Episode 69 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...

This team of colleagues all work for the Foundation of Light,

which is the charity arm of Sunderland Football Club. Let's meet them.

Hi. I'm Ev, I'm 50 and I'm head of Raising Standards.

Hi, I'm Phil. I'm 29 and I'm head of commercial.

Hi. I'm Melanie. I'm 48 and I'm head of HR.

Hi. I'm Ken. I'm 30 and I'm the development director.

Hello. I'm Steve. I'm 54 and I'm the health and fitness manager.

So, Ev and team, welcome. Great to see you. Thank you.

So all brought together by Sunderland Football Club?

That's right. We work for the Foundation of Light, the football club's charity arm.

We work with people both young and old. Last year, we worked with over 42,000 people in the community,

helping them build confidence, helping them achieve qualifications,

helping them to get back into work.

You sell it well, I must say!

Didn't need any prompting there at all!

We're very passionate about what we do. I can tell.

Do you do quizzes, as well?

Not together we don't. Sort of individually.

Do you ever run quizzes for the charity or not?

Well, we do, actually. We run quizzes for our corporate members.

I was involved in one last year with Steve.

We produced all the questions and ran the quiz.

It went down very well, didn't it, Steve? Very good.

Would you have this lot along to one of your quizzes, or would that be too frightening?

We would definitely have you along to one our quizzes! For sure!

Well, beat them here today and they'll do anything you ask!

Every day there is £1000 up for grabs for our challengers.

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

So, Foundation of Eggsellence,

the Eggheads have won the last 19 games.

So that means £20,000 says you can't beat them today.

Would you like to try? Definitely. We certainly would!

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

Who would like this? Music.

Music. I'm happy to do it.

I think Phil would be awesome at Music. I'm happy doing it.

I'm happy doing Music. Phil. I'll take Music.

Against which Egghead? You can choose any of them.

On Music. Kevin? I think Kevin's good at music. Up to you.

I'll go Kevin. Kevin?

We'll go with Kevin, please.

Right. The name just came straight out there. OK.

They got round to you, Kevin, on music, against Phil from Foundation of Eggsellence.

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

OK, Phil, we're on Music. You can choose the first or second set of music questions.

I will go for the first set.

Phil, good luck.

In 1980, Splodgenessabounds had a UK hit with the song, Two Pints of Lager and a... What?

OK. I haven't heard of the band before, or the song.

I know a well-known phrase would be followed by "packet of crisps, please."

And there's also a TV programme named after that.

That's where my feeling lies, so I'll take a punt and go for "Packet of crisps, please".

"Packet of crisps, please" is the right answer. I can see that...

It's an age thing. I can see the ones who know that.

In their sleep they could answer that.

You're too young. Anyway, you got it right. Well done. Thank you.

Kevin, Unapologetic is a 2012 album by which artist?

Unapologetic.

Um, I'm thinking...

I'm thinking it's Rihanna. I'll go Rihanna.

Rihanna is the right answer, Kevin. Well done.

One point each. Back to you, Phil.

In the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, Carousel,

which of these characters sings a song called Mr Snow?

Again, not something that I've come across.

Again, it'll be a bit of a punt

and I'll go with Laurey Williams.

Laurey Williams. Let me refer this to Daphne who loves her musicals.

You'll know straightaway. No, Laurey's in Oklahoma,

Nellie Forbush is South Pacific

and it's Carrie.

Carrie Pipperidge is in Carousel,

Phil. OK. Got that wrong.

Kevin, over to you.

Under what group name did the Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriters

Joy Williams and John Paul White release their 2011 album Barton Hollow?

I don't know it.

But when the choices came up,

one of them sort of jumped.

I'm hoping that's an instinct, so I'll say The Civil Wars.

Eggheads, is he right? Yes. I think he is.

Yes, you're right, Kevin. Civil Wars. You take the lead.

So, Phil, you need this point to stay in the contest.

Come on, Phil! Come on, Phil.

Sorry, I'm joining in with your team!

I'm completely impartial here!

OK. The composer Jacques Offenbach

was a virtuoso soloist on what instrument?

For some reason, I don't think it would be bassoon.

So I'm edging towards cello or trombone.

I think I'll go for cello.

Cello is the right answer. Brilliant.

Come on, Phil!

You got a good football terraces cheer, there.

Now you have to hope that Kevin gets this one wrong.

Otherwise he is in the final round.

Kevin, your third question.

In the first ever official singles chart, published on 14 November 1952,

which artist had three singles in the Top Ten?

Hmm. I'm sure I should have come across that,

but I'm struggling.

1952.

Possibly slightly - oh, I don't know -

I was going to say slightly early for Nat King Cole, but no, no.

I'll try Nat King Cole, but without any confidence whatsoever.

Anyone know on this side? Rosemary Clooney?

No, you're all wrong. It's Vera Lynn.

Ah. I was edging to that.

So, you've managed to hold him off there, Phil. Well done.

Now you've got to win the round.

You've gone toe-to-toe over three questions.

Now we go to sudden death.

It's a bit harder, cos I don't give you alternative answers. Yeah.

Your question. Which Oasis song was in the charts in 1995

at the same time as a cover of it by the Mike Flowers Pops?

I think I know this one.

It's obviously early Oasis. Oasis are one of my favourite bands.

I've seen them a couple of times.

I'm going to say Wonderwall.

Wonderwall is correct. Well done.

I love the enthusiasm. This is good.

OK. Kevin. If you get this wrong, you're out.

Which English electronic music duo

consisting of brothers Phil and Paul Hartnell

took its name from the M25 motorway?

I'm assuming that must be Orbital.

It is Orbital. Well done.

Phil, your question.

The songs Relight My Fire and Babe

first appeared on which Take That album released in 1993?

I think Pray may be one of their album titles.

It's probably from around that period as well.

Showing my shamed following of Take That by naming some of their songs!

So I'll say Pray.

I can see you're torn between getting the answer right and destroying your credibility!

And getting it wrong and possibly crashing out.

It's not Pray. It's Everything Changes. OK.

Kevin, if you get this right, you're in the final round.

What is the name of the musical by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone

that won nine Tony Awards in 2011?

Well, that would be The Book of Mormon.

Straight there. Well done. You're right. The Book of Mormon it is.

On sudden death, Kevin, you've booked a place in the final.

Phil, you've been knocked out.

You had a couple of chances, there.

I did. Especially the Take That one. Maybe could have got that one.

Never mind. There's plenty of time. Come back and rejoin your teams.

As it stands, the Foundation of Eggsellence have lost one brain from the final round.

The Eggheads have not lost a brain yet.

The next subject is Sport. Sport!

Couldn't be better! Yay!

Which of you wants this? I'll go for this one.

You're going to tackle it, Steve. Is that right? I'll tackle this one.

OK, Steve. Which Egghead are you going to tackle?

Sliding tackle. Judith's smiling!

Judith? Judith. Yeah.

Judith, please, Jeremy.

Despite the fact that I was smiling!

That was meant to indicate that I know all about sport!

So Steve from Foundation of Eggsellence versus Judith from the Eggheads.

On Sport, the dreaded Sport!

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

Steve, you can choose the first or second set of questions.

I'll go first, please, Jeremy.

Good luck, Steve. On a pole vault competition score card,

what does an entry of NH mean?

Nearly heavenward sounds a bit too far out there.

No height could relate to knocking the bar off.

Naturally helped? I don't think you naturally help yourself

using the pole vault itself.

So I think I'll go for no height.

No height is correct. Yes!

OK. Judith.

Who won the gold medal in the men's long jump competition at the 2012 Olympic Games?

That was Greg Rutherford.

Greg Rutherford is the correct answer.

Nice bloke, as well.

Steve,

in 2011, Karen Espelund became the first woman

on the executive committee of which international sporting body?

