Episode 60 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 quiz Goliaths today

are 4 And A Half Men. This team all study at Bristol University

and quiz together at their local, The Clyde Arms. Let's meet them.

Hello, my name's Alex, I'm 21 and I study Physics at Bristol University.

Hello, my name's James, I'm 21 years old and I'm studying Social Policy.

Hi, my name's Craig, I'm 20, and I'm studying Mechanical Engineering.

I'm Marcus, I'm 21 and I'm studying Chemistry.

Hi, I'm Seb, I'm 21 and I'm studying Chemistry.

Welcome to you, 4 And A Half Men. I do have to ask you this - who is the half pint?

Well... Yeah.

-That's cruel, Marcus.

-I know. It's unfortunate.

-It makes for a good team name.

-Craig's a little smaller than me, but he's a little wider.

-I see.

Do you all share a house together?

Yeah, we all live together.

Quizzing round the breakfast table at about half past one?

-LAUGHTER

-All the time.

-Pretty much.

-OK, let's play the game then.

Every day, £1,000 is up for grabs for our challengers.

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

4 And A Half Men, the Eggheads have won the last six games,

which means £7,000 says you can't beat the Eggheads.

Our first head-to-head battle, getting under way right now, is Politics.

Who wants to play this? Politics.

-James? James? You're the expert, James.

-Social Policy student, yeah.

I'll take Politics.

And take an Egghead into the question room.

-I'll take on Chris.

-Better than Sport, Chris?

Anything is better than Sport!

Let's have James and Chris playing the opening round. Into the question room, please.

James, do you want to go first or second in this round?

I think I'll go second, I think.

Chris starting then.

Chris, what term thought to have been first used in this sense by US Senator Lloyd Bentsen

can mean an apparent grassroots political or social movement

that is in fact organised on behalf of corporations or interest groups?

If it's a fake grassroots movement,

fake grass is Astroturf. That's what I'll go with.

A very long question made very simple by you, Chris,

picking the bones out of that as an Egghead does and Astroturf is right.

OK, James, first question.

What nickname was given to Conservative Party members and supporters of Mrs Thatcher

who favoured an economic policy of strict monetarism?

Um, monetarism, Thatcher...

None of those really jumps straight out at me.

But looking at it, I would think...

I would go with Dries

as those people sound as if they were trying to sort of dry out the money.

That's what I'm going to go with.

It's right, yeah, and kind of the reason.

The big divide of those years was between the Wets and the Dries

and yeah, you got it. Well done.

And Chris,

the Communist Party won approximately 103,000 votes,

its highest tally of the 20th century in the UK, at which General Election?

Whoa!

Now, '45 was a Labour landslide.

It certainly wasn't '66.

I don't think the Zinoviev Letter had come to light then, so it was 1929.

-1929?

-Hmm.

-Three years after the General Strike, things like that.

-Hmm.

No, post-war.

-1945.

-Oh.

OK, well, didn't get it though.

Great opportunity then, James, to take the lead here.

In 2006, Standing Committees in the House of Commons were renamed as what?

Hmm, Standing Committees...

Again...not really sure on this.

But I think I've heard the term General Legislative Committees,

so I'm going to go down the middle.

General Legislative Committees...

Standing Committees became Public Bill Committees,

so both getting your second questions wrong. Stays all square.

Chris, the Eduskunta is the parliament of which country?

Iceland's got the oldest parliament in the world, the Althing,

so it's not Iceland.

And it's not Denmark either,

but Finland's got a rather peculiar language unrelated to anything else,

except Sanskrit, I think, so it's Finland.

It is Finland. Well done, Chris. Back on form.

And you need to get this, James.

The Treaty of Chaguaramas, signed in 1973,

established which economic and political union?

-Chaguaramas...

-I'm going to spell it for you.

C-H-A-G-U-A-R-A-M-A-S.

It sounds like it would be an African union from the name,

but looking at it, I'm going to go with...

It sounds African and the "A" may stand for Africa. I'll go with ASEAN.

