Episode 55 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 challenging our resident quiz champions today are Who Darts Wins.

This team of friends all met at Cambridge University's Jewish Society

and as their name suggests, were regular users of the society's dartboard.

Let's meet them.

Hi, I'm Daniel, I'm 25 and I'm a law student.

Hi, I'm Marc, I'm 24 and I'm a trainee actuary.

Hi, my name's Leo, I'm 22 and I'm studying to be a lawyer.

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

Hi, I'm Alex, I'm 24 and I'm a PhD student.

Welcome to you, Who Darts Wins. So do you still throw the arrows?

Infrequently. Not as often as we'd like to.

Were you any good when you did or was it just an excuse to chat and have some beers?

-I think the latter, especially the beers.

-OK.

Talking of darts, you're obviously too young to have watched it -

maybe on Challenge TV or something - Bullseye.

-We have seen that several times.

-Lovely.

Well, we've got an Egghead here who, of course, is no mean dart thrower herself.

No. My husband only taught me how to play two weeks before.

-Yeah.

-He was the darts player.

OK, so you get to the final round and you decide to gamble.

You've got to get 101 or more in six darts. What happened?

-I got 39...

-Oh! You're nearly there!

-Yeah.

And he got 12.

Is it still a bone of contention?

That was my FIRST husband.

Says it all. So watch out, boys, when you play Daphne.

Right... Every game, 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, Who Darts Wins, the Eggheads have won the last five games,

which means £6,000 says you can't beat the Eggheads.

Let's see what comes up first, then.

It's Sport. Who wants to have a go at knocking an Egghead out on sport?

-We said Marc.

-It's got to be Marc.

-It's got to be Marc.

-That would be me.

OK, Marc. And choose your Egghead.

-Kevin?

-All right.

-We'll go for Kevin.

All right! I see.

And you know what you're taking on here, clearly, Marc. You've done your research.

We'll see. We shall see.

Marc and Kevin, into the question room for the first round, please.

Well, Marc, you get to choose. Do you want to go first at the oche or let Kevin start?

I'll go second.

OK, Kevin starts, then.

Kevin, which of these is an illegal practice in cricket,

involving tampering with the ball?

Just imagine somebody there with a needle and thread, stitching the...

And as for the wrinkles, well...

-Anyway, it's picking the seam.

-It is, yes, that's the right answer.

And, Marc, your first question.

In events such as running and cycling,

what word is commonly used to describe a burst of acceleration

in the final stages of a race?

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

A final kick, yes. That's the right answer.

And, Kevin, in which year was Michael Schumacher stripped of his second-place finish

in the Formula One Championship

for apparently deliberately colliding with a rival on the track?

Well, in the early 2000s, he was winning effectively every year,

so we'll rule out 2002.

So it's a choice between '92 and '97.

Was '92 a little bit early for him?

I think when he won in '94 and '95, he was sort of new kid on the block.

So I'm going to go for '97.

Well, there you see it, Who Darts Wins. He knows his stuff.

That's the right answer, yes, Kevin.

You worked that out very carefully, very meticulously.

OK, Marc, which tennis player won a record 31 Grand Slam women's doubles titles?

Erm, I'm not exactly sure but I know Navratilova was winning doubles well into her forties,

so I'm going to go for Martina Navratilova.

Good choice. It's the right answer, Marc.

You've got two as well, matching Kevin.

Kevin, Danny Cipriani returned to English rugby union

after signing for which club in March 2012?

It's... It's not Leicester.

But I think he has, at different times,

I've got an idea he has played for both of the others.

I'm not sure. It's a bit of a 50-50, this one, so...

I'll go for Sale. Sale Sharks.

You got it. It's the right answer.

Marc hoping you'd go for the Wasps

but that means you need this, then, Marc.

Which of these Scottish football clubs sacked Alex Ferguson as manager in 1970s?

Again, I'm not sure.

I don't think it was Aberdeen because he was there in the '80s

and had a successful career there.

St Mirren rings a bell, so I'll go for St Mirren.

You know your stuff. It is the right answer.

Well done.

And it takes us to Sudden Death, Marc. Both going really well.

So we're going to make it harder to sort out a winner and remove the choices.

So, Kevin, which piece of men's athletic equipment must weigh a minimum of 7.26kg

and be a maximum of 121.5cm in length?

Right, so in old money, as it were, that's roughly about four feet long

because 30cm...

I never went entirely decimal.

-So 30cm to a foot and it's 121...

-Point five.

-Point five, yeah.

So we're talking something that's round about four feet.

I think this has got to be the javelin.

-No, it's not.

-No? Oh, so...

Have another go. What would you say? Kevin?

-Er, hammer?

-Hammer, yes, the hammer.

-Yeah, yeah.

OK, well, you don't get it, of course. You don't get two goes.

And so, will Kevin get another go in the whole game?

Will he be in the final round? Marc, your chance to knock him out.

In 1947 and again in 1950,

Walter Donaldson became world champion at which sport?

Erm, I've never heard of the name.

I'm trying to think what sport someone would become world champion in.

I'm going to have to take a punt and go for snooker.

Snooker. That's something... If you like your darts, probably...

if you don't like your sports too energetic, you probably like some snooker, do you, as well? OK.

You've gone for snooker.

-It's the right answer!

-Yes!

Wow!

Well, I said you were good, Marc.

Well, today you're better than Kevin.

It means that you're in the final round. Knocked Kevin out.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

Well, Who Darts Wins, that was impressive.

Kevin missing his doubles there, in darts parlance.

You're through to the final round, Marc, and the Eggheads have lost one brain.

So our next subject is politics.

Who'd like to take this one on from Who Darts Wins?

-Do you want...?

-It's between you two.

-You do History, so if it's historical politics you'll be fine.

-I think I've been put forward for this one.

-All right, Daniel.

-Choose your Egghead. It can't be Kevin.

-I'd go for Judith, I think.

-Erm, I think we'll go for Judith.

-Judith.

Let's have Daniel and Judith in the question room, please.

All right, Daniel, your choice - do you want to go first or second?

I think I'll go first, please, Dermot.

Good luck, Daniel.

What name is given to government officials who, because of their expertise,

have been appointed rather than elected to govern,

such as those in Italy and Greece in 2011?

So I think technobot would imply they're some kind of robot

and technophobes are people who are afraid of or hate expertise,

so I'm going to go with technocrats.

It's the right answer, yes. Technocrats.

OK, Judith. In 2010, after Ed Milliband and David Milliband,

who came third in the contest for the leadership of the Labour party?

Well, out of those three, I suppose it must be Ed Balls.

-Just explain why.

-Well, because none of the others are Labour.

Precisely. Yes! It's the right answer. Ed Balls.

OK, a second question each.

Daniel, in which European country did Mitt Romney spend two and a half years

as a Mormon missionary when a young man?

Well, I don't think it's Italy.

I'm not too sure between the other two.

For some reason, Switzerland is jumping off the page,

so I'll go with Switzerland.

Erm, no, it's not. It's France.

It wasn't Italy but not Switzerland, either.

So a chance for Judith to take the lead.

Judith, which Conservative chancellor was criticised in 1991

for claiming that he could see the green shoots of economic spring?

Erm... I'm getting in a muddle with dates, now.

-1991. I think it's Norman Lamont.

-Norman Lamont.

It is Norman Lamont. It's the right answer.

Green shoots of economic spring. It turned out he was right

but he was much derided at the time. OK.

You have that lead and you need to get this, Daniel.

Which early British prime minister was briefly imprisoned on corruption charges

in the 18th century?

This is going to be embarrassing when I get it wrong because I studied 18th century politics.

Walpole was, I think, the first prime minister

and I've got a feeling it's not him.

Erm... Nor Pitt the Elder.

So with not so much logic and a bit of guesswork,

I'm going to go with Pelham.

OK, Pelham, for a brief period inside.

Well, it's Robert Walpole, who you first mentioned.

Early British prime minister.

Daniel, you're not in the final round. Judith, you are.

Will you both please come back and join your teams?

So that levels it up.

Both teams have lost one brain from the final round.

And our third category is Arts and Books today.

Who wants to play this from Who Darts Wins?

-It's going to be me.

-So Rob's decided to play.

Which Egghead would you like to play?

Kevin and Judith have played, so you've got Daphne, Dave or Pat.

-I think we'll try out Pat.

-OK. Try him out, well...

-See if he's up to it.

-You'll find out when you get to the question room!

That's Rob and Pat, please, into that room.

Rob, we are going to put you and Pat to the test.

-Would you like to go first or second?

-I think I'll go second, please.

Pat, what term is used to describe medieval manuscripts

whose text is enhanced by decoration and illustration?

Well, these were a speciality of the likes of monks and monasteries

and there are beautiful examples in Kells and from Lindisfarne.

