Episode 114 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.

Taking on our awesome general knowledge geniuses

are Quizlington. This team of colleagues all work

for Islington Council in London. Let's meet them.

Hi, I'm Uma, I'm 25 and I'm a political researcher.

Hi, I'm Anna, I'm 33 and I'm head of the Leader's Office.

Hi, I'm James, I'm 28 and I'm a councillor.

Hi, my name's Alice, I'm 30 and I'm a councillor.

Hi, I'm Matt, I'm 26 and I'm a political researcher.

So, Uma and team, welcome. Nice to see you.

You hang out in the office, then you quiz together?

Well, we work 24 hours a day.

-Oh, really?

-Yeah.

-And in our time off, we come here!

And you're officials in the council or political people or what?

We're political people. Two of us are councillors

and the other three are the staff in their office.

So one of you is going to be Prime Minister in 30 years' time and we have to try and stay in with you?

-I think we plan to take it on rotation.

-Good luck, Quizlington.

-Thank you.

-Every day, there is £1,000 of cash up for grabs for our challengers.

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

So, Quizlington, the Eggheads have won the last 24 games.

£25,000 is on the table here. That's what says you can't beat them.

-Do you want to try?

-And 26 tomorrow.

OK, yeah, just ring in and take the next day off work.

The first head-to-head battle is on Geography.

So who is the geographer here?

Who's been outside Islington?

-Team?

-I think we need to keep James for Science. Uma, why don't you go for it?

-Uma goes on more holidays.

-That does not mean I'm going up for Geography!

We need James for Science.

-Otherwise...

-Uma's already been to four countries this year, so I think she should step up to the plate.

Uma, you've been volunteered.

Much like the nature of my job, yes.

Who would you like to take on here? You've got any one of these five.

-I think you should take on Pat at Geography.

-Pat or Barry.

-At this stage, it's always daunting.

-All to play for. Why not?

-Pat?

-Yeah.

OK, so Uma from Quizlington against Pat from the Eggheads on Geography.

-You're looking rather happy with that.

-I'm very happy.

To ensure no conferring, please take your positions in the question room.

Right, so Geography it is. I'll ask each of you three multiple choice questions in turn.

Whoever answers the most questions goes through to the final.

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

-I'll go first.

Good luck to you and your team.

What is the capital of New Zealand?

I got sent the wrong way to New Zealand just a couple of months ago,

so I should know the answer to this.

And something's telling me it's not Dunedin.

I haven't really heard of it.

I've heard of Wellington, but I'm going to go for Christchurch.

Daphne is our correspondent on that area because you've been there once.

-Yes.

-What's the answer here? Do you know?

-Wellington.

Wellington is the answer, Uma.

Pat, your question. In which part of France is Paris located?

The west, the south or the north.

You'd have to describe Paris as being in the north.

It's four-fifths of the way up the country, so I'll go for north.

-North is right. Have you been there recently?

-I have. It was divine.

I went for three or four days. It was wonderful.

Here's your question, Uma.

The Tamiami Trail is a scenic route through which US state?

The Tamiami Trail? I can't say I'm familiar with it.

But I'm going to try and make a learned guess here.

Washington, uh...political capital.

I can't say I've heard of people going trekking through there.

California, Sun City, as is Florida.

I'm going to go with California.

It is Florida. It is Florida, Uma.

OK, Pat, if you get this right,

you're in the final round. A system or group of parallel mountain ranges is known by what name?

I can't recall the exact meaning of the Spanish word.

But the Andes is a classic example. It's a cordillera.

Do you think he's right, Uma? Cordillera? He looks right.

Yes, I think he's probably right.

He's usually right, in truth.

Pat, cordillera is right. Well done. You're in the final round.

Uma, you've been knocked out.

But it's a very early start for your team. Let's see what happens next. Do come back and rejoin your teams.

-So, as it stands, the challengers have lost a brain, Captain.

-Oh!

But you can still take control of the team and make sure you win the contest. That's the key thing.

The Eggheads have lost no brains so far. An awful lot of money as the jackpot.

They have had a big winning streak and it's got to end some time. Film & TV is the next subject.

Who would like this?

-Do you want to go for it?

-Yeah.

-Yeah, you go for it?

-Yeah, I'll go for it.

-Anna...

-I will go for it.

Against which Egghead? Obviously not Pat.

-Any suggestions?

-I'd go for Chris.

-Chris is really clever.

-But about TV and celebrities?

He looks more into academic...

They're telling me Chris. I'm not convinced this is wise.

-I missed the argument on Chris.

-He's so brainy, maybe he's reading books, not watching telly.

-His TV's the wrong way round and he hasn't noticed?

-I don't know.

OK, Anna from Quizlington against Chris from the Eggheads. Please go to the question room now.

-Good luck in this round.

-Thank you.

-I'll ask you three questions on Film & Television.

Whoever answers the most goes through to the final.

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

-Second, please.

That's taken us by surprise, someone going second, so I'll give the first set to you, Chris.

What is the profession of Mel Gibson's character Martin Riggs in the film Lethal Weapon?

Yeah, he's paired up with Danny Glover as Murtaugh

on the verge of retirement. He's a policeman.

Policeman is the right answer. Over to you, Anna.

Where was the TV presenter Graham Norton born?

Well, I know his accent from watching him on TV.

He's definitely from Ireland, so Republic of Ireland.

Absolutely right. Graham is from the Republic of Ireland.

In January 2012, it was announced that which Oscar-winning actress

would be joining the cast of the TV show Downton Abbey?

Oh, yes, I was listening to Hugh Bonneville on the radio a while back

and it's Shirley MacLaine.

It is indeed Shirley MacLaine. Anna, your question.

In 1979, which film director married the actress Isabella Rossellini?

Oh, um...

I don't think it's James Cameron

because I think I remember who his wife was.

She directed a film that won an Oscar.

I will go for Martin Scorsese. It's a bit of a gamble.

You're absolutely right. It is Scorsese.

Chris, which Loose Women panellist

won the January 2012 series of Celebrity Big Brother?

Ah...

Now, I do watch Loose Women, but I don't watch Big Brother.

Denise Welch had a lot going on in her private life at the time.

I don't think she was in Big Brother.

Sherrie Hewson is a rather eccentric lady.

I think she'd get voted out pretty quickly.

So I'll have to go with Lisa Maxwell.

Yeah, I always love your logic.

The more careful you are and logical,

the less likely you are to get it right.

-Denise Welch is the answer.

-Oh!

-Just led you away there.

-Yeah.

-So you watch Loose Women?

-While I'm having my dinner, yeah.

I didn't know that. It's always good to know a fact about you.

-Carol Vorderman appears in Loose Women?

-Yeah, two days out of five.

-You know which days, don't you?

-No.

OK...

He loves CV.

He absolutely loves her.

Anna, Jessica Chastain received an Academy Award nomination

for her performance in which 2011 film?

Um... Oh...

I've never heard of her.

But I know that, um...

The Help was shortlisted

for some actress and supporting actress categories,

so I'm going to take a gamble on that.

The Help is your answer. You're in the final round. You got it right.

Well done. You knocked out Chris.

Things are turning around for our Quizlingtons here.

Do, both of you, please come back to us here.

The challengers have lost one brain and the Eggheads have also lost a brain from the final round.

The next subject is Arts & Books. Who wants this?

-It's you, isn't it?

-I'll have to do it.

Alice, you sound... Hang on, wait.

LAUGHTER Sorry.

-You sound rather reluctant. You're going to have to do it.

-Do any of you two want to do it?

-No.

-That's it. You're doing it.

Against which Egghead? Anyone but Chris and Pat.

-Barry.

-Barry?

-Yeah.

-OK, Alice from Quizlington versus Barry from the Eggheads. Arts & Books it is.

Please take your positions.

Alice, do you have a big tradition of politics in your family?

My father is a cab driver, but he's also a councillor as well.

