Episode 96 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.

Yes, they are the Eggheads.

And challenging our resident quiz champions today are the Mean Team.

This team of colleagues from Nottingham work together to

provide IT solutions for clinical drugs trials. Let's meet them.

Hi, I'm Damian, I'm 55 and I'm a statistician.

Hi, I'm Sarah, I'm 26,

and I'm a randomisation and trial supply analyst.

Hi, I'm Andrew, I'm 54. I'm a statistician data manager.

Hi, I'm Emma, I'm 28 and I'm a learning and development manager.

Hi, I'm Mark, I'm 49 and I'm a quality management professional.

So, Damian, and team, welcome.

And, Damian, three of you are statisticians.

-It's basically about statistics, what you do.

-That's right.

We provide randomisation techniques to put patients into clinical

trials, so five of us all work for the same company,

-the other two colleagues provide us close support.

-What about quizzing. Do you quiz together?

Yes, we participate in the interdepartmental quiz

and we do a quiz at a pub once a month.

I'm sensing you're pretty good at quizzing. You can be modest.

I'm just sensing it. We have a lot of teams through...

-We haven't been beaten for over a year.

-OK, that's good.

-Statistically speaking...?

-We will see.

-OK, lovely.

That's what we want. A bit of a grudge match.

Every day there is £1,000 worth of cash

up for grabs for our challengers. If they fail to defeat the Eggheads,

the money rolls over to the next show.

The Eggheads have won the last six games which means £7,000 says

you can't beat them today.

-Would you like to have a go?

-Yes, please.

The first head-to-head battle is on the subject of history.

Challengers, who wants this?

We have a game plan, which is that Emma is going to take history.

Emma, OK. Against which Egghead? You can have anyone of these reprobates.

-Have you got a preference, Damian?

-We don't know anything about Dave.

-Why not take Dave on?

-OK, Dave.

It is going to be Emma from the Mean Team versus Tremendous

Knowledge Dave, as we call him, from the Eggheads on history. To ensure there is no conferring,

would you please take your positions in the question room?

-How are you on history, Emma?

-I did an A-level in history.

-That was about ten years ago. Not too bad.

-Which period was that?

I don't mean ten years ago, what period did you study?

We did Germany leading up to the Second World War.

The big criticism is that all anybody ever does now is the Nazis.

We did the Communists as well.

-A bit of Chinese history and Russian history.

-OK.

Three multiple choice questions on history and Emma,

-you can choose the first or the second set.

-I'll go for the first set. Thank you.

Here we go, Emma. Good luck to you.

In archaeology, what name is given to an oval or oblong shape

enclosing a group of Egyptian hieroglyphics,

typically representing the name and title of a monarch?

I didn't really cover this during the Nazi Germany period or

Communist Russia.

I would say it's not caravan.

I somehow think that something to do with camels, maybe.

I could be wrong.

Not sure about Carousel. I kind of think that could be...

Make me think of something going round. Although, oval, round.

I'm going to go for cartouche. That seems the most likely to me.

And you've got it absolutely right. Well done. Cartouche.

Tremendous Knowledge,

in which century did Patrick the patron saint of Ireland die?

Not great on this one. I'm trying to think of St Patrick.

I don't think it's BC. I'm going to rule that out.

I'm going to go with the fifth century AD.

You've got it absolutely right. Well done, Dave. The fifth century AD.

Over to you, Emma.

The Ems telegram sent to Otto von Bismarck

brought about the declaration of which war?

OK, we did actually cover this period of German history.

I know that Bismarck was in power leading up to

the unification of Germany.

I want to say 1871. If I'm wrong, I'll look a bit stupid.

I don't think it was the Crimean War.

I don't know if it was that period of time.

Um... I'm not sure about the Boer War but I know that the

Franco-Prussian War was fought during the time of Bismarck.

I'll go for that.

Are we impressed or what, team-mates?

Anyone who can recall their history at that distance from...

-A-level, did you say?

-Yeah.

-Brilliant.

You've got it absolutely right. Franco-Prussian War.

Gosh, I wish I had that recall.

Dave, Captain Scott's ship, the Terra Nova, sailed for the Antarctic

from which British port in 1910?

Right, the Terra Nova, so it was heading for the Antarctic.

Um... I'm going to rule out Cardiff.

It may have been that it was built in Belfast

and then sailed from somewhere different.

On that basis, that's the only basis I can go on...

Belfast is causing me problems again.

But I think it might have been built in Belfast

and maybe sailed out from Horwich.

Harwich, Horwich, what do we want to call it? Harwich?

I'm thinking of Horwich in Bolton. It's Harwich.

-It's not Harwich, it's Cardiff.

-All right. Fair enough.

Cardiff is the answer.

Emma, you get this right, you're in the final and you've knocked out an Egghead.

What is the name of the musical hall

building in East London that dates back to the 1850s?

It doesn't really ring any bells.

Baxter's, makes me think of soup.

I'm just going to go with Stebbing's, just

because it looks like an interesting word.

-Anybody here can tell us?

-Wilton's.

-Wilton's is the answer.

So a chance for Dave on the third question.

The Belgian city of Mons was the capital of which historic region?

Um... Right.

Only because Anne of Cleves was the Flanders mare,

I'm going to go for Cleves.

Hainaut is the answer. Emma, we say well done. We say well done.

You've knocked out, with two out of three right,

you've knocked out Dave.

Come back to us. You will be in the final round.

Dave, you've been knocked out. And we'll play on.

Well done, Emma. Good start for your team.

As it stands, the challengers have not lost

a brain but the Eggheads have lost a brain from the final round.

The next subject for you is sport.

Who would like this? Have you got a plan?

-Yes, we have a plan and that's me.

-OK, Damian, against which Egghead?

Judith. LAUGHTER

Ah, there is a bit of history there. I should say a bit of sport.

Damian, from the Mean Team, versus Judith on sport.

Please go to our question room.

I will ask each of you three questions on sport.

Whoever answers the most correctly is the winner and Damian,

-you can choose the first or second set.

-I'd like to go first, please.

Here we go. Ellen Whitaker, Robert Smith

and Geoff Billington have all represented Britain in which sport?

I think I know this. I know it's not badminton.

Archery, I don't know so much about.

But I'm fairly confident the answer is showjumping.

Showjumping, it's quite right. Well done. Judith, your sports question.

In 1964, Cassius Clay dropped his surname

and was known briefly by what name?

I never knew that.

Well, I suppose it could be either X or Y.

But I don't think... definitely not Z.

-I think it might be Cassius X.

-Yeah. Cassius X is the right answer.

-It might be to do with Malcolm X, is it?

-I would have thought so, yes.

OK, Cassius X, well done.

Damian, the Italian footballer Gianluigi Buffon

joined which club in 2001?

I have an idea he was the most expensive goalkeeper in the world,

which doesn't tell me anything about the teams.

Um... But I think it is Juventus.

It is indeed Juventus. Well done.

Judith, in January 2012, Holly Bleasdale broke her own

British indoor record for which athletics event?

This is twanging various...

I think it's either pole vault or triple jump.

The question went into my head, do women do the triple jump?

I don't know if I've noticed them doing it.

So I...

Oh, dear. I'll risk it. Pole vault.

-Barry knows this. Is she right?

-She is indeed.

-You're right, Judith.

-Well done.

-Do women do the triple jump?

Well, do people do the pole vault indoors? It sounds unsafe.

The roof is high.

-Oh, I see.

-LAUGHTER

Do Women Do The Triple Jump?

That could be the title of your autobiography!

Damian, in which year were women first officially allowed to

enter the Boston Marathon?

I've seen it run, but more recently than any of those dates.

Um... Let me think.

If I think back in marathon history, Greta Waitz, I think it was,

was winning them in the '70s.

So I'm going to go with '72, on that basis.

1972 was absolutely right. Well done, Damian. Good stuff.

Judith, your question now.

If you don't get this right, you're not in the final round.

But it's sport and you're playing well.

The American football team the Pittsburgh Steelers began

life in 1933 under what team name?

I can see why they changed to the Steelers.

But what connection with the sea? Pittsburgh. Where is Pittsburgh?

Pittsburgh Sharks, Pittsburgh Pirates?

I think they might have gone for alliteration

so I'll do Pittsburgh Pirates.

Pittsburgh Pirates is correct. They did go for alliteration.

So it's level after three questions.

And it gets a bit harder now. And we do say well done to you both,

particularly Judith, on the three correct questions on sport.

There will be a moment of silence to mark that breakthrough.

But it's sudden death and it means it gets a bit harder, Damian.

I don't give you alternative answers. Here's your first question.

The amateur level of which sport is co-governed by BARLA?

I'm going to say...

Um... Shooting.

The RL is the key thing there. And it's rugby league.

-Oh, right. OK.

-British Amateur Rugby League Association.

Judith, this for the round.

Which Northamptonshire racecourse was

built on the estate of the stately home Easton Neston?

Towcester.

Straight there. Straight into the final, Julia. Well done.

You've got it right on sport.

Damian, sorry, you've been knocked out by Judith on sport.

I keep saying it because I can't believe it.

-Statistically, it's very unlikely.

-LAUGHTER

Statistically, it has happened.

Please, both of you, come back and join your teams.

As it stands, the challengers have lost one brain, the Eggheads have

also lost a brain from the final round and our next subject is music.

-Who would like music?

-Me.

-Stick to our game plan. That's Andrew.

Andrew, got it all worked out. OK, against whom? Not Judith or Dave.

I'll go for Kevin, please.

So it's Andrew from the Mean Team against Kevin from the Eggheads.

Please go to the question room now.

Three questions on music, multiple choice.

Whoever gets the most gets into the final.

-Andrew, you can choose the first or the second set.

-I'll have the first, please.

Good luck.

"Never before has a boy wanted more"

is a line from a song in which musical?

Well, yes.

I assume it's about children and I'm not really familiar with

Hello, Dolly! or Oklahoma! but I know Oliver! has...

-It's based on Oliver Twist. I'll go for Oliver!

-Spot on. Oliver! Yes.

The famous moment.

Obviously, that's the moment when he asks for the gruel, is it?

Please, sir, can I have some more? OK, Kevin.

Which band recorded the official 2012 Sport Relief single Proud?

That one passed me by, I'm afraid.

No, it passed me by.

Because of the sporting connection, I'll try the Saturdays.

-No, it's not. It's JLS.

-Just didn't see that.

Music is becoming the new food and drink for Kevin. Let's see.

Over to, Andrew. Rihanna's single Umbrella was taken from which album?

Yes, it's not '70s or '80s independent music, is it?

I don't know any Rihanna LPs.

Assuming that she has some saucy videos,

I'll go for the first one cos that seems to fit in with the image.

Good Girl Gone Bad.

Good Girl Gone Bad is quite right.

Kevin, your question. See if you can catch up.

Elton John adopted his surname from the first name of which

musician whose backing band he played?

Yeah, I think this was... His first name, Elton?

-Elton John adopted his surname...

-Sorry.

..from the first name of which musician in whose backing

band he played?

I lost the thread there. I think that was Long John Baldry.

It's quite an obscure fact that. But you're right.

It is Long John Baldry. OK, Andrew. This is a good moment for you.

If you get this one right,

you'll have knocked Kevin out on your beloved subject of music.

Even better.

Which jazz magician won a Pulitzer prize in 1997 for his oratorio

Blood On The Fields?

I've not heard of the LP. I've not heard of Wynton Marsalis.

I've heard of Herbie Hancock and Sonny Rollins.

I've heard more of Herbie Hancock,

so on the grounds that I've heard of Herbie Hancock,

and I've heard of Sonny Rollins, I'll go with the first one, please.

-Wynton Marsalis.

-Oh, OK. Reverse logic, in that respect.

Yes, I thought I'd just do something like that.

You've done it very well. You've got the right answer. Well done.

I was just interested in the tactic there. It worked very well.

Wynton Marsalis is correct, Andrew. You're in the final round.

Kevin has been knocked out. Getting a good game together here.

Both of you, please, return to your teams.

As it stands, the challengers have lost one brain,

the Eggheads have lost two brains from the final round.

Looking interesting. The last subject is science.

See if you can really knock them out with this one. Who would like this?

-I think I'll take this one.

-Sarah, OK. And which Egghead?

-It's Pat or Barry.

-I think we're going to go for Barry.

OK, so it is Sarah from the Mean Team versus Barry from the Eggheads.

Please go to the question now.

It's science against Barry and three questions, in turn.

-Sarah, you can choose the first or second set.

-I think I'll follow the team and go first.

It's going well for you so far, that's for sure.

See if you can knock Barry out.

What term is used to refer to the pain control

procedure often used during childbirth where anaesthetic

is injected into the outermost part of the spinal canal?

OK, well, hopefully my medical degree were come in some help here.

I know it's not epidermis because that's to do with the skin.

I'm not really sure what epistaxis is,

but I know the answer is epidural.

Epidural is quite right. Well done.

Barry, your question, what is the usual name for an allergy

test where various substances are put on a person's skin to see

whether they have an allergic reaction to any of them?

I've had this done on a couple of times. I believe it's a patch test.

-Patch test is correct. Did it show up anything?

-Fortunately not.

You're not allergic to anything around you?

-Not that I'm aware of yet.

-OK.

Sarah, what is the common name for plants of the genus Muscari?

OK. Botany is not a strength of mine.

-Can you spell the word, please?

-Muscari. M-U-S-C-A-R-I.

-Muscari.

-Muscari.

I'm kind of thinking is I know any Latin names for any of them

and I'm drawing a blank, to be honest.

I'm actually just going to plump for grape hyacinth.

-BARRY LAUGHS

-Barry, why are you laughing?

Muscat is a wine, so Muscari, I think, must be grape hyacinth.

Yeah, very good. Maybe that subconsciously drew you there.

You're right, Sarah. Grape hyacinth it is.

Barry, the organic compound phenol with the former C6H50H is

commonly known by what name?

Phenol, it's an aromatic compound because it has six carbon atoms

in a ring and is generally known as carbolic acid.

Carbolic acid is correct.

Can you work that out just by looking at the letters?

It's got some carbon, hydrogen...

I happen to know the formula for phenol

because I studied organic chemistry at university.

OK, your question, Sarah. You're both playing really well.

Get this one right and you put Barry under pressure.

Don't be put off by him boasting about his university degree. He can't remember most of it.

Which theory was first presented by Alfred Wegener in 1912?

Um... To be honest, I don't have a clue.

Just trying to think about the time that that was. Global warming...

Seems like that would be a little bit later, perhaps.

I'm actually going to go down the middle to continental drift.

-Barry is laughing. Can you hear his laughter, Sarah?

-Yes.

It's like before you've even finished the answer, he's laughing

because you're right again. Well done, continental drift.

You should be crying, Barry.

Noachian and Hesperian are geological periods

in the history of which planet?

It certainly can't be Jupiter because that's a gas giant.

That can't possibly have geological periods.

Could you spell those names for me?

N-O-A-C-H-I-A-N. And H-E-S-P-E-R-I-A-N.

It's between Mars and Mercury.

There has been some volcanic activity on Mars

but there's been volcanic activity on Mercury as well.

That doesn't help me.

The only thing I have to go on is that Hesperian is something...

It's sometimes a name used for an Evening Star and Mercury is

low-down on the horizon, which could be called an Evening Star.

On that basis alone, I will go for Mercury.

But I really don't know the answer to this one.

And the answer is that Sarah is through to the final.

Because it's actually Mars. Barry, you've been knocked out on science.

Well done, Sarah. Your team is looking strong in the final round.

If you come back to us, we'll play it. This is the moment of truth.

This is what we have been playing towards.

It's time for the final round, which as always is general knowledge.

Those of you who lost your head-to-heads will be allowed

to take part in this round. So, Damian from the Mean Team.

And also Barry, Kevin and Dave from the Eggheads,

would you please now leave the studio?

Sarah, Andrew, Emma and Mark,

you are playing to win the Mean Team £7,000.

Pat and Judith, you're playing for something that money can't buy, the Eggheads' reputation.

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

The questions are general knowledge. You are allowed to confer.

So, Mean Team, are your four brains better than the Eggheads' two?

It's a really interesting contest so far. Let's see if you can win it.

-Would you like to go first or second?

-We'll go first, please.

OK, here we go.

Yala National Park, where leopards and elephants can be

seen in the wild, is located in the south of which country?

-I don't know.

-I've never heard of it.

-I thought Madagascar originally.

But I don't know if that's right.

-Probably not.

-I don't think it would be Japan.

I think it's more likely to be African.

Somewhere in Africa. Do we agree that it's Madagascar?

-That's what I thought initially.

-Yes? Yes.

-So we'll go for Madagascar, please, Jeremy.

-Madagascar is your answer.

Sri Lanka is the answer.

That is a bummer. OK, Eggheads. On to you.

In mediaeval Europe, what was Jongleur?

It's got to be entertainers.

I think they're jugglers, singers, you know. Variety artistes.

I think they're entertainers, Jeremy.

Entertainers is your answer and it is correct.

And you'd be, in the broader sense, you are jongleurs, aren't you?

We're the life and soul of the party.

Yes, the jesters, you entertain people. OK, hang on in there.

What are the names of the two Scotsmen who

feature in a radio show starring Barry Cryer and Graeme Garden?

-I've never heard of them.

-I...

-I've not heard of any of these.

-No, I haven't.

-Me neither.

So...

Hamish and Dougal kind of make me think Scottish.

-They all sound Scottish names.

-That's the one that stuck out for me.

-But I was wrong before.

-We don't know.

So I'm inclined to take the Eggheads' route and plump down the middle.

So we'll go for Hamish and Dougal.

Hamish and Dougal is correct.

That offsets the bit of bad luck with Madagascar.

Eggheads, your question to take the lead.

Which detective features in the novel The Murder Of Roger Ackroyd?

It's one of Christie's most acclaimed whodunits.

It's sometimes cited as her greatest whodunit.

In that case it must be Poirot. Wimsey is Sayers.

Sherlock Holmes is Conan Doyle. That has to be Hercule Poirot.

Hercule Poirot is quite right. Well done.

So they go ahead of you,

which means you must get your third question right to stay in.

Which 1977 film starring Shirley MacLaine and Anne Bancroft

was nominated for 11 Oscars but failed to win a single one?

-I think Being There is Peter Sellers.

-Yes.

I've heard of some films with Shirley MacLaine and Anne Bancroft in,

but not necessarily in the same film.

So I think I do agree with probably ruling out Being There.

It's either Desperate Characters or The Turning Point.

I think we're going to have to take a guess on this one.

-We went down the middle last time.

-It's a bit risky that.

I think we should go for Desperate Characters.

That seems to be the logic in an illogical random answer.

Yes, so to take the statistical point of view,

we're going for Desperate Characters cos we're a desperate team.

Have you got it right? If you haven't, the contest is over.

Eggheads, what's the answer? Do you know?

I would probably have guessed at The Turning Point.

The answer is The Turning Point.

I'm so sorry. You have been defeated by the Eggheads.

We say congratulations, you two. You have won.

It's interesting because you went at them like a battering ram

in the early stages and then in the final, sometimes getting

the first one wrong can be really, really problematic.

-But anyway, thanks for coming in.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

Commiserations. The Eggheads have done what

comes naturally to them and their winning streak continues.

You won't be going on with the £7,000, so 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 have the brains to defeat the Eggheads.

£8,000 says they don't. Until then, goodbye.

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