Episode 28 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...

This team are all fourth-year medical students

at Newcastle University and are currently the Dental and Medical School's quiz champions.

Mm-hmm. Let's meet them.

Hi, I'm Matt, I'm 21, and I'm a medical student.

Hi, my name's Arthur, I'm 22, and I'm a medical student.

Hi, I'm Jonny, and 23, and I'm a medical student.

Hi, I'm Matt, I'm 21, and I'm a medical student.

Hi, I'm Liam, I'm 21, and I'm also a medical student.

Well, welcome to you, Pulse. Good to hear you're quiz champions.

Of course, we have a fistful of champions over there.

How competitive is it, then, to win the Medical School's quiz?

It's very competitive. A lot of teams enter, a lot of different ages,

current doctors, first-years, like, the full range.

-So it's pretty competitive.

-And what size are the teams?

Is it similar to Eggheads? A team of five of you?

A maximum of eight, but I think we had about five...

-Well, this, and one more.

-One more, yeah.

-Yeah.

OK, well, good to see you. Should be a good quiz.

May need your medical skills if you do beat the Eggheads.

Maybe a bit of reviving required over there.

-Maybe.

-So, best of luck today.

Every day there's £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, Pulse, the Eggheads have won the last five games.

That means £6,000 says you can't beat the Eggheads.

Our first round is going to be on the subject of Film & Television.

And which one of you would like to take it on?

ALL SPEAK AT ONCE That'll be me, guys.

-That'll be myself.

-Pick any Egghead you like, then.

-Chris?

-Go for Chris.

Erm, I'd like to face Chris, please.

-Ha-ha!

-Well, this is getting predictable, isn't it, Dermot?

-Predictable, but fun!

-It is.

OK, let's have Matt and Chris into the Question Room please,

just to make sure you can't confer, Matt.

Well, Matt, I guess you squeezed a bit of television and film watching

in between your studies and your quizzing, then?

Mm, yeah, just about!

All right, let's put it to the test.

-Do you want to go first or second?

-I'll go first, please.

Matt, first question then.

In 2010, Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc presented the first series

of a TV competition based on which activity?

Well, I can't say I've heard of those two.

Something says I'm going to rule out carpentry straightaway.

And I don't really recall ever hearing of or seeing anything

about amateur dramatics, so I'm going to go with baking.

Baking, yeah, it's all the rage.

Baking is the right answer, yes.

Seems to have been an outbreak of baking programmes in 2010 and 2011.

They say it's something to do with difficult economic times.

People like to stay at home and do something wholesome.

OK, baking is the right answer there, confirmed that.

And your first question, Chris -

in 2011, who was named as the replacement for Claudia Winkleman

as the presenter of the TV show Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two?

Well, it's not the sort of thing I watch, but I have heard something

about Zoe Ball of late, so I want to go with Zoe Ball.

Zoe Ball.

Zoe Ball is correct.

OK, back to you, Matt.

In the 1996 film Dunston Checks In, starring Jason Alexander

and Rupert Everett, what type of creature is Dunston?

I don't know.

A film about a gibbon, that's quite specific,

so I'm going to rule that out.

Again, it'll have to be a guess. I'll go with a film about a chimpanzee.

Chimpanzee, OK.

It's not a chimpanzee and indeed not a gibbon,

so therefore, an orang-utan.

So, a chance for Chris for the lead.

Chris, in 2010, Pauline Quirke joined the cast of which TV soap

playing a character called Hazel?

Well, I've never watched EastEnders

and I don't think she's in that anyway.

She's not turned up in Corrie.

I used to watch Emmerdale, but I've rather lost track of it lately.

I don't know who half the people are,

but Pauline Quirke has joined the cast of Emmerdale.

Pauline Quirke in Emmerdale as Hazel.

It's absolutely right.

It means, Matt, you need to get this.

In 1961, Lauren Bacall married which actor?

Well, again, I'm afraid...

I am not quite sure.

Why not straight down the middle, have a guess, Jason Robards.

Good guess, it's the right answer.

Saved yourself there, Matt.

Chris, with the upper-hand, faces another question

and potentially gets into the final round here.

Tara Reid played Bunny in which Coen brothers film?

Well, Blood Simple's a gory, gangster-type thing.

I don't think there would be a character called Bunny in that.

The Big Lebowski is about bowling.

There might some kind of bowling groupie called Bunny in that,

but since Burn After Reading's a sort of...

Well, it's not a romcom, but it's that sort of film,

I'll go with Burn After Reading.

Burn After Reading with a character called Bunny in it. Other Eggheads?

I'd have gone for The Big Lebowski.

