Episode 101 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've won some of

the country's toughest quiz shows. They are the Eggheads.

And taking on the might of our quiz Goliaths today

are the Red Lion Rebels from Shropshire.

Normally on opposing teams

when they do their quizzing at their local pub,

the Red Lion in Ellesmere, this team have put aside their differences

for today to take on the Eggheads. Let's meet them.

Hello, I'm Ben, I'm 38 and I'm a roof surgeon.

Hello, I'm Martin, I'm 42, I'm a production supervisor.

Hi, I'm Jan, I'm 45 and a production quality controller.

Hello, I'm Trevor, I'm 67 and I'm a school receptionist.

Hi, I'm Rob, I'm 42 and I'm a production engineer.

So, Ben and team, welcome.

-Great to see you, colourful shirts, may I say? Very nice.

-Thank you!

-Haven't got CJ here to...

-We've got our own CJ, I think!

That's why I was disappointed I wasn't against him today.

That is a shame.

Ben, we all do different things, but you, interestingly,

have been working for a text question service and I always think

it must be a brilliant way of increasing your quiz knowledge.

It is. I mean, I was fond of quizzes in the first place

so I thought it was a good job for me.

It was a win-win situation, really.

I was still learning things and getting paid at the same time.

What happens if someone asks a question that can't be answered,

so, "What was the Smiths' greatest album?"

Then you state an opinion.

We come out with an opinion and stick by it

and explain why we think that is the case.

We have to give a good, factual reason as well.

Tell us about the quiz at the Red Lion. You quiz on opposing sides?

We do, by and large, yes, we do.

We've got the pick of the crop here, have we?

-Hopefully!

-Or did somebody say, "Who wants to take on the Eggheads?"

-and it was the first five hands?

-Well, yeah.

It's Mike and Carol's fault, the landlord and landlady,

They suggested putting a team together and it's a combination

of volunteering and press-ganging, I think.

It was whoever was available.

Eggheads, are you ready to take on the challengers?

-Are you ready to go?

-Very much so.

-We are.

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

If the challengers fail to defeat the Eggheads, then the prize money rolls over to the next show.

So, Red Lion Rebels,

the Eggheads have won the last three games which means £4,000

says you can't beat them today.

The first head-to-head battle is on the subject of Music.

So which of you would like Music?

-You're going for it?

-I think that's going to be me, yeah.

Martin, OK. Against?

-Barry?

-I know you fancy Barry on this one.

-Go on, I'll take Barry.

Oh, I can see they're keen. Keen as mustard.

We shall see!

Martin from the Red Lion Rebels versus Barry from the Eggheads,

and to ensure there's no conferring,

would you take your positions in the Question Room.

Well, Martin, I know you were looking forward to Music.

Yeah, absolutely.

-You've seen some classic gigs in your time.

-I have, yeah.

Tell us about Queen.

I was lucky enough to see Queen in Maine Road, Manchester in 1986.

-I went to see the tribute concert after Freddie's death...

-Yeah.

..and I've seen Pink Floyd, I've been to Glastonbury several times,

Donington Park. Quite a lot of gigs.

Barry, big rock gigs?

Yes, the last two I've seen were Fleetwood Mac and Santana.

Both fantastic gigs.

Of course, Judith's famous Santana question incident comes to mind,

where she named him as one of rock's most famous drummers.

-Oh, dear!

-Were you not here for that?

-I wasn't here for that one.

It was a good moment, even by Judith's standards.

I'll ask each of you three multiple choice questions on Music in turn.

Whoever answers the most questions correctly wins, and Martin you can choose the first or second set.

I'll go first, please.

Here we go. All the very best to you, Red Lion Rebels.

What was the title of the Robbie Williams

and Gary Barlow single released in October 2010?

Now...

Not exactly my area, but it's quite recent...

so I should get it.

I don't think it's Glory.

I think it's Shame. I'll go with Shame.

Shame is the right answer. Nicely done.

APPLAUSE

Barry, Luck Be A Lady is a song from which musical?

Ah, Luck Be A Lady...

That's calling on the goddess of luck to help them

and in Guys And Dolls, it's all about the longest running,

floating craps game in America so it just has to be Guys And Dolls.

Guys And Dolls is correct.

Martin, in which year did Tony Bennett reach number one in the UK

with his single entitled, Stranger In Paradise?

Well, Tony Bennett...

I think '55 would be a little too early

and '75 a little too late so I'll go for '65.

I'm going to ask Daphne this because she knows all this stuff.

-I would have said '55.

-Yeah, you're right.

It was '55, Martin, I'm afraid.

Oh, dear.

Barry, which Cliff Richard song contains the lines,

"Used to think that life was sweet, used to think we were so complete"?

That sounds very much like lines from We Don't Talk Anymore.

Nice one.

That's the correct answer.

Right, Martin, what is the musical purpose of a rastrum?

A rastrum. Not one I'm familiar with.

I don't think it's for tensioning piano strings.

I think it could be for drawing stave lines.

Drawing stave lines is completely right. Well done.

Barry, this for the round.

The classical piece known as the Rondo A La Turka,

or Turkish Rondo is the finale to a piano sonata by which composer?

I think Rondo A La Turka is by Mozart.

And you are right, Barry, so well done, you've got that round.

Sorry, Martin, you've been knocked out on Music.

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

So, as it stands, the challengers have lost one brain

from the final round. Are you changing tactics now or forging on?

I think we'll forge on for the moment and see how it goes!

It depends what the next round is.

Well, I'll tell you. The next subject is Film & TV.

-Who wants this one?

-Not me.

Rob, do you want it, Rob?

I mean, I don't mind it.

Do you want me to do Film & TV?

I'm not good.

Do you want to do Film & TV?

Who really wants it?

I don't mind unless you want to do it.

No, what you want is, "Yes, please."

You all really want it, I can tell! Captain, you've got to decide.

OK, I'll have a go.

OK, hang on, hang on. One second, Jan. You've got to be pick an Egghead. This is the tricky bit.

-Um...

-Chris.

I'll take Chris, please.

Say it confidently, well done.

So it's Jan from the Red Lion Rebels versus Chris from the Eggheads,

please go the Question Room now.

Right, Film & TV is the subject.

-Chris, when do you last go to the cinema?

-Oh, what did I go and see?

-Blazing Saddles, when it first came out.

-No! That's not when you last...

-What, are you serious?

-Yeah!

-What, Mel... Not Mel Gibson.

-Mel Brooks.

-You haven't been to the cinema for 40 years?

-About that, yeah.

Really, why not?

-Other things to do.

-Yeah, understood.

Jan, good luck against our Egghead.

You're going to have three multiple choice questions in turn

-and you can choose the first or second set.

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

Here we go and good luck to you.

What name does the regulator Ofcom give to the 9pm timeline

after which television programming that may be unsuitable

for children is permitted?

Um, I know it's not crossroads and the tipping point.

It's definitely the watershed.

Watershed is the right answer.

Chris, your question.

Which TV soap caused controversy in 1993 with an on-screen kiss

between characters played by Nicola Stephenson and Anna Friel?

Ah, that was the famous, first ever lesbian kiss,

shock horror in Brookside.

Brookside is right.

Jan, back to you.

The 2008 film, Valkyrie,

centres on a plot to kill which historical figure?

Oh, I haven't seen this at all. I haven't got a clue. Um...

Let me just...

I'll probably pick Lenin.

It's not Lenin.

It's Adolf Hitler.

-Who was the famous German commandeer?

-Claus von Stauffenberg.

-This is the briefcase plot.

-Yes.

-Played by?

-Tom Cruise.

-Tom Cruise.

OK, Chris, to take the lead.

In the 1938 gangster film, Angels With Dirty Faces,

which famous actor played Rocky,

the hoodlum friend of the priest, Father Jerry?

Angels With Dirty Faces, that was Jimmy Cagney. "You dirty rat."

Jimmy Cagney is quite right so you're in the lead

and that means, Jan, you do need this one.

The line, "You, what's the bleeding time?"

is said by the character called Sir Lancelot Spratt in which 1954 film?

Right, I'm not really sure about this. Um...

I think I'll go for Whisky Galore.

-Anyone else here know?

-Doctor In The House.

