Episode 106 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 awesome quiz champions today are...

Now, this family and friends team all quiz together at their local,

The Cleveland, in Redcar.

Let's meet them.

Hello, I'm Gordon, I'm 65

and I am a retired offshore gas production operator.

I'm Alan, I'm 69, I'm a retired offshore production operator.

Hello, I'm Peter, I'm 62

and I am a retired engineer from the steel industry.

Hello, I'm Mandy, I'm 49 and I'm a nurse.

Hello, I'm Vincent, I'm 51 and I'm a retired tax inspector.

Gordon's team, welcome. Good to see you. So The Cleveland is your pub?

It is, yes.

It's just your typical, good local pub with good beer

and a very good quiz on a Wednesday evening, which we go to.

Sounds like the quiz is more important than the beer.

-Oh, no, the beer is brewed on the premises!

-Oh, OK, fine.

OK, I stand corrected.

Gordon, you've got a bit of Mastermind history, I gather.

Yes, I've been on a couple of times - 1986 and 2004.

-Right, and how did you do?

-Not as good as these guys.

I have got an average score of 24,

but it was never good enough to progress to the next round.

OK, but you are a quizzer, I can tell.

Well, good luck to you, Clevelanders.

Every day, there is £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.

I can tell you that the Eggheads have won the last ten games,

which means £11,000 says you can't beat them today.

You flinched when I said that, Alan. Is that bad news, ten?

-THEY LAUGH

-Not enough, or too many?

-It doesn't look good!

-You mean they're on a streak?

-Yes!

Well, you've got to bring a stop to it, in whatever way you can.

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

-Who would like this?

-I think we decided that's going to be Vincent.

Yes, I don't know if I'd like it, but I've been chosen!

OK, Vincent, and against which Egghead?

They're all sitting there grinning in that fatal way.

-Can we choose Chris, or...?

-Choose who you like.

-Chris?

I think you want to take Chris on in History, don't you?

-Not particularly.

-OK, take Chris.

-I choose Chris.

OK, Vincent from The Clevelanders versus Chris from the Eggheads.

To ensure there is no conferring,

please take your positions in the Question Room.

Let's talk about music, Vincent.

You like a whole load of different music, I understand.

I like reggae, I like folk music, I like everything by Bob Dylan,

almost everything by Bob Dylan.

Erm, but I also listen to jazz and all sorts of things.

The trouble is, very little of it post-1985.

-JEREMY LAUGHS

-You're the same as me, in that case.

What do you think of reggae, Chris? I've never asked you that before.

Actually, I quite like reggae. Yeah, I do not mind a nice bit of reggae.

-Some of the early Marley.

-Yeah, he was a complete genius, wasn't he?

I never heard that from you before, Chris.

Interesting. We like to hear about things you like.

So, with Music, Vincent, your choice - first or second?

I'll go second, please, Jeremy.

Here we go, Chris.

"A little bit of Monica in my life/ A little bit of Erica by my side"

are lyrics from which bestselling single?

That is Mambo No 5, Jeremy.

Mambo No 5 it is.

OK, over to you, Vincent.

Davy Jones, later a member of The Monkees, made his Broadway

debut playing which role in the musical Oliver! in 1963?

I don't know this, but he wouldn't have been old enough for Fagin.

I think the best guess is probably the Artful Dodger.

Artful Dodger is the right answer. Well done to you.

OK, Chris, your question.

For which album did Pulp win the Mercury Prize in 1996?

I have an idea that was Different Class.

Is he right, Vincent, or is this outside your time frame?

I don't know, but I think he might well be right.

Yeah, you're right, Chris, Different Class it is.

Back to you, Vincent, for your second question.

In 1996, Gary Cherone became the vocalist with which group?

And Cherone, Vincent, is spelt C-H-E-R-O-N-E.

I am not sure that Iron Maiden have changed their vocalist,

have they? Perhaps they have. I am guessing, I'll go for Van Halen.

You have got it right. Van Halen.

Chris, your third question.

The form of baroque music in which the music is passed between

an orchestra and a small group of soloists is known by what name?

That is a concerto grosso, Jeremy.

"Great concerto".

Yes, you're right. So that's the danger of going second, Vincent.

He can get three in a row, which puts you under a bit of pressure.

If you get this one wrong, you're going to be knocked out. Here we go.

Which jazz saxophonist was known as The Sound?

It wasn't Charlie Parker, because he was Bird.

It could've been either of the other two for all I know. Um...

It sounds like a cool name and Stan Getz was cool West Coast jazz,

so I will say Stan Getz.

You're very good at playing this game. Stan Getz is correct.

CLEVELANDERS: Well done.

Three out of three, we go to Sudden Death.

Chris's question first. Gets a bit harder.

As you know, Chris, I don't give you alternative answers.

Adam Levine found fame as the lead singer with which American band

whose UK hits have included Makes Me Wonder and She Will Be Loved?

Hmm.

Journey?

Journey. Ooh, where did that come from?

-Back of the mind.

-Yeah. Anyone know?

-Maroon 5.

-Maroon 5.

-Uh-huh.

OK, your question, Vincent.

Get this right, you're in the final round.

Which girl band released the single Wings in 2012?

I know absolutely nothing about girl bands.

I have never heard of Wings, except as Paul McCartney's group.

It's got to be someone who is still around. Pussycat Dolls.

It's Little Mix.

Chris, your Sudden Death question.

Who composed the music and wrote the lyrics for the song Be A Clown,

used in the 1948 film musical the Pirate,

starring Judy Garland and Gene Kelly?

Johnny Mercer.

-No, Cole Porter.

-Cole Porter!

So, Vincent, if you get this one right, you have taken it.

Who arranged the Fantasia On British Sea Songs that is regularly

played at the Last Night Of The Proms at the Royal Albert Hall?

HE SIGHS

I don't know... I don't know if this was Elgar or whether...

No. My first thought was it might be Elgar, but I'm not sure.

I've got something telling me that it might have been early conductor of the Proms, Henry Wood.

You are bang on. Henry Wood it was.

THE CLEVELANDERS CHEER

Ah-ha-ha! Excellent play! Vincent, well done.

You have knocked out Chris and that is first blood to your team,

The Clevelanders. Well done.

If you both come back and rejoin your teams, we will play on.

So, we say well done to Vincent. As it stands,

The Clevelanders have not lost a brain from the final round.

The Eggheads have lost a brain already. What is going on?

We shall see. The next subject is Politics.

They are the kings of the comeback, so you have to keep fighting here.

-Who wants this?

-I think I was going to take Politics, wasn't I?

-I'll take Politics.

-Peter, against...?

Eh, Tremendous Knowledge Dave, I think.

OK, so Peter from The Clevelanders against Tremendous Knowledge Dave

on Politics. Please go to the Question Room.

-Peter, you had a long time in the steel industry?

-Yeah, 40 years.

OK, bit of steel needed here against Tremendous Knowledge Dave.

-Shall try!

-I gather that you invented a piece of equipment that

is now used in steelworks around the world. Tell us.

It's a very specialised piece of equipment for measuring

the internal alignments of casting machines.

And so this has been rolled out in factories across the world?

Yeah, I invented it for use in this country

and we built one for each of the British steelworks,

but it was so popular that we decide to sell it under licence.

So you had a patent and you saw your invention replicated everywhere?

-About 300 or 400 steelworks around the world, yes.

-How does that feel?

It felt great when I used to go and visit them and see it stood in the corner.

OK, well, well done on that and good luck in this round as well.

-Thank you.

-Politics, and you can go first or second.

-I shall try first.

Here we go.

Whose government was discredited by what is known as the Profumo Affair?

I think it was a Tory government.

Certainly not as old as David Lloyd George.

So it won't be James Callaghan. So I suspect it is Harold Macmillan.

Harold Macmillan is the right answer.

Tremendous Knowledge Dave, your question.

Established by an Act of Parliament in 2004,

the ORR is the Office of what?

Looking at that, I might have to go Rail Regulation.

It is the Office of Rail Regulation. You're right.

-We must be running out of acronyms in this country.

-Yeah, definitely!

Can't be that many left!

OK, Peter.

In 2012, which former MP performed at Covent Garden

in the non-singing role of the Duchesse de Crakentorp

in an opera by Donizetti?

Oh, I have no idea on this one.

I don't think it will be Shirley Williams.

I think she's a bit too serious.

Um, I would suspect it is maybe Ann Widdecombe.

Ann Widdecombe is the right answer.

OK, Dave, your question.

The Espace Leopold is a complex of parliament buildings in which city?

Can you spell it for me, please?

Yeah, Espace is E-S-P-A-C-E, and then Leopold is as you would

spell "Leopold" but with an accent on the E.

Have to go Brussels.

Brussels is the right answer, well done. So, two each.

And we go back to you, Peter.

"Return to normalcy" was a campaign slogan used by which US President?

All well before my time,

and I'm not particularly knowledgeable on presidents.

So it is going to be an almost...

almost a complete guess.

I will say Theodore Roosevelt.

-Any Eggs?

-I would go for Harding.

Kevin is right, Harding. Warren Harding is the answer.

Dave, your question. Get this right, you are in the final round.

Which American political commentator popularised the phrase

"Cold War" in his 1947 book of the same name?

Hmm. I'm not...

Hal Hendrix is just staring out at me, but have I got any real basis?

-I'll go Hal Hendrix.

-No, Walter Lippmann is the correct answer.

So we go to Sudden Death.

-Peter, gets a bit harder, I don't give you alternatives.

-OK.

Early in his writing career, which 19th-century novelist reported for

his uncle's publication The Mirror Of Parliament, a rival to Hansard?

Um...

Don't know the answer to the question, so I will have a guess.

I'll just say Charles Dickens.

Charles Dickens is the right answer.

Yes, good answer, cos he was a sketchwriter, wasn't he,

up in the House of Commons.

OK, so now you're on the back foot, Dave.

You need to get this one right.

The 2012 book The Man Without A Face, by Masha Gessen,

is a study of which Russian politician?

I'll go Vladimir Putin.

-Vladimir Putin is correct.

-Oh, right!

Sorry, Peter, it goes on.

Joachim Gauck became president of which country in March 2012?

It's J-O-A-C-H-I-M, and then Gauck is G-A-U-C-K.

Joachim Gauck.

No, don't know the answer immediately, so I'll have a guess.

Um, the Ukraine.

No, Germany. Closer to home than that.

OK, Dave, get this right, you are in the final.

In his famous speech of January 1918,

how many points were listed by US President Woodrow Wilson

as he outlined his proposals for the post-World War I peace settlement?

14.

14 is your answer.

Is that well-known in quizland, Dave?

-I didn't know that.

-Well, it must be well-known if I know it!

-LAUGHTER

-You're very modest. Very modest.

Too modest, because you got it right. 14 it is. Sorry, Peter.

He's knocked you out on Sudden Death, but you played him close.

Well done. Do, both of you, please rejoin your team-mates.

-So, analysis at this point, Gordon? How are we doing?

-We're doing OK.

OK, lost one, but we have beaten one, so that is pretty good.

Definitely putting up a fight, no question about that.

As it stands, The Clevelanders have lost a brain, so have the Eggheads.

We play on and the next subject is Sport. Is this good?

-Yes.

-Yeah.

-Alan is going to do Sport.

-Alan on Sport. OK, Alan.

-Which Egghead?

-Who do you fancy?

-Kevin, I think we will take.

-Oh, he's going to go for the...

-Kevin?

-Brave man!

-Very determined.

Kevin was knocked out in the last game,

so we don't know what kind of mood he's in. It's Alan...

-THEY LAUGH

-Thanks for that!

Alan from The Clevelanders versus Kevin from the Eggheads.

To ensure there is no conferring, please take your positions.

So, Alan, in your time, you have done quite a bit of travelling,

and I know that that has come to an end now.

Yes, most of it was involuntary travelling to work.

Via helicopters. Please, don't ever use one.

Yeah, I was going to say, to oil rigs and stuff, is it?

-Oil rigs for 22 years, yes.

-And meanwhile, had six children.

Mm, yes. Up to now.

LAUGHTER

Well, let us know if you have got a seventh on the way. Do tell!

OK, so you're up against Kevin here.

-You can choose whether to go first or second.

-I'll go first.

Here we go, good luck to you, Alan.

In which year did the tennis player Novak Djokovic first reach

number one in the ATP world rankings?

Er, I think 2005 is too early.

I think 2008 is too early. I think the answer is 2011.

Very good, absolutely bang on with that. 2011. I never know -

you say "two thousand and eleven", I say "20-11".

We'll never sort it out, will we?

OK, Kevin.

Which England player was the top goal-scorer at the Euro 96

football championship?

-Euro 96?

-Yes.

-That's one that was held in England.

Much too early for Rooney, and Gary Neville played further back.

It will be Alan Shearer.

It was indeed Alan Shearer. You're right. OK, your question, Alan.

The Formula 1 driver, Valtteri Bottas, was born in which country?

Could you repeat the name?

Yes, it's V-A-L-T-T-E-R-I,

Valtteri, and then Bottas, B-O-T-T-A-S.

I've never heard of him, so I will just make an educated guess.

-I will say Venezuela.

-Sounds a little bit Venezuelan, but it's not.

It's Finland.

OK, Kevin, to take the lead.

The winners of the rugby union Six Nations match between Italy

and France win a trophy named after which famous Italian?

Well, before the choices came up, Garibaldi sprang to mind.

I don't know it as such, but that is obviously a factor.

And Garibaldi, although he is famous as an Italian patriot,

was actually born in Nice.

So there is a connection between the two countries.

So I would go for Garibaldi.

You're quite right, Garibaldi it is.

Alan, your question. You need to get this one right.

Who was first appointed president

of the International Association of Athletics Federations in 1999?

Once again, I have never heard of ANY of the three people involved.

So...

..Lennart Johannson.

It is Lamine Diack, Alan, I'm sorry.

So two questions wrong means that Kevin has knocked you out,

no way back for you. You will not be in the final round and Kevin will.

Please come back and we will play on.

So, as it stands, The Clevelanders have lost two

brains from the final round whilst the Eggheads have lost one.

The next subject is Geography. Who would like this?

I think that's me, isn't it?

-Mandy is going to take Geography.

-OK, Mandy.

-Which of the Eggheads do you want to play?

-Barry.

-Barry or Daphne?

-Barry, please.

-You said that with some conviction.

-Daphne knows everything.

-She does, she is amazing!

-She is amazing, you're so right.

-It's all in there with Daphne, we just don't know how it comes out.

-It is, it is. So, still want to go with Barry?

-Yes, please.

Mandy from The Clevelanders versus Barry from the Eggheads

on Geography, please go to the Question Room.

So I gather you may not be going back to Italy for a while, Mandy.

-Why not?

-I've had a few experiences.

I got trapped there in the ash cloud.

Forgotten what year that was now! Had to come back by train.

I was there when they had the earthquake and, quite recently,

I got stuck for seven-and-a-half hours on the runway because of snow.

So maybe its just not meant to be, then?

Well, it's too tempting, isn't it? You've got to go back.

But there's a lot of quiz material in your experiences,

because we had the Icelandic mountain, the volcano came up

the other day, so may be useful in this round, who knows?

Anyway, Geography, Mandy, perfect subject for you,

-and would you like to go first or second?

-I'll go second, please.

Here we go, Barry. The island of Bali lies approximately two miles

east of which other island?

Bali is one of the Indonesian islands,

and the only other Indonesian island there is Java, so that is my answer.

And you're quite right, Java it is.

Mandy, which of these European destinations is served by ferry

from the Port of Hull?

-It's Rotterdam.

-Straight there.

-I've got family in Hull.

-I've been on the Hull ferries.

-Yeah, absolutely right, Rotterdam it is.

Over to Barry, question two.

The historic market town of Ringwood lies close to which national park?

I have not heard of Ringwood, so it is definitely

not in the North York Moors, cos I know all the towns there.

I am pretty certain it is not in Northumberland,

so I shall go for the New Forest.

New Forest is quite right.

Yeah, it's sort of Southampton area, isn't it?

-Kevin's neck of the woods.

-It's reasonably close to Southampton.

The New Forest is in-between,

-Ringwood is on the western edge of the New Forest.

-Yeah.

Mandy, your question.

Which river is formed by the confluence of the Jefferson,

Madison and Gallatin Rivers near Three Forks, Montana?

I'm thinking Potomac is sort of Washington area.

Missouri is pretty long, isn't it, down in the southeast.

I'm going to pick Colorado.

Yeah, I might have done the same. It's not, though, it's Missouri.

-It is very long!

-Yeah.

Means that Barry is in the lead

and will be in the final if he gets this right.

Which European language is the official language

of the country of South Sudan?

South Sudan. It's not Spanish.

There's only a couple of countries in Africa that have

Spanish as the official language.

And although most of the Sahara and sub-Sahara are French-speaking,

Sudan, I believe, was controlled by the English for a large period

of its recent history, so I believe it would be English.

Nicely done, Barry. You are absolutely right, English it is.

You have taken around. Sorry, Mandy.

He's knocked you out there with his three correct answers,

which does happen with Barry.

Please come back, rejoin your team-mates,

and we will play the final round.

So, this is what we have been playing towards.

It is time for the final round which, as always,

is General Knowledge.

But I'm afraid those of you who lost your head-to-heads won't be

allowed to take part in this round.

So, Alan, Peter and Mandy from The Clevelanders, and also

Chris from the Eggheads, would you please now leave the studio?

Gordon and Vincent, you're playing to win The Clevelanders £11,000.

Kevin, Dave, Daphne and Barry, you are playing for something that

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

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

this time the questions are all general knowledge.

You're allowed to confer, gentlemen. So, Clevelanders, the question is,

are your two brains better than the Eggheads' four?

And would you like to go first or second?

We have discussed it and we would like to go first, please, Jeremy.

Good luck. Which of these garments traditionally has a hood

and is fastened with toggles?

That sounds to me like a duffel coat, don't you...? Pretty much.

-Yeah, duffel coat, Jeremy.

-Duffel coat is the right answer, well done.

Over to you, Eggheads.

Which celebrity married her third husband, Kieran Hayler,

in January 2013?

Katie Price, isn't it? I'm pretty sure. I'm pretty sure.

-Well, Katie Price definitely got married.

-Yeah, yeah.

-Definitely got married, yeah.

-Yeah, that was Katie Price.

Apparently, she had been to a fortune-teller who told her

she would marry somebody with the name "Kevin",

and she thought that sounded close.

-Is that right?

-Yes! Yes.

Katie Price is the right answer. Well done.

You see, they know their high culture

but they also know their Jordans.

Jordan in the Middle East and Jordan in Hello! You know them all.

OK, the next question is for Gordon and Vincent.

The 2013 film This Is 40 was billed as a "sort of sequel" to which film?

VINCENT SIGHS

-Do you know that?

-Well, not really. I don't... I certainly don't know it.

I heard something about this on the radio,

and Knocked Up is ringing a bell.

-Yes, it is a little with me.

-With you?

The only film that is sort of ringing some bells with us both,

just pure instinct, really, we think it could be Knocked Up.

Knocked Up is the right answer. Well done, two out of two.

Team-mates are clapping back there.

Eggheads, the Chinese New Year that began in February 2013

is known as the year of the what?

EGGHEADS: Snake.

Yeah, yeah.

It is the Snake.

It is indeed the Snake.

I was born in '65. Was '65 the Snake?

You know how they go back there?

-How do you work it out?

-12 years.

-It's a 12-year cycle.

-12 years?

-So it can't have been '65, then?

-No.

-No.

-I was not the Snake.

-No.

-I was something else.

-You'd probably be would tell me, wouldn't you?

-Eventually.

Eventually, yeah. THEY LAUGH

OK, let's not worry about it now.

So it's two points each, final round, you're playing well.

Here is your next question. In military history,

the Wellington bomber was designed in the 1930s by which company?

-(OK on that one?)

-Mm-hmm. I don't know, but you will.

Vickers Armstrong.

Oh, you got straight there.

Vickers Armstrong is correct.

Vickers Armstrong is right. Well done.

Three out of three. Your team-mates could expect no more.

Playing very well, the two of you. Eggheads, here we are again.

You have played some very good Challengers recently.

So, if you get this one wrong, the contest is over and you have lost.

Your precious reputation in pieces on the floor.

The bumblebee bat, regarded as one of the world's smallest mammals,

is native to which part of the world?

Ah, really should know this, but I don't.

-I don't think it is Australasia.

-Think it's Australasia?

No.

My...

My first instinct was South America, but I have no...

-Oh, gosh, could be from South East Asia.

-Yeah, well, yes, I don't know.

-Why do you think it's South East Asia?

-Don't know, just a gut feel.

I have nothing to back it up with.

OK. Don't know why I thought that.

It came into my mind before the choices came up. But I don't know.

Well, on the basis that it came into your mind first,

I generally go with things like that.

It is tenuous, isn't it?

-We don't know, but we're going to guess at South America.

-OK.

You were chairing that discussion, Daphne?

-Yes.

-And you had Barry and Kevin

both with the merest glimmer of something.

Why did you go with Kevin?

Because Kevin thought it was that before he saw the options.

Kevin's admitted in a recent game he is very bad at guessing.

You didn't apply that or discount his suggestion on that basis.

Kevin overall is good at guessing.

Well, in this case, I'm afraid,

the inkle that came from the side of the table has cost you the game.

It's South East Asia.

We say congratulations, Clevelanders. You have won!

JEREMY LAUGHS

Well... Well, well, well!

And they played very well, these Challengers.

-Yes.

-Very, very good.

Got three right in the final round, brilliantly done on that last question. What can I say?

It was very interesting watching poor old Barry there.

I don't think he had any less of an idea than Kevin and you ignored him!

No, but we... My general rule is if something comes into your mind

before you hear the question, it is almost certainly right.

-First instinct.

-I see, I see.

-That is the rule.

-That's the rule. OK.

-Yes.

Well, they play it a certain way, the Eggheads.

Best not to enquire quite what goes on around that table.

-But the main thing is, you've won.

-Don't need to know how, just...

-JEREMY LAUGHS

-That's good. Good for you, Gordon.

You've had a couple of routings on Mastermind and you come here and take the jackpot.

Well, that is a bit of compensation, isn't it?

Absolutely, just what I was thinking. A proper quizzing team.

Well done to you both and to your team-mates as well.

Congratulations to The Clevelanders.

You have won the jackpot on Eggheads of £11,000.

You are therefore officially cleverer than

-the Eggheads over here.

-I don't think so!

You have proved certainly that they can be beaten.

Do join us next time on Eggheads to see if a new team of Challengers will be just as successful.

Until then, goodbye.