-Did you talk about politics at the breakfast table when you were a teenager?

-Yeah.

I think we drive some other members of our family mad discussing it a lot,

but my dad brought us up from a very young age talking about his political values,

so I'm sure that had an impact on us.

If you're aiming to go somewhere in politics, do you think MP or MEP...?

I'm not thinking at all like that. I'm just trying to do a good job for my constituents.

You'll definitely be a politician. That's a great evasive answer. OK, three questions.

-The subject is Arts & Books. Alice, you can choose the first or second set of questions.

-I'll go first.

Good luck. What is the name of the pigment associated with the appearance of old photographs?

I have an app on my phone where you can make pictures go in sepia,

so the answer is sepia.

Sepia is the right answer. Barry, your question.

In which language was the epic poem The Aeneid originally written?

The Aeneid was by Virgil and Virgil was a Roman poet,

so I suspect it was written in Latin.

It was indeed written in Latin. If I said that with slight resentment,

it's because I had to study it at school.

The philosopher, journalist and novelist William Godwin was the father of which literary figure?

George Eliot would be earlier, so...

Journalism is a more modern occupation,

maybe more kind of like...

19th century, so I'm just going to guess Virginia Woolf.

-Barry, do you know the answer?

-Yes, it's Mary Shelley.

Mary Shelley's mother was Mary Wollstonecraft

who wrote A Vindication Of The Rights Of Woman

and was once described by Horace Walpole as "a hyena in petticoats".

Mary Shelley is the answer. Sorry, Alice.

OK, Barry, to take the lead...

Separate Tables, a work by the playwright Terence Rattigan, was first performed in which year?

It's certainly not as late as '74.

I don't think it's as early as 1934,

but I'm in two minds now.

Terence Rattigan...

How early is he?

I've changed my mind. I'm going to go for 1934.

-No, it's 1954.

-BARRY LAUGHS

Alice...

"You may talk o' gin and beer" is the opening line to which Rudyard Kipling poem?

For some reason...

I have a feeling it's Mandalay, but I don't really know why.

I'll go for that because I'm not really sure.

That's my instinct. Mandalay.

-Mandalay is your answer, but it's wrong. Gunga Din.

-Oh, OK.

Chris, give us a blast of this.

You may talk o' gin and beer when you're quartered safe out 'ere

An' you're sent to penny-fights an' Aldershot it

But when it comes to slaughter, you'll do your work on water

And you'll lick the bloomin' boots of 'im that's got it.

Well done. Very good. Well done, Chris. Barry, your question.

Get this right and you're in the final.

As well as winning the prize, which artist was shortlisted for the Turner Prize

on another three occasions during the '80s?

Ah. Malcolm Morley was the first winner, I do believe, of the Turner Prize.

I don't think he would have been nominated for anything after that.

I've a feeling this was Richard Long.

Richard Long is the right answer.

Alice, sorry.

He's knocked you out. Do both come back and rejoin your team-mates.

So the challengers have lost two brains, the Eggheads have lost one brain from the final round.

One more round before the final. Sport.

Who would like this?

-Definitely Matt.

-Matt?

-We agreed beforehand it would be me on Sport.

-Against?

-I heard a whisper that Tremendous Knowledge has tremendous knowledge of sport,

-so I'll discount Dave and choose Daphne.

-OK, it is Matt versus Daphne.

-Relishing the opportunity of Sport?

-No.

To ensure there's no conferring, please go to the Question Room.

I'll ask each of you three questions in turn. Matt, first or second set?

Having seen how Anna went through, I'm going to go for second.

Here we go, Daphne. What was Ashley Cole's squad number for Chelsea during the 2011/2012 season?

I've no idea!

-10.

-3!

-Oh.

-Sorry.

OK, Matt.

Which position is most associated with the England rugby union player Ben Youngs?

I think scrum-half is quite a tough kind of position.

And so I don't think he fits into that. It's between flanker and wing.

So..

I'm going to go for flanker.

-Anyone know on your team?

-No.

-It is scrum-half.

I thought you'd get it straight away. OK, Daphne.

How many Test Match wickets did cricketer Ian Botham take?

I hate numbers!

Right.

I think he took a lot, so I shall go for 383.

One of the answers was not a lot, but 383 is correct.

-Well done. 283 is a lot as well, isn't it?

-Yes.

He took a lot, so it must be 383. Love that.

OK, Matt, your question

to catch up. In which year did the boxer Joe Louis fight the last professional bout of his career

against Rocky Marciano?

Right. This is quite a famous fight.

Rocky Marciano cried in the dressing room as he'd knocked out his hero

and he was really upset. It's just a case of pinning down when it was.

I think Joe Louis was at his best before the war, so that takes out 1931 and 1941.

He probably carried on too long, leaving 1951, so I'll guess that.

1951 is the right answer.

You know your boxing.

Daphne, your question.

Which female tennis player won three Grand Slam singles titles in 1962?

Nineteen-sixty-two.

Maria Bueno.

Is the wrong answer. It was Margaret Court, Daphne.

So you have a chance, Matt,

if you get this one right. The Austrian Hubert Raudaschl

competed in nine consecutive Olympic Games between 1964 and 1996 in which sport?

OK.

Well, to compete in a sport for that length of time suggests it doesn't rely on great physical fitness.

I think sailing and fencing both rely on quite a lot of running around and being big and strong.

Also, I think Austria like to do the one with skiing and shooting

and it's quite a big sport over there, so I'll go for shooting.

Do any Eggheads know?

-I would have gone shooting.

-What about you, Daphne?

-I think it's fencing.

-It's sailing.

Everyone in the studio is wrong.

So we go to sudden death now.

You both got one point in Sport. We go to Daphne. First question for you, Daphne.

I don't give you alternatives. Which female British gymnast

won a gold medal on the uneven bars at the 2010 World Championships?

Beth Tweddle.

Wow! Where did that come from?

Well, she's the only really good British gymnast we've got.

Beth Tweddle is the right answer. I thought, "She'll not get that."

Matt, which football coach was given temporary charge of the England national football team

in February, 2012?

It was the Under 21 manager who was promoted to a full-time role. Stuart Pearce.

Stuart Pearce, known as Psycho, is correct.

Sudden death. Pretty tense here.

A lot of money to play for. £25,000.

In which decade was the Olympic swimmer Duncan Goodhew born?

1950s?

1950s is correct.

'57.

And he won an Olympic gold

in 1980 in the 100m breaststroke. Here's your question, Matt,

to stay in. You get this wrong, you're gone.

In 1984, the German athlete Uwe Hohn set what has become an eternal world record

in which athletics event?

I can't think of many good German runners or sprinters, so I'm thinking more of a field event.

But there's a lot to choose from. I'm going to guess a throwing one - discus?

Oh, you're so close. Discus, you say? It's not. He threw the javelin

over 104 metres. And then they changed the equipment so no one will ever get that near.

Daphne, you've taken the round.

On sport as well! Not your strongest suit.

Matt, sorry. You've been knocked out, so the final will be tricky.

Both come back to us and we'll play it.

This is what we have been playing towards - the final round on general knowledge.

But those of you who lost

won't be allowed to take part.

So that is Uma, Alice and Matt from Quizlington

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

Well, good luck, Anna and James. This is the big one.

You're playing to win £25,000 for your team, Quizlington.

Dave, Daphne, Barry and Pat are playing for something money can't buy - the Eggheads' reputation.

I will ask each team three questions in turn, all general knowledge,

and you are allowed to confer. So are your two brains better than the Eggheads' four?

-You don't have to answer that! First or second?

-I think second.

Here we go. £25,000. Big jackpot.

Which of the sons of Queen Elizabeth II has the middle names Philip Arthur George?

-Charles?

-Yeah. Diana said them in the wrong order.

We think the answer is Prince Charles.

Prince Charles is correct. OK, over to you, Quizlington.

What is the one-word title of a 1984 single by Van Halen

that reached number 7 in the UK and number 1 in the US?

I've heard of a song called Jump! Possibly a remix or remake of it.

I was thinking Breathe, but I don't know.

I'd definitely defer to you if you think Breathe is better.

Oh...I don't know. It's just the one sticking out.

But I'm thinking Shout is Lulu, obviously, isn't it?

Jump I think might be someone else. Van Halen...

-Are you leaning towards Breathe?

-I am. Sorry if that's wrong!

-No, I'm happy to go with that. OK, go with it?

-OK.

OK, we'd like to go with Breathe.

Breathe is your answer.

-When were you guys born?

-'83.

-'78.

-So you might have heard this.

-No...

-Jump is Van Halen.

-Oh, no. Sorry!

It's Jump. It's Jump, I'm sorry.

OK, Eggheads, get this and you put pressure on the challengers.

The financial protection scheme for holidaymakers known as ATOL

stands for Air Travel what?

Have you had this?

Well, it's a protection scheme.

I'm just wondering - Overseas Licensing?

That looks better than Organisers' to me, but I really don't know.

I've seen that. I've seen the initials.

-I've a slight preference for Organisers', but nothing to back it up.

-There's a scheme there.

It's when you... It's when they go bust.

Basically, you're protected...

You know, you're insured to get refunds on that.

That might be overseas, then.

-There could be a home company and overseas.

-When companies go bust,

it's people being left abroad that's the big problem.

It could be Organisers'. I'm leaning more to...

- It's a turkey shoot, really. - That's a more general term.

Organisers' Licensing looks... OK, are we agreed Organisers' Licensing?

Organisers'.

Right, we don't really know,

but we've got an inkling

that we'll go with Organisers' Licensing.

OK. A very uncertain performance.

You were working it through and going to go for Overseas,

then Pat chipped in a little comment on Organisers' and you listened.

-Yes, I did.

-And you're right!

-It's correct.

-Well done!

Pulled it out the fire. I thought they were gone.

I really did.

OK, you have to get this one right

otherwise the contest is over

because you went second. Evelyn "Billie" Frechette was the girlfriend of which gangster?

I have no idea! Do you?

Do you know anything about those people? Al Capone...

I've heard of and know. I don't know John Dillinger.

Never heard of him. The other two I've heard of in films,

but I couldn't name their girlfriend. I'll defer to you!

So make an educated guess.

I'm torn. Al Capone seems like an obvious choice.

Maybe it's so obvious, it's not.

-Have you heard of Bugsy Siegel?

-I have.

-What do we know about Bugsy Siegel?

-Gangster!

I don't know. I really don't know anything about them. So...

-Maybe...

-Bugsy Siegel?

-Yeah, maybe.

-Yeah?

-Yeah, OK.

We're going to go for Bugsy Siegel.

Bugsy Siegel is your answer. It's tricky if you don't know. Eggheads?

I'd have gone Bugsy Siegel.

-Are Bugsy Malone, Bugsy Siegel different people?

-Yeah!

Was Bugsy Malone a gangster? A film character.

She's not the Woman in Red, is she? With John Dillinger?

John Dillinger is right. That does mean we say congratulations, Eggheads.

You have won.

Well, bad luck. The Woman in Red? I don't know who that is.

-Somebody who set John Dillinger up.

-Chris is shaking his head. The man in red is shaking his head.

The Woman in Red was a mystery figure who may have tipped off the Feds to wait for Dillinger

when he was gunned down. Billie Frechette was his girlfriend.

Chris spends a lot of time watching The Godfather and Sopranos. Sorry you didn't know.

And sorry we've come to grief and these Eggheads have won, but they're winning a lot.

They're in powerful mood. The Eggheads have done what comes naturally to them.

You won't be going home to Quizlington with £25,000,

so the money rolls over. Eggheads, congratulations. It's remarkable.

Who's going to beat you? I can't see it happening. Can you?

Join us next time to see if a new team can defeat the Eggheads.

£26,000 says they don't. Until then, goodbye.

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