It's The Big Lebowski. Big Lebowski.

So, a let off for Matt.

We go into Sudden Death. First round, first Sudden Death element.

And just to remind you, Matt,

no more choices for you to look at if you do have to guess.

Which comedy veteran made a cameo appearance as Frank Bryce

in the 2005 film Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire?

I'm going to...

I think he did appear in one of the Harry Potter films,

so I'm going to guess, John Cleese.

John Cleese in Harry Potter.

Comedy veteran, certainly, but not he.

No, not John Cleese.

-Do you know, Chris?

-Not Norman Wisdom, is it?

No, not Norman Wisdom. Other Eggheads?

-Eric Sykes?

-Eric Sykes from Daphne.

-CJ: Well done!

-Well done, Daphne!

Tough one, that. Matt didn't get it.

The only one in the room, in the studio, was Daphne with that,

and a chance again then for Chris.

Il Buono, Il Brutto, Il Cattivo is the Italian title

of which 1966 spaghetti western?

That's The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly.

Well translated.

Two more and we'd have the Eggheads. I won't say which is which!

THEY LAUGH

It is the right answer. Chris, you are through to the final round.

Bad luck, Matt, fought hard to stay there,

but Chris got you in the end.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

Well, the Eggheads triumphing first there,

knocking one member of Pulse out of the final round.

On to our second head-to-head then, today, and this is Science.

Four would-be doctors remaining there to play this.

Who wants to take it on?

-Matt?

-I'm taking it?

-You take it.

-Who are you going to have?

-Erm, I don't know.

-I think...

Take Kevin out.

We'll have a go at this.

OK, we'll have Matt T, please.

-OK, Matt, and you're going to play...?

-I'm going to play Kevin.

Going to play Kevin. I heard the guys there saying,

the other guys saying "Take Kevin out."

Easier said than done, I think, as Matt will find out.

But obviously a deep science knowledge there, given your studies.

Let's test it in the Question Room, please.

Well, Matt, as I said, you've been sent into that Question Room

by your team with exhortations to take Kevin out ringing in your ears.

Just let me give you a sense of how difficult that MAY be.

We don't know, he could have an off day, but he's played 25 times

in the entirety of Eggheads in this category, and lost loads.

He's lost once. So...

a 96% success rate that translates into.

And you all know about his quiz titles.

-Do you want to go first or second?

-I think I'll go first, Dermot.

OK, and best of luck, Matt. First question is this -

which part of the body is protected by the cranium?

I'd get a lot of stick for this if I got it wrong.

The lungs and the heart are protected by the ribs,

and the brain is protected by the cranium. I'll go for the brain.

Very good idea. It's the right answer, yes, brain.

Kevin, an injectable form of which metal

is sometimes used to treat rheumatoid arthritis?

My mother actually had this. It's gold.

Gold injections to treat forms of arthritis.

Correct, Kevin.

And Matt...

What did the 18th century physician Franz Anton Mesmer

call the intangible or mysterious force said to influence human beings

that are used to treat his patients?

Erm, I don't think it's animal magnetism,

so I'm going to stay away from that one, I think.

I'm not really sure.

I'm not sure if telepathy used to mean that or still does,

but I'm drawn towards collective subconscious,

so I'm going to go for the collective subconscious.

The collective subconscious from Mesmer.

It's incorrect.

It is magnetism, animal magnetism.

And Kevin, is that where we get "mesmerised" and...?

Yeah, he used hypnotism as his treatment method, as it were.

And hence words like "mesmerised."

Oh, absolutely, yes.

Animal magnetism.

Not identified by Matt, so a chance for Kevin.

What type of creature is a morpho, native to the Americas?

I haven't heard of this, but I would assume it might have something...

Well, maybe it's what I'm meant to assume. I don't know.

..that it would have something to do with metamorphosis.

And the butterfly changes its state, so I'll try butterfly.

It's only someone like you who finds that easy to work out.

Yes, butterfly is correct, yes.

And I'm sure, identifying the reason why.

It means you need to get this, Matt.

The Appleton Layer is part of which region of the Earth's atmosphere?

Ah...

I think the ionosphere's the last layer. Maybe the least studied.

But I'm going to go for...

troposphere.

Ruling out the ionosphere, which WAS the right answer.

Ionosphere...

which means you're not hitting the heights today on Eggheads.

You got the medical question, that's the important thing.

-That's the important thing!

-Kevin's in the final round.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

Well, Pulse have now lost two brains from the final round.

The Eggheads are all still there.

So, let's get on with it and try and get rid of an Egghead here

on our next head-to-head. It's Sport.

