Episode 75 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 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.

Challenging our quiz Goliaths today are Cambray FC.

This team know one another through playing for their local church football team. Let's meet them.

Hello, I'm George, I'm 50 and I'm in sales management.

I'm Scott, I'm 21 and I'm a primary school teacher.

I'm Tom, I'm 26 and I'm a primary school teacher.

Hi, I'm Davy, I'm 28 and I'm a social worker.

I'm Steve, I'm 42 and I'm a project and change management consultant.

Welcome to you, Cambray FC. You've tried to set a Guinness World Record for the longest football game?

Yeah, we decided to do something more than just playing football,

so Tom came up with the idea to try and break the Guinness World Record

for the longest game of football, having seen a video on YouTube.

We've completed the event - 35 hours,

and we're waiting to hear whether or not we've achieved,

now we've sent all the information off to Guinness,

but the purpose was to try and raise money to build a school in India.

-Nearly a day and a half - what was the final score?

-Good question. What was the final score?

I think it was 333 to the Cotswold League All-Stars and 293 to Cambray, so we lost.

-We lost in the end.

-Just by the odd hundred goals(!)

Let's hope it doesn't go on quite that long here, but the end result is in your favour, Cambray FC.

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

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

so, Cambray FC, the Eggheads have won the last two games

and that means £3,000 says you can't beat the Eggheads.

Our first head-to-head today is Film & Television.

Who'd like to play this one?

-Any one of you as it's the opening round.

-Do you want to do it?

-Yeah, I'll go.

-George.

-And choose an Egghead, any one of them.

-Judith?

-Judith.

-OK, George and Judith into the question room, just to make sure you can't confer, George.

OK then, Film & Television, George.

-You're kicking off. Would you like to go first or second?

-I'll go first, please.

Good luck. Here's your first question.

Who played The Mad Hatter in the 2010 film Alice In Wonderland?

-Have you seen it, George?

-No, but I believe it to be Johnny Depp.

Not seen it, but you're right, Johnny Depp as The Mad Hatter.

Well done.

Judith, which TV quiz show includes a round called What Happened Next?

Well, it's definitely not Mastermind because that has a distinct formula

or University Challenge, so it must be A Question Of Sport.

It's usually the goal fell down or a dog ran on the pitch.

-Is it? I've never watched it.

-It's right, yes, A Question Of Sport.

OK...

George, Amy Turtle was a character in which TV soap?

You can probably guess I'm not a big soap fan.

I don't believe it was Emmerdale Farm.

And Take The High Road was a Scottish programme

and that's not a Scottish name, so I think it was Crossroads.

That's right, Amy Turtle in Crossroads.

Was she a cleaner or something?

Yes, she was something like that. She was on the hotel staff side.

Judith, who played Samantha Stevens, the central character in the US TV sitcom Bewitched?

I thought that was Elizabeth Montgomery.

-I think it is.

-It's the right answer. Can you do the nose thing?

The twitching nose with the sparks flying off it? No, I can't.

It's Elizabeth Montgomery in Bewitched.

OK, all-square at two-all.

The next couple of questions might sort out a winner.

George, as well as playing Tarzan on the big screen,

Johnny Weissmuller starred in over ten films beginning in 1948 as which adventurous character?

Well...

"I have no idea" is the answer.

I've never heard of Mike Nomad or Rip Kirby.

I have heard of Jungle Jim.

There's some link there with Tarzan,

so that'll be my guess. I'll say Jungle Jim.

Jungle Jim for other screen roles for Johnny Weissmuller. It's right.

Well done, George. It means you've got to get this, Judith.

Which actor received a Best Actor Oscar nomination for his role

in the 1970 boxing film, The Great White Hope?

Oh, goodness! Um...

I don't know, um...

I really don't know,

so it'll have to be a guess - Richard Roundtree.

Richard Roundtree... What do you think, Eggheads?

-No, James Earl Jones.

-It's James Earl Jones.

-Oh, dear.

-The knockout blow is landed by George.

You're in the final round. No place for you, Judith.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

Jungle Jim seeing George swinging into the final round. Judith is out.

And our second head-to-head now. This one is Arts & Books. Who'd like to play?

-That'll be Scott, Dermot.

-That'll be me.

-Who would you like to play from the Eggheads? It can't be Judith.

-- Barry? - Who were you thinking about before?

-Who were you thinking before, guys?

-We'd like to take on Barry, please.

-Barry in this one, Arts & Books.

Scott and Barry, could I ask you both to go to the question room?

Tell me more about this world record attempt, 35 hours-plus.

-How much sleep did you get?

-I managed to have just over an hour at the end.

It was tipping down with rain and my tent had a hole in quite early, so it wasn't the best.

-It was a tent by the side of the pitch?

-Yes.

-How close to the pitch?

-About a couple of metres away from the pitch.

-So you can hear it all going on?

-You can, yes.

There must have been people collapsing all over the place.

-Some people weren't in good shape by the end of it.

-I'm not surprised.

-Let's hope people are in good shape after this. Scott, first or second?

-Second, please.

Barry, first question. The Russian intelligence chief Karla is the arch-enemy of which fictional spy?

Karla is the enemy of George Smiley.

Yes, that's correct, George Smiley,

to kick off for you. Scott, your first question.

In Roald Dahl's book Charlie And The Chocolate Factory,

what is Violet Beauregarde's particular confectionery vice?

I believe it's gum. I've seen the film. I'm sure it's gum.

It's the right answer, yes, Violet Beauregarde and her gum.

Barry, dry point is a technique used in which of the arts?

It sounds as if it could be used in embroidery,

but I believe dry point is a technique in printmaking.

Yes, it is, Barry. You have two and second question now for Scott.

L'Absinthe, originally known as In A Cafe, is a famous painting of the 1870s,

depicting a man and a woman staring vacantly, by which Impressionist artist?

I quite like Renoir's work and I don't believe it's Renoir.

I think it's...Degas?

OK, L'Absinthe or In A Cafe is by Degas.

It's the right answer. Well done. It's all-square. Two-all.

Barry, in Chaucer's work The Canterbury Tales,

which story centres on three drunk men who set out to kill Death?

Oh, this is my favourite tale out of the whole 24

because they end up falling out with each other and killing each other.

-It's The Pardoner's Tale.

-Yes, it is, it's The Pardoner's Tale. Well done.

So, Scott,

Winnie and her husband Willie are the two main characters in which play by Samuel Beckett?

I have no idea, Dermot.

I'm going to guess...Come And Go?

OK, Come And Go... No, it's not. It's Happy Days.

Happy Days by Samuel Beckett in which Winnie and Willie feature.

You won't be featuring in the final round. Bad luck, Scott.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

Barry evening it up there for the Eggheads. It's all-square now.

Both teams have lost one brain from the final round.

Our third head-to-head is going to be History. Who'd like to play this?

We've got Tom, Davy or Steve there.

-Who do you think?

-Tom?

-I'm not entirely...

-I'd keep Steve back.

-Davy?

It's either Davy or Tom.

-I don't mind having a go.

-Yeah?

-I'm not hopeful.

-Shall we try it?

-Yeah.

-Go on then.

-I'll play.

OK, Tom, you can play CJ, Kevin or Pat.

-I'd go for Pat.

-Pat?

-We'll play Pat.

OK, it's Tom and Pat taking this one on.

It's History. Could I urge you, please, to go to the question room?

OK, Tom, was History one of your favourite subjects?

I did an A-Level in History, so I quite enjoyed it at school,

but that was a while ago, so I haven't brushed up on my History for a few years.

-Would you like to go first or second?

-Can I go second, please?

This is your question then, Pat.

In which war did British and Allied forces fight against German and Italian armies

at the Battle of Gazala in Libya?

Well, the First Boer War was down in southern Africa.

I don't think World War One spread to any meaningful degree to Africa,

so I think it's the classic World War Two warfare. World War Two.

World War Two... OK, part of the North African campaign?

Yes, it was. My father was in that.

-In that battle?

-Yeah.

-Battle of Gazala?

-Hmm.

-So, I mean, which way did it go?

-Not ours.

Right. And World War Two, as Kevin identified there,

with his father involved in it,

so first point there to Pat.

OK, Tom, first question for you. Who was the US President at the time of the Suez Crisis?

Now, I do know the name and I know I have studied that

as part of my A-Level History.

I think it was...Eisenhower.

Eisenhower, yeah, if you know the date of the Suez Crisis.

-Eggheads?

-1956.

-1956. Eisenhower in power then. Well done.

Pat, what was the name of Ancient Rome's original port?

I'm not sure about "original", but in reading about Ancient Rome,

Ostia is always talked of as its port.

It's possible that very early in the days of Rome,

it could have been somewhere else,

but I've always thought that Ostia was its primary port.

Ostia? Is it, other Eggheads?

-Yes.

-Yes, it's the right answer. Ostia is correct.

All right, Tom, in what year did Nigeria achieve independence from Britain?

I'm not sure about that one at all, really.

My knowledge of Nigeria goes about as far as the football team,

so I'm going to plump for 1950.

1950 for Nigerian independence...

It was surprisingly later than that. It was therefore 1960

when Nigeria achieved independence from the United Kingdom,

so a chance for Pat to take the round.

Pat, what word was used to describe the 1919 Treaty of Versailles by its critics in Germany,

particularly the Nazi Party?

I know a little German, but not enough to translate all three terms.

Diktat is the tempting option

because they felt that punitive terms were imposed upon them by the winners

as usually happens.

I'm going to have to go with Diktat.

Diktat, the Treaty of Versailles, 1919,

the post-First World War settlement. It's the right answer, Pat.

Can anyone help Pat out

with those translations of Zustand and Vorschrift?

I don't think they mean anything literally.

-Zustand, if you take it literally, means "to your...your place".

-OK.

-I don't think they mean anything literally.

-Nice words.

OK. Well, Pat you're in the final round. Bad luck, Tom. It didn't work again there, going second.

Both please come back and join your teams.

Now edging in the Eggheads' favour. Two brains gone from Cambray FC.

One Egghead gone. Can you even it up in the final round by knocking an Egghead out?

Our next subject is Music.

Who wants to play this?

-Are you happy for me to go?

-Yeah.

-I'm happy to.

-That'll be Davy.

-All right. Which Egghead would you like to play?

Judith, Barry and Pat have already played so it's Kevin or CJ down the end there.

-We'd like to pick Kevin.

-Kevin, OK.

Davy and Kevin taking this one on. Could I ask you both to go to the Question Room?

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

-First, please.

OK, good luck. First question.

"We've taken to you so strong, it's clear we're going to get along," are lines from which song in Oliver?

Well, I grew up watching the film. It's one of my dad's favourites.

And it's Consider Yourself.

You can never see it too often.

Consider Yourself is correct, of course, in Oliver.

OK, Kevin, your first question.

Sailing was a UK number one single for Rod Stewart in which year?

Yes. It was later used as a theme tune for a series about Ark Royal, wasn't it?

That was mid-Seventies, so 1975.

Right answer. Yes, 1975 for Sailing topping the charts in the UK.

Back to you, Davy. Kinky Afro, Loose Fit and Step On were UK hits in the 1990s for which Manchester band?

Well, I like the Stone Roses and Charlatans.

Not particularly keen on Happy Mondays and I've not really heard of the songs you've mentioned,

-so I'll go with Happy Mondays.

-OK, because you haven't heard of it

and you think you would have if it were Stone Roses or Charlatans.

That's correct. Happy Mondays.

Kevin, the tune to Land of Hope and Glory was taken from part of which of Edward Elgar's works?

It's the first march in Pomp and Circumstance.

It is. Correct answer, yes. So we go back to you, Davy.

Cliff Richard was born in which Indian city in 1940?

OK, em...

I associate Cliff more with Wimbledon at the moment because of him attending the tennis.

And I'm not too sure of his place of birth.

So...

I'm going to go with Jaipur, though.

Jaipur for the birth city of Sir Cliff. It's not the right answer. Do you know, Kevin?

-It's Lucknow.

-Yes, so a chance for Kevin

to nip in here and take it.

The songs Pick Yourself Up, The Way You Look Tonight and A Fine Romance

were co-written by Dorothy Fields and which songwriter?

Hmm.

I don't think it would be George Gershwin. He tended to work with his brother Ira,

who was his principal lyricist.

Cole Porter tended to work on his own.

Largely.

I think I'd have to go with Jerome Kern on the basis that Cole Porter tended to work alone.

OK, so you've paired Gershwin up with his brother Ira and Cole Porter preferred it on his own.

And therefore Dorothy Fields and Jerome Kern.

It's given you the right answer. Yes, well worked out.

Good quizzing there. Thanks for sharing the workings out with us.

Bad luck, Davy. You won't be in the final round. Would you both please come back and join your teams?

So this is what we've been playing towards - the final round on General Knowledge.

But those of you who lost

won't be allowed to take part, so Scott, Tom and Davy from Cambray FC

and Judith from the Eggheads, would you leave the studio now, please?

So George and Steve, you're playing to win Cambray FC £3,000.

Barry, Pat, Kevin and CJ, you're playing for something money can't buy - the Eggheads' reputation.

I'll ask each team three questions. They're all general knowledge and you are allowed to confer.

George's victory was important.

George and Steve, the question is are your two brains better than the Eggheads' four?

-Would you like to go first or second?

-We'll go first, yeah.

OK, first question then. See if you can beat the Eggheads.

Which England football manager was nicknamed the Wally with the Brolly?

-You'd better answer that question.

-As a Scotsman, you don't know!

It wasn't Graham Taylor. He was known for something else.

Turnips, I believe.

-It wasn't Kevin Keegan. Steve McClaren.

-Steve McClaren.

During his tough time with the England team.

It's the right answer, yes. Can you remember where it was?

-Obviously at some game, protecting himself from the rain.

-Yeah. Can't remember where.

OK, Eggheads, your first question.

In the British Army, which rank comes between Lieutenant and Major?

Captain I'd have thought.

-We think that's Captain.

-Yes.

Between Lieutenant and Major.

Not Field Marshal.

OK, it's all square.

Second questions. This is to you, Cambray FC.

How long is one term of office for a UN Secretary General?

OK, I'm not sure about that at all.

Kofi Annan. UN Secretary General. I think it's quite a long period.

-Do you think it's seven?

-I think it...

How long has he been in charge for?

I actually think it's seven. It's a strategic thing.

-Do you?

-Yeah.

-I just don't remember him being...

He's the one I remember most, but was it that length of time?

I really don't know. It's a guess, isn't it?

Like most of the ones we've answered!

Maybe five? Go for five, then. OK?

-Five is long enough to do something strategic.

-You'll kick yourself if it's seven, though!

-Goodness... I don't think seven. It's an age, isn't it?

-Right.

-We'll go for five, based on that logic.

-You happy with that?

Yes.

Dermot, we'll go for five years.

Five years. Quite a debate there.

Steve was very strong on seven.

-Don't...

-I was. It's quite good in terms of a strategic perspective.

George warning me off here! I can't change the answer. It's five.

-It's correct.

-Oh, happy days!

-Good debate.

That worked very well. George being there was important.

Steve might have gone for seven.

Five years identified by Cambray FC, giving you the lead.

The term "pelagic" refers to eco-systems in which type of habitat?

P-E-L-A-G-I-C.

Open sea?

Em, we don't think that's coniferous forest or desert.

-We think it's open sea.

-Open sea. It's the right answer, Eggheads.

What's the linguistic root there? Pelagic.

Archipelago for a group of islands.

I think pelagic must be Greek for sea.

There's a C on the end of the word.

Thank you, CJ. And in your name.

OK, all square and going well.

George and Steve, the city of Nagasaki, ravaged by an atomic bomb in WWII,

is located on which of the four main islands that comprise Japan?

-Do you have any idea?

-I'd like to say I'm really confident.

-And I am really confident that I don't know.

-Well, that's two of us!

-There's not even an opportunity to try to work it out. You either know this...

-Or you don't.

The only one that feels like anything to me is Kyushu.

-I don't know why.

-Right, OK.

-Maybe we should go with your experience, George.

-I've no idea!

-I really don't know.

-Go for Kyushu?

The second one?

Kyushu.

OK. Dermot, we're going to go for...Kyushu.

OK. Location of Nagasaki. It was the second atomic bomb dropped

on Japan.

-Located on the island of Kyushu. It's the right answer!

-Happy days!

You have the lead. Eggheads under pressure.

When looking at Mount Rushmore, the sculpture of which US President is furthest right?

I thought it was Lincoln on the right.

Roosevelt...Washington... Jefferson...Lincoln.

That's how I've always seen it.

Yeah, I think I can see that.

That's the order I've understood it to be.

-Roosevelt with his glasses on.

-He's on the left.

Then Washington is set back there.

That's the way I have always understood it, but...

-I'd think the same thing.

-Mine's faint, but it's there. OK?

We think, from left to right, it's in the order of... Theodore Roosevelt,

George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and we hope Abraham Lincoln

-is on the right as you look at it.

-Wrong about one thing, but right.

Abraham Lincoln is correct.

But it's Washington, Jefferson and Roosevelt beside Lincoln.

But Lincoln on the right, yes. Well done, Eggheads.

We go to Sudden Death.

Going well, Cambray FC. Doing well with those choices, so we take them away!

It's sudden death. You just have to give me an answer until we find a winner.

Butskellism, a term coined by the Economist in the 1950s to denote the similarity

between Labour and Conservative policies is a contraction of the names of Rab Butler

and which Labour politician?

-Butskellism.

-B-U-T-S-K-E-L-L-I-S-M.

I really don't know.

We can have a guess with something.

-Make up a name?

-Yeah.

-A familiar name(!)

Em...

Skell...

Haskell?

-It's not even one to guess, is it?

-No. Skelton?

No, I don't even know who he is. Peter?

-Peter...?

-John?

Em...

-I'm thinking Ian Skelton, which is a made-up name. We've got no other choice.

-No idea.

We haven't really got any clue. We're just clutching at straws,

-so we'll go for Ian Skelton.

-Ian Skelton.

Liking the logic there, but it's not the right answer. Not Ian Skelton.

-Eggheads?

-Hugh Gaitskell.

-Leader for some time of the Labour Party, Hugh Gaitskell.

-Lost out to Wilson, didn't he?

-Yes, Wilson took over.

Hugh Gaitskell there with Rab Butler. So a wrong answer there.

The first one in this round and the Eggheads have the first opportunity to win the game.

Which legendary French actress continued to have a successful career until her death in 1923,

despite having her right leg amputated in her early 70s?

-Em, that's Sarah Bernhardt.

-Sarah Bernhardt?

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

OK, Sarah Bernhardt winning it there

but Cambray FC had a fairly long final round there! We got into Sudden Death.

And some very good Head to Heads. Thank you for taking on the Eggheads. Not to be.

The Eggheads have done what comes naturally. They still reign supreme.

You won't be going home with £3,000, which means the money rolls over.

Eggheads, congratulations. Who will beat you?

Join us next time to see if a new team of challengers can defeat them. £4,000 says they don't.

Until then, goodbye.

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