Episode 108 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 Goliaths today are...

Now, this team of colleagues all work for the same

publishing company based in Cambridge

and each take part in the office quiz. Let's meet them.

Hi. My name's Pete, I'm 34 years old and I'm a circulation manager.

Hi. I'm Warren, I'm 39 and I'm a publishing director.

Hi. My name's Darren, I'm 36 years old and I'm a sales manager.

Hi. I'm Jon, I'm 32 and I'm an advertising manager.

Hi. My name's Tom, I'm 60 years of age and I'm editor in chief.

So, Pete and team, welcome. Good to see you.

What kind of publishing do you do, then, Pete?

We are five scientific magazines.

It's the kind of differing variations of science when it comes to things

like optics, lasers,

the nitty-grittiness, really, of actual scientists.

-Highly specialised.

-Pretty specialised, yeah.

Would I be right in assuming you're hoping that science will come up?

We have a strong scientist in our team, yeah.

-Just the one?

-We have a doctor in our team,

so hoping for science definitely to come up.

-Definitely hoping that science WON'T come up!

-OK.

You're called the Beer Run Quizzers. Why? Where does...?

I haven't heard a mention of beer yet.

We work hard Monday to Thursday

and on a Friday, four o'clock-ish,

we have a quiz to see who does the beer run

which is who goes to get the beer.

The loser of the quiz, basically, goes to get that from the local shop.

We'll have to have the same thing here, won't we? I think.

-So, if they lose, they buy the beer.

-I'm happy with that, yeah.

-Good. OK.

Well, good luck to you. Every day, there is £1,000 worth of cash

up for grabs for our Challengers.

However, if they fail to defeat the Eggheads,

the prize money rolls over to the next show.

So, Beer Run Quizzers, the Eggheads have won just the last game

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

The first head-to-head battle is on the subject of Arts & Books.

Who would like this?

What's our thoughts?

Might have to be you. Might be you, Pete.

Are we sacrificing? Are we sacrificing early?

-Looks like we're sacrificing early and I'm going in.

-OK.

You're going in, Pete, against which Egghead?

Any of them can be called forwards.

I'm going against the smiling assassin that is Barry.

Barry. The Brain, we call him, cos he recently won

Brain of Britain. OK. So, Pete from the Beer Run Quizzers

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

would you please take your positions in the Question Room?

Pete, it's been drawn to my attention that we share

-the same surname.

-Yes, we do.

-Have you been a Vine for very long?

-For 34 years.

-Not just changed it for this afternoon?

-I wish.

-It's a great one.

-It will give you the edge, you realise that?

-I hope so.

-Good luck beating Barry.

-Not that we're ganging up on you, Barry, you understand.

-Course not.

It's Arts & Books, Pete, and you can choose

-whether you go first or second.

-I'll go first, please.

Here is your first question.

Who created the series of Spot The Dog children's books

first published in 1980?

Right. Well, I've been put in as the sacrificial lamb

when it comes to Arts & Books, so a lot of this will be difficult for me.

The name that really kind of sticks out for me is Raymond Briggs,

so I'll go with that.

It was actually Eric Hill who did Spot The Dog, Pete.

-Bad start.

-Barry, your question.

The artists Sisley, Pissarro and Renoir

are most often described as what type of artists?

They're not Surrealists

and they're much too late to be Pre-Raphaelite. So, Impressionists.

They are Impressionists. Correct.

OK.

Fallen behind, Pete, but don't worry, here is your next question.

To Autumn, a poem by John Keats, starts with the line,

"Season of mists and mellow..." what?

Wistfulness...

Erm, again, it's just a guess,

but I'm going to go with...

fruitfulness.

You are in touch with the spirit of John Keats.

You got it right. Well done.

It was fruitfulness. OK. Your question, Barry.

In George Orwell's novel Animal Farm,

what type of creature is Benjamin?

Ah. Benjamin, I think, was one of the workhorses of Animal Farm

and I believe he was a somewhat bolshie donkey.

Donkey is right. Well done. So, this is awkward, Pete.

Cos you got the first one wrong, you've got to get this one right,

otherwise Barry will have won. The Gate Of Calais,

otherwise known as O, The Roast Beef Of Old England,

is the 1748 painting by which artist?

To be fair, the only two names that kind of jump off the page,

as it were, are probably Hogarth and Constable,

actual painters that I recognise.

I'm again shooting in the dark.

I'm going to shoot straight down the middle at William Hogarth.

William Hogarth is the right answer.

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

Here we are. Third question to the Brain.

Which critic famously wrote that he doubted he could love anyone

who did not wish to see Look Back In Anger?

Well, I don't know the answer to this one,

but it sounds very much indeed like something Kenneth Tynan

would say, so that's my answer.

Kenneth Tynan is the right answer, Barry. Very well done. You got it.

Three out of three. Sorry, Pete.

-He's very good on Arts & Books, among other things.

-He is good.

Anyway, although you've been knocked out,

there's plenty of time still to recover for your team.

Please come back, rejoin your team-mates.

As it stands, the Beer Run Quizzers have lost one brain

from the final round, the Eggheads have not lost a brain

and the next subject is Science.

How about that?

-Thankfully, we have a doctor on our team, so we'll send him in.

-OK.

-Tom against anyone but Barry.

-Who shall we go with?

-Pat or Daphne.

-One of the two.

-I think Pat.

-We'll go with Pat, please.

So, Tom from the Beer Run Quizzers versus Pat from the Eggheads.

And the upside here, Pat, is if you fall ill in the Question Room,

there is a doctor present already.

I've got a nasty rash...

We may not have time for that!

To ensure there's no conferring, please take your leave of us.

So, Tom, what sort of a doctor are you, if you don't mind me saying? Are you a medical doctor?

No, my wife always tells me that I'm the wrong type of doctor.

-No, it was physics.

-Oh, I see. A doctor in physics.

-Yep.

-So, you couldn't heal Pat, but you could lift him.

-Er, yes.

OK. Good luck in this round. Would you like to go first or second?

I'd prefer to go first, please.

Here we go with your first question. On computer keyboards,

which word is represented by the abbreviation CTRL?

It would be the right-hand one, control.

Control is correct.

OK, Pat.

An object whose shape offers the least possible resistance

to a current of air or water is said to be what?

Such a shape encourages fluid to flow along it

in a streamlined fashioned, so it's a streamlined shape.

Streamlined is the right answer.

Back to you, Tom.

What type of creature is the whimbrel found on Shetland?

Well, my...

I don't know this at all.

I would not think that it's a crab. I've not heard of crabs on Shetland.

I have a horrid feeling that if I go for rabbit,

you will then tell me that, actually, there are no rabbits

on Shetland at all which would suggest a bird. Erm...

I think despite the reasoning that I've just done...

..I think I'll go for a rabbit.

When you said, "Despite the reasoning I've just done,"

I was wondering where you were going to end up.

It was brilliant up to the moment where you decided it was wrong

cos it's bird. Sorry, Tom.

Pat, your question.

In which year did the German chemist Martin Heinrich Klaproth

discover uranium?

Bit tricky.

I've heard of his name. I knew he discovered uranium,

but I'm not sure when he did so.

It's going to be a guess.

I think I'll go down the middle for 1789.

Poetic justice, really. You shouldn't be getting it right

because Tom's guess was wrong, but you have guessed correctly. 1789.

OK. Tom, your question.

Which of these is the term for the ability of some materials

to absorb large amounts of moisture

until they eventually form a solution?

Well, the efflorescence is about flowering.

Constringence is about shrinking together.

Deliquescence sounds vaguely liquidy to me,

so I will go with deliquescence.

I'm thinking we're listening to a doctor of physics there.

Well done. Deliquescence it is.

Now, if Pat gets this wrong, we go to Sudden Death.

You're still in it. Here we go, Pat.

The Divided Self published in 1960 was an influential book

by which psychiatrist?

I think this chap was very well-known but pretty controversial. Erm...

I think it's RD Laing.

RD Laing is the right answer, Pat. I'm sorry, Tom.

You've been knocked out. It's sometimes very costly

to get one wrong. You won't be in the final and Pat will.

Please, both of you, return to your teams.

OK. As it stands, the Beer Run Quizzers have lost two brains.

I'm just wondering if we're worrying about buying the beer here.

There could have to be a beer moment.

-It's getting that way, isn't it?

-The Eggheads have not lost a brain

and the next subject for you is History.

-Who would like this?

-You, Darren?

-I think you're right.

-Darren.

-That'll have to be me.

-Darren? OK.

-Which Egghead would you like to take on?

-I think Daphne.

-I'll go for Daphne.

-So, Darren from the Beer Run Quizzers

versus Daphne from the Eggheads, please go to the Question Room now.

OK. So, we're on History.

Darren, would you like to go first or second?

Well, as the other two guys have gone first, I am going to go second.

Here we go. Daphne, your question.

The Imperial Order of the Crown of India

was established by which monarch?

Well, I would hope it's Victoria,

first Empress of India.

Victoria's the right answer. Well done.

OK. Your question, Darren.

In October, 1970, the oil company British Petroleum

announced it had struck oil where?

Ah. That's an interesting question.

I'm going to discount North Wales, I think.

Er...

North Pole sounds a little bit too deep for me for oil exploration

until modern times. I'm going to go for,

despite it seems quite obvious, the North Sea, Jeremy.

The North Sea is the right answer.

Daphne, your question.

Which country invaded Vietnam in February, 1979?

I don't know.

Um...

I just haven't heard this. Um...

..Thailand?

Pretty interesting question. I must say, I didn't know this

had happened. It must have been a very quiet weekend.

-Is it China?

-China is the answer.

So, China it was, Daphne.

OK, Darren.

Your chance to take the lead now, Darren.

Which general led the Texan forces against the Mexican army

at the 1836 Battle of San Jacinto?

I don't know whether to associate Houston...

being with Texan.

Maybe that's something.

I'm going to have to go for Sam Houston, Jeremy.

Sam Houston is the right answer.

Daphne, your question.

-If you get this wrong, Daphne, we know what happens.

-Yeah, out.

So, fingers crossed for you. Here we go, Daphne.

What was the name of the 17th-century Protestant dissenters

who rejected the existing church,

preferring to wait for God's revelation?

They were the...Beseechers.

The Beseechers, you say. Your guessing is normally so good.

But Daphne has guessed wrong. It's not Beseechers, it's Seekers.

-Well done, Darren. You're in the final round.

-Thank you.

How about that?

Maybe things are turning around now. Please come back and we'll play on.

So, as it stands, the Beer Run Quizzers have lost two brains

from the final round and the Eggheads have lost one.

The next subject is Music.

-This is good, right?

-This is pretty good, yeah.

-OK. Jon against which Egghead?

-Chris, I think, please.

-You've got it all worked out.

-Er, there were two left.

-LAUGHTER

-That's true.

So, Jon from the Beer Run Quizzers versus Chris from the Eggheads.

Let's see who ends up buying the ale at the end of this round.

To ensure there's no conferring, please take your positions.

-So, Jon, you were the man on Music.

-Well, I was the man on what was left

and a couple were still there and that was middle of the road.

But you won an award for playing the piano when you were very young?

-Yeah, silver medal. Silver medal. I was robbed.

-Would you tell us...?

-That was at Cambridge Festival?

-Cambridge Music Festival, yeah.

-Playing the piano.

-How old were you?

-11.

-11?

-So, you started young and all that?

-Yeah, and then rugby

and other things took over, but, yeah, I did a few grades,

got robbed in a competition, then left it, bitterly.

OK. Well, good luck in this Music round.

-Do you want to go first or second, Jon?

-I'll go first, please.

Here we go. In 2001, Something Stupid

was a UK Christmas number one single for Robbie Williams

and which actress?

Well, I don't believe it was Anne Hathaway

and I certainly would have remembered if it was Cameron Diaz,

so I'm going to go for Nicole Kidman.

Nicole Kidman is right answer. Nicole Kidman is right. Well done.

That's good. OK, Chris.

Which of these combinations is mentioned in the lyrics of the song

Food, Glorious Food from the musical Oliver?

-Hot sausage and mustard, Jeremy.

-Hot sausage and mustard is correct.

Back to you, Jon.

New Gold Dream and Once Upon A Time were hit albums

in the '80s for which group?

I'm not sure. Our '80s expert is Warren so he'll be...

He'll be looking at this eagerly and reluctantly at the same time.

I don't think it was The Housemartins.

I'm going to go for Level 42.

-Let me ask Warren, here. Who do you think it is?

-I genuinely don't know.

-I'd probably have gone Housemartins but...

-Yeah. No, it's Simple Minds.

We'd have all been wrong.

OK. Chris,

which band had a UK hit single in 1968 with Bend Me, Shape Me?

# Shape me, any way you want me... #

That's Amen Corner.

Amen Corner is correct. We're whizzing along here, so...

you do have to get this one right, Jon.

If you get it wrong, you're out. Which cellist was the owner

of a famous cello known as the Duport Stradivarius?

Duport is D-U-P-O-R-T.

I don't think it was Yo-Yo Ma.

Something rings a bell and it was from a quiz but I'm not sure.

I may have confused myself from another quiz.

But I'm going to go for Jacqueline du Pre.

-Anyone here?

-Might have been tempted by Rostropovich.

Barry says Rostropovich

and that is the right answer. Not Jacqueline du Pre, I'm afraid.

It is Rostropovich and that means, Chris, you've taken the round.

Up against a superior piano player, we can say that for sure.

Jon, bad luck. You won't be in the final.

If you both come back and rejoin your teams, we will play that final round.

So, this is what we have been playing towards.

It is time for that 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, that's Pete, Jon

and Tom from the Beer Run Quizzers

and also Daphne from the Eggheads.

Would you please leave the studio?

Well, Warren and Darren, you are playing to win

the Beer Run Quizzers £2,000.

Chris, Barry, Pat and Judith, 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 are allowed to confer. So, Beer Run Quizzers,

the question is, are your two brains better than the Eggheads' four?

-And would you like to go first or second?

-We'll go first, please.

Good luck.

What shape is the neckline on an crewneck sweater?

-I'd suggest it's round.

-Well, I would go round.

-I would go round.

-I think V is V-necked.

-Yeah. I'd go round.

-OK.

We'll go round, please.

Round is the right answer. Well done.

OK, Eggheads.

In radio communications and signalling,

what is the term Wilco short for?

-I will comply.

-I will comply.

I will comply.

-Is that the answer?

-Yes.

I will comply is the correct answer.

-You said it in a sort of wistful way, Judith.

-Did I?

-Yes, I will comply.

-I'm sorry. Do you want me to shout?

It was like a piece of poetry or something. OK.

Guys,

which major British film studio

is situated in Iver Heath in Buckinghamshire?

-I don't think it's Elstree. I think that's further north...

-OK.

-..middle.

-OK.

-I'd probably go Pinewood.

-Yeah?

-I'd probably go Pinewood.

I think we'll go for Pinewood.

Pinewood is correct.

Two out of two. Well done. Eggheads, the Craven Shield

is a major UK league cup competition in which sport?

-I don't know this one.

-No, it means nothing to me.

There's not much ice hockey gets played.

No, I don't think it would be ice hockey.

It's possible it could be tennis.

-Sport.

-Craven Shield...

Craven says Sheffield to me.

What does Sheffield say to you?

I would say Speedway Sheffield, if he says Sheffield.

I'll go with you.

-OK.

-I don't have any strong views. If you people fancy that...

-What do you think?

-Motorcycle speedway.

They both quite like speedway.

Well, we don't know, as you can see.

But Craven says Sheffield to Chris

and he equates that with motorcycle speedway,

so that's what we're going to say.

-What are they doing in the back?

-Daphne's been going...

-Bananas?

..bananas back there.

-Daphne, are they right?

-Yes.

Oh. Hooray.

-Well done, Chris.

-Chris, well done. You've pulled it out of the fire.

Motorcycle speedway it is.

So, it's very tight, guys.

You've got to get this one right

to keep the pressure on them.

Here's your question, Beer Run Quizzers.

Which 1923 silent film was remade as a talkie in 1929

and as a musical in 1933 with a further three sequels following?

Unfortunately, you're on your own here.

I can't imagine that Hunchback Of Notre Dame would have had a sequel.

Although that was a musical, but much later.

-So I think I'll rule that one out.

-Yep.

Which one...? Merry-Go-Round is too, I don't know...

Seems too musical already.

-I'm happy to go with...

-So, I think, on the basis of nothing at all,

I'm going to go with Gold Diggers.

Gold Diggers is the right answer. Very well played.

These are all Daphne's questions, aren't they, Daphne?

You know all these answers. But you're not here.

Let's see if they fall apart without you, shall we?

You get this one wrong, Eggheads, the contest is over.

Which US airport was originally called the Glenn H Curtiss Airport

after an aviation pioneer of that name?

-I think JFK International was Idlewild.

-Idlewild.

LaGuardia is the Mayor of New York.

-He was mayor in the '50s or '40s, wasn't he?

-Yeah.

So, it's possible. Possible.

I think Newark is Liberty, isn't it?

-Newark's just the name of the place.

-There's a big airport there.

Liberty Airport, Newark.

I'd be inclined to go for LaGuardia.

-So would I.

-Newark's always been Newark, as far as I know.

And JFK was Idlewild.

So, yeah, go with LaGuardia.

The transport correspondent thinks it's LaGuardia.

You've said LaGuardia.

-Do you think they're right?

-No idea.

-No idea.

I think you've got the right logic there. JFK was Idlewild, wasn't it?

And then Newark is Newark. Newark is a place.

Why would you un-name Glenn H Curtiss Airport and call it Newark?

So, you're right, Eggheads. It is LaGuardia. Still in it.

They're getting very tense. They've had some rough games, recently.

They're trying to get back on track, but it's not easy.

Running them very close.

We go Sudden Death. Gets a bit harder cos I don't give you alternative answers. Here we go.

Which European country is divided in two

by a part of Bosnia and Herzegovina

that reaches out to the Adriatic Sea?

Is this me, Mr Geography?

Erm...

You've got to think of...

the Adriatic...

the coastline down there.

You've got Croatia, Serbia.

I would go Croatia.

-But it's...

-OK. I have no knowledge.

We think it's either Serbia or Croatia

and we're going to go Croatia.

Croatia's the answer.

Well done.

Over to you, Eggheads. Again, you're standing on the ledge.

We've been there a few times, haven't we? Getting used to heights.

The station on the Docklands Light Railway that serves

the University of East London Docklands campus has the same name

as which Mediterranean island?

-Is it Cyprus?

-Cyprus.

-Yeah.

-Cyprus.

That is Cyprus.

Cyprus is correct. OK. Back to you,

Beer Run Quizzers.

Marti Webb had a UK top-20 single in 1986

with Always There, a vocalised version of the theme tune

to which TV series?

Now...

this might be your turn.

I think it's Howard's Way.

I actually... Something rings a bell with Howard's Way.

-I can hear the tune.

-Yeah. Howard's Way?

-OK. Happy.

-Howard's Way.

Howard's Way is the right answer. You're playing well!

Excellent play.

Look at these Eggheads. They were just hoping to cruise this one

cos they've had a real knock to their confidence

and you're not letting them walk away here.

If you get this one wrong, Eggheads, the contest is over.

Which 1997 film had the working title Eggs, Beans and Chippendales?

-The Full Monty.

-It's The Full Monty?

-Yeah, The Full Monty.

-It is The Full Monty?

-Yeah.

-OK. Yes?

-Mm-hm.

We think that's The Full Monty.

The Full Monty is the right answer.

Heesh!

-Someone's got to send for the beer, haven't they?

-Yes.

Here's your question. According to the proverb,

procrastination is the thief of what?

I think it's time. I can only think it's time.

I will agree with what you have.

Only cos it makes sense, I'm going to go for time.

That's right. Procrastination is the thief of time...

as are long Sudden Death rounds.

Now, Eggheads,

as John Major said, "When your back's against the wall,

"it's time to turn around and start fighting."

If you get this one wrong, it's gone. Again.

What is the unit of currency in Sierra Leone?

That's one of the ones I don't know. Sierra Leone.

-That's on the West Coast of Africa.

-Mm-hm.

It's not the kwacha.

And it was British.

Dollar or a pound, no?

Would it be a Sierra Leone dollar or a Sierra Leone pound?

-Sierra Leone pound is at the back of my mind.

-Is it?

It's plausible, the Sierra Leone pound.

-I can't think of a currency that comes to mind.

-Nope.

No, think we might have to go with pound.

Are you sure they didn't change to dollar?

-Why would they change to the dollar?

-Cos, I mean, countries do.

You think they stayed with the pound?

Well, the Sierra Leone pound bears no relation to the British pound.

-No. Shall we just go with that?

-Yes.

OK. With very much misgivings, we think it's the pound,

the Sierra Leonean pound.

You think it's the Sierra Leonean pound.

Let's see if Daphne knows back there? Daphne?

I thought it was the leone.

This is why it was very good to knock Daphne out.

The answer is the leone. You've got it wrong.

We say congratulations, Challengers. You have won.

The beer is on the Eggheads. So, what happens?

-When somebody loses, they buy the around?

-Yeah, pretty much.

-It's your round, guys.

Well, you've had a torrid time, Eggheads. My goodness gracious me.

Can't get started. What happened there?

Well, did you know what the Leonean...?

-Well, to be frank, I have been there and...

-Did you know it?

No, I didn't know and I've been there so...

-That answers the question.

-..I've got no defence. Yes, that's true.

But you have lost today and we say congratulations, Beer Run Quizzers.

You've just won £2,000.

You are officially cleverer than the Eggheads.

You've proven they CAN be beaten. Join us next time on Eggheads

to see if a new team of Challengers will be just as successful.

Until then, goodbye.