Who would like to play this? The two Matts have gone,

so what have we got - Arthur, Jonny or Liam?

I think we'll be choosing Arthur for this round.

-OK, Arthur, and your Egghead is...?

-Judith, I think.

No reaction whatsoever, because in her head she's going,

"Oh, joy and celebration!"

-That's just right.

-That's the kind of thing.

OK, let's have Arthur and Judith into the Question Room, please.

Well, Arthur, you've chosen to play sport,

and I hear you're a very useful footballer?

I'm half-decent, yeah.

Captain of the first team?

-Yeah, at the university, yeah.

-What position do you play?

I'm a centre-back.

Oh! Glad to hear it.

Are you uncompromising, no quarter given?

-I'd say I'm a bit more cultured, Dermot.

-Ah, OK!

Arthur, let's play the round. Do you want to go first or second?

Can I go first, please?

You certainly can go first, and here's your first question, then.

In a Formula 1 race, what colour flag is used to indicate to a driver

that he's about to be lapped and should let the faster car overtake?

Erm, well, I'm not a Formula 1 fan,

but I'm going to have to...

plump for blue.

Blue's correct. Good start, Arthur.

Judith, which tennis player won the Wimbledon ladies' singles

in the year Andre Agassi won his only Wimbledon men's singles title?

Oh, I don't know.

I can't remember the date he won it, but he's married to Steffi Graf,

so maybe it was a nice little pairing and it was Steffi Graf.

Steffi Graf.

Yeah, presumably they danced together then at the Wimbledon Ball,

as is tradition afterwards, and maybe that's where it all started.

It's the right answer, yes, Steffi Graf. Year, CJ?

-'92.

-1992, Judith, just for you to store away there.

And your next question, Arthur.

In which country is Turffontein Racecourse?

I know that the last World Cup was in South Africa,

and they did play in Bloemfontein,

and that sounds a bit like Turffontein to me,

so I'm going to go for South Africa.

Good link, that'll do.

South Africa is correct. Well done, Arthur.

2-1.

Judith, which 2011 golf major was held at the Atlanta Athletic Club

in Johns Creek, Georgia?

Atlanta.

Well, it's not the Masters, cos that's Augusta.

So it's either the PGA Championship or the US Open,

so it's an eenie-meenie. Um...

I think it's the PGA Championship.

-PGA Championship.

-It's the other one?

No, it's the right answer. I was saying, you know,

bit of knowledge helping to eliminate the Masters,

turning it into a 50/50, picking the right one.

Narrowing the odds down there, and it's 2-2. Very interesting.

Arthur, the heptathlete, Ghada Shouaa,

won which country's first-ever Olympic gold medal in 1996?

I don't have a clue.

I wouldn't know how to start eliminating.

-I'll go for the first one. I'm going to go for Lebanon, Dermot.

-Lebanon.

Lebanon's first-ever Olympic gold medal.

No, it's not. Do you know, Judith?

-Syria?

-Syria, yeah. Syria.

She's Syrian.

So, a chance for Judith, then.

The Beira Rio stadium, home to the football team SC Internacional,

is in which Brazilian city?

Um...

Oh, dear. I don't know!

Um, Recife.

No, it's not. Do you Eggheads know of the other two?

-Porto Alegre.

-Porto Alegre.

So, a let off there.

Arthur, you're into Sudden Death again. And you know how this works.

You're not going to see any choices.

Which future Wimbledon men's singles tennis champion

won the Wimbledon boys' singles title in 1998?

I'm guessing they're currently playing,

and I'm going to go for...

Just trying to think how old Roger Federer is.

-I'm going to go for Roger Federer.

-OK, how old Roger Federer is

and how young he might have been when he won the boys' singles title,

if it is he.

It is, it's Roger Federer. It's correct.

Well done, Arthur.

And Judith, which British athlete won javelin gold medals

at the Commonwealth Games in 1978, 1986 and 1990?

I haven't the faintest idea.

-Absolutely not a clue.

-Is that a pass?

-Yes, it is.

-Well, you will know it when I tell you.

-I won't.

-Yes, you will.

Tessa Sanderson.

Well, I didn't know that, actually.

But let's concentrate on Arthur,

because that's a major, major blow for Pulse.

You are through to the final round, congratulations.

Could you both please come back and join your teams?

OK, well, that's good news for Pulse, that head-to-head,

as it means they've now knocked an Egghead out of the final round.

Two members of Pulse missing,

and we approach our last subject before that final round.

And this one is Politics.

And we've got Jonny or Liam left to play it. Politics.

We've already earmarked Liam for General Knowledge.

It's got to be you then, Jonny.

OK, Jonny, and by process of elimination, you have to play.

Kevin, Judith and Chris have played,

so it's that lovely pair in the middle - Daphne or CJ?

-I'm going to take on Daphne.

-Daphne, OK.

Worked, that, didn't it?

Leaning puppy-like on Daphne's shoulder.

Jonny and Daphne, then, into the Question Room, please.

OK, then, Jonny,

well, it's turned around Pulse's fortunes with Arthur's victory.

Let's see we can get you into the final round.

It's Politics, and you get to choose first or second.

I think I'll buck the trend and go second, please.

Turning to you, then, Daphne, first set of questions coming your way.

Who interviewed Richard Nixon

in his first major post-Watergate interviews?

David Frost.

-I'd like to have seen Russell Harty doing it, myself.

-Yes.

And it would've been far better.

Good as Sir David Frost was.

It is the right answer, yes.

David Frost, with the memorable stage play and film as a result.

Frost/Nixon.

Your first question, then, Jonny.

Established in England and Wales in 2004,

the IPCC investigates the most serious complaints

and allegations of misconduct against whom?

IPCC.

I haven't heard them mentioned with the press.

For that reason, I'm going to rule out press.

And I didn't hear them mentioned with the politicians' expenses scandal,

so I'm going to go for the police.

Well worked out, it's correct.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission.

All square.

And Daphne, what is the name of the circular hall

capped by a 180ft-high dome at the centre of the US Capitol?

Ah.

Well, I used to live in Folkestone,

and there was a big building there called the Rotunda.

And that had a big dome, so, Rotunda.

Folkestone, Washington DC. Pretty similar, really!

Yeah, it is the Rotunda. Yes, that's correct.

Well done.

Amazing the way these Eggheads make those links.

And Jonny, which wife of an American president

was referred to by Harry Truman as "The First Lady of the world."

All I know about the Eisenhowers...

is I think they were to do with World War II. I don't think Truman was.

Although, it could be actually Teddy Roosevelt.

I'm going to go for...

Eleanor Roosevelt.

Eleanor Roosevelt...

is the right answer, yes.

So, all square and everything to play for.

Daphne, in a speech at his party conference in the 1960s,

which British politician characterised his party as

"a moral crusade or it is nothing?"

Not heard of it.

They were all active in the '60s.

Um...it's a guess.

-Jo Grimond.

-Jo Grimond.

As you identified there, all around, but all with different parties,

so Grimond with the Liberals there, you're going for.

"Moral crusade or it's nothing."

-It's not, though, it's Labour and Harold Wilson.

-Oh, well!

Harold Wilson, not identified by Daphne.

So, are you going to follow Arthur into the final round?

All depends on this answer.

Jonny, in an 1872 speech,

how did Disraeli famously describe Gladstone's ministers?

Erm...

I rule out "extinct" because, I don't know,

maybe he was describing them as sort of petering out on their way out.

Erm...

"Inferno" sounds like a strong word that a rival politician

would use against someone else.

I'll plump for "exhausted volcanoes."

When you said that, I thought you were going for "extinguished."

It does mean, though, you have chosen the right answer.

"Exhausted volcanoes."

And you've come right back at the Eggheads,

knocked Daphne out, going to be all square in the final round.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

Well, some knife-edge exchanges so far have led us to this.

This is what we've been playing towards.

Time for the final round, which, as always, is General Knowledge.

But I'm afraid those of you who lost your head-to-heads

aren't allowed to take part in this round.

So, the two Matts from Pulse,

and Judith and Daphne from the Eggheads,

would you all leave the studio now, please?

So then, Arthur, Jonny and Liam, you're playing to win Pulse £6,000.

Kevin, CJ and Chris,

you are playing for something which money cannot buy -

the Eggheads' reputation.

As usual, I'll ask each team three questions in turn,

and this time, the questions are all General Knowledge.

You are allowed to confer in this, the final round.

So, Arthur, Jonny and Liam, the question is,

are your three brains better than the Eggheads' three?

And guys, do you want to go first or second?

Erm, we'd like to go first, please, Dermot.

Off we go then, and best of luck.

Kerry Katona was married to which member of Westlife?

I think we know the answer to this one, Dermot.

I'm not much of a fan of Westlife myself, but it's Brian McFadden.

Brian McFadden. I thought you'd be concentrating on your studies,

not reading celebrity tittle-tattle.

It is the right answer, yes, Brian McFadden.

..Kerry Katona once married.

And Eggheads, Speke Airport

is the former name for the airport at which city?

S-P-E-K-E.

I think we're reasonably happy that's in Liverpool.

Speke Airport...

former name for Liverpool's airport, now known as...?

-EGGHEADS: John Lennon.

-John Lennon, yeah.

It's the right answer, and back to you, Pulse.

The distinguished actor Norbert Smith

was a creation of which comedian?

When it initially came up, I thought it was Harry Enfield,

-just because...

-Norbert what?

-Norbert Smith.

-Norbert Smith.

-Harry Enfield does...

-Harry Enfield?

But isn't Harry Enfield a creation, that's not his name?

No, that is his name.

I think he does a lot more sketch shows, so it's much more likely.

-To have a random...

-Is Norbert Smith the nosy dad

who keeps going round in his sketch show saying, "Only me!"

-It might well be.

-That might be his sketch.

-Are you happy with that?

-If I was naming him, Norbert's a good name.

I would have plumped for Harry Enfield.

-Shall we go with that?

-Happy with that, happy with that?

Harry Enfield.

That's your answer, Harry Enfield.

Just for future reference, in the question there, you segued off...

I did say "The distinguished actor, Norbert Smith," just, you know,

as you went off saying, "Was he the nosy Dad?"

It's Harry Enfield, though, it is the right answer.

Didn't want to worry you,

but it's always a good tip to keep listening...

Keep the question focused in your mind,

and I will read it again, should you need to refresh your mind

about what was actually contained in the question.

Eggheads, your second question -

which feature of London Zoo was co-designed by Lord Snowdon?

-Oh, dear!

-Can you remember this?

-Nope!

-It's not the reptile house.

The penguin pool was designed by Berthold Lubetkin.

-Yeah.

-Was it? OK.

I think it is called the Snowdon Aviary, now I'm thinking about it.

Yeah, that's what I think. I think, by process of elimination...

The penguin pool goes back a way, and I don't think Snowdon was...

Yeah, it's the sort of Festival of Britain time, wasn't it, the penguin?

Co-involved on this. Fine. OK?

We think we've got the designer for the penguin pool,

we don't think the reptile house has been redesigned recently enough,

so we think we're going to go for the aviary.

Daphne, very relieved.

It's the right answer, yes, the aviary. Yeah.

OK...

and third question, then, to Pulse.

What is the Shakespeare-related title of the 1947 work

by Jackson Pollock that consists of lines of poured paint covering

various bits of debris such as a torn cigarette, coins and nails?

OK, I wonder if that means the world's a stage

as in his interpretation of what the world is at the time.

That was what I was thinking when it came up. I don't know the other two.

It lends itself more towards that than any of the others, I think.

Yeah, I agree.

-The World's A Stage, Dermot.

-OK, going for The World's A Stage.

Can see the link.

It's not the right answer. Eggheads?

-Full Fathom Five.

-Full Fathom Five from...

Why Shakespeare related, that's from...?

-EGGHEADS: The Tempest.

-The Tempest.

OK, well, nothing there for the lads,

and a chance for the Eggheads, then.

In the poem by WB Rands,

what was the issue with Godfrey Gordon Gustavus Gore?

What was his name again, please? Let's see if we can scan it.

Godfrey Gordon Gustavus Gore.

-ATTEMPTING RHYME RHYTHM

-Doo-doo, doo-doo, doo-doo-doo, doo.

-Never would...

-HE MUTTERS RHYME

Well, the only one that remotely scans is "never would shut a door."

"Never would shut a door," yeah.

"Could be such a bore" is too fast, "Always demand more" is too fast.

On the basis of scansion, I would go for "Never would shut a door."

Sort of thing that would annoy people about an obstructive sort of kid.

Exactly the same reason, yeah, but never heard of it.

None of us have ever heard of this poem, but just on basic scansion,

"Never would shut a door" seems to fit the best, so we'll try that.

OK, not heard of it,

but using another technique to get the right answer, Eggheads!

You've won.

Well, Pulse still beating there, really.

You were just looking forward to a bit of Sudden Death there in the final round.

The Eggheads, when they hadn't heard of the poem,

then came up with another method.

But Pulse, thank you very much indeed for playing Eggheads today.

It's been a lot of fun, been very good to see you,

and I like the way the game turned and swung there with Arthur's round.

And then Jonny got into the final round as well,

so it was all square in that final round.

But not to be in the end.

Best of luck with the continuing studies,

and no doubt the Eggheads will see you again sometime.

When they're in Newcastle, I'm saying, after a few pub quizzes.

The Eggheads have done what comes naturally to them. The winning streak continues.

I'm afraid you won't be going home with the £6,000.

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.

£7,000 says they don't. Until then, goodbye.

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