Episode 92 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...

This team of colleagues all work for

the same fundraising technology company based in Altrincham

and describe their offices as quizzing mad.

Let's meet them.

Hi, my name's Lee. I'm 28 and I'm an operations manager.

Hi, my name's Sophie. I'm 25 and I'm a business development manager.

Hi, my name's Michael. I'm 33 and I'm a graphic designer.

Hi, I'm Natalie. I'm 28 and I'm a sales manager.

Hi, my name's Mark. I'm 40 and a business development manager.

-So, Lee and team, welcome.

-Thank you.

And your offices are quizzing mad because you e-mail each other

with quiz questions, is that right?

Yeah, we're always sending quizzes in e-mails,

or shouting random questions out in the office, or...

As often as we can.

-That sounds like fun!

-It can be.

It can be embarrassing, though. LAUGHTER

So, your fundraising technologies are ways of helping charities

raise money from live events and stuff, is it?

Yeah, live events.

Raising through silent live auctions and things like that.

And you've got to explain The Power Of Greyskull.

Well, it's a reference to He-Man,

but it's also a reference from an Australian comedian

that we found quite funny in the office one day.

Can you tell me more, or not?

He was working in an office and he decided to send...

amuse himself in the office by playing pranks on people,

and one of them involved sending someone an e-mail

that had that that as the tagline to it, and we all found it very funny.

OK.

So, By The Power Of Greyskull, may you beat the Eggheads today.

How about that for an e-mail title? Here we go.

Every day, there's £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, By The Power Of Greyskull,

the Eggheads have won the last two games,

which means £3,000 says you can't beat them today.

First head-to-head battle is on the subject of history.

Who would like this?

THEY LAUGH

Lee, I think.

-Lee, it's you, is it?

-I think it's me, yeah.

Against...?

Go on, Lee, go for it.

I will take on Kevin.

Kevin on history? OK. That's good.

That's just to be able to talk about it afterwards for years,

to your grandchildren...

To my grandchildren, if I was that lucky, yeah.

The man who's never got a question wrong on history

since the beginning of Eggheads. Good luck.

This... I think, round of applause, for this incredible step.

TEAM APPLAUD

Right, so, Lee, from By The Power Of Greyskull,

against Kevin from the Eggheads on history.

And to ensure there's no conferring,

please take your positions in the question room.

And how is it that you've never got a question wrong in history, Kevin?

-Is that luck, or...?

-Yeah, largely. Largely.

It's...just one of those things, you know.

It will come to an end at some point.

It's just...things have fallen that way.

Well, Lee, I'm glad you've chosen Kevin on history,

-as we don't see it that often.

-No.

I'll ask each of you three multiple-choice questions.

Lee, you can choose the first or the second set.

I'll go first, please.

And here we go. Which country's forces occupied Bessarabia in 1940?

Right. I don't think it was the UK.

Erm...

Bessarabia?

I think...

I think from the two remaining choices,

I would go with the Soviet Union.

You've got it right, Lee. Soviet Union, it is.

OK, Kevin.

Born in 1688, James Francis Edward, Prince of Wales,

was also known by what nickname?

He was the Old Pretender.

He was indeed the Old Pretender.

Back to you, Lee.

What name was given to the defensive alliance

formed between Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia and Romania

in the period between the two world wars?

I've never heard of it before, unfortunately.

I don't think it's Pocket Pact.

I would probably be drawn to Minor Axis...

-Because there was another, bigger Axis, the Axis Powers?

-Yeah.

But it's wrong, I'm afraid. It's Little Entente.

They were worried about Germany kicking off again, were they, Kevin?

Largely, yeah. I mean, that was the main thing.

If the Entente had been between the bigger powers,

and because these were seen as three crucial Central European powers,

that was how they came to be known.

Your question. In 1928, which Australian aviator

led the first transpacific flight from the United States to Australia?

I think it's the one

who subsequently had Sydney Airport named after him.

That's Charles Kingsford Smith.

That's the right answer.

So, back to you, Lee. You need to get this one right.

In 1966, Hastings Banda became the first president of which country?

I think Zimbabwe is a relatively new country.

I think it was Rhodesia before.

I'm not really sure about Malawi or Djibouti

and, for that reason, I'll go with Zimbabwe.

The answer is not Zimbabwe, it's Malawi.

It's Malawi.

Zimbabwe got independence in, what was it? 1980?

-Yes, it was.

-So, even more recently than that.

So, Hastings Banda was Malawi, and that means

there's no way back for you, Lee, I'm afraid, against Kevin.

Bravely fought, though. And Kevin will be in the final round.

Please, both of you, come back, rejoin your teams.

So, you've lost a brain.

The Eggheads have not had a shell cracked yet. But we'll see.

The next subject is music.

THEY GASP

Who wants this? Intake of breath.

-Mark.

-I'll go.

-Mark?

-I'm happy to have a go.

-OK.

Against anyone but Kevin. Who would you like?

-Daphne.

-Daphne, please.

-Very decisive. OK.

So, Mark from The Power Of Greyskull against Daphne from the Eggheads.

And just to ensure there's no conferring,

please take your positions.

Daphne, I gather that the Greyskull which features in He-Man

has a female heroine?

She-Ra.

Well done. How do you know that?

Barry told me.

LAUGHTER

-Would you like to be She-Ra for this round, Daphne?

-I would.

-OK.

I think she always wins.

So, I'm going to ask each of you three questions on music in turn,

and Mark, you can choose the first or the second set.

Second, please.

Here we go, She-Ra.

Who had a farm in a popular children's song

that features the recurring line "E-I-E-I-O?"

Well, actually, one of my great-grandsons was two recently,

and I bought him one of those singing cards,

and it was Old MacDonald, and his mum had to hide it.

What, because it kept going off?

Yes. He kept opening it and shutting it, and opening it...

So, your answer?

Old MacDonald.

Is the right answer.

OK, Mark. Your question.

The steel drum widely used by steel bands

is a musical instrument normally made from a used...what?

Right. It's definitely not a bread bin, I know that much.

I'm going to go for oil drum.

Oil drum is absolutely right, Mark. Well done.

-Yes!

-THEY LAUGH

Daphne.

Which group had UK hit singles with What Difference Does It Make,

Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now and Girlfriend In A Coma?

I think that's the miserable Smiths.

It is the miserable Smiths, but how do you know that?

That's what I want to know. My granny didn't know it.

It just... Especially Girlfriend In A Coma, you just think,

"Who would give a song that title?!"

JEREMY CHUCKLES

So, Mark, your question.

"I don't want to be a tiger, cos tigers play too rough,"

are lines from which Elvis Presley hit?

Right. Elvis was a little bit before my time...

I don't think it's Hound Dog.

I've a gut feeling... I'm going to go for Wooden Heart.

Wooden Heart. It's not.

Anyone on your team know? Let's have a look.

-It's Teddy Bear.

-Teddy Bear!

Chris, you must be an Elvis impersonator?

# I just want to be your teddy bear. #

There we go. OK.

So, it was Elvis, it was Teddy Bear and, Mark, you got it wrong.

Daphne, your question for the round.

Don't Bring Me Down and Mr Blue Sky

were UK hit singles in the late '70s for which band?

SHE SIGHS

Yeah, the '80s rather passed me by.

Um...

Um...

Electric Light Orchestra.

-Is that another of your guesses?

-Yes, I'm sorry.

No, but you got it right, Daphne. Well done.

It is ELO, as they are called,

and Mark, sorry, you've been knocked out on music by She-Ra.

Both of you please come back and rejoin your teams.

-Mark, sorry about that round.

-No.

And I know you have areas other than music that are strengths,

so your horse skills...

-Yes.

-..are remarkable.

-Thank you.

-Don't be modest. What have you done?

Well, I play polo at weekends during the summer,

but, in 2010, I came third at the National Championships

with my horse that I've had since he was 18 months old.

-Amazing. What, in dressage, is that?

-Yes, dressage.

-Well done.

The next round is sport,

so I don't know if you're going to miss a horse question there.

Who would like this?

-It's got to be you.

-It's got to be.

-It's got to be Natalie.

-Natalie?

Fingers crossed most of the questions are on football, but that's me.

All right. Fingers crossed. Which Egghead?

Um, I'll take Chris, please.

OK, so it's going to be Natalie from The Power Of Greyskull

versus Chris from the Eggheads.

And to ensure there's no conferring,

please go to the question room.

So, Natalie, you're a former model?

Yeah, a few years ago now, Jeremy.

Chris, is this the first time you've been picked out by a model?

It's usually the other way round.

It is usually the other way round, yeah. Identity parades, mostly.

All right, so we're on sport. Three questions.

Do you want the first or second set?

I'll take the first, please.

Here we go. In boxing, what is declared if a fight is terminated

on the grounds of one boxer's inability to continue safely?

I'm a bit of a girl with boxing, Jeremy.

I'm not a big boxing fan, but I have a lot of friends that are,

so I do watch the boxing now and again.

And I think that's a Technical Knockout.

TKO, you're absolutely right. Technical Knockout. Well done.

OK, over to you, Chris.

What term is used to refer to the forwards of a rugby team,

especially when they act together, as in a scrum?

They're the pack, Jeremy.

They are the pack. Well done.

Natalie, back to you.

Which footballer played in Barcelona's 2011 Champions League winning side

only two months after major liver surgery?

I...I know this one, Jeremy,

because I took a bit of an interest in the story.

It's a phenomenal story about a man overcoming amazing odds,

and it's Abidal.

It is Abidal, well done. Point to you, Natalie.

-Would you have known that, Chris?

-Pah! What do you think?

I don't think you would.

No, I wouldn't.

Which Formula One team did Bruno Senna, Ayrton Senna's nephew,

sign to drive for in the 2012 season?

Hmm.

Once again, something I know nothing about.

Er...

Who's doing well?

Daphne-style inkle for McLaren, so I'll say McLaren.

It's not. It's Williams.

So, Natalie, if you get this one right,

you've knocked him out on Sport.

The French cyclist Roger Pingeon won the Tour de France in which year?

His surname is spelt P-I-N-G-E-O-N.

I have no idea, Jeremy.

I'm going to rule out '47, cos I'm going to presume

there wasn't a Tour de France so close to the war.

My back-up was going to be just down the middle,

so, I honestly have no idea, but I'm going to go for '67.

If you've got this right, you're in the final round, Natalie.

-And I can tell you that you have, and you are.

-Yes!

THEY CHEER AND APPLAUD

You've knocked out an Egghead. Well done.

1967 was the correct answer.

Very, very good. Sorry, Chris, you've been knocked out by Natalie.

Please, both of you, come back and rejoin your teams.

As it stands, the Challenges have lost two brains,

the Eggheads have lost one brain from the final round

and our last subject before the final is Arts & Books.

Who wants this?

-Is Sophie going to have it?

-That's fine.

-Sophie?

-I think it might be me.

Are you holding Michael in reserve, is that what's...

It does look suspiciously like that.

It's not my strongest but I think we'll hold Michael in reserve.

So Sophie against which Egghead, it's got to be either Dave or Barry?

Barry.

So Sophie versus Barry from the Eggheads on Arts & Books

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

-Good luck, Sophie, on Arts & Books.

-Thank you.

I see from our note that you are a fan of cage fighting

which I must say I would not have guessed.

LAUGHS

I'm bit of a fan, I do enjoy a bit of cage fighting.

-Have you ever been to see any?

-I have a bit.

I saw a bit in New Zealand when I was there.

I used to see a lot of Thai boxing, really when I went travelling.

Yeah, any type of fighting, really.

LAUGHTER

-None in the office, I presume?

-Controlled, controlled.

Barry, do you go for any boxing or contact sports?

I like watching boxing.

My nephew was involved in a match not so long ago that he won.

-I was quite proud of him for that.

-Great stuff.

We're on Arts & Books, Sophie, which I sensed was not your first choice?

-No, not my first choice but I'll give it a good go.

-OK, good luck.

Three questions and you can choose the first or second set.

I'll go first, thank you.

Here we go, in painting and drawing, what name is given to perspective

applied to objects in order to create the illusion of depth?

Erm, I'm going to eliminate Cutaway.

I just don't, for some reason, I just don't think it's that.

Foreshortening or Blocking...

I'm probably going to go with...

Blocking.

-It's not immediately guessable, it's not Blocking, I'm afraid to say.

-OK.

-Eggheads, anyone?

-Foreshortening.

-Yeah.

Foreshortening is the answer, Sophie. Barry, your question.

Which literary genre that came to prominence in the 1980s,

with the work of writers like William Gibson, often depicts

a dehumanised dystopian future, dominated by computer networks?

I don't know why people think computers are dehumanising

but Cyberpunk is the genre that we're talking about here.

-My answer is Cyberpunk.

-Cyberpunk is the right answer, Barry.

Sophie, back to you.

Which play by Alan Bennett won the 2006 Tony Award for Best Play?

Erm...

For some reason, The History Boys jumped out at me.

I think I'm going to go with The History Boys for that reason.

You're bang on, it became a film, it's a great piece of work,

Well done, The History Boys.

SHE LAUGHS

So Barry has a chance to pull clear.

As a teenager, which American author spent some time stealing

oysters around the San Francisco Bay area?

Oh, I've never heard this, what a lovely question.

Jack London's going back a little while.

He was an American but I don't know, he was more fond of stories

of the far North, I'm not too sure he was a Californian.

Hemingway...

was American but I think he grew up in Illinois or Idaho.

He grew up in the Midwest, so I don't think he was a Californian

but I think Faulkner might have been,

so I shall go for William Faulkner.

Daphne, I reckon you know. Who is it?

Well I don't know but I would have gone for Jack London.

Why would you have gone for Jack London, Daphne?

I think he had quite an impoverished childhood.

It was just an inkle.

Did you rule him out because he wasn't from California, Jack London?

I didn't think he was a Californian.

The answer is Jack London, born in San Francisco.

-Oh, I didn't know that.

-OK, so that's interesting,

Sophie you are equal now with one question more.

Get this one right, a bit of pressure on Barry.

Millie-Molly-Mandy, the character created

by Joyce Lankester Brisley, famously wears a dress with what design?

Millie-Molly-Mandy...

Erm, I've heard of this, but...

it doesn't jump out at me.

This is going to have to be

a process of elimination, perhaps.

Erm...

Pink and white stripes...

I think I would have originally thought black and white dots.

But for some reason, pink and white stripes

seems to be jumping out at me.

Silver and white stars, I don't think it's that.

I'm going to go with pink and white stripes.

Pink and white stripes is the right answer. Playing well!

Playing really well considering it's not your subject.

OK, if Barry gets this wrong, he's out.

Which artist, Barry, born in Le Havre in 1901

created the term, Art Brut, meaning raw or rough art

to describe art created outside the boundaries of official culture?

Art Brut,

which is ART B-R-U-T.

Maurice Utrillo was better known for doing Parisian landscapes.

I think Art Brut, which is often a term used to describe art by people

who were outside the normal bounds of society, convicts and suchlike.

I think that was invented by Jean Dubuffet.

It was indeed invented by Jean Dubuffet. Well done.

You've taken it to Sudden Death. It gets a bit harder now, Sophie.

Oh no!

You've got to give me the answer, I won't give you alternatives, OK?

Worst nightmare.

That all right, you've got him to a standstill, that's the main thing.

Here's a quote for you. "My words fly up, my thoughts remain below.

"Words without thoughts, never to heaven go"

are lines from which Shakespeare play?

Right, well, providing that I've seen or read this particular Shakespeare.

I know that I've seen a couple of plays.

I'm going to take a stab in the dark and say...

..Romeo And Juliet.

It's not, do your team-mates know?

Anyone here, Eggheads?

-Is it Hamlet?

-It is Hamlet, do you know the character?

-Is it Claudius.

-It is, very good Barry, it is Claudius in Hamlet.

OK, your question for the round.

By what name is the character Anna Fierling known in the title

of Bertolt Brecht's play set during the 30 Years' War?

Ah...

Now which play is this?

I believe she's known as Mother Courage.

The play's called Mother Courage And Her Children

and she is indeed known as Mother Courage.

Well done, you've taken it on Sudden Death.

Sorry, Sophie, but well fought.

TEAM APPLAUDS

Come back to us and let's see what we make of the final round.

This is what we have been playing towards,

it is time for the final round which is General Knowledge.

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

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

So Lee, Sophie and Mark from By The Power Of Greyskull

and Chris from the Eggheads, would you please now leave the studio.

Michael, were they hiding you until this moment?

Yeah, I'm not very good on the other subjects

so I decided to stay for the General Knowledge.

It seems to be a little bit better for me.

I was hoping Film & TV was going to come up.

You're with the company but you wanted originally to be a rock star?

Yeah, a while ago! It's a bit late for that now.

As did we all, by the way... You just became a father recently?

I have, yes. Just over three months now, just over three months old.

-Name's Emily.

-Congrats.

-Thank you.

-That's great, win it for her.

Michael and Natalie, you're playing to win By The Power Of Greyskull, £3,000.

Kevin, Daphne, Dave, Barry you are playing for something

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

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

This time they are all General Knowledge questions

and you can confer with each other.

So By The Power Of Greyskull, your question is,

are you two brains better than the Eggheads' four?

-Do you want to go first or second?

-We'll go first please, Jeremy.

Good luck to you.

What is the first name of the EastEnders character that has

been played by John Altman?

-I don't watch EastEnders.

-I'm not an EastEnders' fan.

We know the names, we watch Coronation Street.

From the limited time that I've watched EastEnders,

I don't remember a character called Christian.

-Grant was played by that...

-There is a character called Christian.

Grant was the guy that does the documentaries in war places.

-It's not him, we'll rule him out.

-Christian or Nick?

Nick was Dot's son, wasn't he?

-Ah, yes.

-John Altman...

-I'm thinking Christian.?

-OK, I don't watch it so I'll go with you.

-Are you sure?

-Yeah, yeah, yeah.

LAUGHS

We're not sure, something in the back of my mind thinks Christian.

-OK, you're going to be so annoyed because it's Nick.

-Oh!

-We don't watch it.

-Having not watched it,

you did pretty well to get in that general direction.

OK, Eggheads, the so-called dot-com bubble that occurred

on stock exchanges as a result of the rapid expansion

of internet centred businesses commenced in which decade?

-1990s, wasn't it?

-Must be.

-It all collapsed around the millennium. So 1990s.

-Yep.

-We believe the answer is the 1990s.

-You're absolutely right, 1990s.

OK, so your question.

In which mythology are there female beings called the Norns

who ruled the destiny of gods and men?

-I haven't got a clue.

-I don't know any Japanese mythology.

The only mythology I'm familiar with is Greek.

When it first came up I thought it sounded Viking

or something around that.

I don't know. Norns....

-I'm not sure, what do you think?

-Greek too obvious?

-I don't know.

I thought...

I thought Norse mythology but we'll go Greek.

-Say Greek?

-Erm...

-Just go with it, yeah.

-We'll go with...

Again, not too sure on this but we'll go with Greek.

Greek is your answer.

It's switched around now, you had the right answer this time. Norse.

At least, you don't have to be annoyed with each other. OK.

Good sharing of the duties there.

If they get this one right, then they've won the final.

Here is your question, Eggheads.

What was the highest value euro banknote issued

when the currency was introduced at the start of 2002?

-I thought it was 500.

-It's 500. Let me just...

10, 20, 50, 100...

-It has to be 500.

-I'm pretty certain it's 500.

-There are seven notes.

There certainly isn't 1,000.

Five, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, yeah.

All these drug dealers used to pay in 500 euro notes.

-I don't think they had higher.

-They didn't have any larger notes

because it was to prevent money laundering.

-We'll go with 500.

-OK.

-OK.

-Our answer is 500.

500 Euros is your answer. If you've got this right the contest is over

and Barry's absolutely right there is no 1,000 euro note.

The highest is 500.

Well done, Eggheads, congratulations, you have won.

-I'm so sorry.

-They're going to kill us.

Another day you would have just switched the two answers around.

-I know.

-It was just a bit of bad luck there.

It was a good team to have in and you played well

and you both got to the final, so that's great. Thanks for coming in.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

So the Eggheads have done what comes naturally to them

and they still reign supreme over quizland.

It does mean our challenges, By The Power Of Greyskull,

won't be going home with the £3,000

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 challenges have the brains to defeat the Eggheads.

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

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd