Episode 29 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 five quiz challengers pit their wits

against possibly the greatest quiz team in Britain. They are the Eggheads.

Challenging our quiz Goliaths are the Meersbrook Park Rangers.

These friends live in the vicinity of Meersbrook Park, Sheffield. Let's meet them.

I'm Jim, I'm 34 and I'm an ethicist.

I'm Steve, 34, and a business support manager.

I'm Bella, I'm 33 and a head of planning.

I'm Jon, 34, and a communications specialist.

I'm Zac, I'm 35, and an archaeologist.

Welcome to you. Somebody told me they're not actually park rangers.

-No, not at all.

-Maybe we might have guessed.

-But Jim, it's personal against the Eggheads.

-It is, yeah.

My mum and dad and brother were on last season and they managed to get to sudden death in the final round.

I think they had three left on their team, but they didn't quite win it. So I'm here to take revenge.

-It's like a Hollywood film.

-It is.

Always one comes back to get you.

What about the quizzing? Have you done any together?

Not loads. We hadn't before we applied, but since then we've got a 100% record, basically.

-Right.

-One quiz, one victory.

-Oh, I see. OK.

OK, well, best of luck to you, Jim and all the members of the team.

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

If they fail to win, it rolls over to the next show.

So the Eggheads have won the last six games.

That means £7,000 says you can't beat them.

And our first head to head battle to get us all started is on History.

History. Who wants to play this?

-So who did we say?

-That's me.

-Is it Steve?

-Yeah, Steve.

-That'll be me, thanks.

And we said you'd take on...Barry?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

OK, Steve's going to take Barry on.

Quite a well thought out early plan. Might have to adapt as things go on. We'll see.

Let's hope it stays on the rails. Steve and Barry contesting our opening round on History.

Both please go to the Question Room just to make sure you can't confer with your team-mates.

So why did they pick you or why did you volunteer for History?

I've got a degree in History and I'm useless at the other categories!

-I don't know any science or music or food and drink, so this is me.

-Really bigging yourself up there!

-Do you want to go first or second?

-I'll go first, please.

Kicking off the first round. Which 20th century figure was assassinated at Dealey Plaza?

Eh, it's Dealey Plaza in Dallas, so it's going to be John F Kennedy, I think.

John F Kennedy is correct.

OK, your first question, Barry.

Of which of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World did Pliny the Elder write,

"Even lying on the ground it is a marvel"?

Now, this is one I've not heard before.

I guess from lying on the ground that he's looking at something tall,

so I'll discount the Temple of Artemis.

That leaves us with the Colossus of Rhodes and Lighthouse of Alexandria.

Unfortunately, the Colossus of Rhodes fell down, but I believe it fell down after Pliny's time,

so I can't really eliminate that.

But that's probably the one that he'd be more impressed with,

-so I shall go for the Colossus of Rhodes, with not a great deal of certainty.

-OK.

But the idea is he'd be more impressed by that. It's the right answer, yes, the Colossus of Rhodes.

It was after it fell down.

-It had fallen down.

-After it fell down, yeah.

-"Even lying on the ground."

-Oh, it had fallen down!

-Yes. "Even lying on the ground."

Steve, the 202-foot-high Doric column in the City of London known simply as The Monument

commemorates what event?

I'm afraid I don't have a clue about that one.

Em, I've only ever been to London a few times.

I'm...

going to guess that if they built the Monument after the War,

it might be a bit more modern, which rules out the Blitz.

I've never even heard of a Thames flood in 1928,

so I'll guess at the Great Fire of London.

Great Fire of London. Good guess. It is correct, the Great Fire.

You eliminated the other two.

-The 1928 Thames flood, Chris?

-There was an exceptionally high tide.

The usual combination of tidal surges. It did do quite a lot of damage in Vauxhall and low areas.

I've got a photograph in a book of the Albert Embankment under water.

A few people died, actually. It was really quite nasty.

Barry, how long did the interregnum between the reigns of Charles I and Charles II last?

Let's see now if I can work it out.

Charles I was executed in 1649.

When did Charles II come to the throne? Was it 1660? Or 1666?

If it was 1660, that would give us 11 years.

If it was later, 1666, that would give us 17,

so I shall go for 11 years.

Yes, indeed. 11 years is correct. Well done, Barry.

It would be good to offer us 17. Imagine what the response would be.

It's all square, though.

What name did East Germany give to its army, founded in 1956?

Em, again I don't know that one, but I can have a guess.

The Workers' Defensive Army and the National People's Army don't look right.

I think the full name of the country had Democratic Socialist in it, so I'm going to go for that.

The DDR, wasn't it?

Democratic Deutsche Republic. But it's not.

It is National People's Army. So you knew a bit about the history

but it actually led you astray. And it means Barry has a chance to take the round.

Barry, 1911 saw the introduction in the UK of a national scheme for the provision of what?

I'm not sure when lending libraries started, but I don't think it's that.

I seem to have in my mind 1911 was Lloyd George as the Chancellor of the Exchequer

who brought in Unemployment Benefit. Actually, let me think about this.

He brought in old age pensions then, which isn't quite the same,

so let me have another think. Would they have brought free school meals in in 1911? I doubt that.

No, I'll go for Unemployment Benefit and hope it's in the same package of reforms that brought in pensions.

It is the right answer. Well worked out, Barry.

Bad luck, Steve, there

with your East German question. Would you both please come back and join your teams?

-Barry, I'm still chuckling about your Pliny the Elder.

-Yes.

-You thought Pliny was lying on the ground!

-I did indeed.

I got confused. I knew the Colossus of Rhodes got destroyed in an earthquake in about 240BC,

but for some reason I was thinking it was 240AD and it was Pliny lying down! I was a tad lucky there!

OK, that's right. One way of looking at it. You got it in the end

to Steve's detriment. It means you're still in the game.

Meersbrook Park Rangers are one brain down.

Second round coming up right now. Music.

Who'd like to play this?

- That's you, Jim. - OK, that's me.

-I'll try my luck against Kevin.

-All right. You've thought that through.

-We have.

OK, Jim attempting to remove Kevin from the game. Would you both please go to the Question Room?

-All right, Jim, best of luck. First or second?

-I'll go first.

Going first on Music against Kevin.

"How still we see thee lie," is the second phrase of which Christmas carol?

OK, I know this. It's the only one that fits the metre of the hymn.

O Little Town of Bethlehem.

-"How still we see thee lie." Keen carol singer?

-No, not really!

That'll do. You got it.

It's correct. Kevin,

in 1960 Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport became the first UK Top Ten single for which entertainer?

I'm just thinking of the others and envisioning that.

-It's Rolf Harris.

-Until you say it, we can't join in!

That's right, yes. Kangaroo might have been a bit of a clue. Rolf Harris.

OK, then.

Jim, your next question.

CrazySexyCool featuring the single Waterfalls was a 1995 UK hit album by which group?

Right, well, I... didn't know the name of the album,

but I'm pretty sure I know the song Waterfalls.

It's an R'n'B song and I'm pretty sure - I hope I'm right - that it's by TLC.

It is! It's the right answer, Jim.

You have two. Kevin,

who was the lead singer of the 1960s and '70s group Traffic?

I believe that was Steve Winwood.

The lead singer of Traffic, Steve Winwood.

OK, it's good quizzing.

All square. Jim, what two colours make up the title

of a 2011 UK hit single for Wiz Khalifa?

I've got absolutely no idea. I've never heard of that.

It's going to have to be a bit of a guess.

I'm going to go with black and yellow, but I don't know.

-I'll tell you. It IS right!

-Yes!

Black and yellow.

Well, usually you have to guess at some stage and you guessed correctly.

Kevin, to stay in the round. Which Russian composer's version of the Star-Spangled Banner

was controversial enough to attract police attention in Boston in 1944?

I can't say anything springs immediately to mind as to that.

I have to use the date in some way to help, in the sense that Rachmaninoff was already dead,

although not by long.

He died the previous year, but that doesn't mean he didn't compose something.

But I'll rule him out on those grounds. I'm not...

Stravinsky was living in the States.

I don't think Prokofiev... He was back in Russia by then.

I'm assuming it must be Stravinsky, but I don't know. Stravinsky.

Stravinsky. A deep background knowledge there and you've got the right answer.

We won't ask for more information as you've given us what you know and worked out the answer from that.

So we go to Sudden Death, Jim.

That means we remove - as you will be familiar with - we remove the options. It's all square.

Which Scottish singer released the singles Last Request and Jenny Don't Be Hasty in 2006?

I don't know the answer, but...

I'm going to say, just on the basis that it's a Scottish singer,

who was certainly active around that time, and this is a guess - Paolo Nutini?

It's the right answer!

You know your stuff, Jim.

Hoping Kevin doesn't. Very skilfully worked out.

Kevin, Love Train, that reached Number 9 in the UK charts in 1973,

-was the biggest UK hit single for which group?

-I can remember the title, but that's about it.

Nothing's coming at all, I'm afraid.

Em, no. I think I'll have to throw up my hands on this one. I can't even think of anything.

-Is that a pass?

-Em...

I'll say... I'll just pick one.

I'll say The Temptations, but it's not them.

The Temptations is incorrect.

-Love Train by...?

-No idea.

-No.

-Really?

-Did they know?

Well, let's... Jim'll know. Jim do you know?

-I actually don't. I'll guess Chic.

-No, doesn't matter. The O'Jays!

The O'Jays. Love Train.

Well, there we are.

We've given Kevin that answer so it means, Jim, you're through to the final round.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

Kevin now gone from the final round.

And one member of the Meersbrook Park Rangers.

We go into our third head to head. This is Arts and Books.

Who'd like to take this on?

-Bella, Jon or Zac.

-How are you feeling, Zac?

I'll have a go at Arts and Books. It's as good as any of my other subjects.

-Who do you want to take on?

-Daphne, CJ and Chris are the three.

- Maybe Chris, actually. - Yeah, I'll try Chris.

Just stay with us a minute, Zac. It's Chris, after long deliberation.

You decided to attack Chris. They attacked Kevin and got him out.

Let's see if Chris is next to go. Zac and Chris, into the Question Room, please.

Zac, can you improve your chances even further? First or second?

I will stay with the team strategy and go first.

First question. Ottava rima is a type of what?

Hmm.

Well, I don't know the answer.

I think ottava means one eighth or eight... Something to do with...

some sort of sequence, so on that basis it's probably a poetic form or a ballet position.

But beyond that I'm not really sure.

It sounds more likely to me to be a poetic form. I'll go for that.

OK, a poetic form. Ottava rima is a type of poetic form! It's right!

What does it mean precisely, Eggheads?

-Eighth rhyme, isn't it?

-Yeah.

Rima means rhyme.

OK, Chris. Dan Brown's novel The Lost Symbol is set over what timespan?

Right, Dan Brown. He's the Da Vinci Code bloke. Em...

12 years, a bit too epic. 12 months would be boring. So to pep it up a bit, 12 hours.

It's probably exactly what Dan Brown was thinking. Just sketching out

on that first sheet of A4. "How long? Boring...epic...

"Push it along a bit." 12 hours is correct!

And, Zac,

second question. Which Dickens character marries Dora Spenlow?

Dickens is not my speciality, so I'll have a bit of a guess.

Let's go down the middle. David Copperfield.

Those that know it are laughing along. It's the right answer, yes.

David Copperfield. He marries Dora Spenlow.

Waldemar Januszczak became famous as a writer and critic in what area?

Hasn't he done a series on telly on the art of Russia?

-In which case he'd be a critic of fine art.

-It's the right answer. Both going really well here.

Zac, keep it up. In John Webster's play The Duchess of Malfi,

what is the name of the Duchess' twin brother, the Duke of Calabria?

Ferdinand doesn't sound Italian enough for me, assuming that is an Italian name.

So I'm going to rule that one out and go for one of the other two.

-I'm going to go with Bosola. That is a guess.

-OK, Bosola.

You thought Ferdinand didn't sound Italian enough, but it's the answer.

Ferdinand is the Duchess of Malfi's twin brother,

the Duke of Calabria. An opening for Chris. Which legendary figure appears

mainly under a different name in Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe?

He appears under the name of Locksley and it's Robin Hood.

It's correct, Chris. Knowing that very well. I think Zac knew it as well.

Bad luck, Zac. Don't hang the head low! Head held high.

You played really well, but just caught out by the odd question and you won't be in the final round.

Both please come back and join your teams.

Just didn't quite work there for Zac. The Meersbrook Park Rangers have lost two brains,

Eggheads are missing one. Let's see, then, what the line up in the final round will be.

Our last head to head will decide that. This is Film and Television.

Bella or Jon to play.

-Film and Television.

-I'll have a go.

-OK.

-And you'll go for Daphne?

-I shall fall upon my sword...

-and take Daphne on.

-OK. I'm sure you have more confidence than that.

Jon versus Daphne on Film and Television. Both of you head for the Question Room, please.

OK, Jon said he was falling on his sword, but I think you quietly fancy your chances.

-First or second?

-I'll buck the trend and go second.

That's you starting then, Daphne. Jeremy Clarkson, Philippa Forrester and Craig Charles

have all presented which TV show?

It's not Treasure Hunt, is it? That was yours.

But I used to watch Robot Wars with my grandson,

-so Robot Wars.

-Robot Wars is the right answer.

Well done, Daphne.

Your question, Jon. John Cole, who became famous as the political editor for the BBC,

was born in which part of the UK?

Em... I am not 100% by any means,

but I have a vague recollection of him having an Irish accent.

So I'll go Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland is correct. Well done. Always parodied in Private Eye

with a column that started, "Hondootedly, Mossus Thotcher..."

And then on it went with the political events of the last two weeks. I think John enjoyed that.

A great way of remembering him.

OK, Daphne, your question. Who was awarded

the Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 2011?

Oh, crumbs. I think it passed me by.

Melissa Leo.

Is the right answer!

-Do you know what the film was?

-Was it that Fighter film?

-Yes.

Playing catch-up, then, Jon.

Which Coronation Street character was played by Bryan Mosley from 1961 to 1999?

I'm not a big soap watcher.

I like the sound of Len Fairclough. Shall we give a punt?

Len Fairclough.

I'd say a good proportion of our audience is shouting at the screen at the moment, going,

"Alf Roberts!"

Alf Roberts is the answer we wanted. Alf Roberts there.

Well...

not watching your soaps gives Daphne an opening here. Which director's early output included

several of a famous series of Cinzano commercials starring Joan Collins and Leonard Rossiter?

Well...

I don't know.

They were funny, so Alan Parker.

-You mean the other two aren't a barrel of laughs?

-No.

It's the right answer, Daphne! Alan Parker.

They always ended up with the drinks pouring all over Joan Collins' lap.

Alan Parker is correct. Bad luck.

You don't get another question, Jon. Daphne got three. You can't match it and you won't be in the final round.

Both please come back and join your teams.

This is what we've been playing towards. Time for the final round, which is General Knowledge.

But those of you who lost

won't be allowed to take part. So Steve, Jon and Zac from Meersbrook Park Rangers

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

So Jim and Bella are playing to win the Meersbrook Park Rangers £7,000.

CJ, Daphne, Chris and Barry are playing for something money can't buy. It is your very reputation.

As usual, I'll ask each team three questions, General Knowledge,

and you are allowed to confer.

So the question is this: are your two brains better than the Eggheads' four?

-Jim and Bella, first or second?

-I think we'll go first.

Well, very best of luck to you.

First question. In gambling, what is the usual name given to the type of bet in which a horse is backed

for both a win and a place?

-Well, that's each-way, isn't it?

-It is.

-OK.

Having won on the Grand National three times on each-way bets, each-way!

OK, You are lucky, then. It is the right answer.

Each-way is correct.

Eggheads,

the companies formerly known as NOP and MORI

were most associated with what area of business?

-Market research?

-Market research.

They were market research companies.

Yes, that's the right answer.

Back to the Park Rangers. The word "ceratops"

as part of the names of dinosaurs such as triceratops means what?

Triceratops had three horns, right, on its face, so...

That's absolutely right. Horned face.

Correct! Two to you.

Eggheads,

in WWII, what nickname was often given to the rear gunner of a British combat aeroplane crew?

"I say, skipper, Tail-end Charlie has bought it."

How much do we want it to be Back-up Billy?

We think it's the rather boringly titled Tail-end Charlie.

Tail-end Charlie, yes. Your Back-up Billy today is Kevin.

Tail-end Charlie is correct.

Well...

All square. Two each. Both teams going very well.

Hinkley Point on the Somerset coast has been the location of two types of what installation?

-OK, so nuclear power stations tend to be on the coast.

-That's true.

But the Somerset coast has quite a lot of people there.

-They often put them in Scotland.

-Yeah.

-Radio observatory? Somerset?

-I don't know. Submarine base.

-It sounds...

-It's not very deep.

-They tend to be West of Scotland.

-Right, OK.

-But I don't want to wipe it out.

-Yeah, yeah.

But I think... The one I'm drawn to is nuclear power station.

Two different types of?

Hinkley Point on the Somerset coast has been the location of two types of what installation?

-OK.

-So two types. So unlikely to have...

Sellafield's had two sorts of nuclear power. Let's say it's not.

-OK, fine.

-Two sorts of radio observatory? You could imagine that.

-Sure.

-And you could imagine just one submarine base, maybe?

-So you reckon radio observatory?

-It's our best.

-It is.

-Radio observatory?

-OK, two types of radio observatory at Hinkley Point.

-Daphne, is that correct?

-No. It's about ten miles away from me

and it's a nuclear power station.

Hinkley Point, nuclear power station.

So a chance for the Eggheads.

What type of creature is the South American pacarana?

P-A-C-A-R-A-N-A. What type of creature is it?

- I know what I think. - It sounds rodent to me.

Capybara has lots of vowels in! And pacarana has lots of vowels.

-Not a lot to go on.

-Rana is a frog, which would make it amphibian.

-Yes.

That's Latin and wouldn't affect a South American name anyway.

-I don't think it's a reptile.

-Shall we go for rodent?

-Yeah.

Harking back to Daphne again, we'll go for rodent.

CJ! Do you want to hit him, Daphne, or shall I?

I do it when nobody is watching!

I see, OK. Rodent you think.

They clearly don't know it, but having a bit of a guess.

You don't lose if you get it wrong, but you haven't lost.

It is correct. Eggheads, you've won!

Tough and tight there. You didn't quite avenge your family members there, Jim.

Personal victory, though, in taking out the four-time World Quiz Champion

and endless other titles there in Kevin, sitting silently in the Question Room.

But the other Eggheads have done it.

Not to be on the day, but have you enjoyed it?

-It's been great.

-Thank you.

-We've loved having you here, but bad luck with Hinkley Point.

That's the way the cookie crumbles.

The Eggheads have done what comes naturally. Their streak continues.

You won't be going home with £7,000. That means the money rolls over to the next show.

Eggheads, congratulations. Who will beat you?

Join us next time to see if a new team can defeat the Eggheads. £8,000 says they don't.

Until then, goodbye.

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