Episode 76 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 quiz challengers

attempt to beat possibly the greatest quiz team in Britain.

Their quiz pedigree is well-known as they have won some of the toughest quiz shows. They are the Eggheads.

And challenging our resident quiz Goliaths today

are the Bedfordshire Clangers.

This team are friends and family who attend John's Music Quiz at the King's Arms pub in Bedford.

-Let's meet them.

-Hi, I'm Davina. I'm 47 and I'm a civil servant.

Hi, I'm Hamish, I'm 44 and I'm an actuary.

Hi, I'm Nick, 24, and I'm also a civil servant.

Hi, I'm David, I'm 50 and I'm an IT project manager.

Hi, I'm Valerie, I'm 51 and I'm a nursery school head teacher.

-So, welcome, Davina.

-Hi.

-And you're married to Hamish.

But also you do work on the roads. I don't mean you sweep them. What do you do?

I'm a network planner. I work in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex and look at planning applications

and see what impact they have on trunk roads and motorways.

-Nick, you do highways as well?

-Yeah, I work in the traffic officer service. I'm in the control room.

Today, you're both in the studio and all these roads are totally jammed!

-You meet through this music quiz?

-Yes.

-Tell us about that.

It's been running for about 17 and a half years in Bedford and that's where I met David.

And I also met Hamish there. We just enjoy music quizzes, so we all attend.

It's gonna be a shame if the music questions don't come up today.

It's gonna be a really big blow. Good luck. We hope you do well against the Eggheads.

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

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

Bedfordshire Clangers, the Eggheads have won the last six games,

so £7,000 says you can't beat them.

-Shall we start?

-OK.

-OK.

The first head-to-head battle will be on Arts & Books.

Not Music! Which one of you wants this?

-OK, it's me or you, David.

-Are you comfortable going for it?

-Do you want me to go for it?

-Yeah.

-It's me for Arts & Books.

Davina against which Egghead?

-Who looks unread?

-LAUGHTER

-I thought we had Barry down for that.

-OK. I'll go with Barry.

So, it's gonna be Davina from Bedfordshire Clangers against Barry from the Eggheads.

And to ensure there's no conferring, please take your positions in the question room.

-Davina, do you want to go first or second?

-I'd like to go first.

Good luck. Here we go.

Which Charles Dickens character spends all her days wearing a wedding dress

after having been jilted by her fiance?

I don't think it's Little Nell.

I think I'll go for Miss Havisham.

You're quite right. It is Miss Havisham from Great Expectations.

One point to you. Good start to the Clangers.

Barry, how does Romeo die in William Shakespeare's play Romeo And Juliet?

He takes poison.

It is poison. Correct. Back to you, Davina...

Joseph Pulitzer, the newspaper proprietor and editor who endowed the prizes named in his honour,

was born in which country?

I don't think it's Poland. There's not enough Vs and Ws.

Maybe not Sweden. I think I'll go for Hungary.

-Run me through the logic on Poland again. Not enough what?

-Vs and Ws.

LAUGHTER

Well, you're right. It is Hungary.

OK, Barry...

Fire And Ice is the title of a well-known work by which poet?

It's by one of my favourite poets, Robert Frost.

Was it the one that was read at the inauguration of a President?

No, that was The Gift Outright.

-Do you know everything, Barry?

-If only!

Robert Frost is correct. Well done.

Two points each.

Davina, your question.

Which artist painted the work Vampire which sold for £24.2 million in 2008,

a record for his work?

Not my strongest point.

I don't remember Van Gogh having a famous picture called Vampire.

I think I'll go for Francisco Goya.

Your answer is Goya.

It's wrong. It's Munch.

I can't picture Vampire. I can picture The Scream.

-They're similar.

-It's like The Scream, but there are fangs.

It's only because The Scream has never come up for auction.

But you're right - Van Gogh never painted a vampire.

Barry, if you take this, you've got the round.

Which ex-soldier and author published a romantic novel under the name Molly Jackson in 2008?

I don't know this one. I would have preferred the Vampire question.

The only name I recognise there is Andy McNab who wrote Bravo Two Zero,

so let's hope he had a change of idiom and wrote something romantic.

I'll say Andy McNab.

You've got it wrong. It's Chris Ryan.

Sorry, you didn't take the round. We go now to Sudden Death.

With scores level, to make it that bit harder, these questions will not be multiple choice.

Davina, of which literary character did John Le Carre say, "He's a sort of licensed criminal

"who, in the name of false patriotism, approves of nasty crimes"?

The only one I can associate with John Le Carre is George Smiley. That's my guess.

He wasn't talking about one of his own characters.

It was James Bond, Ian Fleming's character.

So, Barry, you take this, you've got the round.

Helen Graham, a woman with a mysterious past,

is the central character in which 19th century novel?

She's The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.

-Do you know who that's by?

-It's a Bronte.

-I only need the title.

Let me think. I think it's Anne Bronte.

You could've said "A Bronte". That would've been correct! The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is right.

Barry, you have taken the round.

Bad luck, Davina. You won't be in the final round.

Please, both of you, come back and rejoin your teams.

The Challengers have lost one brain from the final round. The Eggheads have lost no brains.

You mustn't look smug. The next subject is Geography.

We're still looking for Music! But which of you wants Geography?

-It's you, David, isn't it?

-OK.

Who looks lost over there?

-Who are we choosing?

-You, David.

Against which Egghead? Who looks lost?

-You can't have Barry.

-Judith?

-Judith?

-Judith or CJ?

-Judith.

-So it's David from the Bedfordshire Clangers against Judith from the Eggheads.

To ensure there's no conferring, please take your positions in the question room.

-David, you can choose the first or the second set of questions.

-I'll go first.

Good luck, David, in this round. Your question...

Which term from the Latin for "meadow" is used in North America

to refer to a large, open area of grassland?

I think they all seem to refer to it,

but the pampas I would associate with South America,

so of the other two, I think of Canada and prairies,

so I'll go for prairie.

Quite right. Prairie.

As in Little House On The...

Judith, your question. In which present-day country is the town of Ypres?

I think that must be Belgium. I always thought it was in France.

Anyway, Belgium.

-What did the soldiers call it in the Second World War?

-"Wipers."

It is in Belgium. You're right.

So, one each. David, over to you.

The Patio De Los Naranjos,

or The Court Of The Oranges,

is part of the Great Mosque in which Spanish city?

I was hoping Granada was gonna come up, but obviously not.

The one that really springs to mind, it would be Cordoba.

And why does that spring to mind?

Because it's the only one I associate with having a palace.

You're quite right. Good one.

Judith...

In which part of the United Kingdom is the famous castle of Eilean Donan located?

It's in Scotland and it's on a loch,

but which one, I can't remember.

Scotland is correct, Judith. Well done.

-You're on form today.

-I'm not lost, I told you.

-You're not lost.

David, if you take this, you keep the pressure on our Egghead.

Laconia is the name of a department and historic region in which country?

Well, I have a feeling it's either Italy or Greece.

I think it sounds more Greek, so I'll go with Greece.

Greece is correct.

-He's playing well, Judith.

-He is, isn't he?

-If you get this wrong, you know what happens?

-Yes, I do.

Which Australian city experiences a cooling summer wind known locally as "Southerly Buster"?

Well, Darwin's in the north, so any wind would come off the land

and that would make it a hot wind.

So it's not Darwin. Perth is in the west.

Does it stick out so it gets a nice, cool wind?

A Southerly Buster...

I am lost now.

Um...Sydney.

-You're right, Judith. Sydney is the right answer.

-Good.

Three points each.

Very, very strong play from both of you. We go to Sudden Death.

Bit harder now because we don't give you alternative answers.

David, here we go.

In which US state is the city of El Paso?

