Episode 84 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 quiz pedigree is well-known, as they've won some of the country's

toughest quiz shows. They are the Eggheads.

Hoping to beat the might of the Eggheads today,

are the Millennium Marvels.

This team know one another through their involvement

in the Haymans Green Women's Group,

based in the Millennium Centre in Liverpool. Let's meet them.

Hello, my name is Jan. I'm 64 and I'm a retired company secretary.

Hello, I'm Joan. I'm 67 and am a retired schoolteacher.

Hello, I'm Edna, aged 83,

and I'm a retired superintendent physiotherapist.

Hello, I'm Audrey. I'm 78 and I'm a retired occupational health nurse.

Hello, I'm Barbara. I'm 71 and I'm a retired travel agent.

-So, Jan and team, welcome.

-Thank you.

-Great to see you.

-You quiz together, I gather.

-We do, yes.

-In a serious way?

-No, purely...just for fun.

-OK. And who's the key quizzer on the team?

I don't know, I think we all are sort of equal. We are all equal quizzers.

-Do you watch the programme?

-Oh, we do indeed.

You've got here the classic line-up.

I know, it's really good. It's lovely.

There's a bit of football involvement here, as well,

isn't there? Your involvement with physiotherapy, tell me about that.

At the end of the 1950s, all the 60s and into the 70s,

the consultant I worked with was their team doctor,

Liverpool team doctor.

So, I met all the players.

And, of course, Bill Shankly. He actually lived by Audrey.

-And Bob Paisley was a lovely man as well.

-The legends.

They're all legends. Yes, I knew them all.

So, we have to hope for a question in that area.

Good luck, anyway.

Every day there is £1,000 worth of cash up for grabs.

If the challengers they fail to defeat the Eggheads,

the prize money rolls over to the next show.

So, Millennium Marvels, the Eggheads have won the last 11 games,

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

-Oh, right.

-I sense you're up for it.

All right, the first head-to-head battle is on the subject of science.

Who would like this?

-You do science, I don't know it.

-Do you think I should really?

-Who else is going to?

-I think you're the best.

-Go on.

I think Audrey is going to bite the bullet, I think.

-I'll give it a whirl.

-OK, Audrey, very good. Against which Egghead?

-I'll have CJ.

-I was going to say CJ.

Do you struggle with science, CJ? I can't remember.

Well, the last time I played it, I had an utterly spectacular...loss.

Audrey from the Millennium Marvels against CJ from the Eggheads.

Just to ensure there is no conferring, would you please take your positions in the Question Room?

All right, so let's see how we do.

Three multiple-choice questions on science.

Audrey, you get to choose the first or second set

-of multiple-choice questions.

-I'll go first, please, Jeremy.

Best of luck to you, here we go.

Pupation is a stage in the development of what type of creatures?

-Pupilation?

-P-U-P-A-T-I-O-N. Pupation.

Mammals.

-Is mammals your answer?

-Yes.

-It is insects.

-Oh.

-As in pupae and all of that.

-Oh, right.

CJ, what is 30% of 300?

30% of 100 is 30, so times three, you have 90.

That would've been an easy one to get wrong, but you're right,

90 is correct. 90 is correct.

Back to you, Audrey. Hang on in there.

In the periodic table, the element

with the atomic number one belongs to which group?

I really don't know, but I'm going to go with the non-metals.

Non-metals, is she right? Eggheads? You are right, Audrey, well done.

-Hydrogen, is that it?

-Yeah.

-Hydrogen has the number one.

-Point to you, well done.

-Thank you.

CJ, let's see if you stumble.

Hoopes process is used to refine which element?

I haven't heard of this process.

Obviously, named after somebody, but I just haven't heard of it.

OK, if it were iron, maybe I would've heard of it more.

And the same for silver, possibly.

Aluminium does take a lot of refining from bauxite,

so I will try, as a guess, aluminium.

Well done, aluminium is the correct answer, CJ.

So, Audrey, you need to get this one right.

Which French naturalist born in 1744 was particularly associated

with the idea that the giraffe's neck was a result,

over generations, of the animal reaching up for food?

Again, this is only a guess.

It has nothing to do with being a state-registered nurse!

So, I mean, it's just a guess, Jeremy.

I'll just go for Jean-Baptiste Lamarck.

-OK, let's check with the Eggheads. Is she right?

-Yes.

You're right, actually, Audrey. Well done!

