Episode 136 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 pedigree is well known,

as they've won some of the country's toughest quizzes.

They are the Eggheads. And taking on the awesome might

of our quiz goliaths today

are the Steel City Students.

This team of friends

are all second-year students at Sheffield University.

Let's meet them.

Hi. I'm Hannah. I'm 20 years old and I'm a student of Town Planning.

Hi. I'm Alex. I'm 20 years old and I'm studying Law.

Hi. I'm Dan. I'm 19 years old and I'm an Engineering student.

Hi. I'm Helena. I'm 19 years old and I'm a student of Town Planning.

Hi. I'm Tom. I'm 20 years old and I'm a student of English Literature.

Hannah and team, great to see you. Welcome.

So you're flatmates...somehow. Tell us how that works.

I live with Alex

and we lived in a flat next door to Tom and Dan

and Helena is on my course, and we met on the first day of university.

And what does a 21st-Century flatshare look like?

Who does what? Who does the duties

with the oven cleaning and the fridge defrosting?

I think it's very different for boys and girls.

-More organised in the girls' house.

-Definitely!

-You have cooking nights and stuff?

-Yeah, we have a rota

and we take it in turns, which is the sensible option, not like the boys.

I'm just trying to guess what happens in the boys' flat.

I don't want to know.

We live about two doors away from a takeaway, so that...

LAUGHTER

Why did we expect that answer?

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

However, if they fail to defeat the Eggheads,

the prize money rolls over to the next show.

So, Steel City Students, the Eggheads have won the last 11 games,

which means £12,000 says you can't beat them today.

The first head to head battle is on Film and Television.

-Who would like this?

-Right.

-I think that was you, Alex.

-That'll be me, yep!

-Alex.

Alex, on Film and TV.

Now, pick an Egghead. You've got all five to choose from.

-I'd say maybe Judith.

-You think?

-Yeah, Judith.

-Judith, please.

-OK, Judith, first round.

-Yep.

Up and at 'em. You up for that?

-Yep, absolutely.

-Good.

Alex from the Steel City Students against Judith from the Eggheads

and to ensure there's no conferring,

please take your positions in the Question Room.

So, I will ask each of you

three multiple-choice questions on Film and Television in turn.

Alex, you can choose the first

-or the second set.

-I'll go first, please.

Good luck.

Which character in a 1970s children's TV show

was a time-travelling wizard?

Oh, I've got no idea, actually.

Not a very good start!

I'll have to take a little bit of a guess, and say...

Catweazle?

Nicely done. Catweazle's the right answer.

SHE LAUGHS

Judith, your question. In 1974, Helen Worth

joined the cast of Coronation Street, playing which character?

I'm an EastEnders person, I'm not a Coronation Street person.

I don't think Gail has been there...

1974, um, that long.

I think...

I'm going to plump for Rita.

-Rita is your answer?

-Rita.

-Rita Fairclough.

Who played Rita, Eggheads?

Uh, what's her name?

-Barbara Knox.

-Barbara Knox. Brilliantly done.

No, it was Gail, Judith.

Oh, I thought she was quite recent.

OK, Alex, your question.

This is a good start for your team.

Which American actress played Anna McDoogles,

opposite Ricky Gervais, in the 2009 film, The Invention Of Lying?

I've got a feeling it's Jennifer Aniston,

but that feels a bit obvious, for some reason.

I'll go for it, I'll say Jennifer Aniston.

It's not Jennifer Aniston. In fact, this name came up

as an answer to another question, didn't it?

-Jennifer Garner is the name.

-Oh, right.

-Married to?

That was the question.

-Ben Affleck.

-Ben Affleck! Well done, Judith. Where did that come from?

Well, the other day, it came from.

LAUGHTER

Here is your question.

The British Board of Film Classification was established

as the British Board of Film Censors in which year?

I don't think there were many films about in 1912.

I should think it's probably the '30s.

1932.

1932 is the wrong answer.

-1912 is the right answer, Judith.

-Really? Golly.

Yes, indeed, you're not even off the blocks yet, are you?

-No, I'm not, Jeremy. Thank you for telling me!

-Well, that's OK.

So, Alex, if you get this answer right

you're in the final, no two ways about it.

-Oh, pressure.

-Yep. Here we go.

Who voiced the character Victor Quartermain

in the Wallace and Gromit film, The Curse of the Were-Rabbit?

For some reason, I want to say Ralph Fiennes,

and I've got no idea at all,

so I'll go for Ralph Fiennes and hope it's right.

Your answer is Ralph Fiennes. Eggheads, you're laughing.

Yeah, she's right.

You're right, Alex, well done. Ralph Fiennes is the right answer.

Judith, you've been knocked out.

Alex will be in the final and you won't. Please rejoin your teams.

As it stands, the challengers have lost no brains from the final round.

The Eggheads have lost one brain. Well done. So far it's going well.

The next subject is History.

Now, which of you wants History?

-I think Tom?

-Tom's probably going to be the best, doing A-level history.

Tom? A-level history?

-We're reaching back that far?

-Yeah, a few years ago for me.

Who would you like to take on from the Eggheads? It can't be Judith.

-Chris?

-Anyone you prefer, Tom?

-I think I'll go against Chris.

OK, so Tom from Steel City Students against Chris on History.

-How does that feel?

-All right, if it's sort of Fred Dibnah-type stuff.

THEY LAUGH

-I'm all right with that.

-Chris against Tom.

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

So, History. Three questions, multiple-choice,

and you can choose, Tom, whether you go first or second.

I think I'll go first, please.

Here we go. Good luck, Tom. The Triple Alliance formed in 1882

was an agreement between Austria, Hungary,

Germany and which other country?

I think...

I did actually study this back a few years,

but my memory is getting a bit hazy in my old age,

but, um...

I think...

It might be Italy.

I'm not sure, though. I'll go for Italy.

Italy's the right answer.

Well done. Chris, your question.

During which millennium were the pyramids at Giza constructed?

Well, First Millennium AD's too late. That's into the Christian era.

First Millennium BC, I think is too late.

So they're...

Yeah, Cheops, Third Millennium BC.

If you haven't got it right, you've missed by at least 1,000 years.

-Yeah.

-But you're right. Third Millennium BC is correct.

OK, Tom, your question.

Henry Tudor, who became King Henry VII,

was born in which part of the British Isles?

I have not the foggiest idea, to be honest.

It's going to have to be a complete guess.

So I will go for Scotland.

Scotland is the wrong answer.

The answer is Wales.

Chris, which part of a mediaeval soldier's equipment was a halburk?

A chain mail tunic, surely, was a surcoat,

so it's a steel helmet.

Said with great certainty, but you're wrong.

It was the chain mail tunic.

Surcoat's the cloth that goes over it, course it is.

-Is that right, Barry?

-Yes.

Surcoat is the cloth, halburk is the chain mail, so you're wrong, Chris.

Back to you, Tom. Same number of points,

third question. Here we go.

Laws passed in England in the 14th century

in order to limit the Pope's power over ecclesiastical appointments

were known as the Statutes of what?

14th-Century history is not really my specialist subject.

I...

will have to go for protectors, just on a whim.

Protectors is wrong.

Provisors is the right answer. Provisors.

So get this right, Chris, you're in the final.

Which country became an independent principality

within the Holy Roman Empire during the 18th century?

Well, Monaco's been the Grimaldis' since the 13th century,

so it's not Monaco.

I think Andorra is a co-principality

between the President of France and the Bishop of Urgell,

so I don't think it's Andorra.

I think it's Lichtenstein,

biggest producer of false teeth in the world.

-Is that right?

-Yes.

Lichtenstein is correct. Chris, you've taken the round.

Sorry, Tom, you got knocked out

by an Egghead on pretty good form there

and won't be in the final round, Chris will.

Please both of you come back to us, and we'll play the next round.

So, as it stands, the challengers have lost a brain.

The Eggheads have also lost a brain from the final round.

Our next subject is Arts & Books.

Students, I'm thinking that's good,

cos you spend a lot of time reading.

-No!

-Oh, God.

-We're supposed to spend a lot of time...

I think you're quite good at Arts & Books.

Yeah, I think you'd be better than me.

Oh, no.

I'll take one for the team, then.

THEY LAUGH

-I'll try my hardest.

-OK, Hannah on Arts & Books.

-Which Egghead do you fancy?

-It's up to you.

Not Daphne, cos I bet Daphne's good at Arts & Books, so...

I think I'll take Pat, please.

OK, so Hannah from Steel City Students against Pat.

He's been quiet. Not sure what's going on in that huge brain.

Against Pat from the Eggheads. To ensure there's no conferring,

please take your positions in the Question Room.

Hannah, you want to be a town planner?

Yes, hopefully. That's the plan.

-Is that what you're studying?

-I am, yes. Town and regional planning.

Does that mean you will actually look at a blank sheet of paper

and then draw a town?

No, that's definitely not what that means.

You get a map and someone will come to you

with a building they want to place and where, and you say, "Yes, you can put it there,"

or "No, you can't put it there," and, yeah, stuff like that.

So it's regulations and all that?

Yeah, regulations and policies and stuff like that, yeah.

And you hope to end up working abroad?

England I think's had enough town planning for one period.

Hopefully, I'll go abroad and make a difference somewhere else,

where they need someone to sort them out a bit.

Arts & Books. Three questions, multiple choice

and whoever wins the round goes through to the final.

You can choose the first or second set of questions, Hannah.

I'll go first, please.

OK, Hannah, good luck.

Here's your first question. What was the title

of Stephanie Meyer's first published sequel to her novel, Twilight?

I think I know this one.

I think, hopefully.

I've read the series,

and after her first book, Twilight, came New Moon.

New Moon is the right answer. Well done.

Pat, your question.

The book subtitled First Step To Forever: My Story

is the first book by which pop star?

Let me see, Miley is the singer on telly,

personality from Tennessee, I think.

Joe McElderry is from South Shields

and did well in a talent contest.

I think this book

is by Justin Bieber,

who became very famous very quickly,

so I think it's a very early block of memoirs

from Justin Bieber. I hope I'm right.

Justin Bieber is the right answer. Anyone here into Justin Bieber?

That's really uncool, isn't it?

It's for children, really, is it?

Just a bit younger than us, younger teenagers.

-Similar age to him.

-Yeah.

He sings and plays piano, does he?

-Or not even that.

-Sings and dances and does all sorts, I think!

OK. Your question, Hannah.

Which artist, who died in 1920, was noted for his portraits

depicting people with mask-like faces and elongated figures?

I have absolutely no idea.

Art is not my strong point at all.

I'm a more books type of person,

but if I had to take a stab in the dark,

the only one I've really heard of

is Mondrian?

Mondrian is wrong.

-It's actually Modigliani.

-OK.

Pat, your question.

How many people are depicted in the diner

in Edward Hopper's painting Nighthawks?

I've seen the painting.

It's an iconic American image.

It's fairly sparse, so I think I can dismiss 12 straight away.

I think there is a couple of men,

no, a woman and a man leaning up against a brightly illuminated bar,

and I think there's a member of staff, so there's at least three.

I don't think I can find another four humans,

to get me all the way to seven, so I think it must be four people.

Four is correct. Nicely done, you're right.

Over to you, Hannah.

You need to get this one right.

The actress Maud Gonne inspired many poems by which writer?

Again, I'm not, I'm not too sure.

I don't think it's Algernon Swinburne.

I'm not sure, it just doesn't sound right,

and WB Yeats also doesn't sound right either,

so I'm going to go for Rupert Brooke?

Rupert Brooke is the wrong answer.

It is WB Yeats.

Yeah, she kind of spurned him, and in spurning him

caused him to write some of his best poetry,

so I think she strangely did us all a rather cruel service.

Pat, you are in the final,

Hannah, you're not.

Please both of you come back and rejoin your teams.

The Challengers have lost two brains from the final round,

whilst the Eggheads have lost one brain.

The last subject is Geography. Geography...

Any good?

-Do you want me to do this?

-Yeah.

Daphne's good at Geography.

THEY LAUGH

Take Barry.

Against Barry, then.

So it's Helena from the Steel City Students against Barry on Geography.

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

in the Question Room.

Good luck, you're against Barry, it's Geography.

Helena, first or second set?

I'll go first, please.

Helena, your question.

The Lake District is in which county?

I think I know this one,

because Derbyshire is quite close to Sheffield

and the Lake District isn't in Derbyshire.

I don't think it's in North Yorkshire, either.

And I've been to the Lake District, so I'll go with Cumbria, please.

Nicely done, Cumbria is correct.

Barry...

Which Asian capital city is situated on the island of Luzan?

Luzan is one of the islands in the Philippines

and the capital of the Philippines is Manila. That's my answer.

Manila is correct.

Back to you, Helena.

The Kara Sea is part of which ocean?

I can't say I've heard of this ocean, Jeremy.

Erm, I wouldn't think it was in the Arctic.

I think I would have heard of it if it was in the Atlantic.

So I'll go for Pacific.

That should work for you normally, because the Eggheads have a rule,

if in doubt, you go Pacific.

Unfortunately, it's wrong.

-The answer is Arctic.

-Oh!

The Kara Sea is just part of it.

Near Russia?

It's to the east of Novaya Zemlya and west of the Yamal Peninsula.

How do you know that?

I was reading about oil exploration.

-Does that come up at dinner parties?

-No.

This is the time it will ever come up in my life.

I had to take my chance!

OK. Barry, your question.

How many stars appear on the flag of Honduras?

Ah...

Gosh! I'm normally very good on flags.

I can't quite remember this one.

Is it one, three or five?

I don't think it's one. I don't think it's one with a single star.

One, two, there could be five, five in a shape of a H for Honduras.

Is that the flag?

HE SIGHS

I'm really at sixes and sevens here.

I'm going to say, five.

Five is the right answer, not six or seven.

Helena...

You need to get this one right, otherwise you'll be knocked out.

Which seaside resort is at the northern end

of a nature reserve called Gibraltar Point?

I have to say I'm not very clued up with my UK seaside towns.

Erm...

I'll have to think about this one.

I'm not entirely sure.

I'll go with Skegness.

Skegness, let's just check. Hannah knows this.

-Is she right?

-Yes, my grandma has a caravan there.

-Your grandma has a caravan there.

-Near Skegness.

Say, "hello" to grandma.

THEY LAUGH

Skegness is the right answer. Well done. You're still in it.

Can Barry take the round?

Here's your question. What is the only South American capital city

to lie within ten miles of the Pacific Ocean, Barry?

It can't be Buenos Aires, because that's on the Atlantic

and so is Caracas. I've been to Lima

on that was almost on the Pacific Coast. The answer is Lima.

You've got it in one, Lima is the right answer, Barry.

You have triumphed on Geography this time

and you're in the final round.

Helena, sorry, he's knocked you out. Do both of you come back

and rejoin your teams.

This is what we've been playing towards. Time for the final round,

which, as always, is General Knowledge.

I'm afraid, those of you who lost your head-to-heads

can't take part in this round.

Hannah, Helena and Tom from the Steel City Students,

and also Judith from the Eggheads, please leave the studio.

Good luck, you're playing to win

the Steel City Students £12,000.

Work out later how you divide it.

Daphne, Chris, Barry and Pat,

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. You can confer.

So Steel City Students are your two brains

better than the Eggheads' four?

-Would you like to go first or second?

-I think we'll go second,

because the other ones didn't work out. We'll go different this time.

Let's see if the Eggheads are thrown by that.

Your first question, what word for a type of soldier

can also mean, "to force by oppressive measures?"

-Dragoon.

-Mm-hm.

That would be Dragoon.

Dragoon is the right answer. To dragoon...

First question for

the Steel City Students.

What word is used to describe the type of body construction

used for Formula 1 cars?

It should be my subject, I'm interested in cars.

Erm...

I'd say...

Monocoque... Mono, would be to do with it's got one piece.

Yes, the others sound a lot more...

I think they've all got that theme on them, haven't they? That's true.

THEY LAUGH

-Erm... I mean, coque because cockpit, it's got that shape to it.

-Yeah.

Solosleeve doesn't sound technical enough to me.

What do you want to do? Do you think, go with our instincts?

Yeah, go with our instincts, your instincts.

Can we go for Monocoque, please?

Nicely done, it's right. Monocoque is the right answer.

So, Eggheads, one each.

Back to you. Which amendment to the US Constitution,

refers to the right of the people to keep and bear arms?

-Second.

-Second.

-The second?

-Second.

-That's the second.

-Second Amendment? You're right!

Next question for the Steel City Students.

Kate Middleton attended which public school, prior to university?

It's Marlborough, I think.

I'm not too sure with this one, go with yours.

-Go for Marlborough. I'm a bit of a fan.

-OK.

-Alex seems to know, Marlborough.

-I'll be embarrassed if it's wrong.

-It's the right answer.

-Oh, good.

-Marlborough College, well done.

Two each.

This is getting interesting. Next question is for the Eggheads.

What name did Roger Fry give to the collective of young artists

he assembled in Fitzroy Square, in London, in 1913?

-Omega Workshops.

-Omega?

-Definitely.

That was the Omega Workshops.

-The Omega Workshops? You sound certain, as well.

-Yes.

And you're right, Omega is the right answer.

So you need this one,

otherwise it's over. Here's your third question, team.

Which political philosopher is famous for his articulation

of the Theory Of Separation Of Powers

in the 1748 work, De L'Esprit De Lois?

Oh, I did the Separation Of Powers last year, so I should know this.

-Politics isn't our strongest subject, really.

-No.

Montesquieu is sticking out to me, I remember reading that name.

-OK, do you know anything about the other two?

-No, nothing.

Montesquieu is definitely sticking out to me.

-Equally embarrassing if I get this wrong again.

-OK.

-I think we'll go for that.

-Can we go for Montesquieu, please?

Montesquieu. This is a bit like the Kate Middleton one, you studied it.

Yeah! It sounds awful when I say that and I'm not sure.

These questions are breaking well for you. It's right.

Well done, it was Montesquieu. Well done. Well done, Alex.

It's Sudden Death now. I don't give you alternatives.

It gets a bit harder, you've got to give me the answer, OK?

Here's your question, Eggheads? Which city in New Zealand

hosted the Commonwealth Games in 1950 and 1990?

-Was it Christchurch?

-Go to the big ones, Christchurch,

Dunedin, Auckland and Wellington.

Auckland rings a bell.

I thought it was Christchurch.

Isn't it awful? Things we ought to know immediately.

I'm split between Auckland and Christchurch.

I think it's Christchurch.

-You do?

-Yes.

-What does Pat think?

My first thought was Auckland. Christchurch rings a bell, as well.

That's not very useful, really.

-Christchurch.

-OK.

-We're having a...

-Maybe Christchurch.

We're both heading towards Christchurch.

Having a very off day, but we're going for Christchurch.

You say, "Christchurch?"

-Who thought Auckland?

-I did.

-I did, as well.

Yeah, you're right, it's Auckland.

It's Auckland, somehow Christchurch was thrown in.

-Oh!

-It's Auckland.

Listen, this doesn't often happen.

A hairline crack is opening up. You have to take advantage of this.

£12,000 on the table, if you get this answer right

and you will have beaten the Eggheads.

Henri Dunant, whose campaigning led to the foundation of the Red Cross,

was born in which country in 1828?

-OK.

-It sounds very French to me.

-The name doesn't always mean everything.

-Not at all.

-Erm...

-Have you got any other ideas?

-I think do we go with France?

-That's what came to mind. I don't know why.

I'm trying to think origins of the Red Cross.

Probably one of our colleagues would know.

-The British Red Cross but it has different branches.

-Yeah.

-That's no help.

-Erm...

-I think we may have to go for it.

-We've not got any other idea.

-No.

-Have you got any other clue?

-No.

That's just a random guess.

Stick with France. I don't think it's Argentina.

OK... Can we go with France, please?

You're saying France, OK. I'm thinking that the Red Cross,

-the clue's in the flag.

-It is.

-Oh, no!

-Switzerland.

That was the one to get right.

Right, concentrate.

Eggheads, what was the first name of the explorer

with the surname Lewis, whose expedition with William Clark

crossed the Rocky Mountains in the early 19th century?

-It's Meriwether.

-Meriwether Lewis, yeah.

It's Meriwether.

Meriwether is the right answer.

If you get this one wrong the contest is over.

In 1977, Kevin Keegan moved from Liverpool Football Club

to which German club?

Think of German football clubs.

-Tom would know this one.

-Definitely.

Football is definitely not my sport.

It's going to be stronger than me, have you got any idea?

-This is horrible.

-Just think. German football clubs.

As if we don't know German football clubs.

It's probably moving from Liverpool,

Liverpool's quite a good team.

-Munich are a good team, aren't they?

-Munich?

-She says.

We'll go with that, then.

Can we go for Munich, please?

Munich is your answer.

The answer is Hamburg.

THEY GROAN

-Sorry.

-That's OK.

-You got it wrong.

We say, congratulations, Eggheads, you have won.

I was just willing you to get Switzerland. That was the one.

We should have thought of the flag.

-It's the flag, it's the red cross and all that.

-Awful.

-Not at all awful. It's very difficult.

-Under pressure.

Under a lot of pressure and Dunant and all that stuff.

Wipe that name out of your minds now.

Commiserations. The Eggheads have done what comes naturally to them

and their winning streak continues.

That does mean you won't be going home with the £12,000.

The money rolls over to our next show.

Eggheads, congratulations. A bit shaky at the end,

but still we ask, "Who is going to beat you?"

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

have the brains to defeat the Eggheads.

£13,000 says they don't. Until then, goodbye.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd