Episode 104 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 the Toon Raiders.

Now, this team of friends all attend Newcastle University

and also live together in the same flat.

Must be lively. Let's meet them.

Hi, I'm Will, I'm 20 and I'm studying Civil Engineering.

Hi, I'm Cameron, I'm 20 and I'm studying Accounting and Finance.

Hi, I'm Will, I'm 19 and I'm studying Business.

Hi, I'm Dan, I'm 20 and I'm studying History And Politics.

Hi, I'm Will, I'm 19 and I'm studying Arts.

So, Will and team, welcome. Good to see you.

You're not originally from Newcastle, is that right?

No, we're not, we're all from all around England.

Like, some from the North, some from the South.

I'm from Newbury, it's near Oxford.

-Although it starts with New, it's not anywhere near Newcastle.

-No.

And you call yourselves Toon Raiders because you're taking all the best bits of the Toon?

Taking on the best bits of the Toon, and then the Raiders,

to raid the Eggheads of the money.

THEY LAUGH Hopefully!

OK, that's very hard-headed. That's good.

Do you end up supporting Newcastle United

if you're getting into the Toon this much?

-I'm not a huge football fan, so, not me, but these guys.

-Not for me.

-Still a Liverpool fan.

-Still an Arsenal fan.

-Still a Liverpool fan.

-Liverpool.

-Right, we're Newcastle, but we're not THAT Newcastle, OK!

-THEY LAUGH

-Do you quiz together?

Yes, we've done a few pub quizzes at Newcastle

and when we were in halls together as well. We've done a few of them.

-Are this lot big on campus?

-They are.

-Do people know who they are?

-Students?

-Oh, no doubt.

-Yes.

We hear occasionally it's a student thing to watch the Eggheads.

-Definitely.

-Just as soon as you get home from lectures, it's on,

so we just stick it on and watch it while cooking dinner.

You can cheer yourselves on when you watch this one back,

so, good luck, Toon Raiders. I hope you raid the Eggheads.

Here they all are. And as you know, 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, Toon Raiders, the Eggheads have won the last

eight games, which means that £9,000 says you can't beat them today.

-Not too bad.

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

Who would like this?

THEY CONFER

-Me?

-Yes.

-Who should we take on, then?

-So, Will H on science against who?

-I think we want to take Pat.

-Pat.

-Yes.

-Pat.

-OK, Will H from the Toon Raiders versus Pat from the Eggheads.

To ensure there's no conferring,

please take your positions in our Question Room.

-So, Will H, you were born in Hong Kong?

-Yes, I was.

And you've done quite a lot of travel and you've been

around the place, California and South Africa and everything else?

Yes, I went to California this Christmas holidays

and also Utah as well to stay with friends and family.

So how come you're so well travelled? That sounds great.

Yeah, my family just love it. It gets us all together as well.

It's something to do. It's normally sort of like sightseeing.

-As opposed to just lazing?

-Yeah. It's the parents.

I want to go on more lazy holidays, they seem to prefer the sightseeing.

Always a classic split in a relationship,

it's between the deckchair holiday and the sightseeing.

And I bet you Eggheads are all the same,

you're out with the camera and a guidebook every day, aren't you?

-No.

-You're not, Dave?

No, I'm in his camp. I am in Will's camp, to be perfectly honest.

So am I, 100%. Just find me a nice, sunny spot and a pool, that is it,

it doesn't matter which country it's in.

OK, Will, we're not on Geography here, even though

you're well travelled, we're on Science, but that's good, because

-you're an engineering student.

-Yes, I hope it'll be good.

We have other things other than engineering, but let's see.

-Good luck. First or second set of questions?

-I'd like to go first, please.

Here we go.

In a primary rainbow, which colour is seen on the outside of the arc?

I don't think it's yellow. I'm just trying to picture it right now

in the sky.

I think green is on the inside of it,

so, I think I'm going to go for red.

Yes, well done, red is correct.

What's the famous mnemonic there?

-Richard of York gave battle in vain.

-Richard of York gave battle in vain.

-Right. Red, orange.

-Yellow.

-Yellow.

-Green, blue, indigo, Violet.

Perfect.

Pat, your question. Which of these is a factor of 39?

You've got to be careful with these.

You've got factors and then you've got common factors, but it's 13.

-It's 13, because 13 goes INTO 39?

-Divides evenly into 39.

-I see.

13 is the right answer. Well done. OK, here we go. Will H.

What's the term for a sound waves with

frequencies below the lower limit of human audibility?

Erm... Ultrasound is when they have... for the babies in the stomach.

Infrasound,

I don't think I've heard that one before.

I did physics at A-level, so I should know this.

They use sonarsound in submarines, I think.

-I'm going to go with sonarsound again, on the left.

-Pat, do you know?

I think infrasound. Infra means beneath.

-Infrasound is the right answer.

-Aagh.

-Will H.

So, you've given a chance to Pat to get in here.

The venomous water moccasin snake or cottonmouth belongs to

which family, Pat?

It's a North American snake. And it is quite dangerous. It's venomous.

Anaconda is a constrictor and pythons are,

generally speaking, constrictors.

-So, it must be a North American viper.

-Viper is the right answer.

-He's ahead, so you've got to get this one, Will H.

-Yeah.

I hope this is covered by your, what is it, Civil Engineering or...?

-Yes, civil.

-What does civil mean? Does that just mean you're

very polite to each other?

-Bridges, buildings, roads, covers quite a lot.

-OK.

I hope it covers the periodic table.

Which of the elements represented by a single

letter in the periodic table has the highest atomic number?

Erm... I couldn't...

I don't know this one, for sure.

Tungsten... Uranium is low down. I know that.

I know the higher up ones, so, Vanadium could be it,

and tungsten... Hmmm.

I think I'm going to go for...

vanadium.

-Funnily enough, vanadium's got the lowest.

-Oh.

But the highest is uranium. Vanadium is 23, tungsten is 74.

-Anyone know uranium?

-92.

-92.

-They all say, Eggheads all say 92.

-Don't know how they know that.

-Don't know.

Uranium is the right answer, so, I'm sorry,

Pat has taken the round. Well done, Pat, you're in the final.

-Will, you've been knocked out, but don't worry, early days.

-Yeah.

Still a lot of chances to recover.

Please come back, rejoin your team-mates.

It's interesting.

We have a lot of periodic table, I know quizzers love it.

Is uranium a special number? Would we know it's 92?

Yes, because the elements discovered after

the original 92 are called transuranic elements, so uranium

is a bit of a watershed, really, in terms of the periodic table.

And 1992, it wasn't discovered in 1992?

No, no, no, it was discovered quite a lot earlier,

but, as I said, the first 92 elements that were put on,

-after that, they keep discovering other ones.

-Yeah, artificial.

Since I was in chemistry classes, which I think was 1980,

-has the periodic table got bigger?

-Oh, yes, a lot bigger.

-With new elements?

-Yes. But they're all artificial.

And they don't last for more than a tiny fraction of a millisecond.

-So, I don't see the point of them, really.

-So how many are there now?

-I think there's about...

-About 118, 114.

-118?

Did you know that, Will?

-No. I knew there are over 100 though.

-Did you?

-Yeah.

As it stands, the Toon Raiders have lost a brain from the final round.

The Eggheads have not lost any, thanks to a question on uranium.

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

-Me.

-This is definitely you, Will.

-Right, Will S is going to take this one.

Will S in the middle, against which Egghead?

-Do you want to take Dave?

-Yes.

-THEY CONFER

-Is Dave not good at geography?

-I'd give Dave something slightly harder.

He's quite good at Geography.

-Just take Dave. Take Dave.

-Yeah. Take Dave.

Will S against Tremendous Knowledge Dave on Geography,

please go to the Question Room now.

So, Will, whereabouts are you from originally?

Lincoln, which is East Midlands area.

-And I gather you have a famous sister?

-Yes, she's a swimmer.

-She's been in the last two Olympics.

-And any particular stroke?

-200m backstroke.

-Wow, and how did she do in 2012?

-She came fourth.

-And were you there cheering her on?

-No, it's difficult to get tickets,

so I was just cheering from home, but my parents were there, so...

That's funny, sometimes even for the athlete, it was hard to get

-people in, friends and family in?

-Yeah, you get two allocated tickets

per athlete, I think, so, for everyone else, it was hard to get in.

OK, Geography, Tremendous Knowledge Dave, are you up for this?

Yes, yes, always up for a geographical challenge.

A bit of an Achilles heel recently, though.

We'll see if we can get back on track.

OK, so, Will S, would you like to go first or second?

First, please, Jeremy.

Arthur's Seat is the main peak of a group of hills in which park?

Right, I've got absolutely no idea.

I've got a slight inkling it might be Hailey Park,

so I'm going to go with Hailey Park.

-It's Holyrood Park, actually. That's Edinburgh, is it, Eggheads?

-Yes.

It's sort of a big hill near the city.

Your question, Dave,

what colour is the middle stripe on the Italian flag?

Oh, no! The middle one. The flag is red, white and green, isn't it?

So, it's certainly not blue, just trying to visualise it.

I could have made an error here, but I've got a feeling it is

white in the middle, so that is my answer, white.

White is the right answer.

OK, back to you, Will S.

Which of these is a section of the North Atlantic Ocean?

I'm pretty confident it's the Norwegian Sea. Just, well, I hope so.

-Norwegian Sea.

-It's the Norwegian Sea, well done.

Dave, what is the official monetary unit of Armenia?

Mmmm. I should know these straight off.

Something is drawing me to Dram.

But that could be anything, really,

because I like the word for other reasons.

But I will say Dram.

-Let's see if he's right, is he right?

-Yes.

-Dram is right, Dave.

OK, you need to get this right, Will S, otherwise he will take the round.

Grantley Adams Airport is located on which Caribbean island ?

Erm... I'm not sure on this one either, Jeremy.

I've got just a little feeling it might be Jamaica,

but no idea, really, so I'm going to go with Jamaica.

Let's check with Dave over here - is he right?

-I think it's Barbados.

-Who was Grantley Adams, anyway?

I think he was a Prime Minister of Barbados

in the early, I think, possibly involved with the independence.

A great Caribbean name.

Barbados is the answer, so, sorry, Will, you've been knocked out

against Tremendous Knowledge Dave, whose knowledge is tremendous.

No question about it! Please come back and we'll play on.

So, as it stands, the Toon Raiders have lost two

brains from the final round and the Eggheads have lost no brains so far.

The next subject for you is Film and Television. Who would like this?

I don't think we should take Dan and Cameron out, because...

You do watch a lot of series.

-OK. I'll take this one.

-Will. Will B now.

-The third Will.

-Want to try Daphne?

-Daphne on TV, I think.

Daphne is good.

I've seen her before on TV, think she's pretty good.

-I think just go with Judith.

-So, Judith, please.

OK, Will B from the Toon Raiders versus Judith from the Eggheads.

And to ensure there's no conferring,

would you please take your positions in the Question Room.

So, what are you watching at the moment, Will?

I'm currently watching Walking Dead and Breaking Bad.

Do you know those programmes?

A lot of people have told me to watch Breaking Bad

and I am intending to.

Walking Dead is the one with Morrissey, isn't it?

David Morrissey? Is he the town mayor or something?

Maybe, yeah, he might be. No, I've got like ten on the go,

so it's quite hard to keep track of what I'm watching.

You do box sets or do you take them down from the net or what?

-Just on the Internet, yes, yes.

-Sounds good.

You got across that yet, Judith,

that thing of streaming programmes live on the net?

Yes, yes, you can, but I never get round to it.

OK, Film and Television, Will B, would you like to go first or second?

First, please, Jeremy.

Here's your first question.

Which writer, Will, was portrayed in a 2001 film by Kate Winslet

and then Judi Dench?

I think on this one, Jeremy, I'm going to go with Beatrix Potter.

I would have agreed with you, but it is wrong, actually. It is, anyone?

-Iris Murdoch.

-Iris Murdoch is the answer. OK, Judith, your question.

In 2012, Jessica Raine was first seen in the role of Jenny Lee

in which TV drama series?

-That's Call the Midwife.

-It's Call the Midwife, you're right.

Will, back to you, hang on in there.

In 2012, Anton Piotrowski

and Keri Moss were the first joint winners of which competition?

Um, I'm not really up-to-date with the talent shows, really.

I don't think Young Apprentice has joint winners,

so I'm going to exclude that one.

MasterChef: The Professionals, I think that's just, I think...

Oh, dear.

Erm...

I'm going to go with Britain's Got Talent, Jeremy.

-No, not that, your team-mates, do they know?

-I think it's MasterChef.

MasterChef: The Professionals, Will.

So, if Judith gets this one right, the round is over. Judith,

who played First Lady Ellen Mitchell in the 1993 comedy film Dave?

I didn't see that, so I'm going to have to guess.

Well, out of all those, who is funniest?

I think it might be Diane Keaton, if it was a comedy?

I'm trying to remember the story here.

-Dave was the president, is that right?

-Yes.

-Played by, anyone?

-Kevin Kline.

-Kevin Kline.

-It's not Diane Keaton, it's Sigourney Weaver.

-Oh.

You made a sound there as

if you are physically pained by your wrong answer.

I am. Always physically pained by wrong answers.

So, the round continues. Will, your question. Get this one right,

or the round is over.

Which silent film comedian played Erronius in the 1966 musical film

A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum?

I've got no idea on this one.

I'm going to go with Harold Lloyd.

It's bad luck, it's Buster Keaton.

Buster Keaton is the answer. Judith, you've won that round,

Film and TV. You can afford to smile. Just a little.

-I ALWAYS smile!

-Will B, you have been knocked out, sorry.

If you come back to us, we will play on.

-So, Will H.

-Yes.

-Thoughts here?

The raid has not happened yet, but it still could.

No, I think... probably got our two strongest people left,

-so, I say the strongest, Dan and then Cameron.

-Big pressure.

-So, this was a way of almost...

-And we still have our best subjects left.

OK. Very good. The optimism of youth.

Believe me, these Eggheads,

when they fuse, it's like the lights go out and that's it.

As it stands, the Toon Raiders have not done the raid yet.

They've lost three brains from the final round.

The Eggheads have not lost any. Let's see what happens next.

-It's Politics. Who would like this?

-There's a clear person.

-I'm going to have to take this.

-Dan.

-Dan, politics student?

-Against which Egghead?

-I think I'm going to take on Daphne.

OK, Dan and Daphne. You like politics, Daphne, don't you?

-Not particularly.

-Please go to the Question Room now.

So, Dan, you have the faintest Eggheads connection, don't you?

-Just tell us what that is.

-Yes, there's a bit of history there.

I think your, yes, the other presenter,

Dermot Murnaghan, I think he used to go to the same school as me.

And whereabouts was that?

It's in a place called Holywood just outside of Belfast

in Northern Ireland.

And it's actually the same town where Rory McIlroy is from

and he also went to my school.

-It's Holywood with one L, isn't it?

-Yes. With one L.

Yes, I remember. I worked at BBC Belfast for a time,

very early on, and stayed in a place called Green Island which was

just across the lake, across the bay, what is that? Anyone know?

-Strangford, is it? Strangford Lough?

-Strangford, yes, that's it.

Looking across Strangford.

OK, well, that sounds like the start of a Van Morrison song, doesn't it?

OK, we are on Politics, Dan. Would you like to go first or second?

Yes, I'll go first, please, Jeremy.

And here is your question.

How old was John Major when he became Prime Minister in 1990?

Erm, well, I know John Major succeeded Thatcher.

And I think he was quite a young Prime Minister.

So, I'm going to go with 47,

because I think 37 is maybe a bit too young for him

to be that far in his political career, so I'm going to go 47.

47 is the right answer. Well done.

OK, Daphne, which actress was elected MP for Hampstead

and Highgate in 1992?

It was Glenda Jackson.

Glenda Jackson is the right answer, correct.

OK, we go back to you, Dan. Which politician, then the Employment

Secretary, introduced the British Bank Holiday known as May Day?

I've got absolutely no idea.

I would have said May Day has been around for some time but...

I can't even work out logically from those names,

so, I'm just going to have to guess Edward Heath.

It's Michael Foot. Probably hard to get it from guesswork, that.

-When did that happen?

-'78.

-1978.

'78 says Daphne, so that was under Callaghan, was it?

-I would assume so.

-OK.

Your question, Daphne, to take the lead. In the UK, the format of

which number is two prefix letters, six digits and one suffix letter?

Could you repeat it?

In the UK, the format of which number is two prefix letters,

six digits and one suffix letter?

I think that is your national insurance number.

That's national insurance number. You're right.

It would be easy to get that one wrong.

-And I know you don't like numbers very much.

-No, I hate numbers.

SHE LAUGHS

Dan, here is your question. You need to get this one right, Dan, OK?

-Yes.

-In 1957, and again in 1960,

Keith Jacka Holyoake became Prime Minister of which country?

Well, I've never heard of the name before.

I presume it's not South Africa, because of Nelson Mandela.

So, it's really just a guess between Canada and New Zealand.

I'm going to go for New Zealand.

New Zealand is correct. Well done.

OK, Daphne, this for the round.

Which Prime Minister was married to the widow of the MP Wyndham Lewis?

Oh. I don't know.

The only thing I can think of that I don't recognise the name,

but Benjamin Disraeli married a widow, so, Benjamin Disraeli?

-Is she right, Eggs?

-I think so.

-Yes, you are.

Benjamin Disraeli is the right answer,

so well done, Daphne, you have taken the round.

Sorry, Dan, just that one wrong answer cost you there.

-It could be a lonely final for Cameron.

-Yes.

Good luck to him, he's going to need it.

Well, come back to us. We'll sort it all out and we'll play the final round.

So, this is what we have been playing towards.

It's time for the final round, which, is always, is General Knowledge.

But I'm afraid those of you who lost your head to heads won't be allowed

to take part in this round, so Will H, Will S, Dan and Will B, the

three Wills from the Toon Raiders, will you please leave the studio?

So, Cameron, you are playing to win the Toon Raiders £9,000.

Pat, Judith, Kevin, Dave and Daphne, you are playing for

something that money can't buy, the Eggheads' very precious reputation.

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

This time the questions are all general knowledge

and you are allowed to confer, although I know with

all of them back there, it's going to be tricky.

So, Cameron, the question is,

is your one brain able to conduct this effective raid you've

been promising on the Eggheads' five brains?

-And would you like to go first or second?

-I will go first, please.

OK, best of luck.

Who was the runner-up in the 2012 Tour De France?

OK, I'm tempted to rule out,

I'm pretty sure it wasn't David Millar, so, I'm pretty tempted

to rule him out, so, it's between Mark Cavendish and Chris Froome.

Erm...

Mark Cavendish was in the same team as Bradley Wiggins,

but, I've got a feeling it was Chris Froome.

Chris Froome is the right answer. Good start.

That easily could've tripped you up. Well done.

Here we go, Eggheads, What two-word Latin phrase often used to

describe a public apology translates into English as "my fault".

Mea Culpa.

-That's Mea Culpa, Jeremy.

-Mea Culpa is the right answer.

I'm trying to work out what Carpe Vinem is. Does that

-means "seize the vine"?

-Sounds like it!

THEY LAUGH

-I think it's a joke, Jeremy.

-I think yes, that's right. Seize the vine.

Cameron, on a standard London Monopoly board, the properties

that are directly adjacent to the "go to jail" square are what colour?

OK, I'm pretty sure it's not blue, because blue's right at the end.

So, that's that one ruled out. Oh.

I think red, I think red is next to it, just when you pass, oh,

wait, it is... I might be thinking of free parking.

I'm getting muddled between the two.

I will go yellow and green, please.

Yellow and green. Yellow and green is correct. Well done.

You got it right. Playing on his own.

Goodness me, you're playing well.

Eggheads, in which year did the Nobel Peace Prize winner

Mother Teresa die?

-1997.

-1997.

-It was right after Diana's death.

That was 1997, very much around the same time as Princess Diana.

That's correct. 1997.

Third question to you, Cameron. Keep up the pressure,

get this one right and then it could fall apart.

Under what pseudonym did William Connor

write a regular column for the Daily Mirror between 1935 and 1967?

I literally don't have a clue here. It could be any of them.

Yes, I've not got a clue,

so, I'd go straight down the middle and go Jocasta.

Jocasta is wrong, actually, it is Cassandra. OK.

If you get this one right, the contest is over, Eggheads.

Here we go.

Skull and Bones is the name of a secret society of which

American University?

Yale. Yale. OK?

I think it's one that the Bushes in their turn belong to,

and it's Yale.

It's not very secret, is it?

No, you always wonder about secret societies,

there's not a lot of point. Still, there you go!

Is it just a drinking club or what?

Hijinks and drinking and making connections that will serve them

well in a later careers.

Well, I haven't said yet whether you got it right,

but they did answer with certainty.

-No, I'm pretty sure it's Yale.

-Yale is the right answer.

So we say congratulations, Eggheads, you have won.

The scoreboard shows you pushed them pretty hard right

-until the end there.

-Yeah, no, it is tight,

-but it's always going to be tough against five Eggheads.

-Yes.

When they're all together like that, it is formidable. Even

the sight is frightening, frankly. Commiserations to the Toon Raiders.

Commiserations, Cameron, you played very well.

The Eggheads have done what comes naturally to them

and their winning streak continues.

I'm afraid it does mean you won't be going back to Newcastle

with the £9,000, sorry to disappoint your colleagues

back there. The money therefore rolls over to our 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.

£10,000 says they don't. Until then, goodbye.