Episode 46 Eggheads

These people are among 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 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.

Taking on our champions today

are Snaefellas from the Isle of Man.

In choosing a name, this team has drawn inspiration from the geography of their island. Let's meet them.

Hello. I'm Gary. I'm 36 and I'm an accountant.

I'm Gary. I'm 39 and a business sales consultant.

I'm Kevin. I'm 38 and I'm an accountant.

I'm Peter. I'm 36 and I'm a telecomms manager.

I'm Mat. I'm 32 and I'm a fund administrator.

Welcome to you, Snaefellas. I mentioned your team name is from the geography of the Isle of Man.

The Eggheads know this, but everyone viewing may not. Snaefell is...

It's the island's only mountain.

-It's the only thing big enough to be classified as a mountain, at 2,036 feet.

-Not bad, then.

And "fellas". That's what you say on the Isle of Man, "Right, fella?"

Yeah. It's a colloquial saying that spans the generation gap.

You'll hear a 14-year-old say it as much as an 84-year-old.

Any of you lot ever quizzed on the Isle of Man?

Ever squirrelled your money away there, Judith and Pat? Not that you'd admit to!

-What's the quizzing scene like on the Isle of Man?

-A number of pubs run local quizzes.

-Do you ever take part in them?

-We do. Yes. More so recently.

-Since you knew you were on Eggheads.

-Exactly.

-How have you been doing in practice?

-Um...adequately.

You're not giving anything away, are you? And right not to!

Let's play the Eggheads, then. Every day, there is £1,000 up for grabs for our challengers.

If they fail to defeat the Eggheads the money rolls over.

So, Snaefellas, the Eggheads have won the last seven games.

£8,000 says you can't beat the Eggheads today.

Our first head-to-head battle is on Arts and Books.

Who wants to take this on?

-Not you, Gary B.

-It will be, I'm afraid.

I'm the Arts & Books sacrificial lamb.

-You've decided all this in advance.

-We have, I'm afraid.

Sorted out who plays them. Who would you play from the Eggheads, then?

I think...

-Take on Barry.

-I'll take on Judith, please.

OK. Gary B and Judith playing our opening round, Arts & Books.

To make sure there's no conferring, could I ask you both to go into the question room?

So, Gary, do you like reading? You like novels?

I do read quite a bit, but they're very specific genres.

So I don't really have a vast scope of knowledge on this subject.

-OK. Gary, would you like to go first or second?

-I'll go first, please.

First question, Gary. In 1987, the painting Sunflowers was surpassed

as the most expensive artwork bought at auction

by another Van Gogh work, featuring which flowers?

My initial thought was tulips.

Poppies or irises don't ring any bells.

With no degree of certainty, I think I'll plump for tulips.

Tulips surpassing sunflowers. Eggheads?

ALL: Irises.

It is irises.

Judith, have you hung it on the wall or put it away cos it's valuable?

-It was bought by that Australian, I think, Bond.

-Oh, Sunflowers.

-Alan Bond.

-Then he went broke and Sotheby's had to take it back.

Irises is the right answer.

Tulips is incorrect. Irises is what we were looking for.

So, Judith, your first question. Mums Know Best

is a best-selling cookery book based on whose television series?

I don't think that's Delia or Jamie.

I have never watched the Hairy Bikers. The title puts me off.

I think it must be the Hairy Bikers.

It is the Hairy Bikers. Well done, Judith.

Judith's in the lead

after the opening exchanges.

Gary, you need to get one here.

What is the title of the 2005 Ian McEwan novel

that features the neurosurgeon Henry Perowne and is set over the course of one day?

Again, nothing ringing bells. Um...

It's going to be a complete guess, I'm afraid.

I think I'm going to plump for...

Monday.

The Ian McEwan novel. Have you read it, Judith?

Yes, I have. It's Saturday.

It's called Saturday. Yes.

Gary looking up

to the stars for inspiration.

You've just got to grit your teeth and hope Judith gets it wrong.

To which ancient poet are the words "omnia vincit amor" or "love conquers all" credited?

I'm not at all good with ancient poets.

I think it might be Ovid.

And the answer is... You're happy, Barry.

-Yes. I am.

-It's Virgil.

-Ooh!

-Virgil.

-Oh, dear.

-When he wasn't busy in Thunderbirds.

Knocking up the old poems as well.

That's good news, then. You get another question, Gary.

Get this. Hope Judith gets another wrong and you're back in it.

Which Italian phrase meaning "at first"

is used in art to refer to a technique of applying paint in one session?

They all kind of have the primo, prima, primatura thing.

I think I'll probably go for...

Alla Prima.

Alla Prima is the right answer. Presumably means "all at once".

KEVIN: "At first."

Gary, this would be a revival.

Cos you got your first two incorrect, you do need Judith to get this one wrong as well.

Who wrote the books 1599, A Year In The Life Of William Shakespeare

and Contested Will, Who Wrote Shakespeare?

Oh, dear. I don't know that, either.

I know Peter Ackroyd wrote a biography of Shakespeare.

But it wasn't... I don't think it was called that.

I think I'm going to say Jonathan Bate, and pray.

Jonathan Bate and pray!

Cross your fingers.

-The answer is James Shapiro.

-Oh, dear.

After you got that second one wrong,

Gary, there wasn't much hope.

You were staring up at the lights, planning how to make your way back,

but you're back in it.

It goes to sudden death. It's all square.

I need to hear the answer from you.

Can't offer you any choices, if you do need to guess.

"If I were fierce and bald and short of breath

"I'd live with scarlet majors at the base"

is the opening couplet of an anti-war verse by which poet?

Complete guess. I'll plump for...

Shelley. Percy Shelley.

Percy Shelley...is incorrect.

-Any ideas, Judith?

-Is it Siegfried Sassoon?

-Yes, it is.

Siegfried Sassoon, anti-war poet.

Another chance for Judith. Two gone begging already.

Lorenzo Ghiberti's

Gates Of Paradise, one of the great masterpieces of Renaissance art,

are bronze doors for the baptistery of which city's cathedral?

That's Florence.

-Have you seen them?

-Yes. I have.

-They are wonderful.

-It's the right answer.

The gates close on that revival,

brief revival from Gary.

You won't be in the final round. Judith will be.

She managed to clinch the round.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

What a dramatic round! Nearly came back, Gary, but not to be.

Snaefellas are missing one brain from the final round.

The Eggheads are all still there.

The next subject today is Science.

Who'd like to play this?

I think Kevin. Kevin's our science expert.

I wouldn't go that far, but I'll take that, Dermot.

Kevin is one of the potential choices. Who would you like to play?

Kevin, Pat, Barry or Chris?

Go for either Barry or Kevin. I'll take Barry on, please.

Kevin and Barry playing this one. It's science.

Could you both please go to the question room?

-Kevin, would you like to go first or second?

-I'll go first, please.

Good luck, Kevin. It's Science.

In a formula,

which function is equal to speed multiplied by time taken?

Speed multiplied by time taken?

I would possibly rule out distance.

So I'd imagine between momentum and acceleration.

-I'd take a guess at momentum.

-OK, momentum.

Speed multiplied by time taken is...

-Distance.

-It is distance?

-It is distance.

The more you think about it.

It's how fast you're travelling and how long it takes you.

Barry, hyperglycemia is a condition

in which there is an abnormally high concentration of what in the blood?

One branch of diabetics suffer from hyperglycemia.

They have too much sugar in the blood.

Sugar is correct.

Kevin trying it the Gary B way!

He got his second one wrong as well. I wouldn't advise that.

-No.

-If a bubble is a thin layer of liquid surrounding a gas,

what is the term for a thin layer of gas surrounding a liquid?

Purely cos it's the other way round, I'd go with antibubble.

-Is that your answer?

-Yeah. Antibubble.

It's correct! Well done. Just reversed it and got antibubble.

What name is given to creatures such as the shortfin shark

that produce eggs inside its body but give birth to live young?

Viviparous creatures give birth to live young.

"Ovo" means "egg".

A creature that lays eggs then gives birth to live young

must be ovoviparous.

-Ovoviviparous.

-Viviparous!

-We're all struggling with that one.

-There's an extra "viv".

Ovoviviparous is the right answer.

Well done.

You need to get this, Kevin.

Brothers John and William Hunter were figures in which field in the 18th century?

Um, Hunter. Hunter.

Nothing's jumping out here.

I've not heard of them with astrology or astronomy.

Not to say they're not, but I'll go with anatomy, please.

Anatomy? Well done. Yes.

You've got it. Hanging in there.

Need to cross your fingers, though, for this one for Barry.

"Tl" is the chemical symbol

for which poisonous metallic element with the atomic number 81?

I think thallium is "Th" and thulium is "Tu".

But I'm pretty certain that "Tl" is Tellurium.

It's not.

-Oh! Gosh!

-What is it, other Eggheads?

-KEVIN: Thallium.

-It's thallium.

Well, it IS happening. Gone into sudden death, then, Kevin.

Got to hear the answer from you.

Named after its inventor,

which type of hot air external combustion engine

was conceived by a Scottish clergyman in 1816?

I've no idea what it could possibly be.

Um...

A steam engine!

That's all I could think of.

It's incorrect. Do you know, Chris?

-The Stirling engine, isn't it?

-It is the Stirling engine.

Named after the Rev Stirling.

Barry, the term "quasar", meaning a massive remote celestial object

emitting large amounts of energy

appearing to be like a star when observed through a telescope,

is a contraction of which two words?

They are some of the most violent objects that have been found in the universe.

They are the contraction of the two words "quasi" and "stellar".

Quasi-stellar, quasar. It's the right answer.

Barry, you are into the final round. Only just.

Another great revival

but, again,

no place in the final round, Kevin.

Would you both please join your teams?

Snaefellas, unlucky. They've lost two brains from the final round.

I've got a feeling one of these Eggheads will go at some point.

Will it be this one?

Next round is Sport. Who wants to play this? Gary S, Peter or Mat?

That'll be me, Dermot.

OK, Mat. No hanging around there.

Who would you like to play? Barry and Judith have played.

You've got Kevin, Pat or Chris.

We'll take Chris, please.

OK. It's going to be Mat and Chris to play Sport.

-Looking forward to it, Chris?

-I have won the last two!

Let's have Mat and Chris into the question room.

Mat, what's your sporting knowledge? What interests do you have?

I'm a big Liverpool fan, Liverpool Football Club.

I play a bit of football myself and also a keen golfer.

Do you get to see Liverpool much? Do you have to fly or get the ferry?

Well, either of those, but I don't go as often as I'd like to.

-Right, would you like to go first or second?

-First please, Dermot.

Listen to this! Alan Hansen made 26 appearances for which international football team?

Alan Hansen made 26 appearances for which international football team?

I should easily get this one, then!

Being a big Liverpool fan! The answer's Scotland.

Course it is. Alan Hansen and Scotland.

Over which distance

did Dwain Chambers win World Indoor Championship gold in 2010?

We're talking indoors,

so it's not going to be one of the longer distances.

He's a sprinter.

So an indoor sprint must be 60 metres.

It's the right answer. Yes. 60 metres.

Second question, Mat.

Which rugby union team plays its home games at the Madejski Stadium?

OK. Rugby union's not really my cup of tea.

The Madejski Stadium, I think, is the home of Reading Football Club.

I'll go Harlequins.

As you say, Reading Football Club. It's not Harlequins.

It's London Irish. London Irish play their home games there.

Chris, the Marina Bay street circuit is the venue for which country's Formula 1 grand prix?

It's not Japan.

Malaysia's at Kuala Lumpur.

Singapore's a maritime kind of place.

We've got the word "bay" in there, so Singapore.

It's the right answer. Yes. Singapore.

Again, the Egghead takes the lead.

Again, one of the Snaefellas behind.

Mat, what is the weight limit

of the lowest division in the men's Olympic weightlifting competition?

Well, I'm not sure.

Well, I don't know the answer.

We'll go down the middle again. 46.

46 in Olympic men's weightlifting lowest division.

56. It's 56 kilos, which means, Chris, three in a row!

You'll be in the final round.

No place for you, Mat. Would you come back and join your teams?

I don't know about Snaefellas, but you've got nae fellas into the final round yet.

Three brains gone. All the Eggheads are still there.

The last chance now to knock an Egghead out.

This is Film & Television, our last head-to-head before the final round.

Who wants this? Gary S or Peter?

-I'll take that one, Dermot.

-OK, Gary.

Who would you like to play? Two remaining, Kevin and Pat.

-My hero, Kevin.

-Your HERO?

A strong category for them both, so Hobson's choice.

It's going to be Gary and Kevin, his hero, playing Film & Television.

Into the question room, please.

Let's play the round, Film & Television.

-You choose, Gary. Do you want to go first or second?

-I'll go first.

Good luck. Which Star Wars character

is frozen in carbonite towards the end of The Empire Strikes Back?

I hope I get this one right!

It's one of my favourite films. I think it would be Hans Solo.

Yes, it is. Hans Solo is the right answer.

Which actor is known for the catchphrase, "Well, here's another nice mess you've gotten me into"?

Constantly said to Stan Laurel. Oliver Hardy.

Oliver Hardy is correct, Kevin.

Second question, Gary.

Which member of the Sex And The City cast

appeared as Rusty in the 1984 film Footloose?

Um, I don't know the answer,

but I think, no disrespect, but Kim Cattrall's the older one

of the four Sex And The City girls.

So I would plump for Kim Cattrall.

OK. Kim Cattrall.

It's not. Eggheads, anyone know? Kevin, do you know?

I've not seen Footloose.

Because it's teenagers, it could be Sarah Jessica Parker.

It is Sarah Jessica Parker. Your second question.

Which Top Gear regular

became the presenter of a children's programme called Blast Lab in 2009?

Well, I don't know this one.

It's not likely to be Jeremy Clarkson.

He does have blasts at people but not that sort of blast!

James May has done a number of things

to do with great inventions, great structures and all this.

Rich... Ah! I don't know.

I... Hm. No. 50-50.

I'll have to try James May.

Presenter of Blast Lab? It's the other one, Richard Hammond.

That's good news for you, Gary. Your third question.

What is the first name of DCI Barnaby's wife in the TV crime series Midsomer Murders?

Haven't got a clue, Dermot, I'm afraid.

-Don't watch 'em?

-No. I'm afraid not. Not my cup of tea!

I'm going to rule out Juliet.

I think it's been put in there because it's Juliet Bravo.

She was a TV detective.

It's between the other two, in my mind.

Joyce and June.

Joyce.

Joyce? Good choice!

-It's the right answer.

-Lucky!

Kevin.

Well, you now NEED to get this.

Which 1980s US TV detective was played by Lee Horsley?

I'm trying to visualise Lee Horsley.

I think he was a mustachioed macho man. It's not Father Dowling.

It's not Father Dowling. I've heard of Lee Horsley.

I've heard of Matt Houston. I don't remember much about that.

Benjamin Matlock's not meaning anything.

-I have to go for Matt Houston.

-Matt Houston.

Will Gary's hero bite the dust? No, he won't.

It's the right answer.

Matt Houston, OK.

You're doing very well against him, Gary. We go to sudden death again!

Om Puri and Linda Bassett were both nominated

for BAFTAs for their performances

as a fish and chip shop owner and his wife in which 1999 British film?

Well, I haven't...

I don't remember anything about it. I've not seen it.

I can't even guess, I'm afraid. I'll have to pass on that one.

Nothing there. Do you know, Kevin, out of interest?

-East Is East.

-East Is East is correct. Did it win it?

I can't remember. I wouldn't be surprised. It did quite well.

No, it didn't. It was beaten by, what else was around...?

-Probably American Beauty.

-I knew you'd know.

That wasn't your question. This is.

Which former member of the British royal family

appeared in a 1999 Red Nose Day special of the Vicar Of Dibley

and an episode of Friends entitled The One With Ross's Wedding?

I could be leaping in too soon,

but that sounds as though it really should be Sarah Ferguson.

Gary nodding along. He knows it is the right answer. Yes.

Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York is correct, Kevin.

Bad luck, Gary.

You won't be in the final round. Would you please join your teams?

So this is what we've been playing towards, the final round which, as always, is General Knowledge.

Those who lost your heads-to-heads

won't be allowed to take part.

The two Garys, Kevin and Mat from Snaefellas,

would you leave the studio, please?

So Peter, you're playing to win the Snaefellas £8,000.

Chris, Barry, Pat, Judith and Kevin, you're playing for something which money can't buy,

the Eggheads' reputation.

I'll ask each team three questions in turn, all General Knowledge.

Peter, the question is,

is your one brain better than the Eggheads' five?

-Would you like to go first or second?

-I'll go first, please.

Let's get you off to a good start, unlike the guys that went before.

The American politician Harvey Milk served on the Board of Supervisors of which US city?

I know they made a film recently about Harvey Milk called Milk.

It's at this point I'm wishing I watched it!

I will go for New York.

New York for Harvey Milk on the Board of Supervisors there.

Peter talking about the film called Milk, wasn't it?

And it was set in San Francisco.

-Sean Penn?

-Yeah. Won the Best Actor Oscar.

I told you not to get that wrong, Peter!

It's a pattern you guys followed and mounted some remarkable comebacks in those head-to-heads.

Let's hope it works out for you, Peter.

See how the Eggheads do.

In which national daily newspaper

did the cartoon Flook run for over 30 years?

In which national daily newspaper

did the cartoon Flook run for over 30 years?

-That's the Daily Mail, Dermot.

-The Daily Mail for Flook?

F-L-O-O-K. It's the right answer, Eggheads. You are in the lead.

Chief Sitting Bull and Charlie Davenport are characters

in which 1946 musical?

Um, I don't know the answer to this.

Um... Just trying to work things out to help.

I know Porgy And Bess was Gershwin.

I think all of these could have been

around that same kind of era.

-I'm going to have a go for Annie Get Your Gun.

-Eggheads?

-ALL: Yes.

-It's the right answer. Well done.

That's a must-get question, and you did.

In which year was the kingdom of Italy officially proclaimed?

In which year was the kingdom of Italy officially proclaimed?

That's 1861.

1861 is the right answer, Eggheads.

You need to get this.

In which modern-day country is the area the Romans called Armorica?

In which modern-day country is the area the Romans called Armorica?

A-R-M-O-R-I-C-A. Armorica.

Again, unfortunately, I don't know the correct answer.

Just thinking of the word Armorica...

Usually you can get a bit of a hint.

I think I would have heard of it,

I would have more of an idea if it was France.

-So I'm going to go for Croatia.

-OK, Croatia.

For Armorica. It's not Croatia. Do you know, Eggheads?

Roughly equivalent to Brittany in France.

It is France. Which means, Eggheads, you've won.

Well, Peter it happened almost... It did happen throughout the game.

Those crucial first questions, getting them wrong. It's always so difficult then to win a round.

Some of the guys staged remarkable comebacks, got into sudden death,

and then got beaten by the Egghead.

It was just the curse of the first question.

Snaefellas, thank you very much for coming to play the Eggheads

and telling us about the Isle of Man, we shall be there as soon as we can!

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

I'm afraid you won't be going home with the £8,000. The money rolls over to the next show.

Eggheads, congratulations. Who will beat you?

Join us to see if a new team of challengers has the brains to beat the Eggheads.

£9,000 says they don't. Until then, goodbye.

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