Episode 116 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 challenging our resident quiz champions today

are the Carcassonne Crackers from Staffordshire.

Now, this team of friends share a passion for the game

of Carcassonne and also enjoy taking part in quizzes.

Let's meet them.

Hello, I'm Lynn, I'm 63 and I'm a retired teacher.

Hi, I'm Rich, I'm 62 and I'm a retired social worker.

Hi, I'm Graeme, I'm 60, I'm a retired podiatrist.

Hi, I'm Sue, I'm 59 and I'm a retired manager.

Hi, I'm Ayliffe, I'm 61 and I'm a retired community paediatrician.

-So, Lynn and team, welcome.

-ALL:

-Thank you.

I've got to ask you about Carcassonne, of course.

Is that played with balls or a net or what? I don't know!

That could be an interesting development,

but it's actually played with small tiles that you take turns to lay.

And as you lay the tiles, you develop a network of roads and towns

and pastures and score points from those.

There is an element of luck in it,

but the reason we like it is, you can use a lot of strategy.

Did you all meet through Carcassonne or did you discover it together?

No, we are all Morris dancers, or ex-Morris dancers.

-Morris dancers as well? OK!

-Yeah, Morris dancers.

Gosh, you've got everything going here.

The next question will trigger an even greater revelation!

But I have to CRACK on with the game.

-GRAEME GROANS

-Oh, dear!

I'm sorry! 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, Carcassonne Crackers, the Eggheads have won the last

two games, which means £3,000 says you can't beat them today.

-Lynn and team, are you ready to try?

-Yes, we are.

-I thought you were.

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

-Ah!

-Who would like this?

-Ah. That's me.

-Ah, it's Lynn. OK.

-Yes.

Against which Egghead, Lynn?

-Right.

-Barry or Kevin, I would have thought.

-Right. Barry.

Barry. Did you get Music last time?

Yes, I have a chance to redeem myself.

-Oh, yes, he got it last time!

-Oh, chosen well!

Yeah, bit of a confidence problem over here. You may be in luck.

So, Lynn from the Carcassonne Crackers

against Barry from the Eggheads on Music,

please go to the Question Room now.

-Music is a good subject for you, Lynn?

-Quite good.

I love music but the trouble is, I can't remember facts and dates,

so I'll do my best.

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

I'd like the first set, please.

Here we go. Good luck.

According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry,

whose album topped the global albums chart

with 8.3 million sales in 2012?

Cheryl Cole is on a lot of quiz programmes,

but I don't think she is quite as successful with her singing.

Jessie J is very successful.

But I would have thought, as she has won awards recently,

that Adele would be the person.

Adele.

Adele is the right answer. Well done.

OK, Barry, your question.

According to the lyrics of Perry Como's song Catch A Falling Star,

what should you do with a star once you've got it?

# Catch a falling star

# And put it in your pocket

# Save it for a rainy day... #

That's as much as I can go.

I've reached, unfortunately...

Oh, it's put it in your pocket, of course!

The middle one.

Brilliant, Barry!

Absolutely brilliant and if we cut that out and put it on YouTube

it would go viral. I've no doubt.

Put it in your pocket is the right answer.

OK, here we go.

Lynn, let's see if you're dealing with a falling star here.

What term is used to refer to the two numbers

one on top of the other, which is at the start of a piece of music

to show how many beats there are in a bar? Is it:

Er, the time stamp, I've never heard of that in music, at all.

I'm not a great musician but I know a little bit.

The time score is the whole piece of music.

So I think the answer must be time signature.

Time signature is the right answer.

APPLAUSE

Two out of two, they're playing well. OK, Barry,

see if you get this.

Who had a UK hit single in 1979 with Lucky Number? Is it?

Goodness me! I've never heard of that, Lucky Number.

It's a bad way to choose but the only name that I've heard of

of those three is Lene Lovich.

I shall go for Lene Lovich.

Well...

-You haven't heard of the other two?

-I'm afraid not.

She's the most obscure one.

How strange, but you're right, Lene Lovich it is.

Oh, I'm sorry about that, I don't deserve that one.

Lene Lovich is the right answer. Goodness knows how he got that.

No justice.

OK, your third question.

Of which of Mahler's works did Benjamin Britten remark

that its final chord was imprinted on the atmosphere?

Er, I don't know this.

But I'm looking to see which one would possibly be more haunting

and more memorable.

I don't think it's going to be Songs of a Wayfarer.

The atmosphere...

Oh...

Erm, I'm going to choose Song of Lamentation.

-Do you know this, Barry?

-I thought it was The Song of the Earth.

-It is The Song of the Earth.

-Oh! SHE CHUCKLES

Barry, this will give you a place in the final round,

if you get it right.

Gardens in the Rain is a 1903 piano work by which composer?

I can hear it playing in my head and I absolutely love this composer.

I believe it was Claude Debussy.

Do you think he's right, Lynn?

I'm sure he's right.

Yes, it is Claude Debussy, Barry.

Well done, you're in the final.

Lynn, sorry, you've been beaten by our Egghead.

As a result, you will not be able to help your team in the final round.

Lynn and Barry, please come back and rejoin your team-mates.

As it stands, the Carcassonne Crackers

have lost one brain from the final round,

whilst the Eggheads have not lost any, so far!

Plenty of time to play, still. The next subject for you is Science.

Who would like Science?

-That'll be me.

-That'll be you!

-Yes.

Graeme, OK. Any Eggheads?

-Who would you like?

-Except, obviously, for Barry.

Would you like to play, Pat? Or, Kevin?

-I know nothing of them.

-Kevin would be very good to knock out.

They all would, actually! Who do you fancy playing yourself?

I don't know about Pat, so I'll take Pat.

-Right, Pat.

-I'll partner you for this dance!

He's fantastic at Science, aren't you, Graeme?

Maybe...

Giving him the big build-up, that's always dangerous.

OK, Graeme from the Carcassonne Crackers against Pat, on Science.

To ensure there's no conferring, please go to the Question Room.

OK, on Science, Graeme, would you like to go first or second?

I'll go first, Jeremy, I'd like to put the pressure on.

Here we go, good luck.

Written in 1979, VisiCalc is considered to be the first example

of what type of computer program? Is it?

I doubt it'll be spreadsheet.

Or web browser, because I think they're more general.

Photo editor, I think, is, er...

What's the word I'm looking for?

I think that's a program. I shall go for photo editor, Jeremy, please.

I can hear the Eggheads moaning over here. What does that mean?

-It's spreadsheet.

-Yeah, it's a spreadsheet, Graeme.

-Oh, dear.

So spreadsheet is the answer. Pat, over to you.

In the late 1800s, the German Wilhelm Maybach

was an important figure in the development of what? Is it?

I think he was a business partner in the early days of Mercedes

and he invented a carburettor.

Mercedes in the 20th century produced a super luxury limousine

called a Maybach, so it's automobiles.

Automobiles is the right answer. Well done, Pat.

Back to you, Graeme.

Cirl, Corn, Lapland, Reed and Snow

are all types of which bird? Graeme, is it?

This one I know. I think it's Bunting, Jeremy.

Bunting is the right answer!

I know you do a lot of, erm...

-You like to do a lot of walking, don't you?

-I do, yes.

So you stay close to nature.

I've probably seen three out of the four of those.

OK, so here we go, Pat's second question

to take the lead.

In medicine, what is the term for the class of drugs

that act as a stimulant on the central nervous system?

Oh...

I'm not sure I've heard of this.

Antipyretics are drugs which aim to bring down your body temperature.

I think I can eliminate that.

Lepsy generally refers to sleep, and narcolepsy and catalepsy.

So if you were stimulating the nervous system,

presumably you'd be trying to prevent somebody being

in a state of torpor so that's a candidate.

I don't know much about anxiolytics.

I think I'll go for the middle one, please.

Interesting answer.

Eggheads, any thoughts on this?

Yeah, sounds OK.

-Yeah, on the lepsy basis?

-Yeah.

And it's ana which is breaking it down into its...

-Ana means what? Against?

-Yeah.

-So against lepsy?

-Or without.

You had enough to get the right answer, well done.

It is, indeed, analeptics.

-They play well, don't they, these Eggheads?

-They do, very clever.

-Graeme, you've got to get this answer right.

-Absolutely, yeah.

The cardia is an opening in the human body that forms part

of which system? Is it?

Cardia?

I don't think it's reproductive.

The endocrine system really hasn't got an opening,

so I think I'll go for the digestive system, Jeremy.

Well done, it is digestive.

APPLAUSE

Well done, indeed.

OK, Pat, if you get this one right you're in the final.

Which element of the periodic table

takes its name from the Greek for artificial? Is it?

Neodymium, I think, it's named after...

Is it named after a Greek God?

No, maybe not.

No. Bohrium is named after a person, Niels Bohr.

The answer is technetium.

And how do we get from technetium to artificial, out of interest?

Technology, I presume, it's the same sort of route.

Technetium is the right answer, you've taken the round.

Sorry, Graeme, you were beaten by our Eggheads.

-But only just.

-Only just.

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

The Carcassonne Crackers have lost two brains from the final round,

the Eggheads have not lost a brain so far.

The next subject for you is Arts & Books.

Well, Ayliffe, you need to choose...

-Ayliffe's going to do this.

-Ayliffe, definitely.

Who would you like?

-Who would you recommend for Arts & Books?

-Not Judith.

-So one of the other men.

-Chris?

-Chris?

-Yes.

-OK.

-I'd like to choose Chris, please.

-Great stuff.

Ayliffe from the Carcassonne Crackers versus Chris.

-Oh, fine.

-Happy with that?

-No choice.

-No choice, have I, really?

-I'm quite happy with that.

-Please go to the Question Room now.

Ayliffe, would you like to go first, second?

I'd like to go first, please.

Here we go, your first question.

Ayliffe, what is the French title of the 1831 novel

usually known in English as The Hunchback of Notre Dame?

It's The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Notre Ami Commune is more about community and a friend, rather,

and the hunchback was not really seen as a friend.

Alternatively, he could have been the old man of the...

..but "mer" is sea.

Erm...

..and Notre-Dame of Paris...

I'll perhaps go for the middle one.

-For the middle one?

-Yeah.

-OK, no, it's not.

I don't understand, I thought you were ruling that out?

-No sea...

-No sea, that's right, I was, really.

I didn't follow my logical thinking.

I can tell you had a moment of panic there.

Yeah, Notre-Dame de Paris.

It was Notre-Dame de Paris.

OK, Chris, Inspector G Lestrade appears in stories alongside

which fictional character? Is it?

Well, he's not exactly the comic relief,

but he is the butt of his sarcasm sometimes,

and he appears alongside Sherlock Holmes.

Sherlock Holmes is the right answer.

OK, Ayliffe, take your time here.

The Vorticist art movement of the 1910s

was primarily influenced by which other movement?

In 1910, I don't think Pop Art

would really have been thought in those terms.

I think that comes at a later age.

And, similarly, Futurism.

So...

I think 1910 was around the time of the expressionists

and paintings and stuff like that so I'll go, again, for the middle one.

-Let me see if the Eggheads know this.

-Futurism.

Futurism is the correct answer.

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

Which playwright and actor was widely known as The Master? Was it?

That was Noel Coward, dear boy. Noel Coward.

Noel Coward is the right answer. You've got your place in the final.

I know you panicked on the first one, Ayliffe, don't worry.

I'm sorry you've been knocked out by Chris.

Please, both of you return to your teams and we'll play on.

OK, as it stands, the Carcassonne Crackers have lost three brains

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

and the next subject is Sport.

Is that good?

-Shall I do it?

-I think you'd better.

-OK, I'll do it.

-Maybe a chance of winning it.

-OK, I'll do it.

-OK,

-Rich, choose an Egghead, Judith or Kevin.

It's Judith.

THEY LAUGH

There was a notable sigh here.

-Don't feel guilty about this.

-I don't.

Rich versus Judith from the Eggheads on Sport,

please go to the Question Room now.

Rich, would you like to go first, second?

I'll open up the first set of questions, Jeremy.

Your first question, Rich.

Chris Hughton was appointed manager

of which Premier League football club in 2012?

Is it?

Well, I know that it's not Chelsea

and that it's not Liverpool

because I know that Chris is the manager of Norwich City.

You've got it right, well done. Norwich City it is.

TEAM CHEERS

OK, I'm glad you didn't get that one, Judith...

That's the football question out of the way.

-It would have made you so angry.

-Hopefully, we won't have any more.

-Well, we'll see. Rugby union for you.

-Oh!

In rugby union, the two flankers usually wear jerseys

with the number six and which other number?

Six and eight, there's somebody in the middle. I think it's eight.

You've given eight. Eight is wrong. Seven is right.

You see why every time, someone chooses Judith for Sport.

-LAUGHTER

-I begin to tremble.

OK, Rich, the snooker player, Steve Davis,

won his last world title in which year?

I'm not too sure about this one, Jeremy.

I think 1995 is much too late

for his final title.

I think...

I'm going to go for...

..1992, Jeremy.

I would have done as well and I like snooker, but it's wrong.

It's '89.

1989. OK, Judith,

in which sport is leg theory a controversial strategy?

Leg theory...

Well, in cricket there is a mention of legs,

Leg off and leg bye and leg this, that and the other.

Bobsledding, I suppose you kind of fend off with legs.

And figure skating...

You make figures with your legs.

So it could be any of them.

THEY LAUGH

I've no idea.

Leg theory, leg theory...

There are an awful lot of theories

and discussion about statistics etc, etc with cricket,

so they've got to talk about something for the three days

or five days, or whatever it is.

I think it might be cricket.

Cricket is the right answer.

OK, so back we go to Rich.

I'm sorry, you can't shake her off.

During the 1960s and '70s, the New Zealander Chris Amon

was a well-regarded competitor in which sport?

Was it?

Right... Well, I know there was...

I think a New Zealand tennis player

and I think that he might have been Chris Lewis.

I don't think that it's tennis.

I think that I'm going to go for...

Swimming.

Now, let me see what the Carcassonnes think about that,

-do you think that's right?

-I think he's right.

-You think he's right?

-I was leaning towards swimming.

I don't know.

Shall I check with the Eggs, or is that too painful?

-Eggs?

-I was tempted by Formula 1, myself.

Kevin rarely gets it wrong.

Formula 1 is the right answer.

So amazingly... No, sorry, I didn't use that word!

So, fittingly...

Fittingly after her doughty battling in this round,

Judith has a chance to go through to the final on Sport.

In his later years the golfer, Willie Park Jr,

who twice won the Open, had a significant career as what?

He sounds American.

A lot of the most successful ones become course designers.

So I'll say, "course designer".

Judith, you're through to the final.

Course designer is the right answer.

-Sorry, Rich.

-Oh, well..

-I know that's painful.

-Yes.

No football questions for you,

Judith, maybe that made the difference.

Yes, one football question per round is enough!

So Judith will be in the final, Rich won't.

Please come back and join your teams and we will play that final round!

So this is what we have been playing towards.

It's 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 Lynn, Rich, Graeme and Ayliffe from the Carcassonne Crackers,

sorry, but would you please leave the studio?

Sue, you are playing to win the Carcassonne Crackers £3,000.

Chris, Barry, Pat, Judith and Kevin, you're playing for something

that money can't buy, which is the Eggheads' very precious 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 Sue, the question is,

is your one brain able to overwhelm the Eggheads' five?

It can be done. We have seen it done.

-They're all nodding behind you.

-I'm sure they are!

-Do you want to go first or second?

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

Here we go, good luck. During the 1980s

who acquired the nickname, King Arthur?

Looking at the three alternatives I don't think it was Arthur Miller.

I'm pretty sure it wasn't Arthur Mullard, who I think was a comedian.

My answer is Arthur Scargill.

King Arthur was indeed Arthur Scargill, well done.

Well done. OK, Eggheads,

which of these is slang for rough, uninhabited back country?

-Boondocks.

-Yeah. That's the right word, isn't it?

It's Australian, isn't it?

Those are the boondocks, Jeremy.

The boondocks is the right answer.

One each.

Come on, Sue.

Your second question. In 2004,

Gillian Wright took on the role of which member

of the Slater family in EastEnders?

I haven't seen EastEnders for many years

but I'm pretty sure it wasn't Kat. I'm also...

I don't think it was Stacey, so I'm going to say, "Jean".

Let's go to our EastEnders correspondent, Judith.

-Yes, I think it is.

-Jean is the right answer.

Two out of two.

They're loving it backstage.

Eggheads, traditionally worn by Mexican women,

what is a rebozo?

I think, well...

I think it's that type of patterned scarf that they wear,

-that they put around their heads.

-That was my first guess.

-I don't think it's a shoe.

-I'm sure it's not a shoe.

No.

My only slight worry is about skirt.

-I think it's the colourful...

-Scarf.

-Scarf.

-They did seem to wear a lot when I was there.

It's certainly not a shoe.

I don't think there is a term for skirt.

I'm happy with scarf.

Instinctively I thought scarf, but on no knowledge.

-So...

-OK?

-Yeah.

-Are we happy with that?

-Let's just hope for the best.

We're not 100% certain on this, Jeremy

but we think it's the scarf that you see, the kind of shawl, almost.

Scarf is the right answer.

-Were they struggling there, do you think?

-No, not really!

No, I know. I was hoping they were.

-They never struggle.

-They do sometimes.

OK, so get this one right and there's a bit of pressure on them.

If they get theirs wrong, you've won.

The word "ambulance" is derived from

a French word meaning what?

I'll take this a bit slowly

because I think I do know the answer to this one.

I'll make sure I don't say the wrong thing.

I think it's the French for walking.

Walking is your answer.

It's a tricky one because you think, well, they go at speed,

but walking is right.

Well done, you've got three out of three in the final round.

Eggheads...

Oh, we've been here before.

How we like to see you sweat. Here's your question...

Introduced by a 1997 act of Parliament,

the road crossings that use sensors to detect pedestrians

are known as what?

I've heard of puffin crossings.

It's the only one of those three that I've heard of .

I've not heard of peacocks. I've heard of puffins.

The only one I've heard of was puffin.

I do not know what the origin of it is.

I haven't heard of peacock.

Puffin's the only one we've all heard of.

I've heard of puffins, the same as you.

I think, probably then,

if we haven't heard of the other two,

-I think we'll have to go for it.

-Mmm. Yes.

Are we happy with that?

We don't actually know it, but we have heard of puffin crossings,

whereas we haven't heard of the other two.

We'll have to go for puffin crossings.

If you have this wrong, the game is over.

But you're right, puffin crossings it is.

Three out of three for both, so we go to Sudden Death.

You've done really well, Sue, so far.

A bit harder now, because I don't give you alternative answers, OK?

During World War I, the Canadian city of Berlin

changed its name to what because of anti-German sentiment?

I don't know the answer to this.

So I'm going to have to take a complete guess.

I'm just trying to think of a city that it might be.

Er... Berlin.

World War I.

Erm...

I'm just trying to think of somebody who was in World War I

that the name might have been given.

Erm...

I'll say, "Montgomery".

Interesting guess, anyone know?

-I don't know, London?

-There is a city called London, Ontario.

-There's a city called Kitchener, Ontario.

-Kevin said it.

-JUDITH:

-Was it Kitchener?

-Kitchener.

-Oh, no...

-He is "Your country needs you", isn't he?...

-Yes, indeed.

So you got that one wrong, it's Kitchener.

And, Eggheads, you have a chance to take the contest.

Well fought in the final round. Let's see what happens now.

In the 1960s, James Corrigan and Peter Fleming co-founded

a famous variety club in which West Yorkshire town?

It's the Batley Variety Club, surely? The Batley.

Mm, OK.

OK, our Yorkshire correspondent says it's Batley.

Yeah, Batley is the right answer.

I wanted to delay saying that to make you sweat,

but you knew. Barry was never going to get that one wrong.

We have to say congratulations, Eggheads, you have won.

-Sue, you played really well.

-Thank you.

Three correct questions, solo player,

you take the contest. You did more than enough

but, on this occasion, it was blooming Barry and Batley

who just...as I say, the chance of getting that one past Barry

-was impossible.

-Less of the alliteration, though!

So commiserations to you and your brilliant team of Morris dancing

Carcassonne players. It's been great fun.

The Eggheads have done what comes naturally to them

and they still reign supreme over quiz land.

I'm afraid that means you won't be going home with the £3,000

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.

£4,000 says they don't.

Until then, goodbye.