Episode 39 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 five quiz challengers

pit their wits against possibly the greatest quiz team in Britain.

You might recognise them as they've won some of the toughest quiz shows.

They are the Eggheads. Taking on the awesome might of our quiz Goliaths today

are Don Quizote.

This friends and family team regularly attend the quiz at their local pub,

Bar Mio in Southport.

Let's meet them.

Hi, I'm Chris. I'm 23 and a European Studies and Spanish student.

Hi, I'm Laura. I'm 20 and I'm a fashion student.

Hi, I'm Ruairi. I'm 24 and I'm a phone advisor.

Hi, I'm Mark. I'm 45 and I'm a project manager in the civil service.

Hi. I'm Pete. I'm 42 and I'm a local government officer.

Welcome, Don Quizote!

Are you fans of Spanish literature?

I've spent a lot of time studying it at university.

OK. We have two pairs of siblings. Chris and Laura

and then we've got Mark and Pete.

-You're brothers?

-Yes.

-Ruairi?

-You're their mate?

-Pretty much, yeah!

-Sometimes!

-Yeah!

-OK, then,

let's play the Eggheads today.

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.

So, Don Quizote, the challengers won the last game,

which proves it can be done.

It also means just £1,000 says you can't beat the Eggheads.

So, our first head-to-head battle today is on the subject of Arts & Books.

Who'd like to play this?

I'll give it a shot if nobody wants to do it.

-OK.

-If nobody's going to do it, I'll do it.

-Yeah.

-I'll do it. I think!

OK, Ruairi. Who would you like to play from the Eggheads?

-I don't fancy any of them!

-I don't think it matters on this.

-Yeah.

-I'll play Barry.

Yeah, let's play Barry, please.

So Ruairi and Barry playing the opening round. Arts & Books.

Could you both please take your positions in the Question Room.

Ruairi, you must have read a book or two in your time?

-One or two, but I'd leave it at one or two!

-Oh, no!

Let's hope the one or two you've read come up here!

Would you like to go first or second?

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

Here you go. The Pardoner, The Reeve and The Franklin

appear in which important work from English Literature?

OK. I don't know it.

The Canterbury Tales I know were a lot of tales

so maybe they pop up somewhere in the Canterbury Tales.

They do. Well identified. Characters that feature in Canterbury Tales.

So.

First question for Barry.

In which language is the Bayeux Tapestry annotated?

It was made by Bishop Odo, William the Conqueror's half-brother,

to celebrate the conquest of England in 1066

and the language, I believe, is Latin.

You know it's the right answer. Latin.

Back to Ruairi.

Following a request by Francis Bourgeois,

a public art gallery was designed and built by Sir John Soane in which part of London?

Right. OK.

Unfortunately for me, it'll have to be an uneducated guess.

Although I can't explain it, I'm drawn to Dulwich.

Dulwich. Uneducated guess or not,

it's the right answer.

Other members of Don Quizote very happy about that.

OK. Barry, what was the real first name

of the novelist who became famous as Wilkie Collins?

Ooh! I've never heard of him as anything other than Wilkie Collins.

He was the writer of the first detective story.

It could have been Wilberforce because that was a name at the time.

I don't know this one but I'll go down the middle and go for William.

Wilkie Collins, his real first name was William. Right answer.

Well done. Ruairi's got two already.

Get this and who knows what might happen.

Who wrote the 2010 novel Solar?

OK. I haven't read this either.

OK. Solar.

I'll go for Ian McEwan.

It's the right answer again, of course!

Well!

What a guesser!

Barry.

What name is given to the literary device

of repeating a word or phrase at the beginning of successive lines or clauses?

Sir Winston Churchill was very fond of using this device.

It's an anaphora.

"We shall fight them on the beaches, we shall fight them on the hills." That sort of thing.

It is the right answer. So it's all square.

We go to Sudden Death. Ruairi,

guessing is a lot harder because you won't see anything to have a guess at.

You'll have to conjure it up yourself. Here's your question.

Dog Half-Submerged, painted around 1821 is a work by which Spanish artist?

1821. No, I don't really have an answer.

The only painter I'd say is Salvador Dali.

But that's later.

Salvador Dali, as you know, is later.

Good to have a guess. But not Salvador Dali.

-Chris, in your studies have you come across Dog Half-Submerged?

-No.

-I didn't.

-OK, no worries. Do you know, Barry?

-Is it Goya?

-Correct.

Francisco Goya. Dog Half-Submerged.

OK, you win the round, Barry, if you know this.

Which American writer recited her poem On The Pulse of Morning

at Bill Clinton's first inauguration as US President?

Hmm.

I'm thinking Toni Morrison or Maia Angelou.

I think it was Maya Angelou.

Maya Angelou is the right answer. Yes. Well done, Barry.

Right in the end, but stiff opposition from Ruairi.

That was Daphne-type quizzing!

What, lots of guessing? Bad luck, Ruairi. Good work,

but not in the final round. Come back and join your teams.

Don Quizote had a tilt at Barry,

but failed to dislodge him.

One brain missing for you from the final.

No Eggheads gone yet. Our next subject, subject two is...

Who'd like to play this?

Can't be Ruairi. Any of you other four.

DISCUSS QUIETLY

-I'll take it, please, Dermot.

-Politics for Chris. Who would you like from the Eggheads?

It can't be Barry. Any of the other four.

This isn't my strongest subject by far.

If I'm going to get beaten by anyone, it might as well be Kevin!

-Why's that then?

-No disrespect to the others, he's just a machine!

Won the World Quiz Championship four times!

That's proven there.

Let's have Chris and Kevin into the Question Room for Politics.

Chris, to get a handle on how good you are at this subject,

not your favourite,

-are you as good at this as Ruairi was at Arts & Books?

-Er...

We'll see, won't we? I think I can have a stab.

-Do you want to go first or second?

-I'll stick with first, please.

First question, best of luck.

Jacob Zuma, elected president of South Africa in 2009

became the leader of which party in 2007?

Well, I think from those the only one I recognise would be the ANC.

I may be wrong, but I believe that's the African National Congress.

I have to go ANC.

ANC. South Africa's main party. It all fits.

It's the right answer.

The African National Congress.

Kevin, in the 2010 general election,

Caroline Lucas was elected the first English MP for which party?

They concentrated their efforts cos they thought they had a good chance.

They were right. She's a Green.

Right answer. Caroline Lucas, Green Party.

Back to you, Chris, for your second question.

In the 19th century,

what nickname was given to various US presidents

who supposedly came from humble beginnings?

I can't say I've heard of any of them.

Log cabin presidents doesn't sound right to me.

For some reason, I'll try farmhand presidents.

-Please.

-Farmhand presidents.

It's not farmhand. Kevin, do you know?

Yes, log cabins were the types of homes that settlers on the frontier lived.

There was much talk of people having risen from humble origins,

Lincoln being the prime case.

-So log cabin presidents.

-Log cabin presidents.

Next question for Kevin.

Which European country voted for a new democratic constitution

in 1978?

I'll double-check on this for a second.

It's not Italy, because Italy's been a democracy

although not a terribly functioning one since after World War II.

Greece had its problems with being ruled by the Colonels.

From 1967... I'm sure there was a vote on a constitution

in Spain in 1978. Franco died in 1975. Juan Carlos took over.

Democratic government came in.

-So Spain.

-Spain '78.

-Yeah.

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

Wasn't there an abortive coup in the early '80s?

'81, yeah. Colonel Tejero and his men burst into the parliament and sprayed bullets about.

I've done a tour of the Cortege, and you can still see, a few years back,

you could still see the bullet holes in the walls.

OK. There we are. You need to get this one correct. Chris,

in which year was the so-called Arms to Iraq report published by Sir Richard Scott?

I'll be honest, I really don't know.

I'm thinking around 1990

there was a lot of conflict in that region.

So I'd like to think it would have been 1992.

OK. '92.

I suppose referring to the Iraq War in 1991.

It took a long time, this inquiry. It's '96. The Scott Inquiry.

Which means we end the round there, Chris.

It turned out not to be a round you enjoyed. Both please come back and join your teams.

This is the situation now.

Two Don Quizotes missing from the final round. No Eggheads gone.

Let's have a look at our next head-to-head. This one is Sport.

Who'd like to play Sport? Laura, Mark, Pete?

This was between me and Chris. Chris has been knocked out, so it's me!

Alex.

Who would you like to play from the Eggheads? Judith, Pat or Chris?

DISCUSS QUIETLY

I'll take Chris on at Sport, please.

OK, just to confirm that.

Mark playing Chris. The subject is Sport.

Can I ask you both please to take your positions in the Question Room so there's no conferring.

-Mark, do you want to go first or second?

-We agreed we'd stick with first.

So I'll stick with the team plan.

First question. What name is generally used

for the piece of equipment a snooker player can attach to a cue

in order to reach a distant white ball?

I'm fairly confident on this one, I think.

When I played years ago, it was a long piece of wood

that you had to get somebody to help you lift onto the table.

But now they have screw-in ones they add to the cue.

It's called an extension.

Yes, good start.

Chris, in the US, what name is given to the rows of uncovered benches

for spectators of football and baseball games?

Because they're exposed to the full glare of the sun,

they're called bleachers.

Yes, bleachers is correct.

Second questions for both of you. Mark's first.

Ian Watmore resigned as Chief Executive of which sporting body in 2010?

