Episode 6 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 - the Eggheads.

Taking on our quiz Goliaths today are the Romiley Roughians.

All members of Romiley Golf Club near Stockport,

they like to take part in the club's quiz night. Let's meet them.

Hi, I'm Glenn, I'm 52, and I'm a freelance business advisor.

Hi, I'm Judi, I'm 58 and I'm a housewife.

Hello, I'm Peter, I'm 60 and I'm a business development director.

Hi, I'm Angela, I'm 29 and I'm a part-time library assistant.

Hi, I'm John, I'm 69, and I'm a retired head teacher.

Welcome to you, Romiley Roughians. Team name - I'm expecting a few scars here,

-a few tattoos, but that's not the reason you're called that.

-No.

-Why is it?

-As golfers, we spend most of our time in the rough, unfortunately.

-I bet you're a bit better than that.

-We like to think we are, but we're not.

What about quizzing? Hope you're not in the rough there.

Through the winter, when golf takes a back seat, quiz nights come to the fore and we enjoy our quizzes.

-But do you win them?

-Well, we all compete against each other,

so one member of our team will win the quiz. We just don't know which one it is.

A step up in class here. In golfing terms, it's the Ryder Cup here.

We are punching above our weight.

What Glenn's not telling you is that he's a team on his own.

-Ah!

-And wins.

-You win on your own?

-So we hate him.

-Not now, of course.

-No, we love him now.

Let's see how you're deployed. It's going to be interesting tactically.

You know how it works, but I'll remind you. Every day there's £1,000 up for grabs for our challengers.

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

So the Eggheads have won the last 16 games.

That means £17,000 says you can't beat the Eggheads.

Let's pick some players to play the first round. And it is Music.

Who'd like to take this on?

-OK, Angela.

-It's going to have to be me, isn't it?

-Our willing victim!

-Thank you(!)

-Who do you think isn't an expert on the Eggheads team?

-Probably Pat.

-We're going to go with Pat.

-Taking advice there, Angela.

-Taking advice from Peter. He's got the good strategy. I've not.

-I'll go with it and say Pat.

-And blame him if it goes wrong!

As you know, you have to go to the Question Room so you don't confer. Pat, follow along, please.

-Would you like to go first or second?

-I think first, please.

First question. Which American singer headlined on the main Pyramid stage

for the final day of the Glastonbury Festival in 2011?

Right. Well, I missed most of Glastonbury on the telly,

so I'll have to... It's not Britney Spears,

and I don't think it's Jennifer Lopez. Beyonce rings a bell.

-I'll say Beyonce.

-It's the right answer. Well done. Good start there.

Pat, who had a 1986 UK hit single with Pull Up To The Bumper?

I think it's from her great album Nightclubbing. It was Grace Jones.

It was, yes. Grace Jones. Back to you, Angela.

As well as performing under his own name, the singer Ben Ottewell was a vocalist with which band?

Right. Now I've only heard of Snow Patrol.

I've heard of the Doves, but I don't know anyone in it.

Gomez I've never heard of at all.

I'll go with Snow Patrol. And...yeah. Go with Snow Patrol.

OK, Snow Patrol. What do you think, Pat?

I wouldn't go for Snow Patrol. I think Gary Lightbody is their vocalist.

-Yeah.

-So it's down to the other two. I'd go for Doves, but I'm guessing.

You'd have both been wrong. It's Gomez.

Gomez. Nothing there for Angela. How will Pat do?

The Ready Steady Go presenter Cathy McGowan entered a long-term relationship with which singer

in the early 1990s?

Michael Bolton is American and was married to actress Ashley Judd.

Would that have been in the '90s and ruled him out? I'm not sure.

I've a feeling Michael Buble might be slightly too young.

I'll assume Ashley Judd rules out Michael Bolton and I'll go for Michael Ball, but it's a guess.

Doing the elimination thing and getting the right answer.

Michael Ball and Cathy McGowan.

You've got to get this, Angela. Which violinist commissioned William Walton

to write the violin concerto first performed in 1939?

Again, I've only heard of one of them. And it's Menuhin I've heard of.

And I think he's a bit too late.

The other two I haven't heard of. Neither I would link them with anyone called Walton.

-Fritz Kreisler.

-OK.

-Going for that?

-Yeah.

-Fritz Kreisler.

It's not.

Do you know, Pat? Yehudi Menuhin or Jascha Heifetz?

-It's all right if you don't know.

-Heifetz would be the bigger name.

Yeah, it is Jascha Heifetz. That's the answer, Angela.

Sorry. It means you're out of the final round. Pat's there as he's already got two out of two.

You won't be playing for the money. Both please rejoin your teams.

Well, one round gone, one member of the Romiley Roughians gone. All the Eggheads still there.

We move to our second Head to Head. This one's Science.

Who wants to play this?

So...Science.

-Who's scientific?

-It would have been you.

-It would! Tough.

-So I think it's me.

-It's you.

-Peter, it's you.

-I see it would have been Angela, but you've swapped roles round.

Who would you like to play from the Eggheads? Anyone apart from Pat.

Going to go with Judith? We'll choose Judith.

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

OK, Peter, by default, playing the Science round, hoping to knock Judith out.

-Would you like to go first or second?

-I'll go first.

OK, good luck, Peter. Which mammal has the scientific name lepus timidus?

Em, I don't think it's the fox.

I'm pretty sure it's not the otter.

But anything with hare or rabbit has a root in Latin

which is very similar to lepus, which you said, so I'll go for mountain hare.

OK, lepus timidus. Right answer. A good, solid start.

Judith, ith... Judith, if...

-Judith, if...

-If.

-Stop it! Don't make me say it again.

Here's your question, Egghead. If thunder is heard about five seconds after lightning is seen,

roughly how far away was the lightning?

Well, I always thought that it was a second a mile,

but, anyway, there aren't five miles there, so it's either one or ten.

I think.

One thousand, two thousand, three thousand, four thousand, five thousand.

That's pretty close, isn't it?

-I would guess at a mile.

-OK, because your rule of thumb is not up there.

It is a mile. It's the right answer. And, as our golfers know,

-if you're on the golf course, get off!

-Quickly.

-And don't hide under a tree.

OK, well, there it is. All square.

Peter, second question. Which word derived from Greek words meaning marriage

is given to a cell that fuses with another cell during sexual reproduction?

Right. I don't think I've got too much of an idea.

Oocyte, I think, sounds as if it's got something to do with eggs.

Teliospore - no idea.

But I have heard of cells which are gametes.

So, on that basis, gametes.

Yep, it's right. Well worked out, Peter.

You have two. Judith,

the very large fresh water fish called the arapaima is native to which continent?

Arapaima.

Well, it could be any of them. Big rivers in South America. Perhaps they have big fish.

I'm going to guess South America. It is a guess.

South America. You've got it, Judith. Yes, two apiece.

Peter, in 1989 researchers Stanley Pons and Martin Fleischmann

received worldwide attention for their claimed breakthrough in which field?

Right.

-Did you say 1989?

-Yes, I did. 1989.

Well, I think that's so far back that if they'd been successful I would have heard of it

and maybe looked a bit different to what I do now.

Over the years, there's been all sorts of wacky theories

for both perpetual motion and cold fusion.

The one that seemed to have been most likely, as I remember,

-was cold fusion. So that's my answer.

-Cold fusion, OK.

You've got the right answer. Well done, Peter.

You've got to get this, Judith.

Which type of mammal was cloned for the first time in 2003

with the successful birth of an animal called Prometea?

I don't think it would be a hippopotamus. I can't see people cloning hippopotami.

Oh, dear. I'm torn between chimpanzee and horse.

I think I'll go for chimpanzee. It's taken my imagination, that.

It's very near to cloning a human.

Chimpanzee. It's not it, no, Judith.

-It's not.

-Don't tell me it's a hippopotamus!

-No, it's not.

You now have it. It's a horse.

Anyway, what it means

is some very, very solid quizzing by Peter there, who didn't really fancy the Science round,

but has sailed through 3-2. You're playing in the final round for £17,000.

Both, please, join your teams.

Peter evening things up there. Both teams have lost one brain.

Our next Head to Head is History.

Who wants to play this?

-It's you, Glenn, Judi or John.

-It's going to be John!

-And that would be you.

-As you know.

-And Peter will tell me who I'm playing.

It can't be Pat or Judith. Bear that in mind.

- I would go for... - I'll go for CJ.

-Bold. That's bold. CJ it is, then.

-You were waiting to be told and then you ignored them!

-That's what he does! That's John.

-He used to be a headmaster.

OK, well, that's very clear. John and CJ for the Question Room, please.

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

-First, please.

Right, here's your first question. The Greek temple the Parthenon was dedicated to which goddess?

Well, I think I know the answer.

Diana was the hunter, but I'm sure it's Athena, the goddess of wisdom.

-OK.

-I'm sticking with Athena.

-It's the right answer. Well done.

Good start. CJ,

which title did the first German emperor Wilhelm I hold before taking the imperial throne in 1871?

I don't actually know this,

but Austria and Germany are very historically linked and there have been plenty of archdukes around.

I can't imagine it was Prince of Denmark. I'd be surprised at King of Prussia, so Archduke of Austria.

Archduke of Austria.

Judith open-mouthed.

-Well, I think he was Prussian.

-Yes, the King of Prussia is the answer you should have given us, CJ.

But no matter. John, then, with a lead.

Richard the Lionheart captured which Mediterranean island on his way to join the crusades?

Gut instinct. Sicily.

OK, gut instinct for Sicily.

They did a lot of plundering on their way there, the crusaders,

but it's not Sicily. It is... CJ, do you know?

-No.

-Cyprus.

Cyprus is the answer. So can CJ even it up here?

Prince Madog or Madog ap Llywelyn led a rebellion against which King of England in 1294?

If you just asked me who the English king in 1294 was, it's Edward I.

Oh, you Eggheads. Right answer. Yes, that's true, of course.

It's all square, John. The lands of the tribe known as the Durotriges at the time of the Roman invasion

were in an area which is now which part of England?

Em...

I'm trying to think of an answer, trying to reason it out.

Failing miserably.

Probably Duro...Durham.

I'm going to go with...Essex.

I thought the closest you could get there was North Yorkshire.

But it's Du for Dorset.

Dorset. The Durotriges.

Any more information about them?

-Another Boudicca character leading them?

-No, they were defeated

-relatively early on when the Romans came through.

-Oh, I see.

There was fighting at Maiden Castle in Dorset and various other areas

-and they were quickly overpowered.

-You did give us a bit more.

So, nothing for John.

A good start, but slipped up.

And CJ, having fluffed his first one, has a chance to take the round.

The Battle of Oudenaarde in 1708 was one of the victories won by which general?

I've never heard of the battle, but fortunately Cromwell was dead

and Wellington hadn't been born! So I'll go for Marlborough.

Oh, that's twice you've done that!

Just taken the date. You know them so well. It's the right answer.

You're through to the final round.

Using all his Egghead skills there to make two of them relatively easy.

Bad luck, John. You won't be in the final round. Both, please, come back and join your teams.

Well, the game's swinging back and forth.

The Eggheads have lost one brain, the Romiley Roughians have lost two.

Let's see if Glenn or Judi can even it up for you, Roughians, by playing in our last Head to Head.

It's Food and Drink. Who wants to take it?

-I will fall on my sword.

-It has to be you.

-Pick an Egghead.

Yeah, we're going to select Kevin if we could, please.

-I'm going to be a martyr.

-I wonder why you chose Kevin.

-My only hope!

-Kevin, have you any idea?

-Maybe because K is the last letter of drink?

-That's what it is!

You're normally so strong on it.

Let's have Judi and Kevin into the Question Room, please.

OK, let's see if you can spoil the quiz for Kevin by knocking him out here.

-First or second?

-First, please.

Good luck. Here's your question. Stifado, a stew of meat and onions with tomatoes,

is part of the cuisine of which country?

Well, I know it's not France.

And I don't like Indian food, but I don't think it is Indian food.

-I think it's from Greece.

-You're right. The right answer.

One on the board.

Kevin, a gala pie is a type of pork pie with what inside?

I'm trying to think if I've ever actually had one.

I've heard of gala pie. I would think it's a hard-boiled egg.

-Hard-boiled egg. You've never had one?

-No.

-OK. It IS a hard-boiled egg. It's the right answer.

OK, Judi,

Caerphilly cheese is traditionally made from the milk of which animal?

Well, I think it's a Welsh cheese.

I don't think it's goat.

And I'm going to rule out cow. I'm going to go for sheep.

-Sheep, OK. Welsh with Caerphilly, but it's from the cow.

-Oh!

Not the sheep. OK, we'll see how Kevin does with his second one.

The exceptionally pungent fish dish called lutefisk is traditional to which part of the world?

-Well, just to check on the spelling. L-U-T-T-E-F-I-S-K?

-Without the double T.

-L-U-T-E-F-I-S-K.

-OK.

-I'm pretty sure it's Scandinavia.

-OK.

And do you know why it pongs so much?

Probably because they hang it up to go a bit gamey for a very long time! That's the usual thing.

Anyway, it's from Scandinavia. Right answer. So you have the lead.

Judi, alarm bells ringing. In the Caribbean, the meat called lambi is from which creature?

I have absolutely no idea.

I don't know why, but I'm ruling out sea snake.

So it's between turtle and conch...

I don't know, but I'm going to go for conch.

-Well done, Judi! It's the right answer!

-Good grief!

They can't eat turtles in this day and age. So it's conch.

-Never knew they had meat in a conch.

-I've eaten it. It's really tough.

-Is it?

-Mm.

-Well, there we are. Lambi from the conch. It keeps you in it, Judi.

You've got to hope Kevin doesn't get this. Rully and Bouzeron are

types of which famous French wine?

-Spelling time, I think.

-R-U-L-L-Y and B-O-U-Z-E-R-O-N.

Rully and Bouzeron.

I don't... I may be wrong entirely, but I don't think it's Bordeaux.

Rully and Bouzeron...

I don't associate them with Champagne either, so Burgundy.

OK, Burgundy. Rully and Bouzeron. Judith?

I don't know. I think it might be Burgundy.

It is Burgundy. Kevin's got it. They are Burgundies.

And it means, well,

he's defied the odds. He wins very regularly, as you know, Judi, in all categories

including Food and Drink. He's through to the final round.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

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

But those of you who lost

won't be able to take part, so Judi, Angela and John

and Judith from the Eggheads, it's time for you all to leave.

So Glenn and Peter, you're playing to win the Romiley Roughians £17,000.

Pat, Kevin, CJ and Daphne, you're playing for something money cannot buy -

the Eggheads' reputation.

I'll ask each team three questions. They're all general knowledge.

And you are allowed to confer.

The question is are your two brains better than the Eggheads' four?

-Would you like to go first or second?

-First?

-Yes.

-We'll go first.

Good luck, Roughians. Here you go. First question to you.

The fictional firm of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce has featured in which TV drama series?

-I don't know, but...

-I don't, either.

The one which is more popular nowadays

-is Mad Men, about an advertising agency.

-Indeed.

-It sounds as if it could be...

One's fashion and one is a lawyer firm. It could be any one of the three.

I don't think it's Ugly Betty. I've never been a watcher of that.

-I think...

-You're happy with Mad Men?

-Mad Men is the one

that is most popular

-and is mostly reported on.

-Yeah.

As you've probably worked out, we haven't got any strong idea.

But we'll go with Mad Men.

OK, Mad Men. You made Judi very happy there. She obviously watches it.

It is the right answer. Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce.

Eggheads, your first question.

In 1961, Sierra Leone gained its independence from which country?

-United Kingdom?

-Yeah.

United Kingdom.

It's the right answer, Eggheads.

And back to our Roughians.

In 2010, Gary Speed was appointed manager of which national football team

after representing it on 85 occasions as a player?

Em, I think we're slightly more confident

given the selection here.

I think we can rule out England.

And we'll also rule out Northern Ireland. We'll go with Wales.

Wales is the right answer, yes.

Established in 1386,

the oldest university in Germany is in which city?

I always thought it was... Heidelberg is the one.

-I thought of Heidelberg as old.

-I don't know the date.

Yes, that's what I would go for.

-I think we've all...

-We're not going for the other two!

We are going to go for Heidelberg.

Heidelberg. 1386 it was founded you think. And you know. It's right.

It's two-all! Well, going really well here.

Romiley Roughians, third question. A wayzgoose - W-A-Y-Z-G-O-O-S-E -

a wayzgoose was an annual dinner, picnic or beanfeast for those in which industry?

Well, I don't know.

Any one of those professions could have had

a celebratory picnic and what have you.

I'm not so certain of baking. It's a bit like a busman's holiday that they then go out on.

So I think we should split it between weaving and printing.

Em, and...given the two, I'd split it down the middle and I would actually go with printing.

-I was thinking weaving.

-Ah...

On the basis that... Well, I don't know.

-That could be an ancient word for weaving?

-Weaving is significantly older than printing.

-Printing is 1400s...

-Yeah.

-1500s.

So Olde English is the wayz, which is the weave?

And it could be that it was done as a celebration that they wouldn't normally be able to afford.

-I'd have thought printers could probably...

-They're quite wealthy.

So weavers, I guess, were relatively poor. It would mean more to them.

-Yeah...

-It's not from any knowledge.

-But there's logic in that, isn't there?

If it's wrong, it's wrong.

Again without any great confidence,

-we're going to select weaving.

-OK, weaving. And gone well

with the logic on the other two, but not this time. It is printing.

-Sorry.

-Strange word, wayzgoose. Any ideas where it comes from?

Yes, because it scores so highly in Scrabble.

I've been trying to remember the origin, but I can't quite get it.

Printing was what we were looking for. How will the Eggheads do?

Tocsin - that's T-O-C-S-I-N - tocsin is an old term for a what?

-An alarm bell?

-Yeah.

It's an alarm bell.

Alarm bells ringing to my left. It's the right answer. You've won.

Oh, well, there we are. Bad luck, Romiley Roughians. You did really well here.

You know how tough they are, but the breadth of their knowledge in the end seeing them through.

But thank you for coming to talk to us about quizzing and golfing.

The Eggheads have done what comes naturally.

You won't be going home with £17,000. That means the money rolls over to our next show.

Eggheads, congratulations. Who will beat you?

Join us next time to see if a new team of challengers can defeat them.

£18,000 says they don't. Until then, goodbye.

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