Episode 136 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 Goliaths in the world of TV quiz shows. They are the Eggheads.

And taking on the awesome might of our quiz Goliaths today...

The team are all friends from the Brighton and Hove petanque club.

Let's meet them.

Hello, I'm David.

I'm 66. I'm a part-time tutor.

Hello, I'm Jay. I'm 65 and retired.

Hello, I'm Janice. I'm 68 and I'm a retired chef.

Hello, I'm John. I'm 53 and I'm a carpenter joiner.

I'm Justin, I'm 34 and I play professional football.

So, Bouleheads, petanque?

Boules and petanque - the same thing?

Yes, boules is the generic name, petanque is the specific game.

-And what do you do in this game?

-Ah, it was invented in France.

It's a French game, but it's now played worldwide and you play with

metal boules and the classic game is three people with two boules each

and the idea is to get the boule as close to the jack as possible.

-A bit like crown green bowling?

-It's in the family of bowls.

And you all play together, do you?

Yeah, we all play together, with and against each other.

-Are you very good?

-Some of us are better

-and some of us are not so good.

-Good luck!

-Thank you very much.

Every day there's £1,000 up for grabs for our challengers,

however if they fail to defeat the Eggheads the money rolls over.

So, Brighton Bouleheads, the Eggheads have won the last 15 games,

which means £16,000 says you can't beat them today.

The first head-to-head battle will be on Film & Television.

Who wants this and against which Egghead?

I'll take that.

Who will we go against?

-Justin, I think, is going to take it.

-Against?

Chris...?

I think it might have been...

-Chris.

-Chris? Yeah, we'll go against Chris, if possible.

So, Justin from Brighton Bouleheads against Chris from the Eggheads.

To ensure no conferring, take your positions in the question room.

Good luck. Three multiple choice questions

on Film & Television in turn.

Justin, you choose first or second set.

I'll go first set, please.

Justin, Ian Hislop and Paul Merton are team captains

on which comedy TV show?

Have I Got News For You.

Is the right answer, well done.

Chris, in which 1991 action film does FBI special agent Johnny Utah,

played by Keanu Reeves, go undercover to catch

a gang of bank robbing surfers?

Well, it's not The Matrix.

And Speed is that thing with the exploding bus, isn't it,

with Sandra Bullock?

So, it's got to be Point Break.

Yes, it was Point Break.

Your question, Justin.

Who played Short Round in

Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom, and Data in The Goonies?

It's Jonathan Ke Quan.

Oh, you suddenly sprang on that!

Yeah, I just remember him from

Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom, the second one.

Correct answer, brilliant! Great stuff!

Which former EastEnders actress, Chris, took on the role

of Inspector Jenny Black in Holby Blue in 2007?

Hmm. I've never watched either EastEnders or Holby Blue.

I'll go straight down the middle, Michelle Ryan.

Wrong answer. It was on the left, Kacey Ainsworth.

Justin, if you get this right, you've knocked Chris out.

The song A Very Precious Love features in which 1958 film starring

Gene Kelly and Natalie Wood?

You probably didn't see that when it was released!

Nah, nah, definitely not!

I think I'm gonna go for Splendour In The Grass.

A bit of a guess.

Think he's right, Bouleheads?

Yes, I think it's a possibility.

You think so?

He's wrong, actually. It's Marjorie Morningstar.

So, Chris, you have a chance now

to pull level, but if you get this wrong, you're gone.

Who is the writer of the TV series Love Soup

which starred Tamsin Greig as Alice?

Well, Russell T Davies has got his hands full

with Doctor Who these days.

Kay Mellor writes, sort of, gritty stuff.

So, I would say David Renwick, who's got form as a comedy writer.

Good process of elimination.

David Renwick is right.

Three questions each, it's level on the scores.

We go to sudden death. Justin, to make it

that bit harder, these questions are not multiple choice. Here we go.

Mrs McCluskey, as played by Gwyneth Powell, was a character in which TV

series between 1981 and 1991?

I was there for that one!

It's Grange Hill.

Grange Hill is right!

Chris, which 1994 film set in Edinburgh

starred Christopher Ecclestone, Kerry Fox and Ewan McGregor,

with Keith Allen as the mysterious Hugo?

Edinburgh, 94.

Trainspotting.

-Chris, the answer was Shallow Grave.

-Oh!

And that means that the challengers have taken that round!

Brilliant! Well done, Justin.

You'll help your team in the final and Chris, you won't.

Please, both of you come back to the studio.

The challengers have lost no brains from the final round.

The Eggheads have lost one brain.

Next subject is History.

Which of you wants this?

Who's our historian bouler?

Who's one for history?

-Have we got a first for history?

-We haven't got a first.

-We have no good historians.

-No historian?

Yeah, so I'll do it, Jeremy.

-So, David taking it, OK?

-Yeah.

Erm, who do you say?

Daphne, as you're probably going to lose anyway.

No, I don't think so. No, CJ, I think.

OK. I'm trying to follow the reasoning.

Take Daphne cos you're going to lose anyway!

Well, history is her strongest subject!

It's the double petanque back strategy. Very complicated.

Too difficult to explain now!

That might come up in a question. David,

from Brighton Bouleheads against Daphne?

-No, against CJ.

-Against CJ from the Eggheads! OK.

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

I'm going to ask each of you three questions on History in turn.

David, you choose first or second set.

First please, Jeremy.

David, from which part of the world did the Vikings originate?

The Vikings?

Although the name has got a Chinese ring to it...

..I think they probably came from Scandinavia.

Scandinavia, Jeremy.

Scandinavia is the correct answer, David, well done.

It's good to get the first one right. CJ, on to you.

The period known as the Dark Ages formed an early part

of which historical era?

That would be the Middle Ages.

That's right. Why was it called the Dark Ages, anybody?

It was at the end of the Roman Empire and before

the beginning of the Renaissance.

I see, so it was a period where it wasn't very bright?

When all culture was eliminated.

I mean, wiped out, supposedly, but actually it wasn't.

-But all Roman culture got eliminated.

-A loss

of classical learning between then and the Renaissance.

Thank you.

David, on to you.

The area that is now the Democratic Republic of Congo was a colony

of which European nation from 1908 to 1960?

Belgium.

Very good, it was Belgium.

-And before being the DRC, what was it called?

-It was called Zaire.

Absolutely.

With the famous leader, whose name escapes me, who was very corrupt.

-Mobutu.

-Mobutu, that's right.

CJ, your question. Which Berlin prison was demolished

in 1987 after the death of its last prisoner, Rudolf Hess?

That was Spandau prison.

Spandau is quite right.

This is a very professional round both of you are playing.

Two out of two for you both. Here we go, David.

Lexington and Concord were the first battles of which war?

Lexington and Concord?

Yeah.

Obviously, it was American.

I think, I'm not certain, it was the American War of Independence.

You got it right, well done.

OK, CJ, by what name is the World War II

Siege Of Leningrad also known?

I haven't heard this.

I'm trying to remember how long it lasted. Erm...

-Well, that would help!

-That would be beneficial.

I thought it was less than a year.

I mean, 900 days is, what, two and a half years? That's too long.

90 weeks is about 16 months.

I'm not at all sure about this one, but I'm going to

go for the 9-month Siege.

It was 900 days, CJ.

It was longer than you thought.

So, nearly three years.

Which means that you're not in the final and, David, you are!

So, your team can now go crazy!

Look at that!

Well done! You've knocked out an Egghead and we'll see you later on

for the final round. Do both of you come back and rejoin your teammates.

As it stands, the challengers have lost no brains from the final round,

and the Eggheads have lost two brains. It's going well.

Next subject is Sport.

Do you have a sport person on the team?

-Oh, he's gone!

-He's gone already!

-Only three of you available here.

-Jay, Janice or John?

-Go for it.

-Who's it going to be?

-I think they're going to sacrifice me!

-OK, Janice.

I know nothing about sport!

It could be a positive sacrifice!

We're halfway there cos now, Janice,

you've got to tell us who you want to play against

and it's going to be Kevin, Judith or Daphne.

It's going to be Judith.

It's Janice from the Brighton Bouleheads against Judith

from the Eggheads. So, it's all the Js!

Please take your positions in the question room.

Janice, it's multiple choice, three questions and you can

-choose the first or second set.

-I'd like to go first, please.

Janice, who became the most experienced driver in Formula One

history when he started his 257th Grand Prix in 2008?

This will have to be a pure guess.

I'll go for Felipe Massa.

It's not Mr Massa, it's Barrichello.

Over to you, Judith.

In Olympic boxing, what piece of protective gear

must competitors wear that their professional counterparts do not?

Well, I think they all wear gumshields and they all wear gloves.

They aren't allowed to do gloveless boxing, so it must be a headguard.

Absolutely right! It is a headguard.

Back to you, Janice.

How many countries have won the cricket World Cup?

The cricket World Cup...

As the Eggheads always seem to go straight down the middle,

I'll go for five.

Good tactic, you're right!

Who are they, Eggheads?

-Who are the five?

-West Indies, India, Australia,

Pakistan and Sri Lanka are the five different countries who have done it.

Over to you, Judith. On sport, which South African golfer,

who won nine majors during his career,

is officially listed as the world's most travelled athlete?

You're talking about him as if he's retired, so I think

that would rule out Ernie Els.

I think it might be Gary Player.

Gary Player is correct. Well done, Judith.

A storming run from you, Judith,

in this round! So, Janice, you need to get this question right

or Judith takes the round.

And the question is, which French rugby union player

has the nicknames Sea Bass, The Caveman and The Anaesthetist?

Well, I was hoping that it would be sea bass in French was his surname,

but it's not.

So, I'll go for Serge Betsen.

-Oh, I so want this to be right. Serge Betsen is your answer?

-Yes.

It's Sebastien Chabal.

So, bad luck, Janice.

You were put forward as

the official burnt offering for that round by your very friendly team!

Clock them round the head when you get back.

Judith, you will be in the final. Janice, you won't.

Do come and rejoin your team-mates.

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

The Eggheads have lost two brains. The last subject is Geography.

-Who is the geographer?

-Are you happy to go for it there, John?

Well, why not, why not?

-Who do I take on?

-Erm, right, it's only...

So, I think it's going to be John.

-Against?

-So, it's another sacrifice

cos I'm not expecting to win and I'll take on Daphne.

So, it is John from the Brighton Bouleheads against

Daphne from the Eggheads. Do take your positions now.

Three questions, multiple choice

and, John, you get to choose the first or second set.

As we lost the last round, I'm gonna ring the changes and go second.

Daphne, Aeroflot is the national airline of which country?

It's Russia.

Russia is the correct answer.

John, your question.

Beverly Hills is a city in which US state?

I didn't know it was a city, I thought it was merely

a suburb of Los Angeles, but it's in California.

Quite right, too. 1-1.

Back to you, Daphne.

The northern part of the Greek island of Corfu

is just two miles from the coast of which country?

Well, it's not Tunisia, is it?

It's quite close to...

Turkey...

Albania.

Albania is correct!

John, Electric Avenue, the first shopping street in

London to be lit by electricity, is located in which part of the city?

That would be in Brixton, quite close to the station.

How do you know that?

We drive past it on the way to Brighton

when you go to get the A23.

And there's a club called The Electric.

Right, Brixton is the answer.

Well done, John.

Daphne, what is the county town of Kerry in the Republic of Ireland?

Hold on.

Now, Ennis is County Clare.

It's Tralee.

Yes, it is Tralee.

I've been there!

I think you're better at geography than you're letting on.

No!

Which means, John, if you don't get this right,

you're not in the final round and Daphne is.

Drammen is a seaport in which Scandinavian country?

Spelt D-R-A-M-M-E-N.

Well, I lived in Norway for a couple of years

and I don't remember hearing of it there.

Sweden and Finland, I can't think of it in either one off hand.

So, I'm going to guess for Finland.

You should have gone back to where you lived and thought a little bit

more about Norway because that's where Drammen is! It's in Norway.

Sorry, you're not in the final round, Daphne is.

She got more answers right, it was that simple.

So both of you please come back and rejoin your teams.

This is what we've been playing towards.

Time for the final round, which is General Knowledge.

I'm afraid those of you who lost won't be allowed

to take part in this round.

So, Janice and John from the Brighton Bouleheads,

and CJ and Chris from the Eggheads, would you please leave the studio?

So, Jay, so far you haven't been in a round.

Are you the secret weapon?

I hadn't thought of myself as that,

-it's just the way it's turned out!

-OK, let's see what happens now.

This is the all important moment with £16,000 up for grabs.

You're playing to win the Brighton Bouleheads all that money.

Judith, Kevin and Daphne, you're playing for something

money can't buy, the Eggheads' reputation.

I'll ask each team three questions in turn.

This time the questions are General Knowledge

and you are allowed to confer.

Brighton Bouleheads, are your three brains better than the Eggheads' three?

So, David, Jay and Justin, do you want to go first or second?

Just for a change, I think we'll go first.

Here we go! How many gospels are there in the New Testament?

-Erm, well...

-Well, there are four.

It is four.

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, but is there a fifth one?

No, there are four gospels,

the Acts Of The Apostles and The Letters.

-So, not counting...

-Ah ah!

-No, go on.

-Definitely four.

-Are you happy with that?

-It's Mark, Matthew, Luke and John, four.

Four is correct.

-Well done for not over complicating it! It can be very dangerous.

-Yes.

Well done.

Eggheads, which musical instrument shares its name

with a kitchen utensil used to slice vegetables and consisting

of adjustable blades in a frame?

Yeah, yeah.

That is a mandolin.

Mandolin is correct.

One each. Over to you, Brighton Bouleheads.

Vicki Vale is the love interest of which comic book hero?

-Vicki Vale?

-Vicki Vale?

Vicki Vale. V-I-C-K-I, then V-A-L-E.

Well, it's not Superman, surely, because wasn't that Lois Lane?

-Precisely.

-Batman or Iron Man, I don't know.

Do you know what? I think it's Batman.

-Why?

-It rings a bell.

-You've seen some of the Batman films?

Vicki Vale rings a bell.

-Who is Iron Man?

-Iron Man? I haven't got a clue about Iron Man.

Recently filmed, isn't it? Does he have a sidekick?

If you're happy with Batman...

Batman? Vicki Vale?

After careful consideration, Jeremy,

We're going to go for Batman and pray!

You don't need to pray, you're right! Batman is correct!

Well done, Justin.

Eggheads - gules,

derived from an old French word for an animal's mouth or throat,

is the heraldic term for which colour?

That is red.

What sort of a red is it? Like the sweater

-that Judith is wearing?

-That's pink!

-Yeah, it's darker. Darker than that.

-It's more like Justin's shirt.

Red like Justin's shirt?

I'll accept that! It's correct.

This is where it gets really tight.

If you get this right, you put the pressure on them

and they can trip up.

George Bernard Shaw's play

Man And Superman is based on which opera by Mozart?

Jay is the one here.

I didn't know, but it has to be Don Giovanni.

Why?

Erm...The Magic Flute is, is a...

Masonic, lightweight piece.

Marriage Of Figaro is a comedy of manners. It has to be Don Giovanni.

-Have you ever heard of this connection before?

-I haven't,

but I'm pretty sure it's that.

-What we going?

-Don Giovanni.

-Yeah.

-Elimination.

-I thought that.

With further prayer, we'll go for Don Giovanni.

-Justin agrees, you're certain about that?

-Yeah.

Don Giovanni, well done! Three out of three.

Couldn't have done any better than that.

Now, what you need is total Eggheads collapse on the third question

and, believe me, we've seen that before.

Francis Blake, born in Massachusetts

in 1850, was instrumental in the development of which invention?

-I wonder if the wording is significant there.

-Pardon?

Wondering if the wording is significant, "Was instrumental in".

-Yes.

-I'm just wondering...

Yes, yeah, if he was involved in...

He might just have been somebody who they spoke to.

-1850?

-Well, it would be the right...

Because Alexander Graham Bell was working on that in the mid-1870s.

-So, he took it on?

-And it was in Massachusetts.

What about tram?

Who knows? Ballpoint pen, who knows?

No, I don't think ballpoint pen.

Well, Biro is credited with the invention of the ballpoint pen.

As far as the tram is concerned...

Well, trams were first of all horse drawn, weren't they?

Yes, yes.

-Very true.

-Let's go with your instinct.

I don't know, we're hoping that in some way

he might have been involved in the development, although

famously it's Alexander Graham Bell of course, and his assistant was

called Watson, but nevertheless, we're hoping that he might

somehow have been involved in early phone calls and we'll say telephone.

You think it's the telephone?

You don't know anything about the tram or the ballpoint pen...

..but you are right! It is the telephone!

Well done!

All right, Bouleheads, you were close

-to it there.

-Very disappointing.

-Often they don't know and then

-they do, you know what I mean?

-Yes, it's very annoying.

So, three multiple choice questions. Now, sudden death,

and these questions are not multiple choice, need an answer.

You're first. What is the name of the old navy punishment of dragging

the offender underneath the ship from one side to the other by means

of ropes attached to the yards?

Keeling? Hauling and keeling?

Keeling?

Oh, I wasn't going to say that.

I know it came up in the first version of Mutiny On The Bounty.

Erm, I mean, you may be right, hauling.

Keeling. It's keeling. I'm pretty sure it's keeling.

Well, try that, Dave.

I'm trying to summon up my boyhood

recollections of pirate films and that sort of thing.

We think, I think, but with some support, it might be keeling.

So, your answer is keeling?

Yeah. That would be certainly part of the answer.

OK, it's wrong, but you are close and when you used the word haul

earlier, you were very, very close because it's keelhaul, one word.

Ah, of course, yes!

Keelhaul.

-I know that's painful.

-Quite.

-But we have to run a tight ship.

Eggheads, your chance for victory, to take the money

and preserve your reputation.

"The stench was so bad that the entire town took to the hills",

was how the historian Frederick Pike described the arrival in Southampton

in 1840 of which prized agricultural import from Peru?

Guano?

-Does it come from Peru?

-Yeah.

-Other places as well, but that was famous for...

-Guano.

Yeah, off the coast there,

there are certain islands and along the coastal strip, yeah.

I think that seems... Well, we haven't heard that particular fact

but Peru was, particularly from the mid-19th century,

was famous for the export of guano, bird droppings.

If you get this right you've taken the money away from our Bouleheads.

Get it wrong, they're back in the game.

You're right, it's guano. Eggheads, you've won.

Congratulations!

You played them fast and tight.

Commiserations, challengers.

The Eggheads have done what comes naturally to them.

Their winning streak continues.

I'm afraid you won't be going home with the £16,000.

Which means that money rolls over to our next show.

Eggheads, congratulations. Who is going to beat you?

Join us next time to see if the new challengers

have the brains to defeat the Eggheads.

£17,000 says they don't.

Till then, goodbye.

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