Episode 78 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 the Quizisists.

This team are all studying physics at Swansea University,

and they regularly attend the quiz at their local, the Uplands Tavern.

-Let's meet them.

-Hi. I'm Tom.

I'm 20 and I'm from Bridgend.

Hi. I'm Iori. I'm 20 and I'm from Hertfordshire.

Hi, I'm Jonty. I'm 22 and I'm from Cornwall.

Hi. I'm Stuart. I'm 21 and I'm from Chelmsford.

Hi. I'm Michael. I'm 24 and I'm from Newport.

So Tom and team, welcome. So you're all physics students?

-Yes.

-Of varying degrees of aptitude.

Really? Do you want to go into any more detail on that?

Stuart's good and the rest are average.

Stuart's good and the rest are average. OK.

-You're hoping science will come up?

-I'd like it to.

If it doesn't, we've got that excuse.

You have. You hope science will come up five times.

-Yes. That would be nice.

-I remember physics from school.

Do you still use those machines like the Van de Graaff generator?

-Only to mess about with.

-What was your one, Chris?

-The Wimshurst machine.

-The Wimshurst machine, do you use that?

If we were to use that, we'd have to build it ourselves.

But it would be more for fun than actual physics.

So how are you doing it if you're not grappling?

We're more theorists.

So it's maths, computers and talking about it.

Computers, right. OK. Well, good luck to you.

See if you can give yourselves a boost

-by beating the Eggheads.

-That would be nice.

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, Quizisists, the Eggheads have won the last 12 games.

Which means £13,000 says that you can't beat them today.

The first head-to-head battle is on the subject of,

-not science, but politics. Who would like this?

-Stuart.

-He doesn't look happy.

-It's not what he wants but I think he gets the most right,

-whether he likes it or not.

-Stuart. OK.

-It's up to you, mate.

-The unknown or Barry?

I say either Barry or Dave, cos we've got plans for the others.

You've got plans for the others. I love that.

-Not like devious plans.

-That came across more nefarious.

We mean, you know, a game plan.

So, Stuart. Who do you want to play? I think I'll try Barry.

OK. So Stuart from the Quizisists against Barry from the Eggheads.

To ensure there is no conferring,

would you please take your positions in the question room.

Stuart, you're going to be good at politics?

Erm. No.

Cos you've recently taken up kickboxing, so that's got to help.

-Yeah, definitely. Yeah.

-Tell us about the kickboxing.

It's just a friend told me she was going to go along

to a kickboxing tutorial thing.

And I went along to that with her and enjoyed it and then started going every week.

OK, so if Barry gets two right out of three, just lunge.

Lunge over at him, and you'll take the round.

You'll have three multiple choice questions on politics.

You can choose the first or the second set of questions.

-Which do you want?

-Can I go second, please?

Here we go with your first question, Barry.

In 2010, which politician was inadvertently caught on microphone

calling a voter in Rochdale a bigoted woman? Was it...

Don't you just love it when they're inadvertently caught?

In this instance, it was Gordon Brown.

Gordon Brown is the right answer.

Stuart, your question. In 1993, which politician caused mirth

when he appeared to mime his way through the Welsh National Anthem?

Well, I have no clue, really.

But I'm going to go with John Prescott.

Do your team-mates know? look, cos this is the big one in Wales.

I would have said Redwood. But I don't know.

Yeah, it was actually John Redwood.

He was the Welsh Secretary, and he glazed over, didn't he?

Yes, definitely.

OK, Barry. The Outer Space Treaty

which formed the basis of international space law

was signed by the UK, the US and the Soviet Union in which decade?

Oh, what an interesting question.

It couldn't possibly be in the 1950s

because until 1957 there wasn't anything in outer space.

'57 was when the first Sputnik went up.

So was it in the '60s or the '70s?

Well, there was a lot of activity in the '60s

because obviously Americans landed on the moon in '69.

So it's possible that it could have been done then.

Or did they leave it till a little bit later?

I think they'd have tried to resolve the issues

a bit earlier rather than later, so I'll go for the 1960s.

Very good, Barry. You're right. It is the 1960s.

Back to you, Stuart.

Which American president was born

in Tampico, Illinois, in 1911. Was it...

Again, it's going to be a guess.

1911.

Could I go for...

..Lyndon B Johnson, please?

It's not Lyndon B Johnson. It's Ronald Reagan.

Now, because you got that one wrong, you are out, I'm afraid.

There's no way back in these three questions.

So Barry has taken it with two questions right out of three.

Please, both of you, return to your teams.

The challengers have lost one brain from the final round.

The Eggheads have lost no brains.

The next subject is music. So who's the musician?

That'll be Jonty, I think. Yeah.

Jonty? And which Egghead would you like, Jonty?

Can I take on Chris, please?

OK, so Jonty from the Quizisists versus Chris from the Eggheads.

To ensure there's no conferring,

please take your positions in the question room.

Do you enjoy your music, Jonty?

I like all kinds of music.

I've got '60s and '70s written down here,

so you obviously like stuff from before you were born.

Yes, I was influenced by my parents quite a bit.

What did they get you into?

Fleetwood Mac, Jimi Hendrix.

So you're a good, unbiased judge

of whether music then was better than it is now?

-Possibly, yeah.

-I bet you think that, Chris, don't you?

Yeah, half of it's not music at all in my book.

Music is the subject. I'm sorry we haven't done science yet.

You're looking forward to that. You're against Chris.

And you can choose the first or the second set of questions, Jonty.

I'd like to go first, please.

Here we go.

The choral group, The King's Singers,

was founded at which university in the 1960s? Is it...

This isn't one of my strong points.

For some reason, I am being drawn towards Cambridge.

So I think I'll go for Cambridge.

Kings College Cambridge. You're right. Cambridge is the answer.

Chris.

Best That You Can Do is the subtitle of which song,

a UK top ten single for Christopher Cross in the 1980s? Is it...

Best That You Can Do. It's not Carrie's Theme.

That's a Stephen King horror story.

It's not Arthur's Theme. That's The Moon And New York City.

So it's Dorothy Matthews. Tootsie's Theme.

JEREMY LAUGHS

You say it with such conviction, but you're wrong.

It's Arthur's Theme. Which I guess was the film with John Gielgud.

-Yes, it was, yeah.

-And Dudley Moore.

It's a lovely song as well.

-He did Sailing as well, Christopher Cross.

-He did.

Sorry, Chris. OK, back to you.

You're in the lead here, what about this?

This is a good moment, Jonty.

The Tom Tom Club, who had UK hits in the 1980s

with Wordy Rappinghood

and Under The Boardwalk,

featured a husband and wife from which other group? Was it...

This is... I have no idea, really.

I haven't really listened to any of them that much,

but I am going to go for Talking Heads.

-Smart play. You're right. Well done.

-Yeah!

-Oh, fair play, mate.

OK. Chris, your question.

If you get this wrong, Chris, you're out.

Who received the Artist Of The Decade Award

at the 2011 Classic Brit Awards? Was it...

Usually I know this sort of stuff.

-Artist, singular?

-I'll do it again.

Who received the Artist Of The Decade Award

at the 2011 Classic Brit Awards? Was it...

Well, Il Divo's a group. There's four of them.

So it would be artists.

He's Finnish, isn't he, Arvo Part?

Rings no bells. Antonio Pappano.

Antonio Pappano is the wrong answer.

The correct answer is Il Divo.

-Was it?

-They're not an artist. They're a group.

Chris, you've been knocked out. Jonty, well done!

-Thank you.

-How about that?

The physicist gets through on music.

Brilliant, brilliant work. In two questions as well.

So you will be in the final, Jonty. Do come back and rejoin your teams.

-Chris, that was painful.

-Yeah.

-None out of three.

Well, yeah. Artist, singular,

does not apply to Il Divo, who are a group.

That was what the Brits called them.

Yeah. Well, they're wrong.

Very sporting, they are.

The challengers have lost one brain

and the Eggheads have also lost a brain now from the final round

cos Chris is out. The next subject is sport.

-Who's the sporting Quizisist?

-I'll take this one.

-Confident. Nice.

-OK, Iori against...

I want Daphne.

-You're absolutely certain about that?

-Absolutely.

So Iori from the Quizisists against Daphne from the Eggheads on sport.

And to ensure there's no conferring, please go to the question room.

So sport, Iori, which I know is your thing.

Yeah, I like to think I'm pretty good at it.

Yeah, I'm all right. I play it a bit.

And you played American football?

Yeah, in my foundation year.

-So how? Were you doing that at Swansea?

-Yeah.

With all the kit and everything else?

We were all full padded up, full contact.

Just running into people,

chasing after an oddly-shaped ball. It was good.

-And then someone ran into you?

-My own team mate ran into me

and, kind of, broke my leg horribly.

-It wasn't pretty.

-Ooh!

Can you do American football again?

Yeah, I was hoping to go back to it next year.

OK. Well, good luck with that.

Daphne. Sport. Are you ready?

Mmm...as I'll ever be, yes.

Iori, three multiple choice questions,

-you can choose first or second.

-Can I go second, please?

Daphne, here's your first question. Which British driver finished second

in the points for the 2011 Formula One season? Is it...

I think it was...

Jenson Button.

Jenson Button is the right answer, Daphne. Well done.

OK, Iori. Who was the BBC's Overseas Sports Personality Of The Year

in both 2008 and 2009? Was it...

I don't think it was Usain Bolt.

And I think...

at that time Cristiano Ronaldo was very big,

so Cristiano Ronaldo?

No, it wasn't, it was Mr Bolt. Usain Bolt was the answer.

Daphne, you're ahead. Your second question.

Which country was awarded the Fair Play Award by FIFA

at the 2010 football World Cup? Was it...

I don't watch football.

I don't think it was England,

because they're not great at playing fair.

I'm going to guess that it was Spain.

Nicely done, Daphne. You're quite right. Well done. It was Spain.

So she's got two and, Iori, you've got none.

You've got to get this one right.

Andrew "Chubby" Chandler was a player of,

and became an agent in, which sport?

Chubby Chandler.

I don't think it was basketball.

But I could be way off here.

And I'm not very good at Union.

But I'm...just not sure.

I want to say golf.

So I'm just going to go with golf.

But it's probably basketball.

You talk yourselves down too much, your team.

Golf is the answer. Well done. You got it. You're still in it.

If Daphne gets this right, she's won.

Which former Indian cricket captain had the nickname Jumbo.

Daphne, was it...

I don't know this.

Jumbo. It sounds as though he's a big chap.

Anil Kumble's a bowler.

So...

how about Ganguly?

-His name's Kumble rather than "Kumbell".

-Oh, was it him?

-It is Anil Kumble.

-Oh, right.

Right. Well, she's given you a little way back in here, Iori.

But you have to get this one right, OK?

Which British welterweight boxer won a shock victory

over Roberto Duran in 1982,

in a bout that was described by Ring Magazine

as the upset of the year? Was it...

Boxing, I'm not even close to touched up on, so...

I'm going to say Colin Jones.

But that's cos it's the most English name on there.

But I wouldn't have a clue.

It's not Colin Jones actually. Kirkland Laing is the right answer.

So, Iori, sorry, you've been beaten by Daphne on sports.

But then, she does play American football as well.

You're resting at the moment because of injury yourself,

Daphne, aren't you?

Both of you come back and rejoin your teams, please.

Well, I don't know what to suggest now.

Bringing out the Van de Graaff generator.

Any thoughts on strategy?

It would have to depend what the next round is.

You want science.

Yes. Or film and TV for Mike.

As it stands, the challengers have lost two brains.

The Eggheads have lost one brain. The next subject is geography.

-That's me.

-Has that torn it?

I have the disadvantage that I've travelled a bit,

so I've been designated geography.

OK, Tom. You're geography. Against which Egghead?

Could be Kevin or Dave.

Erm...I'll take on Dave.

OK. So Tom, from the Quizisists,

versus Dave from the Eggheads on geography.

Please take your positions in the question room.

Tom, you said you've done some travelling?

Yeah, I like to think I've been about.

I've been over most of Europe with my family.

Me and my dad, for his fiftieth,

went to France and through Belgium, on a World War I tour.

World War I. So you were looking at sights and everything?

Yes. There was a lot of time walking about.

At one point, we were looking for our relatives.

-Did you find them?

-Yeah, we had a great cousin

or great uncle at Cambrai, I think.

-And you found the tomb?

-Yeah.

-The grave.

-And was that an extraordinary moment?

-It was surprising.

It was day four, I think, or day three,

and we, all of a sudden, stopped and recognised the last name.

Tell us about him.

We couldn't find a lot, other than

I know Cambrai was one of the first great tank battles.

But that's all I know. It was more for my dad, if I'm honest.

Three questions on geography in turn.

And Tom, you can choose the first or the second set of questions.

I'd like to go second.

Tremendous Knowledge Dave starts.

Minneapolis is the largest city in which US state?

Well, Boston's the largest one in Massachusetts.

Detroit, largest one in Michigan.

So my answer is Minnesota.

Minnesota is quite right. Well done.

