Episode 123 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 challengers

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

They are the Eggheads.

And taking on the awesome might of our quiz Goliaths today are...

..from Lancashire, whose team of friends regularly attend the quiz night at their local, The Fairhaven,

in Lytham, where Tony is the quiz master.

-So why don't we meet them?

-Hi, I'm Jeff.

I'm 50 years old and I'm a site supervisor.

Hi. I'm Mick, I'm 59 years old, and I'm a retired IT project manager.

Hi. I'm Tony, I'm 67 years old. I'm a part-time teacher and illustrator.

Hi. I'm Mark, I'm 45, and I'm a supply chain specialist.

I'm Nick, I'm 39, and I'm a chartered accountant.

So, Jeff and team, welcome. So why are you called the Challenger's Challengers?

Obviously my surname is Challenger.

I was a bit nervous about coming on to this show.

As a quiz, Mick joined our team about September.

We'd won three or four rounds, and he'd got these ideas of grandeur

and said, "Why don't we go on the Eggheads?"

I was a bit reluctant. So they figured they could railroad me in

by calling the team Challenger's Challengers.

-To make it even worse, they made me the captain.

-There you go. You're in charge. It's a great name.

When I saw your name was Jeff Challenger,

-I thought, "Is that made up for today, or that's your real name?

-It is.

The Challenger's Challengers. Every day there is £1,000-worth of cash up for grabs for our challengers.

This could get confusing. If they fail to defeat the Eggheads,

the prize money rolls over to the next show.

So, I can tell you that the Eggheads have won the last two games,

which means that £3,000 says you can't beat them today.

The first head-to-head battle is on the subject of arts and books.

Who is the book person?

-Skip?

-I'm thinking Nick myself.

-I think Nick.

-I think Nick.

-OK.

-Do you want to do it?

-Sure.

-Nick, OK? Against which Egghead?

You can have any one of them.

-Pat. I think maybe Pat.

-Pat?

-Pat?

-Pat. I'll go with Pat.

-OK, it is Nick from Challenger's Challengers

vs Pat from the Eggheads on arts and books.

Just to ensure there's no conferring, take your positions in the question room.

I will ask three multiple choice questions.

Whoever answers the most questions correctly is the winner.

-Nick, your choice. Would you like to go first or second?

-I'll go first, please.

Good luck. The novel Gone With The Wind is set against the backdrop of which historical conflict? Is it...

Um, I haven't read the book, I have seen the film,

and therefore it is the American Civil War.

-It is. Well done.

-Go on, Nicky.

OK, Pat, Auguste Rodin's sculpture The Kiss,

housed in the Musee Rodin, is made of what material? Is it...

Most of his sculptures have stood outside,

so I think he tended to work in more durable materials

than clay and wood. I'll have to go for marble.

Marble is the right answer. Well done.

Back to you, Nick.

Diana and Callisto,

which was sold to the National Gallery for £45m in 2012, is a painting by which artist?

Well, I'm at an advantage because I've heard of all three of those,

but beyond that I'm not entirely sure.

Um... Diana and Callisto?

I'm tempted with Titian because it sounds kind of epic.

I'll take a punt with Titian, please?

Titian is the right answer.

-Go on, Nicky.

-Nicely done. Good logic there. OK, Pat,

the Trask family features in which 1952 John Steinbeck novel?

Of Mice and Men isn't really family based. I think it's two friends,

two unlikely friends, Lennie and George, I think.

The Grapes of Wrath is the Joad family, heading West from Oklahoma.

And I think it's Caleb and his brother in the Trasks.

-I think they're in East of Eden.

-Have you read all those?

No. No, I haven't. I have no idea how I acquired my Trask knowledge.

HE LAUGHS You sound very well-read anyway.

East of Eden is the right answer, Pat.

OK, Nick, get the third one right. Put him under pressure.

In which year was the Harold Pinter play The Birthday Party first performed?

I think '78 is perhaps little late.

I don't know a great deal about Pinter, but I think probably the Sixties,

the mid to late-Sixties, so I'll got with 1968.

-It's '58.

-Ah!

-Sorry. Earlier than we thought.

I would've gone with '68, too. '58 is the answer.

You've got two out of three. Let's see if Pat can knock you out.

Which poet described men as being like buses, saying in a poem,

"You wait for about a year, and as soon as one approaches your stop, two or three others appear."

Before the options came up I was thinking of Wendy Cope. Um...

It sounds a bit whimsical.

I think Carol Ann Duffy is reasonably serious.

I don't know much about Ruth Padel's poetry. I know she was in the running for a post in Oxford.

Um... I think I'll have to go with Wendy Cope.

You've got it right. Well done. Wendy Cope it is. Sorry, Nick.

That's tough. That is tough, and he is a very good player.

He's very quiet, Pat, but he's good on arts and books. I've noticed this. You've been knocked out, Nick.

-Oh, well.

-Pat is in the final. Come back and rejoin your teammates.

As it stands, the challengers have lost one brain from the final round,

the Eggheads have lost no brains. The next subject is politics. Who would like this?

-Nobody, really.

-Go on, Skip.

-It's up to you, Jeff.

-Mick, yeah?

-Do you want me to?

-Are you confident or not?

-I'm confident.

I'm confident of not winning, but I still want to take on Kevin.

-You want to take on Kevin?

-Yes.

-OK.

-Go for it, Mick.

-We're going to go with Mick, I think.

I like your style. You want to take on Kevin?

-I want to take on Kevin. It'd be an honour to lose to him.

-You're not going to lose.

-You haven't lost yet.

-I've been watching this programme for a long time.

He's very good, but he's like a massive mainframe computer. Sometimes you get a glitch and he'll crash.

Good luck, Mick from Challenger's Challengers vs Kevin from the Eggheads. Go to the question room.

I'll ask three questions on politics. Whoever answers the most correctly is the winner.

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

I'd like to go second, please, Jeremy.

Here we go, Kevin. Which politician married Sally Illman in 2002?

It's not Nick Clegg.

I think it's John Bercow. I think it's Sally Bercow.

John Bercow is the right answer. The Speaker of the House of Commons.

Mick, your question. Who won Russia's 2012 presidential election? Was it...

Well, I know it wasn't Abramovich. I haven't heard of the middle one.

I think Vladimir Putin was re-elected.

Vladimir Putin was indeed the answer. Well done. It was Putin.

Kevin, Charles Watson-Wentworth, Second Marques of Rockingham,

and John Stuart, Third Earl of Bute,

were prime ministers of Great Britain in which century?

They were two of the early prime ministers in the 18th century.

18th is the right answer.

Back to you, Mick. You're quizzing with Kevin.

-How does it feel?

-I've been watching Eggheads for a long time. This is quite a surreal moment, win or lose.

Listen, if you win it's even better.

Here's your question. Betty Boothroyd was a member of which political party

before becoming Speaker of the House of Commons in 1992?

I'm drawn towards Labour,

and I've always said that I'm going to go with my first instinct.

So I'm going to choose Labour.

Labour is the right answer.

So we've got two out of two for both of you.

Third question to you, Kevin.

Who resigned as a Northern Ireland minister in 1994

over allegations that he'd accepted money from Mohamed Al Fayed

to table parliamentary questions?

I must admit, I don't remember that. I don't think it was Edward Leigh.

I think he had quite a distinguished committee career.

Committee chairman, that sort of thing.

Tim Smith, with all due deference to him,

it's such a common name I'm not really familiar at all.

I'm going to go with Rod Richards, I think.

-You got it wrong.

-Oh. Tsk.

Tim Smith is the answer.

-Hey, what about this?

-Come on, Mick.

This is great, Mick. He wants to take on Kevin, he takes him on,

now you're one answer away from beating Kevin.

The National Trust property Dorneywood, which is traditionally the country residence

of a senior member of the government, is located in which county?

I'm going to saviour this moment for as long as I can, I think.

-I think he knows it.

-I've not heard of it.

For no particular reason I'm thinking Kent or Buckinghamshire.

I'm going to go Buckinghamshire.

Mick, you've just knocked Kevin out of Eggheads.

Your ambition to take him on, now you've realised the dream.

Buckinghamshire is right. Well done. That's where Dorneywood is. What about that, Kevin?

You're not in the final round. Mick's knocked you out and will be in the final.

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

Mick, maybe it was meant to be? You take on Kevin and you knock him out.

-I don't know. Do I get a certificate?

-You should. So, it's looking better for you.

The challengers have lost one brain, the Eggheads have lost one brain as well. The next subject is sport.

-I'm thinking somebody wants this.

-I wanted it.

-Oh, you wanted it?

The question is, though, who do we go with?

Do you want to go for Judith or Chris?

-Chris, I think.

-Chris?

-Go on, it doesn't matter.

-I'll take 'em all on.

-You can do it. Go for Chris. Chris.

Mark from Challenger's Challengers against Chris from the Eggheads. Go to the question room now.

So I will ask each of you three question on sport.

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

I think I'll go first, please.

Here we go. Good luck. Which position is most associated with the footballer Carlos Tevez?

Ooh. Carlos Tevez?

I don't think he's a goalkeeper because of his size.

Um... He doesn't strike me as being that rugged for a defender,

so I think I will go with striker.

I think you knew the answer straightaway.

Striker is the correct answer.

Chris, when did Alec Stewart first play Test match cricket for England?

Alec Stewart? That's a bit of a long way away, isn't it?

Not as far back as 1970, not as late as 1990.

-So I'll go with 1980.

-No, it's not. It's 1990.

-Is it?

Yeah. So Mark is ahead already. Here's your question.

Which golfer won three Majors in 2000?

Oh. Mick's our golfing expert.

Um... The obvious answer to me, I think, is Tiger Woods.

-So we'll go with Tiger Woods.

-Is he right, Mick?

-He is right.

You are right. Tiger Woods it is.

Chris, the English Rugby Union player Chris Robshaw

represented which Premiership club during the 2011/12 season?

Saracens ground is shared with Watford?

Same as last time, down the middle, Saracens.

-OK, if you've got this wrong, you're out, aren't you?

-Yeah.

Let's just check, cos you don't normally score zero. But you have done. It's Harlequins.

Mmm. I'll get my coat.

-Mark, how about that? A walkover.

-Things happen.

-You can only answer the questions you know the answers to.

-Well done. You're in the final round.

Your team is playing very, very well. Chris is also a casualty.

If you both come back we will play the next round.

As it stands, the challengers have lost one brain and the Eggheads have lost two from the final round.

Film and TV is the last subject before the final. Who'd like this?

-It's got to be Tony or Jeff.

-It can't be you. It can't be me.

-It's got to be me.

-I think it's you, Jeff.

-OK, the Challenger himself against?

-I'm going to go Barry. I'll take Barry.

-OK.

It is the Challenger himself from Challenger's Challengers

against Barry from the Eggheads on film and TV

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

OK, Jeff, good luck here. Your team are playing well.

-It's film and TV. Would you like the first or second set of questions?

-I think I'll go first, please.

Here we go. Good luck. At what time is the TV programme Newsnight

usually broadcast on BBC2? Is it...

I'm not that sure about that one, to be honest with you.

I don't think it's as early as six-thirty.

And maybe not eight-thirty.

I think I'm tempted to go with ten-thirty, Jeremy.

I'm so glad you did, cos I used to present it and I'd feel so bad for them if you got that wrong.

-Ten-thirty is the right answer. Well done.

-Good lad.

OK, Barry, who played Cruella de Vil in the 1996 film 101 Dalmatians,

and its sequel, 102 Dalmatians?

Oh, she played it with great flair and much panache.

I believe it was Glenn Close.

You're very close with that answer. Glenn Close is correct.

Jeff, over to you.

Who played the young CIA agent Matt Weston in the 2012 film Safe House?

It's not a film I've seen.

Erm...

I'm not familiar with these actors, to be honest with you.

Um... I don't think it's Tom Hardy.

I'm tempted to do what one of their colleagues does, a Daphne special,

and not go in the middle.

I'm going to go to the right. I'm going to go Chris Evans, please.

I wish you'd gone down the middle, cos it's Ryan Reynolds.

It's Ryan Reynolds. But you're right to rule out Tom Hardy.

Barry, in which year was the TV show I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here

first broadcast? Was it...

I'm going to be in serious trouble with my wife if I get this wrong.

She's an absolute devotee of this show.

I think it's been running a long time. I'm going to go for 2002.

Brilliant, Barry. Well done. You're right.

Your wife will be pleased. OK, Jeff.

Terry Rossio is best-known for his expertise in which film discipline?

He's not an actor. I think he's a screenwriter.

Bang on. Well done. You're still in it.

That's very useful. You would've been knocked out if you'd got it wrong.

Barry, it's your round if you get this right.

Which character was played by Kirstie Alley in the TV series Cheers?

It wasn't Carla Tortelli, I know that,

and I don't believe it was Diane Chambers.

I believe it was Rebecca Howe.

-What do you think, Challenger's Challengers? Is he right?

-He's right.

You're right. You've knocked out the Challenger himself.

Rebecca Howe is right. You will be in the final round. Sorry, Jeff.

You both come back to us now. We'll play the final.

This is what we've been playing towards. It's the final round, which is general knowledge.

But those of you who lost your head-to-heads won't be allowed to take part.

That is Jeff and Nick from Challenger's Challengers, and Kevin and Chris from the Eggheads.

Would you please now leave the studio?

OK, Mick, Tony and Mark, you are playing to win Challenger's Challengers £3,000.

Judith, Pat and Barry, you are playing for something money can't really buy. The Eggheads' reputation.

As usual, I will ask each team three questions in turn. These are all general knowledge.

Gentlemen, you can confer. Now Mick, Tony and Mark,

the question is, are you able, with your three brains, to destroy the Eggheads?

-Would you like to go first or second?

-Second, do you say?

-First or second?

-I'd like to go second.

-Second.

-We're in the game longer.

We've decided we'd like to go second, please.

Here we go, final round. Good luck. Squaw Valley, which hosted the Winter Olympics in 1960,

is a resort in which US state?

-It's California, isn't it?

-It's California.

-Lake Placid is New York State, Squaw Valley is California.

-I'm happy with that

The Winter Olympics were held there.

-They've never been held in Delaware or Wisconsin.

-OK.

We think it's California.

California is the right answer. Well done. Over to you guys.

"I've been cheated by you since I don't know when, so I made up my mind it must come to an end,"

are the opening lines to which ABBA song?

-Um...

-"Waterloo", that doesn't start with that, does it?

Jeff will be telling us this one.

"Waterloo"?

HE HUMS "Waterloo"

-Doesn't it start with Waterloo?

-No, it's not.

"Waterloo" starts with Waterloo.

-I think "Waterloo" starts with Waterloo.

-"Dancing Queen".

-# Mamma Mia... #

-It must be that one.

Took me a while to get there, but let's go that.

-"Mamma Mia".

-We'll go with "Mamma Mia".

# I've been cheated by you Since I don't know when... #

-You're right. "Mamma Mia" is the answer.

-Good man.

-Well done.

The brain is working. Eggheads,

the suricate is another name for which animal?

-Meerkat.

-Meerkat.

-Definitely.

-Definitely meerkat.

-Definitely meerkat.

-OK. It's a meerkat.

Meerkat is absolutely right.

Over to you, Challenger's Challengers. Your second question.

For how many years was Edward the Confessor king of England?

Edward the Confessor?

-Was he one of the early ones?

-Yes.

I don't know this.

Edward the Confessor was...

Was he not 1066?

I'd go for the shortest one, but...

-Right.

-I don't know.

-Actually, why would we go with the shortest?

-I should know this.

-You should know this.

-A man of your stature.

-Um...

-Keep thinking.

-'66. That would take us to...

Let Tony have a think.

-I'd go for 29.

-29?

-29.

-On what basis?

Gut reaction.

If you're happy with 29, we will not hold it against you.

-No.

-Promise.

-No.

Right, well, I think, after due deliberation,

-we'll go for 29.

-29? OK.

And you were right about 1066, so you got the end year bang on.

-Eggheads?

-I'm not sure. I've got 24 going through my mind.

24 is the right answer.

It's the shortest one. 1042 to 1066.

OK, let's see. If the Eggheads get this right they've taken the contest.

Which explorer led a 1577 expedition

in a fleet consisting of the ships Aid, Gabriel and Michael?

-If you get this right, you've taken the contest.

-It wasn't Cabot.

-Cabot's ship was called the Matthew.

-This is Sebastian. That was John.

-Ah, that's true.

-Sebastian went down to Brazil, didn't he?

-Yeah.

-John did Canada.

-That's true.

-I don't know.

-Sebastian Cabot, is he the son of the other?

-I think he is.

So he's later.

-Frobisher did Canadian waters, didn't he?

-Yes.

-Hudson did Canada.

-Hudson, I think, only had one ship. He was set adrift, wasn't he?

-To die.

-I don't think there were three ships.

-What are their dates? Do you know?

Cabot was probably the earliest, then Frobisher.

-Even though he's the son?

-Cabot went in Tudor times, didn't he?

-Yes.

-So he's a long time back.

-I have a feeling it's Frobisher,

-but I can't pin it down.

-I think it's either Frobisher or Cabot.

Would they have had three ships to Brazil, or more ships to Canada?

-Who'd have commissioned?

-Where did Frobisher go? Canada?

-Yeah.

-It might be too late for Cabot.

-I think it's too early for Hudson and Frobisher.

-It's too early for Frobisher?

-Very early. It's only 80 years after Columbus.

-Shall we go for Cabot?

-I have a feeling Cabot is the oldest of those three, but that's not very sound.

-All right, I'll go with you. I really don't know.

-OK.

-We're very doubtful.

-I can tell.

But we think Sebastian Cabot is the most likely.

Right, Sebastian Cabot is your answer. You had...

The closest you got to an inkle seemed to be Barry with Frobisher.

But it wasn't very strong.

You should have listened to Barry. Martin Frobisher is the answer, so you're still in it.

Here's your question. If you get this right, it's level.

If you get it wrong, the contest is over. Peenemunde, on Germany's Baltic coast,

was the site during World War II of the development of what military innovation?

Have you any idea?

-I'm thinking something to do with...

-At first I thought sonar.

Submarines, but...

-Submarines. There was the V-2.

-The V-2 was a missile, wasn't it?

-Yeah.

-It's not helicopter.

-I don't think it's helicopter.

Sonar?

Sonar.

I think it is. They do loads of bombing raids on that area.

On the V-1 or the V-2.

-Missile?

-Yeah.

We've come to the conclusion that it's missile.

Very good. Missile is correct.

-Well done.

-Well done, Tony.

Pulled it out of the fire. I thought you were on the edge of going out,

but it hasn't happened. We go to sudden death.

It's a bit harder. I don't give you alternative answers.

Eggheads, you first.

"Es" is the chemical symbol for which radioactive metallic element,

which was named after a famous scientist born in 1879?

-"Es"?

-Einsteinium, is it?

1879?

1905 was his annus mirabilis and he was about 26 then,

so that would be spot on for 1879, wouldn't it?

-If Einsteinium isn't Es, then what is it?

-Yes.

-It must be Einsteinium.

-It's Einsteinium.

Einsteinium is the right answer. Well done.

OK, pressure's on here. The perils of going second, isn't it?

On which daily newspaper was Ian Wooldridge a sports writer for over 40 years?

-Daily Mail.

-Daily Mail.

It rings a bell. I just can't think which one it was.

Daily Mail, unless it was the Sunday Mail?

-I think it was the Daily Mail.

-The Daily Mail.

Daily Mail is the right answer. Playing well. Playing very well.

OK, Eggheads, the singer/songwriter Elizabeth Grant, who was born in New York in 1986,

is better known by what stage name?

-I think it's Lana Del Rey.

-OK.

-I think.

-Are you sure?

-Well...

-Are you certain enough?

-I'm confident, not certain.

-She's Lana Del Rey.

-Lana Del Rey is correct.

-OK. They don't let up, do they?

-Nope.

Your question. The Dream,

which depicts a naked woman reclining on a sofa in a jungle

was the final work by which French artist?

If you get this wrong, the contest is over.

-The first name and a surname.

-Yes.

First name and surname.

Just recall it...

All I know is his second name is Rousseau. Is it Jacques?

-I've heard of Jacques Rousseau.

-I thought he played for Arsenal.

He was a primitive...

Um...

They called him Le Douanier, Rousseau, for his first job,

which was a customs officer.

It's not Theodore Rousseau.

They all sound pretty plausible to me. You read it in a book.

-Jacques.

-I think we've got the surname, but...

We've got the surname. We've got what he was called, his nickname.

I've heard all your conversation. I'd love to give you a point for that, but

-it has to be first name, last name.

-Edward...

-I don't know, Tony.

-Theodore?

-Jacques?

You went with Jacques first.

I don't think it was Jacques.

-I'll go for Edward.

-Give me the full answer.

Edwards, in brackets, Le Douanier Rousseau.

OK.

-Eggs?

-Henri Rousseau.

-Henri.

You know what? You were going through your French names, I'm thinking, "Say Henri." You'd have got it.

Jacques, Pierre, all of them,

and I could see you really know your stuff, Tony,

but I'm sorry, I can't give it to you. It's Henri Rousseau.

So we have to say congratulations, Eggheads. You have won.

It is a tough rule, that. We've had occasions before

where we've felt almost cruel having it.

It's first name and surname, it really is.

So I'm sorry, and you came so close there.

Thanks for coming. Absolutely brilliant to see you all. It's been a lot of fun for us, too.

The Eggheads have done what comes naturally to them, and they still reign supreme.

It does mean you won't be going home with the £3,000.

The money now rolls over to our next show. Eggheads, well done again.

Who will beat you? Join us next time

to see if a new team of challengers have the brains to defeat the Eggheads.

£4,000 says they don't. Until then, goodbye.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd