Episode 53 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.

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.

They've won some of the country's toughest quiz shows.

They are the Eggheads.

Challenging our resident quiz champions today are Slightly Foxed.

They all work for the National Library of Scotland,

One of Europe's major research libraries,

with over 14 million printed items.

-Let's meet them.

-Hello, I'm David.

I'm 51 and I'm a strategy manager.

Hello, I'm Carolyn. I'm 43 and I'm a cataloguing assistant.

Hello, I'm Annette. I'm 41 and I'm a rare books curator.

Hi, I'm Rachel. I'm 26 and I'm an assistant curator.

Hi, I'm John. I'm 46 and I'm a librarian.

I hope you've read 14 million items,

you might need them to beat the Eggheads, Slightly Foxed!

Tell me about the team name.

It's a pun on foxing, which is a sort of a paper degradation problem

that we preserve books. It also means we're a little bit confused.

Yeah, got that bit. Right, a little bit stained, then, as well?

You all look well turned out!

No dribbles down their front or anything like that.

Where do you store all this stuff?

It just keeps coming in on a daily basis, doesn't it?

That's right. There's about 6,000 items arrive every week.

So, storing, cataloguing,

processing these things is one of the major tasks. Yeah.

Best of luck today on Eggheads.

I'll tell you right now how much is up for grabs.

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.

So, the Eggheads have won the last 21 games,

which means £22,000 says you can't beat the Eggheads.

Here we go, then. The first head to head battle

will be on the subject of Film and Television.

So, who wants to play this one? It can be anyone you like, of course.

Film and Television.

-You're all looking at me!

-We'll go with Rachel, yeah?

-Rachel?

-Yup. Yes. I think we'll go for Rachel.

And who do we want to challenge?

-Will we give...

-Shall we give Barry a go?

-Will we try Barry?

-Try Barry.

-I like the way CJ's always waving!

"Pick me!" I'll get someone to pick you one day and see how you do.

Be careful what you wish for! Let's have Rachel and Barry

into the question room, just to make sure you can't confer, Rachel.

OK, Rachel, do you want to go first or second?

-It's always the challenger's choice.

-I'll go first, please.

Good luck. OK, Rachel.

In 2000, Aled Jones became a presenter on which TV show?

Well, I don't really think he'd really be on for Top Gear.

I don't think that's his cup of tea.

Fairly confident that one's Songs of Praise.

-I think he still does it, in fact.

-Songs of Praise, yeah.

He's been on Top Gear. I've seen him in that, what...

-Star in a...

-The Stig!

-Maybe he is the Stig!

Maybe he is. You're right.

Songs of Praise, yes, is the right answer.

Aled Jones started appearing on that in 2000.

Barry, first question for you.

Julia Roberts won a Best Actress Oscar for her role

in which film of 2000?

It was Erin Brockovich.

And I think Erin Brokovich actually had a bit role in the same film.

It is Erin Brockovich. That's the right answer, Barry.

One apiece. Rachel, second question.

The Shane Meadows film This Is England

is about which youth counter-culture?

I'm afraid I don't really know this one off the top of my head.

Well, as I don't know, the Skinheads is the one

that's kind of standing out. The Mods and the Rockers

kind of go well together. Skinheads seems to be the odd one out,

-so I'll go for that one.

-OK. And correctly so.

Right answer, well done.

This Is England, about Skinheads. So, Barry,

in 1986, which fashion designer became the co-presenter

with Selina Scott of the TV programme The Clothes Show?

I'm not sure on this one.

I know Jean-Paul Gaultier has been involved in some television shows.

But I'm sure it wasn't The Clothes Show that he was involved in.

I think it was Jeff Banks.

But I'm not 100% certain.

The Clothes Show.

It's Jeff Banks. It's the right answer.

OK, two each.

Rachel, who played Guy Perron

in the 1980s TV drama The Jewel In The Crown?

Again, unfortunately, I don't really have any idea.

The only person that I know from those lists of names

is Nigel Havers. So, I will give him a shot.

Give Nigel Havers a shot in The Jewel In The Crown.

It's Charles Dance.

Before your time, wasn't it?

-Only slightly.

-With The Jewel In The Crown.

Right. Well, a chance for Barry to win the round.

Barry, in which 1949 comedy film did Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn

play a married couple who work as opposing lawyers in a case?

I really should know this, because I know most of the films

that those two made together.

But Adam's Rib is coming out to me because of the obvious connection

between Adam and Eve.

If they were opposing, it seems to be logical to choose that name.

-So, I shall go for Adam's Rib.

-OK. Not knowing it outright.

So, using a degree of logic. Getting the right the answer, Barry.

Adam's Rib is correct. Tracy and Hepburn in that.

Married couple working as opposing lawyers. Bad luck, Rachel.

Do you like that pairing, Tracy and Hepburn?

I've seen a couple, but I'm not sure I'd have got that.

-Yes, you would!

-Of course I would have.

-We'll never know.

You won't be playing in the final round, Rachel. Barry will be.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

Well, as it stands, Slightly Foxed have lost the one brain, Rachel,

from the final round. The Eggheads are all there.

We move on to our second category today. This one is Science.

And who'd like to play this? It can't be Rachel.

Any of the rest of you?

-Science.

-Is that you, David?

I think it was you, David, wasn't it, really?

-OK. I'll give it a go if no-one else wants to.

-OK, David, you go.

-OK, I'll go for Science.

-For Science.

Which Egghead would you like to go for?

It can't, of course, be Barry.

-Any of the rest of them?

-I'll try Judith.

Judith.

Looking very happy about that, Judith.

-Or is that just a fixed grin?

-I'm a very good actress.

-You are.

OK, let's have David and Judith into the question room, please.

OK, then, David, do you want to go first or second?

-I'll go first.

-It's Science.

David's facing the first question. And here it is.

The plant euphorbia pulcherrima,

particularly associated with Christmas,

is better known by what name?

Well, I don't know the answer to that.

So, I'll have to try and bring my chances up

by eliminating one or two.

I can't really see what lupins have got to do with Christmas.

So, I'll say it's not a lupin.

I don't associate chrysanthemums with Christmas, either.

-So, I'll go for poinsettia.

-Maybe Judith can enlighten us.

It's the right answer. Well done, well worked out.

David eliminated the other two, thought it must be poinsettia.

Judith, I know you like your garden.

What do poinsettias look like?

Well, they're very bright red plants...actually, leaves.

The leaves go bright red. You can get pink ones and cream ones

as well. They're all over the place at Christmas.

Ah, OK. So, your question, Judith.

What name is given to an electrical circuit

in which a path of very low resistance is opened,

usually accidentally, resulting in a flow of excess current?

I think I'm on the wrong programme!

-This is University Challenge territory.

-This is far harder.

Well, I don't think there are long circuits or wide circuits.

The only sort of one I recognise is a short circuit.

So, I imagine it must be that one.

Hence the accidental bit there as well. Yeah, short circuit.

No short circuit there in the Kepple brain! OK, back to you, David.

In statistics, which term refers to the measure of the extent or degree

of the sample being spread out?

OK. Well, my daughter's been doing her practice

for her Standard Grades in Scotland.

I'm pretty sure that standard variance is the measure

for how spread out things are.

-So, I'll go for variants.

-Useful, that.

Normally, it's children who remember Dad saying that.

Now it's the other way round! You got it, variance.

Right answer. OK, Judith.

Which element, discovered in 1807,

reacts violently when introduced to water,

sometimes causing an explosion?

Oh, Lordy!

Krypton's a gas, isn't it? It's a...

Titanium is a metal. Potassium...

I can't think why it should be titanium.

Because people's hips and things like that are made of titanium.

Krypton's a gas and potassium is... goodness, I don't know what, really.

And you put it in the garden.

I don't know why, but my instinct says potassium. Probably wrongly.

Potassium is correct there, Judith. Two out of two.

David, third question.

It's two-all, of course.

Herpetotheres cachinnans is the scientific name

for which noisy falcon of Central and South America,

whose diet is mainly comprised of snakes?

Well, this is not a bird that I'm familiar with.

I've never heard of it.

-Herpetoferia...

-Herpetotheres cachinnans.

I'm trying to see if there's a clue in the name.

If there is one, I don't see it.

They all seem a bit unlikely, to be honest.

But I think I'll go for the laughing falcon.

Laughing falcon is correct. Well done, David.

Where's the laughing bit, then, in that, herpetotheres cachinnans?

It must be cachinnans. The "herpe" bit is to do with snakes.

David in the lead. Judith, you've got to get this.

