Episode 124 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 are the Eggheads.

And taking on our legendary quiz champions today are Bard's Brains.

This team are all members of the Derby Shakespeare Theatre Company.

Recently, they won the prestigious Best Production award

from The Minack Theatre in Cornwall.

Let's meet them.

Hello, I'm Stephanie, I'm 53 and I'm a health and safety manager.

Hello, I'm Trevor, I'm 57 and I'm a business development manager.

Hello, I'm Joanna, I'm 64 and I'm a retired dental surgeon.

Hello, I'm Colin, I'm 40 and I'm a technical manager.

Hello, I'm Caroline, I'm 37 and I'm a drama teacher.

-So, Stephanie and team, welcome.

-ALL: Hello.

Are you hoping that Shakespeare comes up?

-No!

-We're worried that if something comes up, we can't answer it.

We're going to look a bit stupid!

-It's funny, for quizzes, Shakespeare is meat and drink, isn't it?

-Absolutely.

Shakespeare comes up and they sort of know it,

"Who was Polonius's father?" and all that. That's your stuff.

-What was the one the other day, Barry?

-"Who was Desdemona's father?"

Who was Desdemona's father? Don't worry! That's not a question!

-It's OK!

-I only know it if I've been in it.

It's even worse if you've been in it and forget the part you played!

You've all had different jobs and stuff,

so it's not a full-time thing, but it's clearly your love.

It certainly is. And we don't always produce Shakespeare.

Our most recent production was The History Boys.

The Minack award is quite a big award, isn't it?

It certainly is.

The season runs for about six months, so there's about 25 productions,

so to be the best of all of those is quite good,

particularly as the Globe Theatre in London were also performing in the same season,

-so we beat them.

-Well, good luck in this contest.

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

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

Bard's Brains, the Eggheads have won the last three games,

which means that £4,000 says you can't beat them today.

-Would you like to try?

-Absolutely!

-We'll give it a go!

The first head-to-head battle is on the subject of Music.

-GROANING & LAUGHTER

-Is that good?

-I think that's me, isn't it?

-Oh, no!

-We lose you straight away, Stephanie!

-You might not lose her!

No! No! No! I mean, she goes away and leaves us all on our own!

-I'm going to win, thank you!

-Of course you are.

-Be brave, Steph.

Right, who are we going to choose, then?

We had someone in the last game whose ambition it was to go against Kevin. I'm not suggesting you do.

He just wanted to be in the booth next to Kevin. And blow me down, he beat him.

So he had his ambition - plus!

-Anyway, Music...

-I'm not sure I'm brave enough to...

-On your spreadsheet...

-Yes.

-..who were you up against?

I hadn't got anybody in particular,

but let's try...

..Barry.

-ALL: Barry.

-Everybody says Barry simultaneously.

That's a nice feeling.

Stephanie from Bard's Brains against Barry from the Eggheads on Music.

To ensure there's no conferring, would you please take your positions in the Question Room?

-So, Stephanie, you love to quiz, I gather.

-Yes, I certainly do.

-In the pub or where?

-Yes, it's mostly in the pub.

But anywhere where there's a quiz, we'll probably dip into it.

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

Stephanie, you can choose the first or second set.

I'll take the first, please.

Here we go. Good luck, Stephanie.

What is the name of the part of a violin that projects from the main body

and is the base of the fingerboard?

I don't think it would be the leg. That doesn't make much sense.

Nor does the wrist.

Something is making me think it's the neck. I'll try for neck.

Neck is the right answer. Well done. Well done! Well done!

Barry, with which song did 10cc have a UK number one in 1975?

Oh, goodness! All 10cc songs...

I don't think it was Under Your Thumb.

I think both Life Is A Minestrone and I'm Not In Love were successful.

I'll go for I'm Not In Love.

I'm Not In Love is quite right. Their masterwork.

OK, Stephanie.

What is the title of the 2011 album by Britney Spears?

Right up your street, I'm sure.

Well, this is going to have to be a complete guess

because I really don't know.

I don't think she's a teenager any more,

so I'll rule out Teenage Dream.

She could be described as a Femme Fatale.

Killer Love...

I'm going to try Killer Love.

-Oh, no!

-There's been an exclamation from your team. Is she wrong?

-Well, apparently so.

-Who knows? Who knows?

-I have no idea, but Barry shook his head!

-Barry shook his head.

-I'm going with Barry.

-Give us your Britney Spears back catalogue.

-It's Femme Fatale.

-Femme Fatale.

-I was going to go for that!

Or I guess they would say "Femme Fatal" in the States.

OK, Barry. The 1813 opera Tancredi

was one of the earliest successes of which composer?

I'll discount Schubert because I don't believe he wrote any operas.

Both Verdi and Rossini would fit in the dates,

but I believe Tancredi was Verdi.

-I believe Tancredi was Rossini.

-Oh!

You're equal, Stephanie. Let's see if you can take the lead.

Which 19th-century composer designated one of his early works

Die Nullte, or Symphony Number Nought, or zero?

For some reason, I'm not thinking Anton Bruckner,

so that's probably going to be the right answer.

Die Nullte...

I'm going to try Richard Wagner.

Barry's shaking his head again!

Oh, dear! Barry?

-I'm afraid it was Anton Bruckner.

-It was.

OK, Barry, if you get this right, the round is over.

Guitarists Scott Ian and Dan Spitz

were early members of which thrash-metal band?

You've come up with the three thrash-metal bands I know,

or I've heard of,

but I've no idea who's in them so this is a blind guess.

I will go for the wonderfully-sounding Anthrax.

Anthrax is the right answer, Barry.

The unfairness of that! Sorry, Stephanie.

I don't know how he did that. I was sure he was going to go for Megadeth.

-You've been knocked out.

-OK.

-Barry's in the Final Round. But it's early days.

Please, both of you come back and we'll play on.

As it stands, the Challengers have lost one brain from the Final Round.

The Eggheads have lost no brains. The next subject is Sport.

-Who's the sporty person?

-That's got to be Colin.

-Colin. OK.

-Colin!

Which Egghead would you like to take on?

It can't obviously be Barry.

I wonder whether you should take Dave.

-Do you think?

-Good idea.

-Yes, that's good.

-We'd like to play against Dave.

-What about the girl?

OK, Colin from Bard's Brains against Tremendous Knowledge Dave from the Eggheads.

Off to the Question Room now, then, please.

Let's see how you both do. Three questions on Sport.

Colin, you can choose the first or second set.

I'll go first.

Good luck. Goodwood Racecourse is located in which range of hills?

OK, erm,

probably not the South Downs.

I used to live down there and I can't remember it being around Surrey.

Er... I couldn't tell you where the Howardian Hills are either,

so I'm going to have to go for Quantock Hills.

OK. I fear your team

are starting to rehearse the Shakespeare line

that deals with defeat here.

We thought it was the South Downs.

-You all think it's the South Downs.

-We do. But if he's right, brill!

-I'm sorry, it is the South Downs.

-Thank you.

The full length of a badminton court is how many feet long?

Again, you know, spatial things are not my speciality, either.

Erm...

72 foot...

I'll go 44 foot, but I'm nowhere near confident on it.

You've done well. It is 44.

So Tremendous Knowledge Dave is in the lead.

Onto you, Colin.

Which club did rugby league player Lee Briers join in 1997?

I'm pretty certain...

Actually, I'll change that, I'm not at all certain!

I think Hull FC, er...

..won't be rugby league. I think that's Hull Kingston.

Warrington Wolves and Leeds Rhinos... Erm...

I'm going to go for Leeds Rhino.

-It's Warrington Wolves, I'm sorry to say.

-OK.

Dave, your question... If you get this right, you're in the final.

In which year did the US tennis player Louise Brough

win the first of her four Wimbledon Singles Titles?

I'll rule out 1948. I'm just trying to think when Louise Brough was,

whether it was the start of the century or the '20s.

Erm...

I'll go 1908.

You're 40 years out.

-Oh, right. 1948?

-Yes. Why did you rule that out?

I just did. I'd heard the name,

-but I didn't realise when she was Wimbledon champion.

-OK.

This is a tough round!

So you have a chance to draw level now.

In 2010,

which England player became the most capped player

in Women's One-Day International Cricket?

OK, erm... Beth Morgan...

I believe Beth Morgan was the captain. Erm...

Karen Smithies doesn't ring a bell.

However, Charlotte Edwards, that sort of,

that prompted something when you said it. Erm...

I'm going to go for Charlotte Edwards.

Charlotte Edwards is the right answer.

So you draw level! Well done. One each.

If Tremendous Knowledge Dave gets this, he is through to the final.

Which motor racing driver won a total of 51 Formula 1 Grand Prix races during his career?

I think Fangio won about 20-odd.

I think Nelson Piquet,

World Champion three times, won quite a few.

But I think the most prolific winner is Alain Prost. That's my answer.

He's in second place after Michael Schumacher,

it is indeed Alain Prost. Well done. You've taken the round.

Sorry, Colin. Knocked out on a tricky Sport round,

-ranging throughout all kinds of sporting areas.

-Never mind.

Dave will be in the final. If you come back to us, we will play the next round.

So, Stephanie, is there a line from Shakespeare that sums all this up?

All we can say is, "What is done is done

"and cannot be undone".

From... Macbeth.

-You've said it!

-The Scottish play! The Scottish play! I didn't say it.

The Challengers have lost two brains. The Eggheads have lost no brains.

Let's see what happens next. It's History for you.

Who would like this?

-That's going to be you, Caroline.

-I thought it was going to be Trevor.

-Trevor?

-Or do you want to do History?

As long as I don't do History!

-I think Judith.

-Play a round with Judith?

-Judith's good at history. Isn't she?

-I don't know!

-We'll go for Pat.

-I think they're all good at history!

-Are they?

-Oh, yes!

-We'll choose Pat.

-Pat.

-OK, so Trevor from Bard's Brains

versus Pat on History.

Let's see how they both do. Go to the Question Room now.

Trevor, I gather you do the props when they put on a production.

I just move things onto the stage and then move things off the stage, basically.

I leave all the important stuff to them.

Which play, of the ones you've done, is the most prop-heavy?

The last one we did was "Much Ado" and we did that at The Minack,

and for that one we had a 1940s ice cream cycle,

so we had to get that on and off.

-Was an ice cream van on the front of it or...?

-Yes.

Wonderful! So, you had to cycle that off the stage, did you?

Yes. I had to shove them on and then catch them when they came off.

And you find yourself looking for props everywhere, I imagine.

Well, I like going round old antique shops and things

to see what we can find.

Three questions, multiple choice. Would you like the first or second set?

I'll go first, please.

In the 19th century, who became known as the Lady with the Lamp?

Well, if Grace Darling had a lamp, she'd get it very wet!

The answer has got to be Florence Nightingale.

Florence Nightingale it is. Well done.

Pat, over to you. What name is usually given to early societies

whose food was derived from wild animals and foraging

rather than growing crops or rearing livestock?

Erm...

I think they were Hunter Gatherers.

Hunter Gatherer is the right answer.

You paused for a wonderfully long amount of time. Well done.

OK, Trevor. During which period of British history

was the "gable hood" a fashionable type of headdress for women?

Well, erm, in Tudor, they...

I can't imagine hoods being worn in Tudor times.

They had all their hair put up.

Normans, no. It's got to be Hanoverian, I would've thought.

-It's Tudor, actually.

-Oh, no.

-You said Tudor.

-Tudor is the answer.

-Somebody over here had it?

-Yes.

-Your team knew it.

Which general commanded the British Army that surrendered to the Americans

after the Battles of Saratoga in 1777?

I think that was John Burgoyne.

You are right. John Burgoyne is the correct answer.

I thought that was going to catch him.

But he is very good on his history.

Alice Perrers was the mistress of which medieval king?

Edward III, I think...

..was quite monogamous.

William I... I haven't really got much of an idea.

But I think Edward the...

..Edward III,

but not overly confident.

Oh, OK! He started off being monogamous

and now he's putting it about all over the place!

I think he was.

He was certainly married a long time to..

..to his wife, but, erm,

I'm sure he must've had dalliances.

You got it right. Well done!

-Well worked out.

-OK. You're equal.

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

Which writer helped to organise the top-secret intelligence section called 30 Assault Unit

during the Second World War?

Well, there was quite a few English writers

involved in intelligence in World War II.

I think Ian Fleming had something to do with operations relating to Gibraltar.

Graham Greene was certainly active in intelligence.

I'm not sure whether he went as far as to be a spy, but he was involved.

Perhaps it's a bit too early for John le Carre to be active in WWII.

Let's say he had to be 20...

Borderline for John le Carre.

Fleming was involved in some operations relating to Gibraltar.

I think Greene was more cerebral

and the word "Assault" suggests a slightly more dynamic...

I'm going to go for Ian Fleming.

Ian Fleming is the right answer.

Well done, Pat. You've taken your place in the final.

Sorry, Trevor. You've been knocked out by an Egghead. It does happen.

I can see you love your history.

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

We've done three rounds.

It's not looking that good for Bard's Brains. We're having regular Shakespeare updates.

-Colin?

-"The rest is silence..."!

There we are. Well, it may not be.

The Challengers have lost three brains.

The Eggheads have not lost a brain from the all-important Final Round.

The last subject is Geography.

-Who would like this?

-Ooh, wow.

-Shall I risk this one?

-Caroline?

It means you're on your own, Joanna.

Who would you like to play against? Who have we got left?

-You can either take Judith or Kevin.

-Judith.

Or you could be very brave and get rid of Kevin for me.

-I think I'd rather go with Judith.

-THEY LAUGH

So, Caroline from Bard's Brains versus Judith on Geography.

-You haven't done Geography for a little while.

-No, not for ages.

OK, let's see how you both do. Please go to the Question Room now.

-I gather you've just become a mum.

-I have, yes. A little baby.

-And your son's name?

-Jack.

Very exciting, I imagine.

Very exciting, very tiring.

I don't know whether I'll be as much a Bard's Brain as a baby brain.

You've done very well to do an edition of Eggheads

in the middle of the early months of mumming.

Well, yes. Night feeds have, er, drained my, er, memory a little bit,

so I'll see what I can remember today.

OK, it's Geography, three questions. Caroline, you can choose the first or second set.

Er, perhaps I should break the jinx and go second.

Judith, here we go with your first question.

The Keukenhof Garden in the Netherlands

is famous for its many varieties of what?

Well, I love the idea of palm trees and cactus in the Netherlands

when it's very, very famous for tulips.

Tulips is the right answer.

The town of Wells-next-the-Sea lies close to which sea?

-Erm...

-SHE SIGHS

Right. Erm...

It doesn't sound like a place in the Baltic Sea.

Erm...

My instinct, and that's all I've got to go on,

is suggesting the Irish Sea.

I don't know why. So I'll think I'll plump for that.

We've just had a Shakespearean gasp from your colleagues.

-I've been on holiday there. It's Norfolk, isn't it?

-Yes.

So it's the North Sea. It's the other side.

Next to, oh, Holkham and places like that.

-North Norfolk.

-North Norfolk, Judith, thank you.

Here's your second question.

During the 20th century, Wardour Street in London

became particularly associated with which industry?

Oh, film. Definitely.

-Film.

-Fleet Street was newspapers.

-Fleet Street was newspapers.

-And banking was just The City, wasn't it?

-Yes!

Any other areas that are associated with things?

-Do you want me to do a list?

-Do them all! Why not?

-Let's just stick to film.

-I can only give you one point. Film is correct.

OK, Caroline,

according to a 2011 United Nations estimate,

what is the population of Canada? You need to get this right.

Oh, crickey! Erm...

Well, obviously,

Canada is a huge country, geographically.

Whether the population is huge or not, I don't know.

Er, 14.5 million

sounds quite low.

Erm, I think I might, perhaps dangerously, rule that out.

Erm, I think...

..I'm going to go for...

..34.3 million.

You are correct.

Phew!

I was ready to come out with the "And the rest is silence" line!

-Not any more!

-You spared me. Thank you.

You're still alive. Judith, if you get this right, you have gone through to the final.

What term is used for

a "narrow sea inlet that's formed by the partial flooding of a river valley"?

It's not a rill.

Er... Oh, dear. I don't know.

I'm terribly bad at this sort of thing.

A ria.

A ria. Where did you get ria from?

-Because it's the magic right.

-It's gone down the right!

-Anyone know if she's right?

-She is.

-She is right.

Well done.

Sorry, Caroline. Nearly came back, but not quite.

You've been knocked out.

Let's see what happens in that all-important Final Round.

So this is what we have been playing towards - the Final Round,

which, as always, is general knowledge.

Those who lost your head-to-heads won't be allowed to take part.

So, Stephanie, Trevor, Colin and Caroline from Bard's Brains,

would you please now leave the studio?

Joanna, you are there on your own now!

There's a lot resting on your shoulders. We have a literary line?

Well, it's not Shakespeare because, like my friends,

my Shakespeare has deserted me,

so it's Wordsworth, "I wandered lonely as a cloud".

And I feel I'm going to wander my way through these questions.

There could be a silver lining. We've seen a massive win

in the last few days from a solo player in that position.

-So I have heard.

-So there we are. You're playing to win Bard's Brains £4,000.

Dave, Kevin, Judith, Pat and Barry,

you're playing for something that money can't buy - your reputation.

I will ask each team three questions in turn, all general knowledge.

You can confer. That doesn't help you much, I know.

Joanna, the question is, is your one brain

capable of taking apart these five?

-Would you like to go first or second?

-I shall go first.

-Here we go. Good luck.

-Thank you.

-Take your time.

The name of the 16th-century Frenchman Claude Garamond

is associated with a type of what?

Garamond... Which century?

16th century.

Garamond...

Well, I don't think...

I'm going to rule out needlework straight away.

16th century, Garamond...

We've got to go for either roof design or typeface.

I am going to...

This is down the middle -

roof design.

I'm afraid that's wrong.

-Is it typeface?

-It is typeface.

-Never mind.

I didn't realise Garamond was a person, either. OK.

In the UK, what type of creature is the turnstone?

It's a bird.

That is a bird.

You went up and down the line, like little crows on a wire, that was!

-It really was!

-Angry birds.

-Just chirping to each other.

"Bird, bird, bird..."

Bird is the right answer.

OK. They can stumble and they can fall.

Here's your question, Joanna.

Who wrote the 1973 children's novel Carrie's War?

Carrie's War I have heard of,

but in my usual fashion,

I cannot remember who wrote it.

I could appear extraordinarily stupid

because I will say it definitely wasn't Penelope Lively.

So I have a choice of two again.

Now, I got the wrong one last time.

Was it... a female writer

or a male writer?

One is tempted to go for female because it's "Carrie's" War.

So, I'm going to go -

which may seem odd -

I'm going to go for Robert Westall.

I thought you were going to do that and I wish you hadn't.

-Carrie's War is written by Nina Bawden.

-Nina Bawden!

You were halfway there with your Penelope Lively thought.

-We got that bit.

-Then you went in a brilliantly counter-intuitive way.

-That's the one!

-OK.

-Robert Westall is wrong.

-Oh, dear.

So, Eggheads, it's in your hands.

If you get this one right, you've ended the contest.

In which Indian city is there a major stock exchange

with a stock market index called the SENSEX?

ALL: It's Mumbai.

It's the main one in India

and it's in Mumbai.

I can't tempt you towards Delhi? Or Bangalore?

-Or a wrong answer?

-Maybe with sweets or something!

Oh, you ruthless Eggheads! Mumbai is the right answer.

We have to say congratulations, you have won.

Joanna, I'm sorry.

-Well...

-When it's five of them, it is hard.

Bard's Brains were not quite as brainy as they'd hoped.

-The Bard never came up, did he?

-No.

-We should've had some Bard in there.

I think we were quite glad that didn't

because we would've looked exceedingly foolish!

But it's always the same. I knew their questions.

It happens a lot, believe me.

Anyway, thank you for playing.

-It was good fun.

-Good luck in the theatre.

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

It does mean that Bard's Brains don't go home with the £4,000, so the money rolls over.

Eggheads, congratulations. Who will beat you?

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

£5,000 says they don't.

Till then, goodbye.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd