Episode 80 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 our awesome quiz champions today are...

This team of friends all attend Durham University.

They're members of the Castle College Rowing Club.

Let's meet them.

Hi, I'm Ed. I'm 20 years old and I'm a politics student.

Hi, I'M Alex. I'm 21 and I study natural sciences.

Hi, I'm Adam. I'm 20 and I study natural sciences.

Hello, I'm Peter. I'm 21 and I study engineering.

Hi, I'm Elliot. I'm 19 and I study French and Spanish.

-So, Ed and team, welcome, good to see you. Durham University?

-Indeed.

I think that's probably the best university, isn't it, Eggheads?

-Well, you'd know.

-I'm not at all biased there.

And you're at Castle College, so tell us about Castle.

Well, we're seen as the most prestigious college on top of

another college called Hatfield, which is our main rival.

Can you see I'm gritting my teeth slightly here...

..as a Hatfield person. OK, carry on.

We all met through our rowing club,

which also is the most prestigious rowing club...

And, sort of, yeah, got together and started quizzing together

and thought we'd really like to pit ourselves against the Eggheads

-to see how we do here.

-Brilliant.

Hatfield and Castle are both on this peninsula in Durham -

some of you may know this.

And it means you've got three sides of a river going round there

-so you've got plenty of space to row, haven't you?

-Yeah.

But I was always amazed when I was at university there... I didn't row,

and I was always amazed how early the rowers got up in the morning.

-What is it, 5am or something?

-Too early. It's almost off-putting.

Through winter, through ice, through snow, five o'clock in the morning.

It's not natural.

Every day there is £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.

Now, Rowers' Rendezvous, I can tell you that the Eggheads have been on

quite a streak. They have won the last 30.

So that means there's £31,000 up today for you.

A higher jackpot than I've ever seen since I started doing the programme.

Would you like to have a go?

-I'd love to.

-All right.

That'll be a lot of nights in the Castle bar.

And you'll be buying the drinks as well!

The first head-to-head battle will be on the subject

of Film and Television. So who would like this?

THEY CHATTER

-Do you fancy it?

-OK.

-Go first.

-Yeah, go on then.

Elliot. Film and TV against which Egghead? You can have any of them.

-Daphne?

-Daphne.

-Daphne, yeah.

-Daphne, please.

OK, so it is Elliot from Rowers' Rendezvous against our Daphne.

-Film and TV, you like that, don't you?

-Yeah.

-She watches a lot!

Let's see how you do.

Please go to the Question Room to ensure there's no conferring.

So it's Film and Television, Elliot,

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

I'll go first, please.

Here we go and good luck to your team.

James Arthur won which TV talent show in 2012?

Um...well, I don't watch any of these, unfortunately.

But I'm pretty sure it won't be Strictly Come Dancing.

So that kind of only leaves...

the other two, and I think I might have heard...um...

in the kind of run up to Christmas, The X Factor single,

it kind of rings a bell so I'm going to go for X Factor.

X Factor is the right answer.

Daphne, your question.

In the first two series of the TV programme An Idiot Abroad,

who did Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant

send travelling round the world?

I didn't watch it.

But I do believe it's Karl Pilkington.

Poor guy. Yes, known as the idiot.

Karl Pilkington is the right answer, well done.

One point each. Back to you, Elliot.

Who directed the 2012 film The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey?

I know this one - it's Peter Jackson.

After Lord Of The Rings, obviously.

Peter Jackson is the right answer, well done.

Daphne, here's your question. See if you can catch up.

Ahmed Best provided the voice of which character, who first appeared

in Star Wars Episode I, The Phantom Menace?

I don't know, I've never seen any of the Star Wars films.

Um...

Sorry, team. Um...

Jar Jar Binks.

-Is she right?

-Yeah.

She's just amazing at guessing. I really don't know how she does it.

-Is it right?

-Yes, it is right, Jar Jar Binks.

You haven't seen that amazing, crazy horse with...

-That's right, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-With a Jamaican-style...

-No.

-No, nothing?

-No.

I just don't know how you get that. Supernatural!

Sorry, Elliot, that's what she does.

OK, your question.

Which actress played Ray Winstone's daughter Eleanor

in the short-lived 1990s TV sitcom Get Back?

I have absolutely no clue.

I don't think it'll be Kate Winslet

because I think she'd probably get a bigger role than a '90s sitcom.

So I'm going to go for Tilda Swinton.

No, it's Kate Winslet.

OK, so Daphne, with this third question, you can take the round.

Who directed a documentary about the Save The Children Fund,

which was shelved for over 40 years

and finally shown as part of a retrospective in 2011?

Ken Loach.

Ken Loach is the right answer, Daphne. You've done it again.

Daphne, well done, it's your round.

Elliot, sorry, you've been knocked out.

You won't be in the final round.

Please both of you come back to us and we'll play on.

So, as it stands,

Rowers' Rendezvous have lost one brain from the final round.

What kind of rowing analogy have we got here? Man overboard!

-Man overboard...

-Not quite that.

You've caught a crab, what's that? What is catching a crab?

When your oar gets caught, is it?

It's some special kind of water physics that goes on that

kind of drags you under.

-Drags the oar under?

-It just goes like that.

OK, the next subject is Sport, so which of you would like this?

I'm sure this is a good one for you.

-Pete should go?

-Year, I'm going to go for it.

-Or Adam, if cricket comes up.

-I've got it, don't you worry.

Peter against which Egghead? Obviously can't be Daphne.

-Judith?

-Judith.

-Judith's hiding...

-She is hiding there.

Do you watch the programme, by any chance?

-We do.

-I thought maybe you did.

OK, Peter from Rowers' Rendezvous against Judith,

-but you've had some good ones on sport recently.

-I have, yes.

-I've changed.

-She's changed, yes.

She's different now.

OK, to ensure there's no conferring,

would you please take your positions in the Question Room?

Peter, you're very sporty.

-I try my best.

-It's not just the rowing, it's rugby as well.

Yeah, play for the college team. We're doing quite well this year.

We have our final...a week today.

-What position do you play in?

-Second row.

And you also did a thing called The Lumley Run,

which is to Lumley Castle, isn't it?

-And what position did you finish in there?

-I came first.

That was first term, first year of university. First place.

I think Elliot was in the same race as me and the other boys there

have all done it as well but, yeah, first place, it was good.

You know Lumley Castle, Judith? Is that one of your haunts?

No, it isn't. What's that, a marathon?

The equivalent of a marathon or something from Durham?

-I think it's eight miles or so.

-Eight and a half miles, yeah.

Lumley Castle was some of our old halls of residence

so it's from there back to our castle.

-And how many people were you racing against?

-15.

-15 every time. That must be a killer.

-It's a long way, yeah.

This'll be worse - sport with Judith.

I guarantee this will be tougher.

You will have your work cut out.

Yeah, cos she's been playing really well recently.

So you can choose whether you want to go first or second, Peter.

I'll go first, please.

OK, here we go.

After the success of Team GB at the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics,

a number of post-boxes around the country were painted which colour?

Um...I think I remember reading somewhere that due to the

successes and how many golds we got, they were painted gold.

So I'll go with gold.

Gold is correct.

OK, Judith, your question.

The clean and press was part of which sports Olympic programme?

Well...I think it sounds more like weightlifting than anything else.

I'm rather nervous of weightlifting because I said weightlifting

for something else and it was completely wrong.

Um...

I think it's weightlifting, nonetheless.

Weightlifting is the right answer.

OK, Peter, what is the approximate capacity of the Six Nations

rugby venue in Twickenham?

I should know this - I've been.

I don't think it's 82,000, I think 82,000's too big,

but they did just get a south stand recently,

and did that increase capacity?

I'm going to shoot down the middle with 62,000, please.

This is a sport that Judith likes, actually, I think.

You like a bit of rugby?

-I do, yes.

-You like to admire the passages of play.

-You know the answer here?

-Well, no.

-But I think I'd have said 62,000, too.

-Anyone disagree?

-82,000.

-82,000 is the answer. Barry's got that, Peter, sorry.

It's big. Chelsea is 43, I think so nearly twice as big as Chelsea.

That's enormous, isn't it?

OK, your question, Judith. If you get this you go into the lead.

Which of these footballers was appointed

captain of the England team in 1974?

Honestly!

1974?

We've all forgotten that.

Bobby Charlton.

Bobby Charlton is wrong.

-Emlyn Hughes is right.

-Right.

So, that's quite handy, Peter.

If we're on the Lumley Run, you've just drawn level with

the leader.

-Time for the final push.

-Yeah, exactly.

Here we go, third question.

In 2011, Lauren Taylor was

named as the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year,

for her achievement in which sport?

Lauren Taylor. It doesn't ring a bell at all. Erm...

What's pulling me?

Women's golf, that could be a good... I'm going to go with golf, please.

Yeah, really good, you're right. Golf is the correct answer.

Very, very good indeed.

Very good.

So, Judith, the pressure on you now.

Here's your question. Third question.

If you get this wrong... we know what happens.

We don't even want to say.

In baseball, what term is used to describe a player's

feat of striking out four times in a single game?

It can't be the golden sombrero.

It couldn't be, could it?

I don't know. I'm going to say ground out.

-Any of the Challengers know? Is she right?

-Don't have a clue.

-It's the golden sombrero.

-Oh, for goodness' sake!

-Honestly!

-The one that looked made up was the real one.

-You knew that, Daphne.

-How idiotic!

-Daphne knew that.

-Daphne would!

-Sorry, Judith.

-How do you know that?

I'd heard the expression relating to baseball.

And since it came up I thought, "OK."

-Cos it's almost unforgettable, if you've heard it.

-Yes.

Judith, that means you've been knocked out and Peter,

-well done, you're in the final round.

-Thank you very much.

That's good news for your team.

So, we got £31,000 that we're playing for here.

The stakes are very high indeed. Please come back, we'll play on.

As it stands, the Rowers' Rendezvous have still lost a brain

but the Eggheads have also now lost a brain as well.

The next subject for you is Arts and Books.

Who would like this?

-Alex.

-I'll take that one.

Alex, OK, against which Egghead?

Um...I think I'll take Barry on. Barry and his shirt on.

-That is a fantastic shirt today, Barry.

-Thank you.

Alex from Rowers' Rendezvous versus Barry from the Eggheads.

Arts and Books, Barry. Loves his books, be warned.

To ensure there's no conferring, please go to the Question Room.

So would you like to go first or second, Alex?

I would love to go first, please.

Alex, here we go, good luck.

In books by Enid Blyton,

which of the Famous Five is the owner of Timmy the dog?

Famous Five, long time ago.

I think it's George.

I kind of remember something like that. George.

This could be a very hard question, particularly... You're young.

Enid Blyton was around decades before you were born.

But you got it right, Alex, well done. George is correct.

Respect. OK, over to you, Barry. Barry and the shirt.

Since 1986, a house in New Street, Headington, Oxford

has had a sculpture of what type of creature embedded in its roof?

I've never heard of a cow or a giraffe embedded in a house's roof.

But I have seen pictures of a shark in a roof.

So I presume this is the one we're talking about.

So the answer is shark.

The correct answer is shark, well done.

Alex, your question, second question.

The fictional English village of Pagford

is the setting for a 2012 novel by which writer?

OK, EL James wrote Fifty Shades Of Grey, and that's in a city.

So it's between Jackie Collins and JK Rowling.

I believe it's JK Rowling.

Very sure-footed play. Do you know which book it was, out of interest?

I've no idea.

It's the adult one that she did after the Harry Potter ones,

The Casual Vacancy.

JK Rowling is quite right.

Your second question, Barry.

Arthur Wing Pinero, who was born in 1855,

was an important figure in which area of the arts?

He was very famous for his plays set in the theatre of the absurd,

so he was an important figure in the theatre.

Theatre is the right answer.

-It's hard to throw this guy off, isn't it, Alex?

-Oh, it's difficult.

Sticking to you like glue here so try and get this one right,

see what happens, and then maybe book your place in the final.

A sign advertising Phillies Cigars

is depicted in a well-known 1942 work by which American artist?

I don't know much about art.

So it's going to be a bit of a sin and a guess. I'm going to say...

Edward Hopper.

You're right.

Edward Hopper's right. Just help me with the painting though, anyone.

Nighthawks?

I believe it's Nighthawks.

That's the cafe, is it, with the guy in the hat and all that?

Edward Hopper's right, well done, you got three out of three,

you can't do better than that. OK, Barry, your question.

Barry, if you get this wrong, you're not in the final.

Which author, who died in 1992,

was best known for his science fiction works,

published several collections of lewd limericks towards

the end of his life?

Well, they were all known for science fiction work so Isaac Asimov

was probably the most serious writer of science amongst them.

But died in 1992, I think that was Arthur C Clarke.

I shall go for Arthur C Clarke.

-Barry, you've been knocked out.

-Oh!

It's Isaac Asimov. So you're not in the final round. Well played, Alex.

Straight through there for our rower

and the second one in a row who's knocked an Egghead out.

This is getting to be quite a contest.

Please both of you come back and rejoin your teams.

As it stands, Rowers' Rendezvous have lost just the one brain

from the final round. The Eggheads have now lost two.

They've had this period where they've been getting all

the questions right and not been knocked out.

People have been reduced to one.

That's not happening to you, you're doing really well.

The next subject is Politics.

-Who would like this?

-I'll take that.

-OK, so it's Ed against which Egg?

Um...

-Pat, please.

-OK.

Ed from Rowers' Rendezvous on Politics against Pat.

Look at Pat - he's gearing up now.

He's trying to stop the tide. Please go to the Question Room.

All right, good luck.

I know students are political, to some degree, sometimes,

and we'll see how political you are.

You're doing Politics against Pat from the Eggheads

and you can choose, Ed, whether you go first or second.

I'll go first.

Here's your first question.

What name is usually given to a combination of two people

for candidacy in an election on the grounds that they

are considered an ideal partnership?

Erm...

I wouldn't say it's Odd Couple cos that wouldn't really make sense.

Deadly Duo...

I don't really...

Never heard of that. I've got an inkling it's Dream Ticket.

I'll go for Dream Ticket, please.

-Dream ticket is quite right.

-Thank you.

OK.

Pat, for what does the letter E stand in the name

of the US Government agency known as FEMA?

Which is F-E-M-A.

My first thought...

I've a faint recollection in the wake of the Katrina

disaster in New Orleans...

I've a faint recollection of FEMA being mentioned in the context.

I'll go for emergency.

It is the Federal Emergency Management Agency,

so you're right, Pat, with emergency.

It was given a real pounding after New Orleans for not being

up to the job.

OK, Ed, your question.

General Jaruzelski was the last communist leader of which country?

Well, I know... I think that Yugoslavia and Romania...

were more under the communist bloc, so...

I think Poland was given much more autonomy

and this is really not a great question for me.

But I'll probably go for Poland, please.

Poland is correct.

Excellent play.

So he was unseated in the Revolution, was he?

-Lech Walesa...

-Lech Walesa took over, right, from Solidarity.

So he went from being army general and leader to being...

Mr Jaruzelski pottering round his allotment.

That's what happens in revolutions if you're lucky.

Pat, here's your question.

Mohamed Morsi became president of which country in 2012?

Saudi Arabia is ruled by a king from the House of Saud,

so they wouldn't have a president.

Libya had enormous upheaval after Gaddafi went

but I think Mohamed Morsi became president of Egypt.

And it hasn't all been plain sailing since then.

You're quite right, Egypt is the answer.

-So, again, it's toe-to-toe, isn't it, Ed?

-Yeah.

And again if you do what a couple of your colleagues did

-and get this one right, you may push him over the edge.

-Maybe.

In 2012, Sir Howard Davies began work in his role as chairman

of a commission assessing potential changes to what in Britain?

It's not going to be aviation.

I'd say the NHS is probably more prevalent

and seems as the obvious answer so I'll go for that, please.

It's the wrong answer, I'm afraid. It's aviation.

So, Pat, you have a chance now to take your place in the final

after a bit of a bashing for the Eggheads.

Who was the first woman to stand for US vice president

on behalf of either the Democrats or Republicans?

Of those three I think Geraldine Ferraro...

She may have run with Mondale. I'm not sure.

I'm pretty sure she was the first VP candidate. Geraldine Ferraro.

Geraldine Ferraro is right. You've got three out of three.

They're very hard to beat when they get three out of three, Ed, I know.

I'm sorry, you have been... I won't say thrown overboard.

We'll stop the rowing analogies. You've been displaced by Pat.

He'll be in the final.

If you both come back to us, we will play the final round.

So this is what we've been playing towards.

It is time for the final round, which 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 that's Ed and Elliot from Rowers' Rendezvous,

and Barry and Judith from the Eggheads.

Would you please now leave the studio?

So it is Alex, Adam and Peter and Adam, you're taking charge here?

Yeah, seems to be.

And your dream is to work with endangered animals, is that right?

That would be the dream. I'm not sure how...

easy it would be to reach it but I think tat would be a lot of fun,

quite worthwhile.

OK, let's see if you can endanger the Eggheads here. Good luck.

You're playing to win, Rowers' Rendezvous, £31,000.

A very high jackpot on Eggheads.

Daphne, Chris and Pat, you're playing for something that

money really can't buy, which is the Eggheads' reputation, which is

strong at the moment.

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

This time the questions are all general knowledge.

You can confer with each other, gentlemen.

So, Rowers' Rendezvous, the question is, can you with your three brains

defeat the Eggheads with their three?

You don't have to answer that.

Just tell me whether you want to go first to second.

I think we'll be a bit different and go second this time.

OK.

Moment of tension there for the Eggheads.

Looking a little bit ragged, two of you gone already.

Let's see what happens.

Bingo wings is a slang term commonly used to described flabby

areas in which parts of the body?

Under the arms.

Very unkind description of the things that happens to some

ladies of a certain age under the arm.

Under the arm is the right answer.

Your question.

Rowers' Rendezvous, which star sign comes between Leo and Libra?

I don't do star signs at all, that's not something I'd know.

Are you...? I'm February, I'm way closer.

-Taurus is...

-Would it be three...?

-I'm Taurus and that's May.

When's Leo and...?

I'm Libra.

I know Cancer's getting to me.

-Cancer?

-Shall we just go for it?

-Will we go for it?

-I couldn't put anything in there. I've no idea.

It's not something we'd know but I think we'll go for Cancer.

OK. Just sheer potluck, yeah?

Yeah, not much reasoning.

-Funnily enough, I'm Taurus as well. You're May, are you?

-Yeah.

So, could have been that.

But I wouldn't know the answer. Daphne, you'll know the answer.

I think it's Virgo.

It is Virgo.

Sorry, guys.

I know you would have known the answer to number one as well.

Bingo wings.

OK, Eggheads, your second question. Born in 1974 as Kim Schmitz,

the German internet entrepreneur who was arrested in New Zealand in 2012

on charges of copyright infringement,

became known under which name?

-Kim Dotcom.

-Kim Dotcom.

-Yeah, Dotcom.

Yeah, apparently his alias was Kim Dotcom, Jeremy.

Kim Dotcom is your answer and it is correct.

You've got your question right.

So you've put them on the defensive now.

You've got to get this one right, guys.

In fact, if you don't get it right, the contest is over.

Cos they've got two.

In 1918, the Hotel Cecil in London became the first

headquarters of which branch of the UK armed forces?

-You heard of it?

-I've never heard of it.

Me neither. Brilliant.

-Hotel Cecil.

-Hotel Cecil.

You'd assume the army would already...

Yeah, the army would already have something.

-Where is it? London?

-Centre of London.

Probably wouldn't be Navy then.

Well, could be.

In 1918, the Hotel Cecil in London became the first

headquarters of which branch of the UK armed forces?

Yeah, it wouldn't be Navy...

-First headquarters.

-Yeah, we'll go for RAF.

-Brilliant, you're right, RAF it is.

-Well done, boy.

Yes, cos it was the newer part of the armed forces.

Is that right, Chris?

The RAF was only formed in 1918 out of the Royal Flying Corps

and elements of the Royal Naval Air Service.

So it was a brand-new service.

OK. With your third question you could win this contest, Eggheads.

Cos they got their first one wrong.

Here it is.

Captain Corcoran features in which work by Gilbert and Sullivan?

He is the captain of HMS Pinafore.

It's funny, I was looking at Daphne,

expecting you to know the answer to that and you were completely blank.

No, no.

I was waiting to discuss it and he pre-empted me.

He just did a kind of speech.

Well, he did it was great conviction and he's right.

It is, as you know, HMS Pinafore.

So we say congratulations, Eggheads, you have won.

I'm sorry, guys, cos the first question... And those star signs...

You know what? I wouldn't have known

and I think maybe you don't read a lot of astrology on campus?

It's not a subject we can do.

It's not big on Durham University, I'm sure.

Listen, thanks so much for playing.

It's been great to see the five of you

and meet up with my old university again as well.

I'm sorry you didn't win.

We say commiserations to Rowers' Rendezvous.

The Eggheads have done what comes naturally to them.

Your winning streak continues.

I'm afraid that means you won't be going home with the £31,000

so the money rolls over to the next show.

Eggheads, congratulations.

Little bit of a ragged performance today, though.

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

have the brains to defeat the Eggheads.

£32,000 says they don't.

Until then, goodbye.

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