Episode 98 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 champions today are the Old Salts.

This team of salty old sea dogs are members of the Goring 10 sailing club.

-Let's meet them.

-Hi, I'm John.

I'm 64 and run my own medical equipment supply company.

Hi, I'm Emrhys. I'm 64 and I sell electric boats.

Hello, I'm Michael. I'm 71. I'm a retired lecturer.

Hello, I'm Jill. I'm 46.

I'm a biostatistician working in medical research.

Hello, I'm Matthew. I'm 52 and I'm Managing Director

of a process improvement consultancy company.

-John and team, welcome.

-Thank you, Jeremy.

-So you are sailors and you sail your own boats?

-We do.

We sail sailing dinghies on the River Thames at Goring.

Tell us why that's such a joyful way to spend the day?

It's just so relaxing and when you're out there sailing,

you can't worry about anything else than trying to get round the course

as fast as you can and beat the rest of this lot.

And, of course, those instincts will come in handy against the Eggheads.

Well, we certainly hope so.

So if this starts to go wrong,

what tactics have you got in your back pocket? Can you repel boarders?

Well, we'll certainly go down fighting.

-And you don't mind being referred to as salty old sea dogs?

-Not at all.

Every day there is £1,000 worth of cash up for grabs for our challengers.

However, if they fail to defeat the Eggheads,

that prize-money rolls over to the next show.

So, Old Salts, the Eggheads have won the last eight games

which means £9,000 says you can't beat them today.

-Shall we get the boats out?

-Absolutely.

-All right,

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

-Who wants this?

-Politics. I believe that's Emrhys.

-Not really, I'm Geography.

-Oh, you're Geography. I beg your pardon.

-It's you, Jill, I think.

-No, it's definitely not me.

OK, guys, if you can't make up your minds, I'll have to make them up for you. Michael, you're on Politics.

-OK, captain.

-Michael, before you go, just tell us which Egghead.

What do you think, John?

Oh, now, how about the unknown quantity of Tremendous Knowledge Dave, I think.

-How about that, Dave?

-Well, we'll have a go.

I don't play Politics much so we'll see.

A trip into the unknown this, for me.

So it is Michael from the Old Salts versus Tremendous Knowledge Dave

from the Eggheads. To ensure there's no conferring,

please take your positions in the Question Room.

Michael, what was your job before you retired?

I was a lecturer in chemistry.

And since retiring, I know you've done a lot of travelling.

Give us a few countries.

I've been to Bhutan, Iran, Ethiopia, Argentina, Bolivia,

-and we've been to the Antarctic.

-Goodness!

What a wonderful itinerary.

It's nice to be retired, you can do what you like.

If you've got the funds, you can do it. Absolutely right.

Good luck here. This is Politics

and you can choose whether you want the first or the second set

-of multiple-choice questions.

-I'll go first, please.

Here we go, Michael. What name is given to the special rights

and immunities of members of the Houses of Parliament,

such as the right to freedom of speech in Parliament

without fear of legal action?

Um, I don't think it can be Westminster Carte Blanche.

That sounds a bit French.

Ministerial Freedom, it's not for ministers,

so I'll go for Parliamentary Privilege.

Parliamentary privilege is quite right. Well done.

Tremendous Knowledge Dave,

what name was given to the controversial parties

allegedly attended by the Italian politician, Silvio Berlusconi?

CHUCKLES

Oh, deary me.

Conga Conga and Manga Manga?

I'm going Bunga Bunga.

Bunga Bunga is the right answer.

OK. Michael, your question.

Which high-profile US politician was expelled from Harvard University

for cheating although he was later readmitted to complete his degree?

I don't... One would have thought

George W Bush didn't actually go to university.

I think that was Edward Kennedy.

I didn't know this fact about him but it was indeed Edward Kennedy.

The late Edward Kennedy.

An awful lot of untoward events in his life. OK.

This is your question now, Tremendous Knowledge Dave.

Which MP reportedly turned down her nomination for the famous

'Rear of the Year' award in 2012?

CHUCKLES

I've got no idea. Um...

Funnily enough, I can't even begin to start trying

to apply any kind of logic to this

in terms of the particular subject matter.

I'm just going to have to take a guess. I'll go for Louise Mensch.

-Nicely done. It's the right answer.

-I don't know how it's been done!

