Episode 95 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. How are you feeling?

-Good.

-Oh, just good?

-Yeah, can't be too committal at this stage.

-Had a near miss in the last one, didn't you?

-Yeah. It was a battle.

Hoping to beat the might of the Eggheads today are...

This friends and family team from Edinburgh,

mainly composed of two father-and-son teams,

who are as keen to beat each other as they are to beat the Eggheads.

So let's meet them.

Hi, I'm Liam and I'm a stay-at-home dad.

Hi, I'm Allan - a semi-retired pension administrator.

Hi, I'm Neil and I'm a tourist board executive.

Hello. I'm Alex and I'm a technical architect.

Hi, I'm Paul. I'm also a technical architect.

So, Liam and team, welcome.

So, father-and-son pairs here, Liam. Explain.

Yes. So, this is my dad, Allan. Neil and his dad, Alex.

And Paul is one of Alex's workmates.

Right, so you're keen just to show the dads

that age does not mean wisdom?

Absolutely.

There'll be bragging rights if I could win one and he couldn't.

And the team name - He Is Heavy, He's My Father -

-I guess is a little bit based on The Hollies' song.

-It is, yeah.

-He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother.

-That's right.

-Right.

There's no great story behind it, but when I was applying

for the show, it was playing in the background.

I just thought, cos it was father and sons,

I'd do He Is Heavy, He's My Father.

But it's a bit wrong because I'm a pound or 30 heavier than my dad.

-I hadn't even had that thought...

-It's the shirt.

The shirt, yeah. Allan, speak up for the dads here.

Are the dads going to show the Eggheads or the sons?

I think the dads will do very well today.

-All right, do you want to get started?

-Yes.

-Absolutely.

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.

So, He Is Heavy, He's My Father,

the Eggheads have won the last nine games,

including a narrow squeak in the last,

which means we're up to a £10,000 jackpot right now.

If you're ready to start,

the first head-to-head battle is on the subject of Film & TV.

Who would like this? A father or a son?

-I think we'd said that...

-Is that you, Allan?

-..you'd take it, will you not?

-OK, I'll go for it. Yes.

OK, one of the dads goes in.

Which of these young people here?

-You can take your pick.

-I'll take Chris.

Big Chris, The Locomotive as he's known.

Allan from He Is Heavy, He's My Father

versus Chris, no lightweight, from the Eggheads.

To ensure there is no conferring, please take your positions

in our famous Question Room.

Good luck here, Allan.

-Thank you.

-Film & TV.

Would you like to go first or second against our Chris?

I'll go first, please.

Here we go.

Which of these TV competitions usually features one episode

per series in which the remaining contestants have to take part

in a series of job interviews?

I think it's The Apprentice.

It is The Apprentice, you are right.

Chris.

Boring, Bomb and Demolition are the titles of three of the episodes

of which anarchic British sitcom first broadcast in 1982?

Last Of The Summer Wine did have its own kind of anarchy,

but this is The Young Ones.

Yeah, that one is anarchic, you're right. The Young Ones.

Good old Rik Mayall, bless him.

Over to you, Allan.

Who was the star of the bawdy 1970s British comedy films

known as the Confessions Of series?

I think that's not Sid James.

I think it's possibly Robin Askwith.

It is Robin Askwith, yeah. You're right.

Chris, who co-stars with Cate Blanchett

in the 2015 romantic drama Carol?

Ah. Not my sort of thing at all. Um...

Don't think it's Scarlett Johansson. Don't think it's Keira Knightley.

I think it's Rooney Mara.

Rooney Mara is quite right.

You are level. Going along briskly here.

Third question could be crucial, Allan.

Which playwright adapted Anthony Shaffer's play Sleuth

for a 2007 film starring Jude Law and Michael Caine?

I must be honest, I don't know this one.

Um...

I'll have to go with Christopher Hampton.

Chris, do you know?

I'd be inclined towards Tom Stoppard myself.

You'd both be wrong. Harold Pinter is the answer.

Interestingly. I don't know how many films he did but this was one.

Chris, who directed the films In The Heat Of The Night,

Rollerball, Fiddler On The Roof and Moonstruck?

Fiddler On The Roof, I'm fairly sure, was Norman Jewison.

Norman Jewison is the right answer.

Sorry, Allan, you got knocked out there by one of Chris's haymakers.

Chris will be in the final round. You won't be.

Come back to us. There is plenty of time for the Challengers.

So, He Is Heavy, He's My Father have lost a father

from the final round. The Eggheads have not lost any brain so far.

The next subject is Geography.

-Which of you would like this?

-Neil, I think that's you, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-OK. Go for it.

-I'll go for it.

-It's going to be Neil.

-OK, Neil. One of the sons.

Against which Egghead?

-Barry?

-Yeah. Barry, please.

Barry. Known as "He's Been To Every Answer" Simmons.

-LAUGHTER So well travelled.

-Not quite.

Neil from He Is Heavy, He's My Father

versus Barry from the Eggheads. Please go to the special room.

Neil, it's Geography for you.

And I gather you work for the Scottish Tourist Board.

I do. So, in principle, it should be a good topic for me.

Yeah, if Scottish questions come up, for sure.

We had one the other day, it was really interesting.

How many islands are part of Orkney?

Oh, there is a lot of them.

I would guess there is 30 or 40-odd.

It was actually 7, 70 or 700 was the option.

So you would have gone for the middle one, I guess?

-Yes, I would have.

-Yeah, because it's 70, amazingly.

So, good luck here, Neil.

We've lost a father, we mustn't lose a son.

OK, you're on Geography against

Barry "He's Been To Every Answer" Simmons.

Would you like to go first or second?

I think I'll let Barry go first. I'll go second, please.

Russia's Kola Peninsula lies almost entirely within which of these?

The Kola Peninsula is way up in the north of Russia.

And that would put it in the Arctic Circle.

Absolutely right, Barry. Arctic Circle.

Over to you, Neil. Good luck.

The famous Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, which in its time has been

both a church and a mosque, is now used as what?

Hagia is H-A-G-I-A.

I'm afraid I don't know the answer.

I would like to hazard a guess at museum, please.

BARRY LAUGHS Barry?

Well, I have been there. You are quite right.

And it is a museum at the moment.

Museum is correct. See?

He's been to every answer.

Barry, opened in 1907, the Hotel Adlon,

which hosted guests including Albert Einstein, Franklin Roosevelt

and Charlie Chaplin, is a famous location in which city?

Adlon...

I've been to Prague and Copenhagen and I don't recall it in

either place. So on that basis, I'll go for Berlin.

That's a good way of working it out. Berlin is right.

Back we go to our Challenger, Neil. To catch up.

In London, Piccadilly is the name of the road that connects

Piccadilly Circus directly to which park?

Again, not 100% sure.

But I think it's Hyde Park.

Yeah, very good. It is Hyde Park.

Not covered by the Scottish Tourist Board yet.

-LAUGHING:

-No, not yet.

That may change. Barry, the third question.

The national flag of which of these countries

features a bird in the centre?

Kenya has a shield in the centre.

I don't believe it's Botswana.

I believe the national flag of Uganda has a bird in,

so I'll go for Uganda.

Yes, it does. That's the correct answer.

Disadvantage of going second, Neil.

You've got to get this right to stay in.

Bandaranaike International Airport is which country's main

international airport?

Absolutely no idea on this one.

I would have to guess and I will guess Bangladesh.

It sounds like it might be, the first three letters and all that.

It's not, it's Sri Lanka. Sorry about that.

It's a bit outside your remit with the Scottish Tourist Board, I know.

No shame in that. You lost to Barry, who is pretty handy at geography.

Come back to us, both of you, and we'll see what happens next.

He Is Heavy, He's My Father have lost two brains.

They've lost a father and a son.

The Eggheads are still sitting pretty with this £10,000 jackpot.

You've got to try and get it off them. OK?

The next subject for you is Politics.

-Oh, dear.

-Oh, dear? Who wants this?

-Do you mind taking this one?

-No, I'll take it.

Take it for the team.

OK, Paul at the end.

Technical architect. Against which Egghead?

-I'll leave it up to you.

-I'll try Judy, please, I think.

-Judith.

-Oops!

-Did you just call her Judy?

-I did.

-Do you mind that, Judith?

-What, Judy?

-Yes, I really do.

-LAUGHTER

Oh, well. Got away with that.

-I'm always called Judith.

-All right.

Did you notice how the atmosphere changed?

But that's quite good because it might unsettle her.

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking.

Paul from He Is Heavy, He's My Father versus Judy...

HE GASPS ..Judith from the Eggheads.

Please go to the Question Room now.

Politics, Paul. Would you like to go first or second?

I'll try first, please, Jeremy.

Here we go.

By what title is the head of the Scottish Government known?

I think First Minister sounds good.

I was drawn to that. I'll go First Minister.

First Minister is correct.

Judith.

In the British political system,

who has the power to appoint and dismiss prime ministers?

I think the Queen does. So the monarch.

Monarch is right.

Paul.

Which of the following government departments was created in 1970?

I'm thinking...

..that's about the time that things started to go all green.

Equally, I'm thinking about the Welsh independence thing.

Eh...

I'll go for Department of the Environment.

Yes, that's a good one. It is the Department of the Environment.

OK, Judith.

Who was Prime Minister when the UK's Supreme Court judges

were sworn in on 1st October 2009?

2009.

That was just before David Cameron.

So it must be Gordon Brown.

Gordon Brown is correct.

Back to you, Paul.

Who was the runner-up in the 1994 Labour leadership election?

Right.

I'm ruling out John Prescott.

Not sure why.

I'll go...Robin Cook.

No, he didn't stand. Cos I think it was Margaret Beckett,

John Prescott and Tony Blair, was it not?

I think it was three of them. John Prescott is the answer.

So, Judith, to take the round...

Joe Biden and Jesse Helms each served as chairman

of the powerful US Senate committee on which area?

I think it's between Defense and Homeland Security.

I think it's Homeland Security.

Foreign Relations is the answer.

-Oh, no. Really?

-Yes.

-That was the one I absolutely ruled out.

-Yeah.

OK, after three questions, you're level.

We go to Sudden Death, Paul.

You've held her off. That's good.

Just need the advantage now. It gets a bit harder.

I don't give you alternatives.

Which recording artist, who had a UK number one as part of a duo,

was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1994

to represent California's 44th Congressional district?

Oh, dear.

Sorry, could you repeat that, Jeremy, please?

Which recording artist, who had a UK number one as part of a duo,

was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1994

to represent California's 44th Congressional district?

Oh, dear. I haven't got a clue.

So... Let's think of a duo.

Art Garfunkel?

No, do you know this, Judith?

I was going to say Paul Simon.

No, no. We'd know if they were in Congress.

The answer is Sonny Bono.

-Ah!

-Who was Sonny and Cher.

-Yeah!

He actually died, I think,

about five years later in a skiing accident.

I thought of those and I was going to say Cher.

JEREMY CHUCKLES

OK, bad luck.

Sudden Death, Judith.

If you get this right you've won the round.

In 1998, it was revealed that Geoffrey Robinson made a secret

loan of £373,000 to which man so that he could buy his London home?

Lord Mandelson.

I need a first name and a surname.

Peter Mandelson.

Peter Mandelson is the right answer.

You are in the final round, Judith, on Politics.

Paul, you've been knocked out, I'm sorry to say.

And you will not be. Please come back to us.

We will play one more round before the final.

So the Challengers have lost three brains from the final round.

The Eggheads have not lost any.

We have seen two or three teams win quite recently from

a single player in the final. So keep plugging away here, guys.

The next subject for you is Music. Who would like Music?

I think that's going to be me.

Alex is going to be the saviour at the end.

-Team captain.

-Yeah.

Let me just look. We've lost a son, a father and a friend.

So it's pretty evenly balanced so far.

We've got another son going in now. Liam, who would you like to take on?

I think I'll take on Kevin.

OK, Liam from He Is Heavy, He's My Father

versus Kevin from the Eggheads.

Please go to the Chamber of Concentration.

OK, Liam, team captain. Big responsibility here

to turn it around for the Challengers.

You are doing Music and you've taken on the Grand Master, Kevin.

Would you like to go first or second?

I've tossed a coin and I'm going first.

Good luck, Liam.

Which of these musical instruments uses valves to regulate the pitch?

Well...

Definitely not a harp, that's strings.

Drum - part of percussion.

So I guess I'll be going trumpet.

Trumpet is quite right.

Kevin.

According to the lyrics of Irving Berlin's song

Let's Face The Music And Dance, "There may be..." what ahead?

HE LAUGHS

Sorry, I just like the traffic one. It's trouble.

Trouble is correct.

Back to you, Liam.

Which early 1980s recording featured a lead vocal by

St Paul's Cathedral choirboy Peter Auty?

Well, I know that Walking In The Air it's like a choir-type singing.

But I thought that was Aled Jones or something like that.

And I've never heard Bright Eyes.

I do think There's No-One Quite Like Grandma

has a bit like that at the start.

I don't really know, but I think I'm going to go down the middle and go

There's No-One Quite Like Grandma.

OK, I understand why you've done it cos I might have chosen

that as well. Bright Eyes was Art Garfunkel.

He's a grown-up.

There's No-One Quite Like Grandma

was a kind of school-type of ensemble, wasn't it?

But when I think of Walking In The Air, Eggheads,

I think of Aled Jones.

-Yes, so do I.

-So what's happening?

I don't know.

Walking In The Air is the right answer.

This must have been a pre-Aled version.

-Or a post-Aled version.

-Peter Auty had the first commercial recording,

then Aled Jones sort of took it over as a party piece

-till his voice broke.

-Oh, I see.

OK, back to Kevin

to take advantage.

Which city features a park named after the composer Sibelius

which contains a monument to him built from steel pipes?

Well, I'll do a Barry here, I've been there, I've seen it.

It's Helsinki.

Helsinki is the right answer.

Well done.

He has pulled clear.

But at least it wasn't the third question that undid you, Liam.

See if you can get this one right now.

Who had a UK top ten single in 1999 with Music To Watch Girls By?

I think that that's...

Andy Williams. I think.

So I'll go for that.

OK, yeah. Let's ask the dads. Is he right?

-Yes.

-Yeah. You got the thumbs up.

You're right. Well done.

So, you are level. You brought it back there.

But Kevin has a question in hand.

Which composer, Kevin, won an Oscar for his score to the 1978 film

Midnight Express?

It was one of those electronic scores that were very

fashionable at the time.

I think, although they've all done things like this,

I think that particular one was Giorgio Moroder.

Giorgio Moroder is the right answer. Well done, Kevin.

You're in the final. Sorry, Liam.

Knocked out.

I know you love to quiz as well.

-I know.

-Not over for your team, though.

If you come back to us, both of you,

we will see what happens in the final for £10,000.

And this is what we have been playing towards.

It is time for our final round, which, as always,

is General Knowledge.

But I'm afraid those of you who lost your head-to-heads

can't take part, so that's Liam, Allan, Neil and Paul from

He Is Heavy, He's My Father.

Would you please now leave the studio?

Well, good luck, Alex.

You are playing to win He Is Heavy, He's My Father £10,000.

-We've got one of the dads left in...

-One dad left.

..for the final here. Pat, Barry, Chris, Judith and Kevin,

you are playing for something money can't buy,

which is the Eggheads' reputation.

And just to pile up the money a bit more.

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

This time the questions are all General Knowledge.

You are allowed to confer. I'm sorry that doesn't help you.

-It doesn't.

-But, Alex, the question is, can your one brain do

what a few others have done recently and overwhelm these five?

Maybe attack them from the side.

Would you like to go first or second?

I shall go first, please.

General Knowledge. First question, Alex. Good luck.

The Heimlich manoeuvre is a technique designed

to treat someone who is doing what?

I believe that's choking.

That is indeed choking.

Eggheads.

In the late 1960s, hippies were most associated with which US city?

-San Francisco.

-San Francisco.

I'm pretty sure that's San Francisco.

As in...

# We're all going to...

-ALL:

-# Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair. #

Absolutely. How we need Lisa for that.

San Francisco is correct.

Alex, back to you.

Which artist coined the phrase

"In the future, everybody will be world famous for 15 minutes"?

That sounds like Andy Warhol.

No messing around.

You're right as well. Andy Warhol is correct.

Your question, Eggheads.

Golden Arrow was the name for a service beginning in 1929

that took passengers from London to Paris via what mode of transport?

Train from London Victoria to Dover, ferry from Dover to Calais,

and train from Calais to Paris.

But there was an overnight service called the Night Ferry

with Wagon-lit sleeping cars that actually took the sleeping cars on

the train ferry. So you could go to bed in London and wake up in Paris.

It's train, anyway.

Are you sure, Chris?

-LAUGHTER

-Yeah.

You'll never catch Chris on a question about trains.

It's never happened in the history of Eggheads.

Train is the right answer. Well done.

So, two each. You are playing really well, Alex.

Get this one right and a shiver will pass across them.

Raoul Duke is the name of the main character in which cult novel?

It's R-A-O-U-L D-U-K-E.

Right, it's not Catch-22.

So it's a choice of the other two.

And I shall go for Fear And Loathing.

You are quite right.

-Excellent.

-So there is a little bit of excitement now behind you.

Your team-mates realising that

you are possibly one question away from £10,000.

In fact, no questions away cos you've answered all of yours.

All that has to happen now is confusion in the ranks.

Which Governor General of Australia dismissed

the Prime Minister Gough Whitlam in 1975?

-I thought it was John Kerr.

-Yeah, it's John Kerr.

-That's what...

-Quentin Bryce is more recent.

-I don't think it's Peter Cosgrove.

-Peter Cosgrove was Irish, wasn't he?

It's different... Yeah, I think this is John Kerr.

All right, we are all agreeing on John Kerr.

We think that's John Kerr.

John Kerr is correct, Pat. Yes.

If they got it wrong, you would have won £10,000.

Instead we go to Sudden Death, Alex.

It gets a bit harder. I don't give you alternatives.

Are you ready?

-I am.

-In Cockney rhyming slang, what is a whistle and flute?

It's a suit.

It's a suit. You're right.

Eggheads, with £10,000 to play for...

In Scrabble, how many points is the letter Z worth?

-Ten.

-Ten?

-Ten.

-Two letters are worth ten. Q and Z.

-Q and Z.

Q and Z - ten.

That's ten.

-Ten is right.

-Although in Polish Scrabble, it's worth one.

-Oh.

-Because they've got so many of them?

-That's right. Yes.

-It's true.

£10,000 you are playing for.

Keep on getting them right, Alex and at some point, they will fall over.

Oscar Wilde famously remarked that a cynic was someone who knew

the price of everything and the value of... what?

Nothing.

Nothing is correct.

We are on Sudden Death.

It can end very quickly.

£10,000 to play for.

Eggheads, of the six actors that have played James Bond

in official James Bond films, who is the shortest?

-Daniel Craig is fairly short.

-Sean Connery is tall, I've met him.

George Lazenby is tall. Big Fry in the advert.

Roger Moore is kind of medium, isn't he?

Who else is there?

Pierce Brosnan might be small.

-PAT:

-Just name a Bond actor.

-Timothy Dalton.

-Daniel Craig, how big is he?

Daniel Craig is quite tall.

-Is he?

-Mm-hmm.

-PAT:

-Lazenby.

-Do you think?

Oh, dear. What a question.

That's a tough question.

Let's go through the Bonds.

-OK, Sean Connery.

-No, definitely not.

-Tall.

-Who's next?

-George Lazenby.

-George Lazenby.

-Roger Moore is next.

-Is he a possibility?

-Roger Moore?

-I don't think he's particularly short.

-No, he's not, is he?

Let's just keep him as a possibility.

He towers over Tony Curtis in Persuaders.

-Who is third, Roger Moore?

-George Lazenby.

-Lazenby.

He was Big Fry so he can't be short.

OK, who is after Roger Moore?

-Timothy Dalton.

-Timothy Dalton, how big is he?

-Was he the...?

-It could be Timothy Dalton.

Not as far as I'm aware, no.

And we've got Pierce Brosnan, who I think is taller.

I think Pierce Brosnan might be the smallest.

-I don't think Pierce Brosnan is especially big.

-No.

-And then Daniel Craig.

-Yeah.

And Daniel Craig. You think he's quite tall.

Do you think... I think Daniel Craig is quite tall, isn't he?

I may be wrong.

I thought Daniel Craig wasn't particularly tall.

My gut feeling is it's between Daniel Craig and Timothy Dalton.

What about Pierce Brosnan?

-I don't think so.

-So what are the three? Pierce Brosnan, who else?

Timothy Dalton is a possibility.

-Daniel Craig, I think.

-We don't really know about Roger Moore.

Nah.

I think Roger Moore is quite tall.

I'm trying to think of a studio picture with Daniel Craig in it.

He's very muscular but that doesn't necessarily mean he's tall.

Are we having a vote?

-OK. Dalton.

-Dalton.

-Brosnan.

-Dalton.

-Brosnan.

-It's very speculative.

-It's entirely speculative.

It is simply just whim.

-JUDITH:

-Three Brosnans.

-PAT:

-I'm afraid we are a bit stumped.

But for no reason whatever, we are plumping for Pierce Brosnan.

OK, Pierce Brosnan is your answer.

Do you know the answer?

Haven't a clue. I might guess Daniel Craig though.

There is only one under 6ft.

And it is indeed Daniel Craig.

We say congratulations, Challengers, you have won!

And that is the third one on the bounce that you've lost

against a solo player, Eggheads. So it's very interesting.

Almost a problem of having too many people voting.

I don't know the reason. I wouldn't want to guess.

-But well done.

-Thank you.

And it's interesting that you might have got that question right.

-With no great authority, though.

-Yeah. He's 5'10" by the way.

The others are all over 6ft.

-Well done, you.

-Thank you.

-How about that!

-That was good.

We now know the answer about fathers and sons, don't we?

-We do indeed.

-So, congratulations to He Is Heavy, He's My Father.

It's the father on the team who has just won £10,000.

You are officially cleverer than the Eggheads.

And you've done it on your own, which has happened

fewer than 20 times in the whole history of this programme.

You have proved that they can be beaten.

Do join us next time on Eggheads to see if a new team of Challengers

will be just as successful.

What a game. We won't forget that Bond factor, will we?

Till then, goodbye.