Episode 7 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 our quiz champions today are...

This team of friends and colleagues regularly quiz together

at the Lounge Pub in Plymouth. Let's meet them.

Hi, I'm Mike, I'm 31 years old and I'm an English teacher.

Hi, I'm Henry, I'm 27 and I am a criminology lecturer.

Hi, I'm Maria, I'm 27 and I'm an English teacher.

Hi, I'm Chris, I'm 42 and I'm an English teacher.

Hi, I'm Scott, I'm 35 and an events manager.

Welcome, Quiz Bang Wallop.

You all quiz together, so that's a good sign.

You know each other's strengths and weaknesses.

Presumably you have studied

-the Eggheads' strengths and weaknesses?

-Definitely.

-Oh, yes.

Do you think they have any? I mean weaknesses?

Few and far between.

It is always a bit of a gamble, probably.

But we think we could find a few chinks in the armour.

Let's play the game.

Every day, there is £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, they have won the last 17 games

which means £18,000 says that

you can't beat them today.

I like that rubbing of the hands. Let's start with our first

head-to-head on Film and Television.

-Anyone of you can play.

-OK, I think it was Scott.

-I'll do that, then.

-Yes. I think we will play Scott on that one, please.

-OK, Scott, which Egghead do you want to take on?

-Shall we try Chris?

-Yep.

-We will go with Chris.

OK. Scott taking on Chris, then, on Film and Television.

Let's have you both into the question room, please.

OK, then, Scott, Film and TV.

Would you like to go first or second?

I would like to go first, please.

Your question.

Who played the lawyer Billy Flynn in the 2002 musical film Chicago?

OK, I've not seen this film, but I saw some trailers.

I'm pretty sure, I seem to recall seeing Richard Gere's

face on the poster, so I will plump for Richard Gere, please.

OK, from the poster, but not the film itself.

But it's the right answer. Richard Gere played Billy Flynn in Chicago.

Chris, Ken Morley played which character in Coronation Street

between 1989 and 1995?

Ken Morley always plays himself anyway,

he was a bit of a caricature, but he was Reg Holdsworth.

Yes, he was, that's right. One apiece. Straight back to Scott.

Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise first starred together in which film?

OK, I think they were together in all of those films.

Eyes Wide Shut I think came later when they were a couple.

I think it is Days of Thunder.

Yes, it's the right answer. Well done. Two for you, then, Scott.

Chris, who starred as Susan opposite Cary Grant in the 1938

screwball comedy film Bringing Up Baby?

Well, in '38, Sophia Loren and Deborah Kerr were far too young.

It was Katharine Hepburn.

Yes. The right answer. It is correct.

And the notable thing about the baby in the title?

-It was a leopard, I think.

-That's right.

OK, it is 2-2.

Scott's going well. Third question.

The British actress Emma Samms played which character in the US

soaps Dynasty and The Colbys?

Right. It's not really a programme I watched a lot of.

So, it will have to be a bit of a guess.

I always think you should go with the first thing that comes

into your mind, and for some reason my mind is telling me Fallon.

-So, I'm going to go for Fallon.

-OK.

That kind of subliminal memory.

It's the right answer. Fallon.

Emma Samms as Fallon.

Right, you have the lead,

and one foot in the final round.

Chris can prevent that with a correct answer.

Which actor took on the role of Jack Halford

in the TV drama series New Tricks, when it started in 2003?

They're all in it.

I tend to think of them

by their actor's names rather than their character's names.

So I have to take one from three.

I think that is James Bolam.

It's the right one, yes. Well remembered.

The ex-Likely Lad.

So, we go to sudden death, Scott.

That means you don't see any more choices.

Who played a character called the Ringo Kid in the 1939 film,

Stagecoach?

Well, 1939 is a bit before my time.

I can't recall seeing or having even heard of this film.

I am trying to pull out a name, really.

Yul Brenner? Is it Brenner? I'm really not sure. Yul Brenner.

Yul Brynner. It's not the right answer. Do you know, Chris?

Yes, it was about the first major appearance by John Wayne.

John Wayne, the Duke.

It doesn't matter , it doesn't win you the game.

That was Scott's question. This will if you give me a correct answer.

Who played James Bond in the film Never Say Never Again?

Yes, Connery said he would never play Bond again

after whatever his last one was.

And they coaxed him back for Never Say Never Again.

So it was Sean Connery.

Sean Connery? Back as Bond.

It's the right answer, Chris.

