Episode 41 Eggheads

These people are amongst the greatest quiz players in Britain.

Together, they make up the Eggheads,

arguably the most formidable quiz team in the country.

The question is - can they be beaten?

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

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

They are the Eggheads.

And taking on the might of our quiz Goliaths

today are the Short Planks.

This team are all members of the Friends of the Gambia Association.

That's a charity who primarily coordinate

sponsorship for the education of students in the Gambia. Let's meet them.

Hello. I'm Violet. I'm 64 and I'm a retired psychology lecturer.

Hi. I'm Jim. I'm 67. I'm a retired design engineer.

Hello. I'm Rob. I'm 70 and I'm a retired prison governor.

Hi. I'm Alhaji. I'm 44 and I'm a nurse.

Hi. I'm Martin. I'm 33. I'm an architectural technician.

Welcome to you, Short Planks. Tell me about the work of the charity.

-Sounds like it's marvellous work you do.

-It is marvellous work.

We have all holidayed in the Gambia and two of the members here

today were instrumental in starting the charity over 20 years ago.

Just with a view to helping the lovely people of the Gambia.

We are Friends of the Gambia.

Any idea how many students you have helped over the years?

Nearly 200 currently and lots over the years and the two young

ladies that run our office are actually old FOTG girls.

-Friends of the Gambia.

-Got it now!

OK. Welcome to you, Short Planks.

Every day, there's £1,000 up for grabs for our Challengers.

However, if they fail to defeat the Eggheads,

the prize money rolls over to the next show.

Short Planks, the Eggheads have won the last nine games,

so now, that means £10,000...

-Oh, that'll do!

-..says you can't beat the Eggheads today.

£10,000 at stake.

Let's start the game and we open up our first round

and it's a Sport round.

-Who'd like to play this for the Short Planks?

-Oh!

-I'll step back!

I suppose I'd better take that one, hadn't I?

-Yes, Martin's our sports chap.

-Great!

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

-I think I'll take on Judith, please.

-Thought you might!

THEY CHUCKLE

Let's have Martin and Judith, then, on the opening round

and into the Question Room with you both, please.

Martin, I know you raise a lot of money through your charity runs.

Tell me about the kit you choose and where you've been running.

I always try and run in a specialist made sport kilt.

It came about a couple of years ago.

I entered a race in the Sahara Desert, which was a seven-day

multi-day challenge where you have to be self-sufficient for that

time as well and, a couple of months beforehand,

I joined a run out in the West Highland Way where

a number of us ran in sport kilts, basically to try and get a Guinness

world record, but unfortunately they wouldn't accept it.

But I enjoyed the experience so much, it's stuck since then.

Fantastic stuff!

I can see why you're playing the sports round as well.

Let's start, shall we? Would you like to go first or second?

I'll go first, please.

OK, best of luck, Martin.

In snooker, which coloured ball is worth five points?

The blue.

Yes, it is. Well potted!

THEY CHEER AND APPLAUD

And, Judith, in which year did Ian Botham first play Test match

cricket for England?

Um... I don't know whether it's '77 or '87. Um...

He's been retired for a long time now, hasn't he?

I imagine he must be about 60.

Um...

I should think it's '87, actually, after all that.

OK.

It's '77, as you were originally probably were going for.

Oh, the maths! Can't ever do maths.

OK! Well, it's good news for Martin, a 1-0 lead.

Will it become 2-0 here?

Martin, the Rugby Union international Jeremy Guscott

usually played in which position?

I don't think it was... It was either centre or full back.

Um...

I think I'm going to have to... I'm going to have to go with full back.

I'm sure he played it occasionally,

but he usually played in the centre.

Centre for Jeremy Guscott. Is it a let-off for Judith?

Your second question, Judith.

Which boxer extended his unbeaten record

to 45 fights in September 2013 when he defeated Saul Alvarez?

I think Manny Pacquiao is retired. Um...

He's become a politician, or something.

I think it might be Floyd Mayweather.

Floyd Mayweather. It is! Well done, Judith. You're right back in it.

OK, all square. Martin, third question.

In 1990, tennis player Pete Sampras became the youngest ever

winner of which Grand Slam singles tournament?

I think it's going to have to be a bit of an educated guess here.

Sampras' name just has to go with everything to do with Wimbledon,

so...

But was it the US Open? Um... I think I'm going

to have to go with Wimbledon cos he seems to have most records there.

So, Wimbledon, please.

OK, youngest ever winner of...Wimbledon...

Hm, there's one Mr Becker, remember. So it's not Wimbledon.

Judith, do you know?

-I don't know. Australian Open.

-No! US Open.

-The other one.

-Yes.

There we are. US Open, wasn't your question.

So, well, this could be quite a turnaround

after those opening questions. Judith, you can win the round

if you give me a right answer here.

Tirunesh Dibaba has won three World Championship gold medals

and two Olympic gold medals in which athletics event?

I imagine he must be Ethiopian, so it's 10,000 metres or Marathon.

Er... T Dibaba...

-I think it might be Marathon.

-OK. Marathon?

-Yeah.

It's the other one.

-It is 10,000 metres.

-Oh, God!

-And, er, just to clear it all up,

Tirunesh Dibaba is a woman.

-Oh! Well, SHE is Ethiopian, then.

-Yeah, er...

-SHE LAUGHS

-OK, well, it stays all square

and we go into Sudden Death to try to sort out a winner, Martin,

and that means we remove those options. Here you go.

The golfer, Adam Scott, winner of the 2013 US Masters,

was born in which country?

Well, having been a keen golfer from our young age, I've watched

a lot of golf, I'm pretty confident that it is Australia.

-It is, yes.

-Oh, yes!

-CHEERING

Right up your street, then.

OK, Judith, the Rugby Union player David Sole

captained which side to victory in the 1990 Five Nations tournament?

Um... New Zealand.

-No! That's not even Five Nations.

-JUDITH LAUGHS

Er, no. I mean, Five Nations has become Six Nations,

but they still haven't let New Zealand in, nor ever will.

-Oh, God! Oh, God! I was thinking...

-Five Nations? Six Nations?

-Oh!

-Yeah.

-Can you tell me, Martin? I'd say you might know?

-Oh!

Well, I certainly wouldn't have said New Zealand.

-LAUGHTER Um...

-We know that.

I probably would have gone for Ireland?

Hmm, well, interesting, given what we've discussed about kilts.

-It's Scotland.

-Oh!

-David Sole was captain of Scotland

in that 1990 side. Anyway,

no matter, it means you are through to the final round, Martin.

Well done. No place for you, Judith.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

Well, The Short Planks triumphing there

means one Egghead's missing from the final round.

None of them gone yet from The Short Planks.

OK, our second round coming up right now is History.

Who'd like to play this? History.

-Oh, we have strategy, we have a strategy.

-Shall I take that?

-Rob, yes, please.

-Off you go.

-I'll take History.

Good man, Rob. Now which Egghead would you like to play?

-Any of the other four, apart from Judith?

-I think Dave.

-OK.

-Dave? Fair enough.

Let's have Rob and Dave into the Question Room, please.

OK, let's play the round, shall we? It's History.

-Would you like to go first or second?

-I'll go first, please.

Best of luck, Rob, here you go.

How many children did King George VI have?

Well, King George VI is the Queen's father, so it is, er,

Elizabeth and Margaret, so it's two.

It certainly is, yeah.

Two.

Two girls.

And Dave, the armies of Genghis Khan

conquered vast areas of which continent?

Er, Asia.

Yes, both very easily off the mark. Rob, second question.

Which of these historical figures died at the Battle of the Alamo?

Well, I remember, er, watching the film some years ago.

It's not Pat Garrett and I'm sure it's James Bowie.

Yeah, James Bowie, you're absolutely right.

Well, second question for you, Dave.

Who was King of England from 1377 to 1399?

Right, it's not Henry II.

Having total brain freeze here. Let me think when Richard II was.

-It's 1377 to 1399?

-Yeah, it hasn't changed.

-1377 to 1399.

-DAVE LAUGHS

DAVE SIGHS

Right, I'll go for...Richard II.

It's the right answer, Dave.

-HE LAUGHS

-Sorry!

OK, well, you got it in the end. OK, Richard II there.

Right, all square, both going really well.

Rob, what type of medieval weapon was a misericord?

M-I-S-E-R-I-C-O-R-D.

Um... Well, this will be a complete guess.

I'm just trying to work out what sort of fits in with that.

I don't think it sounds like a spear or a dagger.

It's probably something a bit more vicious, like an axe.

-I shall go for axe.

-Axe, OK, yeah, for a misericord.

-It's not. Do you know, Dave?

-I would've gone spear.

-Spear, right.

-Dagger it is.

-Oh, right!

LAUGHTER

So neither of you got that, but, Dave,

you can get to the final round if you give me a correct answer.

The Lion Mound is

an artificial hill overlooking which famous battlefield?

Right, I can only go off what I thought.

It's probably the wrong instinct, but I'll go Agincourt.

OK, Agincourt, for the Lion Mound, an artificial hill overlooking...

-Waterloo.

-Mm-hm!

Not Agincourt. All right, well, wasn't identified by Dave,

so we go to Sudden Death again and, Rob, here's your question.

Which British explorer, who shares his name with a famous Welsh actor,

is believed to have been the first European

to see Africa's Lake Tanganyika?

Well, the only explorer I could think of

that shares a name with a Welsh actor is Richard Burton.

And that's the right answer. Well done.

Yes! Well done!

Dave, which of Henry VIII's wives

did he refer to as his rose without a thorn?

I really don't know. I'm thinking... Yeah, I've got to go Jane Seymour.

OK, Jane Seymour, of course, one of his favourites,

if not his favourite wife.

But not the right answer.

-Other Eggheads?

-CJ: I don't know.

I think they were going with you there, Dave.

-KEVIN: Yeah.

-They all thought Jane Seymour.

-Catherine Howard.

-JUDITH LAUGHS

A rose without a thorn, so not very good on that, Eggheads.

That's great news again for The Short Planks.

Another one through to the final round. That's Rob there.

Rob, you're in the final round. Dave, you won't be.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

Short Planks, we have to reinvent that phrase where you get your name.

Doing really well, quizzing brilliantly.

Two Eggheads gone from the final round and you're all standing.

So, er, let's play our third round and this one is Film & Television,

-so who'd like to play this?

-THEY SIGH

Do you know, I think that's me. LAUGHTER

I noticed where you didn't look anywhere else.

-You just absorbed the enormity of the task.

-Yeah.

Who would you like to play, Violet?

Remember that Dave and Judith have played,

so you can play either CJ, Kevin or Pat.

My favourite's Pat. He's bound to beat me, but he's my favourite.

-HE LAUGHS:

-OK. So you'd just like to meet him up close and personal

-in the Question Room, then?

-Oh!

-OK.

Let's have Violet and Pat into the Question Room, please.

Right, Violet, let's play this Film & Television round.

-Would you like to go first or second?

-I'll go first.

OK, good luck, Violet, here you are.

Which character does Robert De Niro play in the film Raging Bull?

Oh, this is really sad, but I have not seen Raging Bull.

Travis Bickle? Oh, no! I think...

Jake LaMotta? Mmm.

SHE SIGHS: I'm going to go down the middle to Veto Corleone.

OK. All Robert De Niro roles.

But that's from The Godfather.

-Jake LaMotta is Raging Bull.

-OK.

-Jake LaMotta.

And, Pat...

where was the TV police drama The Bill set?

I don't watch a great many soaps, um,

but The Bill was on its way to being a soap and I was a loyal watcher

for many years and it all took place in Sun Hill.

Yes, it did. OK, back to you, Violet.

Let's get you on surer ground with this, I hope.

In which decade was the BBC television series

Howard's Way first broadcast?

I think it was all around Southampton.

And so, if it's what I'm thinking it is,

then it would've been in the 1970s.

OK, '70s for Howard's Way.

We did ask when it was first broadcast,

-but it was the '80s, the 1980s.

-OK.

-Bad luck, Violet. Er, Pat,

your second question and a chance to win the round.

What is the profession of Sandra Bullock's character

in the 2013 film The Heat?

I think this is a buddy movie with women.

And I think she's teamed up with a maverick partner.

I think she's an FBI agent.

An FBI agent, for Sandra Bullock in The Heat.

It is the right answer, Pat. You have struck back for the Eggheads.

Bad luck, Violet.

Just went awry there with the first one

and I think it put you at sixes and sevens, really, didn't it?

Wrong set of questions.

-Well, at least you got to meet Pat there in the Question Room.

-Yes!

So something good that came out of it.

Let's have you both back, though, into the studio, please.

Well, the Eggheads fighting back. As it stands, The Short Planks have

now lost their first brain from the final round.

The Eggheads have lost those two.

Well, can you snuff that fight back out

in round four? Our last head-to-head before the final round. It's Music.

And we've got Jim or Alhaji there who can play it.

-Music.

-Um, well, our strategy is...

-Alhaji?

-Yes, Alhaji.

-OK?

-OK, yeah.

-Stick to the strategy?

-Music, yeah. Definitely.

-You'll play, Alhaji.

Now who would you like to play from the Eggheads?

There are only two of them left who you can play. It's CJ or Kevin.

-Kevin.

-Kevin, OK.

Let's have Alhaji and Kevin into the Question Room, please.

-Alhaji, do you want to go first or second?

-I'll go first, please.

And best of luck, first question is this.

Which of these pieces of music was composed by Richard Wagner?

Hmm, to be honest, I'm not very much into Richard Wagner's music, um...

My answer here is purely the best guess.

Um, I think I'll go with William Tell Overture.

OK, the William Tell Overture by Wagner?

It's not, Alhaji. Kevin?

-It's, er, Ride of the Valkyries.

-It is the Ride of the Valkyries.

So, let's see what Kevin does with his first one.

Kevin, which UK hit single features the lines,

"What's the sense in sharing this one and only life,

"ending up just another lost and lonely wife"?

I'm trying to... trying to place that, um...

Your delivery's not exactly conjuring it up for me,

in terms of rhythm and melody, so...

-HE LAUGHS

-Um...

I'm not sure, actually, but I'll try I Will Survive.

-No.

-OK, I Will Survive.

-Dave?

-Young Hearts Run Free.

-Young Hearts Run Free, Kevin.

-Is it?

-Yeah.

-OK, sorry.

It's Young Hearts Run Free.

That's good news, Alhaji. Stays all square.

-OK.

-And your second question.

Baba O'Riley is a famous song by which band?

Um... This is another difficult question again...

I think, in this case, um, I'll go with Queen.

OK. Queen for Baba O'Riley?

Please.

It's not the right answer. Do you know, Kevin?

-It's The Who.

-It is The Who..

Baba O'Riley. OK, well, Kevin, your second question.

Luther Billis, Commander William Harbison

and Captain George Brackett are characters in which stage musical?

I don't think it's The King and I, um...

There are military aspects to both of the others,

but I think I'll go for South Pacific.

It's the right answer, yes.

So we've got the first point on the board after four questions.

-Right, well, it means you need to get this, Alhaji.

-Definitely.

Which of the five original members

of the band One Direction is the youngest?

Ah, I must get this right. Um...

I think I will definitely go with, um, Harry Styles.

-Harry Styles?

-Yeah.

Violet's holding her breath. You can breathe again!

-It's the right answer.

-Yes! Whoo! Well done! Woo-hoo!

All right, well done!

OK, but let's hope Kevin doesn't get this.

Kevin, what was the real first name of the jazz musician

known as Jelly Roll Morton?

Yes, he had quite a... Well, he was from New Orleans anyway, so there's

a sort of partly French heritage in there and I think his real name was

something like Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe, er, so it's Ferdinand.

Ferdinand, the real first name of Jelly Roll Morton.

It is the correct answer, Kevin,

as you clearly knew, which means bad luck,

Alhaji, you're not going to be in the final round.

Kevin, you'll be there. 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 Violet and Alhaji from The Short Planks,

And Judith and Dave from the Eggheads,

would you leave the studio now, please?

So, Jim, Rob and Martin, you are playing to win The Short Planks

£10,000.

Pat, Kevin and CJ, you are playing for something money cannot buy -

the Eggheads' reputation.

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

This time, the questions are all General Knowledge

and you are allowed to confer in this round.

That's the big difference.

So, Short Planks, the question is

are your three brains better than the Eggheads' three?

Jim, Rob and Martin, would you like to go first or second?

We'd like to go first, please.

Let's play the final round. First question, then, Short Planks.

Never Go Back, released in 2013,

is the 18th book featuring which literary hero?

-It's not a Bond book, is it?

-No, not Bond, definitely not, no.

-Heading towards Jack Reacher, I think.

-Do you think?

-Yeah.

-Is that a feeling you have?

-Yeah, pretty sure it's Jack Reacher.

I've not heard of the other two.

-Jason Bourne...

-I've heard of it, but I haven't read them.

-Bourne Legacy and things like that.

-Jack Reacher, then?

-Yeah.

Jack Reacher is our answer, Dermot.

OK, ruled out Bond, didn't think it was Bourne

and ended up with Jack Reacher, the correct answer. Well done.

Eggheads, your first question.

Which of these alcoholic drinks

is traditionally used in a White Russian cocktail?

-Vodka.

-That'll be vodka then.

-OK with vodka?

-If you think it's vodka.

I think all the Russian cocktails are vodka, aren't they?

-I think so, yeah.

-It's not tequila or gin, so it's vodka.

-Yeah.

We believe that is vodka, Dermot.

Yes, indeed, it's vodka, of course. OK.

Short Planks,

which celebrity had her Las Vegas marriage to Jason Alexander

annulled after approximately 55 hours in 2004?

I think it's got to be Britney Spears.

-Yeah, I can remember something.

-She's definitely done that.

Definitely wasn't Carmen Electra. I don't think she's been married.

-So it's got to be Britney Spears.

-I'd go Britney Spears.

That's good enough. OK.

Right, we believe it's Britney Spears, Dermot.

OK, Britney Spears. It is, well done.

-Two, doing very well.

-So far, so good.

Eggheads, which large member of the weasel family

is also known as the carcajou?

Neither of the others are weasels.

The wolverine's the only weasel.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-Wolverine.

Er, on the basis we think it's the only weasel, we'll try wolverine.

Yes, it is. Wolverine is correct. Two all.

Well, Short Planks,

very important question for you.

Millionaire playboy Oliver Queen

is the alter ego of which comic book hero?

I'm tempted to look at Green Arrow.

-You're more likely to know comic books.

-Deadpool, no idea. Aquaman...

-No. Green Arrow was fairly recent.

-You've done this on your own,

-you're going to be the one man...

-It's not right yet.

-It's definitely not Deadpool.

-I was going to say Batman.

It's got to be Green Arrow.

-That would be my shout.

-My younger colleague here is convinced

-it's Green Arrow.

-OK, Green Arrow.

You can breathe again, Violet, it is the right answer.

You should see the agony Violet's going through there.

Green Arrow, Martin playing a blinder so far.

Right, well, will that be the question that wins you the money?

Eggheads, what is the approximate distance in air miles

from Perth in Western Australia to Sydney in New South Wales?

-Oh, it's difficult.

-More than 1,000, I would think.

Yeah.

I don't think Australia is as wide as the US, so I think 3,000 might be

-a little too much.

-US is about 3,000, isn't it?

-Yeah.

So, basically, do we think Perth to Sydney, point to point,

is about 1,800 miles or 2,800 miles?

-I think 2,000.

-I think 2,000.

-OK.

We are going to try 2,045 miles, please.

2,045 miles from Perth to Sydney.

It's the right answer, yes.

Well, OK, a lot of work to do.

A lot of good work done there, Short Planks,

we're into Sudden Death again. So here you go.

For what does the letter S stand

in the US intelligence agency known as the NSA?

The National Security Agency.

That would have to be what I would go for.

Sounds too obvious, doesn't it, but it's got to be.

-It's been in the news recently.

-It's got to be.

-Has it? Yeah.

We believe that it's Security.

I heard you saying there National Security Agency is its full name.

That's correct, yes, well done. NSA.

And Security is the S. So, Eggheads,

which city in New York State

derives its name from the Dutch for "young gentlemen"?

-Yonkers.

-Oh, Yonkers, yeah.

Yeah, that's Dutch.

"Yon" is from "yonge", which is "young".

Yeah, just outside New York, it's part of New Amsterdam.

-Yeah?

-That sounds fine.

We think that's Yonkers.

Yes, it is Yonkers.

OK, another pair of questions.

Short Planks, Pedro Passos Coelho

became prime minister of which country in 2011?

-Um...

-What's your gut telling you?

Really, I don't know. I mean, I would guess Spain as much as anywhere else,

but I can't think. I mean...

..places like...

well, the Spanish-speaking world.

If it's Spanish rather than Portuguese, it's the whole of...

the west coast of South America, plus Central America and...

And then you've got the Philippines and you've got Spain.

-Are you thinking Spain, or...?

-No, I don't know.

I really don't know. Say a country, I don't know.

I...

-Ecuador came to me, but it's a bit of punt.

-Sorry, which one?

-Ecuador. But it's a bit of a punt.

-Shall we try it?

Unless...if anyone else has any ideas.

I mean, it's just pot luck, as far as I can see.

-Try it.

-We're going to try Ecuador.

OK, Ecuador.

Been right around the Spanish-speaking world there

trying to work this man out.

And it's not Spanish. That's what led you astray.

It's Portugal.

Portugal. OK, right, well,

a chance for the Eggheads then.

In aviation, for what did the letter O stand in BOAC,

the British state airline established in 1939?

-Overseas.

-I think it's Overseas, yeah.

-British Overseas.

Nothing else, is there?

British Overseas Air Co, isn't it?

Well, Airways Corporation, but it's Overseas.

With the S on the end?

Yeah, with the S on the end.

Um, Overseas.

You're saying Overseas?

BOAC stands for British...

Overseas Airways Corporation, it's the right answer.

Eggheads, you've won.

Bad luck, Short Planks. You know how well you played, don't you?

You really did well there.

That was a great final round performance.

Steamed through into the Sudden Death

and then just couldn't work out that Portuguese prime minister.

It's been great meeting you. We've had great chats about the charity work you do.

Best of luck with that for the future, and thank you once again

-for giving the Eggheads such a good game today.

-Thank you.

But the Eggheads have done what comes naturally to them

and their winning streak continues.

I'm afraid you won't go home with the £10,000.

That means the money rolls over to our next show.

So, Eggheads, congratulations. Who will beat you?

Join us next time to see if a new team of Challengers have the brains

to defeat the Eggheads. £11,000 says they don't. Until then, goodbye.