Episode 28 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.

Taking on our quiz champions today

are Best of Brass. Now, this team are all members

of the Bollington Brass Band in Cheshire,

and they recently came second in the European Brass Band Championships.

Let's meet them.

Hi, I'm Bev.

I'm a speech and language therapy associate.

Hi, I'm Roger. I'm a retired headteacher.

Hi, I'm Paul and I'm an insurance broker.

Hi, I'm Claire. I'm an NHS manager.

Hi, I'm Alan.

I'm a retired printer.

So, Bev and team, great to see you.

-Thank you for coming.

-Thank you, Jeremy.

-Thank you.

And you've obviously done really well in this championship?

Yes, yeah. We're pros at it now.

It's not just you five, is it?

The brass band is how many people?

We've probably got about 25 members altogether,

so we're just a select few.

But you do quiz, do you, Bev?

We do quiz and we held our own band quiz.

We do this annually and it was actually only two weeks ago.

So we should be on really good form today.

Excellent! That's very good.

They like a battle, this lot over here.

Well, good luck. 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, Best of Brass, the Eggheads are now doing really well.

It's officially a roll.

12 games in a row they've won,

which means there is £13,000 as a jackpot today.

-Do you want to try and win it?

-Yes.

-Yes!

OK, let's go for it.

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

So, who would like this?

-Who do you think?

-I don't mind this.

-Claire?

-Claire?

-I don't mind it.

Yeah. It's your thing?

No, it's not my thing.

THEY CHUCKLE

So, Claire, our NHS manager, Film & TV against which Egghead?

Any one of the five, Claire.

-Judith.

-OK.

So, it's Claire from Best of Brass versus Judith from the Eggheads.

To ensure there's no conferring,

please take your positions in our famous Question Room.

Film & TV, Claire. Would you like to go first or second?

I'll go first, please, Jeremy.

And good luck to Best of Brass. Here we go with your first question.

Which character in the TV sitcom Fawlty Towers

was played by Prunella Scales?

OK, yes, it was definitely Sybil.

So glad you got that right, cos you could get confused there.

Yes, Polly was the younger...

Younger waitress. She was actually married to...

-John Cleese's wife.

-That's right.

Cleese's wife on the screen was Sybil and that was Prunella Scales.

Well done, Claire. OK, Judith, your question.

Which of these men has won a Best Director Academy Award?

Er...

I don't know who Vin Diesel is, to be honest.

I have a feeling Mel Gibson might have done.

-What do you think it was for?

-I can't remember.

-OK. Beth, do you know?

-Yeah, it was for Braveheart in '95.

Braveheart in '95, says Beth.

Mel Gibson is the right answer.

He was in it, though, wasn't he, as well?

-Yeah, in it, directed it, all of that.

-And directed it, yeah.

OK. Claire,

the Oscar-winning film Spotlight featured investigative journalists

working for which newspaper?

Claire, is it...?

Not got a clue.

Never heard of the film.

I will go for...

the Washington Post.

No, I'm drawing a slight blank here. Team-mates, do you know?

-We...

-Roger does.

-No, we don't.

Roger's certain.

No, I'm not.

You're not certain. Eggheads?

Boston Globe.

Boston Globe is the answer.

Judith, who played the role of Douglas Reynholm

in the TV comedy series The IT Crowd?

I don't know, cos I didn't see it.

I think I'm going to say Chris O'Dowd.

-Just on a hunch?

-Just on a hunch.

OK. It's a wrong hunch, though.

-Oh, dear.

-It's Matt Berry.

Oh, right.

So get this right, Claire, and you

put Judith under pressure.

In which TV drama series did Rob James-Collier

play the role of Thomas Barrow?

This is bad news, cos I've not watched any of those.

Er...

And I know everyone at home will probably be

screaming at the television.

I will go Downton Abbey.

Challengers, is she right?

-Yes.

-You're right - Downton Abbey it is.

That was useful.

OK, Judith. Therefore, you need this to stay in.

Who plays the role of the villain Ra's al Ghul

in the film Batman Begins?

Oh, dear.

I never watch those Batman films and I do try and sort of learn them.

Well, Gary Oldman's quite a good villain. I should think...

Let's try Gary Oldman.

If you've got this right, we go to Sudden Death, Judith.

-But we haven't.

-We haven't got it right - it's Liam Neeson.

So, well done, Claire - you're through.

You're in the final round. A good start for Best of Brass.

Please come back to us.

So, a good start for Best of Brass.

You can blow your own trumpets -

you've not lost any brains from the final round.

The Eggheads have lost Judith, which can be important in the final.

The next subject is Science.

-Who would like this?

-Ooh, dear.

-Paul.

-I think Paul was the...

Yeah, the sacrificial lamb.

Paul. Against which Egghead, Paul?

Anyone but Judith.

How about one of the...? How about Steve or Beth?

-We're still getting the measure of them.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-They're probably both brilliant.

-Or shall I...?

-No, don't go for him.

-Kevin.

-Cos we'll lose.

-Go for Kevin?

-Yeah.

OK, I'll take on Kevin.

Yeah, and it's worked for teams in the past to take him on early.

Paul from Best of Brass versus Kevin from the Eggheads,

please now go to our Question Room.

So, Paul, would you like to go first or second?

I'll go first, please.

And here is your question.

The disease mange primarily affects which part of the body?

Well, Jeremy...

..I'm not 100% sure on this.

But I don't think it's the brain.

I think it's the skin.

I'm going to go for skin.

Skin is correct.

OK, Kevin. Here's your question.

What type of vehicle was Clive Sinclair's C5?

Well, I'm sure he was probably working on the others as well,

but this particular instance, it was a -

I think rather dangerous - electric car.

Electric car is right.

One each. Back to you, Paul.

What does a phlebotomist do for a living, Paul?

I'm...

quite confident that they take blood.

I'm going to say, take blood.

Take blood is correct. OK, Kevin, your question. The word "sciatic"

refers to which part of the human body?

Well, the sciatic nerve is obviously one of the major nerves in the body.

It's nothing to do with the mouth.

I think as between the other two...

When you have a touch of sciatica,

it's referring to the mid-body, really, the lower back and that.

So, of the others, I would go for hip.

Hip is right.

OK, tight play. Paul, see if

you can take advantage now - your third question.

Approximately how many species of monkeys are there in the world?

Really no idea on this.

But it's hard to believe that there would be 2,000.

I think I'm good to have to go straight down the middle

with a guess of 200.

200 is the right answer, Paul. Three out of three. Well played.

So, Kevin, this to stay in.

What is the SI unit for electrical conductance?

A watt is a unit of power, a newton of force.

So electrical conductance is siemens.

Siemens is correct.

So, after three questions each, it couldn't be tighter in this round.

You've both got all three right and, Paul, we go back to you.

Sudden Death gets a bit harder - I don't give you alternatives.

What are the tiny pellets of plastic added to everyday cosmetic products,

such as toothpastes and body scrubs, called?

I really don't know that.

I'm going to say exfoliators.

-I don't really know.

-Do you know, Eggs?

I think it might be microspheres, microbeads.

Microbeads, Beth, yeah. Microbeads.

Kevin, this question to win the round, therefore.

By what common name is the indigestion aid

with the chemical formula Mg(OH)2 known?

That's magnesium hydroxide.

Er...

Damn! I'm... Sorry, no, I'm just... I'm torn there between...

Between two.

Which one is magnesium hydroxide?

I think Epsom salts.

Yeah, I'm afraid I can't accept that.

Your magnesium hydroxide is fine,

but then you need to then go to milk of magnesia.

I knew it was either Epsom salts or milk of magnesia.

And Epsom salts is magnesium sulphate.

-Yes, yeah. No, absolutely. You're right.

-OK, Paul...

Wasn't expecting that! My goodness. OK.

So, your question...

Sudden Death, remember.

Used by astronauts on the International Space Station,

what does the M stand for in the abbreviation EMU?

I don't know that abbreviation.

I'm going to say...micro.

Kevin, do you know this?

-Manoeuvring?

-No. It's tricky, isn't it?

It's the extravehicular mobility unit.

So, mobility is the answer.

What they use when they get outside the space station.

So, Kevin, this for the round.

Your question, Sudden Death.

Prunus avium is the scientific name for which attractive native UK tree?

Right, so a lot of fruits are members of the...

..prunus family. Er...

Cherry tree.

Yes, you're right.

Cherry tree - wild cherries.

Kevin, well done. That was a little

bit stickier than it normally is, actually.

That's interesting. You on your Science.

Maybe I need some milk of magnesia.

Yeah, the science files are a bit dusty in Kevin's head, maybe.

Paul, sorry. You were beaten by our Egghead and, as a result,

you will not be in the final round. Kevin will.

Please come back to us and we'll see what happens next.

Well, it's a big game, this. Best of Brass playing for £13,000.

They've lost a brain, the Eggheads have lost a brain.

Perfectly level.

Let's see what happens now.

It's Sport.

-Oh!

-Ooh!

-I think that's Alan, isn't it?

-That's me.

-That's you.

-Alan.

Against which Egghead?

-Er...I'm thinking...

-Beth.

-Yes, I'm thinking Beth.

Cos she's obviously good on Science and other things.

Very good on Film & TV. Let's hope she's not as good at Sport.

Correct. I'll take on Beth, Jeremy, please.

OK, I understand. Trying to work out how good she is on Sport.

Let's find out. Alan from Best of Brass

takes on Beth from the Eggheads.

Please go to the Question Room now.

Beth, what sort of sports do you like?

Everything. Everything and anything, apart from two.

There's two major sports I don't watch or follow or anything

and that's motorbikes and rugby league.

Oh, OK. Well, Alan, we want question one and two on those, then, do we?

All questions on motorbikes would be great, yes.

-Oh, I see. You like motorbikes, do you?

-Yes.

-OK.

Interesting. Well, good luck, Beth.

Good luck, Alan. Alan, would you like to go first or second?

I'll go first, please, Jeremy.

Here we go with your question.

Which of these tennis players was born first?

Er...

Have to admit I'm not a tennis fan.

I think we'll go with Chris Evert.

Yeah, she does go back a way. Chris Evert is right.

Beth, your question. Jason Robinson,

who won the Rugby Union World Cup with England in 2003,

played in which position in the final?

Now... Oh, let me think about this.

He's quite a...

swift one.

So he could be down the wing.

First thought was wing, so let's stick with wing.

Let's see if the Eggheads know. Eggheads?

-Yeah, he'd be a wing. Yup.

-You like it?

-I were there.

-You were there?

-Yeah.

Steve was there. Wing is right.

-Hooray!

-Hooray!

OK, on to you, Alan.

Ronald Koeman became the manager of which football club in June 2016?

Well, he's never managed Aston Villa.

And he's left Southampton and gone to Everton.

Everton is correct.

Beth, your second question.

Who became the director of England cricket in 2015?

Ooh! This one's passed me by.

I'm a fan of cricket.

Could very conceivably be all of them.

Michael Vaughan - well-known commentator now.

Andrew Strauss, not long retired.

Hmm.

So...I'm going to go with Nasser Hussain.

OK. I saw the Eggs flinch.

-Is Beth right?

-Andrew Strauss.

-Oh!

-Andrew Strauss is the answer.

So, back to you, Alan. A little break

for our Challengers here.

Get this right and you will have pulled past the Eggheads.

In which year did the British athlete Lynn Davies

win an Olympic gold medal in the men's long jump?

Er...1956 is too early.

I'm pretty certain it was Tokyo in 1964.

OK, if you've got this right, you'll have of had three out of three

and you'll be in the final round. Let's just see,

cos your colleagues here look excited.

What do you think, guys and gals?

-He's right.

-I think he's right.

-Yeah, you're right, '64 it was.

Well done, Alan, you've taken out an Egghead there.

Beth will not be in the final and you will.

Do come back, please. Rejoin your teams.

Well, is there something in the air here?

Best of Brass have lost one brain.

The Eggheads have now lost two.

And the last subject before the final is Politics.

Who would like this? It can be Roger or the skipper, Bev.

Well, actually, I'm going to take this one for the team.

-OK.

-We want Roger in the final.

All right. Well, who would you like to take on?

You can have either Steve, who's new, or Barry, who's not.

I'd go for Barry - he's got a lovely shirt.

Yeah, Barry's got a good shirt.

-I like Barry's shirts, so yeah...

-Go on, then.

-Barry, thanks.

-On the basis of Barry's shirt?

-Yeah.

-All right.

-No other reason.

-We've got a lot of Bs now.

Bev from Best of Brass versus Barry from the Eggheads.

Please go, with your shirt, to the Question Room.

OK, Politics, Bev. First or second?

Er...let's go first.

Here we go - your first question.

Il Duce was the nickname of which political figure?

I'm just trying to see what that sounds like, what nationality.

Er...

Doesn't sound French.

I think I'm going to go Fidel Castro.

But it's a complete guess.

Team-mates, is she right?

-No.

-No, it's Mussolini.

-Mussolini from the Second World War period.

-Yeah.

Barry, in which year

-was the Lib Dem leader Tim Farron born?

-Ooh!

-You reacted with surprise.

-Yes.

I have a mental image of him in my head

and he doesn't really look that old.

So it can't possibly be 1950 or...

1960. It must be 1970.

1970 is the right answer.

OK, so Barry's in the lead here, Bev.

Your question. The Shadow Chancellor, John McConnell,

was criticised in 2015 for reading extracts from which book

in Parliament?

I absolutely have not got a clue.

I can't imagine that it would be 50 Shades Of Grey.

I'm going to just do a guess at Little Red Book.

-Absolutely right.

-Really?

-Yeah, Mao's Little Red Book.

OK. So you're level - one point each.

Your second question, Barry.

At the time of the 2016 EU Referendum,

how many seats did the UK have in the European Parliament?

I'm pretty certain the UK had 73 seats.

It did indeed have 73.

You're absolutely right. Bev, you need to get this one right.

-I know!

-In 2010, Gloria De Piero became the MP for Ashfield,

representing which party?

I don't think it's Liberal Democrats.

So I'm going to say...

-..Conservative.

-Eggheads, do you know?

-Labour.

-Yeah, Labour is the answer.

The seat of a guy called Geoff Hoon.

She's in the Labour Party.

So Barry's taken that round.

Sorry, Bev - beaten by our Egghead.

Don't worry - your team has still got a very good shout in this final.

If you come back to us, both of you, we will play that final round.

And this is what we have been playing towards -

it is time for our final round.

As always, General Knowledge.

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

won't be allowed to take part in this round.

So that's Bev and Paul from Best of Brass,

and Beth and Judith from the Eggheads.

Would you please now leave the studio?

OK, Roger, Claire and Alan,

I gather you are two cornets and a flugelhorn?

-That's right.

-Yes, that's right.

You are playing to win Best of Brass £13,000.

Steve, Barry and Kevin, here you are - band of brothers -

fighting to hold on to the Eggheads' reputation

and keep this roll going, which is so impressive.

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

This time, they are all General Knowledge.

You can confer. So, Best of Brass, the question is,

can you, with your three brains, take out these three over here?

Good luck. Do you want to go first or second?

-First? Yeah, first.

-First, please, Jeremy.

And here is your first question. Playing for £13,000.

Which of these words means a selfless concern for others?

Altruism, I'd go for.

-Altruism?

-Yeah. Yeah, definitely.

We're going for altruism.

Altruism is the right answer.

OK, Eggheads.

Which of these is a coastal resort in Italy?

-Amalfi.

-Amalfi?

-Yeah.

I'm reliably informed that's Amalfi, Jeremy.

Amalfi is the right answer.

One each. Back to you - £13,000.

Best of Brass, your question.

The Rastafarian movement originated on which island?

-I'd go for Jamaica.

-Yeah, it's not Cuba.

No, it's not Cuba.

-I think it's Jamaica.

-Yeah, I think it is Jamaica.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-We're going for Jamaica, Jeremy, please.

It's the sort of question where the answer comes into your head

straightaway, Jamaica, then you see the other options and start to...

Fatally start to veer around.

But I guess we would go Bob Marley and Jamaica.

-Yeah, Jamaica's right.

-OK.

OK, Eggheads...

Fidei defensor was a title given to which King of England by Pope Leo X?

Henry VIII. Was it for In Defence Of The Seven Sacraments?

-That's the book that he wrote, yes.

-The Pope awarded him that.

We're all agreed that's Henry VIII, Jeremy.

Henry VIII is the right answer.

So your third question - get this right, the pressure will be

on the Eggheads, and who knows - they could crack.

What name is given to the traditional English pie

that contains onions, apples, bacon and sometimes potatoes?

It's definitely fidget pie.

-Yeah. The other ones don't...

-All agreed it's fidget pie, Jeremy.

-Oh, you're straight there.

-Yeah.

Fidget pie is the right answer.

Three out of three - really well played.

Let's see if the Eggheads can keep it level

or whether now they crash out.

You may have to do no more to win £13,000.

Eggheads, your question.

Satyajit Ray was a leading name in which field in the 20th century?

Film direction?

Yeah, we'll just make double sure, though.

Can we just have...?

Just to make absolutely certain, can we have a spelling, Jeremy?

Yes, S-A-T-Y-A-J-I-T and then Ray.

Yeah, film director.

Yeah, we're happy with that one, Jeremy - it's film direction.

I think he was famous for the Apu trilogy.

-The which trilogy?

-Apu.

It was a trilogy about...

the life of a lad from a village in Bengal.

It followed him from... The first film, he was a child,

and then it followed him through his life.

And it was the first really big breakthrough internationally

for Indian cinema.

Film direction is the right answer, Eggheads.

Oh, this is a tight contest!

Neither team has really broken a sweat so far.

So you're level after three multiple-choice questions.

It gets a bit harder now - we go to Sudden Death.

I don't give you different options.

Challengers, the actor Michael Fassbender

was born in which country?

I think he's German.

Are you thinking that just because of his name?

No, I've not got a clue. I don't know.

The only thing we've got is German.

May as well go with that.

This is a pure guess, Jeremy. We're going for Germany.

Well, you went straight there.

-Germany's right.

-Ooh!

-Well done.

-Pure luck.

That may be a very, very valuable answer.

£13,000 you're playing for.

And suddenly you can see a bead of sweat now

on the forehead of the Eggheads, cos they know they are in danger.

The American musical instruments company Rickenbacker

is most famous for making which instrument, Eggheads?

Get this wrong, the contest is over.

-I think they're guitars.

-Yeah, guitars.

The only instrument I associate the name Rickenbacker with

is guitars, Jeremy, so that's what we're going to say.

Guitar is right.

OK, back to you.

Sudden Death, Best of Brass.

£13,000.

In Greek mythology,

which woman opened a box from which all the evils of the world...

-Pandora.

-..were released, leaving only hope?

-That's Pandora.

-Are you sure?

-Yeah.

-Pandora's right.

Pandora's box.

Eggheads, Damien Hirst's famous dead-shark-in-a-tank piece,

called The Physical Impossibility Of Death In The Mind Of Someone Living,

was commissioned by which art collector?

I think it's Charles Saatchi.

-Yeah. I mean, he's...

-I can't think of anybody else.

-I think he'd...

-He collected a lot.

-Definitely Charles, not Maurice?

-Ah.

-That's the only thing that's worrying me.

I think Charles is the name you go to, isn't it? But I really...

I couldn't...veer either way, to be honest.

-I think it probably...

-A percentage call, is Charles.

It probably is Saatchi.

-Yeah.

-Are we inclined towards Charles, then?

-I think we have to.

-With a bit of doubt.

Well as you can probably tell, Jeremy, we're not exactly sure.

Hopefully we've nailed it down to the right family,

which is the Saatchi brothers.

But, obviously, there's two of those. So it's a 50-50, really.

And based on the fact that Charles is probably more prominent

in the news than his brother Maurice,

we're going to say Charles Saatchi.

Charles Saatchi is your answer.

Well, you're right - it is a Saatchi.

And then you got into a little bit of this and that.

One brother and another brother.

-Do you know, by the way?

-No.

-We'd go for Charles.

-You'd go for Charles?

The dead-shark-in-the-tank piece was commissioned by Charles Saatchi.

-Ooh!

-BARRY CHUCKLES

There's a genuine bead of sweat now!

You won't believe it, but this means a lot to these Eggheads.

They get to...

12, 13 programmes in a row, they really want it.

So keep your concentration here - you're playing

for £13,000. We are on Sudden Death.

Who directed the 1963 film The Great Escape?

I've watched it often enough.

This is in your DVD collection.

I know. I must've watched it 20 times.

Steve McQueen, Gordon Jackson -

just think of all the people who are in it.

It wouldn't be Richard Attenborough, would it?

He was in it, wasn't he?

-Might have been.

-Was he acting,

-rather than directing?

-Rather than directing.

I'd go for Attenborough,

-just as long shot, but I don't think it is.

-No.

I feel I should know it.

We haven't got anything else.

Afraid we're stuck on this one, Jeremy.

We should know it, we feel - we've played it often enough.

We're going to go for Richard Attenborough,

because we know he was in it.

Richard Attenborough is your answer.

Eggheads, do you know?

-John Sturges.

-John Sturges is the answer.

Right, Eggheads, you can take this

great contest with this one answer on Sudden Death - here it is.

The Master was the nickname of which Surrey and England batsman

born in 1882?

-Jack Hobbs.

-Jack Hobbs, definitely.

-Cos he was Surrey and England.

-He was Surrey and England.

-The dates are right.

-And he was born in 18...

So I think, yeah, Jack Hobbs.

We're all inclined to the same answer, which is Jack Hobbs.

Let's see. If you've got this right, the contest is over.

If you've got it wrong, we play on, Sudden Death can end quickly.

The answer is Jack Hobbs.

We say congratulations, Eggheads - you have won!

Well, so we've got... I know at the back of the studio there,

we've got two more cornets.

So it is four cornets and a flugelhorn.

-How did we not think of that team name?

-Yeah!

THEY CHUCKLE

Anyway, what a great, great contest. Thank you so much.

You took them very close -

in fact, closer than they've been for quite some days here.

Commiserations, Best of Brass.

The Eggheads have done what comes naturally to them at the moment.

This impressive winning streak becomes even more impressive.

It means you won't be going home with the £13,000.

We'll take the money and roll it over to the next show, shall we?

Eggheads, well done. Jack Hobbs.

And you got the John Sturges answer.

You're quizzing well.

Really well. Who will ever beat you?

Join us next time to see if a new team of Challengers can do it -

defeat the Eggheads. There'll be 14,000 to play for.

Until we play again, goodbye.