Episode 101 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

attempt to beat possibly the greatest quiz team in Britain.

Their quiz pedigree is well known

as they have won some of the country's toughest quiz shows.

They are the Eggheads.

And challenging our resident quiz goliaths today

are Mills and Broom, from Essex.

This team of friends and family have paid homage to the famous series of romance novels

by combining their surnames.

But they're rather quiet when it comes to admitting if they read them!

Hopefully we'll find out. Let's meet them.

Hi, I'm Andrew. I'm 54 and I'm a dispensing optician.

Hi, I'm Francis. I'm 30 and I'm a ticket office clerk.

Hi, I'm Emma. I'm 24 and I'm a customer service representative.

Hi, I'm Darren. I'm 25 and I'm a professional services coordinator.

Hi, I'm Kerry. I'm 51 and I'm an IT manager.

So, Andrew and friends and family, welcome.

-Do you read them?

-Nope.

-Nobody? OK.

-I have!

-Oh, you have? Right.

-Yes.

-Many?

-A few. Not that many.

-OK. So, you've come together

because you're related, partly? Tell us how.

Son, daughter,

prospective son-in-law and ex-next door neighbour.

And if the prospective son-in-law messes it up today, does he...

does he get the chance taken away?

No.

Marrying your daughter! OK, here we go.

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

for our challengers.

However, if they fail to defeat the Eggheads, the money rolls over to the next show.

So, Mills and Broom, the Eggheads have won the last two games.

Which means £3,000 says you can't beat the Eggheads. Are you ready?

First head-to-head is on the subject of Music.

Who wants this?

-Me?

-Yeah, Emma. Want to go for it straight away?

-Yeah, I'll go for it.

-Who, who are we going...

-Who are you going to take?

-Go for Barry?

-Was it Barry? Yes.

-Go on then, go for Barry.

-OK. Good civilised decision making there.

Emma from Mills and Broom against Barry from the Eggheads.

Sometimes fights break out over, you know, who does it and who they take on.

But you're obviously a very calm team.

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

I will ask each of you three multiple choice questions on Music in turn.

Whoever answers the most correctly is the winner.

And, Emma, you can choose the first or second set?

First, please.

Here we go. In 1988 The Art Of Noise featuring Tom Jones

had a UK Top Ten hit single with which song,

originally a hit for Prince?

OK, I know Prince sang Kiss.

So, think it might be that one.

I don't remember the other two.

So, I'm going to go for Kiss.

Well, done. Kiss is right. Good start.

Barry, what general name is given to a funeral song or tune?

Well, I've heard some arias that were pretty much like dirges.

But I won't mention who the sopranos were. But it's a dirge.

Dirge is right.

Back to you, Emma.

What type of musical instrument is a clavier?

OK.

Not sure.

Trying to think back to my music lessons at school.

Don't think it's a keyboard.

I've got a feeling it's something that you hit with a stick.

So, I think it might be drum.

Drum is your answer. Sounds like something you clavit?

-Yeah.

-You give it a big clav?!

But it's not. It's actually keyboard. Sorry.

Barry, your second question.

Nelly Furtado

had a UK number one hit single in 2006 with which song?

Oh, dear. I haven't a clue.

I'll tell the truth and this will be an all-out guess.

And I shall try Maneater.

Ha-ha! You got it right.

How do they do it? It is mystical.

So, that means, Emma, you need this one.

In which city was Rod Stewart born in 1945?

OK.

I'm not sure again. I thought he was Scottish.

I was hoping a Scottish city would come up.

I'm going to go for London,

because I don't think he's got a Manchester or Birmingham accent.

So, I'm going to go for London.

Really well played. You're right.

Well done.

If they'd thrown in a Scottish one, it would have been problems.

Yeah.

Barry, who released the classic jazz album, Giant Steps, in 1959?

1959 sounds a little early for John Coltrane.

Miles Davis was probably just starting around that time.

It sounds about spot on for Charlie Mingus. I shall go for him.

No, it was John Coltrane.

Ha! Every time I say that.

So, you are level

after your multiple choice questions.

We go now to sudden death.

That bit harder. You have to give me the answer.

Emma, here we go.

"And although it's always crowded, you still can find some room"

are lyrics from which Elvis Presley UK hit single?

I'm going to go for Jailhouse Rock.

It's a good thought, that. It's not right. Eggheads?

I'd have thought Heartbreak Hotel.

Heartbreak Hotel. # Since ma baby left me. #

-That one.

-Don't ever do that again.

It wasn't me,

it wasn't me. Barry,

this to take the round. Which female singer

had a UK Top 20 hit single in 1986 with True Colours?

# I see my true colours come shining on. # It was Cyndi Lauper!

-I won't sing, if you don't sing.

-Ha-ha-ha!

That would spare everyone a lot of grief.

Cyndi Lauper is right, Barry.

Well done. After sudden death Barry takes it.

Well done to him.

Emma, you were beaten.

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

Both of you come back and rejoin your teams here in the studio.

The challengers have lost one brain from the final round.

The Eggheads have lost none, so far.

Next subject is Film and Television.

Who would like this?

-Shall I have a go?

-That's one for you is it, Francis?

-Yeah, I'll have a go.

-Yeah.

-Who do you want to take?

-Who shall I have a go against?

-Erm...

-Shall we have Judith, yeah?

-Go on then.

-I'll try against Judith.

OK. Francis from Mills and Broom versus Judith from the Eggheads.

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

OK, I will ask each of you

three questions on Film and Television.

Francis, the first or second set?

Can I go first, please?

Here we go, good luck.

It Takes Two, presented by Claudia Winkleman,

is a spin-off from which TV show?

Well, as it says It Takes Two,

I think I'll get rid of X-Factor, straight away.

I can probably dismiss Britain's Got Talent, straight away.

I'll go for Strictly Come Dancing.

You've got it right. Well done.

Judith, your first question.

Who presented the TV show Family Fortunes from 1987 to 2002?

Oh, gosh! Who was it?

Family Fortunes...

I'm torn between Les Dennis and Jim Davidson.

I think it's Les Dennis.

Your answer's Les Dennis?

-Hmm.

-You're right, well done.

Here we go, Francis.

Which actor starred in the films

Swordfish, The Prestige and Kate and Leopold?

I've never seen any of them films.

So, don't think it's Hugh Jackman,

because he seems to be quite an action sort of film person.

It's going to be a guess

between either James Marsden and Patrick Stewart.

So, I'm going to go for...

"boldly going to go" for Patrick Stewart.

Patrick Stewart's your answer.

It's wrong, actually. Eggheads?

-It's Hugh Jackman.

-Hugh Jackman.

-Oh, well.

-There needs to be a word for when

people rule out the right answer immediately.

-A Daphne-ism(?)

-I was going to say "a Barry"!

-Oh, thank you(!)

-You did a Barry.

It can't be that one, must be one of the other two.

-It's called instinct denial.

-Instinct denial?

That's interesting, Judith. Your question.

The Logies are television industry awards presented in which country?

Logies? As in Logie Baird?

-L-O-G-I-E-S.

-The Logies.

I don't think it sounds very Canadian to me.

Where do you... Which country is it, then?

Canada.

LAUGHTER

I said "Canadian".

I know, but I have to check.

You could then say, "I meant Australia"!

-OK. It's Australia.

-Oh, is it?

Yeah. It sounds very Australian. Not Canadian.

Hand-to-hand combat here.

One point each. Francis, take the advantage with this question.

Richard Burton never won an Academy Award,

despite being nominated on how many occasions during his career?

Richard Burton. Let's have a think.

I'm not really too sure,

so I'm going to have a guess.

We'll go for lucky seven, I think.

Lucky seven is right.

Lucky.

That's amazing.

An amazing fact. Judith...

Which Star Trek actor

directed the 1987 comedy film, Three Men And A Baby?

I think it might be James Doohan.

-If you get it wrong, you know what happens.

-Yup.

-Trap door opens.

-Sin bin.

-Yup.

-Sin bin?

Sin bin.

-Oh!

-It was Leonard Nimoy.

So, well done, Francis.

Indeed your team, team now pulsating to my left.

You took on an Egghead and emerged triumphant.

You'll be in the final round.

Judith, you won't. Do both of you come back to the studio.

As it stands, the challengers

and the Eggheads have lost one brain each from the final round.

Our next subject is Sport.

Who wants this?

-That's going to have to be me.

-That's going to be you!

-Darren?

-Yes.

-Shall we go for CJ?

-CJ, yeah.

-CJ, please.

-Good. OK.

Darren from Mills and Broom versus CJ from the Eggheads.

Please go to the question room now.

I will ask each of you three questions on Sport, in turn.

Darren, the first or second set?

I would like to go first, please.

Here we go. William Gallas was stripped of the captaincy

of which football club in November 2008,

after publicly criticising his team mates?

William Gallas.

Used to play, or he does play now,

for one of my rival teams.

Not a big fan of him or the team.

It's... It's not Liverpool.

It's not Chelsea.

It's Arsenal.

Arsenal is right. Well done.

Am I to deduce...

Are you a Spurs fan?

-I am, yes.

-I thought

there was a bit of jealousy creeping in.

-Not jealousy, no.

-Ha-ha!

CJ, Sanath Jayasuriya and Mahela Jayawardena

have played international cricket for which country?

So, they're cricketers, then? Good.

I've heard the names, but I don't know which team they play for,

so I'm just going to try this out on the language.

They sound Sri Lankan to me. So, we'll go for Sri Lanka.

You have got it right.

Darren, the tennis player Arantxa Sanchez Vicario,

who won four Grand Slam singles titles during her career,

was born in which country?

Not the biggest tennis fan in the world.

I do like to watch.

I don't believe it is Brazil.

I don't think they produce too many top-class tennis players.

It doesn't sound like a Spanish name.

So, I'm going to go with Argentina.

Argentina's wrong, I'm afraid. It is Spain. It is Spain.

So, CJ, you can take the lead now.

Which golf major did James Braid

win five times, between 1901 and 1910?

Well, the US Masters wasn't in existence then.

I'm just trying to think if the US Open was.

I'm going to go for the British Open.

British Open is your answer.

It's correct, CJ. Well done.

Over to you now, Darren. You need this one.

Which boxer did Lennox Lewis defeat

in his last fight before announcing his retirement in 2004?

Vitali Klitschko, I believe,

is the...one of the real big boxers.

He's about seven foot.

Mike Tyson retired long before Lennox Lewis,

so I'm not going to add him to the equation.

But I'm sure Lennox has

beaten the one in the middle before, but it went to rematch.

So, I'm going to go straight down the middle and go for Vitali Klitschko.

Vitali Klitschko...

is the right answer.

Pulled it out the fire, well done.

CJ, American football games in the NFL are overseen by seven officials.

The referee, the head linesman, the line judge, the umpire,

the back judge, the side judge and which other?

Well, if it makes sense it would be

goal judge or ball judge.

You need someone to see if someone scored. So it's a goal judge.

Oh, yeah. Course it is(!)

Except, it's not. It's a field judge.

So, we're even after

three multiple choice questions.

It goes to sudden death, Darren.

It gets that bit harder, cos this is not multiple choice. Are you ready?

-Yes.

-Which Australian city

hosted the 2006 Commonwealth Games?

I believe it's, maybe, where they play the tennis, being a sporty area.

I'm going to go for Melbourne. Melbourne.

Melbourne is correct.

OK, CJ, your question.

If you get this wrong, well, you know what happens.

Which Trinidad and Tobago sprinter,

born in 1973, won four Olympic medals,

in individual sprint events, during his career?

There are two I'm thinking of.

I can't think whether the second was...what nationality he was.

Course, neither of them might be right, of course.

Actually, I can't think of either's nationality.

I'm thinking of Ato Boldon and Frankie Fredericks

and I'm trying to think where they were born.

Well, four means it's going to be a long career.

And I don't think Ato Boldon was that long.

I'm going to go for Frankie Fredericks.

Previously, you got questions right where you knew nothing.

Now, you knew almost everything and you got it wrong.

-Is it Ato Boldon?

-It was Ato Boldon!

-Ha-ha-ha!

That's the Gods wreaking vengeance on you, CJ.

So, Darren,

well done. You've knocked out an Egghead on sudden death.

Good news for your team.

You will join them in the final. Please both of you come back to us.

Challengers have lost one brain from the final round.

Eggheads have lost two brains now. Last subject is Food and Drink.

Who would like this?

It's going to be me!

OK, Kerry. Who do you want to take on?

-Kevin? Food and Drink?

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

-OK.

-I'm shocked(!)

-Yeah!

Kerry from Mills and Broom versus Kevin from the Eggheads.

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

Three questions, multiple choice. First or second set?

I'd like the first set, please, Jeremy.

Kerry, what do chefs often add to the pan of water

when cooking a poached egg?

Ketchup would turn it a funny colour.

Whisky, I wouldn't like, and I love poached eggs.

I'm pretty sure it's vinegar. That's my answer.

Vinegar is correct. Well done.

Kevin, saddle is a well-known cut of which meat?

Not aware of that being pheasant.

I've heard of it in relation to pork.

Venison. I'll say venison.

You're right. Venison is correct. Well done.

Kerry, what technical term is used to denote a bottle's empty space

between the cork and the top of the wine?

The obvious answer would be corkage,

but for some reason, borage seems to ring a bell somewhere.

So, I'm going for borage.

That's wrong, it's ullage.

But I've never heard of that.

What's borage, Eggheads?

-A herb.

-A herb?

-You put it in Pimms.

So, unless a herb has got stuck in that space,

-that would be the wrong answer.

-Yes, it would.

Kevin, what treatment does a bagel have before it is baked?

I can't see that it'd be frozen.

Eh, I'm... Fried in sunflower oil.

-It was wrong, I'm afraid.

-Poached in boiling water?

-Yes.

-That was my first instinct.

-Baking ones are always tricky.

-Yup. If you don't do it, yeah!

Yeah, well, very few of us do.

Kerry, your third question.

Also known as the reference nutrient intake, the recommended daily amount

of calcium for a person aged 19 or over, is how many milligrams?

That would be 2.7 grams, 1.7 grams or 0.7 of a gram.

I'm going to plump for the 2,700,

because even at that age I still think you need an intake of calcium.

That's way over, I'm afraid.

700 is correct.

Quite a bit less. You might have

calcium poisoning

at that level.

Kevin, your question for the round.

Coffee is made from which part of the Coffea arabica plant?

I don't think it's the root nodules.

I think it's the berries.

-That's your answer?

-Yeah.

Spot on, Kevin. Well done.

You've won on,

I think we can say, not your strongest subject, Food and Drink.

I think we can safely say that, yeah.

Kerry, you won't be able to help in the final round.

So, please both of you rejoin your team mates.

This is what we've been playing towards,

the final round - as always, General Knowledge.

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

won't be allowed to take part in this.

Emma and Kerr from Mills and Broom and Judith and CJ from the Eggheads,

would you please now leave the studio?

Well, Andrew, Francis and Darren,

father, son and prospective son-in-law,

you're playing to win Mills and Broom £3,000.

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

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

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

They are all General Knowledge and you are allowed to confer.

So, Mills and Broom, the question is

are your three brains better than the Eggheads'? What do you think?

-Definitely.

-Good, we like that.

Do you want to go first or second?

-We've gone first all the way, so...

-We'll stick with first, please.

Here we go.

Let's hope you can win that 3,000.

The Associate, published in January 2009, is a legal thriller

by which author?

The only one I've heard of on there is James Patterson,

just from looking round bookshops.

-The only one I've heard of is John Grisham.

-Right.

So, it's a 50-50 between John Grisham...

-And James Patterson.

-Yeah.

-James Patterson?

-Yeah.

-Go for James Patterson.

-We'll go for James Patterson.

It's wrong.

It's Grisham. It's Grisham.

How could we work that out?

I guess he has similar titles. The Firm, The, what...?

Of the three, he's the one who specialises in legal thrillers.

-Legal?

-Yeah. The other two,

there are legal aspects to them,

but they're not known for legal thrillers.

Here's your question.

In which year was George W Bush born?

Same year as Bill Clinton. Yeah, 1946.

I'm reliably informed that's it's 1946.

The same year as?

-Bill Clinton.

-Is that right?

-Yeah.

You're correct. '46.

One year after the War.

OK, fight back. Here we go, Mills and Broom.

What name is given to a line on a map,

drawn through geographical points,

recording equal amounts of precipitation,

during a specific period?

-Isobar is pressure.

-Pressure.

-Isotherm is temperature.

So, it must be isohyet.

-Yeah, sounds good to me.

-Sounds good.

We'll go for isohyet.

You got it right. Well done. Well done.

Isohyet.

They're on your tail, Eggheads.

The cost of a colour television licence

in the UK rose to what figure in April 2008?

I'm not sure, I thought it...

I thought it went up from 147,

so that would make it in the middle, 159. But it might be 139.

I don't think it's...it's certainly not the higher figure.

No, I think as Barry says...

You think? OK. I don't know.

-Trouble is I do this by direct debit and it just...

-Yes, so do I.

-It just goes, so...

-I think it's 139.

Yeah, I...of the three,

that was my instinct, of the three,

cos I don't think it would have gone up.

I've a simpler way of doing it, I do it by my wife.

Ha! Well, we all pay by direct debit.

But I think it's £139.50.

£139.50 is correct.

Well done.

Would have been embarrassing if you got that wrong.

Question three. In Ancient Rome,

a lustrum was a period of how many years?

-Right. In Rome?

-In Ancient Rome, a lustrum -

L-U-S-T-R-U-M.

In Roman figures, five is V.

25 is XXV.

50 is L.

Lustrum? 50?

-Yes, sounds good.

-We'll go with your wisdom.

-Thank you very much(!) 50.

-50.

-If you get it wrong you know the Eggheads have won?

-We do.

And I love the logic. The L, the 50.

But it's five.

It's five.

They have pipped you at the post.

Congratulations, Eggheads - you've won.

Commiserations, challengers. Does it feel OK, being beaten by them?

-We'll recover.

-We won't be the last, will we?

No, that's for sure.

They have done what comes naturally to them.

And they still reign supreme over Quizland.

I'm afraid you won't be going home with the £3,000,

so the money rolls over to the next show.

Eggheads, well done. Who will beat you, I wonder?

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

have the brains to defeat the Eggheads.

£4,000 says they don't.

Till then, goodbye.

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