Episode 88 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, where a team of five quiz challengers pit their wits

against possibly the greatest quiz team in Britain. They are the Eggheads.

Challenging our quiz champions today

are the (Gi)niuses. This team met one another

at a jujitsu club in Leeds. Despite some of them now pursuing less athletic activities,

they have remained firm friends.

Hi, I'm Ranvir, I'm 23 and an engineering student.

Hi, I'm Adam, I'm 21 and a trainee teacher.

Hi, I'm Laura, I'm 22 and a trainee teacher.

Hi, I'm Lucy, I'm 21 and I'm studying maths.

Hi, I'm Simon, I'm 21 and a physics student.

-Ranvir and team, welcome.

-Hi!

-And the (Gi)niuses

-because Gi means something in jujitsu?

-It's the attire we wear, the big white pyjamas.

-With the belt round?

-Yeah.

And is jujitsu hitting or throwing or scratching?

-It's avoiding getting hit by throwing.

-Right.

-You turn someone's arm and they spin around?

-Yeah, pretty much.

-Who's the best jujitsu person here?

-Simon.

-That's me.

-Simon. You're a black belt?

-I'm not a black belt yet. Brown belt.

-Which is one below?

-Yeah.

-Which one of these would you be happiest throwing if they misbehave?

-Who's tallest? Chris, I think.

-That'll be fun!

I took self-defence classes in the special constabulary, so who throws who?

-OK.

-Interesting.

-Can we just fight for the money?

Let's not! Let's go back to the quiz. Every day there is £1,000 up for grabs for the challengers.

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

The Eggheads have won the last two games.

-So £3,000 says you can't beat them today. Would you like to start trying?

-Yes!

The first Head to Head is Science.

Who's the scientist?

It could be Simon or Ranvir.

I reckon Simon.

But he might do Music. So Ranvir?

-Yeah.

-Go on, Ranvir.

-I'll take this one.

-Ranvir, OK. Against which Egghead?

-Judith, maybe? What do you think?

-Knock her out.

-Or Pat?

-What do you think?

-Any of them.

-Who do you fancy?

-I'll take Pat on.

-Ranvir from the (Gi)niuses against Pat on Science.

To ensure there's no conferring, would you please take your positions in the Question Room?

OK, good luck, Ranvir. I'll ask each of you three multiple choice questions on science in turn.

Whoever answers the most correctly is the winner. Ranvir, would you like the first or the second set?

I'll take the first set, please.

OK, here we go. In mathematical set theory, what name is given to the set which contains

all the elements of set A that also belong to set B?

Right. Well, intersection seems to jump out at me straight away.

That would make sense. It intersects both sets.

Go with my instinct. Intersection.

Glad you got it right. Intersection is right, well done. Good start. Good start, team.

-You feeling excited? They're very excited here, Ranvir.

-Glad he got the maths one right.

OK, Pat, your question. What colour is the distinctive plumage of the UK wading bird

called an oystercatcher?

It's a very beautiful bird. I saw an entire rugby field full of them

in December. They have a lovely orange bill

and their bodies are black and white.

Black and white is correct.

On planet Earth,

raley waves are created primarily by what natural phenomena?

I don't think it's earthquakes.

They are based on Richter scales and so on.

Sandstorms is quite a... quite an obscure one.

But solar flares... I've always paid attention to physics, but I've never heard of them,

although Simon will kick me if I'm wrong, but I'll go for sandstorms.

Solar flares cause a lot of trouble. That's not the answer here.

Sandstorms is not the answer either! I'm afraid it's earthquakes.

OK, Pat. Which substance can only be obtained from certain trees of the genus Boswellia,

found in Africa and Asia?

I think turpentine comes from various pine trees.

It's a sort of a resin. Aspirin comes from a type of willow.

I think frankincense, historically, was collected from these... was it Boswellia?

-Boswellia.

-I think it was collected from those trees in places like Oman on the Arabian Peninsula,

-so I think it's frankincense.

-Frankincense is quite right, Pat.

Ranvir, you must get this one right.

What is the name of the trapdoor-like part of a snail's anatomy that seals the shell shut

when the rest of its body has retracted inside?

I don't know why osphradium stands out to me.

I'm just thinking anatomy-wise, it's closest to the word sphincter in the human body,

so I'm going to go for osphradium.

Let's see if the Eggheads know.

-Operculum.

-Yeah, Barry's got it.

Operculum it is. Ranvir, sorry. You've been knocked out by Pat.

No way back after two wrong. Pat, you'll be in the final round, helping your team.

Do both of you come back to the studio. Rejoin your team-mates.

-So the captain's gone.

-Yeah. Bit disappointed.

So you've lost one brain. The Eggheads have lost no brains.

The next subject is Sport.

Got to be Adam, then!

-Adam.

-Against with Egghead, Adam? It can't be Pat.

-Em...

-Judith.

-Shall we say Judith?

-Yeah, Judith.

Adam from the (Gi)niuses versus Judith on sport again!

To ensure there's no conferring, please take your positions in the Question Room.

So Sport is what we're doing. Whoever answers the most wins.

-Adam, you can choose the first or second set.

-Can I choose the first set?

Of course you can. According to the laws of football, what is the radius of a football pitch's centre circle?

OK, this is quite embarrassing.

I did qualify as a football referee a few years ago.

Five yards seems too short.

20 yards that would be longer than the length of the 18-yard box.

I will have to say 10 yards, which I think is the same as the penalty spot to the edge of the D.

I think... Yeah, 10 yards.

10 yards is the right answer. Well done. Judith,

which sportsman said, "Last night I cut the light off in my bedroom, hit the switch and was in bed

"before the room was dark"?

Well, both Muhammad Ali and Eric Cantona were famous for saying things.

Eric Cantona said some mysterious things about sardines or seagulls or something following a boat.

And Muhammad Ali was always doing everything in rhyme, wasn't he?

"Sing like a butterfly, fight like a bee," or whatever it was.

So I think it's probably one of those two.

It doesn't sound like poetry, so I'm going to say Eric Cantona.

And it's Muhammad Ali!

-Anyone here know?

-Muhammad Ali.

-It was Ali.

-It would be!

-With my luck, it would be.

-OK, your question, Adam.

OBP is an abbreviation for which statistic in baseball?

OBP.

I have just purchased the Michael Lewis Moneyball book,

but I haven't started reading it yet, which is a real shame.

OBP. Offensive...

I think...I think it's a term used for a statistic that they collate,

possibly...

So I would have to say On Base Percentage

because I think that would be an easier statistic to collect.

On Base Percentage is right. Well done.

Judith, to get a point.

Which tennis player became the Wimbledon ladies' singles champion in 1999,

defeating Steffi Graf in what turned out to be Graf's last career Grand Slam tournament?

I'm inclined to go for Lindsay Davenport.

I think it's about her time

and I think she won once. So I'll say Lindsay Davenport.

Lindsay Davenport is the right answer. Well done.

So...

Two points to you, Adam. Get this and you take the round.

No way back for her. James Horwill captained which team at the 2011 Rugby World Cup?

OK, I don't think it's Wales because I'm sure their captain - I'm not 100% sure -

but I'm sure it was Sam Warburton, who got sent off in the semi-final.

I think. I know less about the South African team,

so I will say South Africa. I've never heard of him.

It's not right. It's Australia.

So you've let Miss Keppel back in here.

Let's see, Judith. In which US state is the famous Kiawah Island golf resort located?

Well, I think it's Florida or South Carolina.

Oh, dear.

I think it's South Carolina!

Please!

Is she right? Any Eggheads know?

-Yes.

-You're right, Judith. Well done. You're in sudden death.

We know how much you enjoy that.

We'll be here until midnight!

You never know what Adam will do. Adam, it's a bit harder now. I don't give you alternatives.

For which county team did the England cricketer Graham Thorpe play first-class cricket from 1988-2005?

Em, OK. Graham Thorpe.

I always used to get Graham Thorpe and Graeme Hick mixed up.

I know Graeme Hick is a big name down at Worcestershire.

But for Graham Thorpe I'm tempted, I don't know why,

I'm tempted to say Surrey.

I'll...I'll say Surrey. Surrey has popped into my mind. I don't know why. Surrey.

Surrey is the right answer. Well done.

OK, let's see if Judith

can get this next one. If you don't, you're out. Sorry to say it so bluntly.

Peter Crouch signed for which Premier League football club in 2011?

West Ham?

No, it's Stoke City. Adam, well done.

You've beaten Judith.

Please both of you come back and rejoin your teams.

The challengers have lost one brain, the Eggheads have also lost a brain from that final round.

The next subject is Film and TV.

Which one of you would like this?

- What do you think? - Any of us would be all right.

Yeah, any of us, but... We need to save you for history.

-Shall we let Lucy do it?

-Yeah, I think Lucy.

-I'm not great on actors.

-Lucy?

-Yeah, I'll go for it.

-Which Egghead?

-Maybe Barry?

-Yeah, I'll take Barry.

-We think Barry.

-OK, Lucy from the (Gi)niuses versus Barry.

Please take your positions in the Question Room.

-Is this your subject, Lucy?

-Em, kind of. I'm not good on actors,

but I can do programmes and people. It's more to save the other two for other categories.

-It's a bit of a suicide mission!

-You're doing maths at university?

Yeah. That's why I was really glad that Ranvir got the maths question right. I knew the answer to that.

All right. We do Film and TV. There is probably no read across to mathematics.

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

-I'll go with first.

Here we go. Daffyd, who lives in the Welsh town of Llanddewi Brefi, is a character in which TV series?

I'm pretty sure he's the one that's the only gay in the village,

so I'll go with Little Britain.

Little Britain is the right answer.

Barry, what name is given to a style of documentary making

where cameras unobtrusively film the subjects going about their daily lives?

I would just love to see a Pig in a Poke documentary,

but it's Fly on the Wall.

Fly on the Wall is the right answer.

One each. Back to you, Lucy.

The 1930 Howard Hughes film Hell's Angels is set during which conflict?

1930...

God, sitting here, I can't even remember when World War One was!

Hell's Angels, I think I would have known if it was World War One

because that's a bit more...

I don't think it's set in England,

so I don't think it would be English Civil War.

Hell's Angels is more of an American biker group, isn't it

I don't know, I think my guess would be First Boer War, but, um...

Yes, I'll have to guess that, go down the middle.

OK, the First Boer War

which took place...

Do you know where?

I'm not sure, no.

Barry?

-South Africa.

-South Africa.

No closer to the Americans than the English Civil War.

-It was World War One.

-Oh!

Barry, your question to take the lead.

In the soap Neighbours, what was the maiden name of Kylie Minogue's character Charlene?

This is going back a long time. It certainly wasn't Bishop.

Was it Mitchell or Robertson?

I'm having to dredge this one.

I think it was Charlene Robertson.

I think it was Charlene Mitchell. Sorry, Barry.

Lucy, he's let you back in.

Well, it's my name, so, you know, good luck.

Billy Bob Thornton was the star of which 2001 feature film by the Coen Brothers?

Um...

I don't know much about any of them.

The only thing I know about The Big Lebowski

is it's the one with the severed toe which doesn't give me much clue.

-What was the man's name?

-Billy Bob Thornton.

I don't know much about The Man Who Wasn't There,

so I'm tempted to eliminate that because I've heard the name,

but equally, that might be wrong.

I'm going to eliminate that just because I've heard of the name,

but I don't really know much about that film.

I think my answer would be O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Yeah, let's go with that.

It's The Man Who Wasn't There.

-The one I eliminated.

-The one you eliminated quite decisively.

This gives Barry a chance now

to go into the final on Film & TV.

What is the title of DW Griffith's epic 1916 silent movie,

comprising four separate, but parallel stories?

Ah, yes.

This, I think, created quite a storm when it came out.

I believe it was Intolerance.

The 1916 silent movie was Intolerance.

Barry, you've taken the round. Lucy, sorry, he knocked you out.

-But you're a mathematician.

-It's not my subject.

-It's not your subject.

Both of you come back and rejoin your teams.

As it stands, the challengers have lost two brains, the Eggheads have lost one from the final round.

And the last subject is Politics.

-Who would like this?

-You, Laura.

-Me?

-Yeah, I reckon you should try that.

-I'm going to have a go at Politics.

-OK, Laura.

Against which Egghead? Kevin or Chris?

We've got Chris or Kevin.

Try and get Kevin out of the final round maybe?

I don't think that's feasible.

Maybe not.

We'll take Chris.

It is Laura from (Gi)niuses against Chris from the Eggheads on Politics.

-You haven't had that for a while.

-No, not for weeks.

-Is that going to make you feel happy?

You don't want to know what'll make me happy! LAUGHTER

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

-OK, three questions on Politics and, Laura, you can choose the first or second set.

-I'll go second, please.

Chris, which former Irish Eurovision Song Contest winner served as a member of the European Parliament

between 1999 and 2004?

Well, Dana went into politics, so it's got to be Dana.

Dana, it was. Well done.

Back to you, Laura.

The major US education act of 2001,

signed into law by President George W Bush in early 2002,

is known by what title?

I am a trainee primary school teacher.

In this country we used to have a system called Every Child Matters.

The American equivalent of that is called No Child Left Behind.

Well done, brilliant. No Child Left Behind.

In 2003, Chris,

Brendan Barber became General Secretary of which organisation?

There's no General Secretary of the Metropolitan Police.

He's not General Secretary of the Labour Party, so he's TUC,

Trades Union Congress.

Trades Union Congress is correct.

Laura, back to you.

Which candidate in the 2010 Labour leadership contest did the former leader Neil Kinnock endorse,

describing him as possessing "the X Factor"?

Well, talking about the 2010 Labour election,

I'd have to go with Ed Miliband.

Ed Miliband is the right answer.

Chris, your third question.

In the US Senate, what factor determines

whether either of a state's senators is known as the senior senator or the junior senator?

I don't think it would be fair if it went on age.

And length of Senate service,

I don't think the Americans are very hot on things like seniority,

so since American politics tends to boil down to a popularity contest

I would say it was the number of votes received.

-It's not, though. It's length of Senate service.

-Oh.

Laura, he's given you a little apercu to get through to the final.

If you get this one right, you're in the final. You won't have to do the jujitsu roll.

What was Douglas Hurd's first government post which he took up in 1979?

Douglas Hurd...

Now, I'm not entirely sure,

but I'm going to have a go

at Minister for Defence Procurement.

It could have been, but wasn't. Minister for Europe is the answer.

So we go to Sudden Death.

Here it gets harder. I don't give you alternatives. Chris, your first question on Sudden Death.

Published in 2009, Free Radical is the title of which Liberal Democrat MP's political memoirs?

David Steel?

No. Anyone?

-Vince Cable?

-Vince Cable, Pat, yeah. Vince Cable.

Get this, Laura, and you're through.

Which US President established the United States Agency for International Development,

known as USAID, an independent agency that provides assistance around the world?

I would say that's probably quite a liberal thing to do.

I'm going to have a punt at Barack Obama.

No, some time before - John F Kennedy.

OK, Chris,

in 1990, the city of Valparaiso became the home of the National Congress of which country?

Valparaiso is the capital of Chile, so it's got to be Chile.

Chile is the right answer.

If you get this one wrong, Laura, you've been knocked out.

FRELIMO and RENAMO are opposing political parties in which African country?

Um...

I'm going to have a go at South Africa.

Not South Africa. Anyone know?

-Mozambique.

-Mozambique. The "MO" on the end is the very slight clue.

FRELIMO and RENAMO are Mozambique,

so Chris, on Sudden Death, has taken it with his brilliant Chile answer.

Sorry, Laura. You've been knocked out. Both of you come back to us. We will play the final round.

This is what we've been playing towards - the final round, which, as always, is General Knowledge.

But those of you who lost your head-to-heads can't take part,

so Ranvir, Laura and Lucy from the (Gi)niuses and Judith from the Eggheads, please leave the studio.

Adam and Simon, you are playing to win the (Gi)niuses £3,000.

Chris, Barry, Pat and Kevin, you're playing for something money can't buy - the Eggheads' reputation.

I will ask each team three questions in turn, all General Knowledge, and you are allowed to confer.

So, (Gi)niuses, the question is, are your two brains better than the Eggheads' four?

-Do you want to go first or second?

-We'll go first.

The first question for (Gi)niuses.

Which discipline involves putting the body into various positions known as "asanas"?

A-S-A-N-A-S. Or "asanas".

OK...

I don't think it's aerobics. That seems too active.

Um...

I don't know anything about things like this.

I was hoping your ears would...

your face would light up with this, you know...Asian...

I think maybe yoga, rather than tai chi.

-You're putting your body into positions.

-That makes more sense.

-I guess so, yeah.

-We'll go for yoga.

Yoga is your answer and it is the right answer, guys. Well done.

They liked that backstage.

Eggheads, in North America, Groundhog Day is the name given to what date?

-It's February 2nd, isn't it?

-Candlemas, as we know it.

-Yeah.

It also happens to be Candlemas. It's February 2nd.

February 2nd is quite right.

-Back to you. Don't look scared, Adam.

-I'm trying.

+49 is the international dialling code for which European country?

I don't think it's France.

I've been there a few times. I don't think it's that.

For some reason, I think France is 26. I don't know why I think that.

49...

I've been to Italy recently.

I'm just trying to think if any numbers you saw maybe for the hotel

or for anything else - did it have +49 in the code?

-It possibly could have. I really don't know.

-I don't know.

-Do you want to go Italy?

-Yeah, maybe we could.

-OK.

-Yeah, we'll go Italy.

-It sounded familiar when it came up like one I had seen before.

-OK.

-So, maybe Italy.

-Yeah. Italy is our final answer.

-Are they right?

-I don't think so.

-I don't think so. It's Germany.

-It wasn't France.

-Germany. When you said, "I went to Italy,"

I thought the next thought was, "It wasn't 49."

Bad luck on that.

Eggheads,

the Spanish-American War of 1898 was sparked by America's intervention in which island's war of independence?

-Cuba?

-It is Cuba, yeah.

-It's Cuba.

-Cuba is the answer. Well done, Eggheads.

So you need to get this third one right

-or the contest is over.

-OK.

-Good luck.

Who designed the famous Barcelona Chair, first seen at an exhibition in 1929?

-The Barcelona Chair?

-The Barcelona Chair.

1929...

I'm just looking at those three names.

I think the only one I've heard of is Arne Jacobsen.

-Yeah.

-But I have no idea.

He could be a Finnish footballer for all I know.

Um...

Yeah, we'll go with that if you want.

-Do you have any better...?

-No.

It's the only one that sounded familiar when the answers came up.

-We'll go for Arne Jacobsen.

-Shall I ask them? Are they right?

Arne Jacobsen designed a chair, but unfortunately, it was the Egg Chair.

The Barcelona Chair was Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe.

The answer was Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe, guys.

-We know it now.

-Tough question.

And we have to say congratulations, Eggheads, you have won.

-There's no way back after that second wrong answer.

-That was a tough question.

-Commiserations.

The Eggheads have done what comes naturally to them and they still reign supreme over quizland.

You won't be going home with £3,000 which rolls over to the next show.

Eggheads, very well done. Who will beat you? Join us next time to see

if a new team of challengers have the brains to defeat the Eggheads.

£4,000 says they don't. Till then, goodbye.

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