Episode 19 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.

Are you feeling brainy?

ALL: Yes.

Hoping to get one over on our quiz champions today

are Always Playtime, from Cheshire.

This team is made up of retired and semi-retired teachers

who are thoroughly enjoying their newly-found spare time.

Let's meet them.

Hi, I'm Pete, and I'm a semi retired PE teacher.

Hi, I'm David, and I'm a retired maths teacher.

Hi, I'm Wendy.

I'm a retired primary school teacher.

Hi, I'm Tony, I'm a retired maths teacher.

Hi, I'm Dave, I'm a part-time PE teacher.

So, Pete and team, hello.

-ALL:

-Hello.

-Good to see you.

And I love this idea, Pete, of a bit of free time.

Yes, we've got lots of free time now to do what we enjoy doing,

and one of the nicest parts of the school day was playtime,

and so for us, now, it's always playtime.

Right. Is there any quizzing as part of this playtime?

Yes, we all quiz, sometimes together, sometimes separately,

but we all enjoy quizzing and that's why we've all arrived today.

Cos they always say that retirement doesn't really exist any more,

that people don't really ever properly stop working.

So I'm assuming, I know some of you still keep your hand in,

in various ways.

Yes, I still work, actually, one day a week, and Dave down at the end,

he works one day a week as well.

That's just about enough time.

Yeah. Well, this also counts as a day's work here, I think.

CHUCKLING

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.

Now, Always Playtime,

the Eggheads have won the last four games,

they've got a spring in their step.

And you need to knock them off balance and steal the money.

There's £5,000 to play for.

-Would you like to try and win?

-Yes.

-We would.

-Yes, please.

Good. I'm so pleased you said that.

The first head-to-head battle is on the subject of Arts And Books,

which I reckon for teachers is good.

One of you needs to go against either Beth, Kevin, Chris,

-Dave or Lisa.

-OK, what do we think?

What do you think? Do you want me to go first?

Yes, go on.

-I'll do it then.

-Wendy?

OK. Our retired primary teacher, against which Egghead, Wendy?

-Er...

-Who looks worried?

LAUGHTER

Nobody looks worried, but I'd like to try against Dave, please.

Good stuff.

So Wendy from Always Playtime taking on Tremendous Knowledge Dave,

from the Eggheads. And just to ensure there's no conferring,

would you please go to our legendary question room?

I've just noticed what your degree is in, Wendy.

English and Visual Arts.

That sounds perfect, Dave, for this round.

Yes, it does. I think she's the strong favourite.

LAUGHTER

You're currently taking some dance lessons, I gather?

My husband and I are absolutely loving learning to dance.

And any particular dance you particularly love?

Oh, love the jive. Love the jive.

The flicks and kicks, yeah.

Yes. Wonderful, wonderful,

and I've met so many wonderful people doing it as well.

That's brilliant. So, Wendy, would you like to go first or second

-on Arts And Books?

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

OK, here we go. Up your street, this one.

The dancer Marie Rambert is particularly associated with

what form of dance?

I know it's not tango or tap, it's ballet.

It is indeed ballet, that's right.

There's the Rambert school round the corner from my house.

Dave, your question. In their first appearance,

which of these Charles Dickens characters is oldest?

Erm...

I'm going to go...

-..Miss Haversham.

-Miss Haversham is right.

Here's your question, Wendy.

Night School, published in 2016,

is the 21st book featuring which fictional hero?

Not really sure of that answer.

I know there are several in the James Bond series of books.

I thought there was only about four with Jason Bourne,

going on the films.

And I've seen a Jack Reacher film,

but I've not read any of the books.

I think I will go for...

..James Bond.

It's not James Bond.

Let's just check this.

Eggheads, could it be James Bond in the sense that

-people are still writing Bond books post-Fleming?

-Potentially, yes.

However, it's not the right answer. Jack Reacher is the answer.

And it's the Tom Cruise series, isn't it?

-That's right.

-Yeah. Those movies.

Dave, the artist George Stubbs was born in which century?

18th.

18th is correct.

-What year, Kevin?

-Er, 1724.

1724.

Did he make it into the 19th century?

-Just.

-Just.

-1806.

-1806.

-How does he do that?

-I don't know!

How does he do that?!

Human Google.

Wendy, your third question.

You need to get this right. In 2005,

a sculpture of which artist was exhibited

on Trafalgar Square's Fourth plinth?

Again, I've not seen it...

..but I believe it's Grayson Perry.

It is not, actually.

Alison Lapper was the answer there, Wendy.

Sorry, you've been knocked out by Dave.

-That's all right.

-Come back to us, both of you.

It IS early days, plenty of time for our challengers to turn it around.

We'll play the next round in a moment.

OK, so a little bit of a difficult start for Always Playtime.

They've lost one brain from the final round.

Sorry, Wendy.

-That's all right.

-The Eggheads have not lost any.

And the second subject is Music.

Who would like this?

-Is that me?

-Yes.

-That's me, Jeremy.

-OK, Dave, at the end,

our part-time PE teacher, against which Egghead?

Anyone but Dave.

I think you should go against Chris.

I think Chris as well.

Chris, please.

Dave from Always Playtime going to take on Chris on Music.

Chris, how's that?

I have one thing to say to you, sir.

Scissor Sisters.

LAUGHTER He's been revising!

Try and get up to date. To ensure there is no conferring,

would you please take your positions in our question room?

Is it good for you, Music, David?

Yeah, I like music, Jeremy.

Good. What sort of music do you like?

I sometimes, I play guitar a little bit, so old classic Beatles,

Simon and Garfunkel stuff.

Different eras, '60s, '70s, '80s are best for me, I think.

Wonderful. You ever tangle with the guitar, Chris?

No.

The only instrument I ever played was the recorder in primary school.

Of course, Simon and Garfunkel, Beatles, that's my era as well,

so I think we're evenly matched here.

OK. Well, let's see.

Dave, Music, would you like to go first or second?

First, please, Jeremy.

Here we go. Good luck.

In the system commonly used to sound out the musical scale,

which sound follows Do, Re and Mi?

Do, Re, Mi... Fa.

Yes, Fa is right.

It's Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do.

OK, Chris.

In which year did Cilla Black have both of her UK Number One singles?

Ah, yes, this was...

One of them was You're My World.

I forget what the other one was. It was 1964.

Now, let's think.

-It wasn't Man Who Sold The World, was it?

-No.

-Anyone Who Had A Heart.

-Anyone Who Had A Heart says Dave.

That's the one.

1964 is right.

Back to you, Dave.

Which fictional character released the album Life On The Road in 2016?

I...

Not sure. I will have a bit of a stab, a bit of a guess at...

..David Brent.

Yeah, absolutely right.

-He goes on tour with his guitar.

-Get in!

Yeah, well done. David Brent. Get in.

Chris,

in which state was the country singer Dolly Parton born?

Tennessee.

Tennessee's right.

So, two each.

Dave, back to you.

What colour was the title of a celebrated 1971 album

by Joni Mitchell?

I like Joni Mitchell,

I should know this!

I'm going to go for Blue, please.

Yeah, very much so.

That's the title and it's one of the greatest albums ever recorded,

and I'm ashamed to say, I think I first heard it,

in full, five years ago.

Chris, to stay in.

In musical composition,

what name is given to a chord whose pitches are sounded successively?

That is an arpeggio.

Mostly done on the harp.

-Yeah, arpeggio's right.

-Mm.

Wow, you're good, you two.

3-3. Nothing to choose between you on Music so far.

You enjoying this, Dave?

-Oh, yeah, very much.

-And we go to sudden death.

Gets a bit harder, I don't give you multiple-choice options.

According to the title of their 1979 single,

which day of the week do the Boomtown Rats not like?

They don't like Monday.

They don't like Monday at all. You're right.

Chris,

which long-running BBC radio DJ

is sometimes known by the nickname Lammo?

Oh.

Don't listen to the radio.

Lammo. Obviously was named Lamb.

Erm...

I want to say David Lammy, but he's MP for Tottenham.

Sarah Lamb?

Sarah Lamb.

Mm.

OK, Sarah Lamb.

Known as Lammo.

I don't know how I'm going to tell Steve Lamacq about this.

Oh, that's him, is it?

It's him! You've been knocked out, Chris.

Sorry. Steve Lamacq is the answer.

Well done, Dave!

You've levelled things up,

you've taken on an Egghead and emerged triumphant.

Good news for your team.

You will be in the final.

Please rejoin your team-mates!

So, as it stands, Always Playtime have lost a brain

from the final round, but the Eggheads have lost one as well, now.

And the next subject for you is Geography.

-Who wants this?

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-Shall we...?

-Shall we go...?

-David.

-I'm going to go.

-David?

-Yeah.

Against which Egghead?

It can be Lisa on the far end, or Kevin or Beth.

I'd like to take on Kevin, please, Jeremy, yeah.

OK, David from Always Playtime to take on Kevin from the Eggheads

on Geography. Please take your positions.

So you travel quite a bit, David?

Yeah, quite a bit. Especially around Europe.

And any particularly favourite places?

-Madrid.

-Madrid, really?

-Oh, it's a lovely place.

It's a lovely place to go out at night.

The people are happy people,

and they like to mix and socialise and chat.

-It's great.

-Did you sort of dream of living there one day, or...?

-HE CHUCKLES

-Maybe! Maybe, yeah.

All right. So we're on Geography, David.

Would you like to go first or second?

I'll go second, thank you, Jeremy.

And here is your first question.

Kevin, which of these countries has the longest coastline?

Well...

I mean, Germany has got a reasonably...

..substantial coastline,

Portugal...probably has the longest coastline for its size,

but it's a relatively small country.

But Italy, as largely a peninsula and with lots of islands,

which would count as coastline as well, I'd say it's Italy.

Italy is correct.

David, Niger is a country

on which continent?

Spelt N-I-G-E-R.

It's in Africa, Jeremy.

It's somewhere on the west side of Africa.

It is indeed in Africa. Well done.

Kevin,

what name is given to the strait that lies between Northern Ireland

and the south-west of Scotland?

Well, the Firth of Forth is over on the East coast of Scotland.

The Minch is further up in the Hebrides.

But this is the North Channel.

It is the North Channel.

David, your question.

Which of these shipping forecast areas is further south?

Well...

I think the Faeroes are up near Iceland

and the Shannon's off Ireland,

and Biscay is off the coast of the Basque country in Spain

so I'm going to go for Biscay.

Biscay is quite right.

You travelled near Biscay?

Yeah, many times. Yeah.

So you've got two.

Kevin's got two, let's see what the third question brings.

The Forint, Kevin, is the national currency unit of which country?

-Well, F-O-R-I-N-T?

-Yeah.

Forint. That's Hungary.

That is Hungary.

He's not breaking a sweat, Kevin, here, yet.

But we can get some pressure on him, Dave.

I'll try.

Val Thorens is a popular ski resort in which country?

It's not Austria.

I suspect it's very close to the border of France and Switzerland,

so...

I'm going to say it's France.

France is right.

Well done!

Playing in a very sure-footed way.

After three questions, the scores are level.

We go to sudden death. No options here.

Kevin, Cape Byron is the most easterly point

on the mainland of which country?

If...I remember correctly, I think that's in Queensland.

So... The most easterly, you did say?

Yeah, most easterly point on the mainland.

Well, I think, for... The country is Australia.

Australia is right.

David, Redcar is

a coastal resort on which sea?

It's up in the north-east somewhere, so it must be the North Sea.

North Sea's right.

Kevin, what name,

derived in part from the Latin for rain,

is given to a device used to measure rainfall?

A pluviometer.

That's very well done cos you could easily go wrong there.

You're right. Pluviometer.

JEREMY CHUCKLES

This is fun to watch, isn't it?

-I don't know what it's like in there, David.

-Pressure on.

You need this to stay in.

The walking and cycle path known as the Monsal Trail

is in which national park?

I've never heard of it, Jeremy, so going to have to be a guess.

I'm going to say the Peak District.

The Peak District is right.

Good quizzing!

Really good quizzing.

Kevin, in terms of population,

what is Portugal's second largest city after the capital, Lisbon?

That would be Oporto.

Oporto or Porto, yes, is the right answer.

Over to you, David.

Hadrian's Wall ran from the north bank of the River Tyne,

near the North Sea,

to which Firth on the Irish Sea?

It's near Carlisle.

I'm searching through the brain cells, I can't think of the name.

Maybe it's going to come to me.

Firth of Dumfries.

It is the wrong answer.

-Kevin, do you know this?

-Solway.

Solway Firth, David,

-is what we looking for.

-Solway Firth, of course!

I'm sorry. Sudden death, you've been knocked out,

which can happen very quickly. But you played so well.

Kevin, you're in the final.

David, you're out. Please return to us.

-One more round to go.

-OK.

Always Playtime have lost another player.

They've lost two from the final round.

The Eggheads have still only lost one.

Let's see if we can level it up.

And it's History.

-There you go.

-OK.

Who wants this?

That would be me, Jeremy.

It's going to be you, Pete. OK.

Choose an Egghead.

And you can have either Beth or Lisa.

I'd like to choose Beth, please.

Fine. So it's going to be Pete from Always Playtime

versus Beth from the Eggheads on History.

Please go to the question room.

So your subject was PE, is that right, Pete?

-That's right, Jeremy.

-And yet you were the choice for History.

You've obviously got an interest in it.

I've always enjoyed history.

Chester, an old Roman town... I've grown up with history.

Love reading it, love watching it.

Up against Beth. Good luck, Pete.

And would you like to go first or second, Pete, on history?

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

So here we go.

Which of these historical figures sought to unify Italy

in the 19th century?

Well, it definitely wasn't Che,

or Otto von Bismarck.

It was Giuseppe Garibaldi.

Garibaldi is the right answer.

Well done.

-Love his biscuits.

-Yeah!

That's how we know the name,

isn't it? Do we know any more about what he did in the 19th century?

Funnily enough, he was born in what's now part of France,

because he was born in Nice.

That was always a bit of a sore point later on.

But he was a great Italian patriot.

He was exiled,

so took part in a number of military campaigns in South America.

Then he took it into his head to come back and set up a legion,

as he called it,

to try and liberate parts of Italy.

The whole thing became very political,

and so gradually the country was unified,

with the forces of Piedmont Sardinia coming from the North,

Garibaldi's forces coming from the South.

But politics being what it is, when push came to shove,

he got shoved,

and had to retire into exile on his little island.

And Piedmont basically took over the Kingdom of Italy,

and the king of Piedmont became the king of Italy.

That's a very potted version.

Thank you!

OK, Beth, your question.

The Explorer Marco Polo is famed for his journeys

in which part of the world?

He travelled in Asia.

Asia is right.

Back to you, Pete.

The seventh armoured division of the British Army,

nicknamed The Desert Rats,

found fame for their exploits in north Africa during which conflict?

OK, definitely not the Boer War,

and not the First World War.

It was World War II.

World War II is quite right.

Beth, your question.

What was the name of the revolution that deposed James II

and placed his daughter Mary II and her husband William of Orange

on the throne of England, Scotland and Ireland?

The Cultural Revolution was in China.

This one was the Glorious Revolution.

This is the Glorious Revolution.

You're right.

OK, your question, Pete.

Which English king has been accused of murdering

his own nephew, Arthur of Brittany?

Well, I'm not sure whether George I had a nephew called Arthur,

or indeed Stephen.

So it was definitely King John.

It was King John. Well done. Three out of three. Nice play.

So, pressure on Beth here.

Beth, you need to get this one right to stay in.

Which Danish king was defeated by Alfred The Great

at the Battle of Eddington,

and subsequently converted to Christianity,

with Alfred as his sponsor?

Well, Harald Bluetooth is where we get Bluetooth technology from.

They are possibly all kings of...

..Denmark.

And I have heard of two of them,

Hardecanute and Harald Bluetooth.

My first thought was...

it's not one I know, or could pin something on, really.

But I'm going to go with the one I know of,

and that's Harald Bluetooth.

-Oh, OK, so you swerved the other, the first two, there?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Let's see.

Pete, do you know?

Yeah, it was Guthrum.

Oh! Always go with the one you've never heard of!

JEREMY CHUCKLES

I ignored my own rule.

Guthrum is the right answer. So, Beth, you've been knocked out.

Pete, well done. You took on an Egghead,

and that's quite handy, actually,

going into the final, you've levelled things up.

Please return to us,

and we'll see what happens in the all-important final round.

Well, Pete, you obviously do love your history.

That was very impressive.

And this is what we've been playing towards.

It is time for the final round.

As always, just general knowledge.

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

are not allowed to take part.

So that's David and Wendy from Always Playtime,

and also Chris and Beth from the Eggheads.

Would you please now leave the studio?

Pete, Tony and Dave, you're playing to win Always Playtime £5,000.

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

which is to defend the Eggheads' reputation,

and turn this run into a roll.

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

This time, they're all general knowledge.

You may confer, gentlemen.

So, Always Playtime, the question is,

after some very impressive quizzing,

are your three brains are now able to defeat these three in the final?

And would you like to go first or second?

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

OK, Tony and team, good luck.

Tony, you were known as the Colonel during your teaching career.

Er, yeah, so I believe.

Why was that?

Something to do with the beard and the moustache.

Could have been the white suit and the Stetson, I don't know.

I thought I should ask!

All right. Here's your first question, challengers. Good luck!

In which month of the year is the summer solstice celebrated

in the northern hemisphere?

-It must be June.

-It's June, isn't it?

-June.

-June 21st.

-It's June 21st.

It's definitely June.

June is quite right. Well done.

Eggheads, your question.

No Cunning Plan is a 2016 autobiography

by which British actor?

-Tony Robinson.

-Tony Robinson.

-You've seen the book, haven't you?

I'm pretty sure it was Tony Robinson.

Because it makes sense with Baldrick.

It's not a Fry title, and I've read all of those anyway.

It's not Atkinson, and you've seen the book.

-I'm sure I've seen it.

-So we'll go with that?

Tony Robinson it is.

We have a cunning plan.

Tony Robinson.

Tony Robinson is correct.

Well done.

OK, back to you, challengers.

The Channel Tunnel was officially opened in May of which year?

I think it was '90.

I was at Harden and I was going to have a quiet walk through it.

-When did you start and Harden?

-I was definitely at Harden.

Because I was going to try and get sponsorship from the kids,

and I started Harden in '87.

-So I think it's '90.

-So we'll go for '90?

-I think it's '90.

-Happy with 90?

-Happy with that.

OK, we're not sure, Jeremy.

But based on Pete's memory of

when he applied to try and walk through it,

we're going to go for 1990.

1990 is your answer.

Yes, I remember some...

interviews about whether it had got the funding and everything,

and I wonder whether...

whether it was '90 or '94.

-Eggheads, do you know?

-'94.

-'94.

GROANING

'94!

Hard luck, mate.

So maybe, Pete,

you were able to walk through it

some time before it opened?

Is that possible?

Yeah, they opened it up to people,

if you got sponsorship,

so I applied,

and it'd have been the first time

since prehistoric times

-that people had crossed, since the ice age.

-Yeah.

When was that, Pete? When did you do that?

No, I didn't do it. I applied, but I wasn't fortunate enough to get on.

They had a lot of celebrities

that did it,

and all kinds of events,

to walk through it.

1994...

is the answer there.

So, Eggheads, you can take advantage.

In sailing terminology, what type of equipment is known as a painter?

-It's a type of rope.

-I thought it was a rope.

I think a painter is rope.

Yeah, I think it's one of the things one can untie.

OK.

-I did think it was a sail, but...

-Were you going to say sail?

But...

Hoist the painter?

DAVE CHUCKLING

I'm not that sure, to be perfectly honest,

so if you two thought it was a rope...

-..I'm more than...

-I think it's a rope.

-OK.

More than happy to go with that.

-It's not a rudder.

-No. Definitely not that.

-We can rule out rudder.

-I think it's rope.

-OK, go with that.

-I think it's a rope.

-OK. Fine.

OK. Majority decision, we'll go with rope.

Rope is your answer.

Wonder if you're right.

You're showing a bit of uncertainty. Do you know?

We thought it was rope as well.

The correct answer...

is rope.

-Well done.

-Booyah.

Right.

So they're ahead, and that means you must get this right.

Which vegetable is known in German as kohl, and in Spanish as repollo?

-Well...

-I think...

Anyone got an idea?

I think it's cabbage.

OK.

I think it's cabbage based on...

There's a dish that has kohl in it,

which I'm sure's a cabbage-based dish.

I don't think it's garlic.

I think it's cabbage.

-That's good enough for me.

-OK.

-Yeah.

-OK, yeah.

-We'll go with that, yeah.

-Not 100% sure, Jeremy.

But we're going to go for cabbage.

Cabbage is correct.

Well done.

Two out of three. Is it enough to go to sudden death?

Now we need to hope the Eggheads trip up. Let's see.

Eggheads, if you get this right, you've ended the contest.

Which Ivy League university has its main campus in New Jersey?

-Yeah.

-Princeton.

-Princeton, isn't it?

-Yeah.

Cornell's in New York and Brown's in Rhode Island.

-So it's Princeton.

-Princeton.

-Princeton, New Jersey.

-New Jersey, yeah.

Yeah. OK.

That's Princeton, Jeremy.

You didn't really hesitate, did you?

Not really.

Main campus in New Jersey.

What do you think?

They're right.

Yep.

The answer is Princeton.

We say congratulations, Eggheads.

You have won!

APPLAUSE

Ah, the beastly Channel Tunnel!

A Tunnel Too Far.

A Tunnel Too Far! Maybe even for the challengers today. Who knows?

But commiserations, Always Playtime.

You played really well. Great quizzers, I can tell.

The Eggheads have done what comes naturally to them most of the time,

and they reign supreme over Quizland.

It does mean you won't be going home with the £5,000,

so the money rolls over to our next show.

Eggheads, congratulations.

Who will beat you?

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

have the brains to beat them,

and snatch the money.

There'll be £6,000 to play for.

Till we quiz again, goodbye.