Episode 1 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 the awesome

might of our quiz champions today are Mint Condition.

This team of colleagues all work at the Royal Mint in Cardiff,

so let's meet them.

Hi, I'm Dan. I'm 30 and I'm a financial controller.

Hi, I'm Jemma. I'm 31 and I'm an accounts administrator.

Hi, I'm James. I'm 37 and I'm a business analyst.

Hi, I'm Rose. I'm 61 and I work in payroll.

Hi, my name's Russell. I'm 38 and I'm a telecoms specialist.

Welcome to you, Mint Condition. Very good to see you.

Tell us about the Royal Mint and all the coins you produce there.

Absolutely. So we produce all the coins for the UK, circulating coins.

We also export to about 65 other countries around the world.

People often forget we also do all the commemorative coins,

celebrating Royal events, birthdays, weddings, anniversaries.

And we do a lot of medals as well, for the MOD, police and so on.

OK. So, a busy time over the last few years. You had the Olympics

-and then all those Royal events. Births and jubilees.

-Absolutely.

All the Royal events. Lots of commemorative coins for the Olympics

and we also made all the Olympic and Paralympic medals in Cardiff.

Now, what about the working conditions there?

I'm not talking about how the management treat you but

coins, for instance. Are you allowed to take coins in or is

there a danger they might get mixed up? What's security like?

Absolutely. Security is very solid.

We're not allowed to have any coins on site

because at any time we can be searched,

so if we had any coins in our pockets or hidden anywhere, people would know

we'd been secreting them from the production lines.

Wow. Even though I know you're as honest as the day is long.

You're like the Royal Family, then. You don't carry any change.

-Yes.

-OK. Listen, Mint Condition. You might winning a bit of change today.

It would make quite a few pennies in the amount of money up for grabs.

Let me tell you about it.

Everyday there's £1,000 up for grabs for our Challengers.

However, if they fail to defeat the Eggheads,

the prize money rolls over to the next show.

So, Mint Condition, the Eggheads have won the last game,

which means £2,000 says you can't beat the Eggheads today.

And let's get on with that task, shall we?

Who fancies a crack at our opening round? It is Geography.

Who wants to take this one on?

-Is that me, is it?

-Yes, I think so.

-Yeah, OK.

-That will be me.

-That will be you, Dan.

-Choose any of those Eggheads.

-Barry, I think.

-Go for Barry?

-Yeah.

-I'll take on Barry, please.

Barry you're attempting to knock out.

Would you both please go to the Question Room,

to make sure you can't confer?

Dan, we're going to play the round. Do you want to go first or second?

-Challengers always get to choose.

-I'll go first, Dermot.

And best of luck. First question.

German is widely spoken in the eastern part of which of these

countries?

OK. Well, Portugal would be Portuguese.

Greece would be Greece...eh, Greek.

And in Belgium you have a mix of languages there.

So, eastern part is getting close to Germany, so I'll go for Belgium.

It is of course Belgium. Well done, Dan. Good start.

And Barry.

There are around 1,200 slot machines in the airport serving

which of these US cities?

Well, it amazes me how popular slot machines are but the obvious

answer for this one has got to be Las Vegas, and I guess that's my answer.

-Las Vegas.

-Yeah, of course it's got to be it. It's 1-1.

And we go to Dan.

Which of these rivers runs through the city of Turin?

OK. Well, the Tiber I know runs through Rome,

so I'll discount that one, because I believe it's too far to the south.

I don't know for sure.

-I've heard of the Po more than the Arno, so I'll go for Po.

-OK.

Using a bit of elimination. A tiny bit of guesswork

but got the right answer. Well done, Dan.

Just fill us in on the list, Eggheads. Tiber, Rome.

Where's the Arno then?

-ALL:

-Florence

OK, and your second question, Barry.

Which Welsh town became a city in 1969 to coincide with

the investiture of Prince Charles as Prince of Wales.

I was rather dreading a Welsh question coming up

because my knowledge of Welsh geography is somewhat limited,

but of those three, Newport rings a bell as becoming a town

but was that in 1969? Or was that later on the Millennium?

I can't believe it was Cardigan.

And Swansea surely must have been a city before then.

-I'm going to go for Newport.

-OK, Newport.

Right, well, CJ has weaknesses at other areas of British

geography but he's pretty good at the Welsh stuff. CJ, is he right?

I live very near Newport, and I think Barry is right.

It was closer to the Millennium and Cardigan's not a city,

so I'll go for Swansea.

Indeed, it is Swansea, Barry. Swansea. Great news, Dan.

You are straight into the final round with a correct answer here.

Nuku Hiva is the largest island in which Pacific group?

Nuku Hiva. N-U-K-U H-I-V-A.

I'd like to think I'd have heard of what the largest

island in Fiji was and would recognise it if it came up,

so I don't think it would be that one.

I haven't heard of the Marquesas Islands.

-And on that basis, I think I'll go for that.

-Ah.

I thought you were going to say you wouldn't go for that

and you'd go for the Cook Islands. Just as well you did go for those

islands. It is the right answer.

Look at that. That's a score to treasure for a bit.

3-1 to Dan against Egghead Barry.

It means you're in the final round. You're booked in, Dan.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

What a storming performance there by Dan.

Let's hope it continues this way for Mint Condition.

Winning the round 3-1, booking his place in that final round.

It means they've lost no brains from that final round.

The Eggheads are one down and our second round today is going

to be Film and Television. Who'd like to play this? It can't be Dan.

-Yeah, that's me.

-That's you, Jemma.

-We've decided I was doing that one.

You obviously know which Egghead you want to play as well.

I think it's going to have to be Dave,

because of having to keep the others for other possible categories.

OK, let's have Jemma and Dave into the Question Room, please.

Jemma, its Film and Television. You get to choose.

-Would you like to go first or second?

-I'll go first, please.

Jemma. Here you go, first question.

In the late 1980s, the TV talent show Opportunity Knocks was

revived with which comedian as its host?

Er. Oh. SHE EXHALES

I believe, was it Bob Monkhouse?

Did he do that before he done the other one with all the squares?

-I think.

-It's the right answer, well done.

Yes, he did do Opportunity Knocks.

-So, Dave, what was the one with all the squares?

-Celebrity Squares.

Didn't matter. That wasn't the question.

But you've got that all-important tick there, Jemma.

Dave, who provides the voice of the character Gru, G-R-U,

in the 2010 animated film Despicable Me?

I've been to see this film with my daughter and fell asleep, obviously.

But I've got to thank her because I'm pretty sure it's Steve Carell

-who was in that film, who voiced that film.

-Yeah.

It is the right answer. I've seen it as well with my family.

I'd say go and see it again, stay awake or get it on DVD.

-I'm not good in cinemas.

-It's a good film.

Get the DVD or something. It's a very good film. OK, it's all square.

Second question, Jemma.

Where was the 1981 film Outland, starring Sean Connery, set?

Right, this is before I was born.

-I think I'll go with Republic of Ireland.

-OK. Eggheads.

-Do you think she's right?

-It's Outer Space.

-Space film.

-Science-fiction film.

-Isn't it also a kind of cowboy film?

-It's a space western, effectively.

-Space western?

He's sort of the equivalent of Gary Cooper in High Noon

where he's the lone sheriff going up against everybody.

-Set on one of the moons of Jupiter.

-OK. Outer Space, I'm afraid.

So, not the right answer, there.

Let's see how Dave does with his second question.

In 1995, which actor joined the cast of Coronation Street,

playing Roy Cropper?

Malcolm Hebden's Norris Cole. Chris Gascoyne's Peter Barlow.

-I think David Neilson plays Roy Cropper.

-OK.

Which, as I know, a regular viewer of Coronation Street, you know

is the correct answer. Well done. That's the way they fall.

Right, well that's bad news for you, Jemma.

It means you must get this question to stay in the game.

Which of these English actresses has spent much of her career

appearing in French language films?

Right, Catherine Zeta-Jones started her career in the

Darling Buds Of May.

I'm going to discount her because I've seen her in her career then

and I haven't seen her do many French things.

Helena Bonham Carter does a lot of the films for her

husband-director, so I'm going to say Kristin Scott Thomas.

OK, Kristin Scott Thomas...

..is the right answer. Well done, Jemma.

I bet your team are hoping you can hang on in there, because you're

clearly an asset to them but, because of that slip in the middle,

it means Dave has a chance to win the round with this question, Dave.

Who played the sleuth, Jason King, on television in the 1960s and '70s?

Yeah, he had a moustache, didn't he? Quite suave at the time.

-Peter Wyngarde.

-Peter Wyngarde. Jason King...

..Is the right answer. Bad luck, Jemma. As I was saying earlier,

clearly an asset to the team but can remain an asset, advising them and

telling them about the Eggheads' strengths and the odd weaknesses.

-I can do that.

-Would you come back, please and join your teams,

both of you?

A good battle there by Mint Condition but the Eggheads won

through in that round which evens it up. Both teams now have

lost one brain from the final round and we move on to round three in our

head-to-heads. This one is Science. Three players eligible for this.

-Who wants to take it on?

-Are you going to take that on, Russell.

-I think that's you, Russell.

-I'm going to have a crack at Science.

Then if sport comes up, you can do that.

Russell. Who do you want to play from the Eggheads? Barry and Dave

have played so you can have Chris, CJ or Kevin.

I'm not going to go for Chris

because he is very knowledgeable in the area of science.

-I think I'm going to go for CJ.

-CJ?

Right, let's have Russell and CJ into the Question Room,

both of you, please.

Russell, you and CJ have a lot in common.

-You both love running marathons. I hear you're a very fit man.

-Yes.

Currently trying to do 100 marathons by the time I'm 40.

I've currently done 61 and I have another 15 or 16 months to get

-to the 100.

-And then what? By the time you are 70, 1000?

Well, not quite so.

I think maybe the next challenge would to be get under a three-hour

marathon, but that's for another day.

This is spooky because I've had exactly the same conversation

-with CJ.

-OK.

CJ wants to get under three hours for the marathon and has also

started running, what do you call them, "doublers?"

-That's just what, double the distance?

-Yeah.

A couple of years ago I ran from Brighton to London non-stop.

Was someone chasing you?

It's been a long time since anybody chased me, Dermot.

And you want to get under three hours. You marathon runners,

you'll love this. What's your best time so far, CJ?

-3 hours 11 minutes.

-Russell?

-His time is quicker than me.

-3 hours 21 minutes.

-Oh. OK. That's stoked up the competition.

Let's hope it feeds through into this round.

-Russell, do you want to go first or second?

-I'll go first, please.

OK, Russell. First question on Science.

What name is popularly given to the region of the retina that has

no photoreceptors?

Root Canal...

..That sounds like it's something to do with teeth.

So I'm going to rule that out straightaway.

Nasal sounds something to do with the nose,

-so I'm going to go for blind spot.

-Blind spot.

Probably right to do that, I would suspect. It is the right answer.

That question could have been rephrased once you work out

the retina is in the eye.

Which of the other three has anything to do with the eye?

And it is, of course, the right answer,

but you're right to be very careful and go into the lead there.

CJ, which bodily substance is primarily affected by anaemia?

I was worried my first show back after two years,

I wouldn't know the first question, but here's hoping I do.

And here's hoping it's blood.

Blood is the right answer.

And we go onto our second question for both of you.

Russell, degaussing is the process of reducing what from a device?

Degaussing. I've heard the term.

I'm going to go straight down the middle and go magnetism.

Magnetism for degaussing...

..is the right answer, Russell. Well done.

CJ. From what is the gelling agent pectin most commonly derived?

I think that comes, for example, from a lot of fruits so

I think it's plant cell walls.

It's the right answer, well done, CJ. It's 2-2.

A highly competitive round. Russell.

Which freshwater fish is known as the doctor fish

due to a traditional belief that its slimed cured any sick fish

that rubbed against it?

Erm. Oh. Fishing is not my strong point.

I'm going to go down the right, Dermot and go tench.

An assured performance so far. Tench is right.

OK, CJ. The one facing ejection first.

A biuret test is used to determine the presence of what in a solution?

I haven't heard this one, unfortunately.

But would you look for proteins or fats in a solution?

You'd look for salts in a solution. Would you look for the other two?

It's the only tenuous strand I've got to go on,

so I will try, as not much more than a blind guess, salts.

It is proteins, which means let's

turn to Russell and congratulate him. Well done, Russell.

You may not be able to beat him in a marathon, yet

but you certainly beat him in Eggheads. Well done, Russell.

You're through to the final round.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

Well, that's looking better for Mint Condition. Another Egghead gone.

As it stands, the Eggheads have lost two brains from the final round.

Mint Condition, just one.

And we reach our last head-to-head before that final round.

And this one is History. Two of you remaining there able to play this.

-James or Rose. Who wants it?

-James.

-Definitely James.

-OK, James.

Who do you want to play from the Eggheads.

-It can be either Kevin or Chris.

-Can I play against Chris, please?

You certainly can. He's raring to go.

So let's have James and Chris into the Question Room, please.

-James, do you want to go first or second?

-First, please.

It's History. First question to James.

Which early weapon was a heavy club, often with a spiked metal head?

Well, I think ballista was a device for shooting a weapon.

I understand a claymore is a very large sword, double-handed sword.

So, I would like to choose mace, please.

OK, mace. And you've chosen the right answer. Well done.

On the board. Chris.

Which British Prime Minister wrote a four-volume work entitled

A History Of The English-Speaking Peoples?

-That's a monumental work by Winston Churchill.

-You attempted it?

Or got through it all?

It's quite heavy-going but, being Churchillian,

-it's very well written.

-That's almost a politician's

answer there. He hasn't told me whether he's read it or not.

I take it from that it's a no.

It's the right answer, though. That's what counts. James.

In which country was the infamous Dr Crippen born?

I would like to play the odds here.

Largest population would be the USA.

-So, I'd like to choose that answer, please.

-Chris, is that right?

Yeah. Hawley Harvey Crippen was a quack medicine peddler from the USA.

Is the right answer. Well done.

Well done, James. OK. Your second question, Chris.

The Cardwell Reforms of the 1860s and 1870s were designed to

change the character of what in Britain?

Yeah, they were bitterly opposed by Harry Flashman in the

Flashman novels. They were reforms to the Army.

They were. It's the right answer, so another good round going on here.

James. To go back into the lead.

In the later years of Francisco Franco's rule over Spain,

what name was given to the state party he headed?

I've got a funny feeling that the answer is the Force.

It's the Movement. The Movement.

Which means Chris has a chance here.

Thomas Aquinas belonged to which Christian order?

Well, he was an ascetic intellectual, wasn't he?

And I don't think the Benedictines are particularly ascetic.

I don't think he was a Dominican, either. I think he was a Franciscan.

-Thomas Aquinas was not a Franciscan. Other Eggheads?

-A Dominican.

-Dominican, Chris.

-Oh. Always choose the wrong one.

Well, both going astray on their third question which leaves it all

square at 2-2. We go into Sudden Death.

Just reminding you don't hang around there for any options

appearing on the screen. They won't be there.

Just got to hear the answer from you. Try this one.

In which decade of the 20th century did the UK Post Office introduce

a two-tiered postal system offering first and second class stamps?

I am going to go for the 1950s, please.

It's not the '50s.

-Chris, do you know?

-It was the '70s, wasn't it?

-No!

-Later than that?

-No. The one in between.

-1968.

1968, precisely from the Eggheads. A slip-up from James, then.

OK, interesting Chris wouldn't have got it

but he's getting the second set of questions.

Chris, to go through to the final round.

The Rowlatt Acts, passed by the Imperial Legislative Council

in 1919, enforced emergency measures in which country?

That was about the time of serious unrest in India, so India.

-British India.

-India is the correct answer, Chris.

It means you are in the final round.

No place, unfortunately, for James.

Would you both come back and join your teams?

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

It's time for the final round,

which as always is General knowledge.

But I'm afraid those of you who lost your head-to-heads won't be

allowed to take part in this round. So Jemma

and James from Mint Condition, and CJ and Barry from Eggheads,

would you all leave the studio, please.

Dan, Rose and Russell, you're playing to win Mint Condition

£2,000. Dave, Kevin and Chris,

you're playing for something which no amount of money can buy.

It is the Eggheads' reputation.

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

This time the questions, just to repeat, are all General Knowledge

and you are allowed to confer in this, the final round.

So, Mint Condition, the question is,

are your three brains better than the Eggheads' three?

Dan, Rose and Russell, would you like to go first or second?

First, please.

Here is your first question.

In June 2013, Rupert Murdoch's company News International

changed its name to what?

I don't think it would be Mags UK, would it?

-No.

-Or TV UK. I'm leaning towards News UK.

-Or is that too obvious?

-News UK's obvious.

Unless we've got a particular drive towards

-one of the others, we've got to go with the obvious.

-Go for that one.

-Dermot, we'd like to go for News UK, please.

-News UK,

you're saying. Got to go with the obvious. Never overlook the obvious.

It is the right answer. Well done. News UK.

And Eggheads' first question.

Popular in the 1920s, what was an Eton crop?

Popular in the 1920s, what was an Eton Crop?

-Female hairstyle.

-You OK with that? We believe that's a hairstyle.

OK. Hairstyle is the right answer, Eggheads, as we all know here.

So, 1-1. Back to Mint Condition. Second question.

What is the title of the fourth book in the Robert Langdon series,

published in May 2013?

That's the Dan Brown series, is it? With Angels and Demons...

-..Da Vinci Code.

-I don't know. Inferno rings a bell.

Dermot, we think Inferno is ringing a bell with us

-so we'll go for that.

-OK. Any of you read it, if it is Inferno?

-I'm not confirming it yet.

-No.

It is the right answer. Well done.

You've got it. Two to you. And Eggheads.

Which company designed and built the SH-3 Sea King,

one of the world's first amphibious helicopters?

-That's Westland Sikorsky, so it's Sikorsky.

-Yeah. Bell is the American

one. I think Sikorsky is...OK?

-We're going to go for Sikorsky.

-Sikorsky...

..is the right answer, Eggheads. Yes, you got it.

Let's see if you can go in the lead for a third time, Mint Condition.

Whose Symphony No. 101 in D major, written in London,

around 1794, is nicknamed the Clock Symphony?

I don't...too early for Holst. Handel was more choral works.

I'm thinking...I'm leaning towards Haydn.

-Yeah. I'll go with that.

-Dermot, we're going to go with Haydn.

Haydn...

..is the right answer. Well done.

-OK, Eggheads. This is interesting, isn't it?

-Always.

You need to get this, I don't need to remind you.

Which museum was established in 1852 as the Museum of Manufactures?

It's certainly not the British Museum, which is a lot older.

-Wasn't the V&A later?

-No, it's the right sort of time for the V&A.

I think the Science Museum is a later offshoot.

I think that was the origin of the V&A, the Victoria & Albert.

The Great Exhibition the year before, and the V&A stemmed from that and

the Great Exhibition was to show off British technology, inventions, etc.

I think the Science Museum is probably a later

offshoot from the V&A, so Victoria & Albert.

OK, your answer is the V&A museum.

-It is the Victoria & Albert Museum.

-Well done, Kevin.

Inevitably, we go to Sudden Death. Well played so far, Mint Condition.

Can you clinch the deal, though? Can you win the money? Sudden Death now.

Which country became the 28th member of the European Union

when it joined in July 2013?

There was a big influx, I think, in 2009, 2010.

-It wasn't Romania, was it?

-Oh. No, that rings a bell.

-I remember programmes about looking...

-Was it one of those

-Eastern European countries?

-It wasn't Kosovo, something like that?

-I don't think so.

-Romania sounds right. There was...

-Should we go for Romania?

-It's a guess, isn't it?

-Yeah.

Well, we're not 100% sure but we're going to go for Romania.

OK, Romania.

It's not the right answer. It's not Romania.

-Eggheads, do you know?

-ALL:

-Croatia.

-Croatia. When did Romania join?

-They joined with Bulgaria.

-2007.

2007 for Romania. Oh, dear. Nothing there, but nil desperandum.

Let's see what the Eggheads do with their sudden death question.

Eggheads. Happiness Is A Warm Gun is a song that first

featured on an album by which group? Happiness Is A Warm Gun...

-It is the Beatles..

-is a song that first featured

-on an album by which group?

-Beatles, White Album.

-Yeah.

Well, we think that was on the White Album by the Beatles.

Beatles, you think.

Appearing on the White Album, also known as The Beatles, that album...

..is the right answer, Eggheads. You've won.

Mint Condition. Well done. You brought your quizzing here in

mint condition. You really did well against the Eggheads.

It's been so close as we can see all the way there.

It was the Sudden Death question in the final round that has decided it.

-We hope you've enjoyed yourselves here today.

-Very much so.

We've had a wonderful time having you and best of luck with the coins

in the future. But it wasn't to be

which means the Eggheads have done what comes

naturally to them and they still reign supreme over quiz land.

I'm afraid you won't be going home with the £2,000.

That means, of course, the money rolls over to our next show.

Eggheads, congratulations. Who will beat you?

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

the brains to defeat the Eggheads. £3,000 says they don't.

Until then, from all of us here, goodbye.