Episode 22 Eggheads

'These people are amongst the greatest quiz players in Britain.

'Together they make up the Eggheads,

'arguably the most formidable quiz team in the country.

'The question is, can they be beaten?'

Welcome to Eggheads, the show where a team of five quiz challengers

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

They are the Eggheads.

And taking on our quiz champions today are Two And A Half Tandems.

This team all know one another through their association

with Life Cycle, that's a cycling charity based in Bristol.

-Let's meet them.

-Hi, I'm Ed, I'm 25

and I'm a fundraising and marketing officer.

Hi, I'm Trudi, I'm 43 and I'm a cycle instructor and volunteer.

I'm David, I'm 55, I'm a professor of health services research.

Hi, I'm Heather, I'm 39 and I'm an inclusive cycling coordinator.

Hi, I'm Bob, I'm 46 and I'm an actuary.

Welcome, Two And A Half Tandems. That must've taken a bit of thought

with five of you. Tell me about Life Cycle.

It sounds a very, very good project. Tell us what it does.

We're a small Bristol-based charity which promotes cycling

and we do quite a few different things to do that.

We work in schools, training kids in what used to be cycling proficiency,

it's now bikeability.

And we train any adults who feel a bit wobbly on the bike, as well,

-so any Eggheads are very welcome to come to a lesson.

-Do you do tandems?

-Yes, absolutely.

-OK. They'd be better off with one of them.

And as well as that, we do what we call some inclusive cycling projects,

so working with people who maybe can't ride a normal bike.

So we have a youth project for people in disadvantaged areas of Bristol

who perhaps can't afford their own bike.

We have a tandem project called Two's Company.

It's aimed at mostly blind and visually-impaired people

who can't ride on their own, and we have a team of sighted volunteers

who give up their weekends for free and ride at the front,

so it gives people the chance to go for a day out or a weekend away

-to come out cycling.

-Sounds brilliant!

Best of luck to you and best of luck in this game against the Eggheads.

Every day there's £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. Two And A Half Tandems,

the Eggheads have won the last 25 games,

which means £26,000 says you can't beat the Eggheads.

Well, I always say when we reach this level,

it's a good thing and a bad thing. You're playing for a decent amount,

but it means they've been unbeaten for five weeks,

so they're really going strong.

Right, our first head-to-head battle is going to be on History.

And who'd like to start us off with History?

-That's me, I think.

-That would be you, David.

-That's my subject.

-Oh, good. OK, David. And choose any Egghead.

Well, partly because he's got a name similar to mine,

and also because he's one of the newer Eggheads, I'll pick Dave.

-Dave, I'd like to do History with you, please.

-Not a problem at all.

OK, let's have Dave and David into the question room, please.

That means you can't confer with your teammates. Head there now.

David, choose for me,

-do you want to go first or second?

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

OK, first question, and good luck.

Who was on the British throne at the time of the French revolution?

Ah, that's an easy one for me. It was George III.

OK. Well, I'll tell you straight away, that is correct,

-but why was it easy for you?

-My son has got a History of Britain

which I borrowed and I've been reading it for the last few days

because I thought I'd better make sure that I had the dates

of all the kings and queens and prime ministers,

so I did a bit of cribbing on this one.

-Ah! Very good!

-It's very good to hear that he's read

all of history. That really put me in a confident mood, yeah.

OK, Dave,

the lands ruled over by Attila the Hun were mainly on which continent?

Er, Europe.

Yeah, let's not mess around here. That's obviously the right answer.

David, how many parish churches were destroyed

by the Great Fire of London?

Ah, now, I've no specific knowledge on this,

but it was quite extensive,

so I think I can rule out 17.

So I'm going to have to choose between 37 and 87.

That's quite a wide range.

Oh. I'm going to... Because the fire was so massive,

I'm going to go for 87.

Because the fire was so massive, 87. Big jump from 37.

But it's the right answer. Well done, David.

OK, Dave, who hosted the so-called Ballet of Chestnuts,

a licentious feast held in 1501?

It sounds like a Borgia to me. Erm...

Yeah, I'm going to rule out Michelangelo and Machiavelli.

-I'll go with Cesare Borgia.

-OK.

-The Borgias, you think, Cesare Borgia.

-Yep.

-One of Barry's ancestors, I would suspect.

-Yeah.

It is the right answer, yes, well done, Dave.

Well, you're both going really well here.

Let's see how you do with this, David. Which head of state

gave the political activist Sylvia Pankhurst a state funeral

on her death in 1960?

Erm...

I think it's very unlikely that it was Khrushchev

and I can't think why Queen Juliana would've done it.

I know that Sylvia Pankhurst had a great interest in development issues

and I think she was associated with Ethiopia,

so I'm going to go for Haile Selassie.

Wow, I thought you might have struggled with that,

but it is the correct answer, yes.

OK, well, pressure on you, then, Dave.

When completed in 1884,

the Washington Monument overtook the cathedral in which city

as the tallest structure in the world?

I'd have to go Cologne on that answer.

On the basis that I think Cologne Cathedral's quite a tall one.

-I'll go Cologne.

-OK, Cologne. You are correct. Well done, Dave.

Well, we have two very good quizzers here

and we have gone to sudden death. Just to remind you,

I know you understand the rules, but the choices now have gone

until we sort out a winner. Just got to hear the answer from you,

no list to look at. Here's the question.

A note reading, "You can have his body,

"but his heart belongs in Africa"

was left on the body of which explorer when he died in 1873?

I don't know the answer to this.

Erm, I will just go with one of the explorers I know, David Livingstone?

He has to guess in sudden death, and so good a player,

he's got it right! Well done, David. Yep.

Dr Livingstone.

Dave, on the back foot here.

Which 19th century prime minister

carried on a 30-year friendship

with the courtesan turned preacher Laura Thistlethwayte?

Preacher...

I've got to think of that.

I will have to go, and I'm probably going out, with Benjamin Disraeli.

OK, Disraeli, friendship with a courtesan turned preacher.

-It's the other one, Dave.

-Gladstone?

-It's William Gladstone.

-OK.

-Which means you are going out.

-Yes.

-And to a very good player.

-He deserved to win.

David, congratulations, you're through to the final round.

Both please come back and join your teams.

Well, David survived with his spokes intact there

and sailed through that round. The Eggheads have lost one brain

from the final round. And we move on to our second head-to-head.

This one's Arts & Books.

-Yours.

-OK, Heather, you stay with us while you choose an Egghead, please.

-Erm, can I play with Chris, please?

-Yes.

-You've decided this well in advance, haven't you?

-Just earlier on today.

Ah! OK, let's have Heather and Chris into the question room, please.

Heather, you might help your team win

an awful lot of money if you get through this round against Chris.

-Would you like to go first or second?

-I'll go first, please.

OK, good luck, Heather, it's Arts & Books. First question.

Which of these words is used to refer to

a list of the genuine recognised works by an author?

It's a canon, Dermot.

-Yes, it is. Canon.

-THEY CLAP

Chris, which Stephen King novel is set

in Cold Mountain State Penitentiary?

Well, it's not Salem's Lot, cos that's a supernatural thing.

Misery is Kathy Bates breaking somebody's legs.

So it's got to be The Green Mile.

I love your synopses of these novels and films.

It's just one line, really, isn't it? Shorter than Twitter.

Green Mile is correct. Well done, Chris.

Heather, painted in the 1630s,

Self Portrait With A Sunflower is by which artist?

I really don't know this. I think my era of art is more 20th century.

I think... I think it might... I've got some recollection of Rubens

being around at that kind of time.

And with only that to go on,

-I'm going to go with Peter Paul Rubens.

-OK.

Peter Paul Rubens for Self Portrait With A Sunflower.

-It's not, Heather.

-Oh.

-Chris, do you know?

-It's Anthony van Dyck, isn't it?

It is. We don't pass it over, that was just out of interest.

Your second question, Chris. What is the real title of

the Velazquez painting known as The Rokeby Venus?

Well, that's the original meaning of toilet.

It's The Toilet Of Venus.

Yes, we've got little boys around the country having a little giggle

right now. The Toilet Of Venus is correct.

OK, Heather, Winifred Holtby's novel South Riding

is set during which period of British history?

Erm, I vaguely studied this, so I should know it,

but I'm not sure that's going to lead me to the right answer.

I don't think it's the Civil War

or the Depression. I think it's around the Regency time,

and this is a bit of a guess. I'm going to go with the Regency.

OK, bit of a guess. Winifred Holtby's novel South Riding

-is set during the Depression!

-Oh, sorry.

That means the round's over.

I'm sorry about that. I'm saying sorry to you now,

cos Chris already has two and you obviously can't match that.

So bad luck, Heather. You won't be in the final round.

Team still going well, though. Come back and join your teams.

Well, as it stands, it's all square.

Both teams have lost one brain from the final round.

Our next subject is Music. Who'd like to play this?

-Well, shall I have a whirl?

-Go for it.

-OK, I'll have a bash.

-Captain will stand.

-Captain standing up there

and taking responsibility. And, Ed, who would you like to play?

Dave and Chris have played, so you can play Barry, Daphne or Kevin.

Take Kevin. If you're lucky, you can take Kevin out.

HE LAUGHS OK, yeah, we'll go for Kevin.

That's all very well coming from you, David,

having got through already!

"Oh, just take Kevin out. It's simple."

All right, let's have Ed and Kevin into the question room, please.

-Ed, would you like to go first or second?

-I'll go first, thanks.

OK, Ed, first question coming up.

Mordred and Lancelot are characters in which musical?

Er, well, I hope it's not a trick question,

but I'll go Camelot.

Camelot. Yes, Mordred and Lancelot, obviously. Yes, it's right.

Well done. And Kevin.

What nationality was the conductor Arturo Toscanini?

Well, I don't think there's any trick to it.

With a name like that, I think he was Italian.

So although his career may have been all over the place,

-I think he was Italian.

-OK.

Even with questions that appear easy, you always double check.

Yeah, you've got it. Italian. OK, Ed.

What is the title of the Ohio Express song

that was a top-five hit in the UK in 1968?

-Do you recognise any of those?

-Well, I don't recognise them.

From the way you were saying the question,

I'd rule out Spicy Spicy Spicy since you had a bit of a mouthful

and hopefully they would've, as well. So based on that flawless logic,

erm...

..I'd go for Yummy Yummy Yummy, I think.

I've got love in my tummy. What a great line.

It's the right answer! Well done, Ed.

And Kevin, who sang Body And Soul

with Tony Bennett on his album Duets II?

Mm, I don't know. Cos the Duets albums that he's done,

they've both been done in the last few years,

and he's collaborated on them with a whole range of people,

so unless you've actually listened to the album

or read the track listing, it's very tricky to say who did what.

I've got to try one of them, obviously, and I know...

..for sure, I think, that Amy Winehouse was on one of those,

so I'll have to go with Amy Winehouse.

Yeah, and he was interviewed quite a lot at the time of her death.

It is Amy Winehouse. Tony Bennett and Amy Winehouse,

Body And Soul.

Well, you're going well, Ed. Try and keep it up.

Which British singer-songwriter

released the album For The Stars

with the opera singer Anne Sofie von Otter?

Hm. Er... Tricky one.

I think possibly I'd rule out Sting. I'm not sure why.

Erm...

Out of the remaining two...

..I'd like to think that maybe it was Elvis Costello.

-OK, you'd like to think?

-Yeah, I think I'd listen to it if it was.

Not sure if it was Phil Collins.

Well, you can go and get it, because it exists. It's the right answer.

-Whoa!

-THEY CLAP

Elvis Costello.

Well, your wish came true. Will your other wish,

to get through, come true? If Kevin gets this wrong, it will.

The ballet The Creatures Of Prometheus,

first performed in 1801, has music by which composer?

I think it's the only time he did any ballet music,

but I may be wrong. It's Beethoven.

Yes, it is. He knows that. Beethoven is correct

and into sudden death.

Right, Ed, it's going to get a bit harder, but you've coped well there

in the first three. Here you go.

Who composed the Crown Of India Suite

containing the March of the Mughal Emperors?

Erm...

I think I'll go for Elgar, Edward Elgar.

It's correct!

THEY CLAP

Well done, Ed! OK, Kevin,

Can't Say No was the 2012 debut single by which British teenager?

Desperately trying to recall it. I know I've seen this title,

but I can't...

Erm... Nothing's coming.

I'm going to have to fall on my sword, Dermot.

-I can't think of a single name.

-All right, that's a pass.

-Any Egghead know?

-Is it Conor Maynard?

Daphne has it. It's Conor Maynard.

-Ah. OK.

-Conor Maynard, who won MTV's Brand New For 2012 Award.

Conor Maynard. But, well, that's as may be.

The headliner is that Ed has beaten Kevin

and is through to the final round! Well done, Ed!

THEY CLAP

And Ed, you went in there like a tethered goat waiting to be devoured

by the quiz tiger that is Kevin and look what's happened!

Out you come triumphant. Please come back and join your teams.

The Eggheads taking some mighty blows. They've now lost two brains

from the final round. Daphne still smiling, though.

I wonder what she's thinking. And Two And A Half Tandems

down to just the two tandems, so not doing too bad.

Our last subject before the final round is Sport.

And you've got two players left, Trudi or Bob?

Well, that's the one we were saving Ed for.

Well, yeah. He did pretty well, though, on Music.

He did very well. Those that know me know I know very little about sport

-but that's going to be me, I'm afraid.

-OK.

And the remaining players on the Eggheads' side are Daphne or Barry.

-I think it has to be Daphne.

-OK.

I'll ask her right now. Are you thinking you could be in trouble?

-I couldn't possibly comment.

-Ah, you see!

OK, let's have Bob and Daphne into the question room, please.

Well, Bob, you say you're not really that good at sport.

We heard that from Ed about music, so I'm not sure I believe you.

-Would you like to go first or second?

-I'll go first, please.

All right, good luck and first question is this.

NN12 8TN

is the postcode of which sporting venue?

Well, NN I think is Northampton,

-which would make it Silverstone.

-OK.

You know nothing about sport. It's the right answer. Well done.

Good start, Bob. In pole position.

Daphne, in which year did WG Grace first play test cricket for England?

He played in 1880.

-Was it a good match, Chris?

-So-so, yes. He had a decent knock, yeah.

Mind you, he cheated like mad, but he always did.

I knew you were there. It is the right answer, yes, 1880.

OK, Bob, in 2012,

Jeev Milkha Singh won which golf tournament,

traditionally held the week before the Open?

Could be any of those. Erm...

I don't think it's Scottish. And I've not heard of Welsh.

-So I'm going to say Irish Open.

-OK, the Irish Open.

-No, it's not. Daphne?

-Scottish.

-It is the Scottish Open.

OK, this is your question, Daphne.

Who became BBC Radio 5 Live's tennis correspondent in 2004?

It would help if I listened to the radio, which I don't.

Erm... Gosh.

Jonathan Overend cos I like his name.

It's right. I like his name, too.

Well, that's a reason, and you'd like his commentary if you listened.

It's the right answer, Jonathan Overend.

I'm sorry.

All right. And it means you need to get this, then, Bob.

-OK.

-The Brazilian football club Corinthians

plays a match called the Paulista Derby against which club?

Well, they could all be Brazilian or South American.

Erm, I'm just going to go for Palmerias.

-It's the right answer! Well done!

-THEY CLAP

Well, keeps you in it.

But Daphne has an attempt here to win the round.

Steve Ovett's brother Nick

represented Great Britain at the Winter Olympics at which event?

No, don't know it. Erm...

You would think, wouldn't you, that, erm...

..it's probably speed skating.

Erm...

But I'm going to go for luge.

Which is the right answer, well done, Daphne.

-Ooh!

-Well done! You've got it! Which means it's going to be all square

in that crucial final. Sorry, Bob.

No place for you. Would you both come back and join your teams.

And so, this is what we've been playing towards.

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

But I'm afraid those of you who lost your head-to-heads

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

so Heather and Bob from Two And A Half Tandems

and Kevin and Dave from the Eggheads,

time to leave the studio, please.

So, Ed, Trudi and David, you are playing to win

Two And A Half Tandems £26,000.

And Daphne, Chris and Barry, you're playing for something

which money can't buy - the Eggheads' reputation.

As usual, I'll ask each team three questions in turn.

This time the questions are all general knowledge

and you are allowed to confer in this, the final round.

So, Two And A Half Tandems, the question is, are your three brains

better than the Eggheads' three? And Two And A Half Tandems,

your choice, as always, do you want to go first or second?

Erm, we'd like to go first please, Dermot.

Well, good luck and your first question is this.

Airforce and powder are shades of which colour?

-Blue, I think.

-Powder blue, airforce blue, yeah.

-Possibly.

-I think it must be blue.

-Yeah.

Well... yeah.

-Yeah, powder blue.

-Powder blue, yeah.

-Yeah, blue sounds good.

We're going to go with blue.

Blue. Powder blue, airforce blue,

about the only colour that isn't on David's shirt there!

It is the right answer! Well done.

Eggheads, what type of creature is a hartebeest, native to Africa?

-It's always an antelope.

-Related to the wildebeest.

In accordance with one of the well-established Eggheads rules,

it's always an antelope.

OK, it's always an antelope. It's the right answer, Eggheads.

Back to Two And A Half Tandems.

An image of what type of weapon features on the flag of Mozambique?

-Got any ideas?

-They had a long border war

with the apartheid regime in South Africa

and Kalashnikovs were used quite a lot.

I can't think it would be a hand grenade.

There would be no logic in that. You might think a machete, but...

-You think...

-Machete is more the equatorial parts of Africa,

so my feeling would be Kalashnikov. What do you think?

Hm. I wouldn't have thought hand grenade.

I would tend to go with that, as well, so... Yeah?

-Yeah, go for it.

-Is that what we're going for?

-We're going to go for Kalashnikov.

-OK, Kalashnikov

on the flag of Mozambique.

It's the right answer! Well done David there.

OK, Eggheads, your second question.

Which Radio Four topical comedy show,

presented by Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis,

was first heard in 1998?

Stop The Week, I think.

I don't know. I don't listen to the radio.

Have you any idea?

Yeah, I'd say Stop The Week,

I've been in the audience for this a couple of times

at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club. Yeah, I think it's Stop The Week,

You're the only one who's got any idea, so we'll have to go with that.

I'll go with Stop The Week and if it's wrong, mea culpa.

Well, there's only Chris who has any idea on this one,

cos Daphne and I haven't anything to bring to mind,

so we're going to go with Stop The Week.

OK, Stop The Week, Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis,

first heard in 1998.

Daphne, that's the second time in a question you've said,

-"I don't listen to the radio."

-Yes, I don't.

Well, first time round, you got it.

This time, you haven't. It's incorrect.

It is The Now Show.

Which turns this next question...

It's rather an important one. Let's not ratchet up the importance.

I'll just mention, £26,000!

One question for 26 grand. Right!

Get this, you've got the money, you've beaten the Eggheads.

In which film did Edward Woodward play an Australian soldier

court-martialled during the Boer War?

-Well, it wasn't Walkabout.

-No, I don't think it was that one, either.

-I haven't seen any of the others.

-I know who Edward Woodward is.

-Have you seen The Getting Of Wisdom?

-No.

-I haven't seen either.

-I've got a sneaking feeling

it might be Breaker Morant.

-A sneaking feeling is good.

-Well...

-It's better than nothing, isn't it?

-Does anybody have any memory of...

-No.

I'm afraid haven't seen those films.

Well, shall we go for that, then?

-OK.

-For me, it's a 50/50.

And I don't really have anything to go on.

-Shall we go with your hunch?

-Yeah.

-It's a small hunch

-but it's better than our nothing, isn't it?

-OK.

OK, Dermot, we're not sure, to be honest,

but we're going to try for Breaker Morant.

OK, Breaker Morant. Put it down to the 50/50,

so more or less a toss of the coin for £26,000.

It's the right answer, you've won!

That's amazing!

I heard Ed saying there, "David, you star!"

and yes, indeed, I think David played a major role

in that final round and, indeed, stormed through his head-to-head

against Dave on History. But you all played your part, of course.

Ed, well, who knows? Would Kevin have known The Now Show?

He did! So, you know, again, illustrating to all teams

who are yet to play the Eggheads the importance of those head-to-heads.

That was a critical victory, Ed, taking Kevin out.

You'd at least still be playing here

because it would've gone to sudden death.

And Heather and Bob elated there in the background.

Unlucky in their head-to-heads. £26,000.

-Any idea what you're going to do with it?

-Erm...

You don't have to decide now.

Some will certainly make its way to Life Cycle.

I'm donating mine to Life Cycle cos I'm a trustee of the charity

and I did the whole thing to support the charity,

-so mine will go straight to Life Cycle.

-OK.

I think it's a very worthy cause that that money will be going to

and very generous gesture from you, David.

But £26,000. The Eggheads' scalp, as well. As I said in the introduction,

how well they've been playing for the last month and beyond,

and there they are. See, Daphne, I had an inkling, didn't I?

-Yes.

-Maybe I put the hex on you.

-Yes!

-I said you could be in trouble.

Well, congratulations once again, Two And A Half Tandems.

You've won £26,000. You are officially

-cleverer than the Eggheads.

-Yeah!

-You are.

And Two And A Half Tandems have proven that it can be done.

The Eggheads 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.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

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