Episode 96 Eggheads

These five 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 are goliaths in the world

of TV quiz shows.

They are the Eggheads.

And taking on the awesome might of our quiz goliaths today are Amberwould.

The team are regulars at the Amberwood pub in Dorset, where they quiz together every Monday.

Let's meet them.

Hello, I'm Marlene.

I'm 55 and I'm a nursery teacher.

Hello, I'm Eddie.

I'm 69 and I'm a retired independent financial adviser.

Hello, I'm John.

I'm 48 and I'm a publican.

Hello, I'm Christopher.

I'm 62 and a retired solicitor.

Hello, I'm Nick. I'm 52 and I'm a digital printer.

-So, Marlene, you all meet in the pub?

-Yeah, we meet on a Monday night.

Christopher and I are in the same team and Nick is in a rival team.

Eddie is the question master and John is the landlord of the pub

and he plays if he's not cooking.

And the pub is Amberwood with two "O"s?

Normal spelling of "wood", yes, as in trees.

-But your team is W, O, U, L, D?

-Yes.

-Meaning?

-Because we "would" like to beat the Eggheads.

You would like to beat the Eggheads.

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

If they fail to defeat the Eggheads, the prize money rolls over to the next show.

So, Amberwould, the Eggheads have won the last 12 games, which means

£13,000 says you can't beat them.

The first-head-to-head battle will be on history.

How about that, challengers? You can decide who plays history and

-against which Egg.

-Should I do that?

-I'd like Christopher, yes.

-That's his speciality.

Chris, you've got to choose an Egghead.

Right! I'd like to play against Daphne, please.

So it's Chris from Amberwould versus Daphne from the Eggheads.

To ensure there's no conferring, please both of you take your positions in the question room.

Christopher, I'll ask you if you want the first

set of questions or the second set?

I remember Mr Murnaghan saying in the course of a previous series

it was advantageous to go first. I expect he was right.

I don't understand the logic of it. So I'll go first.

First question. In the 4th century BC, which European

general invaded Asia, getting as far as the River Beas in the Punjab?

Well, that was Alexander the Great. The others were much later.

Correct answer. Well done.

First point to Christopher.

Daphne, the House of Thomas Farynor was the origin of

which famous historical event of the 17th century?

I think he's probably the baker in which the Great Fire of London started.

-Great Fire of London is your answer?

-Yes.

-Christopher, is she right?

-I think so.

-I hope so.

You're both right. Point to you, Daphne.

Chris, which statesman was Mayor of West Berlin from 1957 to 1966

and Chancellor of West Germany from '69 to '74?

That was Willy Brandt.

Would you be the team member who likes reading history books?

-I do, but, er...

-Well, done, you're right.

You take the lead. You're going to have to fight hard here, Daphne.

I know.

Ferdinand Foch was a famous World War One marshal in which country's army?

He was French, so it's France.

He was and it is.

Two points each. Back to our challenger from Amberwould.

Chris, in 1977, US President Jimmy Carter signed two treaties

promising to give up control of what by the end of 1999?

I'm not certain of this.

I don't think they've promised to give up the Virgin Islands

and I think they continuously resist giving up Diego Garcia.

I think it was the Panama Canal.

You sound pretty sure to me and you're right.

Yes!

Brilliant process of elimination.

Daphne, between 1929 and 1932,

two 70m-long barges, thought to have been used as ceremonial ships by Caligula,

were hauled from which Italian lake?

I have no idea. I've never heard of it.

So as usual I've got to guess.

I will go for

Lake Trasimeno.

Lake Trasimeno is your answer?

-Yes, and it's wrong, isn't it, Jeremy?

-Is she wrong, Eggheads?

-We'd have gone for Nemi.

-You would have gone for Nemi?

Your team-mates would have been right, Daphne.

You're wrong. It's not Transimeno.

Well, done, Christopher.

Showing amazing conviction.

Even if you weren't sure, you paused only a nanosecond.

You took on an Egghead, you emerged triumphant.

Good news for our challengers, Amberwould, Christopher can join them in the final round.

So would you both like to come back and join your team-mates?

The Eggheads have just lost one brain from the final round.

It's going well for the challengers. They've lost no brains.

Next subject is science, everyone.

Which of you wants to take science and which Egghead

would you like to fight against?

It's what we anticipated.

-This is my sword to fall on.

-John.

-And...

OK, ladies, I'll take on Judith, if I may, please.

All right. It's John from Amberwould versus Judith from the Eggheads,

former Millionaire winner. To ensure

no conferring, please take your positions in the question room.

John, would you like the first set of questions or the second?

Erm, on the basis of what happened last round, I think I'll go with the first set, please.

First question. Which part of a body is normally

examined with an ophthalmoscope?

Erm, oooh. Well, ophthalmics I think is eyes.

Ophthalmics.

I'm going to go with eye, Jeremy.

Eye is right!

And now eyes to the right.

Judith, creosote is manufactured by the distillation of which material?

Well, I don't think it's sugar, cos molasses is sugar.

I don't think it's vegetable oil. I think it's coal tar.

And you're right, too. Well, done.

Second question for you, John.

In biology, what name is given to the study of cells?

OK, well, I believe

haematology is blood.

Mycology, I think, could be fungi, so therefore I'm going

to go for cytology.

So cytology then, please.

-You're right.

-Oh!

Judith, what is an ammeter used to measure?

I don't think it's solution density.

Ammeter...

I think it's wind.

-Wind speed, you're saying?

-Wind speed, yes.

Eggheads?

-Electric current.

-Electric current.

-No!

-Amp meter.

-Yeah, amp meter. OK, John.

-If you get this right, you've won the head to head.

-OK.

The Pascaline, designed by Blaise Pascal between 1642 and 1644, was

an early example of which device?

I'll be perfectly honest with you, I don't know, so...

-16?

-1642 and 1644.

-Hmm?

-Designed between those dates.

-Well, I'm going to eliminate calculator.

I'm going to make my choice. I think maybe Pascal could have been do with

microscope, looking at small things. So I'm going to go microscope.

-You eliminated calculator.

-Mm-hm.

-But it was the right answer, I'm afraid.

-Oh, dear. There you go.

Back in, Judith.

See if you can take him to sudden death. Your question.

The term "grampus" was applied to which creature?

Well, what immediately came into my mind was whale.

And I now doubt my mind,

since it doesn't seem to be very accurate.

But I'm still going to go with my instinct. Whale.

You said that with amazing conviction.

Well, you're always asking...

I know I am, but suddenly it's come through. You've found it and you're right.

-Well, there you are.

-Well, done.

Sometimes it helps.

You've had three questions each.

Scores are level and we now move on to sudden death.

John, your first question in the sudden-death round.

Which dinosaur of the late Jurassic period with a small head and a very

long neck and tail takes its name from the Greek for "double" and "beam"?

I'm hoping that the "double" is "di"

or "dip", so I'm going to go for diplodocus.

Diplodocus is absolutely right.

Pressure on you now, Judith.

Which chemical element is also known as wolfram?

I did know this once upon a time.

Oh, it's not coming.

I don't know. Erm, halogen.

No, it's tungsten.

-Oh!

-So well done, John!

You took on one of the Eggheads, you emerged triumphant.

Good news for the challengers, you'll be able to play in today's final round.

Congratulations. Would you both please come back, rejoin your teams?

The Eggheads have lost two brains from the final round.

The challengers haven't lost any.

Next subject is music.

Which of you wants music?

I think it's going to have to be me.

-Yes!

-OK, Nick. Digital printer?

-Yes.

-Is that a musical profession?

Er, we hit some bum notes now and again.

-Yes!

-Boom-boom!

-Who shall I take on, Chris Hughes?

-Yeah, go on.

I'll take on Chris if I may, please.

Yeah, that does happen a lot round here. So it's Nick from Amberwould

versus Chris from the Eggheads.

Do, please, go to the question room. I'm going to ask each of you three questions on music in turn.

Nick, you can choose the first or second set.

Erm, first please, Jeremy.

The musical Dancing In The Streets is based on the music

produced by which legendary US record label?

All legendary, but my choice on this one would be Motown.

Absolutely right. Well, done.

Chris, here's your question.

Which music awards ceremony first took place in 1977 and was previously known

as the British Record Industry Awards?

Mm? Interesting. Well, the Mercury Music Prize has

always been the Mercury Music Prize.

And the Ivor Novello Awards are in memory of Ivor Novello and they've

been going quite some few decades. So it must be the Brit Awards.

You're right. It is the Brit Awards. Funkier, trendier name for the

British Record Industry Awards.

So, Nick, which musical term indicates a rapid slide upwards

or downwards between notes, such as on a piano keyboard?

Erm, I haven't a clue. I can't get any stem words that I'm aware of,

so I'm going to try for glissando.

Well, it looks a bit like "glide"

-I guess and you're right.

-Oh!

Well, done. Glissando.

Chris, American Boy was a UK number- one hit single in 2008

for Kanye West and which British singer?

Well, it's not Amy Winehouse.

That would have been Estelle.

Estelle is the correct answer. Well, done.

Two points apiece.

Tightening up here.

Nick, who wrote and originally recorded Chaka Khan's 1984 UK

number one I Feel For You?

I really can only eliminate on probability.

I can't believe Madonna would have written for Chaka Khan.

I can't believe Mick Jagger wrote it, but I can think

Christopher Nelson, otherwise Prince,

might have written that song, so

I'm going to go for Prince.

Yeah, he's a brilliant songwriter and he did. You are right.

Chris, which form of classical music originating in the

13th century normally takes the form of a vocal composition for various

voices based on a sacred text?

Well, bel canto just means

beautiful singing, so it wouldn't be that and it's not bagatelle.

So it must be motet.

You're right. That is the form of classical music in question.

Well, done. Nothing to separate

you after three questions, we go to sudden death.

First question, Nick, is this.

"We skipped the light fandango, turned cartwheels 'cross the floor.

"I was feeling kinda seasick, but the crowd called out for more,"

are the opening lines of which song by Procol Harum?

It's A Whiter Shade Of Pale.

It was indeed A Whiter Shade Of Pale. Well, done.

Is that one of the ones you karaoke to, Chris?

No, but I do like that stuff, that was what I grew up with.

Here's your question. If you get this wrong, you're out.

Rule The World was a UK 2007 hit single for which group?

-Sorry, guys, no idea. Pass.

-Pass?!

-Pass.

-You don't say that very often.

No, pass.

Who cares who sang Rule The World?

-I should rule the world.

-You're passing on principle, are you?

-Yeah.

-Take That...

-Yes.

-Is the answer.

So great news for the challengers

here, cos it means, Nick, you'll be able to play in today's final round.

Chris, you won't. Please, both of you, come back to the studio.

As it stands, the Eggheads have lost three brains from the final round.

The challengers still haven't lost any. The last subject is sport.

-Oh, wow!

-Which of you wants to do sport? Why are you so excited?

-That's what we wanted!

It was the only thing I was hoping for. That will be me.

So it's you, Eddie. And you've got Kevin and CJ left.

I'm going to take a go at Kevin.

Have a go at Kevin on sport.

-OK. So it's Eddie...

-Do you agree?

-Oh, yes.

-From Amberwould...

-Sure?

-Yeah.

-Versus Kevin from the Eggheads.

And to ensure there's no conferring,

please take your positions in the question room. Here we go.

I'm going to ask you three. They're multiple choice.

First set or second set?

I'm going first like everybody else.

Eddie, in golf,

what term is used to describe a player with a handicap of zero?

Well, I can't imagine too many golfers enjoying

the last two as a description, so we'll stick with scratch.

Quite right. First point to you.

Kevin,

Avram Grant, who was dismissed as manager of Chelsea football team

in May 2008, was formerly the coach of which national team?

Don't think he's ever coached either Denmark or Portugal

and he is Israeli, so Israel.

Israel is correct. Well, done.

Eddie, Christopher Martin-Jenkins is a journalist and commentator

predominantly on which sport?

It's on the sport where a member of his family is currently very much involved and that's cricket.

-What's the member of his family doing? Remind us.

-He's a cricketer.

Oh, you don't say!

You're right, it's cricket.

Kevin, in which sporting discipline might one perform a layback spin?

Oh, dear. Not a term I'm familiar with I'm afraid. I'm sorry...

Sorry, CJ, if this is wrong, but I'm going for figure skating.

-You're right.

-Oh!

-Well, done. Two points apiece. This is so tight.

Eddie, which horse won the King George VI Chase, the Betfair Chase

and the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2007?

I can tell you that the

replacement of the winner, which was Kauto Star, is Denman this year.

-Kauto Star is the correct answer.

-That's right. Well, done.

So, Kevin, if you get this wrong,

the Eggheads are down to one in the final round.

The 1968 summer Olympic Games saw

the formal adoption of what type of verification?

Yes, stating the obvious, but all these things did come in at different times.

Oh! Sex testing was in by '76, because there's this story about Princess Anne

being the only one who didn't have to undergo it.

I'm going to go for sex testing. I'm sorry.

Sex testing. You are right, Kevin. Well, done.

Well, after three questions each, the scores are level.

We now go to sudden death

and just to make it that bit harder, these questions will not be multiple choice.

Eddie, what is the name of the adopted footballer's son

of Ian Wright, who scored his first England goal when he came on as a substitute

in a match against the Ukraine in August 2004?

This is the guilty bit of the sudden death where

the mind goes completely blank.

I know it's a hyphenated name and the second part of it is Wright.

Ian Wright-Phillips.

-Is that your answer?

-Yes.

It's wrong. It's Shaun Wright-Phillips.

Shaun Wright-Phillips. Sorry.

Bad luck. That was just a little... what do they call?

-Verbal...

-Digging.

Infelicity there. OK.

Kevin, if you get this question right, you've won the head to head.

Which former England cricket coach published his autobiography

Behind The Shades in November 2007?

-Former England cricket coach?

-Yeah.

It may not be, I haven't come across this, but I'm going to have to go for

Duncan Fletcher on the basis that he was the most-recently evicted person. So Duncan Fletcher.

The former coach who published his autobiography was Duncan Fletcher.

-Yes!

-Well, done.

The Eggheads have pulled back.

Eddie, sorry you were beaten by our Egghead and I know you knew

-the answer to that question as well.

-Yes.

You won't be able to help your team in the final round.

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

Aother exciting contest. This is what we're playing towards.

Time for the final round which is general knowledge.

Those of you who lost your head to heads won't be allowed to take part in this round,

so Eddie from Amberwould and Judith,

Daphne and Chris from the Eggheads,

all three of you on this side, please leave the studio.

Marlene, John, Christopher and Nick,

you are playing to win Amberwould £13,000.

Kevin and CJ, you are playing for

something which money can't buy, the Eggheads' reputation.

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

The questions are all general knowledge.

You may confer, you'll be pleased to hear.

And, Amberwould, the question is, are your four brains better than

the Eggheads' two? Amberwould, first or second set of questions?

-We'll go first?

-Stick with first?

-Yes.

-Yes.

-We'll stick with first, Jeremy.

-So, challengers, your first question.

What name has been given to the financial crisis in

America that has led to some reduction in the availability

of loans and an increase in the cost of obtaining a loan?

I'm sure that's the credit crunch.

-I agree.

-My credit is being throttled.

We all agreed on the credit crunch there.

Credit crunch is right, which we're all painfully aware of.

Your first question, Eggheads.

Hitachi and Kawasaki are cities in which country?

Hitachi and Kawasaki are cities in which country?

-They're in Japan, Jeremy.

-They are indeed. You're quite right.

Question two, Amberwould.

In 2007, Modbury in Devon became the first town in Britain to ban what?

I can't believe it was television!

There'd be a riot. Erm, I don't think anyone would successfully

ban swearing, would they?

-No.

-We'll go with plastic bags.

Plastic bags is your answer.

Absolutely right. Well, done.

Keeping the pressure on you, Eggheads, and a lot of money at stake here.

Who directed the 2008 documentary on The Rolling Stones, Shine A Light?

That was Martin Scorsese.

Without a shiver of hesitation.

Because it's recent or that's the kind of thing you happen to know?

It's something he's been planning for a long time.

It's taken him a lot of years to get around to actually doing it and finally it's here.

You're correct. Martin Scorsese.

Third multiple choice question for you, Amberwould.

Which magazine was founded in 1843 by the Scotsman James Wilson as a

voice against grain import tariffs?

-Well...

-Chris, I think you know this.

The Spectator is much older than that.

The New Statesman, I think, is younger than that.

The Economist does deal chiefly with economics and

free trade is very much an economic matter to the fore in 1843,

the time just before the repeal of the Corn Laws, so my guess...

but I don't know for certain... would be The Economist.

-Will we go with Chris?

-We're not worthy.

You're bowing down to Christopher here. That was a very well-argued answer.

-Hopefully.

-And it's the right answer.

Oh, brilliant.

Eggheads, if you get this answer wrong, Amberwould have won £13,000

and you've lost a little chunk of your precious reputation.

Which tough-tackling Liverpool footballer

was nicknamed Anfield Iron?

Which tough-tackling Liverpool footballer was nicknamed Anfield Iron?

The most likely to me seems to be Tommy Smith,

despite the fact the others could both get stuck in and did get stuck in.

-Well, I don't want to influence you in any way...

-Yes.

-But if it was playing by myself... again, I haven't heard it... but I would go for Smith.

-Yeah.

-Myself.

-Yeah, Tommy Smith.

Tommy Smith is correct.

So after three questions each, the scores are level.

We will now go to sudden death and, remember, to make it that bit harder,

-these questions are not multiple choice. Are you ready, Amberwould?

-Yes.

It could all end in an instant, for better or worse.

We've seen that a lot lately.

Who directed the ground-breaking 1903 film The Great Train Robbery?

-I haven't a clue.

-Oh, no!

-1903? Who was about in 1903?

-I didn't know they made films in 1903.

-Eisenstein wouldn't have done The Great Train Robbery.

-I don't know any directors from then.

-That's a bit later anyway.

-Is De Millle too late?

-Charlie Chaplin?

1903? When was Chaplin about?

Chaplin would have been young then. He was a young man...

-He'd have been in it, rather than directing.

-Who did you say?

Well, Eisenstein, Sergei Eisenstein.

He's the only one I know.

We can't offer anything, Nick, so if you've got a

glimpse of an answer, then say it.

The only one we can think of,

futilely, is Sergei Eisenstein.

Sergei Eisenstein is the wrong answer.

Do you know the correct answer, Eggheads?

Yeah, he's not really known that much for anything else.

This is touted as the first Western and the director's name was Edwin S Porter.

That's the right answer, Edwin S Porter.

But don't flee in panic just yet.

It's not over.

Eggheads, to win the contest,

Inquiry Into The Nature And Causes Of The Wealth Of Nations

is an 18th-century book by which pioneering economist,

a man often referred to as the

founder of modern economics?

-That would be Adam Smith.

-Yep, and now on the £20 note. Adam Smith.

-Is that your answer?

-Yep.

-It is.

It is the correct answer.

Congratulations, Eggheads. You've won.

Commiserations, challengers.

The Eggheads have done what comes naturally to them.

You gave them a real run for their money.

Their winning streak does continue.

You won't go home with the £13,000,

which means that the money, our own wealth of nations, rolls over to the next show.

Eggheads, congratulations.

Who will 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.

Until then, goodbye.

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