Episode 32 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 challenging our resident quiz champions today

are E For Intelligent.

This group of friends know one another through Leeds University,

and in their words, famously won the University RAG quiz.

Let's meet them.

Hi, I'm Lawson. I'm 23 and I'm a trading analyst.

Hi, I'm Owen. I'm 22 and I'm a warehouse scheduler.

Hi, I'm James. I'm 24 and I'm a factory worker.

Hi, I'm Joel. I'm 22 and I'm a Masters student.

Hi, I'm Jonny. I'm 22 and I'm a physiotherapist.

Well, welcome to you, E For Intelligent.

The RAG quiz, is that a big quiz then at Leeds University?

No, not particularly but...

We did turn up late and missed the first round and still won,

-so that's our claim to playing...

-That's not bad. So what did you win?

Uh, a mishmash of old Christmas presents that no-one wanted.

From the hosts.

DERMOT LAUGHS

-Which you then recycled, I hope, as well.

-Yeah, very wrong.

All right. Well, E For Intelligent,

every day there's £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, E For Intelligent,

the Challengers actually won the last game, proving it can be done.

That means £1,000 says you can't beat the Eggheads today.

And our first head-to-head challenge

is on the subject of Music.

So which one of you wants to start us off playing this round?

-Who's taking the bullet?

-I'm taking it, aren't I?

-Yeah, I think so.

-I think I'll take it, Dermot.

Owen. Right, who do you want to play from the Eggheads?

Um, I think I'll go against Chris, please.

OK, Owen and Chris playing this round.

Into the Question Room, please.

Good luck, Owen. Do you want to go first or second?

I think I'll go first please, Dermot.

Owen, first question is this.

Summer Nights was a UK number one single for John Travolta

and which singer?

Well, I actually really like the film.

It's Grease.

And, yeah, I've seen it a lot on the West End as well,

so I think I'll go for Olivia Newton-John.

OK, yes, well done. Identified that very easily. It's the right answer.

Olivia Newton-John.

So, Chris, Abz Love found fame

as a member of which band?

Eeh, God, this is one of those boy band things, isn't it?

Um...

Oh, God, who are the teenyboppers throwing theirselves at these days?

Abz Five, you say?

-Abz Love.

-Abz Love.

Found fame as a member of which band?

-Oh, he's got to be one of One Direction, hasn't he?

-No.

EGGHEADS CHUCKLE

-HE LAUGHS

-You actually inadvertently said it.

Abz was a member of the super soaraway 5ive.

HE GRUMBLES OK.

How you love those questions, Chris.

Gives us a little chuckle as they come up.

All right. Well, that's good for you, Owen.

It means you've got a 1-0 lead and it could shortly become 2-0.

Fraulein Kost and Ernst Ludwig

are characters in the stage version of which musical?

Well, I've seen Mamma Mia! I don't really think it's that. Um...

Pretty sure it's not West Side Story either...

judging by the names, but I think I'll go for cabaret.

Cabaret.

Yes, the German link of course as well.

It's the right answer. Well done. Cabaret.

So, Chris, really under the cosh.

Chris, who sang Knock Knock Who's There

as the UK's 1970 entry to the Eurovision Song contest?

No, it's not Lulu. It's not Kathy Kirby.

It's Mary Hopkin.

Mary Hopkin is the right answer, Chris. OK, well.

Chris finishes last out of a narrow field,

of course in this round if you get this right, Owen.

What name is given to the piano works by Edvard Grieg

which include Wedding Day At Troldhaugen?

Um, I'm not too sure on this one.

I'm not the biggest fan

of this kind of music, so...

I'm not thinking it's

Lyrics Pieces to be honest.

50-50 between the other two.

Um, and I think I'll...

have a go at Hungarian Songs if that's...

I'll give that one a go.

OK, Hungarian Songs for Wedding Day At Troldhaugen.

It's incorrect. It's your first wrong answer.

Chris would probably be on surer ground on this.

Chris, of the other two?

Yeah, it's Lyric Pieces by Grieg.

Is Lyric Pieces which you ruled out first.

So, you've still got a lead and still a chance

to get to the final round without answering another question

but if Chris gets this, it's Sudden Death.

Chris, which operetta first performed in 1924

is an adaptation of the old play of Heidelberg?

Well, Heidelberg is a German university,

so it's The Student Prince.

It is The Student Prince.

That's the danger of these Eggheads,

you give them a chance and they get right back at you.

So, it's all square.

Two all after those three questions

which means we go to Sudden Death.

We remove the options, Owen.

Here you go.

Whose first single Swagger Jagger

went to number one in the UK charts in 2011?

Oh, it's not really my kind of music this one.

I'm not sure on this one at all but I'll go for Cher Lloyd.

-It's the right answer.

-Hey, there we go.

-Yeah.

Well.

Chris, the American blues legend Chester Arthur Burnett

who lived from 1910 to 1976 was better known by what nickname?

Hmm, the dates are right for Muddy Waters.

Muddy Waters.

-What do you think, Eggheads?

-Howlin' Wolf.

-T-Bone.

-It's Howlin' Wolf.

-Oh.

Howlin' Wolf, which means, Owen, you're playing in the final round.

No place for Chris.

Would you come back and join your teams, both of you, please?

So, first round gone and the Challengers in the lead.

One Egghead gone from the final round.

Our next subject then is Science.

So who'd like to play this? Science.

-Do you want this one?

-I'd like to take Science, please, Dermot.

-OK.

And Joel, which Egghead would you like to play?

Um, can I take Judith, please?

OK. Joel and Judith into the Question Room, please.

So, Joel, Science. Do you want to go first or second?

Um, could I go second, please?

Judith, here's your question then. First set of questions.

What is the main diet of creatures described as vermivorous?

Well, I don't think it's cheese.

Um, I think it might be worms.

Yes, it is. Yes, worms

for vermivorous creatures.

-Describing you lot really.

-DAVE CHUCKLES

OK, we're kicking off your questions now, Joel, then.

In biological classification,

the term Animalia is defined as which rank?

I'm not too hot on biology

but I've got a feeling it could be kingdom, so, go for that.

All right, going for kingdom. And you've got it, OK.

Both off to a very steady start.

And, Judith,

in the name of NASA's GRAIL mission to the moon,

the letter G stands for which word?

Well, I think if they're going to the moon...

that would rule out a galaxy

cos galaxies...well, are big, aren't they?

And a moon is the moon.

I don't see why it should be Gassy, so I think it must be Gravity.

Gravity...

is the correct answer.

Yes, Judith.

Joel, your second question.

What name is given to the point in the sky from which meteors

appear to originate?

Oh, I feel like I should know this

but, um, it's going to have to be...

..a guess.

And...

..I'm going to go for radiant.

Oh, wait.

Can I change my answer?

I'm afraid you were just a second or two too late.

-OK, I'll go for radiant.

-What were you going to change it to?

I was going to change it to brilliant.

OK. Which is a crying shame...

for Judith because you got the right answer!

Oh, I did. OK.

You are a very lucky man, Joel.

Phew.

Means it's all square.

Judith, your third question.

Which Nobel laureate gave half his prize money to his assistant

Charles Best,

whom he thought should have shared the Nobel Prize with him?

Um...

I don't know.

So it's a guess.

I thought Frederick Banting was the one...

He was the insulin man, wasn't he?

And also, Banting is a known word for slimming, isn't it?

Maybe Charles Best was his assistant.

So Frederick Banting.

OK, Frederick Banting was the assistant of...

Frederick Banting. Well done, Judith.

-Gosh, that's lucky.

-Well worked out. Well, you worked it out.

OK, that means you have the lead back

and it means you need to get this, Joel.

Sylvanite is the main ore of which mineral?

Well, it's another one that I don't know.

I don't think it's quartz.

And...

anthracite is kind of dark and sparkly, so I'll go with anthracite.

OK, anthracite for sylvanite,

the main ore of it.

It's incorrect.

It's not the right answer, Joel.

Other Eggheads?

-Potash.

-It's potash.

It's potash, which means, Judith,

you are in the final round.

Well played, Judith. Bad luck, Joel.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

Well, as it stands then it's all square.

Both teams lost one brain from the final round.

So, a fascinating contest going on here.

Let's play our third head-to-head.

This one is Politics.

So, who from E For Intelligent is going to take this one on?

-It's not me.

-Me?

-I think...yeah.

-Yeah.

I think James. James is up.

James, who are you playing from the Eggheads?

Judith and Chris have played, so you can choose from Dave, Pat or Barry.

-Who is it going to be, James?

-Dave's good at sport.

-Yeah.

-So we could do that.

-Yeah.

-Pick Dave then?

-Yeah, cos we'll have Sport.

-Yeah,

-go on. What do you think?

-I'm won't take him out, but Dave.

-Dave.

-I'll go for Dave.

-We'll take him to the Question Room anyway.

James and Dave into the Question Room, please.

So, James, do you want to go first or second?

Um, I'll go first I think.

OK, first question, James.

What was the last year in which John Major served as prime minister?

Well, Tony Blair came to power in '97, so,

it'd follow that it was 1997.

It would indeed. That's the right answer.

It does follow. And gives you a tick on the board.

So, Dave, which of these terms traditionally refers to

an overwhelming victory for one party in an election?

That's a landslide.

Landslide, which is of course what Tony Blair enjoyed in 1997.

-Yes, it is.

-Hanging together very nicely these pair of questions.

Right answer. Yes, landslide.

James, what informal name was given in the early 21st century

to certain trade unionists who opposed the policies of New Labour?

It's not the Bullingdon Club

cos that's...

Oh, no, I think David Cameron

was part of that, so...

And he's definitely not in Labour.

-I'm going to for the Awkward Squad.

-Awkward Squad.

And you're right to do so. It's the right answer.

Ha! We're following a timeline here, aren't we?

John Major lost the election to Tony Blair by a landslide

and then got bedeviled by his Awkward Squad.

I wonder what's coming next.

Something different.

Which international organisation, Dave,

held its first summit meeting in Paris in 1957?

Well, NATO was founded in 1949 in Brussels,

so I don't believe it's that.

Um...

is it G-7 or was it...?

Oh, how long has G-7 been going?

I don't like it

but I'm going to go OPEC.

OPEC.

It's not correct. No.

Other Eggheads?

-G-7?

-No, NATO.

-Really?

-NATO.

-Never would've got that. Would not have gone for that.

OK. Right. Well.

Big chance here then, James.

From 1973, George W Bush attended which educational establishment?

I don't know this but UCLA doesn't seem right.

Just can't see him being in Los Angeles really.

Of the other two...

I don't know. Did he do some kind of business?

I don't know. Cornell.

I'll go for Cornell.

OK, Cornell.

It was the Business School.

Harvard Business School.

It means you can

get back in it, Dave.

Theresa May, who was appointed Home Secretary in 2010,

worked for which institution from 1977 to 1983?

I can't recall anything about this at all,

so it's going to be a complete guess.

Um...

I'll rule out London Transport and National Theatre

and go for Bank Of England.

Bank Of England.

It's the right answer, Dave. Yes.

Well done. OK.

Well, in we go

into Sudden Death again.

Right, James, which senior politician's achievements include

becoming the first female chairman of Oxford University's Labour Club?

I'm just trying to think if Harriet Harman's Labour.

So...

I'll go for Harriet Harman.

Harriet Harman.

Clearly female and yes, very Labour

but it's not Harriet Harman.

And, uh, don't necessarily have to remain Labour.

Given you a clue, Dave? Do you know?

Well, you've said that... I would have gone Mona first,

-but now you've said that, Shirley Williams.

-Shirley Williams, yeah,

who later of course went on to the SDP.

So nothing there, which means you've got a chance here, Dave.

"Tonton", meaning "uncle",

and "Dieu", meaning "God",

were nicknames of which French politician born in 1916?

I can't see any other reason for not going for Francois Mitterrand.

I'll go Francois Mitterrand.

Francois Mitterrand. What, the date fits, does it?

I think so. It's around that time.

It's the right answer, Dave.

You've just won the round.

Matched the Egghead there, James, very, very closely.

Just lost out there to Dave.

So, credit to you but no place in the final round.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

As it stands, E For Intelligent

have lost two brains from the final round,

the Eggheads have lost one.

Will it be all square in that final round?

This head-to-head will tell us.

It's Sport.

-Who'd like to play this one?

-Sport.

Two of you left.

Lawson or Jonny?

Do you want me to take it?

-Do you want to do it?

-Yes.

-OK.

-I'll do it.

-I think Jonny.

-I'll do it.

-OK, Jonny.

And you can choose from Barry or Pat here on the Eggheads' side.

-Barry?

-What do you reckon?

-Yeah.

-Barry.

OK.

Let's have Jonny and Barry straight into the Question Room, please.

Jonny. Sport coming up for you.

-Would you like to go first or second?

-I'll go first.

OK, Jonny, good luck. Here's your first question.

In September 2013, it was announced that

which city would host the 2020 Olympic Games?

Um... I'm pretty sure I know this one.

I think Istanbul was the favourite, but then, cos of the rioting,

that lost ground a bit.

And I think...

even though the Fukushima plant was...

..causing some concern, I believe the answer is Tokyo.

Yes. Good and full answer. It's the right one as well. Tokyo.

Barry, which of these Formula One teams is based in Milton Keynes?

Ah, Formula One is not my favourite sport, I'm afraid.

I think it's the most boring sport in the world.

All they ever do is go round in circles,

which is just about what I'm doing at the moment.

Uh...

It can't possibly be Ferrari.

Oh, Toro Rosso also means Red Bull.

Hmm.

I think it's Toro Rosso.

-No, it's not. It's Red Bull.

-HE LAUGHS

OK. Well, Jonny, off to a flying start.

Second question.

The German footballer Mesut Ozil joined which club in 2013?

Yeah, I'm pretty confident with that one as well.

His record signing.

And he signed for Arsenal.

Arsenal is the right answer.

All right.

Barry, as you know already,

you need this.

The Diamond League is a series of competitions in which sport?

Well, I'm reasonably certain I've seen some of these events

and I believe they're in athletics.

After that last answer you won't believe anything

-going on in your head, will you, Barry?

-Is it wrong?

-No, it isn't.

-Oh, gosh!

HE LAUGHS You really had me worried there.

You really are doubting yourself. Right answer.

Yeah, athletics. The Diamond League.

But, Jonny, get into that final round straightaway

with a correct answer here.

Which cyclist won the 2013 Tour Of Britain?

Um, Cavendish is only a sprinter, so he wouldn't have won the whole thing.

I don't think Froome was in it cos he'd just done the Tour de France,

so I'm going to say Bradley Wiggins.

Seem to know your cycling.

It is Sir Bradley Wiggins, the right answer.

Yes.

And you sprint into the final round.

Bad luck, Barry. No place for you.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

And 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.

So, James and Joel from E For Intelligent

and Barry and Chris from the Eggheads,

please leave the studio now.

So, Lawson, Owen and Jonny,

you're playing to win E For Intelligent £1,000.

Judith, Pat and Dave,

you're playing for something which money cannot buy,

the Eggheads' reputation.

So, as usual, I ask each team three questions in turn.

This time, the questions are all General Knowledge

and you are allowed to confer.

So, E For Intelligent,

are your three brains better than the Eggheads' three?

And Lawson, Owen and Jonny, would you like to go first or second?

-First?

-What do you want to do, lads?

-Let's go first.

-Yeah.

Yeah, we'll go first, please, Dermot.

OK, well, some really good head-to-heads there.

Let's keep that performance going into the final round, guys.

Here you go.

Which of the following is the name of a vessel

used for storing salt in the kitchen?

-I don't actually know that.

-Food and drink knowledge should come in here.

I know, it should do, shouldn't it?

Salt dogs or badger?

I don't think it's salt badger.

-THEY CONFER QUIETLY

-Salt pig cos it's used to salt pork?

-A guess.

-Maybe.

-I've no idea, so...

-What do you reckon?

-Salt pig?

-Yeah, just go in the middle.

-OK.

I think we are unsure actually,

and so, I think we're going to take salt pig.

Salt pig.

-Yeah, don't want to get the first one wrong.

-Hmm.

It's the right answer.

Salt pig.

Ooh.

OK. A bit of a wobble there but got it.

Eggheads, in 2013 it was announced that the National Trust

would be giving tours of which TV venue?

-Big Brother House definitely.

-Big Brother House.

-Are you sure?

Yeah, it is. It's the Big Brother House.

-It prompted some letter writing.

-Yeah, it did.

Definitely the Big Brother House.

I'm going to stop my subscription in that case.

We're going for the Big Brother House.

Big Brother House.

It is the right answer.

Big Brother House.

All square. Second question, E For Intelligent.

What is conventionally said by a chess player

before he or she adjusts a piece on the board?

-Do you know French?

-I've got some very schoolboy French, yes.

And it doesn't involve any of that, no.

Do any of you play chess? That's more to the point.

I'm actually in the Leeds University chess society.

Oh, well, right.

Lawson, you've come along as well but it doesn't really help.

I lost to him. Um...

-I'm not sure.

-It's not...

THEY CONFER QUIETLY

-I'd say j'avance.

-Yeah.

-Like advance.

-Yeah.

-Shall we take that?

-I don't know.

-We're going to take a stab at j'avance.

J'avance.

Said before you adjust a piece on the board.

It's not j'avance. It's incorrect.

From the other two Eggheads, do you know?

-J'adoube.

-J'adoube.

OK. Well.

Nothing there. Will the Eggheads take the lead?

Which US president features on a US 20 bill?

I don't think Lyndon B Johnson...

-No.

-..is on a bill.

-OK.

-Let's eliminate him.

Is Cleveland on a bill?

-Not sure.

-I'm not sure Cleveland's on a bill.

Andrew Jackson is further back...

Andrew Jackson was a general too, wasn't he?

I think Jackson is on a bill.

-What do you think?

-Andrew Jackson would be the one I'd go for

because on an historical perspective in America

-he would be...

-There's no problem putting the soldiers on,

then Grant's on one of the bills.

I know, but that's what I was thinking cos he was more of a hero

to America.

What have you got? You've got Lincoln and Washington obviously.

-The obvious ones...

-Yeah.

..they're lower denominations.

And Wilson and Franklin. I think...

I think

we've got to go Andrew Jackson.

-I think...

-The most likely...yes.

It rings some sort of bell.

-The other two don't.

-Yeah, Andrew Jackson.

We're going for Andrew Jackson.

On the 20 bill.

It's the right answer, Eggheads.

You do have that lead

which means you must get this,

E For Intelligent.

The Daughters Of Mars is a 2012 novel by which Australian author?

Yes. Arts & Books is probably our least favourite subject, so

it's not ideal.

Only a bit of it has come up.

-You know any of these?

-I don't know any of the authors.

-I don't know who's Australian and who's not.

-Um, OK.

-It could be any.

-It could be any of them.

If you had to choose one?

-Thomas Keneally.

-OK.

-OK.

-I've no idea why I chose that.

Since Jonny said it in such an assuring way,

I'm going to go for Thomas Keneally.

OK, Thomas Keneally.

And that's really the only thing you've got to hang that answer on,

-isn't it?

-Yeah.

Saying it confidently.

Well, I can confidently tell you...

-..it's the right answer.

-Ah!

-Yes.

Go on!

THEY LAUGH

Well done. OK.

Well, the Eggheads have to face another question.

Eggheads, what name is usually given to the restoration

of Henry VI to the throne of England?

-It could be either - reaffirmation of reassertion.

-I...

Reaffirmation, but I don't know if that's related to him.

No, I haven't heard this.

-I haven't either.

-Reaffirmation is the one.

-You like reaffirmation?

-Do you like reassertion?

-It's likely but I don't know.

-DAVE LAUGHS

I don't know. I've not heard the phrases in this context.

You like reassertion. Why do you like that?

I'm inclined towards reaffirmation.

If two of you have a feeling

for reaffirmation,

we'll go that way.

I haven't heard... I don't know much about this business.

Where have you got reassertion from?

It's like a lady picking a white horse at the race track -

there's no science to it.

-OK, well.

-If both of you have a feeling for reaffirmation...

But I don't know if it relates to that king.

-Do you have an inkling about reassertion?

-No.

-No, go on. OK.

-So will I go for reaffirmation?

-Yeah.

Ah, we're very unsure and we're going for reaffirmation.

OK, reaffirmation.

I tell you what, for the first time ever in Eggheads,

I'll take both answers you were thinking of cos they're both wrong.

It's readeption.

Oh, no. Really?

Never heard of it.

-Readeption...

-Readeption.

So, obviously I didn't take both of those answers

but reaffirmation or reassertion were both wrong,

which is only two you were considering,

and didn't think about readeption.

So, we do go to Sudden Death.

You are still in it.

Here's your Sudden Death question.

"@Pontifex" is whose Twitter account?

P-O-N-T-I-F-E-X.

THE CONFER IN WHISPERS

Um, I think we...

Well, I think we think it is the Pope.

The Pope?

It is. Yes.

@Pontifex.

No doubt you're all keen followers.

Oh, yeah. Keen Catholics.

Eggheads, the last time you were facing a question

was to try to win it.

This is to try and keep your hopes alive.

A Grimbarian is someone who comes from which British town?

-Grimsby's obviously got to be the...

-Grimsby's...

They've got to be the...

-It's the most obvious one.

-Grimsby is what you think?

-Yeah, but there's only...

-The most obvious one.

-The most obvious one, isn't it?

-Can we think of any others?

-No.

I can't think of anything else. I think we're overthinking it if we...

-Personally.

-OK.

-OK.

We're going to put our faith in Grimsby.

That's the right answer, Eggheads.

Another question for you, E For Intelligent.

Which cartoonist designed the Royal Mail stamps

which commemorated the 1986 appearance of Halley's Comet?

-THEY CONFER IN WHISPERS

-Famous cartoon.

-The guy that it...Spike Milligan?

-Was it?

-Yeah?

-I don't know. Was he a cartoonist?

-I don't...

-Or did he do films?

I can't... I have no idea.

-I'm pretty sure it's a cartoon...

-Go for it.

-That's cos it's the only cartoonist you can think of?

-Yeah.

-OK. Shall we take it?

-Yeah.

-Let's do it.

-OK.

-We're going to go for Spike Milligan.

-Spike Milligan. OK.

No, it's not Spike Milligan. Do you know, Eggheads?

Gerald Scarfe?

Ralph Steadman. Not Spike Milligan.

Not a bad guess but, Eggheads, another chance.

Eggheads, which screenwriter created the character Professor Quatermass?

All I've got is Nigel Kneale.

Go for that?

-Nigel Kneale.

-I've nothing.

-That's all I've got - Nigel Kneale.

OK, we're going to go with Dave's Nigel Kneale.

Nigel Kneale.

OK, well, Dave pulled it out of the fire.

And you've got it, Dave.

Nigel Kneale is correct, which means you've won.

I heard you saying good game.

It really was a tremendous game, wasn't it, Eggheads?

-Yeah.

-Really tested you all.

And, Dave, really rising to the challenge there I thought.

But listen, guys, you did tremendously.

Level pegging in the final round.

Some of those head-to-heads were very, very close, so bad luck.

Thank you very much for giving the Eggheads such a good game today

but it just wasn't to be.

The Eggheads have done what comes naturally.

They reign supreme over Quizland once again.

I'm afraid you won't be going home with £1,000.

That means the money rolls over to the next show.

So join us next time

to see if a new team of Challengers

have the brains to defeat the Eggheads.

£2,000 says they don't.

Until then, goodbye.