Nice work! I hesitate to ask, was he right?

-Was there any truth in that?

-He's an early evolutionist.

That's one of the later discredited early evolutionary theories.

-The quiet characteristics.

-But it was discredited?

-Yeah.

Well, I mean, Darwin's theory of inheritance took over from a number of earlier theories.

There were elements of which fed into the later evolutionary theories,

but in terms of its basic thrust, no.

So, CJ, this for the round.

What term is used to refer to their rasp-like structure

found in the mouths of molluscs and used for drawing in food?

My knowledge of the anatomy of molluscs, isn't the standard it should be.

I've heard of the term radula.

I haven't heard of the term botula.

I'm just trying to think of tuscular.

I mean, radula definitely is something.

Whether it's that or not, I don't know.

I've got no idea, I've heard of the term radula, so let's go for that.

Radula, it starts with the letters R-A, as well.

If that helps. Radula is correct.

Radula is right.

So, you've taken that round.

That means, CJ, that you will be in the final.

Sorry, Audrey, you won't, but you fought well there.

Both of you, please come back

and rejoin your team mates here in the studio.

So, as it stands, the challengers have lost one brain from the final round.

The Eggheads have lost no brains so far.

Plenty of time to go, Millennium Marvels.

The next subject for you is sport.

It would be. Yes, I'll do it.

With your Liverpool Football Club connections.

I got pushed into it because nobody else wanted it.

-Which Egghead before you go?

-Sorry, who am I going to pick for sport?

Judith.

Judith.

Judith.

So, Edna from the Millennium Marvels versus Judith from the Eggheads.

To ensure there is no conferring, please go to the Question Rooms now.

Three questions, multiple-choice, as you know, Edna.

-You can choose the first or second set of questions.

-I'll go first, please, Jeremy.

Here we go, good luck.

The Tote was originally created

as a safe and legal way for people to bet on which sport?

-Horse racing.

-Let me do the options.

There's no point now, is there?

-Horse racing.

-Horse racing is right, well done.

With Aintree around the corner,

you couldn't have got that wrong. OK, Judith,

which team won the men's 2010 football World Cup?

Oh, Spain.

-Spain.

-Yes.

-Yeah. Otherwise known as the World Cup, yes.

-Yes, I know.

-That's what was confusing.

-Yeah.

-The wording.

Over to you, Edna.

What is the first field event of an Olympic heptathlon?

I think I would go for long jump.

Close, but not quite there, it is the high jump. High jump.

So Judith has a chance to take the lead, although, she may not.

Over what distance did the cyclist Chris Boardman

win an Individual Pursuit gold medal at the 1992 Olympic games?

I don't know whether it's a long race or a shorter race. Um...

4,000 meters is about three miles, isn't it?

I don't know because I don't know the length of the race.

I'm going to try the magic right and go for 4,000 meters.

-4,000 meters is correct.

-Very well.

This is Judith's special technique

that she's perfected over about 900 episodes.

Go right.

OK, Edna, you need this one.

In a match against Bangladesh in March, 2010,

which cricketer became the first English off-spinner

since Jim Laker to take ten wickets in a test match?

Well, I think it's between Pietersen or Swann.

I'll go for Swann.

-Yes, please, Jeremy.

-Your answer is Swann?

-Swann.

And you've caught up with Judith, well done.

The answer is Graeme Swann. Good stuff.

So, if you get this right, you've taken the round regardless, Judith.

Here we go. Walter Camp,

born in 1859, was instrumental in creating which sport?

I'm sure I've read this somewhere, so I'm going to have to go...

But I can't remember, so it'll have to be instinct.

I think it might be American football.

-Is that your answer? Or are you halfway there?

-My answer.

-It's your answer?

-Yeah.

It's the right answer, well done.

Judith, you've taken the round.

Eggheads, any more details on Mr Camp?

Other than being a founder of American football, no.

He just thought it up or based it on something else?

A lot of people contributed to American football's development.

But he is considered as one of the founding fathers.

He might have been involved with Harvard University.

-And Harvard rules were one of the early versions.

-OK.

Judith, you've taken the round. Edna, sorry, she's knocked you out.

So, Judith will be in the final.

Do, both of you, please, come back and rejoin your team mates.

OK, so where are we now?

The challengers have lost two brains. It's looking a little more

sticky for the Marvels, but you can still win.

-You're doughty fighters, right?

-Definitely.