I'm not sure, but I tend to associate it with cowboys in the south, so I'll go for Texas.

Again, brilliant. Texas is correct.

Whatever you're doing with those computers must be very impressive.

Judith...

The name of which natural phenomenon is taken from the Dutch for "grind" and "stream"?

I'm trying to sort of Dutch-ify it.

I mean, cos Dutch in some ways is quite like English, isn't it?

"Grun-strom, grun-strom"...

"Grind stream".

"Grun-strom", "grind stream"...

I don't know. I have to give up. I can't think.

All right, all right. Maelstrom.

-Oh, maelstrom.

-Not "grun-strom".

So, well done to our Challenger.

Well played, David. You took on an Egghead and you emerged triumphant.

Great news. That means you will be in today's final round.

Both of you please come back and rejoin your team-mates.

The Challengers have lost one brain from the final round. The Eggheads have lost one brain too.

The next subject is Film & TV. Which of you wants this?

-Do you think so?

-Nicholas?

-I think it's me.

Nick, which Egghead do you want to play against?

-CJ?

-OK.

-I'll take on CJ.

-Now, CJ has seen no films at all.

-That's what we're banking on.

But he's learnt a lot of lists. That's the kind of personality you're dealing with.

It's Nick from Bedfordshire Clangers against CJ from the Eggheads.

To ensure there's no conferring, take your positions now in the question room.

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

-I'll go first.

Your first question. Who played Andy Dufresne

in the 1994 film, The Shawshank Redemption?

A classic I've unfortunately never seen,

but the name that rings a bell is Tim Robbins.

Tim Robbins is the right answer.

On CJ territory, knowing about films you haven't seen.

Well done. CJ, here we go.

"Live long and prosper" is the phrase often used and invented

by the actor who played which original Star Trek character?

He also plays his character again in the new Star Trek film.

That was Leonard Nimoy who played Spock.

I was gonna ask if you could do that

but I should have guessed that you'd spent hours practising that.

Yes, CJ, Spock is correct. One apiece. Over to you, Nick.

Which British actor is the star of the Transporter series of films?

A set of films I have seen. It's Jason Statham.

Jason Statham is your answer and it's right.

CJ, your second question to keep up.

What is the first name of the leisure centre manager Mr Brittas,

played by Chris Barrie in the TV sitcom The Brittas Empire?

I love Chris Barrie and I tried watching this show

and it rubbed me up the wrong way, I couldn't get into it.

-But I think it's Gordon Brittas.

-It is Gordon Brittas. Well done.

So, Nick, try and get this one.

The 2001 TV mini-series Band Of Brothers

closely follows the fortunes of the members of which unit of the US Army?

It's not something I've seen.

For some reason, Baker Company is screaming at me,

so I'm gonna go with Baker Company.

It was wrong to scream. It's Easy Company.

-Ow!

-Don't worry, he can still get this wrong.

CJ, for the round,

who directed the 1995 film The Quick And The Dead starring Sharon Stone?

You'll be surprised to learn I haven't seen it, but it's a western.

Um...

I don't really associate it with Sam Raimi or Wes Craven.

I don't know, but I'm gonna go for Roger Corman.

Is the wrong answer.

It is Sam Raimi, who you ruled out.

Before Spider-Man.

Nick, well done. You're still alive.

We move now to Sudden Death.

The US TV series A Different World was a spin-off from which 1980s TV sitcom?

I'm not sure, so I'll go with Taxi.

-It's The Cosby Show.

-Ah!

-That was the answer.

Valerie, you're nodding. You knew that.

But you're still in it, Nick. Still a chance.

Although CJ on his movies, pretty hot stuff. Here's your question.

Who directed and starred in the 1958 French film Mon Oncle?

I haven't seen it.

But the name that comes to mind is Jacques Tati, so I'll go for Jacques Tati.

You're right. It was Jacques Tati who directed and starred in yet another film you haven't seen.

CJ, you've taken the round. Sorry, Nick.

You fought hard, but you were beaten,

so you won't join your team in the final round.

Please, both of you, come back and rejoin your team-mates.

So the Challengers have lost two brains from the final round. The Eggheads have lost one brain.

The last subject is Sport.

You're specialists in music and it didn't come up!

So, now, how's the battle plan going?

Shall we put Nicholas in again?

It's got to be you, Hamish.

-Are you happy with that? I would be hopeless on it.

-OK, it'll be me.

-Hamish?

-Yeah.

-OK.

And you can't obviously have CJ or Barry or Judith.

OK, we'll try and take out Kevin.

All right, so they're gonna try and take out Kevin.

Hamish from Bedfordshire Clangers against Kevin from the Eggheads.

To ensure there's no conferring, please go to the question room now.

-So, Hamish, you're an actuary?

-Correct, yes.

-Predicting when people will die?

That's the interesting part of the job, yes!

Can you look at someone and tell us how long they've got to live?

No, that's the underwriter's job. I just tell you how many out of the 10,000 people will be dead this year.

-OK, good luck. You can choose the first or the second set of questions, Hamish.

-I'll go second.

Kevin, which British boxer won his 46th bout in a row

with a victory over Roy Jones Junior in November 2008?

That was Joe Calzaghe.

It was indeed Joe Calzaghe. Well done. Hamish, your question.

What method is normally used to signal the start of a Formula One race?

The flag is at the end.

At the start of the Formula One, the lights go from red to green.

-So it's lights.

-And it is the correct answer. Well done.

Kevin, your question. The Vendee Globe Yacht Race starts and finishes in which country?

I think it's actually Brittany, I believe, so it's France.

Unless they've shifted it, I'll stick with France.

It is France. Well done. Two points to you.

Let's see if you've bitten off more than you can chew here, Hamish.

Your question. What is another name for the delivery known as a googly in cricket?

A googly is an off-break bowl with a leg-break action,

so it's a wrong 'un.

LAUGHTER

-Why are you laughing? Cos he plays cricket?

-He's a bowler.

-A bowler!

I see. It's the right one. It's the wrong 'un, yeah.

Good. Two points to you.

Kevin, this is for you to take the lead.

What type of fencing comprises one-fifth of the modern pentathlon?

That's interesting. I know fencing is one part of it, but which one?

I don't actually know.

It seems unlikely to be sabre.

I'm rather torn between the other two, though.

Foil...

I'll stick with foil. I'll stick with foil.

-Your answer is foil?

-Yeah. It may well be wrong. I'm guessing.

-It's the wrong answer, Kevin.

-It's epee.

-It's epee, is it?

-It's epee.

Hamish, this is promising. Not many people get Kevin to this position.

Your ambition to take him out before the final could be realised if you get this question right.

W Spencer Gore was the first winner of which sporting competition?

I believe he was the first winner of Wimbledon. That's my answer.

You are right. Well done, Hamish.

Brilliant strategic stroke by the Bedfordshire Clangers there,

taking on Kevin and emerging triumphant.

Hamish, you will join your team in the final. Both of you come back to the studio.

It's time for our final round which, as always, is General Knowledge.

Those of you who lost your head-to-heads cannot take part.

So that's Davina and Nick from the Bedfordshire Clangers,

but also Judith and Kevin from the Eggheads as well.

Please leave the studio now.

So, Hamish, David and Valerie, you are playing to win the Bedfordshire Clangers £7,000.

Chris, Barry and CJ, you are playing for something which money can't buy - the Eggheads' reputation.

I will ask each team three questions in turn, all general knowledge,

and you are allowed to confer.

-Would you like to go first or second?

-We'll go second.

Eggheads, you have the first question here of the final round.

When the alphabet is recited in French, which letter is referred to as "i grecque"?

-Y?

-Y is "i grecque".

Yeah. C'est "Y", monsieur.

It is Y. "I grecque".

First point to you. Clangers...

What type of shoe traditionally has a rope sole?

-It's got to be an espadrille.

-Yeah.

-Fashion expert!

-It's an espadrille.

-You sound totally certain.

-Are you wearing espadrilles at the moment?

-Not today, no.

But you're right. Well done. OK...

Your question, Eggheads. What name is given to a cord worn round the neck,

used to hold a whistle or other object?

What name is given to a cord worn round the neck,

used to hold a whistle or other object?

-It's not boyard.

-It's not cavayard, so it must be lanyard.

You can even have it to a side arm. It's a lanyard.

Lanyard is correct. Bedfordshire Clangers...

Your second question. The word "pettifogger" is normally applied

to an unscrupulous member of which profession?

What do you think? Something you've heard of?

-I don't think it'll be the doctor.

-No, that's what I thought.

-A lawyer or a politician? A lawyer?

-A lawyer I would go for.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-By the sheer process of guesswork,

we're going for lawyer.

Is "politician" a profession?

MPs watching will be slightly distressed by that.

You are right. It is lawyer. It wasn't politician.

Pettifogging meaning what?

Well, red herrings and sort of the fogs of Chancery.

And picking on little loopholes in the law to confuse the issue.

-There are no dishonest politicians(!)

-We know. We have to keep repeating that.

OK, Eggheads, you get this wrong, they are within sight of £7,000. Your question...

To which destination did the QE2 ship make its final voyage in 2008,

destined to become a floating hotel?

-Dubai.

-Yeah.

-That's where it is.

Yeah. It's Dubai...Jeremy.

-Dubai is correct. That's where it still is?

-Yeah.

You need this right to stay in the contest, Bedfordshire Clangers.

Batucada is a style of which musical genre?

A style of which musical genre?

They've all got a Latin, Spanish feel anyway, haven't they?

Flamenco is Spain, samba is Brazil, which is Portuguese.

-Where's merengue from?

-I don't know.

-It's from South America somewhere.

Shake your "wotsits".

"Batu" is a Spanish word or a Portuguese word?

-Are you feeling more for the samba then?

-I'm feeling for the samba.

-Ohh!

-I don't know.

-We're gonna have to guess it a bit.

-Shall we guess?

-Samba.

-Go on then.

We're going to show our complete lack of linguistic knowledge

and say it is a Portuguese word, so therefore it's definitely samba.

Samba's your answer. If you get it right, it goes to Sudden Death.

If you get it wrong, you're out.

We waited a long time for a musical question.

Thank goodness you got it right! It's samba. Well done.

Had you got that wrong, that would be it.

So the musical question came in at the right moment and you got it right. We move now to Sudden Death.

These questions are not multiple choice. Eggheads, over to you.

Which lizard takes its name from the Greek for "on the ground lion"?

Chameleon, I think.

Which lizard takes its name from the Greek for "on the ground lion"?

The "leon" bit on the end is the giveaway, so it's a chameleon.

Chameleon is the correct answer. Well done.

Bedfordshire Clangers, this is the one to get.

In which month of the year is VJ Day celebrated?

-September?

-Japan is before...?

It's later. It's after VE Day. VJ was later.

-It's August, September time?

-I think it's September. The thing that's in my mind is September.

-I think it's after my birthday.

-It is definitely after your birthday?

-I think so.

-Go on then.

-I think it's September.

-It's actually August the 15th.

-Oh!

I'm really sorry. I wish it could have been a musical question.

-Sorry. I've screwed that up.

-Bedfordshire Clangers, commiserations.

Eggheads, you've won.

I'm so sorry cos it was tight there at the end.

The Eggheads have done what comes naturally to them. Their winning streak continues.

You won't be going home with the £7,000, so the money rolls over.

Eggheads, congratulations. Who will beat you?

Join us next time to see if a new team of Challengers have the brains to defeat the Eggheads.

£8,000 says they don't. Till then, goodbye.

Subtitles by Subtext for Red Bee Media Ltd 2009

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