Episode 111 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 taking on our awesome quiz champions today

are A Crew, or a crew, from Manchester.

This team of colleagues have, for many years,

worked in the finance department

at the NHS Primary Care Trust in Tameside. Let's meet them.

Hi. I'm Judith, I'm 44, and I'm a financial accountant.

Hi. I'm Martin. I'm 39 years old and I'm a systems accountant.

Hi. I'm Sarah. I'm 31 years old and I'm a personal assistant.

Hi. I'm Paul. I'm 30 years old and I'm a management accountant.

Hi. I'm Tony. I'm 36 years old and I'm also a management accountant.

-So, Judith and team, welcome.

-Thank you.

And it's a fun office to work in, is it?

-Yeah, very. Great office to be in.

-Is it?

There won't be recriminations

-if somebody bails out today or whatever?

-No.

-OK.

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, A Crew, the Eggheads have won the last 21 games.

-Wow.

So there's quite a jackpot, £22,000 up for grabs to play for.

Really wish you luck with this.

First head-to-head battle is on the subject of Sport.

Who would like this?

Right. Are we happy then, lads?

I think that's going to be Paul.

I've got to go for Sport, yeah.

Paul, OK. Which Egghead, Paul?

I think we pretty much know. We'll say Judith.

I'll play Judith for this round.

-For so long, Judith...

-I've managed to avoid it the last few days.

I don't know how it's happened. OK, so it is going to be Paul from A Crew

versus Judith from the Eggheads on her beloved Sport.

And to ensure there's no conferring,

please take your positions in the Question Room.

Well, how did this happen, Judith? We were off Sport for so long.

Well, I've managed to dodge it for several days now,

which has been a very nice, peaceful rest from it.

-You dodged the bullet.

-Yep.

-Dodged the tennis ball.

-Mm.

And still trying to convert you to the joys of football.

I think that is going to be so difficult.

Can't you see the artistry in Wayne Rooney?

No, I absolutely, I can't. I look at a football match

and I absolutely can't see the point of it.

Oh, dear, Paul, we're not off first base there, are we?

No, no, I'm a massive football fan,

so...different opinions there.

-And you're a fan of...?

-Manchester United.

-OK.

I think it's fair to say Dave is too.

He's looking quite serious about it as well.

I'll ask each of you three multiple choice questions on Sport.

Paul, you can choose the first or the second set.

I'd like to go first, please.

Here we go with your first question

and good luck. Which of the four annual tennis Grand Slam events

is usually the last to take place each calendar year?

I'm pretty sure that it's...

Well, the Australian Open's the first one.

And Wimbledon is the third.

I'm pretty sure the French is the second.

So I'd definitely say the last one of the year

is the US Open.

US Open is the right answer, well done.

OK, Judith, over to you. Celtic Park,

the home ground of Celtic Football Club

is sometimes known by what name,

after the area of Glasgow where it is situated?

Considering where I am, I hardly dare get this wrong.

And I'm praying that it's Parkhead.

-Because we're filming this in Glasgow.

-Exactly.

Parkhead is the right answer.

Well done. There we are, football question.

-It was fine, wasn't it? After all that.

-Yes, it was.

Luckily it was the first one.

Paul, in 2006, Franz Tost

became the team principal of which Formula 1 team?

It's not my strongest sport, this one, but I don't think it's Sauber.

I don't know why - I just don't think it is Sauber.

Which leaves me with HRT and Toro Rosso.

My gut feeling, I don't know why, there's something drawing me to HRT.

Yeah, I'll go with HRT.

I wonder if Judith knows this.

Perhaps the T in HRT is Tost.

So he would be trying to join a team with his own name in the title?

Oh, no, that doesn't make sense. Sorry.

-It's not...

-HE LAUGHS

It's not HRT, Paul, I'm sorry. It's Toro Rosso.

So, Judith, things are going better than you thought.

Which sport did George Bernard Shaw say

has the great advantage over cricket because it ended sooner?

Well, George Bernard Shaw, did he go to America?

Croquet certainly ends a bit quicker.

Rugby also doesn't take quite so long.

But on the other hand, it's not a bat and ball game.

I think this is very difficult.

I think George Bernard Shaw might have been talking about croquet.

Cos it has mallets and balls and you hit it and so on.

Yup. I can see the logic, but it's wrong.

-Baseball it is.

-Oh.

OK.

So that's handy, Paul.

The golfer, Charl Schwartzel,

winner of the 2011 Masters Tournament,

was born in which country, Paul?

I should know this one.

I'm instantly ruling out Australia.

I'm completely drawn to Austria straight away,

but I don't know if that's a good thing.

Because I know somebody won, there was another South African who won.

I don't remember an Austrian winning though,

that's why it's making me think go South Africa now.

I'll go with South Africa. Yeah.

I think that'll be my answer. I'll go with that.

I'm looking at your team here. I think they know.

-You know, do you?

-Yes.

-Who's the golfing fan here?

-I am.

-Martin. Is he right?

-He's right, yes.

-You're right, Paul, well done.

-Yeah!

You must have worried for a moment there.

Just a little, yeah.

OK, Judith, here we are again.

Trey Hardee won a gold medal at the 2011

athletics world championships in which event?

Trey Hardee. How do you spell the Trey bit?

T-R-E-Y, and then H-A-R-D-E-E.

H-A-R-D-E-E, Hardee.

Trey Hardee. I think he did the long jump.

-You can imagine him flying in the air, can you?

-I can, yes.

It was the decathlon.

-Right.

-Sorry, your Sport again.

But great for Paul cos you're in the final, well done.

-Excellent. Thank you.

-And Judith has been knocked out.

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

So, the challengers have lost no brains from the Final Round

and the Eggheads have lost one brain.

The next subject is Science.

After that good start, who wants this?

Tony, yeah?

-Tony?

-I think so, yeah.

Against which Egghead? Can't be Judith.

I think this is quite a difficult choice, but what do you think?

I don't know. Tremendous Dave.

How about Tremendous Knowledge Dave?

-I'm from Manchester and know nothing about science.

-Yeah!

I'm going to go with Tremendous Knowledge Dave.

-Have you done any Science yet?

-Yeah, I have done some Science.

Mixed results, let's say.

Let's not worry - you haven't built up

enough of a record yet for us to be analysing.

-Yeah.

-So, it is Dave against Tony from A Crew.

Please go to the Question Room.

So, Tony, you were a doctor?

I did a PhD in neuroendocrine biology, yes.

I appreciate that it's not big in the world of accountancy,

but neuroendocrine biology

is how the brain works, is that correct?

It's essentially looking at how the nervous system

controls hormone release.

That was the area of research that I was involved with.

And did you find out anything that can help?

I was actually working in fish,

although the system that I worked with,

one of the hormones has subsequently been found

to be quite important in humans

because it's involved in vasoconstriction

and might be involved in the damage when people have a heart attack.

How fascinating. So the fish world is happier now

-as a result of your work?

-JUDITH LAUGHS

It could well be, yeah.

So, three questions, multiple choice.

And you can choose, Tony, the first or second set.

I think, given Paul had good luck going first, I'll go first as well.

OK, and good luck to you, Tony.

What type of creatures have a preen gland

which secretes an oil used in grooming?

I'm fairly certain of the answer on this.

Birds preen, so I think it's birds that have a preen gland.

Birds is the right answer. Well done.

Birds preen. Humans preen as well, don't they, Judith, sometimes?

-Humans preen?

-Do they?

-They do sometimes, don't they?

-They preen themselves.

-I expect they do, yes.

Tremendous Knowledge Dave.

Which word is used to describe a universe with the sun at its centre?

I think astro deals with stars.

Solar, it's not solarspheric.

Sun at its centre would be heliocentric.

Heliocentric is right, Dave. Well done.

OK, Tony. Which foodstuff is associated with the plant

with the scientific name acer saccharum?

Plant biology was never a particular specialty of mine,

even going back to my A-levels.

So I might be a little bit uncertain of this one.

I don't think it's malted milk.

I think it's definitely either Manuka honey or maple syrup.

And...my gut feeling is that it's Manuka honey, actually.

So I'm going to go with Manuka honey as my final answer.

Manuka honey it is not.

Maple syrup is the answer, Tony.

Tremendous Knowledge.

In reference to the name of a project that began in 1990,

for what does the letter G stand

in the abbreviation HGP?

I haven't heard of it. I'm going to rule out geometry.

I don't like Galileo there but I'll go with genome.

Yes, you're right, cos it's the Human Genome Project.

OK, Tony, your third question. You need to get this right.

The geometric figure known as Torricelli's Trumpet

is also known by what biblical-sounding name?

I don't know the answer to that.

But I am going to go with Gabriel's Horn.

Gabriel's Horn is the right answer. Well done.

Even so, Dave can book his place in the final with this answer.

Which compound emitted by woody plants creates the blue hazy effect

which gives the Blue Ridge Mountains their name?

I'm going to go for...

I've got no real idea.

I'm going to go for limonene.

It's not limonene, it's isoprene.

OK, so you're equal after three questions.

Two points each. We go to Sudden Death, Tony.

So it's a bit harder cos I don't give you alternatives, OK?

-Yeah, OK.

-Here we go.

In which city did the mathematician Euclid live and work?

Now, Euclid was one of the figures who developed geometry, I think.

And that was in Ancient Greece.

So I am going to go with Athens.

It's not Athens actually, it's Alexandria.

Over to you, Dave.

Cydonia is a region of which planet?

-I'll go Mars.

-Yes -

it's famous for having a feature resembling a face on its surface.

The answer is Mars. So, well done, Dave, you're in the final.

Sorry, Tony, you've been knocked out.

You're not in the final, Dave is.

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

The challengers have lost one brain.

The Eggheads have also lost one brain from the Final Round.

And the next subject for you is Geography.

Who would like this?

-I think it's got to be Martin. It's got to be you.

-Yeah.

-Jeremy, I'll be taking Geography.

-OK, Martin.

Against which Egghead?

I'm afraid it has to be Daphne, please.

-Why are you afraid of that?

-It's my favourite Egghead

so I'll have to take her on.

-Just for the sheer excitement.

-Just for the sheer... Yeah.

-How about that, Daphne?

-Maybe not afterwards.

And she is one of the nicest, there's no doubt.

So, Martin from A Crew versus Daphne from the Eggheads.

And just to ensure there's no conferring,

please go to the Question Room.

OK, Martin. Geography.

Yes. I'm ready. As ready as I'll ever be.

Let's see how you do with Daphne.

You're sitting next to a fan, Daphne. Is that worrying?

-No.

-It's rather lovely, isn't it?

-Yes.

I'll ask each of you three questions on Geography,

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

Can I have the first set, please?

Here we go. Good luck to you, Martin.

In which county is the town of Harrogate?

Harrogate, right. Well, I did my degree at Norwich,

so it's definitely not Norfolk.

Harrogate. It's either Northumberland or North Yorkshire.

And I'm not quite sure which one.

I think I'm going to choose North Yorkshire.

North Yorkshire is the correct answer.

Daphne, what is the name of the African disputed territory

that lies south of Morocco?

That is the Western Sahara.

Western Sahara is quite right. Who's disputing it, do you know?

It used to be a Spanish colony.

It used to be called Spanish Sahara, I think.

And then when the Spanish pulled out,

it came into dispute amongst various countries around there.

But the locals want an independent state,

so the other countries have gradually pulled out of the dispute,

but it's still between Morocco and the locals.

Right. Interesting.

So there we go, Martin,

we're learning stuff all the time here.

Which creatures are a popular tourist attraction

on Phillip Island in Australia?

Phillip Island. I've never heard of this.

So I'm going to have to take a guess...

and go for butterflies.

It's not butterflies, I'm afraid.

Actually, Daphne, you might know this cos you love Australia.

I've been to see them. They are fairy penguins.

Well done, penguins is the answer. Not butterflies but penguins.

Daphne, your question.

Beale Street, famous for its place in the history of blues music,

is in which city?

I always get these muddled up.

Now, it's not Phoenix.

Beale Street.

I think it's Memphis.

It is Memphis, Daphne - well done.

That's annoying, Martin, isn't it? I thought she'd go the wrong way.

Let's hope the wrong answer doesn't cost you.

You need to get this one right.

Which is the northernmost island group in Polynesia?

-Sorry, could you repeat the question, please?

-Of course.

Which is the northernmost island group in Polynesia?

Polynesia. Hawaii I don't think is...

That's part of America. I think I'm going to go with Tuvalu.

-It's actually Hawaii.

-Oh.

Hawaii is the answer, Martin.

Sorry, so Daphne's taken the round on Geography.

Anyway, at least you played the game with her, that's good.

Please both of you come back to the studio and rejoin your teams.

So the challengers have lost two brains,

the Eggheads have lost one brain from the all-important Final Round.

And the last subject is Film & Television.

Who wants this?

Do you want to do it, or shall I?

-Who wants to do it?

-You do it.

-I'll do it, yeah?

-Judith.

-I'll do it, Jeremy, yes.

The captain steps forward against which Egghead?

-You can have Kevin or Pat.

-Yeah. Shall we do it?

-Yeah, got to be.

I'll take on Kevin please, Jeremy.

OK, so Judith from A Crew versus Kevin from the Eggheads.

Please go to the Question Room now.

Now, netball is your big thing, Judith.

That's right, Jeremy, yes.

Tell us why you love it so much.

It's a good way to keep fit.

The social side of netball is also really good.

I've got some good friends who I play with

and we get to go away on tournaments, etc.

So it's a good cover for a good social life.

-Good luck in this round.

-Thank you.

Three questions on Film & Television, and Judith, you can choose the first or second set.

I think I'll go first please, Jeremy.

Here we go. "Mrs Robinson,

"you're trying to seduce me, aren't you?"

is a quotation from which 1967 film?

Now, I do think I know this one, to be honest.

Let me just get the...

Yes. I think it's The Graduate, Jeremy.

The Graduate is the right answer, well done.

OK, Kevin.

Tinker Dill, played by Dudley Sutton,

was a character in which TV series starring Ian McShane?

The one where Ian McShane was the roguish antiques dealer -

-it's Lovejoy.

-Lovejoy is quite right.

Back to you, Judith.

Brother's Keeper was the pilot episode

of which US detective TV series?

Let me try and think of the characters.

I don't really remember Hawaii Five-0.

I do remember it being on the television and vaguely seeing it,

but I don't remember the storyline as such.

Miami Vice and Starsky and Hutch obviously I do remember watching.

I think I might go for Miami Vice, Jeremy.

Nice choice, and it's a very hard question there actually.

-Miami Vice is the right answer.

-Thank you.

Miami Vice is correct, well done.

Kevin, in which film does Jim Carrey play a driver called Lloyd Christmas?

I think that was the name of his character in Dumb and Dumber.

Dumb and Dumber.

Dumb and Dumber is the right answer, Kevin. Well done.

OK, Judith, your third question.

See if you can keep the pressure on.

Which English comedian and broadcaster

made his directorial debut with the 2011 film Attack The Block?

I've never really seen it. Let me just think that through.

David Baddiel, he was Frank Skinner's partner, wasn't he?

I don't really know Joe Cornish, to be honest. Attack The Block.

I think I'm going to go for Joe Cornish just based on,

I think, Bill Bailey's a little bit older and he sounds quite young.

I'll go for Joe Cornish, please.

I think if Bill Bailey is watching, he will do a whole comic routine

-on the exchange we've just had.

-Oh, no.

That it can't be him because he's too old.

But you're right! Joe Cornish it is.

-Joe Cornish it is.

-SHE LAUGHS

OK, Kevin,

if you get this one wrong, you're out.

Which actress is a cousin of the Israeli politician Shimon Peres?

Wow. No idea.

And I wonder if that's first cousin, second cousin...

I've got absolutely nothing to go on at all.

Just trying to think. Well, if we're talking cousin meaning first cousin,

first cousins can be a long way apart in age,

as I know with some of mine.

I'll just have to go on the basis of age.

Shimon Peres is, what would he be now?

Certainly well on into his 70s.

Barbra Streisand and Goldie Hawn were both born in the 1940s.

Lauren Bacall was born in 1924.

So she'd actually be closer in age to Shimon Peres.

On the basis of age, I'm going to go for Lauren Bacall.

But I have no idea.

Right answer, Kevin. Well done. They are first cousins, by the way.

First cousins. I had to hope that they were first cousins.

Slipped through the massive Google hard drive

that you keep in the back of your head somewhere.

OK, Judith. Well, he is hard to beat, there's no doubt.

-I thought you had him there.

-I did as well.

So we go to Sudden Death. It's a bit harder

-cos I don't give you alternatives.

-OK.

-Here's your question.

An Unearthly Child was the title of the first story

in which long-running TV show?

An Unearthly Child.

Straight away it's got me thinking around sci-fi shows.

An Unearthly Child. I think I'm going to go for Star Trek.

-It's a brilliant attempt, but it's wrong. Doctor Who.

-Oh.

-Doctor Who.

-Oh, no.

-Your logic was absolutely bang on.

Kevin, you're in the final if you get this one.

The sitcom Grace And Favour was a spin-off from which other comedy?

That was a spin-off from Are You Being Served?

It was indeed Are You Being Served?

So on Sudden Death, Kevin's got it and Judith, you've been knocked out.

-Sorry - you played really well.

-Thanks.

-I feel bad about that.

You did, you really did.

You had him on the ropes for a second there.

But Lauren Bacall came through and Kevin is in the final.

If you both come back to us, we will play that Final Round.

So, this is what we have been playing towards. It is time for

the Final Round, which, as always,

is General Knowledge. But I'm afraid those who lost your head-to-heads

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

So, Judith, Martin and Tony from A Crew,

and also Judith from the Eggheads,

would you please now leave the studio.

Sarah and Paul, you are playing to win A Crew £22,000.

Pat, Kevin, Dave and Daphne,

you're playing for something money can't buy,

which is the Eggheads' reputation.

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

This time the questions are all General Knowledge. You can confer.

So, Sarah and Paul, the question is,

can your two brains defeat the Eggheads' four?

And would you like to go first or second?

We'll go first, Jeremy, please.

Here we go - good luck to you.

For what does the letter D stand in the abbreviation AD,

used in the Christian chronological system

to denote dates since the birth of Jesus?

-Domini.

-Yeah, pretty certain it's Domini.

Yeah, we were both thinking the same

-before it came out, so Domini.

-Straight away thought Domini.

AD, Anno Domini. Very good. Well done.

OK, Eggheads, your first question.

Who wrote the children's book Esio Trot?

-Roald Dahl.

-It's tortoise backwards.

-Roald Dahl then.

-OK?

-Yeah.

-We're going with Roald Dahl, Jeremy.

Roald Dahl is the right answer. Just been reading it to my little girl.

-It's a great book, isn't it?

-Yeah.

OK, your second question.

A Crew, see if you can accrue £22,000.

In English folklore, which ferocious creature

was killed by Guy of Warwick?

-I've no idea.

-Instantly thinking no idea on that one.

Would it be a huge thing if somebody killed a worm?

I'm just thinking.

I know I'm going more towards Dragon of Wantley.

-Cos it sounds a bit more grand.

-That sounds like the obvious answer.

But, I mean, as we don't know,

I'm guessing at the one that looks obvious...

-Dragon of Wantley?

-Yeah.

We're going to go Dragon of Wantley.

I'm afraid it's not. Although the dragon sounds like the ferocious one

it's actually not. It's a cow, strangely.

What do we know about the Dun Cow?

-This ferocious cow.

-Not too much specifically,

but it was just a ferocious beast that Guy of Warwick,

who was one of the great champions, went out to fight.

It may have been Coventry

or somewhere round that way - I'm not too sure.

Not Durham? There's a Dun Cow pub in Durham.

-It could be Durham, possibly.

-OK. Eggheads, it's your second question.

Now, because they got that wrong, you can take the lead.

The 20th-century musician Richard Tauber

became famous in which role?

-Opera tenor. OK?

-Yeah.

He was a very great opera tenor.

Opera tenor is the right answer, Eggheads.

Maybe it helps when they know,

and they're so, you know...

They are good, but you can still win. Believe me, you can win.

£22,000. Here's your third question, but you've got to get it right.

Which artist's 1820 self-portrait

shows him during a serious illness, being tended by Dr Arrieta?

-I've heard of two.

-I've heard of two.

-But which two?

-Turner and Goya.

-Same as me then.

But I can't differentiate between the two on time and periods.

Personally to me, Turner sounds a little bit more famous.

Thinking I might have heard of the painting, which I haven't.

Due to the fact that we've both heard of Goya, maybe

-go for Goya?

-Yeah, let's try it.

I don't know why I'm instantly writing the first one off but,

-yeah, let's go with Goya.

-Yeah?

-We've heard of it, yeah.

-We're going to go Goya.

-Well, Turner, you'll know his paintings.

There's lots of storms and the sea and a train going over a bridge,

and lots of outdoor scenes, lots of weather.

So you're right to move away from Turner and it is Goya.

-Yes!

-You got it right.

Now, you need to hope the Eggheads get this wrong.

If you don't, the contest is over and you've won.

If you do get it wrong, we go to Sudden Death

and there's £22,000 to play for. Big jackpot.

Which church, the central church of the RAF,

was designed by Sir Christopher Wren?

-St Clement Danes.

-Yeah.

That's the central church of the RAF.

-Good. I'll go with that.

-St Clement Danes.

It's St Clement Danes, Jeremy.

You're right to be certain. You've got it right, Eggheads.

St Clement Danes it is and you have taken the contest,

so we say congratulations, you've won!

That's a particularly powerful quartet, those four,

-I'm just beginning to realise.

-Quite a tough team.

Quite tough when you get the four of them together.

So, there we go, commiserations to you.

The Eggheads have done what comes naturally to them

and their winning streak continues.

It does mean you won't be going home with the £22,000,

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 of challengers

have the brains to defeat the Eggheads.

£23,000 says they don't. Till then, goodbye.

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