Episode 144 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, 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.

Taking on the might of our quiz champions today

are the Brent Connection.

This team of friends and family are connected through

a mental health charity based in west London.

After organising various quizzes for the charity,

they decided to put a team together to challenge the Eggheads.

-Let's meet them.

-Hello. I'm Mel, I'm 36.

I'm an executive coach.

I'm Keith, I'm 52 years old.

I am a database developer.

Hello, I'm Jan, I am 56 and I'm a charity chief executive.

Hi, I'm Vince. I'm 44 and I'm an IT consultant.

Hi. I'm Becky. I'm 27 and I'm a volcanologist.

-Welcome, Brent Connection.

-Thank you, Jeremy.

-Good to see you.

And you are connected through a mental health charity?

Primarily through myself.

My sister sits at the end, and Jan and I worked for the same charity,

but I don't work there any longer.

Through that, we discovered a love of quizzing.

-How does it feel to be here with this lot face to face?

I think we'll step up to the challenge,

but it is a little nerve-racking.

OK. Good luck. Hope your minds are

really clear and focused this afternoon.

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

However, if they fail to beat the Eggheads, the prize money

rolls over to the next show.

Now, Brent Connection, I can tell you that the Eggheads have won,

they are doing rather well, the last 22 games.

Wow!

So £23,000 says you can't beat the Eggheads. A handy sum.

The first head-to-head battle will be on the subject of Arts And Books.

Challengers, which one of you

wants to play this category and against which Egghead?

Well, I think, Jan, you're the Arts And Books expert.

Sounds like a good choice.

-I'll go for it.

-Jan, I think.

Jan. Against?

I don't know. Possibly CJ. What do you think?

I'd like to play CJ.

-OK.

-CJ. CJ is preening himself there, in his fancy shirt.

So Jan from Brent Connection against CJ the Egghead. To ensure there is

no conferring, would you please take your positions in the Question Room?

-Good luck, Jan.

-Thank you.

Three multiple choice questions on Art And Books and Jan,

you can choose the first or second set.

I'll have the first, please, Jeremy.

Here we go. Good luck. The ghost Moaning Myrtle

is a character created by which author?

Um...

I don't think it is Charles Dickens,

um...

and it sounds a bit...Potterish.

I can't remember it from any of the Alice In Wonderland books,

so I think I'll go for JK Rowling, please.

Good elimination. JK Rowling is correct.

Over to you, CJ. The epic poem

The Odyssey was originally written in which language?

I assume, considering where it is based and who wrote it,

it would be Greek, Jeremy.

Greek is the correct answer.

Jan, your question.

Elizabeth Siddal, nicknamed Guggum,

was the wife and muse of which artist?

I think Elizabeth Siddal lived with Rossetti in the Red House.

I think I saw a programme about this quite recently,

so I am going to go for Rossetti, Dante Gabriel Rossetti.

Rossetti is the correct answer.

And the Red House thrown in! Thank you.

CJ.

In Thomas Hardy's novel, Tess Of The D'Urbervilles,

where is Tess finally caught by the police?

Haven't read it. I've only read one Hardy novel,

and that was quite enough, thank you.

But isn't there something...? One of his novels has something

to do with Stonehenge...

Um...I've got something nagging me that is saying one of his novels

has got something to do with Stonehenge, so I'll try Stonehenge.

Stonehenge.

Is he right?

There's very good telly of it, and the scene at Stonehenge

-is very sad.

-Very sad.

Stonehenge is right, CJ. Well done.

Over to you, Jan. Try and lock him out here.

Dennis Potter's play, Blue Remembered Hills,

takes its title from a work by which writer?

OK, I am not sure about this one.

I think EM Forster's all A Room With A View and so on...

..but...I think I'm going to...

try one of the other two

and I am going to go for AE Housman.

Dennis Potter's play, Blue Remembered Hills,

takes his title from a work by AE Housman.

You are quite right.

Stupendously good play. Over to you, CJ.

Which French painter, born in 1877,

is best known for

his brightly coloured scenes of the French Riviera?

Well, this is one of those that I am hoping that

some little bit of elimination can help.

Georges Braque was a Cubist.

I've only vaguely heard of Dufy,

but Pissarro painted a lot of...rustic scenes, didn't he?

Old Woman In Cottage or something,

I think that is one of his, or something like that.

I have seen some of his pictures in the National Gallery.

I don't know anything about Dufy and simply because I know things

about the others' style and subject matter, I will try Raoul Dufy.

Well done. Dufy is the correct answer. Three out of three.

So we have done the multiple choice part of the round.

We go to Sudden Death now, Jan. I don't give you alternatives now.

It's difficult. The married couple, Edward and Lavinia Chamberlain,

are characters in which play by TS Eliot?

OK, it doesn't ring bells yet.

But I will have a guess of The Mill On The Floss.

No, it's not The Mill On The Floss, which was by...

-George Eliot.

-The Cocktail Party is the answer.

CJ.

This for a place in the final, CJ.

What's the first novel in the series of books known collectively to fans

as the Ripliad?

That means absolutely nothing to me. Um...

Oh, I wonder if it's got to do with Tom Ripley. Of course.

-I don't know. We'll try The Talented Mr Ripley.

-Absolutely right, CJ.

Well done. I didn't think you'd get that!

You won on sudden death against Jan. Sorry, Jan.

That means you won't be able to help your team in the final round.

CJ will be with the Eggheads in the final.

Both of you come back and join us.

So the challengers have lost one brain from the final round.

Eggheads have not lost any so far.

CJ won through. Our next subject is Science.

-OK.

-Who's the scientist?

-We have got a number of scientists on our team.

I'm thinking...

It's Becky or Vince, really, isn't it? Becky, did you want to..?

I don't mind. I can have a go.

-Go for it, Becky.

-OK.

-Against which Egghead, Becky?

-Um...

-Possibly Judith?

Possibly Judith. Or possibly Daphne.

-If you think that's best.

-We're thinking Daphne, I think, please.

So Becky from Brent Connection

against Daphne from the Eggheads, on Science.

Please go to the Question Room now.

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

-Becky, would you like the first or the second set?

-First set, please.

Becky, here is your first question.

Nearly all cheetahs remaining in the wild live on which Continent?

I'm fairly sure there are no cheetahs in Europe.

So I'm not going to say that one.

I am more confident that there's a lot of cheetahs

in Africa than I am in South America,

so I am going to choose Africa.

Bang on. Africa is right. Well done.

Daphne, over to you. What is the chemical symbol of magnesium?

Um...

I get that muddled up with Manganese.

I think...

It's Mg.

Mg is the answer.

Becky, for what does the first letter A stand

in the American agency acronym NASA?

I'm fairly sure it's not aviation. Erm...

I'm actually quite certain it's aeronautics, Jeremy.

It is the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Well done, Becky. Good!

Daphne, pressure on you.

-You feeling it?

-Yes!

What term is used to classify a mammal that lays eggs

rather than gives birth to live young?

That's monotreme.

How do you know that?

Because it's like a duck-billed platypus, isn't it?

-All right.

-Yes.

-Or an echidna.

-Or...?

-Duck-billed platypus and echidna.

-I think they're the only two.

-The only two monotremes, yeah.

Mammals that lay eggs.

Quite right. Monotreme is right, Daphne. Well done.

Impressive.

Becky, gum arabic, a substance used in adhesives

and other products, is obtained from certain species of which tree?

Oh, erm...

Trees aren't my speciality. Erm...

I've never heard of mahogany being used for adhesives, and

neither cedar, so I'm going to

hedge my bets on acacia.

You're right!

Well done, Brent Connection. Daphne, if you get this wrong, you're not in

-the final round, and I know you'll be really upset about that.

-I will!

At approximately what temperature in degrees Celsius does water boil

at the top of Mount Everest?

Oh, for heaven's sakes!

Sorry, could you repeat that while I try and get my brain in gear?

At approximately what temperature in degrees Celsius does water boil

at the top of Mount Everest?

I have absolutely no idea!

Can't even begin to think how to work it out.

Erm...

Water boils at...

I don't know whether it goes up the higher get or the lower.

Erm...

I don't know, Jeremy. Erm, 112.

-Sorry.

-112. So you think it boils at a higher temperature?

-I've no idea.

Now, what's the science here, Becky?

-You tell us.

-Because it's wrong!

Erm, I'm not actually sure on this one.

I know it takes longer for things to cook

up in altitudes, but I'm not sure if that's because it boils at

a higher temperature so it takes longer

-to reach that temperature.

-Well, it boils at a lower temperature.

It takes longer to cook because the water doesn't heat as fast.

-The water doesn't heat as fast, why?

-Oxygen levels, I assume.

That's burning fuel. That's different.

The boiling point comes down because

-the atmospheric pressure is lower.

-Pressure, yeah.

-Right. It's 72.

I knew it was one or the other, but I didn't know

-the physics of it.

-So, well done, Becky.

You have taken on an Egghead, you've emerged triumphant.

You will be in the final round,

helping out the challengers. Daphne, you won't be.

Do, both of you, come back, rejoin your teams.

So, as it stands, the challengers have lost one brain from

the final round and so have the Eggheads.

The next subject is Sport. Which of you wants Sport?

You must have someone on Sport.

None of us wanted Sport. That has to be me, I'm afraid,

because I'm the only one who knows anything.

-And that's only about football.

-Mel?

-You will excel.

Unfortunately, that's me, Jeremy.

Mel will excel. Against which Egghead?

I don't know. Should I take on Chris?

-Chris.

-I think I'll take on Chris.

Oh, joy...

So Mel from Brent Connection versus Chris from the Eggheads. To ensure

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

So, three questions on Sport in turn, and, Mel, you can choose

the first or second set.

I'd like to go first, please, Jeremy.

Here we go. The rugby union player Will Greenwood,

who earned 55 international caps and

was part of the victorious 2003 England World Cup team,

played in which position?

Jeremy, I was hoping you'd ask me a football question and hoping

-you wouldn't ask me a rugby question, but I'll give this a go.

-I'm sorry.

Er, Will Greenwood. He's, erm...

He's not particularly large.

I don't know,

I think centres may be part of the scrum.

I don't know if I'm completely off here.

I don't know. I'm thinking I may go for hooker.

I think they're the ones that hook the ball out and throw it behind.

I'm not sure, but I'll go for hooker.

That's what a hooker is, but he's not.

-He's a centre.

-Oh.

He's a centre.

Chris, which footballer courted controversy in 1997 by raising

his top to reveal a slogan of support for the Merseyside dockers?

Ooh!

Now, presumably he played for either Liverpool or Everton if he was

supporting the Merseyside dockers, or possibly Tranmere Rovers. Er...

Michael Owen's a bit too beige.

I think it was Robbie Fowler.

Robbie Fowler's the right answer. Well done, Chris.

Your question, Mel.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan

have played Test cricket for which team?

I'm not entirely sure.

The names don't sound particularly West Indian.

They don't sound Caribbean to me.

They don't also sound like north Indian names.

They sound more southern Indian, so on that basis I'm going to

plump for Sri Lanka, please.

Sri Lanka's actually wrong.

It is the West Indies, funnily enough.

Somewhat surprisingly, maybe. The names are Trinidad.

Trinidad and Guyana have both got substantial Asian populations,

originally indentured labourers who came over from India, a lot of them,

and cricket is a big game amongst that community.

I think the current West Indies squad now has actually got four or five

Asian players as opposed to Afro-Caribbean players.

Fascinating! So we now know.

-Next time that comes up in a quiz, Mel, we're there.

-We are.

We'll know it. Chris, if you get this question right,

you go through to the final round.

Which golfer won the 1986 US Masters at the age of 46?

Erm, which of those is the oldest?

I seem to remember Arnold Palmer being around an unconscionable time.

Er... Or was it Gary Player?

Jack Nicklaus, I think, was relatively young...

No, we'll go with Arnold Palmer.

No, it's not Arnold Palmer, it's Jack Nicklaus.

So you're still in it but you need to get this right now.

Your third question. How many times was Muhammad Ali defeated

in his 61-bout professional career?

I don't believe it was many times at all.

On that basis, Jeremy, I'm going to plump for five times.

That's good logic. Five is right! Yes.

Chris, your question, you get this right and you're in the final round.

Which athlete won four consecutive 10,000 metre World Championship

gold medals between 1993 and 1999?

Well, the Ethiopians are very good distance runners, aren't they?

I think it will be the one with the Ethiopian name,

which is Haile Gebrselassie.

It is quite a famous name.

It is the right answer. It's Gebrselassie who won

four consecutive 10,000 metres medals.

That's an extraordinary achievement, isn't it? Between 1993 and 1999.

Well done, Chris, you're through a final in sport.

Yeah, you can be really happy about that.

Mel, you were beaten by our Egghead but you will have raised

Chris's mood slightly, because he's won a horrible subject for him.

Mel, you won't help your team in the final. Chris will.

Please, both of you, come back to us now.

As it stands, the challengers have lost two brains

from the final round, the Eggheads have lost one brain.

Here we go with our last subject, Film And TV.

-Who would like this?

-Shall we play Vince?

-Shall we go for him?

-We'll put Vince in.

We have a film buff in our team, Jeremy, and that's Vince.

OK, Vince against who?

Who likes film least?

Judith!

Judith, please.

It had to happen.

Vince from Brent Connection verses Judith from the Eggheads.

To ensure there's no conferring,

please take your place in the Question Room now.

So I'll ask each of you three multiple choice questions

on Film And TV in turn.

Whoever answers the most questions correctly is the winner

and you can choose whether you have the first or second set.

I think I'll go first.

Here's your question. Which actor co-starred with Julia Roberts

in the films Pretty Woman and Runaway Bride?

Mmm. I think I've got this one. I don't recall any films

with Julia Roberts and Pierce Brosnan or Liam Neeson.

It's got to be Richard Gere in Pretty Woman so, Richard Gere.

Richard Gere is the right answer, yeah.

Unforgettable!

OK, Judith! Here's your question.

For which 1987 film were Cher and Olympia Dukakis

awarded best actress and

best supporting actress Oscars, respectively?

Well, not Beaches, anyhow.

Help! I think it's Moonstruck.

Very good.

Good film, good answer, Moonstruck is right.

Over to you, Vince.

David Finch's film, The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button,

was nominated for how many awards at the 2009 Oscars ceremony?

Good question. Slumdog Millionaire had loads of nominations

and wins. I think Benjamin Button also had loads as well.

It didn't win that many.

I'm going to plump for seven.

Seven is not the right answer, it was 13.

It did even better than that, actually.

Over to you, Judith. Mary Ellen, Erin and Elizabeth were

the three daughters of the central family in which US TV series?

Mary, Mary... What is it?

Mary Ellen, Erin and Elizabeth were the three daughters of

the central family in which US TV series?

I think it might be The Waltons.

-It's the right answer.

-Ah, I'm veering to the left nowadays.

You are. Your question, Vince.

If you get this wrong, Judith is in the final.

What was the first name of the character played by David Soul

in the TV series Starsky and Hutch?

Dave...

Harold doesn't sound right, does it?

Harold... I've got a pretty good feeling it was Ken Hutchinson.

I'm going to plump for Ken.

Your answer is Ken.

So you think David Soul played Hutch?

He certainly did.

Ken is the right answer.

Here's your question, Judith.

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

"A man went looking for America and couldn't find it anywhere",

is a tag line to which 1969 film starring Jack Nicholson?

-What date?

-1969.

I think it's Easy Rider.

Jack Nicholson on the motorbike.

Easy Rider, it was, down the right hand side.

-Yes.

-The wind is changing.

-Yes.

So Judith you've won. Vince, sorry, she's good.

You were beaten by our Egghead and you won't be in the final

and there's no easy way to say it.

Judith, you will be. Please both of you come back to us now.

So this is what we've been playing towards,

it's time for the final round

which is, as always, is General Knowledge.

But those of you who lost your head-to-heads

won't be allowed to take part in this round.

So Mel, Jan and Vince from Brent Connection and

Daphne from the Eggheads, would you please leave the studio.

Keith and Becky, you are playing to win Brent Connection £23,000.

Intake of breath. Judith, Kevin, CJ and Chris,

you're playing for something which money can't buy,

the Eggheads reputation.

I will ask each team three questions in turn. This time the questions

are all General Knowledge and you are allowed to confer.

So Brent Connection, the question is,

are your two brains better than the Eggheads four?

Keith and Becky, do you want to go

-first or second?

-We'll go second this time.

Here's your question then, Eggheads. On which river

did Captain Chesley Sullenberger

successfully crash land a US Airways Airbus A-320,

minutes after taking off from LaGuardia Airport in January, 2009.

-It was the Hudson.

-It was Sullenberger the third.

He landed on the Hudson.

He did indeed land on the Hudson.

That is correct.

With no...

-Well, injuries but no deaths?

-Yeah.

-Last man out, wasn't he?

-Yeah.

OK, Brent Connection.

Which country announced in January 2009 that it would be releasing

a 100 trillion bank note,

which at the time was worth approximately £22?

International currency is not my thing.

Well, I think we've heard a lot about Zimbabwe and

them having a million per cent per annum inflation.

It might be more than that by now.

I think they've even stopped using their own currency by now.

So would you be happy with Zimbabwe?

Our answer is Zimbabwe.

And Zimbabwe is the right answer.

I was there in the late '90s and it was 30 Zim dollars to the US dollar.

It now costs 6 million to buy an egg.

Over to the Eggheads. Sasha Fierce is the alter-ego,

or stage persona of which R&B singer?

-It's Beyonce.

-Yes.

It's one of the... She's not the only one, is she?

She's got these multiple personalities, so to speak.

It's Beyonce.

Beyonce is the correct answer.

Your question now, Brent Connections, stay in there.

Which of the three coloured horizontal stripes on

the national flag of Colombia occupies

the whole of the top half of the flag?

Somehow I don't think yellow.

I don't think yellow's on the flag. I think it's blue, white and red.

I could be wrong.

There's enough of blue, white and red ones...

We won't discuss it at all, we'll go for blue, please.

OK.

I am afraid that the flag does have yellow.

Yellow was the answer.

Flags are easily misremembered.

So there's a good defence for that.

So, Eggheads, if you get this right, the contest is over.

George Bush Senior and which other US president were born in 1924?

Jimmy Carter must be about the right age.

It's Jimmy Carter.

I'll put the other team out of their misery.

The answer is, indeed, Jimmy Carter.

Well done, Eggheads, you have won.

The flag of Colombia, would you have known that?

-Yes.

-Yes, they don't even make you feel any better.

They don't spare your feelings.

Commiserations. The Eggheads have done

what comes naturally to them. Their winning streak continues.

You won't be going home with the £23,000, Brent Connection,

which means the money rolls over to our next show. Eggheads, well done.

Who's going to beat you, I wonder? It's a very good winning streak.

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

have the brains to do it.

£24,000 says they don't.

Till then, goodbye.

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