Episode 136 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 awesome might of our quiz Goliaths

today are the Sensational Alex Fairley Band from Glasgow.

This friends and family team share a love of rock music,

in particular the songs of the group from which they've

taken their name - the Sensational Alex Harvey Band.

-Let's meet them.

-Hi. My name's Alex, I'm 59 years old

and I've been a civil servant for 23 years.

Hi. My name's Emma. I'm 30 years old.

I'm studying for a PhD in Geology.

Hi, my name's Alan. I'm 57 years old.

I've been a civil servant for 24 years.

Hi, my name is Craig.

I'm 48 and I've been a civil servant for 30 years.

Hi. My name's Alex.

I'm 52 years old and I've been a civil servant for 33 years.

-So, Alex and team, welcome. Good to see you.

-Good to see you.

-And, you sir, are Alex Fairley.

-I am. Guilty.

-I claim my £5.

-So, named after the Sensational Alex Harvey Band.

-Yes. More or less.

Tell us about... Is it a specific love of that band, or that era?

It's a love of rock music from that era.

Because I play in a band,

the guys thought it would be kind of jokey to call our team

the Sensational Alex Fairley Band

because we all have a kind of passion for Alex Harvey and we thought

he's probably one of the best rock bands to come out of Glasgow.

All right. Do you quiz? That's the other key question.

-We had a quiz in the building.

-This building?

No, the army pensions centre where we work.

-That was last August. And we came third out of 20 teams.

-All right.

Well, it sounds promising. Good luck against these Eggheads.

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

However, if they fail to defeat the Eggheads,

the prize money rolls over to the next show.

So, Sensational Alex Fairley Band, I can tell you the Eggheads won just

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

-Do you want to try?

-We'll give it a go!

-Give it a go.

The first head-to-head battle is on the subject of film and television.

-Who is your key film and TV person?

-That's me.

Alex, down at the far end, against which Egghead?

You can choose anyone.

I think possibly Judith. Or...

Chris?

Go for Chris.

-Chris.

-Chris.

OK. So, Alex, from the Sensational Alex Fairley Band,

versus Chris from the Eggheads.

-Good mood today?

-Yeah, excellent mood, actually.

-Especially since it's not sport!

-It's not sport. You're right.

To ensure there's no conferring,

would you please both take your places in the Question Room?

So, film and television, Alex.

-And you can choose whether you go first or second.

-I'll go first.

Here we go. And good luck.

What is the title of Danny Boyle's 2013 film in which

James McAvoy played a character called Simon?

Um...

I'm not quite sure about that. Don't think it's France.

Um...

I'm going to go for Trance.

It's the only one that rings a bell with me.

Yeah, the bell is a real bell. Trance is correct.

OK, Chris. Your question.

Which James Bond film involves a plot to irradiate

the bullion in Fort Knox?

That is about the best Bond of the lot, with Gert Frobe as Goldfinger.

Goldfinger is correct. And I agree with you.

That's the great moment, isn't it, with the laser?

"You expect me to talk?" "No, Mr Bond, I expect you to die!"

-THEY CHUCKLE

-Brilliant! OK, Alex.

Which Coronation Street character was formerly known as Miss Nugent?

Now, my wife's a big fan of this programme

and I'm forced to watch it sometimes.

It's not Rita cos she's got a shop.

Audrey was...

..a councillor's wife, I'm sure.

I think it's Emily Bishop.

She was Emily Nugent and her husband got shot.

I'm going to go for Emily Bishop.

Really good work. Emily Bishop is right.

Chris, your question.

Howard and Hilda, a married couple who usually wore matching

jumpers, were characters in which TV sitcom?

They were the extremely annoying neighbours who had the same

surname as me in Ever Decreasing Circles.

Ever Decreasing Circles is quite right. Howard and Hilda Hughes.

OK, Alex. Your third question.

Stephanie in Grease II was one of the first leading

roles for which actress?

I haven't seen this.

But I'm going to take out Glenn Close cos I think she's too old for that.

I'm not sure of Michelle Pfeiffer or Jessica Lange.

I'm going to go for Jessica Lange.

Um... I could be wrong.

OK, I can hear some murmurs beside me. I think Barry knows this one.

-Barry?

-The beautiful Michelle Pfeiffer.

Michelle Pfeiffer, Alex.

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

In a 1951 film, Gregory Peck

and Susan Hayward starred as which two Biblical characters?

Hm...

Well, Samson and Delilah, that was Victor Mature.

Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, I don't know about,

but I think Gregory Peck played David in David and Bathsheba.

David and Bathsheba is quite right.

So, you got three out of three there, Chris,

and you've been beaten, Alex. I'm sorry.

-You won't be in the final round.

-Oh, well.

-That's what they tend to do.

Chris, you'll be in the final.

Please both of you come back and rejoin your teams.

As it stands, the Sensational Alex Fairley Band have lost

a brain now from the final round.

The Eggheads have still got all their brains.

The next subject is history. Who wants this, Alex?

-Do you want to take it?

-That's definitely you.

-I'll take it.

-Alan's going to take this one.

-OK.

Alan on history against whom?

Anyone but Chris.

-Maybe Daphne?

-OK.

-Daphne?

-Yep.

-Daphne.

-Daphne.

-You're going to take Daphne.

So, it's going to be Alan from the Sensational Alex Fairley Band

versus Daphne from the Eggheads. Please go to the Question Room now.

-So, Alan, another rocker, if can put it like that?

-Yes.

-I think you could put it like that.

-Having played music yourself

and just adored music for a long time, I know.

I do. I still love music, yeah. All the time.

Do you find yourself seeking out the bands you loved 20-30 years ago?

Kind of similar to Alex.

I liked Free, Bad Company, I was a big David Bowie fan.

-So is it good to see Bowie back in action?

-Yeah.

I've not listened to his latest stuff.

I'm still with Ziggy Stardust and Aladdin Sane and...you know.

All the documentaries on him make you realise how special he was.

-Oh, he's a very talented man.

-Very, very talented indeed.

Bowie's career's been so long, I wouldn't be surprised

if he came up in the history round, but I think it's unlikely, Alan.

-Do you want to go first or second?

-I'd like to go first, please.

Here we go. Good luck to you both.

In a medieval household, what was the usual name for the room

where casks of wine or ale were stored?

Mm. I'm not too sure with this one, actually.

Um... I'm not too sure if it's cheesery.

But I know there's a restaurant called The Buttery.

So I'm going to go for buttery.

I had a friend at school whose name was Buttery.

Buttery's the right answer.

Well done.

Why is it "buttery"? why do we say that, Daphne?

It comes from bottles and butts, you know.

You've got butts of wine and beer.

Sure. I see.

OK. Your question, Daphne. In Russian history, the Time

of Troubles ended in 1613 with the establishment of which dynasty?

SHE CHUCKLES

Well, there's only one Russian dynasty and that's the Romanov.

-You laughed at the Gromeko?

-Yes!

-Where are they from?

Um, I think it's a play on Andrei Gromyko,

who was a 20th century politician.

Oh, that fella! Yeah, I know the one you mean.

Romanov is correct.

Back to you, Alan.

Which European monarch was taken prisoner following the 1870

Battle of Sedan?

Well, I don't think it was George III of Britain.

And if I'm being quite honest,

I didn't even know there was a Napoleon III of France.

I'm going to go for Frederick of Prussia.

-See if your team-mates know. Anybody know?

-Napoleon.

-I'd guess Napoleon.

Yeah, they're saying Napoleon and they're right too.

It is Napoleon III of France.

Taken prisoner following the 1870 Battle of Sedan. How soon we forget!

Daphne, your question.

The Savoy Palace, the London residence of John of Gaunt,

was destroyed during which historical event?

I think it was burnt down during the Peasants' Revolt.

It was indeed! Peasants' Revolt is correct.

Alan, she's got two, you've got one. You must get this one right.

Patent number 6469 for a device which helped to lift boats

was awarded to which American in 1849?

Well, again, I'm not too sure of this one.

I mean, William T Sherman, I don't know if that's the Sherman tank.

Um...

So I'm going to go for Washington Irving.

Do you know, Daphne?

Abraham Lincoln.

-Something he invented before he became president, is it?

-Yeah.

Amazing. Didn't know that. Abraham Lincoln is the right answer, Alan.

Sorry. Daphne's taken the round with her two correct answers.

You won't be in the final, helping your team.

Both of you, please come back and rejoin your team-mates.

The Abraham Lincoln invention was to give ships or other vessels

a bit of uplift as they went over shoals.

How did he do it?

I can't tell you.

It's too secret. There's a patent on it.

As it stands, the Sensational Alex Fairley Band have lost two

brains from the final round. The Eggheads have not lost a brain yet.

Alex, any thoughts on a change of plan, or ploughing on?

-We shall plough on, regardless!

-Good!

The next subject is arts and books.

-Whose is this?

-Right.

-I get the short straw with this one.

-Craig.

I was hoping for sport, but OK, arts and books.

It'll probably come up next now!

-Who would you like?

-Judith? Nah!

-Um... I think I'll go for Barry.

-Barry?

-Mm.

Barry, OK. Sorry, Judith. You were nearly...

-HE CHUCKLES

-Sorry, Judith!

-Sorry!

So, Craig from the Sensational Alex Fairley Band versus...

I was going to say Judith, but not Judith - Barry from the Eggheads.

Please go to the Question Room.

So you're another fan of the Alex Harvey Band, Craig?

Yeah, they're not bad, actually.

I'm not really a fan of the rock music of the '70s,

but I just go along with them anyway.

-It's a good biog.

-It's more fun, yeah.

-Yeah.

The Alex Harvey Band had an album called The Impossible Dream.

-Oh, yeah?

-Which I thought I might raise at this stage in the quiz.

It looks like it, doesn't it? It really does!

Especially with me with arts and literature.

OK, arts and books, Craig, would you like to go first or second?

I'll go first.

Here we go.

In which British city does Shirley live in the stage play

Shirley Valentine?

Right. That's quite good, I think.

I've got a good chance with this one.

It's not Brighton, it's not Oxford.

It's going to be Liverpool, I'll go for.

Liverpool is the correct answer.

Well done.

Barry, your first question.

The writers Guy de Maupassant and Emile Zola were two

signatories to a petition against the construction of what?

I think they were very much against the Eiffel Tower.

They considered it to be somewhat of an eyesore.

I think time has proven them quite wrong.

Yes. Isn't it funny?

People take a stand against something

and it just looks ridiculous 100 years later.

Eiffel Tower is correct.

Back to you, Craig.

An Unexpected Party, Roast Mutton and The Return Journey

are chapter titles in which classic children's book?

Right, it's a classic, Jeremy.

And I'm arts and literature,

so...I should have a good chance with this one, yeah?

But I haven't a clue!

Um... I think I do remember taking my children to this.

I think it's got to be Charlotte's Web.

-Yeah, I went to see that movie. It's not that though.

-OK.

It's The Hobbit.

Barry, your question.

In Arthur Wing Pinero's play Trelawny of the Wells,

what is Trelawny's first name?

Goodness me. I haven't the faintest idea.

Daisy, Lily or Rose?

Rose seems to fit well, so I'll go for Rose.

-Rose is correct.

-HE CHUCKLES

-How unfair is that?

-I'm sorry.

-A stab in the dark!

Complete stab in the dark. Rose Trelawny.

So he's ahead now, Craig, which means you need this one right.

Who wrote the 1888 novella A London Life?

I'm thinking...

London life...

So it may be about... Maybe it's a foreigner written it.

Joseph Con...

I'm drawn more to Thomas Hardy.

I'm going to go for Thomas Hardy.

Barry, do you know?

I'd be more inclined to go for Henry James,

who lived in London for quite a while.

Yeah, the answer is Henry James, Craig.

So, with that, I'm afraid, there's no way back for you,

so you've lost the round and will not be in the final.

Barry, you will.

Gentlemen, please come back to us and we'll play on.

OK, as it stands, the Sensational Alex Fairley Band have lost

three brains from the final round, but it's not a crisis yet.

In rock terms,

we're towards the end of the guitar solo in the middle of the record.

-Yeah, but the drum solo starts next!

-The drum solo starts! Exactly!

And we've got to drum at least one of them out.

The Eggheads have not lost a brain yet. The next subject is geography.

Who is that?

I guess that's me, if the captain's going down with the ship.

-My daughter.

-All right.

-Emma, before you go, choose an Egghead.

-Ooh, who do you think?

-Could be Pat or Judith.

-Judith.

-Judith?

-Yeah.

OK. I think I'd like to face Judith, please.

OK, so Emma from the Sensational Alex Fairley Band versus Judith.

Please go to the Question Room now.

So, Emma, we've been describing the team as the

Sensational Alex Fairley Band, referring to your father, Alex.

And only you can tell us whether he really is sensational!

I think I would have to agree. Definitely sensational!

You're doing geography. This is handy - you're studying geography.

-No.

-It's not quite the same - it's geology.

I can tell you where the rocks are,

not necessarily what capital city they're next to.

-Rocks might come up.

-Fingers crossed!

-So, your band has rock covered from every single dimension.

-Yep!

-All perspectives.

-Excellent. Good luck in this round.

Would you like the first or second set of questions?

I'd like to go first, please.

Here we go. The shortest route from Miami, Florida,

to Seattle, Washington, is in which general direction?

From Miami to Seattle?

Yes.

That would be going...

North-west.

Well done. You're absolutely right. North-west.

I was counting in my head round the compass.

Yeah, it is actually the kind of thing where somebody suddenly

says south-east or whatever and just panics.

Well done. Sometimes, the simplest questions are the hardest.

-Isn't that right, Judith?

-That IS right.

The 150 mile network of paths around the periphery of London is

known by what name?

I think it must be London Ring.

But I've never heard of it, I must say.

You don't think London Arc or London Loop?

Well, it could conceivably be those,

but I think Ring is most likely.

-It's the London Loop.

-What?!

-Yes!

Nasty question!

Really difficult!

-OK. That's good, isn't it, Emma?

-Yes.

Hopefully. We'll see how it goes from now on in.

El Alto Airport, one of the world's highest, is in which country?

I would be inclined to guess Bolivia cos

I know there's a lot of high-lying land in Bolivia.

Count out Nepal. The name sounds Spanish.

I don't think it's Mexico, so I would guess Bolivia.

Very, very good. Bolivia is correct.

Playing really well. OK, Judith. Let's get you a point, if you can.

A feature of high altitudes, what are penitentes?

-Penitentes?

-It's spelled P-E-N-I-T-E-N-T-E-S.

Penitentes. I don't know.

My brain's left my skull

-at the moment.

-Do you want us to try and track it down?

Yes, that would be kind.

Um...

Do you know? I really don't know.

I had a sort of thing in my head that clusters of lakes could be

something to do with tears and thus penitentes.

Is that your answer?

Yes.

Clusters of lakes. Anyone know on this side?

Yeah, they're blades of ice.

You find them in Patagonia, but they're named "penitentes"

because they're meant to look like, I think,

people in the white robes that they wear to church services.

Wow! Great explanation! Of course, the geologist will know.

Why didn't I think of that?

-Emma, well done. Judith, you're wrong. Blades of ice.

-Well done.

Well, you're out, Judith. No way back.

You won't be in the final round. Well done, Emma.

Got your place in the final after two questions there.

You'll be with your dad.

And if you both come back to us, we will play that final round.

So, this is what we've been playing towards.

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

is general knowledge.

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

allowed to take part in this round.

So, Alan, Craig and Alex M, from the Sensational Alex Fairley Band, and

also Judith from the Eggheads, would you please now leave the studio?

Alex and Emma, you're playing to win

the Sensational Alex Fairley Band £2,000.

Daphne, Chris, Barry and Pat, you're 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.

You are allowed to confer. OK?

So the question is, Alex and Emma, are your two brains able to

destroy the Eggheads' four, on this occasion?

-And would you like to go first or second?

-First.

-Yeah.

We're going to go first, please.

What is Birmingham City Football Club's nickname?

-The Blues?

-I have no idea.

I believe it's...the Blues.

The Blues is the right answer.

Good. Glad you knew.

-That's good. You got the penitentes.

-Yes.

He's got the Blues.

Eggheads, the distinctive opening logo theme music for which

film studio was composed by Alfred Newman?

I have no idea.

Any?

20th Century Fox is...

It's the kind of staccato thing with the old searchlights.

The fanfare, 20th Century Fox.

Of the three, the Disney music is melodic and memorable as a distinct

piece of music, but the other two don't really stick in the head.

Wish Upon A Star, isn't it, the Disney theme tune? Pinocchio.

I can't recall any music for Paramount. It's just the mountain.

Just a picture of the mountain. Yeah, with the stars round it.

Maybe there is.

# Da-da da-da-da-da... # That's 20th Century Fox.

-It's just a fanfare.

-Yeah, it's just a fanfare.

He could have composed the fanfare.

A fanfare is music. I don't know what they play for Paramount.

-Disney, I'm sure, is When You Wish Upon A Star.

-Yeah.

Could that be Newman? CHRIS WHISTLES

-It could be.

-Could be.

-What do you think, Daphne?

I haven't got a clue.

-I think that's the only proper music that we know, isn't it?

-It's a tune.

-20th Century Fox is just a fanfare.

-And nobody can recall...

Paramount just has a couple of arpeggios going into that mountain.

Shall we go for Disney?

Got to go for something.

OK. Well, we're in great danger here, I think.

Well, Jeremy, we're a bit foxed here. We're going to go for Disney.

Disney is your answer.

-You're "foxed"!

-Yeah.

And you've gone for Disney!

Somewhere in your mind, something was saying Fox.

-Oh, no!

-But you ignored it.

-This is 20th Century Fox.

-Oh! Oh, dear.

So it's a distinctive piece of music. That's the key thing.

Fanfare or not, he composed it. Alfred Newman.

-Obviously not distinctive enough.

-Well, there we go.

What about that for a start? They've tripped up on the first question.

Playing for £2,000, final round. Hold focus, challengers.

Who designed the original panda logo for the WWF?

Jacques Cousteau is mainly kind of sea things...

-Oh!

-..and, er, marine biology.

-Yeah, I remember...

-Steve Irwin is... Australian guy...

-I think he's too young.

Too young. I think it's Peter Scott.

-OK, well...

-Cos Peter Scott goes back to, like,

programmes in the '50s,

and that logo was kind of late '60s, maybe?

That's why I was thinking it wasn't Steve Irwin.

Definitely not Steve Irwin. Jacques Cousteau, marine biology.

-Yeah, I remember Life Aquatic.

-Yeah.

Erm, OK, I'll go with Peter Scott if that's what you...

We're going to go for Peter Scott, please.

Peter Scott is correct.

Well done, Peter Scott, brilliant.

-Sensational in fact.

-Thank you.

So the challengers have got two and the Eggheads have got zero.

Are we seeing a bit of the old Costa Rican Airlines syndrome here?

The character Alan Partridge

was first heard on which radio comedy programme?

I thought it was On The Hour.

-Down The Line.

-He appeared in a news show

but was that on television and not radio?

He appeared in The Day Today, didn't he, at one point.

Oh, that's the one I'm thinking of, The Day Today.

Down The Line rings a distant bell

but I wouldn't have any great confidence.

I don't know, so I couldn't say.

Oh, this could be embarrassing.

Gosh, we're all at sea in this one, aren't we?

If you get this wrong, the contest is over.

I've a very faint idea it's Down The Line but no more than that.

Well, I've changed my mind because it's a radio one

and it's not the one I'm thinking of. That was The Day Today, so...

-Yeah, that's telly.

-That's telly.

-I don't think it was Radio Active.

I'm inclined to go with you cos you're the only one

-who's got an idea, so, go with it.

-We can't go on like this, Jeremy.

We're in doubt here as well.

We're going to go for Down The Line.

Down The Line.

If you have got this wrong then the Sensational Alex Fairley Band

are champions, and you'd only just got yourselves back together

-after the incident, as we shall call it.

-Yes.

When was the last time you got two wrong,

the first two wrong in a final round?

-Oh, a long, long time ago.

-Ever done that? Ever happened?

Probably. We've done an awful lot of programmes.

You'd be hard pressed to win a quiz in a pub at this rate.

The answer is On The Hour.

We say congratulations to the challengers!

-You were sensational! You were sensational.

-We do try.

You just plugged away, ever since Emma's gone in the booth.

Yeah, she turned it around. My girl.

Everything was going wrong until that moment.

I don't have to worry about getting kicked out of my PhD

on Monday morning now when I go back to uni!

So you have beaten the Eggheads, well done! Eggheads...

They haven't beaten us, they've thrashed us!

I don't know what to say, I want to spare your feelings

but I can't, it's just...!

-We were rubbish!

-You said it.

Mediocre, let's leave it at mediocre, and of course, you play a

very tight game and you're very good normally, but something is amiss.

You can take no blame for this, Judith.

You were not at the scene of the crime.

No, and I wouldn't have known the answers cos they were very difficult questions.

They were very difficult to know what radio programme

-Alan Partridge was on?

-I think that's quite a difficult question.

When it was being broadcast nationwide for several years?

Well, we can't listen to the radio and watch telly

and go to the cinema and keep up with the music scene, can we?

And learn lists of airports!

So, I'm getting it in the neck! OK.

Right, well, it hasn't happened before in ten years of Eggheads

that in the final round you strike out twice.

We don't even get to the third question.

And if I'm being a little bit harsh on you, forgive me.

There aren't many moments when you do that badly. Well done to you.

Congratulations to the Sensational Alex Fairley Band,

you have just won £2,000.

You are officially cleverer than the Eggheads.

You've proved they can be beaten.

Is this a confidence crisis? Somehow I doubt it.

Join us next time on Eggheads to see

if a new team of challengers will be just as successful.

Until then, goodbye.