Episode 129 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 toughest quiz shows. They are the Eggheads.

And taking on our awesome quiz champions today

are Reading Between The Lines. You've guessed it,

the majority of this team share the same hometown of Reading

and are also work colleagues at an online business directory.

Let's meet them.

Hi, I'm Paul, I'm 26 and I'm a production control analyst.

Hi, I'm Kyle, I'm 24 and I'm a quality assessor.

Hi, I'm Michaela, I'm 24 and I'm a web consultant trainer.

Hi, I'm Tony. I'm 29 and I'm a web consultant trainer.

Hi, I'm Aaron, I'm 23 and I'm a web consultant.

So, Paul and team, welcome.

And you are part of an online business directory, meaning

you work on the web, basically?

That's right. We all have a separate role

where we build websites for small businesses.

Then when it's five o'clock or whenever you finish,

you go and you quiz down the pub?

That's right, yes. We go to the same place every Thursday night.

Is this the team we can see here?

Pretty much. But there's quite a few more people that go every week.

What is it about quizzing that people love so much

cos we have one quiz team after another in the studio?

I think it's the camaraderie.

The fact you can socialise at the same time.

-You're testing your own intellect and building your own knowledge.

-OK.

So we've got cutting edge here, Eggheads. This is 21st media stuff.

Are you ready for this with your analogue ways?

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

for our challenges. However, if they fail to defeat the Eggheads,

the prize money rolls over to the next show.

So, Reading Between The Lines, the Eggheads have won

the last four games which means £5,000 says

you can't beat them today. Shall we get cracking?

Let's go.

OK. The first head-to-head battle is on the subject of Science.

Which of you would like this?

-I'm not very good at science.

-I can't do science.

-I wouldn't mind having a go.

-Go on. Go for it.

-Paul, OK?

-I'll have a go.

Paul on Science versus which Egghead?

-Who would you like to take on?

-I will take on Daphne, if I may?

Paul from Reading Between The Lines versus Daphne from the Eggheads.

To ensure there's no conferring,

please take your positions in the question room.

Science is the subject, Paul. Three multiple-choice questions

You can choose the first or the second set.

I'd like to go first, please.

Here is your first question. Which constellation represents a swan?

I'm thinking, related to...

cygnets.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's Cygnus, please.

Good logic. Cygnus is correct. Well done, Paul.

Daphne, your question.

What would be studied by an odontologist?

Erm...

Yes. Teeth.

Teeth is the right answer. I thought there was another word for that?!

-Dentistry?

-Orthodontic sort of word.

-Orthodontics is straightening the teeth.

-I see. That's different.

Your question, Paul.

What is the name of the monkey species

discovered in 2010 which is said to sneeze when it rains?

I'm not sure on this one

and obviously there's no clues in the name really

cos it's all nosed.

Erm...

I'll...

plump for...

..the Thai Red-nosed.

Daphne, do you know?

No. I would have guessed Laos but...

It's not Thai. It's not Laos. It's the Myanmar Snub-nosed.

I'm glad you got that, Paul!

Bad luck there, Paul. It's the Myanmar Snub-Nosed.

OK. Daphne, which mineral is listed at number nine

on the Mohs scale, one below diamond?

Oh, gosh. I think...

I think it's Corundum.

You're right. How do you know something like that?

There is a mnemonic for remembering it

but I couldn't remember the mnemonic.

The mnemonic is "Toronto girls can flirt

"and only quit to chase dwarves."

Toronto girls can flirt and only quit to chase dwarves?

So diamond is the bottom one?

-Diamond is the top one.

-OK.

Paul, here's your question. You need this one right to stay in.

You can't always depend on Daphne getting questions wrong.

The Silurian period occurred in which geological era?

Again, I'm not sure on this.

I'm just going to go right down the middle...

Mesozoic.

Mesozoic, OK. Daphne, do you know?

-I think it's the Mesozoic.

-No.

-Palaeozoic.

It's Palaeozoic. Barry's got all the answers today.

Paul, sorry, you've been knocked out by Daphne.

No need to go back for the third question

cos there's no way back for you.

She will be in the final and you won't.

Please both of you rejoin your teams.

