Episode 14 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 Britain's greatest quiz team. They are the Eggheads.

Taking on the might of our quiz Goliaths today

are Team Edward.

Everyone on this team is either a current, or former, employee

of Leeds Metropolitan University.

They quiz together once a month and, apparently, the ladies are to blame for their team name.

Let's meet them.

Hello. My name's David. I'm 35. I'm an events management lecturer.

Hi, I'm Sharon. I'm 35 and I'm a senior lecturer.

Hello, I'm Tony. I'm 29 years old. I'm an international administrator.

Hi, I'm Lisa. I'm 28 and I'm an executive PA.

I'm Kate. I'm 27 and I'm a student administrator.

So welcome, Team Edward. Tell me about the team name, Sharon.

Why Team Edward?

The girls, we all had a bit of a Twilight fascination,

reading the Twilight books.

When we first went to do the quiz, we grabbed the team sheet,

decided we were Team Edward, our favourite vampire, and the boys never got a look in, I'm afraid.

Do you think any of the boys resemble, erm, R-Patz?

-Well, I wouldn't possibly like to comment on that.

-OK, then!

Let's hope you don't end up in the twilight after taking on the Eggheads.

-Look at that one in the middle there.

-Vampire.

Straight from Transylvania, that one, isn't he(?)

I'll tell you what's going on. Every day, there's £1,000 worth of cash up for grabs for our challengers.

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

The Eggheads have won just the last game,

so that means £2,000 says you can't beat them.

Our first head-to-head today comes up as Science.

Who'd like to play this?

We did say, didn't we?

-We thought it would come up first.

-Should I do it, then?

-I think, Kate, you're up.

-OK, I'll do Science.

-OK, you'll kick us off, Kate. Which Egghead would you like?

-Judith?

We'll go with Judith.

OK, it's going to be Kate and Judith into the Question Room, please.

-Kate, would you like to go first or second?

-I'll go first, please.

OK, here you go, then.

What term is used to describe the tails of certain creatures,

such as the spider monkey, that are able to grasp or hold objects?

Erm...

..I'm not sure.

I'm going to just take a guess and go with the first one, preternatural.

OK. Well, it's certainly not prehistoric, but it's prehensile.

A tail that is more or less an extra hand, I suppose.

Nothing there for Kate.

Judith, anaerobic respiration is a process in plant

and animal cells where energy is released from food without using which specific element?

I think it's...

Aerobics and all that, and anaerobic, I think it's oxygen.

Of course it is. Without oxygen - anaerobic.

So, one there for Judith.

We need to get you on the board, Kate.

What name is given to the fleshy whisker-like sensory filaments

that extend from the mouth area in some fish?

Again, I'm not too sure. I'm going to go with the first one, barbels.

Barbels is the right answer. You are on the board. Good.

Right. OK, Judith,

your question to go back in the lead, potentially.

What colour is cholesterol?

Cholesterol - the stuff in your blood?

Well, I suppose the blood could tinge it red. Erm...

As it's sort of gunky, it might be brown.

But it's made of butter and cream and all good things, isn't it?!

-I think it's probably white.

-Yeah, it is white.

Gunky and white, urgh! Let's not talk any more about it.

It means you've got the lead and means

also it's important you get this, Kate, to stay in the round.

On an aircraft, what is a pitot tube used to determine?

Erm...I'm not sure. I think I'm going to guess at air speed.

Air speed is correct. Good guess!

And speeding along,

but, of course,

failed to get the monkey's tail, and Judith has an opportunity.

In the 1810s, the British Army captain, George Manby, devised

a forerunner of what piece of modern-day safety equipment?

Why would he invent a fire extinguisher?

They all wore uniforms,

so they wouldn't have had a high-visibility vest.

I don't know. I think it's either fire extinguisher or lifeboat.

The right is sometimes lucky. I'm going to go for lifeboat.

It's punctured! Not lucky this time.

It's the other one, the fire extinguisher.

