Episode 121 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.

The question is, can they be beaten?

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

try to beat possibly the greatest quiz team in Britain.

Their pedigree is well known,

as they've won some of the toughest quiz shows. They are the Eggheads.

Tackling the Eggheads today are PRS Plus.

Anne, Mary and Susan all became friends

after meeting at the Mastermind Club,

a group for former Mastermind contestants.

After deciding to challenge the Eggheads,

they thought it best to recruit a couple of male friends

to balance out their areas of knowledge. Let's meet them.

Hello, I'm Anne. I'm 72, and I'm a retired librarian.

Hello, I'm Tom, I'm 31, and I'm an actuary.

Hello, I'm Mary. I'm 69, and I'm a retired teacher and interpreter.

Hi, I'm Steve. I'm 29, and I'm a sound engineer.

Hello, I'm Susan. I'm 63, and I'm a port lecturer.

Welcome Anne and friends.

-Thank you.

-Why PRS? What does that stand for?

At the annual Mastermind Club do, we do the quiz as a team

and we are called the Pre-Raphaelite Sisterhood.

-I see, PRS.

-So, for this quiz, we have recruited a couple of toy boys!

Which areas were you lacking? I'm guessing sport, but I...

Yes, definitely sport and TV and film and things like that.

So, we have some serious quizzers here, don't we?

This could be interesting.

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

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

So, PRS Plus,

the Eggheads have won the last five games,

which means £6,000 says you can't beat them.

-D'you want to try?

-Oh yes!

First head-to-head is on the subject of Film and Television.

-So it's lucky you brought in your plusses!

-It is, isn't it?

-Would you look at that?!

-We are looking at Steve!

OK, against who?

Go on, let's try Daphne.

Right, Steve from PRS Plus versus Daphne from the Eggheads.

Please take your positions in the question room.

I will ask each of you three questions

on Film and Television in turn.

Whoever answers the most correctly is the winner.

Steve, would you like the first or second set?

I think I'll go first, please, Jeremy.

In 2007, who replaced Kate Thornton

as the host of the TV series the X Factor?

Right, well, not a programme that I'm particularly fond of.

However, I do remember that Dermot O'Leary was involved with that show.

So I will plump for Dermot O'Leary.

Dermot O'Leary is correct.

Daphne, your question.

A pink hippo named George and a bear named Bungle

appeared in which children's TV show of the '70s, '80s and '90s?

It was lovely, wasn't it?

Rainbow.

Rainbow is correct.

Well done to you. Back to you now...

Steve. Which TV series is set in the fictional town of Sunnydale?

Right. Well, again, not a programme which I am a big fan of.

But it's certainly not House, it's not Ugly Betty, I believe that is

Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is correct.

Daphne,

the 1989 film, Scandal, starring John Hurt

is about the controversy surrounding which well-known figure?

Scandal was all about John Profumo.

You're right. It was.

Steve,

this to take the lead. Who played Kay Corleone,

the wife of Al Pacino's character in the Godfather Part II?

Ah. OK, Godfather Part II.

OK.

Well, I don't believe that was Meryl Streep.

Between Diane Keaton and Barbara Hershey.

Long time since I've seen this.

I think that that was Barbara Hershey.

I'm sorry, you're wrong.

-Ah!

-Anyone know?

-Diane Keaton.

-Diane Keaton, Daphne, yes.

I can see that hurts!

-Yes, it does.

-Because you're playing with such a good team.

This for the round, Daphne. The three sailors on shore leave

in the 1949 musical, On The Town, were Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly

and which other actor?

I do have the DVD of this and it is...

Jules Munshin.

Jules Munshin is correct.

Well done, Daphne, you've taken that round against Steve.

-I can tell you're frustrated.

-I am, yes.

You were beaten, so you won't be in the final round.

Please both come back, rejoin your teams.

As it stands, the challengers have lost one brain from the final round,

the Eggheads have lost none.

The next subject is History. I reckon you're strong on this.

Who'd like to do History?

Susan, Mary or me?

-Would you rather?

-Not particularly.

Well, shall I try it?

-OK.

-As long as there's one of you two left, and Tom, at the end.

-OK!

-OK.

I'll try that one then.

-Anne. Against?

-Well, they're all good at History.

So we'll try CJ, please.

It's Anne from PRS Plus versus CJ from the Eggheads.

Please take your positions in the question room.

I'll ask each of you three questions on History in turn.

Would you like the first or second set?

I'll have the second set, please.

CJ, what name is given to the groupings of craftsmen or merchants

formed for mutual aid and protection,

which flourished in Europe between the 11th and 16th centuries?

You had lots of craftsmen...guilds.

Guilds is the right answer.

Over to you, Anne.

The Red Army of workers and peasants,

set up in 1918, became the official army of which country?

I think the date begins to give it away.

I think, 1918, it must be the USSR.

USSR is correct.

CJ.

The Ridolfi Plot was an attempt to put whom on the throne of England?

I always get these plots mixed up.

Bonnie Prince Charlie didn't really have a plot, did he?

He just tried to march south and got turned back at Derby, I think it was.

Mary, Queen of Scots...

There were the...letters, but she was imprisoned for 19 years.

And there were several plots around with people like Perkin Warbeck

and Lambert Simnel.

So I'm going to hope

that it was the plot to try and get Perkin Warbeck on the throne.

Perkin Warbeck. Barry, is he right or wrong?

Sadly, he's very much wrong.

-Go on.

-It was Mary, Queen of Scots.

Sorry, CJ. The correct answer, Mary, Queen of Scots.

OK, Anne. The agreements negotiated in Switzerland in 1925,

which sought to secure post-war territorial settlement,

are collectively known by what name?

Well, that's something that I haven't particularly heard of.

And, as they're all in Switzerland, this is tricky.

I don't know whether to go for Zurich, as that's a good place,

or Berne is the capital, or Locarno.

They could have gone to a nice lakeside location, Locarno.

I think I'll go for Berne.

No. Berne is wrong.

It's the Treaties of Locarno.

-Ah.

-So, CJ's back in with a chance. Here's your third question.

Which city was the scene of the Nika riots of 532,

which resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of people?

This is worrying because Nika riots means nothing to me.

But you said 532,

and before I saw the options, I thought of Constantinople.

I don't know it, I've got nothing to go on,

but because I've got this little nag

that linked the date with the city, I'll try Constantinople.

Constantinople...

is right. Well played, though. Well played.

Anne, your question.

Little Sorrel was the name of the horse

of which American Civil War general?

This is something else... I don't really know much about horses.

Only Napoleon's or George Washington's,

but that's not going to help.

Well, I shall have to pick one at random, I'm afraid.

I'm sorry, team, if it's wrong, but I will go for Robert E Lee.

Sorry team, it's wrong.

-It's not Robert E Lee. Do you know, out of interest?

-Is it Jackson?

It is Stonewall Jackson.

So Anne, you just fell at the last there,

letting CJ through on History. Well done, CJ, you're in the final round.

Please both come back and rejoin your teams.

Bad luck, Anne.

The challengers have lost two brains from the final round,

the Eggheads have lost no brains.

The next subject is Sport.

Which of the challengers would like Sport?

-That will be me!

-It's got to be Tom!

-Tom, yes. Who are you going to play?

-Tom against...?

Is Chris vulnerable on sport?

-He doesn't like sport, does he? Not a fan.

-I'll go for that, then.

We'll play Chris.

GERMAN ACCENT: Your name vill also go on ze list!

So, Tom from PRS Plus versus Chris from the Eggheads.

Please go to the question room.

I'll ask each of you three questions on Sport, in turn.

Tom, first or second set?

Chris likes the subject so much, I think he can have the first go!

Chris on Sport. He's already cross

and he hasn't been asked anything yet!

Who left his job as coach of the England cricket team

in January 2009?

Oh.

Oh, Ashley Giles.

No!

Peter Moores.

Tom, here's your first question.

It's already going well.

The footballer Ryan Giggs represented

which team at international level?

It was only on occasion, I think, but it was Wales.

-That's right, famously could have played for England.

-Yeah.

Went for Wales. Wales is the correct answer, well done. Chris...

Which tennis player famously stormed off the court in tears

when she was defeated in the 1999 French Open final by Steffi Graff?

Well, Anna Kournikova is East European and rather phlegmatic.

Martina Hingis is Swiss and rather clinical.

So, bearing in mind that she's a hot-blooded Latin

and probably does that sort of thing, I'd say Monica Seles.

I'm sorry, Latin?

You're playing a storming round!

-It's Martina Hingis.

-Is it, indeed?

Yeah.

Tom.

It's going even better for you.

If you get this right, you're in the final round.

Where are Sha Tin and Happy Valley,

two race tracks belonging to the Jockey Club, located?

Well...

the only thing I can think of which gives me any kind of clue to this,

because horseracing, I'm vaguely aware that there's horses involved,

and that's about it.

Erm...

I'm vaguely aware that there's racing at Hong Kong.

So that's the only instinct I've got and I'm going to stick with it.

Hong Kong.

Yeah, you're right!

Hong Kong is correct.

Very well done to you, Tom. You took on an Egghead.

Chris has no way back from here, so I won't ask you your third question.

Tom is triumphant. Tom is in the final.

Please both come back to the studio.

So, the challengers have lost two brains from the final round,

while the Eggheads have lost one brain.

Our last subject is Food and Drink.

-Who wants this?

-Who'd like that?

-Yeah, Mary.

-OK.

-Mary?

-Mary.

-Kevin or Barry, what a choice!

-Choose me for a change!

Kevin's not very fond of it.

He's not got a kitchen, has he?!

But he's not that bad at food.

But he has been beaten.

OK, in for a penny.

-I'll try Kevin, please.

-Mary, as soon as Food and Drink came up, he knew.

Mary from PRS Plus versus Kevin from the Eggheads.

Please take your positions.

I'll ask each of you three questions on Food and Drink.

Mary, first or second set?

Well, it's six of one, half-a-dozen of the other,

I think I'll risk second, please.

Everyone's going second.

Kevin, preserved ginger is another name for which cooking ingredient

which consists of young ginger that has been peeled and preserved

in sugar syrup?

The only one there I've come across is stem ginger, so I'll go for that.

Stem ginger is correct.

Over to you, Mary.

Which foodstuff is the principal ingredient

of the tapas dish, Patatas Bravas?

Well, it has to be potato

because patatas is one of the Spanish words for potato.

So I will go with potato.

Potato is correct.

-Bet you were relieved to see potato down there!

-Yes!

Kevin, what foodstuff is often included in pasta dough,

giving it a yellowish colour?

Well, of those...

I would go for eggs.

Eggs is the right answer.

Mary, here's your next question.

What predominant taste does fennel have?

It's one of my favourite vegetables.

It's aniseed.

Aniseed is right.

Over to you, Kevin.

At two points apiece.

What type of food is the Thai dish, tom yam?

Don't know.

I don't know, so I'm going for soup.

Soup is right.

Well done, three out of three on Food and Drink.

Mary, you've got to get this right now.

The Medoc and Haut-Medoc

are appellations in which winemaking region of France?

I should be able to jump at that answer, and I'm sticking.

I don't think it's Burgundy.

My mind has come to a standstill.

I can't think.

My French friends will kill me, but I'll go for Bordeaux.

Bordeaux is the right answer.

Three questions, we move now to sudden death.

It gets a bit harder, Mary.

-Yes, I realise!

-It's not multiple choice.

Kevin, in which European country

are some bottles of wine labelled with the initials DOCG?

The designations in Spain and Italy are quite similar.

It's either Spain or Italy.

I'm not sure, it could be Italy or Spain, but I'm going to go for Italy.

I'm hoping that it's something like

"denominazione di origine controllata garantita".

Well done, Kevin, you pretty much got what it stands for there.

And you didn't need that. Italy is correct.

Over to you, Mary.

What is the singular form of the seafood known as scampi?

Depending on whether it's masculine or feminine,

it should be either scampa or scampo.

Hmm.

Eeny meeny, I'll go for scampo.

Scampo...is right.

You're still in it.

Kevin.

Food critics, Christian Millau and Henri Gault,

coined which term for the new cookery style,

developed in the '60s and '70s,

that stressed freshness, lightness and clarity of flavour?

Well, if it's not nouvelle cuisine, I'm in trouble,

because I can't think of anything else.

Yeah, nouvelle cuisine.

Nouvelle cuisine is right.

Over to you, Mary. To stay in it.

Which spirit is substituted for vodka

to make a Bloody Mary into a Bloody Maria?

I'm not very much into cocktails.

The only thing I could think of would be gin.

-Is gin your answer?

-Yes, I'll go for gin.

Gin is wrong, Mary. Sorry. Tequila.

So Kevin, you've pulled through on Food and Drink.

Mary, he had a sudden burst on his weakest subject.

We'll never be able to explain it!

Please both rejoin your teams.

So, it's time for our final round

which, as always, is General Knowledge.

But those of you who lost your head-to-heads

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

That's Anne, Mary and Steve from PRS

and Chris from the Eggheads.

Would you please all leave the studio?

So Tom and Susan, you're playing to win PRS Plus £6,000.

Kevin, CJ, Daphne and Barry,

you're playing for something money can't buy - your reputation.

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

the questions are all General Knowledge

and you are allowed to confer.

PRS Plus, the big question is, are your two brains

better than the Eggheads' four?

What do you think?

No, don't answer! You'll spoil it.

-Do you want to go first or second?

-We'll go first, I think.

First, please.

Very best of luck.

A portable prefabricated type of what,

invented during World War Two,

is named after its inventor, Sir Donald Bailey?

-It's the bridge.

-Definitely bridge.

Bridge is right.

Well done.

Eggheads,

in mathematics, how many items are in a group or set known as a score?

-20.

-Well, it was when I was at school, 60-odd years ago!

Daphne remembers this from her schooldays, so it's 20!

20 is right.

Back to you, PRS Plus.

Which daily national newspaper has a picture of a crusader as its symbol?

Daily Express.

Daily Express is the right answer.

OK, Eggheads. What name was given to the outfit,

popular in the 1940s, that usually consisted of baggy trousers

and a long coat?

-It was a Zoot Suit.

-Zoot Suit.

Zoot Suit is the right answer.

So a third question.

Always crucial to get this one right, OK?

Which comedian's comedy trademark routine

involved one-sided telephone calls in which he played the straight man?

-I don't think it's Danny Kaye, do you?

-Well, I'm not sure.

George Burns was the straight man.

It does sound familiar.

-It's not the third one, I hope.

-Not Bob Newhart?

We'll go with your first instinct.

Oh no, no! No, let's think about it.

-Danny Kaye, I think, did musical stuff as well.

-Yes.

-George Burns was a straight man.

-He was a singer, wasn't he?

And he was with a partner, wasn't he?

It was Burns and somebody.

I couldn't possibly comment!

Bob Newhart, he did sort of soliloquies, didn't he?

I remember thinking, Burns made me think of the Simpsons as well.

-Shall we go for George Burns?

-We'll go for George Burns.

George Burns is your answer.

You sort of came up with the answer

during all that, when you said Bob Newhart did soliloquies.

Cos it was Bob Newhart.

Which means, Eggheads,

that if you get this right, you have snatched the money away from our

doughty challengers and gone home victorious again.

In Arthurian legend, what was the name of the castle

that stood in Launceston in Cornwall?

-Horrible doesn't sound right.

-Not horrible, no.

Fearful would be more in keeping with King Mark of Cornwall.

Fearful just seems more in keeping.

It could be Terrible, but as soon as they came up, I thought Fearful.

Probably hoisting myself with my own petard,

but I thought it was Fearful.

We're not 100 per cent sure on this,

but we're going to go for Castle Fearful.

If you are right, you have won.

Do you know the answer?

I think it might be Terrible.

You're right, it is Terrible. It's a terrible answer, Fearful!

Fearful's wrong, Terrible's right.

We go to sudden death, not multiple choice.

You're off the hook, or back on it! Your question.

Which word for a form of bus that originated in France

in the 19th century, comes from the French for carriage with benches?

Charabanc, isn't it?

Banc is a bench, isn't it? Yes. Yes.

Charabanc.

It's the right answer. Well done.

Eggheads...

If you get this wrong, you go home in disgrace.

Which game, particularly popular in the North East of England,

is played by throwing a circular disc,

with a roughly four-inch hole in the centre, over a pin known as the hob?

-Isn't that quoits?

-No.

-No.

Well, the only game I can think of for the North East

-is one called Knur and Spell.

-I thought that was with a bat.

-No, it's not.

-It's like a sort of golf type thing, isn't it?

It's a bat and ball game, isn't it?

But it's a disc, with a four inch hole in the middle.

Thrown over...?

Over a pin known as the hob.

Quoits?

P... P-E...?

-I know it's not Petanque, but...

-It's not Petanque.

-I know that.

Something called Pegarty?

Pegarty?

It's worth a try.

That's just come into my mind, I don't know why.

Pegarty?

I've never heard of it.

We'll have to go for something.

Try Pegarty.

We really don't know the answer, so we'll have a stab in the dark

and we will try Pegarty.

If you've got it wrong, the challengers go home with the money.

£6,000.

-What would you have said?

-I wouldn't have had a clue, Jeremy.

-I think that might be right.

-Pegarty might be right?

-Yes.

We've had games where they've come down to the final discussion.

And Barry, on the end, has floated the right answer

and no-one pays a blind bit of notice! And it happened again...

with quoits!

-I said quoits!

-Quoits is the answer. I'm sorry, Eggheads, you've lost.

Congratulations to our challengers. You have won!

Fantastic!

And the confusion here and the disarray was, well, delicious!

Well done. So you get £6,000.

You are officially cleverer than the Eggheads.

You started slow, then you held it steady and they slipped up.

You've proved they can be beaten.

Join us next time on Eggheads,

after the postmortem here,

to see if a new team of challengers will be as successful.

Until then, goodbye.

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