Now...

I think there's been some trouble

in this place over the last couple of years

where people haven't held on to their jobs for very long.

I'm going to go for the Football Association.

Football Association.

Ian Watmore. Eggheads?

Yes.

Right answer. Well done.

Chris,

which team won Rugby Union's Six Nations tournament in 2010?

I haven't seen many jubilant Scots around the place!

Italy are the new boys, unlikely to have won it.

France.

It's good that you work it out that way.

It is the right answer. France.

Of course. OK. Mark.

In which Asian country

is the Test cricket venue of Mirpur?

OK. Now, I've watched quite a lot of Test cricket over the years.

Seen a number of series in India.

I can recall England travelling to a number of places in Pakistan.

That name doesn't ring a bell in either of those countries.

Bangladesh are the new boys on the block, so I'll go for Bangladesh.

Haven't heard of it in relation to India or Pakistan

so think it must be that process of elimination.

The Eggheads do that very well. We saw Chris doing that just now.

That's given you the right answer as well. Yeah.

In the lead.

Chris, crucial question.

Whom did Martina Navratilova beat in the final the first time she won the Wimbledon title?

I think Billie Jean King and Evonne Cawley, or Goolagong, as she was originally,

were too far back in the '60s

for Navratilova, so it's got to be Chris Evert.

Yes, too far back, but in the '70s.

But right, yes, Chris Evert is right. That's who she beat.

OK. It's all square so we go to Sudden Death,

as you saw Ruairi do. Here's your Sudden Death question.

The rugby union player Justin Marshall earned 81 international caps for which country?

Justin Marshall. A name that unfortunately doesn't spring to mind.

International rugby union teams.

I'll have a stab at Australia.

Close, but the next-door-neighbours. New Zealand.

Chris.

At which English cricket ground did Ian Botham take five wickets for one run in 28 deliveries

to defeat the Australians in a 1981 Test match?

Something is saying to me Edgbaston.

It is the right answer, Chris.

Edgbaston. Mark, you knew that as well?

I'd have had a good stab at that one, yeah.

Mark, it was unlucky the way those questions fell.

It means you won't be in the final, Mark. Please come and join your teams.

So, as it stands now, Don Quizote have lost three brains from the final round

and the Eggheads are intact. Our last head-to-head before the final is Film & Television.

Who'd like to play this?

-I'll play this!

-She's on the edge of her seat!

Excited about that, Laura? OK. You can play Judith or Pat.

-It's up to you.

-Who do you want to knock out?

It's up to you. I don't think it makes a lot of difference now!

OK. I'll go with Pat.

OK. Let's have Laura and Pat, Film & Television. Into the Question Room, please.

Laura, we need to get you into the final round to back Pete up.

-Yep.

-Knocking Pat out would be an added bonus as well.

-Do you want to go first or second?

-I'll stick with first, like the rest of my team.

Even if it hasn't worked out so far, I'll give it a go.

All right. First question for you, then, Laura.

Which characters from children's television lived in caves under a lighthouse?

I know it's not the Rugrats.

But I don't really know about the other two.

I have a recollection of something about Fraggle Rock.

So for that reason I'll go for Fraggles.

That's the right answer. Well done. Fraggle Rock.

Those caves.

Pat, who played the title character in the 2010 romantic comedy film The Bounty Hunter?

I haven't seen this film.

They're all reasonable candidates for the job.

Now that I think about it,

there was a film involving Gerard Butler which was a revenge film.

Not sure if it was The Bounty Hunter.

But I'll say Gerard Butler, without much confidence.

Gerard Butler is correct.

OK, Laura. Your question.

Which Hollywood legend is credited as saying

that he had two acting styles - with, and without, a horse.

I'm not going to lie, I don't have a clue.

I'm going to take a stab in the dark at John Wayne.

John Wayne.

Seems like a potential. But it's not John Wayne,

it is Robert Mitchum.

Robert Mitchum.

With and without a horse.

You take the lead if you get this, Pat.

In 2009, Leslie Ash joined the cast of which TV drama

playing a character called Vanessa Lytton?

I used to watch Holby City, but haven't watched it recently.

I've only seen a tiny bit of Hotel Babylon.

Again, it's just a punt.

I'll go for Waterloo Road.

-It's not. Other Eggheads?

-Holby City.

-Holby City.

So, no damage done, Laura.

Get this and you just might win the round.

The 1957 World War I film Paths Of Glory stars Kirk Douglas

as a soldier in which country's army?

It's another one I don't know.

I don't think it's Italy. I don't know why.

I'm going to go straight down the middle and go for France.

France.

-Sounding despondent. Maybe the fact it's right will cheer you up.

-Yes!

OK.

You need to get this, Pat.

Todd Armstrong played the leading male role in which 1963 film?

I'll have to have a blind guess, I think.

I have a vague memory of each of those films.

But I haven't watched any of them recently.

I'll go for Jason and the Argonauts.

It's the right answer, yes.

Bad luck, Laura. He had a guess.

-But to be fair, yours was a guess.

-Yes.

OK. Sudden Death again.

You saw what happened to your team mates. So no options for you.

In which decade did Elizabeth Taylor marry Richard Burton for the first time?

-Which decade?

-Just need the decade.

Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. When did they get married for the first time?

Again it's going to be a guess.

And for no reason at all I'm going to say the 1960s.

-Slipping it out there. You're saying the 1960s.

-Yes.

-OK. That's correct.

-Yes!

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

Which British film maker received Best Director Oscar nominations

for Billy Elliot, The Hours and The Reader?

There's a batch of contemporary British film directors whom I keep confusing.

Michael Winterbottom, Stephen Daldry.

Stephen Daldry sounds like the man for this job.

-Is that your answer?

-Yes.

It's correct, yes. Stephen Daldry.

So, on we go.

Great round. Laura, who was the narrator

of the classic 1960s US TV show, The Fugitive?

-I don't think I can even hazard a guess.

-Not keen on that one?

-You're going to pass?

-Yes, I am.

-Pat, do you know?

-Was it William Conrad?

-Yes.

Not your question, of course. This is.

What is the name of the 1997 film

set in a zoo which reunited many of the cast members of A Fish Called Wanda?

I think that's called Fierce Creatures.

That is correct. Yes, Pat.

Fierce creatures.

All your luck seems to have been used up. Bad luck, Laura.

Not to be. You won't be in the final. Please come back and join your teams.

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

I'm afraid those of you who lost your head-to-heads won't take part in this round.

So, Chris, Laura, Ruairi and Mark from Don Quizote,

would you leave the studio, please?

Pete, you're playing to win Don Quizote £1,000.

Chris, Barry, Pat, Judith and Kevin,

you're playing for something money can't buy, the Eggheads' reputation.

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

The questions are all general knowledge and you may confer.

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

Will you go first or second?

It's got to go right one time, so I'll go first.

Let's hope so. OK, Pete, first question.

The word lurgy, usually preceded by dreaded and used to describe an infectious disease

was popularised by which comedy team?

Right.

I don't know the answer for sure,

but I do know it's definitely not one of them.

It's definitely not Not The Nine O'Clock News.

So it's now between The Goons and Monty Python's Flying Circus.

Neither of which I'm a fan of, I have to say.

I'm just trying to think of the dreaded lurgy.

For some reason, I don't know why, I'll go with The Goons. I don't know why.

OK, The Goons for dreaded lurgy.

Chris?

It is most certainly The Goons, you silly, twisted boy!

Thank you!

It is The Goons. Well done. Good start.

One on the board.

Eggheads, in Native American culture, what is a wikiup?

It's one of the various types of North American Indian dwelling.

It's one of the various types of North American dwelling.

Dwelling is correct. A wikiup. OK.

Pete off the mark. Let's add to that.

For what does the letter R stand in the abbreviation IBRD,

a member of the World Bank Group?

Right. Well, I don't know the answer to this one.

I'm guessing it's to do with... IB being International Banking.

For some reason, I don't know why I don't think it's reconstruction.

And I'm going to go with rescue.

Close, but not the right answer.

The IB you nearly got. It's the International Bank for Reconstruction

and Development. IBRD.

Let's see how the Eggheads do with their second one.

The Who released an iconic 1970 album that was a recording of their concert at which university?

-Leeds?

-I think it's got to be Leeds.

Leeds.

-Leeds is correct. Were you there, Barry?

-Sadly not. I wish I was!

Yes, Leeds as I said. Let's confirm that.

So you need to get this, Pete.

In which century did the European emperor Charlemagne die?

Well, absolutely no idea whatsoever.

Anything to do with history was possibly the worst question I could get.

-I don't know. I'll take a complete stab and say the 12th.

-OK.

The death of Charlemagne.

-Eggheads, is he right?

-9th.

It's the 9th. Bad luck, Pete.

It means the Eggheads have won.

-It's always tricky in the final round if you're on your own.

-Yes.

The breadth and depth of knowledge against you. Hope you enjoyed it.

It's been great fun, Don Quizote. How there are four people behind you, I don't know

because some of you I thought would get through to the final.

The Eggheads were clinging on after a loss not long ago

so they really dug in and you bore the brunt of that backlash.

Thank you for taking on the Eggheads, Don Quizote.

The Eggheads have done what comes naturally and they reign supreme over quiz land once again.

You won't be going home with £1,000. So 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. £2,000 says they don't.

Until then, goodbye.

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