-Absolutely. OK.

The Eggheads have lost no brains so far.

Also, you've made Judith a happy lady because she's won on sports.

It's worth it if only for that. Our next subject is geography.

-So, which of you would like this?

-You?

-It isn't me, is it?

-Joan?

-Do you want to do geography?

-I certainly don't want to do history

-and there's a chance of that coming up.

-Yeah, OK.

-OK, I'll do geography.

-Barbara, the travel agent on geography.

-That's the problem.

-That's the idea of it.

Against anyone but Judith or CJ.

Chris knows all sorts of things about railways and things.

Yes, he does. What railways...?

-I'll have Chris.

-OK.

So... All right. You veered towards Chris on the left there. So, it's Barbara

from the Millennium Marvels against Chris from the Eggheads.

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

So, Barbara, I gather congratulations are in order,

-but you'll probably be embarrassed.

-Yes, I will be very embarrassed,

-but thank you very much.

-You got an MBA for services to the community?

-I did.

And you tell us that's to do with founding the women's group?

Partly, yes. 43 years ago we founded the women's group.

But I started, really, when I was about 18 running the Cubs.

And it's just gone on from there.

I'm very involved with Sunfield Park Special School,

which is also in the area,

and helping a charity called

the West Derby Wastelands Charity, which is a very ancient charity,

which donates money to needy causes in the West Derby area.

How, amidst all that, did you find time to be a travel agent as well?

Well, yes, and I have three children and eight grandchildren, as well.

Well, that was part of it, really, because I just liked being

in the middle of everything, bossing everyone around.

So, it all fitted in.

I hope you can boss Chris around in the geography section here.

Good luck. Three questions, multiple-choice.

-You can choose the first or second set.

-I'll go first, thanks, Jeremy.

Here we go. The town of Shrewsbury is situated on which river?

Well, it's certainly not the Mersey, is it?

So, I will say...

Now, then, caught me there. Um...

I'll go for the Severn.

Very good, it is, you're right.

Chris, on to you.

The African port of Dar es Salaam is located on which body of water?

It used to be in Tanganyika, didn't it?

Which used to be German East Africa. It's Indian Ocean, Jeremy.

-Indian Ocean...

-That side of Africa.

That's right, the Tanzania is it now? Over to you, Barbara.

What is the approximate width of the Straight of Gibraltar

at its narrowest point?

Do you know, Jeremy, I was there last year?

And I certainly should know this. How long were we on that boat?

-Um...

-SHE LAUGHS

Eight doesn't seem wide enough, and yet 18 seems too much.

I'll go for eight.

Lovely work, eight is correct, yeah.

-Because it seemed narrow to you, did it?

-Well, it did.

It's somewhere I always wanted to go because of relatives during the War

and so on, the involvement there.

And I was very impressed with it.

-We weren't on that boat very long, so, eight miles.

-Well done.

Point to you. Chris, over to you.

In the United States, Big Bend National Park

takes its name from the sharp turn made by which river?

It's probably not the Rio Grande,

because that's on the border between the US and Mexico.

I don't think there's a big bend on the Colorado.

It's got to be on the Mississippi somewhere.

-Mississippi.

-Mississippi is your answer. I sense Daphne disagreeing.

-Daphne?

-It's the Rio Grande.

-Rio Grande is the answer.

Because it's down on the border, is it?

-Yes, in Texas.

-Texas. OK.

So, you have a chance to take the round now

and book your place in the final, Barbara.

The tension is mounting here.

What is the capital of the German state of Lower Saxony?

Right. Lower Saxony.

I think it is Munich.

Ladies, any answers from you?

-I'd go for Hanover.

-I'd say Dusseldorf.

OK, we've got a mixture. But it is Hanover, Edna, you're right.

Barbara, sorry.

Chris, you now have a chance to draw even and we go to Sudden Death if you do.

Striding Edge is a feature of which English mountain

located between the lakes of Thirlmere and Ullswater?

Well, Skiddaw is pretty far to the north.

Helvellyn is over Blea Moor way.

Wild Boar Fell and all that.

It's not Skiddaw, it's not Helvellyn. Scafell Pike, Scafell.

If you've got this wrong, you're out.

-I sense... Eggheads?

-Helvellyn.

Helvellyn is the answer, Chris.

So, Chris, I'm sorry, you're not in the final, you've been knocked out.

Well done to our Millennium Marvels here. You'll be in the final.

Come back and rejoin your team mates.

So, things are turning out, well done.

You timed it just right.

As it stands, the challengers have lost two brains

from the final-round, but the Eggheads have now lost one brain.

The last subject before the final is music.

Good one for you?

It's got to be you, Jan.

-Well, I'm not good at music, are you?

-It's got to be you.

-Jan, you're being volunteered.

-Yes, sort of.

-Jan's been volunteered.

-Kevin or Daphne?

-I'll try Daphne, please.

Jan from the Millennium Marvels against Daphne on music,

from the Eggheads. Please, take your positions in the Question Room.

It's music we're doing, three questions, and they're multiple-choice.

-Jan, you can choose the first or second set.

-I'll go first, please, Jeremy.

Here we go, and good luck to you.

Which singer released her debut album Do You Want The Truth Or Something Beautiful in 2009?

I don't think it's Amy McDonald.

I think she was before then.

I don't think it was Alexandra Burke.

I'm going to go for Paloma Faith.

Paloma Faith is spot on. Well done, Jan. Brilliant.

Daphne, over to you.

Holding Back The Years and If You Don't Know Me By Now

were UK number two singles in the 80s for which group?

Well, I'm not sure, but I think it's Simply Red.

It's a guess.

Your guesses are amazing, you haven't lost your touch. Simply Red is right.

It's one of the most successful British bands of all time.

Their album Stars is one of the biggest selling ever.

And yet, in the British charts, they only spent one week at number one.

-With what?

-Fairground.

-Yeah. Hmmm, interesting. OK, back to you, Jan.

-Yeah.

-Which American singer married Vivian Liberto in 1954?

Well, it certainly wasn't as Elvis Presley.

I know Johnny Cash was married to June Carter.

But I don't know if he was married to anybody else before then.

I'm going to go for Jim Reeves, Jeremy, but I'm really not sure.

-And, your team mates, I think, know. Who was it?

-Was it Jim Reeves?

Oh, you think it was Jim Reeves. No, it's Johnny Cash.

-Oh, Johnny Cash.

-Johnny Cash.

When did Jim Reeves die? Old Jim.

-66.

-So it could have been him, he was alive then.

-Oh, yeah.

-But it was Johnny Cash. Sorry, Jan.

Over to you, Daphne.

What is the title of the traditional song that begins

"Oh, Mary, this London's a wonderful site, with people here working by day and by night?"

Oh, it's not the White Cliffs of Dover.

I think that it's the Mountains of Mourne.

The Mountains of Mourne is correct.

You've taken the lead, Daphne.

So, you need to get this one right, Jan. Good luck.

Which Gilbert and Sullivan operetta is subtitled The King of Barataria?

I really have not got any idea at all.

This will just have to be a guess.

I'll go for The Yeoman Of The Guard.

And it's wrong, I'm afraid. It's The Gondoliers.

-So, you got that one now.

-You recognise that one? Yes.

-Yeah.

-Never mind.

-That means Daphne has taken the round on music.

Sorry about that, Jan, you won't be in the final.

Please, both of you, come back and rejoin your teams.

So, this is what we've been playing towards.

It is time for the final round, which is general knowledge.

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

won't be allowed to take part in this round.

So, Jan, Edna and Audrey from the Millennium Marvels

and Chris from the Eggheads, would you please now leave the studio?

So, Joan and Barbara, you are playing to win £12,000.

Judith, Kevin, CJ and Daphne,

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

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

The questions are all general knowledge.

Of course, you are allowed to confer. Joan and Barbara, the question is,

are your two brains better than the Eggheads four?

Marvels, would you like to go first or second?

-Go first.

-Yes.

-We'll go first, please.

Good luck to you both, here we go.

Who starred as Evelyn Salt in the 2010 film Salt?

-I didn't see this film.

-But I did.

-Oh, good.

-I've seen the film.

I'm 99% sure I'm right, and I'd say it's Angelina Jolie.

We think it's Angelina Jolie.

And you've seen it, Barbara, have you? That does help.

-It does help.

-Angelina Jolie is the right answer. Well done.

OK, Eggheads, who wrote a gardening column in Private Eye

under the name Rose Blight?

-Germaine Greer.

-Makes sense.

-That was Germaine Greer.

Never knew that, but it was indeed, Germaine Greer.

Back to you, Marvels.

In Norse mythology, the Valkyries were the handmaidens of which god?

Odin was the chief god and Thor was the god of war.

I've never heard of the other one.

But they were pretty warlike, The Valkyries.

The Ride Of The Valkyries. What do you think? I've never heard of the other one.

No, I've never heard of the other one.

What do you think? Should we go for it? Thor?

Um...

I don't know whether Thor would've had any maidens.

Well, he was the head man, wasn't he?

Well, we're not absolutely sure, but we know Odin was the chief god.

So we think it might be Odin.

But we're not absolutely sure.

-OK, Odin is your answer?

-Yes.

-It's right.

-Good.

-Thank God for that.

-The faces behind you are a picture.

They're very relieved.

All right, Eggheads, they're hot on your tails here.

What was the first name of the father of Queen Victoria?

-Edward.

-Edward.

-He was Edward, wasn't he?

-Edward.

He was Edward.

Edward is the right answer.

You never get those questions, those royal succession questions.

Lovely. At home, learning your lists all night long.

OK, see if you can get three out of three.

That puts them under pressure. If they get their question wrong,

it's £12,000. You don't have to do any more work.

Here we go. Just get this one right.

What is the surname of the title character of George du Maurier's novel Trilby?

What is the surname of the title character of

George du Maurier's novel Trilby?

-I haven't read it, have you read it?

-I saw a play many years ago.

-But, honestly, I don't know.

-O'Connell...

George du Maurier... I haven't read it.

-I just think it might be O'Ferrall.

-O'Ferrall? You think?

For no other reason than the other two are ordinary and that isn't.

Well, OK. Well, we'll say O'Ferrall, but we're not sure.

That's a complete guess, is it? Or did you say you'd seen the play?

It's just that the other two are a bit ordinary and that isn't,

which would fit.

-Do remember anything about the character?

-Very little.

-Male, female?

-Trilby was a man, wasn't he?

-It was a woman.

Oh, well, there we are.

-But it was O'Ferrall.

-Oh, there we are.

-You got it right, well done.

-It doesn't matter what sex, does it?

It doesn't matter, that wasn't part of the question.

So, here we are, Eggheads. If you get this one wrong,

they'll win £12,000. Eggheads,

in August 2010, it was announced that

the mechanical clock of which cathedral was to be fitted with an electric motor

after being wound by hand every week for more than 600 years?

Before the options came up, I thought of Salisbury,

but it could be completely erroneous.

But I do vaguely remember the story.

That's probably got the most famous medieval clock.

Well, Wells has got...

Wells has got one as well, hasn't it?

So that would take it... 600 years would take it back beyond 1410.

I think the oldest one is supposed to be at Salisbury,

but that could be earlier, of course.

Since we don't know it, I think...we probably...

I mean, it could be completely erroneous,

but when Jeremy asked the question, I immediately thought Salisbury.

-But Salisbury is the percentage one.

-Yes.

In the sense that it's the oldest and the most famous, I suppose.

But I think the others...

I'm not too sure about Ely, I've only been there once,

but I just...

Well, Wells has got one.

-Yes.

-Well, they've all got one.

-They've probably all got one, yeah.

-So...

-No, we've got nothing else.

-OK, I think we have to.

-Yeah.

In the absence of anything else.

We don't know. So, on the basis that I think

Salisbury has actually got the oldest medieval clock,

which may not actually tie in with the question,

but...

Percentage guess, maybe we'll try...

We think they've probably all got suitable clocks,

but we'll try Salisbury.

-You don't sound very certain.

-We're not certain at all.

We haven't the faintest idea.

If you've got it wrong, then the Marvels,

the Millennium Marvels, walk away with £12,000.

You don't have to do any more to get it.

If they've got it right, we go to Sudden Death.

The answer is Wells Cathedral.

Congratulations, Millenium Marvels, you've won!

I don't believe it!

Lovely. Well done. Look at this! You've got the celebration...

It's like the terraces.

Terraces of Liverpool. Well done. Well done.

And the Blues, as well, remember.

And the Blues, as well.

Everton and Liverpool combined. Well done, we're so pleased for you. That's great.

Chris, did you know this?

Yeah, I did. The hindrance and sabotage executive ruled

it was too dangerous for the verger to climb up and wind it,

so they had to put an electric motor on it.

So, you are officially cleverer than the Eggheads.

You've proved they can be beaten.

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

will be just as successful. Until then, goodbye.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

E-mail [email protected]