As it stands, the challengers have lost one brain from the final round

whilst the Eggheads have lost no brains.

The next subject is Sport.

Which of you challengers want this one?

-I'll be taking sport.

-That'll be Aaron.

Aaron, OK. Against who?

It can't be Daphne, Aaron.

Are we going to go for...Chris?

Chris at Sport.

OK, Aaron from Reading Between The Lines versus Chris on Sport.

Which I won last time I did it.

You did win it last time. You were in very fine spirits because of it.

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

So, Aaron, you like your sport?

I do, yes. I'm big on football.

-Which team?

-I'm a United fan, Manchester United.

-OK.

Any other sports you watch or play?

A bit of boxing, a bit of rugby.

Not the gymnasts and that though, that's probably my weakest part

so I'll try and avoid those questions.

Chris, how are you on the parallel bars?

You don't want to know, Jeremy. It must be 50 years

since I was last a the gymnasium and that was at school.

OK. I'll ask no more questions.

Oh, no, I will, actually. Three more questions in fact. Multiple-choice.

-Aaron, you can choose the first or second set.

-I'm going to go second.

OK, here we go. Chris, your first question. Good luck.

Queen's Club which hosts a tennis tournament

shortly before Wimbledon is in which city?

Queen's Club's in London.

London is the right answer.

Here we go with yours, Aaron.

How was the 2010 world title boxing fight

between David Haye and Audley Harrison billed?

That was...

best of enemies and the worst of fights.

Best of enemies is the right answer.

Did you see it? I didn't see it.

-Yeah, I paid for that and it was money not well spent.

-I heard that.

Somebody made a joke...

Why has everybody got it in for Audley Harrison?

He's never hurt anyone.

OK. Chris, in 2009,

James Haskell joined which French rugby union club?

Somebody went to Perpignan.

It's probably him so I'll go with Perpignan.

Perpignan is the wrong answer, Chris. It's Stade Francais.

OK, Aaron. Your question. You've got a chance to take the lead now.

According to the Australian cricketer Ian Healy,

whose idea of a balanced diet was a cheeseburger in each hand?

I'm leaning towards Shane Warne...

-..which is the only one I know.

-Is that the answer?

-Yeah, I'm going for Shane Warne.

-Shane Warne is correct.

So, you have taken the lead.

If Chris gets this wrong, he's out.

Which footballer was the top scorer in the Premier league, Chris,

in its first season?

Andy Cole, no.

Alan Shearer, no. Down the middle, Teddy Sheringham.

Aaron, do you think he's right?

I'm not too sure, to be honest.

I probably would have gone with Alan Shearer.

The answer is Teddy Sheringham. Chris, you got it.

You need to get this one right to win the round,

otherwise we go to sudden death.

The Padres is a major-league baseball team

based, Aaron, in which Californian city?

-The Padres.

-Padres...

I haven't got a clue.

I'm going to go...

..with San Diego.

-Let's ask the Eggheads. Eggheads?

-Yes, I've seen them play.

-You've seen them in San Diego?

-No, it was in Los Angeles.

They were playing the Dodgers. I went there on my honeymoon

and two chaps I met on a quiz show in Australia took us to the game.

How lovely. So you saw the Padres play in California?

-In Los Angeles.

-In the flesh?

-Yes.

Anyway, it's San Diego. You're right, Aaron.

You've beaten the Egghead.

Well done. You've done it. You're in the final.

Do both of you please come back and rejoin your teams.

-Aaron, great play.

-Thank you.

-At least two people

in the final for your team.

That's got to be good.

-Hope so.

-All right. As it stands, the challengers have lost one brain

from that final round.

The Eggheads have also now lost a brain

and the next subject is Geography.

Who wants this?

Who is well travelled?

-I'll give it a go then.

-Bite the bullet.

-Kyle?

-I'll take it.

-OK. We have Kyle from

Reading Between The Lines against which Egghead?

It can be Barry, Pat or Judith on the end.

I'll go for Barry.

Kyle from Reading Between The Lines against Barry on Geography

from the Eggheads. Please go to the question rooms now.

So, Barry, geography, where is that on your list of subjects?

It's pretty up near the top.

I've always been interested in geography.

I used to read atlases as a child

and I've never really got out of the habit.

I've never asked you about your Millionaire appearance.

You got 64,000.

-Ohhh.

-Was it a geography question?

It was. It was about the Channel Islands. My nerve went, I'm afraid.

I was pretty certain I had the right answer

but 64 paid my mortgage off and my wife had threatened me with divorce

if I had a chance to pay off the mortgage and blew it.

What was the actual question?

Which of the Channel Islands has a Seigneur as an overlord?

And I knew that Sark was feudal

and I'd heard of the Dame of Sark but I've never heard of a Seigneur.

The Channel Islands are such a strange community,

they've got all sorts of Bailiwicks and strange rules.

I was pretty sure it was Sark but it could have been any of the others.

-So you just thought, no further?

-No further, I'll save my marriage.

I've never heard that story before.

OK, so three questions for you on Geography.

Kyle, you can choose the first or the second set.

I'll go first, please.

The Tasman Sea is part of which ocean?

Erm, all right, I'm not really sure

but I'm going to take a guess on Indian.

There's an old rule of quizzing I've learnt which is

if one of the answers is Pacific, you choose it.

-Is that right, Eggheads?

-Yes.

In such a big ocean, there's lots of stuff. Simple as that.

The answer is Pacific.

And that tactic applies to cheese and...

-Antelopes.

-Antelopes.

If they're in the answers, pick them.

Barry, what is the name of the headland near Selsey in West Sussex?

I think that's Selsey Bill.

Selsey Bill is correct.

OK. Kyle...

St Bartholomew's Cathedral and the birthplace of Goethe

are features of which German city?

I've no idea, to be honest,

but again I'm going to go with...

a guess on Cologne.

It's not Cologne, Kyle. Frankfurt is the answer.

Back to you, Barry. Get this one right, you've taken the round.

Palawan and Basilan are islands of which country?

That's an interesting one. Can you spell those islands, please?

The first one is P-A-L-A-W-A-N.

The second one is Basil with an A-N on the end.

Palawan and Basilan.

I've never heard of those islands.

Palawan, Basilan.

I don't really know but the Indonesian archipelago

is the largest in the world so it must have the most islands.

I'll go for Indonesia.

And you'd be wrong, actually. Philippines is the right answer.

Kyle, you need to get this one right.

Which Scottish town has a name

which translates as loch in a damp hollow?

I'm going to take a guess on Linlithgow.

Kyle, well done. It is Linlithgow.

You're on the board. Barry, if you get this right, you're in the final.

If not, we go to sudden death. Pikes Peak is a mountain

in which North American range?

Now, that's another interesting one.

I have heard of Pikes Peak

but is it East Coast or West Coast?

I'm not sure. I'm really not sure on this one.

I don't think it's the Rockies. I'll try the Catskills.

Let's see if the Eggheads know.

-Rockies, Colorado.

-Rockies.

I talked myself out of it.

Car races. There's a summer race up Pike.

We know it because apparently it's a venue for races, car races,

bike racers and so on. So Rockies is the answer

and you got that wrong, Barry.

It's one point each. We go to sudden death, Kyle. It gets harder now.

I don't give you alternatives. You've got to give me the answer.

In which country is Fjordland National Park?

It's spelt F-J-O-R-D-L-A-N-D.

I'm going to go with Norway.

It's so obviously Norway, but it's not.

It's New Zealand.

New Zealand is where it's at.

Barry, the Bayuda Desert is on which continent?

-Can you spell that please?

-B-A-Y-U-D-A.

B-A-Y-U-D-A.

I've never heard of the Bayuda Desert.

B-A-Y-U-D-A.

I'll try Asia.

No, it's Africa. It's in Sudan.

Kyle, Grande-Terre and Basse-Terre are the two principal islands

of which overseas department of France?

I'm guessing somewhere in Southeast Asia. Erm...

Vietnam.

No, it's not Vietnam. Do you know, Eggheads?

-Is it Reunion?

-No.

-Guadeloupe

-Well done, Daphne.

Guadeloupe or Guadeloup-ey is the right answer.

Barry, here's your question.

Get this right, you're in the final. Which landlocked African country

is bordered by Rwanda, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo

and Lake Tanganyika?

Oh, gosh. I'll have to draw a map up in my mind.

Could you repeat those, please?

Which are landlocked African country is bordered by Rwanda, Tanzania,

the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Lake Tanganyika?

Is it Burundi or Uganda?

-Uganda.

-No.

You had it right the first time.

-Burundi.

-Burundi. So we play on.

Sudden death. Back to you, Kyle.

Longton, Fenton and Burslem are areas of which British city?

I'm going to go with, erm...

..Liverpool.

No, Stoke-on-Trent.

Barry, your question.

Lake Eyre is situated in which Australian state?

Ohhh.

-If you get this right, you're in the final.

-If...

I'm not sure again on this one. I'll try Western Australia.

No, South Australia, Barry.

Again I had them both in my mind!

OK, Kyle. Frankfort is the capital of which US state?

Frankfort, all one word, Kyle. F-R-A-N-K-F-O-R-T.

Um...

-I'm going to go with Arizona.

-Not Arizona, Kentucky.

Barry, in terms of area, which is London's largest borough?

Is that Bromley?

Bromley is the right answer. You've won on sudden death.

Bad luck, Kyle. You could have had him. For a few minutes, he was vulnerable.

You won't be in the final, Kyle. Barry, you will.

Please both of you come back and rejoin your teams.

As it stands, the challengers have lost two brains from the final round,

whilst the Eggheads have lost one brain. The last subject is Film & TV.

-So who takes this?

-I think I'll be taking that one.

OK, so Tony from Reading Between The Lines.

-Tony against either Judith or Pat.

-What do you guys think?

It's a bit tricky. I have no idea on Pat.

-I'll take Pat.

-Tony against Pat from the Eggheads.

To ensure there's no conferring, please go to the Question Room.

Tony, good luck. Each of you get three questions on Film & TV.

-This is the subject you wanted.

-Definitely.

Tell me whether you want the first or second set.

I'll jump straight in with the first, please.

Here we go. Giles Coren and which comedian recreated

the Good Life in a 2010 TV series?

I'm afraid to say I don't really know this answer at all.

So I'm going to go with Sue Perkins cos she's the only comedian there

that I recognise.

You may have devastated the other two, but you are right,

that's the main thing. Sue Perkins.

-Of Mel and Sue. Is that right?

-Yeah, Mel Giedroyc.

Over to you, Pat. Which TV couple launched a TV book club in 2004?

Ant and Dec published their joint memoir,

but that's not the same as a book club, one book does not make a club.

I think Richard and Judy have the successful book club.

Richard and Judy is the right answer.

So one each and back to you, Tony.

Who was the talk show host

who interviewed a rambling Joaquin Phoenix in 2009,

a scene which later appeared in Phoenix's film, I'm Still Here?

I can remember reading about this somewhere.

Erm... but I'm not 100% sure which one it was.

I'm torn between Letterman and Leno.

I don't think it was Craig Ferguson.

I'm just going to jump at it and say Letterman.

Nicely done. Letterman is the right answer. Two points to you.

Pat, see if you can hang on in.

Holmfirth was the setting for which long running sitcom?

I think Bread is in Liverpool.

And I think Open All Ours was Doncaster.

Holmfirth, I think, is in Yorkshire

and I think was the setting of Last Of The Summer Wine.

You're absolutely right. It was Last Of The Summer Wine.

OK, third question now, Tony.

Which American actor starred in the Billy Wilder films

Double Indemnity and The Apartment?

Again, I'm not really sure on this one.

Erm...

It's quite a pity, seeing as this was the subject I wanted.

But I'm just going to have to guess again and go with William Holden.

No, it's not. Anyone here?

-Fred MacMurray.

-Fred MacMurray is the answer.

So for the round, Pat.

For which film did Burt Lancaster win his only Oscar?

From Here To Eternity was very successful,

but I don't think that's where he got his Oscar.

Erm... I'm not entirely sure.

But I've a feeling he got it for Elmer Gantry.

If you're right, you're in the final.

Burt Lancaster won his only Oscar for Elmer Gantry.

You could easily have said the most famous one and you didn't.

That's why you're an Egghead.

You're in the final. Sorry, Tony. You've been knocked out.

If you both come back to us, we will play the final round.

This is what we've been playing towards. It is time for the final round, General Knowledge.

Those of you who lost your head-to-heads

won't be allowed to take part,

so Paul, Kyle and Tony from Reading Between The Lines

and Chris from the Eggheads, would you please leave the studio.

-So Michaela and Aaron, good luck.

-Thank you.

Michaela, we haven't spoken yet, but you've got some impressive academic qualifications,

so just give us the title areas.

I've got an Honours Batchelor of Arts degree in History and Spanish

-and a Masters in Medieval Studies.

-So you're wanting something literary, cultural here?

-Preferably, yeah.

-OK.

-Literary.

-All right, good luck.

You're playing to win Reading Between The Lines £5,000.

Daphne, Barry, Pat and Judith, you're playing for something

that money can't buy, the Eggheads' reputation.

I will ask each team three questions in turn.

They are all General Knowledge. You are allowed to confer.

Reading Between The Lines, the question is,

are your two brains better than the Eggheads' four?

-Would you like to go first or second?

-Second, please.

Eggheads, your first question.

In which field of entertainment was Ali Bongo a famous name?

-He's a magician.

-A magician.

-He was a magician.

-OK.

A magician. In magic, rather.

Magic is the right answer.

I've got a memory of the name, but not the person.

-Was he on TV in the '60s or something?

-'50s. Or late '50s.

Maybe it's a false memory. OK, here's your question.

Don't be nervous.

What is the name of the dress with a full gathered skirt

worn as part of traditional Austrian national costume?

OK, I think it's Dirndl because Doublet is Tudor costume

and also Duffel is a duffel coat.

I don't know dresses, so I'll go with you.

OK, process of elimination. I'm going to go with Dirndl.

Dirndl is the right answer.

OK, Eggheads, your question.

The pawnbroker symbol of three golden bulls

is believed to have derived from the coat of arms of which Italian family?

-It's Medici.

-Medici.

-Definitely Medici.

-Yes.

-It's Me-dici.

-Me-dici or Med-ici, which is...?

-Me-dici.

-Me-dici, Judith. OK.

Medici is correct.

Or Med-ici, we know which one you meant.

Your question, to keep up, the phrase "l'etat c'est moi"

is associated with which French monarch?

-The phrase "l'etat c'est moi".

-I knew it was Louis something!

-L'etat...?

-I'll spell it for you, L apostrophe E-T-A-T,

-with an accent on the E, comma c'est moi.

-I don't think it's Louis XV.

I'm not sure. OK. Are we going to 14 or 16?

-Which one do you want to go for?

-OK, Louis XIV.

Is correct. Louis XIV, it is. The swift decision making!

-Are you in charge in the office, or...?

-Well, I...

-I kind of have a supervisor role.

-Yeah!

You're doing it well now anyway.

All right, Eggheads. Your third question.

In her student days,

Princess Margarita of Romania was a girlfriend of which politician?

-Gordon Brown.

-I think he...

-That was Gordon Brown.

-Are you sure?

-Yes.

Gordon Brown is correct.

Gordon and Margarita, as they were known.

Well, the trouble with going second is that they get a march on you.

You do need to get this one right.

If you get it right, we go to Sudden Death. £5,000 to play for. Good luck.

Which philosopher wrote A Treatise Of Human Nature?

A Treatise of Human Nature.

Oh... I know the... I've heard of it.

I haven't.

Oh... OK, I've heard of John Locke.

David Hume rings a bell...

-I haven't. I haven't.

-OK.

(George Berkeley...) OK.

OK, I'm going to go with John Locke.

John Locke is your answer.

-Because that's the one you've heard of?

-Yeah, because I've heard of him.

David Hume, I had heard of, but I'm not...

I'm leaning John Locke.

-John Locke is the answer.

-Oh, it's wrong.

-The correct answer is David Hume.

-Oh!

-I'm sorry.

Gone with instinct.

I have to say congratulations, Eggheads. You have won.

Lively play by your team. In the end, just didn't quite make it.

Commiserations to you.

The Eggheads have done what comes naturally to them and they still reign supreme over Quizland.

That means you won't be going home with the £5,000. So the money now rolls over to our 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.

£6,000 says they don't. Until then, goodbye.

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