Episode 53 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 the awesome might of our quiz champions

are Lightning Can Strike Twice.

This team of colleagues all work

for Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs in Stockton-on-Tees

and feature amongst their number a competitor from the 2011 World Quiz Championships. Let's meet them.

Hi, I'm Michael, I'm 33 and I'm a civil servant.

Hi, I'm Ben, 28, and I'm a civil servant.

Hello, I'm Lisa, I'm 45 and I'm an administrative officer.

Hi, I'm Chris, I'm 46 and I'm a civil servant.

Hi, I'm Nige, I'm 48 and I'm a front-line manager.

Welcome to you, Lightning Can Strike Twice. I mentioned the World Quiz Championships of 2011.

-Michael...

-That's right.

-You took part. What happened in one of the rounds?

Overall, Pat won, Kevin came second and I managed 254th, which is still respectable, I think.

-Out of how many? 255?

-I'd say seven billion!

Exactly, the entire planet. There's a fun round, you took Kevin on?

A fun round afterwards, yeah, and I managed to win out of everyone who was in the studio that day.

-Remember Fifteen To One?

-Yeah.

-Same rules as that and Michael triumphed.

-You won it. Hence the team name?

-Hopefully, it can happen again.

Let's hope so. OK, well, this isn't Fifteen To One. It's Eggheads.

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

But if they fail to defeat the Eggheads, the prize money rolls over to the next show.

Lightning Can Strike Twice, the Eggheads have won the last five games.

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

Should be a good battle. Let's start. Our first head-to-head today is Film & Television.

Who would like to take this one on?

-Film & TV.

-It's got to be Chris.

-Chris here, he's the man.

It's going to be me.

-Chris. Choose an Egghead. Could be your namesake.

-Shall I try Barry?

-I think Barry, yeah.

-Barry.

-Barry. It's Chris from Lightning Can Strike Twice and Barry from the Eggheads.

Could I ask you both to take your positions in the question room?

Well, Chris, I know you know how it works very well.

-You choose. Do you want the first or the second set of questions?

-I'll go first, please.

The first question to you, Chris.

What was the first name of the character played by Richard Briers in the TV sitcom, The Good Life?

OK, um...Jerry, I believe, was the next-door neighbour.

I don't remember a Sam.

I'm almost sure it's Tom. I'll go Tom.

You're sure now. It is Tom. Almost sure? Certain. Tom is correct.

First question to you, Barry.

In December 2008, which film musical became the biggest selling DVD of all time in the UK?

I think that has to be the absolutely wonderful Mamma Mia!

-Are you a fan?

-Absolutely. I love Abba.

OK, Mamma Mia is the right answer. Well done there, Barry.

Chris, what is the title of the 2011 film directed by Roland Emmerich

which questions the authorship of the plays usually attributed to William Shakespeare?

I think, having read the review of this in the paper,

I think it's Anonymous.

Anonymous is the right answer, yes.

I notice in the question we've joined the doubters.

"Usually attributed", not "written by William Shakespeare".

But there we go, Anonymous is the correct answer.

Barry, what was the title of the 1970s TV drama serial,

starring Roy Marsden as a spy chief in British Intelligence?

I don't think it was The Kitbaggers.

I'm pretty certain The Carpetbaggers was a film of that vintage,

but it wasn't about spies,

so I think it was The Sandbaggers.

Yeah, Sandbaggers is correct. Well done, Barry.

Well, going well, both of you.

Chris, this might win you the round if you give me a correct answer.

The 1960s TV comedy sketch show Three Of A Kind

teamed comic Ray Fell with singer Lulu and which impressionist?

Hmm...

I'm afraid I'm going to have to guess on this one. I really don't know.

I'll go straight down the middle - Faith Brown?

Faith Brown in Three Of A Kind, the '60s incarnation.

It's not. It's Mike Yarwood.

So, a chance for Barry.

Who directed the 2011 film The Beaver

in which Mel Gibson stars as a man who communicates via a glove puppet?

Well, I've heard of the film.

I was half-expecting to see Harry H Corbett there!

-Very good.

-But I'm not sure who directed it.

Somehow I don't think it was Ang... It could be Angelina Jolie.

Gosh, I really don't know this one.

No, I think it was Angelina Jolie.

-No, it wasn't.

-Oh, fair enough then.

-Other Eggheads, do you know?

-Jodie Foster.

-Jodie Foster. Jodie Foster.

OK, all square. Good news, Chris.

Barry missed out on his opportunity there. We go to Sudden Death, Chris,

removing the options you've seen so far. The answers just have to come from you.

Your question - which English actor played the title role

in the 1978 historical TV drama series Disraeli?

Disraeli...

I really don't know. Um...

I'll take a guess at...

-Derek Jacobi?

-Derek Jacobi...

It should have been, but not.

Good casting there, Chris. I could see that, but no, not Derek Jacobi. Anyone know this one?

-Ian McShane.

-Ian McShane. Kevin knew it. Ian McShane.

Well, it means a chance for Barry.

Barry, which actress played Lara in ITV's 2002 adaptation of Doctor Zhivago?

I've got half a suspicion it was Keira Knightley.

-Is that your answer?

-That's my answer.

It is a correct answer, Barry. Well remembered.

Lara played by Keira Knightley.

Good quizzing, Chris, but not enough to beat Barry. Would you both come back and join your teams?

Well, unlucky there for Lightning Can Strike Twice, Chris just failing to get through.

They've lost one brain. The Eggheads are all there. We've only played one round. Let's play another one.

This is History. I bet there's quite a few of you there who like this.

-Who's going to play?

-Do you want to go for it, Ben?

-Yeah.

-I wouldn't pick Judith.

LISA: It's up to you, but not Judith.

-Kevin or...?

-Go Kevin.

-Kevin?

-Definitely, yeah.

-Kevin.

-Deciding not to pick Judith, aiming for Kevin. You've told him how beatable he is.

-He is, very!

Let's have Ben and Kevin into the question room, please.

Come on then, Ben. Let's see if you can do it. Do you want to go first or second?

I'll go first, get it out the way.

Good luck, Ben. What name was given to the part of a medieval castle which protected a drawbridge?

Hmm... I don't actually know.

I'm going to have to guess with "bassinet".

Protecting the drawbridge...

is the barbican.

The barbican.

Probably not the best of starts, Ben, but let's see how Kevin does.

Kevin, in which part of the British Empire were the princely states governed by local rulers?

India was a patchwork of all kinds of jurisdictions

and among them were the princely states ruled by Maharajahs

and Rajahs and various others.

-It was India.

-It is India. It's the right answer.

Right, let's get you moving here, Ben.

In the late 19th century, Sir Edward Henry devised a system for the classification of what?

Oh...

I don't think it's vitamins.

I'll have to guess again and say "fingerprints".

That's good. It's the right answer. Well done, Ben.

Off the mark. Got to make Kevin do some work.

Kevin, which monk later made a saint was elected Bishop of Lindisfarne in around 684 AD?

And later on, they had to... He was buried there.

Later on, they had to move his bones

and take them to Durham, eventually, because of Viking raids.

-It's St Cuthbert.

-Cuthbert is the right answer, Kevin.

You have two and Ben needs this to get to two.

Ben, which sect was founded when John Reeve, a tailor, and his cousin

announced they were prophets mentioned in the Book of Revelation?

Something is drawing me to Muggletonians.

I don't know why.

-I'll go with Muggletonians.

-Muggletonians...

It's the right answer. Well done.

Well, Muggletonians, a lot of our younger viewers will be going,

"JK Rowling, is that where she got it from?"

Maybe that rang a bell with Ben.

-Had to get her ideas from somewhere.

-The Muggles.

OK, well, Ben really revving up there,

but Kevin has an opportunity here to win the round.

What type of establishment was the Lazaretto, set up on an island near Venice in the 15th century?

Yeah, I think it's still possible to land there.

But "lazar" was occasionally a name for "leper"

and it's a quarantine station.

Quarantine station is correct, Kevin. You have taken the round.

Ben, getting the first one wrong

was the worst thing you could have done, but did really well after that.

We don't know what would have happened if you had matched him into Sudden Death.

Ben, you won't be in the final round. Would you both please come back and join your teams?

Lightning has not struck for you yet, Lightning Can Strike Twice.

The Eggheads are all there, you've lost two brains. We move on to our third head-to-head, on Geography.

So who fancies a go at this? Geography.

-WHISPERING Me?

-I think so, yes.

-Right, it's going to be me then.

Who do you want to play from the Eggheads? It can be Pat, Judith or Chris.

SHE LAUGHS

-Who do you want?

-Judith?

-Can I go against Dermot?

-HE LAUGHS

-I'll give you the round!

-Chris?

-If you want to go for... Yeah, go for that.

-Can I go for Chris?

Of course you can. It's Lisa from Lightning Can Strike Twice

and Chris from the Eggheads playing this round.

Could you take your positions in the question room?

Lisa, you've travelled a fair bit. Let's hope you find some locations you've visited in these questions.

-Do you want the first or second set?

-I'll go first, please, Dermot.

The first one coming right up for you, Lisa. Valladolid is a city in which European country?

Oh, gosh, um... I've no idea.

I don't think it's Spain because I've never heard of it, so...

I'll go with Croatia, please.

OK, Croatia for Valladolid... Chris, is it?

- No, it's in Spain. - Oh, no!

Wasn't there a battle there in the Peninsular War?

Yeah, I think so. Is this from watching Sharpe?

Yeah, I like Sharpe with Sean Bean.

Well, nothing there for Lisa and your first question, Chris.

Mount Robson is the highest point in which mountains?

It's not the Cairngorms because they're in Scotland.

The Caucasus, the highest point is Mount Elbrus,

so it's got to be the Canadian Rockies.

You've got the right answer, Canadian Rockies.

OK, Lisa, second one for you.

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is an overseas territory of which country?

Again I have absolutely no idea of this one either.

So because it sounds American, I'll go with the USA.

OK, the USA for South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...

-It's the United Kingdom.

-Oh, no!

-SHE LAUGHS

-Don't worry.

-Didn't South Georgia feature in the Falklands campaign?

-Yes.

Some Argentine scrap dealers descended uninvited

to break up some old hulks lying there and set up an Argentine flag.

-That started it really?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

You win the round if you give me a correct answer here.

The Wolf Rock Lighthouse is off the coast of which county?

Wolf Rock is in the Channel, so it's off the coast of Cornwall.

OK...

Yeah, it is. I'm just thinking of the Channel.

I'm not sure you call that the Channel.

It's the Atlantic Ocean down there.

When you said the Channel, I thought you'd go for Kent!

-The Channel is between Kent and Cornwall.

-I suppose.

-It depends where you draw the line.

-Yeah.

-Cornwall is the right answer.

Which means, Lisa,

I'm afraid it's over, the ordeal.

I would have got the third one right!

I'm looking at it now. You would have got it. You won't be in the final round.

Would you both come back and join your teams?

It still hasn't struck, Lightning Can Strike Twice.

You've lost three brains. The Eggheads have lost none.

Your last chance to knock an Egghead out, Michael or Nige waiting to play Food & Drink.

-GROANS

-Food & Drink.

-Desperate.

-I can't believe that.

-Nige?

-It's going to have to be.

-Judith?

-Yeah.

-It'll be me, Dermot.

-And you've got Judith or Pat there.

-Judith.

-Judith, OK.

Let's have Nige and Judith from the Eggheads into the question room.

Right, Nige, I've got a good feeling about this for you.

-Do you want to go first or second?

-I'll go first, please, Dermot.

OK, Nige.

The first question on Food & Drink. Knocking back is an essential element in making what?

I wouldn't have thought it was mayonnaise

and I wouldn't have thought it was risotto. It sounds a bit too exotic.

It sounds like something to do with bread, so I'll go for bread, Dermot.

Bread is right. Well done, Nigel. Or Nige, sorry.

-You are Nigel, are you?

-I am.

-OK.

-That's my Sunday name.

-DERMOT LAUGHS

-Right.

Bread is correct, anyway.

Judith, your first question. Spanakopita is a savoury pastry from which country's cuisine?

S-P-A-N-A-K-O-P-I-T-A.

Is it, um...? Does it...?

Can you spell it? I'm really sorry, Dermot. Can you spell it again?

S-P-A-N-A-K-O-P-I-T-A.

Right. Greece.

Is the right answer.

And, Nige, your second question.

A King's Peg cocktail is a mixture of brandy and which other alcoholic drink?

I'm not sure about this one,

but the question said "King's"...

I'm ruling out whisky...

and champagne and I'm going to say "port".

It's champagne, so nothing there.

Judith, a chance for the lead.

Which character from the Blondie cartoon strip gave his name

to a type of multi-layered sandwich of meats and cheese?

Well, that's having to know about the Blondie cartoon, isn't it?

I don't know. Oh, dear. It's either Doaksie or Dagwood.

I mean, sorry, it's either Dilbert or Dagwood.

Um... I don't know. Dagwood.

You should see the other Eggheads' faces. It's the right answer.

I thought they were banging their heads on the table!

It's one or the other, isn't it?

No, joyous celebrations there for Dagwood.

It means you need to get this, Nige.

The chicks of which sea bird are eaten as guga, a traditional food on the Isle of Lewis?

Again I don't know, but I wouldn't have thought it was "puffin"

because I think that's Lundy.

And I'll say... I'll plump for "gannet".

Good plump. It's the right answer.

Guga from the chicks of the gannet.

OK, but Judith still with the whip hand here.

Judith, a "religieuse", a cake named because of its supposed resemblance to a nun,

is made using what type of pastry?

Do you mean it's black and white or why does it look like a nun?

Is it...? What could be nun-like about any of those things?

I've no idea. I think it's going to be..."choux".

-Is the right answer.

-Really?

-You've landed it.

Choux pastry is the right answer, so we have to tell you to "shoo", Nige.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

So this is what we've been playing towards. It's time for the final round which is General Knowledge.

But those of you who lost your head-to-heads

won't be allowed to take part, so, Ben, Lisa, Chris and Nige from Lightning Can Strike Twice,

would you all leave the studio, please?

So, Michael, you're playing to win Lightning Can Strike Twice £6,000.

Chris, Barry, Pat, Judith and Kevin, you're playing for something which money cannot buy - your reputation.

As usual, I'll ask each team three questions in turn. This time, the questions are all General Knowledge.

You're allowed to confer. Michael, the question is, is your one brain better than the Eggheads' five?

-Michael, do you want to go first or second?

-First, please.

The final round starts now with the first question to Michael.

In which field did Polly Toynbee become a distinguished name?

I've heard the name in the past.

I'm quite keen on sport

and I've never heard her name associated with any sports.

I don't think she has anything to do with fashion.

-I will go with journalism.

-It's the right answer.

Polly Toynbee, writing for The Guardian and appearing

on many TV programmes as well. Your first question, Eggheads.

The code that says you should treat others

as you would like to be treated yourself is known by what name?

-Golden Rule?

-It's got to be the Golden Rule.

-That's the Golden Rule.

It is the Golden Rule which you all stick to, I know, Eggheads.

It's the right answer. One each. And Michael, second question.

Omigod You Guys, The Harvard Variations and Take It Like A Man

are songs from which musical that officially opened in the West End in 2010?

I think Wicked opened a long time before 2010.

Out of the other two,

I think they're both more recent,

but they sound more like they'd be from Legally Blonde,

-so I'll go for Legally Blonde.

-OK, Legally Blonde.

Omigod You Guys... It's got to be, hasn't it?

It's the right answer. Yes, Legally Blonde.

Eggheads, second question. Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese,

a pub frequented by Dickens, Conan Doyle and Tennyson, is situated on which street in the city of London?

-Fleet Street.

-That's Fleet Street, Dermot.

-Any of you ever been there?

-Yes.

-Yeah.

-All of you.

Fleet Street is the right answer.

2-2. Anything can happen then.

Michael, good luck with this.

Which car manufacturing company was founded in 1909 in Molsheim, Alsace?

Well, Alsace, I think it's in France,

and I would associate Lamborghini and Maserati with Italy.

So I think that just leaves Bugatti left, so I'll go for Bugatti.

Elimination technique giving you the right answer - Bugatti.

Eggheads, you must get this right or you lose.

In grammar, what name is given to a verb when it is used as a noun?

-Gerund?

-I think it's a gerund.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-Say it.

We think that's a gerund.

It's the right answer. We're into Sudden Death.

Just to remind you, Michael,

we don't offer you any more choices. Just got to hear an answer from you.

What is the star sign of someone born on the 1st of March?

I'm just trying to work out when the star signs start.

They start on the 22nd of the month, so...

I'm trying to think which one starts on March the 22nd, so it's the one before that.

I know Capricorn goes from December the 22nd to January the 22nd.

I think Aquarius follows that, so that goes to...

That'll go to February the 22nd.

So that'll be Pisces after that, I think.

So I'll go for Pisces.

Pisces...

Well worked out. It's the right answer. Well done.

OK, Pisces, knowing your star signs there. Well, Eggheads,

again you've got to get this.

In 2004, Victoria Derbyshire began presenting her weekday show on which radio station?

Well, she's interviewed me on Radio 5.

-Has she?

-Yeah.

It could have been something else back then, but that's all I've...

-Radio 5 Live?

-Well, that's what it was when I...

-OK.

But I don't guarantee that that's the right...

- None of us know anything else. - It was 2004, 2005.

It's the only thing we've got and you've had experience of it.

We're going with Radio 5 Live.

Kevin, you've been interviewed by her on 5 Live. Why the hesitation? It's the right answer.

-Just in case she'd been somewhere else beforehand.

-5 Live.

You got it. Back to you, Michael.

Which hotel on the Las Vegas Strip features a pyramid

and a recreation of the Great Sphinx of Giza?

That's a straightforward one for me because I've been in it. The Luxor.

It is the Luxor. Well done, been there. Fantastic.

OK, Eggheads, well...

In 2011, which Italian football club sacked Gian Piero Gasperini as their manager

after only five matches in charge?

Inter Milan?

He was a bit of a surprise choice to be made coach

because he wasn't that... He wasn't a big name.

-And they had an absolutely disastrous start to the season.

-OK.

-And what's the proper way of saying it?

-Inter Milan. Or Internazionale.

It's Internazionale, also known sometimes as Inter Milan.

Known sometimes, is it, as Inter Milan(?)

Yes, it's the right answer. You've got it.

Inter Milan. Right, on we go.

Michael, in which modern-day country is the birthplace of Joseph Stalin?

In which modern-day country is the birthplace of Joseph Stalin?

Um...

I think it's one of the smaller of the ex-Soviet republics,

so that's got to rule out probably Ukraine and Kazakhstan.

I think I associate him with Georgia, so I'll go for Georgia.

Georgia is correct, Michael.

Well, Eggheads, you are up against something here.

You need to get this question right.

Good Times and Green Light were UK number one singles for which group in 2010?

Good Times and Green Light were UK number one singles for which group in 2010?

-Noah And The Whale?

-I can't bring it to mind, unfortunately. Any thoughts?

-Mumford & Sons?

-..No, I haven't.

I should know these, but it's slipped away.

I have nothing on this.

KEVIN: This is... I don't...

This is purely on the basis that we've got to go for something.

I'd guess at JLS,

-but I...

-JLS?

You know, from the back end of 2009 or thereabouts, they had two or three number ones.

-Does it sound like one of their titles?

-Quite possibly, but you know...

-Your instincts are good.

-I know I've heard the title Good Times,

but I've not looked at this sort of thing sufficiently recently to remember it all. It's a pure guess.

-That's all I can suggest. I have no idea.

-Black Eyed Peas?

We're going with JLS, Dermot, with not a great deal of hope.

OK, JLS, not a great deal of hope.

Good Times and Green Light were UK number one singles for...

Roll Deep, which means, Michael, you've won!

Not JLS, but Roll Deep.

Michael, it didn't really matter what happened in the head-to-heads.

With someone like you there, lightning has struck twice,

and you've taken out not just Kevin and Pat as you did before, but the entire might of the Eggheads.

-Was that a trick?

-Yeah, lulled them into a sense of security.

You told your mates, "Lose because I want to show how good I am against the Eggheads." You dismembered them.

You took them apart. £6,000 you've won,

but that has only been done, beating the Eggheads on your own, eight times before,

so you join a very select band there, Michael.

Congratulations to you and to the other members of the team who tried so valiantly against the Eggheads,

but their efforts and failures only serve to prove how good a quizzer you are, taking on the five Eggheads

and beating them on your own.

Join us next time on Eggheads to see if a new team of challengers will be just as successful.

Until then, goodbye.

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