Episode 16 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 challenging our resident quiz champions today

are the Old Bristolians.

This team met through playing rugby together at the same club,

Old Bristolians RFC.

And were named Rugby World magazine's

Team Of The Year in 2012, for raising in excess - get this -

£200,000 for charity in the preceding five years.

Let's meet them.

Hi, my name is Rob. I'm 26 and I'm a bank manager.

Hi, I'm Jonathan. I'm 33 and I'm a law tutor.

Hi, I'm Tom. I'm 28 and I'm a veterinary surgeon.

Hi, James. I'm 24 and I'm a paralegal.

Hi, I'm Keir. I'm 27 and I'm a chartered surveyor.

Welcome, Old Bristolians. We heard the Eggheads clapping there.

Congratulations on that mighty charity effort.

How did you raise that amount of money?

A couple of us rowed the Channel. We raised £20,000 doing that.

A lot of it is for an old member of the club called Robbie,

who passed away, so we did it for CLIC Sargent.

Great stuff! More power to you on that.

And on the quizzing front, a little bird tells me

that your preparation for playing the Eggheads, you arranged to go

to a pub quiz and when you arrived you found it wasn't on.

Yeah, we...

We made a bet to turn up to the pub quiz,

and when we got there it wasn't on,

and so I had to do a forfeit as a result.

You arrive at the pub quiz, which is a pub, and there's no quiz there,

but there's something else they sell in a pub. Remind me what it is.

Er, mostly a shot-based beverage.

-Yes, I see. That was your forfeit.

-Yeah.

OK, best of luck, Old Bristolians playing the Eggheads today.

Let me tell you what's been going on.

Every day, there is £1,000 cash up for grabs for our Challengers.

However, if they fail to beat the Eggheads,

the prize money rolls over to the next show.

Old Bristolians, the Eggheads won the last three games.

That means £4,000 says you can't beat them today.

Let's play our first head-to-head,

our first attempt to get one of those Eggheads knocked out.

It's a History round. Who'd like to play this?

-That'll be me.

-I think Jon.

-Jonathan for that one.

-OK.

Who would you like to play from the Eggheads?

-Who do you reckon, boss?

-You've got no chance against any of them.

Judith, then, please.

OK, Jonathan and Judith into the Question Room, please,

for our opening round.

-Jonathan, I hear you once sailed the Atlantic.

-I certainly did, yes.

About ten years ago.

-What was it like, the crossing?

-Fantastic. Best thing I've ever done.

-Want to do it again?

-Oh, at the drop of a hat.

Did you have any difficulties to overcome?

Not difficulties. We spotted a bit of wildlife.

We saw a whale whilst we were sat eating meatballs and pasta

one day in the middle of the Atlantic.

-As you do!

-But besides that, no real difficulties.

We went swimming in the middle of the Atlantic as well

when it was absolutely flat calm, which was quite an experience.

-But it was fantastic.

-Great experience.

I hope this turns out to be a good experience.

Playing Judith at History.

You're the Challenger, do you want to go first or second?

I'll go first, please.

Jonathan, the first question is this - in the Roman Empire,

what were the Latrinae?

L-A-T-R-I-N-A-E.

Toilets.

-HE CHUCKLES

-Yes, they were.

Toilets is the right answer.

OK, your first question, Judith.

Which historical figure was known as Lucky Lindy?

Well, Jenny Lind was a singer. I don't see why she should be lucky.

And Lyndon B Johnson became the president...

Not through luck. So I imagine it must be Charles Lindbergh.

Charles Lindbergh. OK, Lucky Lindy. It is the right answer.

Well done, Judith.

Charles Lindbergh, Lucky Lindy.

Jonathan, second question.

Which phrase is used to refer to the political

and social system in France before the French Revolution?

Well, Avant-Garde and Art Nouveau I've heard of,

but not in relation to politics,

so I'm going to go for Ancien Regime.

It is the right answer. Well done.

Two to you.

Judith, the politician and soldier, Enver Pasha, who died in 1922,

is an important figure in the history of which country?

Well, Pasha makes me think of Turkey. So Turkey.

Turkey is correct, Judith. You have it there.

Jonathan, here's your third.

Which Native American leader was killed in 1890 by a police sergeant

called Red Tomahawk?

Oh...

Sitting Bull, didn't he end up with Wild Bill's something or other?

Geronimo, I feel... died somewhere else more famous.

So I'm going to go for Crazy Horse.

OK, Crazy Horse, killed by Red Tomahawk in 1890.

It's not Crazy Horse. Does anyone know from the Egghead side?

-Geronimo.

-No, not Geronimo, Judith. So that rather narrows it down!

Sitting Bull. Some of the other Eggheads were already saying that.

OK. That was the end of Sitting Bull.

You didn't get that, Jonathan, so a chance for Judith to win the round.

Judith, Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford's first college for women,

was named after which historical figure?

Well, take your pick!

I don't know... I think I'm going to say Margaret Beaufort.

-Margaret Beaufort.

-Hm.

Margaret Beaufort is the right answer.

You are through to the final round.

Bad luck, Jonathan, you're not in the final round.

You got that third question wrong. Judith got all three of hers,

which books her a place in the final round.

Would you please both come back and join your teams?

Good effort by Jonathan, but just outgunned by Judith,

which means the Old Bristolians have lost one brain from the final round.

No damage to the Eggheads yet. Second round is Music, guys.

Who'd like to play this?

-That's you, Captain Rob.

-Yeah, I'll take that one, please.

Who would you like to play from the Eggheads? Can't be Judith.

-CJ, please.

-OK, Rob and CJ, into the Question Room, please.

Look how delighted CJ looks! Into the Question Room, please.

Rob, you've got a twin brother who might be better qualified

to play this round!

-I'd quite like to swap right now, if that's all right.

-What does he do?

He's a professional musician, tours all around the world, so...

if we could get him instead that would be lovely.

What are your tastes in music?

Lots of rock, metal, loads of different things.

Tell me about your rugby prowess. You won a big competition.

Individually.

It was a kicking competition in Manchester city centre.

If you got a kick through the specific hole, then you won

tickets for an international game, which was England/New Zealand.

That's not bad, is it?

Let's see if you can boot CJ out of this round.

-Would you like to go first or second?

-I'll go second, please.

CJ starts.

CJ, which puppet character had a chart hit with a song beginning

"I wish I could fly right up to the sky but I can't"?

I've met Roland Rat. He was very nice to me.

But I think it's Orville the Duck.

I can't believe we are discussing Otis the Aardvark,

Orville the Duck and Roland Rat.

We've got impersonators of all three of those on the Egghead side.

I won't name names. It is Orville the Duck, yes.

Well done, CJ.

Rob, which Spice Girl featured on Matt Cardle's single, Loving You,

released in August 2013?

I think Posh Spice was busy doing other things by then,

so it's one of the other two.

I'm going to go for...

Melanie C.

OK, bit of doubt there.

It's the right answer, though, Rob. Well done. Got your first one.

Very important if you put an Egghead in and they've already scored,

but done it, OK.

CJ, the 2009 UK Eurovision entry It's My Time

was sung by which artist?

-You're not good at Eurovision, are you?

-No idea!

I've never watched Eurovision in my life.

Which artist?

-Yeah.

-That's singular, and Gemini were a duo,

so presumably it's not Gemini.

I'm afraid I don't know this.

I will guess at Jade Ewen.

OK, Jade Ewen.

I think the brilliant thing you did there, which seems obvious,

is listen very carefully to the question,

and you turned what would be a one-in-three guess into a 50-50.

And you got the right answer. Jade Ewen. Well done, CJ.

OK, your second question, Rob.

Which British band founded the record label Gentleman Of The Road?

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

And for some reason I think it's Sussex-based...

I'm not sure why.

But I'm going to go for...

-Mumford & Sons.

-Mumford & Sons.

I like the way you lower your voice just to sneak it out,

in case it might be wrong.

-Yeah.

-It's the right answer. Mumford & Sons. Well done.

Playing under pressure there with those first two questions

you faced because CJ keeps getting them right.

If he slips up here, though, you'll be in a very different position

when you face your question, Rob.

CJ, in 1898, George Bernard Shaw published a famous essay

on which piece of music?

Playing free and easy with the word "famous", aren't you?

Just going on the date,

by far the most recent to the date would be the Ring cycle.

The Four Seasons was hundreds of years before

and Beethoven's work would have been at least half a century before that.

70 years or so.

So I suppose it could have been either of those two

-but, simply going by the dates, I'll try Wagner's Ring Cycle.

-OK.

The old quizzer's skills there again!

Doesn't know the answer outright,

so attacks it from difference angles.

And you got it right again, CJ. Wagner's Ring Cycle.

Chris, you love your Wagner. Do you know what the essay was called?

-It was just called On Wagner.

-Any idea what approach he took?

Yeah, he was a rabid Wagner enthusiast.

He was actually caricatured as a complete Wagnerite in Punch.

I see!

OK, well, he did get it there, Rob.

He got the third one again, so another pressure question for you.

You dealt with the first two very well.

Let's hope you get this and take us into Sudden Death.

Which musician composed the jazz classic,

Scrapple From The Apple, in 1947?

My brother is a big jazz fan, so he'd know the answer to this.

And I've got no idea.

I'm looking at Dizzy Gillespie or Thelonious Monk...

I don't know why.

They've both got funny names and the thing is a funny name.

I'm going to go for...

..Dizzy Gillespie.

Dizzy Gillespie, with his Scrapple From The Apple, you think.

It's wrong.

Charlie Parker. Not the right answer and no chance for a reprieve.

CJ has already got three right.

Which means you will be in the final round, CJ. Rob, you won't be.

Please come back and join your teams.

Another good round there,

but once again the wrong result for the Old Bristolians.

They have lost two brains from the final round.

The Eggheads haven't lost any.

Plenty of time, though, to change the situation.

Our next subject is Arts & Books.

Who'd like to play this? We've been going down the line with you.

We've got Tom, James or Keir.

-Off you go.

-All right. Well, James, who would you like to play?

You've got a choice of Kevin, Barry or Chris.

Well, given that my knowledge of arts and books is fairly non-existent,

it's not going to make much difference, I don't think.

-Think positive!

-I'll take on Chris.

OK, it's going to be James and Chris playing Arts & Books.

Into the Question Room, both of you, please.

James, as we saw during the selection process,

you're really keen on arts and books.

I love art and books and I'm really looking forward to this round(!)

That's it, positive! Let's carry that into the answers.

-Do you want to go first or second?

-I'm going to go first.

James, first question. "Second to the right

"and straight on till morning"

is the way to get to which fictional place?

Well, the only one I've heard of is Neverland.

So that's going to have to be my answer,

-Neverland.

-OK, yeah... It's, um...

the right answer, yeah! Peter Pan and all that.

OK, Chris, Jo's Boys is a sequel to which classic novel?

That's the sequel to Little Women, Dermot.

Little Women is the correct answer, Chris.

Good start, James.

Second question - which television presenter wrote the 2013 novel

Someday I'll Find You?

Well, it certainly doesn't sound like a Titchmarsh gardening-based novel,

so that narrows it down to one from two. Is Parky still writing books?

He's a bit old now, isn't he?

-I'm going to go with Richard Madeley.

-OK, Richard Madeley.

I'm just going to tell you, James,

there were gasps when you ruled out Alan Titchmarsh

because he has been of course a prolific novelist, hasn't he?

But you ruled him out and thought that Parky wouldn't do that

kind of thing and came up with Richard Madeley.

-Which is the right answer.

-Never heard of that!

I tell you, I tell you,

if that had been in the final round that you'd been discussing that,

your team-mates would have overruled you but you got it.

Well done, you have two.

-Bet you never imagined you'd get that many.

-Absolutely.

Well, keep this up and you just might win the round.

OK, Chris, Self Portrait At The Age Of 34 painted in 1640 and now

in the collection of London's National Gallery...

is a work by which artist?

Yeah, he did a long series of self portraits throughout his life

and it's Rembrandt.

Have you ever thought of posing for any recreations of that, Chris?

There is a painting hanging in the study of the

late great Magnus Magnusson of various

members of the Mastermind Club which does include me.

-Yeah.

-Very good.

Rembrandt is the right answer on this one. OK. It's all square.

Everything to play for, James. A chance here.

Which 20th-century artist produced paintings called

Europe After The Rain?

Now, I know on the coach to matches you discuss this kind of thing

an awful lot.

Well, obviously, we are extremely cultural as a side so,

I'll be in...it'll be a bit of a shocker if I don't get this right.

THEY LAUGH

Um...once again, unsurprisingly,

I've not heard of any of the three of them.

Didn't you play against them when you were on tour?

More than likely. I really don't pay attention to names that much.

I don't even know the names of my own team-mates, half of them.

Erm, I'm going to have to...

I can't even logically try and deduce this

so I'm just going to have to just take a stab

and it going to be in the middle and it's going to be Max Ernst.

OK, so imagining that's a front row, you're going

for the hooker there, are you?

-I am.

-You've got the right answer. Max Ernst.

Well, you've done really well

and you've got three out of three which I think has

surpassed your own expectations and certainly your team-mates there.

Three out of three and a chance to make it into the final round.

Chris trying to prevent it.

Chris, who wrote the poem, Astraea Redux which celebrated

the restoration of Charles II?

It's a bit late, for Milton... who was a Cromwellian anyway and

I don't think would have celebrated the restoration of Charles II.

Toss-up between Vanbrugh and Dryden.

Vanbrugh. I'll go with Vanbrugh.

-John Vanbrugh.

-OK, Vanbrugh.

I often wonder about you, Eggheads,

these are the kind of things I puzzle about.

If you'd been around then, Chris, would you have been

a Roundhead or a Cavalier?

I think I'd have been a Roundhead with sneaking Cavalier sympathies.

Interesting. Well, the Civil War was that complex, wasn't it?

There were plenty of people who swapped sides.

OK. Well, you're wrong. It's John Dryden. Not John Vanbrugh.

APPLAUSE

You're all welcome, all right?

I can't believe it.

I mean, you just didn't want to play this round

you were forced to play the round, weren't you?

I was absolutely forced against my will to play this round. But...

-it would be nice to be in the final.

-And look who you've just beaten.

Chris, a legend at quizzing.

You are in the final round

and the first one to win through the head-to-heads,

would you both please come back and join your teams?

What a sensation that was. What a performance, James.

-Thanks for putting me forward, guys.

-Well volunteered, mate.

-Well done.

Well played. So, as it stands, the Old Bristolians

have lost those two brains from

the final round but they've lost one Egghead too, over there.

So, our next subject, last one before the final round, it's Sport.

Obviously you're keen to play this but we've only got Tom or Keir left.

-Go on, Tom.

-I'll do it, yeah. Don't know.

-Good confidence.

-I'll do it.

OK, Tom, I'll just tell you who's left from the Eggheads.

-Well, you can see for yourself. Kevin or Barry.

-Nuts.

-Do fives.

-Take Bazzer.

-We'll take Barry.

OK, it's "Bazzer" and Tom playing Sport.

Into the Question Room, please.

OK, Tom, Sport round... and we know about the rugby...

and you were one of the rowers across the Channel as well,

weren't you?

-I was indeed, yeah.

-How much did you raise from that?

-We raised around about 23 grand in total, I think.

-Great stuff.

Well, congratulations on that.

I hope I'm congratulating you at the end of this round as well.

-I hope so too.

-Would you like to go first or second?

-Let's go first.

OK, good luck, Tom. First question is this.

In which of these sports is an attacking player known as a spiker?

OK. I've played a bit of table tennis.

I don't think we've got anyone called a spiker in that game.

I'm pretty sure it's the big guy upfront in volleyball.

Yeah, well, the set-up, the spike, it's the right answer,

yes, well done. Volleyball.

OK, Barry. Which of these is a popular alternative name

for Aorangi Terrace?

A-O-R-A-N-G-I.

Well, surprisingly, given its name,

Aorangi Terrace, this is one of the terraces at Wimbledon.

-So, I guess it must be Henman Hill.

-It is Henman Hill. Yeah.

It's going to become Murray Mound.

It certainly should become Murray Mound.

Henman Hill identified there by Barry. It's 1-1.

Back to you, Tom.

The Cosworth company is best known for providing what

to Formula One teams?

OK. I have heard of them and I think I've heard of them in relation to,

erm, certain road-going cars which have a bit of an updated engine

-so I'm going to go for engines, I think.

-OK, engines, yeah.

OK, and it is engines. Well identified, Tom.

Two to you. Barry's second question.

Which city hosted the 2002 Commonwealth Games?

Er... Now... Let me think.

Yes, I'm sure they've been held in Cardiff and Manchester.

I'm not too certain if they've been held in Birmingham.

I think the 2002 were held in...

-I think it was Manchester so I'll go for Manchester.

-Manchester.

It's the right answer, Barry. You've worked it out. You got that.

OK, it's all square and back to Tom for number three.

The football governing body CONCACAF

has its headquarters in which of these cities?

OK... I have heard of them.

Just struggling to think of what continent they were involved with.

I've not actually heard of Managua

but I've got a feeling it's potentially South American, CONCACAF.

Miami and Montreal aren't in that region

-so, I'm going to go for Managua.

-OK, Managua for CONCACAF.

It's not correct, Tom. Do you know of the other two, Barry?

-It's obviously a lot easier...

-No.

I thought they were Central American, so I would have gone for Managua.

Yeah, I'm with you and Tom on that

but I can tell you it's not the right answer.

Managua was actually a very good guess there

but it's in with the United States, they're in Miami. Bad luck, Tom.

So, it does mean that Barry has a chance to win the round.

The Lillie Langtry Stakes is a horse race run at which course?

Well, Lillie Langtry was one of the mistresses of Edward VII

and that tends to suggest a royal sort of connection

and the only racecourse there that has some sort of royal connection

is Goodwood so I shall go for Goodwood.

It's a bit like CJ doing that, bringing all this extra

information to bear. Don't know it outright but you've got it, Barry.

Goodwood for the Lillie Langtry Stakes.

It is the right answer, Barry. Bad luck, Tom. Good quizzing there,

just that third question that sorted out a winner.

No place for you in the final round, though, would you both please come

back and join your teams?

OK. Well, 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 those head-to-heads won't be

allowed to take part in this round. So, Rob, Jonathan and Tom

from the Old Bristolians and Chris from the Eggheads,

time for you all to leave the studio, please.

So then, James and Keir,

you're playing to win the Old Bristolians £4,000.

Kevin, CJ, Barry and Judith, you're playing for something

which money cannot buy, the Eggheads' reputation.

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

This time the questions are all general knowledge.

Anything can come up and you are allowed to confer.

So, Old Bristolians, are your two brains better than

the Eggheads' four?

And James and Keir, what do you want to do in this round?

Go first or second?

-What do you think? Go first?

-Yeah.

-We'll go first, please.

OK. Kicking off for the Old Bristolians.

First question, then, final round.

In 2013, 22-year-old Lindsey Russell won a talent

competition to become a presenter of which television programme?

My brother's ex-girlfriend actually

auditioned for the Blue Peter

thing, so I think there was

some sort of contest for it.

-It's the sort of thing Blue Peter would do, isn't it?

-It is, isn't it?

-You couldn't really imagine them subbing in for Paxman, could you?

-No.

We'll go with Blue Peter.

-OK. Not Newsnight?

-BOTH: No.

Paxman's fairly defensive,

isn't he, about that sort of stuff?

It is Blue Peter, it's the right answer. Well done, guys.

You've one on the board.

Eggheads, Border collies are traditionally used

in which activity?

-Who's spokesman?

-Me, me.

-Shall we go for herding sheep?

-Go on.

Yeah, I think we'd better.

We think they're probably

used in herding sheep.

OK, we could do with one here to herd you a lot, actually.

Herding sheep, yes, Border collies. It's the right answer, Eggheads.

And James and Keir, your second question.

The Dorchester Hotel in London is on which thoroughfare?

Is it Park Lane, Piccadilly or Pall Mall?

I don't know, but Park Lane

-is the one that's sort of...

-It is.

..flashing alarm bells at me

for some reason.

Is it...is it by Hyde Park?

It's somewhere around there.

I think Park Lane.

-Yeah.

-We'll say Park Lane.

You're going to say Park Lane?

One of the posh hotels on Park Lane, you think? You're right.

You've got it. Two to you. Eggheads.

Who played the newspaper columnist JJ Hunsecker

in the 1957 film Sweet Smell Of Success?

Yeah, he was a very nasty

gossip columnist at the time.

Burt Lancaster.

Burt Lancaster is JJ Hunsecker.

It's the right answer, Eggheads. 2-2. Third question.

Going well, guys. Just keep it up, we hope.

Thor's hero, discovered in the Democratic Republic Of Congo

is a species of which creature?

-Well, macaque's a name for being from Japan.

-Are they?

-Yeah.

Fair enough.

Maybe it's like an ironic name or something,

an ant with exceptional strength.

Well, ants are named for being extraordinarily strong

compared to their body weight, aren't they?

It's too good a name for a shrew, I think, isn't it?

-Yeah, I think that.

-Shall we say ant?

-Let's go with ant.

-We'll say ant.

Ant, Thor's hero discovered in the Democratic Republic Of Congo.

-Is not an ant. No. Do you know, Eggheads? Shrew or macaque?

-No.

-No.

-Sorry.

-Guess?

-Macaque?

-Macaque.

-Shrew.

OK, so you didn't know

and they couldn't even get it out of two. It's a shrew anyway.

A type of shrew. OK, Eggheads, a chance to clinch it.

Selworthy Beacon is a hill in which national park?

Well, beacons are very much in Dartmoor and Exmoor.

Yeah, I think it's Exmoor rather than Dartmoor.

-It's good enough for me. Good enough for me.

-I'm not, I'm not certain.

Well, I'll trust you.

As always, your slight instincts

I'll take over my certainties.

I'm pretty certain it's not

in the North York Moors, so...

Yeah, OK. Er, I think,

not certain, but think it's Exmoor.

Exmoor for Selworthy Beacon...

It is correct, Eggheads. You've won.

Just the one in it there. Bad luck guys.

Well played in the final round

and, of course, I think you're all buying the beers for James

after his head-to-head performance against big Chris there.

That was a mighty performance and we want to congratulate you taking

on the Eggheads today but most of all on your sterling charity work.

So great to hear what you're doing

and that huge amount of money you've been raising for charity.

Best of luck with that in the future and of course,

with the rugby as well. Really nice to meet you guys, Thank you so much.

But the Eggheads have done what comes naturally to them

and they still reign supreme over quiz land.

I'm afraid you won't be going home with the £4,000.

And that means the money rolls over to our next show

and do join us next time to see

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

£5,000 says they don't. Until then, goodbye.