Episode 75 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 challenging our quiz Goliaths today are Alive & Kicking.

This team of friends all met socially over 10 years ago,

and regularly quiz together at the Priory pub, in Hull.

So, let's meet them.

Hi, I'm Graham. I'm 66.

And I'm retired refrigeration engineer.

Hi, I'm John. I'm 68,

and I'm an associate tutor at the University of Hull.

Hi, I'm Sue, I'm 59, and I'm a part-time customer adviser.

Hi, my name is Sean. I'm 49, and I'm a steelworker.

Hi, I'm Mac, I'm 67, and I'm a retired maintenance fitter.

So, Graham and team, welcome. You quiz together at the Priory?

-Yes, we do.

-Tell us how that works, what kind of a night it is?

It's just a general quiz, they do one on a Thursday and a Sunday.

We quiz together on a Sunday. And we go our separate ways on the Thursday.

And, you win, or you come midway? How does it work?

We do OK. We do OK.

I read somewhere you use your winnings to go on trips?

A few of us do, not all of us. We're a bit stingy with our money!

We just... We go away.

We've been, like, to the Isle of Wight, places like that.

We've put it to good use.

OK. And have you thought about the categories here

and who's playing what?

Strategy has gone out the window.

Already? That is early.

OK. Good luck to you.

Against this lot here. Not as frightening as they look!

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, I can tell you, Alive & Kicking,

the Eggheads have won the last nine games.

That means £10,000 says you can't beat them today.

The first head-to-head battle is on the subject of Film & Television.

Challengers, who wants this?

-I think that's me.

-Sue? OK.

And which Egghead would you like to challenge?

You pick who you want.

-Well, Judith.

-OK, that's fine.

-Judith, please.

OK, Sue, from Alive & Kicking, versus Judith from the Eggheads.

And, to ensure there's no conferring,

please take your positions in the Question Room.

We'll ask each of you three multiple-choice questions

on Film & Television, in turn.

Whoever answers the most questions correctly is the winner.

Sue, would you like to go first or second?

Go first, please, Jeremy.

Here we go, Sue, good luck.

First question: The Torchwood character Captain Jack Harkness

first appeared in which television programme? Was it:

I've not watched Being Human or Primeval, but I do know about them.

But Torchwood is an anagram of Dr Who, I believe.

So, that's my answer, Doctor Who.

Doctor Who is the right answer, well done.

Judith Keppel, which comedy character has children called

Kenny, Bruce and Valmai? Is it:

It's Dame Edna.

Dame Edna is the right answer.

Sue, your question.

The 1990s TV comedy drama Preston Front

was about a group of friends and their link to which organisation?

Is it:

I've not seen it. Um... Preston Front?

It doesn't sound like the Salvation Army. I'll rule that one out.

Barmy Army, that's cricket followers, Barmy Army?

I'll say Territorial Army.

Territorial Army is the right answer, well done, Sue.

Playing well.

Two out of two. Back to Judith on Film & TV.

What is the surname of the title character

played by Jim Carey in the film, The Truman Show? Is it:

Golly, I never saw it.

I don't know why, but I think it might be Burbank.

-Anyone know here?

-It is Burbank.

-It is Burbank,

Judith, you're right, well done.

Two each. Both playing well.

Sue, your third question.

What was the name of the cinematographer who died in 1993,

and was the nephew of the director Jean Renoir

and the grandson of the artist Pierre Auguste Renoir? Was it:

I don't know this one either. Um.

Claude Renoir? Michel Renoir?

Andre Renoir?

They all sound as if they would go. Um.

I am going to say Michel, but I don't know, it's just a guess.

Michel is your answer. Anyone know it on your team?

-No.

-No.

-Anyone here?

-Claude.

-Claude, say the Eggheads.

It is Claude, Sue.

Judith can take the round with this question.

Bobby Hill, Lucy Bates and Ray Calletano

were characters in which US TV series?

Don't know.

I did watch Hill Street Blues, so I don't think it's them. That, I mean.

Erm...

LA Law.

I would also use the same logic as you. I know Hill Street Blues,

But I don't remember the names.

But it is, that's the right answer, Hill Street Blues.

-Oh, no, really?

-Funnily enough. So, yeah, you got it wrong.

After three questions, it's Sudden Death. Sue, you're still in it.

It gets a bit harder though, it's not multiple-choice,

-so I don't give you alternatives, OK?

-OK.

