Episode 90 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 quiz Goliaths today

are The Business Men. This team of friends and colleagues

get together each week at a meeting to discuss current projects

and to help one another find more work. Let's meet them.

Hi, I'm Gary, I'm 47 and I'm an internet marketing consultant.

Hi, I'm Mark, I'm 52. I'm a decorator.

Hi, I'm Mark, I'm 61 and I'm a kitchen designer.

Hi, I'm Tony, I'm 59 and I'm a fund-raising and volunteer co-ordinator.

Hi, I'm Stuart, I'm 57 and I run a printing business.

-Gary and team, welcome.

-Thank you.

-Where do you actually meet when you see each other?

We meet in a hotel in Altrincham which we have an arrangement with.

We meet for breakfast and we try and help and support each other in getting business for each other.

Any quizzing go on at all when you're in this room?

Not a huge amount, no. There's all kinds of antics, but very rarely quizzing.

-You've come together for the Eggheads?

-Yes.

-Is there an Eggheads fan here?

-Very much so, yeah.

-Really?

-An avid fan, yes.

-OK, so you've got some strategy worked out.

-We have.

-Will you at some point break for a breakfast meeting if it starts to go wrong?

-It won't go wrong. We're going to win.

-That's what we like to hear.

Every day, there is £1,000 of cash up for grabs for our challengers.

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

So, Business Men, the Eggheads have been rather successful for the last 40 games. They've won them all,

which means £41,000 is the jackpot today.

-So it's been worth coming. Would you like to start?

-Absolutely.

The first head-to-head battle is on Sport. Who would like Sport?

Got to be the sports man.

I think we already decided that.

-That'll be me, Jeremy.

-OK, Mark. Against which Egghead? Which one would you like to take on?

I'm afraid it's got to be Judith.

She's...

We had a period where you weren't doing... Now, what's happened here? I told you not to...

She's been leaning back when Sport comes up and that wasn't working.

I know, but the angle's wrong here. It works when you're down there. I can hide.

-But not up here.

-Good luck to you, Mark, on Sport against Judith from the Eggheads.

To ensure there's no conferring, would you take your positions in the question room?

What is it about Sport, Judith? Why is it that this particular category upsets you so much?

-Upsets me?

-Well, you...you...

-I hate losing.

-When you start to be so upset about playing, you know...

-I hate losing.

In Sport, of the last seven, I've just checked and you've won five.

-Yes, I know.

-And that's up against people who have played in football teams, whose hobbies are cricket,

who spend the weekends watching TV.

-You're beating people who love sport.

-I've been incredibly lucky.

There's a lot of luck involved in it. I've been very lucky lately.

I don't particularly enjoy doing it because it's not something I love,

whereas there are other subjects I do love.

You've already wrong-footed the Eggheads and you haven't even started yet. How about that?

I'm afraid that Judith was perhaps a given with Sport, but there you go.

It's a hobby and a passion of mine, but that's where you get the questions wrong, I suppose.

-It often happens that way. Do you want the first or second set?

-First set, please.

Here is your first question, Mark.

What colour is traditionally worn by competitive fencers?

I'm just trying to get a picture of a fencing contest perhaps.

I don't remember seeing them in blue

and I don't remember seeing them in red,

but I have a vision of them being in white, so I'll take "white".

White is the correct answer. Well done.

Judith, here is your question.

Which controversial footballer, whose antics have included driving into a women's prison

and setting off fireworks in his house, wore a shirt with the slogan, "Why always me?"

I think it's that complete lunatic who has now left these shores...

Mario Balotelli.

You do know your sport. Mario Balotelli is the right answer.

-You can't really miss him, can you?

-Over to you, Mark.

At the 2012 Olympics, the men's world record for which event was set at 1 minute, 40.91 seconds?

I'm not absolutely sure about this,

but working it backwards

from perhaps thinking about a mile...

Though I'm not completely sure, I don't think it's 1500 metres.

And I don't think it's 400 metres.

I'll go in the middle, middle for diddle - 800 metres.

800 metres is correct. Well played.

Judith, here's your question.

In September 2012, it was announced

that Lewis Hamilton would be driving for which Formula One team for the 2013 season?

Oh, that, he swapped to Mercedes and had a bit of trouble with the car.

Mercedes is correct.

Your third question, Mark.

Which sport is played by the Edinburgh Capitals?

I used to watch ice hockey in Manchester

and I don't remember a team called Edinburgh Capitals.

I can't imagine, in Scotland, being cricket, so I'll go with basketball.

-Do you know this one, Judith?

-No, but I would have gone for basketball.

It's wrong. It's ice hockey, Mark.

It's funny. You used to watch that?

I did indeed when Manchester Storm had a team in the Arena.

It was very popular and I was a big fan.

OK, so you've got two out of three.

Let's see if Judith can take this round. Here we go.

Brian McDermott became head coach of which Super League team in 2011?

That, I really don't know. What's he called?

Brian McDermott.

I just don't know. I rather like the name Leeds Rhinos.

It's such an extraordinary name.

Leeds Rhinos. That's just a complete and utter guess.

-Just going down the right?

-Hmm.

-Do you know this one, Mark?

-No.

-Any Eggheads know?

-Yes, she's right.

-Leeds Rhinos, it is. You've triumphed on Sport.

Why you have this feeling of a jinx with it, I have no idea.

That's six games out of eight now.

It's extraordinary. It's very lucky because I really didn't know that.

Leeds Rhinos has got you into the final. Mark, you've been knocked out. Please rejoin your team-mates.

As it stands, The Business Men have lost one brain from the final round. The Eggheads have not lost any.

Judith remains in and the next subject is Film & Television.

Who would like Film & TV?

-It could be Gary.

-It could be you.

-It could be Gary. It's looking like Gary.

-Do you want to do it?

-No, you, Gary.

-Gary?

-That'll be me, Jeremy.

-All right. Before you go, just tell us which Egghead you'd like.

-Pat, please.

-So it is Gary from The Business Men versus Pat, Film & Television.

Here we go. Do take your positions.

-Film & TV. Do you want to go first or second, Gary?

-I'd like to go first, please.

Here we go with your first question.

Which television partnership encouraged their viewers to shout "bogies" in public places?

Crumbs! Right, I don't know the answer.

I would guess that it wouldn't be Richard and Judy.

I'm going to take a guess and say Dick and Dom.

Dick and Dom is correct, yeah.

As you said, I can't imagine Richard and Judy recommending that people shout "bogies".

Pat, "such fun" is the catchphrase of a character in which TV comedy?

I'm not sure there's any fun in The Office. It's not that sort of place.

One Foot In The Grave...

I think it's the faintly Enid Blytony sort of expression

that comes up in Miranda.

With Miranda Hart, you're quite right. Miranda is the answer.

OK, back to you then, Gary.

Snoop Dogg and Dr Dre both feature in which film starring Denzel Washington?

Again, I don't know the answer to this one.

I think I've seen American Gangster and Training Day.

I don't think I've seen Crimson Tide.

I've got an inkling because I haven't seen Crimson Tide

that probably it's going to be Crimson Tide. That's my answer.

Pat, do you know the answer here?

I'd have been tempted by American Gangster,

but Training Day does have lots of hard-nosed LA locations.

I'm not sure. I'd pick between one of the other two.

Training Day is the right answer, Gary. Sorry about that.

Pat has a chance to take the lead.

Noel Shempsky, Kenny Daly and Bulldog Briscoe were supporting characters in which US comedy?

Well, Bulldog Briscoe rings a bell.

There was a larger-than-life, sexist character in Frasier called Bulldog.

That's an argument in favour of Frasier.

I've watched quite a bit of Seinfeld and the names don't ring a bell.

I haven't seen very much of Taxi.

I think on the basis of Bulldog the sexist, I'll go for Frasier.

Frasier is correct. He's playing a good game, Gary.

-He always does. You need to get this one right if you are to stay in.

-OK.

The village of Glendarroch was the fictional setting for which television drama?

I guess they're probably more sort of...

I think Take The High Road was more of a daytime TV-type thing...

And yet somehow it does ring a bell.

I instantly think I'm drawn to Take The High Road, so that's my answer.

Well done. You're correct.

Well done.

I thought you were about to rule it out and you came back to it.

Even so, Pat can take the round if he gets this one right.

When the 1958 film Gigi won nine Oscars, it beat the record previously set by which film?

All those films are before 1958,

so there's no ruling them out on that basis.

Casablanca has become an absolutely iconic film.

It certainly brought an Oscar for the director Michael Curtiz.

I don't quite see how it could have got enough Oscars

to be the answer to this question.

And The Wizard Of Oz, the same argument holds.

I think I'm going to have to go with the juggernaut

that was Gone With The Wind.

Gone With The Wind is the correct answer. Well done.

You are in the final.

He played well. It's always that one wrong answer that causes the trouble.

You were beaten by our Egghead and you can't help your team in the final round.

Please, both of you, return to us. Rejoin your team-mates.

As it stands, The Business Men have lost two brains from the final round.

The Eggheads have not lost any. No-one has been dislodged here. The next subject is Arts & Books.

Who would like this?

Who have we got left? It's either Stuart or you.

-It's looking like you, Mark.

-I really don't want Arts & Books.

-Stuart?

-If I have to, I will.

-Captain's decision, I think.

-But it's not my top subject.

-Pick one, Captain.

-Um...

-Would you take it on?

-I am the sacrificial lamb.

-OK, Mark. Against which Egghead?

-Go on, Dave. Dave, it's you and me.

-All right.

-Near neighbours, I'm assuming?

-Definitely. Manchester man. Looking forward to this one.

Mark from The Business Men versus Dave from the Eggheads.

To ensure there's no conferring, please take your positions.

Mark, I know that the arts are your speciality because we've met through them.

Jeremy, you're being very unkind there.

I rang your show once upon a decade ago and commented on The Scream

because for some reason, it just winds me up the wrong way.

I think I said I wouldn't hang it in my toilet, so that sums up my knowledge of art.

-The famous painting by Edvard Munch which went for 120 million?

-Yeah. I'd have given 120 pence for it.

I do remember the conversation. Wouldn't it be incredible if that painting comes up in the questions?

As long as I get the question, it'll be fine.

-So, Arts & Books, Mark, would you like to go first or second?

-I'll go second.

Here we go with your first question, Tremendous Knowledge Dave.

South-east Asia and which country are the main settings for Nevil Shute's novel, A Town Like Alice?

I believe it's Australia.

Australia is the right answer.

Mark, in the plays of Shakespeare, which character is given the title Thane of Cawdor?

Regrettably, Shakespeare was never one of my strong suits.

Let's go for Hamlet.

Team-mates?

-We think it's Macbeth.

-Yeah, they disagree. It's Macbeth, Mark.

Becomes Thane of Cawdor.

OK, Dave, the stained-glass windows Coronation Of The Virgin,

designed by Donatello,

and Resurrection Of Christ by Uccello are in which cathedral?

I would...

I don't know the answer particularly,

but I would hazard it's Florence.

Florence is the right answer.

Mark, your question.

Which author created the character Sir Fretful Plagiary who figures in the play The Critic?

I really have been the sacrificial lamb on this one, Jeremy.

Let's go for Oscar Wilde.

No. And actually you needed to get that right as well.

It's not Wilde or Hare who's more up to date. It's Sheridan.

And because Dave got his first two, he has knocked you out there, Mark.

He will be in the final. You won't.

Please, both of you, return and join your teams.

As it stands, The Business Men have lost three brains from the final round.

The Eggheads are still strutting their stuff over here. How annoying! The next subject is Science.

-We need someone to take down an Egghead.

-It's one of your subjects.

-Who are we going to have?

-Stuart against Kevin or Daphne?

-We'll go for Daphne.

-Stuart from The Business Men versus Daphne from the Eggheads.

To ensure there's no conferring, please take your positions.

So we are doing Science. Stuart, you can choose to go first or second.

We've had no luck either way, so I'll go back to going first, please.

Here we go with your first question.

Which of these is a common name for a group of fish able to breathe air?

I wouldn't go with heartfish, I don't think.

Chestfish sounds a bit off the wall. I'll go for lungfish, I think.

Absolutely right. Lungfish, it is. Well done.

Daphne, your question. Which word is used to describe substances that absorb moisture from the atmosphere?

Well, moisture is "hygro", so it's hygroscopic.

Hygroscopic is correct.

OK, Stuart...

Dendrite, plate and rosette are classifications of which common meteorological phenomenon?

It doesn't sound like clouds.

Do snowflakes have classifications?

I know they all have the same shape. I'm going to go for hurricanes.

-Is he right, Daphne?

-I'd have gone for snowflakes.

It is snowflakes.

Stuart, it's snowflakes.

Daphne has a chance to pull ahead.

In 2012, the UK banned the import of which tree due to the threat of a deadly fungus, Chalara fraxinea?

Yes, that was the ash.

Ash is the right answer. What is the disease called?

Oh, ash dieback.

Yeah, that's right and it's already lodged, apparently, in this country.

I hope it won't kill them all.

So, Stuart, speaking of which, don't die off now. You've got to get this one right to stay in.

Proxima Centauri, the nearest known star to our sun,

is approximately how many light years away?

I've no idea.

The figure that's coming out to me is 4.2,

but I don't know if that is something in the back of my mind.

I'm going to go with what I first thought - 4.2.

4.2 is correct. Well done. Let's see if Daphne can get this right.

If she can, she's in the final. If not, we go to Sudden Death.

Which French scientist died in 1907,

shortly after receiving the Nobel Chemistry Prize for his work on the element fluorine?

I've not heard of it. Sorry.

Henri Moissan.

-She's right, Eggheads, isn't she?

-Am I?

-You are right.

-It's Henri Moissan.

-I'm sorry.

-It's not an inkling, it's an inkle.

Yet again the Smiling Assassin takes out a challenger. Sorry, Stuart.

-She's done it again.

-It can't be helped.

-You're not in the final.

If you come back to us, we will play that final for a lot of money.

This is what we've been playing towards - the final round which, as always, is General Knowledge.

But those of you who lost your head-to-heads can't take part

in this round, so Gary, Mark H, Mark S and Stuart from The Business Men,

would you all please leave the studio?

Good luck, Tony. I know this is not quite how it was meant to pan out with those four sitting behind you.

-But it would be a good story for your next business breakfast. That's for sure.

-I hope it's a good story.

You're playing to win The Business Men £41,000.

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

the Eggheads' reputation.

I'll ask each team three questions in turn. This time, they are all General Knowledge.

You are allowed to confer. "Who with?" you ask.

So, Tony, the question is - is your one brain able to overcome the Eggheads' five?

I know they look intimidating, but they can crack and wobble for sure.

-They've not cracked today.

-It may be coming. Would you like to go first or second?

-First, please.

First question.

Gangnam is a district of which city?

Well, I know it's been in the news quite a lot.

And I'm fairly certain it's not New Delhi.

I have a feeling that, um...

..the actual artist who sang in the video was Korean,

so that would make it Seoul.

Seoul is correct. Well done.

Eggheads, your first question.

Which character from European legend was King of the Scandinavian people known as the Geats?

Happy with Beowulf?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

The... Well, King Alfred was our own dear King,

Finn McCool was in Ireland,

but the King of the Geats in what's now Denmark, Sweden was Beowulf.

Beowulf is correct. Maybe it was never going to be that easy.

The first question was always going to be a banker for them.

Hang on in there.

You can take them down.

In the USA, light amber, medium amber and dark amber are classifications of which foodstuff?

I don't think it's marmalade.

I think that's more of an English...preserve.

I know molasses is very popular in North America.

But I've got a feeling it's maple syrup.

-Is he right, Eggheads?

-Yes.

-I think he's right, yes.

-Pat?

-I'd say he's right.

Yeah, maple syrup, it is.

Assured play. Two out of two. Quite excited backstage now!

Sometimes it's good not to have somebody else there to disagree with you. Well done.

In mythology, who was the twin brother of the prophetess Cassandra?

-Helenus?

-I would guess Helenus, yeah.

-It's not Tantalus.

-It's not Tantalus and it's not Remus.

OK? Happy with Helenus?

He was the one who... All his prophecies they believed.

As opposed to Cassandra's, yeah.

We believe this is Helenus.

Helenus is the right answer.

OK, two each.

I'm feeling some tension here. £41,000 up for grabs.

Get this one right and your work on Earth is done.

All they have to do is hopefully get the next one wrong and that's it.

Take your time here, Tony. Third question.

Which Disney film features the song I'll Make A Man Out Of You?

Take your time.

I'm fairly certain it isn't Dumbo.

I think it's quite a recent song, that.

Fantasia is quite an old, um...cartoon.

And so I would guess it's Mulan.

Mulan is your answer. Not a film I've seen, I must say.

Dumbo would have been tempting, but then it would have been an elephant.

-Hmm.

-Mulan is correct.

You're playing brilliantly.

This is really interesting. You had a rough old time in this game, your team.

Left with one player and playing in a very, very sure-footed way.

So, Eggheads, if you get this one wrong, they have won £41,000. You don't need to do any more.

If you get it right, we go to Sudden Death. Here is your question, Eggheads.

The Worboys Committee was formed by the British government in 1963

to review what aspect of the country's road transport network?

-When did the motorways come in? When was the Preston By-pass?

-1958.

-So motorways have started by then.

-Yeah.

-Road signs?

On motorways, they didn't have any speed limits at the beginning.

Was there petrol rationing then? There were speed limits then.

Is road signage a big enough thing

for the government to set up an inquiry about?

It's just business. It's basic...

When did the... When did the 70 miles per hour speed limit come in?

Was that the '70s or was it earlier?

-I was thinking it was earlier.

-About 1965?

-Yeah.

So it could be '65, couldn't it?

That would fit, wouldn't it?

Road signs don't seem big enough. But speed...

As you're saying there, if you've got... I was thinking...

-If I'm right...

-With the date?

-1965...

-That's the 70 mile an hour limit?

-Yeah.

-IF I'm right.

-'63 would be about right.

-It would be about right. I think...

-Speed limits?

-Speed limits?

-Go with it and hang the consequences.

-It's the most logical.

-Yeah.

We've actually no idea in terms of factual knowledge,

but we think the most logical of the three is speed limits.

Speed limits is your answer.

You know if you've got this one wrong,

the jackpot is won by our challengers - £41,000.

Eggheads, if you were navigating, I wouldn't want to be in the car.

The answer is "road signs".

We say congratulations, challengers. You have won!

Oh, wow!

-You played so well though.

-I just don't believe it.

-That's the joy of this game. I did keep saying.

You can get down to one and still win. Do I ask what you'll do with the money? Too early?

Too early. We've not even thought about that. Totally unexpected.

-They're certainly in business now!

-At those breakfasts, there's going to be double servings of bacon!

-I think my charity will see a bit as well.

-Tell us about your charity.

My charity is the Trafford Carers Centre.

We support people caring for family members. They're all unpaid carers in the Trafford area.

We provide services like counselling, therapy services to carers

to enable them to get a break from the caring role.

If people mention charities at the start, they've got a bit of guilt about playing against the charity,

so to bring it in at the end now that you've won, it feels good.

-Yes.

-Thank you for playing as well. Well done, Business Men.

You have just won £41,000.

You are officially cleverer than the Eggheads.

They can be beaten. You've had a very, very good run, Eggheads, but all runs come to an end.

Join us next time to see if a new team of challengers will be just as successful. Until then, goodbye.

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