Episode 104 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 pit their wits against

possibly the greatest quiz team in Britain.

They are the Eggheads.

And challenging our resident quiz champions today

are Ain't No Estopping Us Now.

This team of friends are all trainee solicitors who met whilst

studying at the Manchester College of Law.

Let's meet them.

Hi, I'm Mark, I'm 24 years old and I'm from Bolton.

Hi, I'm Tom, I'm 25 and I'm from Manchester.

Hi, I'm Liam, I'm 25 and I'm from Middlesbrough.

Hello, I'm Barry, I'm 33 years old and I'm from Stockport.

Hi, I'm Rich, I'm 25 and I'm from Glasgow.

So, Mark and team, welcome!

ALL: Hi, Jeremy.

And you're all trainee solicitors, you're all involved with the law?

That's correct, yes.

I know it's not Ain't No E-stopping Us Now.

At first, I thought your team name was to do with

e-commerce or e-mail - help us understand this.

Well, I think Barry has prepared a bit of a spiel

to describe our team name. Barry?

What we've done is we have combined the legal doctrine of estoppel

with the classic disco hit.

Estoppel, Jeremy,

is where somebody can't rely on a right that would normally

be available, so, for example, if you told me

I don't have to pay rent until after the war, once the war is over,

you couldn't then claim back the rent you were due.

So, as a tenant, I could say, "I've got an estoppel."

As a tenant, the landlord would be estopped from claiming.

OK, did you know that, Eggheads? It's interesting, isn't it?

I've heard the term, but didn't know the explanation.

So, normally the Eggheads have a right to win, and today,

we are exercising estoppel on them.

ALL: That's right.

-We're going to estop them.

-We'll give it a go.

-OK, good luck.

Every day, there is £1,000 worth of cash

up for grabs for our challengers, however,

if they fail to defeat the Eggheads, the prize money

rolls over to the next show, so, Ain't No Estopping Us Now!

Great name, by the way.

The Eggheads have won the last 14 games,

which means that £15,000 says that you can't beat them today.

Do you want to get cracking?

ALL: Yes, please.

The first head-to-head battle is on the subject of Science.

I know you are all lawyers - it's not ideal, is it?

Not particularly, but I think we know

who's taking up that particular one, we've got that planned.

Yes, I'm putting myself forward for that one.

Liam, OK, from Ain't No Estopping Us Now, versus any one

of these Eggheads.

Maybe, if we take Dave?

Yes, an unknown quantity.

Yes, I'm happy doing that. Dave.

OK, it is Liam from Ain't No Estopping Us Now versus

Tremendous Knowledge Dave from the Eggheads,

and to ensure there's no conferring,

would you please take your positions in the Question Room?

I thought we were going to see you in the music round, Liam?

No, unfortunately not, I have been sent in for Science.

Obviously music is one of my other passions, but science as well.

Tell me about your collection of instruments.

Yes, I have got quite a vast array...of instruments.

I couldn't pretend to be particularly good on any of them -

I would say "middling to average" on a number of them.

I always seem to pick one up and then get another one,

put that one down and pick up something else...

so, yes, I have got three guitars, a ukulele, a didgeridoo, a melodica,

about five harmonicas, so, yes, quite a collection.

And why collect instruments that you maybe can't play?

Well, I think, I just like to keep myself busy, really.

The harmonicas and the guitars, that's from...

I like a bit of Bob Dylan,

so that was the reason I picked that up.

I've got a little neck brace that I put round my neck

and play along at the same time.

I know you love Dylan so much, you've seen him in concert.

I have, I saw him a couple of years ago in Liverpool.

Quite a special moment. His voice wasn't quite there,

not as it was in the '60s,

but it was nice to be in the same room as the man, to be honest.

Amazing. I hope there's some crossover between music

and science, I can't tell you where that will happen,

-but good luck in this round.

-Thank you.

You'll get three multiple-choice questions

and you can choose the first or second set, Liam.

Yes, I will go first.

Here we go and good luck.

The word "vaccine" comes from the Latin word for which creature?

Vaccine...

Erm, I'm not sure of this answer...

Erm, when I think back

to vaccines, though, when I think of the first development

I think that was something that was tested on chickens, maybe.

So, I think I will go for chickens.

-It's not actually chicken...

-It's not?

I guess it's...the French for cow is vache. What's the Latin for cow?

Vacca.

Vacca?

So it comes from that word. So the answer is cow.

Never mind.

Why cow, Kevin? Or anyone - why does it come from a cow word?

-I think, wasn't the first one cow pox?

-Cowpox, yes...

-Cowpox, which is a...

-A different strain.

A disease that humans get?

Yes, Jenner, who developed the vaccine,

noticed that milk maids who had regular contact

with cows had developed an immunity to smallpox which was raging

through communities otherwise,

but what they did catch from the cows was this cowpox,

this other strain, so he took a sample of that

and injected it into people to see if it gave them immunity and it did.

That's amazing, and that's how we got the smallpox vaccine?

I love doing this programme - I learn something every minute.

Tremendous Knowledge Dave, here's your question. What is 20% of 880?

Right, 20% of 880, I'm just going to do some quick mental arithmetic.

Five into eight is one.

One carry over three, is 35, that's 7.

Go with that. 176.

The answer is 176, Dave, well done.

OK, Liam, here is your question.

Gentoo and Adelie are species of which bird?

Right, I think I know this one.

I actually went to Edinburgh recently to see the pandas,

but I think there were some Gentoo penguins there as well.

So, I think the answer is penguin.

You're right! That's really good, well done.

Tremendous Knowledge Dave - macrophages, which work in the human

body to engulf foreign particles and microorganisms, are types of what?

Right, well, I don't think they're white blood cells, erm...

I don't like taste buds being there,

but I like the look of mucus glands,

I like the sound of it being a gland.

I'll go for mucous glands, but I'm not entirely sure.

-It's wrong.

-It's taste buds.

-No, it's white blood cells.

-Fair enough.

OK, back to you, Liam.

What name is given to fluids such as quicksand or custard

that do not follow the standard rules of viscosity and flow?

Yes, I think custard is one of them ones that you can walk across,

effectively...the tension in the surface of it.

Yes, it rings a bell, but for which?

Which one of those it is, that is... a difficult question.

I'm not 100% sure on this one, if I'm totally honest.

It's going to be a bit of a guess...

I'll go with non-Newtonian fluids.

And you're absolutely right - non-Newtonian fluids is correct.

OK, here we go, Dave.

Your question now - if you get this one wrong, you are out.

What nickname is often given to the oyster gryphaea,

one of the most common fossils found in the British Jurassic bedrock?

I don't rightly know, but the one that looks best to me

is Devil's nostrils, but I'm not sure. I'll go for Devil's nostrils.

Let's see if Liam knows this one. Is he right?

Yes, actually, near where I am from, Redcar, I think there are quite

a few of these fossils on the beach there. I think it's Devils toenails.

-It is the Devil's toenails.

-He's very good.

-Dave, you're out.

-I'm out.

You're not in the final.

So, very well played to our challengers -

you've kept your first brain in the final round.

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

So, as it stands, the challengers have not lost a brain.

The Eggheads have lost Tremendous Knowledge Dave.

Our next subject is Geography. Who would like this?

I think I'm going to take that, Jeremy, if that's all right?

OK, Mark, team captain.

-Who will I take?

-Anyone but Dave.

I don't think there is any weak link necessarily,

but I think maybe Judith, potentially.

We can go with Judith...

Yes? I think I'll take Judith, if that's OK, Jeremy?

-Are you feeling geographical, Judith?

-I quite like geography.

You have travelled a lot, haven't you, in France?

LAUGHTER

Ever since I've had a house in France,

I've been absolutely nowhere else.

So, travelling has kind of ceased.

She sits in France reading maps, that's what she does.

So, it is Mark from Ain't No Estopping Us Now

versus Judith from the Eggheads.

Please go to the Question Room.

So, good luck to you both. Three questions on Geography in turn,

and, Mark, you can choose the first or the second set.

I think I'll take the first set, if that's OK, Jeremy?

Here we go, good luck to you.

The Space Coast is the name given to a region of which US state?

I'm not entirely sure about this one,

but I think it possibly might be linked to the fact

that in Florida, NASA have a base there, and it could be where

all the rockets go up to space, and I can't see how it could be

any of the other two, so I'm going to say Florida.

Florida is the right answer. Well done.

Judith, which very large, enclosed body of water gives Iran

a sizeable shoreline along its northern border?

Oh, I always get the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea muddled up.

Erm...

Well, Turkey goes under there. Iran? I think it's the Ca...

Yes, of course it is, it's where caviar comes from,

it's the Caspian Sea.

Caspian Sea is correct.

Mark, the islands of St Pierre and Miquelon, located off

the coast of Newfoundland,

are overseas territories of which country?

Again, not one I am 100% sure on.

They obviously do sound, erm...

like they could well be French-speaking islands, but then

again, both Belgium and Switzerland have the French language.

I'll have to say France, I'm afraid,

Jeremy. I'm not entirely sure, though.

Don't be afraid, you're quite right.

Judith, in which country is the official unit of currency

the kwacha, made up of 100 ngwee?

How do you spell kwacha?

K-w-a-c-h-a. And ngwee is n-g-w-e-e.

I think it's either Fiji or Zambia.

And I think...I'm going to hope that it is African and it's Zambia.

Zambia is correct, well done.

Mark, the area of woodland and grassland known as Wytham Woods,

one of the world's most highly monitored ecological survey sites,

is in which English county?

Let me spell Wytham. W-y-t-h-a-m.

Erm, again, I'm going to have to say,

I'm not entirely sure about this one.

I think it's quite plausible that it could be in all three

of those counties, they are quite rural counties.

I think I'll have to take what's known as a lucky

guess and I'm going to say, out of those three, it's located in Dorset.

Let's see if the Eggheads know this, is he right?

We don't actually know - we'd be inclined to go for that.

They think Dorset as well. Anyone here know?

I would have guessed Dorset as well.

Everyone agrees with you, but everyone is wrong. It's Oxfordshire.

Oxfordshire is the answer.

Wytham Woods, how come we don't know where that is, if it's that close?

-Maybe it's so well monitored that no-one knows about it.

-They hide it.

-Yes, they're all standing around it.

-We've given it away now.

-Yes.

Judith, if you get this one right, you have taken the round.

What name is given, due to its association with a wild plant,

to the small island off Kynance Cove, in Cornwall?

Well, you can have wild asparagus and you can have wild fennel, so...

I'm not sure that you would have wild cauliflowers, though.

So, it is a question of guessing between asparagus and fennel.

Cornwall.

Erm... I think it might be asparagus.

If you're right, you're in the final.

-Judith, the answer is asparagus island.

-Oh!

Well done. You've triumphed on Geography.

Sorry about that, Mark, you've been knocked out by an Egghead.

Do both of you come back and rejoin your teams.

Well, to look on the bright side, we are learning a lot here.

We've got estoppel from you guys, and they told us about cowpox

and smallpox, and we've located Wytham Woods as well,

which no-one has identified before.

The only problem is you've had a player knocked out, so time to turn

it around, you've lost a brain, but they've lost a brain too.

So, you're doing fine. The next subject is Film and Television.

Who wants this?

Are we looking towards Barry?

I'll take it. OK, I'll take it.

Against which Egghead, Barry? We've got three left for you.

Who do you think? Your choice.

What do you think, team?

-Not Daphne.

-Yes, not Daphne.

How do you feel about taking on Kevin?

Well, my team obviously back me, and whilst there are some major

players to choose from, I will go against Kevin.

Right, so it is Barry from Ain't No Estopping Us Now

against Kevin. Let's see how you both do on Film and Television.

-So, you are also a solicitor, Barry?

-That's right.

Have you always wanted to do law or done other stuff as well?

No, it's a second career for me.

My first career, straight from school, was the Armed Forces.

And what were you doing in the Armed Forces?

I was in the Royal Air Force Police,

so, whilst it was the Royal Air Force,

my job was very much on the ground.

OK, so you just decided that it was good,

but you wanted to do something else?

Yes, pretty much. I'd never been to university before,

and it's a long path to becoming a solicitor,

and I wanted to get on with it and get started.

OK, I will ask each of you three questions on Film and Television,

and, Barry, you can choose the first or second set.

OK, I will deviate from the plan and go second.

Well, here you go for your first question, Kevin.

Who are the stars of the 1933 film comedy Duck Soup?

One of the classic Marx Brothers films, so it's the Marx Brothers.

The Marx Brothers is the right answer.

Over to you, Barry.

Who was the original host of the TV show Stars In Their Eyes?

OK...

I mean, I only remember it as Matthew, I think,

was the presenter...

"Tonight, Matthew, I'm going to be..."

Erm, I think I can eliminate Roy Walker, though.

Quiz shows, TV shows, I'm...

It's a bit of a guess, but I will go towards Leslie Crowther.

Nicely done. Leslie Crowther it is. Well done.

He has an amazing musical connection, Leslie Crowther,

-doesn't he?

-Yes.

What was it, Pat?

He was Phil Lynott's father-in-law.

He was.

OK, Kevin, your second question, in Coronation Street, what was

the name of Deirdre's mother, played by the actress Maggie Jones?

I actually met this lady once.

I met Maggie Jones on just a tour,

just a historical tour, strangely enough, and she played Blanche.

Blanche is the right answer.

Barry, which actress was nominated for a Golden Globe for her

performance in the 1960s film The Killing Of Sister George?

This is a difficult one for me, erm...

When you said 1960s, I was hoping... I'm sure it is an historic,

iconic film - unfortunately, it's not one I'm familiar with.

What fits...what fits alongside that movie title, maybe?

You know, I'm going to use...

I think it's one of Judith's tactics sometimes to just go straight down

the middle, so I will follow that.

-Irene Handl.

-It's not. Eggheads?

ALL: Beryl Reid.

Help us with the film - who has seen it, who knows about it?

Well, it was rather surprising, because, before that, she had

been a different kind of actress and this was a much more serious film.

I thought she was a comedy actress.

Yes, she was a comedy actress before,

and this was quite daring for when it was made,

because films like that weren't made in those days.

OK, Kevin, your question. If you get this, you've taken the round.

Who starred as Paige opposite Channing Tatum as Leo,

in the romantic drama film The Vow, released in the UK in 2012?

Yes, well, I don't think it's... I think I know,

although I haven't actually seen it.

It's not Sandra Bullock

or Natalie Portman - I think it's Rachel McAdams.

You know because you have walked past cinemas and looked at posters?

I've seen the poster, yes.

You Eggheads, you do that, you look at film posters.

I read reviews as well. I get a number of film magazines

and that sort of thing.

Rachel McAdams is right, so you've taken the round. Sorry, Barry.

Both of you, please come back and rejoin your teams,

and we'll play on.

We have got a bit of estoppel going on now, haven't we? This is tricky.

How are we going to turn it around?

We need some kind of injunction!

An injunction!

As it stands, the challengers have lost two brains,

the Eggheads have just lost the one.

And we go to our last subject, before the final,

which is Politics, not the law, I'm afraid.

So, lawyers?

Who's got that sort of mind?

-I think, by default, I'll take this topic.

-Tom - Politics?

-We're lambs to the slaughter.

-You're good at public law...

Which Egghead - Pat or Daphne? So either end.

Any preferences?

I think Pat, I'll take Pat.

So, Tom, from Ain't No Estopping Us Now, versus Pat from the Eggheads,

please go to the Question Room.

How have you ended up doing Politics?

I thought sport was your thing, Tom.

Well, by default, I think, Jeremy, to be honest.

It was between myself and Richard, and he's pretty poor on politics,

so I've taken the step up there.

Do you take an interest in the TV, and read the papers?

A bit of Question Time every now and again, I try and read a few papers,

maybe not highbrow papers, but, yes, I take an interest.

You are 25 years old.

We're told that 25-year-olds wouldn't look at an old-fashioned

newspaper, because you're doing it on pads and devices and phones.

I am a bit of a technophobe, so I am pretty old-school,

in that respect, I like a good broadsheet.

You've actually bought a newspaper, have you?

Yes, as recently as Sunday, so yes.

Well, that's great, then, there's hope, in that case.

All right, good luck on Politics. I will ask each of you three

questions in turn, and, Tom, you can choose the first or the second set.

I think I'll stick to the team plan and choose the first set.

Here we go, good luck.

What name is often used to describe an outsider's attempts

to act as an intermediary in a political dispute,

by travelling between the disputing parties' locations?

I think caravan diplomacy is probably a bit obvious,

and the one that stuck out to me first up was probably

backdoor diplomacy, so I'll go with backdoor diplomacy.

You know, but it's not. It's shuttle diplomacy.

What is the most famous example of shuttle diplomacy?

The Norwegians with the Oslo Peace Accords for the Middle East,

going back about...a way, now,

but the Norwegians were seen as honest brokers,

so they did a lot of that.

OK, sorry, Tom, it's shuttle diplomacy.

Here we go with Pat's question.

The terms, Zil lanes, originally referred to roads reserved

exclusively for the cars of senior political figures of which country?

I think they have still got a bad reputation in Moscow -

they've got magic blue lights that the top dogs put on their cars.

The Zil is a Russian limo, favoured by the senior men, so it's Russia.

Russia is the correct answer, Pat.

OK, Tom, back to you.

In 1997, which British politician declared, in an interview

with John Humphrys, that he was a pretty straight sort of guy?

Well, obviously Tony Blair came to power, as it were, in '97.

So that might be an obvious choice, but I'm not going with him.

Probably, the straightest of those three was John Major,

so I'll go with him.

He will take that as a big compliment, I'm sure,

but he is the wrong answer, because it was Mr Blair.

After...what was the row, anyone remember?

-Ecclestone.

-Ecclestone. It was the first party-funding scandal.

-Yes.

-OK, Tony Blair is the answer, Tom.

Over to you, Pat. If you get this one right, you have taken the round.

Journalist Joe Haynes

is best known for his role as Press Secretary to which Prime Minister?

I've heard of this chap, but I don't know much about him.

Joe Haynes...

I have a feeling that it's a Labour Prime Minister I need,

so I don't think it's Edward Heath.

Joe Haynes...

I'm not sure. It's going to be something of a guess.

I'll go with Harold Wilson.

Harold Wilson is the correct answer, you've got it.

I think it was the whole Marcia Falkender era and that stuff.

So, you're right, Pat, you've got two,

and, Tom, you've got two wrong, so you won't be in the final, and

if you have both come back to us, we will play that crucial final round.

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

it is time for the final round,

which, as always, 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, Mark, Tom,

and Barry from Ain't No Estopping Us Now,

and Dave from the Eggheads, would you please leave the studio?

Well, good luck, Liam and Rich -

you're playing to Win Ain't No Estopping Us Now £15,000.

And, Pat, Judith, Kevin and Daphne, you're playing for something money

can't buy, which is the Eggheads' reputation.

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

and this time, the questions are all General Knowledge. You can confer.

So, Ain't No Estopping Us Now, the question is,

are your two brains better than the Eggheads' four?

Do you want to go first or second?

Jeremy, we will go first, please.

Good luck to you, guys. Here we go.

In employment, whose turn is it said to be if somebody is assigned

a post by rotation rather than according to merit?

Didn't Tom do employment law?

I think he did.

Any of them ringing any bells?

Not for me, no.

It would be an absolute punt...

Yes, let's think about it.

-Have you ever heard anyone say Buggins?

-No.

Can we eliminate any?

-When we do our seat rotation, we'll use whatever the...

-Yes.

Just go with a stab in the dark.

Right, can we eliminate any?

Buggins sounds odd to me...

Yes, I would...

-Not based on anything, in particular.

-No, not Buggins.

Shall we punt on Miggins?

Jeggins or Miggins? Maybe it's Jeggins.

I'm happy to leave it to you. Take a punt on one of them two.

-We'll have punt at Jeggins, please.

-Jeggins' turn, OK.

OK, I don't know where this comes from, it's not Jeggins,

I'm afraid, it's Buggins' turn. It just means that somebody has

got into a job, and it's not really on merit, it's just on rotation.

Buggins' turn.

There we go. Eggheads, your question.

In psychiatry, the condition known as an anhedonia

is the inability to experience what?

-Pleasure?

-Sounds like pleasure.

Yes. Erm, that's pleasure, Jeremy.

Hedonistic means...

pleasure, enjoying pleasure.

So, hedonistic means pleasure- seeking, so anhedonia means

no pleasure. You're right. Pleasure is the answer. Can't experience it.

OK, your second question - you have to get this one right,

really, to keep some kind of pressure on them.

In the 1970s, which recording duo won a Grammy

for Record of the Year for the song Love Will Keep Us Together?

You're the music man, mate.

Is not really my era - there's a bit of a gap in my knowledge

from about 1965 to about 1995. Unfortunately, it falls in that...

CHALLENGERS CHUCKLE

Have you heard of any of them?

I'd have a punt on Godley and Creme.

Mine would be Peters and Lee, but it's a total guess.

It's not based on anything.

We have no basis for our answer, Jeremy,

but we will go for Peter and Lee.

Peters and Lee? Are they right?

-I don't think so.

-Who is it?

Is it Captain & Tennille?

Captain & Tennille is the right answer.

So, you're in a pickle, to be fair...

Just a wee bit...

..because if the Eggheads get another question right,

that's going to be it.

Eggheads, this for the competition.

Which national football team play their home matches

at Almaty Central Stadium?

-So, that's A-l-m-a-t-y?

-Yes.

Well, that's, Kazakhstan, that's the capital.

Well, we assume, that it's Kazakhstan,

because that is the capital of Kazakhstan.

-Almaty is the capital of Kazakhstan, is it?

-Yes.

-We seem to have Kazakhstan coming up a lot, these days.

-Former capital.

-Former capital.

-Former capital.

It's the former capital? Well, what is it now?

-Astana.

-Astana.

That's right.

The correct answer is Kazakhstan, so we say congratulations,

Eggheads, you have won.

It's very, very hard if you get the first one wrong.

Yes, the pressure grows, doesn't it?

And I think, Buggins' turn,

to give you some mitigation, as you guys say,

it's probably an expression used by older generations.

Yes, it probably is a generational thing, yes.

We'll take that back and when we're swapping seats,

we'll just say we're bugging around or something.

Yes, well, you can bring it back into the law.

Good luck in your careers and thanks for playing...

-Thank you very much.

-..and for telling us about estoppel.

Commiserations to the challengers. The Eggheads have done what comes

naturally to them, and their winning streak continues.

I'm afraid it means you won't be going with the £15,000,

so the money rolls over to our 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.

£16,000 says they don't. Until then, goodbye.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd