Episode 82 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 Bowler's Name from West Yorkshire.

Now, this team all met at

Cambridge Methodist Cricket Club in Leeds nearly 30 years ago,

and have remained friends ever since. Let's meet them.

Hi, my name's Jeff, and I'm a company director.

Hi, my name's Paul. I'm a memory support worker.

Hi, my name's Adrian. I'm a financial adviser.

Hi, I'm John. I'm a retired bank manager.

Hi, I'm Chris, and I'm an immigration adviser.

-So, Jeff and team, hello. ALL:

-Hi.

-Great to see you.

-And it's all about cricket, Jeff?

-It is, yeah.

We met over 30 years ago and we've been friends ever since.

And there's a key person who's not here - Roland - is that right,

who used this phrase that is your team name?

Dear old Roland passed away two years ago,

but it was quite funny because one of us could be bowling,

we'd go off and be replaced with another bowler,

and he'd shout out, "Bowler's name?" He'd known us for 20, 30 years

and still had to shout out, "Bowler's name?"

And was the idea that he would shout it out

-and you would answer who the bowler is?

-Correct.

-Yes, I see. OK.

And you all bowl and you bat and you wicketkeep and all that,

or do you have certain positions on the field?

-All to various standards, but...

-THEY LAUGH

-We all try everything.

-Right.

And you know your Bruce Springsteen, I gather.

-I do.

-All right. So, you might be the Music round or you might not.

I don't want to reveal the strategy too early.

-THEY CHUCKLE Do you watch Eggheads?

-Yes, we do.

OK. You know this lot, then?

-We do.

-Yes.

-OK. Well, no need to be afraid. They can be fearsome.

-Other times, you can have a total batting collapse, can't you?

-Yeah.

It happens. It really does.

-Good luck, Challengers.

-Thank you.

Every day, there is £1,000 worth of cash up for grabs,

but if the Challengers fail to defeat the Eggheads,

our prize money just rolls over to the next show.

Bowler's Name, I can tell you the Eggheads are doing really well.

They've won the last eight games, so there's £9,000 to win today,

which is perfect.

You can stop them getting to 10,000, really annoy them, if you win.

And the first head-to-head battle is on the subject of History.

So, it's one of you, please, against either Lisa, Steve,

Chris, Kevin or Judith.

-What do you reckon?

-What were your tactics on History?

It was Adrian, really, I would say.

-Yeah. Adrian, do you fancy it?

-I'll go for History, yeah.

-Who do you think I should take up against?

-Or John. Do you fancy it?

I'm happy either way. Let Adrian go.

Yeah, let's put John in, actually. John against...

Do you want to choose, John?

-Do you want to choose, John?

-No. Jeff, he's been doing his research.

LAUGHTER OK.

-Let's try Chris, I think.

-All right. Chris has had a lot...

-You've had a lot of runouts recently, haven't you?

-Yeah.

THEY CHUCKLE Keep getting picked first.

Better than being picked last.

So, John from Bowler's Name versus Chris from the Eggheads.

To ensure there's no conferring,

would you please take your positions in the legendary Question Room?

-John, you are a retired bank manager.

-I am.

And it looks like retirement agrees with you.

Very happily retired, thank you, Jeremy.

You're smiling, and you seem to have a suntan, as well.

-Yes, bit too much golf, I think.

-Oh, golf and travel, I guess.

-Yes.

Well, good luck in this round against our Chris,

and it's History and you can choose whether you go first or second.

I'll go first.

OK, John, good luck.

The writer and politician Cicero wrote in which language?

That's an interesting one. I was expecting Greek to come up, as well.

I don't think it's Aramaic. I'll go for Latin, Jeremy.

Latin is correct, yeah. It may be good that Greek didn't come up.

Chris, the birthplace of George I of Great Britain

is in which modern country?

He was George I of Hanover, and he was born in Germany.

Germany is correct.

OK, back we go to you, John.

Kochi, the city in which the Portuguese explorer

Vasco da Gama died in 1524,

is located in which modern-day country?

-Could you spell Kochi, please, Jeremy?

-Kochi is K-O-C-H-I.

-OK.

I don't think South Africa.

I'm going to go Mexico, Jeremy.

Let's just check this with the Eggheads.

The exploration, did it take him to South America?

-Is that right or...?

-No, no. Took him to India.

-Kochi is in India, John.

-OK.

-Chris, your question. What was installed

onto a World War II Churchill tank to convert it into a Crocodile tank?

Well, these are all what we call Hobart's Funnies,

but the one that was called a Crocodile carried a flame-thrower.

Yes, flame-thrower is right.

Called Hobart's Funnies? Why's that?

Well, it was Hobart who sort of designed

all these weird modifications to tanks for all sorts of things

like mine-clearing and the folding bridge.

Flame-thrower is correct. Well done.

So, John, you need to get this one right.

Which king personally commanded his forces

at the Battle of Cropredy Bridge in Oxfordshire?

OK, so, I'm guessing this is quite an old king

because kings tended not to go to war in more recent times.

Charles I obviously did in the Civil War,

but I'm going to go for Edward III.

-It is actually Charles I.

-Ah!

-Sorry, John.

Knocked out by our Egghead Chris in the first round on History.

Chris will be in the final. Please return to us, both of you,

and we'll see what the next round holds.

So, as it stands, Bowler's Name have lost a brain from the final round.

They've lost John. The Eggheads have not lost any.

The next subject for you is Music.

-So, Jeff, who wants this?

-Music - who fancies this?

-Go for it, Jeff.

-I think you've got to go for it.

-Did we say Paul?

-No, I think it's Paul.

-Oh, Paul. Do you want to go for it?

-Paul?

-Paul will take it.

-OK.

-And, erm...

-You've got to take Kevin or...

-Anyone but Chris.

-I think we'll take Kevin.

-Good.

-Good shout. Sometimes, catch him early...

-Yeah.

..hasn't quite warmed up, dislodge him, the Grand Master.

So, Paul from Bowler's Name takes on Kevin from the Eggheads on Music.

And please take your positions.

-Paul, good luck here in this round.

-Thank you.

-Music against Kevin.

-Would you like to go first or second?

-First, please, Jeremy.

And here we go with your first question, Paul.

Which song starts with the question "where have all the good men gone?"

Love Is A Battlefield was Pat Benatar.

And I don't think it was Love Is A Battlefield.

I would say Holding Out For A Hero.

Yes, Holding Out For A Hero is right.

I can't place Danger Zone.

-Do you know that one, Paul, or not?

-I don't. No, sorry.

-Who was Danger Zone?

-Kenny Loggins.

-Kenny Loggins.

Lisa, you have to do Holding Out For A Hero for us.

-Oh, OK. But, you know...

-Go on.

..dangerous sound levels on this one.

-OK.

-I'm warning you now, so... What did we say?

-"Where have all the good men gone?"

-Yes.

# Where have all the good men gone and where are all the gods?

# Where's the streetwise Hercules to fight the rising odds?

# Bum-bum-bum-bum

# Isn't there a white knight upon a fiery steed?

# Late at night, I toss and I turn and I dream of what I need

# I need a hero

# I'm holding out for a hero till the end of the night... #

-There we go. We've got the...

-That's brilliant!

APPLAUSE

Judith, you've got to join in on the chorus there.

-No, I can't sing.

-You were going to do the harmony with her.

No, it would have made a terrible racket.

LAUGHTER Lisa, that was amazing,

and your lyrics - you just know them all. It's incredible.

-I do feel sad that Judith didn't join in.

-Aw, Judith!

-Next time, honestly, you've got to.

-No, I can't sing.

I can't hit a note.

If you sing Holding Out For A Hero,

it's going to be one of the great Eggheads moments.

LAUGHTER Sorry, Kevin.

We're back with you now.

The BBC's Last Night of the Proms is usually held in which month?

Well, the Proms tends to run over the July to September period,

so it's September.

September is correct. OK, we go back to you, Paul.

Which city is described as "that toddlin' town"

in the words of a famous song published in 1922 by Fred Fisher?

