Episode 119 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 attempt to beat the greatest quiz team in Britain.

Their pedigree is well known.

They've won some of the country's toughest quiz shows.

They are the Eggheads. And, taking on the awesome might of our quiz Goliaths today

are On The Beat. This team all work

for the British Transport Police.

Although they're based all over the country,

they've become friends through work events.

Let's meet them.

Hi, I'm Peter, I'm 45 years old, and I'm a police officer.

Hi, I'm Gareth, 53, and I'm a crime scene manager.

Hi, I'm Michael, I'm 39, and I'm a police staff manager.

Hi, I'm Will, I'm 51, and I'm an HR reward manager.

Hi, I'm Andy, I'm 37, and I'm a police constable.

-So, Peter and team, welcome.

-Thank you.

You've got a whole variety of interests,

but you don't actually quiz together.

No. Being nationally spread out, it's very difficult for us

to get together for social events,

And I suppose I'm kind of the gel that's brought the team together,

because people work with me in the North West,

and I often travel to London, where the other half of the team are from.

And Transport Police, as opposed to common or garden police.

The big difference is what?

The big difference is the beat that we police,

which is the rail system, tram systems and the underground.

Exactly the same, but dealing with offences on the railway.

OK, well, good luck in this competition.

There's a connection between one of the team

and one of the Eggheads, but we'll discover that later on.

Every day, there's £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.

So, On The Beat, the Eggheads have won the last 21 games,

which means £22,000 says

you can't beat them today.

Best of luck to you.

It's quite a good jackpot now.

The first battle is on the subject of Politics.

-Which one is your Politics player?

-That's you, isn't it, Will?

-Yep.

Lamb to the slaughter, well done.

OK, Will, which Egghead?

We've got the A-Team.

-The plan has gone!

-Shall we go for Daphne?

-I think so, yeah.

Will from On The Beat against Daphne from the Eggheads.

It's you, Daphne. You jolted, you suddenly jolted into action, there!

Would you please take your positions in the Question Room?

So, Will, let's reveal the connection.

It's you, and it's an Egghead. Which one?

It's Chris, Jeremy.

-And what happened?

-A long time ago,

we were in the London Transport Drama Group together.

-Did you do a play together?

-We're trying to remember.

We think not, but we certainly were there together.

Well, he's not changed a lot in all those years, to be honest.

-You can take that as a compliment, Chris.

-I can.

I've lost a lot of hair, Will! And grown some more.

OK, so let's get on with the round.

I will ask each of you three multiple-choice questions on Politics in turn.

Whoever answers the most correctly is the winner

and goes through to the final, and Will,

-you can choose the first or the second set.

-I'll go first, please.

Here's your first question, Will.

What term is used to describe a worker who goes to work

when his or her workmates are on strike?

Well, bluestocking is particularly associated with women,

but of course, if you're on strike, or breaking a strike,

then you could be male or female, so I believe the answer is blackleg.

Blackleg is the right answer. Where does that come from, any Eggheads?

Coalmining. If you're working, you'll have coal dust on your legs.

"Show us your leg!" If it was black with coal dust, you were a blackleg.

Daphne, which political figure made headlines in 2010,

after it was alleged he intervened to release a belly dancer from a police cell?

I haven't heard the story,

but it does sound like Silvio Berlusconi to me!

It's difficult to know where to start with his escapades.

Silvio Berlusconi is the right answer.

Back to you, Will.

When did the National Minimum Wage Act pass into law in the UK?

Well, 1992 was Conservative government,

1998 was just when the Labour government had come in,

2004 likewise.

I have a feeling it might be 1998.

1998 is correct, yes. A priority for Labour when they came in.

Daphne, your question.

In May 2010, Iain Duncan Smith was appointed to which Cabinet post?

OK, Work and Pensions.

Work and Pensions is correct.

Going great guns, both of you. Might get harder. Question three.

In 2010, Lord Pearson stood down after only nine months

as the leader of which political party?

Plaid Cymru, obviously, is the party of Wales,

Respect is associated with George Galloway.

