Episode 54 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

pit their wits against possibly the greatest quiz team in Britain.

You might recognise them

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

They are the Eggheads.

Taking on the awesome might of our quiz goliaths today

are Dramatis Personae from Hampshire.

They know one another through the amateur dramatics group, the Portchester Players.

Let's meet them.

Hi, my name is Jacquie. I'm 42 and I'm a business manager.

Hi, I'm Steve. I'm 44 and I sell marine navigation software.

Hi, I'm Ben. I'm 25 and I'm a PA.

Hi, I'm Nick. I'm 51 and I'm a financial planning manager.

Hi, I'm Sarah. I'm 42 and I'm a client relationship director.

Welcome to you, Dramatis Personae. From the team name,

do you like doing more classical theatre than anything else?

Actually not. A little bit off-the-wall stuff.

-We try to do things that other people don't do very often.

-Such as?

We've just done a Martin McDonagh play called the Lieutenant of Inishmore, which is a bit gruesome.

What are the gruesome bits then, without giving it away?

-Lots of blood, lots of body parts.

-Lovely.

-Dead cats.

It must be fun for the props department and make-up.

OK, let's play the Eggheads.

Let me tell you, every day there's £1,000 worth of cash up for grabs for our challengers.

However, if they fail to defeat the Eggheads, the prize money rolls over to the next show.

So, Dramatis Personae, the Eggheads have won the last 15 games.

That means £16,000 says you can't beat the Eggheads.

This category is Music. To kick off, Music. Who'd like to play this?

-Here we go.

-Who was the music one?

-Are you going to take that one, Sarah?

-OK.

-You happy with that?

-I'm happy with that.

-OK, cool.

-Sarah, choose an Egghead.

-Any of those five.

-Who will we say?

-Barry, maybe?

-Yeah, Barry.

OK, Barry has been chosen.

Exit Sarah, pursued by Barry, into the Question Room, please.

So, Sarah, would you like to go first or second in this Music round?

Dermot, I'd like to go first, please.

Good luck, here you go. How would one normally play the ocarina?

OK.

Ocarina. I've never heard of this instrument at all.

I don't think it's something that you'd press the keys of.

I think it's something you blow into it.

That's my answer, you blow into it.

You've got the right answer, well done. Fantastic.

Yeah, blow into them. Well done. Tricky one there, Sarah, but you got the point.

Barry, the Romantic era in classical music

is generally considered to have started during which century?

Well, the 17th is generally baroque music

and I think the 18th is classical,

so the 19th is romantic.

Yes it is. The right answer, Barry.

OK, Sarah, second question.

The musician born Quentin Cook is better known by what name?

OK, I know it's not Fatboy Slim.

Fatboy Slim is Cook but he's not Quentin Cook.

-I'm going to go for Kanye West.

-Kanye West for Quentin Cook.

It's Fatboy Slim. Eggheads, explain, because she thought it was Norman.

Quentin was his birth name, but he does use Norman.

Quentin was his birth name, there it was. The musician BORN Quentin Cook.

Well, a real curveball, that one. Barry, let's see what you get.

Hong Kong Garden was the debut UK top 10 single for which group in 1978?

I've heard the track and they're all groups...

two of the groups are much the same.

I think it was Huey Lewis & The News

but I'm not 100% certain on this one.

-No, no, no.

-Was it Echo & The Bunnymen?

-No, no, no.

-Do you want to have another go?

-I haven't a clue.

You didn't have a clue, did you?

It was Siouxsie & The Banshees. So, no harm done, Sarah.

Your third question.

Fritz Kreisler was one of the 20th century's leading virtuosos on which instrument?

OK.

So there's no clue in the question here.

I'm ruling out the harp

for no other reason than I always think

the harp is more of a female instrument.

I'm going to go with the flute.

Flute for Fritz Kreisler.

It's violin. It is violin.

Violin for Fritz Kreisler.

A chance for Barry to win the round here, let's see what happens.

Barry, which Phil Collins hit was the first track on the first

Now That's What I Call Music compilation album. released in 1983?

1983. I don't think it was Take Me Home. They are all great tracks.

Because I like the title, I'll go for You Can't Hurry Love.

It's the right answer, You Can't Hurry Love was the right answer.

Bad luck, Sarah.

Worked really well with those, but didn't get through.

It means you won't be playing for the 16 grand.

Would you both please come back and join your teams.

First round to the Eggheads.

One member of Dramatis Personae missing, all the Eggheads are there.

Our next subject is Science.

Who's got a bit of science in the background?

WHISPERING

-OK, I will take a hit for the team then.

-Steve.

-Yes.

-Are you all right with that?

-Yeah.

-Steve, happy to do it?

-And you can play one of those four Eggheads, not Barry.

-Judith?

-Yeah.

-I'd like to play against Judith, please.

-Judith, OK.

-Let's have, then.

Steve and Judith into the Question Room right now to play Science.

Steve, would you like to go first or second?

I'd like to go first, please.

First it is. Your first question, Steve.

How many wisdom teeth do adult humans normally have?

OK, I'm thinking it's going to be a bit odd if you've only got two.

I don't remember being in the chair six times

so I'm going to plump for four.

It's the right answer, yeah, four. Well done, good start, Steve.

OK, Judith.

Rust - the reddish-brown coating that can form on iron and steel

is mainly composed of which chemical compound?

I think that's iron oxide.

Yes, it is. Rust - iron oxide.

Second questions for each of you.

Steve, salicylic acid is a white crystalline solid

used chiefly in the preparation of what?

I have got absolutely no idea.

I can't really think of a reason why

but I'm going to plump for artificial sweetener.

Probably wouldn't work. No, it's aspirin.

Aspirin - salicylic acid.

Judith, next question for you.

SMTP is an abbreviation for an internet standard used for what?

You need to ask Barry.

-What on earth?

-SMTP.

I've seen it but I don't pay any attention to these sort of HTTP or SM...

Well, it's either sending e-mails or displaying web pages.

Which?

I think it's web pages.

-I've no idea what SMTP stands for.

-We've gleaned that, Judith.

We'll find out in a moment or two to see

if you can guess the right answer.

-Barry?

-It stands for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol.

It's for sending e-mail messages.

It's for e-mails. Simple Mail Transfer Protocol.

No harm done there, Steve. Still all square. Third question then, Steve.

The canary belongs to which family of birds?

I'd suggest too small to be a cuckoo,

too large to be a hummingbird,

I'm going to plump for finch.

Good one. Right, correct. It's the finch, well worked out.

And the pressure's on Judith now.

Judith, what term is used to refer to the atmospheric boundary

between the troposphere and the stratosphere?

Well, it sounds as if it's a pause.

So, pause - tropopause.

Well done, you worked it out.

So it's all square and for the first time

we go to sudden death, so no options now for either of you.

We've got to hear the answer straight from you.

Steve, the name of which chemical element, discovered

by William Hyde Wollaston in 1803, comes from the Greek for rose?

This truly is taking one for the team, isn't it?

I have no idea what I'm doing here.

You're doing well for the team, into sudden death, still in it.

-Cadmium.

-I'm liking the guessing.

It's not the right answer, but I just like that.

You said that with such confidence. That's the actor in you.

It is rhodium.

Rose due to the colour of the solution of its salts.

OK, chance for Judith.

Used in the rating of fuels and often seen on petrol pumps,

for what does the letter O stand in the acronym RON?

I imagine it must be octane.

-It is the right answer, yes. Octane.

-Phew.

It is Research Octane Number, RON.

Judith got the octane and gets a place in the final round and denies one to Steve.

Come back and join your teams.

The Eggheads have whittled away now two members of Dramatis Personae.

They're all still there but two head-to-heads still to come

and I suspect those early categories were not really your favourites.

Let's see, this might be getting closer to it - Film & Television.

Who'd like to play this? Film & TV and Jacquie, Ben or Nick.

Jacquie would be good at this.

OK, I'm going to suck it up and I'm going to take that one.

Good luck, Jacquie. You can choose CJ, Kevin or Pat. Any one of those three.

-Go for Pat?

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-I'll take Pat, please.

Pat in his lovely red shirt.

Let's have Jacquie and Pat into the Question Room, please.

Jacquie, Film & Television. Would you like to go first or second?

I'm going to go second, please.

First question, Pat.

In the early 1980s, husband and wife comedy duo,

the Krankies, were a regular fixture on which children's show?

Well, they wouldn't suit Jackanory, which is just narration of stories.

They could have popped up on Blue Peter, I suppose,

but they're sort of a high energy comic act

-and that would suit the pace of Crackerjack.

-Crackerjack.

Do you remember the shock, though, Pat, when someone told you

that Jimmy Krankie was not actually a little boy?

-Don't you remember that?

-I'm over it now.

-I know, but I remember it.

You just think, no, no, no. And then they were married?

-I just remember that revelation.

-Jimmy Krankie was a woman?

Look, we've done it to CJ.

Sorry, CJ. Crackerjack is the right answer.

All right, Jacquie, first question.

What was the name of the character played by Doris Speed

who ran the Rovers Return in Coronation Street?

I thought I was onto a winner with Crackerjack

and was regretting it, but I think I'm OK with this one.

I think it's Annie Walker.

Annie Walker, yes, of course it is. Well done.

My mother-in-law would kill me,

being a Coronation Street fan, if I'd got that wrong.

Well on the board and Pat, second question.

What was the nickname of Erik Estrada's character

Francis Poncherello in the US TV show CHiPs?

Francis Poncherello.

I've a faint recollection of somebody called Ponch.

I didn't watch the programme, but I'll go for Ponch.

Ponch. That's the right answer, yes. Well done.

OK, two for you. Jacquie, second question.

Which cast member of the original Star Trek series

later appeared regularly as Paris in the TV show Mission Impossible?

OK. Struggling a bit here with Star Trek.

I know William Shatner was in Star Trek

so I am going to go for William Shatner, please.

OK, William Shatner.

They were certainly all in the original Star Trek series,

but he didn't turn up in Mission Impossible.

-Pat?

-Leonard Nimoy.

Leonard Nimoy, so nothing there and a chance then for Pat to win the round here.

In the 2004 film, Team America: World Police,

the puppet representing which actor can only say his own name?

I've only seen little excerpts of this film.

I know they satirised brutally various entertainment figures.

Even Matt Damon was a big star by 2004 so they're all plausible.

Arnold doesn't say very much, so he could be castigated.

I do think that they got really stuck into Tom Cruise

so I'll go for Tom Cruise.

Tom Cruise only saying his own name in Team America: World Police.

No, it's not. It's Matt Damon.

There we are. Well, great news for you, Jackie.

A let-off there, but get this and we go to sudden death.

Which actor made his Shakespearean film debut playing

Orlando in Paul Czinner's 1936 version of As You Like It?

Did they have films in '36? That was a joke.

I am really not sure.

I don't know Ralph Richardson.

I'm not sure if Laurence Olivier did Shakespeare.

That's going to be really bad, isn't it?

I'm going to go for John Gielgud.

John Gielgud as Orlando in As You Like It.

It is Laurence Olivier.

Bad luck, Jacquie.

It means Pat is in the final round and you won't be there.

Please come back and join your teams.

As it stands now,

Dramatis Personae have lost three brains for the final round and the Eggheads are all still there.

Last attempt to knock an Egghead out so let's see if you can do it on this category,

Geography.

Who'd like to play it? Ben or Nick?

-That's not too bad.

-Not too bad.

-It's not great,

but I'll take on Geography.

Ben, who would you like to play from the Eggheads - Kevin or CJ?

CJ.

OK, let's have Ben and CJ into the Question Room, please.

-So, Ben, would you like to go first or second?

-I'll go first.

This is yours, Ben. Anderlecht is a suburb of which European capital?

Right, it's not Paris.

Anderlecht FC play in Belgium so it's got to be Brussels.

There's the link through the sport. Well done, right answer.

CJ, first question.

What colour is the central stripe on the Canadian flag?

I believe the central stripe - actually, now I've bothered

to look at the options, as the only two colours on the Canadian flag

are red and white, out of those three options

I'm going to go for white.

It's the right answer, yes. White. Ben, second question.

Wigan Pier is the name given to the area around a flight of locks on which canal?

Right, OK. UK geography not great,

but I think there's a DJ called Wigan Pier.

I've never seen him or whatever.

On the basis that a lot of musical acts come from the area,

Leeds and Liverpool Canal.

Loving this - the last one you got through a football team and this through a DJ.

We're talking about canals and it is the right answer,

Leeds and Liverpool Canal.

That's brilliant. That's like Eggheads.

Just using knowledge from all over the place.

CJ, second question, the port of Stavanger in south-west Norway

is an important centre for the construction of what structures?

I was hoping you are going to ask me which country it was in. Erm...

Well, OK, let's try and think about this logically.

Why would any one particular place be an important centre for

constructing nuclear power stations, which presumably are built on site.

Or, indeed, bridges.

However, it's on the coast, and it's fairly close to the North Sea,

so you can understand it would be oil rigs, so oil rigs.

Yes, you've worked it out. Oil rigs is the right answer.

So, all square. Ben, third question.

Renowned for its wildlife, the group of islands known as

the Dry Tortugas are part of which US state?

Because it doesn't sound right, I'm going to rule out Washington.

There's a lot of exotic-sounding places around Florida.

There are the Keys and all that.

It could be either, to be honest, but I'm going to go for Florida.

There's something going on with Ben, it's the right answer.

Well done. Three out of three, an unblemished record so far.

If CJ blemishes here, he's out.

Mole Valley is a district in which English county?

Look at the look on his face.

I have one tiny clue to work on here.

Molesey and West Molesey are in Surrey.

Trying Surrey, and scraps of knowledge serving you well.

It is the right answer. A very good round. 3-3, into sudden death. Ben.

Cuidad Guyana, an important industrial port complex,

is a city in which South American country?

That kind of sounds African.

It's difficult, because a lot of countries have

Spanish or Portuguese heritage and that could be that language.

I'll go for Venezuela.

Unbelievable. It's the right answer.

I think you better join the Eggheads, Ben.

You've got something there. Fantastic.

CJ, Adamstown is the main settlement

on which group of volcanic islands in the southern Pacific Ocean?

I'm going to have to take a guess at a group of islands

in the South Pacific then.

-I'll go for the Pitcairns.

-Pitcairn.

It's correct, CJ.

-It suddenly came to me.

-It just jumped in.

Well, you're both exhibiting your Egghead-type skills.

And Ben, Dondra Head lies on the extreme southern tip

of which Asian country?

OK. I don't know.

It's not the continent I know best.

I would imagine if it was China or Japan, one of the more

obvious ones, it would probably be in its native language.

I've not heard the word Dondra before.

I don't know. I'm going to go for Thailand.

Thailand? It's not right this time, Ben. No, it is Sri Lanka.

OK, CJ, your question.

Which flat-topped mountain is flanked on either side

is by the Lion's Head and Devil's Peak?

Is that Table Mountain?

Table Mountain is correct, CJ.

After a marathon round, we have a winner.

CJ with his nose just in front, but a cracking performance from Ben.

Sorry you won't be in the final round. Come back and join your teams.

So, this is what we've been playing towards.

It's time for the final round, as always, is General Knowledge.

But for those of you who lost your head-to-heads

you won't get to take part in this round.

Jacquie, Steve, Ben and Sarah, from Dramatis Personae, please leave the studio.

So, Nick, you are playing to win Dramatis Personae £16,000.

Barry, Pat, Judith, Kevin and CJ, you're playing for something

which money can't buy - the Eggheads' reputation.

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

and they are all general knowledge.

You are allowed to confer. Nick, the question is, is your one brain better than the Eggheads' five?

-Nick, would you like to go first or second?

-I'll go first, please.

First question in the final round goes to Nick.

Nick, what term, originally from the German, has been used

since the early 20 century to describe vulgar, pretentious works

and commercially exploitative products?

I was thinking that word as you were saying the question.

I'd love it to be krotsch, but I think actually it's kitsch.

Yes, it is kitsch. Well done.

The first point to Nick.

Eggheads, what name is usually given to the type of black ink

known for its opacity,

that is commonly used for drawing and technical graphics?

What name is usually given to the type of black ink

known for its opacity

that is commonly used for drawing and technical graphics?

-That's India ink.

-India ink is the right answer, Eggheads. 1-1.

Back to you, Nick.

The actor Max von Sydow was born in which country?

I'll rule out Sweden.

I think I need to rule out Poland as well on the "von" bit.

I'm going to go for Austria.

Austria, Germanic-sounding name, going for Austria.

-It's not the right answer. It is?

-Sweden.

-Is it?

-He's Swedish.

OK. A slip-up there from Nick.

Let's see what the Eggheads do with their second.

The Oscar-nominated film, "A Single Man", which starred Colin Firth

was based on a novel by which English writer?

Isherwood. That was Christopher Isherwood.

Christopher Isherwood is correct.

OK, well, it means you have to get this, Nick.

In which Central Asian republic did the so-called Tulip Revolution

unseat President Askar Akayev in 2005?

I just need to plump for one of the Stans.

I don't think I can get it from Tulip at all.

Just as there's no line of sight, I'll go for Kyrgyzstan.

Down the middle, Kyrgyzstan. It's the right answer. Well done, Nick.

Well done, Nick, kept yourself in it,

but the Eggheads can still win if they get a right answer here.

Ichnography is the art of drawing what?

I thought it was going to be fish.

Any thoughts? I think it was my first thought of those.

If we all assumed it was going to be fish to start with.

It could just as easily be one of the other things as well.

It doesn't sound right somehow. And how about medical diagrams?

There is a specific name for drawing medical diagrams.

Exactly, but they're just medical diagrams,

but on the other hand, fossils,

you can imagine there is a name for drawing fossils.

OK, I will set out my stall and I would go for medical diagrams.

I'd go for fossils, that's my instinct.

I was thinking about it, but fossils seems to be the obvious one.

Third question, I'd go for medical diagrams as well.

Well, the thing with the fossils is,

I can't see why there would be for drawing fossils.

Medical diagrams, I can see why there'd be a particular name for it.

With fossils is difficult to see why they would have that.

I know there definitely is a name for medical diagrams.

OK, Eggheads, ichnography is the art of drawing what?

-Medical diagrams is my answer.

-Medical diagrams.

-Medical diagrams.

Those deliberations in vain - fossils, medical diagrams -

it's ground plans.

Ground plans.

A pity about Max von Sydow,

because you'd be taking the money away right now, Nick.

Well, well, a let-off and into sudden death

and still very much alive, Nick.

So, the Eggheads showing they are vulnerable.

And, this might suit you, Nick.

Which play by Harold Pinter, first performed in 1965,

focuses on the return to London of a university professor

who brings his wife to meet his brothers and father?

I can't think of a title that would suit that plot.

My mind's gone blank on Pinter plays.

I will plump with one as I'd title it, Meet The Family.

OK, Meet The Family. It's not the right answer, it's The Homecoming.

The Homecoming by Pinter. OK, a chance for the Eggheads then.

During the Second World War, what did the letter "E"

stand for in the military department known as ENSA?

During the Second World War, what did the letter "E"

stand for in the military department known as ENSA?

Entertainments. Entertainments National Service Association.

And you got the "S" on "Entertainments" as well.

National Service Association is ENSA, so the curtain comes down

on a gallant performance by Dramatis Personae.

It means Eggheads, you've won.

Well, rather appropriate that the final two questions

were on the performing arts, but bad luck, Dramatis Personae.

Those head-to-heads, a lot of guts, grit and quizzing skills,

but it didn't work out in the end.

Thank you very much indeed for coming in to play us today

and when can we get our tickets for the next production

of the Portchester Players?

We'd love to come along. Let us know.

The Eggheads did what comes naturally - their winning streak continues.

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

That 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.

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

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