You have won the round. Scott did very well but failed at that hurdle

and it means you will not play in the final round.

Please both come back and join your teams.

Close, Scott, but didn't quite make it.

It means your team has lost one brain from the final round.

The Eggheads are all still there. Our second one today is Music.

A lot of you will want to play this,

but only one of you can do it.

Music.

-I think that's you, Mike. Yes.

-Yes.

-That's going to be me.

All right, Mike. Choose an Egghead, anyone apart from Chris.

I think you might be going for Judith, in this round.

-I think I will.

-OK.

Mike, Judith, let's have you both into the question room, please.

-Mike, you're in a band, what do you play?

-I'm a drummer.

-With Scott?

Yes, he writes most of the songs. He's the guitarist.

And I make some noise in the background and hope it sounds good.

I am sure that's not the case.

What's it called and what type of music do you play?

We are called The Lukins, and we are quite sort of big riffs, big rock

sound, but we have a female singer which gives it a pop edge,

which makes it I think a little bit different, and more fun.

Why the Lukins? Any reason?

The band started off as just me and Scott,

and we are both big Pearl Jam fans.

It's a reference to a song by Pearl Jam.

OK, best of luck.

In this music round, do you want to go first or second?

I will go first, please.

OK. First question.

Which singer performed opposite Peter Kay as Geraldine McQueen,

for a 2011 Comic Relief version of the song I Know Him So Well.

I remember the TV show that it came from and I can picture

Geraldine, but for some reason I thought she did it by herself.

So it will be guesswork. I am pretty sure it wasn't Cheryl Cole.

Not really her style, that sort of comedy.

Susan Boyle seems almost too obvious for my liking.

I know I'll regret saying that in 30 seconds' time.

But I am going to go with Leona Lewis.

Leona Lewis. OK, I am just waiting 30 seconds.

It's Susan Boyle.

Not quite the 30.

-You were thinking that, weren't you?

-Yes.

OK, Judith, a chance for the lead.

In which year was Michael Jackson's album

Off The Wall originally released?

I think that was 1989.

OK, 1989 for Off The Wall.

Off the bar for you. Not the right answer.

-'79.

-I knew it would be.

-So, no harm done, Mike. It stays all square.

The second question.

"There is no love song finer,

"but how strange the change from major to minor,"

are lines from which song by Cole Porter?

Cole Porter's not an area of expertise

so I will take this from a poetic angle, being an English teacher.

So I'm trying to think of the themes.

Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye, it seems a bit positive for that.

So we'll go with one of the two others.

I'm going to go with You're The Top.

I'm sorry, it's wrong. It is Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye.

Every one you pick on and reject first has

so far been the right answer.

Well, Judith, your question.

Blue Savannah and Drama where UK hit singles for which act?

Duran Duran.

I don't know.

CJ was giving you so much positive energy there,

so many positive thoughts.

-And it is, CJ?

-Erasure.

-Erasure.

So it's low scoring,

but intriguing nevertheless.

One right answer might just win the round.

Let's see if it comes from you, Mike.

Tonight I Celebrate My Love was a 1983

UK top ten single for Peabo Bryson and which female singer?

Again, absolutely no idea.

I wish I'd said number two at the beginning

because I knew all the other questions, so far.

My gut reaction says no to Diana Ross, that's probably correct,

but I am going to stick with my gut.

It normally does me quite well, not today, though.

I am going to say Linda Ronstadt.

OK, well, it's not Diana Ross, but it is Roberta Flack. Oh, dear.

That instinct has been letting you down.

As you say, you've known all of Judith's, and she hasn't.

I've known all of his, though!

-It would have been exactly the same situation!

-I wish he had said he'd be second.

OK, well, I can't compute what might have happened.

What is happening is that you can win the round

if you give me a correct answer here.

Who wrote the music for the musical Fiddler On The Roof?

Oh, I don't know!

Um, Jerry Bock.

-It's the right answer.

-Oh, no. I'm so sorry. I feel embarrassed.

Well, for five minutes I'll be embarrassed.

Mike, bad luck, that was such an entertaining round.

It was, it was really good fun!

And you were really, really unlucky in the way the questions fell.

Anyway, let's have you both back, it means Judith's in the final round.

Well, Judith's still apologising.

I do, I feel very embarrassed. By default, I won.

As it stands, Quiz Bang Wallop

have lost two brains from the final round.

The Eggheads are all still intact.

Two more head-to-heads to come, our next one is Arts and Books.

We've still got two English teachers intact there,

Maria or Chris. Henry could play it.

Let's do it, I think we should.

-It's going to be me, Dermot.

-OK, Chris.

Which Egghead would you like to play?

Remember, Judith and Chris have played already,

so it's Daphne, CJ, or Kevin.

-CJ is good at that, isn't he? Daphne or Kevin?

-Yes.

-Go with Daphne, then.

-Daphne.

-Daphne, OK. It's Chris and Daphne, then.

Heading for the Question Room, please.

Well, Chris, I'm told you're an exceptionally keen quizzer,

so you must be delighted to be testing yourself

against someone of the calibre of Daphne.

Absolutely, yeah. It's an honour.

-It's an honour for you, isn't it, Daphne, as well?

-Of course.

OK, well, here we go.

Do you want to go first or second, Chris?

Um, I'll go first.

First question for you.

Which novel features seemingly perfect women

who turn out to be computerised models

created to serve their husbands?

Well, The Tommyknockers, I think, is a Stephen King story, and a film.

The Witches of Eastwick, I haven't read it, but I've seen the film.

I believe the answer to this one is The Stepford Wives.

Stepford Wives, yeah. It's the right answer. Yes, well done.

And your first question, Daphne.

In the Seven Ages Of Man speech from Shakespeare's As You Like It,

what is the third age?

It's not the schoolboy, he's the first.

I think it's the soldier.

I wonder what do you think, Chris, as an English teacher?

Well, the first one is the infant,

mewling and puking in his mother's arms.

I think the schoolboy is the second, so it's the lover who's third.

-Lover. Yes, well there we are.

-I forgot the infant!

Chris knew that as well, can't make it 2-0, Chris, I'm afraid,

but this will make it 2-0 if you get this one right.

Who illustrated The Boy In The Dress,

a children's book by David Walliams?

Well, I have only heard of two of those.

Raymond Briggs did The Snowman.

Quentin Blake, I can picture the pictures

but I can't remember what he drew.

So this is going to have to be a complete guess.

I'll go with Quentin Blake,

because I think he did a lot of children's books.

OK, Quentin Blake, collaborating there with David Walliams,

is correct.

You have that lead.

2-0 and Daphne goes out if she gets another one wrong.

Daphne, which poet coined the word "pandemonium"

as the name for the capital of hell?

John Milton.

Yeah, that's right.

Chris, you go through if you give me a correct answer here.

Who was the first American writer to be honoured with a bust

in Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey?

Well, I have been to Westminster Abbey, but it's a long time ago

and I can't remember seeing any of those.

Edgar Allen Poe is a writer of Gothic horror.

Don't know.

Longfellow, that was Hiawatha, if I remember correctly.

And Walt Whitman, the poet...

It's going to have to be a guess.

Walt Whitman.

Walt Whitman for a place in the final round.

No, it's not.

It's Longfellow.

OK.

A chance to redeem yourself, here, Daphne.

Pallas and the Centaur

is a 15th-century painting by which artist?

Um, a guess again, I'm afraid. Um...

-Raphael.

-Other Eggheads, do you think she's right?

I don't know this one.

On the basis that Botticelli was around for more of the 15th century,

I'd properly have gone for him.

OK, tending more towards...

what is the right answer,

Botticelli.

Ah-ha!

Well, bad luck, Daphne.

I said before it all started, Chris, you pitted yourself against

the creme de la creme and you've come off on top.

Well done. Chris, you're in the final round.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

Well, that's better for Quiz Bang Wallop.

As it stands, the Eggheads have lost

one brain from the final round, but Quiz Bang Wallop have lost two.

Our last head-to-head before the final round is History.

Who'd like to play this? Henry or Maria?

-Me?

-This is clearly Henry.

Who shall I take on?

-You have got Kevin or CJ to choose from?

-That's tough.

I'd be tempted to go for CJ.

-Yes.

-Yeah, I think so.

-Yeah?

I'll take on CJ.

All right. It's going to be Henry and CJ battling this one out.

Into the Question Room, both of you, please.

Well, Henry, a great chance, as you know, to even this up

for Quiz Bang Wallop in the final round.

Do you want to go first or second?

I think I'll stick with what the rest of my team have done

and I'll go first, please.

OK, Henry. Best of luck. Your first question is this.

In the ancient Roman calendar, the Ides of March

referred to what date in March?

Ah. The Ides of March. Um...

Made famous by Shakespeare for some reason

which I'm sure someone on my team can explain, but I certainly can't.

I don't really know this, Dermot.

I've just got a feeling maybe it's the 5th.

-I don't know why but I'm going to go for the 5th.

-OK.

Partly a literary question, as Henry illuminated for us.

-The 5th, Ides of March?

-It's the 15th.

-It's the 15th from Chris there.

The 15th, the Ides of March. OK. CJ, first question for you.

In 1825, the inventor and engineer Marc Isambard Brunel

started work on a major commission

to build a tunnel underneath which river?

I've never heard of any major tunnel constructions

about that time for the Tyne.

Could have been the Mersey,

but there have been several attempts to do a tunnel under the Thames

and certainly that early,

and London would have been the most important of those three centres

at the time so I'll try the Thames.

You'll try the Thames and Chris nodding sagely there.

It is the right answer, I can confirm.

Just to clear up for people, this Marc Isambard Brunel presumably

the dad of the more famous one.

-Yeah. Father of IKB.

-IKB?! Is that how you know him, is it?

OK, well, playing catch-up, Henry.

Here you go. Spring and Autumn Period

is the English name given to a stage in the history of which country?

Well, the only one I know a little bit about is Russian history,

so I don't believe it's Russian history.

I'm going to go for China.

China, OK.

And it is the right answer. Yes.

Keeping yourself in the game,

in with a chance.

CJ, the 1957 Eisenhower Doctrine was a US declaration

specifically designed to protect which area of the world

against Communist aggression?

That's interesting. I don't think I've come across this.

Hmmm. I mean, Central America...

could have been covered by the Munroe Doctrine but...

certainly that was an area targeted by Communists in the '50s and '60s.

I'd be surprised if it was the Middle East for Communist threat.

And the same for South Africa.

But Central America was certainly a target for Communists

around that time, so I'll try Central America.

That's what I would have gone for, but it's not the right answer. No.

It's the Middle East, the Eisenhower Doctrine.

Well, you're well back in it, then, Henry.

It's all square, and your third question.

Who commanded the relief force that set out in 1884

to relieve the besieged General Gordon at Khartoum?

Erm, the only one I think I've heard of really is Field Marshal Roberts.

And I think he had something to do with Egyptian campaigns.

I think it was Field Marshal Roberts who famously said,

"Give me a tee-total army and I will lead it anywhere."

I think he was promoting sobriety amongst his troops in Egypt.

So I think Field Marshal Roberts.

OK, Field Marshal Roberts...

it's not. It's not Roberts. It was Gen Wolseley.

And that means a chance for CJ

to win the round with this.

Which Chinese dynasty was directly

succeeded by the Ming Dynasty in 1368?

I don't know when the Jin is. I think the Yuan...

is around that time.

Or is that later?

I'm ruling out the Qing, cos I think that's earlier.

There's something telling me that the Yuan is actually slightly later

and the Jin is earlier.

So, as you've probably guessed, I'm not at all sure on this.

I think the Qing is earlier, the Yuan is later, so I'll try the Jin.

The Jin. Is he right, Eggheads?

No, Yuan.

It's Yuan, not the Jin. You were going for that...

If it was instant response, you would have gone for that.

Well, it's all square. You live to fight another day, Henry.

But fighting in Sudden Death now. No choices for you.

What was the name of the aeroplane in which Charles Lindbergh

made his historic solo flight from New York to Paris in 1927?

I really don't know this one at all.

Er, I'm just going to have to come up with a guess or something.

Charles Lindbergh flew across the Atlantic. I don't know.

The Lindy Hop. It's a stupid guess.

-I don't know. That's my answer.

-No, always have a guess. I like that.

The dance then followed the feet.

It's a good link, but it's not the right answer.

That's a very good guess. It's not correct. Do you know, CJ?

-It's the Spirit of St Louis.

-The Spirit of St Louis

and then they started jitterbugging and Lindy Hopping as a result.

Bad luck, Henry. OK.

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

Which 5th-century historical figure

ruled his empire with his brother, Bleda, and then alone

after supposedly having him murdered?

Which 5th-century historical figure

ruled his empire with his brother, Bleda. B-L-E-D-A,

and then alone after supposedly having him murdered?

It's Attila the Hun.

It's the right answer, yes. Attila the Hun.

Which means you have just

sneaked into the final round, CJ.

Bad luck, Henry. Bad luck with that Lindy Hop one.

Means you won't be playing in the final round.

Come back and join your teams.

So, this is what we've been playing towards, it's time now

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

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

won't be allowed to take part in this round.

So Mike, Henry and Scott from Quiz Bang Wallop

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

OK, then. Maria and Chris, you're playing to win

Quiz Bang Wallop £18,000. Judith, Kevin, CJ and Chris,

you're playing for something which money can't buy.

It is the Eggheads' reputation. Very valuable that is too.

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

The questions are all General Knowledge and you are allowed to confer.

So, Maria and Chris, the question is,

are your two brains better than the Eggheads' four?

How do you want to play it? Do you want to go first or second?

I think we'll stick with what the team's done so far

and we will go first.

Best of luck to you, Quiz Bang Wallop.

Here's your first question, General Knowledge.

Which driver broke his leg when he crashed into a wall

at the British Formula One Grand Prix in 1999?

-Where's Henry when you need him?

-Absolutely.

Yeah, this is definitely one that Henry might know.

Schumacher I don't think ever broke a leg, did he?

I don't think so and I think if I'd have heard of this

-that name would have popped straight into my head.

-David Coulthard

is a British driver, so that would have been big news.

-I'm kind of guessing Mika Hakkinen.

-I've never heard of Mika Hakkinen.

That would be my instinctive guess but...

-OK.

-I don't know why.

-Where is he from?

-Finland, I think.

-OK. All right.

-I'm not sure.

Does it ring any bells?

-Kind of instinctive, but not sure why.

-OK.

-Shall we go for it?

-Yeah.

We will go, Dermot, for Mika Hakkinen.

Mika Hakkinen breaking a leg there in 1999 in the British Gran Prix.

You say Henry's your motor racing expert.

-Is he a bit of a fan of the F1?

-Just sport in general, really.

-He's shaking his head.

-Shaking his head vigorously.

Saying he's not a fan.

But it's not the right answer.

-Oh, dear.

-It is Schumacher, the one you first rejected.

Michael Schumacher broke his leg. Eggheads, your first question.

The bird known as a waxwing is so named

for the tips on its wing feathers that are what colour?

The bird known as a waxwing is so named

for the tips on its wing feathers that what colour?

-Sealing wax is traditionally red.

-Sealing wax is red.

INAUDIBLE MUTTERING

-It makes sense.

-Wax is traditionally red.

-That's exactly what I said.

On the basis that sealing wax is traditionally red, we'll go for red.

OK, not from your knowledge of ornithology then?

-No.

-Your knowledge of sealing wax.

Certainly not from ornithology.

Going the wax route, and it is red. It is the right answer.

So Eggheads, you have a lead, and Maria and Chris,

work to be done, then. In Greek mythology,

who married Epimetheus, the brother of Prometheus?

-Well, I'm immediately wanting to rule out Pandora.

-Yeah.

I don't think that's going to be the answer in this case.

-She opened the box, didn't she?

-She opened the box.

-Echo, isn't that connected with the story of Narcissus?

-Yes!

-I think you might be right.

-So I would go straight down the middle

-with Nike.

-I was drawn to Nike also.

-Let's go for it.

So let's go with our instinct.

We're going to go with Nike.

Instinct leading you to Nike and is that the right way

to have gone, Eggheads?

-No, it's Pandora.

-It's Pandora.

-Oh, no!

-Oh, dear.

A Pandora's box of problems opening up here for you.

You need to hope the Eggheads don't know this.

The Indian state of Mysore

was renamed as what in the 1970s?

The Indian state of Mysore

was renamed as what in the 1970s?

It isn't either of the others so it's Karnataka.

OK. Haryana is up in the North West near the Punjab.

Bihar's up on the Ganges.

-Fine.

-Mysore must be Karnataka.

-It's Karnataka.

-OK.

And you've gone for Karnataka.

It's the right answer, Eggheads, which means you've won.

Which also means Quiz Bang Wallop,

it didn't really end with a bang there for you.

You never got going in the final round after such good performances in those head-to-heads.

Chris's most notable in that you won through and took Daphne out.

But very good performances, even from Mike.

LAUGHTER

I'm serious about that, Mike. It was great fun, your round.

But not to be, in that final round. Thank you very much indeed

for coming along and quizzing with us today, Quiz Bang Wallop.

Best of luck in your quizzing in the future.

But the Eggheads have done what comes naturally and their winning streak continues.

I'm afraid you won't be going home with the £18,000

and 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.

£19,000 says they don't.

Until then, goodbye.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd