Episode 19 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.

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 Twice Around the Lake, from Milton Keynes.

This team of friends are all members of the same running club,

MK Redway Runners,

and as a team, they have a 100% winning record in quizzing.

Played one, won one. Let's meet them.

Hi, I'm Kevin.

I'm 53 and I'm a managing director.

Hi, I'm Andy. I'm 43 and I'm a business manager.

Hi, I'm Jenny. I'm 42 and I run my own baking company.

Hi, I'm Simon. I'm 33 and I'm a musician.

Hi, I'm Glenn. I'm 50 and I'm a university administrator.

I like the 100% record. Let's try and keep that up.

Played two, won two. You'll win some money if you do that today.

Tell me about the running. How far is it, twice around the like?

It's about eight miles twice around. Willen Lake in Milton Keynes.

Often you set out hoping to do two and manage one.

That's quite nice when you're running around in circles.

I suppose when you get halfway round the second lap,

-you're a bit stuck.

-You're a long way away.

-Is it a real lake,

in the sense that, I know a lot of Milton Keynes has been created,

was the lake created, or was it always there?

Yes, the lake was created when they built the town,

and diverted a river to create it.

One of the Japanese schools is there.

There's a peace pagoda. It's a big part of Milton Keynes.

Listen, let's see if you can, as I say on that quizzing,

keep up the 100% record. You only need to win one more.

Let me tell you about the money.

Every day there's £1,000 worth of cash up for grabs

for our Challengers. However, if they fail to beat the Eggheads,

the prize money rolls over to the next show,

so, Twice Around The Lake, the Eggheads have won just the last game

so £2,000 says you can't beat them today.

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

Who would like to play this? Who'd like to start us?

-Right.

-Who would like to do it?

-Would you like to, Glenn?

-I'll take History, if you want.

-OK.

-I think History is Glenn.

-OK, Glenn, and choose an Egghead.

-Anyone, of course, at this stage. Opening round.

-Dave.

-Dave?

-I'd like to go against Dave, please.

-All right.

It's going to be Glenn and Dave, kicking us off on the History round.

Can I ask you both please to go to the Question Room?

OK, History it is, and do you want to go first or second, Glenn?

I'll go first, please.

Good luck, Glenn. First question.

The ancient city of Carthage was in which continent?

OK.

I'm not actually too sure about this. I don't think it's in Europe.

I think it's actually North Africa, so I'm going to go for Africa.

Africa. Yes, you're right. Carthaginians and all that.

Your question, Dave.

What caused structural damage to Lincoln Cathedral in 1185?

Don't think it was a volcano, I don't think it was a tsunami,

I think it was an earthquake. DERMOT LAUGHS

Yeah. When you look at the options, you're going to end up, even if

you didn't know about it, earthquake is correct.

Good start for you both. Glenn, which Allied army was

attacked by German forces in the First World War Battle of Verdun?

-Can you spell Verdun?

-V-E-R-D-U-N.

I'm not sure about this one, either.

I'm going to follow Judith's rule and go down the right-hand side

-and go for British.

-OK, British. Attacked by the Germans in Verdun.

No, mainly French.

Means you've got a chance to go into the lead, Dave,

with your second question.

Who were the followers of Rollo, who was granted the area

known as Normandy by King Charles the Simple of France in 911?

I'm going to rule out Huns. I've got Vikings in my head.

I don't know why.

I am going to go Saxons.

-OK, the answer is Vikings.

-Yes.

-Dave, why did you do that?

-I don't know.

-First instinct Vikings.

-I know.

-So stupid. Brain freeze.

-Good news for you, Glenn.

Matilda of Flanders was the wife

and queen consort of which King of England?

I don't think it's William I, William the Conqueror.

I don't think it's Richard III, either. I'm going to go with Henry V.

OK, Henry V, for Matilda of Flanders.

It's not the right answer. Dave, of the other two.

-I would have gone William I.

-It is William I.

Matilda of Flanders, his queen consort,

so, Dave, Clifford's Tower is a prominent medieval keep

in the centre of which city in the north of England?

I've never heard of it.

I'm more inclined to go for Durham than the other two.

-Yeah, I'll go Durham.

-OK, Durham. You've never heard of it.

I'll give you a little clue.

That last lot of students you played will have heard of it.

DAVE LAUGHS

-York.

-York.

Clifford's Tower in York. Not Durham.

OK, well, a fairly low scoring but evenly matched so far. One each.

So, Glenn. We go to Sudden Death.

I'm not going to give you any more options because you've been doing so well in that!

LAUGHTER

We thought we'd make it harder for you.

You've just got to tell me the answer.

Glenn, the first Europeans to arrive in what is now

Sri Lanka in the 16th century were from which country?

I'm thinking we're looking at a seafaring nation,

so I think we're probably looking at

probably Spain, Portugal, France or Britain.

There's a lot of Portuguese communities down the side

of India, so I don't think it's Spanish.

I think we'll go Portuguese.

Portugal is correct, Glenn. Very good. OK.

Means you need this, Dave.

The Jamestown Line was a series of defensive positions

occupied by United Nations forces during which conflict?

That doesn't sound right for either of the wars I'm thinking of, but...

-What are they, Dave?

-I'm thinking either Korea or Vietnam.

All right, I'll just go totally different. United Nations forces.

No, but, again, it doesn't make any sense.

I'm going all over the place, so I'll go for the Six-Day War.

Six-Day War, an Arab and Israeli conflict.

I'm afraid, Dave, not a United Nations-backed conflict, far from it.

You said it, Dave. A lot of people forget.

-The thing about the Korean War...

-Right.

..think about Korea being the Americans, but it was a United Nations-backed war.

Yes, so the Korean War was a UN-sanctioned and backed conflict

and that's what you didn't get,

which means, Glenn, great news.

You're through to the final round.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

OK, as it stands, Twice Around The Lake haven't lost any

brains from the final round.

The Eggheads have lost one in the form of Dave.

Our next subject is Music, so who wants to play this one,

Twice Around The Lake?

-No pressure, Simon.

-I think it's going to be Simon.

I think, as a musician, it's going to be me.

Simon, who'd you like to play from the Eggheads?

-It can be anyone apart from Dave.

-Chris? I think so. Yes.

-Yes.

-I'd like to take on Chris.

-All right.

Let's have Simon and Chris playing the Music round, please,

both from the Question Room.

How would you like to play it, Simon?

-Do you want to go first or second?

-I'll go first, Dermot.

And first question to Twice Around The Lake. Here it is.

The first line of Ike and Tina Turner's song River Deep -

Mountain High, is... I'm just going to read it.

"When I was a little girl, I had a..." What?

OK, this isn't really a song I'm familiar with.

Not a big fan of Tina Turner.

I think I'll go down the middle with teddy bear.

OK, Ike and Tina Turner, "When I was a little girl, I had a..."

I suppose you're more on the classical side. It's rag doll.

Not teddy bear. OK. Caught you out with that one.

And you probably would have preferred this one that Chris is getting.

The composer Harrison Birtwistle was born in which country?

I'm sure he's a Lancashire lad from the UK.

OK, yeah, you are right.

UK is correct. Simon, nodding along there.

But it wasn't your question, unfortunately.

Try this one then, Simon.

Which One Direction singer signed for Doncaster Rovers FC in 2013?

Not my favourite group in the world.

To be honest, the only one I've heard of is Harry Styles, but I would

have thought if it was him, I would have seen it in the newspapers.

So I'm going to discount him.

I'm going to go for Liam Payne.

OK, Liam Payne, signing for Doncaster Rovers.

It's not Harry Styles, it's not Liam, it is Louis Tomlinson.

What a set of questions you've managed to find yourself here.

Chris... You get through if you get this.

..what was the name of Lulu's backing band

for her first UK chart single, Shout?

That was Lulu and the Luvvers.

Yeah, and the Eggheads love that answer.

It's the right one. I think Simon knew that as well.

Lulu and the Luvvers. It takes you through to the final round.

Simon, just the way those questions fall.

We always say it in Eggheads, but they really didn't fall your way.

I mean, of course, you know loads and loads about music, but

not about One Direction and their footballing prowess.

And indeed, Ike and Tina Turner's song River Deep - Mountain High.

Bad luck. Means you won't be in the final round.

Would you both come back and join your teams?

Well, that's levelled it up. Both teams, Twice Round The Lake

and the Eggheads have lost one brain from the final round.

Let's move on to our next subject, it's Geography.

So three of you left to play this.

-Kevin, Andy or Jenny?

-It'll be you.

-It'll be me.

-Well, I think...

-That'll be me, thank you.

-All right. Who would you like to play from the Eggheads?

You can pay your namesake over there, or Pat or Judith.

I think I'd like to play Judith, thank you.

All right, Kevin and Judith to play Geography. Into the Question Room.

OK, Kevin, you know the geography of Milton Keynes

and its surrounds by running around there. Where else have you been?

What else do you know about?

I was actually a British diplomat for 18 years

and I lived many places around the world. I travel regularly.

I got back from Zambia yesterday from one trip,

-so I was hoping this subject might come up.

-OK, right.

Well, let's see if any of the places you've been appear here.

Let's start and I'll ask you first of all, Kevin,

do you want to go first or second?

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

OK, best of luck, Kevin. First question.

Kirkcudbright is a town in which part of the United Kingdom.

I'm pretty sure that's not in England.

I don't think it's in Northern Ireland

so I'd go for Scotland, please.

Scotland is the right answer. Well done.

And Judith. In Wales, what is Cadair Idris?

I think it is a mountain ridge.

It is. Good start for you both.

Mountain ridge. And Kevin, second question.

Bangladesh has a coastline on which body of water?

I think the clue is in the word "Bengal",

-so I'd like to go with Bay of Bengal, please, Dermot.

-Yes. It is indeed.

Well done. Didn't really need to work that one out.

The other two not very likely. So got that, you have two.

And Judith, what is the second largest city in Greece?

Oh, that...that's quite difficult. I'm not sure.

I think it might be Thessalon-eekee or Thessalon-ikee,

or however you pronounce it.

Thessalon-eekee, I think.

It is. That is the second-largest city in Greece.

No need to tell me what the first is. And it's 2-2.

Kevin, which city's international airport was renamed after

the aeronautical engineer Henri Coanda, in 2004?

-Could you spell Coanda?

-C-O-A-N-D-A.

First name Henri, H-E-N-R-I.

I've been through this particular airport

and I don't remember it being called that. But I think I'll go for Zurich.

OK, Zurich.

I see French links with there, but, of course, that is

the German-speaking part, isn't it?

It's not Zurich. Do you know, Judith, of the other two?

I'm sure it can't be Istanbul. It must be Bucharest.

It is Bucharest. OK, Judith. Well, to get you through, Judith,

which country has the largest population of Japanese descent

outside Japan itself?

Heavens above. I thought it might say Peru,

because I know Peru had a Japanese president at some point.

I have a feeling it might be Canada, because I think at the outbreak

of war there was terrible trouble and a lot of them had to be interned.

There was a novel about it, the name I can't remember.

So, I think I'm going to go for Canada.

Canada for the largest population of Japanese descent outside Japan.

-Wasn't one you were really thinking of. It's Brazil, Judith.

-Brazil?!

Nothing for Judith, which is good news for you, Kevin.

You survive into Sudden Death and we take away those options again.

Lansing, located on the Grand River is the capital of which

northern US state? Lansing. L-A-N-S-I-N-G.

-That's Michigan, Dermot. DERMOT LAUGHS

-Correct.

-Have you been there, Kevin?

-Nearby, when I was posted in Canada.

Used to go across into Michigan.

OK, you got that easily, knew it.

And Judith.

Walvis Bay is a city in which African country?

Oh, gosh, it could be anywhere.

-I don't know, South Africa.

-No!

-Close, but it's not the right answer. Other Eggheads?

-Namibia.

-It's Namibia.

-Oh, Namibia.

Well done, Kev.

Another one gets through.

Kevin, you're in the final round. Well done.

-Come on.

-Can you please come back and join your teams?

Well, as it stands,

Twice Around The Lake have struck against the Eggheads twice.

They've knocked two of them out

and you've lost one brain from the final round.

So, our final subject before the final round is

Arts & Books. Who'd like to play this? Andy or Jenny?

Is it by default?

-Right, OK.

-It's Jenny in the middle, Dermot.

-Yes, I think it'll be me, Dermot.

-OK, Jenny.

-Who would you like to play from Kevin...

-Captain, tactic time.

-What do you think?

-They're both extremely good.

-Kevin or Pat?

-Your call.

-Would you like to play Kevin?

-Go on.

-We'll try Kevin.

-We'll play Kevin.

-You're looking forward to that, Jenny, aren't you?

-Kind of.

Let's see what the questions are first.

Testing yourself. Let's have Jenny and Kevin into the Question Room, please.

Jenny, you strike me as the kind of person who relishes a challenge.

Yes. You could say that, although I'm starting to get a little bit nervous now.

-DERMOT LAUGHS

-Too late now. You can choose to go first or second.

I think I'll go first, please.

OK, best of luck, Jenny. It's Art & Books, and here's your first question.

What is the name of the stick with a padded head at one end that

painters use to support their brush hand?

Right, to be honest,

the thing that came to my mind was none of the three answers. Right, OK.

I don't think it's fiddlestick. Slapstick, no, that's more comedy.

So I think I'll have to go with maulstick.

You can really eliminate the other two

and get the right answer, well done. Maulstick.

Kevin, which of these novels was written as a satirical

tale against Stalinism, according to its author?

That's George Orwell's Animal Farm.

Yes, indeed, Animal Farm is correct.

And Jenny, second question.

Colour field painting is a style of art that arose in which century?

Oooh, toughie. Haven't heard of that, to be honest.

I don't think it was the 18th century.

It might be something more modern.

-I'm going to have to go for the 20th century, I think.

-OK, 20th century.

Again, kind of eliminating, rather than knowing it,

and you've got it, Jenny. It is correct. 20th century.

Kevin, second question, then.

"Kent, sir, everybody knows Kent - apples, cherries,

"hops and women," is a line from which Charles Dickens work?

It arises during the course of Mr Pickwick's travels around.

-It's The Pickwick Papers.

-How Kent has changed.

It is the right answer, Pickwick Papers. OK, going well, Jenny.

Let's hope you find one which is more to your taste.

Which poet was expelled from University College Oxford

after writing a pamphlet entitled, The Necessity of Atheism?

Oooh. Erm...

Atheism. Erm...

Trying to think of which one might be religious

and then rule that out, but it's still not helping.

I think Shelley is too modern. I think... No.

I'll go down the middle.

I don't have a clue. I don't even have an inkling.

So I'll just go down the middle and we'll go for Keats.

-Kevin, do you know? Is it Keats?

-It is Shelley.

-It is Shelley.

I suppose, I don't know much about that myself, but on that analysis,

it is quite a modern thing to be saying, the necessity of atheism.

Shelley. OK, nothing there but you've still got a chance.

Kevin might not get this.

Kevin, in which of the arts was the Prague-based Josef Sudek

a leading figure in the 20th century?

I just don't know him,

so I think on the basis that I'm slightly more likely to have heard of

him if he was ballet or photography, I shall go for sculpture.

OK, sculpture. Josef Sudek.

Photography, Kevin. Photography.

-Never come across him.

-Have you heard of him, Jenny?

-Yes, I have.

-Oh!

-I knew it wasn't ballet, and I thought, "Sculpture, no."

I thought he was photography. The 20th century, it's quite modern.

-Photography.

-OK, well, I'm afraid we don't pass them over.

Anyway, great news, you play on.

But in Sudden Death, as you know now, three multiple-choice questions

and it is all square, so we go to Sudden Death.

So, Jenny, which British science-fiction author wrote

-the novel The Long Dark Tea-Time Of the Soul?

-No idea.

No, I can't think. The only author I can think of that has come into my mind at the

moment is Kingsley Amis, and he's nowhere near any science-fiction,

but I'm going to have to go with that because I don't know. I honestly don't know.

-As I was saying, it's always better to guess than pass.

-Yes, true.

You never know, and people have put in what

they think are outrageous guesses and got them quite a few times.

-So you're saying Kingsley Amis?

-I'm going to have to, yes.

-It is the only thing I can think of.

-Well, it's not, having said all

that. I hope I didn't give you any hope,

but it's still better to guess than pass.

-Kevin is about to tell me it's...

-Douglas Adams.

-Douglas Adams...

-Yes.

-..who you would have recognised

-if we'd given you a different one of his novels.

-Possibly.

-OK.

Well, still, Kevin has to get this.

Walt Whitman's 1865 poem O Captain! My Captain!

was written in tribute to which political figure?

-Who'd just been assassinated, Abraham Lincoln.

-Yeah.

No toying with that. It is the right answer, Kevin.

Abraham Lincoln. It means you've won the round. Bad luck, Jenny.

Got into Sudden Death there. Just couldn't identify Douglas Adams.

It means no place for you in the final round. Kevin, you'll be there.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

All right. This is what we've been playing towards.

It's time for the final round, which as always is General Knowledge,

but I'm afraid those of you who lost your head-to-heads won't be

allowed to take part in this round.

And it's going to be all square in the final round,

because Jenny and Simon from Twice Around The Lake, and Judith

and Dave from the Eggheads, you have to leave the studio now, please.

Kevin, Andy and Glenn, I've noticed the interesting line-up

there on the Egghead's side.

If you do do it, it will be quite an achievement

because we've got a kind of Mastermind trio there.

We've got the international, reigning international

Mastermind, the champion of champions, in the middle,

-and the Mastermind who got the highest ever score, Kevin?

-Yes.

-What was it?

-41.

-41.

-DERMOT LAUGHS

My goodness, me.

That's the calibre of the guys you're playing, so quite a few scalps there.

No pressure at all, but you knew that before you came on Eggheads.

Kevin, Andy and Glenn,

you're playing to win Twice Around The Lake £2,000.

Chris, Pat and Kevin, Masterminds all, you're playing for

something which money cannot buy, the Eggheads' reputation.

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

but this time the questions are all General Knowledge, and

you are allowed to confer.

So, Twice Around The Lake, the question is,

are your three brains better than the Eggheads' three?

And Kevin, Andy and Glenn, how do you want to play this round?

Do you want to go first or second?

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

Great stuff. Twice Around The Lake kicking off.

And first question is this, and good luck with it,

what is the usual pattern on modern gingham fabric?

That's checked, Dermot.

Didn't need to check, did you? It is the right answer. Yes, checked.

Eggheads, which computing device commonly uses ink-jet technology?

Ink-jet printer. That would be the printer.

Yes, you wouldn't want to get it on any of the other two, would you?

It is the printer, well done. Right, both sides in.

Twice Around The Lake, second question.

What term is used for members of the House of Lords who vote only

when summoned by their whips, but make no other contribution?

Let's talk it out, do you know it?

I don't know for sure,

but my gut feel is that they're going to be backcountrymen.

Just because they're out in their back...

It's the most logical answer. I think I know the term.

I can't think it is backwoodsmen.

No, nor backwatermen, doesn't make much sense.

-Backcountrymen, I think. Do you agree?

-Yes. We OK with that?

-Let's go for it.

-OK. We'll go with backcountrymen, Dermot.

OK, backcountrymen for members of the House of Lords

who do nothing other than go through the lobbies.

-It's not backcountrymen. Do you know, Eggheads?

-Backwoodsmen.

Backwoodsmen. The guys there, wasn't really high on their list.

There we are. It's backwoodsmen, so you didn't identify that.

See how the Eggheads do with their second question.

Eggheads, Lana Del Rey wrote the single Young And Beautiful

for the soundtrack of which 2013 film?

The Great Gatsby has the big soundtrack.

-I'm pretty sure she was involved with that.

-Jay-Z oversaw it.

All sorts of people, will.i.am. Various people contributed.

That's right. Lots of very current singers.

Pacific Rim is just all action, special effects.

Man Of Steel's much the same. It's the new Superman, isn't it?

Man Of Steel doesn't fit.

I think The Great Gatsby soundtrack album...

-It is a big deal.

-I'm sure she did something for The Great Gatsby.

-I don't associate it with the other two.

-OK.

We're going for The Great Gatsby.

The Great Gatsby for Young And Beautiful by Lana Del Rey.

It's correct, Eggheads. Yes, you have a lead.

OK, you need to get this, then, Twice Around The Lake.

And here's your question.

Corcovado National Park, home to howler monkeys,

peccaries and scarlet macaws, is in which country?

-I think I know.

-Do you?

-I think it's Costa Rica.

-That's what I would have gone for.

-I'm pretty sure it's Costa Rica.

It's not an island.

-I say we go for Costa Rica. Happy with that?

-Yes.

-We'd like to say Costa Rica.

-Costa Rica for Corcovado National Park.

-It's the right answer.

-Come on!

Crucial to get that, so keeps those hopes alive.

But the Eggheads,

of course, have the advantage with getting their second one correct.

For the game, Eggheads,

which horse won the 1928 Grand National

when it was the only horse not to fall?

Lottery was the very first winner.

Esha Ness was the winner of the race that never was in '93.

Tipperary, doesn't he hold the price record.

Tipperary Tim dates from around that time, from around the '20s.

Was he 100-1? He holds a record.

There were a few 100-1s. He was one of them.

Yes, Lottery was the first one.

Esha Ness was the '93 disaster, so Tipperary Tim.

We're going for Tipperary Tim.

Tipperary Tim, the only horse not to fall in 1928.

And the answer is Tipperary Tim. Eggheads, you've won!

Well, bad luck, Twice Around The Lake.

Just got caught out with those House of Lords members that don't

do much speaking. Bad luck on that.

We'll never know how close it could have got if we'd

gone into Sudden Death. But very, very even in those head-to-heads.

-We hope you've enjoyed yourselves, Twice Around The Lake.

-It's been brilliant. Thank you.

And you can run twice around the studios to work

off the adrenaline you've worked up while you've been in the studio.

Best of luck with the running. Thank you for taking on the Eggheads.

They've 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 £2,000,

and that means the money rolls over to our next show.

So, 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.