Episode 133 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 our quiz champions today,

are the Riverside Rockers from Middlesbrough.

This team of friends know one another

through their local music scene

and share a passion for Middlesbrough Football Club.

Let's meet them.

Hello. I'm Henry, I'm 28 and I'm a music promoter.

Hello. I'm Phill, I'm 24, and I'm a mechanical engineering student.

Hi. I'm Rob, I'm 22 and I'm a media student.

Hi. I'm John, 28, and I'm a maths teacher.

Hello. I'm Philip, I'm 25 and I'm a copy editor.

-So, Henry and team, welcome. Great to see you.

-Hello.

Tell us about the music. That's the key thing that's brought you together.

Yeah. I used to be in a band with Philip and we met the rest of them through playing gigs

and going to gigs and all being involved in the local music scene.

As a result of that, you've stayed in music?

Yeah. I work as a music promoter in Middlesbrough and Stockton,

putting on gigs and helping out new, local bands.

I'll feel terribly disappointed if music doesn't come up in this contest for you.

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, that prize money rolls over to our next show.

Riverside Rockers, the Eggheads have won the last 12 games,

which means £13,000 says you can't beat the Eggheads today.

-Do you want to start?

-Give it a go.

-Give it a go.

First head-to-head battle is on the subject of Science.

Do we have a scientist?

-We do have a scientist in our ranks.

-Yeah.

-Well, an engineer.

THEY ALL TALK

-Who's that? Phill?

-I'll now take science on, yeah.

-OK.

You're a mechanical engineering student?

-Yeah, so should know, hopefully, a bit about the subject.

-Some mechanical engineering.

Which Egghead would you like? We can offer you the full range.

-Tremendous Knowledge Dave might be an intriguing one to give a go to.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

OK. So it is Phill from the Riverside Rockers against Tremendous Knowledge Dave on Science. Dave?

-Well, we'll see.

-There we are. Very enigmatic, our Dave.

Please go to the Question Room now.

OK. I'll ask you three multiple choice question on Science in turn

and, Phill, you can choose the first or second set.

Can I go first, please, Jeremy?

Here we go. Good luck, Phill.

In botany, which word refers to a seed sending out shoots or beginning to develop?

I don't know much about botany.

I'm definitely more along the physics side of science,

that's where my interest lies.

I think I do know that this one is... My guess would be germination.

Gesticulation is making a gesture,

I don't know about genuflection, so germination.

Germination is correct.

Genuflection means bowing, does it?

-In church...

-Bending the knee.

-..and bending the knee.

-Yes.

OK. Tremendous Knowledge Dave, what name do scientists give

to the determining of the relative position of genes on a chromosome?

Right, erm, I would go gene mapping.

Gene mapping is the right answer, Dave. Well done.

Over to you, Phill.

Which eccentric scientist,

author of Butter Side Up or The Delights Of Science

was a regular contributor on the TV show Don't Just Sit There?

Erm, once again,

no real idea on this one.

I've never heard of Heinz Wolff or Magnus Pyke.

Patrick Moore is pretty eccentric, so I'll go for Patrick Moore.

-Anyone know on the Eggheads team?

-Heinz Wolff.

-It's Magnus Pyke.

-Heinz Wolff, Daphne?

-No. Magnus Pyke.

-Oh, is it?

-Magnus Pyke is the answer.

-Ah.

Dave, in 2011, which planet

completed its first orbit of the sun since it was discovered?

Not heard of this at all. Erm...

I'm going to go Saturn, but I've not heard of this...

..at all. Just because it's nearer the sun. But I'll go Saturn.

Do you know this one, Phill?

No, I don't. I'd have probably guessed Neptune.

Neptune is the right answer.

OK. So, one point each.

See if you can get the third one right. Here we go.

A sigmoid curve is alternatively described as being shaped

like which letter of the alphabet?

I suppose I'm leaning towards either S or C.

Sigmoid. I'd probably have to go S.

-S is the right answer, Phill. Well done.

-Thanks.

-Dave, if you get this one wrong, you are out.

-Yep.

What is the scientific name for the food colouring E101?

Right. I thought, with er... Could be very wrong,

but I thought thiamine and riboflavin were vitamins,

so, just on that, I'll go niacin.

-Riboflavin is the answer.

-Right.

CHALLENGERS CHEER

First blood to the Riverside Rockers.

Going to have to get your instruments out in a minute. Play a little...

Yeah, exactly. Start rocking. Well done, Phill.

You're in the final round. You've knocked out Tremendous Knowledge Dave on Science. So that's handy.

If you both come back to us, we will play on.

-Great stuff, guys. It's a good start.

-Very good start.

-Yeah, a good start.

Very handy start for the Riverside Rockers.

So the Challengers have not lost a brain and the Eggheads have lost a brain.

Let's see where we go from here. It's Politics now.

-CHALLENGERS GROAN

-Who is the Politics person?

-Probably going to be you, mate.

-Phil.

-Sorry.

-Phil?

-Yeah.

-Is it?

-You're the best out of all of us.

-It's probably going to be me,

though it's a reluctant one.

Philip, reluctantly, against which Egghead?

-Judith, maybe?

-Good shout.

-I'll go up against Judith, please.

Right. Philip on Politics against Judith from the Eggheads.

-You probably quite fancy Politics, do you?

-I do quite like Politics, yes, actually.

-Good luck.

To ensure there's no conferring, go to our Question Room now.

Three questions on Politics against our own Judith Keppel.

Whoever answers the most correctly is the winner.

Philip, would you like the first or second set of questions?

I'll go first.

Here we go. Under which president did Madeleine Albright serve as United States Secretary of State?

Unfortunately, the answer hasn't come straight to me.

I know the name, certainly.

I believe it's not Bill Clinton, cos that's quite recent,

and I feel as though I would have a better memory of that.

Unfortunately, I'm just going to have to take a pop for one, I think,

and I'll go...

I will go...Ronald Reagan.

You ruled out the right one.

Bill Clinton, it was.

What did she do? She did the Bosnia,

Dayton Peace Accords?

She was in his second administration, so second half of the '90s.

Second half of the '90s, says Kevin.

-Oh, dear.

-Judith, your question.

Which European country was without a government for a record-breaking 541 days,

a new government finally being sworn in in December 2011?

Er, that was Belgium.

Belgium is the right answer. Well done.

So, Philip, to catch up, here's your question.

Which plant is the emblem

of the Northern Ireland Assembly?

My mother's from Northern Ireland. She's going to kill me here.

It hasn't instantly come up but, er...

I'm going to go with a gut instinct quickly. I'm going to say flax.

-Flax is right.

-Goodness.

-Well done.

You're OK. Your mum can forgive you now.

Judith, which Act of Parliament made Sophia of Hanover,

James I's granddaughter, heiress to the English throne?

Not Act of Settlement, I don't think.

That was something else.

Erm, I imagine it must be Act of Lineage.

The Act of Lineage. I thought, when I saw this question,

perfect question for you, Judith,

cos it combines politics and history.

The only thing it misses is no mention of Eleanor of Aquitaine.

-You got it wrong.

-Oh, really?

-Yeah.

-Is it Uniformity?

Let's go to an Egghead and see why is it the Act of Settlement?

Because it was settled upon that line of the royal family.

-It was settled on that line of the royal family, Judith.

-Oh.

I thought the Act of Settlement was something else altogether.

Act of Settlement is the answer.

OK. So we're one each. You can do this, Philip.

Released on the internet on a regular basis, what is the name of the video diary

that was created by the White House in 2010 to document the Obama administration?

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I have the memory of watching

President Obama in typical YouTube fashion.

Not...

Not a baby monkey riding on a pig, or anything like that,

but the President of the United States.

I think he does this once a month,

so I'm going to say Presidential Monthly.

-Wrong answer. West Wing Week, it is.

-Really?

-Almost the one that looks the most made-up.

-Yeah.

West Wing Week is the right answer so, Judith, if you get this right,

you are in the final.

What is the name of the semi-autonomous, Native American governed territory

that includes parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah?

When I was in Phoenix, I went... There's a wonderful museum,

which has a lot of history of the Native Americans in it,

and it's very, very touching, and I'm trying to remember from that.

I think it's Navajo Nation.

Navajo Nation is the right answer, Judith,

so you've taken that round on Politics.

Phil, sorry. You've been knocked out

and you won't be in the final round.

Both of you, please come back and rejoin your teams here.

Level pegging at the moment. The Challengers have lost a brain,

the Eggheads have also lost a brain, and we play on.

The next subject is Sport.

-Who wants this?

-Henry?

-You said you wanted it. I'll do it.

-Do you fancy it?

-I'd give it a go and then maybe keep you back.

-Sounds good.

-Do that.

-Yeah. Shall I give it a go?

-Yeah. Go for it.

-What were you saying?

-Take out the strongest?

-Your strongest subject.

-Shall I go for it?

-If you want to.

I'm going to attempt to do this and I'll take on Kevin.

Right. OK. Good thinking. So, it's Henry from the Riverside Rockers

versus Kevin on Sport.

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

Henry, I thought you were all going to jump at Sport, when I said that was the round.

I think, when it's our best subject, it's a tricky one.

It'll be embarrassing when we get loads of questions wrong.

Cos you're really into football. Other stuff as well, or not?

I play a little bit of cricket from time to time and I watch other sports,

-but mainly just football.

-OK. Let's see how you do.

Three questions, multiple choice, Sport is the subject.

And, Henry, you can choose the first or second set.

I'll go first, please.

Here we go. In February 2012,

which Scottish football club was docked ten points after entering administration?

Obviously, it's quite a high-profile thing,

with them being one of the biggest clubs in Europe at certain times.

But that was Rangers.

Rangers is correct.

Had a terrible time of it.

OK. Kevin, in March 2012,

which TV presenter announced her engagement to the rugby league player Richie Myler?

Well, it's not something I've come across

but, on the basis of... I'm assuming, on the basis of age alone,

with all due deference to the other two,

I'm assuming this must be Helen Skelton.

Helen Skelton is the right answer, yeah.

Valerie Singleton is, er, in her '60s? '70s?

'70s, yeah.

OK. Henry, your question.

Which national sports centre is based at Holme Pierrepont in Nottinghamshire?

I'll spell it for you. Holme is H-O-L-M-E.

Pierrepont is P-I-E-R-R-E-P-O-N-T, all one word.

The fact that the word pier is in the answer

makes me more inclined to say water sports,

but you wouldn't associate water sports with that neck of the woods.

HENRY SIGHS

There's something in the back of my head

that's making me think racket sports

and badminton around that area.

But I really haven't got a clue.

I'm going to just have to choose one of them.

I'll go with my initial idea and say... No, I won't.

I'll go for racket sports and then kick myself when I've got it wrong.

OK. Somebody on your team knows. You know, guys?

-I'm pretty sure it's water sports.

-It is water sports. Yeah.

-That initial feeling.

-Should have stuck with it.

-Often happens.

It's an initial feeling.

Even the word pier, might have nothing to do with it.

OK. Water sports is the answer. You got it wrong.

Kevin, to take the lead.

Jack Hobbs played first-class cricket for which county from 1905?

He had a very long career playing for Surrey.

Surrey is the right answer, Kevin. Well done.

Third question to you, Henry.

Technically known as The Golf Champion Trophy,

the Claret Jug presented to each year's winner of the Open Championship,

replaced which item that was presented to the winner from 1860 to 1870?

You need to get this one right.

Of all the sports, golf's probably my least favourite.

I haven't got a clue about this one but...

I'm going to rule out belt, and then probably regret it.

Something's drawing me to tankard,

I think cos I'd like to receive a tankard as a prize,

so I'll go for tankard.

-Do you know, Kevin?

-It was a leather belt.

Belt is the answer, Henry, sorry.

You were playing well there

and went off the rails. You've been knocked out by our senior Egghead here.

Kevin will be in the final and, I'm afraid to say, you won't.

If you come back to us, we'll play on.

The Challengers have lost two brains,

the Eggheads have lost a brain as well.

We've got one more subject before the final and it is Music.

-Thank goodness you've got your music now.

-Do you want to do it?

-OK. If you want, yeah.

-Pressure's on. I...

-No good?

-I don't think I...

As long as there's nothing dead old, like.

Two brothers and you left at the end, cos you'll get through when you win Music here.

-Pressure's on.

-Yeah, I'll give it a go. Definitely.

-John?

-John.

-Yeah.

-John on music, as long as there's nothing old?

Yeah, like dead old. You mean more than 30 years old?

-Maybe a bit longer than that.

-JEREMY LAUGHS

OK. Against which Egghead?

-I'd go Chris.

-I've seen... Chris is all right.

-Yeah, I want to hear him sing again.

-I want to hear him sing, actually.

-We want to hear Chris sing some songs, so shall we go Chris?

-Shall we go Chris? OK.

OK. So it is John from the Riverside Rockers against Chris from the Eggheads on Music.

Please take your leave of us and go to the Question Room.

-Good luck in this Music round.

-Thanks.

-I'll ask each of you three questions.

John, you can choose the first or the second set.

I think everyone else has gone first, so I'll go second, please.

Chris, here we go. In which decade did Guys And Dolls and My Fair Lady

each win the Tony Award for best musical?

Guys And Dolls is based on stories by Damon Runyon,

that were originally written in the '30s and '40s

and I remember My Fair Lady opening in London in the late '50s,

so it's got to be the 1950s.

1950s is the right answer. '51 and '57.

OK, John. Who had a hit

with the disco classic Car Wash in 1977?

I recognise Gloria Gaynor and Donna Summer.

I definitely don't know the answer to this.

I'm fairly sure it's not Donna Summer.

Possibly Gloria Gaynor but Rose Royce sounds like Rolls-Royce,

going through a car wash, maybe?

I'll go for Rose Royce.

Well done. It's Rose Royce. You're absolutely right.

What other songs did she do? Anyone know?

-Wishing On A Star.

-That's the one. Beautiful song, yeah.

-She was a big star, wasn't she?

-Yeah, yeah.

OK. 1-1. Chris,

Frasquita and Mercedes are the two friends of which operatic title character?

It's not Madame Butterfly, cos she's Japanese.

It's not La Traviata, cos she's a lady of easy virtue, shall we say?

They're two of the girls who work in the cigarette factory in Carmen.

Carmen is quite right.

John, the birthplace

of the pianist Alfred Brendel is in which modern-day country?

No idea. Not a clue.

Brendel. I mean, I've been to Hungary, Czech Republic and Poland.

Brendel, to me, doesn't sound like a Polish name,

but there was a fair bit of movement between people around that area,

wars and whatnot.

I'm going to plump for the Czech Republic, please.

You've got it again. Well done. Czech Republic it is.

Playing with a lot of style. OK.

It's equal after two questions. Chris, to you.

What was the name of the device invented by two members of the band

10cc which allowed an electric guitar to make orchestral sounds?

Theremin was a Russian invention.

I think a Mellotron is a...

an instrument in its own right.

So, cos it was cooked up by two members of the band 10cc,

I'd have to go with Gizmo.

Gizmo is the right answer. Well done.

You need this one, John. He's playing well, so are you.

Which singer, who died in 2006, was known as the Jezebel of Jazz?

Yet again, absolutely no idea at all.

Heard of Nina Simone. Haven't heard of the other two.

Fairly sure Nina Simone isn't dead.

It's a toss-up between the other two.

Let's go Peggy Lee.

-Is he right, Eggheads?

-No.

-Anita O'Day.

-Anita O'Day is the right answer, John. Sorry.

Just pipped at the post there by Chris on Music.

So, Chris, you're in the final. John, you're not.

If you come back to us, we will play the final round.

This is what we've been playing towards. 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 take part in this round.

So, Henry, John and Philip from the Riverside Rockers,

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

Good luck, Phill and Rob. Here we are. The final round.

You're playing to win the Riverside Rockers £13,000.

Judith, Kevin, Daphne and Chris, you're playing for something that money can't buy,

the Eggheads' reputation.

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

this time the questions are all General Knowledge and you are allowed to confer.

So, Phill and Rob, the question is can you with your two brains

destroy the Eggheads with their four? Not to put too fine a point on it.

-THEY LAUGH

-Would you like to go first or second?

Erm, go first.

Here we go. Good luck.

Ad nauseam and ad infinitum are phrases from which language?

-Latin.

-Yeah. Latin.

Straight there. Latin. Latin's the right answer. Well done.

You can do it, guys. They're going crazy backstage.

Eggheads, which two items make up the most identifiable symbol of Freemasonry?

-Square and compasses.

-Square and compasses.

Those are the square and compasses.

Square and compasses are correct.

Here's your question, Riverside Rockers.

Which school, founded in 1509,

is located beside the route of the Oxford-Cambridge boat race?

If only Phill had got through.

Cos he, er, he went there.

Erm... Erm... I would maybe go...

Dulwich. But that is just a total guess.

-I'm drawn to St Paul's because...

-OK.

What was the year, sorry, Jeremy?

-Which school, founded in 1509...

-1509.

..is located beside the route...

Universities were a place for, like...

religious people became scholars as well.

St Paul's?

-Yeah, go for it.

-St Paul's.

-You're brothers, aren't you?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-You're not going to fall out, are you?

-No.

-Definitely not.

He's right. St Paul's is correct.

-Oh.

-Good knowledge.

Very nicely done.

OK. Your second question, Eggheads.

Joe and Kate Keller are characters in which 1947 Arthur Miller play?

-(All My Sons.)

-Mm.

Yeah. A View From The Bridge is the Carbone family

-and The Crucible is the Salem witch trials.

-Yeah.

-So it's All My Sons.

-Yeah.

That is All My Sons.

All My Sons is the right answer.

All brilliant plays, aren't they?

-Arthur Miller.

-Saw that not too long ago with David Suchet

on the London stage and Zoe Wanamaker. Fantastic.

-It's the one about the aircraft parts malfunctioning?

-Yes.

Yeah. Great play.

So, you've both got two.

I'm sorry you couldn't shake them off but, if you get this one right,

you don't have anything more to do in the immediate future.

You can just sit and wait for them to get theirs wrong.

And that's a nice feeling with £13,000 to play for.

Here is your third question.

The Ukraine-born Sergei Polunin found fame in which field?

-Polunin.

-I think I'd be inclined for ballet cos that...

-Yeah. I mean, I've never heard of him.

-And it's... Exactly.

-I don't know that much about aviation.

-Or horses.

I don't know if Ukraine was big in developing things around planes.

-I wouldn't associate Ukraine with aviation...

-I wouldn't.

-..so I'd possibly rule that out.

-But I know Ukraine is big on ballet.

-Russia and that sort of area's ballet, so...

-Yeah.

Ballet, please.

Again, very interesting line of logic you're taking,

and you're quite right. It is ballet.

JEREMY LAUGHS

I love the way you play, guys. With total conviction.

Were you saving your brother for the final? Is that what happened?

That was the plan at one point, but then we've had numerous plans.

He's a very good quizzer. OK. If the Eggheads get this wrong, you've got the money.

You don't have to do any more, just work out how to divide it.

Eggheads, in the 15th century,

Caterina Cornaro was queen of where?

Cyprus. Yeah.

She was from a prominent family in Venice.

Venice had control of Cyprus at that time

and she was, basically... Well, she became Queen of Cyprus.

The answer is Cyprus.

-You all agree with Kevin, do you?

-Yes.

-Are you sure?

-Yes.

-Yeah.

Risky not to.

-Do you think they've got it right?

-Yeah.

-I agree with Kevin.

-I'd go with his answer.

-Yeah, I agree with Kevin, too.

Cyprus is the right answer.

So you've both got three out of three.

It goes to Sudden Death. Gets a bit harder now, guys,

cos I don't give you alternative answers.

In classical mythology, the Greek god Eros,

known to the Romans as Cupid, loved which beautiful girl,

who later became the personification of the soul?

Oh. PHILL SIGHS

Erm...

The only one that's come to mind is Andromeda,

-and I have no idea...

-That was in the back of my mind.

-Yeah.

-I have no idea what it is. A tenuous link.

-Yeah.

It's strange that you said that, cos I was going to say no name's come to mind, but that...

-We've stuck to that sort of technique of...

-Yeah.

-Go for it?

-I couldn't think of anything else off the top of my head.

Shall we have a think?

Greek mythology is Athena, isn't it?

And... But then there's all...

Athena is knowledge, cos her symbol's the owl.

-OK.

-So it's not that.

-I think just stick with it.

-Yeah. Yeah.

Andromeda.

No, it's not Andromeda. The end of the question is the clue.

..who later became the personification of the soul.

And it's Psyche.

-Oh.

-Oh, yeah. That makes sense.

-Which comes to mean, you know, our inner workings.

-Yeah, yeah.

Eggheads, if you get this one right, that means you have won the contest.

Which Welsh town was awarded city status in 2012,

to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee?

-St Asaph.

-Where?

-St Asaph.

-Yes.

-That's right.

-That rings a bell. Yes.

That is St Asaph.

The correct answer is St Asaph,

so we say congratulations, Eggheads.

You have won!

You played really well. When you were about to do the...

I bet you had the same thought... With the Cupid answer,

I thought you'd go straight there. I thought, you're playing so well, you'll get it.

-Pull it out of thin air.

-Bad luck.

But well played in the final round. Not many get three out of three.

-Can't do much more than that.

-Some who do win...

-Yeah.

-..win with three out of three.

-It was a good effort.

-Very good effort.

Commiserations, Challengers. The Eggheads have done what comes naturally,

and their winning streak continues. It's building up.

You won't be going home with the £13,000,

so the money now rolls over to our next show.

Eggheads, many congratulations.

Who will beat you?

Find out next time. Join us to see if a new team of challengers can.

The jackpot will be £14,000.

Till then, goodbye.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd