Episode 47 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 - the Eggheads.

Challenging the awesome might of our quiz champions are...

This team of siblings admit

that things can get a little competitive.

For today, they've put aside their sibling rivalries to take on the Eggheads together. Let's meet them.

Hello. My name is Marc. I'm 37 and a sales executive.

Hi. I'm Anna. I'm 27 and I'm a PE teacher.

My name's Russ. I'm 27 and I'm a physiotherapist.

My name is Steve. I'm 27 and I'm a PE teacher.

My name's Ollie. I'm 29 and I'm a PE teacher.

Welcome to you, Walby Wonders. All I can say is, your poor parents!

Thank you, Dermot(!)

-Are there any more of you?

-Yes.

-What?

-One more, in Florida.

-Six altogether.

Of course, we've got the triplets in the middle.

You're the eldest Marc. You were ten years old. Life was just fine.

-Then this happens.

-Yes. It was very interesting when it happened.

It was pleasant, a pleasant surprise.

Tell me about the quizzing, the sibling rivalry.

Does it get a bit heated over the Trivial Pursuit?

It's more Monopoly! Definitely Monopoly.

Not really quizzing...

Monopoly, a bit of Trivial Pursuit at Christmas.

It tends to be at around Christmas that this happens, yes.

-With Monopoly, is there a bit of shifting the hotels around and money sneaking out of the bank?

-Yes.

-Something like that. Loans.

-Have you made up your own rules?

There's always variations within families, like where you put the money from the fines.

-The only thing we agree on is £200 when you pass go.

-Right.

Which you always get cos you're big brother!

Right, every day, there is £1,000 up for grabs for our challengers.

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

So, Walby Wonder, the Eggheads have won the last eight games.

£9,000 says you can't beat the Eggheads.

Our first head-to-head battle is on the subject of History.

Who's your historian?

-Our historian!

-I'm thinking Ollie!

He got an A-level in history.

He did get an A-level in history.

-I think it's gonna be me!

-You've been told by big brother!

-Yeah. We think Oliver.

-Who would you like to play?

You can choose anyone you like.

I'll take on CJ.

You've decided that yourself. You're playing, so why not?

Let's have Ollie and CJ into the question room to play History.

Ollie, do you want to go first or second?

I don't think it'll make that much difference. I think I'll go first.

Good luck, Ollie.

In British history, George II

who ruled for over 30 years in the 18th century, was a member of which royal house?

Well, my A-level didn't cover this era!

It was the mid-17th century that I studied.

Don't like the look of Plantagenet.

-I think I'm going to go with Hanover.

-Hanover?

You're right. Hanover is correct.

OK, CJ.

Gallipoli, the site of a major World War I campaign,

is located in which modern-day country?

-It's in Turkey.

-It is, and you have a tick to match Ollie's.

Ollie, your second question.

In the 18th century, who became the first explorer to cross the Antarctic circle?

I don't think it was John Hanning Speke,

which gives me a 50-50 choice.

I think I'm going to go with...

James Cook, please.

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

You have two. CJ's second question.

Which bomb developed by Barnes Wallis during World War II, designed to damage by an earthquake effect,

was an even larger version of the "tallboy" bomb?

I'm not sure, but the only one I've heard of as a bomb is Grand Slam.

I've not heard of Totaller or Thunderwall. I'll go for Grand Slam.

Grand Slam is correct. Well done, CJ.

It's all square, then.

If you get this, Ollie, it might put you into the final round.

What collective name was given to four statutes

passed after the Restoration in 1660, designed to cripple the power of the non-Conformists?

Well, this is the only one in the era that I studied!

I should know it, but it's the one I have the least knowledge on now!

I think it's either Clarendon or Shaftesbury. Um...

Shaftesbury's sort of jumping out at me.

So I'm going to go with Shaftesbury Code, please.

Bad luck, Ollie. It's Clarendon Code.

It's in the era you studied, but you forgot it!

A chance for CJ to win the round. Which ancient ruler had his general,

Parmenion, put to death following a plot supposedly instigated by Parmenion's son?

I haven't heard this. Could you spell Parmenion, please?

P-A-R-M-E-N-I-O-N.

Well, the spelling doesn't fit anything to do with Genghis Khan.

So is it Greek or is it Roman? It sounds more Roman to me.

Literally, I've not heard of this so I'm trying to do this on language.

Parmenion sounds Roman rather than Greek, so I'll try Julius Caesar.

-It was Alexander the Great.

-LAUGHS

Bad luck, CJ.

You were both picking between two

and getting it wrong.

It's two points apiece so, Ollie, we go for sudden death.

We take out those choices. I've just got to hear the answer from you.

Who was appointed First Lord of the Admiralty at the outbreak of World War II in September 1939?

I haven't got a clue, to be perfectly honest.

-Winston Churchill.

-It's the right answer!

Good guess!

CJ, who was King of England at the time of the Battle of Solway Moss?

I don't know the battle. If I knew the year, that'd be easy.

I'm going to have to pick someone who was around when there were a lot of battles.

Let's hope it was something I don't know at the start of the Civil War.

-I'll try Charles I.

-Charles I, back in Ollie's period.

But it's not Charles I. It's Henry VIII.

Ollie, you've won the round!

-How does that feel?

-Er...absolutely brilliant!

You'll be in the final round. Would you both please join your teams?

Four guesses, and he's in the final round! Well done, Ollie!

You knocked CJ out on History.

Let's play our next subject. This one's Geography.

Who'd like to play this?

-Right, who's feeling confident?

-Again, I've got an A-level in it!

-Well, it's doing us...

-Shall I do it?

-Yeah, go on.

I just want to say for the record, I'm not confident.

-We think, yeah, Steve.

-These A-levels again.

-Who are you going to choose? Can't be CJ.

-Shall we take out a big gun?

Pat.

-I was going to say Pat.

-Pat? He's a big brain.

He is a big brain. Go on, then. Let's go Pat.

-He looks nervous.

-He's quivering!

LAUGHTER

Once he heard about that A-level! We had to restrain him.

-He was running out of the studio.

-I've done a bit of travelling.

Steve and big brain Pat playing Geography.

Both into the question room, please.

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

-I'd like to go first as well, please.

Off we go, Steve, and good luck.

What is the official monetary unit of India?

Right, well I haven't actually been to India,

so I'm not 100% sure on this.

But I'm going to use an educated guess.

I'm going to go for rupee.

Be a good idea. Yes, it's the right answer.

Pat, first question for you.

Guildford is a town in which English county?

It lies to the southwest of London.

It's one of the principal towns of Surrey.

Yes, it is. Right answer there, and straight back to Steve.

Which European capital city lies at the confluence of the Danube and Sava rivers?

Right, not massively confident on this one.

Danube, I believe, is in...

-Vienna.

-OK. Vienna.

Capital of Austria.

No, it's not. Eggheads?

ALL: Belgrade.

-But Vienna IS on the Danube.

-Flows through Vienna to Belgrade.

OK, well, Pat.

Honolulu is located on which Hawaiian island?

The big island's Hawaii itself.

It doesn't have many people because of volcanoes.

Kauai and Maui are small islands to the north of the archipelago.

Honolulu is on Oahu.

-That is the correct answer.

-Yes!

Hawaiian islands inside out.

You need to get this, Steve. The Straits of Mackinaw

connect Lake Huron with which other Great Lake?

Right, I don't believe I'm going to do my geography teacher proud.

This answer is going to have to be, again, an educated guess.

If in doubt, go straight down the middle.

-Lake Erie.

-Booting it down the middle!

And getting booted out of the show. It's not correct.

-It is Lake Michigan.

-Oh, well.

Pat has those two already,

so you can't get through to the final round.

Please come back and join your teams.

Pat exacting swift vengeance there for the ejection of his teammate CJ,

knocking Steve out of the final round.

Both teams have lost one brain so we move on to our third head-to-head and this one is Music.

Who'd like to play this?

Marc, Anna or Russ.

-You're quite good at music.

-You're into your music.

Yeah. I'll have a go.

-Why not, Anna?

-Are you happy?

-Yeah.

-I'm thinking, take on Kevin.

-I was thinking that.

-Anna.

To go for the music round, please. And we think, yes, Kevin, please.

-I heard Anna say you were thinking that.

-That's what I'd like to do.

-See how competitive you all are!

Let's have Anna and Kevin into the question room, please.

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

-I'd like to go first, please.

First question to you, Anna. Which rock band ended the X Factor's

four-year domination of the Christmas singles chart

by taking the UK Number One festive spot in 2009?

I remember this quite well.

I'm quite into the X Factor and I didn't particularly like the song.

I THINK it was Rage Against The Machine.

-Yes, it was.

-Come on!

-Well done, Anna.

Kevin, first question.

What surname is shared by Marty, a rock n roll singer of the 1950s,

and his daughter Kim, a female vocalist of the 1980s and '90s?

Marty and Kim Wilde.

Yes, indeed. OK, all square after the opening exchanges.

The Hallelujah Chorus is a famous piece of music from which oratorio?

Mm. This isn't my style of music,

but I'm going to have an educated guess.

Um... I'm in two minds

between the Messiah and the Christmas Oratorio.

I think it's the Christmas Oratorio.

Oh, it's the Messiah! Chose between two of them.

Got the wrong one!

Let's see what Kevin does.

Who had a UK Number One album in 2005 with Demon Days?

I'm pretty sure it's not the Arctic Monkeys.

I'm pretty sure it's Gorillaz, but I'm just making...

I don't think it's the White Stripes. Gorillaz.

Gorillaz...

is correct, bet Anna knew that as well.

You've got to get this.

What's the first name of the father of Andrew and Julian Lloyd Webber,

an organist and composer

who served as director of the London College of Music from 1964

until his death in 1982?

Hm, I'm quite into Andrew Lloyd Webber.

I've just come back from Phantom Of The Opera.

I'm not sure on his background so much.

I'm going to have to have a guess.

I think I'm going to go with William.

William?

It's the right answer! Yes! William Lloyd Webber.

Still in it.

You need Kevin to make a mistake.

In which year were the Ivor Novello Awards introduced?

Now, THAT I don't know. I should do, but I don't.

Ivor Novello was still very active in 1915.

They wouldn't have started then.

I'm going to go for 1955.

1955 for the Ivor Novellos.

It is the right answer, Kevin. Bad luck, Anna.

You were coming back into it. Got caught out with your Handel.

It means that you won't be in the final round. Kevin, you will be.

Please come back and join your teams.

The Walbys have lost two brains from the final round.

The Eggheads have lost one. Our last head-to-head is Film & Television.

Marc or Russ can play this.

-I don't mind my films.

-You like films.

I'm happy to play this.

-Shall we try and take Judith out?

-Yeah. She's quite a good brain.

Let's do it.

Between us, we think Russell should do the Film & Television.

-And Russ seems to think Judith.

-Russ and Judith playing this one.

It's Film & Television. Please take your positions in the question room.

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

-I think I'm going to go first as well.

Here's your first question.

Nicole Kidman played Lady Sarah Ashley

opposite Hugh Jackman in which 2008 film?

Well, I actually haven't seen this,

but I'm quite into my films.

I know she played a recent role in Australia.

I'm sure Hugh Jackman was in that as well.

I've not seen Cold Mountain or The Hours.

Yeah, I'm going to plump with Australia.

Australia, and that's the right answer.

Which member of Monty Python

played Mr Creosote in the film A Meaning Of Life?

I never saw the film, I'm afraid.

Terry Jones?

LAUGHING: I've got it wrong again!

-No, you've got it right.

-Oh, have I? Phew.

-Blind guess.

You got it. Terry Jones. OK, Russ.

Which American television network is responsible for Six Feet Under,

The Sopranos, Sex And The City and Curb Your Enthusiasm?

Well, I do watch... I have seen Six Feet Under.

Not overly hot on American networks.

For me, it's out of HBO and NBC.

I'm leaning towards HBO.

Um... Yes. I'll go HBO.

Your brothers and sister are happy. It's the right answer.

Which Dad's Army actor provided narration for the children's TV programme Bod?

I've never watched Bod either.

-JUDITH LAUGHS

-Not much you DID watch!

I know! It's awful, isn't it?

Bod. Children's programme.

I can see Ian Lavender fitting into that, somehow.

So, Ian Lavender.

Probably because of the boyish role as Pike he played in Dad's Army.

No, it's not. Eggheads?

ALL: John Le Mesurier.

-John Le Mesurier.

-Oh.

A chance opened up here, Russ.

Correct answer gets you into the final round.

In which film did Ewan McGregor play a character called Alex Law?

Again, I do like Ewan McGregor films.

I've not seen Velvet Goldmine. I believe he was in Shallow Grave.

I have seen Shallow Grave. I can't recall A Life Less Ordinary.

In tribute to my brother, go straight down the middle.

-Shallow Grave.

-The boot down the middle.

This time, it scores. It's the right answer.

You're in the final round.

Would you both please come and join your teams?

This is what we've been playing towards, the final round which, as always, is general knowledge.

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

won't be allowed to take part.

Anna and Steve from the Walby Wonder and Judith and CJ from the Eggheads,

leave the studio now, please.

Marc, Russ and Ollie, you're playing to win the Walby Wonder £9,000.

Barry, Pat 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 and you are allowed to confer.

Marc, Russ and Ollie, the question is, are your three brains better than the Eggheads' three?

-Do you want to go first or second?

-Shall we go second?

-I think we should go first.

-Stick with first.

-It's quite a system!

-Come on, let's go first.

By consensus, can we go first, please?

See if you can win the money.

How many red stripes are on the flag of the United States of America?

-It's not five.

-No, it's not five.

-We can rule that out.

-Definitely not five?

-No.

-You've got to think how many stripes in total.

-What do they represent?

Used to be the Confederate states, I think.

For me, it's between five and seven.

I think seven.

If we go straight down the middle?

-I don't think it's any more than...

-I don't think there's 18.

It's either 14 or ten.

Ten might seem too few.

-All right.

-Seven?

-Agreed.

-We think seven, Dermot.

-Seven red stripes.

On the US flag. It's correct.

Yes. Good start.

What do they represent?

There's 13 stripes, the original colonies.

-Yeah, that's what we thought(!)

-OK, Eggheads.

Soul Limbo by Booker T and the MGs

became famous as the theme tune for the BBC's coverage of which sport?

It's the cricket. Yeah?

-Soul Limbo, cricket.

-It's the right answer. Cricket.

The Walby Wonder.

In architecture, what name is given to a vertical structure or bar

which divides adjacent window units?

-Gold mullion's a bar, isn't it?

-That's bullion!

-Oh, yeah!

-Mullion sticks out to me.

-That's what...

-There's a pub in Street called The Mullions.

-That's got a lot of windows in it!

-It's definitely not ogee.

I don't think. Corbel doesn't sound like a building term, does it?

Mullion, if it was the one across I'd know.

-"Have you got the mullions to get the windows sorted?"

-That sounds...

We don't really have an idea. We're going to say mullion as a guess.

OK, a guess...

Haha! Eggheads are laughing.

They know you've got it right.

Nervous laughs. Well, Eggheads.

How many degrees are there in each internal angle of a regular hexagon?

Six triangles, 180 degrees each.

Six 180s is... plus four...

1080. The centre is 360. Subtract that.

720. Six angles.

120. Does that sound right?

BARRY: Yes, that's right. I'm sure.

-We've done the calculations.

-We heard that.

We've all come up with the same answer of 120.

You shared that working out with us.

And came up with the right answer.

120, as the Eggheads demonstrated.

It's all square. Walbys, might win it if you get a correct answer here.

Tim Brabants won a gold medal for Britain

at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in which sport?

I don't think it's badminton or judo. I think it's canoeing.

I know we're quite good at canoeing.

We're good at rowing.

-For me, it's out of canoeing or judo.

-I don't know the answer.

-I agree, Russ, it's out those two.

-I don't think it's judo.

-I think it's canoeing.

-We got a bronze in judo.

My instinct would be a judo gold.

I don't think we did. 2008.

I think it's canoeing, myself.

-Go with it. Majority rule.

-Sure?

-Canoeing.

-Two for canoeing.

It is canoeing. The majority saw you through there. You have three.

If the Eggheads get this wrong, you have the money as well.

Samuel Courtauld, after whom the Courtauld Gallery is named,

came from a family that made their money in which industry?

It's textiles.

Samuel Courtauld was famous in the textile industry.

It's the right answer, Eggheads. We go to sudden death - again.

Which town in the Scottish borders

is located where the River Tweed meets the River Teviot?

-I don't know that one.

-I haven't a clue.

I haven't got any local knowledge.

The Scottish borders is high up.

I was going to say Inverness.

But that's a guess because it's a town that I know.

Yeah, go with that. I've got nothing to add.

-Could be anything!

-Without embarrassing my Scottish friends,

-we've come to the conclusion of Inverness.

-Inverness.

On the Tweed and the Teviot?

-No. It's Kelso.

-I'd never have known that.

So, Eggheads.

What was the surname of the Italian American artist

whose television show Paint Along With Nancy

brought her fame in Britain in the 1970s?

I think she was called Kominsky.

Never heard of this one. Nancy Kominsky.

It's ringing a faint tiny bell but I don't think it's coming.

If that's...

Neil Diamond has, supposedly, got a similar surname.

She was Nancy Kominsky. Italian American?

It's not very Italian.

But that could be a married... A married name.

If that's ringing a bell with you. It's not going to come for me.

It's not going to come for me. It's better than nothing.

Rings a bell. That's fair enough.

I wouldn't put my house on it. At least you've got something.

She could well have married a...

Pat has an idea it might be Kominsky.

It doesn't sound Italian American, but we'll try that.

It is the right answer, Eggheads. You've won.

Nancy Kominsky! Well, Walby Wonder,

a wonderful performance, thank you for taking on the Eggheads.

Did you get closer than you imagined? Level in the head-to-heads.

-Sudden death in the final round.

-I thought we'd win it!

Never lacking in confidence!

Clearly your parents had a handful bringing you lot up.

Thank you very much for coming in to play the Eggheads.

Maybe you can play them at Monopoly. I'm sure you'd even it up there.

But the Eggheads have done what comes naturally. Their winning streak continues.

I'm afraid you won't be going home with the £9,000, which means the money rolls over.

Eggheads, congratulations. Who will beat you?

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

£10,000 says they don't. Until then, goodbye.

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