Episode 41 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 the might of our quiz Goliaths today

are A Tale Of Two Families.

Only time will tell if, like the opening of the book that gave the inspiration for this team's name,

their appearance on Eggheads is the best of times or the worst of times. Let's meet them.

Hello, I'm Andrew, I'm 50 years old and I'm a marketing consultant.

Hello, I'm Paul, I'm 47. I'm a director of a drinks company.

Hi, I'm Brian, I'm 67 and I'm a retired software development manager.

Hi, I'm Jo, I'm 39 and I'm a university law lecturer.

Hello, I'm Paul, I'm 36 years old and I work in community pharmacy.

Welcome to you, A Tale Of Two Families. Let's just identify the families.

-We've got brothers at this end.

-Two brothers.

-And a dad in the middle.

-A daughter and a husband.

-Son-in-law.

-A husband, son-in-law.

OK, do you quiz together or are you just friends?

We're just friends. We met through one mutual friend.

The Curries tend to do a lot of Trivial Pursuit at Christmas. The Hunts are very keen.

Keen and mean and lean and all those things you need to be against these Eggheads.

Let's play the game, A Tale Of Two Families. You know how it all works.

Every day, there's £1,000 of cash up for grabs for our challengers.

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

So, A Tale Of Two Families, the Eggheads have won the last two games

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

Our first head-to-head is on Geography,

your first chance to try to knock an Egghead out.

-Geography - who wants to play?

-Geography...

-I think that could be me. Or is it you? No, it's me.

-It's you.

-Paul, who do you want to play?

-On the complicated matrix that we worked out, I think you should try CJ.

-Is that what we agreed?

-Yeah.

-We have a complicated matrix.

-Tell me about that complicated matrix.

Five seconds behind the scenes before you came on?

I guess it was that complicated. But was there an assessment about CJ's abilities in Geography?

-Yes...

-No!

We'll watch him perform now and we'll watch Paul play him as well.

Both of you need to go to the question room, so you can't confer with your team-mates.

Paul, you get to choose. You're the challenger. Do you want to go first or second?

Just to be different from what normally happens, I'll go second.

All right, putting CJ in first.

CJ trembles at the thought of a question about the UK when it comes to Geography.

So, CJ, the northern end of the Channel Tunnel is in which English county?

-Kent.

-Even you could get that.

It is Kent and I'm sure Paul would have gobbled that up,

but he's chosen to go second.

Which stretch of water divides Cumbria in England from Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland?

It's nice to get something where I do have an idea.

I know Cumbria and I know Scotland.

I'm pretty sure the answer is the Solway Firth.

Yeah, it is, of course, the Solway Firth. Well done.

CJ, what is the official language of Botswana?

Not Spanish. I'm just thinking about French. It should be English.

I'm just thinking about French.

I'm not sure the French were there. No, I'll have to go for English.

English is the correct answer, CJ. Yes, got that.

Paul, what is the state religion of the Maldives?

I'm not entirely sure about this, but I think...

I think you can discount Buddhism.

I don't think it's Islam.

I think it might be, strangely enough, Christianity.

I might be wrong, but I'm going to go for Christianity.

You might be wrong. You ARE wrong.

It's Islam.

Islam in the Maldives.

So, a chance for CJ to take the round.

In physical geography, where is the vadose zone -

V-A-D-O-S-E - the vadose zone always located?

Well, I'm not absolutely sure,

but I always thought it was something to do with altitude,

so because of that, I'll go for "above 10,000 feet".

Above 10,000 feet...

It's not. Daphne, you look pained. What is it?

It's "below ground surface". It's like the water level.

-The water table?

-Mm-hm.

Below ground surface, CJ, as explained by Daphne.

So, a let-off there.

You're still in it, Paul, but you do need to get this one correct.

Worm's Head is at the western tip of which British peninsula?

Another one I'm not sure about.

This is where I need the Welsh family partaking in this.

They'll know if it's the Gower.

I can see they'll be pushing me,

sending me the thought waves of what I should be doing here.

I'm really going to have to take a complete guess.

I'm going to go for the...

-Gower.

-Yes!

You made your team-mates very happy. They all knew it.

It is the Gower, so you're into Sudden Death.

First round, first Sudden Death.

Just to underline it for you, Paul, you won't see any more choices.

OK, CJ, your Sudden Death question.

Baixa - B-A-I-X-A -

and Alfama are both districts of which European capital city?

I haven't heard of them.

-I'm just trying to see if I can get anything from the language. B-A-I-X-A?

-Yeah.

I can't really... I mean, I just haven't heard of them.

I don't know. I'll guess at Madrid.

-Close, but not correct. Second go, me having said "close" would be...?

-Lisbon?

-Lisbon.

Yeah, Portuguese.

So, Paul, what a turnaround!

You were looking at potential ejection. You go through if you give me a correct answer here.

".mn" is the internet top level domain code for which country?

".mn", so I'm going to try and think of a country with an M and an N in it.

Um...

I can think of Mongolia, which is an outside chance, I guess.

Because I can't think of any other "mn", I'm going to go for Mongolia.

OK, Mongolia... Just as well you didn't come up with any other ones because that's the correct answer.

Well, you really did turn that round.

I thought you were heading for the early bath, but not, playing again in the final round.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

Well, a great start for A Tale Of Two Families. All there, one Egghead gone.

Our second head-to-head is History. Who wants to play this?

-It can't be Paul.

-There's no Jo in History, is there?

-No.

-It's me and who shall I take?

-Who do you think?

-What did the matrix say?

Oh, the matrix, of course! The matrix says quite clearly I would like to take on Judith.

You make it sound like some kind of oracle. Andrew and Judith contesting this round - History.

Would you both please take your positions in the question room?

Well, Andrew, a great start for your team.

-Do you want to go first or second?

-I'd like to go first.

Good luck, Andrew. First question for you.

The piece of medieval armour called a sallet was designed to protect which part of the human body?

Sallet, um...

Presumably, maybe French in origin.

I'm going to go for "knee", please, Dermot.

OK, the knee is incorrect. Do you know, Judith?

-No.

-Other Eggheads?

-It's a type of helmet, so it's the head.

It's a type of helmet from Kevin, so the head there - sallet.

Well, Judith,

the Royal Mail's first public letter-boxes were erected in Britain during the reign of which monarch?

Well, I think it's got to be Victoria.

I now have huge doubts, but I think Victoria.

Victoria, yeah, it's with the Penny Post and all that. Victoria.

OK, Andrew,

which famous engineer designed the Royal Albert Bridge across the River Tamar that opened in 1859?

Well, I'm torn between all three of those.

I think the Tamar is further north

and Brunel tended to be south-west.

Stephenson, of course, building north-west,

Telford around Scotland. I'll go for...

The annoying thing is I watched a programme about this a year ago

-and planned to go on a walk there.

-Ah!

I cannot for the life of me remember which one.

I'm going to go for Robert Stephenson.

Robert Stephenson designing the Royal Albert Bridge

across the Tamar. As you say, all great and very famous engineers.

-Eggheads, do you think it is Stephenson?

-No, Brunel.

-It's Brunel.

-They'd have gone for Brunel and they'd have been right.

Isambard Kingdom Brunel. You go through if you get this, Judith.

In the 5th century, the military leader Ambrosius Aurelianus

is believed to have successfully resisted the advance of which people across Britain?

-I was reading about him the other day.

-Really?

Can I remember it? I think he was a Roman

and I think he was resisting the Anglo-Saxons.

-You were reading about it and it's interesting.

-Got it wrong?

-No.

Andrew watching a programme about his question didn't get it.

You've read about it and you HAVE got it.

Yes, Anglo-Saxons is correct, so you are through to the final round,

costing Andrew his place. Would you both please come back and join your teams?

The Eggheads strike back. Both teams have now lost one brain from the final round.

We move on to our third head-to-head - Film & Television.

Who'd like to play this one?

Brian, Jo or Paul M. Who wants to take this on?

-We still believe in the matrix.

-We do.

-Jo?

-I'll take this one, yeah.

-Who would you like to take on?

-You're keeping the faith with the matrix?

-It's wavering slightly, but yes.

-I think Daphne.

-Daphne? Shall we?

-Are you comfortable with that?

Let's do that. Daphne, please.

Let's do it. Let's rumble. It's Jo and Daphne playing Film & TV.

Would you both please take your positions in the question room?

Well, Jo, an interesting choice for you. Will you be like Paul and go second

or like Andrew and go first? Your choice.

I would like to go second, please, Dermot.

Daphne, the words, "Don't make me angry, you wouldn't like me when I'm angry," are associated

with which US TV series that ran from 1978 to 1982?

The Incredible Hulk.

-Then he ripped all his clothes off and turned green.

-Yes.

At the same time, really. The Incredible Hulk is the right answer.

Your first question, Jo.

The second series of the television costume drama Downton Abbey was set during which conflict?

I haven't seen it, but what will it be?

I'm going to have a go at the First World War.

OK, it's the right answer, First World War.

Daphne, your second question.

What name was given to the Beverly Hills estate

of Hollywood's golden couple of the 1920s, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks?

It was Pickfair.

-Pickfair?

-Yes.

-Not Pickbanks?

-No.

-It is Pickfair, it is correct.

All right, well, you have two

and Jo playing catch-up. Second question, Jo.

In the Batman television series of the 1960s, which role was played by the actor Neil Hamilton?

Actor Neil Hamilton, not politician Neil Hamilton?

-That would've been good!

-OK, um, Neil Hamilton...

Neil Hamilton.

Looking at those three...

..I'm getting nothing.

I thought we were going to get some wise words and analysis.

None whatsoever, none whatsoever.

-OK...

-Neil Hamilton, I've never heard of him. Um...

Let's go with...

Commissioner Gordon.

Is the right answer!

Commissioner Gordon.

It's all square. Your third question, Daphne.

Which actress starred opposite Ryan Gosling in the 2004 film The Notebook?

Um...I haven't seen it.

I don't think it's Olivia Wilde.

Sandra Bullock?

-Sandra Bullock... Is that a guess?

-Yes.

-Do you know what?

-It's wrong.

-It's incorrect.

Normally, when Daphne guesses, it's in there like a laser.

-It's Rachel McAdams.

-Oh.

-Rachel McAdams.

This is what you hoped for, Jo.

Who played the role of John Murdoch, a man accused of a series of murders,

in the 1998 sci-fi film Dark City?

-Sci-fi.

-Yeah.

Right. Kenneth Branagh doesn't jump out at me as a sci-fi actor.

So I'm going to discount him and I'm going to go for Rufus Sewell.

OK, you discounted Colin Firth on the same basis.

You don't see him as a sci-fi type. More of a romantic lead, certainly in those years.

It was...Rufus Sewell. It's correct!

In the final round

and Daphne bites the dust. An incorrect guess, Daphne!

Well, it does happen.

Jo, you're in the final round. Both please come back and join your teams.

Well, this game's swinging back and forth. The Eggheads trailing again. They've lost two brains.

A Tale of Two Families have lost one. We reach our last Head to Head and this one is Music.

Brian and Paul are poised to play it.

-Music.

-Music. Well, the Matrix has fallen apart and I'm not sure any of this exists,

-but Paul I think for Music.

-OK, Paul. And which Egghead would you like to play?

-Will it be Kevin or Pat?

-They're both very sharp.

-I'd like to play Kevin.

-OK, you can play Kevin.

Let's have Paul and Kevin into the Question Room, please.

OK, well, Paul, do you want to go first or second?

I think I'd like to go second.

Kevin, the classic line-up of the pop group Steps

consists of Lisa, Lee, Claire, H and who else?

They probably wouldn't have an H and a Hannah.

Lisa, Lee...

Jo doesn't ring any bells, but Faye does from somewhere, so Faye.

Faye is the right answer. Well done. That could have been tricky there.

Paul, "I don't want to talk about the things we've gone through," open which ABBA song?

If you could give me the tune as well, that would really help.

Let me see. I don't think it's Voulez-Vous.

I'm pretty sure it's not The Name of The Game.

-So I'll go for The Winner Takes It All.

-OK.

You're left with The Winner Takes It All and you've got it, yes.

That's what happens in this game.

Winner takes it all.

Which British artist had her first No.1 single on the US Hot 100 chart in 2011 with Rolling In The Deep?

Yes, fantastic voice. That's Adele.

Adele? Yes, correct. Back to Paul, second question.

Funny Honey and When Velma Takes The Stand are songs from which musical?

Unfortunately, I'm not big on musicals.

Let me see. I don't think it's Chicago. Eliminate that one.

Guys and Dolls...

Bit of a classic, but...

I'll have to go for a stab at Rent.

Rent? Not a fan of musicals. I have to check with our musicals correspondent, Daphne.

-No, it's Chicago.

-It's Chicago.

Chicago, not Rent.

Well, a chance then for Kevin.

If he gets this right, there's no reprieve for you, Paul.

Kevin, in 1853 the career of Johannes Brahms was boosted by a celebrated article

in the periodical Neue Zeitschrift fur Musik by which other prominent composer?

Well, I think we can do this on a process of elimination.

Mahler was minus seven at that point. He was born in 1860.

So Schumann...

Schumann was still alive, but he'd had a mental breakdown

and he died only three years later. I think he was already in an asylum by that point.

Although he was a great friend of... He and his wife were great friends of Brahms.

So that's...

slightly worrying,

but I think he was already in the asylum by that point.

Wagner did do quite a lot of music criticism. Wagner.

OK, for a place in the final round.

-It's incorrect!

-Schumann, is it?

-Schumann.

-Before the asylum.

Yeah. Too much knowledge there. That's great news for you, Paul.

This gives you a stay of execution and takes us into Sudden Death if you get this.

Kit Lambert was particularly known for managing and producing which band?

Sounds a couple of decades ago.

I think the Beach Boys were managed by their father.

And that would be...the Wilsons.

Kit Lambert.

I don't think it was Queen,

so...

-I'll go for The Who.

-The Who. OK.

You've given me a correct answer. We go to Sudden Death. The Who.

"I've got the gift, gonna stick it in the goal, it's time to move your body," are lines

from which Robbie Williams single?

Not my favourite. Em...

I don't recall that in Millennium or Angels, but I suppose it's possible.

All right, I'll go for Rock DJ.

It's the right answer, Kevin!

Rock DJ. You need this, Paul.

On which Queen album did the song Bohemian Rhapsody

-first appear?

-It would have been mid- to late-'70s.

Around that time, I'm not really sure about the album name.

-I think it was later, but I'll say It's A Kind of Magic.

-It's A Kind of Magic?

It's not the right answer. Do you know, Kevin?

-Is it A Night At The Opera?

-A Night At The Opera in 1975. Bohemian Rhapsody.

The magic just deserted you.

Nearly, nearly knocked Kevin out. Not to be. Would you both please come back and join your teams?

Well, this is what we've been playing towards. Time for the final round on General Knowledge,

but those of you who lost

won't be allowed to take part, so Andrew and Paul

and CJ and Daphne from the Eggheads, would you leave the studio, please?

So Paul, Brian and Jo, you're playing to win £3,000.

Pat, Judith and Kevin, you're playing for something money cannot buy - the Eggheads' reputation.

I'll ask each team three questions.

This time they are all general knowledge and you are allowed to confer. That's the big difference.

Paul, Brian and Jo, are your three brains better than the Eggheads' three?

-Would you like to go first or second?

-Well, going second has worked quite well so far,

so we'll go second, Dermot.

Right, then.

The Eggheads start. What popular nickname did the Guardian newspaper earn

as the result of a historical reputation for misprints?

-Grauniad.

-The last one.

The Grauniad.

OK, the last one there.

Yes, The Grauniad is the right answer. Well done, Eggheads.

The word dinghy, meaning a small boat, originated in which part of the world?

The word, I think, sounds Indian, so I was favouring South Asia.

-It's got a "gh", hasn't it? Dinghy.

-Dinghy, South America.

It's not Spanish-sounding, is it? Latin-sounding.

South Australia?

-South Asia?

-That's dingo.

-Exactly!

-No, I feel South Asia.

-OK.

-I think we'll run with that.

-We'll go with South Asia.

-OK.

The origin of the word dinghy. It's right. Well done, you're correct.

So all square. Eggheads,

What is the popular name of the distinctive tree that has the scientific name araucaria araucana?

-Monkey Puzzle.

-Monkey Puzzle?

That's the Monkey Puzzle, Dermot. Also known as the Chilean Pine.

Monkey Puzzle will do. It's the right answer, Eggheads. Second question.

In the 1920s, the actress Louise Brooks became famously associated with which hairstyle?

She had a black bob, didn't she?

-Did she?

-Yes!

-OK.

-Can you picture her?

-Yes, with a black bob!

-It may not be Louise Brooks, though!

-Wasn't that a dog? Black Bob?

-Right, let's go with it.

-We're going to go with bob, Dermot.

-Bob, OK.

It's the right answer, yes. Two all!

Eggheads,

to which role in the Royal household was Mark Flanagan appointed in 2002?

-He is not the Astronomer Royal.

-It's been not in use for some time.

-Yeah. Would we know about the Royal Chef?

-I don't know.

Of the three, just on a complete whim, I'd go for Royal Chef,

-but it's just a whim.

-What would you do?

-The same.

-Would you?

I think I'd go for the other.

It could well be. He is simply an office holder within the...

-Chef.

-OK, time up.

-What's your answer?

-We have no idea. We've eliminated Astronomer Royal.

-We're going to go for Royal Chef.

-Royal Chef.

The answer is...

the Royal Chef. It's correct.

Royal Chef, Mark Flanagan.

OK, well, you nearly had a really big opening there.

Get this one to stay in the game.

Lambeau Field, nicknamed the Frozen Tundra, is the home stadium of which American football team?

-Any ideas?

-Paul's going to be shouting at us!

-Yes, he is!

The fact there's a frozen tundra, the most northerly is the Green Bay Packers.

They're on Lake Michigan.

Indianapolis? That's...

That's quite northern as well!

Oakland, it's in California, isn't it?

Yeah.

Let's go Green Bay Packers.

-Yes.

-It's between those two, isn't it? Yeah, go on.

We're not quite sure, Dermot,

but we think the Green Bay Packers is the furthest north of the three.

-So our answer is Green Bay Packers.

-Furthest north, Frozen Tundra.

Green Bay Packers. 2011 Superbowl champions.

It's the right answer. Well done!

OK, all square. Sudden Death.

Eggheads, to which football club

did Diego Maradona return in 1995 having first played for them in the 1980s?

Well, he played for Barcelona, Napoli, Boca Juniors?

-I'm not sure.

-Boca Juniors.

-Boca Juniors was his club.

That was his...

-When he played for them in the '80s, was he a young chap?

-Oh, yeah. He played for them as a youngster,

then he went to Barcelona, wasn't it? He was with Napoli, then had all the scandals.

Did he go back to Napoli again?

-I've got an idea he did go back to Napoli, actually.

-He might have had two spells there.

-I'm not certain, though.

-Napoli sounds better.

-Did he end up back in Argentina?

-He did as a manager.

-Oh, as a manager.

-Yeah, I think we'll have to go for Napoli.

-It's a slight preference.

-OK?

-Answer?

-Big problems, but we're going to try Napoli.

-Napoli, OK. Or Naples.

You've given me the wrong answer. It is Boca Juniors.

Boca Juniors!

You're grinding them down! A correct answer here beats the Eggheads.

What was the name of the economic organisation of Communist countries

that existed between 1949 and 1991?

-Any ideas?

-I'd be amazed if it's Comecon.

-But I think I'd go for that.

-Comecon?

-Comecon.

-Comecon.

-Comecon?

-Have you heard of that?

-I've...

-Heard of it?

I just heard about it then!

-I can't think of anything else.

-We're not sure, Dermot,

but we'll go for Comecon.

It's the right answer! You've won!

That was brilliant.

You've beaten the Eggheads and got their crown. Well done.

And well done to Andrew and Paul, who didn't have the luck in the Head to Heads.

You've just won £3,000 and you are officially smarter than the Eggheads.

Join us next time to see if a new team will be just as successful. Until then, goodbye.

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