Episode 84 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 awesome might of our quiz Goliaths today

are Quizzical Attraction from London.

This team of old friends are regular pub quiz goers

and after their most recent victory are feeling pretty confident

about a win today against the Eggheads,

so let's meet them.

Hi, I'm Tony, I'm 32 and I'm a tour manager.

Hi, my name's Vivienne. I'm 33 and I'm an editor and proof reader.

Hi, I'm Matthew, I'm 26 years old and I'm a charity chief executive.

Hi, I'm Roy, I'm 31 and I'm a publican.

Hi, I'm James, I'm 29 and I'm a charity campaigner.

-So, Tony and friends, welcome.

-Thank you.

-I'm sensing energy from this team.

-That's what we're going for.

-You're going for energy.

-Energy.

-Sheer force of enthusiasm.

Let's hope so, yeah.

What about this pub quiz that you just won? Tell us about that.

Well, we've been going to the same pub and quizzing together

-probably for the last couple of years.

-Yeah.

And we normally come second

and just last week we were peaking around the right time,

just in time to meet the Eggheads, and we came first.

All right. Good luck to you.

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 to the next show.

So, Quizzical Attraction, the challengers won the last game,

proving it can be done,

which means £1,000 says you can't beat the Eggheads today.

-Do you want to start trying?

-Love to.

-Yes!

The first head-to-head battle is on the subject of science.

Which one of you would like this?

-OK.

-OK.

-I've got a GCSE in biology.

-That's good enough for us.

-That's all we need, James, is it?

I'm not sure that'll be enough, though.

-OK.

-It's probably the best we've got.

-But...

-What happens if we get sport?

-We need to save James for sport.

-Shall I take science?

-Yes.

-Matthew is going to go up and do science.

OK, Matthew, right. Against which Egghead?

Hmm...

I'd really like to try against the new Egghead.

-Tremendous Knowledge Dave.

-Tremendous Knowledge Dave.

-Fine.

-OK?

-OK. Egghead chosen.

-OK, all very, very business-like.

Matthew from Quizzical Attraction versus Tremendous Knowledge Dave from the Eggheads

and to ensure there's no conferring, would you please take your positions in the question room?

-So, Matthew, good luck in this.

-Thank you.

I notice you're the youngest ever person in this country appointed as chief executive of a charity.

I was, at the time - one of, one of.

I don't think I still hold that trophy at the minute

but I'm sure I did at one point.

-What was the charity?

-London Friend.

-Which does what?

-We're a lesbian and gay health charity,

providing counselling and drug and alcohol support.

And you came out of university and did that straight away?

Yeah, through university I was doing events, fundraising,

loved fundraising, loved the thought of raising money for a good cause

and the charity sector

and my job is just to raise money for the good guys that do the good work.

OK. Now, going to the point of the round,

James was going to do it because he had a science O level.

-It then moved to you.

-Yeah.

Were you competing with your own O level or what?

No, James is our secret sports competitor, so we're saving him.

-OK. He's not very secret now, that's the trouble.

-No.

Good luck. I'm going to ask each of you three multiple choice questions in turn.

Whoever answers the most correctly goes through to the final.

-Matthew, you can go first or second.

-First, please, Jeremy.

Here we go. Good luck.

The endocarp is found in which part of a plant?

I can remember the exact seat I was sitting in in science

when I was at school when I was learning this subject.

Unfortunately, that memory doesn't spread across

to knowing the answer to this question.

My gut feeling is leaf, so I'm going to go with leaf.

OK. I wonder if Dave knows. Do you know, Dave?

I would have gone fruit but that's me.

-Fruit it is. Sorry, Matthew, it's fruit.

-OK.

Dave, back you.

Tsetse flies, which transmit sleeping sickness in humans,

are common to which part of the world?

I think tsetse flies are mainly found, or largely found, in Africa.

Africa is correct.

Back to you, Matthew.

In what state does the element krypton exist at room temperature?

This isn't looking good, is it? It's really not.

Erm... I'm thinking it's liquid

but that really is pulling it out the bag.

Purely a guess. Liquid, Jeremy.

Shall I ask your team-mates? Anyone got any better ideas?

I'd go solid but I don't know.

-You think solid, Vivienne.

-I'd say gas.

So we've got a gas and a solid, here.

-Anyone know?

-Gas.

-Gas.

-Eggheads all say gas. Gas is the answer, Matthew.

-Never mind.

Ooh, now, if Dave gets this one right, he knocks you out.

In 1969, when Alan Bean became the fourth man to walk on the moon,

he was part of which Apollo mission?

Right. Erm...

Apollo 6, no. That didn't have anybody who walked on the moon.

Apollo 18 did but that was a lot later.

Apollo 11 was 1969, so that had the first two walking on the moon,

so I presume that Apollo 12 had the next two walking on the moon,

which would add up to the fourth being Alan Bean.

So Apollo 12 is my final answer.

Apollo 12. You're absolutely right, Dave.

He was in Apollo 12, so well done, you got two out of two.

-Matthew, I'm sorry, you've been dispatched...

-Never mind.

..and you won't be in the final round, Tremendous Knowledge will.

Please, both of you, come back and rejoin your team-mates.

As it stands, the challengers have lost one brain from the final round.

The Eggheads have lost no brains.

The next subject is sport. Now, which of you would like this?

-Mm...

-I don't know, guys. If only we had a secret weapon.

-Would you like to be our not-so-secret sport...?

-I'll give it a go.

-OK.

-James, OK. Against?

-Who do you think?

-I don't know.

My extensive research, this is where it falls down.

-I think Judith.

-OK, I'll have a go against Judith, please.

OK, James from Quizzical Attraction against Judith...

-Look at that face.

-LAUGHTER

The anger! Judith from the Eggheads on sport.

To ensure there's no conferring, please take your positions.

So, James, your team are great campaigners, aren't you?

Yes, I work for the charity Guide Dogs. I have done for about a year and a half.

Which is a very special charity. Everyone knows about it, everyone likes it.

Yeah, we do some fantastic work all over the country,

so I'm very proud to work for them.

-It used to be called Guide Dogs for the Blind.

-That's correct.

But it's Guide Dogs, also the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association.

Right. And it charity work what brought you together in a subtle way, your team, or not?

That and drinking, I think.

-So very honourable on both counts.

-Thank you.

OK, so three questions on sport in turn.

You've picked a not-than-confident Judith. Is it fair to say that?

Did you say competent or confident?

Not that confident in this subject area, he said, choosing his words with great care.

No, I'm not confident at all.

Have we read any more back pages since the last incident?

Every day, I read the back pages.

There was a sort of pull-out thing the other day in one of the papers

-about F1, Formula 1...

-Yeah. F1.

-..for example. F1.

And you've been very strong on other subjects recently.

Anyway, good luck to you both.

Whoever answers the most questions correctly is the winner.

James, would you like the first or the second set of questions?

I'll go first, please.

Here is your question.

In 2011, David de Gea joined Manchester United Football Club

to play in which position?

OK. I know this player also likes donuts.

I know that he's pretty tall

and he also plays in the position I used to play in

when I was a lot younger and I didn't wear glasses.

I know he's a goalkeeper.

-And you are right to say that. Well done.

-Yes!

I'm thinking, Judith, you would have known that or not?

-I was going to say goalkeeper.

-Yeah, yeah. Here's your question.

In which year did Brian Moore first play test match rugby union for England?

Brian Moore. I wonder.

Erm, I think that's 1997.

1997 is wrong.

-I thought it might be.

-It's '87.

OK, James. You're in the lead. How about that?

That's really good. Let's hope it stays that way.

Nicolas Almagro and Janko Tipsarevic are famous names in which sport?

OK. Erm, I've never heard of the first name.

I've got an inkling I've heard of the second name

but I'm not a huge fan of any of these particular sports.

However, I think, having read the same supplement as Judith recently,

I don't think he was in that, so I'm going to say tennis.

-Tennis is the right answer.

-Yes!

-You're playing well.

-Thank you.

So, Judith, you need this one.

What role does Dale Steyn usually perform

for the South African cricket team?

Well, I've no idea. It could be any of those.

I tend to sort of by-pass cricket a bit,

as being too much, really.

Erm, I think he's a wicketkeeper.

-Is she right, James?

-I don't think she is.

-Oh!

-I think he's a fast bowler.

-He is a fast bowler.

-Yes!

-Judith...

-Oh!

-..you've been knocked out.

-Is that as painful as it sounds?

-It is painful. I'm bored of it.

So, Judith, you've been knocked out on sport.

James, you're through to the final. Good news for the challengers.

Do, both of you, rejoin your teams.

-Well, that's good, Tony.

-Yeah, excellent. Pleased with that.

-You had a plan there and it sort of worked.

-It did work out.

That's why I was sacrificed.

Is there any more plan now or is it all free floating?

-I think it all depends on which subjects come up next.

-Yeah.

OK. As it stands, the challengers have lost one brain,

the Eggheads have lost one brain as well, from that final round.

The next subject is geography.

-Now, who does this help?

-Oh, no.

-We have no plan.

You've got no plan here?

I don't think I should take that. I will save myself for the arts.

It's up to you three. What do you think?

-I don't mind. I don't mind.

-OK, so I'll go.

-Do you want to go, Roy?

-Roy? OK.

-Who are you going against?

-Choose an Egghead.

-Daphne.

-Daphne.

Roy from Quizzical Attraction versus Daphne from the Eggheads on geography.

You love geography. I know you do.

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

So, Roy, you've branched out in life recently.

I have. I've gone to Bingley, in Yorkshire.

You've gone from what to what?

I was a civil servant in London working for the Home Office

and now I'm a publican in Bingley.

How wonderful!

So you're running a pub and you're there every night, are you?

That's it, yeah.

Just started, so I'm developing the business at the minute

and it should be doing OK.

-Well, all the best. It sounds great.

-Thank you.

Three questions on geography. Here we go.

-Might be a bit of Bingley in there, you never know.

-I hope so.

Would you like to have the first or the second set of questions?

I'll have the second.

Daphne, your first question.

What colour is the bottom half of the Chilean flag?

I don't know. Erm...

Red.

-Red is correct.

-I was thinking it was red, white and blue, so...

Roy, in which part of Scotland is the city of Aberdeen located?

OK. Erm... I think it's the North East.

North East is correct. Well done.

Lots of oil rigs up there.

Daphne, what is the approximate population of Russia?

I was just saying before this

I hope I don't get these sort of questions

because I've no idea.

Population of Russia. Big country.

Lots of open spaces. Erm...

140.

140 million is the correct answer.

CHALLENGERS GROAN Sorry!

Roy, Lugano is a popular tourist town in which country?

Lugano.

I'm not entirely sure. It doesn't sound familiar.

To me, it kind of sounds like it should be France.

I'm not entirely certain, though.

I'm going to go with France, thanks.

-It's Switzerland.

-Ah.

I'm sorry to say. Switzerland.

My mum and dad go on holiday there the whole time.

Lake Lugano.

OK, Daphne. This for the round.

The Bungle Bungle national park, with a landscape of beehive shaped sandstone formations,

is in which state of Australia?

I was hoping you were going to ask in which country.

I think it's in...

South Australia.

Daphne, it's not South Australia, it's Western Australia.

Ooh, Roy! Now you've got to get this one right.

-No pressure.

-LAUGHTER

The Italian engineer and inventor Enrico Forlanini

had an airport named after him in which city?

OK. I probably should know this.

I've got an Italian friend at home watching this right now

shouting at the TV - I can see him in my mind.

I'm not certain. It's a guess - again.

I'm going to guess with Milan.

Yeah, Milan's my answer.

-Milan is correct.

-Yes!

-Excellent.

-Brilliant.

You pulled it out. You pulled it out the fire. Well done.

So we go to Sudden Death. It gets a bit harder.

-I don't give you alternative answers, OK?

-OK.

Here we are.

The Tongass National Forest,

the largest national forest in the USA,

is a feature of which state?

Oh. Not heard of it.

One in 50 guess.

Alaska.

-Alaska is correct.

-THEY GROAN

-I'm so sorry!

-17 million acres. It's big.

Well, you're playing well, both of you.

-Roy, you need this to say in, OK?

-OK.

Satangs are a unit of currency in which Asian country?

Oh, I don't know. I'm...

I don't know. Erm, I'm going to say Thailand.

Thailand is correct.

Anyone know what do 100 satangs make?

-One baht.

-One baht. Well done, Daphne.

OK, so we keep going. This is good. Really good round, you two.

Baixa and Alfama are both districts of which European capital city, Daphne?

-Lisbon.

-Lisbon is correct.

She's a mean old quizzer, young Daffers.

OK, here's your question, Roy.

.mn is the internet top-level domain code

for which Asian country?

mn.

Malaysia?

Your answer's Malaysia.

If you've got this wrong, you've been knocked out by Daphne.

-It's actually Mongolia.

-Oh.

-Really sorry.

-That's fine.

But lovely to have you in the booth, there.

-Hope you enjoyed the round.

-Thank you.

You've been beaten by Daphne but you played a really good game.

Do, both of you, come back to us.

As it stands, the challengers have lost two brains,

the Eggheads have lost one brain from the final round

and the last subject before the final is music.

-Who would like this?

-Right.

-Here you are.

-OK. I'll do this.

-I think you should go.

-It's obvious.

-OK.

This is going to be me, Jeremy.

Tony, OK. Against which Egghead, Tony?

-So I've got...

-Kevin or Chris.

I think I'm going to chance it and go with Kevin, even though he scares me.

LAUGHTER

-Tony from Quizzical Attraction versus The Scary One.

-Thank you.

Scary Spice from the Eggheads.

To ensure there's no conferring, please take your positions in the question room.

So, Tony, would you like the first or the second set of questions on music?

I'm going to go second, please, Jeremy.

Kevin, here we go.

"No, I can't forget this evening/ Or your face as you were leaving"

are the opening words to which song, a UK number one for Mariah Carey?

I can hear it, I think.

I think it's Without You.

-"I can live is living is without you."

-Mmm.

-That is the one.

-Yeah.

-You're right.

OK, Tony, your question.

Which act had the UK Christmas number one single in 2011?

OK, I was actually out of the country in Australia, Christmas 2011

but I'm narrowing it down to two of them.

It's certainly not Atomic Kitten

and I think that it was the Military Wives.

Military Wives is correct.

That's good if you were out of the country.

There was a big campaign to get them to number one,

so well spotted.

Kevin, which musical that opened on Broadway in 1981

includes the songs Fake Your Way To The Top

and Cadillac Car?

I've never seen A Chorus Line but the date sounds about right.

42nd Street is much older

and Dreamgirls, I think, is much more recent,

so A Chorus Line.

Interesting. Anyone want to help?

I thought it was Dreamgirls because I thought A Chorus Line was earlier

but I could be wrong.

Tremendous Knowledge says Dreamgirls and Dave is right.

-I didn't think about it. OK.

-It's not A Chorus Line.

So, we're getting the makings of an interesting narrative

with Kevin on music, here.

-You have to take advantage, though, Tony.

-OK, thanks.

The Manic Street Preachers' UK number one single

If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next

was inspired by which conflict?

Erm, I can certainly hear it playing

and I know 100% that James knows the answer to this.

So ruling out the Spanish Civil War, which sounds like a strange topic

for the Manic Street Preachers to go with,

I'm just going to guess that it's the Vietnam War.

I have to say your team-mates are going slightly crazy here.

-Viv and co, what do you think it is?

-Definitely Spanish Civil War.

-I was a massive Manics fan back in the day.

-Oh, were you?

Is it evident from the lyrics that it's the Spanish Civil War

or do you just know that?

There's a line about "If I can shoot rabbits, then I can shoot fascists"

and that was about Welsh working class people, which the Manics are,

volunteering to go and shoot the fascists in Spain.

So, I'm sorry, Tony, you've got it wrong.

It's not Vietnam. It's Spain. The Spanish Civil War.

Still you are level. Your third question, Kevin.

On which 1969 album does the Rolling Stones song Gimme Shelter feature?

I don't think it's Sticky Fingers.

I think...

Beggars Banquet or Let It Bleed.

I think it's on Let It Bleed. Let It Bleed.

Let It Bleed is correct.

I thought he was going to falter.

I was hoping for your sake that he did but he didn't.

-He so rarely does. OK, Tony, now you need this to stay in.

-Yep.

Which Russian became the principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra in 2007?

I have seen a poster

for one of their latest productions recently

and the two either side are looking both good to me at the moment

and just because I like the sound of it more,

I'm going to go with Konstantin Ivanov.

So you're going with Ivanov above Gergiev?

-I am, yes.

-OK.

-It is Gergiev, though, Tony.

-Oh!

-I'm really sorry.

That means that Kevin has won through on music, although...

-Not that convincingly, no.

-..there was a sticky moment, there.

Tony, you're not going to be able to help your team in the final round.

Please both of you come back and we will play that final.

So, this is what we have been playing towards.

It is time for the final round, which, as always, is general knowledge

but those of you who lost your head-to-heads can't take part in this round.

So, Tony, Matthew and Roy from Quizzical Attraction,

and also Judith from the Eggheads,

would you please now leave the studio?

-Good luck to you both.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

-Vivienne, are you pleased to be here in the final?

-Very much so.

I didn't think I would be but they saved the best till last.

You were going for a subject that didn't come up?

Erm, art and books, because my first degree is in English literature

and politics, because that's what I do for a living -

entertainment, film, all the arts - all your culture, basically.

OK. Well, a really sparky team you've got, so good luck to you.

Vivienne and James, you're playing to win Quizzical Attraction £1,000.

Kevin, David, Daphne and Chris,

you're playing for something that money can't buy,

the Eggheads' reputation.

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

The questions are all general knowledge.

You are allowed to confer.

So, Vivienne and James, the question is are your two brains better than the Eggheads' four?

-And would you like to go first or second?

-First, please, Jeremy.

Here we go and good luck.

Which actor played the role of Mikael Blomkvist

in the 2011 film The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo?

-Was it Daniel Craig?

-I'm pretty sure it's...

We're pretty sure it's Daniel Craig.

I've seen it and it was definitely Daniel Craig.

Well done. One point to you.

Eggheads, final round. First question to you.

What are the first names of the parents of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge?

-Carole and Michael.

-Carole and Michael.

-Definitely.

-She's an ex-air hostess, isn't she?

-Yeah, an air hostess.

It's Carole and Michael, Jeremy.

Carole and Michael is the right answer.

-Would you have got that one?

-Yeah.

-Yes, yeah.

OK, here's your question.

For approximately how many years was Henry VIII king of England?

I only know the rhyme about Henry VIII,

so on that basis I'd say it was more than seven or something.

Well, he had six wives. I don't know how spread out they were.

I know that if you see paintings of him,

he was quite a good-looking younger guy and he gets portly in later life.

-So...

-Do you think we should go for 38?

But then it was a long time ago. People didn't live so long.

Oh, that's a good point.

Shall we go straight down the middle and go for 28?

I don't think it's 18.

28. Lucky 28.

Yeah.

OK, we're going to go with 28.

28. The Eggheads are very good on their royals, so let's see if they're right.

-No, 38.

-38.

38 is the answer.

So from what age to what age?

-17 to 50 something, wasn't it?

-55.

-1509 to 1547.

-For the reign.

-Sorry.

-Oh, dear.

-38 is the answer.

OK, over to you, Eggheads.

Cavendish is the main commercial cultivar of which fruit?

-Banana.

-Banana, isn't it?

We'll go with banana, shall we?

-Yes, definitely.

-Those are bananas, Jeremy.

Banana is the correct answer. Well done.

OK, they're in the lead,

so this means that you must get this answer right.

-OK.

-Otherwise the game is over.

Which architect's rebuilding of the Bank of England

was described by Nikolaus Pevsner

as the greatest architectural crime in the City of London

of the 20th century?

Well, I went past it on the bus this morning to the airport.

I don't honestly know.

Erm...

I think we're going to have to go with a very well-educated guess.

Maybe even not that well educated. A guess of some form.

Erm...

Do you recognise any of the names?

Bank. I'm a Londoner.

I should know the answer.

Unfortunately I don't.

Are there any squares near there that are named after it?

-Soane Square.

-But I'm looking at, like, Baker Street or something.

I wonder if they named anything else after him near there.

I don't know. John Soane leaps out more but it's a total guess.

-Yeah, me too. Me too.

-Total guess.

-Erm...

-I don't have a GCSE in this.

-Erm, shall we go with John Soane?

-That was my gut.

Yeah, that was my initial gut reaction

but I can't really offer any rationale behind that,

-other than...

-It's right. We'll go with it.

-..an instinct.

-What do you think? Yeah?

-OK, we'll go with John Soane.

John Soane is your answer.

So we've had three questions.

-I'm afraid you've only got one of the three right.

-Oh!

Because the answer here is Herbert Baker,

-so no way back for your team.

-Oh!

That means, Eggheads, congratulations. You have won.

That was unlucky because John Soane was the original architect.

-Was he?

-He was the original architect of the Bank of England.

-Isn't that what the question was?

-No! No, no, no.

But the 20th-century rebuilding was Herbert Baker.

-So John Soane existed and even had a connection.

-Oh, absolutely.

So there's no shame in that.

-Commiserations to you, challengers. It's been really good to have you in.

-Thank you.

You've brightened up our day no end.

The Eggheads have done what comes naturally

and they reign supreme over quiz land once again.

I'm afraid you won't be going home with the £1,000,

which means that the money rolls over to our next show.

Eggheads, congratulations. Back on track, do you think?

We'll see. Join us next time to see if a new team of challengers have

the brains to defeat the Eggheads.

£2,000 says they don't. Till then, goodbye.

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