What was the title of the sequel to

the 1999 Robert De Niro and Billy Crystal comedy film, Analyse This?

No, I know the first, I know that title you told me, but I don't know.

I'll just take a guess. Analyse That.

-Brilliant, you're spot on!

-Was that right?

-That's right!

SHE LAUGHS

That's amazing!

That's the best guess I've ever seen by a challenger on this show.

It's a shame Daphne's not here, who is our gold standard guesser.

Judith, your question, to stay in it now.

The Train Now Standing, and The Gravy Train,

are episodes in which TV sitcom, starring Paul Shane?

The Train Now Standing?

TV, English TV sitcom. The Train Now Standing.

Train movies, or series, rather.

I've never heard of Paul Shane.

I'm sorry, Paul Shane.

I have absolutely not the first clue.

-You don't know?

-No, absolutely no idea.

-So what's going to happen now?

-I'm passing.

-You're passing!

-Mm-hm.

Paul Shane, who you haven't heard of,

-was in an edition of Celebrity Eggheads.

-Oh, dear.

-I do apologise.

-He was in Hi-de-Hi.

-I'm really sorry.

He's the one with the sideburns. You know him, I'm sure you know him.

Oh, yes, of course, I remember now.

-Anyway, the answer is, Oh, Dr Beeching.

-Oh, dear.

-Judith, you've gone, I'm afraid.

-I'm a goner.

-You're a goner.

You are going to be in the sin bin in the final round.

Sue, you've triumphed over an Egghead, a good start for your team.

Well done, we say, well done to Sue.

Excellent.

And we particularly loved Analyse That, that was a great moment.

Do, both of you, please come back and rejoin your teams.

Well, a good start.

Well done, Sue. Fantastic. Knocking out an Egghead.

The challengers have not lost a brain,

the Eggheads have lost Judith. Let's see where we go.

Our next subject for you is Arts & Books. Who would like this?

THEY CONFER

-You were nominated, John.

-Thank you very much. It comes to me.

-You are a university tutor, John.

-Well, yes, no pressure!

-OK.

Against which Egghead?

Well, I've met Barry, he seems a nice chap.

-Thank you.

-We'll go for Barry.

OK, it's going to be John, from Alive & Kicking,

versus Barry, from the Eggheads.

To ensure there is no conferring, please go to the Question Room.

OK, good luck in this round against Barry.

I'm going to ask each of you three questions on Arts & Books.

Whoever answers the most goes through to the final.

-John, the first or second set?

-I'll go first, please.

Here we go, John, good luck.

What is the term for a liquid sprayed onto a finished artwork

-to preserve it and prevent smudging?

-Is it:

It's not an accusative, I think that's a form of a verb.

a locative, I wouldn't know what that is.

But I rather think that it's a fixative.

Fixative is the right answer, of course, well done.

Barry, over to you.

Which word is used to describe a drawing done

without the help of any aid, such as a ruler or compass. Is it:

It might be offhand,

but I think it would probably be best described as freehand.

Freehand is right. Again, one each.

Arts & Books. John.

The author, Isaac Bashevis Singer,

who won the 1978 Nobel Prize for Literature,

-initially wrote most of his works in which language?

-Was it:

Hm, that's a good question for someone who's never heard of him.

Erm. I can see the Jewish significance of the names,

but I'm not sure about you Yiddish.

I'm ruling out Spanish.

-And I'm going to go for Polish.

-Polish?

-Yes.

-Actually, it was Yiddish.

-Ah, right.

-Almost the more obvious one.

-Yes.

Barry.

In Rudyard Kipling's poem, what is the occupation of Gunga Din?

Well, he was a better man than I am, but he was a water-bearer.

He was indeed. You've taken the lead.

John, you need this to stay in.

Which military leader is a character in George Bernard Shaw's play,

The Man of Destiny? Is it:

Ah. Well, some good stories coming up here.

I know what Gunga Din does! HE CHUCKLES

Erm. I don't think it's Genghis Khan.

Alexander the Great seems a little bit historical.

I think I'm going to go with Napoleon Bonaparte.

-Well done, you've got it right, it is Napoleon Bonaparte.

-Thank you.

Barry, your question, to win the round.

The War of Don Emmanuel's Nether Parts

was the first novel by which author? Was it:

Goodness me, that's a title to conjure with, isn't it?

The War of Don Emmanuel's Nether Parts.

I really don't know this.

It doesn't sound like an Alan Hollinghurst novel.

Could be Hanif Kureishi. I'm going to take a shot at Louis de Bernieres

who wrote Captain Correlli's Mandolin.

You're right, The War of Don Emmanuel's Nether Parts

was Louis de Bernieres. Well done, you take the round.

Sorry, John, one slip, and he was at you there, which can happen.

And you won't be in the final, Barry will.

Please, both of you, come back to the studio, and we'll play on.

The challengers have lost a brain. The Eggheads have lost a brain too.

And our next subject is History.

Who would like History?

-Mac?

-Are you ready, Mac?

I would prefer geography, to be honest. But...

I can't do that!

-Go on then, I'll take this one.

-OK, Mac, against which Egghead?

I think I'll have Dave.

Dave. Tremendous Knowledge, as we call him. Right.

So, Mac from Alive & Kicking, versus Dave from the Eggheads.

To ensure there's no conferring, please go to the Question Room.

So, Mac, I know you've got a great love of knowledge.

And you once read, tell us what you read?

When I was in my 20s,

I used to work with a man who spoke a lot of large words.

And I didn't know what he was talking about half the time,

so I got myself a dictionary, and I read it from back to front.

Wonderful. And then you had more words than him after that?

Yes, I could go back into work the next day and have a conversation

about what we'd been talking about the previous day!

JEREMY LAUGHS

-All right. Well, that's floored us, Mac, that's a good one.

-Right.

Good luck in this round.

I'm going to ask three each of you three questions on history in turn.

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

-I'll go first, please, Jeremy.

Here we go, and good luck.

What was the occupation of a cordwainer? Was it:

It's definitely not farming.

It's certainly not thatching.

It's a shoemaker.

-You got to cordwainer in your dictionary?

-I certainly have.

Cordwainer is, indeed, shoemaking, well done.

It would have been easy to get that wrong. Dave, your question.

In his office at the Admiralty, Samuel Pepys is said

to have kept a nude picture of which actress?

That's a good question. I've never heard of this at all. Erm.

Well, Samuel Pepys was around the Great Fire of London time,

and also the plague.

So, just on that basis, because it was Charles II's mistress,

I'll go for Nell Gwyn.

Very good, Nell Gwyn is the right answer.

Mac, here is your next question.

When completed in 1923,

the Flying Scotsman locomotive belonged to which railway company?

I'm not good on trains. Erm.

None of the initials mean a lot to me.

I think LNER is London and North East, is it?

Yeah, I'm going to have a guess at LNER.

You've done very well there.

LNER it is, well done. Excellent, Mac.

So, to Dave, Tremendous knowledge.

Francis Drake's ship, the Pelican, was later renamed the Golden Hind

as a tribute to which courtier whose coat of arms featured a deer? Was it:

I don't know the answer at all.

Erm. It'll be a guess. Let's go for Thomas Culpepper.

-It's not Thomas Culpepper. Anyone here?

-Christopher Hatton?

Christopher Hatton, they say.

And that is the right answer, Hatton is the answer.

Right, so it's your chance to take the round, Mac.

You're playing well. This question will get you in the final.

What was the name of the 18th Century

American militia organisation that was led by Ethan Allen?

The dictionary wouldn't help me with this one at all, I don't think.

It's... The Black Lake Boys, I'm ruling the Black Lake Boys out.

I'm going to go for the Green Mountain Boys.

Sounds a more sensible...

Green Mountain Boys is absolutely right.

So well done, Mac, you've done it.

He played well, Dave, didn't he?

He played very well.

Lots of potential for the final now.

Mac, Dave, do come back to us and we will play on.

As it stands, the challengers have lost one brain,

and the Eggheads have lost two brains from the final round.

Getting exciting, isn't it? Last subject is music. Who wants this?

THEY CONFER INAUDIBLY

Shall I go? Looks like me. Yeah. Looks like it's going to be me.

Graham, OK, against which Egghead, Pat or Kevin?

I'll try Kevin, please.

OK, so, Graham from Alive And Kicking vs Kevin

from the Eggheads on Music, and let's go to the question room.

So, Graham, three questions, multiple choice. See if you can get

to the final. Would you like to go first or second?

I'll carry on the good work and I'll go first.

Here we go.

Which song begins with the line, "People try to put us down"?

Erm, "People try to put us down".

It's certainly not My Guy or My Way.

I think it's My Generation.

That's the one. By The Who.

"People try to put us down. Talking about my generation." Kevin. In

which category did Susan Boyle's album The Gift

receive a Grammy Award nomination in 2011?

Right, I'm not quite sure what she did on that one. That's tricky.

That's sort of an in-between...album.

I mean, I can't...

I wouldn't have thought it was anything as specific as bluegrass.

Because that doesn't sound like her anyway.

What would the Americans have categorised...?

I'll have to, not play safe exactly,

but I'll go for Traditional Pop Vocal.

Looking a bit shaky, Kevin!

Yes, because sometimes, in the Grammys, the categories,

they have got so many categories, dozens and dozens of them,

it can be a bit awkward, that.

-And you lost your last music around, didn't you?

-I did.

You're right, though, it is Traditional Pop Vocal.

Your instincts served you well. Back to Graham.

The UK hit singles, Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing,

and The Onion Song are credited to Marvin Gaye and which other singer?

I don't remember him doing anything with Diana Ross.

And he might've done something with Kim Weston,

but I'm almost certain it's Tammi Terrell.

Tammi Terrell is quite right, Graham, well done. Two out of two.

Back to Kevin.

What type of instrument is the zabumba,

traditionally used in Brazilian music?

Not one I've come across.

I've never heard of it, so it could technically be any of them. So...

The only thing to go on is the sound of it,

which sounds as though it could be a drum.

But it's...

Hmmm. I've come across lots of traditional instruments,

but not that one, unfortunately.

I've got literally nothing to go on other than the fact that

it sounds as though it could be a drum,

but maybe it's meant to lead me towards that, I don't know.

Um, it would be a real risk to go for either of the others

without having a clue, so, purely on the ground that it sounds

as though it could be a drum and they use lots of drums

in Carnival music, for instance, I'll go for a drum.

And drum is the right answer, well done.

OK, two points each. Graham.

Norina, Ernesto

and Dr Malatesta are characters in which Donizetti opera?

This is going to be a complete guess. I haven't got a clue, really.

So I'm just going to go straight down the middle and go with Don Pasquale.

Don Pasquale is the right answer! Well done!

Three out of three on music. Excellent.

Kevin, in 1986, which singer married Robert Fripp

of the rock band, King Crimson? You get this wrong, you're out.

I maybe should know this one, but I don't. Robert Fripp.

I honestly don't know, so I'll try Elkie Brooks.

How interesting! It's the second time you've gone out on music.

You're right. In a row.

The answer is Toyah Wilcox. Graham, you're in the final round.

Well done! Come back to us.

You're welcome to smile and you're welcome to put your thumbs up.

You've knocked the great man out of the final.

That will be very handy. Come back and we'll play the final round.

-You've played a storming game so far. You've done very well.

-Not bad!

Not bad at all. OK. So, this is what we've been playing towards.

It is time for our final round.

As always, is general knowledge, as you know.

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

won't be allowed to take part in this round.

So John from Alive & Kicking,

and Judith, Kevin and Dave from the Eggheads, please leave the studio.

Graham, Sue, Sean and Mac,

you are playing to win Alive & Kicking £10,000.

Barry and Pat, you're playing for something that money can't buy

- the Eggheads' reputation.

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

This time the questions are all General Knowledge

and you are allowed to confer.

Alive & Kicking, the question is

are your four brains better than the Eggheads' two?

-Do you want to go first or second?

-We'll go first, Jeremy.

OK, here we go,

good luck to you, Alive & Kicking.

See if you can win this £10,000. Your first question.

The Grand Order Of Water Rats is a charity that draws its members

mainly from which industry?

Definitely entertainment, entertainment.

Yeah, I think we'll go for that, so...

The guys are telling me it's Entertainment, Jeremy.

So we'll go with Entertainment.

The guys are right. It is entertainment.

Eggheads, your first question.

Aleph is the first letter in which alphabet?

-Do you know?

-Absolutely.

That's Hebrew, Jeremy.

Hebrew is the right answer.

Well, it was never going to be the case

that they blundered on the first question, but, you can hope.

Which TV personality jointly led the rally

"to restore sanity and/or fear" held in Washington DC in 2010?

I think I would dismiss David Letterman.

I was going to say it was Ricki Lake.

Don't really know who Jon Stewart is but I've a feeling

he has something to do with a political show in America.

Just a funny slight feeling.

Got to go on your hunch, then, so.

We're going on a hunch that it's Jon Stewart, Jeremy.

-OK, is the hunch right?

-Yes.

-It is, well done. Very good.

He presents a thing called The Daily Show.

OK, Eggheads, your question.

What is the name of Scotland's deepest loch?

Loch Morar. I'm absolutely certain on that.

OK. Loch Morar.

Loch Morar is correct. Keep the pressure on, guys. Next question.

You get this right, they get this wrong, you've got the money.

In 2004, Andy Murray won the junior title at which Grand Slam event?

He's never won at Wimbledon.

I don't think it was Wimbledon, no. I agree.

So we're down to one of the other two now.

I would go for the US Open. I was thinking that was the answer.

He was the US Open junior champion, was he?

THEY CONFER INAUDIBLY

-Do you think so?

-I don't know.

I think we've just got to go for it. Go on a hunch, really.

We don't think it's Wimbledon.

And we're not 100% certain, but we're going to go for the US Open.

US Open.

I love the way you're guessing these and reasoning,

and I can tell you, you are right again, so three out of three.

Couldn't have done better.

And John approves back there, don't you?

Certainly do!

He's very pleased with you. OK, so we have £10,000 up for grabs.

The Eggheads are somewhat depleted here.

Kevin's been knocked out, and Dave and Judith.

If you get this question wrong, then that's it. They've won the money.

The Logan and the Star of Bombay

are famous examples of which gemstone?

I have it in my mind that the Star of Bombay is a sapphire.

They're not particularly tied to India, they're found everywhere.

Rubies tend to be more from Thailand and south-east Asia.

And Brazil, yes. Emeralds are Colombia.

I think each of those stones can be found right round the world.

Sapphire came straight into my mind.

When it said the Star of Bombay, but as I say,

I could be completely wrong.

We don't have any other strong logic at our disposal.

Go with that?

We will go, we're not at all certain of this,

we're going to go for Sapphire.

If you've got it wrong, it's £10,000 to them.

The correct answer is Sapphire.

Barry, you sometimes get knocked off your hunches,

but that was a good hunch. So, it's 3-3. This is quite a contest here.

After the three multiple-choice questions, we go to Sudden Death.

So it can end very quickly here.

It's a bit harder. I don't give you different options.

From 1963-1987, John Silkin served as an MP for which political party?

I don't remember the name, do you?

THEY CONFER INAUDIBLY

He wasn't, I'm sure, Labour, because I was a Labour voter.

Does it have to be one of the main ones?

Could he be, like, UKIP, or...?

-I think he was in the Cabinet, wasn't he?

-He was...

Conservative...

Who knows? One that you've probably heard of.

It's got to be a guess, hasn't it?

Have to be a guess at Conservative, I think.

Yeah, go on.

We will go for Conservative, Jeremy.

Your answer is Conservative.

Well, he was MP for Deptford from '63 to '74

and then Lewisham and Deptford from '74 to '87.

He was also the unsuccessful leadership candidate in 1980,

following Jim Callaghan's resignation. So he was Labour.

He was a Labour MP. John Silkin.

You got it wrong. They can take the contest now. On this one question.

Sudden Death.

Chewidden Thursday was a festival traditionally celebrated

by the tin miners of which county?

Chewidden Thursday was a festival traditionally celebrated

by the tin miners of which county?

Sounds Cornish to me.

Got to be Cornwall, I would've thought.

-It's the best known county for tin mining.

-Could it be any other?

Chewidden. Could be a Cornish...

In Polperro?

Kernow is the Cornish name for Cornwall.

Chewidden? No, you can't get anything from that.

Yes. Shall we go for it?

I think we've got to go for the percentage answer.

It's got to be Cornwall.

We're going to go for Cornwall, Jeremy.

If you're right, the contest is over.

-Do you think they're right?

-I think they're right, yeah.

I think they're right. It is Cornwall. Eggheads, congratulations.

You have won!

I know how galling that is, because the Silkin question,

is probably only a choice of two, isn't it?

But, well played. My goodness, the best team we've had in for a while.

-Isn't that the case? Not just saying that.

-Very enjoyable game.

Really, really knowledgeable. Thank you, challengers.

Commiserations. The Eggheads have done what comes naturally.

Their winning streak continues although you knocked a few out.

That was good work. You won't be going home with the £10,000,

so that money now rolls over to our next show.

Eggheads, congratulations. Who will beat you, I wonder?

Join us next time to see if a new team of challengers

has the brains to defeat the Eggheads.

£11,000 says they don't. Until then, goodbye.

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