Back to you, Tom. Your first question.

The area known as the Wallops,

consisting of Over, Nether and Middle Wallop

is in which English county? Is it...

The Wallops. I have heard of them.

But I'm not sure when from.

I'd say it would be Dorset or Somerset.

Cos they're in that sort of area where they'd use Wallop.

And Somerset is a little bigger. So I think I'll go Somerset, please.

I like the logic and I went there myself,

-but it's actually Hampshire.

-Oh.

-Hampshire is the answer.

Dave. Here's your second question.

The world's second oldest national park,

the Royal National Park, was established in which country

-in 1879?

-Was it...

Right. I don't like the sound of this one.

But I'm going to try and apply something.

-It's Royal, just R-O-Y-A-L, I presume?

-Yes, it is.

-Right, OK.

It's difficult.

All of them are plausible.

But just solely on the fact that the national park classifications,

there are quite a lot in that country, North America...

Well, sorry, North America, I'd go for Canada.

Canada's just the one that I'd plump for. But with no amount of...

..you know, surety.

So I'll go for Canada, please.

-No, it's Australia.

-Fair enough.

So, see if you can draw level, Tom.

The stratovolcano, Ojos del Salado,

the world's highest active volcano

lies on the border of Argentina and which other country? Is it...

When you mentioned it, I thought,

if a South American country comes up, I'm fine.

I can't use that any more.

Largest border has got to be with Chile, but it's quite active.

Oh no, and Brazil.

Not sure if Uruguay is known for its volcanicity.

I will go with border with Chile.

Nice one, you're correct. Chile is right. So you're equal.

OK. Your third question, Dave.

The European long distance footpath, E1, begins in Norway,

and ends in which other country? Is it...

I don't know.

It'll have to be a plump one out of three.

And I'm going to go for Italy.

Italy is quite right.

JEREMY LAUGHS

-It doesn't seem fair, does it?

-No. It's not fair at all.

OK, Quizisists. You need this one. Otherwise you're out, Tom.

What is the name of the village in County Antrim

that was designed in the style of a Cornish village

by the architect Clough Williams-Ellis? Is it...

I have at least two relatives

that are going to kill me if I get this wrong.

And I don't know.

Cushendun.

I'm trying to think what sounds Cornish.

There's Frome in Somerset.

I will take a stab with Cushendun.

-And it is right.

-Come on!

-Cushendun is correct.

You're equal after three questions.

We go to sudden death.

I don't give you the alternatives.

-Are you ready, Dave...

-Yep.

-..with your tremendous knowledge?

In which ocean is the island nation of Tuvalu located?

Tuvalu is in the Pacific Ocean.

Correct. Over to you, Tom.

Trinity and St Brelade are the names

of two of the 12 parishes of which Channel Island?

Can I have Dave's question?

Which Channel Island? Jersey.

Jersey is correct.

Well done. Dave, your question.

What is the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides,

its principle towns being Bowmore and Port Ellen?

Let's have a think.

You've got Mull and Skye in the Outer Hebrides.

Inner Hebrides.

I'll go Uist.

-No, it's Islay.

-Islay. Fair enough.

Famous for its malt whisky. It's spelt I-S-L-A-Y, of course.

Tom, you can take the round if you get this one,

-knock another Egghead out. That'd be great.

-That'd be nice.

Which city in the north of England has a street

named Land Of Green Ginger?

It's one of those questions where you think, just pick a city.

And I've forgotten every city in the north of England.

-Carlisle?

-No, it's Hull.

OK, so you're level. It's sudden death

and we go back to you, Dave.

What is the capital city

of the province of Prince Edward Island in Canada?

Prince Edward Island. Just have a think.

Go through my provinces.

Right, I'm going to go for Charlottetown.

Well done. You're correct.

Charlottetown it is.

So you need this, Tom.

Which African city is named after the birthplace

of the explorer, David Livingstone?

Which African city is named after the birthplace

of the explorer, David Livingstone?

There is something like a Charlottestown,

or a something-town as an African city.

And I cannot remember what it is called. Charlottestown?

That may have got into your head

from the answer to the last question.

It's Blantyre, in Malawi.

Who can tell us about Blantyre in the UK then?

It's southeast of Glasgow.

It's not far away from Glasgow.

Just a short train ride out from Glasgow.

Isn't that amazing? Tom, sorry.

But you took him to sudden death.

You did well to do that. And he is very, very knowledgeable, our Dave,

as we are discovering, in many areas.

Dave, you're in the final. Tom, you're not.

If you both come back, we will play the final round.

This is what we've been playing towards.

It is time for the final round, which is general knowledge.

Those of you who lost your head-to-heads

won't take part in this round.

So, Tom, Iori and Stuart from the Quizisists,

and Chris from the Eggheads, please leave the studio.

Well, Jonty and Michael,

you're playing to win the Quizisists £13,000.

And they'll be very grateful to you if you get it.

Kevin, Dave, Daphne and Barry, you're playing for something

that money can't buy, the Eggheads' reputation.

I'm going to ask each team three questions in turn.

This time the questions are all general knowledge

and you can confer with each other. So, Quizisists, the question is,

are your two brains better than the Eggheads' four?

-Why not?

-Easy.

-Yeah! Come on!

So do you want to go first or second?

I think we've decided first, please.

Good luck. Here we go. Someone with mal de mer

is suffering from what complaint? Is it...

What do you reckon?

-Isn't mal like malady?

-Malady?

Which of those? Isn't seasickness the only real...

-De mer.

-Of the sea?

-Oh, yeah!

De la mer, of the sea.

Jonty's French coming in handy. We think it's seasickness.

-Seasickness is right. Well done.

-Good work.

Eggheads. Who directed the 2011 film version

of the Michael Morpurgo book, War Horse?

-Spielberg.

-Spielberg.

-Yeah.

He directed it, definitely.

Oh yeah, he directed it. It's Steven Spielberg.

Steven Spielberg is the right answer. Well done.

Your second question, guys. Hang on in there.

For what does the letter C stand in the acronym BECTU,

the name for the trade union

representing workers in broadcasting,

entertainment and associated fields? Is it...

-What do you reckon?

-I think cinematograph probably sounds...

-I know, it sounds complicated to me.

-Yeah.

I'm drawn towards casting, I think.

Casting.

If U is, like, union, cameras union doesn't really work,

-but casting union could work, couldn't it?

-Yeah.

I think we're leaning towards casting, please.

-You don't sound very certain.

-We're not.

-No, we're not at all.

BECTU stands for Broadcasting, Entertainment, Cinematograph

-and Theatre Union. And you had it and then you moved off it.

-Yeah.

Yeah. Old-fashioned name.

Eggheads. To take the lead. Michael Mansfield, born in 1941,

found fame as a leading name in which field? Is it...

-Law.

-He's a barrister, isn't he?

-Yeah.

-High profile.

He's a well-known barrister. It's in the law.

The law is the right answer.

OK. So they've got two, you've got one.

£13,000 up for grabs. People have done it with only one player left.

Don't lose hope. You can do it.

But you do need to get this one right.

If you don't, the contest is over.

In 1541, Thomas Culpeper and Francis Dereham

were both executed after being found guilty of relationships

with which of Henry VIII's wives? Was it...

-I have no clue.

-No, I'll be honest.

I was hoping Seymour was going to come up,

cos I know she didn't have any affairs.

-And the date doesn't help me either, to be honest with you.

-No.

-Shall we guess?

-Yeah.

Can you think of the order of them?

-History is not my strong point.

-I'm trying to think.

Would it be one that he beheaded or one that he divorced?

I would think that it would be one that he beheaded.

-Just to get back at them.

-Yeah, exactly.

-But that still doesn't help.

-No.

-What do you think?

For some reason, I'm being drawn to Catherine of Aragon,

but there's no logic behind that.

Unfortunately, we just don't have any idea whatsoever.

We've tried to think about it

and we just have to go Catherine of Aragon.

OK, Catherine of Aragon is your answer.

I think this is Daphne's favourite subject.

-Who was it?

-Catherine Howard.

The answer is Catherine Howard.

Guys, I'm sorry to tell you, the Eggheads have won.

Ah, commiserations, challengers.

And, you know, five physicists,

you'd at least think that science might have come up.

It ends on a question about Henry VIII!

Yeah. We were hoping you'd rig it for us.

Well, Henry VIII, not exactly covered in the physics degree.

-No.

-Not quite, no.

-Not yet.

But you fought hard and well against these Eggheads.

Look at them. Unflinching.

I'm sorry you've lost. Commiserations to you.

The Eggheads have done what comes naturally to them.

Their winning streak continues.

That means you won't be going home with the £13,000,

which I know would have come in handy for you students.

So 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.

£14,000 says they don't. Till then, goodbye.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd