Episode 79 Eggheads

These people are among 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 the show where a team of five quiz challengers

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

They are the Eggheads.

Taking on the might of our quiz Goliaths are...

from west Wales.

This team all belong to the Manordeifi Short Mat Bowls Club

based in their local village in Abercych. Let's meet them.

Hi. My name's Steve. I'm 55 and I'm an ambulance driver.

Hi. My name's Michael.

I'm 65 and I'm a retired heating and ventilation engineer.

Hi, I'm Alan. I'm aged 60 and I'm a sports retail director.

Hi. I'm Nick. I'm 66 years of age and I'm a stonemason.

Hi, I'm Bernie. I'm 69 and I'm a carpenter.

Steve and team, welcome.

The village hall in Abercych is the centre of things?

-That's correct.

-Short mat bowling?

-Short mat bowls, yeah.

-Does that mean it's indoors?

-It is, yes.

We're not reliant on the weather and play all year round.

Short mat is a reference to what you play on?

Yeah. Because we play in village halls, you can't play the full length.

It's a game that's been adapted to village halls.

It's being played up and down the country in all village halls.

Good stuff. Now, Lords of the Manor. Tell us a bit about the manor.

The manor is Manordeifi, which is the name of the diocese that we live in and the name of our team.

-Is there a real Lord of the Manor or is that all gone?

-Alan's Lord of the Manor, really.

OK, well, good luck to you in this game.

There's £1,000 up for grabs for our challengers every day.

If they fail to defeat the Eggheads the money rolls over to the next show.

The Eggheads have been on quite a streak. I haven't seen a jackpot this big myself.

We've hit 30,000 because they've won the last 29 games.

Short mat or not, it's worth being here.

-They're pretty good, then.

-Have some of that!

That's the trouble, they are pretty good. I think their last game, they didn't get a question wrong.

So, £30,000 to win. The first head-to-head battle is on the subject of Music.

I will do that one.

-I think it's Nick, isn't it?

-Yeah.

OK, Nick, and which Egghead would you like to take on?

-Maybe Pat?

-I'm going to have a go at Chris, please.

-So it is Nick from Lords of the Manor against our very own Lord of the Manor.

-Hm.

You've had a number on music lately.

-I'm doing quite well on Music, actually.

-You've been chosen a lot.

He protests strongly then gets questions about the Sugababes, that's how it works.

-Yeah.

-To ensure there's no conferring, please take your positions in the Question Room.

-You earn a living in an interesting way, Nick.

-I do.

-As a stonemason.

-That's right.

-You've done that for how long?

-50 years now.

-Goodness me!

Tell us what you do. Is that...? It's not dry stone walls?

Some of it is, yes.

I build things in stone, whether it's walls, fireplaces.

Anything. Give me a pile of stone, I'll build you something nice.

Did you have to do an apprenticeship when you were 16?

I was an apprentice bricklayer. I've been a bricklayer most of my life.

In the last 20, 30 years, I've stuck to stonework.

Do you see now people who are coming up aged 17, 18, wanting to do it?

Not really. No.

It's not as popular as it used to be.

If I gave you some stone, you can build me a nice wall?

Absolutely. Or a fireplace even.

-That sounds great that, Chris, doesn't it?

-Yeah.

It's a shame all these old trades are more or less being killed off

by lack of interest of the younger generation who don't like getting their hands dirty.

-It's not street cred, is it?

-That's right.

-People are buying stuff from very large stores now instead of making it, I guess.

-Mm.

On that note, let's turn to Music, Nick, and see what you're made of, whether you can knock Chris out.

He's doing quite well on music these days. £30,000 jackpot today.

-Would you like to go first or second?

-First please, Jeremy.

Your first question. Who is the heroine of the musical Annie Get Your Gun?

It's not Queen Anne and not Anne Bonny.

It's Annie Oakley.

Annie Oakley is correct.

Which song in the UK charts in 1999 opens with the lines,

"She's into superstitions, black cats and voodoo dolls"?

Hm! That is Livin' La Vida Loca! CLEARS THROAT

How do you know that so effortlessly?

You'd be surprised what I know, Jeremy.

-How big is your Ricky Martin collection?

-Non-existent.

-I just happen to know the song.

-OK. Livin' La Vida Loca is correct.

Back to you, Nick.

What was the title of the first UK Number 1 single for Prince?

I don't know this, Jeremy. I really don't know.

My instinct tells me Little Red Corvette.

I would definitely have gone for that, but it's wrong.

It's The Most Beautiful Girl In The World. OK, Chris.

The Rake Punished is the alternative title for which Mozart opera?

Well, Don Giovanni is actually Don Juan, the notorious womaniser

and therefore rake, so it's Don Giovanni.

Don Giovanni is the right answer.

Chris is ahead, which means you need to get this right, Nick,

or you will be knocked out.

Giacomo Puccini, the composer of the opera La Boheme,

died in which city?

Again, I don't know.

It's going to be another guess, I'm afraid.

I'm going to have a guess and say Amsterdam.

-Let's see if Chris knows. Is he right?

-I don't know, Jeremy.

He was Italian, so you'd think he'd have died in Italy.

-Amsterdam's as logical a place as any.

-Anyone here know?

DAPHNE: Brussels.

Yeah, it's Brussels, Nick. Brussels is the answer.

He was obviously on the move at the end of his life. I'm sorry.

Chris will be in the final round. Please come back and rejoin your teams.

As it stands, the Lords of the Manor have lost the one brain from the final round.

The Eggheads have not lost any.

The next subject is Geography. Who would like this?

That was going to be...

-Is it Alan?

-Or Bernie. Geography, Bernie?

I think you were doing it.

-Alan's going to do Geography.

-Alan, OK.

Which Egghead would you like to play? Not Chris.

-Dave. Have a go at Dave. Yeah?

-OK, then. Dave, please.

-I sense you watch the programme.

-Yeah.

-I can tell you've got a plan.

Alan from Lords of the Manor against Tremendous Knowledge Dave from the Eggheads.

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

Good luck in this round - Geography against Tremendous Knowledge Dave.

-Alan, you can choose to go first or second.

-First, please.

Alan, the Cumberland Gap is a natural pass through which system of mountains?

Ooh, that's an interesting one.

Um...

It wouldn't be the Himalayas.

It's unlikely to be the Appalachians.

The Rocky Mountains is my best guess. The Rocky Mountains.

-Is he right, Dave?

-I think so, yeah.

No, you're wrong. It's the Appalachian Mountains.

-Sorry. I would have gone Rocky.

-Yeah, tricky that.

Dave, your question. Malham Cove and the town of Hebden Bridge are close to which long-distance walk?

Some good pubs there. Pennine Way.

Pennine Way is the right answer. Back to you, Alan.

Great Ganilly and Tean belong to which group of islands?

It's definitely not the Channel Islands.

-Could you spell Tean?

-Yes, T-E-A-N.

Great Ganilly is "Great" and then G-A-N-I-L-L-Y.

I'm a little bit of a 50-50 between the two,

but the spelling of Ganilly would push me towards the Isles of Scilly.

-I'm going for the Isles of Scilly.

-Ganilly rhymes with Scilly.

You're right. It's the Isles of Scilly. Well done.

Another tough one there.

Which city on the Arabian peninsular was originally called Yathrib?

Right, um...

I haven't got really an idea on this.

-I'm going for Muscat.

-Let's see if your colleagues know.

-Is Muscat right?

-BARRY:

-No, it's Medina.

-Medina.

Any history there? Any details, Eggs?

I think it was Yathrib in the time of Muhammad when he fled there.

Shortly afterwards, it became Medina.

-It's in which country?

-Saudi Arabia.

-Soudi Arabia.

-Medina is the answer, Dave.

-OK.

-He's let you back in, Alan.

Yeah.

First over a series... I'm trying to think when we last had a wrong answer.

-Yeah.

-Cos you've had a streak now that's gone back a way, Eggheads.

Alan, in 2012, voyaging scientists were unable to find which island,

which until that time had appeared on maps between Australia and New Caledonia?

I don't recall reading about that, so it's going to have to be a guess.

I wouldn't have thought Sunny at those latitudes. Um...

So it's either Surfy or Sandy.

I'm going to go for Surf Island, but it is a bit of a guess.

You're right to rule out Sunny, but wrong to rule out Sandy.

-Sandy Island it is.

-Ah!

Dave, your question.

Get this right, you're in the final round.

The Island of Goree, formerly a centre of the slave trade

and now a World Heritage Site, is part of which country?

Goree is G-O-R-E acute accent E.

Er... Right.

Yeah, go with Senegal.

-Reasoning?

-Er... Just the French side of things.

So, yeah, go with Senegal. Yeah.

Senegal is the right answer so you've taken that round.

-There we are, Alan, it's the peril of getting two wrong.

-I know.

He's knocked you out, I'm afraid. You won't be in the final.

Dave Tremendous Knowledge, you will.

Please rejoin your teammates and we'll play on.

The Lords of the manor have lost two brains from the final.

The Eggheads have not lost a brain for a while.

The next subject is Arts & Books.

-Who would like this?

-Ooh!

-You going to take a hit for the team, Bernie?

-Go on, Bern.

Who is it? Pat, Barry and Daphne?

Bernie against Daphne, Barry or Pat.

Pat? Yeah.

-Two Irishmen together.

-Pat, please.

So, Bernie from Lords of the Manor against Pat on Arts & Books.

Let's see what happens. Please go to the Question Room.

-Bernie, tell us what you do for a living.

-I'm a carpenter.

That's basically what I do.

Some brilliant trades we're getting through here. You've been doing that how long?

When I first started off I worked for a company.

We used to do Underground trains and buses.

Then I moved into banks.

Not robbing them! CHUCKLES

Refitting counters, that type of general stuff.

Now it's more low profile because of my age.

I'm not really looking for work, but if it comes along I do it.

-Have you ever banged your thumb with a hammer?

-Many a time.

-There's no way of avoiding that!

-And my head!

Well, I hope that doesn't disrupt your memory of Arts & Books.

-Would you like to go first or second?

-I think I'll go second.

Pat, your first question.

The full title of the ETA Hoffmann story that forms the basis of the ballet The Nutcracker

is called The Nutcracker And The... what?

Ah! I've genuinely only seen this as the ballet.

I think there's a big character in it called the Mouse King.

I think it's The Nutcracker And The Mouse King.

You are right. The Mouse King is the right answer.

Bernie, your question.

The American author Ogden Nash is most associated with what form of writing? Is it...

It's going to be a total guess.

I'm going to go for tragic plays.

-It's almost the opposite. It's humorous poetry.

-Mm.

You might say ditties, I suppose. Anyone know a famous...?

I shoot the hippopotamus with bullets made of platinum

Because if I use leaden ones his hide is sure to flatten 'em.

Brilliant!

DAVE: Candy is dandy but liquor is quicker!

I remember something about a duck, but anyway.

Humorous poetry, Bernie. Sorry. Pat has the second question.

What was the name of the series of portraits by Sir Peter Lely

commissioned in the 1660s by the Duchess of York,

featuring some of the most important female courtiers of the day?

I'm not familiar with these portraits.

Looking at the various options,

it's Windsor Castle, Greenwich Palace and St James's Palace.

Courtiers, you would imagine,

would ply their courtier trade around the palace.

I think until fairly recently,

St James's Palace was the main home of the British royal family,

as opposed to Buckingham Palace.

The Court of St James.

On that basis, I'll go for the St James's Beauties.

Daphne is shaking her head. Daffers?

-I think it's the Windsor Beauties.

-Tell us why you think that, Daphne.

-Well, I've heard of the series.

-In the 1660s?

-Yeah.

She's right, Pat. Windsor Beauties. You got one wrong.

The Eggheads are getting a bit slippy.

Falling around a little bit. Maybe there's a way to the 30,000. Here we go.

Your question, Bernie. In the children's picture books,

what is the name of the witch created by Valerie Thomas?

Um...

I don't think it's Whitney.

It's going to be a guess. I'm sorry. I would go for Wendy.

It's not Whitney. It's not Wendy. It's Winnie, Bernie. I'm sorry.

We're talking Winnie the Witch.

Amazing drawings in those books! Who drew them?

-Not Quentin Blake, is it?

-I don't think it is Quentin Blake.

It's that scraggly hair crazy drawings.

-DAPHNE: We'll look it up.

-You look things up in your brains! You don't look things up.

We do!

The situation is that the Eggheads have one point.

The challengers have still not scored a point in this round.

Pat, if you get this right, you'll be in the final round.

Port Moresby and his wife Kit are characters in which novel by Paul Bowles?

I think Fahrenheit 451 is by Ray Bradbury.

And The Spire's by William Golding.

I don't like the options, so I'll have to go for The Sheltering Sky.

-Do you think he's got it right?

-Sounds like it.

Yeah, it does, doesn't it? It is The Sheltering Sky.

Pat, you've booked your place in the final. Sorry, Bernie.

You've been knocked out by our Egghead and you won't be in the final round. Please come back to us.

One more round before the final.

The Lords of the Manor have lost three brains from that last round.

The Eggheads have not lost any. Let's see if you can turn it around. The next subject is Science.

Who wants this?

You up to do Science?

-I'll take it on.

-Michael's going to take Science.

Against which Egghead? It can be Daphne or Barry.

-Daphne?

-Daphne, please.

Michael from the Lords of the Manor versus Daphne from the Eggheads.

Please go to the Question Room.

Hope you do well, Michael. It's Science. You're up against Daphne.

-She has quite scientific moments. Would you like to go first or second?

-First, please.

So, in a right-angled triangle, if one angle is 60 degrees, what must the third angle measure?

Not ten or 20. I believe it's 30.

-To make 90 degrees.

-30 is the right answer. Well done.

Here we go, Daphne,

with your question.

What type of medication is used to clear a blocked nose?

DAPHNE LAUGHS

This should be Chris's question, shouldn't it? Bless him.

Decongestant.

Decongestant is the right answer.

-You got some for when you get Chris's cold?

-I'm NOT getting it!

JEREMY LAUGHS

One each. Back to you, Michael.

Which chemical element, discovered in 1803, takes its name from the Greek word for smell or odour?

I don't know at all.

I'm going to have a guess at Caesium.

No. It's...

In a way, the closest to "odour" is osmium.

It's that word. Osmium is the right answer, not Caesium. Sorry.

Daphne has a chance to go ahead.

Here is your question, Daphne.

The fieldfare belongs to which group of birds?

The fieldfare belongs to which group of birds?

Oh, it's a thrush.

-Not the finch?

-No.

-Or the tit?

-No. It's a thrush.

Thrush is the right answer. OK, she's ahead.

We're in the situation we were in before, Michael.

We need to get this question right to hold her off. The remorseless march of Daphne!

In 1955, Bertrand Russell and Albert Einstein gave their names

to a manifesto on the dangers of what?

I think they spoke about nuclear weapons a lot further back.

I think I'm going to go for global warming.

Might have been a bit early for that, I'm thinking.

-Nuclear weapons is the answer.

-I wouldn't have got that.

No way back. Two wrong questions. Daphne has taken the round.

Daphne, you will be in the final round. Sorry, Michael.

It's going to be a lonely business. One Lord of the Manor left for the final, but he can do it.

Let's see what happens. Do return to your teams.

This is what we have been playing towards, the final round which, as always, is General Knowledge.

Those who lost your head-to-heads won't be allowed to take part.

-Difficult bowling, wasn't it?

-Yeah.

Michael, Alan, Nick and Bernie from the Lords of the Manor,

would you please now leave the studio?

-So, Steve, you are on your own.

-Yeah.

-But we wish you well here.

You're playing to win the Lords of the Manor £30,000, no small jackpot.

Dave, Daphne, Chris, Barry, Pat,

you're playing for something that money can't buy - the Eggheads' reputation.

I will ask each team three questions in turn. The questions are all General Knowledge.

You are allowed to confer.

I don't know who you'll confer with! If there's someone there, you can.

Steve, the question is, is your one brain better than the Eggheads' five?

Can you take them down? It's been done.

-Would you like to go first or second?

-First please, Jeremy.

Steve, good luck against the Eggheads. Here we go. Big jackpot.

Traditionally, a sickle was mainly used for what purpose?

Well, it's definitely not rinsing wool.

And drying hops would be an oast.

I think it's harvesting cereals.

Harvesting cereals is the right answer.

Off the blocks. Let's see what happens to these Eggheads.

In architecture, what is the usual name

for the room similar to a conservatory or greenhouse,

originally built to grow exotic fruits and plants in cool climates?

ALL: Orangery.

There's a famous example of this in Chatsworth Palace in Derbyshire.

-It is an orangery.

-It is indeed an orangery.

Steve, back to you.

Keep calm and carry on.

With which of these people is the archery bow known as a yumi particularly associated?

Spelled Y-U-M-I.

It wouldn't be a Samurai, cos they use swords.

But it does sound Japanese in origin.

I don't think it'd be a Cossack, so I'm torn between Apache and Samurai.

I'm going to go against my first instinct and go Samurai.

I'm so glad you did. You got it right. Samurai.

Japanese word, I guess. You like the culture of Japan, Barry.

-Tell us more about the Yumi.

-I believe it's the bow they normally use on horseback.

The Japanese are very adept at being able to turn quickly

and fire at targets on horseback cos they've got very interesting stirrups.

You can put your whole foot through it instead of part of it on a western stirrup.

Contrary to what Steve said, it's swords and bows with Samurai?

The Samurai were more famous for bows and archery than they ever were for swords.

Interesting. Thank you. Your second question, Eggheads.

Which actress played the CIA agent Nicky Parsons in three Bourne films?

-Julia Stiles, I think.

-OK.

A CIA agent in the Bourne Films. I don't know. Go on, Pat!

We're all agreed on this one. We believe it's Julia Stiles.

I've seen all those Bourne films and I couldn't answer that.

Julia Stiles is the right answer, well done. Julia Stiles.

It's two points each. This is the critical question.

Get this question right and then, who knows?

You're playing well. Take your time.

What was the real name of the boxer known as Sugar Ray Robinson?

I don't know this. It's going to be a guess.

I'm torn between John George Harper and Walker Smith Jr.

I'm going to go for Walker Smith Jr.

-Any reasoning on that?

-Just fancy the name.

Dave, we were talking about Sugar Ray Leonard.

-Yeah.

-Who's younger and later. Is this the right answer?

-Yeah, definitely.

-You got it right! Three out of three!

This is the time to bring on that spurt of power.

You've done brilliantly, Steve.

On your own, it's very difficult. Three out of three.

Couldn't have done any more, so we see what happens to the Eggheads.

I will just mention that jackpot,

the highest I've ever seen on Eggheads, £30,000.

All you have to do is nothing.

They just have to get this one wrong.

Which historic London townhouse is also known by the address Number 1, London?

This is the famous townhouse of the Duke of Wellington.

It is Apsley House.

You've given us your answer, Apsley House. Who lives there now?

Nobody lives there. It's a museum, and a very fine one, too.

The answer is correct.

Sometimes three is enough, but not today.

They're in pretty good form, that's why it's £30,000 that you're playing for.

We go to Sudden Death. It's harder because I don't give you alternative answers.

Cucaracha is the Spanish word for which insect?

-Cucaracha?

-I'll spell it for you.

C-U-C-A-R-A-C-H-A. Cucaracha. It's all one word.

Well, cucaracha. There's a song, The Cucaracha.

I'm thinking of locust?

It's not locust.

-It's cockroach.

-Cockroach!

You certainly wouldn't get that.

It's OK. It's not over.

Eggheads, if you get this right, it will be over. Your first Sudden Death question.

Which store is famous for sponsoring a Thanksgiving Day parade in New York City, dating back to 1924?

-I'm thinking of Macy's.

-Anyone else think it's Macy's?

Don't think it's Bloomingdale's.

-DAPHNE: It's Macy's.

-Happy with that?

-Yeah.

We all seem to be happy with that.

We believe the store that gives the famous Thanksgiving Day is Macy's.

Macy's is the correct answer, so we say congratulations, Eggheads. You have won.

A lot of challengers, if they get three right in the final round,

it's enough and you go down on the third question, but not today.

Commiserations to the Lords of the Manor - or Lord of the Manor, with the other four back there.

The Eggheads have done what comes naturally to them and this impressive winning streak continues.

That means you won't be going home with the £30,000.

We now roll that money over to our next show.

Eggheads, congratulations. Who will beat you?

Join us to see if a new team of challengers have the brains to defeat the Eggheads.

£31,000 says they don't.

Till then, goodbye.

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