I'm really not sure.

I'm erring towards Los Angeles or Chicago.

I would go Chicago.

Chicago's correct. Nicely done.

Kevin, which term refers to the method of music teaching

that applies words such as do, re, mi to notes?

Well, I mean, polyphony is a style of singing.

Clef is a piece of musical notation.

But this do-re-mi is sometimes referred to as tonic sol-fa

because of the early words that we used as the syllables,

and so that has been brought into French, as well as solfege.

So, solfege.

Yes, solfege is right.

So, two-two, and the third question could be crucial, Paul. Here we go.

Which composer's motet entitled Worldes Blis caused booing

and much of the audience to leave the hall

when it was premiered at a 1969 concert at the Proms?

Motet is M-O-T-E-T, and then when I said, "Entitled Worldes Blis",

it's W-O-R-L-D-E-S, and then, new word, B-L-I-S.

Looking at the options, I don't think it's Benjamin Britten.

So, either Peter Maxwell Davies...

But I think, I have a feeling, it's John Tavener.

John Tavener is not the right answer.

It's Peter Maxwell Davies.

So, you have a chance, Kevin, to take the round.

In 1956, whose song I'll Be Home

was the bestselling single of the year in the UK?

All very prominent at the time, and they're all American,

of course, and they all had big hits in this country, as well.

I think this one, though, was Pat Boone.

If you've got this right, you've taken the round, Kevin.

The correct answer is Pat Boone. Well done.

Another Egghead in the final.

Return to us, please, and we'll play round three.

So, as it stands, Bowler's Name

have lost two brains from the final round.

The Eggheads have not lost any so far,

and the next subject is Geography.

-Who wants this?

-Well...

-That's me, I think, isn't it?

Yeah, Captain.

Captain goes in. OK, Jeff, against... Let's see.

..Lisa, Steve or Judith.

Let's try Steve, I think. He's looking away from me, so...

-There's a reason for that.

-LAUGHTER

Jeff from Bowler's Name takes on Steve

from the Eggheads on Geography. Please take your positions.

Well, Jeff, I know we're on Geography,

but I've got to ask you about Springsteen.

In fact, you've see him in concert how many times?

I've lost count, but I think it's round about 75.

But to my shame, I've got friends who've seen him

probably over 200 times.

Wow! And I guess there is, therefore, a geographical element,

cos it wouldn't just be in this country that you've watched him.

Yeah, I saw him in the States in '84 seven times.

Been to various places around Europe, as well.

So, as I get older, we tend to combine

the concerts with travel, as well.

So, my wife was quite new to Springsteen in the last

14 years or so, so we kind of do weekend trips, long weekends

tied in with the concert. It's great. It's great fun.

-Brilliant. OK. Well, listen, Jeff, good luck on Geography.

-Thank you.

You're up against a Springsteen fan, Steve,

so you're going to lose, I'm afraid. LAUGHTER

-How do you know I'm not?

-Well, I don't know. I think...

You've never mentioned him, but...

Well, I've not told you a lot of things, Jeremy.

It don't mean I don't do them.

No, but listen, if you were, you'd have said it by now.

-I love Bruce Springsteen.

-Do you?

-Well, he's all right.

-Favourite track?

-I like I'm On Fire.

-I'm On Fire. OK.

So, Geography, Jeff, and would you like to go first or second?

Even though it's not worked for us, let's keep to first, please.

Here we go. Which town, Jeff,

is joined with Galloway in the name of a Scottish council area?

OK, I think I know this one because I've been there.

So, it's certainly not Peebles.

And whilst Dumfries and Ayr are in a similar area,

I do believe the answer is Dumfries.

Dumfries. Dumfries and Galloway, yes.

Steve, your question.

The town of Mansfield is in which English county?

Do you know what? I'm sure my opponent would love this question.

But, fortunately, it's very close to my house, as well,

and I know full well it's Nottinghamshire.

Nottinghamshire is correct.

Back we go to Jeff.

What is the approximate population of Kyrgyzstan?

I haven't a clue, really.

Kyrgyzstan, obviously, is new on the radar

to a lot of keen people interested in geography.

116 million seems high to me.

I'm going to go for 6 million, please, Jeremy.

Yeah, 6 million is right. Well done, Jeff.

Steve, here we go. Hong Kong and Macau

are both bordered by which of China's provinces?

This is where I look very uneducated indeed

because I really do not know.

Whatever I say is going to be wrong, so let's get it over with.

I will say Guangdong.

Guangdong is the right answer.

Oh, how annoying is that?

So, Jeff, get this right, put some pressure on Steve.

The Juan Fernandez Islands in the Pacific Ocean

belong to which country?

This takes me back a little bit to

when I used to watch a lot of the Michael Palin documentaries,

and I'm trying to rack my brains

whether these islands came on one of the documentaries he did.

I don't think it's Peru,

and I think it is Chile.

Chile is right. You're playing really well.

OK, to stay in, Steve, your question.

According to the United Nations, in 2016,

there were how many cities in the world

with more than 1 million inhabitants?

I can't work this out.

It's probably, he says,

with no insight or information whatsoever,

not as many as you think. So...

..I'll say 512, and congratulations to my opponent.

OK, you've got it right. 512 it is. Sorry, Jeff.

They're just raising their game every time you guys raise yours.

You've done really well. You've got all your questions right so far.

He's got all his right, as well. We go to Sudden Death.

-It gets a bit harder cos I don't give you alternative answers.

-OK.

Here we go. Chania is the second city of which Mediterranean island?

It's spelled C-H-A-N-I-A.

OK. I think I've been to this island.

Might have been a few years ago, but I believe the answer is Crete.

Crete is right. Well done.

Sudden Death. Back to you, Steve.

What colour are the horizontal stripes

at the top and bottom of the flag of Costa Rica?

That's blue.

Blue is right.

Here's your question, Jeff.

The Otterburn ranges, owned by the Ministry of Defence,

forms a large part of which national park?

Well, it's in Northumberland.

So, Northumberland National Park, and I'm going to kick myself

because I think it is under another name.

It's on the tip of my tongue and I can't get the words out.

I'm going to have to say just Northumberland.

-Northumberland National Park?

-Yes.

I'm so glad you stuck with that. That's the right answer. I'm so...

I was dreading you coming up with some other name and thinking,

"Oh, my goodness." OK, well done.

So, pressure on Steve.

What name, taken from that of a German naturalist,

is given to the major ocean current

that flows north along the west coast of South America?

-Humboldt.

-Humboldt is correct. Also called the Peru Current.

Jeff, the holiday resorts of Ko Phi Phi

and Ko Lanta are in which Asian country?

-They're in Thailand.

-Thailand is right. Well done.

Good round. So, back to you, Steve.

Hebburn and Wallsend are on opposite banks of which English river?

-Erm, the Tyne.

-The Tyne is right. There was once a ferry between them.

Jeff, your question.

Yukon and which other Canadian province or territory border Alaska?

It's a little bit of a stab in the dark. I'm going to say Manitoba.

No, it's British Columbia.

So, Steve, you have a chance to take the round.

Sudden Death. Your question.

What is the modern-day name of the English city

that occupies the site of the Roman settlement known as Glevum?

G-L-E-V-U-M.

That's Gloucester, Jeremy.

You sound pretty certain.

Glevum was Gloucester. You're right, Steve. Well done.

You've taken the round. Jeff, you played really well there.

Sorry you've been knocked out,

beaten by our Egghead on Sudden Death.

One more round to play before the final.

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

Well, they really are putting on a stout defence here,

but Bowler's Name have lost three brains from the final round,

and the Eggheads are still all there, sitting pretty.

And the next subject is Arts & Books,

-so dislodge one before the final.

-I think it's got to be you.

-Got to be me, hasn't it?

-It's got to be you.

-Go for it, yeah.

-Who do you fancy?

-Adrian?

-Yeah, it's Adrian.

-Financial adviser against...?

And it can be either of the ladies on the end.

-We'll have a go with Lisa, please.

-Brilliant.

Adrian from Bowler's Name giving Lisa a runout from the Eggheads.

For the last time, please go to the Question Room.

Adrian, Arts & Books against Lisa.

Would you like to go first or second?

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

Here is your first question. Good luck getting in the final.

Which famous painter had the first names Peter Paul?

OK.

I don't think it was Rubens, for some reason.

I honestly don't know, but I'm veering towards Van Dyck,

so that's my answer, Jeremy - Van Dyck.

OK, let's just check with your team-mates here.

-Anyone help us here? What do we think?

-Rubens, we think.

You think it's Rubens.

-I'm afraid Peter Paul Rubens.

-OK.

-OK. Lisa,

what title is held by the arch villain

James Moriarty in the Sherlock Holmes' stories?

Don't overthink it. I think he's Professor Moriarty.

Professor is quite right. Adrian, your question.

Narinder Dhami, Sue Bentley, Linda Chapman

and Sue Mongredien collectively write under which pseudonym

in a range of hugely popular children's books?

I honestly can't remember ever reading these to my children.

Any of them.

-Sadly, Tracy Beaker isn't up there.

-LAUGHTER

And I genuinely...

I've absolutely got no idea whatsoever,

so it's going to be a punt on...

..Daisy Meadows.

Daisy Meadows is the right answer. Well done.

JEREMY CHUCKLES OK, Lisa, you're level.

What term was coined in 1886 by the critic Felix Feneon

to describe the art movement

led by the pointillist painter Georges Seurat?

I'm not actually sure.

I suppose Seurat and the like...

..neo-impressionism wouldn't be a long way out.

Can I make a case for either of the other two?

Not off my limited knowledge.

I'll go for neo-impressionism.

Yeah, that's right. Neo-impressionism. OK, Adrian,

as what were Lucas Cranach the Elder

and his son, Lucas Cranach the Younger,

known in the 15th and 16th centuries?

-Could you spell the surname, please?

-Of course. It's C-R-A-N-A-C-H.

I think I'm going to dismiss writers

cos I can't think of anything that's been...

..written that far back that still survives today,

so it's probably going to be writers, isn't it?

I think it's sculptors, Jeremy. My answer's going to be sculptors.

-They were painters.

-Ah, OK.

-They were painters.

So, Lisa, well done. You're in the final round.

The Eggheads have all got through to the final.

Adrian beaten by our Egghead.

Come back to us, please, both of you,

and we will see what happens in the crucial final round for £9,000.

So, this is what we have been playing towards.

It is time for the final round,

which, as always, is General Knowledge.

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

won't be taking part in this round,

and they're all from the Challengers side.

Jeff, Paul, Adrian and John from Bowler's Name,

would you please now leave the studio?

Chris, you are playing to win Bowler's Name £9,000.

Lisa, Steve, Chris, Kevin, Judith, you're playing for something

that money can't buy - the Eggheads' reputation.

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

This time, they're all General Knowledge,

and I was going to say you can confer,

but they're all stuck backstage.

Chris, the really big question is,

can your one brain overturn these five here?

And would you like to go first or second?

Well, it was team policy from day one to go first,

so I'll go first, please, Jeremy.

Chris, good luck, playing for Bowler's Name.

In the 1970s, which television presenter

climbed to the top of Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square

without a safety harness?

I remember watching this on Blue Peter,

and given that Michael Aspel

and Judith Hann didn't present Blue Peter,

it must be John Noakes, Jeremy.

John Noakes is the right answer. Well done.

And it was played a lot around the time of his passing, wasn't it?

People were just saying,

"That is absolutely incredible that that was allowed to happen."

OK, Eggheads, in which country is the word klomp

used for a traditional type of shoe?

-Given the choices...

-Sounds Dutch.

It's a Dutch word, isn't it?

-Let's hope so.

-Netherlands? OK?

-A klomp? As well as a clog?

-Yeah.

Yeah, well, I don't know.

I've never heard of it,

but it's the Netherlands.

Netherlands is right.

One each. Back to our Challenger.

In 1974, which aircraft flew from New York to London

in a record time of one hour, 54 minutes, 56.4 seconds?

I was hoping you were going to say Concorde,

but as it's not there,

I know for a fact that

the Blackbird is a very fast plane,

but it tends to go at very, very high altitudes.

The Eagle, I've never heard of,

and the Harrier, I would imagine,

is a fairly short-range jet.

So, I'm going to go for Blackbird, please, Jeremy.

Blackbird is absolutely right. Well done, Chris.

You're a good quizzer, I can tell. This could be a contest.

Five Eggheads' brains. We've seen them lose before.

£9,000, we're playing for.

Which of these actresses has played the character Moira MacTaggert

in two of the X-Men series of films?

X-Men?

-STEVE:

-Is Rose Byrne in the X-Men films?

I couldn't remember her being in them.

I can't remember Rose Byrne being in X-Men films.

-Well, I don't... Well, I think it might be, actually.

-Do you?

-Mm, OK.

-I'm pretty sure she's a CIA operative or something.

-Ah.

-Ah, now it's ringing some bells.

-She's not somebody with superpowers.

-No.

-Right. I'm happy to go along with that.

-I think it's Rose Byrne.

OK. Well, we'll take that as an inkling.

Well, the consensus seems to be that it's Rose Byrne.

Quite a lot riding on this

cos you'll give the initiative to the Challengers if you're wrong.

A little bit of dissent in there.

-Rose Byrne is the right answer.

-Well done, Kevin.

Well done, Kevin. Just enough information there to do it.

Your third question, Chris.

The volcano called Novarupta,

formed in 1912 by the largest eruption of the 20th century,

is in which part of the world?

I'm not sure that the Caribbean is particularly volcanic,

and I do remember, a long time ago,

an island was formed through volcanic eruption near Iceland.

But that doesn't mean that it's not Alaska.

My first instinct, when you asked the question,

before I saw the answers, was Iceland,

-so I'm going to go for Iceland.

-Iceland is your answer.

Let's just check with the Eggheads. Do you know?

-I think it's probably Alaska.

-Alaska is the answer.

We go to the Eggheads, who can take the contest on their third question.

The empress Wu Zetian was a ruthless ruler of China

whose reign interrupted the supremacy of which imperial dynasty?

I think it's... I think it's Tang.

So, let's try and think of the dates now.

I mean, Tang Dynasty was from the early 7th century

through and up until the 8th.

But she was relatively early on, I think.

I think she was somewhere either later in the 7th century,

or else in the early 8th century.

-Yeah.

-Song is later.

Qing is the later one on into the 19...

Well, 17th to 19th.

-OK. Shall I say Tang?

-I think it's Tang.

Tang was the interrupted dynasty.

We think it's Tang.

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

-Do you know this?

-No, I'm afraid not.

A lot of detail coming out of these Eggs on this question.

It does sound quite convincing. The answer is Tang.

We say congratulations, Eggheads. You have won.

Aw, the Alaska Iceland thing!

-Mm-hm. I won't forget that.

-No.

Well, it's very hard against the five of them, I must say.

And Kevin's on form here, as well. Oh, and Eggheads, the klomp...

Just cos, I think, Judith, you were worried about

it's not a clog so how can it be Dutch?

-The klomp is a whole-foot clog.

-A whole-foot clog?

-Yeah.

-Yeah, as opposed to...

-What's a clog, then?

-Well, a clog is a half-foot clog.

-Half-foot clog.

A clog's a boot upper with a wooden sole.

-Yeah, it's got a lot of wood round it.

-It's a mule.

-There we are.

Commiserations, Bowler's Name.

The Eggheads have done what comes naturally to them.

It is now officially a winning streak.

I'm afraid you won't be going home with the £9,000,

so the money rolls over to our next show.

Eggheads, congrats.

Who will beat you? Look at you all sitting there.

I don't think it can be done. I think, from here to eternity...

-Oh, thanks for that.

-..you're going to be winning.

JEREMY LAUGHS Yeah, lose the next game.

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

have the brains to defeat them, and if they do, they'll win £10,000.

Until then, goodbye.