Episode 50 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 quizzes.

They are the Eggheads. Taking them on are The Infamous Five.

The team all work for Seven Stories, a museum in Newcastle-upon-Tyne

dedicated to the art and creativity of children's books.

Let's meet them.

Hi, I'm Paul.

I'm 24 and I'm an events officer.

Hi, I'm Linda, I'm 28 and I'm an exhibition curator.

I'm Nolan. I'm 33 and a children's literature university lecturer.

I'm Carey, I'm 45 and I'm a creative development manager.

I'm Hannah, I'm 27 and I'm an archivist.

Infamous Five, a link to Enid Blyton. Tell me about Seven Stories.

It sounds a fascinating place, especially with my brood... I might come along!

We're a museum. We've got fantastic exhibitions.

We've got a really great collection of original manuscripts and artworks

from children's literature from the 1930s to the present day.

There's an interactive element. How do you get children involved with the books in the museum?

We have exhibitions.

We've got two exhibitions at any one time.

At the moment we've got an exhibition called From Toad Hall To Pooh Corner,

which is a celebration of Wind In The Willows...

I thought it was from one Egghead's house to the other!

It's Wind In The Willows To Winnie The Pooh,

and our other exhibition is Up To Mischief,

which is about mischievous characters in children's literature.

Welcome to you, Infamous Five. Let's see how you do in Eggheads.

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

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

The Eggheads have won the last 18 games,

which means £19,000 says you can't beat the Eggheads.

Let's see our first category. Well, they are all randomly generated.

This one's arts and books.

-So!

-Who's going to do it?

A lot of pressure on whoever does play, given what you do!

-Yeah!

-Nolan?

-Yes, Nolan.

I think Nolan might be the best option.

OK, I'll go for it.

Nolan. Who would you like to play from the Eggheads?

Go on, yeah.

CJ, Dermot, we'll play.

OK, let's have Nolan and CJ into the question room please.

OK, Nolan, would you like to go first or second in this round?

I'll go first, Dermot.

Here's what's coming up for you first, Nolan. Barbara Cartland,

who died in 2000, is best remembered for her books in which genre?

Well, I'm fairly sure it's not horror.

I think if you would make me read some Barbara Cartland novels I might

find that a little bit horrific, but I'm sure that's not what she writes.

Crime... I'm sure she's not a crime writer. I'm pretty sure

that it's romance, Dermot.

Barbara Cartland, yes, romance is the right answer.

How many books to her name? It's hundreds, isn't it?

It's nearly 1,000.

And they're all the same!

-Oh, you've read them!

-You've laid yourself open there, Barry.

Romance, right answer. One to you.

The lovesick Duke Orsino and Lady Olivia are characters

in which Shakespeare play?

First of all I'd like to register my protest.

Why are we allowing people who know these subjects to come on the show?

That gives me a massive disadvantage as I know nothing about nothing.

You must know your Shakespeare.

I can't stand Shakespeare. I think I've read two plays and that was it.

But I'm pretty sure that Duke Orsino is in Twelfth Night.

OK, it's the right answer.

One of the few things you know about Shakespeare is that.

It is the right answer. Nolan, who wrote the series of novels

known as the New York Trilogy?

I think, if I am remembering

correctly, I think it's a series of detective novels but they are kind of

postmodern detective novels and they are very playful and experimental.

I think it is Paul Auster.

That's what I'm going to go with.

It's the right answer.

Well, done, Nolan. He knows his stuff.

Two for you. CJ, Arthur Clennam

and Daniel Doyce are characters in which Charles Dickens novel?

I can't stand Dickens, I've only read two of his novels.

So no Shakespeare, no Dickens. You shouldn't be allowed in there, CJ!

I remember some time ago reading

a TV review, and I think I came across the name Arthur Clennam.

I don't think it's Oliver Twist...

I think I know most of the characters in that. I know

some of the characters in Great Expectations, so I'm going

to hope that it was a review of Little Dorrit I was reading.

You should see the looks on your fellow Eggheads' faces when you were

going about how you don't

know anything about Shakespeare or Dickens... bemusement from Daphne,

amazement from Chris, bewilderment from Barry and disgust from Judith.

Letting the side down there, but you got the right answer.

Little Dorrit... Arthur Clennam and Daniel Doyce, the right answer.

Third question coming to you, Nolan.

The play, The Comedians, set in a Manchester evening school

in a working class neighbourhood, is a 1975 work by which writer?

This really touches upon a gap in my knowledge here.

I am being drawn towards Michael Frayn,

but I can't say it with much confidence really.

But I think I will go for Michael Frayn.

OK, Michael Frayn...did he write The Comedians?

He didn't, Nolan. Eggheads, do you know?

-Trevor Griffiths.

-Trevor Griffiths, yes.

Trevor Griffiths wrote The Comedians.

So a slip up there and it could be the crucial point.

CJ just needs to get this to win the round.

More classic literature, CJ.

See how you do with this.

"My heart aches and a drowsy numbness pains my sense

"as though of hemlock I had drunk."

The opening lines of which poem by Keats?

I'm trying to think about Endymion, because I think I have read that,

but it was a long time ago and I didn't care for it.

I'm wondering if it's how he was

feeling and then he was cheered up by this little tweeting bird afterwards.

Because I have read Endymion, I haven't read Ode To A Nightingale.

So I'm just hoping

I might recognise it, so I'm trying Ode To A Nightingale.

Ode To A Nightingale... is it, Judith?

-Yes.

-Yes, it is, you lucky, lucky CJ.

Ode To A Nightingale.

Nolan, you won't be playing in the final round, I'm sorry

to tell you. Would you both please come back and join your teams.

A bit of luck for the Eggheads there means that The Infamous Five

are down to a fabulous four so far.

Let's see how it goes in the next round. This one is Geography. Who would like to play this...

Paul, Linda, Carey or Hannah?

-I'm not very good at geography.

-Who did we say?

-Carey?

-You want me to?

-Well...

Carey is our secret weapon.

-Go on, Carey.

-OK.

Just give it your best.

Secret weapon Carey.

-Stealth bomber.

-Oh, dear!

Who would you like to play from the Eggheads? It can't be CJ.

-Geography... Um, try Barry?

-Yeah.

OK, Barry, please.

OK, let's have Carey and Barry into the question room to make

sure you can't confer.

Carey, Geography. Do you want to go first or second?

I think I will go second.

Barry, which river forms the majority of the boundary between Suffolk and Essex?

Well, the Tamar forms the boundary between Devon and Cornwall.

The Tees is up north,

so it must be the Stour.

It is the Stour.

I'm sure Carey would've got that, let's see how she does with this.

The city of Manchester falls mainly within which historic county?

I think colleagues back at Seven Stories will be shouting at me now.

I'm pretty sure it is not Cumbria.

I have a feeling

that it may be Lancashire, so I'm going to go with Lancashire.

In Lancashire and Yorkshire and you're talking Manchester, you don't want to get that wrong.

You didn't, it's the right answer. Lancashire, correct.

Barry, second question. The term "littoral zone"

refers to an area in what type of environment?

Littoral zone is the shoreline.

It's the right answer, shoreline. Correct.

Carey, second question.

The French City of Strasbourg

is located approximately 2.5 miles from which river?

Well, I haven't been to Strasbourg.

I've been lot to lots of bits of France, but not that area.

I think that the Po is in Italy, which would rule that out.

I have a feeling that the Danube runs further into Europe,

so I'm going to go with the Rhine.

Yep, that corner of Northern France. It's the right answer, yes.

The Rhine. Not a lot of people would have thought that.

OK, Barry, third question. Paraguay is bordered by Brazil,

Bolivia and which other country?

Bolivia and Paraguay are the only two South American countries

that are landlocked.

It is not Peru. I believe Peru is further north and it borders Bolivia.

Chile is on the eastern side...

On the western side of South America, and I think that doesn't quite touch

Paraguay, so my answer is Argentina.

You've got that map of South America imprinted in your head there...

it's the right answer. Argentina, the third country to border Paraguay

with Brazil and Bolivia. Carey, you have got to get this.

The Strait of Otranto is an arm of which body of water?

I have to say I don't know this one.

Otranto sounds Italian.

I suppose it could be Spanish, which could lead me to the Caribbean, but

I'm going to go with Mediterranean.

You thought about that linguistically

and done it successfully. Mediterranean is correct.

Barry, where precisely in the Med?

-It's between the heel of Italy and Albania.

-Ah, OK.

The Strait of Otranto identified there successfully by Carey,

which takes us to sudden death. Carey, I know you know the rules.

I'll just confirm them.

We remove the multiple choices now.

Barry needs to give me an answer with no choices to go at.

Here you are. The French overseas

territory of New Caledonia is an island in which ocean?

This is this endless debate...

is it in the Indian Ocean or is it a bit further

over into the Pacific?

No, I don't think it's the Indian.

It's the Pacific Ocean.

The Pacific Ocean, New Caledonia.

I can tell you, it is the Pacific, that's right.

He has got that right, so this means you have to get this, Carey.

The White House is located on which Washington street?

Nothing is springing to mind, I have to say.

Oh, goodness. Capitol...

-Hill.

-Capitol Hill your answer?

-Yes.

-It's a location anyway, yes, but that's where the capital is.

It's not the right answer. Do you know, Barry?

1,600, Pennsylvania Avenue.

Pennsylvania Avenue was what we required, not the number,

but Barry has given me that as well.

He didn't need to do that, because with Carey failing on that

you won the round anyway.

Carey, you won't be playing in the final round. Barry, you'll be there.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

Infamous Five, you're getting whittled down, but two rounds to go

before the final round, so it could be all square in that final round.

Here is your next chance to try to knock an Egghead out.

This is Film and Television.

Who likes this from Paul, Linda or Hannah?

Film and Television.

I don't think it's me.

-Shall I do it?

-Paul, yes, I think you should.

-That'll be me.

-Too busy reading books to watch telly, aren't you?!

OK, Paul, who would you like to play from the Eggheads?

Barry and CJ have played, so that leaves Chris, Daphne or Judith?

-Chris.

-I think Chris.

-Chris, please.

Chris on Film and Television.

Let's have you both into the question room, Paul and Chris.

Paul, would you like to go first or second?

I think I'll go first please, Dermot.

Here you go then. Film and Television.

The Oscar winning 1997 film known in English as Life Is Beautiful

is made in which language?

I know it's set in the Second World War during the Holocaust,

but I've got a feeling it is not actually German.

I remember when the guy

who played the main part in the film won his Oscar, he climbed over

all of the chairs and I think he's Italian,

so I'm going to go with Italian.

Italian? It's the right answer, Paul.

Good start. What is it in Italian?

-La Vita E Bella.

-La Vita E Bella.

So, Chris.

Madame Cholet was a character in which children's television series?

She was the cook in The Wombles.

The Wombles, right answer. OK, Paul, second question.

Who played Felix Happer in the 1983 Scottish film Local Hero?

That's one I've not heard of.

Before your time, obviously, 1983, but have you seen it subsequently?

-It's a bit of a classic.

-I haven't and that's really bad, isn't it?

I've got a strange feeling that Henry Fonda

has possibly done some smaller things like Scottish films.

I'll go with that and say Henry Fonda.

It would have been good casting, but not Henry Fonda, no. Eggheads?

-Burt Lancaster.

-So, nothing for Paul.

Before his time. Chris...

"Some day a real rain will come and wash all this scum off the streets,"

is a line from which film?

I don't think it's Get Carter, because it doesn't sound

like Michael Caine to me.

It's not Reservoir Dogs. I think it's something that Travis Pickle

comes out with in Taxi Driver.

It is, yes.

Troubled Robert De Niro there is the right answer. Taxi Driver...

"Some day a real rain will come," etc. You've got to get this, Paul.

In which country was the far-travelling TV reporter

Alan Whicker born in 1925?

Again, something I've not heard of.

Somebody I've not heard of, sorry.

I can't see it being Norway.

I think it would sort of be possibly a bit of an old colony, possibly,

which makes me think Panama or Egypt.

I'm drawn to Egypt, I think, for that reason.

OK, Egypt, some kind of colonial link. You've got it, yes.

Alan Whicker born in Egypt in 1925.

Well worked out, Paul.

Got to hope Chris doesn't get this though.

What were the names of the ballroom dancers in the TV sitcom Hi De Hi?

Oh, the campest thing on four legs. Yvonne and Barry.

Chris, you do amaze me with the things you know sometimes!

Hi De Hi, The Wombles... It is the right answer...

You are through to the final round.

Bad luck, Paul.

It means you won't be in the final round, I'm sorry to say.

Would you both please go back and join your teams.

The Infamous Five have lost three brains from the final round. The Eggheads are all still there.

Let's change that, Infamous Five,

with our last category before the final round. It's Sport.

Linda and Hannah remain.

-I think this is one for Hannah.

-Yes.

It'll be an all female clash - there's you two left and Daphne and Judith on the Eggheads' side.

-Judith?

-Yes.

-Ready to take her on?

-I think Judith.

-OK, let's have Hannah and Judith

into the question room please.

Hannah, do you want to go first or second?

I think I'll go second.

Judith, here's your first question.

Who was the leading goal scorer at football's 2008 European Championships?

I haven't the first clue.

I think it might be Fernando Torres, whoever he is.

He was on the winning side, but it was his colleague David Villa

who scored more goals than he.

Spanish team. So, Hannah, best of luck with this one.

Saurav Ganguly became the captain of which international cricket team in 2000?

I'm not a big fan of cricket, I have to say.

I'm not certain, but I have an instinct that says Pakistan,

so I'm going to go with Pakistan and fingers crossed.

Pakistan for Ganguly.

Eggheads?

-It's India.

-India.

Bitter rivals India. So, no damage done, it stays all square

but an opportunity missed to take the lead.

Judith, the Anaheim Ducks, Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks

are professional teams in which sport?

Funnily enough I know this. Ice hockey.

That is the correct answer. OK, it gives you the lead.

Hannah, to catch up,

which basketball team featuring stars such as

Dwayne Wade and Shaquille O'Neil won its first NBA title in 2006?

I'd like it to be Miami Jazz, but that doesn't sound quite right.

I think I'll go with the Miami Suns as a bit of a guess.

It's not the right answer. It's the other thing that the sun gives off,

it's heat... Miami Heat.

Shaquille O'Neil and Dwayne Wade among the stars.

So, Judith, you win it if you get this one right. What is

the nickname of the world champion heavyweight boxer Vitali Klitschko?

I knew he was called Doctor something.

I think Doctor Iron Fist.

It's a knockout blow. Doctor Iron Fist is correct. Bad luck, Hannah.

Putting the Egghead in first didn't work for you or Carey either.

Would you both please come back and join your teams.

So, this is what we've been playing towards.

It's time for the final round, which as always is general knowledge.

Those who lost their head to heads won't be allowed to take part,

so Paul, Nolan, Carey and Hannah from the Infamous Five,

would you leave the studio please.

Linda, you are playing to win The Infamous Five £19,000.

CJ, Daphne, Chris, Barry and Judith, you are playing for something

money can't buy - the Eggheads' reputation.

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

This time the questions are all general knowledge and you are

allowed to confer. Linda, the question is, is your one brain

better than the Eggheads' five?

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

-I'll go first please.

Here we go, try this one for size.

Which group released the 1978 UK number one hit album Parallel Lines,

which featured the track Sunday Girl and Hanging on the Telephone?

Well, I'm pretty sure it's not The Jam and I do quite like the song

Hanging On The Telephone, so I'll go for Blondie.

Blondie is the right answer, yes.

Well, done, it did suit you.

OK, Eggheads...

The American glass maker and designer Louis Comfort Tiffany

is most associated with which art movement?

Art Deco.

Art Deco?

No, Art Nouveau.

Louis Comfort Tiffany. Right. Linda, a great chance.

The bandit and peasant hero

Salvatore Giuliano was born on which Mediterranean island in 1922?

Well, I've been to Crete and I don't

particularly recognise the name, so I don't think he's Cretan.

And Corsica I think is French, and it sounds...

Sicily, I imagine there are lots of peasant bandits in Sicily

-so I'm going to go for Sicily.

-Sicily?

-Yes, please.

On the name and the history, it is the right answer.

Sicily is correct. Salvatore Giuliano.

So, you're one question away from £19,000.

You might get it now if the Eggheads get this wrong. Two on the board...

the Eggheads have to get this.

Jamie Oliver was discovered by TV producers while working in which London restaurant?

I can't imagine it was the other two, but let's just check...

Yup.

The River Cafe.

-I don't think you have ever lost a final round 2-0.

-No.

And you still haven't, that is the right answer.

But, now you have to sweat it out. For £19,000, Linda.

Here we go. Just ignore the money.

Which baroque architect, who designed six London churches,

including St George's Church in Bloomsbury

and Christchurch in Spitalfields is known as the Devil's Architect

for his love of Pagan symbols?

This one doesn't really ring any bells either I'm afraid,

and I'm not sure how to use my Egghead logic to knock any out.

So I'm going to go for my gut instinct which is John Vanbrugh.

-Vanbrugh.

-I can't even say it!

Gut instinct for £19,000.

-It's the wrong answer, Linda.

-Oh, no!

It is, Eggheads?

Nicholas Hawksmoor.

Hawksmoor. I thought you might just go straight down the middle there.

I bet you were thinking of it. Put it out of your mind.

You'll have another chance to win the money, that is guaranteed.

You still get it if the Eggheads get this wrong.

Eggheads, who wrote the book Oil, on which the Oscar winning film

There Will Be Blood was loosely based?

-I think it's Upton Sinclair.

-I do too.

I am almost, almost, almost positive.

It is not Booth Tarkington.

That's what I thought.

That would be Upton Sinclair.

It has been a wretched performance so far in the final round.

I know but we've redeemed ourselves.

-Awful, dreadful.

-You can't tease us.

It is the right answer, Upton Sinclair. Saved your Egghead skins.

Saved your shells!

OK, it all starts from scratch, more or less, Linda.

We take away those options now.

We take away the multiple choice and it goes to sudden death.

If you get this, the pressure is all back on.

Which author wrote the open letter called J'accuse to the president

of France during the Dreyfus affair?

I feel like I should know this.

I think it might be Victor Hugo.

I'm not completely sure.

Or Zola or somebody else.

I think I'm going to go for Victor Hugo.

Victor Hugo, OK.

I will take that as your answer.

J'accuse was written by...

-the other one you were thinking of! Emile Zola.

-Oh, no!

And you said it! Oh, Linda.

For the first time, you face a question

where the Eggheads can defeat you.

It would be quite a turnaround after that

banging into the first hurdle. You didn't even jump that first hurdle,

you just kicked it over and fell flat on your face, metaphorically.

Here you go, Eggheads.

In 1994, who founded the World Wide Web Consortium,

the body in charge of the Internet?

It's got to be Tim Berners-Lee, surely?

I can't think of any other name. He was involved...

Yes, he left CERN and sort of set it up, but I think he was

involved in the consortium, so I assume he was the head.

I'm assuming the same because I have got no other name other than his.

It can't be anybody else, can it? We don't think it can be anyone else.

Tim Berners-Lee.

It's the right answer. Eggheads, you have won.

Look at them!

Look at them.

That is stress. And look at you, cool as a cucumber!

Flirting with £19,000...

water off a duck's back.

It's great to see the Eggheads under so much pressure.

But the Eggheads have done what

comes naturally and their winning streak continues.

I'm afraid you won't be going home with the £19,000, only just.

Which means the money rolls over to the next show.

Eggheads, congratulations.

Who will beat you? Join us next time to see

if a new team of challengers has the brains to defeat the Eggheads.

£20,000 says they don't.

Until then, goodbye.

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