Episode 17 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 might of our quiz Goliaths today

are the Malvern Minds. This friends and family team

share a passion for football and, of course, enjoy quizzing, as well,

at the Anchor Inn in Malvern. Let's meet them.

Hi, I'm Mark, I'm 24 and I'm a college student.

Hi, I'm Patrick, I'm 25 and I'm an IT and marketing coordinator.

Hello, I'm Harry, I'm 21 and I'm an events and exhibitions intern.

Hi, I'm Sam, I'm 24 and I'm an assistant project manager.

Hi, I'm Marcus, I'm 24 and I'm an architecture student.

Welcome. What made you decide to attempt to beat the Eggheads, then?

-Erm...

-The money?

-Yeah, the money.

-Be honest.

-The money.

-To pit our team against the best quiz team in the country.

Exactly. How's it been going, quizzing at the Anchor Inn?

It's been going well. Up and down a little bit, but...

-THEY LAUGH

-Well, you want to be up today...

-Oh, we do, yeah.

-..to get the money. Good luck, Malvern Minds.

Every day there's £1,000 up for grabs for our challengers.

If they fail to defeat the Eggheads, the prize money rolls over.

So, Malvern Minds, the Eggheads have won the last 20 games

and that means £21,000 says you can't beat the Eggheads.

-It's worth a try.

-Worth a try.

OK, let's get on with the task, then.

And the first head-to-head battle is on the subject of Geography.

As you know, anyone can take this on, it's the first round.

-That's me, yeah.

-It's going to be Marcus.

All right, Marcus. And pick any of those Eggheads there.

-What do you think, guys?

-I don't know, shall we take Judith?

Shall we try Judith?

-Er, Judith, please.

-Yes, indeed. OK, for the first round,

it's Marcus from the Malvern Minds and Judith from the Eggheads.

Would you both please make your way to the question room?

Well, Marcus, I know you're a well-travelled man.

Would you like to go first or second on this Geography round?

I'll go second.

-That means you're starting, Judith.

-Yes.

-OK, first question.

What name is given to a reference book

that is a geographical dictionary

listing place names in alphabetical order?

I think that's a gazetteer.

Yes, it is. One on the board for you.

Marcus, what is the official language of Honduras?

-Have you been there on your travels?

-I haven't.

Central America's not somewhere I've been.

Erm...

Now, I'm pretty sure it's not Italian.

Erm, I doubt it's Dutch. So I'm going to go Spanish.

Once you'd identified Central America, got it. Spanish. Well done.

And Judith, the National Sports Centre

at Bisham Abbey is in which county?

National Sports Centre?

I shouldn't think it's Herefordshire, cos that's quite out of the way.

Erm...

Bisham Abbey. Sports Centre.

Erm... I'm going to risk Staffordshire.

-OK, risking Staffordshire.

-Cos it's more in the centre of England

-than Herefordshire or Berkshire.

-OK.

-It's not, though, it's in Berkshire.

-How annoying.

-Yes. Bisham Abbey.

Well, was that a wise move by Marcus, putting you in there?

Let's find out. Marcus, Mount Ruapehu is the highest mountain

on the north island of which country?

Mount Ruapehu is the highest mountain

on the north island of which country?

Well, it does sound kind of Maori.

Erm, I have been to New Zealand.

Don't know the highest mountain. I'm going to go New Zealand as a guess.

It's correct. Well, you've just got to hope Judith doesn't get this

and you won't have to answer another question.

And Judith, which part of the Spanish city of Lugo

became a World Heritage Site in 2000?

Which part of the Spanish city of Lugo, L-U-G-O,

became a World Heritage Site in the year 2000?

Gosh, I've never heard of that, either.

Erm, it could be any of those things. World Heritage...

I don't know. Erm... I don't know where Lugo is.

I should think the Roman walls would've been made

a heritage site by now if they were very spectacular.

And there are lots of gothic cathedrals.

I have a feeling it might be limestone caves.

-All right, limestone caves in Lugo.

-It's just instinct.

We can tell you it's in Spain.

But it's not limestone caves, it is the Roman walls.

-Well!

-Why weren't they done a long time ago?

-HE LAUGHS

-I don't know, ask the committee.

Marcus, it turned out to be a good choice there,

going for the second set of questions.

Judith struggled with the first ones and you're in the final round.

Please come back and join your teams.

Well, one of the Malvern Minds working very well.

That was Marcus's. The Eggheads are one brain down already.

Let's play our next head-to-head right now. This is Arts & Books.

Who'd like to do this one?

-Harry on books.

-It's going to be Harry.

OK, Harry. You look pumped up. Which Egghead would you like?

-Can't be Judith.

-Erm... Who shall we go?

-Who did we discuss?

-Erm, I think Pat.

-Yeah.

-We'll go with Pat.

-OK, it's going to be Harry and Pat

contesting this Arts & Books round. Please go to the question room.

Well, Harry, let's see if you can emulate Marcus.

-Do you want to go first or second, Harry?

-I'll go first, please.

The first question is yours, and this is it.

What is the first name of the title character

in the novel Fifty Shades Of Grey?

-Have you read it, Harry?

-I haven't read it, but I've seen it in shops

and I've been trying to avoid it. Erm...

Right, let's think.

Christian has come into my head and I'm not sure why,

but I don't know much about it, so I'll go with that.

I might have heard someone reading it aloud in a train or something.

-I think Christian.

-OK. Don't know what kind of trains you travel on.

Public readings of Fifty Shades Of Grey?

Might be quite a packed train, then. The answer is Christian. Well done.

Pat, Judith Kerr's classic 1968 children's book

is the story of what type of creature who came to tea?

I don't think I've read this, or read it for a child, either.

My first thought is, of those three, a tiger coming to tea

would be the most exciting. A terrapin would be pretty low-key,

and so would a toad.

Erm... So I'm going to be guessing.

I think a tiger would be much better for drama and illustrations,

-so I'll go with tiger.

-Interesting, you had to use logic to work it out.

It is the correct answer. We've got three-year-olds at home

giving us that answer. It's the right answer, yes. Tiger.

OK, over to you, Harry.

Peter Carl Faberge fled the Russian revolution

and died in which city in 1920?

Peter Carl Faberge fled the Russian revolution

and died in which city in 1920?

Erm, well, none of those spring to mind.

I don't know directly.

Erm, I think London was an epicentre of activity around then.

I've been to Ljubljana and I don't think I saw anything about him,

and I would've thought there'd be some information

if he did die there.

I'll go with London.

OK, London for Russian emigres. You're right, a lot fled there

after the Russian revolution,

but Peter Carl Faberge did not die there. It was in Lausanne.

So, a chance for Pat to take the lead.

The biography The Bolter and the novel Park Lane

were written by the wife of which politician?

Nick Clegg's wife is Miriam Durantez, a Spanish woman.

I'm not sure she writes books with titles like that?

David Miliband's wife is a concert violinist.

Again, I don't know that she's written books.

I think George Osborne is married to Frances.

So of those three,

by a not entirely satisfactory method of elimination,

-I'll go for George Osborne.

-I think it's very satisfactory.

You gave us full explanations and Frances Osborne is the novelist

and biographer, it's the right answer. Well done, Pat.

You have that lead, meaning you need this, Harry.

In the novel by George Bernard Shaw,

what is Cashel Byron's profession?

In the novel by George Bernard Shaw,

what is Cashel Byron's profession?

Erm, again, it's not one that I know straight off the top of my head.

Erm, thinking of Byron

and if he's going to allude to the author Byron,

I would've thought a sailor would've been more of a Byronic hero.

So, erm, we'll go with a sailor, lots of travelling.

OK, yeah, bit of water.

Erm, sailor, it's not. Do you know, Pat? George Bernard Shaw?

It sounds like a boxer's name. But it's only a guess.

It is a boxer. Boxer is the answer we were looking for.

It's bad news for you, Harry. Means you're not in the final round.

Would you both please come back and join your teams.

Well, it's all square now. Both teams have lost one brain

from the final round. And our next subject today is Music.

Who'd like to play this head-to-head? Mark, Patrick or Sam?

-We've only got two left, so...

-It's going to be Mark, isn't it?

-Who do you think, Mark?

-I'll give it a go. I'm not good at modern stuff.

-Do you want to go for it, Sam?

-I think Mark should go for it.

-Yeah.

-I'm going to do it.

-OK, Mark.

You weren't too keen. Your teammates think you're pretty good.

-I'll give it a go.

-All right.

-He wants Sport.

Choose an Eggheads, then, Daphne, Chris or Barry.

-Maybe...

-Barry doesn't look like he wants it.

-He doesn't look like he wants to try.

-Yeah, go Barry.

-Er, Barry.

-OK.

-But maybe it was a double bluff.

-Ohh!

They're all trained to play whatever round it is.

Let's have Mark and Barry into the question room, please.

So, Mark, what type of music do you listen to?

Not stuff which would be acceptable at the early hours of the morning.

-THEY LAUGH Er, the neighbours moan.

-Right.

OK, let's play the round.

-Would you like to go first or second?

-I'll go first, please.

Here you go. This could be a Film & Television question, as well,

which I know you also like. Which Looney Tunes character

was most associated with Mexican hat dance music?

Which Looney Tunes character

was most associated with Mexican hat dance music?

Erm, I don't think it's Daffy Duck.

I think he likes jazz.

-Erm, considering Gonzales, I'm going to go for Speedy Gonzales.

-Good idea.

Yeah, it's the right answer. And Barry.

Which birds are mentioned in the lyrics of the first verse

of the song I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing?

Which birds are mentioned in the lyrics of the first verse

of the song I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing?

I think the answer to that is turtle doves.

Turtle doves is correct.

Good start by you both. Mark, second question.

"I never thought it would happen with me and the girl from Clapham"

is the opening of which song?

"I never thought it would happen with me and the girl from Clapham"

is the opening of which song?

Ohh. I'm not entirely sure, to be honest.

Erm...

I don't think it's London Calling.

Erm, I'm not too sure about Baker Street,

-but I'm going to go with Up The Junction.

-Up The Junction, OK.

-Is that a bit of a guess or an informed guess?

-Yes, it's a guess.

OK, Up The Junction. It's the right answer. Well done. By, Eggheads?

-Squeeze.

-Multi-talented Squeeze. OK, and Barry,

which American singer-songwriter was born Elizabeth Grant?

Ooh, gosh, this is one I really should know.

Elizabeth Grant. I'm not sure.

I think Gwen Stefani is her real name, so I shall discount her.

I know Lana Del Rey, that's not her real name.

-And I don't... Yes, I think it's Lana Del Rey.

-OK.

You were just passing over Lana Del Rey and then you thought, "Right."

Something clicked.

It's the right answer, too, Barry. Like an Egghead there.

Keeps it all square, then, two-all. Important questions for you both.

Mark, Di Quella Pira is a tenor aria from which opera?

Di Quella Pira is a tenor aria from which opera?

-I haven't got a clue.

-I thought that was the kind of music you played

-that annoyed the neighbours.

-No.

Er, it's going to be a wild guess.

Er... Rigoletto.

-OK, Rigoletto. Barry?

-I'd have gone for Don Carlos.

-Oh, interesting, because it's Il Trovatore.

-Oh!

If you'd been answering each other's questions,

that would've been very interesting, but we are at a point

where Barry can book a place in the final round.

In the 1930s, Gene Krupa and Teddy Wilson

formed a jazz trio with which other musician?

In the 1930s, Gene Krupa and Teddy Wilson

formed a jazz trio with which other musician?

I don't think it was Dizzy Gillespie.

-I think it was Stan Getz.

-OK, Stan Getz.

-It was Benny Goodman.

-Oh! Interesting.

-Benny Goodman.

Well, very interesting and very good news for Mark.

Mark, for the first time in this game, we go to sudden death

because you're all square after three questions.

So we are removing those choices.

Here is your sudden death question.

"I'm coming home, I've done my time"

are the opening words to which song, a hit for Tony Orlando and Dawn?

"I'm coming home, I've done my time"

are the opening words to which song, a hit for Tony Orlando and Dawn?

Again, I have not got a clue.

Erm...

I really don't know. Erm... Coming Home.

Coming Home, OK, yeah, always good to have a guess, but it's not right.

I'll ask Barry. The same era as I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing.

Yes, that's Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Old Oak Tree.

Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Old Oak Tree. Didn't get it from Mark.

Barry, then, this is your question.

Nanker Phelge was a collective pseudonym

used by members of which band?

Nanker Phelge was a collective pseudonym

used by members of which band?

My goodness me, what a name.

-Do you want any spellings?

-I don't think it would help me in the least.

OK. Just ask if you need it.

-Nanker Phelge.

-N-A-N-K-E-R P-H-E-L-G-E.

I think it has to be a really well-known band

to choose such an obscure name, so I shall go for the Rolling Stones.

-It's the right answer, Barry!

-HE LAUGHS

-Did you know that?

