Episode 140 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 time in Britain.

The 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 awesome might of our quiz goliaths today are -

Now, this team of colleagues all work together in

local government and take their name from a Yorkshire saying

they feel reflects their roots. Let's meet them.

Hi, I'm Glenn, I'm 42, and I'm a project coordinator.

Hi, I'm Andy, I'm 28, and I'm an electrical technician.

Hi, I'm Billy, I'm 56, and I'm an electrical technician.

Hi, I'm Ash, I'm 35, I'm a building technician.

Hi, I'm Paul, I'm 42, and I'm a building technician.

Glenn and team, welcome.

Tha Can Always Tell a Yorkshireman, is that the local saying?

It's a saying that goes back many years what Billy introduced to us.

It's basically, "Tha can always tell a Yorkshireman, but tha can't tell him much."

OK. And you're quizzers, all of you?

-Yeah, we do individual quizzes, yes.

-OK, I'm sensing a good team here.

-You're serious about quizzing?

-Yes.

-All right.

Anyone got Yorkshire roots here? Barry?

-Barry is not a Yorkshireman.

-Isn't he?

-I'm the only native Yorkshireman.

-CJ is a Yorkshireman!

I can tell by his accent(!)

All right, well, I don't think there's any danger of a defection

from the Eggheads to your team.

Good luck. Every day, £1000 worth of cash

up for grabs for our challengers.

However, if they fail to beat the Eggheads,

the prize money roles over to the next show.

So, Tha Can Always Tell A Yorkshireman,

the Eggheads have won the last 15 games,

which means £16,000 says you can't beat them today.

Would you like to try?

-We would.

-Definitely.

-It's a good jackpot.

The first battle will be on Science.

Which one of you wants this?

-What did you say?

-Ash?

-Ash?

-I would say Ash.

-Do you want me to go for it, yes?

-I would say Ash.

-Ash, on science?

-Reasonably comfortable, yes.

-OK. Which Egghead?

You've got the classic line up here.

CJ in the middle. Judith nearest me. Chris at the far end.

Chris is quite strong, I think, Billy.

-I would go for Judith or CJ.

-My inclination is to go with Judith.

I'd like to challenge Judith.

-I don't know, what do you think, Glenn?

-Yes, Judith.

She's got that shocked expression. You OK about this, Judith?

-Yes, yes.

-All right.

So, it's Ash from Tha Can Always Tell A Yorkshireman versus

Judith, from Tha Can Always Tell Somebody Who Comes From Kensington!

|Oh, shut up, Jeremy! Honestly! I hate that!

To ensure there is no conferring, would you please take your positions in the question room.

Ash, you work for local authority, I gather?

I do. I've been there about 11 years, I think.

So, I've known Glenn and Billy and Paul for all that time.

Andy's the newcomer, he's basically joined the team about a year ago.

Which council?

Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council.

What do you do for them?

It could be anything from inspecting kitchens, bathrooms,

new roofs, heating systems, things like that.

So, it's quite diverse.

There is a bit of science creeping in there.

-There is indeed.

-It's technical?

-It is, yes. You're absolutely right.

OK, three multiple choice questions on science in turn.

Whoever answers the most questions correctly as the winner.

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

I'll go first.

Here we go, Ash, good luck.

What term is used to refer to an agent such as a bacterium or

virus that can cause disease?

I've head of a histamine. I've not heard of a seratonin or a pathogen.

Er...

This would be a pure guess.

Some of the guys in the studio may know the answer, but...

I'd have to go for a histamine, as a guess.

-Judith, what would you guess?

-I think the pathogen.

Pathogen is the right answer, Ash.

Judith, your question.

The colourful species kingfisher that is native to Britain has

an orange/red breast and a back that is which other colour?

It's a very brilliant, sort of turquoise blue.

Blue is right.

So, she's ahead, Ash. See if you can catch her up.

Heron's formula refers to the area of which geometric shape?

I don't think it's triangle. Er...

It would be probably either a rectangle or a pentagon.

Erm...

Again, this would be a shot in the dark.

I would say pentagon, as a guess.

Pentagon. The answer is triangle.

What is Heron's's formula?

CJ, you will know this.

I don't think any of us knew this.

Not heard of it? How do you work out the area of a triangle?

-Base times height.

-Half the base times the height.

Maybe that's Heron's formula.

Happen it is, but I've always just known it as half base times height.

We're all confused by Heron's formula.

But it's given Judith the lead.

And you'll take the lead however you get it, Judith, won't you?

Here's your question, and if you get this right, you've won through.

Judith, a dolorimeter is an instrument used to measure what?

How do you spell it?

D-O-L-O-R-I-M-E-T-E-R. Dolorimeter.

D-O-L-O-R-I-M... Dolorimeter.

Well, the French word for pain is douleur. So...

Possibly it's that.

I'm trying to think if there's a link with any of the other...

I'm just going to go for pain, and hope for the best.

The right answer is pain.

So you have taken the round with that answer.

She's knocked you out. She's pretty good on science, Judith, actually.

She is, actually, yeah. You're right.

Yeah, and you'll be in the final, Judith. And Ash, you won't.

Please, both of you, come back to your teams, and we will play on.

So we've had a little look at this Heron's formula, Ash.

And it's named after Heron of Alexandria. It was a toughie.

I'll remember that.

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

The Eggheads have lost no brains.

The next subject is film and television. Which of you would like this?

-What do you think, Glenn?

-You should do that.

-Should I take this on?

-I think you should.

-OK!

-I'll take this one.

-OK. Against which Egghead? It can't be Judith.

-Who looks like they've not watched any films recently?

-I think Kevin.

I do. We all say Kevin.

-I've been frogmarched into choosing Kevin!

-All right, fine!

So it's Glenn from Tha Can Tell Always Tell A Yorkshireman

versus Kevin from the Eggheads on film and television.

Let's see how they both do. Please go to the question rooms now.

I'll ask each of you three questions on film and television in turn,

whoever answers most questions correctly goes to the final.

Glenn, you can choose the first or second set.

I'll opt for first, please.

Here we go.

Who is the male star of the films Night At The Museum,

and Night At The Museum: Battle Of The Smithsonian?

Night At The Museum, it's not Harrison Ford.

Er... And don't believe it's Nicolas Cage either.

I think that is Ben Stiller.

Well done, Ben Stiller is correct.

Kevin, "Keep out of the black and in the red,

"there's nothing in this game for two in a bed,"

was a catchphrase heard in which TV gameshow?

That sounds distinctly darts related,

so I think I shall go for Bullseye.

The brilliant Jim Bowen, wasn't it? Very good.

So, back to you, Glenn.

Who was the winner of the first

Comic Relief Does Fame Academy, which was broadcast in 2003?

I don't think it was...

Will...Will Mellor.

Um... I'm leaning towards Ruby Wax or Jo Brand. I can see them winning it.

I just think it...

I'd go for Jo Brand.

-Lets see if your teammates know.

-Ruby wax?

-Ruby wax, as a guess?

Anyone here?

-Well Mellor?

-Yes, Daphne, well done. Will Mellor, actually.

It is the one you ruled out. Well Mellor is the answer.

Kevin, here's your question.

Who played the part of the replicant Roy Batty

in the 1982 film Blade Runner?

Yeah, it had the famous speech about the shoulder of Orion.

It was one of those centrepiece speeches. It's Rutger Hauer.

Rutger Hauer is the right answer.

-That film is so influential, isn't it?

-Mmm, very. Extremely.

Glenn, over to you.

You've got to get this one right.

Which French actress was nominated for Oscars for the films

Camille Claudel and The Story of Adele H?

OK, erm...

To be honest with you, I don't know the films.

Or the actresses.

Which is not a good start. Erm...

I'll plump for one. I'll plump for Juliette Binoche.

It was actually Isabelle Adjani.

Glenn, you've been knocked out by Kevin.

Very strong player as always for Eggheads.

And Kevin will be in the final.

So please, both of you, come back and we'll play the next round.

Bad luck there. Any change of strategy now?

-It depends what categories come up, I think.

-OK, so you'll play it by ear?

-Yes.

-All right. Good luck.

The challengers have lost two brains from the final, the Eggheads have lost none.

The next subject is food and drink.

How's that for you?

-Who do you think?

-Andy, Billy, Paul.

-These subjects haven't done us well.

-Do you want to, Andy?

-Andy or Paul.

-Do you want me to go? I'll go.

-Andy.

-Go on.

-Andy, please.

-OK, Andy. Against which Egghead?

-CJ, Daphne, or Chris?

-Chris?

-Chris?

-I'd ask Chris.

-Chris?

-Yeah.

-We'll go for Chris.

-OK.

So, it's Andy from Tha Can Always Tell A Yorkshireman

-and Chris from the Eggheads.

-Yes.

To ensure no conferring, please go to the question rooms now.

Food and drink. Do you do this category a lot, Chris?

Not as often as certain other people I could mention.

But you've obviously been good at it when you've done it?

-I don't keep score, but if you say so!

-Yeah.

What's your favourite type of food? Favourite dish?

Oh, I like a good roast.

I'm quite partial to most pasta dishes.

Not much of a one for salads.

I do like a nice roast parsnip, roast potato.

Making me feel hungry now. So three questions on food and drink.

Andy, you choose the first or second set of questions.

I'd like to go first, Jeremy.

Good luck getting into that final. They need you in there. Here we go.

The Spanish dish patatas bravas

consists of chunks of potato in what type of sauce?

Erm, I'm trying to think...

potatoes, what they'd have it with.

I think, probably, I'd go for spicy tomato.

You wouldn't have it with parsley or bechamel. So, spicy tomato.

Spicy tomato is absolutely right. Well done.

Chris, popular in the Marseille area of France,

navettes are biscuits made in the shape of which objects?

Spelt N-A-V-E-T-T-E-S.

Ah, navettes.

The French for rabbit is lapin, so it wouldn't be a rabbit.

Navette. Probably linguistically related to Navy, naval.

Navis, Latin for ship. So, we'll go with boats.

Boats is the right answer, well done. Andy, back to you.

Barrique is the term for a 225 litre barrel used for storing wine

and made from the wood of which tree?

Right. Barrique?

How is that spelt, Jeremy?

It's B-A-R-R-I-Q-U-E.

Right. Erm...barrique.

For some reason, I'm leaning towards oak. I don't know why.

I just think it might be oak related, barrique. I'll go for oak.

And oak is the right answer. Playing well, Andy.

Let's see if you've held him off.

What was the name of the fad diet which was briefly popular

in the 1970s and which permitted dieters to only

eat four different foods over an eight-day period?

Hm...

The Israeli army diet would be kosher.

But, yeah, I'll go with the Icelandic army diet. Icelandic.

It's not the Icelandic army diet.

-It's actually the Israeli army diet.

-Is it?

Yes, I remember that from my childhood. People talking about...

-Anyone been on that, know about that?

-No.

-No? Drawing a blank here.

-Israeli army diet is the right answer.

-I wouldn't know about diets!

Andy, you've taken the lead because he didn't know it.

And if you get this one right, you're in the final.

What type of meat is the Italian guanciale?

And it's spelt G-U-A-N-C-I-A-L-E. Guanciale.

Guanciale.

Erm, I don't think it'll be chicken.

Erm...

It's not one I've heard of.

I think that might be pork.

I don't know why. I've got a feeling, pork.

I don't think it's beef, I know it's not chicken. Pork.

-Pork is your answer?

-Yes.

If you got this right, you're in the final round. Is he right, Chris?

I wouldn't know, Jeremy.

Even more satisfying. You are right, Andy. Well done.

Three out of three, so you're in the final.

Things are turning around, maybe, for the Yorkshire team.

Chris, you've been knocked out.

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

I can tell you more about the Israeli army diet, OK?

It's pretty ferocious. Days one to two, apples.

Days three to four, cheese.

Only cheese. Five to six, chicken.

And then, seven to eight, salad.

That's the diet! That is not a lot of fun!

-Day nine, funeral!

-Yeah!

You can drink black tea or coffee whenever you want.

That's the one concession.

Yeah.

The challengers have lost two brains from the final round.

But the Eggheads have now lost a brain.

It getting exciting. The last subject before the final is sport.

That good for you?

We'll wait and see!

-It's got to be Billy or Paul.

-I'll take sport.

OK, so Paul against which Egghead? CJ or Daphne?

-Daphne.

-Do you think?

-Yeah.

-I think so, yeah.

-Daphne?

-Daphne.

-OK.

-We'll try.

-We'll try Daphne, please.

-You were supposed to pick him!

Daphne's sporting knowledge is quite something. Both are good.

Paul from Tha Can Always Tell A Yorkshireman

against Daphne from the Eggheads on sport.

Please go to the question rooms now.

-So, Paul, they chose you pretty swiftly on sport.

-Yes, yes.

I'll give it a go, Jeremy. I'll give it my best shot.

I know you liked running. You don't run anymore?

No, I ran for eight years.

I had a motorcycle accident and have now switched to biking

because it's less impact on the knee that I damaged.

-That's tough stopping running.

-It is.

-It is, yeah. Starts to show.

-Ha-ha! Good luck in sport.

Three questions, multiple-choice.

Would you like the first or the second set, Paul?

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

Here we go, your first question.

In 1839 a horse named Lottery became the first to win which race?

I don't know the answer.

I don't think it's the Grand National.

I'm going to go with a local race to me

Doncaster, St Leger, please.

It's not the St Leger, it's the Grand National that Lottery won.

-I bet that's a quizzing fact, is it?

-Yes.

-all Quizzers know that.

-I knew that.

-You knew that as well, Daphne?

-Yes.

OK, well, don't rub it in.

Don't tell me it's football.

You'll like this question.

In 2010, who won the inaugural Power Snooker tournament,

which exhibited a shorter and quicker version of snooker?

Oh, I told you you should have picked CJ.

Um, haven't heard of it.

-SHE SIGHS

-No idea. Peter Ebdon.

Peter Ebdon is wrong.

You normally say no idea and then get the right answer.

When I say I haven't heard of it, I really haven't.

But you have this amazing technique of guessing.

Anyway, Ronnie O'Sullivan is right. You're equal, how about that?

-Yes, yes.

-You got a break there.

-Forgive the snooker pan.

-Even Stevens.

Your Call in East London is a venue particularly associated with which sport?

I'm going to go straight down the middle, Jeremy.

-Again, I don't know, show jumping.

-You say show jumping.

Anyone in your team know?

-Boxing.

-They all say boxing and they're right, sorry to say, Paul,

boxing is the right answer. Daphne, your question.

Which tennis player, then an amateur, came through the qualifiers

of the Wimbledon men's singles in 1977

and was eventually knocked out in the semi-finals?

Mmm...

John McEnroe.

I'll check with CJ.

All these questions have come from the CJ draw. Who was it, CJ?

It is McEnroe.

McEnroe is the right answer, Daphne, you've taken the lead, well done.

-So he came in as a wildcard?

-He was only a teenager.

-Just bumbling around.

-Yes.

-Then he's in the semifinals.

-He went straight to the semis, yes.

-Who was he knocked out by?

-I think it was Jimmy Connors.

-OK, Paul, your question.

Kathy Whitworth, born in 1939,

became a famous name in which sport?

Unfortunately again, Jeremy, it's going to have to be a pure guess.

I'm going to go sailing, please.

OK, if you've got this one wrong

it's Daphne's round because she's got one point.

The answer is golf.

So she's knocked you out with her correct answer.

I won't get back to you on the third question, Daphne, you're in the final.

-Paul, sorry.

-No problem.

-You've been knocked out of the contest

and if you come back to us, we will play the final round.

This is what we've been playing towards.

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

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

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

Glenn, Ash, and Paul from Tha Can Always Tell A Yorkshireman

and Chris from the Eggheads, would you please now leave the studio.

Andy and Billy, here we are. Is this how it was meant to turn out?

-Not quite.

-Not quite, no.

-But you're doing all right.

Two of you, four of them and you can win from this position, no question.

Billy, your special interest is golf.

-It is.

-So actually the Kathy Whitworth question....

-I didn't know her.

But your interest is in the records and history.

The history, records and the champions of golf.

And you set quiz questions and all that?

Yes, I did it for years in our local pub.

-Have they held you back as a special weapon?

-Allegedly. LAUGHS

Don't want to give you too much build up, but good luck anyway.

I hope you pull through and I hope for some golf questions, that's what we need.

So you're playing to win Tha Can Always Tell A Yorkshireman £16,000,

while Judith, Kevin, CJ and Daphne,

you are playing for something money can't buy,

the Egghead's reputation.

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

this time the questions are all general knowledge, you can confer.

So, Tha Can Always Tell A Yorkshireman, the question is,

are your two brains better than the Egghead's four?

Shall we get cracking? Do you want to go first or second?

We'll go first please, Jeremy.

Here is your first question and all the best to you, Billy and Andy.

What name is sometimes given to places of worship, such as Westminster Abbey,

which is subject to the direct authority of the sovereign

rather than any bishop or Archbishop?

-Have you got some idea?

-I don't think it's royal oddity.

I think it is either royal parochial or royal peculiar.

I have heard of royal peculiar.

-That's the only one I've heard of.

-I don't think it's royal oddity.

I don't think the royals would be associated with anything odd.

-The only one I've heard is royal peculiar.

-I'm the same.

-Shall we go for that?

-Yes.

We'll go for royal peculiar.

I'm glad you did, royal peculiar is right. Well done.

OK, Eggheads, your first question.

which Nobel prize-winning playwright died in 1950 at the age of 94?

-GBS on that one?

-Yes.

We think that's George Bernard Shaw.

-You call him GBS in Quiz Land?

-Yes.

GBS is right. George Bernard Shaw.

So, equal after one question each. Here's your next question.

Who is the subject of the Michael Crick book,

subtitled Stranger Than Fiction?

Michael Crick...

Somewhere I've heard of the book.

-Stranger than fiction.

-Stranger than fiction.

I don't think that would be David Beckham.

For some reason, Michael Jackson, a wild life style...

He has had a wild lifestyle.

Jeffrey Archer's been notorious for...

..for being in prison.

-I would go, I would go for Michael Jackson.

-Michael Jackson?

He had a wild life, didn't he?

It seems to go with the title of the book, doesn't it, really?

Shall we go for that one?

-Yes, we'll go for Michael Jackson.

-Your answer is Michael Jackson.

Michael Crick is more a politics writer

and the book is about Jeffrey Archer.

Famously said in politics,

the five most frightening words in British politics,

"Michael Crick is in reception."

LAUGHTER

Eggheads, to take the lead, which Canton of Switzerland

was only created in 1979 when it was separated from the Canton of Bern?

I think it's Jura.

-Jura?

-I think so, yes.

-Well, yes, I'm pretty sure.

-OK.

-That's good enough for us then.

I think what happened was the Jura is a French speaking area,

Bern and the area around that is very much German-speaking

and the French speakers had been agitating for their own Canton

for a long time and it finally happened

and Valais is right down in the south of Switzerland,

further away from Bern

and Uri is one of the most historic Cantons, right in the middle.

You do worry me sometimes, you know.

It's Jura anyway.

Erm, this rather sad, lonely man next to me,

who just happens to be brilliant at quizzing, says it's Jura.

So that's what we are going to go for.

No doubt about it, it is Jura.

-I'd object to the "sad and lonely".

-I was just going to say.

All he's done is fill his head with books.

That's quite reasonable.

You're the one who learns the lists CJ, for goodness sake.

-You don't, do you?

-No. I have looked at lists in the past,

but it's not something I like doing.

You read and you're cultural.

You need question right, third question.

Get it wrong and the contest is over.

In which decade was the Radio Times first published?

Radio was before television.

Television started in 1936 at Alexander Palace,

but radio was before that.

I was thinking earliest.

I'd be tempted myself to go for '20s...

But then again, television. It's old, very old.

It was 1936 when BBC started transmitting television.

But there was radio before that, wasn't there?

For some reason I'd have thought earliest.

That's what I was thinking.

-Shall we go with that then?

-Yes.

We'll go for the 1920s, Jeremy.

The actual year was 1923,

so you're quite right. Good use of logic.

You're equal, but Eggheads,

if you get this one right, you've taken the contest.

The Aria, "Una Furtiva Lagrima"

is sung by Nemorino in which opera by Donizetti?

So, um, L'Elisir?

If memory serves, it's a comedy.

That's the one Nemorino was in...

We think, therefore it is, L'Elisir d'Amore.

There doesn't seem to be any uncertainty about you at all today.

You are in quite frightening form.

You're quite right, it is L'Elisir. So the contest is yours.

We say congratulations, Eggheads, you have won.

-Would you have got the third question there?

-No.

It was a toughie for the non-opera buffs and it had me, I must say.

Eggheads, well done. Commiserations to our challengers.

-It's been great to see you.

-Thank you.

The Eggheads' winning streak continues. It's really quite impressive now.

I'm afraid that means you won't be going home with the £16,000,

so the money rolls over to our next show.

Eggheads, congratulations, who is going to beat you I wonder?

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

£17,000 says they don't. Until then, goodbye.