Episode 35 Eggheads

These people are amongst the greatest quiz players in Britain.

Together they make up the Eggheads,

arguably the most formidable quiz team in the country.

The question is, can they be beaten?

Welcome to Eggheads, the show where a team of five quiz challengers

pit their wits against possibly the greatest quiz team in Britain.

They are the Eggheads.

And taking on the awesome might

of our quiz goliaths today

are The Teaspoons.

This team is made up of friends, family

and colleagues of Captain Stephen,

and have chosen their name as they're hoping to -

you guessed it - crack the Eggheads.

Let's meet them.

Hi, my name is Stephen, I'm 52, and I'm a solicitor.

Hi, I'm Peter, I'm 38, and I'm a conveyancing solicitor.

Hi, I'm Gordon, I'm 56, and I'm a private client solicitor.

Hi, I'm Mark, I'm 49, and I'm a taxi driver.

Hi, I'm David, I'm 51, and I'm a company director.

Welcome to you, Teaspoons, liking the team name,

but you've started a debate.

Some people say you don't use a teaspoon,

you use a knife on the old boiled egg,

they like a nice, clean edge there.

-Teaspoon is what I've always used.

-Ha-ha!

So what about the quizzing? Have you, er...

quizzed a lot together and won lots of quizzes?

No, this is the first time we've been out as a team.

They're a bunch of specialists, each with their chosen field,

to crack the Eggheads.

OK, well, let's see if you can do it today,

because everyday 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, Teaspoons, the Eggheads have won the last three games,

and that means £4,000

says you can't beat the Eggheads today.

And we'll start, shall we, with our opening battle,

it's Sport.

Who'd like to play this, from The Teaspoons? Sport.

-I'm quite happy to do that.

-David, you good with that?

-Yeah, I'll do that. I'll go.

-Great.

-Good luck.

-Yeah, I'll do it.

OK, right, David, who would you like to play from the Eggheads?

Oh. Well, I've always said

I'd like to play CJ, so I think it has to be CJ.

Righty-ho. OK, let's have David and CJ

into the Question Room please, for the opening battle.

OK, David, do you enjoy sports? Enjoy watching, participating?

Yes, love watching sport, Dermot.

My son plays rugby for a local team, and I enjoy watching him regularly.

OK, so we've got rugby covered,

plenty more coming up in this round, I would suspect.

Would you like to go first or second?

I'll go first please, Dermot.

OK, good luck David, here's your first question.

The terms "brawler" and "counter puncher"

are used to describe athletes in which sport?

Well, I think there's lots of people that play rugby that love to

think that's what they do, but we all know that they don't.

It's certainly not darts, so the answer, Dermot, is boxing.

Boxing, yes, is the right answer. Well done.

And CJ, which England footballer

won his 100th cap

in a World Cup qualifier against Ukraine, in September 2013?

Well, we all know how I feel about sport.

And we all know...

extra much how I feel about football...

and I think it's Frank Lampard.

It is Frank Lampard!

See, you do know about football.

OK.

David, second question.

Which Test Match cricket journalist is well-known

for referring to his fellow commentators as "My dear old thing"?

OK, well, as a Scot...

we're not renowned for our knowledge of cricket.

But I think I can safely say that Henry Blofeld

is not one that I would be choosing.

Er, I watch Phil Tufnell quite a lot,

so I think, being a journalist,

I would go with Jonathan Agnew.

OK, Jonathan Agnew for "My dear old thing",

referring to his fellow commentators...

-..It's Henry Blofeld.

-Oh!

That one you discounted. OK.

CJ, second question.

A Formula One driver has to be within

how many seconds of the driver in front

to be able to use the DRS system?

I haven't watched Formula One for years,

and even when I did used to watch, it wasn't that regularly.

My experience of Formula One massively predates the DRS system.

I don't think it's as far back as three.

That's... In Formula One that's a long way back.

In fact, two...

..is actually quite a long way back in Formula One as well.

Um, I think it's one second.

It is one second. Yes, CJ, well worked out.

So, you've got a lead...

and it means you need this, David.

At London 2012, eight female competitors in which sport

were disqualified for "not trying"?

I remember watching this on TV at the time.

I'm fairly confident it's badminton.

It is, you've got it. Yes, badminton. Do you know why, David?

Why didn't they...

Um, is it because they wanted other team-mates

to get into the final or something like that? I'm not quite sure.

I think it was all about qualification for the next stage.

-Ah.

-It was who they wanted to play.

They felt they could manipulate the position if they...

didn't try in that particular contest.

But you're both trying, and doing really well.

You've got one missing out of your three,

and CJ's facing his third question here. So, CJ.

What was the name of the bike on which Graeme Obree

set a new world record in September 2013?

I think I vaguely remember seeing this, but...

..I don't think it's the Beastie.

There is something...

..ringing that I've seen Banshee.

recently in something, I'm just trying to remember if it was this.

And I'm afraid that's all I've got to go on,

simply because I think I remember...

..seeing the word, I will try Banshee.

OK, new world record was set on...

-The Beastie.

-Oh.

The Beastie. I think, er, David knew that, did you David?

Yes, I did indeed. He's a good Scotsman, just like myself.

Of course. All right, um, it's all square then, after three questions.

Let's go to Sudden Death, take away the options...

and see if we will find a winner.

David.

Which country won football's FIFA World Cup in 1994 and 2002?

OK, going on the principle that they won more World Cups

than anybody else, and I can't remember what I did yesterday,

let alone what happened in 2002 or 1994,

I'm going to go with Brazil.

Er, it is the right answer, yes, Brazil,

winning the World Cups in those years.

Um, CJ then.

In which sport has the American Steve Stricker

been ranked among the top players in the world?

He's a US golfer, so golf.

Golf is correct.

Another pair of questions, then.

David, in 2010, which racehorse became the first horse

to win the Breeder's Cup Mile race three times?

I'm afraid horse racing is a sport I know nothing about.

Erm, I haven't the faintest idea.

All I know is, it wasn't Red Rum.

Er..

I...

haven't a scooby. Um...

-Penny Farthing, I don't know.

-OK, ha-ha.

I'm sure there is, or has been a horse called that.

It's not the right answer, I think, as you know.

Goldikova.

-Course it was.

-Goldikova.

Also won in it in, er, won it in three straight years.

2008, 9 and 10.

OK, CJ.

What was the surname of Alec and Eric,

the twins who helped Surrey win the cricket county championship

seven years in a row in the 1950s?

Absolutely no idea.

Eric and Alec...

..Thomas.

No. Er, your colleagues all know.

-Can you tell me?

-Bedser.

Bedser. B-E-D-S-E-R.

Alec and Eric Bedser.

OK.

Nothing there for both of you on those two questions.

So, another pair.

David, which Canadian snooker player, who died in 2003,

was affectionately known as "Big Bill"?

Bill Werbeniuk.

Bill Werbeniuk is the right answer.

-OK, CJ.

-No chance of me having a snooker question, then?

Ha-ha.

Probably not.

Which Australian speed-walker

fled in tears when she was disqualified

200 metres away from a gold medal

in the 20km walk at the Olympic Games in 2000?

No idea. Can't even make a guess.

-Absolutely no idea.

-Well, just out of interest then, to clear it up.

Anyone tell me who that was? Australian speed-walker.

Can't remember her name. Remember the incident, but not the name.

Yeah, one of the enduring images of the Games, she screamed

"No, no, no, not me!"

It's Jane Saville.

-Yeah, right.

-Jane Saville.

And they're disqualified, aren't they, for being deemed to...

-Lifting.

-..to be running, lifting.

You get yellow cards and things, or whatever they do.

You get so many options.

But Jane Saville, which means you've just done it!

A big battle there, David, but you are through to the final round.

No place for CJ, would you both please come back

and join your teams?

So, the first Egghead cracked by the Teaspoons.

CJ won't be in the final round.

Teaspoons all still there of course, but only one round played,

so what will happen in our next round? It's Food and Drink.

Who'd like to play this? Food and Drink.

-Food and drink.

-Not mine at all.

Somebody has to take one for the team, boys.

Take one for the team, boys.

-If no-one wants to take it, I'll take it, then.

-Take it.

-OK.

I'll go for Food and Drink.

OK, Stephen, who would you like to play from the Eggheads?

-It can't be CJ, but any of the others.

-Can't be CJ...

I'm going to look for a thin one, um...

Not too much luck there, so we'll try for Barry.

OK.

I like the way you called me thin!

Nobody's done that for a while!

Stephen and Barry are playing Food and Drink,

into the Question Room you two, please.

Right, would you like to go first or second then, Stephen?

I think we'll stick with the winning order.

I'll go first please, Dermot.

OK, here you go, Stephen. First question.

What name is often given to food that is claimed to be

especially nutritious?

I'm not quite sure what brillfood would be, but, er,

megafood sounds a bit too excessive, so I'll go for superfood.

Superfood is correct.

Barry,

a coffee made with semi-skimmed or skimmed milk

is often called what?

I drink this quite often, and it's a skinny.

Skinny is the right answer.

And second question, Stephen.

Which of these is often called the "champagne of teas"?

Well, I'm more of a coffee drinker,

so this is really going to be a bit of a guess.

I don't think it's Assam, er,

Lapsang Souchong I've heard of...

..My gut tells me it's Darjeeling, so I'm going to guess Darjeeling.

Darjeeling tea.

Darjeeling is correct. Well done.

And Barry.

In which country is the wine producing region of Swartland?

S-W-A-R-T-L-A-N-D. Swartland.

Swartland. That sounds a very Boer word,

so on that basis I believe it's in South Africa.

Yes, it is, that's the right answer. Both going well.

Two all.

And third question, Stephen.

Spelt is a variety of which grain?

Hmm, spelt.

I can't think of any clue in the name.

Spelt wheat, spelt rye, spelt barley.

Um...

Sometimes you have to go down the middle,

I'm going to go down the middle this time. Er, rye?

Rye for spelt.

No, Stephen, it's not. It's incorrect.

Of the other two, Barry, do you know?

I thought spelt was a kind of wheat.

It is, spelt is a variety of wheat.

So, a chance for Barry to even it up for the Eggheads.

Barry, in which Italian region is the bread and salad dish,

panzanella, thought to have originated?

I don't know this, but the only region there

that stands out for me in terms of food is Tuscany.

So I shall go for Tuscany.

OK, for panzanella...

..it is the right answer!

Barry, you've just taken another.

Bad luck, Stephen. Just eased out there by Barry,

but as I say, he's evened it up for the Eggheads.

Stephen, you won't be in the final round.

Would you both please come back and join your teams.

Stephen's spoon bounced off Barry's head there.

Both teams have now lost one brain from the final round.

So, let's play our third round today,

and this one is Science.

Which Teaspoons would like to play this? Science.

-Er, not a clue.

-Me? I'll take that one, Dermot.

All right, Peter, and from the Eggheads,

who would you like to play?

CJ and Barry have played, so...

coming up, you can do Kevin, Dave, or Pat.

Oh, it's a hard one, that.

Thoughts, gents?

Not Kevin.

-Maybe Dave.

-Maybe Dave?

-Dave, please.

-OK.

Let's have Dave, from the Eggheads,

and Peter from the Teaspoons into the Question Room.

So, Peter, a solicitor.

Any scientific background, though?

-None whatsoever.

-Ha-ha!

So this should be interesting.

It certainly should.

All right, none whatsoever.

Would you like to go first or second, then?

I'll go first, please, Dermot.

All right, good luck, Peter. Here's your first Science question.

See if you do know anything about it.

Which chemical element derives its name

from the Greek words for "water" and "forming"?

My mind has gone completely blank.

"Water", in Greek, is "hydro",

I think.

So I'm going to go straight down the middle. Hydrogen.

Whew. Thank goodness your mind sparked into action again there!

Yes, of course, that's right, yeah.

Hydrogen.

And Dave, what word is often used to mean

"units of data being transmitted through a computer system"?

Er, packets.

Yup, packets is correct.

OK, Peter, second question.

According to university research publicised

in September 2013,

the average height of a European male

has increased by how many centimetres since the 1870s?

Must admit, it's not a report I've read.

However...

I'm going to go straight down the middle again

and go for 11.

11 centimetres.

Heck of an increase, isn't it?

It is the right answer.

Well done.

You need this, then, Dave, to draw level.

In 2013, over 200,000 people

applied for a one-way journey to colonise which astronomical body?

I've not heard of this at all.

Erm...

I'm going to go Mars.

I'm going to go down the middle myself, with Mars.

Mars is correct, yes.

Who's putting this trip together, then?

I thought most of the people thought it was a club 18-30 holiday!

All right, well, it is all square.

Dave got that, and back to Peter.

Third question.

In medicine, the McMurray test

is used to assess the health of which part of the body?

This is going to be a complete guess.

And...I hope I get some divine intervention here somehow...

I will go with...

..Knee.

Knee?

It's correct!

All right, well, then, you definitely need this, Dave,

or you're going to get knocked out.

Dave, which eccentric 16th century astronomer

reportedly employed a court jester

and kept a pet elk?

I've got no idea on this at all. I've not heard it,

but, erm...

-Just on 16th century, I'll go with Nicolaus Copernicus.

-Oh!

OK.

And the answer is...

not Nicolaus Copernicus.

Eggheads...

Your other Eggheads hitting the desk there. Who is it?

Tycho Brahe.

Tycho Brahe. So, you're not playing in the final round, Dave.

Bad luck for you, but great news for Peter.

Knows nothing about science, of course, but he's got...

three correct answers there, which takes him into the final round.

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

Well, another Egghead cracked. As it stands then,

the Teaspoons have lost one brain from the final round,

the Eggheads have lost two, though,

and our next subject,

the last head-to-head

is on Politics.

So who'd like to play this?

Two of you left there, Gordon or Mark?

Yeah? Mark?

I'll go for that, thanks Dermot.

OK, Mark, and who would you like to choose from the Eggheads?

You can have Pat or Kevin.

I think...

Both good brains, I think I'll go for Kevin, thanks.

OK, let's have Mark and Kevin into the Question Room now.

So, Mark, are you keen on politics, or are you a bit like

Peter playing science, you don't know anything about it?

If so, you should do well.

I listen to a lot of the radio, driving a taxi all day,

and current affairs politics, I enjoy shouting at the needle quite a lot.

Ha-ha! OK, well now you can shout at Kevin.

Well, maybe not too loud, but um...

Let's see how you do.

Would you like to go first or second?

Er, I think I'd like to go second, thank you.

That means Kevin gets the first set of questions.

Here you go, Kevin.

The UK government's "spare room subsidy"

is more commonly known by what name?

Very controversial policy, it's the bedroom tax.

It is, that's correct, you're off the mark.

And to Mark,

what is the correct form of address used by an MP

who is addressing a member of the same party?

I think...

I don't think too many of them ARE honourable,

but that is indeed, I think, the answer,

my Honourable friend.

Er, yes, it is my Honourable friend.

Successfully negotiated the first question.

This is your second one coming up, Kevin.

"Hanging Chads" was a phrase that became associated

with which year's controversial election, in the United States?

It was the recount in Florida, which eventually gave, um...

George W Bush victory over Al Gore.

It's 2000.

2000 is correct.

And, er, just explain "Hanging Chads" to us?

Well, they're little bits of card, that when they...

They had a fairly, well, by the standards of today,

a fairly antiquated punch card system,

when you were voting.

And so, if the thing wasn't properly punched through,

you'd get these little bits of card still hanging down,

that's how they became known.

And...that led to some votes not being counted...

-Yeah, not being counted.

-..because the chad disappeared?

They had to have recount after recount.

OK.

Right, and second question for you, Mark.

What humorous name is given to the series of meals

endured by politicians running for office,

or trying to raise funds?

I don't think it's the curly sandwich circuit.

So I'm left with burnt vol-au-vent

or rubber chicken. Um...

Rubber chicken circuit.

I'm going with rubber chicken circuit.

And right to do so, it's the correct answer,

well done, Mark.

Kevin, who served as Speaker of the House of Commons from 1971 to 1976?

Hmm.

Casting my mind back a bit there.

'71 to '76 is too early, I think, for Bernard Wetherill.

I think he was more in the, um, Thatcher era.

I think that must have been Selwyn Lloyd.

Selwyn Lloyd? Some of your colleagues agreeing.

It's the right answer, yes, Kevin.

OK, means you need to get this, Mark.

John Dramani Mahama became President of which country in 2012?

I don't think it's Nigeria,

because I think that might be Goodluck Jonathan.

That gives me Kenya or Ghana.

Kenya recently had elections, and that name doesn't spring to mind.

So, by process of elimination,

I'm going to go with Ghana.

Yeah, there's always two ways, when you've got the choices there,

to get the answer.

You've gone for elimination, and got the right answer, yes,

Ghana is correct.

Into Sudden Death again.

Kevin.

In 1987, the former Prime Minister, James Callaghan,

was created Baron Callaghan of where?

Just trying to...

He was a Portsmouth man. He came from Portsmouth.

But I...

..believe that his title derived actually,

from his constituency, where he was MP for many years.

I think he was of Cardiff.

OK. Baron Callaghan of Cardiff...

is correct.

Mark nodding along there, knew that one.

This is your question, Mark.

In 1934...

Alexander MacEwen became the first leader

of which British political party?

Obviously it wasn't any of the big three.

I...

I don't know the answer.

Leaves me going extreme right or extreme left.

I think the Communists would have been there before him,

so I'm going to go for the British Union of Fascists.

OK, British Union of Fascists,

for Alexander MacEwen.

No, it's not the right answer. Do you know, Kevin?

Is it the SNP?

It is the Scottish National Party.

Well, yeah, I didn't know they were founded way back then.

Um, 1934, Alexander MacEwen.

Which is bad luck, Mark.

Means you're not going to be playing in the final round.

Kevin, you'll be there.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

And so, 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, Stephen and Mark from the Teaspoons,

and Dave and CJ from the Eggheads,

would you all leave the studio now, please.

So, Peter, Gordon and David,

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

Pat, Kevin and Barry,

you are playing for something which money can't buy -

the Eggheads' reputation.

So 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 in this round.

So Teaspoons, the question is,

are your three brains better than the Eggheads' three?

Peter, Gordon and David, would you like to go first or second?

-What do we think?

-First, we'll go first.

I think on the basis that Peter and David

both won their rounds by playing first, we'll go first.

OK, here we go.

First final round question to the Teaspoons.

What are you said to throw onto someone's idea

when you try to dampen their enthusiasm?

-Cold water.

-Yeah.

Yeah.

We think warm treacle would probably slow things down a bit,

rather than dampen them.

Hot tea...

..don't fancy that. We think it's cold water.

It is cold water, yes.

Good start. One to you.

Eggheads, which of these terms is used to describe

someone who spends a lot of time on the sofa watching television?

It's couch potato.

Bete noire or lounge lizard could stay on your sofa.

-We have the answer then.

-Couch potato.

-That's couch potato.

It is couch potato.

OK, both teams, let's say not being

tested too much, I think, with those first questions.

All right Teaspoons, second question.

In which film does Fred Astaire sing the song A Needle In A Haystack?

-Before my time, gents.

-Before my time as well.

-Oh, OK.

So, that'll leave me, it's well before my time as well!

You're the oldest one here!

OK, on the basis that Fred Astaire was a dancer,

we don't really know, but we think it's Shall We Dance.

Shall We Dance, for A Needle In A Haystack.

I'm sorry, it's wrong.

It is The Gay Divorcee.

Gay Divorcee.

OK, well, this is your question, Eggheads.

In which decade was the Sydney Harbour Bridge opened?

-1932, wasn't it?

-'32. 1930s.

-1930s.

OK, Well, it was the 1930s.

And to be more specific, you think 19...

-1932.

-1932.

The 1930s is correct, Eggheads.

So, right, Teaspoons, you've got to get this one.

According to scientists, the excavated body of Richard III

revealed that he suffered from which of these conditions?

-Not Malaria.

-Don't think he's...

Don't think he's even from there.

-Polio.

-I would say polio.

-It's a good guess.

-I don't even know what roundworm is.

-What's roundworm?

-Don't know what it is.

-Definitely not malaria, though.

Right, so we can discount that.

Roundworm is like a medieval...

That's something I'd guess, roundworm.

Polio is a more modern disease.

Yeah, because, well we all get things.

Go for... Listen, let's go for roundworm.

It sounds older, and we're going down the right.

-That's a sign, so I'm going with that.

-OK.

Yup, once again, we're struggling for the answer here.

We've discounted malaria, um...

And on the basis that so many times on this programme,

we hear about the magic right,

-we'll go down the magic right, and say roundworm.

-Roundworm...

Got it right, they're all nodding.

-..is correct!

-Yes!

Kept you in it. How could they tell?

How did they work that out, Eggheads?

Roundworm, in what remained of his intestinal tract,

but there was no roundworm in the surrounding earth

around the body, which proved that it must have been in him only.

All right. Well, to the quiz again,

and a crucial question for both teams.

the Eggheads win, of course, if they get this one correct,

but we go into Sudden Death if they don't. Eggheads.

The expression, "at one fell swoop"...

..derives from which Shakespeare play?

I think it's Macbeth, when Banquo's children were killed.

-Right.

-All at one fell swoop.

-Hm.

Yes, because they missed, um...

-..They missed Fleance, yes.

-Yeah.

-I'm pretty certain it's Macbeth.

-Yeah, that seems

..and I don't... Although there are...

falconry references in Hamlet, I don't think this is the one.

Yeah, I think... I think, yeah.

I'm...not as certain, but I think...yeah,

that sounds reasonable to me.

I think we're going to go for Macbeth.

Macbeth, at one fell swoop.

It's the correct answer. Eggheads, you've won.

Well played Teaspoons, good quiz,

all square in the final round there.

Some good head to heads, but didn't quite crack them in the end.

-Hope you had a good day.

-Very good.

-Thanks very much, Dermot.

-Yes, thanks very much.

And it turns out it was a couple of Scottish questions

that kind of undid you.

Scottish King there, and of course the SNP back in 1934!

Very good to see you here today, playing the Eggheads,

but they've done what comes naturally to them,

and they still reign supreme over quizland.

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

£5,000 says they don't.

Until then, goodbye.