Episode 84 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 I see you smiling today, Eggheads,

as if you're expecting something good to happen.

We always smile!

JEREMY LAUGHS

They don't.

Challenging our resident quiz champions today are the Terrace.

Now, this team of friends are students at brilliant

Durham University, and they take their name from Anchorage Terrace,

the street where they all live. So, let's meet them.

Hi, I'm Lorcan, and I study History.

Hi, I'm Richard, and I study Natural Sciences.

Hi, I'm Nick, and I study Geography.

Hi, I'm James, and I also study Geography.

Hi, I'm Felix, and I study Geophysics.

-So, Lorcan, team, welcome. ALL:

-Hi!

And you notice that I said "brilliant Durham" cos that's where I went.

-So I think you're going to win today.

-We hope so, yeah.

-Do you proud.

Yeah, so, tell us about Anchorage Terrace.

It's a very boring street, actually.

We're the only students on the street, actually.

-Beside us, there's a 90-year-old granny and two lecturers.

-Right.

Is it underneath the big railway line, the viaduct?

It's actually right beside a church.

I haven't really sold it as the most happening street in Durham.

And you're third-years, so you're about to do finals and all that.

-Yeah. Just finished my dissertation, actually.

-OK. And what was it on?

The 1924 general election.

Right. OK, well, there'll be questions on that, as well.

-Let's hope so!

-OK! Well, on that note, let's get cracking.

There's £1,000 worth of cash up for grabs every day.

If you fail to defeat the Eggheads,

as you know, the prize money rolls over to the next show.

What's happened, Terrace, is that the Eggheads have done rather well.

They've won the last eight games. So we have £9,000 on the table today,

and you can get a bit of paint on the old student house if you win that!

-So, would you like to crack on?

-Yes.

-All right.

The first head-to-head battle is on the subject of Science.

Who would like Science?

-Richard.

-Richard?

-Yeah, I'll take this one, yeah.

-Richard.

-Your surname is Geiger.

-Yes, indeed.

-That's very, very scientific.

Against which Egghead?

-Barry?

-Yeah? Don't mind. Do you think?

-Take Barry.

-Take Barry on.

Barry loves a bit of science, I have to say.

Richard from the Terrace. You're not worried about this, Barry, are you?

-I love science!

-Yes, I know.

-I like all subjects!

I thought I could hear you complaining there.

Barry from the Eggheads is the competitor here,

and let's go to the Question Room and start the ball rolling.

So, I'm sorry, Richard, Judith has asked me

to ask you the question everybody asks you, which is

whether you are related to the man who developed the Geiger counter.

Erm, I like to pretend that I am. No, it goes with the degree.

I do Biology and Chemistry at uni, so I like to pretend that I am,

but unfortunately not, no.

What do you know about him? It's a radiation thing, isn't it?

-So it's 20th century, I guess.

-Yeah, it's just to pick up radiation.

Yeah, I like to pretend that, you know, I've used one, but I haven't.

JEREMY LAUGHS OK!

Well, if you ever put a Geiger counter near Barry's head,

the thing would make a terrible noise, I can tell you.

-Would you like to go first or second?

-I'd like to go first, please.

Here we go, then, Science, which is your subject.

Natural Sciences student. Richard, first question.

Moray and conger are varieties of which creature?

Erm, I think the answer's eel, so I'm going to go with eel.

That's right, moray eel, conger eel. Well done.

I hadn't realised that conger is spelt C-O-N-G-E-R for the eel.

-Not conga, like...

-For some reason, I thought...!

LAUGHTER

-I did, too!

-Well, it makes that kind of motion, doesn't it?

-Exactly.

-Yeah.

-Do the conga!

-That's the link.

-Exactly. Barry, your question.

Which of these is another name for the element mercury?

It's a wonderful thing, is mercury, and it flows in a magnificent way.

And because of its look and the way that it flows,

it's called quicksilver.

Quicksilver is right. Richard, your second question.

Which of these planets in our solar system has a roughly 24-hour day?

I'm not quite sure with this one. I'm not good with my planets. Erm...

I'd probably have to go with...

I think Mars.

-Team-mates, is he right?

-I think he might be.

Yeah, you're right, Mars is right. Well done!

That's a hard one! Barry, your question.

The slow loris, a primate said to have a toxic bite,

is native to which continent?

Well, it's not Europe. A slow loris...

I've been in South America recently,

and in all the natural history that I saw there,

I didn't hear any reference to slow lorises, so I shall go for Asia.

So you went to South America and you were not bitten by one?

-Fortunately not!

-Well, you're right, it is Asia.

So two each. OK, Richard, the all-important third question.

Which chemical element derives its name from the Greek for "lead"?

Well, I do chemistry, but I can tell you I don't know the answer,

I don't think.

Erm...

I think I'm going to go with molybdenum.

Well, it is not strontium and it's not antimony,

so you're absolutely right, "mo-LYB-dennum". Or "molyb-dee-num".

We got different pronunciations, but well done. It doesn't matter!

OK, Barry, get this one wrong and you're out.

Which element, with the atomic number 55, is often used in atomic clocks?

They seem to use a lot of different elements in atomic clocks,

and I think the latest atomic clock,

which apparently only loses

one second in 15 billion years, is based on aluminium.

But the one here that is most used in atomic clocks must be caesium.

Caesium is correct.

So three out of three for you both. Good round so far.

Not over. We go to Sudden Death.

And you know what happens, Richard, I don't give you alternatives.

-Are you ready?

-Yep, ready.

As reported by many weather stations,

what specific name is given to the temperature

at which water vapour reaches saturation point

and condenses to form water droplets?

Erm... Precipitation point? I'm not quite sure, but...

Yeah, precipitation point.

No, it's dew point. D-E-W.

Or dew point temperature.

Barry, for the round.

The CGS system of units is based on the centimetre, gram and what?

I believe the CGS is centimetre, gram

and second.

-So it's length and weight and time.

-Mm-hm.

Second is correct. Barry, well done. Sudden Death.

And, Richard, sorry, you've been taken from us

in a most untimely way and you won't be in the final, and Barry will.

But we are early in the game. Anything could happen.

Please come back to us.

So, the Terrace have lost a brain from the final round,

the Eggheads have lost none so far. Barry is in the final.

The next subject for you is Sport.

-Who would like Sport?

-Am I taking it?

-Yeah, Nick.

-I'll take that one, Jeremy.

-OK, Nick in the middle.

Against which Egghead, Nick?

-Er, Nick...

-Go for Chris.

-I think Chris.

-Chris.

Right, so Nick from the Terrace versus Chris.

-JEREMY LAUGHS

-If you strike me down, Darth,

I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.

There we are.

I like that! Chris from the Eggheads, Nick from the Terrace, Sport.

Please go to the Question Room.

So, Sport, Nick, and would you like to go first or second?

Er, I'd like to go first, please, Jeremy.

And here is your first question, Nick. Good luck.

The tennis player Serena Williams was born in which year?

Erm, so, I think she's probably around her mid-thirties now...

um, which would discount 1975.

Maybe 1987 would make her a bit young...

um, cos that would be...

28.

Um, so I think I'll go for 1981.

1981 is the right answer, Nick. Well done.

Here's your question, Chris.

In snooker, which ball is worth two points?

It's the yellow.

It is the yellow. Straight there. You played a lot of snooker?

I like watching snooker, cos it's quiet and it's pure skill.

That's an interesting definition of what makes a good sport.

OK, Nick, in 2015, Steven Gerrard announced that he would be

leaving Liverpool and joining which other football club?

Erm, well, I know there's been a big flux of players leaving

to play in the MLS in America,

so I'm pretty confident that he announced he'd be joining LA Galaxy.

LA Galaxy is correct.

Playing well. OK, Chris, back to you.

In December 2013, which of these South African cricketers

took his 350th Test match wicket?

Well, I think it would have stuck in me mind

if it was Vernon Philander, bearing in mind what "philandering" means.

Er, I don't think it was Morne Morkel.

That also would have stuck in me mind, so I think it's Dale Steyn.

Dale Steyn is the correct answer.

OK, Nick, over to you.

Billy Boston was a leading name in which sport in the 1950s and '60s?

'50s and '60s maybe isn't my strong point, unfortunately. Erm...

I'm going to go with speedway.

Let's see if the Eggheads know. Eggs?

-Rugby league.

-Yeah, they say rugby league, and they're right.

So if Chris gets this one right, he's in the final round.

Which former heavyweight boxing champion of the world was

found dead at his Las Vegas home in January 1971, Chris?

Well, Sonny Liston was alive after that,

and so was Floyd Patterson, so it's the late, great Joe Louis.

-Joe Louis is the wrong answer.

-Oh!

-Anyone know?

-Sonny Liston.

-Sonny Liston.

And this sounds as if it was an unexpected death. Was it?

I think it was. I think there's still some controversy

about what the cause of it was.

Right.

-So Sonny Liston is the answer there, Chris.

-Yeah.

OK, so two each after three questions.

And, Nick, we go back to you on Sudden Death. Here we go again.

I don't give you alternatives.

Which English athlete married Andy Hill in May 2013?

Erm...

Again, I'm pretty confident.

I think she's from Sheffield, which is James's neck of the woods.

I think that was Jessica Ennis.

Jessica Ennis is the right answer. And she became Jessica Ennis-Hill.

Chris, your question to stay in.

Which former Manchester United boss became

the manager of the Spanish side Real Sociedad in 2014?

Tommy Docherty?

Oh!

Tommy Docherty... When was he manager, Eggs?

-Early.

-In the '70s.

It was David Moyes, who had a rough old time...

-Oh, right.

-..taking over from Alex Ferguson.

So he then basically got the sack and he turned up in Spain.

David Moyes is the answer. Well done, Nick! You're there!

Sudden Death! You've managed to even it up very nicely with the Eggheads.

Makes it quite a contest.

Both of you please rejoin your team-mates.

So, on the Tommy Docherty question,

he has not managed a team since 1988.

Well, that's yesterday in my book.

It's unlikely at the age of 84 he would be taking over Real Sociedad.

-But I'm not saying anything.

-That's ageist.

So, the Terrace have lost a brain from the final round,

but you sense from the tone over here they're getting a bit tetchy,

they're getting a bit rattled. Chris is cross.

The next subject is Geography.

Who would like this?

-James? Do you want to take it?

-I'm not confident, but, yeah,

-I'll take it.

-James?

-James will take it.

-OK.

Which Egghead would you like to go against? It can't be Barry or Chris.

-Who do we think's weak on Geography?

-I think Judith.

-I think Judith's quite good in the final, so...

-OK.

We'd like to take on Judith, please.

-Judith on Geography!

-I haven't done that for ages.

-No.

-It'll be like a little break.

-Yeah.

So, James from the Terrace, Judith from the Eggheads,

Geography the subject and the Question Room the place.

Geography, James. Would you like to go first or second?

Can I go second, please?

So, we start with you, Judith. Here we go.

In which part of England is Birmingham located?

Well, I think it's in the Midlands!

The Midlands is the right answer.

OK, James, over to you.

How many US states have a Pacific coastline?

Erm...

I can't say that I know it.

I will go with, er...

..nine.

Nine.

-Were you counting them out in your head?

-Er...

-Or just guessing?

I'll pretend I was counting them out in my head.

I can only count three, so I'm confused here.

There's California, there's Oregon and there's Washington, right?

And Alaska and Hawaii.

-Oh, I see! Oh, that's a bit...

-Alaska, Hawaii.

-Alaska, Hawaii, OK.

-California.

-So five is the answer, James, sorry.

I couldn't get above three, but, erm, but I forgot Alaska.

Well, we had that the other day, somebody forgot Alaska

in a question. Judith, your question.

The South Korean capital, Seoul, stands on which major river?

Well, not the Indus.

And the Yellow Rill..iver is in... I can't say it.

It's in China. So I think it must be the Han River.

I think it must be the Han River, as well. You've done well there.

Two points to Judith.

Because you went second, you're lagging,

so you've got to get this one right.

In which principality would you be arriving

if you landed at the heliport in Fontvieille?

Fontvieille...

I'll spell it for you. Just all one word, James, F-O-N-T-V-I-E-I-L-L-E.

Fontvieille. I don't know. Andorra seems...

and Liechtenstein are quite...

obscure.

Fontvieille...

I don't know. Erm...

I'll go with Monaco.

Yes, you've got it right. You've got it right. They're all...

I suppose "heliport" suggests people wearing furs and big sunglasses.

-Yeah.

-CJ:

-Or small.

And small, as well, you're right.

So does Monaco not have an airport, it just has a heliport?

-It's only 0.78 square miles.

-Oh! OK, Judith, your question.

The Skeleton Coast makes up roughly one third

of the coastline of which African country?

Oh, I think, erm...

I think that's Namibia.

If you've got this right, you've taken the round

because of James's wrong answer.

-You are right, it is Namibia.

-Mm.

-Well done.

Judith, you're in the final round. Geography came good for you.

-It did!

-Sorry, James, there's the peril of going second.

And you've been knocked out.

Both of you, rejoin your teams. We'll play on.

So, the Terrace have lost two brains from the final round,

but the Eggheads have lost a brain, as well,

so it's a pretty tight contest.

And the last subject before the final is Music,

which can be music through the ages.

-Got to be me, I think.

-Felix.

-Felix!

-OK, against which Egghead? And you can have either CJ or Pat.

-CJ.

-CJ?

-You sure?

-Yep.

-OK.

-CJ.

-OK, the battle of the shirts.

Felix from the Terrace and CJ from the Eggheads,

please go to our Question Room.

On Music, Felix, would you like to go first or second?

Erm, I'll go first, thank you.

So, here we go.

In which year was the Beatles album

Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band first released?

OK...erm...

They first came to...

They came over to America in '63, so I'm just trying to gauge

whether they released this before or after.

I think it was after.

I think I'm going to go for...

..'67.

Well done. 1967 it is.

Was your dad playing you their music, then, or something?

Er, not really. He's more of a classical fan, I think.

You sound well informed on the Beatles, anyway.

OK, CJ, your question.

Which of these is a song from the stage musical Guys And Dolls?

I think Climb Ev'ry Mountain is from The Sound Of Music, and Willkommen

is from Cabaret, so I think it's Sit Down, You're Rockin' The Boat.

Sit Down, You're Rockin' The Boat is the right answer. Well done.

Felix, your question.

Which of these is a ballet with music by Tchaikovsky?

Er, I quite like Tchaikovsky. He's one of my favourite composers.

I'm going to have to go with...

..Swan Lake.

You paused for a long time there.

Yeah, I had it in my head but I just wanted to make sure.

But I could be wrong.

You're not wrong. Swan Lake. Well done. Two out of two.

Playing well. You are good on music.

OK, CJ, which British singer released the single

Only Love Can Hurt Like This in 2014?

HE SIGHS

I don't know.

I thought, when you said the title, that it was a female singer.

I mean, Sam Smith did have a big year.

But...

..I don't recognise that one from him,

so I'm going to assume it was a female singer.

Paloma Faith did have a number one, but that wasn't a solo hit.

That was with somebody else.

I really don't know. I'll try Adele.

Yeah, you're struggling. It's Paloma Faith.

Well, it puts you in a nice position here, Felix.

Get this one right, you're in the final round.

According to the title of a long-running BBC radio programme,

what night is music night?

Erm...

I haven't heard of it. Erm...

I'm tempted... Oh...

"Monday night music" has alliteration. I'm tempted by that.

Erm... Something's drawing me to Friday.

I don't know if that's cos Top Of The Pops was on Friday. Erm...

I'm just going to go with Monday, just for the alliteration.

OK, I'm going to have to work out how I break this to Ken Bruce,

my colleague, who presents it for Radio 2.

It's Friday Night Is Music Night.

They think it's a famous phrase, but I may have to tell them it's not.

Not in Durham.

"Friday Night Is Music Night!" is how they always start the programme.

So, CJ, you have a little let-off here.

If you get this wrong, you are out, though.

Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell were members of which band?

Never even heard of Blue Oyster Cult.

-Noel Redding, you say?

-Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell.

OK, well, I've heard of the name Noel Redding.

I'm afraid I couldn't name anybody else in Jimi Hendrix Experience.

So I'll assume they are members - I hope -

of Jefferson Airplane.

-Anyone? Eggheads?

-It's the Jimi Hendrix Experience.

Jimi Hendrix Experience it is.

Sorry, CJ, on Music you have been cast off the stage

with a broken guitar.

Felix, you've done it. Well done.

Two out of three, and you're in the final round.

So please come back to us. We will play that final.

Well, a brilliant recovery there, Terrace, really good.

That's like in your third year, you haven't done any work

and you've suddenly got to pull it out of the hat for the finals.

So, this is what we have been playing towards. It's our own finals here.

As always, it's General Knowledge,

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

allowed to take part in this last round.

That is Richard and James from the Terrace

and Chris and CJ from the Eggheads.

Would you please now leave the studio?

So, Lorcan, Nick and Felix, you are playing to win the Terrace £9,000.

Judith, Barry and Pat, you're playing for something we can't really put

any kind of price on, which is the precious reputation of the Eggheads.

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

They're all General Knowledge. You can confer with each other. OK?

So, the Terrace, the big question is,

can your brains here defeat these three over there?

-And would you like to go first or second?

-Can we go first, please?

Of course you can, and here we go.

"It's all done in the best possible taste"

was a catchphrase of which comedian?

I'm going to be honest here.

I've heard of none of them, apart from Dick Emery.

"It's all done in the best taste..."

-"The best taste."

-"It's all done in the best possible taste."

-"The best possible taste."

-I don't think any of us...

-Any sort of a...

-Any inkling?

Anyone got any sort of...

I think I've heard of Dick Emery.

That's the only one that I think I've heard of.

I'd probably go for Kenny Everett, but I don't know.

Let's do that. Sounds good.

Er, it could be wrong, but Kenny Everett's our answer.

Yeah, probably the greatest radio DJ ever.

Kenny Everett is the right answer.

Kenny Everett.

You could get confused with Dick Emery with that question,

-because he had a similar catchphrase.

-I'd have said Dick Emery.

-No, he's "Ooh, you are awful..."

-"But I like you." Yes, exactly. Yeah.

Yeah. OK.

Highgrove House in Gloucestershire is a residence

of which member of the royal family?

Prince Charles.

-Yeah, absolutely.

-A famous garden and everything.

OK. That's Prince Charles.

It is indeed Prince Charles. Well done.

Terrace, which of these is a type of unleavened bread in Indian cuisine?

-Any ideas?

-Any ideas?

-I like a curry, but I don't know.

-I've heard of bread puri.

Puri was the one that stood out for me, but I don't know why.

No-one's got any actual idea?

-Gosht also stands out, actually.

-I think I've heard of gosht and puri.

It's probably methi!

Shall we go puri?

-I don't know why, I just think gosht.

-Gosht?

-I don't know why.

-Go down the left again?

-I don't want to take responsibility.

-Puri?

Er, puri is our answer.

Yeah. It's right. You're playing well!

The guys behind you are impressed back there. My goodness!

£9,000 on the table here! Suddenly the money is smoking!

Eggheads, which country from outside Europe was given

a special invitation to take part in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2015?

-Oh, for goodness' sake!

-It's Australia.

-Is it?

-Is it?

-Yes.

-Australia.

-Oh, well done!

-Fair enough, then!

Our antipodean friends the Australians have been invited

to take part, so it's Australia.

That sounds like the sort of fact you shouldn't know.

You can't neglect the Eurovision.

-Neglect it at your peril.

-Australia is the right answer.

-Very flexible boundaries in Europe!

-JEREMY LAUGHS

OK, we've got some good play going on here.

So it's two each, and this is the third question.

The central character of Dean Moriarty in Jack Kerouac's

influential novel On The Road was based on which man?

Have you read it?

-I have, but I don't know who it's based on.

-So tell us about him.

Just quite a crazy sort of guy! Erm...

Any sort of thing he does, particularly?

William Burroughs or Ken Kesey?

What's his name? What's the actual character's name?

-You don't know.

-I'm looking at William Burroughs.

-Do you know who they all are?

-I've heard of William Burroughs.

-What was he?

-I've just heard the name. I've just heard the name.

-Got any idea, Felix?

-We've gone left, middle...

That's not the best way to go, I don't think.

If you think William Burroughs, shall we just go for it?

William Burroughs is our answer.

Anyone know this answer? William Burroughs?

-No, it's Neal Cassady.

-And who was Neal Cassady?

-Er, a well-known beatnik at the time, I think.

-Right.

It's very hard to guess. I was looking at the name, thinking,

well, maybe if you were going from Dean Moriarty to one of the three

you'd go Neal Cassady,

because it's got an E and an A and it's got a Y at the end.

-Maybe. But that's clutching at straws, you know?

-Yeah.

Neal Cassady's the answer. So you've got two out of three.

The Eggheads can take the contest now.

Which TV cook, born in 1947,

was at one point the youngest woman ever called to the English Bar?

-Clarissa.

-Clarissa, definitely.

-Who's been on the show.

-She has.

-Yes, she has. And she's died now.

That's Clarissa Dickson Wright.

-You sound certain. Worryingly, all three of you said the same name.

-Mm.

-She's been on the show.

-Has she?

-Yeah.

-Not that we knew that about her then.

-Do you think they're right?

-Sounds like it.

-They sound confident.

The £9,000 was sitting there, moving towards you.

I thought, "They're going to win."

I'm sorry I have to say it is Clarissa Dickson Wright.

We say congratulations, Eggheads, you have won.

-I bet you knew that. Did you?

-Not quite.

-Not quite? No.

Well, Neal Cassady was...

I don't know, it's almost unguessable, that one,

so don't worry, guys. Commiserations. Thanks for playing.

-Thank you very much.

-I hope you enjoyed it.

The Eggheads have done what comes naturally.

We've got this very odd pattern where, Chris and CJ,

you're looking like you're partnering up in the back room there.

Oi, don't read anything into that.

I'm afraid it means the Challengers don't go home with the £9,000,

so we'll take that money and roll it over to the next show

and maybe even add to it. Eggheads, congratulations.

A powerful force at the moment.

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

the brains to defeat these boffins over here.

And we're going to playing for £10,000. Till then, goodbye.