Episode 8 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.

You might recognise them as they are goliaths in the world of TV quiz shows.

They are the Eggheads.

And taking on the awesome might of our quiz goliaths today

are Eric's Idols. They work together

at The Lookout Discovery Centre,

a hands-on educational science facility in Bracknell,

that hopes to make science fun. Let's meet them.

Hi. I'm Natalie.

I'm 22 and I'm an explainer.

Hi. I'm Mark. I'm 37 and I'm a duty manager.

Hi. I'm Dave. I'm 62 and I'm a catering manager.

Hi. I'm Sian. I'm 27 years old and I'm a supervisor.

Hi. I'm Paula. I'm 33 and I'm a receptionist.

Welcome to you, Eric's Idols. So you all work at the centre.

Natalie, what do you do there?

I'm an explainer which means that

I take people round and show them the science.

And I do shows for the kids and the members of the public about science.

Do you dress up as a molecule or a famous scientist or what?

No. We do fun shows and then curriculum-based shows without dressing up,

-and we do parties for kids where we dress up as owls.

-Owls?

-Yeah.

-Let's get to the team name, Eric's Idols. Eric is the owl.

Eric is the owl and he's on our uniforms

and our badges and our logos and everything.

I thought it was some kind of homage to Monty Python,

cos you've got Eric Idol in there.

So 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, Eric's Idols, the Eggheads have won the last five games which means

£6,000 says you can't beat the Eggheads.

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

-And which one of you wants to play this?

-Wasn't it going to be Dave?

Go on. You're a good all-rounder.

-Was it me?

-I think so.

-Oh dear. Yeah. Go on, then.

-OK.

-Looks like it's me.

-All right, Dave.

-I've been press-ganged.

-Oh, dear.

Brow-beaten. Which Egghead would you like to play?

Going first means you can choose any Egghead.

-Judith.

-Judith. For Arts & Books.

One of her strong subjects.

It hasn't deterred him.

I think he just wants you in the question room.

Let's have Dave and Judith in the question room,

just to make sure there's no conferring.

So, Dave, just to warn you, Judith has won the last 14 times that she's

played Arts & Books, so her strongest category in Eggheads.

But I'm sure you'll give her a real run for the money.

-So, Dave, would you like to go first or second?

-First, please.

OK. Off we go, then. Arts & Books. Let's start the game.

Dave, Journey To The Centre Of The Earth

is an 1864 novel by which author?

I know it's not Charles Dickens.

I'm sure it's not CS Lewis. I think it must be Jules Verne.

A bit of a science theme there, isn't there? Jules Verne is correct.

Good start, Dave.

Judith, novelist Dick Francis is famous for setting his novels

in which sporting environment?

That's definitely horse racing.

-Detective stories about the racing world.

-Horse racing?

-Yeah.

Yes. You're right.

Horse racing is what we wanted, that's what we got, so it's one-all.

Dave, second question.

In which country was the artist Jeff Koons born?

I don't think it's England.

I'm...I'm not sure. Something just nagging me.

Something at the back of my mind tells me it might be the USA.

-Is that your answer, Dave?

-Yes, it is.

-Jeff Koons.

Born in America. Yep.

It's the right answer. Two to you.

Judith, "What immortal hand or eye dare frame thy fearful symmetry"

are the last lines of which 1794 poem?

The Tyger.

Tyger tyger, burning bright, in the forests of the night.

-And so on.

-The answer is The Tyger. By?

-William Blake.

-Yeah. So there we are. Two each. Dave,

which poet wrote the Eolian Harp?

I think it's Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

-Is that your answer?

-Yes. It is.

Coleridge. Correct.

Yes. Well done.

That means you've got to get this. Judith,

which writer was expelled along with his wife,

from the county of Cornwall in 1917 on suspicion of signalling to German submarines?

I have no idea.

I know there was a debate about... No, that was the Second World War.

PG Wodehouse, I was going to say.

He said some rather unguarded things,

but I think that was the Second World War.

Can't believe it was Thomas Hardy. DH Lawrence was married

to someone called Frieda, which is spelt in a kind of German way.

Maybe it's DH Lawrence.

That's my way of answering the question.

-That's what you're going for then?

-Yes.

-Lawrence.

-Yes.

Because of a Germanic-sounding wife.

-It's the only link I can think of.

-You've got it.

That's correct. Well worked out, Judith.

I'll just get information from the other Eggheads. Is that it,

a lot of anti-German feeling, during the First World War?

She was related to Baron von Richthofen.

-She was Frieda von Richthofen.

-Yeah.

-The Red Baron? Yeah.

-Yes.

-That's the fella.

OK. DH Lawrence is the correct answer.

So, well done, you two. Dave and Judith, both going very well.

Three out of three, which means, Dave, we go to sudden death.

Your question first.

What is the name of Obelix's dog in the English versions of the comic books

starring Asterix the Gaul?

Not 100% sure. I'm going to

go just for a wild...

-Thor. Thor.

-Thor.

It's not, Dave. It's not. It's a bit more obvious than that, actually.

Eggheads, do we know?

-Dogmatix.

-Dogmatix.

Dogmatix. Well, this could win it for you, Judith.

What was the title of the first book in Richmal Crompton's series of

short-story collections about the mischevious schoolboy,

William Brown?

I don't know what the title of the first one was.

Just William?

-Just William?

-Yes.

-It's correct.

Phew!

Well done, Judith. Yes. Dave, you won't be playing

in the final round. Good round, but not enough to get you through.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

As it stands, the challengers, Eric's Idols,

have lost one brain from the final round.

The Eggheads are all there.

Let's play our next subject.

This is Sport.

Who'd like to play this? It can't be you, Dave.

-Mark, yeah?

-OK. Yeah.

OK, Mark. And which Egghead? It can't be Judith.

-CJ.

-CJ.

That means he really loves it!

Let's have Mark and CJ into the question room, please.

My, my, CJ, that's a very nice shirt for you.

It's not actually this colour.

It's just a pigment of your imagination.

I just feed you the line, CJ.

Bare with me while I recover from that.

OK. Well, listen, do you want to go first or second, Mark? Sport.

I'll go first, please.

First it is.

Let's see if we can get you through.

Which golfer was the captain of the European team at the 2008 Ryder Cup?

I did watch this.

And I'm fairly sure the answer is Nick Faldo.

It's the right answer. Yes.

First question, CJ.

Which term refers to the time a basketball player is able to remain in the air

while shooting or jumping for the ball?

I should be grateful for a question I know the answer to!

It's hang time.

Hang time. It is. Yes. Well done.

Mark, which Rugby Union team won the 2007/08 Guinness Premiership,

despite having been placed tenth at Christmas?

I don't think it was the Sale Sharks.

I think it's between the Tigers and the Wasps.

I'm going to go for the Wasps.

It's the Wasps. It's the right answer.

Well done. Two to you.

CJ, in 2008, Andy Murray reached the men's singles final of which

of the four Grand Slam tournaments?

Thank you. US Open.

Tennis. It's the way they fall.

That is, of course, as CJ well knows, correct. Two each.

Mark, which batsman scored a world record 194

in the 1997 one-day cricket international at Chennai?

This has got me. Er...

I can't even eliminate one of them.

I'm going to go for Sachin Tendulkar.

Sachin Tendulkar. 194, in 1997, in a one-day, Eggheads?

I'd go for Saeed Anwar.

From CJ.

Saeed Anwar is the answer we were looking for. Saeed Anwar.

This would win it for you if you get it.

CJ, which former England international footballer played for

Chelsea, Manchester United, AC Milan, Paris San Germain, Rangers

and Queens Park Rangers during his career?

Right. Pay attention now, CJ.

Ray Wilkins.

-I'm just picking one. There's no point me thinking about it.

-I see.

You've picked the right one!

It is correct. I'll apologise

on his behalf, Mark. That really was unlucky.

Ray Wilkins. I bet you would have got that. You're a football fan.

Not football, wasn't one of my strong subjects.

OK. Just say yes, anyway.

Scare the Eggheads.

It is the right answer from CJ, which means, Mark,

you will have to leave the game at this point.

You won't be playing in the final round.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

So far, two of Eric's Idols will not be playing in the final round.

The Eggheads are all scheduled for an appearance at this point.

Two more head to heads to come.

Our next one is Music.

Who'd like to play this? Music.

Natalie, Sian or Paula.

-Paula?

-Paula.

-I'll do it. Yeah.

OK, Paula. And which Egghead would you like to play?

-It can be Barry, Chris or Daphne.

-Chris.

-Chris, please.

-Chris. Let's have Paula and Chris

into the question room, then, please.

Now, let's play the music round, then.

-Do you want to go first or second?

-Can I go second, please?

You made it sound like that was an unusual request

which I may or may not grant.

It is your choice. Chris, you're in.

According to the lyrics of the popular music-hall song,

My Old Man Said Follow The Van, but don't...what on the way?

Dilly-dally.

-That's right up your street, isn't it?

-It's my era. Yeah.

I don't know that tune. I wonder how it goes.

# My old man said follow the van And don't dilly-dally on the way

# Off went the van with me 'ome packed in it... #

Etc, etc, etc.

Thank you very much, Chris. Let's just confirm.

My old man said follow the van, but don't dilly-dally on the way.

Correct.

All right then, Paula.

No need for you to sing at all if you don't want to.

But if you do, feel free.

Andrew Ridgeley became famous as one half of which pop duo?

I know it's not the Pet Shop Boys,

cos that's Chris Tennant and Neil somebody. Can't remember his name.

Soft Cell, I can't remember who it is. I know it's definitely not that.

It's Wham with George Michael. So, Wham!

Andrew Ridgeley. Yes. Wham! That's the right answer.

Here we go.

Second question each.

Chris, All Summer Long was a UK number one hit single in 2008 for whom?

Well, I know about as much about this sort of music

as you know about boiler making, so, er...

Listen, my knowledge of boiler making is extensive.

Wheel tapping and shunting, that kind of thing.

Got some stays you can replace.

Well, I know absolutely nothing about it, so All Summer Long doesn't

sound like Jay-Zed, or Kanye West, so I'll go for Kid Rock.

Kid Rock. Jay-Zed, as you insist on calling him.

Yeah.

Kid Rock. It's the right answer. All Summer Long.

I'm sure you'd have got that, Paula, but this is your second question.

What type of song takes its name from the French for "to sing"?

How's your French?

Not good. Been on holiday in France,

but still not good at French. Um...

Hymn I think may come from Latin.

I'm not sure.

Shanty doesn't sound it.

I'm drawn towards ballad.

The French for "to sing".

Yeah. Ballad I think I'll go for.

Ballad.

There might be an obscure French verb ballader, or something,

isn't there? But the French for "to sing" is chanter,

from which we get shanty.

Anglicised as shanty, I'm afraid. So it means you've got a chance

to win it, Chris, if you get this.

Which classical conductor born in 1867

directed the NBC Symphony Orchestra from 1937 to 1954?

Well, Herbert von Karajan was later.

I think John Barbirolli was more involved with the Halle Orchestra

in Manchester. I don't think he was born that early, anyway.

So I think the famous conductor,

who went to America quite early on in the '20s, was Arturo Toscanini.

The answer is Toscanini.

It is correct. Well worked out, Chris.

Tricky question, but he got it, which means,

I don't get to put another one to you,

you won't be playing in the final round.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

Three of Eric's Idols have gone at the head-to-head stage.

No Eggheads have gone and our last head to head before the final round.

This one's Politics. Who's it to be? Sian or Natalie?

This is the subject we really hoped wouldn't come up.

It'll have to be me.

It'll have to be you. And it will have to be either Barry or Daphne.

Daphne!

Daphne. It's going to be Natalie and Daphne playing politics.

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

Now, Natalie, do you want to go first or second in Politics?

I'd like to go second, please.

Second means you're in, Daphne.

The disgraced MP Jonathan Aitken was a member of which political party?

He was a Conservative.

Conservative is correct. Jonathan Aitken was a member of the Tories.

So, swiftly over to you, Natalie.

What is the term for the action undertaken by political parties

at election time, of calling on voters to ascertain their support?

Canvassing. I've done a lot of it in my time.

Do you want to share with us who for?

I stood for the Green Party. Just as a local councillor.

I see. The term for the action taken by political parties

at election time, calling on voters for their support is,

of course, canvassing. Well done.

One-all. Daphne.

Which American politician won the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize?

That was Al Gore.

What was it for, An Inconvenient Truth, the book?

-Yeah. The book and the film on climate change.

-Yeah.

Al Gore is correct.

Now, Natalie, your second question.

The first names of George W Bush's twin daughters are Jenna and what?

Barbara was the wife of one of the presidents.

I doubt it's Barbara.

I'm torn between Bernice and Bethany.

Bethany's nicer,

but, er, Bernice sounds a bit more American.

I really wish I knew and I think I should know.

I'm going to have to go for...

Jenna and Bernice.

Jenna and Bethany.

Bethany Bush sounds a bit silly, actually.

Bernice Bush doesn't sound good, either. Barbara Bush. Bernice Bush.

Bethany Bush.

I think Bernice Bush sounds the best.

My apologies to her if she's called Barbara or Bethany, but...

I'll go with Bernice Bush.

-It's Barbara.

-Oh.

-It is Barbara.

You were on the right track.

You can see it runs in the family, George W's father is George.

His mother, George Senior's wife is Barbara,

so he's named one of his children after his mother.

So it means you've got a chance to win it, Daphne, with this.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen was re-elected prime minister of which

country in 2007?

Oh, Lord.

I know it was a Scandinavian country

and I can't remember which. Em...

I know I'm going to get this wrong, but Finland.

-Eggheads?

-Denmark.

-Denmark.

-I told you I'd get it wrong.

-Yeah.

A chance to take us to sudden death, Natalie.

A reprieve there. Here we go.

Who memorably asked the question,

"Are you better off than you were four years ago?"

during the 1980 US presidential elections?

Er...American politics. Obviously not my strong point.

Have you studied that period?

I did politics A-Level, but we only did European and British.

I have no idea why, but I don't think it's Gerald Ford.

I really don't know why.

1980. Now...

I know Reagan and Thatcher were little pals, weren't they?

And so 1980's sort of Thatcher time.

Probably Ronald Reagan. I think.

-Is that your answer, Natalie?

-Yes. Please be right.

Is the power of positive thought making that correct?

Yes. Ronald Reagan.

Standing against Jimmy Carter.

It's all square. Sudden death. Which means, Daphne,

you face this question. Natalie, to remind you,

you won't be seeing any more choices.

Daphne, who was the first woman president of Ireland,

serving from 1990 to 1997?

Mary Robinson.

You're giving me that stare down the camera, saying don't tease me,

don't mess around, that is correct and I know it and you know it,

so let's just get on with it. It is correct.

You've got to get this, Natalie.

What name of Swedish origin is given to the impartial official

who deals with complaints from the public concerning

the rights of the individual against infringement by the state?

I'm sure this is one of those that's so obvious once you hear the answer.

I think it's some sort of adjudicator but that's clearly not Swedish.

And that wouldn't be specifically to do with infringements of the state.

Infringements of the state.

-Anything there, Natalie?

-Absolutely nothing there.

Have a guess.

I can't think of a single word that it might be.

I've seen people saying, "It's utterly ridiculous what I'm thinking,"

-they blurt it out and it's right.

-I'm not thinking of anything.

I'm thinking of a word that ends in "man" which is ombudsman,

-only because I saw it the other day and don't know what it means.

-Is that your answer?

It's not right, but yeah, why not?

-Ombudsman.

-Yeah. Why not?

-Entirely correct.

No! No way!

-Really?

-Amazing. Ombudsman. Yep. The ombudsman.

-Wow! Now I know what it means.

-Yeah.

Oh, wow.

You're alive and kicking in this round.

Well done, Natalie. Another question for you, Daphne.

Which woman born on February 4th 1913

was known as the Mother of the Modern Day Civil Rights Movement?

Is that Rosa Parks?

-Is that your answer?

-Yes.

Rosa Parks is the right answer. Yes.

Born in February, February 4th 1913.

Back to you then, Natalie.

Who became the Minister of Transport in 1934 and introduced road safety

with his introduction of driving tests and a new Highway Code?

I think I can only think of two politicians who were alive then.

-1934.

-1934. The Minister of Transport.

Minister of Transport.

Churchill was coming up the ranks then, wasn't he?

I doubt it was Churchill.

Chamberlain was already quite high up then, wasn't he,

so he wouldn't be Minister of Transport.

I can't really think who else was around then. Obviously, I wasn't.

1934.

I'm not going to be able to wing this one.

I'll just say Winston Churchill cos he was making his way up.

Not Winston Churchill. Do you know, Daphne?

Is it Hore-Belisha?

Now, you know I'd need a full name to accept it.

-Samuel. Of that ilk.

-Would be incorrect.

-Leslie.

-Leslie. Leslie Hore-Belisha.

And living on, of course, part of that name, in...

-Belisha Beacons.

-Belisha Beacons.

So Leslie Hore-Belisha was the answer we were looking for, Natalie.

It didn't come, but listen,

ombudsman will live with me for many a game to come.

It means you won't be in the final round, Natalie.

Daphne, you will.

Will you both please come back and join your teams?

Some great efforts by Eric's Idols there, in the head to heads.

We have reached the point of no return.

It's time for the final round,

which, as always, is General Knowledge.

But I'm afraid those of you who lost your head to heads won't be

allowed to take part in this round.

So, Natalie, Mark,

Dave and Paula, from Eric's Idols, would you please leave the studio?

So, Sian, you're playing to win Eric's Idols £6,000.

CJ, Daphne, Chris, Barry and Judith,

you're playing for something which no amount of money can buy.

The Eggheads' reputation.

I'll ask each team three questions in turn. This time,

the questions are all General Knowledge

and you are allowed to confer.

Sian, the question is, is your one brain better than the Eggheads' five?

And Sian, would you like to go first or second?

I'll go first, please, Dermot.

Good luck, Sian. Here's your first question.

On a standard querty keyboard, what letter is situated between Y and I?

Don't think it's U.

I'm going to say...

P.

P and this is the point at which you wish you had your laptop with you.

Indeed. Yes.

Querty keyboard.

Between Y and I is...

U. It is U, I'm afraid, Sian, so nothing there.

Eggheads, first question for you.

Which actress named her daughter Sundae Rose in July 2008?

Yes. It was somewhat parodied in the press as Sunday Roast.

-But it was Nicole Kidman.

-Sundae Rose...

chosen by Nicole Kidman for her daughter. That's correct.

OK. Back to you, Sian. Let's get you started.

Strontium nitrate and strontium chlorate are used in fireworks

to give what colour flames?

Not too sure about this one.

I'm going to go for green.

-Are they green? Eggheads, do you know?

-They're red.

-It's red.

It means the Eggheads can take the game if they get this.

Eggheads, in the Jewish dish lokshen soup, what are lokshen?

I've eaten more plates of lokshen soup than I care to think of.

It's noodles.

It is just the way the questions fall, as they say.

Noodles is correct, Eggheads. You've won.

Bad luck, Sian.

You never really got started.

It's the way the questions fell, but thanks for playing.

The Eggheads have done what comes naturally. Their winning streak continues.

I'm afraid you won't be going home with the £6,000,

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

have the brains to defeat the Eggheads.

£7,000 now says they don't. Until then, goodbye.

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