But what that means is

your hopes were not extinguished, Kate. You're still in the game.

You're playing Sudden Death now, after three questions. And you don't see any more choices.

Here is your question. Mercury and which other member of the solar system

have been labelled the "inferior planets"?

Erm...I don't have a clue, so I'm just going to guess at

Jupiter.

Mercury and Jupiter, inferior? It's not Jupiter. Any ideas, Judith?

-Is it Venus?

-It is Venus.

The simple reason being they're closer to the Sun.

-Closer to the Sun than the Earth.

-Inferior, in that sense.

It means you win if you get this, Judith.

Built by the Third Earl of Rosse in the mid-1800s,

and installed in the grounds of Birr Castle in Ireland,

what type of scientific instrument is the Leviathan of Parsonstown?

What immediately sprang to mind was a telescope.

-That's the answer, is it?

-That's what I'm saying.

-Quite often, that's followed with a "but".

-I have no thoughts.

You don't need them, because you've given me the right answer.

Right on the button. A 72-inch

reflecting telescope.

I don't know if you could see Venus with it or not. Probably could.

Bad luck, Kate. That means you won't be playing in the final round.

Would you both come back and join your teams?

Team Edward, a bit of a lack of bite.

As it stands, you've lost one brain. The Eggheads are all there.

The next head-to-head is Geography.

Oh, it's got to be Tony.

-I think Tony.

-That's quite spooky.

We said Science and Geography would come up, didn't we?

-I think it's Tony.

-I'll go for it.

-OK, Tony.

Four Eggheads to choose from. Any of them, apart from Judith.

-You were quite keen to go head-to-head with CJ.

-I think so.

-I think we'll pick CJ.

-Keen to go head-to-head with CJ?

-So many are!

See if you're saying that when you return from the Question Room.

Make your way there, please.

Tony, do you share the female members of your team's interests in Twilight?

I have suffered two of the films. I think, the second one, twice.

I'm not particularly interested in seeing any further movies in the Twilight series.

-Is he going to be in trouble when he comes back?

-ALL: Yes!

Maybe not if he wins. Tony, would you like to go first or second?

I'd like to go first, Dermot.

OK, best of luck, Tony.

What colour is the maple leaf on the flag of Canada?

I hope I would know the answer to this,

given that my brother lives in Toronto.

He will probably watch this. If I get it wrong, he'll be on the phone.

I'm going to go with red, as my answer.

It is the right answer, of course. Have you been out to visit him?

Not as yet - the cost of flights.

Although me and Lisa are going to New York at Christmas.

We're hoping he will travel down to meet us. So that should be good.

-Meet halfway.

-A longer journey for us.

-Niagara Falls.

-Yeah.

OK, there we are. It is red.

And your first question, CJ.

The Victoria Memorial in London stands directly outside which building?

This is UK, isn't it? Er...

Well, I think there's a statue of Victoria outside Buckingham Palace.

She was the first monarch to live there, so I'll try Buckingham Palace.

It is the right answer - of course. Buckingham Palace.

And Tony...

the Cantabrian Sea is a name used to refer to

the southern part of which area of water?

Nothing springs to mind, immediately. Erm...

I'm going to guess straight down the middle and say the Bay of Biscay.

Yeah, Bay of Biscay is correct.

I think the other two would be hard pushed to accommodate a sea.

The Cantabrian Sea. Well worked out.

CJ, from which country did the USA buy the Aleutian Islands in 1867?

I believe they run between Alaska and the eastern tip of Russia.

They bought a lot from Russia.

I don't know if they bought anything from China or Japan, so Russia.

Russia is the right answer.

It's 2-2. You both know

your geography, so far.

Tony, which country shares land borders

with the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Yemen?

I should know this, having worked in the international office

and dealt with Middle Eastern students on a regular basis.

And also my colleagues will laugh, when I probably get this wrong.

I am going to discount Iraq, I think.

Jordan, I think...is a bit further north from there.

-So I'm going with Oman as my answer.

-OK, eliminating Jordan and Iraq.

Your knowledge of their position leads you to the right answer, Oman.

Well worked out.

CJ, get this wrong and you won't be in the final round.

What is the most northerly of the Orkney Islands?

This, I don't know.

I know Westray is reasonably...far north,

but I don't know where North Ronaldsay or Hoy are.

This is little more than... That's a lie. This is a blind guess - Westray.

It's not, CJ!

It is North Ronaldsay.

So, great news

for Team Edward and, particularly, for Tony.

All his sins forgiven for what he's said about Twilight.

He's through to the final round. Come back and join your teams.

Well, they've levelled it up, Team Edward - specifically, Tony.

Both teams have now lost one brain from the final.

Our third head-to-head is Film & Television.

Who wants to play this?

I don't know if there will be any Twilight questions!

-It's David, Sharon or Lisa.

-We have discussed this.

-Sharon.

-It's definitely got to be you.

-All right.

-OK, I will go for it, for the team.

-OK, and who would you like to play?

I really want to play Daphne,

but I think she just looks too sweet and innocent.

I just think you'll annihilate me.

-I think it's a facade. So, Chris?

-Chris?

-OK, Chris.

What's a facade?

It's her face - "I'm sweet and innocent", but she'll take me down.

-So that scares me.

-She's nodding!

-Slam you to the floor.

You won't find out, because you've taken on Chris instead.

Let's have Sharon and Chris into the Question Room.

Sharon, hoping for those Twilight questions. It's a long shot!

-Would you like to go first or second?

-I think I'll go first.

Stick with the formula of the team, so far.

Best of luck, Sharon, your first question is this...

Which former Eastenders actress joined the cast of Coronation Street

in 2011, as Stella Price, the new manager of the Rovers Return?

Well, I remember this one,

because there was quite a lot of press about the accent.

I really can't say anything about accents,

but I know the press weren't very happy. It's Michelle Collins.

Michelle Collins is correct. I remember all that.

There we are. Michelle Collins,

identified there by Sharon.

Chris, in the sitcom Rising Damp,

the main characters lived in what type of accommodation?

-That was a very crumbling boarding house, run by Rigsby.

-It is, yes.

Wonderful stuff. Boarding house is correct.

And Sharon,

Dark Of The Moon is the subtitle

of the 2011 instalment of which action movie franchise?

Again, because of press reports, and I did actually see the film,

but lead actresses got changed about, so it's Transformers.

Megan Fox was cut from that movie, quite dramatically.

That's an Eggheads answer! All the extra information!

And correct, which is the main part of it.

Your second question, Chris.

The Australian Playschool presenter, Don Spencer,

sang the theme song to which Gerry Anderson puppet adventure show?

Thunderbirds didn't really have a theme song. They had a narration.

"Thunderbirds are go!" and all that rubbish.

Fireball XL5 was right away back in the '60s.

It did have a theme tune...but...

# Captain Scarlet... #

That's hardly a tune. Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons.

It's not. No, it is Fireball XL5.

OK, didn't identify it,

so it's great news for you, Sharon.

If you get this right, you're in the final round.

Which Oscar did Conrad L Hall win for the films

Road To Perdition, American Beauty

and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid?

Now, I am not sure of this one. I watch the Oscars every year.

But probably by this time, I'm falling asleep.

I don't think it's costume design.

I don't know why I don't think it's screenplay.

The American Beauty screenplay,

I just think is a different person, so I'm going with cinematography.

Cinematography for Conrad L Hall, for those great films.

-It's the right answer.

-Yes!

It's correct!

Sharon, you've got to play again,

you've got to play in the final.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

The Eggheads have now lost two brains from the final round.

Team Edward have lost one. Let's see what the make up of the final round will be.

This head to head will decide it. It's sport,

our last head to head.

The remaining players from Team Edward are David and Lisa.

-I was quite keen to have a go, wasn't I?

-Go on.

-I'll play sport.

David, and the remaining Eggheads are Daphne and Kevin.

Since Sharon didn't want to play Daphne, but I'll take Daphne.

OK. Let's have David and Daphne into the Question Room then.

David, we'll soon find out how sweet and innocent Daphne is.

Do you want to go first or second?

Well, it's been a good formula so far,

so I would also like to go first.

OK, first question.

How often is golf's Ryder Cup competition usually played?

Well, I know it's definitely not every ten years.

And I really should know this. I'm sat thinking, "Two or four?"

I'm fairly sure they're more frequently...

I'm going to go A, every two years.

Every two years is the right way to go. Yes.

Daphne, whom did John Barrett succeed

as the BBC's principle tennis commentator in 1991?

-That would be Dan Maskell.

-Oh, I say!

It's the right answer, yes. Dan Maskell.

David,

your second question.

In 2008, the Rugby Union centre Nick de Luca

made his debut for which national team?

He doesn't sound French.

I think maybe seeing some of the things

about the Rugby World Cup, I think I'm going to go Scotland.

Scotland, the right way to go. Scotland is correct.

Two for you. Daphne, in what sport might one execute a choctaw turn?

-That's figure skating.

-Care to demonstrate?

I don't... I haven't got a clue what it is, but I know it's correct.

Figure skating, correct.

And 2-2,

so crucial third question for you, David.

Which Pakistani fast bowler, who made his Test debut

in 1989 against India, took on the nickname the Burewala Express?

Erm, so...'89.

I'll have to think this through.

Shoaib Akhtar was still playing recently.

I think I'd probably thought that Wasim Akram

and Waqar Younis had been bowling before '89.

I think I'm going to go for one of those.

A bit of a guess. I'm going to go for Wasim Akram.

It's Waqar Younis.

We know, you shared it with us, you were thinking of.

But swung it the other way. Will it have swung the round? Daphne,

Skonto FC are a leading football team from which country?

Skonto. S-K-O-N-T-O.

Skonto FC are a leading football team from which country?

Could be any of them. They're all Baltic. Erm...

They've all got similar languages. Erm...

Oh, Lithuania.

Skonto FC are a leading football team,

-and I'm surprised you didn't know this, in Latvia.

-Oh.

But that's good news for you, David.

It takes you into Sudden Death. Your first question.

During the '70s, the American Dwight Stones broke the world record

in which athletics event three times? Dwight Stones.

I've not heard of him, unfortunately, which would make me

think that it's perhaps not one of the more famous events.

100m sprints, hurdles...

Erm...

They've always been quite good at things like long jumps and triple jumps, American athletes.

But the name Dwight Stones doesn't fit.

Ed Moses was around in the longer hurdles.

It's got to be a track event, so I'm going to go for the 110m hurdles.

OK, 110m hurdles. It's not though.

-Daphne, you're quite good at athletics?

-High jump?

High jump, it is. The first flop jumper.

Your question and a chance for a place in the final round.

An arrow shot by the Paralympian Antonio Rebollo

lit the Olympic flame during the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympic Games held in which year?

'92.

-'92, which of course were...?

-Barcelona?

-It's the right answer.

-Oh, wow!

-Through to the final round.

Is sweet and innocent, by God, she's a good quizzer too!

As you found out there, David. Bad luck.

Well played, but not enough to see off Daphne.

Would you both come back and join your teams.

So this is what we've been playing towards.

It's time for the final round, which as always is General Knowledge.

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

David and Kate from Team Edward and CJ and Chris

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

Sharon, Tony and Lisa, you're playing to win Team Edward £2,000.

Judith, Kevin and Daphne, you're playing for something which money can't buy, the Eggheads' reputation.

I ask each team three questions. The questions are General Knowledge.

You are allowed to confer. Sharon. Tony and Lisa, are your three brains better than the Eggheads' three?

-Do you want to go first or second?

-We've agreed that we'll go first.

Good luck. Here's your first question.

In what year did the UK's Human Rights Act receive Royal Assent?

Oh, I have no idea, but human rights, surely...

Isn't that a new thing?

Did we really care about human rights way back when?

-But then again, you had... I think it is an EU thing.

-Yeah.

I'm sure we had stuff, but to get Royal Assent, but then...

-It's got to be 1998.

-I don't know.

If that was your gut instinct, go with that.

-OK.

-OK, we've decided to go for 1998.

1998, the most modern one there.

People were still being hung, drawn and quartered in 1798.

Might have been a violation of their human rights(!)

It is the right answer. 1998.

Eggheads,

the 17th century figure Aphra Behn is renowned

for having been the first woman in England to earn a living as a what?

The 17th century figure Aphra Behn is renowned for having been

the first woman in England to earn a living as a what?

She was a writer.

-You say writer and that is correct.

-And worked as a spy occasionally.

-Really?

-Bit of espionage on the side.

-And her dates.

-Go on.

-She died relatively young, 1640 to '89?

Goodness me, you are right, yes. 1640 to 1689.

It's 1-1, Team Edward.

Second question. Which country won the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest?

My feeling is it was Azerbaijan.

-That was my gut instinct.

-I think so as well.

I think we'll go for Azerbaijan.

We're going to go for Azerbaijan.

And you did remember it correctly, yes. Azerbaijan.

So two for you. And will it be two for the Eggheads?

Which classic book title is a translation of the Hebrew word Beelzebub?

Which book title is a translation of the Hebrew word Beelzebub?

-It's The Lord Of The Flies.

-Lord Of The Flies. Well, I never.

A translation of Beelzebub. It's the right answer.

2-2, and over to the third question.

This is where the game can be won or lost.

Which president of the US had previously served as vice-president

under James Garfield and took over when Garfield was assassinated?

-I have no clue.

-I don't know.

-Do you have any idea?

-I don't know why I'm thinking Rutherford Hayes.

I would discount Chester Arthur. Don't ask me why.

-Did you say your gut was Rutherford?

-Yeah.

-That was mine.

-Um. Um.

-We really don't know.

-It's too early for me with US presidents.

I've only researched the early years.

So if two of our guts were - let's go straight down the middle.

-We don't know. And it is a guess.

-Yeah, completely.

OK, we're going straight down the middle, Rutherford Hayes.

Rutherford B Hayes as vice-president,

then taking over when Garfield was assassinated.

It's incorrect. It's not Rutherford B Hayes. It is, Eggheads?

-Chester Arthur.

-Chester Arthur.

Well, there we are.

Chester Arthur not identified by Team Edward,

giving the Eggheads a chance for victory.

Which Rat Pack entertainer

performed as part of the Will Mastin Trio with his father and uncle?

I would go for Sammy Davis Jr because he was a child entertainer.

-He was, yeah.

-It's not Peter Lawford.

-No, no.

I've never heard of Dean Martin...

-He was Italian, wasn't he?

-Dino Crocetti was his real name.

-It's more likely to be Sammy Davis.

-The logical one is Sammy Davis.

He was a child entertainer.

-It just seems... Yeah, it sounds right, doesn't it?

-It sounds more...

It does. It just sounds more likely that it was Sammy Davis.

So Sammy Davis Jr is our answer.

Part of the Will Mastin Trio with his father and uncle.

It was Sammy Davis Jr. Eggheads, you've won.

Team Edward, bad luck. All square, in terms of those head to heads.

David with a narrow squeak against Daphne could have been different.

I normally ask - did you enjoy yourselves? I don't need to ask.

I know. Especially you, Sharon. Had a whale of a time.

It's been transmitted to all of us. Thank you for playing the Eggheads.

The Eggheads have done what comes naturally and they reign supreme.

You won't be going home with the £2,000.

That means 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.

£3,000 says they don't. Until then, goodbye.

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