Episode 10 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 are Goliaths in the world

of TV quiz shows. They are the Eggheads.

And, taking on the might of our quiz Goliaths today are the Hammerheads,

the team are all West Ham fans.

To while away the time travelling to away games, they'll often play a quiz against one another.

Let's meet them.

Hi, I'm Neil. I'm 51 and I'm a senior consultant.

Hi, I'm Mark, I'm 45, and a window cleaner.

Hi, I'm Dawn, I'm 38 and a database analyst.

Hi, I'm Kerry. I'm 48, I'm a bathroom fitter.

Hi, I'm Tony. I'm 39, and I'm a recruitment consultant.

Welcome to you, Hammerheads.

Between you, how long have you been supporting West Ham United?

Who's the longest serving fan?

35 years for me.

-35 years! Man and boy then?

-Yeah.

So some of the glory years.

It's all glory years, I know.

-We did win the World Cup.

-Obviously, yes, right, 1966.

Three West Ham players in the team.

-Scored the goals.

-Of course, the captain, scored all the goals.

I'm with you there. And, tell me how does the quizzing go?

Is it competitive, or is it just...?

It started as a bit of fun, first of all, on the back of a coach.

We just used to ask people different questions, and it

got a bit more competitive. And that's how it's gone.

-And did it start, was it a West Ham quiz originally?

-Oh no, all sorts.

-Other teams?

-No, no, it was all general knowledge.

We don't talk about Arsenal.

Yes, and I don't talk about Spurs, actually.

-Kevin doesn't.

-You've been remarkably restrained so far.

Good to see you, Hammerheads and best of luck today.

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

However, if they fail to defeat the Eggheads,

the prize money rolls over to the next show. So, Hammerheads, the Eggheads have won

the last seven games, which means £8,000 says you can't beat them.

So our first head-to-head battle will be on the subject of Sport

which I suspect you might enjoy. Who would like to play this?

Don't all rush at once.

Before this, he was, "I'll do Sport, I'll do Sport."

Are you still confident, mate?

-Yep.

-Go for it.

-Right, OK.

-OK, Mark, you are happy to do it.

-Which Egghead would you like to play?

-I think Judith should be, yes?

-Judith.

-I can't see her from here, has she gone?

-I am trying to.

-Trying to hide.

The question room is where you are bound, Judith. Could I ask Mark

and Judith please to take their positions in that question room.

So, Mark, barring the World Cup Final of '66, what's the best West Ham game you have ever seen?

The best West Ham was probably when we beat Metz 3-1

in the InterToto Cup final. The first English team ever to win it.

Do you want to go first or second?

Normally it would be ladies first, but team orders, I'll go first.

Best of luck. For which country did the footballer Liam Brady make

72 appearances between 1974 and 1990?

I was good to say, I'm glad it's football. Ireland.

Liam Brady, yep, played for Ireland, 16 years then.

OK, Judith. Darren Campbell won an Olympic silver medal

in the 200 metres in which year?

I don't do silver medals, I only do gold.

That's the Egghead in you.

I have absolutely no idea.

What about 2000?

-Darren Campbell, 2000, other Eggheads?

-I think so.

The others are too early.

Yep. 2000 is correct.

Sydney 2000. Well done.

One to you then Judith.

Back to Mark. Mark, which jockey rode 4,870 winners,

but only won the Epsom Derby on one occasion?

My dad would know this. Er...

Willie Carson?

Willie Carson, do you think, only won the Derby once.

No, not Willie Carson. Do you know, Judith?

I'm sure Gordon Richards must have won the Derby more than once.

So it must be the other one.

Nope, it is the mighty Gordon Richards

-with nearly 5,000 winners but only one Derby under his belt.

-Pinza.

Pinza! Do you know the year?

-I should do, but I don't.

-You will after me asking you that.

-'53, yes.

-'53?

The Coronation Derby, '53. It was his 17th attempt.

Really? Anyway, the answer to that is Gordon Richards,

just to confirm that, not Willie Carson.

So a chance for Judith to take the lead with her second question.

Judith, what is the nickname of the NFL American football team

based in Carolina?

That presumably means they're called

the Carolina Panthers or Broncos or falcons.

Carolina? I have to assume they are the

Carolina something or others, and I bet they're not the Broncos cos

they probably come from Texas.

Or one of the horse States as it were.

Erm.

I can't think why Panthers could be in Carolina.

Carolina Falcons?

I'm going to say Falcons.

-Falcons?

-Yes.

I think Atlanta would get very upset about that.

-It's Carolina Panthers.

-Oh.

Panthers. So nothing there.

Mark, how many inches wide is the balance beam

used in women's artistic gymnastics Olympic competition?

I don't think it's four because that is approximately the size of

a golf hole.

So, six or eight.

If in doubt, the one in the middle, six.

Six? It is not six. It's four.

It's the narrowest there, just four inches, which makes you understand

just how good they are at it.

-So, Judith, a chance to win again at Sport.

-You never know.

You've got to get this. Which South African rugby union player

was the IRB International Player of the Year 2007?

Bryan Habana was the one who kind of starred all over the place,

so I imagine it must be him.

Bryan Habana. It's the right answer, Judith.

-No!

-You have won the round! Look how pleased she is.

I'm always thrilled when I win at Sport.

I say you do it quite often actually, more often than people would imagine.

Judith, you will be playing in the final round.

And Mark, I am sorry, you will not have a seat at the desk for the final round.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

That makes it 1-0 to the Eggheads.

But I suppose as Hammers fans, you will be used to going one down

and coming back in the second half to take victory.

Let us play our next category today.

This one is going to Film & Television.

Who would like to play? It can't be Mark, any of the other four?

-Can I go?

-Are you sure?

Yes.

Over to you.

-We'll go for Barry.

-Go for Barry.

-Barry,

OK, winner of Are You An Egghead?

-So, just confirm it's going to be...

-Kerry.

-Kerry against Barry.

Could I ask you both please to take your positions in the question room.

OK, Kerry, best of luck.

-Would you like to go first or second?

-First, please.

OK. Going first, Film & Television.

This is your question then.

In which film did Ingrid Bergman play a character called Ilsa Lund?

I don't think she was in Casablanca

as that.

So, I'll try Spellbound.

Ingrid Bergman, Ilsa Lund.

It was that famous role in Casablanca

with all those memorable lines which

are oft repeated, and oft misquoted, aren't they?

Barry, a lot of them, "Play it again, Sam", they never said it.

No, he just said, "Play it."

-Ah!

-To Dooley Wilson who was playing the piano in the film.

Ah-ha! OK.

So, nothing there for Kerry. Barry, your first question.

Which actor is famous for the line,

"I see dead people", from the 1999 film, The Sixth Sense?

He's gone on to have quite a successful career in film -

Haley Joel Osment.

Haley Joel Osment, you think.

What else has he gone on to do?

Now you've put me on the spot.

-You said it, Barry.

-Yes, I know, I have seen him in a couple.

My mind's just gone blank.

Any of the other Eggheads, do you know what else?

AI probably the best known.

AI. Anyway, the answer is Haley Joel Osment, that is correct.

So, one to you, Barry.

Kerry, let's get you moving.

What name is given to Basil Brush's

companion played by Christopher Pizzey?

I never really watched Basil Brush as a child. So I'd hazard a guess.

Mr Derek.

Mr Derek?

He's Mr Stephen. Mr Stephen. I'm sure there was a Mr Derek.

-I thought that.

-A long time ago.

Derek Fowlds. Well, a tricky

question and it gives a chance for Barry to sew up the round early on.

Barry, what was name of the fishmonger in the children's TV series Camberwick Green?

As I would have gone for Mr Derek.

I'm going to have much the same success cos I haven't got a clue.

So this is a blind guess.

And let's hope I've picked up some lessons from Daphne.

I shall go straight down the middle and say, oh no,

Mr Carraway sounds more like a baker.

I'll go for Mr Dagenham.

Mr Dagenham, of course, not too far from Upton Park really.

A bit of a link.

But you should have listened to that internal voice of Daphne's

looking over you while you played this round. It's Mr Carraway.

That gives a glimmer of hope to Kerry.

You've got to get this though, Kerry. The BBC has used the tune

Pop Looks Bach as the TV theme for which sport, since 1978?

I think cricket was Soul Limbo.

So I can rule that one out.

Since '78?

With the horses in the family, I'll go for show jumping.

OK. Showjumping.

I'm afraid you have hit another fence, so to speak, it is...

Barry, do you know?

-Skiing.

-You do now, cos it has gone green.

So I'm afraid, Kerry, we end the round there.

No place for you in the final round. There is one for Barry.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

Two more head-to-heads to go, can level it up in the final round.

This one is Science, this head-to-head.

Who would like to play this? Neil, Dawn or Tony remaining -

-Science.

-I'm rubbish at science.

-Give it a go, Tone. I'll have a crack at it then.

-And it's CJ, Kevin or Chris remaining.

-Shall we go CJ?

-Yes.

-We'll go for CJ.

-OK, so it's going to be Tony and CJ then to play science.

Could I ask you both please to take your position in the question room?

So, Tony, do you want to go first or second?

I'd like to go first, please.

Right, here you go.

Good luck, Tony. What is the symbol for the chemical element helium?

I'd like to think I should get this right, I have a son actually studying

science at the moment

and we were only doing this table the other day together.

So I'll have to go for He.

OK. Periodic tables.

And you've got it right. It's well worth doing the homework then.

He, helium.

OK, CJ, what term is used to describe the distance from

the centre to the perimeter of a circle?

Maybe we should ask Barry this about Big Ben again.

DERMOT LAUGHS

Barry is remembering, referring to a question that

Barry partially, he wasn't on his own, got wrong a few games ago

and they lost the money.

The distance from the centre to the...

-Perimeter.

-Perimeter. Is the radius.

Radius is correct in this case,

radius I can confirm that. OK, one-all.

Second question for you, Tony. Stephen Hawking and Charles Babbage

have been among the holders of the post of Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at which university?

I'm not 100% certain on this at all.

If I was to look at those three there,

I'd have said Cambridge, so that's the option I'll go for.

Cambridge. Charles Babbage, Stephen Hawking,

amongst the holders of the Lucasian Professor of Maths, is correct.

Well done, Tony. Two out of two. CJ.

The French doctor Rene Laennec is usually credited with the invention

of which piece of medical equipment?

I don't think it's the clinical thermometer.

Stethoscope I thought was invented by a Frenchman, and

it certainly goes around "le neck", ha-ha!

I think that's rather good actually.

Erm, I don't know about the hypodermic syringe, but

I thought stethoscope was invented by a Frenchman

so I'll go for stethoscope.

And it is the right answer. "Goes around le neck!"

Correct.

Right. Two-all. Tony, this may win it for you if you get this correct.

In 1825, which scientists started

the Royal Institution's Annual Christmas Lectures for Children?

Of the three there, I'm looking at Charles Darwin.

-That's the option I'm gonna go for.

-It's incorrect. Not Charles Darwin.

-I'm sorry. CJ, do you know?

-I knew it wasn't Darwin.

It's too early for him. I would have gone for Davy, but not knowing it.

No, it's Faraday.

A chance for CJ to take the round.

CJ, the atmosphere on Mars is chiefly composed of which gas?

I always get these mixed up.

The problem is one of those occurred to me before the options came up.

I'm just trying to connect it.

Oh, dear. I don't think it's hydrogen.

I think it's one of the other two.

I'm not at all sure,

but I'll have to go with the one that came to me, even though

I'm not entirely convinced. I'm going to go for nitrogen.

Mars. The atmosphere on Mars is chiefly composed of...

Carbon dioxide. Tony, breathe a sigh of relief.

Got it wrong, CJ.

So, you fight on, Tony. We go to sudden death for the first time in

the game. We remove those choices, so it's a lot harder. I've just got to hear the answer from you.

In which country is Woomera, where

Britain's experimental rocket called Blue Streak was tested in the 1960s?

In which country is Woomera?

W-O-O-M-E-R-A, all one word,

where Britain's experimental rocket Blue Streak was tested in the 1960s?

I've not heard of this at all before.

I'm just trying to think of countries this could have taken place in.

-I'll go for Holland.

-OK.

-Eggheads, is it?

-Australia.

-No, it's Australia.

-It's Australia. Clearly an aboriginal term.

I forget what it means, but certainly aboriginal.

-Rocket testing range then.

-They wouldn't have a word for that.

No, but... In Australia, clearly you need the space.

Oh, yeah, yeah.

Australia is the answer there.

So nothing for Tony.

Right, CJ, another chance for you to win the round. What compound

with the chemical formula HCHO is used in embalming solutions?

I've never been able to work out

any compounds from just being given their...

names like that.

I should just know it from the embalming, shouldn't I?

No, sorry. I'm just gonna pass, because it's obviously so obvious

and I've just gone blank.

-Eggheads?

-I think it's going to be CJ's ultimate fate, to be pickled in formaldehyde.

Formaldehyde, isn't it?

I just realised what it was.

Formaldehyde.

OK, you're let off, Tony. Right.

Put everything that's occurred behind you.

It all could hang on this question.

Which cousin of Charles Darwin developed systems of weather

mapping and classifying fingerprints and researched the inheritance of intelligence?

My mind's gone blank.

I'm just gonna pass on that one.

-I don't know.

-If you don't know it, you don't know it.

CJ, other Eggheads?

Francis Galton.

Francis Galton. Francis Galton.

Not a scientist on everyone's lips.

A tough one there for Tony. Let's see how tough this is for CJ.

Which large, carnivorous dinosaur takes its name from

the Greek for "other lizard"?

Just going through them.

There is one that springs to mind.

Just checking if there are any others.

It would help of course if I knew what the...

-Greek did you say or Latin?

-Greek. The Greek for "other lizard."

I'll go for allosaurus.

It's correct. Allosaurus, "other lizard," which means, CJ,

you have inched over the line.

It's like one of those goals where

it is just over. CJ, you're through to the final round.

Tony, sorry to say, good performance in there, some real tough questions,

handled very well, but not enough. I'm sorry to say you won't be playing in the final round.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

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

the Eggheads haven't lost any. A last chance coming up to knock one of these Eggheads out.

This subject's Music. Who'd like to play this?

Dawn or Neil?

-Got to be Dawn.

-Got to be me.

Got to be you, Dawn. Who would you like to play from the Eggheads?

It's Kevin or Chris?

-What do you think?

-Your choice.

-Go with Chris.

-Chris for Music.

OK.

Much joy(!) Let's have Dawn and Chris into the question room, please.

Dawn, I believe you're a keen reader?

I like to read the odd book, but I also like

to read a few trashy magazines.

I quite like celebrity gossip.

-Were you hoping for Arts & Books to come up today?

-That would have been a good one for me,

but music is one of my other passions in life. I do like to go and see quite a few bands.

I think hopefully it will stand me in good stead.

-Dawn, would you like to go first or second?

-I'll go second.

OK, that means you're first, Chris.

Who was the lead singer of the 1980s band T'Pau?

That was Carol Decker.

Confident there. Yes, it is Carol Decker, lead singer of T'Pau.

Your question, Dawn. What was the first name of the female brunette member of the group Abba?

I can't remember anyone called Anke

or Amelie in Abba, so it must be Anni-Frid.

Yes, that is correct.

Chris, second question.

Hushabye Mountain is a song from which musical of stage and screen?

It would scarcely be Cabaret, which is set in Berlin at the time of the

rise of the Nazis and it's not in The Sound Of Music,

so it's be Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Eliminated the other two, got the right answer.

Yes, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Hushabye Mountain.

In 1973, which band had UK number one hit singles with both

Cum On Feel The Noize and Skweeze Me Pleeze Me?

I'm pretty sure it's not 10cc.

So it's between Wizzard and Slade.

A friend of mine is from Wolverhampton and

grew up in the '70s and I do remember her playing the odd Slade track,

so I think it might be Slade.

Slade is the answer. Well done.

Chris, third question.

Which band had a UK hit single with Brianstorm in 2007?

I don't think it's McFly.

Brianstorm...hmm!

It doesn't sound like the Arctic Monkeys either, so I'll go, with no

great hopes of success, for The Kooks.

The Kooks? Brianstorm in 2007 was by the Arctic Monkeys.

There we are. Nothing there, so a great chance, Dawn.

Just got to get this. I say just, but let's hope you do.

The 18th century composer George Frideric Handel

is buried in which building?

Classical music isn't my strongest subject.

Certainly where they're buried would be an even weaker subject.

I'm afraid it's going to be a complete and utter guess.

I'm going for Westminster Abbey.

-Yes, it's correct!

-Hey!

3-2, you're through to the final round. No place for you, Chris.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

This is what we've been playing towards - the final round,

which, as always, is General Knowledge. I'm afraid those of you

who lost your head-to-heads won't be allowed to take part in this round.

Mark, Kerry and Tony from the Hammerheads and Chris from the Eggheads,

would you leave the studio, please?

Neil and Dawn, you're playing to

win the Hammerheads £8,000. Barry, Judith, Kevin and CJ,

you're playing for something which money can't buy, the Eggheads' reputation.

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

This time the questions are all general knowledge and you are allowed to confer.

Hammerheads, the question is, are your two brains better than the Eggheads' four?

Neil and Dawn, would you like to go first or second?

I think second worked for me last time, so we'll try second again.

Hammerheads deciding to let the Eggheads to begin. This is your question, Eggheads.

Which part of London is known as the Square Mile?

-That's the City of London.

-That's correct. Good start for you.

Hammerheads, which bird of prey found in Britain

has the scientific name Buteo buteo and a wingspan of up to 1.5 metres?

Which bird of prey found in Britain has the scientific name Buteo buteo

and a wingspan of up to 1.5 metres?

I don't think that

buzzard is a native of Britain, is it?

I wasn't aware that buzzard was...

Out of those, I'd be inclined to go for kestrel.

Shall we just go kestrel?

Which Bird of prey found in Britain has the scientific name Buteo buteo

and a wingspan of up to 1.5 metres?

1.5 That's quite a big wingspan.

-Are kestrels that big?

-Buzzards are. I'm going for buzzards again now.

Red kite, I don't think.

I'm sure, when we went to the Test match in India, there were

-red kites flying around there.

-We'll discount red kite then.

Let's go with buzzard, shall we?

We'll go for buzzard. Are you happy with buzzard?

-Yeah.

-Yeah, we'll go buzzard.

-Gone for it?

-Yeah.

-That was the one you discounted first off.

Because you were going of the "found in Britain," thinking there

are no buzzards in Britain.

It is the wingspan defines this. It's buzzard, it's correct.

-Hard work, weren't it?

-Second questions apiece.

What type of vegetable is the Italian cavolonero?

Can we have a spelling?

C-A-V-O-L-O, then N-E-R-O.

-I think it's cabbage.

-OK.

-Obviously, nero is black anyway.

-I think it's cabbage.

You get black carrots.

But I know that cavolonero is leaves you eat,

-I know it.

-OK, right.

We'll go... OK?

We'll go for cabbage then.

-Do you get black cabbages?

-Yes, in Italy.

I've seen black carrots. You get black carrots.

-Yes, but I know it's leaves.

-Ah.

It is cabbage. Well done, Eggheads. Worked that out.

Now, Hammerheads, important you get this.

Pferd is the German word for which animal?

The word is spelt P-F-E-R-D.

I don't think it's cow.

I think it's gonna be mouse or horse.

I'm leaning to mouse.

I think horse and cow possibly...

I would have heard the name for horse and cow at some point.

OK, we'll go for mouse.

We'll go for mouse.

It's not mouse.

No, not mouse. Eggheads?

-It's horse.

-But, Eggheads, as a result of that, it means you

win the game if you get this.

What is the common name of the guide to parliamentary procedure in the UK

that has been revised and used since the 19th century?

-That is Erskine May.

-Erskine May is correct. You've won.

Tell me a bit more about Erskine May.

He wrote the definitive guide...

As you say, the definitive guide to parliamentary procedure.

In terms of how you ask a question, how you approach the Speaker and things like that?

Yeah, exactly. The whole rules of procedure for how to operate when in the Houses of Parliament.

Erskine May won it for the Eggheads.

Bad luck, Hammerheads. Those head-to-heads, some of them

slipped away from the team. Thanks very much for playing today. It's been a pleasure having you.

Good to see you. The Eggheads have done what comes naturally to them.

Their winning streak continues.

I'm afraid you won't be going home

with the £8,000, which means the money rolls over to our next show.

Eggheads, congratulations. Who will beat you?

Join us next time to see if a new team of challengers have the brains to defeat the Eggheads.

£9,000 says they don't.

Until then, goodbye.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

E-mail [email protected]