It's the United Kingdom Independence Party.

It is indeed, UKIP.

Three out of three, Will, well done.

Daphne, let's see if you can hang on in there.

Named after a 19th-century supporter of proportional representation,

what name is given to the quota commonly used in elections

held under the single transferable vote, or STV system?

The only one that sounds like a name is the Wilt Quota,

so that's my guess.

But, sadly, there was no Henry Wilt. There was a Henry Droop.

-Oh.

-Droop Quota is the answer. I know you'll never forget that, Daphne.

-No.

-One of the very few things you don't know.

Sorry, you're not in the final. Well done to you, Will.

You've taken out an Egghead and you will be in the final.

Please, both of you return to us now.

So, a good start for the challengers.

They've lost no brains from the final round,

the Eggheads have lost a brain, poor old Daphne's gone.

The next subject is Music.

Now, which of the challengers would like this?

-It's got to be you.

-Yeah. It'll be me, Andy.

-OK.

Who would you like to arrest?

-Shall we take Judith on with this one?

-Sounds good.

-Judith?

We'll take Judith for this one.

Andy from On The Beat against Judith from the Eggheads, on Music.

-That's all right, isn't it?

-That's all right.

-Good.

Please go to the Question Room now.

-So, Andy, whereabouts do you work?

-Currently at Stoke-on-Trent, Jeremy.

And you're a quizzer?

Yeah, started off doing a few myself, attending them,

and then decided to run my own.

-So you run it in a pub?

-Yeah, the Sydney Arms in Crewe.

And if this lot turned up, would there be alarm in the pub?

Yeah, I would imagine so.

It's only for a bottle of wine anyway, so you don't win a great deal.

So, three questions on Music in turn,

and whoever answers the most correctly goes through to the final.

-Andy, you can choose the first or second set.

-Second, please.

Judith, here we go with your first question.

Brother, Can You Spare A Dime?

is one of the most famous songs to come out of which historical period?

I think that came out of the Great Depression.

Great Depression is correct, well done.

Andy, Boyzone's first UK number one single, Words,

was a cover version of a song by which group?

I'm ruling Fleetwood Mac out,

because they were a bluesy rock band.

I seem to remember the year was 1974, and it was the Osmonds.

You may have got the year right. It's the Bee Gees.

Oh, dear!

The Bee Gees.

"Words are all I have to take your heart away." Was that the lyric?

-That's the one.

-That's the one.

OK, Judith.

In 1996, Macarena was a US number one

and a UK number two single for which Spanish act?

Erm, I don't know!

Which name do I like the best?

Los Lobos.

-You like Los Lobos the best?

-Yeah.

-Just because it's got lots of O's in it?

-And L's and things.

-L's and O's.

It's wrong, but it's still a nice name. Los Del Rio is the answer.

Weren't you dancing to that in 1996?

I don't think I was, no, otherwise I might have known.

-Well, you might have been dancing without knowing.

-Well, maybe!

Andy. It's A Scandal, It's An Outrage is a song that

appears in the stage version of which Rodgers & Hammerstein musical?

It doesn't sound like one from The Sound of Music.

My mum's a big fan of that one. I've never seen it,

but it doesn't sound like something from that.

It sounds more of an American title, so I'll go for Oklahoma!

Well done, Oklahoma! is correct.

So, you're equal, and this is the third question.

Judith, the African musical instrument the mbira is also known as what?

Spelt M-B-I-R-A.

Erm, I think it might be a nose flute.

-How would you play a nose flute?

-Through your nose.

-OK.

It's a thumb piano.

OK, Andy, your question.

If you get this right, you're through to the final.

Which hip-hop artist co-produced Eminem's albums

The Slim Shady LP and The Marshall Mathers LP?

We did once worked on a concert of Eminem's at the MEN Arena,

and I seem to recall it's Dr Dre, is his producer.

Dr Dre is absolutely right. Well done, Andy. You're in the final.

Judith, you've been knocked out on Music by a nose flute.

