Episode 45 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.

Taking on the awesome might of our quiz Goliaths today

are the Critical Thinkers from Nottingham.

This team all work together in the surgical high dependency unit

at Queen's Medical Centre. Let's meet them.

Hello, I'm Mick. I'm 48, and I'm a healthcare assistant.

Hello, I'm Jessica. I'm 28 and I'm a nurse.

Hello, my name's Paul. I'm 40 and I'm a critical care nurse.

Hi, I'm Wendy, I'm 51 and I'm a healthcare assistant.

Hi, I'm Matt. I'm 32 and I'm a staff nurse.

Welcome to you, Critical Thinkers. Are you thinkers?

Have you quizzed a lot before this?

-No, we've never quizzed together actually.

-Eek.

It all started out a few months back.

We all went for a drink, as you do,

and, er, it was my idea, shall we all go on Eggheads, get a team together?

Quite a few said, "Yeah, let's get together, yeah."

The next shift, "No, no, no."

So I just put five application forms out in the staff room,

-and this is the end product.

-And this is the end result.

So how have you prepared then?

THEY LAUGH

-Bit like the Eggheads, really.

-We've quizzed in our breaks.

Yeah, quizzing in the breaks, OK. Well, let's put that to the test.

All different approaches can prove to be successful

against the Eggheads

because every day there's £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, Critical Thinkers, the challengers won the last game,

proving it can be done,

and it means £1,000 says

you can't beat the Eggheads today.

So, let's start with our first head-to-head battle,

and this is Film and Television, so who wants to take this on?

-Film and TV.

-That's Wendy.

-That'll be you, Wendy, yeah.

That'll be Wendy.

All right, Wendy, and choose any Egghead you like.

-I'll choose CJ.

-OK.

To kick us off, let's have Wendy and CJ into the question room please.

That's to make sure you can't confer, Wendy.

OK, Wendy, playing Film and Television.

Do you enjoy films and TV?

Yeah, more TV than film,

but I'm hoping the majority of questions will be on TV.

Well, here's hoping. Choose a set for me.

D'you want to go first or second?

Er, I'll go first.

OK, best of luck, Wendy, here is your first question.

Which comedian played Moz in over 50 episodes of

the television comedy show Ideal?

Which comedian played Moz in over 50 episodes of

the TV comedy show Ideal?

Erm, I'm not really sure about this one cos I've not seen it.

Erm, I know Vic Reeves did quite a lot with, erm, Bob Mortimer,

and Paul Whitehouse was in The Fast Show.

So I'm going to go with Johnny Vegas.

Right to do so, it's the correct answer. Good start, Wendy.

CJ, which TV series takes place in

what has become known as the "tent of dreams?"

Which TV series takes place in what's become known as

the "tent of dreams?"

I don't know this, I've never seen any of those shows,

but I think The Great British Bake-Off is...

..set or filmed in a tent, I think.

Er, so on that basis I'll try The Great British Bake-Off.

So you've never seen... Not even a smidgeon of any of those?

-Not a second of any of them, no.

-OK.

Well, it's the tent, then, did lead you to the right answer,

Great British Bake-Off.

OK, Wendy.

Your second question.

Which star of the TV series Mad Men played Emma Frost

in the 2011 film X-Men: First Class?

Which star of the TV series Mad Men played Emma Frost

in the 2011 film X-Men: First Class?

I've never seen either of those two, so it's going to be a complete guess.

I'll go with Elisabeth Moss.

OK, it's a kind of TV-film hybrid question, that one, isn't it?

It's not Elisabeth Moss, it's not the right answer.

-CJ, have you seen...?

-Christina Hendricks.

No, it's January Jones.

Oh, I had the wrong person, sorry.

All right, your second question, CJ.

Which English actor was nominated for a Supporting Actor Oscar

for his performance as Alfred P Doolittle in My Fair Lady?

Which English actor was nominated for a Supporting Actor Oscar

for his performance as Alfred P Doolittle in My Fair Lady?

Well, Stanley Holloway I think was nominated for an Oscar

and I think it was for My Fair Lady.

Whether it was for that role or not I don't know,

but I'll go for Stanley Holloway.

Stanley Holloway.

Get Me To The Church On Time.

It's the right answer, yes, well done.

OK, Wendy.

You need to get this, then, your third question.

In 2013, which actress took on the role of The Oracle

in the TV series Atlantis?

In 2013, which actress took on the role of The Oracle

in the TV series Atlantis?

I'm not doing very well with this, I've not seen that either.

Erm, so, on the basis that I know Juliet Stevenson and

Miranda Richardson, I'll go with the one I don't know, Lesley Manville.

OK, right, Lesley Manville you think, er, in Atlantis.

Have you seen that, CJ?

I haven't but I've got a nagging feeling it's Juliet Stevenson.

Yeah, it's Juliet Stevenson. Bad luck, Wendy.

-Those really didn't fall well for you, did they?

-No.

A bit more to the TV side,

but so much television out there these days, and, er,

wasn't really familiar with Atlantis or indeed Mad Men.

So it means, CJ, you are through to the final round.

No place for you, Wendy.

Would you both come back and join your teams please?

As it stands after that round, the Critical Thinkers have lost

one brain from the final round, the Eggheads are all still there.

So let's play our next head-to-head, and this one's Arts and Books.

Who'd like to play this from the Critical Thinkers?

You, Jess?

-It's not me. Not me.

-Jess.

-Me?

So, Jessica, who would you like to play from the Eggheads?

-CJ's played, but any of the other four are available?

-Who do you want?

-Ooh! Barry?

-Barry, then.

-Why not?

-She's made a decision, Barry.

You're relaxed whoever turns up. OK, it's going to be Barry.

Let's have Jessica and Barry into the question room please.

So, Jessica, another rather hybrid category.

D'you prefer the arts side of this or the literature,

-or hopefully both?

-Hopefully both but probably books more than art.

But we'll see what happens.

We will, and choose for me, d'you want to go first or second?

I'll go first please, Dermot.

OK, first question for you, Jessica.

Which publishing company released a popular series of children's books

called Read It Yourself?

Which publishing company released a popular series of children's books

called Read It Yourself?

Because it's Read It Yourself, it would suggest it's children's,

Ladybird is associated with children's books

so I'm going to go Ladybird.

Good analysis, right answer too. Well done, Jessica, good start.

OK, Barry, in the works by JM Barrie,

Peter Pan is the leader of which gang?

In the works by JM Barrie, Peter Pan is the leader of which gang?

Er, it could be all of them, really,

but I believe Peter Pan was the leader of the Lost Boys.

OK, JM Barrie, a question to Barry.

What's your gang called, the Quiz Boys?

The Outlaws.

Ah, yes, OK.

JM Barrie, yes, Peter Pan, the Lost Boys, right answer.

OK, Jessica. Whose 2013 autobiography is called

Bonkers: My Life In Laughs?

Whose 2013 autobiography is called Bonkers: My Life In Laughs?

Again not sure on this one. I've not heard of it.

Erm, I have heard of Jennifer Saunders and Victoria Wood.

Which one's likely to have written something called Bonkers?

Maybe Victoria Wood? Go down the middle?

OK, Victoria Wood for Bonkers: My Life In Laughs,

they're both very funny

and, er, could have been either.

But it's Jennifer Saunders.

Jennifer Saunders, My Life In Laughs.

OK, Barry.

What is the occupation of Henry Hobson,

a lead character in the play Hobson's Choice by Harold Brighouse?

What is the occupation of Henry Hobson,

a lead character in the play Hobson's Choice by Harold Brighouse?

I believe he was a cobbler.

A cobbler is the right answer, Barry.

All right, Jessica, you need to get this one, your third question.

The work St George and the Dragon,

which was bought by the National Gallery in 1959,

was painted in the 15th century by which Italian artist?

The work St George and the Dragon,

which was bought by the National Gallery in 1959,

was painted in the 15th century by which Italian artist?

Mm, again, not 100%.

I have a feeling it's not Uccello,

but then that could be completely wrong. Mm.

I'm going to say Caravaggio.

No reason why.

All right, having a go with St George and the Dragon by Caravaggio.

Barry, do you know, is it Caravaggio?

Well, Caravaggio's much too late.

The other two are much of a muchness in time.

But I would have gone for Paolo Uccello.

Which is the answer I was looking for, I'm afraid, Jessica.

It is Paolo Uccello, which means we have to end the round now.

There's Barry with his two on the board already.

It means you won't be playing in the final round, Jessica.

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

OK, well, after that round, it means the Critical Thinkers have lost

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

So we move on to our third round today,

and our next subject is Politics.

Who'd like to play this for the Critical Thinkers?

-Mm-mm.

-Mick, Paul or Matt.

-I'll, erm...

-Come on, Matt.

-I'll do it.

Yeah, I'll take this on.

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

Barry and CJ of course have played,

so you can go on down the line there with Chris, Judith or Pat.

I'd like to take on Judith.

All right, let's have Matt and Judith

into the question room for this one please.

So, Matt, if you win this round you might treat us to your party piece?

No, I don't think so.

What is it?

Belly dancing.

LAUGHTER

I was put up to it by several of my colleagues.

The two bosses were out with us on a staff night out, and they were

supposed to get up and do a belly dance in a Greek restaurant.

And, erm, I ended up doing it instead,

with my brother-in-law, who knew nobody. So he was braver than I was.

-OK. Did you have to wear the outfit?

-No, thankfully.

-Phew!

Bit of a let-off there. OK, let's play the politics round then.

-Would you like to go first or second?

-I think I'll go first.

Best of luck, Matt. Here's your question then.

In April 2013,

Enrico Letta was sworn in as prime minister of which European nation?

In April 2013,

Enrico Letta was sworn in as prime minister of which European nation?

Enrico, I'll just spell the surname,

L-E-T-T-A.

Enrico Letta.

OK, I don't know who the prime minister is

of any of those three countries.

I know the Chancellor of Germany's Angela Merkel,

and Italy are going through a bit of turmoil at the moment.

I think...

I think I'm going to go with Italy against my better judgment.

Well, it's good judgment cos it's the right answer. Well done.

You have it. Enrico Letta, Prime Minister of Italy.

So, Judith, the French Foreign Ministry is popularly known by

the name of which street in Paris?

The French Foreign Ministry is popularly known by

the name of which street in Paris?

I think that's the Quai d'Orsay.

Yes, it is. One apiece.

Matt, your second question.

Prior to the 2010 General Election,

which of these was a phrase used by Conservative strategists to define

a certain section of the demographic that they were targeting?

Prior to the 2010 General Election,

which of these was a phrase used by Conservative strategists to define

a certain section of the demographic that they were targeting?

I've not heard this phrase. Erm...

I watch all three.

Erm, that doesn't really help me.

I can't think that it'd be Holby City Woman.

Ohhh...

I have no idea. I'm going to have to take a guess.

I think they already appeal to Antiques Roadshow Woman.

I think DIY SOS Woman is what I'm going to go with,

it's probably wrong.

OK, you're trying to think yourself into the mind of

a Conservative strategist.

-Erm, it is Holby City Woman.

-Oh, OK.

Holby City Woman, which, erm, you discounted to start with

so we were always going to choose between the wrong answers there.

So, Judith, your second one, how will you do with this?

Gro Harlem Brundtland served three terms as

prime minister of which country?

Gro Harlem Brundtland served three terms as

-prime minister of which country?

-Can you spell all of that?

G-R-O,

H-A-R-L-E-M,

B-R-U-N-D-T-L-A-N-D.

Erm, I don't know. Very obscure prime ministers, all of these.

Erm, I think it might be Norway.

It is Norway, and, er, pretty famous.

-Was he? Oh, dear...

-She.

Oh, sorry. There you are.

OK, but Judith got it, so it means you need to get this, Matt.

Which Australian politician infamously described an

economic slump in the country in the 1990s as, quote unquote,

"the recession we had to have?"

Which Australian politician infamously described an

economic slump in the country in the 1990s

as "the recession we had to have"?

Well, I've no idea.

My best mate's Australian and he follows politics very closely.

Erm, so, he's going to kill me for this.

I'm going to have to guess with Tony Abbott.

I think I've heard of Tony Abbott, so...

OK, you've heard of Tony Abbott, yes,

because Tony Abbott's more recent than the other two.

So it's not Tony Abbott, we're talking about the 1990s.

-Do you know, Judith?

-Bob... Paul Keating?

-Bob Keating, or...

-No.

-..Paul Hawke.

-Erm, either!

No, Paul Keating.

It's the one you said, it is Paul Keating, yes,

Paul Keating described a slump in the '90s as

"the recession we had to have".

That has concluded your challenge, I'm afraid, Matt.

-OK.

-Judith is through to the final round.

Would you both come back and join your teams please?

The Critical Thinkers have now lost three brains from the final,

the Eggheads haven't lost any, so let's change it, shall we?

Let's get rid of at least one of them right here with a Music round.

That's Mick or Paul to play it. Music.

-I'll take Music.

-That'll be Mick.

Good man, Mick. Now you can choose from Chris or Pat.

We've got a similar taste in music so I'll have Chris.

All right, it's Mick and Chris, then, into the question room please.

Mick, you must enjoy a television quiz,

you've done well on The Weakest Link, haven't you, in the past?

Yeah, Anne Robinson was her normal charming self

and asked why I didn't audition to be a Chuckle Brother instead.

I think it's the mullet, but she didn't understand what a mullet was.

-So you gave as good as you got.

-Oh, yeah.

-You had the last laugh, didn't you?

-Yeah, I won it in the end.

It was worth it. I've been called worse things.

Good man. OK, well, the music round.

-Would you like to go first or second?

-I'll go first.

OK, Mick, good luck, here you go.

"Ain't no particular sign I'm more compatible with"

is a line from which song by Prince?

"Ain't no particular sign I'm more compatible with"

is a line from which song by Prince?

Ah, could be any of those, really.

Just trying to get it through me head.

Going to discount Raspberry Beret.

I'm going to go for Kiss.

Kiss is the right answer, yes, well done.

-Kind of more memorable now by Tom Jones, really, isn't it?

-Yeah.

Yeah, OK, Chris.

In a Bob Dylan song, who is asked to "play a song for me"?

In a Bob Dylan song, who's asked to "play a song for me"?

Oh, great hippie stuff. It's Mr Tambourine Man.

Yeah, Barry's playing his air tambourine right now.

One of my all-time favourite songs, beautiful imagery in that song.

It is the right answer, Mr Tambourine Man.

OK, Mick, second question.

In the musical Oliver,

which character sings the song Where Is Love?

In the musical Oliver,

which character sings the song Where Is Love?

I'm not so good on the musicals. I'm going to discount Oliver.

Go down the right-hand side and say Nancy on this one.

OK, Nancy for Where Is Love?

I'm afraid there were a few groans, Mick,

when you discounted Oliver, for it is Oliver.

Young Oliver singing Where Is Love?

OK, Chris, your second question.

In which century did Henry Steinway found his piano manufacturing company?

In which century did Henry Steinway

found his piano manufacturing company?

Yeah, they were quite industrialised so it would be the 19th century.

It's the right answer, yes. Right, alarm bells ringing

for Mick. You need this, Mick.

In which role is Simon Keenlyside a leading performer in classical music?

In which role is Simon Keenlyside

a leading performer in classical music?

I've not got a clue on this one.

Never heard of him as an opera singer

or a conductor, so I'll go for flautist.

OK, flautist. Simon Keenlyside, have you heard of him, Chris?

-Not heard of him, but that's what I'd go for.

-Oh, OK.

It's not the right answer. Other Egghead?

He's an opera singer.

He's an opera singer.

Which means, well, the fat lady has sung, it closes down this round.

It is the end of the round, means,

Chris, you're going to be in the final round.

You won't be there, Mick. Come back and join your teams.

Well, this is what we've been playing towards.

Time for the final round, which, as always, is general Knowledge.

But those of you who lost your head-to-heads

aren't allowed to play in this round.

So, Mick, Jessica, Wendy and Matt, all from The Critical Thinkers,

would you leave the studio now, please?

So, Paul, you're playing to win The Critical Thinkers £1,000.

CJ, Barry, Chris, Judith and Pat,

you are playing for something that money cannot buy -

the Eggheads' reputation.

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

The questions are all General Knowledge and you can confer.

Paul, the question is,

is your one brain better than the Eggheads' five?

And, Paul, do you want to go first or second in this round?

I think I'll follow the example of my team, Dermot, and go first, please.

Very best of luck, Paul.

Your first question is this.

The Antonine Wall, which ran across central Scotland

was named after an emperor from which civilisation?

The Antonine Wall, which ran across central Scotland

was named after an emperor from which civilisation?

Um...well...

I must confess, I don't know a lot about the Antonine Wall.

I've heard of Hadrian's Wall, which was certainly a Roman construction.

Um...

I don't think the Greeks or the Egyptians had a great influence

in our country, so I'm going to have to go with the Romans.

Yes, the Greeks or the Egyptians, yes...

not building walls in Scotland.

It is the right answer, well done. Well worked out, Paul,

because it's never easy on your own

even with the wide spacing of those options.

Eggheads, tell us about the Antonine Wall,

further north than Hadrian's Wall.

Does it predate it?

-No, it's afterwards.

-Afterwards.

-I think it was built

by Emperor Antoninus Pius who was a late-2nd-century emperor.

So, there we are. OK, well identified, Paul, Roman

and not Greek or Egyptian. So, Eggheads,

your first question.

Lincoln is a shade of which colour,

said to have been worn by Robin Hood?

Lincoln is a shade of which colour,

said to have been worn by Robin Hood?

-Go for green.

-That's green, Dermot.

Not turquoise?

-Uh-huh.

-Only in Men In Tights.

It is green, Lincoln green, of course. OK.

Paul, your second question. