutes. BBC iPlayer streams it live and keeps it on demand afterwards.
What time is Pointless on?
5.15pm to 6pm on BBC One, Monday to Friday. The news is waiting on the hour, which is why the final always wraps up so briskly.
It has been a teatime fixture since it began in August 2009, long enough that the series numbers now run into the thirties. For most households the slot is simply part of the weekday furniture.
BBC One's regional variations don't normally touch Pointless, but viewers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland should check their own listings on days when a local sports or news programme is on.
Does a new series of Pointless change anything?
Not for viewers. A new series number marks a fresh block of recordings and a new run of pairs chasing the jackpot; the slot, channel and length stay the same.
It can matter for fans who follow co-hosts, because the BBC's episode notes for a new series are where the next names first appear. We keep those names in the dated box above rather than in the text, so this page doesn't go stale when the rota moves on.
Who co-hosts Pointless with Alexander Armstrong?
A rotating cast. Armstrong hosts every episode, but since Richard Osman left the show the seat beside him has gone to guest co-hosts rather than one permanent partner.
Some stay for a single episode and others for a run of three or four. The BBC names the guest in many listings, though not all, and a missing name in the schedule doesn't mean the seat is empty.
The job itself hasn't changed. Whoever sits at the Pointless laptop reveals how many of the 100 people gave each answer and adds a line of background when an obscure one scores zero.
Can I watch Pointless on BBC iPlayer?
Yes. iPlayer streams BBC One live, so you can watch at 5.15pm on a phone or laptop, and after broadcast each episode joins the Pointless collection. As with anything on iPlayer, you need a TV licence.
It's UK only. Abroad, iPlayer won't play, and we couldn't verify any official full-episode YouTube channel for the show.
That catch-up option matters on busy weekdays, because ITV1's The Chase overlaps Pointless by 45 minutes; our guide to watching The Chase covers the ITVX side of that clash.
How does Pointless work?
Four pairs start. Before recording, 100 members of the public were given 100 seconds to name as many answers as they could to each question, and a pair scores one point for every person who gave the same answer.
Two opening rounds knock out a pair each. Then the last two pairs meet head to head, and the winners go to the final, where they pick a category and try to find a single pointless answer among three they give.
So low is good. An answer nobody thought of scores zero, and that's what the final pair need for the jackpot. Miss, and the prize rolls over to the next show, which is how jackpots creep into four figures during a long losing streak.
We won't reproduce questions or answer boards here. They belong to the programme, and half the fun is shouting at the telly.
What's on around Pointless?
ITV1 runs a game show at 4pm (Deal or No Deal since Monday 28 September 2026) and The Chase at 5pm, and Channel 4's Countdown goes out earlier, at 2.10pm. On Monday evenings BBC Two adds three harder quizzes; the Monday night quiz guide explains Mastermind, Only Connect and University Challenge.
Daily teatime rundowns live on our Chase page, and weekly listings in our week-by-week quiz schedules.
Questions readers ask
Is Pointless on at weekends?
No. It's a weekday show at 5.15pm.
How long is an episode?
45 minutes, from 5.15pm until the News at Six.
Who hosts when no guest is named?
Armstrong is always there; the BBC just doesn't print every co-host's name ahead of broadcast.
Where are the other explainers?
Under UK Quiz Guide. For something after the quiz, our sister site lists EastEnders at 7.30pm.
Sources
- BBC One London schedule (read for each weekday from 28 September to 9 October 2026, and again on Thursday 22 October 2026 for 23 October to 13 November)
- BBC episode page: Pointless, Series 36, Episode 10 (episode count and co-host credit)
- BBC programme page: Pointless
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