Episode 43 Eggheads

These people are amongst the greatest quiz players in Britain.

Together, they make up the Eggheads,

arguably the most formidable quiz team in the country.

The question is, can they be beaten?

Welcome to Eggheads, the show where a team of five quiz challengers

pit their wits against possibly the greatest quiz team in Britain.

They are the Eggheads.

And taking on the awesome might of our quiz Goliaths today are the Web Stars.

Now, this family team from Walsall all enjoy quizzing together

in local pubs, especially when individual bragging rights are up for grabs.

Let's meet them.

Hello, I'm James, I'm 31 and I'm a teacher of construction.

Hi, I'm Matt, I'm 33 and I'm a tattoo artist.

Hi, I'm Ruby, I'm 57 and I'm a teacher.

Hi, I'm John, I'm 59 and I'm a teacher.

Hi, I'm Jenny, I'm 26, I'm a dance teacher and studio co-owner.

Welcome to you, Web Stars. Better explain the team name, it's very simple, isn't it?

It is. We are a team of Websters. We played on that name.

We see what you're doing there. The quizzing, then. Do you quiz together as a family team?

As regularly as often. We all live in Walsall.

Jenny lives in Weymouth now with the fiance.

That's quite a way to go.

What about over holiday periods? The festive season?

We get together as much as possible, especially at Christmas.

And we enjoy local quizzing then.

You go out to quizzes? You must play at home?

Oh, yes. All the quiz games come out.

And who is the best Web Star at quizzing?

Arguably, all five of us!

That's what I wanted to hear! Every day, there is £1,000 up for grabs for all our challengers.

However, if they fail to defeat the Eggheads, the prize-money rolls over to the next show.

So, Web Stars, the Eggheads have won just the last game

and that means £2,000 says you can't beat them.

So, we'll start, shall we?

We were talking about the festive season.

Well, food and drink features large in that.

And that is our first category today.

Who would like to play this? Food & Drink.

You've been reading that book.

Yes, one book, I'm afraid! So that qualifies...

I suppose that might be me, then!

You've read a cookery book?

I made the mistake of buying this encyclopaedia of cookery not long back.

I thought it was hilarious. I've only got through the first bit, though.

Unless it's something cheesy, I'm going to be in trouble!

Well, who would you like to play from the Eggheads?

Who do you think hasn't even bought the book?

There's only one person. Kevin.

Sorry!

The inevitability of it all!

Let's have Matt and Kevin, then, into the question room to play Food & Drink.

OK, then. Matt, with your book about food.

And Kevin, without any idea about food.

Matt, do you want to go first or second?

I'll go first, please, Dermot.

Matt, first question for you.

The monk Dom Perignon is best remembered for his work with which drink?

Well, that's quite an easy one.

I would have thought, obviously, named after Champagne, I hope.

That's the right answer.

OK, Champagne is correct and, Kevin, your first question.

Futomaki are part of the cuisine of which country?

Well, that sounds distinctly Japanese. So I'll go for Japan.

We do like our Japanese cuisine in this round.

That's the right answer, yes. Both starting assuredly.

And Matt, what type of foodstuff is Anelli Siciliani?

Well, the Siciliani would sort of suggest an Italian link.

Go for pasta? I'm not entirely sure.

My grasp of foreign languages isn't that great.

I'm not sure I could decipher the first word.

It doesn't sound like anything I've read in my book, anyway!

I'm going to suggest it might be pasta. I'll go for pasta.

It starts with A.

I thought you might have got that, but it wasn't in there.

But it is pasta, yes. Anelli Siciliani.

And that means Kevin is playing catch-up with his second question.

Kevin, originating in Alsace,

what are the main ingredients of Baeckeoffe?

Never heard of it, never, ever heard of it. But it sounds like...

Clutching at straws, it sounds like baking is involved.

But that doesn't really help a great deal.

Baeckeoffe, Baeckeoffe...

It doesn't sound like something involving fruit to me,

so I will rule out blackberries and apples.

I'll try meat and potatoes.

It's the right answer. Well worked out.

And it's all square, still. 2-2.

And Matt, first grown in the USA in 1867,

Dancy is a variety of which fruit?

Oh... Emm... I have absolutely no idea.

A wild stab in the dark, I would say tangerine, maybe?

Because they grow a lot of oranges on the different coasts.

So maybe tangerine?

Tangerine? It's the right answer!

Everyone rooting for you here.

Well, on the Web Star side, of course.

Tangerine, well done. Three out of three.

And all the pressure is then on Kevin.

Caws pobi is the Welsh name for which dish?

I would imagine that laverbread is probably called laverbread!

It could be either of the others.

Again, it's not something that I've ever come across.

Umm... I'll try Welsh cakes.

Welsh cakes.

It's not the right answer!

THEY CHEER

-It's Welsh rarebit.

-Yeah, one or the other.

-Which clearly

was the other one you were thinking about,

which means, Matt, all that study, those two pages of the food book -

it's more than Kevin read!

It means you're in the final round. Would you please come back

and join your teams.

Well, Matt proving to be a real Web Star.

He's beaten Kevin and he's through to the final round.

Kevin won't be playing in that final round.

Our next subject today is Music.

Who'd like to play this? It can't be Matt.

THEY LAUGH

-Yeah, pre-decided. Jenny'll do that one.

-All right, pre-decided.

Jenny, have you pre-decided which Egghead you'd like to play?

It can't be Kevin. He's out. Any of the other four.

INDISTINCT DEBATE

We'll go with Chris, then. On the advice of my team.

All right. Jenny and Chris, into the question room, both of you, please.

Jenny, do you want go first or second?

Um, I think, having had a good run with my brother,

I'll go first, as well.

OK, it worked for Matt. Let's hope it works Jenny.

First question to you.

"I dreamed last night I got on the boat to heaven

"and by some chance I had brought my dice along",

are lines from a song in which musical?

Um, this is a question I should know instantly.

Um...

I'm going to have to think about it a little bit.

Don't recognise it from Oliver at all.

Um, I haven't watched Chitty Chitty Bang Bang for years,

but don't recall it from that.

Guys And Dolls, I'm thinking of

the theme of the musical.

Um, and, possibly,

it could be from Guys And Dolls

because of the whole dice element.

Not 100% at all,

-but I'm going to go with Guys And Dolls.

-OK.

And you've identified the key to unlock the puzzle.

Dice and all the gambling.

Guys And Dolls. It's right.

OK, and Chris, your first question.

Which song by Milton Ager and Jack Yellen

was famously adopted on the campaign trail

by Franklin D Roosevelt, because of its anti-Depression sentiments?

# Happy days are here again #

It should be sung by Jimmy Durante,

but I'm not in the mood. "Happy Days Are Here Again".

DERMOT LAUGHS

Is correct, yes.

And making Chris very happy,

chuckling and singing there.

OK, Jenny, good start. Number two for you.

The song "Maybe I'm Amazed"

appears on the debut solo album

of which Beatle?

Ooh.

Not very up on the Beatles,

I have to say.

Um, went to see

a couple of tribute Beatles bands,

but that's as far as my knowledge goes.

Um...

I think

on a guess,

um, as just to who's had more albums and things like that,

I'm going to go with Paul McCartney.

It's the right way to go. Yes, Paul McCartney.

So there we are, two to you

and your second question, Chris.

You'll like this(!)

The rap artist and actor born James Todd Smith had...

The look on your face!

THEY LAUGH

The rap artist and actor born James Todd Smith

had a UK No 1 single in 1997

with "Ain't Nobody", under what name?

You know my opinion of this alleged musical genre.

-Um...

-Yes!

Don't think it's Wyclef Jean.

So it's between LL Cool J and Coolio.

Err...

Coolio.

Oh, dear, CJ looks like he's smelled something very bad.

It is LL Cool J.

So, well, it's very good news

for you, potentially, Jenny.

You get this and you're guaranteed a place in the final round.

Nothing Chris can do about it.

Linda Turner and Shirley Porter

were two of the original line-up of which group?

Ooh.

Again, never heard those names before.

I was hoping something would come up in the answers

that would link them somehow.

Um...

I'm going to just, again,

sort of a stab-in-the-dark guess,

but for a band that I've heard of

out of these three.

So I'm going for The Three Degrees.

Linda Turner and Shirley Porter...

..were in The Three Degrees!

SHE GASPS

Another Egghead gone.

Two out of two. Well done, Jenny,

you did follow Matt's example and knocked Chris out.

Would you both come back and join your teams.

Well, Jenny proving to be

a Web Star, as well. Knocked Chris out of the final round.

That means two Eggheads have gone and the Web Stars are still there.

We enter the third head-to-head. It's going to be History.

Who'd like to play this, James, Ruby or John?

Um...

-That's you, you're the oldest!

-THEY LAUGH

Go on, then. But who against?

Two of them have gone, so you can only play Barry, Daphne or CJ.

-CJ.

-It's got to be CJ.

It's got to be CJ. A lot of people say that.

More people than not, actually.

OK, it's going to be John and CJ playing History.

Into the Question Room, please.

Do they always treat you like that, John?

Saying you've got to do History because you're the oldest?

-Pretty much, yeah.

-I know the feeling.

-So, John, would you like to go first or second?

-I think I'll go first.

Good luck, John. Here's your first question.

How old was Henry III

when he was crowned King of England?

How old was Henry III

when he was crowned King of England?

Oh, my gosh.

The one that springs to mind is nine days.

I've no idea why,

so I'm not going to consider the others. So I'll go nine days.

-Er, no.

-He was nine years?

Nine years, not nine days.

It means an instant chance

for CJ with his opening question.

CJ, what name is given to the mediaeval European practice

of determining someone's guilt or innocence

by subjecting them to an unpleasant, usually dangerous, experience?

After sitting next to Daphne for eight years,

I'm familiar with them all(!)

But I think this one happens to be

trial by ordeal.

Trial by ordeal is correct.

I was thinking it's very equivalent to Kevin playing Food & Drink!

Unpleasant, usually dangerous, experience.

Well, not necessarily dangerous, but certainly unpleasant.

All right, well, John,

alarms starting to ring. CJ is one up.

And your second question.

The organisations formed in the American colonies in 1765

to oppose the Stamp Act gave themselves what name?

It can't be Uncles of Hope.

I'll go with...Sons of Liberty.

Sons of Liberty, it is.

Sons of Liberty is the right answer.

So, hope's alive.

CJ,

the Bye Plot of 1603 - B-Y-E - was a plan to kidnap

King James I of England

and force him to grant toleration specifically to who?

I haven't heard of this.

Um...

Clearly, Catholics were very persecuted at the time.

Um, although I think, officially, he still held the title

King of France.

Calais had been lost 15 years earlier.

So I can't imagine it's the French.

I'd be surprised if it was women.

So the logical answer, as far as I can see, is Catholics.

OK, logically Catholics and that is the right answer

worked out by an Egghead.

2-1 and it means

you need to get this, John.

What did members of Parliament have to give up

under the terms of the so-called Self-denying Ordinance of 1645?

If the clue is in the question -

"ordnance".

I'm guessing it's to do with military.

So I'll go military commands.

OK, military commands.

Um, it's not "ordnance".

You've gone for it

and I'm going to tell you got the right answer.

-Oh, my gosh!

-You can't change it.

It's "ordinance". Self-denying Ordinance of 1645.

John, for whatever reason, is getting the right answer.

Still in it, but, CJ, a chance here.

What name was given to the council summoned by Anglo-Saxon kings?

Witan.

You're sure of that, no thinking, no reasoning, no elimination,

just, "I know the answer".

Well, I'll tell you, it is correct.

So, John, well played, you got back in there.

But you got the first one wrong.

It means you're not in the final round.

Please come back and join your teams.

The Eggheads fighting back. CJ winning that round,

meaning the Web Stars have lost their first brain from the final round in the form of John.

Two Eggheads, though, missing - Chris and Kevin.

Our last subject before the final round is Arts & Books.

So, Ruby or James, who's going to step up?

Arts & Books?

That'll be me.

Seeing as James has never read a book in his life!

THEY LAUGH

You did well enough only having started your cookery book,

but, Ruby, who do you want to play

from the remaining Eggheads, who are Daphne and Barry?

Oh, my goodness. What do you think?

I will take Barry, please.

Barry. OK. Ruby and Barry, down there at the end,

would you like to go to the Question Room, please?

OK, Ruby, how do you want to play this? Do you want to go first or second?

I think I'll do the same as the other family members

and I'll go first, please.

And your first question is this.

Thorin Oakenshield is a major character in which book?

When I heard the name I panicked a little bit,

but now I've seen the titles, I think I can say...

Don't say that, in case I get it wrong!

But I'm going to go with The Hobbit.

-Have you read it?

-Yes.

Many, many years ago.

It's the right answer.

Well done and well remembered.

And Barry, the family of which author caused controversy

in September 2011 when they launched an appeal to raise

half a million pounds to renovate the garden shed

in which he had worked?

The clue is the garden shed. To the best of my knowledge,

there's only one of those authors

who wrote his bestselling books in a garden shed

and that was Roald Dahl.

That is the right answer. Why the controversy, Barry?

I think people must've thought they were quite wealthy

and trying to raise half a million from a wealthy family

-didn't go down too well.

-Indeed.

It's all square and it's over to you, Ruby,

for question number two.

"What's past is prologue", is a line spoken by Antonio

in which of Shakespeare's plays?

Um, hm...

I've never seen the Merry Wives Of Windsor or read that.

I know a little bit about The Tempest.

We do study Macbeth at school,

but I've never taught it myself.

I'm going to have to make a guess.

I think I would go with...

..Macbeth.

Macbeth. "What's past is prologue",

is a line spoken by Antonio in

The Tempest.

Bad luck. The Tempest. OK, over to you, Barry.

The detective Jack Caffery is the creation of which crime writer?

I've never heard of him, so will you bear with me a minute

while I pluck an answer out of the air?

Yes, for a while. A minute's fine.

Um, Caffery.

This is an out-and-out guess. Susanna Gregory.

Susanna Gregory is incorrect.

No. A complete guess.

It's... Other Eggheads?

By process of elimination, I think it must be Mo Hayder,

because I know a couple of the names of Val McDermid's characters

and Susanna Gregory does historical ones, so I would say Mo Hayder.

Mo Hayder is the answer we were looking for.

So, no harm done. Ruby, question number three

and let's see how you do, if you can put pressure on Barry with this.

Which artist lived and painted

from 1639 to 1658

at 4, Jodenbreestraat in Amsterdam,

a building which is now a museum dedicated to him?

This is where my husband should be, because he's an art teacher

so I've got the wrong section now.

Um...

I don't think I'm going to go with Rembrandt.

Um, Vermeer and Hals, I think...

I've got a feeling

they're both Dutch painters but, um...

I'm going to go Hals.

Hals. OK.

The museum, the famous

-Rembrandt Museum in Jodenbreestraat.

-Oh, no!

Yes, Rembrandt, sorry, the one you ruled out.

So, Barry, you have a chance to take the round with this.

The question, "Who is John Galt?",

is central to which influential 1957 novel?

I believe it's the novel by Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged.

Atlas Shrugged

is correct, Barry.

You're through to the final round.

Barry knew it and has knocked Ruby out.

Sorry to say that, Ruby, but you won't be in the final round

so would you please come back and join your teams.

So, the Webster children with the bragging rights.

We've given our brains to them.

Good point. Mum and Dad out of the final round,

but can the children beat the Eggheads?

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

But those of you who lost your head-to-heads will not be allowed

to take part in this round.

So, Ruby and John from the Web Stars,

and Kevin and Chris from the Eggheads,

would you leave the studio now, please?

James, Matt and Jenny, you're playing to win the Web Stars £2,000.

CJ, Daphne and Barry, you're playing for something which money can't buy,

the Eggheads' reputation.

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

This time, the questions are General Knowledge.

You can confer - the difference from the head-to-heads.

So James, Matt and Jenny, the question is - are your three brains

better than the Eggheads' three? Would you like to go first or second?

We're going to follow the trend and go first, please, Dermot.

Kicking off and best of luck,

as your mum and dad watch on from the Question Room.

Which member of the cast of Happy Days received

an honorary OBE in September 2011?

ALL TALK AT ONCE

I think it's Henry Winkler.

I'm reliably told it was Henry Winkler

for something to do with dyslexia.

The Fonz himself. It's the right answer.

Yes, Henry Winkler, well done.

OK, Henry Winkler identified by the Web Stars. Eggheads, your question.

In architecture, what name is given to an ornament

directed at the tip of a spire or pinnacle?

It's a finial?

Yeah. That's a finial, Dermot.

A finial is correct, Eggheads. Back to the Web Stars.

According to a phrase attributed to the French King Louis XVIII,

what is the politeness of Kings?

THEY DISCUSS IN HUSHED TONES

Or is it like punishment?

If a King was, yeah...

Er... Polite, yeah,

it could be an irony.

But then, being punctual would suggest that...

You would be polite to the people around you.

You would expect that back.

Yeah? I've no idea.

I don't know what that means.

I don't what perspicacity means.

But punishment, you think, is that a play on it,

-being a punishment?

-That he's allowed to do that

-more than anyone else?

-Yeah, punishment.

-I'm not sure.

-Yeah.

Oh, I don't know.

Punishment. Punctuality?

-Not punishment?

-Punctuality. OK

I think punishment. >

-We've had a little debate.

-I heard it!

Given that we don't know what perspicacity means,

we had one of the others to choose from. We've settled on...?

-Punctuality.

-Punishment.

Punctuality, please.

Punctuality and a bit of debate and disagreement.

That's a 2-1 majority, punctuality.

The brothers out-voting the sister.

Jenny sticking with punishment to the end.

But the boys are right.

Punctuality it is.

-I don't mind them being right this time! They can be right.

-OK.

It's 2-1 to you and the Eggheads' second question.

What is the name of the tunnel in Surrey opened in 2011

and billed as the longest under-land road tunnel in the UK

by its constructors?

-Hindhead?

-I'm happy with what you say.

-I don't know it.

I haven't heard this, but...

It's Hindhead.

Hindhead.

CJ, you wouldn't know. It's UK!

UK. I've got no idea!

It's almost a geography question.

Where's Surrey(?)

Hindhead is the right answer, though.

So it's all square and back to you, Web Stars.

Here you go.

According to tapes released in 2011, which world leader

did Jackie Kennedy describe as "that egomaniac" and "that spiteful man"?

Well, um,

I should know this.

I thought it was, but just on a hunch.

He was, obviously...

Mind you, all leaders are fairly sure of themselves, egotistical.

Spiteful, though.

Yeah.

Um... Khrushchev and the Kennedys

are kind of about...

Would you rather go with that one?

She was talking about something current on a tape.

If it was a tape and she was discussing something current,

then that would suggest that. Unless, you know....

Shall we go for that one? Nikita Khrushchev?

I don't... I'm far from 100% sure.

We'll go for that one?

-Yes, yes.

-Sure?

-Yeah, go on.

-OK.

OK, on Matt's say-so again, we're going for Nikita Khrushchev.

Nikita Khrushchev, you think that egomaniac

and that spiteful man.

Um...

But it's not Nikita Khrushchev.

It is Charles de Gaulle. Charles de Gaulle

not identified by the Web Stars.

A chance for the Eggheads to win the game.

Which mediaeval mystic wrote the Revelations Of Divine Love

based on her visions?

Which mediaeval mystic wrote the Revelations Of Divine Love

based on her visions?

-Julian of Norwich.

-That's the only one I've heard of.

That is Julian of Norwich.

Julian of Norwich, you say,

wrote Revelations Of Divine Love.

It is the right answer, Eggheads, you've won.

Bad luck, Web Stars. I see you really do enjoy your quizzing.

We've really enjoyed listening in. Thank you very much, indeed.

What must they be like at home?

Bragging rights for the children

with Mum and Dad in the Question Room. They enjoyed it, as well.

I'm not sure if they would have known Charles de Gaulle or not,

but you can debate that - I'm sure you will - all the way home.

Thank you for playing the Eggheads today.

They've done what comes naturally to them

and they've reigned supreme over quiz land once again.

I'm afraid you won't be going home with the £2,000

and 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 of challengers have the brains to defeat the Eggheads.

£3,000 says they don't. Until then, goodbye.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd