Episode 33 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 the might of our quiz goliaths

today are The Featherheads. This team of friends

all know one another through

playing badminton together in the Coventry league.

Let's meet them.

Hi, I'm Barry, I'm 61 and I'm a retired engineer.

Hi, I'm Dave, I'm 49 and I'm an author.

Hi, my name's Phil, I'm 48 and I'm a metrologist.

Hello, I'm Simon, I'm 52 and I'm a retired police officer.

Hello, I'm Wayne, I'm 57 and I'm an accountant.

Welcome to you, Featherheads.

Right, I'm understanding the team name now, with the badminton link, there,

I thought it was just another play on the Eggheads.

We have many teams doing that.

No, no, the actual feathers, because we play a lot of matches with feathers

rather than synthetic ones.

Are these seen as the best shuttlecocks?

Erm, arguably yes, but if you play in the lower leagues and never

play with anything other than plastic, people would disagree.

-But...

-they are, they do produce a better game.

-OK.

And, so, was it after a match that you decided to play the Eggheads, take them on?

Basically, yes. Yes, we...

because of the nature of what we do, we could play any night of the week.

We just go to the nearest pub to celebrate our win or loss

and half the time, a lot of the times we're probably halfway through

a quiz and we've found we were doing quite well,

and that's where the idea sprung from. Let's put a team into Eggheads!

OK, it wasn't because you got hit in the back of the head with a shuttlecock,

-or something like that?

-Not just lately, no.

All right, well, you're coming in at the very beginning of this quiz.

You're going to pay the whole game and try and beat the Eggheads. 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.

So, Featherheads, the Eggheads have won just the last game,

means £2,000 says you can't beat them today.

Let's see what our first head-to-head is,

it's Film and Television.

This is your first chance, of course,

to try and get an Egghead

knocked out of the game.

Who wants to play?

-I think that's you, Barry!

-Yeah, yeah.

-Yeah. I'll go for that.

Straight in with you, Barry. OK, and which Egghead would you like to play?

Interesting choice. I think I shall take on Chris, please.

-Yes, indeed.

-Why not?

-OK, the two players closest to me, then.

It's Chris and Barry playing the opening round from the Question Room, please.

OK, Barry.

Well, we had a nice chat about badminton, let's get on with Film and Television.

Would you like to go first or second?

I'd like to go first, please.

OK, good luck, Barry. Here you go.

The TV comedy Extras was written by which duo?

Erm... Well, to my knowledge, I don't think Dawn French

and Miranda Hart have ever done anything together.

I could be wrong.

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are normally doing the films,

like Shaun of the Dead.

But I'm pretty sure it's Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant.

Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant as writers of the Extras,

correct. Good start.

Well done, Barry. Chris.

Judi Dench, Joan Plowright, Maggie Smith, Lily Tomlin

and Cher star in the 1999 film, Tea With whom?

Well, that was set in pre-war Italy, and it's

Tea With Mussolini.

Tea With Mussolini is the right answer.

OK, both off to a flying start. Barry.

Which of these films features Cybill Shepherd as Betsy?

Erm... Hmm.

I'm pretty sure it's not Easy Rider.

I don't remember Cybill Shepherd being in that.

Taxi Driver was a Robert De Niro film.

Midnight Express, what was that...?

I'm not too sure, actually.

I'll go for Taxi Driver.

Taxi Driver, after a bit of thought, you've got it. Well done, Barry.

You have two.

Chris. Who is the host of That Puppet Game Show, first seen in August 2013?

Yes, rather appropriate name, it's Dougie Colon.

OK, yeah. That's the right answer. You got it.

And third question, then, Barry.

The film, In Which We Serve,

written by Noel Coward, was produced in which year?

It's a film I've heard of

but I can't particularly place.

In Which We Serve has military connotations.

1942 was in the middle of the war, but...

'52 is post-war, when...

..erm... you wouldn't really want to

talk about war, possibly.

1962 isn't ringing a bell at all. I think I'll have to go for 1942.

-OK, '42, during the war itself.

-Yeah.

And you're right.

It's the right answer.

OK, Chris.

Who played Admiral Nelson,

the commander of the nuclear submarine, Seaview, in the 1960s

television series, Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea?

That was Richard Basehart.

Yes, it was. Richard Basehart. It's all square.

First round and Sudden Death, straight off.

So, Barry, just to remind you, I know you know it,

we remove those options after three questions to try to sort out a winner.

Here's your question.

Which 1986 film stars River Phoenix as Chris Chambers,

Corey Feldman as Teddy Duchamp and Wil Wheaton as Gordie Lachance?

Oh... it's a Stephen King erm, novel.

Oh, it's erm...

Do they find a body on a railway line?

Erm, no, I can't think of anything that I know, it isn't right. Erm...

-So I can't really hazard a guess, it's just not coming.

-So is that a pass, then?

-Yes, it's got to be, I'm sorry.

-OK.

-Sorry, team!

-Anyone know?

-Stand By Me.

-Stand By Me, Chris knew it, wasn't his question. OK.

Chris, this is your question.

Vivean Gray, who was Mrs Mangel in Neighbours, played a character

called Ida Jessup in the 1970s in which Australian TV drama series?

Ida Jessup was in The Sullivans.

She was, it's the right answer. You know your Aussie soaps.

The Sullivans is the correct answer, which means, just,

through Sudden Death, you are in the final round.

We can see how good a player Barry was, there,

but the name escaped him, of Stand By Me, in Sudden Death, means you won't be the final round.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

First blood to the Eggheads.

As it stands, the Challengers have lost one brain from

the final rounds. So, to our next head-to-head.

This is Science. Who'd like to play this from The Featherheads?

-We've got that one worked out as well, haven't we?

-Yeah.

-I'll do that one.

-OK.

Right, Dave, who would you like to play from the Eggheads?

-Who do you think? Hmm?

-Dave.

Battle of the Daves, I think.

All right, just to make it easier for me, then.

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

So, Featherhead Dave,

would you like to go first or second in this Science round?

First, please.

And best of luck, Dave. Here you go.

What name is given to a tapering structure formed of calcium salts

that hangs like an icicle from the roof of a cave?

I think I remember this one from chemistry.

My teacher used to say," to tell the difference between a stalactite

"and a stalagmite, tights come down," so erm,

I think I'm going to go for stalactite.

OK, stalactite.

It's the right answer, of course, yes, good start.

Egghead Dave.

An artificial version of which food was

created in a laboratory at a cost of over 300,000

and was served for the first time in London in August 2013?

I don't think it's a chicken drumstick.

I don't think it's a smoked salmon.

I think it's a very, very expensive beef burger.

I probably wouldn't even pay a fiver for it.

I think you're about right, 300 grand sounds a lot.

Beef burger is the right answer, well done, Dave.

Back to Challenger Dave.

The foxglove plant belongs to which genus?

This is a difficult one. I don't know much about flowers.

But I've got a feeling

that it's Digitalis.

So, I'm going to go with my feeling.

OK, the feeling for Digitalis.

It's the right answer. Yes, good feeling.

Egghead Dave, in a human body in a standing position,

which of these bones is located highest?

If you're standing up, aye, cos...

yeah, I think the humerus is the funny bone.

The upper arm, so...

Yeah, I'll go humerus.

Yeah, just being very careful and getting the right answer,

yes, you're up on your anatomy, there.

So, it's all square at two all.

And Featherhead Dave.

A dugong is related to which of these creatures?

Again, there's something in the back of my mind, here, I think...

the rhea are a kind of a bird.

An iguana is a kind of a lizard.

I've got a pretty strong feeling that a dugong is a kind of a manatee.

-So, manatee.

-Manatee.

Your feelings are working very well for you there,

it's the right answer, again.

Three - two.

So, Egghead Dave, what type of gemstone is the Patricia,

a 632 carat specimen found in Colombia in 1920

and now on display at the American Museum of Natural History?

I haven't got a clue.

Erm...

I'm going to go Emerald.

It's the right answer, it's Sudden Death.

OK, Featherhead Dave.

The name of which are astronomical body was

suggested by 11-year-old Venetia Burney from Oxford,

whose great-uncle had suggested the name of the

two moons of Mars, Phobos and Deimos?

Well...

It's likely to be a moon,

of one of the planets,

I think.

Although I think individual asteroids are sometimes given names, as well.

I have almost no clue at all,

so I'm just going to say a random name, like, erm...

Fido.

Fido?

Which, bizarrely, is not too far off.

If we think through our Disney cartoons,

-it's not Fido, do you know?

-Well, when you said Disney cartoons

and I wouldn't have had a clue, but Pluto?

-It's Pluto.

-Unbelievable.

-Pluto.

-A planet.

A planet, yes. It was the astronomical body.

OK, Dave from the Eggheads.

