Episode 25 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.

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 the might of our quiz Goliaths today

are Missing In Acton, from London.

This team of colleagues all work together

at Ellen Wilkinson School in Acton.

Let's meet them.

I'm Austin, I'm 60, and I'm head of media studies.

Hi, I'm Skanda, I'm 30, and I'm a teacher of physics.

Hi, I'm Viv, I'm 50, and I'm an English teacher.

Hi, I'm Nadir, I'm 33, and I'm a music teacher.

Hi, I'm Charles, I'm 33, and a sociology teacher.

Welcome to you, Missing In Acton. Loving the team name.

How long did it take you to come up with that - what, about 30 seconds?

Er, 29! Yeah. DERMOT LAUGHS

OK, so you work at the school together, obviously.

Do you do some quizzing together?

We do. There's a pub down the road from us, the Greystoke,

where we're often seen.

-And, yes, we've won a few quizzes there.

-You win them?

-Well, we've won once and narrowly... almost won a second time.

-OK.

-And so you've carefully selected the team...?

-Very carefully.

-A team of all the talents.

-Yeah, yeah. Different subjects.

OK, well, let's see what comes up and whether they suit you.

Missing In Acton, every day, there's £1,000 in cash up for grabs for our Challengers.

However, if they fail to defeat the Eggheads,

the prize money rolls over to the next show.

So, Missing In Acton, the Eggheads have won the last two games,

that means £3,000 says you can't beat them today.

And our opening clash, first head-to-head,

is on Film & Television.

Who do you want to select to play this? Film & TV.

-Erm, yes, I think Viv will play it, please.

-Yeah, yeah.

-Viv.

-Yeah, I'll go for it, I'll go for it.

OK, Viv, and who will you choose from the Eggheads?

-Ooh, now, this is a challenge.

-Oh!

I think this is almost harder than the questions. Erm...

-Judith, please.

-All right, Judith.

Let's have Viv and Judith into the Question Room, please.

So, Viv, are you a film buff, a film fan, or is it TV or a bit of both?

-Oh, bit of both. Love film, love TV.

-Great stuff.

-Do you want to go first or second?

-I think I'd like to go first, please.

Here you go, your first question.

Which of these actresses married eight times?

I would say that's Elizabeth Taylor.

DERMOT CHUCKLES

It's the right answer, yes.

THEY WHOOP

That fell nicely for you.

Haven't you got a bit of a connection with Elizabeth Taylor?

That's quite bizarre. Yes, I did.

I worked for a chap who made those fabulous turbans that she wore.

DERMOT LAUGHS

OK, well, you got it there, quite easily.

And Judith, your first question.

In the 1990s, who played a character called Ace Ventura

in two feature films?

Oh, gosh, I don't know!

Didn't see them, whatever they were. Erm...

Erm...

I... Oh!

Mike Myers.

OK, Mike Myers, as the pet detective, wasn't it?

Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.

-Played by...Jim Carrey.

-Oh!

Right, that's good news for you, Viv.

You've got one already and this could double that lead.

Who became the male host of the television series

Your Face Sounds Familiar in June 2013?

That's a difficult one. I'm pretty sure it's not Chris Evans.

Gino D'Acampo...

I don't know the show,

so I don't know if it's got anything to do with dancing.

-I'm going to go for Gino, Gino D'Acampo.

-OK, Gino D'Acampo.

Haven't seen it, so a bit of a guess,

and it's Paddy McGuinness.

THEY GROAN

Which was, clearly, cos you told us you didn't think it was

Chris Evans, the other one you were thinking about.

Well, let's see if Judith still lags behind after this one,

or will she draw level?

Judith, in the 2013 film Behind The Candelabra,

Michael Douglas plays which entertainer?

That I have seen, thank goodness.

-And it's Liberace.

-Liberace.

-Did you like it?

-Quite.

Ah, OK. OK.

Michael Douglas as Liberace.

It's the right answer, so it is all square.

And Viv, your third question.

In which year did Helen Mirren

first appear in the TV drama Prime Suspect?

OK, I'm going back in time and I'm remembering watching it

when my children were smaller.

So I'm 99% sure it's not 1984.

Ooh!

'91. 1991.

-OK, 1991.

-Not that confident.

Well, you can be now, it's the right answer.

THEY CHEER

You have two.

And Judith...

Kojak, as played by Telly Savalas,

worked as a police detective in which US city?

That was ages and ages ago, too.

Oh, dear. I don't know.

New York.

New York.

Who loves you, baby?

-It is the right answer, yes.

-Oh.

Into Sudden Death. First round and the first episode of Sudden Death.

Viv, this means, as you've had explained to you, I know,

we take away the options, so guessing is an awful lot harder.

Let's hope you know this.

Who played Lucy Ricardo in the 1950s US TV comedy, I Love Lucy?

Thank you, Mum. I know that's Lucille Ball.

LAUGHTER

-Did you used to watch it with her?

-I did. I'm that old!

-Well, it was often repeated, wasn't it?

-Oh, thank you. Very kind!

Lucille Ball is correct. I Love Lucy.

THE TEAM WHOOP

And, Judith, who played Jo McKenna

in Hitchcock's 1956 remake of his 1934 film,

The Man Who Knew Too Much?

That I didn't see either. Um...

Who could have played it?

I really don't know. Um...

James Stewart.

OK. It's not the right answer. Unfortunately.

It's very unfortunate for you.

Um, it's not James Stewart, who WAS in it,

but it's Doris Day. Cos it's a female Jo!

-Oh, it's a female Jo.

-Jo McKenna.

-I should've asked you to spell it, shouldn't I?

-Bad luck, Judith.

But great news for you, Viv, you're in the final round.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

Well, an exciting round, that one.

After it, it means Missing In Acton are all still there.

The Eggheads have lost one brain.

Let's move swiftly on to Round Two.

Today, it's Music.

So who from Missing In Acton would like to play this?

It goes without saying, doesn't it?

A very easy choice!

Yes, the music teacher.

OK, Nadir, who would you like to play from the Eggheads?

-Go for who you want, who you think...

-Go with your gut.

-Yeah.

Er...I'm going to go for Dave.

Dave. OK.

Nadir and Dave playing Music.

You know where to go. It's the Question Room, please.

Nadir, would you like to go first or second?

I'd like to go first, please.

OK, Nadir, here's your first question.

In which city was the singer Annie Lennox born?

I think I'm going to go...

I don't actually remember

so I think I'm going to go for...

..Aberdeen.

-Yeah, just as well. Yes, it is the right answer.

-Wow!

-THEY CHEER

-Aberdeen.

The very Scottish Annie Lennox.

And, Dave, which singer raised £500,000 for Comic Relief

by shaving off her hair in March 2013?

One of the few modern things I do remember.

Jessie J.

Jessie J is correct.

Well done, Dave.

Straight back to you, Nadir.

The Wanted had a UK hit single in 2013 with Walks Like...who?

Ah! OK.

Sorry, I have to translate from English to Italian sometimes.

-OK.

-OK, it is definitely Rihanna.

Yes, it is. Walks Like Rihanna.

-Well done, Nadir!

-THEY WHOOP

Well, your second question, Dave.

The Italian composer, Vivaldi,

is most associated with which style of Western classical music?

A Baroque composer, or was he a Romantic composer?

I'm going to go Romantic, but I'm probably wrong.

-Vivaldi is most associated with...Baroque music.

-Yes.

-THEY GROAN

-Bad error.

OK, well... Chance then, Nadir.

What are the first flowers mentioned in the folk tune

known as English Country Garden?

OK, erm...

You will forgive me if I get this wrong, people.

Um... I'm going to go...

Tulips.

OK, tulips.

No, it's not. It's daffodils.

Daffodils. But, um... For some people, that would be easy,

but we understand why it wasn't for you, Nadir.

Yeah.

A chance for Dave to level it up.

Dave, the songs Stereotypes, Ernold Same

and The Universal come from which Blur album?

Right. It's the old Blur toss-up.

It's not Leisure. It's either Parklife or The Great Escape.

My leaning is towards The Great Escape.

I'm just going to have a quick think about it.

Great Escape.

Great Escape is correct.

Are you about to pull off one of those after slipping up

there on your second question?

It's now all square and into Sudden Death again.

So, Nadir, you're not going to see any of those options now.

Lippy Kids and Open Arms are on the album Built A Rocket, Boys!

by which British band?

Um... I don't actually think I know. Um... I'm going to guess...

I'm going to go...

..The Smiths.

The Smiths...

It's not the right answer, Nadir. Elbow.

Nadir, Elbow. OK. Well, this would be a turnaround.

Dave you go through if you get a right answer.

In 2001, which girl group had a UK number one single with Whole Again?

W-H-O-L-E, obviously.

Apologies to Nadir

because I think it's just the way the questions fall.

Whole Again is Atomic Kitten.

Just let me check with Chris.

Chris takes a very close interest in girls bands, as we know.

-Is he right?

-Yeah, it is Atomic Kitten.

-Ha!

You only went along with him because you could see Dave's body language.

He knows it. It is the right answer, Dave.

It is Atomic Kitten, with Whole Again. Bad luck, Nadir.

Dave's in the final round and you're not.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

Well, Dave having to mount a bit of a rearguard action there, but did

win in the end, so he's evened it up in terms of the balance of power.

It's all square.

Both teams have lost one brain from the final round at the moment.

Our next subject, round three, is History.

Who's going to play this? We don't have a history teacher amongst you.

-Who's going to play it?

-What about you, Charlie?

My history, particularly British history, is...

Yeah, likewise, cos I'm not British.

-I'll take it, then.

-I'll have to yeah?

-Yeah.

-OK.

-Good on you.

-All right, Charlie will do it.

OK, Charles, and from the Eggheads, Judith and Dave have played,

as you know, so you've got Pat, Barry or Chris.

-Can I go for Chris, please?

-Yes, of course.

Let's have Charles and Chris into the Question Room then.

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

-Um... I'll go first, please.

First question coming your way, Charles. Good luck with it.

Admiral Horatio Nelson died at which battle?

Now, it's certainly not Copenhagen. I know that for sure.

Waterloo...isn't near the Iberian Peninsula.

And I have an affinity with this place.

And I'm going to have to go for Trafalgar.

-Yes!

-We have an affinity with the sea there, or Trafalgar Square?

Ha-ha! The sea!

-Believe it or not.

-OK, it is the right answer. Trafalgar, of course.

THEY CHEER AND APPLAUD

OK.

Chris, which World War I campaign was a plan to capture

the Dardanelles from Turkey?

Well, the Somme and Passchendaele were both on the Western Front.

This was Gallipoli.

-And what a disaster it was.

-It was, actually.

-It's the right answer.

Gallipoli. And back to you, Charles. Question two.

Who died from wounds imparted by officers of Richard II

during the Peasants' Revolt in 1381?

Again, I don't know this.

I'm thinking Warbeck's the red herring on this one.

So, have to go out with that.

I'm going to go with Wat Tyler.

OK, Wat Tyler and the Peasants' Revolt. It's the right answer.

-Well done.

-THEY CHEER AND APPLAUD

Chris, Julius Caesar is famously quoted as saying "the die is cast",

meaning there's no going back, at the crossing of which river?

Crossing this river with armed troops was automatically taken to

be an attack on the Roman Republic, so it's crossing the Rubicon.

The Rubicon, yes, which of course is another phrase which

we use in the present day, crossing the Rubicon, and the die is cast.

A lot coming from that. Where is the Rubicon?

It's the right answer, by the way, of course.

Quite a small river up in northern Italy.

All right. Well, it's all square, both going really well.

Charles, third question.

The Earl of Carrick was an early title held by which

historical figure?

I don't think it's Robert the Bruce.

I could have shot myself in the foot there by writing that off.

Lionheart seems too obvious. So I'm going to go for Alfred the Great.

Alfred the Great, Earl of Carrick.

It was actually Robert the Bruce.

I'm surprised by that. But, yeah, Robert the Bruce.

Chris, this wins the round for you, if you get it.

Which ancient city stood on the site of modern Bodrum, in Turkey?

Well, Bodrum's on the Black Sea. Tyre's on the Mediterranean.

Halicarnassus is inland Turkey. So it's Ephesus.

No, it's not.

-It is Halicarnassus.

-Oh, right.

Halicarnassus. Groans from the other Eggheads, there.

Knew it. But cheers from Missing in Acton. Even more if you get through.

Sudden Death again, Charles. Every round so far. Here you go.

In 1917, George V changed the name of the British royal family

from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to what?

Oh, my gran's not going to be happy if I get this wrong.

Going to have to go for what's come into my head,

but it might seem...the easy choice.

Is it Windsor?

Never overlook the easy choice. It's the right answer, yes.

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

And of course, Chris, the date's significant, 1917.

Height of the First World War.

Didn't want to be seen to be too German.

OK. Your question, this time, to save yourself.

In early 20th century Russia, Rasputin served as a mystic

and advisor to the wife of which Tsar?

Alexander II.

THEY GROAN

No, it's not Alexander II. You jumped right in there.

It's Nicholas II.

-Nicholas...

-He's beating himself up. The other Eggheads can't believe it.

You jumped right in, but Missing in Acton, it means, Charles,

-you're through to the final round.

-THEY CHEER AND APPLAUD

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

So much ebb and flow in this contest.

Missing In Acton now getting into the lead.

They have lost one brain from the final round.

The Eggheads have got two brains gone though.

So, our last head-to-head before the final round. It's Arts & Books.

And Austin or Skanda, who wants to play this, Arts & Books?

I'm going to have to take it and bite the bullet, unfortunately.

-We're saving Austin till the end.

-All right.

-Yeah.

Well, Skanda, who would you like to play from the Eggheads?

You can choose from either Barry or Pat.

I'll go with Barry, please.

All right. Skanda and Barry playing this one.

Into the Question Room, please.

Well, this is getting exciting, Skanda.

Let's see if you can really balance it in your team's favour with

a victory here.

-Would you like to go first or second?

-First, please.

Arts & Books, Skanda, first question.

Sophie Neveu is a character in which of these books?

Well, I'm very familiar with The Da Vinci Code

and I'm pretty sure it's not in there.

Um...

I've only seen the film Captain Corelli's Mandolin,

so I'm slightly vague on the details there.

I'm going to go with Captain Corelli's Mandolin.

OK, Captain Corelli's Mandolin, Sophie Neveu

is not in Captain Corelli's Mandolin. Other Eggheads?

-Da Vinci Code.

-It's The Da Vinci Code.

It is The Da Vinci Code. OK, so back luck, Skanda.

OK, Barry. In which century was the poet Alexander Pope born?

Alexander Pope. 15th is too early, 19th is too late, 17th.

OK, it is the right answer, yes.

Too early, too late, in the middle. Right.

Let's get you started, Skanda.

Which children's novel concerns a family who move into a house

called Three Chimneys?

Again, a bit of doubt to the answer

but I'm going to back my instincts and go for The Railway Children.

Got it right this time, yes. That's right. Three Chimneys.

Three Chimneys for The Railway Children.

OK, second question for Barry.

In Roald Dahl's novel Matilda,

what's the surname of Bruce who steals a slice of chocolate cake?

Now, my wife asked me only a few weeks ago if I'd like to go with her

and see Matilda on the stage and I said, "No."

And I'm regretting it now because I have no idea.

But as it's Roald Dahl, I shall go for the name that I enjoy the most

and say it's Bruce Bogtrotter.

Yes, it is.

You're lucky, yes, you're thinking what Roald Dahl would've.

Yes, got there, Bruce Bogtrotter making Miss Trunchbull very unhappy.

Still a lead there for Barry, so you need to get this, Skanda.

Which English painter inspired the French school of painting

known as the Barbizon school?

Totally on a punt here, I'm going to go with Constable.

You've got it, yes.

Well done!

Well, some good punting there

but you've still got that X from your first answer,

gives Barry a chance here.

Barry, Charles Condomine is a central character in which play?

Oh, that's Alan Ayckbourn, JB Priestley and Neil Coward.

I'm sure it's not An Inspector Calls so I'll get rid of the Priestley.

Charles Condomine...

I don't know Habeas Corpus but I seem to recall a character called that

in the Blithe Spirit so I'll go for Blithe Spirit.

OK, Blithe Spirit...

you've got it, yes, it is the right answer. Bad luck, Skanda.

You really did get going with your second two

but we're always struggling after getting the first one wrong.

It means no place for you in the final round.

Barry, you will be there.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

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

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 Skanda and Nadir from Missing In Acton

and Chris and Judith from the Eggheads,

would you leave the studio now, please?

So, Austin, Viv and Charles,

you're playing to win Missing In Acton £3,000.

Barry, Pat and Dave, you're playing for something

which money can't buy - the Eggheads' reputation.

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

this time though, the questions are all General Knowledge

and you are allowed to confer.

So Missing In Acton, the question is

are your three brains better than the Eggheads' three?

And Austin, Viv and Charles, what do you want to do?

Go first or second in this round?

Well, going first has been our strategy so far

so we're going to stick with that, we'll go first.

OK, Missing In Acton, good luck. Final Round, first question.

Which Premier League football club

did Pepe Reina join as goalkeeper in 2005?

Which Premier League football club

did Pepe Reina join as goalkeeper in 2005?

That would've been my guess as well but, yeah,

it's not a guess for me, it's a certainty for you.

I'm abstaining on this one. Quite happily abstaining.

Well, sadly, my son is a Liverpool supporter,

he'll kill me if I get this wrong, and it is definitely Liverpool.

Yeah, definitely Liverpool, you're safe. It is the right answer, yes.

OK, Eggheads, zwolf is the German word for which number?

Zwolf is the German word for which number?

-12?

-12.

-Elf is 11 and zwanzig is 20, so zwolf is 12.

-Yeah.

We're going for 12, Dermot.

Yeah, why did you tell us what 11 is, Barry? What about eight?

-You didn't ask for eight, it's not up on the board.

-It is.

Barry, do you need your glasses...?

Is it...? Oh!

That's what I mean!

It doesn't matter, you've got it. Yes, zwolf is 12.

OK, right, all square, second question, Missing In Acton.

Which of these is a definition of the adjective garrulous?

-It's been applied to me, so...

-Yep.

Viv and myself have both been accused of this

and Charlie has too, but he didn't realise it.

And the answer is talkative.

Yes, it is, expected you to get that and you have.

Talkative for garrulous.

OK, Eggheads, your second question.

Who was appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Education and Skills

after the 2005 General Election?

Right, I think...

Right, if we have a think about it.

George Osborne's always been...

-Treasurer.

-Shadow Treasury.

-Yeah.

Danny Alexander I thought was a Lib Dem anyway.

So the common sense is David Cameron but I don't remember him

-in the Education.

-He must've had some sort of...

-Department.

..experience, mustn't he?

It couldn't have been Danny Alexander, could it?

-Cos he's a Lib Dem, isn't he?

-I'm sure he's Lib Dem.

-Yes.

I don't think he's Tory so I think we've got to go with Cameron.

We've got to go with Cameron but we're not happy with it.

We're unsure here but we're going to go with David Cameron.

David Cameron, it's the correct answer, Eggheads, yes.

OK, Missing In Acton,

in which year was the first Apple Macintosh computer sold?

So it's an Apple Macintosh

-so it's not the little colourful, gorgeous one.

-Right.

They definitely had them in...

They made a whole town, an Apple town in '92. So...

-So '94 is out?

-'94 is definitely out.

-So it's between '84 and '89.

-My gut is '84.

-That's what I'd have gone.

-But I'll leave it up to you.

No, no, I mean, I'm not sure so I'll go with you.

If they'd asked who'd owned them, it's different, it's different...

I reckon I... When it came up, I was thinking it was going to be '83,

-actually when the question was asked.

-Right.

OK, we'll take the George Orwell route and go 1984.

OK, 1984.

The earliest one there and it's the right answer, well done.

You all kind of had that instinct and it's the right answer,

so are the Eggheads going to lose again?

What name is shared by the currencies

of Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan?

The dram is, I believe, Armenia.

The lek is one of the Balkan countries,

so I'm pretty certain it's the som.

-I think it's the som as well.

-Yeah, OK, yeah, fine.

-Can't disagree with that logic.

-Yep.

-I'm pretty certain.

-We think that's the som.

-S-O-M, som,

it is the right answer, Eggheads.

We go to Sudden Death once again.

Missing In Acton, which television presenter

married the actor Chris O'Dowd in August 2012?

Erm...

I can't even think of her name.

Think of English television presenter.

-Do we think it's probably English?

-I reckon.

Yeah, I think they could be English.

Erm...

Is it someone from a morning show or something?

-I've gone blank...

-No news presenter?

I can't think of anyone...

Kate Adie.

Kate Adie!

I think we can discount Kate Adie.

Erm...

Throw some more names because I can't even think of names.

Think of a youthful TV presenter.

-I can't think. Erm...

-Zoe Ball.

-Say a name.

-Say it then, say it, Austin.

-OK, we've got no confidence in this really, but Zoe Ball.

-OK, Zoe Ball.

It is, of course, an answer that I suspect many of your students

-will know.

-Yeah, I know, yeah. I'll get crucified for this.

It's not Zoe Ball. Do you know, Eggheads?

It's Dawn Porter.

It's Dawn Porter, who's now Dawn O'Porter.

Which means, Eggheads, you've got a chance here.

Which British actor played Cedric Diggory in the 2005 film

Harry Potter and the Goblet Of Fire?

I think this is Robert Pattinson.

I think that was his first role before he became famous.

Oh, right, good. Well, I tell you what, you go with that.

-Is it Pattinson or Patterson?

-Pattinson, is it?

-Well, let's get his name right.

-Yeah.

-Robert is safe.

Pattinson, is he the guy that went on to Twilight?

Guy who went on to Twilight, yes.

I think he's Pattinson, but I'm not certain, as opposed to Patterson.

Well, OK, we'll go with your view...

Go with your view.

Robert Pattinson.

OK, Robert Pattinson, yeah, got that.

OK, Robert Pattinson,

and you have got it, Eggheads, it's correct, Robert Pattinson.

Eggheads, you've won.

Well, OK, you lost, Missing In Acton, but, you know, only just.

Even in the head-to-heads, so much Sudden Death in the whole game.

Well done you, but didn't beat the Eggheads in the end

but a really creditable performance.

Thank you very much indeed for playing the Eggheads today.

But 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 £3,000,

which means the money rolls over to our next show.

So, join us next time to see if a new team of Challengers

have the brains to defeat the Eggheads. £4,000 says they don't.

Until then, goodbye.