Um, I believe that the IOC would have existing members.

UEFA, from experience, tends to be male dominated.

I'll get a comeuppance for saying that!

Um, I'm going to go with the IAAF.

Interesting. You're wrong, actually.

I thought you had the right answer with your "male dominated" remark.

That must explain why UEFA was so late in having a woman on the executive committee.

The answer is UEFA.

OK. Judith.

Which of these races did the British driver Derek Bell win five times?

The British are very good at the Monaco Grand Prix.

I'm assuming that he was quite a long time ago.

It doesn't ring any bells with the Monaco Grand Prix.

I think I'm going to go out on a limb

and hope that it's the Le Mans.

You snaked your way round the corners to that answer.

Took some blind corners along the way. 24 Hours of Le Mans is correct.

No! Gosh! Yes, seriously!

Hooray! She's gone ahead, so this is awkward,

as they say, Steve.

If you get this wrong, you're out.

Who did Steffi Graf defeat in the final to win the gold medal

at the 1988 Olympic Games?

Um, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario is more recent.

Mary Pierce, I believe,

may have been from a few years ago.

Gabriela Sabatini was around about that time.

I think... Tennis isn't my game,

so this is a stab in the dark with Mary Pierce.

It's wrong.

Gabriela Sabatini.

Again, I thought you were heading in that direction

from your logic. You wound back to Mary Pierce.

And that means... I think this is two Sports you've won!

Three! Three in a row?! You're counting, are you?

Yes! Of course I'm counting!

Three Sports in a row. My goodness, it's your new best subject!

So Judith is in the final. Steve, I'm sorry, she's knocked you out.

She did very well. Both please come back and rejoin your teams.

So, as it stands, the Foundation of Eggsellence have lost two brains from the final round

while the Eggheads have not lost a brain so far.

But don't be disheartened. The next subject is Science.

Ooh, intake of breath, here!

Do you want to take it, Ken? Will you take it on?

I'll take it if you want. Take it on for kicks?

Just for kicks? Yeah. I'll take it, Jeremy. Ken.

Ken is going to do Science. Against which Egghead? Choose between Dave, Daphne and Pat.

Daphne? Daphne. Daphne.

Daphne, please.

Ken from the Foundation of Eggsellence versus Daphne from the Eggheads on Science.

Let's see how you do. Please go to the question room.

Ken, we're on Science. You can choose the first or second set of questions.

I'll stick with the plan and go first, please.

OK. Good luck. Here we go, Ken.

What aspect of a mammal's anatomy

is known as the rhinarium?

OK. I think I'll go for moist nose

because that starts with "rhino". Complete guess, though.

Moist nose is correct.

Well done, Ken.

Daphne,

Brontosaurus, the former name for the Apatosaurus,

derives from the Greek for what?

Thunder lizard.

Thunder lizard is correct.

Ken,

what is the unit of weight equivalent to 50mg that is used to measure pearls?

My mother would kill me for not knowing this.

Grandmother as well. They do like pearls.

But I think in terms of powers of deduction,

I think all of them - I don't have any sway towards either.

Metric leaf, I would normally say leaf gold.

But I'm more led towards metric grain

because pearls in terms of grains, similar to sand.

So I would say metric grain.

That's right. Well done. Your mum will be happy.

Mother and grandmother will be pleased. Metric grain is correct.

Daphne, what is the scientific name for a depression or hollow in a bone?

I think that is a fossa.

Fossa is correct.

Unerring there. I didn't want to mention it, but she's good at science, our Daph.

OK, Ken.

Spiracles are openings on the surfaces of some animals

that usually serve and lead to what specific bodily system?

I'm going to try and adopt what I did in one of the earlier questions,

which is when you said "spira"

I'm looking at respiratory

because of that.

I know obviously there's ventricles in the blood.

But I would probably lead towards respiratory, if anything, Jeremy.

Sometimes, that's how you play the game. You see "spira"

and it's in respiratory. Absolutely right.

Three out of three. Well done.