The TV presenter, Emma Freud, is the great-granddaughter of which psychoanalyst?

I was about to say something else, there, and be very embarrassing.

But erm,

I've got to go Sigmund Freud.

OK, Sigmund Freud is correct, Dave.

You've just made it into the final round

on Sudden Death, again, to sort out a winner.

but, again, the Egghead has just squeezed through. Bad luck, Dave from the Featherheads,

you won't be playing in the final round.

Would you both, please, come back and join your teams?

I don't think the luck's gone the Featherheads' way, so far.

They've lost two brains from the final round, the Eggheads haven't lost any.

Let's change that, shall we? See if you can knock an Egghead out on this category,

our third-round, it's Music.

Who'd like to play this from the Featherheads?

-We've got a -

-That's me, is it?

-That Simon.

-Yeah, go for it, Simon.

OK, Simon, and who from the Eggheads would you like to play? Chris and Dave have played,

so you can have Kevin, Pat, or Judith.

-Erm, I think I'll take Judith, please, Dermot.

-All right.

It's Simon and Judith, then, playing this one.

And could I ask you both, please, to go to the Question Room to make sure you can't confer.

So, Simon, I know you've got a huge music collection,

but what does it contain? Is it fairly comprehensive?

Erm, it's mainly '70s, Dermot.

That's my main interest, obviously, growing up in the '70s, that's the period

that I'm interested in with music.

I've basically travelled the highways and byways of the Midlands,

seeking out charity shops and car boot sales

and then I have to try and sneak the records back into the house

so that my partner, Delia, doesn't find them.

OK. Right, well, let's play the round, then and hopefully

some of that knowledge will stand you in good stead.

Do you want to go first or second, Simon?

I'll go first please, Dermot.

Here you are. Members of which of these groups

sang on the 1984 UK number one

single, Do They Know It's Christmas?

Well, that single was the British version,

so I'll rule Blondie out straightaway.

Erm...

From the other two, I'm pretty sure that it was Bananarama.

Bananarama, it is. Yes, of course. OK.

And Judith, which composer's famous fifth symphony begins with

four notes that are often described as da-da-da-da?

I think that's Beethoven.

Yes, it is. Well off the mark, both of you.

Simon, in 1970,

The Jimi Hendrix Experience had

a UK number one single with which song?

Fortunately, that's the period that I'm interested in,

Get It On was T Rex and Son Of My Father was Chicory Tip,

leaving Voodoo Chile for Jimi Hendrix.

Voodoo Chile, Jimi Hendrix, yes.

That was...

..just the question you wanted, OK.

Judith, Greaseball,

Electra and Flat-Top are characters in which musical?

Well, definitely not Mamma Mia!

And I don't think Wicked, because Wicked is about

the witches, isn't it?

So, Starlight Express.

Starlet Express, yes.

You got it, too. Everyone is quizzing so well today.

Fantastic answers from both teams, we'd kind of expect it from the Eggheads,

but every now and again they get a few questions wrong in the opening exchanges.

All right, Simon, third question.

Scott Joplin's rag, The Strenuous Life,

was inspired by which historical figure?

Not my field of excellence, this one. Erm...

They're all American figures,

no clues there.

Erm...

I think I'll just take a plump and do a Judith

and go down the right and go for Thomas Edison.

Thomas Edison for a Strenuous Life.

Well, they all worked very hard.

It's not Thomas Edison, Judith?

-Is it Henry Ford?

-No, so I won't ask the other Eggheads, then.

It's Theodore Roosevelt.

All right, well...

A chance for Judith to take the round.

Judith, what was the title of Kylie Minogue's second album?

Oh, goodness. Erm...

I think it's Be Yourself.

Erm, Kylie Minogue's second album...

..it's not!

No, we are going to Sudden Death, let's just clear this one up.

Do you know, Simon, or is it out of your...

-Again, it's too late for me, Dermot.

-Yeah, too late. Eggheads?

-Enjoy Yourself?

-Enjoy Yourself. Enjoy Yourself.

Hope you're still enjoying yourselves in the Question Room.

But Sudden Death, again.

Every round so far.

Simon, in 2012, which singer

had her second UK number one single with Domino?

I know my daughter will be shouting this answer out!

Erm, I'll, Emeli Sande, I don't know.

OK, Emeli Sande.

No, it's not though, Judith, any idea?

-Jessie J?

-It is Jessie J.

Jessie J. But not

Judith's question. This is yours, Judith.

Which Spice Girl had a UK number one single in the year 2000

with Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes and the song,

Never Be The Same Again?

Oh, gosh. Erm, Emma Bunton.

One of five, but no. Not Emma Bunton.

Other Eggheads?

-Mel C.

-Mel C. Melanie C.

OK, right, well, on we go.

Simon, Spring, Spring, Spring

and June Bride are songs from which film musical?

Again, not one that I know, I'll have a guess at the one that's got

brides in the title and go, Seven Brides For Seven Brothers.

Is the right answer. Seven Brides For Seven Brothers.

Judith. Welcome To The Machine and Have A Cigar

are tracks on which 1975 Pink Floyd album?

Welcome To The Machine

and Have A Cigar are tracks on which 1975 Pink Floyd album?

I have no idea.

-Is that a pass?

-Yes.

OK, right, just, no point there.

Well, I bet Simon will know.

It's Wish You Were Here.

Wish You Were Here is the right answer, so you're definitely

going through to the final round, we're not passing it over.

And very honest of Judith, there, not to mess around,

just didn't have a clue about Pink Floyd albums.

That means you won't be in the final round Judith,

you're going to be there Simon, you've won through.

Would you both, please, come back and join your teams?

Well, it just got better for The Featherheads, they've knocked one Egghead,

now, out of the final round, they have lost two brains themselves.

So, will it be all square?

Round four, last head-to-head, is Arts and Books.

So, who'd like to play this, we've got Phil or Wayne?

Not ideal, is it?

It's not ideal for me, but I'm going to take the hit for the team and that will be me.

All right, Phil. And erm, you can play Kevin or Pat?

-You can take whichever one you fancy.

-Erm.

-Take the easy one.

I'll take the easy one and I'll take Kevin, please.

Yeah, cos he's a pushover, isn't he?

Let's have Phil and Kevin into the Question Room, please.

Well, Phil, with your tongue very firmly planted in your cheek,

there, said you were taking on the easier Egghead.

I'm sure you'll give it a good go, would you like to go first or second?

Oh, I think I'll put the pressure on and I'll go second, please.

Yeah, let Kevin slip-up first, shall we? OK, Kevin.

In Oscar Wilde's play, The Importance Of Being Earnest,

what is the name of Gwendolen Fairfax's mother?

In Oscar Wilde's play The Importance Of Being Earnest,

what is the name of Gwendolen Fairfax's mother?

I'll let somebody else do the handbag impersonation,

it's Lady Bracknell.

Chris?

A handbag!?

He's pretty good, isn't he?

It is Lady Bracknell, of course. It is the right answer.

And erm,

Kevin can't hear, but he knows Chris did that proud.

OK, Phil, here's your first question, then.

Who wrote the bestselling 2012 thriller, Gone Girl?

Who wrote the bestselling 2012 thriller, Gone Girl?

I have to admit, erm,

as I said, not very good on books,

I really don't have an idea.

Erm...

So, I'm going to go straight down the middle

-and go with Kate Atkinson.

-OK, Kate Atkinson for Gone Girl.

Sorry, Phil, no.

Do you know of the other two, Kevin?

-It's Gillian Flynn.

-It is Gillian Flynn.

OK, Kevin.

Your second question.

Which artist designed the 2013 Brit Awards statue?

Which artist designed the 2013 Brit Awards statue?

I'm not sure on this, but I think it's most likely to be

Damien Hirst, so I'll say Damien Hirst.

Is that just a hunch?

I think, possibly, I read it somewhere.

It is Damien Hirst.

Oh, you've got a big lead, now,

so we'll have to get you in the game, here, Phil.

Which novel by Henry James features a divorced couple called Beale and Ida Farange

and their irresponsible relationship with their daughter?

Which novel by Henry James

features a divorced couple called Beale and Ida Farange

and their irresponsible relationship with their daughter?

Well, again, erm, I don't really have an idea on this one,

so it's going to have to be a guess.

And I'll try the lucky right, myself, this time

and it's What Monica Drew - Knew, sorry.

OK, What Monica Knew, for

Henry James's novel featuring

that divorced couple and their daughter. Erm...

it's not, it is What Maisie Knew,

What Maisie Knew,

really bad luck there, Phil, with... you said you didn't like

the book-side of this category and you got two questions

about novels, there,

but it means we draw a close to the round, already.

Bad luck, Phil, you won't be in the final round.

Kevin will be there, would you both please come back and join your teams.

And 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, Barry, Dave and Phil from The Featherheads

and Judith from the Eggheads,

would you leave the studio, now, please?

So then, Simon and Wayne, you are playing to win The Featherheads £2,000.

Chris, Pat, Dave and Kevin, you're playing for something which money cannot buy,

it is your very reputation.

And as usual, I will ask each team three questions in turn,

this time the questions are all General Knowledge and you are allowed to confer.

So, Featherheads, the question is,

are your two brains better than the Eggheads' four?

And Simon and Wayne, would you like to go first or second in this round?

Erm, I think we'll put the pressure on and go first.

OK, good luck, guys. Here is your first question, then.

The Indian state of Goa has a coastline on which body of water?

The Indian state of Goa has a coastline on which body of water?

-You've been there for your holidays.

-I've been there on

-a cruise ship.

-That was lucky, then. Can you remember where it was?

I think it was the Arabian Sea.

Arabian Sea.

Arabian Sea, OK, you've been to Goa, but not there for very long,

-it was, what, a brief stopover on a cruise?

-One day.

Well, you knew you were sailing on the Arabian Sea,

it is the right answer, well done.

And, Eggheads, which of these was

a nickname for Bonnie Prince Charlie, or Charles Edward Stuart?

Which of these was a nickname for Bonnie Prince Charlie,

or Charles Edward Stuart?

-The Young Pretender.

-The Young Pretender?

-Yeah. Young Pretender.

He was The Young Pretender.

The Young Pretender is the correct answer, Eggheads.

One all.

Featherheads, in grammar, the phrase,

"We will have beaten them by the end of this game"

is an example of what type of tense?

In grammar, the phrase,

"We will have beaten them by the end of this game"

is an example of what type of tense?

"We will have beaten them by the end of this game."

Do you know?

I did Latin at school and this sort of thing cropped up

but that was a long time ago.

I don't think it's present perfect...

No, I think we'll get rid of that one.

It's...

which one do you fancy out of past or future?

Past continuous, I think.

Do you think?

We'll go for it. Decision made.

Well then, we'll go for...

We're 50-50 on past continuous or future perfect,

we'll go for past continuous.

OK, past continuous,

"for we will have beaten them by the end of this game",

rather appropriate, given the game we're playing.

It's not, I'm sorry, it's not past continuous.

-Eggheads?

-Future perfect.

It is future perfect, of your 50-50, it is the other one,

it's future perfect, not past continuous.

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

Eggheads, the mountain, Slieve Donard, is located in which part of Ireland?

The mountain, Slieve Donard, is located in which part of Ireland?

-The highest in the Mourne Mountains?

-County Down, yes.

I think it's the highest peak in the Mourne Mountains

and it's in County Down.

-County Down?

-County Down.

Is the correct answer, Eggheads, yes, you've got it.

It means serious business, here.

It means you've got to get this, Featherheads.

How many appearances did Gary Lineker make for

the England football team between 1984 and 1992?

How many appearances did Gary Lineker make for

the England football team between 1984 and 1992?

I know he scored 48 goals.

-Yeah.

-Erm...

It could be any of them, couldn't it?

Yeah. So, if he scored a goal every other game...

That would be 98.

96 sounds a bit close to 100.

I think he might have just tried to carry on, if he was that close.

Yeah.

I think 80 is too few for 48 goals.

-So, my guess would be 88. But I don't know.

-Yeah.

I'd say it could be any of them, I think, but, go on, we'll try it.

Yeah, we're not really sure...

We'll go straight down the middle, 88.

OK, straight down the middle, like he did with some of his penalties.

And as you knew there, prolific scorer for club and country.

but a prolific scorer for England.

And I wonder if that's led you astray a bit,

because, an incredible strike rate,

the answer is 80.

80 caps for England, which means, Eggheads, you've won.

-Bad luck. Maybe it would have been better if you hadn't known how many goals Gary Lineker...

-Yeah.

..had scored for England. It's been a great quiz,

thank you very much indeed for playing the Eggheads today. You can see how even it's been

and how many Sudden Deaths. All of you, I can tell, are really good quizzers.

-Maybe take them on at badminton...

-Definitely.

..to even it up, next time, for the money. But thank you very much

for playing the Eggheads, but they've done what comes naturally to them,

they still reign supreme again over quiz land, I'm afraid.

You won't be going home with the £2,000 and that means the money rolls over to the next show.

So, 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, goodbye.