OK.

ASEAN is...

incorrect.

-Chris?

-It's CARICOM.

-CARICOM.

-CARICOM is the...?

-Caribbean, isn't it?

-The Caribbean, yeah.

-ASEAN?

-Africa and South East Asia, I suppose.

-NAFTA is North Atlantic Free Trade Area.

-Yeah, we got them all.

But we were looking for CARICOM

and James, you won't be playing in the final round.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

Both struggled a bit, but Chris came off the better in the end,

so 4 And A Half Men are down to 3 And A Half Men and the Eggheads are all still there.

So our next subject today is Film & Television.

Who'd like to play this? Not James.

-Craig?

-I think that'll be me.

-All right, Craig, choose your Egghead.

-It can't be Chris.

-Who do you think?

-Barry?

-I'll try to take on Barry.

-TRY to take on Barry?

You can take him on. Try to beat him!

Let's have Craig and Barry into the question room, please.

-Craig, do you want to go first or second?

-I'll go first, please.

OK, first question, Craig.

Here it comes. The soap Neighbours was first broadcast in Australia in which year?

I think my mum will kill me if I don't get this right.

I've actually been there.

I'm going to have to go down the middle.

I think it was before '90, so I'm going to have to go with '85.

Safe from the wrath of your mum, it's the right answer - '85.

Well done. It was the next year that they started showing it in the UK.

What is the name of the character played by Celia Imrie in Victoria Wood's comedy spoof Acorn Antiques?

Well, Miss Brahms was played in...

Are You Being... The Grace Brothers comedy, wasn't it?

Are You Being Served, yes.

Miss Jones was in Rising Damp, so it would be Miss Babs.

Yes, Miss Babs is the right answer. Well done, Barry.

Miss Babs.

Craig, what name is given to the villain played by Cillian Murphy in Batman Begins and The Dark Knight?

I watched this a few weeks ago,

so I'm hoping I'm right in saying I think it's Scarecrow.

Fantastic. Scarecrow is the right answer. That's paid off.

All right, well, 2-1, and second question to Barry.

Who stars as Babe Williams in the 1957 musical comedy film, The Pajama Game?

I always associate The Pajama Game with Doris Day, so that's my answer.

It is, it is Doris Day as Babe Williams in The Pajama Game,

so both going well.

Let's hope you get this one, Craig, and put pressure on Barry.

Who directed the 1946 film The Best Years Of Our Lives?

This is quite a bit before my time,

so I'm really not sure.

I'm going to have to go down the right and say Howard Hawks.

Howards Hawks... You had to go down the other side. It's William Wyler.

William Wyler directed The Best Years Of Our Lives.

Will all that good quizzing in the previous two questions go to waste?

Barry, later becoming known as a quiz show host, who was the director of the TV comedy Bless This House?

I don't recall Robert Robinson ever having directed anything.

I'm not sure William G Stewart did, so I'll go for Geoffrey Wheeler.

Geoffrey Wheeler...

-No, it's not.

-Oh! William G Stewart then?

Yeah. I thought you'd get quiz show hosts right!

William G Stewart, Fifteen To One fame after that. Well, phew!

An escape and still alive, Craig, and playing for that place in the final round,

but under the rules now of Sudden Death

which simply means we remove the options there and one answer can win it for you. Here you go.

Who directed the 2005 film version of Charlie And The Chocolate Factory?

Directed it? I should know this.

I think Johnny Depp might have had some input, but whether he directed, I'm not sure.

-I'm going to have to say Johnny Depp.

-OK, Johnny Depp...

-He was Willy Wonka, wasn't he?

-Yeah.

But not directed by him. It's not the right answer. Barry?

-No, I'm not sure on this one.

-Other Eggheads?

-Tim Burton.

-Tim Burton. Tim Burton, Craig.

-Of course it was!

-Yeah, Barry. It wasn't your question.

You win the round if you get this.

Who earned his first Oscar nomination for playing Gerry Conlon's father

in the 1993 film In The Name Of The Father?

One of my all-time favourite actors, the late, great Pete Postlethwaite.

Pete Postlethwaite...

is the right answer.

-Well done, Barry.

-Which means...

Oh, dear. Bad luck, Craig. You couldn't dredge up Tim Burton.

You won't be in the final round. Come back and join your teams.

You've done this deliberately, so you've got the proper title of the TV series Two And A Half Men!

Two brains gone from the final round, Eggheads all still there. Our next subject is Food & Drink.

Who would like to play this?

-Do you want to do it?

-It's not one of our strongest.

-I don't think Sport's going to come up.

-You do it, mate.

-I don't think Sport's going to come.

-Food & Drink?

-I've no idea.

-You actually could take Sport.

-You can take Kevin on.

Both of us can do Sport.

-Shall I take Kevin on at Food & Drink?

-Yeah, go on.

I've been lumped with this one. It's not my specialist topic.

And I know Kevin is a big fan of this topic, so I think I'll take him on.

Let's have Marcus and Kevin into the question room, please.

-OK, Marcus, do you want to go first or second?

-I think I'll go first, please.

We're kicking off then, Marcus. First question for you.

Distinct elements in the taste or aroma of wine are known as what?

I do enjoy a nice glass of wine, as do most students.

I think I'm going to go with "notes".

"Notes" is the right answer, yes. Notes of wine.

Kevin, what main gas does yeast produce to puff up bread dough?

That's conjuring up some pictures, but it's carbon dioxide.

-Looking at the other ones?

-Yeah.

-That'd be a tasty and flavoursome bread.

-A helium loaf? Lovely(!)

Carbon dioxide. A science question, really. That's why you got it.

Carbon dioxide. OK, Marcus,

which fish is hot-smoked to make buckling?

The first thing that sprang to my mind there was salmon,

but when I saw "herring", I changed my mind. I don't think it's eel.

But I may be wrong.

-I'm going to go down the middle and go "herring".

-Smoked herring...

Right answer, yes. Well done.

Marcus, well done, you've got two.

Kevin's second question.

In the early 1960s, the Canadian scientist Edward Asselbergs invented an instant form of which food?

Well, I don't know this.

I seem to remember the thing that became a little bit of a...

I'd hardly call it a sensation,

but what became quite prominent in the '60s was instant mash,

so I'll go for mashed potatoes.

-Mashed potatoes?

-Hmm.

-It's the right answer. Yes, mashed potatoes.

All square. Marcus going well here.

What is the main ingredient of the Eastern European speciality, salo?

S-A-L-O.

Em, right. I've got some issues with this one.

I don't think I've ever had it or even heard of it for that matter.

Em...

-I'm going to say... I'm going to go pork fat.

-Pork fat? It's the right answer.

-Well done.

-I just got very lucky there.

Well, Kevin.

You need to get this. What is gorgonzola cheese named after?

-What is gorgonzola cheese named after?

-It's a town near Milan.

You've mugged up on your cheeses, the frequency with which they occur!

-I knew that one. Just knew it.

-Gorgonzola is a town near Milan.

Well, we go to Sudden Death.

Neither contestant has got one wrong yet. Let's see what happens.

Marcus, Elsanta is a popular variety of which fruit?

Em...

It sounds quite Spanish to me, Elsanta.

For some reason the word papaya is coming to me. I'm sure it's not.

-I'm going to take a complete stab in the dark at papaya.

-OK.

Papaya. Elsanta. It's not, though.

Strawberries. The most popular variety in British shops.

80% of all strawberries sold in UK supermarkets are Elsanta.

Well, you didn't get that.

That's the first failure so far. If Kevin gets this, he's through.

Which fruit of the genus fortunella has a name meaning Golden Orange in Cantonese?

I really don't know, unsurprisingly. Em...

I'd just have to go for something used in Chinese... Kumquat.

Kumquat.

It's the right answer, Kevin! You devil.

Marcus, you were going really well

against the four times World Quiz Champion, but Kevin got them all right.

Both please come back and join your teams.

4 and a Half Men whittled down to two men. They are Alex and Seb.

One of you to play our last Head To Head. It's Sport.

I don't believe it!

-Is that what you wanted, Marcus?

-That's what I was dreaming of!

- I think Seb's going to do it. - I'll take Judith if it's possible.

Right. The conversation is shot away. It's going to be Seb and Judith.

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

-Seb, do you want first or second?

-I'd like to go first, Dermot.

OK, first question.

The boxer Riddick Bowe was born in which country?

Um, I have heard of Riddick Bowe.

I'm not too sure where he came from, but I would assume the USA,

-so I'll say USA.

-It's the right answer. USA.

Judith,

which football manager ended his seven-year refusal to speak to the BBC in 2011?

I do know this one. It's Sir Alex...Ferguson.

Yes, indeed. So you got that.

Alex Ferguson.

Second question to you, Seb. Which former tennis player captained the British team

that won the Junior Davis Cup in 2011?

Um, I'm not too sure about this. Obviously I recognise the names.

Would it have been a male or a female captain?

-I think I'm going to go Andrew Castle.

-OK, Andrew Castle.

Captain of the British team that won the Junior Davis Cup in 2011.

No, it is Greg Rusedski. Greg Rusedski.

The captain of that team.

A chance, Judith, for the lead. John Madden found fame as a coach and TV commentator in which sport?

Well, this is difficult. I don't listen to it.

Or look at it.

John Madden.

-Snooker.

-OK, snooker.

-Yes. No?

-Wrong country.

-They play a bit.

-American football?

-Yeah, it's American football.

So it stays all-square.

Seb, who won Formula One's Mexican Grand Prix in 1992,

the last time it was staged in the 20th century?

I do follow F1, but I'm not sure I can remember that specific race and who won it.

At a complete guess I would have to say...

Nigel Mansell.

Nigel Mansell. It is the right answer. Well done.

You're back in the lead.

Judith needs to get this. At the 1948 London Olympics, which French athlete and concert pianist

won gold medals in discus and shot put and bronze in the high jump?

Well, I really don't know, but, on the other hand, Faure was a composer.

So Francine might have been his daughter or granddaughter and musical with it.

So that's my crumb and what I'm going with.

-It's not the right answer.

-Oh!

-It is Micheline Ostermeyer.

Which means you're through, Seb.

Congratulations. Both please come back and join your teams.

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

But those of you who lost

won't be allowed to take part, so James, Craig and Marcus

and Judith from the Eggheads, would you leave the studio, please.

So Alex and Seb, you're playing to win £7,000.

Chris, Barry, Pat and Kevin, you're playing for something money cannot buy - the Eggheads' reputation.

As usual, I ask each team three questions in turn. All general knowledge and you can confer.

Alex and Seb, are your two brains better than the Eggheads' four brains?

-Alex and Seb, first or second?

-I think we'll go first, please.

Good luck, guys.

First question coming your way.

Which children's character was created by Jean de Brunhoff

and first appeared in a book published in 1931?

-Casper...

-Is quite recent.

-And so is Stuart Little.

-Babar?

-Babar the Elephant.

-Babar? It's the right answer.

Eggheads,

during the Watergate scandal, what phrase was infamously used in place of swear words

in transcripts of taped discussions?

-Expletive deleted.

-That was expletive deleted.

-Expletive deleted.

-On the transcript of this show, people will wonder what I said!

Expletive deleted. Correct!

OK, all-square.

Second question, guys. Good luck. The Manhattan neighbourhood known as NoHo

is so called because of its location north of where?

Well, I remember there being a Houston Street around SoHo.

I've been a couple of times. I'm not 100% sure.

Houston Street is quite a major street, quite well-renowned.

SoHo, NoHo are quite trendy areas.

I think it's around that area. Are you OK with that?

-We're going to go with Houston Street.

-OK, Houston Street.

It's the right one. NoHo, north of Houston Street.

