Episode 51 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 pit their wits

against possibly the greatest quiz team in Britain.

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

They are the Eggheads.

Taking on the might of our quiz Goliaths today

are 3 O'Clock Saturday.

This team are connected through the football club FC United of Manchester,

a club formed in 2005 that provides affordable spectator football

for anyone who can make it to a game. Let's meet them.

Hi, I'm Dennis, I'm 41 and I'm a health club manager.

Hi, I'm Tom, I'm 25 and I work in marketing.

Hi, I'm Garry, I'm 47 and I have a dry cleaning business.

Hi, I'm Steven, I'm 36 and I'm wholesale product improvement executive.

Hi, I'm Mike, I'm 61 and I'm a retired bookmaker.

Welcome to you, 3 O'Clock Saturday.

Tell me about the club, FC United of Manchester.

-It's been going, what, five or six years?

-We were formed in 2005

in reaction to the commercialisation of football.

We want to provide affordable football for the local community to be able to go to games.

-Are you all Man United fans, though?

-Originally, yes.

And tell me about the team title - 3 O'Clock Saturday.

Is this also a protest about them moving the games around?

In the old days, there'd be the odd game on a Sunday,

but now at five on Saturday, if you want the results, there's only been a few games.

Exactly. We were getting bored of being dictated to as to when the games would be,

so all of our games, whenever possible, are at 3 o'clock on a Saturday.

Saturday afternoon, somebody else in the family can go shopping,

-and you can go to the match.

-Definitely. Definitely.

Good idea. Best of luck against the Eggheads, 3 O'Clock Saturday.

Every day there's £1,000 of cash up for grabs for our challengers.

If they fail to defeat the Eggheads, the prize money rolls over.

So, 3 O'Clock Saturday, the Eggheads have won the last 12 games

and that means £13,000 says you can't beat the Eggheads.

And our first head-to-head battle is on the subject of politics.

-Who'd like to play this?

-I think, Garry, you were going to go...

-Yeah.

-I think we're going to choose Garry for this one.

-OK, Garry.

Which Egghead would you like to play?

-I think they're all quite good at politics.

-None of them?

Should we go with Barry, do you think?

-Yeah.

-Why not?

-We're going to choose Barry, please.

OK, Garry and Barry. That has a nice ring to it.

Let's have you into the question room

so you can't confer with your team-mates.

Well, Garry, you're playing this politics round.

-Do you want to go first or second?

-I'll go first.

OK, good luck, Garry, and your first question is this.

Which term refers to a legal process of removing an undesirable person from political office?

Erm... We all heard it when they were talking about Clinton,

so I will go for impeachment.

Impeachment is the right answer. Yes, well done.

Right, Barry. First question for you.

In which year did Menzies Campbell become leader of the Liberal Democrats?

Er... Mm. This was quite recent, wasn't it?

It certainly wasn't as far back as 1996.

I don't think it was as far back as 2001.

I think it was 2006.

2006 is correct, yes. Good start for you, Barry.

And, Garry, your second question.

Which ministry did the Labour politician Nye Bevan hold

between 1945 and 1951?

Nye Bevan, of course, is famous for the setting up of the NHS,

so I would say Health.

That's the one, yeah. Well done. Nye Bevan and the NHS.

Barry, in 1997, which leading sports administrator was at the centre

of a controversy over the attitude to Tony Blair's government

towards tobacco advertising?

Well, I think it was Bernie Ecclestone.

Bernie Ecclestone is the right answer.

And it's all square - two each. Garry, here you go.

Which 19th century French political thinker

coined the slogan "Property is theft"?

Now you've got me thinking.

I think I would go for the third one - Rousseau.

Rousseau for "property is theft".

-It's not, Garry. Barry, of the other two?

-It was Proudhon.

Proudhon. Property is theft.

So are you going to pinch the round? You will if you get this right.

Which short-term political solution of the late 1970s

has since been used as the basis for calculating expenditure

between the countries of the United Kingdom?

Well, it's not the Schengen Agreement.

That's about allowing people of different nationalities in the EC to come to each other's country.

I think that was the Barnett formula.

The Barnett formula. Is he right, Eggheads?

-Yes.

-It's what I'd go for.

-It's correct, yes.

Barry, that means you have just taken that round.

A good player, there, in Garry but he got caught out.

You'll play in the final, Barry, but there's no place for Garry.

Please come back and join your teams.

So one-nil to the Eggheads, one brain less for 3 O'Clock Saturday.

Plenty more quizzing to come.

The next category is music. Who'd like to play this one?

I think it's between Mike and Steve.

-Shall we save you?

-Whichever.

-Steve, do you want to do it?

-Absolutely.

-We'll go with Steven, please.

-And who'd you like to play?

-I think there's only one choice.

-Who's that then?

-Chris?

-Shall we go with Chris?

-Why not?

-OK, we'll go up against Chris, please.

OK, let's have Steven and Chris into the question room, please.

Steven, Garry got close. Let's see if you can get into the final round.

-Would you like to go first or second?

-I'll go first, please.

Best of luck. First question.

What is the name of the trio of female singers that support the singer known as Kid Creole?

Right. It's certainly not my type of music, I've got to say,

but I do know that's definitely the Coconuts.

Kid Creole and the Coconuts. Right answer, yes.

One to you and, Chris, first question.

The singer known as Lady Gaga was born Stefani Germanotta

in which city in 1986?

Well, she's not Italian, so she's not from Verona.

Er... If it was Montreal, she'd be French Canadian.

She doesn't sound at all like Celine Dion,

so she must have been born in New York.

New York is the right answer, yes. Well done.

OK, second questions each. Steven's first.

What is the stage name of the rap star born Robert Van Winkle

in 1967?

I remember his song very well

and I believe he played Glastonbury in 2010

and I think it's going to be Vanilla Ice.

It's the right answer. Well done.

Are you glad you avoided that, Chris?

-Well, you know my opinion of rap music.

-Yes, we do.

Don't go any further.

OK, your second question might suit you a bit better,

the way these have fallen.

According to the title of the music hall song

that was made particularly famous by Marie Lloyd,

The Boy I Love is in which part of the theatre?

He's Up In The Gallery, Dermot.

# There is, can't you see? Waving of his handkerchief. #

-I knew you'd like that question.

-That's my era.

It's the right answer.

OK, we need a few rap questions or girl bands to come Chris's way

but it hasn't happened yet.

Steven's concentrating on his own questions and doing well. Third question.

Which Russian composer was a chemistry professor,

who regarded chemistry, rather than music, as his main career?

Following the last two questions, not quite my...

not quite my era, obviously. Erm...

I'm going to take a guess and go for Rimsky-Korsakov.

OK. Rimsky-Korsakov.

-It's not. Do you know, Chris, of the other two?

-Borodin.

It's Borodin and a chance, then, for Chris.

From the late 1940s, Renata Tebaldi became famous in which musical role?

I'm a bit of a fan of Frasier, as you know,

and he had a treasured recording of this person in some role or other.

She's an operatic soprano.

When that question came up, I said, "He's thinking of Frasier."

-So you get all your stuff from The Simpsons.

-Yeah.

Where would you Eggheads be without American television?

It's the right answer, yes. Renata Tebaldi, operatic soprano.

Well done, Chris. A music round under the belt

and it means you're not in the final round, Steven.

Bad luck. Would you both please rejoin your teams?

The Eggheads have knocked two members of the 3 O'Clock Saturday team out.

All the Eggheads are still there but I can see the ability -

we just need to clinch one of these head-to-heads.

Let's see if you can do it in this next one. It's science.

-Who'd like to play this?

-OK, I think you'd offered to do that, Mike.

I think we're going to go with Mike on this one.

And which Egghead would you like to play? It can't be Barry or Chris.

That leaves you Pat, Daphne or CJ.

-What do we think, guys?

-Do you think Daphne?

-Go for her.

-The two oldest from each team, I think.

I think Mike's got a thing for Daphne,

-so it's got to be Daphne.

-Haven't we all?

Let's have Mike and Daphne, then, into the question room, please.

So, Mike, what odds would you give me on you beating Daphne?

-Double carpet, Dermot. 33-1.

-33-1.

I think it's a bit shorter than that but we'll see.

-Would you like to go first or second?

-I'll go first, please, if I may.

Good luck, Mike. First question.

What type of removable magnetic diskette for computers

is now largely outdated

but came in sizes such 3.5 inch, 5.25 inch and 8 inch?

They all sound rather impersonal and almost obscene, do some of them,

but I'll say floppy.

Floppy.

I think we'll have no more comments on that. Floppy is correct.

And your first question, Daphne.

In what state does the element beryllium exist at room temperature?

Well, it's not a gas.

I don't think it's a liquid, so I'm hoping it's a solid.

-Other Eggheads?

-Yes, of course.

-Oh, right.

-You're all agreed.

Solid is correct. OK. And Mike's second question.

The operation of a four-stroke engine is commonly simplified

to the four words suck, squeeze, bang and which other?

I'm not a technophobe. I've got a car.

Erm... I don't think it's slap.

Thrust gives the indication of power.

I'll go for thrust.

Thrust. What do you think, Daphne? Thrust?

I'd have gone for blow but don't ask me.

It is blow. Suck, squeeze, bang and blow.

So it's not thrust. This is turning into Carry On Eggheads,

all the innuendo. Right, OK.

It's a chance then for Daphne to take the lead.

Daphne, the highly enriched version of which radioactive element

was used in the Little Boy weapon that caused the nuclear explosion

at Hiroshima in 1945?

Erm... Well, I'm assuming it's uranium.

I know ameri... whatever it is, you have in the smoke detectors.

I don't know what you use curium for. I'd go for uranium.

It's the right answer, yes. Uranium was used in the Little Boy weapon.

OK, well, you need to get this, Mike.

Which generic term refers to the virulent disease

caused by the pathogen Yersinia pestes?

Erm... I think measles is rubella.

Pestes sounds like a pest.

Plague is rats.

Malaria...

My first thought went to the plague, so I'll say the plague.

You've got to get it to stay in the game and you have.

It's correct.

Well done.

But Daphne has a chance to win the round with this one.

In April 2010, it was reported

that the first animals that do not depend on oxygen to breath and reproduce

had been found on the floor of which body of water?

OK, I haven't heard this. Erm...

Going on the logic of going for the biggest one,

I'll go for the Pacific Ocean.

-It's the wrong one. No, it's...?

-Mediterranean.

Yeah. It goes to Sudden Death. Incorrect, there. Mediterranean Sea.

That's very good news for Mike.

For the first time in the game we go to Sudden Death.

You're still very much alive but it gets harder

because you can't see any choices now

and your Sudden Death question is this.

What is the square root of 289?

I think er... Seven sevens are 49. I think it's 17.

17. Did the old bookmaker's background come in useful there?

You must be pretty quick with the odds.

I'm losing my touch

but at one time I'd reckon to be the fastest settler in the West.

Ah! It's the right answer. The square root of 289 is 17.

OK, Daphne, which species of mammal

that has become an unwelcome invasive alien in the UK

has the scientific name Mustela vison?

I just can't think.

SHE SIGHS

Mink?

I don't know.

Is the right answer.

Mink it is, specifically the American mink, but it's a mink.

Well, Daphne's good at guessing. She just proved it there.

It's stayed all square.

-I thought your maths would take you through, Mike.

-Almost.

Here you go. What type of creatures were Arabella and Anita,

who were sent into orbit in 1973

on the Skylab 3 space station mission

to answer a question about space

posed by high school student Judy Miles from Massachusetts?

OK, er, I can remember monkeys and I can remember a dog, I think.

Er...

I can't... I'm digging deep but nothing's happening.

Er... Which is quite normal but...

-I'm going to say mice.

-Mice.

-Were they mice, Eggheads?

-They were spiders

and the question that was posed was can spiders make webs in zero gravity?

They were spiders, Mike, spiders.

So a chance again for Daphne.

In the physics acronym WIMP or "wimp",

which refers to a possible solution for the problem of dark matter,

for what does the letter M stand?

I know WI.

Erm...

Is it massive?

Massive. It's correct.

-Oh, wow!

-Weakly Interacting Massive Particle.

What a massive answer that was. It's got you through to the final round.

Mike, a couple of chances there to go through, didn't get them.

You won't be in the final round.

Please come back and join your teams.

3 O'Clock Saturday. It's getting down to not being able to rustle up a decent crowd.

Three brains missing from the final round. The Eggheads are all there.

Our last head to head now.

Aha. It's sport. I bet you like this one.

Dennis or Tom can play it.

I think either of us would consider ourselves OK with this.

-Do you want to go for it or me?

-I really don't mind.

-Er, I'd be OK.

-Yeah, Tom's going to have a go at this one.

OK, Tom. Who have we got left for you? We've got CJ or Pat.

-I think CJ knows his sport.

-OK.

-He's had a quiet ride.

I know he knows his tennis and his darts and his snooker these days,

so I think we're going to go with Pat, please.

OK. All right, I see. So afeared of CJ's sporting knowledge, which you correctly identified.

I'm not sure about darts but tennis and snooker.

-Was it snooker?

-Yes, snooker.

-It's Tom and our Mastermind champion of champions, Pat.

Into the question room, please.

OK, Tom. Let's hope for plenty of football questions for you.

-Would you like to go first or second?

-I'll go second, please.

Pat, then, first set of questions. Here you go.

What colour is said to be awarded to students at Oxford or Cambridge

who represent their university at certain sports?

I think Hugh Laurie got a blue for rowing

and people get blues for cricket and rugby and the like,

so it's a blue.

An Oxford or Cambridge blue is right.

OK, blue is the right colour identified by Pat

and the first question now for Tom.

The brothers and England rugby union players Tony and Rory Underwood

both additionally shared which career choice?

OK, so, rugby's not my best area of sport

but I'm pretty sure they weren't pilots.

I think they weren't coal miners

and I'm hoping they were once policemen.

Policemen for the Underwoods, Tony and Rory.

No, they were in the RAF - pilots.

Pilots. So rugby not on the sporting radar for Tom.

So Pat has the lead and a bigger one if he gets this.

In which sport did Luca Cumani become famous?

I think he's a famous Italian... certainly a horse trainer

and possibly even a jockey.

Along with the Dettoris, he's one of the big names

in Italian horseracing

and I think he actually trained in England. It's horseracing.

-Horseracing. Is he right, Mike?

-Yes, he's spot on. A famous trainer.

-He trained a couple of horses for the Queen.

-Yes, horseracing.

You've got to get this, Tom.

The fast bowlers Colin Croft and Patrick Patterson

played test cricket for which international team?

Right, so I lived in New Zealand for a year,

so if it's New Zealand and I get it wrong,

I'll be getting lots of phone calls tomorrow.

Er, I'm going to guess at South Africa.

South Africa. Colin Croft and Patrick Patterson...

played for the West Indies.

I think they both played for Lancashire, as well.

I take it you got the two areas you don't like - cricket and rugby.

Yeah, basically.

-I do like them but you either know it or you don't.

-Caught out there.

It means the round's over. It's two-nil to Pat.

No point asking any more questions. Pat's taken it.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

So it is time for the final round,

which, as always, is general knowledge.

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

won't be allowed to take part, so Tom, Garry, Steven and Mike,

from 3 O'Clock Saturday, would you leave the studio, please?

So, Dennis, you're playing to win 3 O'Clock Saturday £13,000.

CJ, Daphne, Chris, Barry and Pat,

you're playing for something that money cannot buy,

the Eggheads' reputation.

Yes, CJ.

I'll ask each time three questions in turn.

The questions are all general knowledge

and you are allowed to confer.

Dennis, the question is, is your one brain better than the Eggheads' five?

And, Dennis, do you want to go first or second?

I'll go first, Dermot, please.

All right, good luck. Let's see what comes up.

First set of questions for you. Here you go, Dennis.

The word kowtow, meaning to kneel and touch one's head to the floor,

is derived from which historical culture?

I'm fairly certain that it's not Russian.

It could possibly be taken as Turkish

but I seem to remember this being a Chinese derivation,

so I'll go for Chinese, please.

To kowtow from Chinese culture. It's the right answer. Well done.

Eggheads, first question.

According to the popular saying, "Faint heart never won" what?

-Fair lady.

-Fair lady.

Not cool runnings.

We think that's fair lady.

Faint heart never won fair lady. It's correct.

And back to you, Dennis.

The character Judge Dredd made his debut in the second issue

of which comic book?

I seem to remember this from when I was younger.

I don't think it's Tiger.

It's either Marvel or 2000AD.

I always associate Marvel more with Superman and Spider-Man.

So on that basis, I'm going to go for 2000AD, please.

2000AD for Judge Dredd.

-Is he right, Eggheads?

-He is.

-He is.

Yes, well done, Dennis.

Two-one. Second question, Eggheads.

What is mixed with ginger beer and sometimes lime juice

to make the cocktail called a dark and stormy?

I don't but I would guess rum, with it being the darkest spirit.

Vodka. It can't be vodka because it's colourless.

Brandy's only a light brown.

Isn't brandy and ginger beer something else?

I think there's another name for brandy and ginger beer.

-I think you're right, actually.

-Pat?

-Rum's the darkest.

-I don't know.

-But your thought would be?

-The rum logic has something.

Erm, we don't think it's vodka because why would it be called a dark and story?

We think brandy and ginger beer is something else,

so we don't know but basically, rum's the darkest, so we'll try rum.

OK. It is rum, Eggheads.

A dark and stormy - ginger beer, sometimes lime juice.

So, all square. Third question, Dennis.

If you get this, it could win you the money.

The model Lara Stone who married David Walliams in May 2010

was born in which country?

I remember seeing pictures of her in the newspaper, I've seen that,

but where she actually comes from, I'm not certain.

I know she's very blonde, so on that basis I'm going to take a chance

with the Netherlands.

OK. Netherlands.

-On the basis that she's blonde.

-I'm afraid so.

But it's the right answer. Yes!

Well done. Well, you have three out of three.

Eggheads, a crucial one.

Red deal is the name for timber from the Scots pine

and white deal comes from which other tree?

Red deal is the name for timber from the Scots pine

and white deal comes from which other tree?

-One assumes it's the spruce.

-I can't imagine it's silver birch.

-It's not. It's Norway spruce.

-Yeah? I'm happy with that.

-It's the one that's grown for timber, Norway spruce.

-Yeah.

We're going to go with Norway spruce.

Norway spruce is correct, Eggheads. Saved your skins.

It's all square. We go to Sudden Death.

An achievement in itself on your own, there, Dennis.

Let's try and go the whole hog. £13,000.

Which word taken from the Italian for nephew

refers to the practice of specially favouring relatives

in matters of employment or promotion?

I don't know the actual Italian word for nephew

but I'm fairly sure that term is nepotism.

It's the right answer, Dennis. Well done.

Yep. Nepotism. Well done, Dennis.

Again, putting the pressure on the Eggheads.

So, the BRIC grouping of nations that are considered major emerging markets

includes Russia, India, China and which other country?

-Brazil.

-Brazil. Brazil, definitely.

-Brazil?

-Yeah.

Brazil.

Brazil is correct, yes. BRIC. Brazil, Russia, India, China.

All square again.

Well, Dennis, just keep this going.

See if you can crack those Eggheads.

In the commercial abbreviation E&OE that appears on invoices,

what does the letter O stand for?

I'm going to hazard a guess that it's part of the expenses side of an invoice

and it would be overhead or overheads.

OK. Overheads for the O in E&OE.

It's not the right answer, Dennis.

It is not overheads. Do you know, Eggheads?

-Omissions.

-Omissions.

-Errors and omissions excepted.

To show that the company has no responsibility for mistakes in the invoices if they're queried.

Well, the first chance for either team in the game to win it

and it goes to the Eggheads.

Who wrote the 1969 science fiction novel entitled The Andromeda Strain?

I think it was Michael Crichton. Do you think that?

-I think it was Michael Crichton.

-We both think Michael Crichton.

Yeah.

We think that was one of the most prolific science fiction writers,

Michael Crichton.

The writer of The Andromeda Strain was...

Michael Crichton. It's the right answer. You've won.

Bad luck, Dennis. That was close. That was close.

You made a real comeback.

And those head to heads, the quality's there in the team.

It's like one of those games of football where you're a good team but it goes against you.

We're used to David and Goliath at FC United, so...

Exactly. Thank you for playing, 3 O'Clock Saturday.

Very good to have you here but those Eggheads have done what comes naturally to them

and their winning streak continues. You won't go home with £13,000.

Which means the money rolls over to the 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 - £14,000 says they don't.

Until then, goodbye.

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