-No, I truly did not know it.

Nanker Phelge. Did anyone know? Barry, we obviously believe him,

didn't know it. It was used for group compositions in the early 60s.

Is it an anagram? Is it something backwards?

Not sure about that first word.

-Probably schoolboy slang.

-Schoolboy slang.

Still trying to work on it.

OK, more research required.

And if the answer is broadcastable, we'll try and get it out there.

I feel I have to apologise to my opponent for that answer.

Well, it's an informed guess.

Nanker Phelge, a collective pseudonym for the Rolling Stones,

which means you're rolling into the final round, Barry,

and no place for you, Mark. Please come back and join your teams.

Still mystified by Nanker Phelge.

Pat, you've got a little bit more on it.

I think it's a name that Jagger and Richards used

when writing songs, for some reason, I don't know why.

Apparently, Nanker was a revolting face

that band members used to pull.

As for the Phelge, we're still in the dark.

But as it stands after that exchange,

the Malvern Minds have lost two brains from the final,

the Eggheads have lost one.

So it could be even Stevens in the final round,

depending on the outcome of this, our last head-to-head, Science.

And there is Patrick or Sam to play. Science.

-I'll take this one.

-Yeah.

-It's going to be Patrick.

OK, Patrick. And which Egghead would you like to play?

-We've got Daphne or Chris.

-I'll take Daphne, please.

-OK.

No hesitation. Let's have Patrick and Daphne into the question room.

So, Patrick, I hear you got lost on a cycle ride or something.

Nipped out for a quick curry and got lost and ended up in Budapest.

Erm, well, I didn't quite get lost.

It took us a while to get there,

but no, it was good fun, a great challenge, really enjoyed it.

Was it for charity or just to challenge yourself?

We decided to go there originally and then we decided to cycle there

and then after that, we decided to do it for charity.

-Could afford the plane fare?

-Pretty much, yeah.

-All right, Patrick,

-do you want to go first or second?

-I'd like to go first, please.

Good luck, Patrick. Here you go.

The kangaroo paw plant species are native to which country?

The kangaroo paw plant species are native to which country?

Erm, I'm not an expert in plants,

but considering they're named after a kangaroo,

it'd be silly not to go for Australia.

It certainly would be, silly and incorrect.

You have chosen the right answer.

Well done. Daphne, which phrase comes from a method of determining

the presence of gold in a substance?

Which phrase comes from a method of determining

the presence of gold in a substance?

I would think that's probably the acid test.

Yep, probably. Definitely. It's the right answer. Well done.

And Patrick, the vagus nerve in humans

extends from the cranium to where in the body?

The vagus nerve in humans extends from the cranium

to where in the body?

Erm, I'm really not sure about this.

It's going to have to be a guess. I'll go down the middle, the coccyx.

OK. Down the middle of the back.

-No, it's not. Do you know, Daphne?

-Abdomen.

It's the abdomen. So, Daphne, your second question.

What is the name of the point on a deer's skull where the antler grows?

I... I think... I'm trying to...

Erm... A pedicle.

Yeah, pedicle.

-Yeah, just checking with yourself there.

-Yes.

Is it... Pedicle is the right answer.

So it means you need to get this, Patrick.

The eclectus is a brightly-coloured species of which bird?

The eclectus, E-C-L-E-C-T-U-S,

is a brightly-coloured species of which bird?

Erm, I'm going to discount pheasant.

I'm not really sure why. Just don't like the look of it.

Erm, parrots and hummingbirds are quite colourful,

but I think parrots are the most colourful, so I'll go for parrot.

Parrot. Right to do so. Yep, back on track.

Got that. It's the correct answer.

So you've got to hope Daphne fails here.

The British scientist John Milne,

born in 1850, developed what type of scientific instrument?

The British scientist John Milne, who was born in 1850,

developed what type of scientific instrument?

I've got a feeling

he was something to do with earthquakes,

-so I'll go with seismograph.

-Seismograph.

Well, the earth is shaking with the magnitude of that answer.

It is the correct answer, Daphne, which means you've won the round

and proceed into the final round.

Bad luck, Patrick. Just that middle one there gone wrong for you.

You won't be in the final round. Come back and join your teams.

And so, this is what we've been playing towards.

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

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

will not be allowed to take part in this round.

So Mark, Patrick and Harry from the Malvern Minds

and Judith from the Eggheads,

would you all leave the studio now, please.

So, Sam and Marcus, you're playing to win the Malvern Minds £21,000.

Daphne, Chris, Barry and Pat, you are playing for something

which no amount of money could buy, it's your very own reputation.

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

This time, the questions are general knowledge and you can confer.

So the question is, Malvern Minds, are your two brains better than

the Eggheads' four? And would you like to go first or second?

Er, we won't buck the trend. I think we'll go first.

OK, first set of questions for you, then. Good luck. Here it comes.

What is the usual name for the free vehicle provided by a garage

when the owner's vehicle is in for repair?

What is the usual name for the free vehicle provided by a garage

when the owner's vehicle is in for repair?

-First one. It's got to be.

-Yeah.

-Easy.

-Courtesy car.

-Civility car would be nice, a car that's polite to you.

It's the right answer, yes. Courtesy car.

Eggheads, a good salesman is commonly said

to be able to sell what to Eskimos?

A good salesman is commonly said to be able to sell what to Eskimos?

-Fridges, isn't it?

-It must be snow, surely.

-It's got to be snow.

They can make soup and they've got sealskin on their door,

-so it's got to be snow.

-He can also sell sand to Egyptians.

-To make glass. Yeah, we know that.

-Yeah.

-THEY LAUGH

-The answer is snow, Dermot.

Certainly is. Well done, Eggheads.

OK, back to Sam and Marcus here.

Which actor played Roger opposite Dawn French

in the sitcom Roger And Val Have Just Got In?

Which actor played Roger opposite Dawn French

in the sitcom Roger And Val Have Just Got In?

-Any ideas?

-I've not watched that programme.

-Erm...

-Any... Do you know any of the names?

Any of them look familiar?

I'm leaning towards Albert Finney.

-Erm...

-Straight down the middle.

-Straight down the middle.

That's... Yeah. I'm happy with that, to be honest.

-Shall we go for that?

-Albert Finney.

-Albert Finney?

-Let's go for it.

-Albert Finney.

OK, Albert Finney. What do you think, Eggheads?

-Alfred Molina.

-Yeah, it's Alfred Molina.

Not Albert Finney. So nothing there for you guys. Over to the Eggheads.

Which British tennis player partnered the Dane Frederik Nielsen

to win the 2012 men's doubles at Wimbledon?

It was definitely Jonny Marray.

First for quite some time. It was a big deal.

-That's what we're going with, Jonny Marray?

-Mm-hm.

-Yep.

-OK.

-Jonny Marray is the answer.

-OK.

Jonny Marray is the right answer, Eggheads. You have a lead

and it means you need to get this. Good luck. Your third question.

What is the highest award in Girl Guiding UK,

awarded for outstanding service to the movement?

What's the highest award in Girl Guiding UK,

awarded for outstanding service to the movement?

I won't ask you if you were ever in them, but were you ever Boy Scouts?

-Er, yeah, for a brief time.

-OK.

-I was a Cub Scout, yeah.

-Ah, there you are.

-Back in the day.

-Erm...

-What are your thoughts on this one?

I'm thinking butterfly is quite girlie,

so it could be that.

I'm tempted towards butterfly, but...

-Silver fish, yeah.

-Mm.

But they're little creepy-crawly things.

-We had them in our fridge a couple of weeks ago.

-Yeah.

-So it's going to be butterfly or bird we go for.

-I think so, yeah.

We'll narrow it down to silver bird or silver butterfly.

I think bird would be a bit wrong,

-so I think butterfly.

-Yeah. Silver...

Silver butterfly.

Silver butterfly. Well, we'll let Daphne answer.

-A keen Brownie in your time, weren't you?

-No.

But I was in the Guides 60 years ago.

But we didn't have awards like that and I don't know.

OK. Well, I will tell the boys, then.

-It is a silver fish.

-Ahh!

-Really?

And that means, Eggheads, you've won.

Well, bad luck there, Sam and Marcus, just wasn't to be on the day

-the way the questions fell. Pity it wasn't about the Scouts.

-Oh, well.

Thank you very much indeed for taking the Eggheads on today,

but just wasn't to be. The Eggheads have done what comes naturally

and that winning streak continues. You won't be going home with £21,000

and that means the money rolls over to the next show.

Eggheads, congratulations. Who will beat you?

And join us next time to see if a new team of challengers

have the brains to defeat the Eggheads.

£22,000 says they don't. Until then, goodbye.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

.