Episode 79 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.

Sizzling with quiz answers today?

-Yes.

-And very relieved as well!

Yeah, well, there was a lot of trouble in the last game.

Well, taking on our awesome quiz champions today

are the Newbury Geeks. Now, this team all work for a

telecommunications company in Newbury that deals

with technical engineering.

-Let's meet them.

-Hello, I'm George and I'm a project manager.

Hi, I'm Tarryn and I am a travel and office manager.

Hello, I'm Nick and I'm a technical sales manager.

Hello, I'm Sarah and I'm a technical writer.

Hello, I'm Steve and I'm a key account manager.

So, George and team, welcome.

-Hello.

-Hello.

-Good to see you.

And it's all technical, is it, George?

-Is that the key word here?

-It is technical.

We do radio-frequency optimisation, mobile phone networks, yeah.

Oh, my goodness, I'm lost already!

Is that to do with sound waves?

It's to do with radio waves and improving coverage and making sure

you get a better experience on your mobile phone.

Oh, I see, so you do the masts and all the kind of drop-off, do you?

We suggest tilts and powers and we have certain algorithms that we run

that allow us to do this for the mobile operators, yeah.

I'm sensing we could have a very strong team

on the science round here.

I hope... I think so, let's see if it comes up.

And of course other subjects as well.

Are you quizzers as well as technical people?

I quiz reasonably regularly.

Some of the other guys, we don't, so let's see how we get on.

All right. You used to live on the Mull of Kintyre?

-I did, yeah.

-Next to Paul McCartney.

Yeah, so, he was my next-door neighbour, on the basis that

his house was behind the hill that was behind my house.

So he was not quite the fool on the hill, but he was...

-He was there.

-He was there?

Yeah. I used to see him knocking around in an old battered old

Land Rover with Linda and the kids, back in the '80s.

Wonderful. OK.

Well, let's hope you can get this band on the run.

As Barry mentioned, they have had a nightmare really,

the last couple of games. However, they've won, that's the key thing.

They've somehow just gathered up their resources and they've fought

off two very brilliant challenging teams and it means there's quite a

big jackpot today. So let me explain.

Every day we have £1,000 worth of cash up for grabs.

If the challengers fail to defeat the Eggheads,

the prize money rolls over.

The Eggheads had a very smooth passage for a while and they

suddenly got hit. They've come through it.

They've won the last 16,

so there is £17,000 to win today.

OK. So, some serious quizzing coming up.

-Shall we get started?

-Yes, please.

Good stuff. The first head-to-head battle is on the subject of Music

and you can have either Beth, Dave, Chris, Barry or Lisa.

-So, what do you think, guys?

-I-I think...

-you're up, aren't you?

-Well, I think it's time to put myself forward.

-Yeah.

-It's time to put myself forward.

-OK, George, I know

you have a collection of guitars.

-I do, yes.

-Who looks like they don't own any musical instruments?

Gosh, this is a very difficult one, isn't it?

I'm going to go for Beth, if that's OK.

Good stuff. Well, I know you've got a trombone somewhere.

Yeah, and a guitar.

-Oh, no, big mistake!

-THEY LAUGH

Two guitarists, OK.

So, it is George from the Newbury Geeks

to play Beth from the Eggheads.

And to ensure there's no conferring,

please take your positions in our famous Question Room.

So, do you have a collection of guitars, then, George?

Yeah, I've got about five, Jeremy, yeah.

George, on Music, would you like to go first or second?

I'll relax a little, Jeremy, I'll go second.

Ooh, don't relax here.

It can end very quickly.

Beth, your question.

A heptatonic scale is a musical scale

that has how many pitches per octave?

Beth, is it...

Well, hept...

You get heptagons, heptagons have seven sides,

so I assume that heptatonic would also be seven.

Seven is right. Well done.

Back to George.

The word axe is most commonly used as a slang term for which musical

instrument? Axe.

Well, I have five of them, so let's say guitar.

That question was written for you, wasn't it?

-Thank you.

-Guitar is the right answer.

Beth, I'm thinking if it's an axe,

it's used in a certain way, isn't it?

We're not talking John Williams here.

-No, I don't think so, no.

-We're talking proper Angus Young.

-Yeah.

-OK, your question. Who was the lead singer

of the 1980s pop group Japan?

Morten Harket is the lead singer for A-ha.

Ian McCulloch isn't a name I associate with Japan.

I'm going to go with David Sylvian.

Yeah, you're absolutely right.

And I'm thinking, Dave, you're going to know Ian McCulloch.

Echo & the Bunnymen is Ian McCulloch.

Echo & the Bunnymen is Ian McCulloch, yeah.

-We went down to Villiers Terrace to see what's a-happening.

-Yeah!

OK. George.

Are you an Echo & the Bunnymen fan or not?

-Er, spare us the cutter?

-Yeah!

-The Killing Moon?

-Oh, absolutely, yeah, yeah.

OK, here's your question, George.

The American sibling rock group

Kings Of Leon hail from which US state?

OK.

Kings Of Leon...

I'm familiar with the name and...

I'm going with...

with Washington on this one.

So, Washington State, so up in the sort of grungy area,

-the Nirvana area.

-That's what I'm going for, yeah.

Yeah, it's not, they're a bit more Dukes of Hazzard than that,

actually. It's Tennessee.

-OK.

-A bit more Southern.

Didn't we have a question, Eggheads, the other day to which the answer

was the kings of Leon, but not the band? The actual kings of Leon

-in Spain.

-Yeah, in Iberia.

-In the 1300s.

-Alfonso the Slobberer.

-That's right.

The answer was Alfonso the Slobberer.

-How can you forget that?

-One of the kings of Leon.

We went off in an amazing tangent.

OK, Beth, this for the round.

You can take it with this answer.

Which of the following is used to perform the American composer

Steve Reich's 1966 piece Come Out?

Ooh, erm...

Not a piece I'm familiar with.

I'm trying to think of what sorts of noises you would get

to put onto a piece.

Televisions, you would get static.

Tape recorders, you can...

stop, start, squeak, squeal.

Film projectors...

This is going to be an absolute guess.

My first thought when those options came up was tape recorders,

and I'll kick myself if I didn't go for it and it was correct,

so I'll go for tape recorders.

Tape recorders is the right answer,

Beth, well done, you're in the final.

George, sorry, you were beaten by our Egghead.

You've been knocked out.

Maybe we were too relaxed at the start there, we gave her an edge!

Anyway, early days for the Challengers,

please rejoin your teams and we'll play round two.

So, as it stands, the Newbury Geeks have lost one brain from the final

round. The Eggheads have not lost any so far.

And your next subject, Geeks, is Geography.

Who would like this?

-Geography.

-Geography.

Looks like it might be...

-Steve?

-We had a couple here that...

-Yes.

..fancied it. Which one of you...?

-Steve or Nick.

-I'm happy to do it.

-Go for it.

-OK, that'll be me, then.

-OK, Steve, our account manager.

Choose an Egghead.

-Anyone but Beth.

-Chris, please.

All right, Steve from the Newbury Geeks

takes on Chris from the Eggheads

on Geography. Please go to the Question Room now.

Well, Steve, you're a descendant of Edward I?

Apparently so, yes.

I spent 12 years researching it.

Maybe I've made a mistake, I'm not absolutely sure.

Great-great-great-grandson, or?

22nd great-grandson.

When was Edward I on the throne?

1272-1307, I think.

Right. He could almost be an answer in a quiz, Chris, couldn't he?

-Could be, yeah.

-Yeah.

Steve, would you like to go first or second?

I'll go first, please.

And here we go with your first question, Steve, good luck.

The names of how many African countries begin with the letter A?

Oh, let's try and think it through.

Angola... My mind has gone blank at this point. Erm...

-I'll go with five.

-Five.

-Because you did us Angola, there.

-Yes.

I guess Algeria would count as Africa, right?

Anything else, Eggs?

Can't think of any.

We've stopped at two.

-Oh, dear.

-I'm afraid, Steve, two is the answer.

OK, Chris, your question.

The city of Vienna is located in which major river?

Strauss wrote the Blue Danube waltz in Vienna, so it's the Danube.

The Danube is correct.

So, Chris is ahead.

Steve, try and pull back if you can.

-OK.

-In terms of population,

which city is generally regarded as the second largest in Spain?

Not been to Spain for a long time.

I've never been to any of these places.

I'm going to have a guess at Barcelona.

Yes, you've guessed well. Well done, it is Barcelona.

Barcelona is the second biggest.

So Steve, you're level with Chris.

And, Chris, here's your question.

The island of Naxos lies in which sea?

Well, it's off Greece, so it's in the Aegean.

Aegean is right, Chris, you're playing well.

Steve. Which of the following

is a river that flows through Essex?

Braintree is in Essex, so I'll go with River Brain.

Yeah, you could have gone wrong there.

River Brain is right.

So, again, level, but with this one question,

Chris can take it because our challenger got one wrong earlier.

Chris, Shepton Mallet is a market town

in which traditional English county?

Well, it used to be on the old Somerset and Dorset Railway.

It's in Somerset.

There's always the mention of a train in every round!

Whichever it is, whether it's Music or Geography or Sport or whatever.

Somerset is the right answer, well done.

Your timetable served you well there, Chris.

You're in the final. Sorry, Steve,

knocked out there. That one wrong answer can be dangerous

when they're in this kind of form.

Please return, rejoin your teams and we will see what happens next.

OK, so, we've got a little bit of a run on the Newbury Geeks at the

moment. What would be the equivalent in terms of telecommunications

technology here?

-A short-circuit?

-I would say we've dropped a few calls.

LAUGHTER

Had a slight power surge resulting in a disruption.

But you can easily bring this round.

You've lost two brains from the final round.

A really good idea now to try to take two Eggheads out

by way of revenge.

The next subject is History.

So, who would like History, of our Geeks?

-That's a tricky one.

-That was going to be me, so too late now.

History was my second.

I'll take a go.

Are you willing to take one for the team?

-I'll take one.

-OK.

-OK, Nick.

-Yep.

-Against which Egghead?

You can have either Barry, Dave or Lisa.

Oh, take your pick! It's difficult, this one, isn't it?

-Erm, Dave.

-Pretty decisive, there.

Nick from the Newbury Geeks taking on Tremendous Knowledge Dave from

the Eggheads, who I feel you've been busy recently, Dave,

saving the day on one of our previous games.

Let's see what happens now.

Please take your positions in our Question Room.

So, Nick, good luck on History.

-Thank you.

-I gather you met the Arctic Monkeys once?

Kind of by accident, on a plane.

I had to ask if they were famous.

That's why I'm not doing the Music round.

What, they were sitting next to you, just being the Arctic Monkeys,

-were they?

-Well, they were made a big fuss of on the plane and on the

ground beforehand. So I bumped into them in the passport queue at the

other end and sort of said, "Well, are you guys famous?"

-I bet they enjoyed that!

-I guess.

And did they say yes, or did they say no, not really?

They patiently explained.

They were very gracious.

And did you go back home and listen to

-I Bet You Look Good On The Dance Floor?

-I guess I did, yeah.

I think my family were a bit embarrassed as well!

OK, so, History, Nick.

And would you like to go first or second?

I'll go first, please.

I'm not sure I can guarantee

an Arctic Monkeys reference in this round!

Here's your question. Up until 1971,

it was necessary to have a licence

for which of the following in the UK?

I can't imagine needing a licence for a cooker.

A bicycle seems a bit of a stretch, so I'll say a radio.

Yes, radio. Dave, your question.

Which monarch was the father of Princess Margaret?

Just make sure I get it in my head.

Obviously Queen Elizabeth II's sister,

erm, so it's George VI.

George VI is quite right.

Was he the one in The King's Speech?

-Yes.

-Yeah.

So, level.

And back to you, Nick.

The Oregon Treaty of 1846 brought to an end a dispute between the United

States and which other country?

It's a little bit late to be Great Britain.

It's a long time before that when the Civil War was on.

I don't believe it was Russia, so I'll go for Mexico.

Great Britain is the answer.

There was a bit of a hangover post-independence, wasn't there?

Chris, you've got any idea here?

It established the boundary between the USA and Canada,

and mostly on the 49th parallel.

-Of course, yes.

-Great Britain is the answer.

Dave, over to you. In which year

did 12 men go on trial at

Buckinghamshire Assizes in Aylesbury,

charged in connection with the Great Train Robbery?

Can you just repeat the question,

just to make sure that I've got this right?

In which year did 12 men go on trial

at Buckinghamshire Assizes in Aylesbury,

charged in connection with the Great Train Robbery?

I've got to go 1964.

Yeah, but I thought that some of them had fled, but maybe...

The Train Robbery was in '63 and they caught the people very quickly

because they'd left their fingerprints

all over Leatherslade Farm.

-Yes.

-A couple of them had escaped before the trial.

But again, people like Biggs escaped after the trial and after he'd gone

-to prison.

-I see, OK.

So the trial came before the flight.

'64 is right. So,

he's in the lead and you need to get this one right, Nick.

What name was given to the English Parliament from 1661-1679?

Er...

Sorry, can you just repeat those years, please?

What name was given to the English Parliament from 1661 to 1679?

So, I don't think it was Cavalier.

And that does sound like a long time for a parliament,

so I'm going to say Long.

No, it's Cavalier Parliament.

That's the answer.

-Ah-ha.

-So, you've been knocked out by Dave.

Well done, Dave, you're in the final round again.

Nick, you were beaten by our Egghead.

Please come back to us and we'll play the last round before the

all-important final.

Eggs, I know you love your treaties.

So it was the Oregon Treaty we were talking about in 1846.

Of course, Oregon is below Washington State,

so it's not a Canada border issue at all.

President Polk?

-That's the fellow.

-That's the fellow, James K Polk.

It was basically a dispute over the Oregon boundary between the US and

the UK. And it was settled under this treaty and I think since 1818,

Oregon had been jointly occupied by the UK and the US, so, there we are.

A more obscure one.

Yeah, interesting to learn about that.

As it stands, the Newbury Geeks have lost three brains from the final

round. The Eggheads have not lost any so far.

Turn the masts up now.

Last one before the final and it's Sport.

Who would like this?

OK, which of us is going to sacrifice ourself on this altar?

You're probably slightly ahead on Sport.

-I'll go for sport.

-Are you sure?

-Yeah.

-Tarryn?

-Yep, I'll go sport.

-OK. Originally from South Africa,

very sporty nation.

Against either Barry or Lisa.

So, one of the two on the left.

-I'll go for Lisa.

-OK, very good.

So, it is going to be Tarryn from the Newbury Geeks playing Lisa from

the Eggheads on Sport. Just this round before the final for £17,000,

good luck to you.

Tarryn, you are originally from South Africa.

I am indeed, Jeremy.

-Whereabouts?

-Durban, on the coast.

And do you get back there much?

No, I haven't been back since, but I will be going back in August.

So how long have you been here for?

-I've been here for three years, Jeremy.

-Are you missing it?

I am, I'm missing the warm climate.

Yeah, just, it'll be good to go back.

-It's a very lively place, isn't it?

-Definitely.

-There's a lot going on.

-Yeah.

-And fascinating politics and history and everything else.

-Lots going on, definitely.

-Yeah. Lisa, have you been?

I never have, actually, no.

Everybody I've ever known who's gone says what an amazing place it is.

I've never made it out there yet.

Are South Africans as big on quizzing as Brits are?

-No, I wouldn't say so.

-I don't think anyone in the world is!

I don't know what it is about quizzing and the British.

I think it's more people going to the pub, and that's what people do.

-Yeah, it's social.

-Yeah.

-OK, well, good luck, Tarryn.

On Sport, would you like to go first or second?

I would like to go first, please, Jeremy.

So, here we go. According to FIFA rules,

what is the maximum length of a senior professional level

football pitch touchline?

OK, I'm just trying to convert that into metres.

LAUGHTER

I'm going to go over 210 yards.

No, you're quite a way out there, it's 130.

The conversion is roughly equal, isn't it?

-A metre's just a bit longer than a yard.

-OK.

But it's 130. But the bizarre thing about football pitches is that they

are different sizes. This is the thing that people can't...

-Dave, can they? Can't get their head around.

-No, they can't, no.

Other sports, you wouldn't dream of having pitches different sizes.

Tactically, for instance, they've got wingers,

you want a wider pitch, so that you can get the wingers playing,

but if you've not got wingers, you want to squeeze the pitch.

Right. OK, Lisa, your question.

The first UFC, or Ultimate Fighting Championship,

mixed martial art event took place in which decade?

Lisa, was it...

I've never really thought about it.

My inclination is sort of that it's a more recent thing.

I really don't know, I've not got much to go on, I'll try the 1990s.

1990s is correct.

Well done. Very modern.

Very up-to-date. Just like you.

-Tarryn.

-Yes.

The Iron is the nickname of which English football team

that plays home matches at Glanford Park?

This is going to be a totally...

I'm just going to have to guess this one, as I'm more of a rugby fan

than a football fan.

I'm just going to go with my gut and go Scunthorpe United?

All right, let's have a listen.

Team-mates, is she right?

-I think she is, yes.

-You're right, it's Scunthorpe.

They can now become your favourite team.

Lisa.

In 1990, the Scottish athlete Tom McKean won the gold medal at both

the indoor and outdoor European Championships in which event?

Lisa...

Tom McKean.

I might have him mixed up with somebody else,

but I had an idea he was a long-distance runner.

I'm sure it's a toss-up between the two longer distances.

I'll try the 10k, 10,000m.

Anyone know here?

-800 metres.

-800 metres is the answer.

-Bother.

Bother bother. Here's your third question now, Tarryn.

You're level at the moment.

Announced in late 2016,

the route of the 2017 Tour de France was notable for having only

36km of what?

Oh, erm...I should know this.

Can you just repeat the question, please, Jeremy?

Of course. Announced in late 2016,

the route of the 2017 Tour de France was notable for having only

36km of what?

I'm just going to go with mountain stages.

It's individual time trials.

So, Lisa, you have a chance on this question to take the round,

and make it five Eggheads in the final.

Which country does the tennis player Carla Suarez Navarro play for?

Argh!

I couldn't remember if it was Argentina or Spain.

I'm fairly sure it isn't Colombia, so that's a start.

Go on, I'll try Spain.

OK, so it was between Argentina and Spain, there, was it?

-Yeah.

-But you hit the right answer in the end, Spain it is.

Well done, you're through.

Oh, so sorry, Tarryn.

-Oh, it's OK.

-But they are playing well at the moment.

You've been beaten by our Egghead. If you both come back to us,

we will play the final round for £17,000.

So, this is what we have been playing towards.

It is time for our final round.

As always, it is General Knowledge.

But those of you who lost your head-to-heads

won't be allowed to take part in this round, I'm afraid.

So that's George, Tarryn,

Nick and Steve from the Newbury Geeks.

I do have to ask you, please, to leave the studio.

OK, Sarah, good luck here.

You're playing to win the Newbury Geeks £17,000.

-No pressure, right?

-No pressure!

Your team-mates are looking on with, let's say, interest.

Lisa, Barry, Chris, Dave and Beth,

you're playing for something which money can't buy,

the Eggheads' reputation,

and to see whether we might even get near £20,000.

That doesn't happen very often.

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

They're all General Knowledge and usually I say you can confer...

Yeah, exactly, not possible because you're on your own.

But the key thing here, Sarah, is whether you with your one brain,

can take out these five in a famous victory.

It has been done.

-I wish you all the best.

-Thank you.

Do you want to go first or second?

I'll go first. Straight in.

All right, good luck.

What word arose in the 1930s to mean a bribe given to a disc jockey to

plug certain records?

Music, that would not be my subject.

I haven't the faintest idea.

I've heard of all three terms.

Erm...I'm going to say kickback.

No, it's payola.

So-called payola scandal, or maybe that was in the '50s,

was it, the payola scandal?

I think it was, yes. Disc jockeys were being bribed to play certain

-records.

-Yeah, it was a particular DJ, I remember, in the States,

who fell foul of it.

OK, Eggheads.

In the phrase, "In one's best bib and tucker,"

meaning looking at one's most presentable,

the tucker is a piece of decorative lace worn where?

Ooh.

Well...

What a great question!

-Isn't it?

-I've heard this phrase for so long, I'm...

You wouldn't have a piece of decorative lace round your ankles,

-would you?

-No, no.

-That'd be stupid.

I think it is a neck thing.

-You think it is a neck thing?

-I think if you had it on your sleeves,

it might have to be plural, do you know what I mean?

-Yeah.

-Are we happy to go for neck?

-Yeah.

-I don't think there's anything we can discuss...

-Yeah.

Well, it's surprising that on such a well-known phrase,

that we actually struggled to see where it was,

but we've decided, after a little bit of conference, that we'd go for

-at the neckline.

-What do you think, Sarah?

I would probably have gone the same guess and I would've done so with

the vague feeling that I was wrong.

No, but it's right, at the neckline.

So, they're ahead.

Your question, Sarah.

The reddish giant star Aldebaran

is said to represent which part of the bull's anatomy

in the constellation of Taurus?

There's your science question.

Even better, it's an astronomy question,

so I really ought to know it!

I can see the constellation in my head

and I can't see where Aldebaran is.

So I'm going to guess the eye.

The eye is the right answer.

Good save. Why is that a good question for you?

I studied an astronomy module recently.

JEREMY CHUCKLES

-But they didn't ask me about constellations, you see.

-Well, I can

see how you can study for the whole of your life and not just

bump into that fact, so...

But nicely done. Eggheads, to take the lead...

Willemstad is the capital of which Caribbean island,

settled by the Dutch in the 1600?

Eggs, is this...

-It's Curacao, isn't it?

-It's one of the ABC Islands, isn't it?

-It's Curacao. Pretty sure it's Curacao.

-Yeah.

-It's not Aruba, it's not Mustique.

-I think Aruba might be Oranjestad.

Yeah, that's fine. Yeah, Curacao is fine.

-OK, we all happy with Curacao?

-Yep.

-Yep.

Well, this is one of the ABC Islands, Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao

and Willemstad is the capital of Curacao.

Curacao is the right answer.

So, that's a shame in a way,

because it would've been nice if they'd got that wrong.

-They are ahead now.

-Mm-hm.

Don't get this wrong.

I'll try not to, yeah! Thanks for letting me know the strategy!

If you get it wrong... I'm just saying, if you get it wrong,

the contest is over. Taken from the name of their commanding officer,

which country's troops were known

during the First World War as Byng Boys?

And Byng is B-Y-N-G, with a capital B.

Byng Boys.

I have never heard that used of US troops.

Not that that means much, but...

So it'll be one of the others.

And I'm just going to guess Australia.

The correct answer is...

Canada.

So I'm sorry, Sarah, that ends the contest and we say congratulations,

Eggheads, you have won!

Oh, Sarah, I'm sorry, but, well...

-I got the science one right!

-I was going to say,

I would've been in such pain had you got that wrong

and I know you would've been too.

Commiserations, Newbury Geeks.

The Eggheads have done what comes naturally to them.

I guess in telecommunications terms,

they are networked together rather well, here.

Their winning streak continues.

It means that you won't be going home with the £17,000,

so we roll the money over to our next show.

Eggheads, many congratulations.

Who will beat you?

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

to defeat the Eggheads. £18,000 says they don't.

Till we quiz again, goodbye.