Doctor In The House is the right answer, Jan.

Chris has taken that round. Jan, you're not in the final.

Please come back and rejoin your team-mates

so we can play the next round.

All right, as it stands, the challengers have lost two brains

from the final round.

The Eggheads have lost no brains so far. The next subject is Sport.

Now, you were hoping this came up.

-Rob.

-It's got to be Rob.

-It's got to be Rob.

-Got to be Rob.

Easy choice.

So we know it's Rob.

Track record says...

I think Judith might be a reasonable call on Sport.

Judith might be up for it. She looks sporty.

I think we'll have to have a go at Judith, please.

Rob from Red Lion Rebels has chosen Judith from the Eggheads on Sport.

Just one up from Music!

She just begins to breathe a bit uneasily!

Do both of you go to the Question Room now.

OK, three questions, multiple choice, of course.

And Rob, good luck to you, you can choose the first or second set.

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

Here we go. All the best, Red Lion Rebels.

At which weight did the boxer David Haye become WBA World Champion

when he defeated Nikolai Valuev in 2009?

Um, I do like a bit of boxing, Jeremy.

Certainly not a flyweight and certainly not a welterweight.

He's definitely a heavyweight.

Good stuff, heavyweight is right.

Judith, your question on Sport.

The cyclist, Alberto Contador,

multiple winner of the Tour De France, was born in which city?

I know he's Spanish so that is Madrid.

Madrid is right.

Rob, who captained the Pakistan cricket team

during their controversial 2010 Test Series against England?

I'm not sure, Jeremy, but my instincts are telling me

to go for Salman Butt.

So I'll go with Salman Butt.

Your instincts are playing you true.

Salman Butt it was.

Judith, your question.

In which motor sport was the Danish competitor Ole Olsen

world champion on three occasions in the 1970s?

Well, I don't think it was Formula 1.

Um, I have a feeling that the Scandinavians are rather good

at rallying, so I'm going to say rallying.

-Rallying is wrong. It is speedway.

-Oh.

Rob, the competition now known as the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup

was first held in 1914 and is competed for in which sport?

If you get this one right, you've knocked Judith out.

I'm not sure again, Jeremy, on this one. Lamar Hunt...

Um...

Ah...

I don't think it's American football. I may be wrong.

I wouldn't say it was rugby football.

I'm going to have a stab at Association Football.

You play this game very well. Association Football is correct.

Rob, you've taken the round, so maybe

things are turning around for the Red Lion Rebels.

Judith, you've been knocked out on Sport.

-Are we surprised?

-Not terribly.

-Rob, you played well

and you'll be in the final. Please, both of you rejoin your team-mates now.

As it stands, the Challengers have lost two brains from the final round.

The Eggheads have now lost a brain. How's it feeling?

It's a relief!

You'll have at least two people in the final,

so can you get a third now? Our subject is Geography.

Who would like this?

-You want a go?

-What do you think, Joe?

-Fancy a go?

-I'll have a go if you want.

-Go on, then.

-All right.

I'll have a go at Geography.

-OK. Ben against Daphne or Pat?

-I get the feeling

you're both very, very, very good at geography. Um...

I think I'll try Pat.

So Ben from the Red Lion Rebels against Pat.

Are you good at Geography, Pat?

I like Geography.

That's his very, very modest way of saying yes. VERY good, actually.

-They're both very good.

-Ben against Pat. Please take your positions.

Ben, I reckon you're a mean quizzer.

Ha! We'll find out in a second, Jeremy.

And you play the drums.

I used to, yes. I've still got... Well, I've got two drum kits at the moment. I was in several bands

about ten years ago. I keep my hand in, but I haven't played live for some time.

We were discussing just the other day on Eggheads - drummers who are the answer to quiz questions.

-There aren't very many of them.

-Not many at all I can think of. Possibly Keith Moon. Ringo Starr, perhaps.

-Cozy Powell.

-Cozy, of course.

I think most of the others are only really known to other drummers.

Do you know the drummer with Slipknot?

Um... I believe his name is Joey Jordison.

-Daphne will tell you if it's right or not.

-Yes.

Daphne is the official keeper of information about Slipknot.

The Slipknot fan club president.

I can picture it.

Good luck in this round. It's Geography. You're up against Pat.

Three questions. Multiple choice - you can choose the first or second set, Ben.

I'll go first, please, Jeremy.

OK, off the subject of drummers and onto Geography. Here we go.

In square miles, what is the approximate area of the Isle of Man?

Oh, dear, dear.

My wife's brother lives on the Isle of Man.

This really is the sort of thing I should know. I have been there.

Um...square miles.

I'm not really that hot on area.

I think the island's only...if memory serves, about 30 miles wide.

Um...

It's about, say, 90, maybe 100 long.

I think, hopefully... I'm going to go for 2,200.

And cross everything.

OK.

OK. It's wrong.

Ah!

Cos it's got to be the length by the width, hasn't it?

So your 30 across - what, 10 down? What is it, Pat, do you think?

It's longer down than across.

So it must be...

-The width is shorter.

-Anyway, it's 220 square miles.

-I'm going to get so much stick for that.

-Sorry, Ben!

-I really was willing you on for that.

-Thank you.

Pat, the port of Bilbao lies a few miles inland from which body of water?

It's the, um, premier sea port of the Basque country.

And it's just inland from the Bay of Biscay,

Bay of Biscay is correct.

Ben, in the Caribbean,

the northern part of the Grenadine Islands form a country with which other island?

Grenadine is obviously G-R-E-N-A-D-I-N-E, as you'd expect.

I really struggle with the Caribbean.

I don't think it's Barbados.

It IS a guess. Um...sadly...

I'm going to try...um...

I'm going to try St Vincent.

You are right. St Vincent is right.

Thank goodness for that.

OK, Pat, your question. Which European capital city

was formerly known by the German name of Pressburg?

I think it's a strange city.

I think it's been the capital of more than once country.

But it's currently called Bratislava.

Bratislava is the right answer.

Chelsea played Bratislava once. What is the country?

It's currently the capital of Slovakia, but I think

for a brief period many years ago, it was the capital of Hungary.

OK. Thank you.

Let's move on.

Third question for you, Ben. Would be good if you got this one right.

-It would help.

-What is the capital city of the French region called Alsace?

I'm fairly sure I know this one. I have been to the city in question

and I had a very, very nice meal there.

They're famous for their foie gras,

and I very much hope it's Strasbourg.

Nice one. Strasbourg is right.

I won't say there's pressure on you, Pat, but if you don't get this right, we go to Sudden Death.

Grangetown, Normanby and Ormsby are all districts or suburbs of which large town?

I'll have to do a bit of detective work.

I've driven through Blackburn, but I don't know the town well.

I don't know much about Reading and I know even less about Middlesbrough.

The only clue there is the -B-Y ending on the district names,

which is Norse,

meaning "village", I think.

And that sort of steers you towards the east coast of England.

It's not much of a theory.

But like I said, I don't know any of those cities well.

I'll have to go for Middlesbrough.

Let's see if Ben... Do you know, Ben?

I don't. I don't think it's Blackburn, but I don't know the others.

It IS Middlesbrough, Pat, you've taken the round.

Ben, sorry - you've been knocked out

by our Egghead in a strong performance.

Both of you please come back and rejoin your teams.

This is what we've playing towards. Time for the 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.

So Ben, Martin and Jan from the Red Lion Rebels

and Judith from the Eggheads, would you please leave the studio.

So Trevor and Rob, you're playing to win the Red Lion Rebels £4,000.

Daphne, Chris, Barry and Pat,

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

As usual, I will ask each team three questions in turn. This time, the questions are all general knowledge.

You are allowed to confer. So, Trevor and Rob, the question is

-are your two brains better than the Eggheads' four?

-Hope so!

-Let's see.

Good luck. Do you want to go first or second?

First or second, my son? First?

We'd like to go first, please, Jeremy.

Good luck to the Red Lion Rebels.

It's a great name, by the way.

In 2010, which country overtook Japan as the world's second-largest economy?

China's the second...

-Japan's...

-First?

-After Japan is the second.

I think China's the first...

largest.

So either Russia or India overtook Japan.

Hmm...Russia.

-I would think India.

-I'd say India.

-D'you think India?

-Yeah.

By the process of not really knowing, we're guessing India.

OK. I think...

it's a very interesting answer and a very interesting discussion you had.

The world's largest economy, I think, is the USA.

And so actually, it was China that overtook Japan.

So the answer is China.

Eggheads, your question.

Which word for an ornamental screen for behind an altar also refers to the back of a fireplace?

THEY CONFER

It's definitely reredos.

-Back of an altar...

-A sedilia is a seat.

-Aumbry?

-Not sure what an aumbry is.

-I know.

-It's a reredos, is it?

-Definitely.

That's a reredos.

Reredos is correct.

You've got one point. They are ahead -

you need to get this one right.

Grogram is a type of what?

G-R-O-G-R-A-M.

Grog-ram.

G-R-O-G-R...

I don't think it's a beverage, cos "grog" seems too...

Gro-gram. Gram.

Leads me...I don't know - leads me towards fabric.

Grogram.

-I don't know. I mean, I honestly don't know.

-No.

I don't think it's a plant, I don't think it's a beverage.

If I've got to go for one, I'd go for fabric. What do you think?

I'll go with you on that one.

I'm not sure myself.

-Well, I'm not. Go with fabric?

-Yeah.

-Happy with that?

-Yeah.

We don't really know, Jeremy, but we're going to have a go at fabric.

OK. You ruled out grog - the grog connection.

You were right to -

it's fabric, well done. You got it right. Nice work.

Actually, there IS a grog connection there, Jeremy. The admiral,

whose name escapes me, who first had the idea of watering the sailors'

rum ration, was known as Old Grog, because he wore a grogram cloak.

-Ah!

-Admiral Vernon.

-Admiral Vernon, that's the fella.

-Of course we knew that(!)

-Yes, OK.

So the grog connection is with fabric and with beverage, funnily enough. OK.

Your question, Eggheads.

In France, how is a steak cooked if it's described as saignant?

I guess it must mean rare, because saignant is related to blood,

which is bloody.

We think that's rare, because it means bloody.

Understood. Rare is...

correct.

So Eggheads, you have two points, Challengers, you have one.

Got to get this one right or the whole thing is over.

There's no easy way to say it.

The procerus muscle is one of the muscles

of which part of the human body?

Procerus is P-R-O-C-E-R-U-S. Procerus.

I may be going down the wrong track again.

-Procerus, proboscis? Nose?

-Yeah.

-Yeah, I was thinking.

-I mean, a proboscis monkey's got a big nose.

Procerus...

-Might be the nose.

-Again, we haven't really got a clue, Jeremy,

but we're going to go with nose.

-As is proboscis or...?

-Yeah.

Nose is right.

-Ooh!

-You are great quizzers. This is how you play.

Just a little whiff of something and you're away. Literally, in this case.

Here's your question, Eggheads.

Get this right, you've taken the contest.

Which artist produced a replica of Nelson's HMS Victory in a bottle

that was unveiled in May 2010 on the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square?

Right.

-It definitely wasn't Mark Wallinger.

-No, and it's not Gavin Turk.

-No.

-Who is Yinka Shonibare?

But I've seen a photo of him,

and I've seen a photo of Mark Wallinger and Gavin Turk.

It's neither of those, so it must be Yinka Shonibare. Right.

The answer is Yinka Shonibare.

Are you certain about that?

-Yes.

-You don't want to change?

-No.

-Yinka Shonibare...

is correct. Congratulations, Eggheads. You've won!

-Well, what can I say? I mean, they do that sometimes.

-Yeah.

I'd just like to say, it's been a pleasure for them to meet us today.

LAUGHTER

-You're probably right!

-No, it's been great to be here.

And they do squeak in at the end like that. An amazing retention they've got.

-Yeah.

-Anyway, commiserations, Challengers, the Eggheads have done

what comes naturally to them and they still reign supreme over Quiz Land.

I'm afraid that means you won't be going home with the £4,000.

So, sad to say, the money rolls over to our next show.

Eggheads, many congratulations.

Who will beat you?

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

to defeat the Eggheads. £5,000 says they don't. Till then, goodbye.

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