-They're illuminated.

-Yeah.

-Or if the Vikings turned up, incinerated.

-Yes.

-OK, yes.

Illuminated is the right answer.

And, Rob, your first question.

The Latin word "fecit", sometimes shortened to the letter F

was formerly used on works of art to effectively mean what?

Erm, well, unfortunately I've never done any Latin ever.

Er... So this is quite a difficult one.

But if I kind of use a bit of logic somewhere

and think about other languages,

the French verb to make or do, faire, sounds similar,

so I think I'll say made by.

OK, lucky you had a bit of French about you. It's the right answer.

Well done.

OK, Pat, which Renaissance painting by Sandro Botticelli features

a Satyr trying to wake one of the title characters

by blowing a conch shell horn in his ear?

I don't know this. Erm...

I'm inclined to discount Venus and Mars

and Samson and Delilah, for some reason.

Bacchus and Ariadne sounds like a classic name for a painting of that period.

But I'm not sure.

I think I'll have to go for Bacchus and Ariadne.

OK, Bacchus and Ariadne.

It's a mistake, Pat. It's not the right answer.

-It is, other Eggheads?

-Venus and Mars.

-Venus and Mars.

OK, well, that's very good news.

That's what you wanted to happen, Rob,

and the other part is you getting yours correct

after the Egghead has failed.

So second question to you.

What was the real first name of the 20th-century British artist Wyndham Lewis?

Well, I have absolutely no idea.

Er... It's between Percy and Pippin, but again, I might be wrong.

Let's not tease it out any longer. I think I'll go for...

Pippin sounds like a nickname.

I'll... I'll go for Pippin.

-It's not the right answer. It's Percy!

-Oh, no!

OK, well, it means... Not too much damage done. It's all square.

There's still everything to play for for both players.

Which star of Desperate Housewives authored a memoir

entitled Burnt Toast And Other Philosophies Of Life?

I know a little bit about each of them.

Teri Hatcher is Lois Lane in the TV Superman.

Eva Longoria was married to Tony Parker, the basketball star.

And Felicity Huffman is married to William H Macy.

-Does that help you?

-I think it does.

-OK.

I'm going to go for Felicity Huffman.

OK, Felicity Huffman.

Well, not really, no. It's the wrong answer.

-It is, other Eggheads?

-Teri Hatcher.

-Teri Hatcher.

OK, well, listen. If you'd got Percy, there, you would have been through

but you've still got a chance here, Rob.

This takes you through to the final round if you get it right.

Which of these literary characters is

a creation of crime writer James Lee Burke?

Er, crime fiction, unfortunately, not my strength.

I was hoping you were going to ask me about Dickens characters.

Er... I have nothing I can go on here at all.

So Jesse Stone.

Jesse Stone, a guess

-and it's the wrong answer.

-Yeah.

-Do you know, Pat?

-I'll go for Billy Bob Holland.

It is Billy Bob Holland.

OK, it's all square, so we go to Sudden Death.

And, Pat, the Egg, a sculpture that is awarded annually as a trophy to the European museum of the year,

was made by which British sculptor?

Sculptors linked with smooth, natural forms -

I'll have to go for Henry Moore.

That's the right answer. That means you need to get this, Rob.

To Damascus and The Ghost Sonata are plays by which Swedish playwright?

OK. There's only two I can think of and I think they're Swedish, at least.

Ibsen might be Swedish but then there's Strindberg, as well,

who also might be Swedish.

Er, OK, let's go for.. What's his name? August... August Strindberg?

I'm going to go for that. August... Yeah, August Strindberg.

OK, it's the right answer. Well done. August Strindberg.

First name and surname. Fantastic stuff. And on we go.

Pat, Cyril, Anthea, Robert, Jane and the Lamb

first appear in which book by E Nesbit?

-I'll try Five Children And It.

-It's the right answer.

Yes, Five Children And It.

OK, you need this then, Rob.

The phrase "the masters of the universe" is used

to describe a group of ambitious young men in which 1980s novel?

1980s novel.

Er... I'm thinking of American Psycho but it wasn't written in the '80s, I don't believe.

Unless it was.

But I don't think they're called masters of the universe.

I'll have to say American Psycho but I know it's not right.

American Psycho. You'll know it when you hear it. That is incorrect.

-I'll let Pat tell you.

-I'd have a go at the Bonfire Of The Vanities.