24 Preludes, Opus 34,

Number 15 of which was used as the theme tune to Ever Decreasing Circles

is a work by which composer?

-Chopin has a set of 24.

-Yes, yes.

-Shostakovich has preludes and fugues.

-Mm.

It certainly wasn't Stravinsky. And it certainly didn't sound like Shostakovich.

There's more instrumentation with Shostakovich.

Yeah, OK. Before they came up, my first thought was Chopin,

but I'm not sure if that was any memory as such.

Fancy Chopin?

-We're going to go with Chopin.

-OK, Chopin.

It is Shostakovich!

Shostakovich.

Guys...

Very rarely they slip up, but they have, so £7,000 for this question.

That's what it boils down to if you give me a correct answer.

The fictional policeman Archibald Berkeley-Willougby

was better known by what name in the title of a BBC radio serial?

I haven't really got an idea.

452, though. I don't know why I think that.

I don't know why I think PC 452.

Let's just go for it, come on.

-Oh...

-Dermot, it's a complete guess, but I think we'll say PC 452.

OK. Archibald Berkeley-Willoughby.

-Come on.

-PC...

PC 4...9!

-PC 49.

-No!

OK, well, maybe not a let-off.

A missed opportunity, but the Eggheads are still behind at this point.

If they get another one wrong, you've still got the money.

The submarine USS Nautilus, the world's first nuclear-powered vessel, was launched in what year?

It went under the Pole.

Yeah, yeah.

I think it was...

Wasn't it '58 when it went... when it did the journey?

I think it was '57 or '58 Nautilus went to the Pole

so it must be launched in '54.

The international geophysical year ran over '57 to '58.

I... I don't know.

I really... I'm very much torn between those two.

Did she have four years before her major trip?

You need an answer, guys. Eggheads, what's it to be?

-Sputnik - is that why they did it in '58?

-Could be.

So they'd had it for a while before.

-OK, '54.

-All right, '54.

With considerable uncertainty, we're going for 1954.

Well, you're right about the '50s.

It was launched in 1954. It is correct, Eggheads!

Oh, you do have to work again, then. One hand on the prize there.

But still very much in it. It could all come down to one question again.

It's Sudden Death. You're not seeing any more choices until we sort out a winner.

Seb and Alex, "Shazam!" the word uttered by the comic book character Billy Batson

in order to become the superhero Captain Marvel,

is an acronym of the names of Solomon, Hercules,

Atlas, Zeus, Achilles

and which other name?

Sorry. Just got to think about it.

-Morpheus?

-No, that's the Matrix.

-But that's where it comes from.

-I know, but...

-Anything beginning with M? Anything with M.

Let's just think for a while. All I can think of is Medusa.

That's not it.

Minotaur, no...

Ma... Oh.

-Midas?

-Midas!

-Midas, yeah. I'd go for Midas.

-Yeah?

-Midas.

OK, we're going to go with Midas.

OK, Midas. So we have Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles and Midas, you think,

to make up "Shazam!", uttered by Billy Batson to become Captain Marvel.

It's incorrect. It's not Midas. It is Mercury.

Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles and Mercury.

A turnaround for you, Eggheads.

You win the game if you get this.

In March, 1921, which naval base on the Gulf of Finland

was the scene of a famous rebellion against the Bolsheviks led by sailors?

In March, 1921, which naval base on the Gulf of Finland

was the scene of a famous rebellion against the Bolsheviks led by a group of sailors?

-Kronstadt.

-That's Kronstadt.

-You all love your history.

It's the right answer. You've won!

Bad luck, guys. You look gutted. Don't be gutted. Ignore the money.

You played really, really well. You've had a lot of fun here.

-It was awesome.

-Enjoy the way home. I really want to lift you up!

Really nice to meet you and, of course, James, Craig and what's he called again? Oh, Marcus!

There he is. Great to have you here. Thanks for playing.

But the Eggheads have done what comes naturally.

You won't be going home with £7,000 and that means the money rolls over.

Eggheads, congratulations. Who will beat you?

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

Until then, goodbye!

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