Do we like them?

Would we support them? Type any of these:

You get the goss with a verdict, a score out of 10, and the sources to check us.

Do we like Saruman?

A character from The Lord of the Rings (1954-1955)

Our score: 1 out of 10. No. He was trusted to protect Middle-earth, and he turns that trust into ambition and cruelty. You'd back him only if you wanted to be on the losing side of everything.

Saruman the White is the leader of the Istari, the wizards sent to Middle-earth to help its peoples resist the Dark Lord Sauron. He lives in the fortress of Orthanc at Isengard and has studied the enemy's lore for years. The other good powers treat him as a wise ally.

His trouble is pride. He is clever, commanding and sure that he knows best, and his voice can talk people round. He doesn't want to destroy evil so much as take the power for himself, and that ambition drives everything he does.

That is why he scores so low. A guardian who should have protected the free peoples becomes one of their most dangerous enemies. He is fascinating, and Christopher Lee's film version is memorable, but nothing he does makes him worth backing.

Queue a list of names

One name per line (or split with commas), up to 100 at a time. They're checked a few at a time in the background and land on the scoreboard as they finish. Names already on the board are skipped.

Suggest names

Add names here for the team to review: famous people, characters or companies, one per line (up to 20). We check the ones we pick, and they land on the scoreboard.

Suggested names

Loading…

See what's in line

Loading…

The scoreboard

Everyone checked so far, by score, 10 at the top. Typing a name up top filters the board too. Tap a score to see who's there, and a name for the whole card.

Loading…

Our take, from what the sources we read say on the day we checked. It can miss things; tap a source to read it.