Episode 49 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 awesome quiz champions today

are the Bottlers from London.

This team of colleagues all work for the same soft drinks manufacturer.

Let's meet them.

Hi, I'm Peter, I'm 26 years old, and I'm a category planning executive.

My name's Ian, I'm 49, and I work in scientific and regulatory affairs.

Hi, I'm Richard, I'm 38, and I'm a commercialisation project manager.

Hi, I'm Peter, I'm 47, and I'm a primary logistics manager.

Hi there. I'm Toby, I'm 37 years old,

and I also work in category planning.

Welcome to you, Bottlers. I'm glad we explained your team name there,

as when I read it initially I thought it was referring

-to your appetite for a fight.

-THEY LAUGH

We want no bottling here against the Eggheads. Got to put it to them.

We won't name the drink, but is it kind of fizzy and brownish?

Fizzy and... Yeah.

-Along those lines.

-Let's talk quizzing, though.

Do you get together to quiz in pubs or at work?

Actually, this is our first time quizzing together, but individually,

we, you know, all take part in our various quizzes out and about town.

OK, so first time together. And taking on the Eggheads, then.

That's a kind of decent challenge, then.

Start at the top! You know, we like a challenge.

Certainly do. So, no bottling at all then, Bottlers.

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

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

So, Bottlers, the Eggheads have won just the last game.

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

And, then, let's get on with it.

Our first head-to-head has come up and it's Politics.

Which one of you wants to initiate the fight?

-Why don't we go with...?

-Politics.

-Do you want me...?

-Go with Toby?

-Tobes?

-Tobes to do this?

I think we'll nominate Toby. He's our local MP.

-THEY LAUGH

-Not yet, anyway.

-In waiting.

-Waiting.

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

-Go with CJ?

-Go on then.

I will take on CJ.

It's going to be Toby and CJ playing Politics.

Would you both please go to the Question Room?

Toby, that's to make sure you can't confer with your team-mates.

OK, Toby, hoping to get the Bottlers off to a flying start.

-Do you want to go first or second?

-I'd like to go first, please, Dermot.

OK, Politics the category. First question to you, Toby. Here it is -

what name was coined by the media to describe the influential group

of Cotswold friends and neighbours

that includes the Prime Minister David Cameron?

I'm going to go for Chipping Norton Set, Dermot.

Lot of Chippings there, but you've picked Norton and it's correct.

Yes, the Chipping Norton Set.

And CJ, first question.

Which American President delivered the so-called "mission accomplished"

speech aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in 2003?

Possibly the tiniest bit premature. George W Bush.

Yes.

George W Bush.

So, one each.

And second question, Toby.

Which country launched the so-called Four Pests campaign

in the late 1950s in an attempt to eradicate its rat,

mosquito, fly and sparrow population?

Erm... Hmm.

I think I'm going to go with China, Dermot.

-China...

-Yep.

-For the Four Pests campaign.

Well, it sounds something that the Maoists would be able to

carry out, does it?

It is the right answer, yes. China.

OK, well, well identified there, Toby.

And you've got two. And CJ -

who declared in a speech about his country's independence in 1947,

"At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps,

"India will awake to life and freedom"?

Ah. Erm, I don't know. I mean, I don't think it's Nanda.

I would've thought it was either Nehru or Gandhi.

It sounds very conciliatory, very peaceful, very spiritual,

-so I'll try Gandhi.

-OK, Gandhi.

It's not, no, CJ.

It is probably the other one you were thinking of, Nehru.

OK.

Nehru. So, well...

Real opportunity here, then, Toby.

You'd put CJ out with a correct answer here.

Benjamin Disraeli became British prime minister for the first time

in 1868 upon the resignation of which figure?

Mm. Erm...

I'm going to go with Viscount Palmerston, Dermot.

OK, Palmerston for a place in the final round.

No! Maybe just not yet.

Maybe paradise postponed.

-It is the Earl of Derby.

-Oh!

-The Earl of Derby.

So, a chance for CJ to level it up.

What was the name of the short-lived political party

launched by Oswald Mosley in 1931?

Well, Mosley was a fascist.

And that's about all I know...

relating to any of those three titles. I've really got no idea.

Erm, I don't think it's Future Party, so I'll rule that one out.

I don't know. This is just going to be a guess. I'll try People's Party.

OK, People's Party. He had a strange political journey, didn't he,

other Eggheads, Oswald Mosley? Didn't he start in the Labour Party?

He went from the left to far-right throughout the course of his...

He could've been either a Tory or a Labour prime minister

-if he hadn't got the fascist bug.

-Mm.

And the fascist bug he got. What did he name the party in 1931?

-Was it the People's Party?

-New Party.

-New Party.

It was the New Party, CJ. The New Party,

which means you can party, Toby,

you're through to the final round.

Well played, Toby. Would you both come back and join your teams?

No bottling it there for Toby.

Straight through into the final round,

meaning the Eggheads have lost one brain so far.

Our next subject - it's Film & Television.

Who would like to play this? Film & TV.

-It's got to be you.

-Shall I go for it?

-Yeah.

-Shall I take it on?

-Yeah, yeah.

-I'll take that one.

All right, Peter, and which Egghead would you like to take?

Any of the two either side of CJ.

-You decide.

-I'll take Kevin. I'll take Kevin.

Taking Kevin. All right.

It'll be Peter and Kevin playing Film & TV

as you know, from the Question Room, please.

Well, Peter trying to dislodge Kevin on one of his favourite subjects.

Certainly, the Film part of it. What about you then, Peter?

So-so. I watch a fair amount of TV and film in my spare time,

so I'll give it my best shot.

OK, that's all we can ask. Would you like to go first or second?

I think I'll follow Toby's lead and I'll take the first question, please.

First set of questions, then. And starting with a film one for you.

Who played Gregory in the 1980s Scottish film Gregory's Girl?

Erm... Right, I've only heard of two of those.

Alan Cumming, I think it's probably a bit before his time.

John Gordon Sinclair...

I recognise the name.

I can put a name to a face, and I'm not sure it's him either,

so I'll go for John Hannah as a punt.

OK, a punt on John Hannah.

-It was John Gordon Sinclair.

-Never mind.

John Gordon Sinclair with Gregory's Girl.

So, a chance for Kevin to take the lead in the opening exchanges.

Kevin, in which TV sitcom did Geoffrey Palmer play a character

called Ben Parkinson?

Yes, I think he was a dentist, if I remember correctly.

Anyway, husband to Wendy Craig.

And it's Butterflies.

It is. Once you said that, we knew you'd get it.

Butterflies is correct.

So, you need to get this, I would suspect, Peter.

Lindsey Coulson has played the role of which character

in the TV soap EastEnders?

I'm an infrequent watcher of EastEnders, but I've seen a bit.

Erm...

I'm going to rule out Jane Beale straightaway,

cos I don't know of her name, but I know it's not her.

And I think Diane Butcher was played by someone called Sophie...someone.

So I'm going to rule her out as well!

There's logic to my thinking, so I'll go with Carol Jackson.

We'll believe you if you get the right answer. We believe you,

it is the right answer, yes. Carol Jackson is correct.

And Kevin -

Around The World In 80 Days, starring David Niven,

won an Academy Award for Best Picture in which decade?

Well, 1950s.

And what year?

-'56. It was the Best Film for '56.

-DERMOT LAUGHS

Well, we didn't ask you that, but you could have got it if you had to.

We're not even going to check it. We believe you.

1950s is correct, which means you need to get this, Peter.

Who provided the voice for a character called Tigress

in the 2011 animated film Kung Fu Panda 2?

Right. I've seen the first one.

But that's not going to help me here.

So, I'll rule out Angelina Jolie.

I don't think that's her sort of style.

I seem to have a recollection of

Gwyneth Paltrow being on a red carpet,

standing behind a Kung Fu Panda sign.

-So, I'll go for Gwyneth on this one. Gwyneth Paltrow.

-OK.

Standing behind or beside a Kung Fu Panda sign, maybe.

No - well, maybe she did, but it's not the right answer. Kevin?

I would've guessed at Angelina Jolie, but I don't know.

It is Angelina Jolie, yes.

OK, well, bad luck, Peter.

We're closing the round down as Kevin's already got,

in your case, an unassailable two.

Which means you're not in the final round.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

The Eggheads have levelled it up.

Both teams have lost one brain from the final round.

And our next subject, our third head-to-head today, is Music.

Who would like to play this, Music?

-Do you want to do that?

-Shall I do that?

-You said you would...

-Give it a go.

-Yeah, I'll do it.

-OK, we'll go Peter on this one.

OK, the other Peter there. Peter E.

And Peter, which Egghead would you like to take on,

remembering that CJ and Kevin have played? Daphne, Chris or Judith?

-Chris.

-OK.

I think, yeah. Peter would like to take on Chris.

OK, so it's going to be Peter and Chris playing this Music round,

and could I ask you both please to go to the Question Room?

Well, Peter, trying to exhibit your knowledge of music.

Would you like to go first or second?

I think I'll follow the same pattern, Dermot, and I'll go first, please.

And first question, then, Peter.

Mark King became famous as the bass player and singer

with which band whose hits include The Chinese Way,

Running In The Family and Something About You?

Erm, I've actually seen Mark King play live, and I know it's Level 42.

Won't argue with that. It's correct.

Well done. Level 42 for Mark King.

And, then, Chris -

"You're sleek as a thoroughbred/ Your seats are a feather bed" -

I could be singing this to you -

is a line from a song in which musical?

Well, it's obviously about a car, and the only one of those

that's about a car is Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is correct.

And back to you, Peter.

The London-born, Irish-raised vocalist Michael Stafford

became famous in 2011 under what name?

Erm, I am not sure,

but on the grounds that I have heard of Maverick Sabre,

I am going to pick Maverick Sabre.

He's good. It's the right answer. Yes, Maverick Sabre.

Chris, which band's UK hit singles have included Stupid Girl,

Only Happy When It Rains, and I Think I'm Paranoid?

Rather depressing by the sound of it.

Don't think it's Pulp, don't think it's Ash,

let's go for Garbage. Which is what it sounds like.

I knew you were to say that!

You just like saying that word, don't you?

-Garbage!

-About "popular beat combos," as you call them.

-DERMOT LAUGHS

-It is the right answer, Chris. OK.

Well, going well, Peter. Another question for you.

The Damnation Of Faust is a dramatic work from 1846 by which composer?

I have absolutely no idea.

And I'm going to take a guess at Jacques Offenbach.

Offenbach.

No, it's not.

Chris?

-Mendelssohn.

-DAPHNE:

-No!

No. That's good. I wonder if you know.

I wonder if you know, then, other Eggheads. Any ideas?

Berlioz, possibly, yeah?

Berlioz is The Damnation Of Faust.

Well, Chris, after that guess at Garbage,

gives you the upper-hand here.

In the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta The Mikado,

which character sings the song The Sun Whose Rays Are All Ablaze?

Oh, Ko-Ko is the Lord High Executioner, so it's not him.

Nanki-Poo is a man, and I seem to hear in my head

a woman singing it, so it's Yum-Yum.

Peter, you were sailing along, sailing into the final round,

and you're not going to be there.

-Yum-Yum is the right answer.

-Yeah.

You are there, somehow, Chris, and I'm afraid,

deprived Peter of a place. Would've been good for the Bottlers.

Not to be, though. Would you both come back and join your teams?

Well, after Toby fizzed to the top of the tree there

in the first round, it's rather gone downhill for the Bottlers.

They've lost two brains from the final.

The Eggheads have lost the one.

Could be all-square in the final round if the Bottlers take this one.

Its Arts & Books.

Who'd like to play this?

Well, Ian's not keen, but it's you or Richard to play it.

-Ian and Richard.

-Toss a coin.

-I'll risk it.

-You think you should go...?

-Yeah, I'll do it.

-Sorry, who is it going to be?

-Ian will play Arts & Books.

All right, Ian, well, you didn't like it when it came up.

Choose your Egghead.

-It is going to be Daphne or Judith, one of the women.

-Judith?

-Yeah, yeah.

-Yeah, Judith.

-Judith, OK.

Let's have Ian and Judith into the Question Room, please.

Well, Ian, I guess this isn't your chosen category,

but you're playing it anyway.

Do you want to go first or second?

I'll stick to the pattern, I'll go first.

OK, first question to you, Ian, and good luck with it.

The Sebastian Faulks novel Charlotte Gray is set during which war?

I'm afraid it's a guess.

Sebastian Faulks is a more modern writer.

I would say, I think World War II is too early.

Sorry, too late.

I will go for World War I.

World War I.

It's not. It's incorrect.

He has written, of course, about World War I as well.

Wasn't that Birdsong? Judith, do you know?

-World War II.

-World War II.

-Yeah.

Well, nothing there, and Judith, chance for the lead, straightaway.

Which actress published a 2011 memoir entitled Absolutely?

Well, I suppose it's probably Joanna Lumley.

Why that?

-Well, cos of Ab Fab.

-Well, they're all in it.

-Oh!

Well, not June Whitfield.

But she's most identified with it, I think.

-Yeah, June Whitfield's in it too.

-Yes, she's the mother, isn't she?

-Yeah.

-Yeah, I mean, Joanna Lumley, you just always think of her.

No, you're right. I just wondered there, but...

One might have thought Jennifer Saunders as well.

But, no, you got it, so you have the lead. And Ian -

a painting entitled

The Procession Passing The Queen Victoria Memorial, Coronation

was produced by which artist in 1953?

1953.

Probably...

I'd have guessed too early for David Hockney.

Possibly too early for Lucian Freud.

Lots of people in it. LS Lowry.

Well done. Yeah, well worked out. LS Lowry is correct.

Nervous one there for Ian.

Knew he had to get it, I suspect, to have any chance.

Judith, who created the plays Grief,

Two Thousand Years, and It's A Great Big Shame?

I'm not sure. I'm going to say Mike Leigh.

-Daphne's happy.

-Oh, good!

THEY LAUGH

Well, sometimes she's wrong. Not this time, no. It's right.

Mike Leigh is correct. So, you need to get this, Ian.

In 2011, which author was awarded

the inaugural Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction?

I know James Patterson is horror,

and I read a couple of John Grisham books

and they are about legal matters, so I'm going for John Grisham.

Right to do so. Yeah, he scooped the award in 2011 there.

Harper Lee Prize. Well done. But...

will Judith prevent you attempting to scoop the prize in the final round against the Eggheads?

Let's see. Judith, which artist and designer, born in 1886,

is perhaps best known for the sets and costumes he produced

for the Ballets Russes?

I think that's Bakst.

Leon Bakst is the right answer.

Judith on very sure ground there, depriving you of that place, Ian,

because of that first-question slip-up.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

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

Time now 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 be allowed to take part in this round.

So, we lose Peter, Ian and the other Peter from the Bottlers,

and CJ from the Eggheads.

Please leave the studio now.

So, Richard and Toby, you're playing to win the Bottlers £2,000.

Judith, Kevin, Daphne and Chris, you are playing for something

which no amount of money can buy - your reputation.

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

This time, the questions are General Knowledge,

and you are allowed to confer. The big difference.

Richard and Toby, the question is,

are your two brains better than the Eggheads' four?

And, Bottlers, would you like to go first or second?

-Go first?

-First?

-Yeah, why not?

I would say if it's not broke, don't fix it, but it is broke,

but we'll go first anyway.

First question.

In 1999, the sister of the golfer Andrew Coltart married which

of his fellow Ryder Cup players?

-We'll go for that one.

-Yeah.

Toby said the answer before it came up,

and I didn't know, so we'll go for Lee Westwood.

OK. Are you a golfer, Toby?

I am, yes.

-Doesn't mean I know the answer...

-I like the way you cover yourself!

Just out of interest. It's the right answer. Now you can relax.

You got it right, and the pressure's on the Eggheads.

The city of Abbottabad,

named after the British military officer, James Abbott,

is in which country?

The city of Abbottabad,

named after the British military officer, James Abbott,

is in which country?

It's in Pakistan, and it's where they found Osama bin Laden.

Became even more famous in 2011, didn't it?

Yes, it was where Osama bin Laden was found and killed.

Abbottabad.

OK, so, 1-1.

And second question, then, to the Bottlers.

A version of the melody known as Misirlou by the American guitarist

Dick Dale featured on the soundtrack of which Quentin Tarantino film?

The track is M-I-S-I-R-L-O-U. One word.

We think it's the...

It's played towards the start of the film in Pulp Fiction.

-Pulp Fiction?

-Yeah.

-Maybe the guitarist.

But of a giveaway there, we can all here it now.

Pulp Fiction is correct. Yeah.

Misirlou by Dick Dale.

And question, then, to you, Eggheads.

What was described by Barack Obama as

"a quasi-vegetable by-product paste that you smear on your toast"?

That was Vegemite.

It's actually quite nice.

Vegemite is correct. Well done, Eggheads. It's 2-2.

And third question for the Bottlers,

who have handled those first two very quickly and assuredly.

Third question - Ernest Beaux, who died in 1961,

was well known for his creations in which field?

THEY LAUGH

It's probably not our favourite question to come up.

-Perf...

-I don't know.

-I'd say perfume.

What would you...? Possibly chocolate.

-What about handbags?

-Or maybe handbags!

I can't think of any perfume brand called Beaux.

I can't think of any chocolates called Beaux.

Handbags is a good brand.

-If you think handbags as a process of elimination...

-Making a guess.

It's a process of elimination, that's all it is.

Well, as Toby won his round, I'll take his advice,

and I don't know the answer, so it was a process of elimination,

we'll go for handbags.

We will go for handbags.

OK, Beaux, Ernest Beaux, B-E-A-U-X, well-known for his creations...

You know, I like the way you went through that.

"Could be chocolate. Ah, it could be both. Could be handbags."

It is wrong. It is perfume.

And we know his most famous creation, Eggheads?

-Probably Chanel No 5.

-Chanel No 5!

Yeah, Judith, you bathe in it.

OK, a chance for the Eggheads, then.

Eggheads, which retired French footballer

won a silver medal at the 2008 International Wine Challenge

for his Coste Brulade rose

grown at his vineyard in Provence?

-Well, David Ginola is Italian, isn't he?

-No, no, he's French.

-Is he?

-KEVIN:

-They're all French.

-Sort of thing Cantona would get involved in.

-He was my first thought.

-That he would?

-Yeah, yeah.

-Or wouldn't?

Well, he'd buy a vineyard and...

David Ginola was the hair adverts, wasn't he?

The finer things of life, do you think?

David Ginola was that very good-looking one, wasn't he?

-Yes, with the hair.

-Yeah.

I don't know.

I really don't know.

-So...Cantona.

-Eric Cantona.

It'll go to Sudden Death, anyway, so...

-We don't know.

-We don't know.

We don't know, Dermot.

And we're going to guess at Eric Cantona.

OK, Eric Cantona, ooh-ah!

Cantona. Ooh, Eggheads, its not Eric Cantona!

It's David Ginola. David Ginola.

Oh, well, Eggheads, a lot of guessing in the final round

and another one wrong for the Eggheads.

But, it hasn't lost you the round, because those guys came very close

to going for perfume.

I think that was your first instinct, wasn't it?

It would've beaten the Eggheads.

But, put that to one side as we go for the first time in the game to Sudden Death.

Sudden Death meaning, of course, we remove all the options now.

You've just got to give me an answer.

And put the pressure on the Eggheads with the correct one here.

Which actress was Eddie Fisher's first wife, who he left in 1959,

to become the fourth husband of Elizabeth Taylor?

I thought it was Debbie Reynolds or Debra Karr.

-I thought it was Carrie Fisher.

-Yeah, so she's the daughter.

Oh. What were the names you were saying?

It's not Debra Karr. I think it's Debbie Reynolds.

-We'll go for that.

-What do you think?

-Yeah.

-I think we'll go for Debbie Reynolds.

-Is that your answer?

-Yes.

Debbie Reynolds. I heard you saying Carrie Fisher,

who was indeed the daughter of this couple. Debra Karr...

Was the other name that went into my head.

Well, you've gone for Debbie Reynolds, which is correct.

Well done! You're looking so pained! You're doing really well.

-50/50, could pick the wrong one.

-Well, there's nothing there.

This is Sudden Death, so to conjure up any choices...

I'm sure a lot of people at home didn't have anything to guess from.

Debbie Reynolds, star of Singin' In The Rain, of course,

and Carrie Fisher, who played Princess Leia in Star Wars,

one of the two children of Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher.

OK, well, pressure back on the Eggheads.

You're going to fumble this one.

Which Danish-born American comedian's one-man show

Comedy In Music ran for 849 performances?

Which Danish-born American comedian's

one-man show Comedy In Music ran for 849 performances?

-Victor Borge.

-Oh, yes, of course.

Victor Borg-a, Victor Bor-ge...

-DAPHNE:

-Borge.

-Well, whatever, you've got it.

Yes, it's the right answer.

So, no fumbling from either side.

No bottling either from the Bottlers.

OK, another question. Another Sudden Death question.

Cannery Row, famously featured in the title of a John Steinbeck novel,

is in which Californian city?

Cannery Row.

-Do you know the book?

-I've heard of Cannery Row.

I've never read the book,

so I guess we're into guessing a Californian city.

-Well...

-LA, San Francisco...

-San Francisco, San Diego...

Erm...

What do you think?

I'd be happy to guess San Francisco, but... We'll give it a go.

We'll give it a go, yeah.

So, we don't know the answer, so we'll guess a Californian city,

we'll guess San Francisco.

San Francisco for Cannery Row.

No. It's incorrect. Eggheads?

-EGGHEADS:

-Monterey.

-Monterey.

You would've known that, Eggheads, but it's not your question.

So, in 1077, the Holy Roman Emperor, Henry IV,

in order to do penance to Pope Gregory VII,

travelled to meet the Pope in which town now in Italy?

I think it's known as Canossa. It's the submission, yeah. Yeah.

..Canossa.

Yeah, yeah, and the fact it says town rather than city,

cos there was actually a get-together in Venice at one stage,

but town is...

-Canossa is where he did the penance.

-JUDITH: Canossa?

-Yeah.

OK. Dermot, it's Canossa.

Canossa.

Is the correct answer, Eggheads. You've won.

The Eggheads know there as they were fighting for their reputation,

you had a real struggle on your hands, didn't you?

-Yes, good game.

-That's a good team over there, isn't it?

Very good team.

And some very good players put out in those head-to-heads.

But those that remain put up a real battle there

and nearly beat you again. Thank you very much indeed, Bottlers,

for putting up one heck of a fight there. But not to be on the day.

The Eggheads have done what comes naturally to them,

and they still reign supreme over quizland.

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

which means the money rolls over to the next show.

Eggheads, congratulations.

Do 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.

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