Episode 105 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.

They are the Eggheads.

And taking on the might of our quiz Goliaths today

are the Cecil Street Conquerors.

Now, this team are all studying at the University of Glasgow

and with the exception of Andrew,

they have all, at one time or another,

lived in - you've guessed it - Cecil Street.

Let's meet them.

Hi, I'm Alex. I'm 21 and I'm an accountancy and economics student.

Hi, I'm Laura, I'm 22 and I'm studying business and English.

Hi, my name's Neil, I'm 21 and I'm a management and politics student.

Hi, my name's Andrew, I'm 21 years old

and I study law and economics.

Hi, my name's Joe, I'm 21 years old and I'm a law student.

-So, Alex and team, welcome.

-Hi.

-Thank you. Hi, Jeremy.

And the Cecil Street... Tell us about Cecil Street. What kind of a place is it?

Erm, it's a kind of residential area, next to the university,

just off Byers Road.

There's lots going on, lots happening, lots of students

and it's a nice place to live.

We are filming in Glasgow so you are very much local.

-You've just wandered down here, have you?

-Yeah, just a five-minute taxi journey. Not too far.

-Trundled out of bed this morning.

-It's nice to see you up and about.

So is Cecil Street noisy at night and stuff?

Do the residents, the older residents, complain?

Erm, well, I suppose towards the end of exams it can get a bit rowdy but generally...

We have had a letter, as well.

-You had a letter?

-We had a letter.

-A letter, yeah.

-Too rowdy one night.

-What, saying, "Please stop behaving like students"?

-Yeah.

-Stop having so much fun.

-Yeah. Good luck today.

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

However, if they fail to defeat the Eggheads,

the prize money rolls over to our next show.

So, Cecil Street Conquerors,

I can tell you the Eggheads have won the last 15 games,

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

-Good gracious.

And if you win that, you can have a very noisy party

-and get another letter.

-Lots of letters.

-We will.

The first head to head battle is going to be on the subject of film and TV. Who would like this?

-OK, who wants TV?

-It's one of you two, guess.

-Laura?

-I think Laura would probably be best on TV, yeah.

-OK. Who am I going to take on?

-Laura, it's going to be you against which Egghead?

It's going to be me... Was it Kevin, you said?

Or Judith. What do you think? What do you reckon?

-You call.

-Your choice.

-Kevin. Take Kevin.

-You get first choice.

I'll take you on today, Kevin.

-OK!

-All right.

-That's fighting talk. Brilliant.

So Laura from the Cecil Street Conquerors versus Kevin from the Eggheads

and just to ensure there's no conferring,

would you please take your positions in the question room?

So, Laura, you're not originally from Glasgow. Is that right?

No, I'm not, actually. I was born in Canada.

Yes, I can hear... But I can hear some Scottish in there as well, can't I?

Oh, yeah, there's a lot of Scottish, but I'll be speaking in your accent by the end of the show.

So you were born to Scottish parents in Canada?

My Dad's Canadian and my mum's Welsh.

-So the whole family's over here?

-Yes, we've been here for a few years.

I moved back to Canada two years ago to go to university but I had to come back to Scotland.

Good luck in this round.

I'm going to ask each of you three multiple choice questions.

The subject, as you know, Laura, is film and TV and you can choose the first or second set.

Thank you very much. I think I might go first this time.

Here we go. Whicker Island, depicting an island where the only inhabitants

were clones of the interviewer Alan Whicker,

was a sketch on which TV show?

Now, I think I'm going to take out French And Saunders.

I don't think that's the kind of sketch that they would do.

It would be between Monty Python's Flying Circus

but I feel it might be a little bit more modern, Alan Whicker,

so I'm leaning towards The Fast Show

but any answer I'd give would be a guess, unfortunately, this time round.

The guys are going to be yelling at me

but I think for this one, Jeremy,

I'm going to have to go with a kind of educated guess

and go for The Fast Show.

I'm sorry. You weren't even born, let alone on the right continent,

when this all happened

but he was sort of a travel journalist

and I suppose being in the '70s, Kevin, would you say?

-Or even before that, as well.

-The '60s.

For a long time. He was around for a long, long time.

So we go back to Monty Python's Flying Circus, I'm afraid.

Oh! My dad will be yelling at me.

OK, Kevin, your first question.

Which musical instrument did Rowlf the Dog usually play

on the Muppet Show?

I'm not... I'm not good on the Muppets, I have to say.

The drums was Animal.

Somebody certainly played the piano and looked rather dog-like.

I think I'll say piano.

Piano is the right answer.

It's good being able to recall a picture of a dog at the piano.

Laura, your question.

The Disney film The Aristocats is set in which city?

The boys will be... Right. Er...

The Aristocats.

I'm going to take out London. I'm between Paris and New York.

Again, another guess. Erm...

I'm going to go for Paris, Jeremy.

-Paris is the right answer.

-Yes! Thank goodness, Jeremy!

I'm so pleased for you. Well done.

It would have been easy to get that wrong.

Kevin, your question.

Who appeared in the children's TV show Worzel Gummidge

as Saucy Nancy?

Saucy Nancy.

Una Stubbs was certainly in it but I don't think it was her.

Una Stubbs was Worzel's love interest, wasn't she,

and I don't think that was Saucy Nancy.

So I think Lorraine Chase was in it

but when you have "Saucy", you have to think of Barbara Windsor, really.

I don't think it's Una Stubbs, so I'm torn between the other two.

And because it's Saucy Nancy,

I think even though I'm more sure that Lorraine Chase was in it

I'm actually going to go for Barbara Windsor.

-Daphne, is he right?

-Yes,

and Lorraine Chase was Clothes-peg Nancy?

-Clothes-peg Nancy, Lorraine Chase, apparently, not Saucy.

-Right.

Saucy Nancy was Barbara Windsor. You're quite right. Well done.

It's very difficult to get one past Kevin, Laura,

-so you need to get this one right, OK?

-Yeah. Thank you.

In which year did Ken Barlow marry Deirdre Langton in Coronation Street?

Do you know, Jeremy, just before we came in

we were talking between the lot of us

and we were saying how I know absolutely nothing

about Coronation Street.

So this will be a guess.

I know that the two of them have been together for a very long time,

the kind of central couple on Coronation Street,

but I don't know whether they've been married for a long time

or just together for a long time.

I'm just going to go right down the middle, I think,

because it's a total guess

and I think 1975 is a very long time ago, in my little life,

and then I'll go for 1978.

OK. '78. Coronation Street seems to come up a lot on quizzy things.

Unfortunately.

-It's not down the middle. It's '81, actually.

-Oh, my.

Bad luck. So no way back because Kevin's got two points.

Kevin will be in the final round.

Please, both of you, return to the studio and rejoin your teams.

-Bad luck, Laura.

-Yes. Oh, well.

-A, your incredible youth, because you're, what, 22 or something?

-Yes.

-And B, the Canada dimension...

-Oh, that definitely affected it.

..are a huge mitigation.

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

and the Eggheads have lost no brains so far.

The next subject is music.

Which of the Cecil Street Conquerors would like this?

-So music...

-Andrew's round, I think.

-Andrew, do you want to do music?

Yeah, OK. I guess that would be me, then, Jeremy.

OK, Andrew against which Egghead?

It can't be Kevin.

Take your pick. It's up to you.

-I'll take Daphne.

-Yeah?

Erm, I'll go for Daphne, please.

OK, Andrew from the Cecil Street Conquerors versus Daphne...

-Feeling musical?

-No.

-From the Eggheads.

To ensure there's no conferring, please go to the question room.

So, Andrew, you do actually love music, I gather?

I do really enjoy music, yes.

-Tell us what sort.

-All sorts, to be honest.

I'm quite old-fashioned and I still collect music in hard copy.

-Is that opera and...?

-Not so much!

-I suppose more contemporary in that respect.

-OK.

Well, give us a flavour, come on.

Well, I love the Beatles. Buffalo Springfield, bands like that,

punk music, as well.

Very eclectic, really, but I suppose not so much opera or classical.

All right, so three questions on music in turn.

Andrew, you can choose the first or second set.

Erm, I guess I'll go first.

Here we go and good luck.

Which British singer received six Grammy awards in 2012,

including song of the year?

Erm... I'm fairly... I'm sure it wasn't Patrick Wolf

because he seems too obscure.

Although Gary Barlow's big just now with Take That,

I wouldn't think they won that many

and since Adele has had such a big couple of years

I'm going to have to go for Adele on this one.

Adele is the right answer. Well done, Andrew.

OK, Daphne. Poison Arrow was a 1982 UK top ten single by which group?

ABC.

ABC is the right answer. Was that just guessing or what?

-Yes. I'm so sorry.

-It was your lucky dip.

Lucky Dip Daphne on the roll again.

OK, here we go, Andrew.

In 1977, Rod Stewart had a UK number one with a double A-side

of I Don't Want To Talk About It and which other song?

-What was the year, sorry?

-1977.

I really couldn't say for certain but the song that I'm most familiar with

and which I believe to be the most famous

would probably be First Cut Is The Deepest

and on that basis I will go for that one.

You're absolutely right. First Cut Is The Deepest is the song.

I'm thinking, when we ask - forgive me -

but when we ask 21-year-olds about double A-sides,

it must completely baffle you. "What is that?"

OK, Daphne. "The wheels are yellow, the upholstery's brown,

"the dashboard's genuine leather"

are lines from a song in which musical?

SHE CHUCKLES

Yes, it's Surrey With The Fringe On Top from Oklahoma!

Oklahoma! is correct, Daphne, well done.

Never gets one wrong on musicals.

OK, two each, so get this right and you may topple her, Andrew.

What type of instrument is the Middle Eastern darbuka?

Erm, I really don't have a clue on this one.

I'm just going to guess out of the blue on this and go for flute.

It's not flute. Anyone know on your team?

-Violin?

-No, it's drum.

-OK.

-Drum is the answer.

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

The jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi is perhaps best known

for the music he composed for the TV shows featuring which cartoon characters?

Guaraldi is spelt G-UARALDI.

Which actually doesn't help at all.

Erm...

Another guess coming up.

-The Smurfs.

-It's not the Smurfs. Amazingly, you've guessed wrong.

The unlucky dip effect.

-The answer is Peanuts.

-Oh!

-So two each.

And we go to Sudden Death, Andrew. You've held her off successfully.

It's harder now because I don't give you alternative answers, OK?

Duke, Abacab and Three Sides Live

were hit albums for which group in the early 1980s?

Erm... I'm really not sure about that.

I'm trying to think of a band that would have had a few hit albums at the start of the '80s.

Erm...

Perhaps REO Speedwagon.

No, not REO Speedwagon, although good idea.

-It's actually more obvious. Genesis.

-Oh!

And they got to number one, number one, number two

in the early 80s, so they did well with them.

OK, Daphne, you get this right, you are in the final round.

The world-famous trumpeter Hugh Masekela was born in which country?

-South Africa.

-South Africa is the right answer.

Johannesburg, 1939.

Well done, Daphne. You've taken the round. Sorry, Andrew.

-That's all right.

-You've been knocked out of the final round.

So let's see what happens next. If you come back to us, we'll find out.

So as it stands the challengers have lost two brains, the Eggheads have lost no brains.

But do not panic. The whole of Cecil Street right now is cheering you on.

OK? The next subject is history. So who's the history student?

-Is that you?

-Is that going to be me?

-I think it's you.

As I'm the only person who's studied any form of history, it's probably me.

Neil against which Egghead?

Erm, I think I'd like go with Dave, please.

All right, so Neil from the Cecil Street Conquerors on history

against Dave the Egghead.

Please, if you can, both of you, leave the studio and go to the question room.

I'll ask each of you three questions on history in turn.

Neil, you can choose the first or the second set of questions.

I think I'll pick what the rest of team has done and go first, thanks.

And good luck. Neil, in which year after World War Two

did meat rationing end in Britain?

Well, I can't imagine meat rationing finished

a year straight after the end of the war in '46,

so I'd be kind of swayed towards the answer of '54 more

but I'm wondering if that's even too soon after the end of the war.

No, I think I'll go with my gut feeling and I'll pick 1954.

Yeah, it really was '54. Well done. Well done.

Dave, in 1932, which aviator set a new record

for flying solo from London to Cape Town?

Right, erm, I'm going to rule out Douglas Bader

but both the female aviators, Amelia Earhart and Amy Johnson...

Just thinking about the dates. I'll go Amy Johnson.

Yeah, Amy Johnson's quite right, Dave. Well done.

Back to you, Neil.

Which English diplomat dedicated the years from 1598 until his death in 1613

to restoring a library at Oxford University?

The name that's standing out is Thomas Bodley

because I think it's the Bodleian Library, possibly.

I don't recognise the other two names at all.

Again, I'll go with my gut instinct and say Thomas Bodley.

Bang on. Thomas Bodley it was.

OK, Tremendous Knowledge Dave, your question.

In British history, the 1683 Rye House Plot was an alleged plan

to ambush King Charles II as he returned from attending what type of event?

I'm going to go ship launch.

I'm not... any kind of conviction at all but I'm just...

I'm going to think about that because Rye House...

I'll go ship launch.

-Ship launch is wrong, actually. Horse race is the answer.

-Right, fair enough.

So you have a chance here.

-Neil, if you get this one right, you've knocked Dave out.

-Yep.

In the 1920s and 1930s Augusto Cesar Sandino led a rebellion

against the US military occupation of which country?

I'm really not sure.

Panama, with the canal and stuff, has always been a very disputed territory,

so I'm wondering whether Panama might be a logical option.

Erm...

I've got no real reason to pick the other two, so I'm going to say Panama.

Panama is the wrong answer. Any Eggheads know?

-Nicaragua.

-Nicaragua.

-Nicaragua is the right answer.

So you just missed out on a chance to book your place in the final

but let's see what happens now.

Dave's third question. You've got to get this right.

In Ancient Rome, what was a congius?

-Congius.

-CONGIUS, Dave.

I'm going to go - again, no kind of certainty at all - a liquid measure.

Liquid measure is the right answer. Nicely done.

-Well, a fluke.

-You had something there.

There was something at the back of my mind

but this is the thing with Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece,

that some things do stick and some things don't

and I'm just always worried that I've gone the wrong way.

Anyway, liquid measure is right, so we got to Sudden Death, Neil.

It gets a bit harder. I don't give you alternatives.

-Are you ready?

-Yeah.

The Battle of the Standard, that took place in 1138,

is sometimes named after which Yorkshire town

that is just south of the battlefield?

Never heard of the battle and geography's not a strong point.

Erm, a Yorkshire town.

I'm really not sure. I'm going to have to pass.

I don't have any clue, sorry.

-Do you want to guess?

-No, sorry, thanks. I'll pass.

The answer is Northallerton.

Over to you, Dave. If you get this one right, you will be in the final.

By which treaty signed in July 1713

did Spain cede Gibraltar to Britain?

I'm going to think about me treaties.

1713.

So... I think that treaty was signed in Utrecht.

The Treaty of Utrecht is the right answer, Dave,

and well done, you are in the final round.

-Neil, he just got you there.

-Yeah.

-And you've been knocked out as well.

So if you come back to us and rejoin your teams, we'll play on.

So, as it stands, the challengers have lost three.