Fraunhofer lines, first noted in 1802, are an aspect of what?

I should think it's rock formations. I just don't see how...

I was thinking, they couldn't see inside a brain.

But they can see inside a dead brain.

Solar spectrum...could they have telescopes seeing these lines?

I don't know. I just think it might be rock formations.

Rock formations, to take us into sudden death.

It's not the right answer.

-Other Eggheads?

-They're absorption lines in the solar spectrum.

It's the solar spectrum, Judith.

But you played well there.

Some tough questions for you both, and David negotiated his

more successfully. Well played, David.

You're in the final round, playing for 22 grand.

Would you please come back and join your teams?

As it stands, it's all square.

Both teams have knocked out one of their opponents.

So, we move on to our third round today. This one is Music.

Who will play this from Slightly Foxed?

-Let's have you, Carolyn.

-OK, Carolyn. Who would you like

to play from the Eggheads? Those two at the end have played.

-So, it leaves Kevin, CJ or Daphne.

-I will play Daphne, please.

Let's have Carolyn and Daphne into the question room, please.

Now, Carolyn, always the challenger's decision.

Do you want to go first,

have the first set of questions, or let Daphne kick off?

I think I'd like to go first, please, Dermot.

Good luck, Carolyn. Here you go.

5-4-3-2-1, released in 1964,

was the first UK Top Ten hit single for which group?

When you read out the title, I wasn't awfully sure.

I had a couple of answers in my head.

But the great thing about multiple choice is, there's only one of them

there in the three that I've been given to choose from.

I think I'll go for Manfred Mann on that one.

Manfred Mann, 5-4-3-2-1. It's the right answer.

Well, done, Carolyn.

Solid start. Is she going to follow David into the final round?

Daphne, doing her best to prevent it.

In which of his songs does Elvis Presley sing about residing

down at the end of lonely street?

Poor old Elvis. Heartbreak Hotel.

As if. Yeah, it's the right answer. Heartbreak Hotel.

OK, back to you, Carolyn. Second question.

Glen Matlock and Paul Cook were the bass player and drummer respectively

in which punk band?

Well, I know that they're the... they're the two musicians

from that band that... that are less remembered.

-It was The Sex Pistols.

-Sex Pistols. Glen Matlock and Paul Cook, yes...

perhaps the lesser known members of the band...is the right answer.

Sex Pistols. Correct. So, Daphne, the theme to The Man From Uncle

earned which composer his first Grammy Award nomination?

No idea.

I think Hans Zimmer is a bit later.

I know he did the theme for Going For Gold.

I really don't know. Lalo Schifrin?

Lalo Schifrin?

It's not, it's Jerry Goldsmith. Theme from The Man From Uncle.

There you are. So, you are wrong and not definite at all. Just bluffing.

You go through to the final round like David

if you give me a correct answer here, Carolyn. Big chance.

The Wedding March, which often accompanies bridal processions,

is taken from which work by the German composer Felix Mendelssohn?

I'm not so sure about this one.

I'm pretty sure it's not Fingal's Cave.

I've never even heard of Hymn Of Praise.

So, I think it must be A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Midsummer Night's Dream. You've got it.

It's the right answer. Midsummer Night's Dream.

Carolyn, congratulations to you.

Playing for the money today. Well, what a turnaround!

Lost first head to head, but have won the next two now. Carolyn,

Daphne, would you please come back and join your teams?

So, as it stands, Slightly Foxed have only been slightly foxed.

Lost one brain from the final round. The Eggheads have been more foxed.

They've lost two brains.

Let's play our last head to head before that final round.

And this one is Politics.

And remaining players are Annette or John.

Who'd like to take on Politics?

-I think that's John.

-You're the Politics guy.

John, you like your Politics, do you?

-Yes.

-Might not enjoy it if you get in there.

Who would you like to play?

You've got Judith, Daphne and Barry have played. So, it is Kevin or CJ.

-CJ we'll go for, yeah.

-Go for CJ on Politics.

As long as it's American presidents.

If it's US presidents, I'm fine.

Yeah. Rather narrowing down you options there, CJ.

Let's have John and CJ into the question room.

So, John, I hear you're an amateur astronomer.

I am indeed. That's right.

So, did you know about your Fraunhofer lines?

I'm not sure if I would have got that one.

Now, well, this...this isn't Science or anything related to it.

It's Politics. Would you like to go first or second?

-First, please, Dermot.

-OK, good luck, John.

Going first, here's your question.

What name is given to a diplomat sent by a state

as the main permanent representative in a foreign country?

Not sure of this one. I tend to think High Commissioner

with representing the UK. I don't think it's High Commissioner.

The obvious answer seems to me Ambassador. Attache...

I'm not sure, either, if it's the right one.

-I'm going to go for Ambassador.

-Ambassador is the right answer.

Yes...with a year's supply of Ferrero Rocher!

OK, CJ, first one for you.

In June 2007, who succeeded Ruth Kelly

as the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government?

I think Jacqui Smith is the Home Secretary.

And I think David Miliband is the Foreign Secretary.

Which leaves Hazel Blears.

Hazel Blears is the right answer. It's one each.

John, second question.

The Social Democratic and Labour Party, or SDLP, formed in 1970,

is one of the two main nationalist political parties

in which part of the UK?

I can say with some confidence it's not Scotland,

obviously, coming from Scotland.

I also know it's not Wales. It is, in fact, Northern Ireland.

I think John Hume is certainly one

of the key political representers of the SDLP.

-So, I'll go with Northern Ireland.

-Is the right answer.

So, CJ, second question.

Who infamously remarked in a 1987 interview,

"There is no such thing as society,

"there are individual men and women, and there are families"?

I'm afraid I haven't heard the quotation.

I'm going to go for Margaret Thatcher.

Going for Margaret Thatcher.

Correct. So, it's two each.

John, third question.

In the oath of office of the President of the United States,

the President swears or affirms

that he or she will preserve, protect and defend what?

I'm sure that I've listened

to at least one swearing-in of a US president.

So, I should really remember this.

I don't think it's the nation's security. At least,

it doesn't sound familiar. I mean, the obvious answer, yet again,

says to me the US Constitution.

That's my gut instinct. I'm going to go with that.

I'm going to say the US Constitution.

Preserve, protect and defend the US Constitution. It's the right answer.

Well, done, John. Yup.

Could have been American people. CJ, you've got to get this, then.

The Inkatha Freedom Party has been an important force

since the 1970s in the politics of which country?

Founded by Chief Buthelezi in South Africa.

Yeah, just because you got one! It's the right answer.

Correct. So, it's three-all. We go to sudden death, John,

and remove those choices you've been working with

very successfully there.

I've just got to hear an answer from you.

This is your question, John.

The Primrose League, dedicated to spreading the message

of Conservatism throughout the country,

was established in the 19th century in honour of which politician?

It's not one I'm familiar with, I must confess. 19th century...

The obvious name that springs to mind is Disraeli,

but I'm not sure if it is Disraeli.

I can't think of an obvious person who would promote Conservatism.

-So, I'll go with Benjamin Disraeli.

-OK, Benjamin Disraeli.

It's the right answer, John. Well done.

Primrose League. OK, CJ, your question to save the round.

What two-word name is given to the short period

of American political history from 1919,

in which the country was effectively run by Edith Wilson

following her husband Woodrow's debilitating stroke?

Oh, dear, this is...oh, I was waiting for the options to come up.

-Oh, Lord.

-Ah-ha, no options.

It's sudden death.

Oh, oh, come on.

It was Edith Galt Wilson, wasn't it?

He only married her quite recently and she...

she effectively took over.

Oh, come on!

We said before you went in there, you like your American presidents!

I know. I know this perfectly well. Yeah.

I know about Edith Galt and I know about Wilson.

I have no idea. I cannot drag it out.

I know this perfectly well and I don't know. Sorry.

-I can't give an answer.

-OK.

Well, game is yours, John. Do you know the answer?

-I don't, I'm afraid, no.

-Doesn't matter. Other Eggheads?

-We don't, either.

-Petticoat Government?

Daphne does. What is it?

-Petticoat Government?

-Petticoat Government.

I thought of petticoats and I thought that was...

because there was the Battle of the Petticoats, which came earlier.

-Grrr!

-The Petticoat Government.

Well, you can come back and kick yourself quietly under the table.

You've got plenty of time,

you're not in the final round. John, you're there.

Would you both come back and join your teams?

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

The final round, which, as always, is General Knowledge.

But those of you who lost your head to heads

won't be allowed to take part. So, Rachel from Slightly Foxed

and Judith, CJ and Daphne from the Eggheads,

would you all leave the studio, please?

Well, David, Carolyn, Annette and John,

you're playing to win Slightly Foxed £22,000.

Barry and Kevin, you're playing for something which money can't buy -

the Eggheads' reputation.

I'll ask each team three questions in turn.

The questions are all General Knowledge,

and you are allowed to confer -

the differences there from those head to heads.

Slightly Foxed, the question is,

are your four brains better than the Eggheads' two?

And Slightly Foxed, how do you want to play it?

-First or second?

-We've been lucky going first so far, I think.

We'll stick with first, I think so.

OK. First question to you.

Could lead to £22,000. Here you go.

"Up and down the City Road, in and out of The Eagle"

are lines from which nursery rhyme?

I'm pretty sure it's Pop Goes The Weasel, isn't it?

I have no idea, because I wasn't brought up in this country, so...

I agree with you, John. Yes.

-I would think it's Pop Goes The Weasel.

-Right.

-Pop Goes The Weasel.

-And Annette, you saying there

you don't know much about these.

-No.

-British nursery rhymes.

It is the right answer. Pop Goes The Weasel.

Up and down the City Road, in and out of The Eagle.

And Eggheads, first question to you, then.

The first-stage rocket of a space launch vehicle

is commonly known as what?

-Booster.

-Be a booster there, yeah? The booster rocket, Dermot.

And this is the booster question for you both.

It's the right answer. Booster.

OK, Slightly Foxed, second question.

Which ancient Roman religious officials were charged with

the task of interpreting the will of the gods from signs,

such as the flight of birds

and the conditions of the entrails of sacrificed animals?

-Augurs.

-It's a difficult one. I'm not sure about augurs.

I think they are more like monsters, aren't they?

I've never heard of the other two.

I've never heard of the other two. I would have gone for...

my instinct would have been augurs.

Pontifices sounds like someone that's pontificating.

I don't know if that's...

I've never heard of them in Ancient Rome.

I haven't heard of the other two. The only connection I can make

-is with...between augur and augury.

-It augurs well.

-Oh, that's true.

-It augurs well, doesn't it?

It augurs well for us to choose it!

-OK.

-Yes. We'll go for augurs, please.

Augurs. It's the right answer.

Augurs is correct.

And it augurs well so far for Slightly Foxed. Two out of two.

Eggheads, which New York landmark

did the Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer design

in collaboration with Le Corbusier in 1947?

They were responsible for the UN Headquarters. United Nations.

United Nations. It's the right answer, Eggheads.

Two to you.

Third question each.

Slightly Foxed, the Elo system was originally invented as a method

for calculating the relative skill levels of whom?

E-L-O.

E-L-O. Right, anyone got any ideas on that? I don't.

Well, I don't know how you can...

how you can judge anybody's chess levels.

So, typists or airline.

I would lean towards pilots. But, you know, as a guess.

I would lean towards typists myself.

-Right.

-But...

-What would you lean towards, Carolyn?

I'm sort of swithering in the middle, I'm afraid.

I don't think you could calculate the skill of an airline pilot.

No, no. I think we should go for typists.

Maybe there was... Yeah, OK, I think that's...shall we go with that?

-I'm not sure at all, but...

-Typists, shall we?

OK, we'll go for typists.

Typists. The Elo system calculates the skill levels of...not typists.

-Not typists.

-Incorrect.

And CJ knows because he plays a bit of it. It's chess.

Well, first wrong answer in that final round from Slightly Foxed.

But crucial point - one question will win it for the Eggheads.

And this is it.

In Greek mythology, by solving the riddle of the Sphinx,

Oedipus became ruler of which city?

In Greek mythology, by solving the riddle of the Sphinx,

Oedipus became the ruler of which city?

He became ruler of Thebes.

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

Well played, Slightly Foxed. Lost out there in the final round.

I think a moral victory. Beat you three-two in terms of rounds,

but didn't beat you in the round that matters.

The round where the cash is won or not won.

And that was £22,000 today.

Bad luck. Thank you very much for playing,

and telling us all about the National Library of Scotland.

The Eggheads have done what comes naturally

and their winning streak continues.

You won't be going home with the £22,000,

but with heads held very high.

It means he 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 have the brains

to defeat the Eggheads. £23,000 says they don't. Until then, goodbye.

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