Episode 133 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.

You might recognise them, as they've won

some of the country's toughest quiz shows. They are the Eggheads.

And challenging our resident quiz champions today -

The Biscuiteers, from Cheltenham.

The team all work together

and take their name from a recent office competition they organised -

a Biscuit World Cup! Let's meet them.

Hi, my name's James. I'm 22 and I'm a research mathematician.

Hi, I'm Andy. I'm 23 and I'm a research mathematician.

Hi, I'm Ruth.

I'm 23 and I'm a software engineer.

Hi, I'm Tom. I'm 28 and I'm also a software engineer.

Hi, I'm Tom. I'm 22 and I'm a research mathematician.

-So, Biscuiteers, you work in maths research?

-That's right, yes.

-And it became more interesting to...look at biscuits?

-It did.

We decided one evening that we'd find, once and for all,

which is the greatest biscuit in the world and I think we did that.

Did you do it in a scientific way? It sounds like you might have.

Yes, it was actually more complicated than the Cricket World Cup.

It wasn't just by eating them? Other ways?

We had different rounds and repechages and play-offs.

At the end, what did you do? You bought them and ate them?

-We ate them all the way along.

-Yeah!

OK, every day there is £1,000 up for grabs

for our challengers. However, if they fail,

the prize money rolls over to the next show.

Biscuiteers, the Eggheads have won the last 12 games,

which means £13,000 says you can't beat the Eggheads.

Are you ready to try?

-Yes.

-Yes.

-OK.

Get your biscuits on the table.

The first head to head battle will be on the subject of...

Who wants this?

-It's going to be you, James.

-We're safer with you, I think, James.

-That's going to be me.

-OK. Good.

-Yeah.

-Against?

What do you reckon?

-Do you want to go for Barry?

-I was going to suggest that.

-Yeah, go on. Try it.

-Can do.

Yeah, go for it. We're going to go for the newbie. I mean, Barry!

Barry won't mind that. He is the newbie.

And, yes, been tested on Arts & Books, actually, since he's arrived.

So, OK. It's James from the Biscuiteers against

Barry from the Eggheads.

To ensure no conferring, would you please take

your positions in the question room.

I'm going to ask three questions

on Arts & Books in turn.

Not a biscuit in sight.

Whoever answers the most correctly wins.

And, James, you have the choice to go first or second.

I think, I'll go first, please.

James, in which year did John Constable paint The Hay Wain?

Straight away, a question I have no idea about.

I should know which era John Constable is from. I've no idea.

I'm guessing he probably wasn't as early as 1721

and my rule in these situations

is generally to go for the middle option. So I'm going to go for 1821.

It's a very good rule. We see it working a lot here

and it's worked for you. Well done!

1821 is correct.

Some of the veteran quizzers on this side will use that technique.

Barry, what type of animals are the characters Clover and Mollie

in the George Orwell novel, Animal Farm?

Well, they weren't pigs,

because the main pigs in Animal Farm were Napoleon and Snowball, I think.

And I'm pretty certain they weren't dogs.

So, I think Clover and Mollie were the workhorses.

They were the workhorses. Well done!

One point each. Back to you, James.

In the Shakespeare play, Hamlet,

which character goes mad after the death of her father

and drowns in a river?

Again, not one I'm sure on,

so I'm going to have to make a guess.

Ophelia sounds to me like she's from another play.

It might Twelfth Night

and if I'm wrong I'm going to look pretty stupid.

So, it's between those first two for me.

And because it looks prettier, I'm going to go for Desmona... Desdemona!

I can't even say it.

-You're guessing Desdemona?

-Yes.

-Biscuiteers, any help or advice?

-I would have... I don't know.

I would have said Ophelia, but I'm not sure.

Yeah, it was Ophelia. Although she, I guess, does sound

like she comes from a different play, she didn't.

Barry.

What's the title of the first Robert Ludlum novel

featuring the character, Jason Bourne?

Gosh.

I don't think it was The Bourne Ultimatum.

That sounds a little later.

I suppose if it was the first one then one has to go for

The Bourne Identity.

The Bourne Identity is correct. Well done!

You have two points to one. So, James,

you need this. This is your third question.

Which American author

wrote the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Hours?

I've heard of Annie Proulx. I know she wrote a collection

of short stories, in which Brokeback Mountain was one.

That doesn't mean she didn't write The Hours,

but I'm guessing that's what she's most famous for.

So I've boiled it down to 50-50

and, this time, I'm going to go for Michael Cunningham.

Well done!

Michael Cunningham's right.

But Barry, if you get this right

you're through to the final round.

The Ashcan school of painters

worked in which city at the start of the 20th century?

I'm pretty certain they didn't work in Paris.

The beginning of the 20th century, would probably have been

The Camden Town Group in London,

so I think the Ashcan painters worked in New York.

And you're right, Barry.

It was New York. Three questions right, out of three.

A powerful performance

means Barry will play in the final round and not James.

So, do, both of you, come back to the studio.

-Bad luck, James. Ophelia!

-I know.

These Shakespeare characters. They're so confusing.

There's a famous painting, isn't there, of Ophelia?

-Millais.

-Millais? That's the Pre-Raphaelite one?

-In the Tate.

What's she doing in the painting?

She's in a river, with flowers sort of floating past her.

-Looking cheesed off, as I remember.

-Looking dead, but very beautiful.

So, as it stands,

the challengers have lost one brain from the final round.

Eggheads have lost no brains.

Next subject is Sport.

Who feels good about Sport?

-Well, is this me?

-I think this is gonna be Andy.

-Yes.

-Andy?

-It's Andy.

-What are your favourite sports?

Football is my sport, mainly. Some other stuff,

-but mainly football, yeah.

-And who would you like to play?

-Chris?

-Do you want to give Chris...

-I'd say Chris.

-I'd like to take on Chris, please.

-OK.

It's Andy from the Biscuiteers versus Chris from the Eggheads.

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

So, Andy, it's Sport.

Chris has a bit of an on-off time with Sport,

-and can get a bit angry about it, too, can't you, Chris?

-Yep.

You can tell us what you think about Sport later.

-I'll tell you now if you like.

-No, no. No, thanks.

I'll ask each of you three questions on Sport in turn.

So, Andy, you can choose the first or second set.

Going first didn't work out too well for James,

so I'm gonna go second.

So, Chris, how many points have been played in a game of tennis

if the score is 40-15?

Is it three, four, or five?

15-love...

30-love...

40-love...

40-15. It's four.

Four is correct.

Where does that 40, 30, 15 stuff come from, anyway?

-Anyone know?

-They're supposedly the quarters on a clock.

But 45 just seemed to sound too difficult to say for the French,

so they settled for 40.

-I see. So 15, 30, 45/40?

-Yes.

-And then game?

-Yes.

-OK.

Over to you, Andy.

The specifications of the equipment for which men's field event

had to be altered in 1986 because competitors were endangering

the safety of spectators with their longest throws?

Was it discus, javelin or shot?

I was actually reading about this just the other day,

and it's the javelin.

They were throwing it too far and they were getting over 100m,

so they moved the centre of gravity forward a few centimetres

so it dipped earlier.

You're quite right. It is the javelin.

You'd think that'd be a fairly basic health and safety one, wouldn't you?

The audience are getting hit by the javelin - shall we do something?

Chris, your question.

In rugby union, the term half-backs refers to fly-half and which other position?

Is it centre, hooker or scrum-half?

Whoa.

It's not the hooker,

and I don't think it's the scrum-half.

I think it's the centre, not that I know anything about rugby.

Well, given that you don't know, you've plumped for the wrong answer.

Scrum-half is the correct answer. Chris, you're wrong. I'm sorry.

No problem.

Your chance to take the initiative, Andy.

In which American city is the NFL team known as the Chiefs based?

Cincinnati, Chicago or Kansas City?

I don't actually know this.

I know Kansas City have the Wizards at one sport.

I don't know if it's NFL or something else.

So I'm gonna stay clear of that one.

It doesn't sound... I don't like the sound of Chicago Chiefs,

so I'm gonna go for Cincinnati.

Cincinnati is wrong, I'm afraid.

It's Kansas City, which you ruled out.

Chris, your question.

Which Indian cricketer was given an 11-match ban

after slapping Shanthakumaran Sreeshanth in the face

and making him cry during an IPL match in 2008?

Was it Sourav Ganguly, Virender Sehwag or Harbhajan Singh?

Hm...

Well, Harbhajan Singh is a Sikh

and most Sikhs have too much dignity

to indulge in fisticuffs on the cricket pitch.

I don't think it was Sourav Ganguly,

because the name would have stuck in my brain,

basically because it sounds vaguely comic.

So I think it must have been Virender Sehwag.

No. It's not the first time in this match

that people have ruled out the correct answer instantly

before going on to the other two wrong ones. Harbhajan Singh.

Oh. Yeah.

So if you take this question, Andy, you've won the round

and you've knocked Chris out.

In 2006, Barcelona signed a deal to carry a sponsorship logo

of which charity on their football shirts?

The first time in their 107-year history

that a logo was featured on the shirt-front.

Was it Unicef, Oxfam or Marie Curie?

Well, this question is actually quite easy for me

because I've got a Barcelona shirt with it on.

I know straightaway it's Unicef.

Great work. You're right. You've taken the round.

Well, done! Good for you, Biscuiteers!

You took on an Egghead, you won, you're in the final.

Chris, you won't be playing with us in the final.

Please both of you come back and rejoin your team-mates.

So as it stands, the Eggheads and the challengers

have lost one brain each from the final round.

Our next subject is Music. Who wants that?

-I definitely don't think Tom C.

-No. It might have to be me.

-Possibly, yes.

-Tom B?

-We're gonna go for Tom B.

OK, and which Egghead?

I think we'll go for Judith.

-Who do you want to go for?

-I'll try Judith.

OK, it's Tom B from the Biscuiteers against Judith from the Eggheads.

And to ensure there's no conferring,

please take your positions in the Question Room.

So, Tom, you studied what at university?

Physics.

OK, and a mathematician now?

-I'm more of a software engineer.

-A software engineer.

-I gather you go climbing every week?

-Yes. Me and Ruth go once a week.

Normally on a Sunday afternoon when it's nice and empty, and, er...

I hope I'm better than her, even though she's taller than me.

-So you're a competitive climber.

-I am competitive. More than Ruth.

Are you a competitive quizzer as well?

I try to be, but we'll see.

Tom, do you want the first or second set of questions on Music?

I was gonna go first but seeing as it worked for Andy, I'll go second.

Which girl's name forms the title of the traditional song

that begins, "In a cavern, in a canyon, excavating for a mine?"

Is it Clementine, Adeline or Emmeline?

It's Clementine.

You're right, it is. Do we say Clementine for the song, though?

# In a cabin, in a canyon

# Excavating for a mine

# Lived a miner, 49er

# And his daughter, Clementine. #

So the rhyme is mine and Clementine.

There we go. It's official.

Tom, what is the name of the hip-hop group whose hit singles include

Ready Or Not and Killing Me Softly,

founded by Wyclef Jean, Pras Michel and Lauryn Hill in the 1990s?

Cypress Hill, Fugees or Public Enemy?

I know it's not Cypress Hill,

and Public Enemy I'm not that knowledgeable about,

but I know it was the Fugees from the album The Score.

You're right. It was the Fugees. Well done.

Your question, Judith.

In the 1980s, Like To Get To Know You Well, and What Is Love?

were UK hit singles for which singer?

Was it Nik Kershaw, Howard Jones or Marc Almond?

I've never heard any of them.

So who's got a pretty name?

Um... I think Marc Almond sounds as if it's a very pretty name.

-Yes, it's lovely, isn't it?

-Yes, and the wrong answer?

Completely, yeah.

It was actually Howard Jones.

-Was it?

-Did you say you'd not heard the songs,

or you'd not heard of any of those people?

-I've not heard of any of those people.

-OK.

Let's have a moment's silence.

Well, it may have been your era!

-It was.

-Yeah, well. Everybody has their own era.

-That's true, that's true. OK.

-And then they grow out of it.

All right!

That's enough, Judith!

OK, here we go.

The pop duo Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus,

whose 1990 Best New Artist Grammy Award was taken back

after it emerged they'd not actually sung

on their debut album All Or Nothing,

are better known by what name?

Color Me Badd, Extreme or Milli Vanilli?

Again, I'm lucky because my mum used to play this tape to us

while she was cooking Sunday lunch, and it was Milli Vanilli.

Milli Vanilli is the correct answer. Well done, Tom.

-So, Judith, you need to get this answer right.

-Or...

Or... Shall we do it together? You won't be with us in the...

BOTH: In the final round.

Benjamin Britten's The Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra

is based on music written by which composer?

-Was it Purcell, Elgar or Vaughan Williams?

-Oh, dear.

I don't think I even know this one.

Um...

I think it's Purcell.

You're right, Judith.

-Well done.

-Phew.

If you get this right,

you're through and the Eggheads have lost one, Tom. Here we go.

Who wrote the original 1895 version of the folksong Waltzing Matilda,

Australia's unofficial national anthem?

Was it Didgeridoo Henderson, Banjo Paterson or Ukelele Johnson?

Well, this is one that I don't know.

I can't imagine it would have been played by someone on a didgeridoo,

because as far as I know that's only got one note.

So it's down to the other two,

and I think that Banjo Paterson sounds like the better name,

so I'm gonna go for that.

Very smart play by our software engineer. You're quite right.

Yes!

Banjo Paterson.

You got all three right. Judith only got two.

You won't be in the final round, Judith. And Tom, you will.

Do come back and rejoin us here.

As it stands, the challengers have lost one brain from the final round,

whilst the Eggheads have lost two brains. So you're ahead, basically.

The last subject is Politics. Which challenger wants this?

-None of us want it.

-Nobody?

We agreed before that I would...

-Take one for the team.

-Yes.

-We're gonna go with Ruth.

-Ruth, OK.

-Yes.

Politics. But not your subject, I'm guessing?

-No.

-Who do you want to play against?

-Daphne.

-Daphne.

-We'll go for Daphne.

Ruth from the Biscuiteers against Daphne.

-Big sigh...

-Yes.

..From the Eggheads.

To ensure there's no conferring, take your positions in the Question Room.

Ruth, not politics for you. You don't like it?

No, not really.

We just agreed that we had to save Tom C for the final round

and, yeah, I get lumbered with politics.

-You are the sacrificial lamb?

-Yes.

OK. Well, you never know. Daphne, it can go wrong, can't it, for you?

It certainly can, and it has.

Not often, but it has.

I'm gonna ask each of you three questions on politics in turn.

You can choose the first or second set.

I'll go second, since that seems to be working.

Here we go, Daphne.

Which political leader reportedly survived

over 600 assassination attempts by the United States during his lifetime,

including one famous plot that involved an exploding cigar?

Was it Fidel Castro, Kim Jong-il, or Vladimir Putin?

I love the idea of the exploding cigar!

It was poor old Fidel Castro, and why they missed 600 times...

-It was Fidel Castro.

-Yes.

-Did the cigar go off, Eggheads?

What do we know about it?

Not sure it went off necessarily,

but there were all sorts of bizarre schemes.

He was quite keen on scuba-diving,

so they had some kind of exploding conch shell,

a nice pretty one that he might pick up. In order to...

Because his beard was his trademark,

they decided to make him look ridiculous

by having his beard fall out.

There was a shoe polish with some kind of poison in it,

-that would make his beard fall out. It was just bizarre.

-Never worked.

Nice to know the Western world is in safe hands!

How childish are some of those plots, I ask you!

Kids playing at being a superpower.

OK, Ruth.

Your first political question. Here we go.

Which political party came third in the 2008 local elections,

with only 24% of the vote, their worst result in 40 years?

Was it Conservatives, Labour, or Liberal Democrat?

I'm just trying to work out what the "worst result" part is,

because the Liberal Democrats normally do well in local elections,

compared to general elections.

So it could be them.

But worst result in 40 years...

I don't know.

But...

Maybe I'll go for the Liberal Democrats.

No, it was Labour.

-OK.

-Under Gordon Brown.

Daphne, over to you.

The G4, a group of nations lobbying to become permanent members

of the UN Security Council, consist of Germany, Japan, Brazil

and which other country?

Is it Australia, Italy or India?

Well, of those three,

I would say the one with the most booming economy is probably India,

so I shall go for India.

But...

Well, you're right, Daphne. Well done. India is correct.

So two points to the Eggheads, which means you do need this one, Ruth.

Yes.

In which decade of the 20th century did the Kingdom of Brunei

officially cease to be a British protectorate?

Was it 1960s, 1970s or 1980s?

Well, I don't remember it but that doesn't help,

because that would only allow for the Nineties.

Um, so...

I'll go straight down the middle with the Seventies.

1970s is your answer.

Actually, it was 1984 so it's the 1980s, Ruth.

And with that, you've given the round to Daphne,

who had two correct out of three.

So, sorry, Ruth. We won't be seeing you in the final.

Daphne, we'll see you in the final. Do both of you return to your teams.

So this is what we've been playing towards.

It's time for the final round,

which as always is General Knowledge.

But those of you who lost your head to heads won't play in this round.

So, James and Ruth from the Biscuiteers,

and Chris and Judith from the Eggheads,

would you please now leave the studio?

Andy, Tom B and Tom C,

you are playing to win the Biscuiteers £13,000.

Daphne, Barry and Kevin,

you are playing for something money can't buy -

the Eggheads' reputation.

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

This time the questions are all General Knowledge.

You are allowed to confer.

The question is, are your three brains

better than the Eggheads' three?

Andy, Tom and Tom, do you want to go first or second?

What do you think? Stick with second?

-Stick with second, I think.

-OK, yeah.

-We'll stick with second.

So they launch you into the first question, Eggheads.

Who, in their professional work,

would be most likely to execute a do-si-do?

A sculptor, a pianist or a dancer?

-It's a square dance, isn't it?

-A square dance, yes.

-Square dancing.

It would be a dancer, Jeremy.

Square dancing. Do-si-do, back to back.

That's right, it is. Dancer is correct.

Your first question, Biscuiteers.

For what does the letter U stand in the acronym SCUBA?

Underground, underwater or underneath?

-I think it's, er...

-Go for it.

In our practice questions it was underwater.

It's also quite a sensible one given the options, as well.

What does SCUBA stand for?

Self-contained underwater breathing apparatus.

-Let's go for it.

-Go for it.

-Underwater.

-Underwater.

The whole thing is, self-contained...

Underwater breathing apparatus.

Right. I didn't know it was an acronym.

One point each. Back to you.

Who was appointed a dignity ambassador in 2008,

in a Government campaign to encourage more respect

for older people in care?

Was it Terry Wogan, Frank Bough or Michael Parkinson?

-I don't know.

-No. I've not seen this.

I've not seen this. Who could it be?

It couldn't be Frank Bough, surely?

He's done things for a long time, hasn't he, in relation to...

Yes, but he's still got that touch of scandal.

I wouldn't have thought they'd have chosen him.

And Michael Parkinson's just finished, hasn't he?

So he might have been the sensible choice.

-Yes.

-What would you be inclined towards?

I'd go for Michael Parkinson, rather than Terry Wogan.

-Just on the basis that he's just finished?

-Yes.

He probably would want to do something like that.

And I'm quite sure...

Pete listens to Terry Wogan and I'm quite sure...

He tells me little nuggets like that. I mean, it might be.

Who would have more dignity, Terry Wogan or Michael Parkinson?

Michael Parkinson, I would say.

Michael Parkinson, you would have to say.

Terry Wogan has got such a jocular approach.

If I had an instinct, without actually knowing at all,

I would have gone for Wogan.

But I've got no argument for that whatsoever.

So if you're both happy with Parkinson...

If we rule out Frank Bough...

Yes, I think so. Yes.

You've probably realised we don't know it.

I had thought that was the case, yes.

You had an inkling. None of us has actually seen this at all.

Consensus of opinion is that we...

Because Michael Parkinson has recently retired, effectively,

that he'd have this new role.

We don't know, but we'll go for Michael Parkinson.

-You're right.

-Oh!

-It was Michael Parkinson.

Challengers, we needed them to get that wrong, didn't we?

Your question.

Which famous designer was commissioned to create a new uniform

for McDonald's UK staff in 2008?

Was it Bruce Oldfield, Stella McCartney or John Rocha?

-I haven't got a clue.

-I have no idea.

I remember hearing something about...

Any idea which person it was?

-Um... I would say not the one on the left.

-Not Bruce Oldfield?

I remember seeing, like, the picture in the paper.

John Rocha? That name sort of...

I was drawn to John Rocha, but I don't know why.

If you two both thought John Rocha...

-I wouldn't go with what I thought.

-Yeah. Not very...

-I have no idea, so...

-Shall we go for it?

-Yeah, do it.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-OK.

We're gonna go for John Rocha.

And you ruled out Bruce Oldfield because...?

-Don't know!

-Someone had a hunch.

-Gut feeling.

-It was the wrong hunch...

-Sorry!

-Because it was Bruce Oldfield.

You got that wrong, I'm afraid.

So we go to the third question.

Eggheads, if you get this right,

you've taken the contest.

What name is traditionally given to the puppeteer

who performs a Punch And Judy show?

Is it prophet, professor or provender?

Yes.

It's professor.

Professor. I don't know how to break this to you, guys.

Professor is the right answer, which means, Eggheads, you have won.

Commiserations, challengers.

Going second means they take the advantage a bit, doesn't it?

-They do.

-You're always catching up.

-Yeah.

The Eggheads have done what comes naturally to them

and their winning streak continues.

I'm afraid you won't be going home with the £13,000.

That means the money rolls over to our next show.

Eggheads, congratulations. Who will ever beat you?

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

to defeat the Eggheads.

£14,000 says they don't.

Till then, goodbye.

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