Episode 123 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 pedigree is well-known as they've won some of the country's toughest quiz shows.

They are the Eggheads.

And taking on he awesome might of our quiz Goliaths today

are the Odsal Toppers from Bradford.

This team test their brainpower at their local, the Top House, in Odsal,

where Phil runs the pub quiz. Let's meet them.

Hi, I'm Chris, I'm 55, and I'm a senior technician.

Hi, I'm Phil, I'm 57. I'm a retired post room worker.

Hello, I'm Geoff, I'm 63, and I'm a retired chemical production manager.

Hello, I'm Aaron, I'm 21, and I'm a journalism student.

Hi, I'm Keith, I am 54, and I am a print finisher.

So Chris and team, welcome.

And tell us about the pub quiz.

It's our local pub, it's right opposite the rugby ground.

We go to the rugby, we go to the quiz, and we drink there.

-Are you on different teams at the quiz, or what?

-Yes, we're on different teams.

Phil does the quiz, and we all test our knowledge every Tuesday.

I know you love to walk. There's great scenery near where you are.

Yes, Ilkley Moor,

the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, I've walked all of those.

-So a bit of walking, bit of quizzing...

-Yeah.

..and you've all got different professions as well,

which will come in handy.

No women on the team, though. Is that going to be a gap?

Er, we couldn't find any!

Now, who's the landlady of the pub, just so we mention her?

Her name's Elaine Crowther.

OK, Elaine, I hope you're watching!

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.

So, the Odsal Toppers, I can tell you,

and you'll probably be excited by this,

the Eggheads have won the last 25 games.

So that means there's £26,000 to win today.

And we'll start, shall we?

There's no reason to wait!

First head-to-head battle is on Arts and Books.

Who would like this? Arts and Books.

THEY DISCUSS

What do you think?

I'm not an Arts-and-Books man at all, no.

-Do you want to try Aaron?

-I don't really, but...

Go on, then, if I have to.

-Aaron?

-Reluctantly looks like it's me, yeah.

-OK.

All right, and against which Egghead, Aaron?

I'll take on, Kevin, please.

-All right!

-Why not?

-Good, sort of, crashing through the front doors.

OK, to start off with, Aaron from the Odsal Toppers,

against Kevin, down the end there, from the Eggheads.

To ensure there's no conferring, would you take your positions in the Question Room?

-Good luck, Aaron.

-Thank you.

-I called you Air-on. Do a lot of people do that?

-Yeah, it happens quite a lot.

How do you decide whether it's "Air-on" or "Aa-ron"?

That was solely my parents' decision.

-It's Aaron, though.

-So they choose the name and they choose how it's said as well.

The spelling and funny variation of the name, Aaron.

I gather your friends call you Statto. Why?

I've got quite a little bit of football and rugby league knowledge

stored in the grey matter, but I've been reluctant to take on

Arts and Books, but I'll see what happens.

You want to be a sports journalist, and study journalism,

so I'm trying to work out how you missed out on the sporting round if it comes up.

Like I say, I've had to take one for the team, so to speak.

Arts and Books is probably our least strongest category.

Well, good luck in this, Aaron,

and it's three multiple choice questions, as you know.

Whoever wins is in the final, the other person is knocked out.

See if you can knock Kevin out. Tough, but it's been done.

Do you want the first or second set of questions?

I'll take the first set of questions, please.

Here we go, very good luck to you, Aaron.

What did Sherlock Holmes call the street children who sometimes

helped him on various cases?

Right.

I was going to suggest that the answer had Baker Street in it,

which doesn't really help me at all.

Like I say, I'm not very good on my Arts and Books,

but I will take a guess... an educated guess.

I'll go for the Baker Street Erratics, please, Jeremy.

Baker Street Erratics is wrong. Any Egghead know?

-EGGHEADS:

-Baker Street Irregulars.

Irregulars is the answer from his own Baker Street.

Kevin, which member of the Monty Python team co-wrote the books

Life and How to Survive It,

and Families and How to Survive Them?

Think he co-wrote them with a friend of his, who is a psychologist,

I think, anyway. But it's John Cleese.

John Cleese is the right answer.

Aaron, your question.

Which author wrote the novels Mad Cows and Foetal Attraction?

Well, I've heard of one of the authors out of these three,

so I think it would be foolish to not pick the one I've heard of.

So, I'll just go for Esther Freud, please.

No it's not. Actually, it's not Esther Freud,

it is Kathy Lette, who is very funny.

Let's hope Kevin slips up here, Aaron.

Kevin, Pietro Longhi, who was born in the early 18th century,

specialised in painting contemporary scenes in which part of Italy?

If you get this right, you're in he final.

I believe... Yeah, I'm just double-checking it.

I think that was Venice.

-You're double-checking?

-Mm.

-In the files?

Well, it's not that long since I last went to Venice,

so I think I saw some works by him there.

Venice is correct. Well done, Kevin. Aaron, no way back in this round,

-but I know it wasn't your strongest subject.

-No.

So Kevin will be in the final and Aaron, you won't be.

And please, if you can, rejoin your teams.

So as it stands the challengers have lost one brain from the final round

whilst the Eggheads have lost no brains, but it's still early.

The next subject for you is Politics.

Who wants Politics?

What do you think? Geoff?

-It's you, Geoff.

-Fall on your sword.

-You're the one.

Yeah, I think it's going to be me.

OK, Geoff against which Egghead?

Chris.

-Straight there.

-Yeah.

-Chris.

OK, Geoff from the Odsal Toppers against Chris from the Eggheads,

on Politics. Please take your positions.

Geoff, you and your wife are on a mission, I gather?

-Yes!

-To visit...?

All the European capital cities.

But, unfortunately, they keep expanding.

The Russian states have come in,

and Yugoslavia split, so that was another six more capitals,

so as fast as we try and visit them all,

they just seem to get more and more.

What a brilliant project! How many have you seen?

About 20, so far.

And total number at the moment?

I don't know how many there is at the moment.

Interesting, cos Israel crops up in the Eurovision Song Contest.

That's right. I mean, if Turkey joins, is that Europe? I don't know!

Ankara is in Asia, isn't it?

Well, it's a host of quiz answers you're getting yourselves there.

That's fantastic!

So we're on Politics. I hope that helps with this round.

I don't think so, but we'll see how we go.

You never know, actually, you never know. It ranges quite wide.

Three questions, multiple choice. Geoff, first or second set?

Yeah, I'll go first, please.

Here we go with your first question.

Which businesswoman, whose success came after launching

a line of shoes, was appointed as a UK business ambassador

by David Cameron in 2010?

Oh, well. I've heard of Tara Palmer-Tomkinson.

I don't think, I mean, she might wear shoes

but I don't think she had anything to do with that.

I really don't know, but I'm going to take a guess.

Tamara Mellon.

-Eggheads, is he right?

-Absolutely!

You're absolutely right, Geoff. Well done. Tamara Mellon.

Chris, who became Home Secretary after the 2010 general election?

Er, Nick Clegg's Deputy PM, William Hague's Foreign Secretary,

so it's Theresa May.

Theresa May is the right answer. Well done.

Over to you, Geoff.

Which magazine gives out an annual Parliamentarian of the Year award,

which was won in 2010 by Ed Balls?

Oh, dear!

Well, again, I don't know.

I'm going to go down the middle, The Spectator.

Well, there is some wizardry in your guessing, I must say,

Spectator is absolutely right, again! Two out of two.

-Is Punch still going, Eggheads?

-I didn't think Punch was...

-I don't think it is, no.

-I think Punch has packed up.

-Alan Coren used to edit it.

-Yeah.

-I think a couple of years ago it packed up.

-Yeah.

Chris, which TV comedy personality stood at the 1997 general election

as a member of the Teddy Bear Alliance?

Mm.

Going back a bit, isn't it?

Erm...

Don't think it was Rob Brydon.

He's more likely to stand for Plaid Cymru.

Don't think it was Ricky Gervais.

It's the sort of thing Dom Joly, the prankster, would do,

so I'll go with Dom Joly.

Nice work. It is Dom Joly.

Any particular seat he stood in? Anyone?

-Can't remember this.

-Can't remember that, no.

He stood somewhere as the Teddy Bear Alliance. Let's guess.

'97, where would you stand to get maximum publicity?

-Tony Blair's cons...Sedgefield.

-Sedgefield?

-Yes.

Let's guess Sedgefield, OK.

Chris, you got it right, well done. Your third question, Geoff.

Who was the President of France between 1974 and 1981?

Now, then.

Again, I'm not sure at all.

The dates again, were...? 19...?

Who was the President of France between 1974 and 1981?

Yeah, I'll go for Georges Pompidou.

Georges Pompidou, when was he President? Eggs?

-I think it was before that.

-'70s, I think.

-'69 to '74.

'69 to '74, then it was Valery Giscard D'Estaing after that, Geoff.

That's the answer. So Chris, if you get this right, you're in the final.

What is the minimum number of electoral college votes

a US presidential candidate must obtain to be assured

of an absolute majority?

Woah.

Now, then.

There's six per state, isn't there?

So there's three hundred and...

300.

I'll go down the middle for 270, Jeremy.

270 is the right answer Chris, so that's three out of three.

Sorry, Geoff, he's knocked you out!

And he will be in the final round.

If you both come back to us, we'll play the next round.

Chris, any change of tactics?

No change of tactics. Unfortunately, the categories that are coming out

are not our specialist subjects,

so we're having to fall on our sword as it were.

I noticed that you were, for, I think, three months

on a local radio station, the champion of the soul music quiz.

-Yes, that's right.

-So you're waiting for that to come up?

-If it comes! If it doesn't come,

then I'll have to fall on my sword as well!

All right, well, I hope things turn around for you.

The challengers have now lost two brains and the Eggheads haven't lost any but, you know,

time will tell, and they have lost the whole match

from this position before. No question.

The next subject is Sport.

-That's good, isn't it?

-That's good.

-OK.

-Who wants that one?

-Me?

-Well, it's you, Phil.

-Phil?

Phil on Sport, against an Egghead. Pick an Egghead.

Judith, I think.

I thought we had a little conversation before

about how it wasn't worth picking me any more.

She's been talking about football, about rugby.

She comes in the office, talks about cricket.

-Do you still want to take her on?

-She's got to lose one! Maybe...

OK, Phil from the Odsal Toppers versus Judith, on Sport.

And please go to the Question Room now.

-Well, Phil, good luck in this round.

-Thank you!

-Judith, are you nervous?

-Are you going to wish me luck, too?

-No, good luck in this round, Judith.

-Thank you, Jeremy.

-Always neutral! I know you're expecting to win.

-Phil, you're a big Bradford City fan?

-And Bradford Bulls.

Sport, then. Three questions, multiple choice.

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

-Ladies first, please, Jeremy.

OK.

It hasn't even started yet, Judith. You're already smiling!

Who became the youngest ever Formula 1 world champion

when he won the title in 2010?

Well, I do know that Sebastian Vettel won it in 2010,

so him, please.

Sebastian Vettel is correct.

You got that right Judith, well done. One point to you.

OK, Phil. The former Arsenal footballer Freddie Ljungberg

served as the captain of which national team?

I'm pretty sure it wasn't Norway or Denmark.

I'm quite sure it was Sweden.

-Aaron is nodding.

-Yeah, he's right, yeah.

Phil, well done, you're right. Sweden is the answer.

Back to you, Judith. In Australia,

the Cox Plate is one of the most prestigious events in which sport?

Well, plates seem to be trophies in racing a lot of the time,

so I think I'm going to say horse racing.

Good, yes. Horse racing it is.

You make it seem so easy, Judith, in sporting rounds.

Well, let's wait for the third question!

OK, Phil, to keep up with Judith.

The American, Shannon Miller,

won two gold medals at the 1996 Olympic Games in which sport?

None of them's coming to mind.

Athletics, swimming or gymnastics.

Erm, because it sounds gymnastic-y,

I will say gymnastics, please, Jeremy.

It's the same sort of logic that Judith was using with her plates.

And you're absolutely right. Gymnastics is right.

Judith, which country did New Zealand defeat

by a record 145 points to 17,

at the 1995 rugby union World Cup?

Erm, I never think of the Japanese as physically

being good rugby players cos, on the whole, they're rather small,

aren't they?

So I think, for those reasons, I might just choose Japan.

Judith, you've got three out of three on Sport. Well done!

Japan is right. We must have a sort of celebration plaque erected

in the Question Room.

OK, Phil, to keep up with Judith,

and to take it to Sudden Death, here's your question...

In 1905, which American became the first overseas tennis player

to win the ladies singles title at Wimbledon?

HE SIGHS

Tennis not one of my strong points.

Miriam Hall, May Sutton, Elizabeth Moore.

I'm going to go for...

..Miriam Hall.

Miriam Hall. Judith, do you know this?

I would've said May Sutton, I think.

Why would you have said that?

I don't know, I just have a little bell ringing, somewhere.

May Sutton's the right answer.

You got it wrong, sorry,

and I daresay you've got four answers right there, Judith...

-I can't believe it.

-And on sport, well done.

Phil, sorry, you've been knocked out by Judith.

You have though boosted her confidence immeasurably with that round.

So do both of you come back and rejoin your teams.

So, as it stands, the challengers have lost three brains from the final round.

The Eggheads still haven't lost a brain.

The last subject before the final is Film and TV.

-Is this any good for you?

-Could be.

-You wanted music, didn't you?

-You don't always get what you want.

-Who would like this?

-This could be you, Chris or Keith down the end?

-I shall take this.

Chris, on Film and TV. Which Egghead would you like to choose? Pat or Barry?

Pat or Barry, we've got left.

-Who shall we take? Barry?

-Barry.

-Barry.

We'll take Barry.

OK, Chris from the Odsal Toppers against Barry from the Eggheads

and please go to the question room now.

I feel I should ask you some questions on soul music, Chris.

-That would be nice, yes.

-Tell us when your interest in that started.

It started when I was about 12, 13-years-old.

-That was at school, was it?

-Yes, at St Bede's in Bradford.

-The older boys were listening to it?

-They used to go to the Twisted Wheel in Manchester

and bring the records back, we'd listen to them, they'd show us how they danced

-and... I was just smitten, at once.

-How fantastic.

And the key bands of the time were American, were they?

Yes, mainly black American bands. The Everly Brothers,

-Smokey Robinson, The Miracles, Otis Redding.

-OK.

-I'm afraid it's not soul music, its film and TV.

-Yes.

You have to shift gears now into a different subject area.

Up against Barry, three questions, multiple-choice,

and you can choose the first or the second set.

Er, I'll go second.

Barry, your first question, good luck.

The One With The Thumb and The One With The Monkey

are the titles of early episodes of which US sitcom?

I think Friends episodes started The One With,

so I shall go for Friends.

Friends is the right answer, well done. Chris,

the Victoria Wood sitcom Dinnerladies

was set in the canteen of which type of establishment?

Erm, I never watched this,

but, I believe it was a school.

It actually was a factory.

Chris, sorry, you got that wrong. Barry, your question,

Vivien Leigh won her first Oscar for her performance in which film?

It certainly wasn't Anna Karenina. I really should know this.

Which of the other two was it?

I can't remember the order in which she did them.

Gone With The Wind was filmed in '39,

and I can't remember if Streetcar was earlier or after.

I'll go with Gone With The Wind.

Let's ask the Eggheads. Eggheads?

-Gone With The Wind. '39.

-What else can you tell us about that?

-1939?

-Yes.

-In what sense?

-Who else was in it?

-Oh, Clark Gable.

-Clark Gable as Rhett Butler.

-Ashley Wilkes and Leslie Howard.

-Hattie McDaniel.

I've seen it seven times.

Have you really? Is it your favourite film?

-It's my husband's favourite film as well.

-Would you recommend it?

I don't know, I haven't seen it from long time so I don't know whether it's dated or not.

But it was the most wonderful film before it was dated, if it is dated.

-It goes on a bit.

-It's very long.

-You've spoiled it now, Chris.

It always had an interval in the cinema.

Gone With The Wind is right.

Chris, back to you.

In which country was the actor Christopher Plummer born?

And you need to get this one right.

In which country was Christopher Plummer born?

Er, Christopher Plummer.

I've absolutely no idea.

Um...

I'm going to go for Canada, Jeremy.

I'm glad you did. Canada is the right answer.

If Barry gets this one right, he's taken the round, because he started.

Which Dirty Harry film was directed by Clint Eastwood, Barry?

I think it would've been one of the later ones,

so I don't think it would be Sudden Impact.

Is it The Enforcer or The Dead Pool? Mmm.

I think it was The Dead Pool.

-No, it was not actually, it was Sudden Impact.

-Oh.

He's let you back in.

You need to get this one right now, OK?

Who played Queen Elizabeth opposite Errol Flynn as the Earl of Essex

in the 1939 film, The Private Lives of Elizabeth And Essex?

Er...

The only thing I ever saw Barbara Stanwyck in was westerns.

I'm going to go for Joan Fontaine.

If you've got this right, we go to Sudden Death.

Anyone on your team know?

-Barbara Stanwyck?

-No, it wasn't Barbara.

Bette Davis is the answer.

Chris, sorry, you got it wrong,

it is not Joan Fontaine and you've been knocked out.

Barry, you'll be in the final. In fact, I think all the Eggheads will be in the final.

If you come back to us, we will play that final round.

This is what we've been playing towards,

it is time for the final round, which as always is general knowledge.

I'm afraid those of you who lost your head to heads

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

Chris, Phil, Geoff and Aaron from the Odsal Toppers,

would you please now leave the studio?

Keith, you thought you could hide on the end there

and it turns out not to be the case.

-No hiding place in this game.

-Were they holding you back for the final?

-That was the plan.

-But not quite the plan that you'd be on your own.

-No.

-And you quiz, I know you love your quizzing,

in the same league as one of our friends here.

I wouldn't say my colleague Barry, but adversary.

He's held as a shining beacon of erudition in the quiz league.

-He's somebody to aim for.

-And what's the quiz league called?

-It's the Airedale Quiz League.

-Good luck in this.

I don't know if this is going to be easier or harder

than the Airedale Quiz League, but there is £26,000 if you win.

As for Chris, Barry, Pat, Judith and Kevin,

you're playing the something money can't buy,

the Eggheads' reputation.

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

This time the questions are all general knowledge

and you are allowed to confer.

Odsal Toppers or perhaps I should say Keith, the question is,

is your one brain better than the Eggheads' five?

And would you like to go first or second?

I'll grasp the thorny nettle and I'll go first, please.

Keith, good luck to you. Here we go. First question.

In 2010, who replaced Dale Winton as the regular host

of BBC Radio Two's Pick Of The Pops?

Hmm...

I was hoping not to get...

..anything too current.

And this is one of them.

Right.

I'm not too sure. In fact, I'm not sure at all.

I'll say, Simon Bates.

Actually, Tony Blackburn is back on the air on Radio Two.

I see him around the building.

Tony Blackburn is the right answer. Eggheads,

we go to you for your first question.

"Speed bonny boats, like a bird on the wing..."

- is the opening line of which traditional Scottish song?

THEY CONFER

That's the Skye Boat Song, Jeremy.

Skye Boat Song is the right answer. You've pulled ahead.

Keith, see if you can catch them up.

NASA's manned space flight centre, located in Texas,

was renamed in the 1970s in honour of which US President?

Right, well, Nixon was in power when they actually went on the moon.

I don't think it's Jimmy Carter.

So, I'll go in the middle, Lyndon B Johnson.

Lyndon B Johnson is correct, well done.

President from what, '63?

He was Kennedy's Vice President, so yes, '63, to '64.

Then '68, I guess.

He won in his own right, then Nixon won the '68 election.

-And so is it called The Johnson Centre?

-Johnson Space Centre.

So it's now one each.

£26,000 being played for here. Eggheads,

what nickname was given to William I,

ruler of Normandy from around 927 to 942 AD?

-Longsword.

-Longsword?

-Longsword.

Longshanks was a nickname for Edward I.

Longbeard, not sure of any long beards,

but he was, the Duke of Normandy was William Longsword.

He was Longsword, Jeremy.

How long was his sword?

-Very.

-Very?

THEY LAUGH

It was long enough. Longsword is the right answer.

Judith, your knowledge never ceases to amaze. "Very"!

OK. So that means, Keith, you've got to get this one right.

The Eggheads have two points, you have one,

this is your last question.

Brazil has borders with how many South American states and territories?

Brazil has borders with how many

South American states and territories?

I believe it has borders with most of the other South American countries.

So...

Not 100% sure.

I'll say, eight.

Let me ask the Eggheads.

-10.

-I think it's 10.

-10, Keith.

So I won't go to them for their third, because there's no way back for you.

Congratulations, Eggheads, you have won.

Keith, tough questions and very tough when you're on your own.

And fairly tough against these chaps.

And they are all there as well which doesn't help either.

Commiserations to you, challengers. Thank you very much for coming in and playing.

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

I'm afraid it does mean you won't be going home with the £26,000.

That money now rolls over to our next show.

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. £27,000 says they don't.

Until then, goodbye.

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