Each panellist has a buzzer, with the sounds of all four often being based on a theme. They are demonstrated at the beginning of the programme, but are sometimes changed in some way for repeated use. Davies' buzzer usually subverts the theme established by the preceding three. Notable comical twists include in the ninth episode of series B (Bats) when all the first 3 buzzers were bells, then Alan's buzzer turned out to be a male voice (Leslie Phillips) saying "Well hello! Ding dong!" It was revealed last in every episode except for the unbroadcast pilot, in which he went first and Eddie Izzard was fourth. In episode 5 of Series A, rather than a comical buzzer, Davies set off the forfeit alarm, meaning he started the show on -10 points before a question was asked (it was later changed to the sound of a duck quacking). This was done again in episode 1 of Series H. Davies' buzzer in the "Endings" episode was notably the longest buzzer ever used.
Apart from the pilot, where the panellists used various objects to draw attention to themselves, two episodes have not used a buzzer system: the series D episode "Denial & Deprivation", where as part of the theme the entire usual set had been dispensed with and the panellists instead used assorted objects, and the series G episode "Green", where the buzzers were switched off to 'reduce the show's carbon footprint' and replaced with a set of whistles.
Sometimes questions are based on the buzzers themselves, usually Davies's. For example, one of his buzzer noises the Series D episode "Descendants" sounded like a Clanger and the panel had to try and guess what was being said (the answer being "Oh sod it, the bloody thing's stuck again.") In the Series F episode "Fakes and Frauds", all the buzzers sounded like ordinary household objects, but then turned out to be the sound of the superb lyrebird mimicking the noises. Davies's however, was again an exception. His buzzer, which sounded like a telephone, really was a telephone and not a lyrebird mimicking one.
