Episode 97 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 might of our quiz goliaths today

are the Dartford Wobblers from Kent.

This team of friends have quizzed

together for more than 20 years

and currently test their brain cells at The Malt Shovel pub in Dartford.

Let's meet them.

Hi. I'm Kevin. I'm 52. And I'm a gas engineer.

Hi. I'm Howard. I'm 55, I'm a bricklayer and builder.

Hi. I'm John. I'm 52 and I'm a sole trader.

Hi. I'm Chris.

I'm 55 and I'm a technician.

Hi. I'm John. I'm 55 and I'm a retired civil servant.

So, Kevin and team, welcome. Good to see you.

Tell us about The Malt Shovel. What kind of place is it?

The Malt Shovel is a small pub in Dartford on East Hill.

And you're there a lot? And we're there a lot. Every week.

Every Monday. So you've quizzed together for some years now.

Oh, yeah. Quite a few years. Yeah.

And are you feeling like this is the moment to take them apart?

Er, ooh, I don't know about that.

I was wondering if the Dartford Wobble name

was in anticipation of what will happen in this match.

Well, if we win, we'll get very wobbly!

It's based on a bird, though, isn't it?

Yes, the Dartford Warbler is a small bird native to

the heathlands of Dartford.

Um, and we've corrupted the name to sort of describe the state of us

after a Monday evening's quizzing in The Malt Shovel.

Good luck here. I hope there's no wobbling.

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, Dartford Wobblers, the Eggheads have won just the last game,

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

Would you like to go ahead?

The first head-to-head battle

is on the subject of Geography. Who would like this?

Right. Is it going to be me?

Yeah? You've decided, OK.

That's down to me. Howard. All right.

On Geography against any one of them.

Mm...

What do you reckon?

Tremendous Knowledge Dave?

Give Dave a go. Shall we? THEY AGREE

Can I pick Tremendous Knowledge Dave, please?

You can, indeed. Howard from the Dartford Wobblers

against Tremendous Knowledge Dave from the Eggheads. To ensure

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

Geography for you, Howard. Yes, it is.

Would you like to go first or second? I think I'll take the first set, please, Jeremy.

Here we go with your question.

Port Said, at the northern end of the Suez Canal,

is a city in which country?

Right, let me think. I know it's definitely not Syria.

Um...

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

I believe that is in Egypt.

It is in Egypt. You're right, Howard.

Your question, Dave,

which of these is the nickname for the city of Dallas?

City of Brotherly Love's Philadelphia. Windy City is Chicago.

I think it is used for some other US cities,

but Dallas is the Big D.

The Big D is Dallas. You're right.

Howard, back to you. The Woodhead Pass

and the Snake Pass cross which range of hills?

Let me have a look at this.

It's not the South Downs

because that's quite close to where we come from.

Quantocks, I'm not sure exactly where they are,

but I believe that would be the Pennines.

You're playing with confidence, Howard, you got it right. Well done.

OK, Dave, your question -

what name is given to the narrow rocky gorge that is a tourist

attraction in the Fraser River Canyon in British Columbia?

Never heard of it. Erm...

Just because it sounds like a gorge, I'll go Hells Gate.

But I've never heard of it.

Yeah, Hells Gate is right. Oh, you nearly had him there, Howard.

Here's your third question.

Hualamphong Station is the main railway station in which city?

I'll spell it. It's all one word. H-U-A-L-A-M-P-H-O-N-G.

Right, um... It sounds like it could be any of these.

I've never heard of it. So...

I think... Um, I don't think it's Seoul. I don't know why,

no reason behind it. Um...

I think I'll go for Bangkok. Is he right, Dave?

I would have gone Bangkok myself, yeah. Bangkok is correct.

Three out of three. Good play.

No wobbles there. OK. Your question, Dave, to stay in.

The Ubari Lakes form part of a Saharan oasis in which country?

Hm...

I don't think it's Chad. Is it Sudan or is it Libya?

I'll go Libya.

Do you think he's right? We're thinking Libya.

The Challengers are thinking you're right and you are right, Dave.

Well done. No, it was a 50-50.

So, OK, you did everything you had to do, Howard,

but you didn't quite knock him out. We go to Sudden Death.

It gets a little bit harder because I don't give alternative answers.

The Welsh town of Abergwaun has what English name

that comes from a Scandinavian term meaning "fish-catching enclosure"?

Erm... Oof. It's difficult. Can't say I've ever heard of it.

Fish-catching enclosure.

Could it be Fishguard?

Well done. You got it right. Fishguard is correct.

So Dave, pressure on you. You've got to get this right to stay in.

Uhuru Peak is part of which African mountain?

Er, Mount Kilimanjaro.

Mount Kilimanjaro is the right answer.

Playing well on Sudden Death, you two.

Howard, American Samoa is located in which ocean?

Right. American Samoa. Um, oof.

It could be one of two, I should imagine.

But, um, I think it's in the Pacific Ocean.

Pacific is the right answer.

We know we've got a quiz team on here, haven't we, Eggheads?

We can tell. Very, very good.

OK, under pressure again, Dave, on Sudden Death.

Get this one wrong and you're out.

Wilpattu National Park, which is renowned

for its large leopard population,

is located in which Asian country?

Wilpattu is W-I-L-P-A-T-T-U.

I think it could be the end of the road, this.

Can you spell it again for me, please? W-I-L-P-A-T-T-U.

They've got a large leopard population.

Wilpattu.

Um, India.

Well, you're close, but no cigar. Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka's the answer and you've got it wrong. That means, on Sudden Death,

Dave is out and Howard is in the final round.

Well done, first blood to the Wobblers. Please come back.

So, as it stands, the Dartford Wobblers have not lost any brains

from the final round whilst the Eggheads have lost one.

The next subject is Arts Books. Which of you would like this?

THEY CONFER

Shall I do it? Go on, you have a go. Sacrificial lamb?

Yeah, sacrificial lamb. Who should I go for?

John against anyone but Dave.

Who do you think?

Pat? Who? Pat? Pat. OK. Take on... Pat, Pat, Pat, Pat.

There we are. It's you. Me? Definitely you.

Yeah, Pat from the Eggheads against John from the Dartford Wobblers,

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

John, you're a retired civil servant. That's right, yeah.

And you stood for Parliament?

I did, yes, in 2010 for the Fancy Dress Party.

JEREMY LAUGHS

And I'm thinking... I'm just trying to remember...

I don't think you won the seat but refresh my memory.

Which seat did you stand in? I stood in the Dartford constituency.

You're quite right, I didn't win the seat.

I didn't even retain my deposit. I got the princely sum of 207 votes.

But you had some fun in the election campaign, I bet? I did.

Yeah, very good fun, yeah. Good luck in this round.

Out of fancy dress for Arts Books,

you can choose whether you go first or second.

Er, I'll go first, please.

Here we go. John, which creature,

drawn by Pablo Picasso, was chosen as the emblem

for the first International Peace Conference in Paris in 1949?

Well, I don't know the answer to this,

but I wouldn't associate dog - or donkey, come to that - with peace.

I would certainly associate a dove with peace.

So, on that basis alone, I'm going to go for dove.

Dove it is. Well done.

Pat, your question.

Which artwork has the alternative name

of La Gioconda in the gallery in which it hangs?

I think La Gioconda was the title of the woman

who sat for the Mona Lisa.

And which gallery is that, by the way? It hangs in the Louvre.

I don't think it ever goes anywhere. It's in the Louvre in Paris.

You're right. It is the Mona Lisa. Well done.

OK, John, your question.

Dog Days and Cabin Fever are books in which series for young people?

Hm. Oh, dear.

I don't know this at all. Dog Days.

"Shapeshifter" sounds like it's something to do with wolves

and what have you.

Um... Hm.

I really... I can't even eradicate any of them.

I'm just going to have to guess.

I think I'm going to go for The Hunger Games.

I have no reason for that but that's the one I'm plumping for.

Diary Of A Wimpy Kid is the answer.

OK. Over to you, Pat, to take the lead.

Which organisation for which George Orwell

worked from 1941 to 1943 is thought to have provided the inspiration

for the Ministry of Truth and Room 101 in his novel 1984?

My first thought was the BBC but I'm not certain.

He was pretty left-wing, I think.

I'm not sure the Foreign Office

would have been a very congenial place for George Orwell.

I think it was the BBC.

You're absolutely right, it was the BBC.

I don't know whether there was a particular room he had in mind.

Maybe just round the back of the Eggheads studio here. Room 101.

You got it right, Pat, well done. So he's in the lead.

You need to get this one right, John, OK?

Eva, a Russian woman working for British intelligence during

World War II, is a central character in which novel by William Boyd?

Well, once again, I don't know the book.

There's nothing there that's going to give me any indication

so, once again, I'm afraid, it's going to have to be a guess.

I went down the right last time and it was wrong.

Oh, dear. Um, Any Human Heart.

It's Restless.

Restless is the answer. Sorry, you've been knocked out by Pat.

Never easy to beat him, though, particularly on Arts Books.

You won't be in the final, he will.

Please, if you can, rejoin your teams.

So, as it stands, the Dartford Wobblers have lost one brain

from the final round, the Eggheads have also lost one.

The next subject is Music.

Right, Music, so, are we...? I think we've agreed it's you.

We've agreed it's you, Chris, yeah? Yeah, I'll go. Chris on Music, OK.

Which Egghead would you like, Chris? Judith, please. Oh, straight there.

I don't want to play this one!

You don't want to? No, I want to do Arts Books.

She's jolly cross.

OK, Chris from the Dartford Wobblers versus a very,

very cross Judith from the Eggheads. Yes.

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

Judith, you wanted Arts Books? Yes, I like Arts Books.

And you've got Music instead. Yes.

But there is a little silver lining here, isn't there? What's that?

It's not Sport. Oh, well, I don't know.

What, Music and Sport are now...? I'm rather better at Sport than I was. Oh, right.

The gleam in your eye is for your next sporting round, is it?

SHE CHUCKLES OK, we'll hold you to that.

Anyway, we're on Music here, and Chris, you can

choose the first or second set of questions.

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

Here we go with your first question.

"It's late September

"and I really should be back at school" is a line from which song?

Well, being a bit of a Rod Stewart fan, I'd say it was Maggie May.

It's a great line, as well, isn't it? Maggie May, well done.

OK. Judith, which song from the musical

Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

became a UK number-one single for Jason Donovan in 1991?

Um... I love that title Those Canaan Days.

Was that really a song?, I think it's Any Dream Will Do.

Any Dream Will Do is the right answer.

Back to you, Chris. In a famous Morecambe and Wise sketch,

Eric and Ernie make breakfast to which piece of popular music?

Um, I don't think it's The Entertainer.

I'm pretty sure it's not The Pretender.

I think it's The Stripper.

The Stripper is the right answer.

OK, Judith, your question now to catch up.

Which early style of blues music began in the Mississippi region

in the early 20th century?

I think the Mississippi is the one with the delta but it's not in

the Rocky Mountains or in New England

so, logically, it should be Delta Blues.

Delta Blues is quite right. OK, over to you, Chris. Everyone's got two.

Who was appointed Composer-in-Residence at Classic FM in 2008?

Classical's not really my thing.

Um...

I know Howard Goodall's been in the news lately.

I think I'd go far Howard Goodall.

Nice one. You're right. It is Howard Goodall.

Well done, OK, so a bit of pressure on Judith,

who wasn't a happy bunny playing this round. We could see that.

The actress Minna Planer was the first wife of which composer?

Richard Wagner was married to someone else.

Cosima...

Hector Berlioz.

I think it's Franz Lehar because he did sort of light operas

and things, it would suit marrying an actress for that.

Yeah, good bit of psychology there.

Because he did light music, he would have married an actress.

Anyone help us with Richard Wagner's wives?

You were saying Cosimo, Cosiman?

His second wife was Cosima von Bulow.

His first wife was Minna Planer.

OK, Minna Planer was his first wife.

Cosima von Bulow was his second.

Von Bulow, that's right. I knew she was called Cosima.

How about that, Chris, you've knocked her out? On Music.

3-2 on the night, as they say, and Judith won't be in the final round.

Please, both of you, rejoin your team-mates.

Kevin, it's going well. Very well. I think it's going to plan.

Well, we ripped several plans up,

so we're not sure which plan it's going to, but it's going to one of them.

And you've managed to annoy Judith, which is good.

Tremendous Knowledge has been knocked out.

Pat's still in. That's annoying.

Let's see what you can do now.

It's Sport. Which of you wants Sport?

It's me, isn't it? That's what we said. That's the one.

Is that you, John?

No, it's Kevin. That's me.

OK. OK, right, Kevin, tell us, Kevin or Daphne?

Kevin on Kevin maybe?

Probably Daphne, I would have thought.

Daphne's good at Sport. I know. So is Kevin.

I would be honoured to play Daphne. Go on, then. Daphne, it's you.

Honoured to play you, Daphne.

SHE CHUCKLES I wish you weren't!

So Kevin from the Dartford Wobblers versus Daphne from the Eggheads.

Please take your positions now.

Kevin, would you like to go first or second? First, please, Jeremy.

Here's your question - which of these sporting trophies

has an elephant on top and cobras for handles?

Thankfully, the answer I had in my head's come up.

I'm not saying it's the right one

but I was thinking of one before the three options came up.

I know it's not the FA Cup

and I don't think it's the Ascot Gold Cup.

The answer I had in my head was the Calcutta Cup.

Calcutta Cup is correct. Well done.

Daphne, your question.

The IJF is a charity for people

who've been injured taking part in which sport?

That's the Injured Jockeys Fund, so it's horse racing.

Yes, you're right. It is the Injured Jockeys Fund.

Horse racing is right.

Kevin, in late 2012, which Formula 1 team signed Nico Hulkenberg

and Esteban Gutierrez for the 2013 season?

Oh, dear. It's not really my field.

And I must confess, I don't know the answer to this one.

I'm going to rule out Force India, I don't know why.

And I think it's between Mercedes and Sauber.

I've got a feeling Mercedes have just taken two drivers on

that aren't the names you've given me.

I'm going for Sauber, Jeremy.

You've guessed it, or slightly known it, very well.

Sauber is right, Kevin, nice one.

People come unstuck on Formula 1, don't they, Daphne? Mm-hm.

Here's your question, Daphne.

At the 2012 Olympics, when Louis Smith won a silver medal

on the pommel horse, who won the bronze?

Oh, dear. Everybody focused on Louis.

I can't remember.

Sorry, team. Kristian Thomas.

The answer is Max Whitlock.

OK, so a little bit of an advantage there.

You're in the lead, Kevin, which means that,

if you take this one, you are in the final as well.

And it puts your team in quite a strong position

for that final round. Here we go.

Which English football club was founded as Small Heath Alliance?

Well, Jeremy, when the question came up, I had another team in my head

and, unlike the first round,

the team I had in my head hasn't come up this time.

So I'm going to have to apply some sort of geographical logic.

And I have a feeling, in the back of my head,

that Small Heath is an area of Birmingham.

So I'm going to go for Birmingham City, Jeremy.

I think there is a Parliamentary constituency

called Birmingham Small Heath.

So you're absolutely right, Kevin. Birmingham City is right.

You played very well there. You got three out of three.

Daphne, they're a good team, aren't they?

They're real quizzers and you've been knocked out.

Come back and rejoin your teams and we will play the final.

So this is what we've been playing towards.

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

is General Knowledge.

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

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

So John from the Dartford Wobblers and Judith, Dave

and Daphne from the Eggheads, would you please leave the studio?

So you've done well to only lose one on the way here.

Kevin, Howard, John and Chris, you're now playing

to win the Dartford Wobblers ?2,000.

Pat and Kevin, looking a little bit lonely there,

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

which is the Eggheads' reputation,

which has been knocked around a bit recently.

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

This time, the questions are all General Knowledge

and you are allowed to confer.

So, Dartford Wobblers, the question is - are you able, with your four

brains, to defeat the Eggheads' two?

And would you like to go first or second?

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

OK, John and team, here we go.

The politician Boris Johnson attended which public school?

Have you got an inkling?

Was it Eton? It wasn't Winchester.

I think Eton. Is he part of that?

Is he part of that gang?

I think so. You reckon?

Well, it could be Eton or Harrow.

My leaning is Eton.

Agreed?

THEY AGREE Er, we'll go for Eton, please.

Eton is the right answer.

Over to you, Eggs.

Which day of the calendar year is traditionally

the last full day of the Venice Carnival?

It's a carnival. Carnival takes place in... In Lent. Yeah.

The February, March period.

Shrove Tuesday is the using up of the eggs and milk

before the fast period starts.

Yeah, it should be Shrove Tuesday, like most of the European carnivals.

All Souls' Day is 2nd November, so... It's my birthday.

Like most of the big carnivals, Jeremy,

we think this is Shrove Tuesday.

Shrove Tuesday is quite right.

And you're both World Quiz Champions, aren't you?

We have both won it, yes. You're taking on two World Quiz Champions.

Double the firepower. Your second question, team.

Mealworms are the larvae of which type of insect?

Mealworms. Right, I do know this.

I do know this. It's not a wasp,

it's not a fly.

So that leaves the beetle.

How do you know it, then, Howard?

I used to keep tarantulas

and I used to feed them mealworms.

HE CHUCKLES

Well, that's a good reason to know the answer. Beetle is quite right.

OK. A good explanation.

You guys keep tarantulas or not?

Not knowingly. You never know when they'll pop up.

Yeah. Here's your question.

In classical mythology, Zephyrus was the god of which of the winds?

Um...

West. East is Eurus.

South, I think, is Notus.

I'm pretty sure Zephyrus was west. OK.

Yeah.

If I remember correctly, I'm pretty sure the east wind is Eurus.

I've got an idea the south wind is Notus

and Zephyrus is the west wind.

It is the west wind. Well done.

They know stuff, these quiz champions.

It's your question.

Which director was shot with an air rifle

during a 2006 BBC interview

but later continued with the interview,

saying, "It's not a significant bullet"?

Right. Over to you two.

I don't know.

2006. BBC documentary.

They did a documentary on Polanski.

I was thinking Polanski.

Do you think? OK? Yes?

Don't know it. Er...

we're not 100% on this, Jeremy,

but we'll go for Roman Polanski.

Roman Polanski is your answer.

Let me just try with the Eggheads, are they right on this?

It's Herzog.

I've seen the footage of it, it's bizarre.

He was being interviewed in a lay-by in the hills near Los Angeles

and, halfway through the interview, Herzog started

and pulled up his shirt and there was a little wound.

Strange things happen to Werner Herzog,

it's par for the course, really. Do you know who did the interview?

Mark Kermode. Yes, it was Mark Kermode. It was Werner Herzog.

Sorry, guys, you got that wrong.

I'm amazed I've never seen the footage of that.

It's quite an obscure incident.

So, if you get this right, Eggheads, you've won the contest.

Who was shortlisted for three consecutive

Edinburgh comedy awards for her shows Be Honourable,

The Future Is Another Place and Romance And Adventure?

With absolutely nothing to back it,

the name that I'd be most likely to guess is Josie Long.

No, I can see that. But I've no evidence for it.

I don't really know enough about this as a subject

but that doesn't sound like Sarah Millican to me. No.

The titles don't sound like her.

Does Sue Perkins go in much for that?

She's done a little bit.

I don't think she's such a consistent campaigner

that she'd have been nominated three years in a row.

This is the Edinburgh comedy award? Yes, it is.

I know Josie Long has been prominent at that, hasn't she? She has.

So... It is speculation.

I would guess wildly at Josie Long. OK.

If anything instinctive was there, it's her.

We don't know it, Jeremy. Um...

Don't think it really sounds like

Sarah Millican.

Not too sure about Sue Perkins

but I know Josie Long has been

prominent at Edinburgh so we'll go for Josie Long.

You ruled out Sarah Millican, which was the right thing to do,

you were also right to rule out Sue Perkins.

The answer is Josie Long.

So we say congratulations, Eggheads,

you have won.

I know you're going to go and Google the shooting with Werner Herzog.

You've done really well, you played really well,

you played like a real quiz team,

so commiserations, you Dartford Wobblers.

You never wobbled, actually.

The Eggheads have just done what comes naturally here,

they got back into their stride a little bit

and they're beginning to reign supreme over quizland again.

It does mean you won't be going home with the ?2,000,

so the money rolls over to the 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.

?3,000 says they don't.

Till then, goodbye.

I want to make up... ..my own mind.

Join me, Tina Daheley, for a live debate on your future.