Episode 18 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 five quiz challengers

pit their wits against possibly the greatest quiz team in Britain.

They are the Eggheads.

And taking on our quiz champions today

are The Transmitters from Northumberland.

This team know one another

through their involvement in community radio. Let's meet them.

Hi. I'm Paul. I'm 64 and I'm a musician.

Hi, I'm Jason. I'm 43 and I'm an internet consultant.

Hi. I'm Paul, I'm 45 and I'm a financial trainer.

Hi. I'm Peter. I'm 42 and I'm a pianist.

Hi. I'm Andrew. I'm 42 and I'm a business events organiser.

Welcome, Transmitters. Tell me about the community radio. It's on the internet?

It is, yes. So it's available all round the world, being on the internet.

It's a community radio. We all give our time for it.

Some of us have been involved in media work all our lives,

including myself, but yeah.

It's not just music. It can be all sorts of things that we do.

We do encourage the community as a whole to send their own contributions to the show.

I suppose it's very interactive, being on the internet.

Oh, yes. We get people from all over the world.

OK. Let me tell you what's been going on here, Transmitters.

Every day there's £1,000-worth of cash up for grabs

for all our challengers.

However, if they fail to defeat the Eggheads, the prize money rolls over to the next show.

So, Transmitters, the Eggheads have won the last 21 games.

That therefore means £22,000 says you can't beat the Eggheads.

Let's set about the task, shall we?

The first head-to-head has come up as Sport.

Who'd like to play this one and take on the Eggheads?

I think Andrew, you are our sport expert.

-I think so.

-Smashing.

-Go for it.

-I'll take Sport and I'll take on Judith, please.

OK, let's have Andrew and Judith into the question room.

Andrew, that's to make sure you can't confer with your team-mates.

So, Andrew, I understand we're in the presence of royalty

and I don't mean Judith!

Definitely. What I discovered, doing my family tree,

is that I was - or am - the 25th great-grandson of Henry III.

Well, I never! Have you been to Buckingham Palace to claim your right?

-No, but I intend to make a claim on it one day!

-OK.

Make a claim on this round.

Do you want to go first or second?

I'd like to go second, please, Dermot.

OK. That puts Judith in there. Judith, your first question.

In tennis, what name is given to a set where one player wins every single point.

Ooh. I think it must be golden.

Yes, it is a golden set, of course.

Well done. One to you. Andrew, your first question.

At the end of a Formula One race, what drink do the drivers usually spray around from the podium?

I think that's champagne, Dermot.

Yes, it is.

Black coffee might be a bit scalding!

Right. Judith, in rugby union, the number eight plays in which row of the scrum?

Oh, gosh, I'm always learning this!

One, two, three...

Um, I'm trying to visualise it.

-Second row.

-OK. Second row. Nope.

-No! Oh, God!

It's quite simple, actually.

You were doing one, two, three.

That's how it's numbered in the scrum.

And eight is the last in the scrum

-therefore is the..?

-First row.

-Back row!

-Oh, the back row.

-Yeah.

-Oh, the back row!

Yes. One from the front. Start at the front with the hooker at number one.

Either side of him, the props, two, three.

Then you can count backwards till you get the number eight, the lock.

It's the back row.

Was that a good decision by Andrew to put Judith in.

She has stumbled on her second question.

Andrew, let's see if you can capitalise.

Former athlete Gary Lough married which British athlete?

I'm pretty sure it's not Kelly Holmes.

And I think Jessica Ennis,

I think she may be single. I'm not absolutely certain on that.

So I'm going with Paula Radcliffe.

Paula Radcliffe is correct.

So you do have a lead,

and a place in the final round perhaps without answering another question

if Judith doesn't get this. Judith,

in what type of vehicles do competitors contest the Harmsworth Cup?

I think that might be powerboats.

I think it might be something to do with the Daily Mail, too.

If it's called Harmsworth.

-Powerboats.

-Yes.

-Powerboats is correct.

So you're still in it.

But not in control of your own destiny.

Andrew's in charge of that. Get this, you're in the final round.

The first FIFA World Cup for which Wales qualified

was held in which country?

Well, the Spain World Cup was in 1982

and I know that Wales didn't qualify for that one.

The Switzerland World Cup

I believe was 1950.

I'm not sure if they qualified for it or not.

I know that they qualified in 1958 for Sweden

so I'll go with Sweden, Dermot.

My goodness! You know your world cups!

Did you learn that for Eggheads, or did you know it anyway?

I just have a love of football.

You really do. It's the right answer. Well done.

Wow.

1958 in Sweden.

Let's confirm it. Andrew, you're in the final round

and Judith won't be there. Both please come and join your teams.

Good start for the Transmitters.

They haven't lost any brains. The Eggheads have lost one after the first round.

Our next subject is Science.

Transmitters, who wants to play this one?

Andrew can't play again. I'm sure you'd like to put him in if he's as good at science as he is at sport.

-Peter.

-Let's get Peter.

I'll do that. And which Egghead? Not Judith.

-Do you want to go for the big gun?

-Go for the jugular?

-Why not?

Go down in flames. Why not?

We'll have Kevin, please.

"Go down in flames"! There's confidence for you!

We're talking about Kevin!

Course you were.

Peter and Kevin, both go to the question room, please.

OK. Let's play it. Peter, do you want to go first or second?

I'll go first, please.

Good luck, Peter. Here you go.

To what does the letter G refer

in the term g-force?

Um, I think... Geometrics I've never heard as a term.

I think it must be gravity.

Yes, it is.

Of course. Gravity.

Kevin, what is the common name

for the condition known as eidetic memory?

I should remember this, shouldn't I?

That would be photographic memory.

Which some of you lot probably have.

It's the right answer.

Dermot, my father had an eidetic memory.

He could look at a page in a book, and half an hour later,

you could ask him what was the seventh word on the third line

-and he would know it.

-Seriously?

-Seriously.

-Did you inherit that?

-Unfortunately not. I wish I had!

OK. Well, that's interesting.

All square, then.

Second question coming up, Peter.

In July 2012, which organisation announced it had discovered a new particle

consistent with the much-sought-after Higgs-Boson.

Well, I know they were looking for it.

I didn't know they'd confirmed it.

But that surely must be CERN.

-CERN?

-CERN.

-It's the right answer. Well done.

Which stands for, Kevin?

Strangely enough, despite the initials,

it's the Organisation for Nuclear Research.

But the French initials went a bit wrong somewhere.

-OK.

-I think the C is perhaps meant to stand for Centre.

But the official title of the organisation is still the Organisation.

-But there we go.

-OK.

CERN we heard from Peter.

So you have two. Kevin, your second question.

Which condition was called "the disease of kings",

due to the fact that it was often thought to be brought on

by consuming rich food and drink?

Well, you wouldn't want any of them, but that particular one was gout.

Gout is the right answer, Kevin.

OK. All square. Going well here, Peter.

Here's your question. Osgood-Schlatter disease

occurs in the vicinity of which parts of the body?

I've never had less of an inkling

for any answer!

It could be any of them, as far as I'm concerned.

I'm going to go for eyes.

OK. Osgood-Schlatter disease.

Well, they're all potentials, aren't they?

If you've never heard of it. It's not eyes, no. Do you know, Kevin?

I must admit, I've not come across this one.

I'd just try knees, for the heck of it.

OK. I bet Judith knows for sure.

My son had it. It's knees.

It is knees, as Kevin guessed at.

Some bones grow faster than others, so it hurts a lot.

Eventually, they all catch up.

But he couldn't play games or anything.

-But you grow out of it, quite literally.

-He grew out of it, yes.

OK. Knees is what we needed to hear

but we didn't, so Kevin has a chance.

The chemical squalamine which is thought to be a potent weapon against viruses in humans,

was originally found in which creatures?

Right. I don't know it. I haven't come across it.

The only thing I can go for here, one of the orders of snakes,

reptiles, is called Squamata.

So that would seem to be very close.

-So I'll go snakes.

-OK. Snakes.

Are you slithering into the final round? No, you're not.

-Oh?

-It's sharks.

-Sharks, is it?

-That was the second choice. OK.

-Sharks.

Good news for you, Peter.

We go to sudden death. It's all square after three questions each.

So to sort out a winner let's remove those choices and make it a lot harder.

Here's your question. Jupiter is located between Saturn and which other planet?

Mars.

Mars. Yes. Very well done.

Kevin, for what does the letter R stand

in RHS, a syndrome common in Japan

in which a woman develops stress-related illnesses

when her spouse stops work and is therefore at home much more?

Well, I've never come across this,

but I assume the S stands for syndrome.

And I'm assuming that the use of the word "spouse" means that the H means husband.

So something husband syndrome,

and stops work, I'll have to go for retired.

Yes. Well dissected. That is correct.

That's a new one on me!

RHS. Right.

Another pair of questions. Peter,

the American Alfred Vail, who died in 1859,

is best known for his association and work with which inventor?

I suppose the inventor he's associated with could be of any nationality.

But I'm going to play the percentages.

It's in America

and I'm going to go for Thomas Edison.

OK. Thomas Edison.

It's to do with communications. It's not Edison.

-Do you know, Kevin?

-I think Edison would have been too young at that stage.

And so would Bell. I think they were both born in the same year, funnily enough.

The only other one I can think of around that time is Morse.

Yes. I gave you a clue saying communications. What was his first name?

-Samuel. Samuel Morse.

-Samuel Morse, we were looking for, Peter.

Kevin obviously doesn't get a point for that.

He has to answer his own question. Kevin,

Stephen Hawking was born in 1942 on the 300th anniversary

of which astronomer and scientist's death?

That was Galileo. Galileo Galilei.

Yes, that's right. Galileo Galilei.

Kevin's ability with dates.

Bad luck, Peter. Got into sudden death. Did very well

but just didn't quite make it. Both please come and join your teams.

We've had some good old battles so far.

The honours are even. Both teams have lost one brain

from the final round.

Our next subject today is Film & Television.

Who would like to play this from Paul, Jason or the other Paul?

Two Pauls and a Jason.

-Jason?

-Yeah.

-Jason is definitely our expert on film.

It's all relative, though, isn't it, Paul?

Go for it. I'm sure you'll do very well.

OK. Kevin and Judith have played, so you're choosing from the three closest to me.

Pat, Barry and Chris.

I would go for yourself and go with Chris.

OK. I'd like to play against Chris, please, Dermot.

OK. Let's have Jason and Chris into the question room, please.

Jason, do you want to go first or second?

I'll go first, please.

OK. You're going first. Good luck, Jason.

Nadia Sawalha and Kaye Adams have been regular hosts

of which daily TV programme which debuted in 1999?

Well, I know it's not Countdown.

I'm fairly certain that it's probably not The Time, the Place.

I think I'll go for Loose Women.

Loose Women, yes. Correct.

Chris,

the TV series Ballykissangel was set in which country?

I lost all interest in this when they killed off Assumpta.

It's the Republic of Ireland.

That's correct.

OK, Jason.

Who played the title role in the 2012 film, The Amazing Spiderman?

I haven't seen this.

It's not Jason Segel.

I know that.

It's between Andrew Garfield and Ryan Reynolds.

I'm going to go for Ryan Reynolds.

Ryan Reynolds as The Amazing Spiderman.

No, it was Andrew Garfield.

You were guessing between the right two but chose the wrong one. Chris,

which Australian actor was nominated for an Emmy and a Golden Globe

for his performance as Luke O'Neill

in the 1980s TV mini series The Thorn Birds?

It's not Paul Hogan. He's Crocodile Dundee.

I don't think Geoffrey Rush had come to prominence then,

so I'll go with Bryan Brown.

Bryan Brown is the right answer.

OK. Well, you need this, Jason.

What did Andy Pandy live in

when he first appeared on children's TV in the 1950s?

Well, I don't think it was a flower pot, cos that was Bill and Ben.

I think I'm going to go for a picnic basket.

A picnic basket.

Is he right, Chris?

Yeah, him and Looby Loo used to live in a picnic basket, yes!

Correct, yes. A picnic basket.

Looby Loo! Right, well.

Well done. Kept you in it,

but Chris could decide it with this answer.

Chris, who became Director General of the BBC in September 2012?

That is George Entwistle, Dermot.

George Entwistle is the right answer. Well done, Chris.

Again, the Egghead just shaded it.

Jason, that's a blot in your copybook because it cost you a place in the final round.

Both please come back and join your teams.

So, as it stands,

after that early victory by Andrew, the Eggheads have come back

and The Transmitters have lost two brains from the final round.

The Eggheads have lost one.

And our last head-to-head before that final round is Geography.

One of the Pauls can play this one.

Yes, it'll be me.

I've travelled round the world quite a bit,

so I'd better see if I learned anything!

Don't travel to the question room yet

-because you have to choose an opponent.

-Ooh!

So, Paul, who is it going to be from the Eggheads?

You can have Pat or Barry.

Hmm.

I'm going to go with Pat, please.

Pat. Can I ask you both to make your way to the question room.

Paul, you mentioned your travels.

We know about your voice travelling the world when you broadcast,

but physically, that's partly because you were in a band?

Yes, I've been in bands since I left school.

But probably my biggest claim to fame was I spent the best part of three decades with The Fortunes

-who had hits in the '60s and '70s.

-Wow.

So that's how come I got to travel a lot around the world.

Let's get down to business. Geography. Would you like to go first or second?

I'm going to go second.

OK. That puts Pat in, then.

Pat, first set of questions for you.

Which English city is home to the National Exhibition Centre,

often abbreviated to NEC?

I've been there in the past to computer shows.

It's a giant complex lying just to the east of Birmingham.

That's correct.

Paul.

Papua New Guinea lies just to the north of which neighbouring country?

Well, it's not Sri Lanka.

And it certainly isn't Mozambique.

So that leaves Australia.

It does, yes. That's right.

Pat, second question.

Which city in south-west England

is served by St David's train station?

Not sure about Plymouth's train station.

One of Bath... Nor Bath...

I think St David's is Exeter.

-Exeter.

-OK.

Exeter, St David's. Just double-check with Chris here.

Exeter St David's, Exeter Central, Exeter St Thomas.

St David's is the main station, though.

What about Bath and Plymouth?

-Bath is just Bath Spa and Plymouth is North Road.

-OK!

North Road, Plymouth, Pat. Bath Spa.

OK. And Exeter is correct.

Confirm that for you. OK.

Paul, what nickname is sometimes given

to the A830, a Scottish road that connects Fort William and the port of Mallaig?

I'll take the high road, you take the low road,

or maybe the other way round.

It's not the Road to the Stars.

I'm pretty sure it isn't the Road to the Sea.

I've never heard of that.

But I have heard of Road to the Isles.

Mallaig is the port where you would go across to the Isles,

especially to the Isle of Skye.

So that's my answer. Road to the Isles.

OK. You sound like you've been there.

-I have, yes.

-OK. Played there?

Um, probably! There's been so many, I forget.

Certainly on holiday there once.

OK. It's the right answer. Yes. Well done.

Pat, what type of meteorological phenomenon

is a derecho?

What type of meteorological phenomenon is a derecho?

D-E-R-E-C-H-O.

Derecho.

No idea. No idea.

Sounds Spanish. Spanish. Derecho.

Nope. Can't see any way of working this one out.

I'm going to be reduced to guessing.

Derecho.

Would you have a word for a heat wave? I suppose you could.

Although in Spain and Mexico

and those sort of Latin places it's hot most of the time anyway.

Derecho. A mirage is tempting.

I really have no idea.

I'll go for heat wave.

OK. Well, a lot of that mental effort has been wasted.

Because it's wind storm.

OK, Pat. Well, great opportunity, then, Paul.

Medellin and Cartagena are major cities

in which South American country?

Well. I don't think it's Peru.

And I don't think it's Uruguay.

I'm going off a film I saw years ago

called Romancing the Stone

or something along those lines,

where they went to Cartagena

and I believe it was Colombia.

OK.

No matter where you get your knowledge from, it's the fact you've got it.

And that's correct, yes. Colombia.

Which puts you into the final round, Paul.

Both please come back and join your teams.

Paul, that was quite a victory because Pat is a very good player,

but particularly at Geography. That's only the third time you've lost in that category.

-Well played.

-You're in very good company,

because one of the times he lost it was one of our greatest Olympians beat you,

-Matthew Pinsent on the Celebrity Special.

-Yes.

Good company, Paul. Well done.

-Thank you.

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

It's time for the final round which is, as always, general knowledge.

But those of you who lost your head-to-heads

won't be allowed to take part in this round.

So Jason and Peter from the Transmitters and Pat and Judith from the Eggheads,

would you all leave the studio now please.

Well, Paul H, Paul B and Andrew,

you're playing to win the Transmitters £22,000.

Chris, Barry and Kevin, you're playing for something no amount of money can buy,

the Eggheads' reputation.

I'll ask each team three questions in turn.

The questions are all general knowledge and you're allowed to confer.

Transmitters, the question is, are your three brains better than the Eggheads' three.

Do you want to go first or second in this round?

I think we'd like to go second, please, Dermot.

Let's see if the Eggheads make a mess of it.

Here you go, Eggheads. First question to you, then.

Which composer won an Oscar for his score for the film Schindler's List?

Which composer won an Oscar for his score for the film Schindler's List?

-All agree on John Williams?

-Yes.

Yes, it was the most amazingly moving piece of music

for film writing that I've heard for some time.

And it was by John Williams.

John Williams is correct.

Transmitters, Agamemnon was reportedly

the favourite Royal Navy ship of which historical figure?

Agamemnon was reportedly the favourite Royal Navy ship

of which historical figure?

I don't think it's Walter Raleigh.

No, I don't think it's Raleigh.

I don't think it's Nelson, either.

I don't think it's Nelson. That would be Victory or...

I think it would be Queen Victoria.

By a process of elimination,

we don't think it's Walter Raleigh,

don't recall it with Horatio Nelson,

so I'll go for Queen Victoria.

OK. Queen Victoria's favourite ship, Agamemnon.

She was head of the navy and all the armed forces.

But it's not.

It's incorrect. Eggheads?

-Nelson.

-It is Nelson.

-Agamemnon. Did he command that before he...

-Yeah.

In command of Agamemnon in the Med in the 1790s.

I see. OK.

Eggheads, The Mint is an autobiographical account

of whose experiences in the RAF?

The Mint is an autobiographical account

of whose experiences in the RAF?

He had different names at different times.

-Ross and Shaw. But it's T.E.Lawrence.

-Yep.

The answer to that is T.E.Lawrence

who went under the names of Aircraftman Ross

and I believe Aircraftman Shaw in the RAF.

He joined the Tank Corps as Shaw.

Ah. OK.

Well, we didn't ask you that.

But T.E.Lawrence is the right answer.

OK, Eggheads. Well, Transmitters,

it's over and out if you don't get this one.

What is the title of the American office humour comic strip

created by Scott Adams?

It was first published in 1989.

What's the title of the America office humour comic strip

created by Scott Adams,

that was first published in 1989?

-It's...

-Dilbert. I'm a big fan of his books on office life.

It's a bit like Drew Carey. Have you seen the US programme Drew Carey?

It seems very similar to that.

-It's Dilbert.

-Go with that.

We believe it was Dilbert.

OK. Dilbert. That's right.

Yes. You're on the board.

But you'll have to sweat this one out.

This could be decisive. Eggheads,

the Danish author Sven Hassel

is particularly known for writing about which topic?

The Danish author, Sven Hassel,

is particularly known for his writing about which topic?

Sven Hassel writes about war.

Particularly the Second World War.

-Mm.

-War is correct, Eggheads. You've won.

I don't get to put another question to you, Transmitters.

We never know whether that would have been three-one or three-two.

But that stumble on the first question, and going second,

meant no chance to recover.

The Eggheads on very good form, as you know by the amount of money that's up for grabs.

So bad luck, Transmitters, but a very good team, we can tell.

Very even in those head-to-heads

and just lost out in the final round.

-Best of luck with the broadcasting.

-Thank you.

Thanks very much for playing the Eggheads today.

The Eggheads have done what comes naturally to them. Their winning streak continues.

I'm afraid you won't be going home with the £22,000.

That means 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.

£23,000 says they don't.

Until then, goodbye.

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