Bonfire Of The Vanities is the answer we needed, by Tom Wolfe,

which means Pat has crawled over the line.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

Who Darts Wins have lost two brains from the final round, the Eggheads have lost one.

Our next subject is Film and Television.

Who wants to play this? Leo or Alex?

I think Rob would have liked to do this one.

-What do you think?

-I can't do anything.

I think it has to be Leo, maybe.

If you feel up to it...

I know a few films. Four or five films. If they come up...

-You should do films.

-I can do films. OK.

-All right, it's me.

-OK, do you want to play Daphne or Dave?

All right. I think Dave.

OK, it's going to be Leo and Dave into the question room, please.

So, Leo, what'll it be - first or second for you?

I'm going to go first, please. Thank you.

All right, Leo, and your first question.

Which TV game show is most associated with the sayings, "Look what you could have won,"

and, "you win nothing but your BFH - bus fare home"?

Well, I've seen Family Fortunes. I don't remember hearing that

on that show.

I'm not sure I've heard of Celebrity Squares

but seeing as we are a darting team, I'm going to go with Bullseye.

We just had that discussion with Daphne. It's the right answer.

Well done.

Dave, which former Harry Potter star appeared in the 2012 film The Perks Of Being a Wallflower?

I don't know. I've not heard of this film.

So it's going to have to be a guess.

I'm going to go Emma Watson but I haven't got a clue.

OK. Good guess. It's the right answer.

And, Leo, which actress has starred in Episodes, Green Wing

and Friday Night Dinner?

I can picture her in my mind.

Er, sort of short, brown hair.

Erm... I think that that is Tamsin...

-I'm going to mispronounce her name. "Greeg".

-Greig.

-Tamsin Greig.

Since I can't pronounce her name, she must be the right one,

so I'm going to have to say Tamsin Greig.

OK, yeah, it's the right answer. Well done.

And, Dave, the TV drama Lovejoy was mostly set in which region of the UK?

It was set in East Anglia.

Good man. It's the right answer. No messing around. OK.

Two-all and going well, Leo.

What is the name of the character played by Liam Neeson

in the films Taken and Taken 2?

Unfortunately, in quite a snobbish way, I made an effort not to see these films,

so I'm regretting that now.

Erm, I know he's supposed to be like a tough guy in those films.

Erm... Based on that, I think that Hollywood would think

that the toughest of those names was Brendan Malone.

No. I don't...

I don't know. There's kind of an Irish lilt to it.

I'm going to go with Brendan Malone but I don't know if that's right.

OK, it's not though. It should've been, after what you said there.

-Do you know, Dave, just out of interest?

-I don't know.

I'd have gone Bryan Mills but...

-It is Bryan Mills.

-Yeah.

OK, that wasn't your question. This is.

Joseph Gordon Levitt rose to fame playing Tommy Solomon

in which US TV sitcom?

It's not Two And A Half Men.

I'm going to go with The Big Bang Theory.

The Big Bang Theory for Tommy Solomon.

No, he's in 3rd Rock From The Sun. The other one you were thinking of.

OK, we go to Sudden Death again.

And, Leo, which 2010 Martin Scorsese film featured Leonardo DiCaprio,

Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley and Max von Sydow?

This is 2010. Leonardo DiCaprio.

I think it was a Martin Scorsese film. Shutter Island.

Erm... I'm trying to think if that was 2010.

Erm, I was at university when it came out,

so I'm going to go with Shutter Island.

It's the right answer. Well done.

Dave, in the children's TV series Camberwick Green,

what is the surname of Police Constable number 452?

There's a name coming into my head and I don't like it.

I don't like it at all because it's linked with another police show,

which is American.

But it's all I've got to go on. I'll have to go PC McGarrett.

It's not the right answer. It's close and you obviously had it in your head

but McGarrett is not the answer. It is?

-McGarrity? No?

-McGarry.

-Ooh!

-McGarry.

-I can't... I wouldn't have got to PC McGarry. I had McGarrett in my head.

So fair enough.

Yeah. Which means you're not in the final round and you are, Leo.

-Well done.

-Well done, Leo.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

So this is what we've been playing towards.

It's 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,

so Daniel and Rob from Who Darts Wins

and Dave and Kevin from the Eggheads, would you leave the studio, please?

So, Mark, Leo and Alex, you're playing to win Who Darts Wins £6,000.

Pat, Judith and Daphne, you're playing for something which money can't buy -

the Eggheads' reputation.

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

This time the questions are all General Knowledge and you are allowed to confer.

So, Who Darts Wins, the question is are your three brains better than the Eggheads' three?

And do you want to go first or second?

Marc feels quite strongly that we go second, so that's what we're going to do.

So, Eggheads, who provided the theme tune to the 2012 Bond film Skyfall?

-Adele.

-That's Adele.

It's the right answer.

And, Who Darts Wins, alkanes, alkenes and alkynes are all examples

of which chemical compounds?

Alkanes, alkenes and alkynes are all examples

of which chemical compounds?

Erm... I've never heard of ferrocarbons or radiocarbons.

I don't know if they exist.

But they are hydrocarbons.

They are hydrocarbons. Well done.

Good start for both teams.

And, Eggheads, which of these

is a name given to the large sandstone blocks found in southern England,

many of which were used in megalithic structures such as Stonehenge? Are they...

Which of these is a name given to the large sandstone blocks found in southern England,

many of which were used in megalithic structures such as Stonehenge?

-They're sarsens.

-They are sarsens.

Sarsens. I thought that was vinegar.

Well, yeah, it is as well.

But spelled differently. It's the right answer. Well done.

OK, and Who Darts Wins.

Mists Of Pandaria is an expansion of which on-line role-playing game?

-Anyone got any idea?

-I know the answer. I've seen an advert for it.

-OK.

-I'm pretty sure it's World Of Warcraft.

I would have gone for that myself.

-I've not heard of the other two.

-Neither have I.

-If you saw an advert for it.

-Yeah, I'm pretty sure I've seen an advert.

-Go for it.

-We think it's World Of Warcraft.

World Of Warcraft is the right answer, yep.

Right, all square. Third question could decide the fate of the money.

Eggheads, which designer, born in 1898,

acquired the nickname Shoemaker to the Stars?

Well, Ferragamo was definitely a shoemaker.

-Schiaparelli is clothes.

-Clothes? I've never heard of her.

And Cerruti is also more clothes, I think.

-The first thing...

-Ferragamo is definitely shoes.

-He's a big shoe man.

-Mm. He's a big shoe man.

-But 1898?

-Well...

-His name probably lives on in the brand.

-The company might go on.

-Yes.

I think it's the best bet.

-Well, we don't know...

-We do.

-..but we...

Well, we're not sure.

We are going for Salvatore Ferragamo.

OK, you're not sure, Judith is and it's the right answer.

Yes. Ferragamo. From the off, Judith was on Ferragamo

but a long debate and you got it

and it means you need this, then, Who Darts Wins.

Hapi, one of the four sons of Horus,

who personified the canopic jars that accompanied mummified bodies,

was portrayed as a baboon and protected which body part?

-Have you got any feeling about this?

-I would incline to the heart.

As a medical student, do you know which one is most likely...?

-Are they all preservable?

-They're all preservable.

-Everything's preservable.

-Would the Egyptians have known?

-Yeah.

For some reason I'm tempted to say lungs but I have no idea why.

I don't know if stomach was necessarily considered so important

but it's really just a guess.

I'm trying to think... I'm inclining towards the heart.

I'm trying to think what they did. There were four things.

-There were presumably four things that they did..

-Yeah.

-..preserve.

I think they took the liver and they took the brain.

Yeah. And the brain.

Say heart and then if it's lungs you can say, "I told you so."

-I'll owe you.

-All right. We don't really know

but we're going to go for heart.

OK, heart, to stay in the game.

Hapi was portrayed as a baboon

and protected the lungs.

Which means, Eggheads, you've won.

Don't say, "I told you so."

You both played, you all played, really well, there.

-Eggheads, did you know that?

-Did you?

-No.

-Be honest with me.

-No? You didn't?

-No. We would have had a discussion.

Of course you would have had a discussion but it's interesting you didn't know it from the off

because quite a few teams put you in second - a majority of teams do.

So it's interesting to know how that goes.

But Who Darts Wins, that was a great performance.

You know, you matched the Eggheads in those head-to-heads

and, Marc, you've got someone you should take around the country

for his sporting knowledge.

Fantastic, fantastic stuff, there.

Keep going and we might have you on the Eggheads.

But not to be at the end of the day.

So the Eggheads have done what comes naturally to them

and their winning streak continues.

I'm afraid you won't be going home with the £6,000

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

Congratulations, Eggheads. Who will beat you?

Join us next time to see if a new team of challengers

have the brains to defeat the Eggheads.

£7,000 says they don't.

Until then, goodbye.

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