Very good. So Daphne's under pressure. Can she come through?

Daphne, which group of more than a thousand stars,

of which six or seven can be seen with the naked eye,

appear in the zodiacal constellation Taurus?

I think the Pleiades are in Taurus.

So I'll go for Pleiades.

You're correct. Pleiades is right.

Both got three out of three. Sudden death again. Here we go.

The compound known as slate lime

is a hydroxide of which element in the periodic table?

Um... I would say carbon.

No, it's calcium.

Daphne, your question for the round.

On Science. What bluish-colour dye

previously obtained from plants such as Isatis tinctoria

was synthesised by the German chemist Adolf von Baeyer in 1880?

Indigo?

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

I've got here indigo.

So, Daphne, you're in the final round.

Sorry, Ken. Knocked out by our Daphne.

Beaten by our Egghead, so you won't be able to help your team in the final round.

Ken and Daphne, do come back to us here.

The Foundation of Eggsellence have now lost three brains from the final round.

The Eggheads have still not lost a brain.

Who knows what will happen next?

It's Politics, we're doing now. Who would like Politics?

I think that'll be me. Ev on Politics, against which Egghead?

You can have Pat or Dave. Tremendous knowledge, Dave.

I'll take on Pat, please, Jeremy. OK.

So it's Ev from the Foundation of Eggsellence versus Pat on Politics. Please go to the question room.

Simple question first. Do you want the first or second set of questions, Ev?

Um, I think I'll go... I'll go first.

I'd rather go home, but I'll go first!

OK. Good luck.

What term is often used to describe strikes that are spontaneous and unauthorised?

Hmm. Right, now then.

I'm immediately drawn to wildcat.

Black cat, all I can think about is obviously Sunderland FC,

because we're called the black cats.

And we don't strike.

Um, pussycats, that doesn't sound like something to me that's spontaneous.

"Wild" does.

So I'm going to go for wildcat.

Yes, you're right.

OK. Pat.

Who, in the House of Commons, is regularly allowed to ask up to six questions

during Prime Minister's Questions?

I think the Father of the House has a pretty low profile.

He's got very limited responsibilities.

The Speaker speaks all day,

but he's concerned with the admin of the chamber.

I think it must be the leader of the opposition

who's let to have a pop at the prime minister.

So the leader of the opposition.

Leader of the opposition is the right answer.

Ev, your second question.

What nickname did the American media give to Bill Clinton

after his resurgence in the 1992 New Hampshire Primary?

I don't think it's Mr Nice Guy

and I'm not going to fall into a trap and go for The Comeback Kid.

I'm kind of... I'm leaning towards The Great Communicator

because for him to make a return,

then he would have to be that.

I know he's done a lot of good work abroad and so on, I think.

I'm going to go straight down the middle. The Great Communicator.

OK. That's wrong, actually, Ev.

It's kind of Ronald Reagan's nickname, I think.

The resurgence could have taken you to The Comeback Kid

which would have been the right answer. That's what they called him.

Pat, your question. Which cabinet post was created in 2007

to replace that of Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs?

Well, I think the post of Lord Chancellor is positively ancient.

I think the Minister for the Civil Service is long-standing, as well.

I think the new post was Secretary of State for Justice.

Secretary of State for Justice is the right answer, Pat.

So Pat pulls into the lead here, Ev.

This means we need to get this one right.

OK. We don't want to lose you.

Which Westminster parliamentary constituency

was the safest Liberal Democrat seat following the 2010 election?

I have absolutely no idea

so my guess is going to be based on

which place I would probably like to visit in the summer

if it's sunny!

Definitely not the Orkney and Shetlands

cos it's always snowing up there.

Um, Ireland or Wales?

Do you know...

I'm going to go for...

Fermanagh & South Tyrone.

The Northern Ireland answer took you in the wrong direction.

It might well be the nicest place to go in the summer.

It's not the right answer.

Actually they're strong in the north of Scotland.

Orkney & Shetland was the right answer, Ev.

Sorry.

Pat will be in the final. Ev won't.

If you'd come back to us, we will play that final round.

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 won't be allowed to take part

in this round.

So I'm afraid that's four of the five of you, there.

Ev, Phil, Ken and Steve from the Foundation of Eggsellence,

I have to ask you to leave the studio.

Melanie, you're playing to win the Foundation of Eggsellence £20,000.

Pat, Judith, Kevin, Dave, Daphne, you're playing for something that money can't buy,

the Eggheads' precious reputation.

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

The questions are all general knowledge.

You are allowed to confer. Obviously that doesn't help you!

Melanie, the question is, is your one brain able to defeat the Eggheads' five.

It would be so fantastic if you do!

Everyone is cheering you on at home.

Would you like to go first or second?

I'll stick with the team and go first.

Good luck.

Which letter is dropped from the British version of the word "labour" in its American spelling?

Well, I did live in America for a couple of years in my teens.

So I actually know that the answer is U.

It would be easy to just accidentally get that wrong.

But you haven't. U is correct. Thank you.

L-A-B-O-R.

Eggheads, your question.

What parts of a car can be radial or cross-ply?

That would be tyres. Tyres. Tyres.

We believe that is tyres, Jeremy.

Tyres is correct.

One each. £20,000 jackpot.

Over to you, Melanie.

What is the profession of Ichabod Crane

at the start of Washington Irving's story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow?

I don't know why, but I'm inclined towards Fletcher.

So I'm going to go with that, but not with a lot of confidence.

Good guess, but wrong.

Teacher is the answer.

Here's your question, Eggheads, to pull ahead.

Who co-starred with Jackie Chan in the Rush Hour movies?

Chris Tucker, isn't it? Chris Tucker.

All agreed? Chris Tucker.

We believe, Jeremy, that's Chris Tucker.

Chris Tucker is the right answer.

Two points to the Eggheads. You need to get this one right, Melanie.

They will not blame you if you get it wrong. They aren't here to help.

How many vertical pegs are normally used

in the mathematical game known as The Towers of Hanoi?

I don't think it's 24. I'm thinking either three or ten.

I think I'm just going to have to go for three, Jeremy,

because I really don't know that.

I can't think of anything that I can base an answer on.

So I'll say three. Three is your answer.

Eggheads?

It's three. Three.

You're right! Oh!

That's surprising. Three is the answer. Thank you.

Eggheads, if you get this wrong, we go to sudden death. £20,000 we're playing for.

The Utonagan is a breed of which domestic creature?

KEVIN: Never heard of it.

It sounds like an American Indian word.

But that's just... Because of "Ute". Utonagan.

I haven't heard of it. Where do rabbits come from?

China. They're European, aren't they? Yes.

European, are they?

Budgerigar is Australian.

Doesn't sound Australian. Doesn't seem right for a budgerigar.

Well, it could be a Japanese dog.

I'm... Well... I have a preference for dog.

Do you think it's... So have I.

Let's do scissors, what's-it!

No. What are you saying, Pat?

Guess for dog. Yes. Judith?

Dog.

Dog. The majority says dog.

Right. We do not know.

But the majority say we're going to go for dog.

I don't know how you do it, Eggheads.

The answer is dog.

It's right. Congratulations, Eggheads. You have won.

It happens, occasionally. They decide to make a decision and they veer.

That's why they're the Eggheads! That is why they're the Eggheads.

Sorry. But great to see you and the team.

Thank you. What fun to meet the Foundation.

Thank you!

Commiserations to the Foundation of Eggsellence.

The Eggheads have done what comes naturally to them.

Their winning streak continues.

I'm afraid that means you won't be going home with the £20,000

and the money rolls over to our next show.

Eggheads, really well done on all parts of this game.

Who, I wonder, will ever beat you?

Join us next time to see if a new team of challengers have the brains to defeat the Eggheads.

£21,000 says they don't. Until then, goodbye.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd