Episode 85 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 team of five quiz challengers

pit their wits against possibly the greatest quiz team in Britain.

They are the Eggheads.

Hoping to get one over on our quiz champions today are...

This friends-and-family team from Ipswich

hold their own monthly quiz where they compete against each other

but today they have rallied together to take on the Eggheads.

So let's meet them.

Hi, I'm Adam and I'm a catering manager.

Hi, I'm Robert and I'm a project manager.

Hello, I'm John and I'm a retired company director.

Hi, I'm Rob and I'm a primary school teacher.

Hi, I'm David and I'm a business development manager.

-Adam and team, welcome.

-Hi.

-Hello.

Good to see you. So, Adam, tell us about the quizzing, first of all.

-What do you do?

-We generally go for a couple of drinks

and end up in a curry house.

And one of our members of the wider group devises a quiz.

We split ourselves into two, take over the Indian restaurant,

generally, and just do the quiz on various subjects.

And one night we thought,

"Well, it'd be nice to see how good we are

"and if we can take it a step further and try and win a few quid!"

All right! Well, it's a great plan.

You're called Hedley's Heroes - tell us why that is.

One of the members of the club, called Hedley,

sadly passed away earlier this year.

So we thought we'd use his name as a sort of respect to him,

and see what we could do.

Because he was always present at the curry nights,

and he loved his quizzes and we just thought that would be a nice touch.

How perfect. Good luck, team.

Every day there is £1,000 worth of cash

up for grabs for our Challengers.

However, if they fail to beat the Eggheads,

the prize money rolls over to our next show. And, Hedley's Heroes,

there's been an awful lot of rolling over recently.

The Eggheads are on storming form, I think it's fair to say.

Would you agree with me, Judith?

Well, we are doing quite well at the moment.

That's as extreme as it gets from Judith.

"We are doing quite well."

They've actually won the last 22 games.

-Ah.

-So that means there's a big jackpot...

Would you like to play for it?

-We certainly would.

-Yes, please.

-OK, Hedley's Heroes,

the first head-to-head battle is on the subject of Food and Drink

and you can choose either Judith, Steve,

Kevin, Dave or Lisa. Food and Drink.

-Well, we said I'd do Food and Drink, didn't we?

-Yeah, it has to be you.

-Yeah.

-Off you go.

-What do you reckon, guys?

Yep, Food and Drink.

-Who should we take on?

-OK, Adam, our catering manager,

against which Egghead?

Yes, a catering manager, everyone!

Alarm bells ringing all over the place here!

The alarm bells are ringing THIS side!

-Who do you reckon?

-Er...

-Lisa, maybe?

-Yeah, try her.

-Yeah? What do you reckon, guys?

-Go for it.

-We'd like to take on Lisa, please.

OK. So, Adam from Hedley's Heroes versus Lisa from the Eggheads.

Kevin looking slightly relieved!

To ensure there's no conferring, please take your...

Yes, you are. Please take your positions in the Question Room.

We were looking back at the records, Lisa, since you joined Eggheads.

-Since that happy day.

-Mm-hm.

And in that two or three years, you've only done...

This is only the second time you've done Food and Drink.

I thought it was the third, so I can't count - that's terrible.

So, I don't know what happened the other times

but maybe you'll catch her unawares here, Adam.

I do hope so, Jeremy, yes!

So, I know you're a catering manager.

-I am, yes.

-Tell us about that.

I basically work for a contract caterer

in one of the large regions in Suffolk.

A large site, serving up to about 200 people.

But I've always been into catering, all my career.

I was a chef in the Royal Navy for 13 years.

So not only have I travelled around, cooking, er,

hopefully I've picked up some knowledge on my travels

of different cultures and different foods.

-That's what I'm hoping.

-It also says here you have an irrational fear

-of fish touching your feet, so...

-Yes.

..I'm just wondering if that might be a blind spot!

Hopefully not, no!

I tend to prefer my fish on a plate in front of me rather than

touch my feet if I'm swimming, to be perfectly honest.

All right, well, good luck against Lisa on Food and Drink.

Adam, would you like to go first or second?

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

Here we go. What dish was created at the restaurant Antoine's

in New Orleans in the late 1890s,

consisting of oysters cooked with a buttery sauce

containing green vegetables?

I believe Oysters Getty is just a wild one they've thrown in.

I believe it's Oysters Rockefeller.

It is Oysters Rockefeller, yeah.

You ever cooked that or not?

I've done oysters but not to that extent, no.

Buttery sauce with green vegetables.

-Is it delicious, Judith?

-I've had it in America.

-It's delicious.

-Washed down with champagne?

-Probably!

-Yes.

-Yep.

Lisa, your question. Which of these

is a cut of beef often used in the classic dish of steak frites?

I don't know. Are they all cuts of beef?

I think that must be onglet or possibly "ong-lette".

It is. I guess, depending on where you come from,

you might go for an "ong-lette", but onglet is the answer.

Adam, back to you. Which drink

is often warmed in a ceramic decanter called a tokkuri?

Ceramic... I would... Sake is the rice wine from Japan.

Lassi just sounds like a film dog.

So I will go for sangria, Jeremy.

Now, I've seen Barry having this a few times.

Lisa, you've been out with him, haven't you?

I've been out with Barry when he's been on the sake.

It's not pretty but there is a ceramic decanter involved.

Japanese food - sake.

And lassi is Indian. So, Lisa, your question.

In which country was

the restaurateur and TV presenter Prue Leith born?

I really ought to know this, cos I'm an enormous Prue Leith fan

and I will feel awful if I get this wrong.

I don't think it's Ireland.

I think I'll try South Africa.

South Africa is quite right.

So she has two - you need to get this one right, Adam.

-OK.

-In bakery, in its basic form, what is a dacquoise?

A dacquoise is D-A-C-Q-U-O-I-S-E.

I believe it's a chocolate fondant.

But I'm not 100%, but that's what I'd go with.

-Dacquoise is a nut meringue...

-Ah.

-..Adam.

-Ah.

-That's... My love of chocolate took me that way.

-A-ha-ha!

So, no way back in this round. Lisa has taken the round.

Lisa, you'll be in the final round. Adam, you've been knocked out.

-I'm sorry.

-OK.

-Difficult start for our Challengers

but plenty of time still to play.

Please return to your teams and we'll play on.

OK. As it stands, Hedley's Heroes

have lost a brain from the final round.

The Eggheads have still got all their brains all intact -

no shells broken.

And the next subject for you is Arts & Books.

-Who would like this?

-That's the one I wanted to dodge!

-What are we going to do?

-I said I'd take the bullet if you want to...

Do we...? You go for it.

Do you want to take the bullet?

-Yeah.

-Yeah?

-Who is it going to be?

Everyone's happy? We're going to say Robert, please, Jeremy.

Robert, OK - our project manager.

Which Egghead would you like? It can't be Lisa.

-Tremendous Knowledge...

-I would go...

Yeah? I'd like to play Dave.

Brilliant stuff. Robert from Hedley's Heroes

is playing Dave from the Eggheads.

And to ensure there's no conferring, please, both of you,

take your positions in our famous Question Room.

Robert, on Arts & Books, would you like to go first or second?

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

And here we go. Which children's book was published as

The Golden Compass in the USA?

OK. I think I'm what's known as

a sacrificial lamb on this round, Jeremy, just for clarity here.

But I think I will go...

-The Colour Of Magic.

-The Colour Of Magic.

-Dave, what do you think?

-I think it's Northern Lights.

Golden Compass in the USA is Northern Lights, Robert.

Dave's first question is here. Which of these literary characters

was created by Jean de Brunhoff?

I think the Cat in the Hat is Seuss, Dr Seuss.

Tarka the Otter I think is Henry Williamson.

And I think...

Babar the Elephant is French, so Babar the Elephant.

Babar the Elephant is quite right.

Robert...

what is the full title of a Charles Dickens novel about Edwin Drood?

Again, this is not one I'm familiar with.

But I will go with The Travels Of Edwin Drood, Jeremy, please.

I'm sorry - it is The Mystery Of Edwin Drood.

So a chance for Dave, with this question, to take the round.

Leonardo da Vinci died in which year?

Er... Just make sure I've got everything right here.

He could have been born in, I would think, about 1452

so I'll go 1519.

If you've got this right, Dave, you will have won 250 head-to-heads.

1519 is the correct answer - well done.

-APPLAUSE Well done, Dave.

-Wow!

Fully arrived as an Egghead with all your stripes.

I'm sorry, Robert - he's very good

and he's knocked you out. You won't be in the final. Dave, Robert,

come back to us and we'll play the third round.

All right, some tricky times for our Challengers here -

Hedley's Heroes have lost a couple of brains now from the final round.

The Eggheads are all still there.

Maybe this is the moment, Adam.

This is the moment Jeremy, yes.

We've had a team talk.

In catering terms, we're going to turn up the hob...

That's it. Yeah, definitely.

..to six. The next subject is Sport.

That's got to be good.

-We hoped this would come up.

-Good.

We did hope. It's got to be you.

-It has to be you.

-I'll take Sport, yeah.

Rob? OK. Primary school teacher

who scuba dived in the Great Barrier Reef.

So, which bit of the Eggheads would you like to break off?

I'll go for Judith, please.

Right, so... Oh, dear.

-Rob from Hedley's Heroes versus Judith from the...

-Disappointed.

That's what the teachers used to say.

Rob and Judith, please go to our Question Room now.

Judith, in the last series of Eggheads...

-Yeah?

-..your hit rate on Sport was 33%.

-That's not very good.

-In this series, it's 82%.

-Gosh!

-Known as the Eliminator.

-Rob, you're up against Judith here. It can be tough.

-Very daunting.

Very, very daunting indeed.

You like football, Rob, I gather?

I do, yes. Yeah, keen follower of Ipswich Town.

I used to play a bit myself but I haven't done

since age got the better of me.

It's like they say with boxing - first the arms go,

then the legs go, then the friends go.

-Yeah, my legs were going many years ago.

-THEY CHUCKLE

-Time to admit defeat.

-So, Rob, on Sport,

would you like to go first or second?

I'll go first, please, Jeremy.

Good luck against the Eliminator.

Which of these was an event at the 2014 Winter Olympics?

I've got a feeling a skeleton is an individual event. Er...

Three-man luge?

I think I'll go for four-man bobsleigh.

I'm glad you did. You're right. Four-man bobsleigh.

OK. Is this the moment it turns for the Challengers?

Let's see. Judith,

Kevin Keegan became manager of the England football team in which year?

Um, not sure.

-I'm going to say 1989.

-No.

Let's see. Eggheads, is she right?

-No. '99.

-Oh, you're ten years out.

-'99?

-It's '99.

-Did you have a suspicion?

-I had a sus...

Well, I was alternating between those two, I have to say.

And be careful here, Rob. Sometimes she will lure people into thinking

that she... THEY CHUCKLE

..doesn't know the answers, and then suddenly strike.

So, keep focus here.

-Will do.

-In flat racing, which of these venues

is the regular host of two of the five British Classics horse races?

I'm fairly sure...

Newmarket and Aintree both have jumps.

Whether there are flat races there as well I'm not sure,

so I'll go for Sandown Park.

I've heard a gasp next to me.

-Eggheads?

-Newmarket.

Newmarket is the answer.

The regular host of two of the five British Classics.

OK. Judith, to catch up...

Sam Quek and Maddie Hinch won Olympic gold medals

in which sport at the 2016 Games?

I don't know whether they won them together,

in a sort of mixed event, or separately.

I don't know. Cycling?

Oh! Do you know, I thought you'd know this.

The women's hockey, Judith - that's what it was.

And they were absolutely amazing.

-Did you see...

-What... Were they both women?

Yes, they were. Sam and Maddie.

Oh, well, that deceived me.

I thought they were a mixed... Possibly a mixed pair.

They were part of a team. Steve, you watched it?

-Yeah, yeah.

-Wasn't it brilliant?

It was so tense - it were unbelievable.

OK, Judith, you messed up there. I'm sorry.

-It's hockey.

-Yep.

So far, the Egghead has got none

and, Rob, you've got one. So this is quite good.

If you get this right, you will be in the final round.

And maybe this is the moment, Adam, just like you were saying.

-This is the moment we...

-Star Man has planned that!

Exactly. Here's your question.

Who won her first Grand Slam tennis singles title

at the age of 16 at the 1990 French Open?

26 years... 30. so she's 42 now.

I think I'd put all of them roughly in that bracket.

We said the French Open?

-Let me read it again for you.

-Thank you.

Who won her first Grand Slam tennis singles title

at the age of 16 at the 1990 French Open?

I think...

I'm going to narrow it down to Monica Seles and Steffi Graf.

Can't remember Capriati winning...

..too much. I'll go for Steffi Graf, please.

Steffi Graf is your answer. Let's see if your team-mates know. Guys?

-Well, we think it's Monica Seles.

-They think it's Monica Seles.

Monica Seles is the answer.

OK. So, let's just have a look.

Not the highest-scoring round.

Judith, you need to get one right, basically,

not to put too fine a point on it, to stay alive here.

OK? Here is your question.

On the five-ringed Olympic Games symbol

that features on the Olympic flag,

what colour are the two rings at either end

that are only attached to one another colour each?

-This to stay in.

-Yeah.

I haven't the faintest idea.

I have a feeling black is one end.

I think black and yellow.

So you've got black definitely in your mind.

I've got black in my mind.

-Right.

-And into my mind also floats yellow.

So we've got black definitely and then yellow probably.

Yes, and it's blue and red.

It's blue and red. Yeah. SHE GIGGLES

Sorry!

All right, but you've given a bit of a boost to the Challengers,

which is a good thing. Oh, well done, Rob.

-Thank you.

-That was like trench warfare, that round, wasn't it?

-It was.

-My goodness.

-Low-scoring, but I got there.

Doesn't matter, doesn't matter. As long as you won.

So you will be in the final. Judith, sorry.

That's painful, I know, but your sports figures remain good.

Please, both of you, return to us and we'll play one more round.

Are we at a turning point in the contest

as the Challengers battle for £23,000?

Hedley's Heroes have lost two brains from the final, yes,

but the Eggheads have now lost one as well.

And you can feel the tension here.

The next subject is Music.

Now, if you can get one out on Music...

-Yes!

-..then we're really talking.

It's up to you, Dave.

The sacrificial lamb. So I'll take that one.

OK, David, our business development manager, against...

You can have either of the gents on the right - Kevin or Steve.

I think it will have to be Steve.

David from Hedley's Heroes taking on Steve from the Eggheads

in the last round before the final. Please go to the Question Room now.

-David, you're building your own house.

-Yeah, that's right.

Are you putting it somewhere where there was no house before?

No, there was an existing house there -

we've just sort of done quite a substantial extension,

pretty much ripped it all out and started from scratch, really.

So, er... Yeah, it's taken some time.

And you've got the radio on while you're doing that, listening to music?

-Er, no.

-No?!

-Music isn't my strongest subject, I have to admit.

-Oh, blimey. OK.

Steve, have you ever built a house?

Not one you'd want to live in. I'd struggle with a Wendy house.

Music, David - would you like to go first or second?

Um, I'll go second.

OK. Over to the Wendy house and Steve.

When the Spice Girls first became famous, Steve,

what was the surname of the member known as Mel B?

That was Scary and she were Brown.

Yes, she wasn't Mel Brooks, was she?

Ha! That's only just dawned on me, that, yeah.

-Mel Brooks, yeah. Very good.

-Blazing Saddles.

Brown is the answer.

David, which musical features

the song Don't Cry For Me Argentina?

Well, it can't be Guys And Dolls, so...

I think this is the musical about the lady in Argentina,

so I think I will go for Evita.

It is indeed - Eva Peron.

Evita is right. Well done.

Steve, in which decade

was the George Michael solo album Faith first released?

Well, it's after he left Wham!

I think it were about '87, something like that, so it's '80s.

It is. I might have been tempted with the '90s, there, actually.

But you're right. '80s is correct.

David, to catch up...

The Richard Wagner work often known as The Ring Cycle

has what full title in English?

So, I... This is going to be a guess. So, I...

I'm going to go for Nibelungen, because Wagner...

..sounds German. Nibelungen sounds German,

so I'm going to go for The Ring Of The Nibelung.

Wagner is German for sure but, Eggheads, is he right?

-Yeah.

-Yes, yes.

-Yes, it is The Ring Of The Nibelung.

Over to you, Steve. Which of these

is traditionally a male character

in the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta The Mikado?

Not the world's biggest Gilbert and Sullivan fan.

The only character I've heard of is a genuine character -

whether it's male or female, I really don't know -

and that's Peep-Bo, so that's got to be my answer.

Peep-Bo. Is Peep-Bo in Gilbert and Sullivan?

Peep Bo and Pitti-Sing are two of the three little maids from school.

Unfortunately, they're all girls. They are actually all in The Mikado.

-It's Pish-Tush.

-Ah, Lisa's told us - it is.

They're all in The Mikado but Pish-Tush is the answer.

Oh, right. Right.

Now I'm feeling quite excited.

If you get this right, David,

not only are you in the final

but you've levelled it up with £23,000 to play for.

Thanks for the pressure!

Get this right, otherwise we go to Sudden Death.

Here is your question. Originally released in 1999 in the USA,

what was the title of the debut album by Dido?

Well, this is actually one of

the few albums that I've ever bought, really.

So it's No Angel.

Ha-ha! Are the omens up for this team, or what?

No Angel is right - well done. So you've taken on one of the Eggheads.

You've emerged triumphant

at an absolutely crucial moment in the contest,

with £23,000 to play for.

Steve, you are not in the final round. David, you are.

Please rejoin your teams and we will play the final.

So, all very exciting - 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 lost your head-to-heads

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

So, Adam and Robert, from Hedley's Heroes,

but also Steve and Judith from the Eggheads,

would you please now leave the studio?

John, Rob and David, you're playing to win Hedley's Heroes £23,000.

Sizeable jackpot for this programme - that's for sure.

Lisa, Dave and Kevin,

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

which is to defend the Eggheads' reputation.

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

They're all General Knowledge.

You can confer with each other.

So, Hedley's Heroes, the question is,

can your three brains defeat these three?

Simple as that, and off you go with the money.

-We hope so.

-Good, John. All the best to you three.

-Thank you.

-Would you like to go first or second?

We'll go first, please, Jeremy.

Your first question...

The warm-water current called the Gulf Stream

is an important feature of which ocean?

Is it...

This isn't the Pacific. This is the Atlantic.

-Everybody knows that, yeah. Agree?

-The Atlantic.

-Yeah.

The Atlantic, Jeremy.

It is the Atlantic. Well done, John.

Eggheads, what is the largest

satellite of the planet Saturn?

-Titan.

-Clue's in the name, isn't it?

Titan, yeah.

Yes, in a way, the clue is in the name.

-It's Titan.

-Are they all satellites of the planet?

-No, not of Saturn.

-Ceres is a dwarf...

Once an asteroid,

it's now categorised as a dwarf planet.

Phobos is a moon of Mars.

So it's Titan.

Titan is right. Your question...

Who plays the Queen in the 2016 film The BFG?

I don't know. I think it's going to have to be a guess.

-I didn't see it.

-Have you watched it?

-No.

What was that - a television programme?

-It's just recently been...

-Out in the cinema.

-Who would make a...?

-I've never heard of Penelope Wilton.

-I've only heard of Imelda Staunton.

-Penelope Wilton...

Penelope Wilton's in several soaps.

-Was she?

-And Imelda Staunton was in that, er...

-Best Marigold Hotel.

-Oh.

-Oh, OK. Yeah.

-So, shall...

Well, I don't... Shall we go for Imelda Staunton, then?

Sure? Imelda Staunton?

Penelope Wilton - did she not...

Yeah, I think she... Penelope Wilton seemed to be more regal.

-Yeah.

-Then Brenda Blethyn's a bit...

Yeah, she's a bit...

OK.

-Penelope Wilton.

-Yeah, we'll go for that.

-What are you going for?

-Penelope Wilton.

-OK.

Penelope Wilton.

Penelope Wilton is your answer.

-You veered - you were going for Imelda Staunton.

-Yes.

What took you off her?

Well, she was in The Best Marigold Hotel.

-Yeah.

-She didn't seem to be...

regal enough, I guess.

Not regal enough?

Penelope Wilton is the right answer.

-Well done.

-I don't know how you did that

but you're playing with something innate here, guys.

Quite interested in how this contest ends.

OK, this is lively.

Eggheads, you get one wrong, it's out of your hands.

In the original standard version of the board game Trivial Pursuit,

which category was represented by a blue wedge?

Geography, isn't it? I thought,

"Hold on, just let's go through them."

It's my least favourite category, yeah.

-History was yellow.

-Yeah, and entertainment's pink.

So, yeah, I'm pretty sure it's geography, blue.

Happy with geography? OK.

We'll go for geography, please, Jeremy.

It is geography.

I imagined you'd get that, having played so many quizzes.

So, two each in the final round.

You're playing really well, Challengers.

£23,000 we're playing for.

Get this right, you may not have to do any more work today.

Dunfermline Palace, the birthplace of Charles I,

is in which area of Scotland?

This would be a guess, but Dunfermline, and Dumfries...

-That would be my only connection to it.

-But is that too obvious?

I had a slight inkling to Fife,

but it wouldn't be anything other than a slight inkling, really.

-Well, shall we go for Dumfries and Galloway?

-I'm happy to go for that.

Yeah? Dumfries and Galloway?

-Sure?

-BOTH: Yeah.

Dumfries and Galloway, Jeremy, please.

Dumfries and Galloway is your answer.

Yeah, I can see how you'd get drawn there because of Dunfermline -

sounds a bit like Dumfries -

and you were tempted by Fife for a second there.

You should have gone to Fife.

The answer is Fife.

All right, if you get this right, Eggheads,

you've taken the contest.

The ballerina known as Alicia Markova

was born in which city?

She was Lillian Alicia Marks when she was born.

I thought it was London.

London came into my head.

I don't think it's either of the others.

-I'm just having...

-Have a think, have a think.

I'm having a little ponder about it, just to make...

I'm sure it's not Berlin.

-Yeah.

-And I don't think it was Paris.

-I thought it was London.

-I think she was English-born.

-Are you happy?

-I'm happy with that. Because I think...

-Yeah, other people I can attach to other places.

-Places, yeah.

-I'm pretty sure.

-I think London's fine.

-Go with that.

-We believe that's London, Jeremy.

London is your answer. Now, they've got two.

If you get this one, you've got three.

If you've got three, the contest is over.

The answer is London.

We have to say congratulations, Eggheads, you have won.

-Ah, Fife!

-Yes.

-Maybe equal, then Sudden Death, and then who knows?

We say commiserations to Hedley's Heroes.

The Eggheads have done it yet again.

This winning streak continues.

So, the Challengers don't go home with the £23,000

and we take that money, we roll it over to our next show.

Eggheads, really amazing play again.

OK, you lost two, but you were pretty sure-footed throughout.

I do think you can be beaten at all, and you will never be beaten again.

-Yeah.

-Yeah!

-Just putting that on the table.

-Just trying to jinx it a little.

-Yeah. Hmm.

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

can finally defeat the Eggheads and stop this run.

£24,000 says they can't.

Till then, goodbye.