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

-Peter, well done. It's going well.

-Yes, going to plan so far.

Very good start.

It's a better start than a number of teams have had

in the last couple of weeks, so hang on in there.

So, as it stands, the challengers have lost no brains from the final round.

The Eggheads have lost two. Who's going to win?

There's a lot of money at stake. The next subject is Science.

Which of you would like this?

INAUDIBLE CHATTER

-I'll take that, Jeremy.

-OK. Kevin, CJ or Chris?

-Might try and take Kevin out.

-I'd go for CJ, if I was you.

CJ?

Or Chris?

Might as well take Kevin on.

I've been nominated to take Kevin.

OK, good luck with that.

So, Peter from On The Beat against Kevin from the Eggheads, on Science.

Please go to the Question Room now.

So, you actually run a good section of the Transport Police, then, Peter?

Yes, Jeremy. We're divided into seven areas, and I run the one in the North West.

OK, and that's a massive responsibility,

keeps you up at night, I should think.

It does, at times, yes, but it's very interesting.

You never know what's next, and what's around the corner,

what challenge will be thrown at you.

I'm just trying to work out how you got into that from doing,

as I understand it, a science degree at Oxford.

Yes, I did, and I did want to be a farmer or a forester,

but then reality took over at the age of 21, and I fancied a go at the police.

What was your degree subject?

Applied biology.

OK, applied biology, Kevin. How are you on that?

Well, I haven't got a degree in it, put it that way.

Well, let's see how you do.

Science ranges pretty wide, as we're going to find out.

Three questions, multiple choice.

Peter, you can choose the first or the second set.

I'll take the first, Jeremy.

And here is your first question.

The condition seborrhoea primarily affects which organ of the body?

S-E-B-O-R-R-H-O-E-A.

Seborrhoea.

I don't think it's the liver, so I'll discount that.

Something in the back of my mind talking about sebaceous glands,

so I think I'll go skin.

Nicely done, skin is the right answer, Peter. Well done.

Kevin, what type of creature is a corncrake?

A corncrake is a bird.

It's a bird, yes.

Peter, what is the chemical symbol for radon?

All look reasonable, but I think I'll discount Rh...

..and I think I will go for Ra.

It's tricky, isn't it, this one. Ra is not radon, I'm sorry to say.

-What is Ra?

-Radium.

-Radium, yeah. Rn is radon.

Kevin, your question.

In which year did the International Space Station

receive its first crew?

Not too sure on that.

I think, possibly, '95 is a little early.

Not sure about that, though, at all.

I should know this, but I can't remember when it went up.

Its first crew.

I'm going to go for 2000.

2000 is the right answer. What was it that swung it there?

Floating around in the back of my mind,

I thought I could imagine people going back up to ten years ago,

so there we are.

You got it right. You're in the lead, so Peter,

you need this one, or you're knocked out.

Approximately how many Earth years does it take the planet Neptune to orbit the sun?

Well, obviously, Neptune, given the demise of Pluto,

is now the furthest planet out within our solar system,

so that's tending to push me towards the top end

in terms of years,

and I'll go for 165 years, Jeremy.

165 years is correct.

Kevin, your third question, for the round.

The Glyptodon was an early relation of which mammal?

G-L-Y-P-T-O-D-O-N.

Vaguely heard the name Glyptodon, I would imagine.

Hmmm, not sure on this. Well, not just not sure, I just don't know.

Platypuses are pretty ancient, they're a very ancient breed.

Giraffe, I've never heard that in relation to. Giraffe.

Maybe getting my language roots all mixed up here,

but "glypto" usually refers to carving.

It's been used in context of sculpture, and that sort of thing.

Could that be a...

involving plates, and that kind of thing?

A rather metallic look.

I just don't know it, so I'm going to go for armadillo.

Amazing. Armadillo is the right answer. You crept towards it there.

-He would be a brilliant cop.

-Oh, yes.

One bit at a time, and then you get to the plates.

It's the armadillo. So, sorry, Peter.

You have been knocked out

by another strong performance from our Kevin, and you won't be in the final.

Kevin, you will be.

Please come back and rejoin your team-mates.

So, glypto, Kevin, sorry, take me through that.

How did you get to armadillo from glypto?

I know that "glypto" effectively means "carved",

and so it's often a term that is used in relation to sculpture, for instance.

So, if you think about an armadillo,

as compared with the other two choices that were there,

with its plates, and its ears sticking up,

it can almost look carved, in a way.

It was tenuous, but...

-What about that?

-Very good.

-It's not bad, is it?

Anyway, there we are.

So you have now taken a hit.

The challengers have lost a brain.

The Eggheads have lost two brains,

and the last subject is Sport. Who would like this?

-Go on, Mike.

-Yeah, Mike.

Mike, on Sport, OK. And against which Egghead? CJ or Chris?

-CJ.

-Erm, CJ, please.

OK, so it's Michael from On The Beat on Sport

taking on CJ from the Eggheads.

To ensure there's no conferring, please go to the Question Room now.

Michael, I hear the biggest love of your life is your allotment.

Well, I try and spend as much time as I can down there, yeah.

-What are you growing?

-All sorts, really.

Try and get a good range of vegetables going throughout the year.

And you've won some prizes?

Yeah. My father and my grandfather, they used to grow,

or specialise in growing big onions and leeks,

so I've had a go myself over the last few years and grown a few whoppers.

Fantastic. I can't imagine you, CJ, on an allotment.

Er, no, not really my sort of thing.

I think they're wonderful places, but getting my hands dirty

and vegetables don't appeal to me at all.

But you could wear wellies and gloves.

What I do in my private life is my business.

I'm not sure how we go from the allotment to Sport,

but let's give it a try.

Three questions, Michael, and you can choose the first or second set.

I'll go first, please.

Here we go, good luck to you.

Cycling's three Grand Tours are those of France, Spain

and which other country?

I do like cycling, and I tend to watch quite a lot of it on TV,

and I think the other tour is in Italy.

Italy is the right answer, well done.

David Bentley, Michael Dawson and Jermaine Jenas

played for which football team during the 2010/11 season?

I have absolutely no idea.

I think I vaguely recognise the name Jermaine Jenas, and that's it.

I don't think it's Man U.

Tottenham Hotspur.

-Let's ask the challengers. Is he right?

-Yes.

-Yes, you're right.

Spurs. OK. I don't know how they do it! Michael, your second question.

In which year did Phil Mickelson first win

one of golf's four major titles?

Golf's not my strongest subject.

I think he's still one of the best golfers around.

I think it's probably after 1994.

Whether it's six years ago or 11 years ago...

I think I'll go for 1999.

Let's see if CJ knows this one. You're good on your golf.

He was regarded as the best player never to win a major,

until he won the Masters in 2004.

2004 it is, Michael. CJ, back to you.

The American Jeremy Wariner has been an Olympic and world champion

in which athletics event?

He's a 400m runner.

400m is correct, so now you've got to get this one right, Michael.

The Bulls, three-time winners of rugby's Super 14 tournament,

are a team from which country?

They're all very strong rugby union playing nations,

so it could be either of the three.

I think I'll plump for Australia.

Australia is the wrong answer. It's actually South Africa.

So, you've been knocked out by CJ. The Eggheads are pulling level now.

CJ will be in the final.

Michael, you won't be, and if you both come back to your teams, we will play that final.

This is what we've been playing towards.

It is time for the final round, which is General Knowledge,

but those of you that lost your head-to-heads

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

So, Peter and Michael from On The Beat,

and also Judith and Daphne from the Eggheads,

would you please now leave the studio.

-So, Gareth, you're now leading the charge.

-Yes, I am.

-We haven't heard from you yet, but you do forensics, don't you?

-I do.

And inspired at the age of 13 by what?

I read, I was always into general science,

but I picked up a book from the library, a biography on Sir Bernard Spilsbury,

and from that, I was hooked.

Let's try the Eggheads. Sir Bernard Spilsbury.

-Do we know his name?

-Yep.

-Yep. Forensic pathologist.

Famous for?

The Crippen case was his major one, wasn't it?

He was called in on many of the major cases in the early part of the 20th century.

He brought applied science into legal jurisprudence.

Brought it into the court,

so he was the forerunner of that branch of forensic science.

-Fascinating. Well, good luck.

-Thank you.

Can't promise that'll come up, but maybe something close to it.

Gareth, Will and Andy, you're playing to win On The Beat £22,000.

Kevin, CJ and Chris,

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

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

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

On The Beat, the question is are your three brains

better than the Eggheads' three?

Would you like to go first or second?

-You choose, Gareth. Go on, you choose.

-First, please.

Good luck to your whole team, and £22,000 up for grabs.

Here's your first question.

What is the setting for the 2008 film Mamma Mia?

-I think it's in Greece.

-I've had to watch it, as well. Greek island.

Greek island.

Greek Island is the right answer.

Eggheads, to which creature is the pet name Dobbin commonly applied?

-Horse?

-Of course it's a horse!

Yeah, the old grey matter

ain't what she used to be.

It's a horse, Jeremy.

Dobbin the mule. Dobbin the horse. Correct.

OK, On The Beat, your second question.

In which year did the form of gambling known as the football pools

first appear in the UK?

Anybody got an idea? I know its earlier than '63.

I remember it being won in the '60s by that Spend Spend Spend.

-She was '63, I think.

-Do you think they'd start it in the war?

I haven't got a clue, but I'm thinking,

was there an Act in a particular year that enabled it to go ahead?

There was a Gambling Act in '63.

-Yeah.

-You see it on the side of fruit machines in pubs.

But did that enable

the football pools to take place?

I'm not sure. It's the only answer I can think of.

'43 was a war year,

I wouldn't imagine they'd introduce a Gambling Act in a war year,

and '23 I think is too early, so that's why I'd go for '63.

-Shall we go '63?

-OK.

We're not 100% certain, Jeremy, but we're agreeing 1963.

1963 is your answer. It's not '43, you're right, but it's actually '23.

It's that early. It does seem very early, Eggheads.

I remember posting my dad's coupons in the '50s,

so it wasn't '63.

There was very little football during the war,

so it's got to be '23.

Oh, I see.

So, it's one point each,

and Eggheads, your second question, to take the lead.

In the Greek alphabet, which letter comes immediately after lambda?

Mu, because L, M. It's lambda, mu, nu.

I would have said it's mu.

Yeah, it's mu, Jeremy.

Mu is the right answer.

OK, you need this one now, On The Beat.

The Indian states of Gujarat and Rajasthan both border which country?

They're on the north-west, so it's Pakistan.

Pakistan, Jeremy.

Said with great conviction. Appropriately, for police officers.

Pakistan is right. Spot-on.

We've got to hope the Eggheads get this one wrong,

and we go to sudden death.

If they get it right, this contest is over.

Eggheads, the Lutine Bell that hangs in the underwriting room at Lloyds,

was taken from a ship that sank in 1799, with a cargo of what onboard?

-Bullion, wasn't it?

-Yeah.

-That was my instinct.

-It's not marble.

-No, no.

It was one of the biggest things Lloyd's had covered up to date,

-wasn't it?

-Makes sense.

Yeah, it was a cargo of bullion.

Off the Dutch coast.

If you've got this right, the contest is over.

The ship was carrying a cargo of bullion. Eggheads, congratulations.

You've won.

It was those wretched football pools!

Afterwards, the logic seems obvious,

but at the time, it's not, it's difficult.

So, thank you for playing, and commiserations.

-I hope you enjoyed it.

-Thank you.

They are good, and as you can see from the size of the jackpot,

they've had an unholy winning streak, which continues.

So, the Eggheads have done what comes naturally to them,

and they've gone on winning.

You won't be going home with the £22,000,

so the money rolls over to the 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.

£23,000 says they don't. Till then, goodbye.

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