Episode 31 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 challenges pit their wits

against possibly the greatest quiz team in Britain.

They are the Eggheads.

And, taking on the awesome might of our quiz Goliaths today

are The Young Farmers, who know one another through their involvement

with the Dumfries and Galloway Young Farmers' Association.

Let's meet them.

Hi, I'm Ross. I'm 23, and I'm a quantity surveyor.

Hi, my name's Drew. I'm 31, and I'm a beef and sheep farmer.

Hi, my name's Louise. I'm 28, and I'm a podiatrist.

Hi, my name's Dave. I'm 25, and I'm a joiner.

Hi, my name's Allan. I'm 27, and I'm an agricultural contractor.

Hello there, young farmers.

Do you do any quizzing in the association?

Yeah, we certainly do. We try, we have a national quiz every year.

We try and bring it back down to club level

and have as many quizzes as we can.

I know a couple of teams, myself and Louise

have both made up a quiz recently.

-We get a bit of quizzing experience through Young Farmers.

-Good stuff.

Do you do any other competitions with the Young Farmers?

I mean, sheepdogs, hay bales, things like that?

Absolutely, everything, we've done it somewhere along the line, yeah.

There's hundreds of competitions, from speechmaking competitions,

to cattle dressing competitions where you've got to doll up a sheep.

-Cattle dressing?

-Cattle dressing, yes.

Not as literal as it sounds!

-You mean a sheep in fancy dress?

-Not quite, no.

-Dolled up, a wee haircut here and there.

-Oh, I see.

There's hundreds of competitions.

-Ploughing?

-Ploughing matches.

-I like those.

Root shows, where you show off what you've been growing over the year.

-Right, OK, glad you explained that.

-Oh, yes.

Yeah, there's everything. And if there's a new one comes along,

-we'll be first to try it.

-Tell you what, if this doesn't go well,

we'll have a root show against the Eggheads.

That's our next challenge. DERMOT CHUCKLES

Now, everyday, there's £1,000 worth of cash

up for grabs for our challengers.

If they failed to defeat the Eggheads,

the prize money rolls over to the next show.

So, Young Farmers, the challengers actually won the last game,

That proves it can be done.

But it means £1,000 says you can't beat the Eggheads.

Let's kick off then, and our first head-to-head is Sport.

Plenty of you like your sports, who wants to play this?

-Ross? Ross, I think you should.

-Yes. And take on maybe Judith?

-Yep.

I think it's going to be myself for that,

against my favourite Egghead, Judith.

Ah, you see, Judith, does that soften the blow a bit?

No, it doesn't. It makes no difference.

Let's have Ross and Judith into the Question Room,

just to make sure you can't confer.

Ross, just before we start,

I want to continue our discussion about root vegetables.

You're a turnip champion, aren't you?

I am, three years in a row,

won my club level heaviest turnip competition.

Often, a bit of a joke.

But it's turned into a rather coveted prize.

Absolutely.

So what size were these turnips? Did they get bigger every year?

They didn't, actually. They were mostly in proportion,

probably about that size. A pretty good showing, so they were.

We could talk about this all day long, I'm loving it.

But we do have to ask some questions, Ross.

It's Sport, would you like to go first or second?

I think I'll be a gentleman and let the lady go first,

I'll take second, please.

Judith, he's buttering you up there.

-He is.

-"Favourite Egghead."

Gallant as well, letting you start. Here's your question, Judith.

Ken Bates took over which football team in 1982?

Curiously enough, I think I know that, I think it's Chelsea.

It right!

-SHE LAUGHS

-It's a miracle.

You know a bit about Chelsea, don't you?

-You go to Chelsea, not the football.

-Not the football.

-But the area.

The area, yes.

Maybe that's how you know that. OK.

Ken Bates taking over Chelsea in 1982.

First question, Ross.

Who was the British flat racing champion jockey six times

between 1997 and 2003.

OK, yeah, horseracing's not exactly my greatest sport,

I'd have loved the last one, being a Chelsea fan.

-Oh no.

-But, let me think, see if I can...

I know Frankie, he's won a fair bit in his time.

So has Kieren.

I think I'm going to have to plump,

just because I know that he's won plenty, for Frankie Dettori.

OK, Frankie Dettori. Champion jockey.

He wins plenty, but doesn't win the Championship very often, does he?

It's Kieren Fallon. Kieron Fallon,

six times champion jockey in that period.

So, Judith, well, you can go 2-0 up if you get this.

What name was given to the dance

performed by the England cricket squad

during the 2010-11 Ashes tour in Australia?

If it's to do with cricket,

hedges don't really come onto pitches that much.

So I'm hoping it's either Lawn Mower or Sprinkler.

I think The Lawn Mower sounds a bit more macho than The Sprinkler,

so I'm going to do The Lawn Mower.

-You're going to do it now?

-No, I'm not,

I don't know what it looks like.

It probably is a dance, but it was The Sprinkler.

-Oh no!

-But they did perform.

-HE LAUGHS

-Like Judith, I'm a little mystified.

I mean, you don't have to demonstrate it,

but what did it involve them doing?

-No idea?

-Something along the lines of that, was it not, Dermot?

Something like that.

And then they go like that.

-Oh, you saw it?

-Something like that. I don't know why I know that.

Brilliant, Ross. Loving it.

-You can do that down at the next Young Farmers meeting.

-Definitely.

-HE LAUGHS

-The sprinkler.

Afraid I can't give you a point for that.

-I wish I'd picked the first ones now.

-That's right,

you would have had two out of two.

Let's get you off the mark here.

It will be will square if you get this correct.

Pastor Maldonado,

who made his Formula One debut in 2011, was born in which country?

Thankfully, I am a Formula One fan.

And I know who Pastor Maldonado was.

If you'd told me what team he was driving for,

I'd have got that in a second.

But what country he's from, I'm not too sure,

I'm just trying to think through.

I'm pretty sure it's not Spain

because I know Fernando Alonso is a big Spain man.

He's famed for being a good Spanish man.

So it's between Venezuelan and Mexico.

It's definitely between the two, and I'm going to plump for Mexico.

And the team in question, you said you know the team?

Yeah, it's Williams he drives for.

Yeah, Williams is right. But Mexico isn't.

-Ah, no!

-It is Venezuela.

You were down to the 50-50.

But picked the wrong one. Well...

It means Judith has a chance here to end the round.

Judith, which basketball team won its first NBA title in June 2011?

I hadn't got as far as basketball in my revision of 2011, annoyingly.

But is it on the list?

Yes, it's on a list, somewhere!

Um. Oh, dear me.

Um, I think I might say Toronto Raptors.

-OK, the Toronto Raptors.

-Yep.

All basketball teams, presumably.

-Yes.

-Yes.

-It's the Mavericks.

-Oh.

-The Dallas Mavericks.

I hoped Toronto. It stood out.

But your revision hadn't got you up to there.

Well, last chance, Ross.

If you get on the board here, we go into Sudden Death.

And then, obviously, you've got every chance.

But you need to get this.

At the 1960 Rome Olympics,

the Australian athlete Herb Elliot won gold,

and set a new world record in which track event?

Right, 1960. Er...

I'm not sure, Dermot, but I think I'm going to go for 1500 metres.

1500 metres?

As I say, a very, very last chance to stay in it.

-Skin of the teeth?

-You are in! It's the right answer.

Phew!

Just held on there.

Let's see if your fortunes improve,

as we change into the Sudden Death phase.

Judith knows all about that. It will be new for you, Ross.

We take away those choices that you've worked so well with.

HE CHUCKLES

-It might get better for you, actually.

-I hope so.

-We do too.

Judith, on which continent did Muhammed Ali and George Foreman's

1974 Rumble in the Jungle bout take place?

I always thought that was Africa.

That's all we need.

Africa is correct.

You would have known that, I guess, Ross, would you?

Yeah, I think I could have got that one.

I'm wishing I'd picked the first batch,

-I'd be sailing through.

-You would have been through.

It is the way the questions have fallen.

You need this to stay in again.

In which decade did Virginia Wade

win her first Grand Slam singles title?

I'm not sure. Sport's not been my strongest category today.

But I'm going to go,

I'll go for the '60s, 1960s.

-OK.

-I don't know, I'm not even sure what year.

OK, well, we don't need the year.

Same with Judith, we didn't need the country, just the continent.

We just need the decade from you. And you've got it!

-Ah.

-It is correct, 1960s.

-Holding on.

Holding on there, and hoping for something

that really suits you.

And Judith. In 1967.

which US city hosted the very first Superbowl?

Erm.

Los Angeles.

-It's the right answer.

-Gosh.

OK, you need to get this, Ross.

What was the first name of Denis Compton's older brother,

who played first-class cricket for Middlesex for 19 seasons,

and became England's oldest soccer debutante's in 1950,

at the age of 38?

Cricket's not my strong point.

Being a Scotsman, I don't think I'm allowed to like cricket

I think it's in the rules somewhere! DERMOT CHUCKLES

So this is going to be a pure guess. Out of the sky.

Ian.

Absolutely no idea.

-Ian?

-Yeah. I think I could be bowing out now.

It's a bit of a football question as well because,

in those days, Arsenal player, I think, for a while?

It's Leslie. Leslie Compton.

Crikey. You've fought to stay in there,

but the questions, if you'd had the first questions.

-I'd have been flying.

-You'd have been through. It's the way they come.

OK, Ross, no place for you in the final round. You're there, Judith.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

Well, as it stands after one round,

we've lost our turn champion, Ross, from the final round.

the Eggheads all still there. Let's play head to head number two now.

This is Film and Television. Who'd like to play this,

from the Young Farmers, film and television?

-You were confident the last time?

-I'll go.

Who are you going to play against?

Take your pick.

I'll go Daphne.

OK, we'll go for Drew against Daphne, please.

OK, let's confirm that, Drew and Daphne,

contesting Film and Television.

Into the Question Room, both of you, please.

Drew. Film and Television. Do you want to go first or second?

Can I go first, please?

And your question is this, Drew.

The Hawaii-born actor Jason Momoa

played which hero in a 2011 action movie?

I've not heard of him,

but I know the actors who played Spider-Man and the Green Lantern,

so I think the answer's Conan the Barbarian.

You eliminated the other two, and left with the right answer.

Well done, Drew. Good start.

Daphne, in EastEnders,

which character did Kathy Beale marry, in 1995?

Um...

I never saw it.

Um, I started watching it in the '80s.

I watched the first couple of years, but...

Oh, dear.

Kathy? Um...

-Simon Wicks.

-Simon Wicks. OK.

-So you weren't watching in the mid-90s?

-No.

-Evidently, it's the wrong answer.

-Oh, right.

It's Phil Mitchell.

-Oh, right, OK. Well, proves I wasn't watching.

-It does. Phil Mitchell.

This is looking even better for you,

so a good start in terms of your own question, Daphne not getting that.

You've got a chance for a 2-0 lead, Drew.

In 2010, Arthur Darvill

made his debut in Doctor Who, playing which character?

I think he plays, he's with the new Doctor,

so I think his character's Rory, so it's Rory Williams.

It is! That is correct, Rory Williams.

And you're "roaring" into a lead. 2-0.

Daphne goes out if she doesn't get this one.

Daphne, in the 1970s TV mini series, Jesus of Nazareth,

which role did Michael York play?

Didn't see that either.

I can't say see him playing Herod. Erm.

Oh, dear.

Can I imagine Michael, him with a beard?

I'll say Judas Iscariot.

-Judith Iscariot?

-Yes.

-It's wrong!

-Oh, I thought it was.

It's John the Baptist.

Look at that! After four questions, you're through, Drew.

Two incorrect from Daphne, both yours correct.

You're playing in the final round.

Would you please come back and join your teams?

Well, much better for the Young Farmers.

I like the way Drew came back into the studio from the Question Room

-and went, "That's how you do it!!

-THEY LAUGH

Well done, Drew.

As it stands, both teams have lost one brain from the final round.

Third subject today is Politics. Who'd like to play?

You seem to be working down the team from the top there.

It's Louise, Dave or Allan.

Who do you want to take on?

Who do we think's best?

-They're all really quite good at it.

-Take your pick really.

-Barry?

-Barry, OK.

We're going to go Allan against Barry, please.

Allan against Barry, on Politics. You know where to go.

It's the Question Room for you both, please.

Allan.

Do you want first or second?

I think I should go first.

Decided to kick off with this question then, Allan.

Who was Prime Minister

at the time of the Iranian Embassy siege in London?

Well, I'm not 100% sure.

It's between two. I know it's definitely not John Major.

Yeah, I think we'll go with Margaret Thatcher.

OK, well, this is all about dates.

And well before your time. Many of us saw it on television.

Obviously, you didn't. You've maybe seen the pictures subsequently.

It is Margaret Thatcher, it's the right answer.

And the year, Eggheads?

-1980.

-1980. For the Iranian Embassy siege.

So, just into the first year of Margaret Thatcher's premiership,

having ousted James Callaghan in '79.

So, your first question then, Barry.

For what does the letter T stand in the acronym NEET, N-E-E-T,

used to refer to young people.

I believe it stands for not in education, employment or training,

so the T stands for training.

You've got it all, that's the right answer,

Training is what we wanted to hear. And we did.

OK, Allan. In the House of Commons, what is another name

for Opposition Days, the 20 days per session

on which the Opposition can control the subject for debate?

Well, again, I'm not too sure, to be honest.

I should maybe have swotted up a bit more on politics. Erm.

To be honest, Amendment Days sounds right to me,

so I think we'll go with that.

Amendment Days, those 20 days per session

on which the Opposition can control the debate.

They are Allotted Days. Allotted Days.

OK. Well, see what Barry does with number two question for him.

Prior to becoming Chief Secretary to the Treasury in May 2010,

the Lib Dem MP Danny Alexander had a very brief tenure

as Secretary of State for where?

Gosh, how quickly this passes one by.

I can't remember.

Danny Alexander.

Well, on the very loose basis that his hair is ginger,

-I'll say Secretary of State for Scotland!

-Right.

And sits for a Scottish seat, and is Scottish.

Yes, Scotland is correct.

HE LAUGHS

Yes.

That was all to do with David Laws' resignation

early on in the administration.

OK, it means, Allan, I'm sure you knew that, you need to get this.

In 1972, while still a student there,

Gordon Brown took up which post at the University of Edinburgh?

Again, not too sure.

I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be Rector, though.

I don't' think you'd take that up when you were a student. Erm.

I think we'll guess again, and we'll go with Bursar.

Bursar, for Gordon Brown. I see, bursar and money, and things like.

And his subsequent career, long-time Chancellor, of course.

-No, it's not, it is Rector.

-Oh.

He was Rector of Edinburgh University.

Which means, round over, Barry's through. Bad luck, Allan.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

HE CHUCKLES

Allan, following on from Drew said, "That's NOT how you do it."

Bad luck, Allan.

As it stands, the Young Farmers have lost two from the final round.

The Eggheads have lost one.

We approach our last subject before that final round,

and this is Geography.

And it's Louise or Dave to play.

Do you want to go for it?

I'm not.

-I'll go.

-Dave, who do you want? Chris?

-What do you reckon, Dave, who do you fancy?

-Pat.

Pat.

We're going to put in Dave against Pat, please.

OK, it's Geography, and Dave and Pat.

Could I ask you both please to go to the Question Room?

All right then, Dave, taking on Pat.

World quiz champion there.

Do you want to go first or second?

I think I'll go first.

Good luck, Dave, it's Geography. First question for you.

What French word is used to refer to a coastal road,

especially one built into the face of a cliff?

Well, I don't know that one.

Corsage is the only one word I've heard of those three,

and I'm pretty sure that's not to do with roads.

It's going to have to be a guess between the other two.

And I think I'd better go for Corniche.

Thankfully, it's the right answer, yes. Corniche.

OK, Pat,

in which English county is the town of Gravesend?

Er.

Famous as the resting place of Pocahontas.

It's in Kent.

You do learn such wonderful irrelevant facts.

They may be relevant, you never know.

The resting place of Pocahontas, I see.

It's the right answer, Gravesend in Kent.

And, back to you, Dave.

What is the name of the US city on the Williamette River

that is home to the University of Oregon?

Erm, again, not sure on this one.

It's going to have to be a guess again.

I have heard of Eugene, so I'm going to go with Eugene.

Eugene, Oregon, it's the right answer.

Yes, well done. And Eggheads, not a ridiculous question,

because those other names are American towns as well.

-Gary's Indiana. I don't know where Otis is.

-All right, Pat.

Potamology is the scientific study of what geographical features?

I'm not entirely sure.

Er, I have a hint hunch it's Rivers,

I'm just thinking,

of those three, I think I'll go with Rivers.

Rivers for potamology, is he right, Eggheads?

-Yes.

-Yep.

-Hippo-potamus.

-Oh, I see. Hippopotamus, river horse.

-Yes, yes.

Is the right answer, yes, rivers, Pat.

So it's all square. Going well there, Dave.

Get this, and really put the pressure on Pat, then.

Inaccessible Island in the South Atlantic

is part of the overseas territory of which country?

Well, I know the UK has a lot of dependencies in the South Atlantic,

so I'm going to go with UK.

UK, well done. Yeah, of course. The Falklands amongst them.

UK is correct. And, Pat,

Bandung is one of the largest cities in which country?

Gave its name to the big conference

that founded the Non-Aligned movement back, I think, in the '50s.

-And it's in Indonesia.

-Indonesia.

I had a feeling we were going to Sudden Death. We are.

It's the right answer. All square.

Well played, Dave. Keep it up.

Your Sudden Death question, then, is this.

Viti Levu and Vanuva Levu are the two major islands

of which country in the South Pacific?

I have heard the names. Erm...

..and I'm fairly sure that's Fiji.

-It is Fiji!

-THEY APPLAUD

Dave! I see why you're playing this round!

Is he like this in the quiz?

Oh, yeah, he's good. He's good.

Give him any capital cities or stuff like that, he's on it.

Oh, right!

Well, will we sort out a winner?

Pat, DZ is the international car registration code

for which African country?

Hmmm...

..I should know this.

I have a feeling I'm not going to get it, though.

DZ...

There's a voice in my head saying it's Tunisia.

It doesn't sound very sensible to me,

but seeing as I'm having trouble

coming up with any better candidate...

One last think. DZ...

No, I just...

I'll go with Tunisia, with very little hope of being correct.

OK, Tunisia. And what a battle royal this has been.

Dave, playing Pat there, you know about his Millionaire win,

and world quiz Championships and things like that.

-Yep.

-He also has never lost at geography in regular Eggheads.

You've lost in a celebrity edition against Matthew Pinsent.

Well, he has now.

-THEY APPLAUD

-Never lost in geography.

It's not. But you were very close.

Daphne's itching to tell me the answer.

-You WERE close.

-Algeria.

-It's Algeria. And why DZ, pray?

-I don't know.

Well, it's from Dzayer,

the local name for Algeria. D-Z-A-Y-E-R.

Close, Pat, but no place in the final round.

It goes to Dave.

Would you both please come back and join your teams.

So, this is what we've been playing towards.

It's time for the final round, and what a final round it may be.

And this, as always, is General Knowledge.

But, I'm afraid, those of you who lost your head-to-heads,

won't be allowed to take part.

So we lose Ross and Allan from the Young Farmers,

and Daphne and Pat from the Eggheads.

Please leave the studio.

Well, Drew, Louise, and Dave,

you're playing to win the Young Farmers £1,000.

Chris, Barry, and Judith,

you're playing for something which money can't buy.

It's the Eggheads' reputation.

As usual, I ask each team three questions in turn.

This time, the questions are all general knowledge,

and you are allowed to confer.

So Drew, Louise, and Dave, the question is,

are your three brains better than the Eggheads' three?

Do you want to go first or second?

I think we'll go first.

Well, they're all general knowledge and good luck with them.

First question.

Obtaining something on hire purchase is known, colloquially,

as buying it on the what?

I'd say never-never.

I think it's never-never as well.

-Always paying it off.

-Yes.

-Never-never.

-Never-never.

It's the right answer, yes.

Buying it on hire purchase, on the never-never.

And, Eggheads, the word libation is often used as a slang term for what?

-Yep. It's alcoholic drink, Dermot.

-It is, yes.

I was trying to think of something witty to say!

Right answer will do!

OK, Young Farmers.

The 1988 musical film, It Couldn't Happen Here,

stars and features the songs of which group?

-I don't actually know it.

-I don't know that one.

Well, Wet Wet Wet, are they not a bit more modern?

Pet Shop Boys were back then, but...

I would err for the Pet Shop Boys, only because of the date.

-But, I don't know.

-Is Duran Duran in earlier than that?

I thought they had some kind of musical thing.

-Do you want to go for the Pet Shop Boys?

-I've no idea.

It's between Pet Shop Boys and Duran Duran, so...

You both thought Duran Duran.

Well, initially, but that doesn't necessarily mean its right.

I've never heard of it before. My instinct's Duran Duran, though.

-Will we go with that?

-Happy with that?

-Yeah, go for it.

We'll go with Duran Duran.

Duran Duran, for It Couldn't Happen Here, in 1988.

It's the other one you were thinking of.

-Oh!

-It is the Pet Shop Boys.

And, Eggheads, question number two.

CCTV is the main state television channel in which country?

What could it stand for?

I've got an inkling it might be Chinese for some reason.

What could it stand for, CCTV?

It's not Chile.

Chile's a bit too obscure.

Or Canada, because they're all commercial stations.

-So it's not Canada?

-It just rings a bell with me for China.

Shall we go with China?

-If we don't think it's Chile.

-No, I don't think it's Chile.

And it's definitely not Canada.

We don't think it's Canada.

China, on balance.

Yeah, we'll go for China, Dermot.

China, on balance. Not sure.

It is China Central Television, CCTV.

It's the right answer.

Oh, dear. OK, well, Young Farmers,

you're still in it. Got to get this one, though.

What name was given to the State Planning Commission

of the Soviet Union?

I should know this one!

THEY LAUGH

I haven't heard of the others, but Gosplan sounds familiar.

Komsplan just sounds too much like Communist.

I'd rule it out, because they wouldn't be advertising that.

The other one, it's too much like Soviet.

I thought it would have been Komsplan.

Is that what your gut is telling you?

Well, I got the last one wrong, so do you want to go with..?

-Building for the comrades.

-Do you want to go with that one?

I don't know. But I would err towards Komsplan.

It's the easiest one to say!

We'll go Komsplan.

Komsplan, for the State Planning Commission of the Soviet Union,

to stay in the game.

I'm afraid it's over.

-It's Gosplan.

-Oh, dear!

-Which means, Eggheads, you've won.

Well, bad luck, Young Farmers, not to be in the final round there.

But some great head-to-heads, some great quizzing, and some great chat.

We've learned so much about root vegetables and sheep dressing,

and we forgot the round we were going to have.

We're going to have a dancing round next,

while Ross does his sprinkler,

and Chris will do his Peter Crouch robot.

Ha-ha! Thank you very much for that, Ross, to sign off!

But the Eggheads have done what comes naturally,

and they reign supreme over Quiz Land again.

I'm afraid you won't be going home with £1,000,

and that means the money rolls over to our next show.

Eggheads, congratulations.

Do join us next time to see if a new team of challengers

have the brains to defeat the Eggheads.

£2,000 says they don't. Until then, goodbye.

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