Louise Mensch is right, so back to you, Michael.

Playing well, both of you, two points each.

Michael, David and Ed Miliband's father,

a noted political theorist, was known by what first name?

Um...

Not sure about this. James doesn't sound right. I'll go for Ralph.

Ralph Miliband it was. Well done.

OK...

Tremendous Knowledge Dave, this to stay in.

Mike Huckabee, a one-time seeker of the Republican Party's presidential nomination,

was the governor of which US state between 1996 and 2007?

1996 and 2007?

Arkansas, obviously Bill Clinton was governor there

just before he became president in the '90s,

so I would have thought that would have stayed Democrat.

I'm more inclined to go with Alabama as a Republican state,

so Alabama is my answer but with no certainty at all.

Let's see if Michael knows. Do you know, Michael?

-Tennessee?

-It's actually Arkansas. So Tremendous Knowledge Dave,

your knowledge there was not quite tremendous enough.

-Not good enough, no.

-You've been knocked out. Michael, you're in the final round.

Good start for the Sea Dogs.

After all that kerfuffle over who does politics, Michael,

-I bet you're pleased you did.

-Yes, I am!

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

As it stands, the challengers have started rather well.

They've not lost a brain.

The Eggheads have lost one from that crucial final round.

Our next subject for you is Music, so who would like this?

-Music?

-If I remember rightly, that was Matthew.

-I think it's Matthew.

-OK, we've got the plans coming together now.

-The plans are.

-There's no knowledge there!

-So who would you like to set sail against?

-Well, it has to be Kevin.

-For the sheer thrill?

-The sheer thrill.

He's done so much music recently, it's really a strange thing.

-Four on the trot.

-One of these things.

So, Matthew, from the Old Salts versus Kevin from the Eggheads,

please take your positions.

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

Whoever answers the most questions correctly is the winner

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

I'd like to go first please, Jeremy.

Here we go then with your first one.

"Goodbye, Norma Jean, though I never knew you at all"

are the opening words of which song?

It's a very easy question. I won't beat about the bush.

-It's Candle In The Wind.

-It is Candle In The Wind by Elton John.

Kevin, here's your question. Where was the pop singer Adele born?

Unless there's a curve to this,

as far as I'm aware she's a London girl.

She went to the BRIT Academy, I believe, in London,

not that that's a guarantee. But no, London.

London is the right answer, Kevin. Right, back to you, Matthew.

The jazz musician Grover Washington Jr

was best-known for his expertise on which instrument?

I'm almost certain it's not the piano.

Grover Washington Jr...

-I'm going to say saxophone.

-Saxophone is the right answer. Well done.

Two to you. Over we go to Kevin.

They Say It's Wonderful and Moonshine Lullaby are songs from which musical,

first performed on Broadway in 1946?

Right... seems a bit early for,

I mean, I don't know it immediately, um,

seems a bit early for Paint Your Wagon.

Calamity Jane was made into a film in about '53.

Annie Get Your Gun was made into a film in about 1950.

I think Annie Get Your Gun is slightly earlier than Calamity Jane.

-I'll try Annie Get Your Gun.

-You've got it right.

Well done, Annie Get Your Gun it is.

Matthew, which singer had UK number one albums

called Confessions, 8701 and Here I Stand?

I am familiar with the work of none of them.

Here I Stand is ringing some bells. I'm fairly sure it's not Kanye West.

Um, I'm going to say Usher.

-Is he right, Kevin?

-I thought it was Kanye West, but I'm not sure.

-Tremendous Knowledge Dave?

-I think it's Usher.

Usher is the right answer, Matthew.

As soon as you said it was Kanye West, Kevin,

I knew that Matthew was right.

Semiramide is a two-act opera first performed in 1823 by which composer?

It's Rossini.

Rossini is the right answer. Well done, Kevin.

So, you've got equal points.

Three each after three questions

and that means we go to Sudden Death. Matthew, here we go.

It's a very powerful Egghead you're trying to knock out.

It's a bit harder now, because I don't give you alternatives.

Here's your first one. Which 1968 UK top 10 single for Donovan

was inspired by the sister of the fashion model, Pattie Boyd?

Pattie Boyd figures a lot around that period, doesn't she?

She was the subject of Layla.

It wasn't Starry Starry Night, by any chance, was it? Um...

Um...

Vincent.

The woman's name was Jenny and the song was,

you'll kick yourself for this, Jennifer Juniper.

-# Jennifer Juniper. # That one.

-I remember.

Someone here was humming it. You got that, John.

I heard the tune drift across the studio.

OK, Kevin, if you get this one right, you are in the final round.

Atlantic Crossing and A Night On The Town were UK number one albums

for which singer born in London in 1945?

-Rod Stewart.

-Rod Stewart is the right answer, Kevin. Well done.

You've triumphed on Music.

Matthew, sorry, you've been knocked out by Kevin. But bravely fought.

Both of you, please, rejoin your team-mates.

So, as it stands the challengers have lost one brain,

the Eggheads have also lost a brain,

so very evenly matched at this stage.

The next subject is Film and Television.

-Which of you would like this?

-I think that was...

-It's me.

-Jill.

Which Egghead, Jill?

-Chris is probably your best bet.

-OK, all right.

I'm assured it's Chris, so I would like to challenge Chris.

Jill from the Old Salts versus our own old salt, Chris.

Please go to the Question Room.

So what is your role with the sailing club, Jill?

Well, for my sins, this year and next year I'm the Commodore

which means I'm in charge, but mainly means organising an awful lot

of social events and the open day and other things like that,

-trying to get people to volunteer to help as well.

-Which is always tricky.

-It certainly is.

-And George Michael ran into you once, not literally.

Not literally but I did end up sailing past him

as I was doing my safety boat training.

I was covered in water, covered in pond weed,

not exactly looking my best but he said we'd been very entertaining

as he'd had his lunch watching us train.

Well, if he's watching maybe he'll now join up with the Goring club.

-How about that?

-That would be great publicity, definitely!

So each of you get three questions on Film and Television.

Jill, would you like the first or second set of questions?

I'd like the first set, please, Jeremy.

Here we go. All the best.

Which comedian was known for his comically inept piano playing?

Well, I learned the piano as a child and my parents quite often

said I was a bit like this gentleman, so I'll plump straight for him.

-It's Les Dawson.

-Les Dawson.

-That's a kind comment by your mum and dad(!)

-They were very kind.

OK, Chris, your question.

Which actor joined the cast of the US TV sitcom

Two And A Half Men in 2011, playing the role of Waldon Schmidt?

Yes, isn't he the replacement for Charlie Sheen,

who fairly seriously blotted his copybook?

Um...

I don't think it's Ashton Kutcher,

a bit of a pretty boy, by all accounts.

And I've never heard of Seann William Scott.

So I'll go with Ryan Reynolds.

OK, Ryan Reynolds. I like the idea

that because he is "a bit of a pretty boy",

he can't be allowed on television.

-Was that your reason for ruling him out?

-Yeah.

-Haha!

-It is Ashton Kutcher.

-Oh, right, OK.

Sorry, Chris, you were wrong there.

Jill, this is good. You're in the lead.

In Coronation Street, who was publicly revealed

to be the father of Tracy Barlow's daughter, Amy, in 2004?

Well, she tried blaming various people beforehand,

so she could well have tried all of those,

-but the person she actually named was Steve McDonald.

-Very good indeed.

It is Steve McDonald.

Whenever I ask a question like that, I think you've either got it

or you haven't with Coronation Street, you either know or you don't. Well done, Jill.

Chris, who plays Bella Swan

in the 2009 film The Twilight Saga: New Moon?

Another choice of three American Z-Listers. Um...

It's not Kirsten Dunst, and I don't think it's Katherine Heigl.

-It's Kristen Stewart.

-Kristen Stewart is the right answer.

Right, Jill, this is good. If you get this one right, you've knocked Chris out.

Who directed the 2011 film, Drive, starring Carey Mulligan

and Ryan Gosling?

I think this one might have stumped me. Um...

I've actually not heard of any of them, unfortunately,

so I will take a guess at...

Tomas Alfredson.

Let's see if the Eggheads know. Do you know, guys?

-It's Refn, Nicolas Winding Refn.

-It's Nicolas Winding Refn.

Danish guy. So a chance for Chris to catch up.

Who did Alfred Hitchcock repeatedly describe as "the only actor

"I ever loved in my whole life?"

Well, James Stewart was in Rope.

Anthony Perkins was in Psycho.

Cary Grant was in North by Northwest.

And I think the only actor he ever loved in his life was Cary Grant.

Cary Grant is correct, Chris. You're back in it.

It's Sudden Death now, Jill.

We go to a slightly harder phase,

because I don't give you alternative answers. Ready to roll?

The Rotten Apple was a famous 1956 episode

of which long-running TV police drama?

Um...

I'm going to plump for Z-Cars.

It's kind of one or the other and it's the other.

It's Dixon Of Dock Green.

So if you get this one right, Chris, you're in the final round.

What was the name of the 1990s TV series

that starred Richard Griffiths as a detective turned restaurateur

named Henry Crabb?

Yes, one wonders why an active detective

would be allowed umpteen weeks' time off

to run a restaurant but it was Pie In The Sky.

Pie In The Sky is the right answer. Chris, you're in the final round.

Sorry, Jill, just beat you at the end there.

So you've been knocked out.

Both of you, please, come back to the studio and rejoin your teams.

As it stands, the challengers have lost two brains

and the Eggheads have lost one brain from the final round

and the last subject before the final is Arts and Books.

-It looks like it's you, Emrhys.

-Yeah.

By process of elimination it has to be me. I will try Daphne, I think.

Daphne, so Emrhys from the Old Salts against Daphne,

-a very young salt on the Eggheads side.

-Thank you!

Please go to the Question Room now.

So, Emrhys, you're very big into electric boats?

That's right. Yes, Jeremy.

And you've got some kind of amazing record?

Well, we set an endurance record to show that electric boats

aren't things that just run for a couple of hours.

We did 137 miles up and down the Thames in 30 hours, non-stop.

Wow, so you just charge that off a car battery or something?

Not a car battery. 24 very large batteries.

-Is that the future, do you think?

-It would be good if it was.

It's going that way with cars. It should be the same with boats.

Well, you've managed not to be chosen up until this point

-so good luck in this round.

-OK, thank you.

Three questions for you on Arts and Books and, Emrhys,

you can choose the first or the second set.

I'll go first, please, Jeremy.

Here we go. The Bezukhovs and the Bolkonskys

are two of the central families in which novel?

Hmm... Well, it sounds...

It sounds eastern European, so I would have to say War And Peace.

War And Peace is quite right.

Daphne, over to you.

The phrases "murder most foul" and "what dreams may come"

are from which Shakespeare play?

-Hamlet.

-Hamlet is the correct answer.

OK, Emrhys, over to you.

In the Blandings books by PG Woodhouse,

who is the owner of Blandings Castle?

Um...

I would say it was Lord Emsworth.

Well done. You're quite right. Lord Emsworth it was.

An easy one to get wrong.

OK, Daphne, the novel The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie is primarily set

in an Edinburgh school during which decade of the 20th century?

It's going to have to be a guess but I would guess the 1930s.

The 1930s. Chris says yes, very strongly. 1930s is the right answer.

OK, back to you, Emrhys.

The Duchess of Alba and The Marquesa De La Solana

are subjects of portraits by which Spanish artist?

Hmm...

I would, I'm not going to be confident on this one. Um...

I would say Velazquez.

-Now I heard someone on your team say something else.

-Goya.

-Goya is the answer, yeah.

-That was going to be my other choice.

Sorry, not Velazquez, but Goya.

So you have a chance now, Daphne, to take the round.

Southern Mail, Night Flight

and Flights to Arras are works by which French author?

Sorry, I'm just trying to have a think. Um...

I don't think it's Camus.

I hope everybody's not sort of hitting the deck.

I'm going to go for Antione de Saint-Exupery.

It is the answer. You've got it absolutely right, Daphne.

Antione de Saint-Exupery.

So you've done it, you've got the round.

I was certainly you were going to Sudden Death,

-and Emrhys, she just suddenly whizzed past you.

-Yeah.

-And I thought of Goya as well.

-I'm really sorry.

Anyway, you won't be in the final, Daphne will.

If you come back to us, we will play the final round.

So this is what we have 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 that's Emrhys, Jill and Matthew from the Old Salts,

and Dave from the Eggheads.

Would you please now leave the studio.

John and Michael, you are playing to win the Old Salts £9,000.

Judith, Kevin, Daphne and Chris, you are 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 can confer.

So, the Old Salts, the question is,

are your two brains better than the Eggheads' four?

-We'll see.

-Good luck. Get the boats out, get the gunships out.

And here we go. Do you want the first

-or the second set of questions?

-We'll go first, please.

And here is your first question. In the game of French cricket,

bowlers attempt to hit which part of the batsmen's body with the ball?

-I think we are pretty sure on that one.

-Yes, we are.

-It's legs.

Legs is the right answer.

OK, Eggheads, the word Sweeney is a traditional slang term

for members of which type of police unit?

-Flying Squad.

-Flying Squad.

"It's the Sweeney, son and we haven't had any dinner

-"because you've kept us waiting."

-What did you say, Chris?

"We're the Sweeney, son. We haven't had any dinner

"cos you've kept us waiting, so if you don't want a kicking,"

and that's Jack Regan and the Flying Squad.

-Flying Squad.

-Flying Squad's your answer. Yeah, you're right. OK.

They're not always this dramatic, by the way.

You've done something to them. OK, your question.

What animal's name is an old-fashioned term for money?

-I'm pretty sure that that's rhino.

-Yes, I'm sure it's rhino as well.

-It's rhino, Jeremy.

-It is rhino.

They don't really say that any more, do they?

I haven't heard for quite a long time.

-People used the word rhino as the word for money?

-Yeah.

Give me some rhino?

OK, Eggheads, by what name is the God, Bacchus, also known?

-Dionysus, Judith.

-That's Dionysus.

Dionysus is right. They don't muck around, that team.

So I would suggest, get this one right.

What is the approximate population of the Isle Of Man?

Have you any ideas, Michael? I'd go for the middle one.

I don't think it can be 850,000. That's far too many.

8,000, I think, is too small, so I think it's 85,000.

-OK. I'll go with you. 85,000.

-85,000 is correct.

Playing really well, you two.

You've gone three questions without a problem,

so let's see what happens here.

Each string on a harpsichord is plucked by a part with what name?

And if you get this wrong, the contest is over.

It's not a bow.

-Plectrum?

-I thought it was a plectrum.

It plucks it.

It's a little piece of quill, actually, a bird's feather.

So it plucks it.

Shall we say plectrum?

With a piano, it's hit. With a harpsichord, they're plucked.

I'm inclined to say plectrum.

OK. 95%, plectrum.

The way Chris described it was almost as if he was playing

a harpsichord as he said it, it was that real.

-You've seen it done?

-Yeah.

-You've seen someone with this little piece.

-I've seen inside of a harpsichord.

-You're certain it's a plectrum?

That's what I'd call it because that's how you play a guitar string

-and it's the same action.

-If you're wrong, you've been defeated again.

The correct answer is plectrum. Well done, Chris.

OK, so we go to Sudden Death. It's a bit exciting here.

Not everyone gets to Sudden Death in the final round. In fact, very few do.

And it gets a bit tougher because I don't give you alternatives.

In 2010, Mary McKillop became the first person from which country to be canonised?

I've no idea.

Sounds Irish, doesn't it,

but they must have had more people from Ireland before, surely?

-Not necessarily canonised.

-No.

I think it's probably as good a bet as any.

We don't know but we'll try Ireland.

-Let's see if the Eggheads know.

-Australia.

-Australia is the answer.

So that means that they can take the contest with this one question.

On Sudden Death, Jackson Hole is a valley in which US state?

-Wyoming.

-Wyoming. Definitely.

-Political meetings are held there.

It's the site for a conference of political leaders.

-Isn't there a golf course as well?

-Might be, but it is Wyoming,

-definitely.

-Definitely Wyoming. We are all agreed it is Wyoming.

Wyoming is the correct answer. Congratulations, you have won.

I sometimes wonder if getting beaten by the Eggheads is almost as much fun as winning.

Oh, yes, absolutely!

-Seeing them in their pomp.

-That's right.

-Indeed.

So, well done anyway for taking it this far. Commiserations to you.

The Eggheads have done what comes naturally to them increasingly.

And their winning streak continues. It does mean you won't be going home

with the £9,000 so the money rolls over to our next show.

Eggheads, very well done again. Who will beat you, I wonder?

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

have the brains to defeat the Eggheads.

£10,000 says they don't. Until then, goodbye.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd