Episode 12 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?

Welcome to Eggheads, the show where a team of five quiz challengers

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

You might recognise them, as they are goliaths in the world of TV quiz

shows. They are the Eggheads. And taking on the awesome might of our

quiz goliaths today are the Wild Indians from

Ryedale in North Yorkshire.

The team all know one other through the Women's Institute

and have been friends for over 15 years. Let's meet them.

Hi, I'm Sylvia.

I'm 76 and a retired headteacher.

Hi, I'm Val.

I'm 65 and a retired bank clerk.

Hello, I'm Carole. I'm 66 and I'm a retired dental nurse.

Hi, I'm Pat.

70, and I'm a retired receptionist.

Hello, I'm Frances.

I'm 61 and I'm a retired teacher.

Welcome. Very good to have you here. Now, from

the Women's Institute, Wild Indians. Is there a link here in the team name?

Well, we are sort of generally known around the country as Wild Indians.

-Ah, right.

-It just emphasises our feistiness.

-Ah.

Well, tell me a bit about some of the activities you get up to, then.

Oh, all sorts of things. We do... We walk,

we play Scrabble,

we go to quizzes occasionally.

Very social.

Well, best of luck today. Let's see how you do.

Every day there's £1,000 worth of cash

up for grabs for our challengers.

However, if they fail to defeat the Eggheads, the prize money

rolls over to the next show.

So, Wild Indians, the Eggheads have won the last

nine games, which means £10,000 says you can't beat the Eggheads.

And the first head-to-head battle will be on the subject of Politics.

Who'd like to play this? It can be any one of you at this stage.

I don't really think any one of us wants to do Politics.

-But what do you think, girls?

-I think it's got to be Sylvia.

-Captain's choice.

-I'm afraid it's got to be me, Dermot.

So, you're playing the captain's role.

Which Egghead would you like to knock out?

Because I'm sure you'll win, Sylvia. Anyone one of those five.

-I'll try CJ.

-So, it's going to be Sylvia against CJ. The subject is

Politics. Could I ask you to take your positions?

Just to make sure there's no conferring with your teammates.

OK then, Sylvia, would you like to go first or second?

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

OK, best of luck, Sylvia. It's Politics, and this is your first

question. What phrase is commonly used to describe the British form of

Parliamentary voting, whereby the candidate with the greatest number

of votes wins the seat?

Well, I wasn't expecting to see any of those answers. I have

to think about this.

I don't think it's early to bed.

I would think

it's first past the post.

First past the post. Bit like this game.

Yep, there you are. It's correct.

First past the post.

CJ, first question for you. What now-ubiquitous prop for

political punditry was first used by the BBC in the 1950s?

Mostly famously manipulated by Peter Snow, the swingometer.

The swingometer is the right answer.

So, it's 1-1. Sylvia, second question.

"The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of

"class struggles" is a line from which pamphlet, published in 1848?

I don't... I'm fairly certain it's not The Communist Manifesto.

Not so sure about the other two.

I know The Rights Of Man.

And I've not heard of the other one.

Well, this is... This is going to be an educated guess.

But I believe it could be The Rights Of Man.

It's not The Rights Of Man.

It's the one you discounted there, Sylvia.

The Communist Manifesto.

Early days yet. Let's see how CJ does with his second question.

What position did Denis Healey hold in the Labour Government

between 1964 and 1970?

Just checking. I'm not aware that he was ever

Defence Secretary. Thinking about Home Secretary.

I'm pretty sure he was Deputy PM at some point.

Don't... Not sure, but I'm going to go for Deputy Prime Minister.

He was Defence Secretary, CJ. So, Sylvia, stays all square.

And if you get this right and CJ gets another one wrong, you've won

the round. Sylvia, which Conservative politician

who was Foreign Secretary from 1989 until 1995 has written

a number of thrillers, including An End To Promises and Vote To Kill?

I haven't read either of those.

I don't think it was Michael Heseltine.

And I'm...

..fairly sure it wasn't Kenneth Baker,

because I think he was something to do with schools.

Because we used to have Baker Days in those days.

I'm going to go for Douglas Hurd.

You see, that's kind of Egghead-type thinking,

using the bits of knowledge you have from elsewhere.

And Douglas Hurd's the right answer.

Well done.

So, CJ, you've got to get this.

In American politics, what term is used to describe government

spending that is intended to benefit

a politician's constituents, in return for their support?

Oh, dear.

This is where I start digging myself into a hole,

because there's only one of those terms I've heard of in connection

with politics.

Which means it's undoubtedly going to be one of the other two.

I'm going to discount beef basket, because I've just never heard of

that at all, in any context.

I think it's one of the other two.

I haven't heard this. I'm just going to...

Even though I can understand how the other two would be applicable...

I'm going to go for the one that sounds the least likely,

simply because I have heard it as a term. But it might

be something different. Pork barrel.

Yes, it is pork barrel. Yes!

So, matching each other question for question there.

Both getting one wrong at the same time.

It means, Sylvia, we go to sudden death.

So, taking away those choices now.

So, I've just got to hear an answer from you to sort a winner out.

Whom did Corazon Aquino replace as President of the Philippines

after a bitterly-contested 1986 election?

I'm sorry, Dermot. I really don't know the answer to that one.

-OK. Your knowledge of Filipino presidents...

-Is not there!

Not discussed much amongst the Wild Indians! Do you know, CJ?

-Ferdinand Marcos.

-Ferdinand Marcos.

Can you tell me the answer to this, CJ? If you do, you are through.

Which US president appointed Richard Nixon as his vice president?

Let me just make sure about this!

See, this is when I start doubting myself over things I know perfectly well.

-Eisenhower.

-Well, CJ, you know I need a full name.

Dwight David Eisenhower.

Is the right answer, CJ. Yes. Dwight D Eisenhower.

But that's the answer.

Dwight D Eisenhower. Puts you through to the final round.

Sylvia, you won't be in the final round.

That's a pity. Would you both please come back and join your teams?

Well, what a loss to the Wild Indians.

Sylvia is going to be missing from the final round. No Eggheads gone.

We've only played one round. Let's play another one,

see if we can get rid of some of those Eggheads, Indians.

This one is Music. Who'd like to play this? Music.

-It's got to be you, Pat, I think.

-It looks like me then, Dermot.

-That's a song! It's got to be you!

-Yes!

Who would you like to play from the Eggheads? It can't be CJ.

Chris?

Of course. Would you like to dance?!

I can't dance. I've got three left feet.

OK, well, we'll just listen to the music instead.

Can I have Pat and Chris into the question room, please?

Pat, would you like to go first or second?

I'll try first, please.

Good luck with it, Pat. It's Music, and this is your first question.

Which part of the day is frequently mentioned in the lyrics of the song

What Shall We Do With A Drunken Sailor?

Well, let's see.

I think I can...

..cancel out halfway through the evening.

And round about midnight. I think it might be early in the morning.

Er-ligh in the morning, as it goes.

It's the right answer, of course.

Well, done, Pat. And a good start. OK, Chris. First question for you.

What was the title of

Elkie Brooks' first UK hit single?

Very good song it is, too. It's Pearl's A Singer.

It's is, that's right.

That is one question correct each.

And back to you, Pat.

In 1990, U Can't Touch This became the first UK top-ten hit single

for which rap artist?

This is not my era.

Don't play much rap at the WI dances?!

No, we don't. I'm more into musicals!

Let's see.

I'll go with MC Hammer.

OK. Why are you going for that, Pat?

-It just seemed to jump out at me.

-OK. Well, you must have heard it then.

That's the right answer. U Can't Touch This.

Well done. There we are. All green means it's correct.

Chris, who wrote the songs Alexander's Ragtime Band and

God Bless America?

Isaiah Baline,

who naturalised himself as Irving Berlin.

Ah, bit of extra information, as we always get from the Eggheads.

Irving Berlin is correct.

There we are, two each. You're going well, Pat.

Let's see if you can keep it up on this one.

It might just knock Chris out. You never know.

Potato Head Blues from 1927 is said by many to be which

jazz musician's greatest recording?

Oh, right. This is an early one.

Potato Head Blues.

Potato Head Blues.

Yes, I've heard of it, but which one, I'm not quite sure.

I'll rule out Louis Armstrong.

I'll go for Fats Waller.

It's not Fats Waller. No, Pat.

-Oh, dear.

-Sorry. Do you know, Chris, of the other two?

Yeah, well, Duke Ellington was more the swing-band era.

It was Louis Armstrong.

Louis Armstrong, the first one you discounted there.

So, that gives Chris an opportunity to take the round.

Chris, the band leader Lionel Hampton

is best known for his work on which instrument?

Well, I don't see him sat there playing a harp.

And I don't see him stood up playing a glockenspiel.

So, presumably he stood and played a vibraphone, with the hammers.

Vibraphone.

OK. Just worked it out from how it would work as a band leader.

It's the right answer, as well.

Vibraphone, Lionel Hampton. Well done.

Good round from both of you. Just that last one wrong from you, Pat.

That's cost you a place, I'm sorry to say, in the final round.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

Well, as it stands, two of the Wild Indians won't be in the final round.

All the Eggheads are slated to appear at this point.

But that can easily change. Three Wild Indians left

to try and knock a couple of them out.

Our next category today is Food & Drink. Who would like to play this?

And it's Val, Carole or Frances.

-I shall do it.

-OK, Frances.

And from the Eggheads there's Kevin, Judith or Daphne.

I'll go for Kevin, I think!

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

So, Frances, let's see what happens.

-Would you like to go first or second?

-First, please.

Good luck, Frances. Here's your first question, then.

Minced, cooked pork mixed with cereal, often

sold in a tin and typically eaten in slices, is commonly known as what?

Well, I don't think you eat it for breakfast or dinner.

So I think it's probably luncheon meat.

Luncheon meat is correct, yes.

Good start.

Yeah, hear, hear. Well done, Frances. Kevin, first question

for you. Which food is fried to make the dish of hash browns?

Something I have been known to eat. Potato.

Potato, yep. That's the right answer.

Constituent of hash browns. Back to you, Frances.

On the menu in a French restaurant,

what would you normally expect to find in the section marked "viandes"?

Well, I do love eating in French restaurants.

And under the "Viandes" I would look for meats.

Yep. Meats, correct. Viandes.

Kevin, what is the name for

the technique of making a sauce by adding stock or wine to a pan

containing the caramelised residue of seared foods?

Well, I must admit, I don't think I've

ever heard of the other two terms.

So that could be... I'm sure I've seen a different

definition than that for deglazing.

But I don't know the other two terms at all. So, I'm going for deglazing.

Deglazing is the right answer, Kevin. Yes. It's all square again.

Two each.

Well, Frances, can you put the pressure back on Kevin?

Pecan nuts come from a species of what tree?

They have

an American sound to me.

But I'm not sure which tree.

I suppose I should go for the one that sounds most American,

which is hickory.

Gone for hickory, and you've got hickory.

It's the right answer.

Well done, Frances.

OK, Kevin has to get this, then. In France, what type of food is a berlingot?

Don't know, unfortunately.

I've never heard that... I'm sure I've never heard that

in relation to sandwich. So...

That's not saying much, really, given the choices.

-I don't know it, so I'm going to say sausage.

-Sausage.

OK, a berlingot. What do you think, Judith?

-Your time in France, you come across...?

-I thought...

Boiled sweets in my mind,

-but I don't really know.

-OK.

Well, Frances, you've just toppled the three-times World Quiz Champion.

It is a boiled sweet.

Boiled sweet. Judith thought it might be that.

Yeah, boiled sweet, a berlingot. Congratulations, Frances.

Well done.

The Wild Indians fight back.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

Well, the Wild Indians claimed a scalp there, and what a scalp!

Mr Ashman there. The Wild Indians

have lost two brains from the final round,

but the Eggheads have lost one.

And we play our last head to head before the final round.

This is Arts & Books.

Now, who of you between Val and Carole fancy it? Arts & Books.

Yes. Oh, yes. I'll have to, won't I? I've got Frances to help me.

It's got to be, yes.

OK, right.

Right, OK. Stay with us, Val, while we choose you a player.

Daphne or Judith haven't played.

Well, that's really difficult!

-Yeah, I will go for Judith. Yes.

-OK. Judith, on Arts & Books.

Could I ask Val and Judith to go to the question room, please?

Right then, Val. We'll see if we can get you to

follow Frances through into the final round

and join Carole. She is guaranteed to be there.

Hasn't played any of the head to heads.

And Val, would you like to go first or second?

I'd like to go first, please.

Best of luck, Arts & Books. First question to you.

King Solomon's Mines is an 1885 adventure story by which writer?

Right.

It isn't HG Wells, because he was later.

John Buchan, that's Thirty-Nine Steps.

I'll go for the H Rider Haggard one, please.

H Rider Haggard, King's Solomon's Mines.

Yes, it's right. Well done. Good start.

Judith, the term "singleton", to describe a person without a partner,

was introduced in which novel?

Don't know.

Sounds... Sounds American.

-Have you read any of these?

-I read Bridget Jones's Diary.

And that's very English.

So, I don't know. It's sounds sort of vaguely politically correct.

Not sort of Bridget Jones-type language.

I don't know about the other two at all.

I think I'm going to go Lucy Sullivan, maybe.

-Yeah.

-OK.

-Why not?

-It's the one you've read.

-Bridget Jones's Diary.

-Really?

-Yeah. Bridget Jones's Diary.

-I'm surprised.

Good news, Val. It gives you a chance

to take an even bigger lead.

What colour, Val, is the artist's pigment viridian?

Well, it sounds a bit like verdigris.

I'm going to go with the verdigris thought.

Viridian.

It's not brown.

I'm having second thoughts about it. Viridian.

I'll go with green.

This is one of those times

when giving you the choices makes it harder. You are right.

-Oh, great.

-Viridian - green.

Without choices, you'd have gone for green.

-Probably, yes.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-OK. Well, anyway,

that's great news. Means Judith has to get this or she's out.

Judith, Racing Demon and The Absence Of War are plays

by which contemporary British dramatist?

It's definitely not Alan Bennett.

I think it's David Hare.

-David Hare - Racing Demon, The Absence Of War. Eggheads?

-Yes.

Yes, it's the right answer.

Well done, Judith. Kept you in it.

But Val can decide it if she gets this.

Val, which village gave its name to the 19th-century school

of French landscape painters,

of which Theodore Rousseau was a leader?

Well, it's not Giverny.

Because that's Monet... Um...

Rousseau...

Pont-Avent...that's Lautrec.

I'm not sure, but I will go for Barbizon.

The answer is...Barbizon. Correct.

Judith knows this. You said it to me last time you won in this category.

I know. I knew you'd put the kibosh on me.

She's had 15 straight victories in Arts & Books up to this point.

-I mentioned it, Judith said, "Oh, dear, no."

-You did it, you see?

You must keep your mouth zipped.

Well done, Val. That's you into the final round. Judith won't be there.

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 which, as always, is General Knowledge.

But those of you who lost your head to heads

won't take part in this round.

So, Sylvia and Pat from the Wild Indians,

and Judith and Kevin from the Eggheads,

would you all leave the studio now, please?

So, Val, Carol and Frances, you're playing to win £10,000.

CJ, Daphne and Chris, you're playing for something which money can't buy.

Oh, no!

The Eggheads' reputation

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

The questions are General Knowledge and you are allowed to confer.

Wild Indians, the question is, are your three brains better than the Eggheads' three brains?

And Val, Carol and Frances, would you like to go first or second?

-First.

-Shall we continue to go first?

-Yes, I think first.

We'll go first, Dermot.

OK. Well, best of luck, Wild Indians. It's General Knowledge. Here's your first question.

Peat is the first stage in

the transformation of vegetation into what?

We all agree it's coal.

-Coal?

-Coal.

Is the right answer, yes. Peat.

OK, Eggheads' first question.

Gander is the name for the male of which species of bird?

Goosey, goosey gander.

I like the way you say that, Daphne. You're going for?

-Goose.

-Goose?

-Yes.

It's the right answer. Yes, goose.

OK, Wild Indians. Second question.

An escutcheon is an element of heraldic design in the form of what?

-It's not on your helmet.

-It's a sword or helmet.

-No.

-It's a shield.

-We think it's a shield.

-A shield.

-Yes, Dermot.

Confident and quick answers here.

And correct ones. The most important thing.

Shield is escutcheon. So, two for you.

Eggheads, which county of Ireland is situated

between Galway Bay and the Shannon Estuary?

Sorry, could you say it again?

Which county of Ireland is situated between Galway Bay

and the Shannon Estuary?

-Clare...

-Cork's too far south.

-Cork's on the south west and Wicklow's on the east.

-Over there.

-So, it has to be Clare.

-Yeah, it is right.

That would be Clare. County town - Ennis.

Clare is the right answer. Yes, Eggheads, you got it there,

between Galway Bay and the Shannon Estuary. So, it's two-all.

Wild Indians, your third question.

On the 28th of May 1940,

King Leopold III surrendered which country to the Germans?

We think that's Belgium, Dermot.

-King of the Belgians?

-Yup.

-It's the right answer. Yes, well done.

Three for you then. Well, if it stays that way after this question,

the money goes to the Wild Indians. Eggheads, to which family of flowers

does the scarlet pimpernel belong?

-I know...

-It's a little flower.

I would be inclined towards primrose simply because it's a small flower.

That's what immediately came to mind.

It's not a hyacinth.

-No, it can't be.

-It's a little hedgerow flower.

-It's a tiny flower and the primrose is the only small one.

-Yeah.

The primrose.

-Primrose?

-Yeah.

It is. It's the right answer. Primrose is correct.

The scarlet pimpernel. OK, well, Wild Indians, we go to sudden death,

and that means we now withdraw all those choices.

So, could be one question away again from the money.

Who played the role of the unpleasant studio executive

Les Grossman in the 2008 film Tropic Thunder?

Has there been a WI outing to see Tropic Thunder?

-There hasn't been, no.

-Oh, dear.

-No, unfortunately.

-Unfortunately.

-Have you any idea?

I don't know the film at all.

-Nor do I.

-No. Right, can we think of an actor, then?

-Johnny Depp.

-Could be.

-What?

-Studio owner.

Could be someone older, though, couldn't it?

-Go for it then, Carol.

-Shall we go for that?

-You go for it.

-Right.

-Yes.

-Well, I'm getting the blame.

We can't think of one. So we've sort of pulled an actor

that we think might have done it.

And we're going for Johnny Depp.

Johnny Depp. OK.

It's not Johnny Depp. It was... it's a cameo. Do you know, Eggheads?

-He's only on screen briefly, but it's Tom Cruise.

-Tom Cruise.

Bad luck, that's the first one you've got wrong in the final round.

It does mean the Eggheads can win it if they get this.

The Boston terrier is the result of cross breeding terriers

with which other dog?

Could be Cerberus for all I know.

It's a gangly-looking thing!

-Is it?

-Yeah, or am I thinking of the Bedlington terrier?

-Do you know what it looks like?

-Not particularly. But I think it's a gangly thing.

-Could be crossed with a greyhound.

-I've...

-What came into your head?

I had a feeling it was something like a bulldog,

-or a Staffordshire terrier.

-A Staffy is, yeah.

Yeah. But I don't know, when he said it, I thought it was a bulldog.

If it was a gangly-looking thing, I'd be inclined towards greyhound.

No, no, I don't think it is. Definitely.

-You had a slight instinct with that?

-Yeah.

-Let's go with that.

-Yeah.

Oh, quite a debate. The Eggheads in some trouble with this.

I know.

-Boston terrier.

-Yeah.

A bulldog.

-That was your inkling. So that's your answer - bulldog?

-Yeah.

It just...you know, we didn't know.

-And it's obviously wrong.

-You've saved it, Daphne.

It's the right answer. Bulldogs. Eggheads, you've won.

That, may I say, Wild Indians,

just really explains the whole game, what these Eggheads are all about.

The things they pull out of this kind of back end of the memory.

Somehow, somewhere, you must have heard it, Daphne.

-You've pulled it up from somewhere.

-No, read it, probably.

Thanks very much for playing today, Wild Indians. It's been an absolute joy to have you here.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

The Eggheads have done what comes naturally. Their winning streak continues...just!

I'm afraid you won't be going home with the £10,000, which means the money rolls over to the next show.

Eggheads, congratulations. Who will beat you on that form?

Join us next time to see

if a new team of challengers have the brains to defeat the Eggheads.

£11,000 says they don't.

Until then, goodbye.

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