Episode 1 Celebrity Eggheads

These people are amongst the greatest quiz players in Britain.

Together, they make up the Eggheads, arguably the most formidable quiz team in the country.

Question is, can they be beaten?

Hello and welcome to a special celebrity edition of Eggheads,

the show where a team of five quiz challengers pit their wits

against possibly the greatest quiz team in Britain,

and you might recognise them as they've won some of the country's toughest quiz shows.

They are the Eggheads. And tackling our awesome quiz titans today are the Yellow Coats.

For eight years, we laughed at the comic goings-on

of the staff and campers who visited Maplin's holiday camp in Hi-de-Hi.

To celebrate this year's 30th anniversary,

we're going to test the quizzing prowess of four of the show's stars,

captained by head Yellow Coat himself, Jimmy Perry.

Let's meet the Yellow Coats.

My name's Jimmy Perry. I'm a comedy writer, and with David Croft, we created Hi-de-Hi.

I'm Jeffrey Holland and in Hi-de-Hi,

I played the hapless trainee comedian Spike Dixon,

and I got thrown in the pool an awful lot.

I'm Nikki Kelly and I played Sylvia Garnsey, one of the yellow coats in Hi-de-Hi.

Hello. My name is Paul Shane, and I played Ted Bovis in Hi-de-Hi.

Hello. My name's Barry Howard, and in Hi-de-Hi,

I played Barry Stuart-Hargreaves, the champion ballroom dancer.

Very good to see you, Yellow Coats. We are honoured to have you here.

We're all massive fans, not just of Hi-de-Hi, of course, but all your work, Jimmy.

You and David Croft, so many shows, so many hundreds of millions

of people must have watched the output of your pen over the years!

We did 400 shows, half-hour shows.

And these were shows that were attracting audiences of, what, over 20 million many times?

-One time, Dad's Army was getting 20 million.

-Good Lord.

Amazing. And now it's gone all over the world, it's still going on all over the world.

It's very nice. Especially for my bank manager!

I'm sure they are very pleased indeed! Let's focus on Hi-de-Hi.

How did you come up with the idea for that, Jimmy?

Well, when David and I finished It Ain't Half Hot, Mum,

we said, "What shall we do next?"

And we both, by sheer coincidence, had worked at Butlin's holiday camp.

David used to produce the concert party, and I was there as a temporary red coat.

We realised, the fact is, the joke in the holiday camp is the staff.

The campers aren't funny, and we decided to concentrate on the staff.

We had all these characters, and they really happened, they really belonged.

They really did, I mean, it's so absolutely believable.

How did you get the cast together, and it really did give that flavour, didn't it, of the real holiday camp?

I mean, you know, parts of it felt, give or take a few wonky sets, a bit like a documentary.

Cardboard sets, I always called it.

That's right. How did you cast it? How did you find Paul, AKA Ted?

David Croft and I never used a casting director,

because at that time, the BBC frowned on them, quite right,

and we had been in the business so long, we knew all these actors,

and I'll tell you how we got hold of Paul.

I was watching Coronation Street one day.

I went to get a cup of coffee, I came back, and there,

standing in the middle of the screen was Paul Shane, and I thought, "That is the man to play the part."

Fantastic. We've got so much to talk about, but we have got a quiz to play, so we'll talk as we quiz!

So let's kick off, shall we, with our first round? I'll tell you the rules and the rest of it.

Every day, there's £1,000-worth of cash up for grabs for our challengers' chosen charity.

However, if they fail to defeat the Eggheads, the prize money rolls over to the next show.

So Yellow Coats, as this is the first of our celebrity specials,

you can work it out, just £1,000 says you can't beat the Eggheads.

And the first head-to-head battle is going to be on the subject of Arts & Books.

You pick one challenger to take on an Egghead

and try and knock them out on this category.

Arts & Books, I imagine would suit quite a few of you here,

but who do you want to send in as your champion? Arts & Books?

-Jimmy, what do you think?

-It's got to be me, they set me up!

OK, captain, out you come.

-Right, who will you play from the Eggheads, Jimmy?

-I'll go for Judith.

Opening round, Arts & Books, Jimmy against Judith.

Could I ask you both please to take your positions in the Question Room

just to make sure you can't confer with your team-mates.

Now, Jimmy, you've chosen to play Arts & Books, take on our Judith there.

Would you like to go first or second? As the challenger,

you get to choose whether you start or make the Eggheads start.

I'll go first.

First question then, Jimmy. What name is given to a small

preparatory sketch or drawing which an artist may use as a template or try-out for a larger work?

-It's a thumbnail.

-Yep, right one.

Thumbnail, of course.

And Judith, your first question.

The festival of poetry, performance and music, known as an Eisteddfod,

is particularly associated with which country?

I think that might be Wales.

Wales it is, yes. Both off to a good start.

And Jimmy, your second question.

In Louisa M Alcott's novel, Little Women,

which of the March sisters marries Laurie?

Erm, I think it's Meg.

-It's not, it's Amy

-Oh.

-Oh, hi-de-hi.

Amy marries Laurie in Little Women. So, Judith, your second question.

The series of illustrated books known as Where's Wally

in the UK are known by what name in the USA and Canada?

Oh gosh, I don't know, never heard of them in either country.

What's an American name?

I don't think it's Wilbur.

Although there are lots of American Wilburs.

Where's Wally?

I think it might be Waldo.

-I just hope.

-Where's Waldo, it is the right answer, yes.

You have two, which means Jimmy, you need to get this one then.

The Scott Moncrieffe Prize is awarded annually for excellence

in what literary activity?

Oh.

I'll go for illustration.

OK, the Scott Moncrieffe Prize is awarded annually for translation.

Translation, Jimmy, not illustration. Which means,

Jimmy, you're out, I'm afraid. You won't be in the final round.

Judith is through.

Would you both please come back and join your teams.

Well, one less Yellow Coat now Jimmy's gone from the final round.

But four still stand, and three more head-to-heads coming up. The next one is Food & Drink.

A-ha. Who likes food and drink?

-I think you should do this, don't you?

-I eat the most!

It should be Nikki.

Choose an Egghead before you depart for the Question Room.

It can't be Judith. Any of the other four.

-I think Kevin, don't you?

-It was Kevin. Kevin.

-Yes.

Kevin. You've done your research, haven't you?

He is a much-respected quizzer and many times world quiz champion.

Let's have Nikki and Kevin into the Question Room, please.

Now, Nikki. You've decided to play Food & Drink.

Hoping to exploit Kevin's vulnerabilities on it. Do you want to go first or second?

First, please.

Right. Good luck. First question then.

What is the surname of the highly respected mother and daughter food writers

with the first names Jane and Sophie?

I don't actually read these sort of books,

so it's a little bit of a guess.

I'll go for Grigson.

Jane and Sophie Grigson, absolutely right, well done, good start.

One to you. And Kevin...

What name is given to the traditional hangover cure

typically made from an unbeaten egg, Worcester sauce, salt and pepper?

Disgusting. Prairie oyster.

-Not that I have any...

-I was going to say, do they work?

-I have no personal experience of such things.

-No.

Prairie oyster is that combination, yes, well done. One each.

And Nikki, second question.

The name of which utensil literally means self boiler?

Casserole I think you put stews in.

A samovar, I don't know.

I'll choose cauldron.

Cauldron. Bubbling cauldrons.

Does that literally mean self boiler, though? It doesn't.

Now, Kevin...

Samovar is literally from the Russian.

Yes, it is. Samovar from the Russian, self boiler. Well.

Still all square, until this one.

If Kevin doesn't get it, it will stay that way.

The people of which empire believed chocolate was an aphrodisiac?

One ruler reputedly drinking 50 cups a day?

Well, I believe chocolate originates from the Central American region,

and it was used in ceremonies by the Aztecs,

so that sounds like the most likely bet, Aztec.

Is the right answer. Aztec is correct,

knowing the role of chocolate in that culture.

So it means, Nikki, you need to get this.

What type of food is the subject of an annual festival in the French town of Bayonne,

first held in 1462?

I think I might know this

because I went to Biarritz on holiday last summer,

which is right next to Bayonne, and I think it's ham.

Ham it is, well done.

Bayonne. OK, well, well done there.

It's kept you in the game. You just have to hope Kevin doesn't get this.

Kevin, what is the main flavouring of the Polish liqueur, Krupnik?

This one will be a guess because I've never heard of that.

So, because there are a lot of aniseed-based liqueurs,

I'll go for aniseed, but I really have no idea.

Aniseed in Krupnik, wouldn't go with the honey.

Incorrect, it's honey. Whoa, good news, Nikki.

But we're making it harder because it's all square, so we go to sudden death.

And I'm going to take away the choices.

So I've just got hear an answer straight from you, Nikki. And this is it.

Which English cheese was mentioned in the Domesday Book, and is considered to be the oldest

named cheese in Britain, probably going back at least to Roman times?

Wensleydale.

Wensleydale?

Great cheese.

Pretty ancient, but not ancient enough.

Not Wensleydale. Do you know, Kevin?

You could have faced this if Nikki had put you in.

-I think it's Cheshire.

-It is Cheshire, Cheshire cheese.

Mentioned in the Domesday Book.

Not there, but if this isn't there for you, we continue.

Kevin, the name of which fruit with a thick rind and numerous seeds

comes ultimately from the Latin for apple with many grains.

Well, the Latin name for apple,

obviously there are lots of different varieties, but I think it's malus pomelo.

And I can see from the description, the seeds and grains, I can see that coming to pomegranate.

So I'll go for pomegranate.

Pomegranate, an apple with many grains.

An Egghead with many brain cells, it is the right answer, pomegranate.

-I think you knew that as well, Nikki, I could tell from your body language.

-Yes.

See the game was up, unfortunately. Well played.

Took us into Sudden Death, but Kevin has ultimately won through.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

OK, the Yellow Coats have lost two, the Eggheads are all there.

And we'll try another category for size.

And this one, it may go well for you, Yellow Coats.

It's Film & Television. Film & TV.

And Jeffrey, Paul or Barry can play.

-Shall I have a go?

-Yes. You have a go.

-You'd be good at that.

-If you insist.

-Yeah.

-Barry's going to do it.

-Barry's going to do it.

-Yes, I shall.

Pity Jimmy's can't as he wrote most of the stuff

that's on telly, even these days, it would have been a breeze for you. But I'm afraid you're out.

Who would you like to play, Barry?

From the Eggheads, Judith and Kevin have played, so you've got CJ, Pat or Barry.

I'll keep it in the family and have Barry.

You're going to make it easy for me then.

So, Barry and Barry, please, into the Question Room.

OK, let's test your knowledge of Film & Television now.

First decision for you is do you want to kick off or let the other Barry start?

I think I will choose to go second, please.

All right then, Egghead Barry, it's your first question.

Jim Bowen was the regular presenter of which TV game show first broadcast in 1981?

Super, smashing, great.

It must be Bullseye.

Look what you could have won. Bullseye is the right answer, yes.

Well done, Barry.

Yellow Coat Barry...

Who has been Alexander Armstrong's regular sketch show partner since 1997?

Certainly not David Walliams.

He's the Little Britain bloke.

But Miller and Armstrong seem to go together. I will say Ben Miller.

Yeah, Armstrong and Miller, well done. Well put together there.

So, Egghead Barry,

the TV series Hotel Babylon is set in which city?

I believe they show a picture of the Thames in the opening credits,

so the answer must be London.

Hotel Babylon is set in London. It's the right answer, well done.

Yellow Coats,

Which actress starred in the 1980s Hollywood films Legal Eagles, Wall Street and Roxanne?

I really don't know. I haven't seen any of those films.

And I will guess Melanie Griffith.

Melanie Griffith for Legal Eagles, Wall Street and Roxanne.

Eggheads, you're looking pained, CJ.

-Daryl Hannah.

-It is Daryl Hannah.

-Oh, flip!

Daryl Hannah, not Melanie Griffith.

So it gives an opening to our Egghead. And this is your question.

Which British actor plays Baby Face Nelson in the 2009 film Public Enemies, directed by Michael Mann?

I have heard of Baby Face Nelson, and I've heard of the film,

but I've not seen it and I don't know who's in it.

So this has to be an out and out guess.

And we will try Dominic West.

Dominic West for Baby Face Nelson. Eggheads, looking blank.

-Stephen Graham.

-It's Stephen Graham.

So nothing there. Good news for Yellow Coat Barry.

If you get this, we go to Sudden Death and a chance to get into the final round, Barry.

Here's the question. The actress Rhea Perlman,

who's best known for playing the barmaid Carla in the sitcom Cheers,

married which Hollywood star in 1982?

Don't know, sir.

Right, have a guess.

One of those three.

We'll try the middle one, Danny DeVito.

It's the right answer, yes, Danny DeVito. Well done.

Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman.

Right, it goes to Sudden Death, which means we remove the choices.

Egghead Barry, in which Woody Allen film

does Christopher Walken play Diane Keaton's psychotic brother, Duane?

That doesn't make it easy, because Diane Keaton was in more than one Woody Allen film.

But I'll go with my first guess, and say Manhattan.

It's not Manhattan.

-Anyone else know?

-Annie Hall?

-Annie Hall.

It's Annie Hall.

So, right, well,

Barry, you survived an opportunity to be knocked out there by Egghead Barry.

Now you have the chance to knock him out and get into the final round with this question.

Which character was played by Kevin Costner in the 1987 film The Untouchables?

-Eliot Ness?

-And that is your answer, is it, Barry?

-Yes, sir.

-Eliot Ness.

Bye bye, Egghead Barry. It's the right answer. Well done. Eliot Ness.

Kevin Costner in The Untouchables playing Eliot Ness,

which gets you through to the final round. Great news for the Yellow Coats.

You won't be in the final round, Egghead Barry. Would you both come back and join your teams?

The Eggheads have lost their first brain from the final round.

The Yellow Coats have lost two.

And our last head-to-head before the final round, this category is Music.

Jeffrey and Paul, one of you two to play it. Music.

Shall I have a crack at it?

-Yeah, go on.

-I'll do it.

-Going to have a go then, Jeffrey?

Good stuff. Which Egghead would you like to play, bearing in mind Barry, Judith and Kevin have played?

You have got CJ or Pat.

I think I'll probably have a go with CJ.

OK, let's have Jeffrey and CJ into the Question Room, please.

OK, let's play the round.

-Jeffrey, would you like to go first or second?

-I'll go first.

Good luck, Jeffrey. This is your question.

"Chestnuts roasting on an open fire"

is the first line of which song written by Mel Torme and Bob Wells?

That's not Merry Christmas Everyone and White Christmas is well known,

so I'll go for the Christmas Song.

The Christmas Song, by process of elimination, yes, right answer.

CJ, which American singer-songwriter's 1988 debut album

contained the tracks Fast Car, Talkin' Bout A Revolution and Baby Can I Hold You?

That was Tracy Chapman.

Yes, it was. That is correct.

And you have one correct answer each. Second question to Jeffrey.

Which Scottish singer released the albums These Streets in 2006

and Sunny Side Up in 2009?

I'm not entirely sure, to put it mildly,

but for some reason Sharleen Spiteri rings a bell so I'll go for that.

Sharleen Spiteri.

It's not, Jeffrey. No, it's Paolo Nutini.

So, advantage perhaps to CJ. He has to get this to capitalise on it.

CJ, the Chinese musician Lang Lang is a world renowned virtuoso on which instrument?

I'm going to go for one of the stringed instruments.

I've really got no idea.

-Let's try cello.

-Cello. Other Eggheads?

-Piano.

-Piano, the one you ruled out.

-No idea.

-So you weren't close.

OK, good news for Jeffrey. Still one each and a third question each now.

Jeffrey, which 19th century composer was called, "A regular freak without a vestige of talent"

by Mendelssohn and "a monster" by Debussy.

Well, it wasn't Brahms, because that's not the right century.

So it's either Berlioz or Bizet.

Um...

I probably would have said that about Bizet.

It is Berlioz.

So a chance for CJ to take the round.

CJ, which actor donned a fat suit

to debut the role of Count Fosco in Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical The Woman In White

at the Palace Theatre in London in 2004?

I don't think it was Michael Crawford.

I think it would have made more of a splash if it was him.

It didn't last very long, did it?

I don't know why, but there's something nagging me

about Michael York and I can't place it.

It may be just completely misremembered

or I'm just making it up on the spot.

But I'm going to go for Michael York.

OK, Michael York, in a fat suit as Count Fosco.

I'm sure he's very capable of it, but no, not that Michael.

It's Michael Crawford, Count Fosco in The Woman In White.

And you live to fight another day, Jeffrey.

But this time fighting in Sudden Death, so no choices.

I've got to hear the answer straight from you.

This is your question.

Who had a UK number one album in the 1950s with Songs For Swinging Lovers?

-That was Ol' Blue Eyes himself, Frank Sinatra.

-Yes, it was.

Frank Sinatra. Well done.

CJ...

I'm In The Mood For Dancing was a 1979 UK hit single for which band of singing sisters?

And these have reformed as well.

It's The Nolans.

The Nolans is the right answer. Yes, the Nolan Sisters. Well done.

And back to Jeffrey.

Which famous song was written in 1880 by journalist Giuseppe Turco and composer Luigi Denza,

to celebrate the opening of a railway on Mount Vesuvius?

I didn't know there was a railway on Mount Vesuvius! I've no idea.

-None at all.

-Famous song. Do you want have a guess?

A famous song written in 1880 about a railway on Mount Vesuvius.

If it was Italian, I don't know, O Sole Mio.

O Sole Mio. No, it's not.

-But the song in question is... CJ, first. No.

-Can't remember.

-Other Eggheads?

-Funiculi, Funicula.

Funiculi, Funicula. The funicular song about a funicular railway.

OK.

Well, a chance for CJ again.

Now Give Three Cheers is a song from which Gilbert and Sullivan comic opera?

Now Give Three Cheers, they're cheering the navy...

..which reduces it to HMS Pinafore.

You lucky devil! It's the right answer.

HMS Pinafore, which Jeffrey knew as well. Of course.

Oh, bad luck, Jeffrey. Well played. Not to be, on the day.

It means CJ's playing in the final round and not you, Jeffrey.

Would you both please come back and join your teams.

So this is what we've been playing towards.

It's time for the final round, General Knowledge.

But I'm afraid those of you who lost your head-to-heads

won't be allowed to take part in this round,

so Jimmy, Jeffrey and Nikki from the Yellow Coats

and Barry from the Eggheads, would you leave the studio, please?

Paul and Barry, you're playing to win the Yellow Coats £1,000 for your chosen charity.

Pat, Judith, Kevin and CJ,

you're playing for something which money can't buy - the Eggheads' reputation.

As usual, I'll ask each team three questions in turn.

The questions are all General Knowledge so that's one difference.

The other is that you are allowed to confer. It's very important Barry won that head-to-head.

-It gives you someone to talk to there, Paul.

-Yes.

Yellow Coats, the question is, are your two brains better than the Eggheads' four?

Paul and Barry, would you like to go first or second?

-We'll go second again, shall we?

-Second, yeah.

OK, first question is yours, Eggheads.

Where did John Travolta famously dance with Princess Diana in 1985?

We think it was the White House.

-The White House.

-Yes. One of those big presidential balls.

It's the right answer, yes. The White House is correct.

John Travolta and Diana, Princess of Wales.

Now, Yellow Coats, your first question.

The acronym DAB is most commonly associated with which medium?

I've never heard of DAB to do with television, have you?

No, or radio.

Radio DAB? DBO in theatre.

Dead blackout.

Yes, I can't do any of that internet, do you?

No, no, no. I mean, it seems to be the obvious answer.

If we don't think it's the other two shall we go for internet?

-Yeah. Internet.

-Internet.

DAB, Eggheads, what does it stand for?

Digital Audio Broadcasting.

Digital audio broadcasting. It's radio.

DAB.

So, caught out on that one, but more questions coming.

Not yet, though, for you. This one's for the Eggheads.

Which fashion designer co-founded the label Red or Dead in the 1980s?

We think it was Wayne Hemingway.

His father was a wrestler.

I think Wayne Hemingway co-founded Red or Dead.

You're just throwing in that wrestling bit.

-Completely unnecessary.

-You've got the name of his father.

Billy Two Rivers, I think was his name.

Wayne Hemingway is the right answer,

with a wrestling dad or not. The founder of Red or Dead.

There we are. A 2-0 lead, and you need to get this, Paul and Barry.

The scientist Howard Florey, who shared the Nobel Prize

with Alexander Fleming and Ernst Chain in 1945, was born in which country?

The scientist Howard Florey, F-L-O-R-E-Y,

who shared the Nobel Prize with Alexander Fleming and Ernst Chain in 1945,

was born in which country?

-I don't know the name. Do you?

-No.

Could the surname perhaps be vaguely French?

Well, they have got a French...

Quebec, in Canada, haven't they?

Yes, I don't think we know, really, but we'll guess Canada.

We'll guess Canada.

OK, Howard Florey, Nobel Prize winner,

along with Alexander Fleming and Ernst Chain,

was born in Australia.

Australia, which means, Eggheads, you've won.

A couple of pig questions there in all honesty.

Bad luck, Barry and Paul.

-You weren't going to get started with those, were you?

-No.

Did they know the answers?

-They usually do.

-They know everything.

-They're Eggheads.

-Yes.

Not right, not right. But listen, I'll tell you one thing, it's been great fun having you here today,

all five of you, and all these wonderful stories about Hi-de-Hi, of course.

-I can't believe it's 30 years!

-It is, yes.

-Unbelievable.

30 years of Hi-de-Hi. Wonderful to see you all to share those memories with us.

Next time we take the Eggheads on, we'll have a knobbly knees contest.

-That will sort them out.

-We'd win that.

The Eggheads have done what comes naturally to them.

They still reign supreme over quiz land.

You haven't won the money, which means that it rolls over to the next show. Eggheads, congratulations.

Who will beat you?

Join us next time to see if a team of broadcasters and journalists

have the brains to defeat the Eggheads. £2,000 says they don't.

Until then, goodbye.

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