Episode 58 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.

Question is, can they be beaten?

Welcome to Eggheads, where five quiz challengers

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

You may 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 Acting Clever.

This team met through their involvement with Glasgow University's theatre group.

Hi. I'm Ciaran. I'm 23 and I'm a support worker for a mental health charity.

Hello. I'm Michael. I'm 24 and I'm a social support worker.

Hi, I'm Joe. I'm 23 years old and I'm a post-graduate student.

Hi, I'm Rob. I'm 24 years old and I'm an MC.

Hello. I'm Michael. I'm 21 and I'm an undergraduate student.

Welcome, Acting Clever. I hope you are clever. Have you done quizzing before?

We've done a bit of quizzing. But it's mainly the acting, not the clever!

What about the acting? Student theatre, was it experimental?

Kind of an hour of darkness or what, I don't know.

-Michael, Rob kind of...

-Michael writes serious plays and Ciaran writes funny plays.

And I direct plays, which is basically a way of pretending to do things.

Tell people where to stand and not to bump into furniture. That's about it, really.

A master class in directing! Eggheads is a bit like that.

Just answer the questions correctly. Very simple! OK.

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

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

Acting Clever, the Eggheads have won the last 19 games.

So £20,000 says you can't beat the Eggheads.

Our first head-to-head is on the subject of Politics.

Who'd like to play this? Politics.

I'll take a bullet on Politics.

I'll take on Politics.

Who would you like to play from the Eggheads?

I will play against Pat, please.

OK. Ciaran and Pat on Politics. Into the Question Room, please,

so you can't confer with your team.

-So, Ciaran, do you want to go first or second?

-I'll go second.

First question, Pat.

In the House of Commons, a government may be brought down by a vote of what?

I suppose all three could be used as terms for this,

but it's the dreaded vote of no confidence.

No confidence is the right answer. Well done, Pat.

Ciaran,

with 57 seats, which political party came third in the UK's May 2010 general election?

OK. I know this one. It's the Liberal Democrats.

Liberal Democrats. Correct.

Well done, Ciaran. You have one on the board.

Which British prime minister said, "I have no interest in sailing around the world

"not that there is any lack of requests for me to do so."

Of those three, Ted Heath is the man who is usually linked with sailing.

He had a boat. I'll have to go with Edward Heath.

He's the man with the nautical pedigree.

Ted Heath. That's the right answer.

Ciaran,

what name is given to the process in the United States

where voters can subject an elected official to an election before his or her period in office is up,

as was used to replace California governor Gray Davis with Arnold Schwarzenegger?

Right. I don't think this is recount.

That happens immediately after the election

if there's some controversy.

I don't think it's recantation. I'm going to plump for recall.

Recall is the right answer. Well done.

Two-all. Pat,

in the 1960s, Levi Eshkol served as prime minister of which country?

My first impressions are that Levi is obviously a very Jewish name.

Eshkol could easily be Israeli.

I haven't heard of him as an Israeli prime minister,

-but I'll have to go with Israel.

-Israel.

It's correct. Well done.

Three-two.

You've got to get this, Ciaran.

The Jenkins Commission which reported in 1998

was set up to investigate what political issue?

OK. Um... Could be any of them.

MPs' salaries, I'm not sure if it was big at the time.

Voting reform is something that a lot of governments promise

and I think Labour might have done at the start of their 13 years.

Private finance initiatives have been quite controversial

for quite a long time.

I'm going to go for voting reform.

Picked it out. Well done, yes. Correct.

The Jenkins Commission reported on voting reform.

Another Lib-Dem based question for you. Two out of those three.

It's all square and both quizzing really well.

It means we go to Sudden Death

and remove the choices. Genadendal is an official residence of the head of state of which country?

So many countries!

My first thought was India. I remember a few years ago

one of the official residences had to be abandoned

because they had an attack of tsetse flies or some vile insect.

-I don't know. I think I'll have to go for India.

-India for Genadendal.

It's not, it's South Africa.

-Oh.

-South Africa.

Official residence when in Cape Town.

Genadendal is in Cape Town.

Ciaran, an opportunity here to knock out the Mastermind champion of champions.

In 2009, who said of David Miliband,

"If you saw him, it would be a big crush. I mean, he's so vibrant,

"vital, attractive and smart.

"He's a really good guy and he's so young."

I'm going to go with some kind of idea that it might be someone in office in America meeting him.

"A big crush" sounds American.

Um... 2009.

He'd have been at some kind of summit then.

-I'm going to go for Hillary Clinton. Sound like a fun answer.

-Hillary Clinton.

It's the correct answer. Well done!

Great cheers from your team.

You're in the final round, Ciaran, a real asset to the team.

Please come back and join your teams.

That was a stunning victory, Ciaran.

Fantastic. A blow to the Eggheads. One brain down from the final.

All of Acting Clever are still there.

The next subject coming up is Arts & Books.

Arts & Books. Can't be Ciaran. Any of the other four can play this.

Michael's pretty brainy.

Who, me?

I think he's a good choice.

-Who should I go against?

-You can play any of the Eggheads who are not Pat.

Chris looks lovely.

Chris because he looks so lovely.

OK. Let's have Michael and Chris into the Question Room, please.

Michael, do you want to go first or second?

I'll go first.

Here's your first question. Needful Things is a 1991 novel by which writer?

I've read a bit of Stephen King for an American Lit course I did.

Doesn't sound macho enough to be a title for him.

Um, it's a total guess but I'll have to go for...

I'll go for Michael Crichton

because I share a name with him!

I see that, yes. No, it's not. It is Stephen King.

Right. Chris,

what is the name of the detective in the PD James novels

An Unsuitable Job for a Woman and The Skull Beneath the Skin?

It's not Jane Tennison, cos that's Helen Mirren in Prime Suspect.

Kay Harker.

What?!

It's like you hit the Eggheads with a cattle prod! Not in a good way!

It's Cordelia Gray. So both failing with your first question.

Good news for Michael.

Your second. The writer Albert Camus is most closely associated with which movement?

I wish it was the Beat Generation!

I'd love to hear some of Camus' beat poetry!

I think it must be Existentialism.

Which I'm sure you knew outright. Yes.

Chris,

the major prize in children's literature won by Briton David Almond in 2010

is named after which writer?

I don't think it's L Frank Baum. He's known for the Wizard of Oz.

CS Lewis is too metaphysical to be a children's author, specifically,

although The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is aimed at children.

But on the basis he's the most generic children's author,

Hans Christian Andersen.

Hans Christian Andersen prize. Correct.

Matching each other with incorrect answers to the first one

and correct answers to the second.

Third question.

In Alan Sillitoe's short story The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner,

the central character, Colin Smith, takes up the sport during his time where?

Again it's the title of a book that I know peripherally.

I don't have much knowledge on it.

-I'll go for army barracks.

-Army barracks.

Colin Smith taking up long distance running while at Borstal.

Chance to win it and get one back for the Eggheads, Chris.

In Frans Hals painting known as The Laughing Cavalier,

what colour is the hat worn by the sitter?

It's black with a feather in it.

It is. It is black. Well done, Chris.

Michael, you're not in the final round. Chris, you are.

Please come back and join your teams.

Ciaran, you angered the Eggheads with that first victory and Chris rose up and smote Michael!

He's now out of the game. Both teams have lost one brain from the final.

Our third head-to-head is Music. Who'd like to play this?

Michael, Joe or Rob?

-I think that's Michael's.

-Definitely.

-I think that's mine.

-Choose an Egghead. Barry, Daphne or CJ?

-Daphne would be good.

-I'm taking on Daphne.

OK. Michael and Daphne playing this one. Into the Question Room, please.

Michael, do you want to go first or second?

I will go first, please, Dermot.

First question is this.

Hold Me Close was a 1975 UK number one for which singer?

Hold Me Close. I'm trying to remember the song.

I am going to go with Leo Sayer

simply because, if I remember correctly, he has an amazing Afro!

No, it's not Leo Sayer and his amazing Afro.

It's David Essex.

David Essex with Hold Me Close.

Daphne, your first question.

Which singer played Peron's mistress in the 1996 musical film Evita

although her final appearance was only two minutes long

after Madonna, as Evita, chose to sing the song usually sung by Peron's mistress.

I have not seen Evita.

One of the musicals I've missed.

So I've no idea.

I'll go for Vanessa Paradis.

No, it's not.

-CJ's shaking his head.

-Andrea Corr is in it so I'd go for her.

Yes, Andrea Corr. So, all square.

No harm done there. Second question.

In 2007, which recording artist released his album Planet Earth

in the UK by giving it away free with copies of a national newspaper?

Right.

Well, I'm quite sure it's not Jay-Z.

I think I remember hearing about Prince

releasing an album through a paper.

So on that basis, mostly on a hunch, I'll go with Prince.

Good hunch. It's the right answer.

Michael has the lead but here's your second question.

Do You Remember the First Time, released in 1994,

was the first UK top 40 single for which group?

Absolutely no idea!

I would say it might be Pulp.

Yes, it is. Pulp. Well.

Daphne and her guesses!

On it goes!

Right.

Michael.

Third question. The 48 is another name for which collection of pieces

by Johann Sebastian Bach?

Unfortunately, once again,

I know nothing of Bach.

I'm going to go with The Well-Tempered Clavier because it's nice.

Looks like a nice name. I'll choose that.

It's even nicer as it's the right answer. Well done.

Daphne needs to get this.

What nickname is popularly given to Haydn's Symphony number 94

due to a sudden explosive chord in the slow movement?

Yes, it's one of The London Symphonies, and it's a surprise.

No surprise you got it. Right answer, yes.

All square. Sudden Death.

Michael.

What name is given to a musical interval of eight notes

on the diatonic scale

Let me see.

I'm just going to say octave, but I know it's wrong.

It's correct!

You got it.

So you have to get this, Daphne. Domino Dancing and Left To My Own Devices

were UK hit singles for which duo during the 1980s?

No idea! The '80s passed me.

A duo.

Erasure. Wrong.

It is wrong. I was sure you were going to get the right answer.

-The Pet Shop Boys.

-I'd never have got that.

-You weren't getting close?

So you're through to the final round, Michael, with a spectacular answer, octave.

Would you both please come back and join your teams.

As it stands, the balance is in Acting Clever's favour.

They've knocked two Eggheads out, Daphne and Pat.

And one of their members is missing. Now our final head-to-head before the final.

Film & Television. You've got Rob and Joe left to play this.

Let's have Joe.

Yes, I'll do that one.

-Who are we going to...

-It's Barry or CJ.

I think CJ is a good choice. We'll have a shot at it.

-You'll make him very happy.

-My favourite subject.

-He loves it!

Everybody's happy!

Until the end of the round, then one of you won't be!

Let's have Joe and CJ into the Question Room.

Joe, do you want to go first or second?

I think I'll make a break with tradition and go second.

That worked for Ciaran. CJ, first question.

What was the title of the TV series that started in 2004

where Gordon Ramsay attempted to rescue failing restaurants?

I'm not aware of Gordon Ramsay having chemistry with anyone!

I'd like to have seen Go on an Odyssey!

But this was Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares.

That's the right answer.

Joe,

what type of creatures are the children's TV characters Pinky and Perky?

Well, I don't think they're dogs.

I don't think they're mice either.

In fact, I think they're pigs. Not sure about that.

I'll stick with that.

Pinky and Perky are pigs, yes. The right answer.

CJ, second one.

Who played the South African rugby captain Francois Pienaar

in the 2009 film Invictus?

Alongside Morgan Freeman playing Nelson Mandela, it was Matt Damon.

Matt Damon. Right. Two to you.

Joe, your second question.

Who presented the first series of the TV comedy quiz The Bubble

in 2010?

Well, I haven't actually seen this quiz show,

and obviously Stephen Fry does get around with panel shows.

Alexander Armstrong I don't know much about.

I have an inkling it might be David Mitchell.

I don't want to leap right in there,

but I'll leap right in there at David Mitchell.

Right answer, yes. David Mitchell. The Bubble.

Two-all.

CJ's third question. Who directed the films What Women Want,

Something's Gotta Give and It's Complicated?

I think it's Nora Ephron.

I'm not entirely sure on this, but I'll go for Nora Ephron.

Nora Ephron.

It's wrong. It's Nancy Meyers.

Well. Is another Egghead about to bite the dust? Joe,

what was the title of two different films starring Joan Crawford,

one in 1931, in which her character was called Marian Martin,

and the other in 1947 in which she played a woman named Louise Howell?

Well, I haven't heard of either of these films.

Obviously they've got the same name, so it doesn't mean much.

I'm just going to go for Possessed. Don't know if it's right, but let's see what happens.

Possessed and see what happens.

What happens is we say goodbye to CJ. It's the correct answer.

Another Egghead bites the dust. Well done. Both come back and join your teams.

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

general knowledge.

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

Michael from Acting Clever and Pat, Daphne and CJ from the Eggheads,

leave the studio, please.

Ciaran, Michael, Joe and Rob,

you're playing to win Acting Clever £20,000.

Chris and Barry, you're playing for something money can't buy.

The Eggheads' reputation.

I'll ask each team three questions in turn. It's all general knowledge and you're allowed to confer.

Acting Clever, are your four brains better than the Eggheads' two?

Would you like to go first or second?

-Second.

-It's been good luck for us.

-Yeah, second's gone well so far.

We'll go second.

Eggheads face the first question.

Barry and Chris, John Stetson became famous in the 19th century

for his hats designed for which occupation?

These are the traditionally famous cowboy hats, the Stetson.

Cowboy is correct. Stetson and cowboys of course. OK.

Eggheads off the mark. Acting Clever, let's get you off the mark.

In the UK, a box junction on a road is demarcated by a box of criss-cross lines

normally painted in which colour?

I am fairly completely certain it's yellow.

-What do you think?

-I do not know.

-Yellow's OK.

My mind leapt towards yellow.

But then I was like...

Even though I failed my test three times and none of us can drive, it's yellow.

Maybe you failed because you stopped on a box junction!

Yellow, anyway, is the right answer.

OK. Eggheads.

Which book of the Bible has a title that means "second law"

because it contains a repetition of the Ten Commandments?

The first book of the Bible that contains the Ten Commandments is Exodus.

But the one with the second repetition is Deuteronomy.

First repetition, sorry. Deuteronomy.

It's the right answer, Eggheads. Deuteronomy.

Repetition of the Ten Commandments.

OK. Second question for Acting Clever.

Allium cepa is the botanical name for which common foodstuff?

-What do we think?

-I know for a fact

that allium is the Latin name for garlic.

So it'll be something in the same genus as garlic.

-That's the first Latin name.

-OK.

Which makes me think onion, obviously. Similar to garlic.

That's very good reasoning.

That's the best we've got.

-Sounds like good reasoning to me. I suggest go for it.

-Yes.

-OK. We'll go for onion.

-Onion.

Well worked out. Right answer.

Onion for allium cepa.

Two-all. Eggheads,

crucial question.

In which year did the children's comic The Beano first appear?

In which year did the children's comic The Beano first appear?

Much-loved in both of our youths.

We think it appeared in 1938.

Right answer, Eggheads. 1938.

The original edition of The Beano.

You need this, Acting Clever.

In Le Manege Enchante, the original French version of The Magic Roundabout,

what was the name of the dog who became Dougal in the English version?

Well, Pollux rang a bell when Dermot said it.

Pollux. Is Pollux a dog?

Pollux is a god, isn't it? Is there also a mythical dog?

I've no idea. It rang a bell.

Ambroise sounds just as likely.

-Ambroise.

-I don't know what it means in French.

What do you think?

-If you have a strong enough hunch for Pollux.

-It's a tiny hunch.

It's a hunch all the same.

-Go for our tiny hunch.

-OK.

We'll pick Pollux.

Go to get it or it's bye-bye, Acting Clever.

It's the right answer!

Dougal. Pollux became Dougal.

Great quizzing going on there.

Sudden Death, yet again, Eggheads.

Which 1997 book by Sebastian Junger was the basis for a 2000 film

starring George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg?

Would that be Syriana?

Yeah, it's the right age, the right time, yeah.

-Go for it.

-The only one that links Clooney and Wahlberg in our minds is Syriana.

-Syriana, is that your answer?

-Yes.

Syriana is incorrect.

Do you know, guys?

-The Perfect Storm.

-The Perfect Storm, the film. The Perfect Storm.

Well. This would be a perfect round of quizzing

if you get this.

Lot of money resting on one simple question. £20,000 goes your way

with the correct answer.

Which 20th-century philosopher

advanced the principle of falsifiability

which is based on the idea that scientific theories

can never be proved, only disproved.

I would have an inkling that it would be Bertrand Russell

because he was into science. I'm reading a book by him at the minute.

-It's got nowhere near that.

-He was into science and maths.

-I think Russell is definitely the strongest answer.

-If it's wrong, we'll get it right next time.

Let's go for it, then.

We'd like to go for Bertrand Russell.

£20,000 on Bertrand Russell.

It's not the right answer. It's not Bertrand Russell.

-It's Karl Popper.

-Ah.

-Karl Popper.

Both getting your questions wrong.

So you face another question. Eggheads.

What's the name of the first character to speak in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night?

The name of the first character to speak in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night?

-Yeah. Orsino.

-You're right.

He famously says, "If music be the food of love, play on, or give me surfeit of it."

It's the Duke Orsino.

Duke Orsino is correct. And you quoted the line.

Here's your next one, Acting Clever.

In British history, Lady Margaret Beaufort was mother of which king?

CONFER QUIETLY

So who could it be?

It's not any of the kings after Victoria, is it?

Because Victoria was their mother, obviously.

The king was after Victoria.

What about the...Hanoverians?

Hanovers.

-Hanoverians.

-I think it's a lot earlier than that.

-So around Richard III, Henry VI.

-Right.

After that you've got the Tudors. Henry VIII.

Could it be a Plantagenet?

They were connected to France.

-How about if we say Edward IV. Or is that wrong?

-I've no idea.

I know very little about this area of history.

-What do you think?

-I'll go with you. It's more your area than mine.

-I really don't know, but we'll say Edward IV.

-Edward IV.

-Edward V.

Edward V. OK.

-We're going with Edward V, Dermot.

-Edward V.

To stay in the game.

It's Henry VII.

Which means, Eggheads, you've won.

Bad luck. You were discussing that very era.

The Yorks and the Tudors. And Richard III.

Bad luck. What a game there! You really put it to the Eggheads in the head-to-heads.

Three sitting silently in the Question Room is testament.

Thank you very much for playing today.

It has been a phenomenal game of Eggheads.

What a bunch of quizzers!

Just didn't win the money. Thanks for taking on the Eggheads.

The Eggheads' winning streak continues.

I'm afraid you won't take home the £20,000.

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 can defeat the Eggheads.

£21,000 says they don't.

Until then, goodbye.

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