Episode 92 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...

This team of colleagues all work for the same shipping company

based in Essex and Heathrow.

They often test their brain cells at business quiz evenings. Let's meet them.

Hello. My name's Keith. I'm 48 and I'm a general manager.

Hi. My name's Terry. I'm 51 and I'm a freight forwarder.

Hello. My name's Scott. I'm 44 and I'm an operations manager.

Hi. I'm Steve. I'm 62 and I'm a senior export supervisor.

Hi. I'm Billy. I'm 51 and I'm a business development manager.

-Keith and team, welcome.

-Thank you.

-Great to see you.

-So it's freight that you do, basically?

-Yes, it is.

-International logistics.

-Busy times or not?

-Yes, it's been pretty good. We're doing very well.

-Good.

How about the quizzing? That's the key thing!

Quizzing, not too bad. We quiz three or four times a year

but only for charity quiz evenings.

We meet so many people who are obsessed with quizzing.

-It's a national pastime!

-Yes, certainly.

One of our team members is always on the winning team at those quiz nights!

-He's our secret weapon!

-Don't tell us which one. By the end, I shall try and guess.

-OK.

-There's one particular talismanic member?

-Sort of, yes.

-OK. Good luck against this crew here.

Every day there is £1,000-worth of cash up for grabs for our challengers.

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

So, Freight Expectations, the Eggheads have won just the last game

which means that £2,000 says you can't beat them today.

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

Who would like this?

-That should be me.

-Yes, go for it.

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

The skipper on History. Which Egghead? You can choose any one.

I would like to take Barry, please.

I'm sensing you have a strategy.

No. Just that I like Barry!

I like you, now!

Keith from Freight Expectations versus Barry from the Eggheads.

To ensure no conferring, please take your positions in the question room.

Keith, playing for Freight Expectations. All the best. Would you like to go first or second?

I'll take the first set of questions, please, Jeremy.

First question, Keith. What general name was given to a small gift

given to a medieval knight by his lady and worn for luck?

My first thoughts was talisman, to be honest.

Um, I don't think it was a boon.

I'm going to go down the middle and say favour.

Yes. A favour is the right answer, Keith.

Barry,

the woman born Arizona Clark, who was believed to run an American criminal gang

in the early 20th century

was better known by what name?

I think Boney M did a song about this! It was Ma Barker.

-Ma Barker is right. But didn't they call it Ma Baker?

-They got it wrong.

-Yes.

-They got it wrong? Boney M got it wrong? OK.

Ma Barker is the right answer.

Keith, your question.

Which building is the historic home of the Bishops of London?

Again, I'm not really sure on this.

Obviously, they're all palaces.

Um, again I'm drawn down the middle to Fulham Palace.

So I'll have to guess at that one, please, Jeremy.

Fulham Palace is quite right, Keith. Well done.

Barry,

which ruler built his new capital city at Dadu? D-A-D-U.

D-A-D-U?

I've never heard of this one.

Alexander the Great built cities everywhere,

but he tended to call them Alexandria! For some reason!

Tamburlaine. 13th-century conqueror.

1314 is Kublai Khan, a bit earlier.

I'm really not sure. I associate Tamburlaine with Samarkand.

Kublai Khan. I think he had a capital at Xanadu.

That sounds a bit like Dadu.

I'm going to go for Kublai Khan.

I thought Kublai Khan only existed in a poem.

-He's a real person?

-He certainly was. He was the grandson of Genghis Khan.

Oh, I see. Was he? Right, OK.

Difficult family. They'd have ASBOs on them now!

Kublai Khan is right, Barry. Well done.

A tight round, Keith. Two points each.

Your third question. Which political office was held by Andrew Bonar Law

during World War I, and John Anderson during World War II?

Again, I'm not sure on this one.

I'm going to rule out Chancellor of the Exchequer. I'm not sure why.

Could I be right and have three questions straight down the middle?

Because of the war connection to both of them,

I'd like to go for Defence Secretary.

I know Bonar Law was prime minister.

What was his other post? What's the answer?

-Minister of Supply.

-Chancellor.

We've got two different answers. Daphne and Chris say Minister of Supply.

Kevin says Chancellor of the Exchequer. Who would you go with?

Kevin.

Chancellor of the Exchequer is the right answer.

Two out of three. OK.

If Barry gets this right, he's in the final round.

Barry, who designed the airship Italia

which crashed on an expedition to the Arctic in 1928?

Well, Lincoln E Byrd, I believe, did fly over the poles

in an airship.

But I think The Italia, which crashed,

I think - I'm pretty certain, yes - it was Umberto Nobile.

Umberto Nobile is the right answer. Well done. You're in the final.

Sorry, Keith, you've been knocked out by our Egghead.

-I hope you still love him?

-I do!

Please both come back and rejoin your teams.

So, first blood to the Eggheads. Freight Expectations have lost a brain,

the Eggheads have still got Barry.

The next subject is Music.

Who would like this? Who's the musician?

-Scott?

-I can do Music or Billy. You were more films, weren't you?

Do you want me to be Music to save Scott, just in case Food comes up?

-OK. So Billy.

-Yep.

-OK.

-Billy on Music against which Egghead? Anyone but Barry.

-I would say Chris.

-Chris, yeah?

-Yeah.

-I've studied this!

-OK. We'll take on Chris, please.

You've studied this! Good stuff. So Billy from Freight Expectations

and Chris from the Eggheads. To ensure no conferring, please take your positions.

We're on the Music round, Billy, but you also do a lot of travelling, don't you?

Yes, I've been very lucky, actually, through work. I've been to a lot of places in the Far East

and South America.

Yes, there have been good times.

So the freight business doesn't just have you in the UK receiving freight.

You move around and follow it a bit.

Some of us do. I'm one of the lucky ones and enjoyed my time there.

Things are good.

And music along the way? Who do you love, Billy?

I like the old ska music and Tamla Motown.

Pretty old-fashioned, really.

Chris, what do you listen to in your dressing room?

-Oh, not a lot really.

-On your phone or anything?

I did get wired in to some Chas and Dave last night on my phone, on You Tube.

I haven't heard them for ages! What were they singing?

# Oh, darling, there ain't no pleasing you

# Rabbit! Gertcha! #

So on Music, Billy, first or second?

I'll go first, please.

First question. Take Me Home, released in 2012,

is a best-selling album by which band?

I'm not too sure. It's a bit modern for me.

2012,

possibly the new boys, One Direction.

One Direction is correct.

-Well done. Easy to fall foul of that one. Well done, Billy.

-Thank you.

Chris, in Elton John's song, Crocodile Rock,

"Me and Susie had so much fun holding hands" and doing what?

Skimming stones, Jeremy.

Ah, you've heard that song many times, haven't you?

-Yeah.

-Holding hands and skimming stones. Right.

Second question to you, Billy.

In 1958, The Champs had a top ten in the UK with an instrumental single

named after which alcoholic drink?

Well, I've never heard of The Champs.

I'm trying to think of songs with those drinks in.

The only one I can think of is the Mexican song,

which had tequila as a... That they all shouted out.

So I'll say tequila.

Yes, you're good. Well done, you've got it.

Chris, your question.

The scene in the opera Lucia di Lammamoor

in which the heroine wanders among her wedding guests

having just stabbed her husband, is usually known by what name?

That is the famous mad scene from Lucia di Lammamoor

which gives a soprano a chance to chew the scenery something chronic!

The mad scene is right. Very good. The mad scene.

Your question, Billy.

Which country star adopted the alter ego Chris Gaines

and released an album called In The Life of Chris Gaines in 1999?

Right. I don't know the answer, Jeremy.

It's not my thing, really, country.

So I've got nothing really to rule any of them out.

So it has to be a guess.

The name I'm being drawn to is Tim McGraw.

So I'll try down the right, please, and have a go at Tim.

OK. Country star with the alter ego Chris Gaines is Garth Brooks.

So let's see if Chris takes advantage of that

with his third question. Here we go, Chris.

The musical Do I Hear a Waltz has lyrics by Stephen Sondheim

and music by which composer?

Well, waltz is a semi-classical form.

I don't think Sondheim ever collaborated with Rodgers.

He was with Hammerstein.

There's Lerner and Loewe.

So, yeah, Leonard Bernstein.

-You think it's Sondheim and Bernstein.

-Mm-hm.

It's not Loewe or Bernstein. It's Richard Rodgers.

So we go to sudden death. Well done, you're still in it, Billy.

-Come on, Billy!

-Gets harder now. I don't give you alternative answers.

-OK.

-The songs Brave Sir Robin

and Find Your Grail feature in which stage musical?

The only connection I can think of

is the grail, the Holy Grail, which reminds me of the Monty Python team.

I think they had a stage show called Spamalot.

Spamalot is the right answer.

Well done.

OK, Chris.

Music. Here's your question.

Towards the end of which 1978 hit single

does Bill Withers hold the same vocal note for 18 seconds?

-No, I don't know, Jeremy. I'll have to pass.

-Really?

I'm surprised you don't know that. OK.

I'd have thought that's right up your street. Billy, do you know?

-I think that's Lovely Day.

-Yeah, Lovely Day is the answer, Chris.

-Oh, yeah!

You've been beaten, knocked out by Billy. Billy will be in the final round.

Our Egghead here will not be.

Please both come back and rejoin your teams.

So, Freight Expectations have pulled one back.

They've lost a brain from the final round, but the Eggheads have also lost a brain.

The next subject for you is Sport.

Who wants this?

-It's got to be Terry.

-That's myself.

Terry. OK. Which Egghead would you like to take on? It can't be Chris or Barry.

-I thought we'd decided on this one?

-Sort of, but Judith's not here!

-So Daphne.

-I'd like to play Daphne, please.

-Judith's not here!

-Sorry, Judith!

OK. Terry from Freight Expectations. Don't sigh, Daphne!

All right. Sport's sport! Well!

She's excited about it. Do take your positions in the question room.

Terry, I'm still trying to guess who the talismanic player is, the lucky player on your side.

I know there's somebody here. Are you going to tell me if it's you?

I guess it would be me.

All right. So you're on sport. Do you have a favourite sport?

Football's my favourite sport.

-Daphne, what about you?

-Favourite sport, not football!

Athletics.

Do you get a chance to see athletics on TV as often as you'd like to?

Well, I watched all the Olympics.

And I was at the '88 Olympics,

and we had front row seats for the whole of the athletics.

-In 1988?

-Yes.

-Goodness.

And can you get around the country if athletics are happening in Edinburgh, Glasgow or Manchester?

-Not now.

-All right. On that note, Terry, would you like to go first or second?

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

So, I don't know what happens if the lucky player gets knocked out!

Let's see how we go here.

Which golf term refers to a situation in Matchplay

when a player leads by as many holes as there are holes left to play?

Golf not one of my favourite sports, to be honest.

I really don't know the answer, to be honest.

I'm going to rule out divot.

I'm drawn to dimple.

I'll go with... I think I'll take dimple as my answer, please.

I'm afraid you're wrong. Dormie is the answer, Terry. Dormie.

OK. Daphne.

Uncle Tony became the coach to which tennis player from a young age?

I think... I think that's Nadal.

Yes, it is Nadal.

Well done.

Back to you, Terry.

The Beige Brigade is a name given to supporters of which international cricket team?

Again, I'm afraid...

It's not an answer I know.

Going by the colour, I think I'll rule out West Indies.

I don't think it's New Zealand.

So I'm going for South Africa.

It's wrong, actually. New Zealand is the answer.

New Zealand is the answer.

So in that case, Daphne,

with this question you can take your place in the final round.

Divina Galica, who took part in Formula 1 races in the 1970s

also represented Britain in which sport?

Quickly repeat her name, please.

Divina, D-I-V-I-N-A,

then Galica, G-A-L-I-C-A.

She was a skier.

How do you know that?

Well, it's unusual for a woman to be in racing

and so you hear about other things.

Skiing is right, Daphne. You've taken the round. Sorry, Terry.

We'll see if your team can draw luck from other sources

because you won't be in the final, I'm afraid. Please rejoin your team-mates and we'll play on.

OK. So at the start, Keith suggested they have a talismanic player.

And Terry told me it was him.

Keith, it's apparently not him!

No. My lips are sealed!

-You haven't lost your talisman yet.

-Our secret weapon.

-Good stuff.

Keep his identity under guard.

So, as it stands, Freight Expectations have lost two brains now.

The Eggheads have just lost the one brain.

The next subject is Arts & Books.

So who from Freight Expectations would like this?

-Me?

-Scott's falling on the sword, there.

OK. Scott. Last round before the final, this.

It can be Dave or Kevin.

It's up to you, Scott.

We'd like to knock Kevin out.

-We're not going to, but we might as well give it a shot.

-You want to knock Kevin out.

It's a bit harsh, but yes!

We'll try and knock Kevin out.

It's always worth a try. It can happen.

It's out of my weight class, but I'll give it a go.

Exactly. If you don't knock him out, he's in the final anyway,

so you might as well give it a go. So Scott from Freight Expectations versus Kevin from the Eggheads.

To ensure no conferring, please take your positions.

A note here, Scott, says you've been mistaken for Chris Moyles.

-I have, yes.

-Is that annoying?

Yes, it was!

Once or more than once?

Only once, by another DJ.

-By another DJ?

-It was another breakfast DJ, yes.

Ooh, that's getting dangerously close to home.

-Hmm.

-Right. Arts & Books. Let's get on with the subject.

Would you like to go first or second?

I'd like to go first, please.

What is the title of the second book in the Fifty Shades of Grey series?

I think maybe it could have been called Fifty Shades Dirtier,

but I believe it was called Fifty Shades Darker.

Fifty Shades Darker is correct.

Well done. Who's read it?

Which Eggheads have read Fifty Shades of Grey?

-Barry has.

-All three of them, I'm afraid.

-All three of them?

-I had to find out why my wife was laughing so much!

Kevin, have you read Fifty Shades of Grey? You're very quiet.

I haven't, no. Managed to avoid that.

Here's your question. In 2008, who released a series of books called The Magic Ballerina?

Hmm. Never heard of that.

It didn't say they were children's books, but logically...

I've never heard of it, so it may be a complete trap.

But I'll try Darcey Bussell.

Yes, you've got it right.

How you would get to her with no knowledge, I don't know.

-She's a ballerina!

-Yes, she is a ballerina.

But you're still allowed to write books about ballerinas without being one!

-Yeah. I had no idea. So go for the one who's a ballerina.

-OK.

Always interesting to see into your brain.

Scott, your question.

The group of writers known as the Georgian poets

were named after the reign of which British monarch?

Crikey!

Don't have a clue on this one, if I'm honest.

It's going to have to be a guess.

I'm going to go for George III.

Kevin, do you know this one?

They're a bit later, I think. It's George V.

When were they operating?

Round about the first decade and a half of the 20th century.

George V is the answer, Scott.

So Kevin has a chance to pull ahead.

A best-selling book by Sue Townsend, published in 2012,

is called The Woman Who Went To Bed For A... what?

Yes. Sue Townsend of Adrian Mole fame, of course.

So it's obviously something different.

It's ringing a slight bell.

The Woman Who Went To Bed for... I don't think it's holiday or change.

Year rings a bell. So year.

Yes, The Woman Who Went To Bed For A Year, it was.

Is it a serious book, does anyone know? A comedy?

Yes, my wife read it recently.

She never stopped laughing from cover to cover.

She said it's a remarkably funny book.

Are you on Fifty Shades of Grey here, still?

No!

A different type of laughter!

Scott,

Bedroom at Arles is which artist's 1992 interpretation

of a painting by Vincent van Gogh of the same name?

Take your time. You have to get this one right.

Again, not entirely comfortable with this.

It's going to be a guess. Because it's '92,

it's not just because it's in the middle, but I'm going to say David Hockney.

It's actually Roy Lichtenstein.

Roy Lichtenstein did do a version of the Van Gogh painting.

So, I'm sorry, Scott. You've been knocked out there.

Kevin is playing as Kevin does and he's in the final round.

If you both come and rejoin your teams, we will play that final.

So, this is what we have been playing towards.

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

I'm afraid those of you who lost your head-to-head won't be allowed to take part in this round.

So, Keith, Terry and Scott from Freight Expectations,

and Chris from the Eggheads, please leave the studio.

OK, Steve and Billy, here we are in the final.

I'm still trying to work out who the talisman is. It must be you, Steve.

-That's why they've held you back.

-I think so!

-That's all I'm saying!

-I hope you bring your team luck.

You are playing to win Freight Expectations £2,000.

Kevin, Dave, Daphne and Barry,

you're playing for something that money can't buy,

the Eggheads' reputation.

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

The questions are all general knowledge.

You are allowed to confer.

So, Freight Expectations, the question is, are your two brains

better than the Eggheads' four?

Steve and Billy, would you like to go first or second?

-First?

-Yeah.

-We'll go first, Jeremy.

Very good luck to you.

In which film does Glenn Close play a character called Alex Forrest?

I'm pretty sure that's Fatal Attraction.

Yeah, I would have said that.

I know she's been in 102 Dalmatians.

So I would have thought you're right, Billy.

-Is it Alex, yeah?

-Yeah.

Fatal Attraction, Jeremy.

Fatal Attraction is your answer and it is quite right.

OK, Eggheads, your first question.

Commodore is a rank in which of the British armed forces?

ALL: Royal Navy.

Yes, we agree that that's the Royal Navy, Jeremy.

Royal Navy is quite right.

One each. Back to you, Freight Expectations.

The journalist Hilary Alexander is best known for writing on what subject?

Any ideas, Steve?

Hilary Alexander. Gardening, fashion or cookery.

A reporter. Would you report on gardening?

Would you report on cookery?

-More likely to be a reporter on fashion.

-Fashion, yeah.

-Shall we go with fashion?

-Yeah.

-OK.

We'll answer fashion, Jeremy.

You've done well with that. You're right. Fashion is the right answer.

Remorseless logic. Straight to the answer, there.

Interesting. OK.

Here we go, you Eggs.

The Mascarene Islands are in which ocean?

-Indian.

-Indian.

-Indian Ocean.

-Yep.

Yep. We're agreed that's the Indian Ocean, Jeremy.

That is the Indian Ocean, Eggheads.

I'm sorry you can't shake them off.

But they are like that. They hang on to your trousers!

See if you can detach them and win this round.

Here's your third question.

Fitch is a name given to fur from which creature?

Fitch. F-I-T-C-H.

-Polecat?

-Any idea, Steve, mate?

-Not really.

-Fitch.

-Fitch.

I think we'll go...

Beaver or polecat? I don't think it's a hare, is it?

I wouldn't have thought.

Fitch. Polecat. Beaver. Hare.

-I don't know why, but I'm probably drawn to hare.

-Yeah?

But that's the one you say no.

-I don't.

-I don't know why.

-I'm not 100% sure at all.

Polecat. Fitch. Beaver. Hare.

It could be a bit obscure. It could be hare.

Shall we go for that?

-Yeah?

-Yeah, OK.

Hare, Jeremy, we'll answer.

OK. You ruled it out, you ruled it back in.

If you got it right, it's three in a row. Daphne, you'll know this.

Polecat.

-Polecat is the answer.

-Sorry.

Why? What? Help us to understand.

When I was at work,

we had to answer the phone, there was no typing.

And I used to read a dictionary!

-And fitch is sort of...

-You got to F?

Yes.

And it said polecat. Most people wouldn't remember that!

-But you did.

-Yes.

Sorry. Polecat is the answer. But it's not over.

The Eggheads could get this wrong.

If you don't, Eggheads, you've taken the contest.

Here's your third question.

The traditional Westminster School event known as "The Greaze",

G-R-E-A-Z-E,

takes place on which day of the year?

-Greaze?

-G-R-E-A-Z-E?

-Yeah.

-The Greaze.

-I haven't heard of it.

-I've never heard of it.

If you think about it,

-they're not likely to be in school on...

-Yeah.

-If I were to guess, I'd guess Shrove Tuesday.

-Yeah.

-Myself.

-A lot of things take place on Shrove Tuesday.

I can't imagine it's Good Friday, which is a religious holiday.

-Or midsummer.

-Are the schools there in Midsummer?

-Yeah.

-They are.

Shrove Tuesday sounds more...

What do you think, Kevin?

I think the logic is fine, there.

Shrove Tuesday is a day when stranger events happen

before Lent.

It could be Midsummer. I think Good Friday is unlikely,

-for reasons said.

-Yes.

How can... Is Greaze something to do with grease?

It could be Midsummer,

but lots of strange things happen on Shrove Tuesday.

Like football matches and things.

-Well, we don't know, so go with that.

-We don't know.

We don't know, but we're going to take a punt at Shrove Tuesday,

Jeremy.

Shrove Tuesday is your answer.

It's actually an event where pupils fight over a pancake in mid-air!

You're right. Shrove Tuesday is the answer.

So we say, "Congratulations, Eggheads, you have won."

Well, sorry about that. It's the third question. So often the third question.

Daphne reads the dictionary in her spare time! So...

I suppose we should all be grateful we don't do that!

-Hope you've enjoyed playing.

-Thoroughly, yes.

-Yes, thank you.

It's been great to see you. Commiserations to Freight Expectations.

The Eggheads have done what comes naturally and snatched that pancake out of the air.

They reign supreme over quiz land.

I'm afraid you won't go home with the £2,000,

so the money rolls over to our next show.

Eggheads, very well done again.

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

£3,000 says they don't.

Until then, goodbye!

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd