Episode 27 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 here you are.

-Yeah. Here we are.

-And there you are.

-And there I am.

Well, are you excited? Aren't you?

-Always.

-Very much.

-They keep it a little bit quiet, but they are.

Taking on the awesome might of our quiz goliaths today

are Enviro-mentalists.

This team of colleagues all work

for the same environmental consultancy based in Manchester

and they regularly get together at the company's sport and social club.

So let's meet them.

Hi. My name is Barry and I'm an operations quality manager.

Hi. My name is Tracey and I am in human resources.

Hi. I'm Nick and I'm a building manager.

Hi. My name's Bob and I'm a technical director.

I'm Chris and I'm an environmental consultant.

So, Barry, team, welcome.

Thank you.

And tell us... First of all, tell us why Enviro-mentalists?

We work for an environmental consultancy.

You don't have to be mad to work there but I think it helps.

So what kind of environmental work do you do?

Asbestos monitoring, surveying,

occupational hygiene, legionella risk assessments.

-Right.

-Anything of a health and safety nature.

-Very, very useful.

And there's actually quite a lot of quizzing material in there, I think.

-Eggheads?

-Oh, yeah.

-Look at them, already truffling.

Their antennae are up looking for facts, as they always are.

You obviously meet at the social club at the company a lot.

We do. We do a lot of activities outside of work.

And quizzing is one of them or not?

Quizzing is something I do every week in the local pub.

You're the captain and also the number-one quizzer, then, Barry?

Maybe you shouldn't say.

Maybe we should just keep that hidden at the moment

for tactical and strategic reasons.

Let's keep them a bit of a mystery, this team.

So, every day, there is £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.

Enviro-mentalists, I can tell you the Eggheads

have won the last six games,

which means £7,000 says you can't beat them today.

Would you like to play for that money?

-Oh, yes!

-Very good.

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

Who would like History?

-History?

-It was Nick, wasn't it?

-Mine, I think.

-Bob.

-Bob.

-Going to be Bob?

-I'll do that.

OK, Bob, technical director, against which Egghead?

Any one of the five.

Right, I think...

Anyone you want, Bob.

It's a bit of a football needle, I'll go for Dave, please.

Ah, football needle, yes, that's always good.

Bob from Enviro-mentalists versus Dave from the Eggheads.

To ensure there's no conferring,

would you please take your positions in the Question Room?

OK, Bob, History, your choice.

Would you like to go first or second?

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

And here is your first question. Good luck to you, Bob.

Which of these monarchs worked hard

to overcome the effects of a severe stammer?

Right...

I think the only reason I know this one

is because I watch films quite a lot.

One of those films was The King's Speech.

And I'm pretty certain it's George VI.

George VI is the right answer.

Dave, Queen Victoria's famous servant John Brown was born where?

It's a trip round the film industry, isn't it?

I think Billy Connolly played him.

So I think, if it's Billy Connolly, it's Scotland.

Scotland is correct.

Back to you, Bob.

Which of these battles took place in 1704?

Ooh... Erm...

I think Inkerman...

That was in the 1800s,

I'm reasonably certain.

Castillon, I'm not absolutely sure.

But I know Blenheim was in the 1700s.

I think I'd have to...

probably take a guess at Blenheim.

OK, let's check with your team. You happy with that?

-Yeah, I'm happy with that.

-They like it.

-Blenheim is the right answer, well done.

-Thank you.

OK, two out of two, Bob. Nice playing.

Over to you, Tremendous Knowledge Dave.

The ancient Egyptian complex at Karnak

is famous for which type of buildings?

Erm... I believe

Karnak is temples.

Temples is right.

Neck and neck here.

OK, third question can be crucial, Bob.

The part of the Spanish empire known as Upper Peru

became which independent country in 1825?

Erm...

I'm just trying to think where Peru is

in relation to... I think...

I know Colombia is further north from Peru.

I suspect Bolivia is a bit further south.

It's Ecuador or Colombia.

Again, I'll go for Colombia.

Check with the Eggheads. What do you think?

-Bolivia.

-Yeah, Bolivia is the right answer.

So, two out of three.

If Tremendous Knowledge Dave gets this one right,

he's in the final round.

In which year did the Dutch admiral de Ruyter

conduct the famous raid on the Medway,

destroying or capturing many English ships?

I am not sure on this one at all. I've not heard about it. Erm...

Just trying to apply some kind of logic.

I think William of Orange came in 1689.

So has that got something to do with it?

No, I'm going to veer away from it.

I'm going to veer away from that logic and go 1593.

1593. If you've got this right, you're in the final.

If you've got it wrong, we go to Sudden Death.

It's the middle one, actually. 1667.

I thought it could be something to do with him.

Two out of three for you both. Bob, we go to Sudden Death.

You know how it works here.

I don't give you alternatives so it's a bit harder.

The 732 AD Battle of Tours, T-O-U-R-S,

sometimes called the Battle of Poitiers,

was a decisive victory for which Frankish ruler

over invaders from Spain?

No. I'm going to have to take a complete guess on this.

Erm...

Charlemagne? Out of the blue.

No. Charles Martel.

Dave, to take the round.

Who succeeded Thomas Jefferson as president of the United States?

It's a James.

Let's put myself out of my misery. James Madison.

James Madison is the right answer. Well done, Dave.

You've taken the round. Bob, sorry.

-Charles Martel was the problem there.

-Yep.

And did you know Charles Martel, Dave?

No. I would have gone Charlemagne,

but I'm thinking that Charlemagne's later, so no.

OK, come back to us and we'll see what happens in the next round.

So, a wobbly start for our Enviro-mentalists.

They've lost a brain from the final round

and the Eggheads have still got all five.

But you can change that now.

It is going to be Arts and Books.

So, who would like this?

Yeah, down to me.

You did say, yeah.

I did say yeah!

I don't know why I said it, but I'll be...

OK, Nick. Arts and Books against which Egghead?

You can pick anyone except for Dave.

Shall we go for Lisa?

-Yeah, Lisa.

-OK, we'll go Lisa, please, Jeremy.

-Sure. Great.

OK, Nick from Enviro-mentalists versus Lisa from the Eggheads

on Arts and Books. Please go to the special Question Room now.

Good luck against Lisa.

And would you like to go first or second, Nick?

I'll go first.

Here we go with your first question, Nick. Good luck.

The Gothic style of art emerged during which century?

I think...

I think the 7th is a little bit early.

I think the 17th is probably... I'm going to go the 12th, Jeremy.

The 12th.

12th is correct. Well done.

Well done to you.

Lisa, what type of transport

features in the Roy Lichtenstein painting entitled Whaam!?

Great picture. Erm...

Let's just check I've got this right.

Yeah, it's an aircraft.

Aircraft is right.

If Chris was here, he would have had to say train, wouldn't he?

Even though it's not.

OK. Nick, your question.

Brighton Beach Memoirs and London Suite

are works by which American playwright?

To be quite honest,

I've not really heard of Thornton Wilder.

I have Edward Albee, but...

Neil Simon's more of a...

I'm going to go with Neil Simon.

Neil Simon is right.

Playing really well.

You've got a real instinct for it.

OK, Lisa.

Which of these literary characters appears in the novel Trainspotting?

Holden Caulfield's the protagonist of The Catcher In The Rye

and I think you find Dean Moriarty in...

Is it On the Road? Could be wrong.

Anyway, as played by Ewan McGregor in the film, it's Mark Renton.

Mark Renton is quite right.

So, it's two each.

-And we go back to you, Nick.

-Right.

Try and get this one right, put some pressure on Lisa.

The French sculptor Camille Claudel

modelled for and became the mistress

of which other artist?

I'm afraid I've not really got a clue here,

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

And I'm looking at it straight down the middle here

and it's just staring at me here. I'm going to go with Auguste Rodin.

-Auguste Rodin. Eggheads, is he right?

-Yeah.

Yes, you are right! Well done!

I think Gauguin was off in Tahiti a lot at the time,

but Constantin Brancusi, who knows?

Anyone help us with that person?

Romanian who made his career in France later on.

But a bit younger than Rodin.

But, you know, around a lot at the same time,

so a possibility, definitely.

-But, no, it's Rodin.

-Yeah, it's Rodin.

So three out of three, Nick. Well done. Brilliant.

So, Lisa, on to you.

The Starbuck Chronicles by Bernard Cornwell

is a series of historical novels

set during which Civil War, Lisa?

I'm inclined to rule out Spanish

because Cornwell tends to be slightly further back,

historical period-wise.

Now, obviously, if you go off things like Sharpe,

he is a bit of an English history buff.

But I think Sharpe's period would run more to the American Civil War

than the English,

so I'm sort of struggling as to

which of those logic paths to follow, really.

I'll go for American.

Yeah, I don't know if Star is...

Or Starbuck generally is a bit more American word.

-Kevin?

-A little bit more, maybe.

But Lisa's quite right, anyway.

It is an American Civil War series.

I think he's called Nathaniel Starbuck or some such name.

We think it's Nathaniel Starbuck.

You're absolutely right, Lisa. American is correct.

Kevin confirms it.

So, three points each. Here we go again, Nick.

I was rather dreading that.

Yeah, you were just on the edge of going through to the final.

Let's see if you can still do it.

It's Sudden Death. I don't give you alternative answers.

In Enid Blyton's Famous Five stories,

what is the name of Julian and Dick's sister?

For some reason, and I don't know why,

I'm going to say they were named Leslie.

-I don't know why.

-I have a feeling...

Lisa, were you saying you were reading some of these recently?

I reread all 21 of Enid Blyton's Famous Five novels recently.

And so what is the answer?

She was called Anne.

Anne is the answer, Nick. Sorry.

Sudden Death. Lisa has a chance to take the round with this question.

Billy Pilgrim is a central character in which Kurt Vonnegut novel?

This is kind of one of those times

where, if you've got one answer, you should probably use it,

as I'm not really up on Vonnegut.

I will say Slaughterhouse-Five.

You've done it. You're right, Lisa. You're in the final round.

Sorry, Nick.

Welcome to the slaughterhouse!

Let's see if your team can turn it around now.

But well played to you and come back and we'll play on.

As it stands, Enviro-mentalists have lost two brains

from the final round, although one has to say credit to Lisa,

she's read all of Enid Blyton so... Not many do that.

The Eggheads have still got all five brains.

I wonder if you're going to go through this contest

without losing a brain. Let's see. The next subject is Sport.

Who's the sportsperson?

-Chris.

-Chris.

-I'll take it. OK.

OK, Chris, our environmental consultant. Against which Egghead?

You can have Pat or CJ or Kevin.

Well, because CJ was bragging about his sports ability before,

we'll take CJ.

The word "bragging" has never been used... Never.

Never appropriate. So you want CJ?

-Please.

-OK. Fine.

So, Chris from Enviro-mentalists

versus the marathon runner of the Eggheads.

To ensure there's no conferring, please go to the Question Room.

OK, Chris, we're on Sport.

And would you like to go first or second against the great CJ?

First, please.

So here is your first question on Sport.

Which Scottish course is widely known as the home of golf?

Relatively easy one to start off with for me.

That's St Andrews, I think.

It is indeed St Andrews. Well done.

CJ, what colour are the shirts

traditionally worn by Everton Football Club at home?

I think they play in blue.

Er...

Yeah, blue.

Well done.

I sensed your fear there!

Of getting it wrong.

OK, Chris, which British cyclist

managed to complete the 2013 Tour de France

despite suffering a fractured pelvis on the first day?

I do like watching the Tour de France.

Chris Hoy, I don't think, has ever ridden it. Bradley Wiggins,

I don't remember him falling off injured and hurting himself.

So I think it is a local lad to myself, which is Geraint Thomas.

Geraint Thomas is correct, well done. Two out of two.

CJ, back to you.

Which international rugby team

appointed Joe Schmidt as coach in 2013?

Absolutely no idea.

I'm afraid I've got nothing to go on here

so it's just going to be a blind guess.

I'll try Scotland.

Chris, do you know?

-No.

-You don't know? OK.

-Eggs?

-Ireland.

-Ireland.

So, our Challenger is in the lead.

If you get this one right, you're in the final round, Chris.

Take your time.

Who won the 1970 Formula 1 World Championship

driving a Lotus?

I don't really know them names at all.

But I've got a feeling Jochen Rindt died

and was awarded it post... After he died.

He crashed early on and I've got a feeling that was 1970.

One of them facts I remember, I don't know, so Jochen Rindt.

Jochen Rindt is your answer. Let me see if CJ knows.

I think you know a bit about this sport, CJ.

Unfortunately, it's Jochen Rindt.

-And is the fact correct about him dying?

-I don't know about that,

but I think he won the title in 1970

despite only winning one race in the whole season.

OK, we'll check into it but the main thing to say is well done, Chris.

You've knocked CJ out.

-He is having some rough rounds, CJ, at the moment.

-Not doing well.

Come back to us, both of you,

and we'll play the last round before the final.

We should have a word about Jochen Rindt,

who died in '70 but was Formula 1 champion as well.

He apparently died in practice. Is that right, Eggs?

Don't think it was in an actual race.

We think he had five... He won five. He died in practice for the Italian,

therefore obviously missed that one and the next three.

Still had enough points to win.

Amazingly, still had enough points to win. Yeah.

As it stands, the Enviro-mentalists

have lost two brains from the final round,

the Eggheads have lost one now.

The next subject for you is Music.

And last one before the final here.

-Tracey.

-That would be great.

Tracey? All righty. Against whom?

You can have either Pat or Kevin.

Kevin, please.

Tracey from Enviro-mentalists versus Kevin from the Eggheads,

and, to ensure there's no conferring,

please both of you go to our Question Room.

-So you do some acting and directing, Tracey?

-I do, indeed.

-Tell us about that.

-OK, well, I do it at the Wigan Little Theatre.

Have been a member for about 16 years now.

I do lots of acting, directing.

The last thing I directed was Jekyll & Hyde, The Musical.

Directing Witches of Eastwick next year, the musical.

-Gosh, that's busy work, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-You've got to be across everything.

-Completely.

All right, so you're on Music.

Tracey against Kevin, the grand master.

Would you like to go first or second?

First, please.

Here we go. What nationality were the family pop group The Osmonds?

I'm pretty sure The Osmonds were American.

I had Donny on my wall.

I think... I'm worried that I did as well.

-American is right.

-Yay!

-Any Donny for you, Kevin?

-No, sadly.

What were you into at that time? Early '70s.

Early '70s? Not a great deal at that time, really...

-Floyd?

-..to be perfectly honest. No, not really.

No, my early taste in music

actually ran more to things like film theme tunes

and that kind of thing.

OK, here is your question.

In which year did Kylie Minogue launch her K25 project

after 25 years in the music business?

After 25 years in the music business.

Well, if it was 1994, that would obviously take it back to 1969,

which is stretching it a bit.

If it was 2003, it would take her back to '78, which also is.

I think that's presumably got to be 2012, then.

2012 is correct.

One each. Back to you, Tracey.

Whose quartet had a hit single in 1961 with Take Five?

Oh.

I really, really do not know this, so this is going to be a guess.

I'm going to guess at Miles Davis.

The answer is not Miles Davis, I'm sorry. It's Dave Brubeck.

Dave Brubeck.

So Kevin has the chance to go into the lead

with the second question. Kevin.

Sir Colin Davis became famous in orchestral music in which role?

He is a famous conductor.

Conductor is right.

So Kevin has two and, Tracey, you've got the one.

You need to get this one correct or you've been knocked out.

Go for it.

Which band had hits in the 1990s

with Alright, Going Out and Richard III?

I don't think it's Blur.

I think this is going to be another guess.

I'm going to go with The Verve.

I think Nick knows the answer to this. Nick?

-Supergrass.

-Supergrass is the answer.

Sorry, Tracey.

Just went the wrong way both times.

And, Kevin, you're in the final round.

No way back for our Challenger here.

Come back to us, both of you, and we will play that final for £7,000.

So, the Eggheads seem to be back on very good form here,

but are they really? This is what we've been playing towards.

It is time for the final round.

As always, it 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 that is Tracey, Nick and Bob from Enviro-mentalists

and also CJ from the Eggheads.

Would you, please, leave the studio?

Barry and Chris, you're playing to win the Enviro-mentalists £7,000.

Eggheads, you're playing for something that money can't buy,

which is the reputation of your great team.

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

This time, the questions are all general knowledge

and you are allowed to confer.

So, Enviro-mentalists, the question is -

are your two brains able to defeat these four?

And would you like to go first or second?

-First.

-We'll go first, please, Jeremy.

So here is your first question.

Which of these plants is a giant type of grass?

Straight away, I'm thinking bamboo.

Sphagnum's a moss. Mangrove's a vine thing.

-We agree on bamboo?

-Bamboo.

Bamboo, Jeremy.

You like bamboo. You're right. Bamboo's right. Well done.

Eggheads.

The Pokemon range of electronic games

originated in which country in 1995?

-Japan.

-Japan sounds fine to me.

We believe it's Japanese.

I think they're very Japanese.

Japan.

They are indeed Japanese. Well done. Japan is the answer.

Back to you, Challengers.

So far so good.

Andrews Air Force Base is located near which US city?

I don't know.

Seattle?

Is Andrews Air Force Base where they used to do testing?

Did they used to do testing there?

I've never heard of Andrews Air Force Base.

-I can't imagine it being Miami, can you?

-I can't, no.

But Seattle... I wouldn't have thought it would be Seattle.

Is Washington not too built-up to have an Air Force base?

But maybe, because it's Washington DC, it might have an Air Force base

because of the President's plane or...

Yeah, it might be where Air Force One is kept.

-We're not too sure.

-What you going for?

-But we're going to go for Washington DC.

-OK.

Washington DC.

Washington DC. Now, I've got a memory here.

Was this Nixon...

-Was it that?

-Yeah.

-That was Andrews.

I've got a very, very minor indeed story about that.

It's just a silly thing.

It's the home of Air Force One.

That's where they keep Air Force One.

It's in Maryland, a little bit out of Washington.

And I had to go there for a meeting once.

The American side of the meeting,

every time the words Andrews Air Force Base were mentioned,

it had to be suffixed by "The home of Air Force One".

This actually became quite funny after a while

because they couldn't utter the words Andrews Air Force Base

without saying, "The home of Air Force One,"

as though you were going to be constantly impressed by it.

You are correct, it is Washington DC. Well done.

Well done, because it's easy to come unstuck on those margin calls.

OK, Eggheads. The term sapper is particularly associated

with which element of the British forces?

-Engineers.

-Engineers. Sapper.

-Engineers.

-Yeah.

It relates to engineers.

It indeed does relate to engineers. Well done.

So, two out of two for both teams.

All right, the screw is tightening, but I'm not sure on whom.

Challengers, get this one right

and then you've got a bit of pressure on them,

and then maybe they mess up and then you go home with the money.

It's that simple.

In which field of design

did Clements Ribeiro become a well-known partnership?

And to spell it might help you.

C-L-E-M-E-N-T-S, and then R-I-B-E-I-R-O.

Clements Ribeiro, a partnership.

What would be a good partnership?

Could be furniture, fashion or architecture.

-I've never heard of it in fashion.

-No.

-Clements Ribeiro, never.

Clements... I don't know. It sounds more architecture to me.

I wouldn't guess at furniture.

Clements Ribeiro. Let's guess at architecture.

We'll rule fashion out. We're going to rule furniture out.

-And we're going to guess.

-We're going to guess! Architecture.

We're not too sure again, Jeremy,

but we're going to guess architecture.

Architecture, you've gone for.

Your third question in the final round.

Do you think this would have helped at all? They are husband and wife.

Fashion, maybe?

Suzanne Clements and Inacio Ribeiro.

Not saying you've got it wrong. Do you know?

-Fashion.

-Fashion? What? Lately? Recent?

They've been going for quite a long time.

They became sort of big in the early-to-mid-'90s

and they're very sort of bold designers.

I think she does the form and he does the prints,

-something like that.

-Fashion is the answer.

Never would've got that, would we?

I bet Tracey knew that. Did you know that, Tracey?

-No, I went for furniture.

-OK!

Well, that is some consolation.

All right. You're not out yet.

But, if the Eggheads get this right, you will be.

Which Secretary-General of the United Nations died in a plane crash

on a mission to the Congo in 1961?

Dag Hammarskjold.

Dag Hammarskjold.

-Yep.

-The only one who fits the bill.

Yes. That was Dag Hammarskjold.

No doubting that, is there?

You know it. It's almost like you were there.

You can't prove it!

Don't say that, because there are still conspiracy theories about it!

Dag Hammarskjold is the answer.

We say congratulations, Eggheads, you have won.

And that... Did you know Dag, by the way?

-No.

-No.

-Well, that's very honest of you.

That sort of classic fact.

As soon as I saw it, I thought, "They know this".

-They all started nodding straight away.

-Yeah.

-Well, thanks for playing!

-It's been a great experience. Thank you.

I hope you enjoyed it.

It is great just wrestling with all these questions

and watching you do it has been fantastic, thank you.

-Thank you.

-Commiserations to Enviro-mentalists.

The Eggheads have done what comes naturally to them.

Their winning streak is now...

Well, it's up and running again, isn't it?

I'm afraid it means the Challengers don't go home with the £7,000

so the money rolls over to our next show.

Eggheads, well done. Who will beat you?

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

have the brains to defeat them.

£8,000 says they don't. The jackpot is building!

Till then, goodbye.