Episode 1 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, welcome to Eggheads, where a team of challengers

pit their wits against possibly the greatest quiz team in Britain.

You might recognise them - they've won the country's toughest quiz shows.

They are the Eggheads.

And challenging the awesome might of our quiz champions -

the Tripboaters.

The team all know one another through

an interest in canal boats,

and regularly meet at the Ham Manor Basin marina in Newbury.

Let's meet them.

Hello. I'm Laurie.

I'm 68, and I'm a retired guesthouse owner.

Hello. I'm Olive. I'm 64, and I'm a marina caretaker.

Hi. I'm Dave. I'm 61, and I'm a retired pub landlord.

Hi. I'm Hazel. I'm 64, and I'm a credit manager.

Hello. I'm Tony. I'm 62, and I'm a retired accountant.

Well, welcome to you Tripboaters.

Nice to have you here. Shouldn't it be Boat Trippers, though?

-Why have you turned it round, Laurie?

-It's not like that.

Many years ago, when we were using the marina a lot, the electrics...

seem to keep fusing out and trip.

So, after a bit of desperation, we'd go to the pub,

join the quiz - when we wanted a name, we called ourselves the Tripboaters.

These canal boats.

You take these for trips or are they moored up there permanently?

Most go out on trips,

right around the country.

We've got 2,500 miles of canals in this country,

-so there's a lot of touring to go at.

-OK.

Let me tell you, Tripboaters,

every day there's £1,000 up for grabs for our challengers.

If they fail to defeat the Eggheads,

the prize money rolls over to the next show.

So, Tripboaters,

the Eggheads have won just the last game,

which means £2,000 says you can't beat the Eggheads.

Our first head-to-head battle today is on Geography,

which might suit you, having travelled the country

on those narrow boats. Who'd like to play,

who will you take on? Any Egghead you like.

-THEY CONFER

-Yes.

-Hazel do it?

Who shall I play against if that's the case?

Erm...I should go for CJ.

-OK?

-Yeah.

-Oh, OK. Right.

-It's going to be Hazel against CJ.

Hazel against CJ. Right.

-As long as it's not British geography.

-Yes, then I'm fine.

LAUGHTER

Hazel and CJ, into the question room, please,

just to make sure there's no conferring.

Hazel, would you like to go first or second in this round?

I think I'd prefer to go first, please, Dermot.

OK. Good luck, Hazel. Paignton and Torquay

are seaside resorts in which county?

I would have answered immediately. I suddenly thought, oh, my goodness,

am I absolutely sure whether it's Cornwall or Devon?

I know it's not Dorset.

Um...

Torquay and Paignton are in Devon, I think, so I shall say Devon.

-Just had to say them again to yourself...

-Yes.

Absolutely, well done. Good start, Hazel.

And CJ glad he avoided that,

concerning the United Kingdom.

Ah, so does this one, CJ.

Here's your first question.

What is the largest lake in the Lake District?

I'm assuming you mean by surface area, then?

Yeah.

Uh, now, it's not Coniston. Um...Ullswater does hold some record,

but I think it's Windermere.

-So I'll go for Windermere.

-OK.

Yep, that's right.

Well done, CJ.

One to you. OK, back to you,

Hazel, for your second question.

The Kerch Strait

connects the Sea of Azov with which other body of water?

Um...

It's going to be a guess,

and I will say...

-..the Black Sea.

-OK.

It is the right answer. Well done.

OK, CJ.

To catch up,

what is the approximate total area,

in square miles, of the island of Guernsey?

Well, I'll have to go on my instinct.

I thought Jersey was 6, so I'll go for 5 for Guernsey.

OK.

Eggheads?

It's bigger than you think, Dermot. I reckon it's more like 50.

This would have been a good final-round question. It's 30.

It's 30, not 5 or 50.

Down the middle. A real opportunity, Hazel.

Give me this answer - you're playing in the final round.

The Alborz mountain range is located in the north of which country?

Again, it's one I'm not entirely sure of.

Um...

I think I will go for Syria.

-So, Syria is my answer.

-Syria's your answer.

And it's incorrect.

Alborz's in the north of Iran.

CJ has to get this to take us to sudden death.

If he doesn't, you are through anyway, Hazel.

CJ - the city of Frankfurt in the German state of Hesse

is located on which river?

Uh...well, it has two names, doesn't it?

The Frankfurt am Main is one of them.

So the Main certainly runs through Frankfurt - that's what I'll go for.

Frankfurt am Main...

is correct. Yes, well done, CJ.

He's coming back, Hazel.

-I know.

-I thought you had it...

Two of the opportunities to win the round gone, but we go to sudden death.

You get no choices now, Hazel - you've just got to give me the answer

straight out, and hopefully a correct one.

Bridalveil Fall,

fed by Ostrander Lake, is a feature of which US National Park?

Um, I have heard of Bridalveil Falls,

but I'm not absolutely certain where it is, unfortunately.

Um...

But I will say, um...

Yellowstone.

So close, Hazel, but it's not right.

Yes, it's right with a Y,

-but it's the other one with the Y...

-ALL: Yosemite.

-Yosemite.

-Oh, right.

CJ, chance to win it, then.

What name is given to the cable-stayed road-bridge

that spans the valley of the River Tarn in France,

the tallest viaduct in the world?

When you started reading the question, I thought you meant the Millau Road-bridge,

but obviously not.

Um...

I have heard the name of the world's highest viaduct,

but I don't think I'm going to remember it.

No, I'll just try the Millau Bridge.

I see you, Barry,

holding his head there, as you were talking yourself out of Millau.

It is, to put Hazel out of her misery, the right answer.

Really good round there, though, Hazel.

I thought, especially after the first two or three questions, it was going to be you in the final round.

Instead, it's CJ. Bad luck, Hazel,

you won't be in the final round.

Come and join your teams.

The challengers have lost one brain from the final round. That's Hazel.

The Eggheads haven't lost any.

But only one round gone, so we'll play our second round now, and this is Sport.

Who will play Sport? It can't be Hazel...

THEY CONFER

-Who do we play against, then?

-Who did we say?

-Barry.

-Go for the new one.

-Yeah.

-Barry.

-Yeah, go for Barry.

So, it'll be Tony against Barry, please.

OK then, let's have Tony and Barry into the question room, please.

OK then, Tony. Let's see if you can knock an Egghead out,

that Egghead being Barry.

Would you like to go first or second in this Sport round?

I think I'd like to go first, Dermot.

Best of luck, Tony.

Here's your first question.

Jenny Pitman became famous

in 1983 as the first woman to have trained a winner

in which horse race?

Well, I don't think it's either the Derby,

or I'm not sure about the Oaks,

but my instinct says...

it's the Grand National.

-I'll go for the Grand National.

-Instinct for the Grand National.

It is the right answer. Correct.

Any Egghead tell me the horse?

-ALL: Corbiere.

-Corbiere. OK, Barry,

your first question.

Prenton Park is the home ground of which football team?

It's certainly not Southampton, who moved recently from St Mary's,

and it's not Norwich City, so it must be Tranmere Rovers.

Tranmere Rovers is the right answer. Yeah, well done, Barry.

Prenton Park - Tranmere Rovers. OK.

Tony, second question.

The badge of which US basketball team

features a leprechaun spinning a basketball on his finger?

This is one sport I know absolutely nothing about.

Um...so it is a complete and absolute wild guess.

I fancy... I think, the Boston Celtics.

The answer is, yes, the Celtics. That's correct. So, two to you.

Barry, second question.

Virginia Wade won the women's doubles title

at the Australian, French and US Open tennis tournaments

in collaboration with which player?

I really should know this, and I can imagine CJ

is pulling all sorts of faces while I think about this one.

I'm pretty certain it wasn't Margaret Court.

Something at the back of my mind is saying she partnered Betty Stove,

so I shall have to go with that.

Check with your colleagues. CJ?

-Certainly the one I would have gone for.

-Aha.

Well, then, you'd both have got it wrong.

It's the one you eliminated first. It's Margaret Court.

Court and Wade

at the Australian, French and US Open together.

So, Tony, get this, and you're through.

In January 2006, who became the youngest ever BDO World Darts Champion,

when he defeated fellow Dutchman Raymond van Barneveld,

at the age of 21 years and 90 days?

Um...

I'm going to make a wild guess again...

and Dick van...

Dijk? Dike? Whatever his name is...

-The first...

-That one. Dick van Dijk.

LAUGHTER

I'm not sure if there is a darts player called that name,

but it's not Dijk.

Jelle Klaasen beat barny Barneveld which means

you have repeated what happened to Hazel.

You got the third one wrong.

But still a chance to go through, if Barry doesn't get this.

The sport of bocce is closely related to which other?

Well, the other name for pelota is jai alai.

I've never heard of a third name for that, so I'll discount that.

Bocce...

billiards - doesn't sound like it's billiards.

I know there's various forms of petanque. Boules is one of them.

I suspect bocce might be another form of petanque,

-so I shall go for petanque.

-OK.

The answer is petanque.

It is correct, Barry. You have saved yourself.

So, there we are, exactly the same pattern

as that first round. Let's hope it doesn't continue that way.

Tony, sudden death, then.

In 2008, Rafael Nadal became the first Spaniard

to win the men's singles at Wimbledon since which player

in 1966?

Oh, I'm struggling to recall a Spanish player going back that far.

Um...

No, it's not going to come to me, Dermot.

-Can't even give a wild guess on that one.

-OK, Tony. Blank there.

Barry, you've got any idea?

-I think it was Manuel Santana.

-Yeah. Manuel Santana, yes.

So a chance for you, then, Barry.

In cricket, what is signalled when the umpire touches

their raised knee with their hand?

Um... Is that a leg bye?

Is that your answer?

-Yes.

-HE CHUCKLES

-DERMOT SIGHS

-It's a leg bye.

It's correct, Barry,

and you've sneaked through. Bad luck, Tony.

You won't be playing in the final.

Come join your teams.

So, as it stands, two of the Tripboaters have sunk without trace. Well, not without trace,

good performances,

but won't play the final. Eggheads haven't lost any.

We move on to our third subject today,

and this one is Film and Television, and who'd like to play?

It's Laurie, Olive or Dave.

I think it's me for the short straw.

THEY CONFER

-I thought it might be...

-Film and TV.

-ALL MURMUR

-Chris?

-I think so.

-I think so...Chris, yes.

-Olive against Chris.

Olive against Chris on Film and Television.

It's that sense of inevitability.

-LAUGHTER

-OK, then.

To ensure no conferring, Olive and Chris into the question room.

Best of luck, Olive. See if we can get you through to the final.

-First or second set of questions?

-I'd like to go first, please, Dermot.

Good luck with them, Olive. Here you go.

Which snooker player

co-presented the TV game show Big Break with Jim Davidson?

Um, I've never seen Dennis Taylor co-hosting anything,

and John Parrott did Question Of Sport,

so I'll go with John Virgo.

John Virgo on Big Break with Jim Davidson. That is correct.

OK, Chris...

Dictionary Corner is a feature of which TV show?

Yeah, well,

I've got reasons of my own for watching this show,

and it's Countdown.

And, dare I ask, what are your reasons?

I absolutely adore Carol Vorderman.

CHUCKLING

But she's gone!

-Yeah.

-Well, maybe she'll have a bit more time on her hands.

Put a team together, Carol, and have a go.

Yeah. Dictionary Corner, of course, appears on Countdown.

It's the right answer.

One each. Back to you, Olive.

For which film did Carol Reed win an Academy Award for best director?

Er...I'm not sure about Oliver!

It's a musical, and I think that was Lionel Bart.

The Agony And The Ecstasy -

could be - but I think my instinct will take me to The Third Man.

The Third Man, Carol Reed.

Eggheads...

ALL: Oliver!

It's Oliver! It is Oliver!

There we go. Means a chance for Chris to take the lead.

Chris, what material was used to make Oscar statuettes during World War Two

due to metal shortages?

Well, they wouldn't have been carved from wood, I don't think.

And I don't think they'd have been made from clay,

unless they were fired. I think they were cast in plaster.

Sort of gesso stuff.

-Plaster.

-Sort of what stuff?

-Gesso.

-What's that, then?

-It's very fine plaster that you...

-sort of you make surfaces good with.

-OK.

That is the correct answer. OK.

It has given you the lead, and means you've got to get this, Olive.

Lieutenant Starbuck,

and Commander Adama were characters in which classic TV sci-fi series?

I don't think it was Buck Rogers...

Um...

-SHE EXHALES

-I didn't see a lot of Lost In Space.

I'll go for Battlestar Galactica.

Well done, Olive. It's the right answer.

Battlestar Galactica.

Still in it. Chris, you win if you get this correct,

if not, we go to sudden death.

Which British actor

was nominated for an Oscar for his lead role in the 2001 film

In The Bedroom?

Hmm.

Well, I know Bernard Hill and I know Bob Hoskins,

and I can't visualise either of them in In The Bedroom.

I don't know Tom Wilkinson,

so as a total guess, I'll say Tom Wilkinson.

They're all nodding, the Eggheads. It's correct.

It's the right answer.

Chris admitting it's a guess, which means

you're in the final, Chris. Olive, you won't be there.

Please come and join your teams.

So, as it stands, the challengers have lost three brains from the final round -

the Eggheads are all there.

Last chance to knock one out, Tripboaters. See if you can.

The subject is Music.

Who'd you like to play? It's got to be Laurie or Dave.

-It's got to be me.

-I think so.

-Yeah, yeah.

It's my worst subject, Dermot, but it's got to be me.

I don't think it's Kevin or Daphne's worst subject.

It's one of them you've got to play. Who do you want to play along?

I'll go for Kevin, please.

OK. Let's have Laurie and Kevin into the question room, please.

Flying the flag for the Tripboaters,

Laurie, first or second?

I think I'd like to go first, Dermot, please.

It's Music. Good luck. First question.

What type of birds are mentioned in the popular song Over The Rainbow?

Well, um... I'm not sure I remember lovebirds

and there's a long of songbirds about.

I think I'll have a stab at bluebirds.

Is the song going through your head...?

They'll be bluebirds over the mountains, or something?

That'll do. It's the right answer. Well done, Laurie.

OK, Kevin, your first question.

Which song was a UK number two for the Mindbenders

in 1966, and a number one hit single for Phil Collins in 1988?

Ah, going on the...

going on the Phil Collins there, I think he had a number one...

It's not Sussudio. The others have got similar titles there.

But...I think his number one was...

You Can't Hurry Love. Yeah, You Can't Hurry Love.

OK. You Can't Hurry Love. Eggheads?

-ALL: A Groovy Kind Of Love.

-A Groovy Kind Of Love, Kevin.

-Sorry.

-Well, A Groovy Kind Of Love we wanted to hear.

You didn't want to hear it, Laurie - you didn't.

So, real chance.

Two questions away from the final round, potentially. Here you go.

Faith and Older are albums by which singer?

Well... I don't recall Cliff Richard having albums of that name.

Um...

and I don't recall Elton John.

I'm tempted to take a stab at George Michael, please.

That is the right answer. Well done. Yeah.

So, two-nil.

It ends here if Kevin gets it wrong.

Blueberry Hill,

and Ain't That A Shame were UK hit singles for which artist

in the 1950s?

That was Fats Domino.

Fats Domino, Laurie nodding - it's correct. Yes, Fats Domino.

So...well...

I'm not going to say how important this question is, Laurie.

In which city was the rock group Judas Priest formed?

Well...um...this is...

this is going to have to be a stab.

Judas Priest.

I'm gonna try Manchester, please.

OK. Judas Priest.

Chris, you're a bit of a...

-bit of a rocker.

-Yeah, I think they're a Manchester group.

Could be Liverpool. Certainly not Birmingham.

-I'd go for Manchester.

-OK.

Answer's Birmingham.

-ALL: Oh.

-Birmingham.

Would have got the Eggheads too. Birmingham -

which means Kevin's got a chance to take us to sudden death.

Kevin, what was the first name of the German composer Pachelbel,

famous for his Magnificat Fugue for Saint Sebaldus?

He was Johann.

Johann Pachelbel.

Yeah, that's right.

Oh...

got that slippery-slidey feeling again for you, Tripboaters.

We are now in sudden death, as you know, Laurie. Here's your question.

What name is popularly given to Haydn's Symphony Number 45 in F-sharp minor,

in which, during the final adagio, each musician in turn

stops playing, snuffs out a candle and leaves, until there are just two violins left?

HE SIGHS

Sounds a bit of a fire hazard,

but I would have to guess totally at...um...Goodnight.

It's a good idea, but it's not the right answer. No, but a good guess.

Kevin?

-Farewell.

-Farewell Symphony. Farewell -

which we might be saying to Laurie,

if you get this right.

Kevin. John Cale,

and Sterling Morrison were members of which influential band

-of the 1960s and '70s?

-I'm not too familiar with Sterling Morrison.

I hope I've got the right John Cale here, if there's more than one.

But I'll say Velvet Underground.

It's the right answer. The Velvet Underground. John Cale,

and Sterling Morrison is correct, Kevin.

Ah, you've done it again, you Eggheads. Confound you!

I say that on Laurie's behalf. He's polite.

Means you won't be playing in the final round, Laurie.

Please come back and join your teams.

This is what we've been playing for.

It's time for the final round, which, as always, is general knowledge.

Those of you who lost your head-to-head

won't be allowed to take part.

So Laurie, Olive, Hazel,

and Tony from the Tripboaters,

would you leave the studio now, please?

So, Dave, that leaves you playing to win the Tripboaters £2,000.

Kevin, CJ, Daphne, Chris, Barry -

you're playing for something money can't buy -

the Eggheads' reputation.

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

This time the questions are all general knowledge,

and you are allowed to confer.

Dave, the question is, is your one brain better than the Eggheads' five?

Dave, would you like to go first or second?

Well, we nearly got it on going first three times,

so I'll stick with it, and I'll go first. We'll go first.

So, I like the way you say,

"We'll go first," cos you're still playing as a team -

I know the guys behind you are rooting for you,

unable to help though, stranded in the question room.

Let's see if you can do it. Best of luck.

You decided to go first, and here's your first question, Dave.

The Leaning Tower Of Pisa was designed primarily as what?

I'm not sure about a lighthouse...

and I don't think an observation platform.

I've got a feeling it was a bell tower.

So I'll go for bell tower.

Bell tower.

Yeah, bit far from the sea, really, weren't it,

-for the lighthouse?

-Yeah.

Bell tower is absolutely right. Good start, Dave.

Right, Eggheads.

What does the comic book character

Billy Batson have to say to turn into the superhero Captain Marvel?

What does the comic book character Billy Batson have to say

to turn into the superhero Captain Marvel?

Shazam.

It's not working!

LAUGHTER

Shazam is right - Billy Batson had to say that

and he'd turn into Captain Marvel.

So, all square. Dave, second question.

In which year did Cuba gain its independence from Spain?

This will have to be an absolute guess.

I think 1698 sounds a bit early...

..but as for 1798 or 1898...

-I'm going to have to make a guess on this and I'll say 1798.

-OK. 1798.

You think 1698 is too early.

So is 1798.

It is 1898.

OK then, Eggheads,

chance for the lead, second question for you.

Buckwheat,

used to make pancakes and blini, is not a type of wheat,

but a plant belonging to the same family as which other foodstuff?

THEY MUTTER UNCERTAINLY

Good question, eh?

-My instinct would have been rhubarb, but...

-Dunno.

-No idea?

-I thought it was a type of rusk,

-but my instinct would be rhubarb...

-Yeah.

-Mmm.

-Really don't know for sure.

-Dave, they're relying on instinct here.

-Are we agreed it's not orange?

-Yeah, it comes from a tree.

-And garlic...

-Garlic is lilies.

-Lilies.

-Yeah.

-So...

Answer, Eggheads?

-Well, good question.

-Good question, yes.

We're hoping it's rhubarb.

-You're hoping?

-Yes.

Dave, do you feel like you'd have done well with this?

I wish I'd gone second.

I think it's rhubarb.

-It is rhubarb.

-Oh!

-It's correct.

-Phew.

It is rhubarb. OK. Well...

it's the way the questions have fallen,

but the Eggheads would have been OK with Cuba, I suspect,

in terms of what might have been. Let's concentrate on the present -

Dave, you've got to get this.

Which prize is awarded at the French Open tennis tournament

to the player with the strongest personality?

-HE CHUCKLES

-I've never heard of this.

Well...

there clearly is one. Strongest personality...

The lemon prize, the sausage prize, or the onion prize.

Well...

HE LAUGHS

I suppose, looking at those, the...

the onion has the strongest personality in some respects,

-so I'll go for Prix Oignon.

-Oignon.

OK. Tennis correspondent,

CJ, have you heard of the Strongest Personality Award

-at the French Open?

-I've never heard of the Prix Saucisson.

I've heard of a Prix Citron... For French Open,

-the one I'd go for is Prix Oignon.

-OK.

Well, that's interesting. It's not.

It is the Prix Citron.

It's rather strong and astringent, I suppose.

The Prix Citron, awarded to the player

with the strongest personality in the French Open.

Maybe we should have a Prix Citron here.

We've had plenty of strong personalities here over the years.

It does mean you have failed to defeat the Eggheads.

Eggheads, you've won!

Well done. Playing on your own is never, never easy,

but you were very unlucky

not to be accompanied by many of the gallant players sitting behind you,

some of those head-to-heads slipped away from them.

It wasn't to be. Thank you very much for playing Eggheads today,

Tripboaters, and best of luck to you in the future.

The Eggheads have done what comes naturally. They still reign supreme over quiz land.

I'm afraid you won't be going home with the £2,000,

which means the money rolls over to the next show. Eggheads,

congratulations. Who will beat you?

Join us next time to see if the new challengers can defeat the Eggheads.

£3,000 says they don't.

Until then, goodbye.

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