Alex, any change of plan?

No, we've discussed our tactics

and I think we know, depending on what comes up, who's going to go and who we're going to take.

You've lost three, the Eggheads have not lost a brain yet.

It would be good to get at least one out.

The last subject is arts and books.

Who would like this?

-This was our nightmare situation, Jeremy.

-It's a nightmare situation.

-Erm...

-Who do you think is stronger?

-I'm not sure who's better at arts and books.

It's really a toss up, isn't it?

You've got an accountant and a lawyer, here, that's what you've got, isn't it?

You've probably spent more time reading.

-I guess it would have to be me.

-Are you going to go for it?

-Yes.

Joe? OK. Which Egghead? You can have Judith or Chris.

-Again, another toss-up.

-Just choose.

-Either will be strong.

-I'll take on Judith, please.

So Joe from the Cecil Street Conquerors

versus Judith from the Eggheads.

Please take your positions in the question room.

So here we are, up against Judith in arts and books.

I'm going to ask each of you three questions in turn

and, Joe, you can choose the first or the second set of questions.

Erm, ladies first, please, Jeremy.

-Judith!

-Hello.

What is the term for the extinguishing of all the stage lights in a theatre

to create a dramatic effect of darkness?

Erm, well, I think it must be the obvious one - blackout.

Blackout is the right answer.

Joe, over to you.

What term is used for the vertical margin of white space

where two pages of a book meet?

Mm, I'm not entirely sure, Jeremy.

I guess it would have to be a guess.

Erm... I think I'll go for drainpipe.

It's gutter, I'm sorry to say.

Back to you, Judith.

Established in Paris in the 1860s, what was the Academie Julian?

There's the Julliard, publishers.

-Erm, I think it's art school.

-I thought you were going publishing.

You're right, anyway. Art school is correct, Judith. Two out of two.

You need to get this one right, now, Joe,

otherwise she's gone through to the final.

The English painter Robert Bevan is best known for his paintings of which creatures?

Again, Jeremy, I'm not entirely sure.

I think I may go for horses but again, it's just a complete guess.

Horses is correct, Joe. Well done.

You're still in there.

However, if Judith gets this one right, she's in the final round.

Who wrote the adventure story Five Weeks In A Balloon?

Well, I don't think it would be Walter Scott.

Jules Verne is the kind of obvious answer

because he writes about being in submarines and that kind of thing.

Five Weeks In A Balloon. Oh...

I... Jules Verne.

-Jules Verne is the right answer...

-Oh!

-..Judith.

Well done. Three out of three on arts and books.

And, Joe, I'm sorry, you've been knocked out.

So Judith will be in the final.

Come back to us, rejoin your teams and we will play the final round.

This is what we have been playing towards.

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

But those of you who lost your head to heads can't take part in this round,

so Laura, Neil, Andrew and Joe from the Cecil Street Conquerors,

would you please now leave the studio?

OK, Alex. You are all alone now.

Yeah, I mean, I think it was unfortunate that a few of them couldn't make it through.

Obviously, Andrew and Neil came close

but I guess I'll just have to try and get through it myself, now.

So how do you feel, facing the Eggheads in all their majesty?

Erm... a little bit apprehensive but I suppose there's a chance there could be some confusion

on the bench over there, so...

Let's see. That's what we need.

You're playing to win Cecil Street Conquerors £16,000.

Judith, Kevin, Dave, Daphne and Chris,

you're playing for something that money can't buy,

which is the Eggheads' reputation.

I will ask each team three questions in turn.

The questions are all general knowledge and you are allowed to confer -

not much use to you, I know.

So, Alex, the question is can your one brain beat the Eggheads' five?

And would you like to go first or second?

Erm, I think I'll go second.

Eggheads, what beauty and talent contest is held each year

in a town in County Kerry in Ireland?

-Rose of Tralee.

-Rose of Tralee.

-Yes, absolutely.

That's the Rose of Tralee, Jeremy.

Rose of Tralee is correct.

OK, your question. Alex, what was Jo Brand's job before she became a comedian?

OK. Erm, I can't say I know the answer for sure for this.

I'd imagine electrician wouldn't be the job she had

before she turned to comedy.

Erm... I think I'll go with psychiatric nurse.

Erm... Yeah, I'll go with psychiatric nurse.

You've got it right. Psychiatric nurse is the right answer.

So back we go to the Eggheads for your second question.

Which nickname was coined for Prince William

during his RAF training?

Bungalow Bill was the Beatles song from the White Album.

It would be one of the other two, I would imagine.

-I can't imagine them calling him Willy Wonka.

-I can't see that.

Billy the Fish is from Viz.

Doesn't he work on the rescue helicopters to fish people out of the...?

-But I don't know. That's purely...

-We don't know, do we?

Billy the Fish sounds most likely, so what are we saying here?

-Billy the Fish?

-Yes, to my mind.

-It seems to be the favourite.

Well, we're not too sure, Jeremy, but we'll go with Billy the Fish,

the footballing fish from Viz.

It's to do with the Wales name.

William Wales he calls himself in the forces.

-So it's Willy Wonka?

-No, it's Billy the Fish.

-It is Billy the Fish!

-LAUGHTER

I like the idea that it's fishing people out of the sea

-but it wasn't that.

-Nothing to do with that.

Right answer, wrong reason.

So, that's a shame, Alex, because they were teetering for a second

and there's £16,000 to play for. Here's your question, Alex.

The Cheshire town of Macclesfield is particularly associated

with the historical manufacture of which textile?

OK. Erm... Well, I've not even visited the area at all.

I've barely been to England.

Wool, obviously, would be manufactured in area where there's more sheep.

Erm, silk, I imagine is something that's manufactured abroad more.

Perhaps cotton, as well.

Erm, I'm actually going with wool.

I think I'll go with wool.

Erm, again, it's not like there's a lot of knowledge of textiles

-but I think I'll go with wool.

-OK.

-Is it the right answer?

-No, it's silk.

-Silk.

-Silk.

Silk is the right answer, so you've fallen behind

and if the Eggheads get this one right, the contest is over.

What is the more common name for the St Hubert hound?

St Hubert was the patron saint of hunting.

-What?

-St Hubert is the patron saint of hunting.

-Yeah.

-Which would seem to imply...

What was your initial reaction? Bloodhound?

Only because of that. It's not something I've heard.

I've not heard of a St Hubert hound.

If St Hubert was the patron saint of hunting,

the only hunting dog there is the bloodhound.

-Yeah.

-Mm.

Are they hunting dogs or more tracking dogs? That's the thing.

-What are we saying, chaps?

-Greyhounds are hounds. They all hunt.

-I like bloodhound but there's no backing to it.

-Same here, really.

-St Hubert.

-Simply because...

-Bloodhound?

-Bloodhound.

-It may not have to have been used by hunters.

It could just be by association with Hubert.

-We'll go with bloodhound, shall we?

-Go with bloodhound.

-We'll go with bloodhound.

-Your answer is bloodhound.

If you've got this right, you've taken the contest

because Alex got one wrong earlier.

Well done, Eggheads, you've got three out of three. Bloodhound is correct.

And we say congratulations. You have won.

-It's hard on your own.

-It's tough, yeah.

-Because you can't discuss it.

-Exactly.

Well, I tried to discuss it with myself but...

-I feel I want to join but I can't.

-Yeah, it's unfortunate.

Thanks for coming in, guys - great to see you students

-and not too much noise at 1am in Cecil Street.

-We'll try.

Commiserations to the challengers.

The Eggheads have done what comes naturally to them.

Their winning streak is looking quite impressive.

That does mean that the Cecil Street Conquerors won't be going home with the £16,000,

so the money rolls over to the next show.

Eggheads, very well done. 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.

Till then, goodbye.

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