Episode 91 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 might of our quiz champions today

are the Sensations, from Newcastle.

This team of friends all share a passion for poker. Let's meet them.

Hi, I'm Dave, I'm 25, and I'm a marketing associate.

Hello, I'm Neil, I'm 21, and I'm a casino croupier.

Hi, I'm Steve, I'm 23, and I'm a croupier.

Hi, I'm Aryan, I'm 25, and I'm a croupier.

Hi, I'm Gareth, I'm 29, and I'm a poker player.

-So, Dave and team, welcome.

-Hiya.

Poker online or in real life?

Mostly online, but we play as a team together live.

There's normally two championships a year when we get together as a team.

Individually, we play in casinos as well, dealing, like our jobs.

If you play online, can you actually make money out of that?

There's more money to be made online with more people playing.

You sometimes get, like, 20,000 people. So...

-Judith, you had a question about this.

-Yes, I was thinking -

I thought half the point of poker was playing with people

and you study their psychology and see if they're bluffing or not.

And that must be completely absent if you're playing online.

It is, but there's other skills incorporated,

because there's betting patterns that are more to do with online

-and sort of the time people take on things.

-Oh, I see.

I heard the key thing about playing poker online and making money

is you've got to get on when all the Americans are drunk.

-Is that right?

-When the Americans are on, or the French.

Which is 2am American time, which is early morning here, is that right?

Pretty much. That's the best time. That's when the money can be made.

The famous thing is there's four people round the table,

-one will be cleaned out, and if you can't see who it is, it's you.

-Yeah!

-Is that right?

-Yeah. Me, yeah.

-OK.

And how will your poker skills help here...

-Er, they won't.

-..with these poker faces? Won't they?

-They will not at all.

-Well, good luck.

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

however, if they fail to defeat the Eggheads,

the prize money rolls over to the next show.

So, Sensations, the Eggheads have won just the last game,

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

-Would you like to start?

-Yes.

OK, the first head-to-head battle will be on the subject of Politics.

-Who wants this?

-Who's any good at politics?

-I think Aryan should take it.

-It's between you or...

-I'll take one for the team.

-Aryan, right.

Aryan, we're going to choose, yeah.

OK. Not especially keen.

-No, not in the slightest.

-OK, not in the slightest.

Against which political or non-political person? Which Egghead?

-Who do you reckon? NEIL:

-Get Kevin out the way.

-Kevin out the way?

-Yeah.

-LAUGHTER

"Kevin out the way" was the shout by our team, so I think, yeah, Kevin.

OK, fine. Aryan is going to knock Kevin out the way.

That's how you do it in poker.

No, no, no, we'll get him back early to enjoy his time to relax.

You never know.

So it's Aryan from the Sensations against Kevin from the Eggheads,

and to ensure there's no conferring, please take your positions

in the Question Room.

So, Aryan, are you another poker player?

I do play from time to time.

Can you make a living out of it?

You can do if you put enough time and effort into it,

-but it's finding that time. Enough time to play.

-Sure.

And you love to travel, is that right?

I've been to the US a few times.

I enjoy everything apart from flying, so...

And what about politics? That's the crucial thing here.

-Not really any idea.

-Oh, really? OK.

-Taking one for the team.

-OK.

That's not the poker approach, is it, to come out with it like that

but anyway, I'll ask each of you three multiple-choice questions

on Politics in turn and, Aryan,

you can choose the first or second set of questions.

Whoever gets most right goes through to the final round.

I'll go second, please.

Kevin, here's your question.

In which town in Gloucestershire are the headquarters of GCHQ,

the government agency that provides communications

and information intelligence?

Yeah, they're famously based in Cheltenham. That's where they are.

Cheltenham is the right answer.

-You didn't ever work there, did you?

-I didn't, no. No, no, no.

You had a bit of an MOD background for a while.

Yeah, I know some people who have worked there,

but no, never had any direct connection with it myself.

Aryan, over to you.

Who became the secretary of state for justice

for the coalition government in 2010?

Er...

I know William Hague is a Tory.

Er, so I'll go for William Hague.

OK, William Hague isn't the right answer. Anyone on the team know?

-Kenneth Clarke, I thought.

-Kenneth Clarke.

Why aren't you doing this round, then?

I used to live near Cheltenham as well, so I got the first one right.

Oh, well. Unlucky, Ars!

OK, Aryan, sorry. William Hague is wrong.

Kenneth Clarke is the right answer.

Kevin, your question.

The opening of the Scottish Parliament in 1999 gave Scotland

its first separate parliament since which year?

Well, the original union of the English and Scottish Parliaments

was in 1707.

1707 is quite right.

So that's when Scotland stopped having its parliament

in the first place?

That's right. The crowns were unified in 1603,

but it was another 100 years after that before the two parliaments

ceased to be separate and everything was focused on London.

And the parliament that was then abolished in Scotland

had been Edinburgh as well, had it, or where?

-That was in Edinburgh, yes.

-Yeah, at Holyrood or somewhere else?

Not at Holyrood. That was a royal palace.

I don't think they were necessarily in the same place all the time,

but it was in Edinburgh anyway.

Interesting. Aryan, your question.

In January 2012,

which leading politician was reported as saying he could remember

the first night of his honeymoon pretty much minute-by-minute?

Now, you need to get this one right.

Er, again, I have no idea.

Erm...

I know who David Cameron is. I know who Ed Miliband is.

Not sure about Alex Salmond.

Er...

I'll go for David Cameron.

David Cameron is the right answer.

-Yay!

-Well done.

Well done. That's good.

OK, so, Kevin's question.

If he gets this right, you'll be out because you got one wrong earlier.

Kevin, your question.

Since 1972, caucuses held in which state have been the first

major electoral event of the nominating process

for the president of the United States?

There's often a lot of jockeying in the states in this process

because of the publicity and the high profile it brings

to the states as to who's going to try and get in first.

In fact, I think they had to bring some laws in in recent years

to try and stop states jockeying for position.

The one that's held pole position for a long time now is Iowa.

You've got it right, well done.

Iowa is in pole position, it is the answer.

You've got three out of three.

Aryan, you've been knocked out by a senior Egghead, shall we say.

Do, both, come back and rejoin your teams.

Bad luck, Aryan.

-What can you do?

-What can you do?

-And I guess, politics, not really your thing.

-Not in the slightest.

-He's a team player, he's a team player.

-He did a great thing.

I think you should get a round of applause for just...

-50%, that's pretty good.

-50%, exactly.

As it stands, they have lost a brain, the Sensations,

and the Eggheads haven't yet, but let's see.

Next subject is Science. Who'd like this?

THEY DISCUSS

Steve. Who do you want to play, Steve?

Tremendous Knowledge Dave?

Steve against...?

Steve against Tremendous Knowledge Dave, I believe.

Tremendous Knowledge. OK, good stuff.

Steve from the Sensations, Dave from the Eggheads,

please take your positions in the Question Room.

-Steve, you're a croupier as well.

-I am, yes.

Should've called your team the Croupiers, not the Sensations!

-It would have been fitting.

-Why are they called the Sensations anyway?

That's from my nickname. Stevie Sensation was my alias

when first entering the Newcastle poker scene.

-Stevie Sensation?

-Yes.

And did you do well in the Newcastle poker scene?

I'm possibly the best player there. LAUGHTER

-Still?

-Yes.

OK, good luck on being the best player here

in this Science round against Tremendous Knowledge Dave.

Three questions in turn,

whoever gets the most right goes through to the final.

Steve, you can choose the first or second set of questions.

I'll go second.

Dave, here we go. In the human body,

which nerve transmits impulses to the brain from the retina?

That's the optic nerve.

Optic nerve is the right answer.

Talking of the vagus nerve, Steve,

I gather that's where you like to go on holiday?

I do. It's got everything plus more,

and I don't see myself going anywhere else on holiday.

How many times have you been to Las Vegas?

I've been twice, but that's as much as I could really go.

-I just turned 21 two years ago.

-Sure.

Steve, your question.

In which country are the Andasol solar power stations that store

the sun's heat in tanks of molten salt during the day

which is then used to provide energy at night?

I have no idea about this question.

It's a wild guess, but I'm going to go with Greece.

No, it's not. It's Spain, actually.

So, Dave, your second question.

The organisation called W3C sets global standards for what?

W3C.

I've not heard of it. Erm, W3C...

Let me just try and think what the 3C would be.

I'll go for the internet.

The internet is your answer, and it's right.

-I guess W3 is "www", is that right?

-Yeah, must be.

-What's the C? Anyone know?

-JUDITH:

-Control.

-Control, says Judith.

-Maybe.

-The World Wide Web Consortium.

-Ah, brilliant.

OK, at the end, Gareth, World Wide Web Consortium.

-Oh, right!

-I should have asked... Should've asked this team.

If there was a round on that, you'd thrash them!

Thrash them.

OK, over to you, Steve.

Which arthropod is probably the largest in the world

in terms of leg-span, reaching up to nearly four metres?

I've known crabs to have quite long legs. I'm going to go with crab.

-Japanese spider crab.

-Well done, you're absolutely right.

Japanese spider crab. It's good.

So, two to Dave.

If you get this one right, Dave, you're in the final.

In 1980, the physicist Peter Higgs,

after whom the Higgs boson and Higgs field are named,

became professor of theoretical physics at which university?

Right, I don't know, but...

He sounds British, but...

Thinking that if he's made those discoveries, the research money

would be probably more available in America,

so I'm going to go for Princeton University.

Understand why you've done that, but it's wrong, Dave.

-It's University of Edinburgh.

-Fair enough.

-University of Edinburgh.

You have a chance to come back in here, Steve, get this one right.

What's the chemical symbol of the element palladium?

I'm going to go with what appears to be the easy option,

with the first two letters, Pa.

Let's see if any of your colleagues know.

-Not a clue.

-Not a clue.

-Who was learning the periodic table?

-Was it you, Judith?

-Well, I am, but I can't get it into my head.

-I think it's Pd.

-It is Pd.

It is Pd, Steve.

Maybe slightly less obvious.

I'm sorry, you've crashed out of that round,

and you won't be in the final and Tremendous Knowledge Dave will be.

Both of you, please, come back and we'll play the next round.

So, Dave, if this was an internet poker game,

what would you do to change the tactic now?

I would leave it alone, go out to the pub,

just let myself get blinded away, have a few drinks

and forget about the day!

Losing two players in this game is like losing two rounds in poker

or something, is it?

It's like losing half your chip stack, really. Half your money.

-Half your chip stack?

-Yeah.

-OK.

Well, let's see if you can preserve the rest of your chip stack here.

The challengers have lost two, Eggheads have lost none,

and the next subject for you is Geography.

-Who would like this?

-Gareth?

Yeah, I'll do it.

Gareth, OK, leaping at it. Which Egghead?

Erm, I will take on Daphne.

Gareth versus Daphne on Geography, please take your positions.

-Gareth, you're doing your dream job, I gather?

-Yes, I am, Jeremy.

-And what is it?

-It's a professional poker player.

-Again...

This is a very interesting team, isn't it, Daphne?

My son and two of my grandsons play in the poker league

and they really enjoy it.

But they...

It's like a pub league, but they're only allowed to play for points.

But, Gareth, you're playing online and doing that professionally.

-So you are able to turn an annual profit, are you?

-That's right, yeah.

Are there are any downsides to that?

Even if you're particularly good at the game,

you can go on a prolonged downswing, which means you'll lose money.

That's obviously a negative aspect.

If that happens for a long time, you can lose your whole bankroll

if you're not careful.

Really interesting.

And I'll ask each of you three questions on Geography in turn

and, Gareth, you can choose the first or second set.

I'd like to go second, please.

So now we know - poker players go second in this game.

All right, Daphne,

which capital city is roughly 40 miles away from Vienna?

Erm, that's Bratislava.

They're both on the Danube

and I think they're the closest capital cities to each other.

Is Bratislava capital of...?

Slovakia.

-The other bit of Czechoslovakia, yeah?

-Yeah.

Bratislava is quite right, well done.

Gareth, when phoning from the UK,

0031 is the international dialling code for which country?

I'm not entirely sure.

I'm almost certain it's not Canada, cos I think it has a very low...

A very low number. I know the USA is 001.

Erm...

I'm not sure, but I'm going to go for the Netherlands.

Netherlands is the right answer. Well done, Gareth.

Daphne, what is the capital of the South American country of Guyana?

The capital is Georgetown.

Georgetown is correct.

Well done, Daphne, you got it right.

On to you, Gareth.

Canada's Mackenzie River flows for over 1,000 miles

before emptying into which ocean?

Erm...

I'm reasonably sure the Mackenzie is the Northwest Territories.

I would be certain it's not the Pacific.

I'm pretty sure it'll be the Arctic.

-Is that your answer?

-Yes.

And it's the right answer - Arctic.

Playing well, Gareth. OK, over to you, Daphne.

Wat Phra Kaew, or the Temple of the Emerald Buddha,

is in which Asian city?

Before the answers came up, I thought of Bangkok,

so that's what I'll go for.

Bangkok is correct. Been there?

I've been to Bangkok, yes.

I didn't see the Emerald Buddha, but I've been to Bangkok.

-But you'd think, yes, Thailand, because just that kind of place?

-Mm.

OK. So, she's putting you under a little bit of pressure here, Gareth,

but as a poker player you'll be well used to that.

You need to get this one right.

Your third question.

La Canebiere is a landmark and major thoroughfare in which French city?

I'm not entirely sure, Jeremy, so this would be a guess.

I would say Lille.

Let me check with one of our key French people. Judith?

I think it's Marseille, isn't it?

-Yes, it is Marseille.

-Yeah.

Have you been there?

No, never been to Marseille.

I know it isn't Toulouse, cos that's my local town as it were.

Yeah, so it's not Toulouse, not Lille, it's Marseille, Gareth.

I'm sorry. Daphne got three out of three, so she's knocked you out,

which is a shame for your team.

Please both of you come back here and rejoin your team-mates.

Bad luck, Gareth.

Biggest win last year in poker?

I won a very large tournament last year, which was the biggest field

in UK history at the time.

It was for £94,000.

I think we've had the odd poker player before, and I've met them

through other programmes, but I'm thinking you may be the best I've...

-He's the top poker player here, is he?

-Me!

-Team?

Oh, it's you, is it? OK, all right!

The challengers have lost three brains, despite their poker skills.

The Eggheads have still not lost a brain, and we'll have another round

before the final, which is Film & Television.

Who would like this?

-That'll be me, Jeremy.

-OK, Neil.

Against Judith or Chris?

-Judith?

-Judith, yeah.

-Neil from the Sensations, the poker sensations,

versus Judith from the Eggheads on Film & TV.

-How about that? Not Sport.

-Not sport!

Please go to the Question Room now.

So, I will ask each of you three questions on Film & Television

and, Neil, you can choose the first or second set of questions.

I'd like to go first, please, Jeremy.

Here we go with your first set, good luck.

Who played the role of the former baseball player Sam Malone

in the TV sitcom Cheers?

Erm, I seem to remember Burt Reynolds being associated with baseball.

I can't really think of any times I've heard of the other two,

so I think I'm going to go for Burt Reynolds.

Anyone know?

-ALL:

-Danson.

-They all chorus "Ted Danson". Ted Danson is the answer.

Judith,

the 1979 television drama series Danger UXB dealt with

which dangerous profession?

Well, it's another one I haven't seen.

UXB, now, what on earth could that be about?

Oh, bomb disposal. Yes, unexploded bomb.

-Unexploded bomb is right.

-Yeah.

Bomb disposal is the answer. Well done.

OK, back to you, Neil.

In which sport was Gina Carano a leading competitor

before becoming an actress and star of the 2012 film Haywire?

Hm. I actually wanted Sport to come up, but not a question like that.

Could you repeat the name, please?

In which sport was Gina Carano a leading competitor

before becoming an actress and star of the 2012 film Haywire?

I think a synchronised swimmer would be quite good at acting.

I'll go for synchronised swimming.

Synchronised swimming is incorrect.

It's mixed martial arts.

OK, Neil, bad luck.

Judith, if you get this one right, you are in the final.

The 1962 film It's Trad, Dad! was the first feature-length movie

by which director?

It's Trad, Dad! (It's Trad, Dad!)

Gosh, I don't know.

Blake Edwards was the Pink Panther man, wasn't he?

Nicholas Roeg was...

I don't know.

I'm going to have to bet - haven't been down the right, lately -

Blake Edwards.

It's wrong. It's Richard Lester.

OK, she's let you back in, Neil,

but you've got to get this one right, OK?

Who was credited as the screenwriter of the 1993 film True Romance?

Again, isn't a film I've seen.

I know a few Quentin Tarantino films,

and it doesn't sound like a Tarantino film to me.

I'm going to take another guess at Wes Anderson.

No, it is Tarantino, as a matter of fact.

It's Quentin Tarantino who was the screenwriter of True Romance.

So, with that, Neil, you've succumbed to Judith, which many do.

Judith, you'll be in the final round.

Please come back and we will play that round.

This is what we've been playing towards.

Time for the final round, which, as always, is General Knowledge.

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

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

So, Neil, Steve, Aryan and Gareth from the Sensations,

would you please now leave the studio?

OK, Dave, this is tough, I know. Playing alone here.

But you are playing to win the Sensations £2,000.

Judith, Kevin, Dave, Daphne, Chris - you're playing for something

that money can't buy, which is the Eggheads' reputation.

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

This time questions are all general knowledge, you can confer.

-DAVE LAUGHS

-So, Dave...

-I know, not very handy for you.

-No, I talk to myself quite a bit...

Maybe they can shout at you or something?

-Question is, is your brain better than the Eggheads' five.

-No!

Don't answer that, it'll spoil it! Will you go first or second?

I'll go second, please.

Eggheads, your question.

In the United States, what name is given to a waistcoat?

That's definitely a vest, isn't it?

-KEVIN:

-I'm happy with a vest. Waistcoat.

That's definitely a vest, Jeremy.

Nice to hear you at the end of the queue there, Chris.

-Yeah, hello!

-Your first moment in the game.

Vest is the right answer.

On to you, Dave.

Which day of the week is called "martes" in Spanish?

Which day of the week is called "martes" in Spanish?

Not very good at Spanish.

I know French a little bit. Well, the days of the week.

I'm going to go a punt down the middle and go Wednesday.

Anyone?

-EGGHEADS:

-Tuesday.

-Tuesday is the answer.

Tuesday is the answer. OK, Eggheads.

In 2010, which television presenter set a record for the longest solo

journey by kayak when she completed a 2,010-mile trip along the Amazon?

-Who was it?

-Helen Skelton.

She's on Blue Peter.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's Helen Skelton. It's not the other two.

Konnie Huq was from Blue Peter as well.

It's Helen Skelton, Jeremy.

Helen Skelton is correct.

-Over to you, you need to get this one right, Dave, OK?

-No problem.

In which US state is the Carson Desert?

I'm torn between Nevada and Arizona. Carson.

Something rings a bell about Vegas with Carson.

I don't know why, so I think I'm going to have to go for Nevada.

-And that's the state that Las Vegas is in, isn't it?

-Mm-hm.

-And you've been there how many times?

-Three times.

You guys love to go to Las Vegas.

It's funny how Las Vegas or Vegas keeps popping up in this game.

Nevada is the right answer.

-Good.

-That was handy, the Vegas connection.

But, if you get this right, Eggheads, you have taken the round,

because Dave got one wrong earlier.

John Wesley and Robert Baden-Powell were both educated

at which public school?

CHRIS: Mm.

-Don't think they were at Winchester.

-No.

Baden-Powell and who?

Sorry, Jeremy, could you say that again?

It was John Wesley and Robert Baden-Powell, was it?

John Wesley and Robert Baden-Powell were both educated

at which public school?

Were there any Midlands connections at all with the Wesleys?

-Wesley was 18th century, wasn't he?

-Yes, he was. Yeah.

Early 18th century when he was born.

Were there any Midlands connections at all?

-Don't think Rugby was going on.

-No, well, I don't know it.

-My instinct is for Charterhouse, but...

-Yes, mine was, too.

-How long has Charterhouse been going?

-Not long.

-Medieval?

-Quite a long time. Yeah.

-Obviously, Winchester is the oldest.

-Yeah.

-But I don't...

But there's no Midlands connection...

I think I'd know if they went to Winchester.

-And Rugby can be ruled out?

-I think Rugby was a bit later.

And I don't think Rugby existed then, in the 18th century.

CHRIS: Well, 1822, it was going, certainly.

Yeah, Tom Brown's School Days.

So, we'll go... There's nothing to...

-Well, let's go for Charterhouse.

-OK, Charterhouse.

-Agreed on Charterhouse?

-Yeah, Charterhouse, then.

That's Charterhouse, Jeremy.

If they've got it right, the contest is over.

A lot of brainpower whizzing around there, I sense.

A lot of Egghead units being called on.

Pulsating, warming up.

Charterhouse is the correct answer.

Well done, Eggheads, we say congratulations. You've won.

I didn't know that one either, so no shame in that.

They do sort of beaver away getting to the answer.

They took their time, worked it out.

It's why they're there and I'm here, and they're there!

A little bit remorseless, but you'd beat them at poker, no question.

-Commiserations. Hope you had a good time.

-Really enjoyed ourselves.

The Eggheads have done what comes naturally to them

and they still reign supreme over quizland.

It does mean that the Sensations aren't going home with the £2,000,

so the money rolls over to our next show.

Eggheads, very well done. 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. Till then, goodbye.

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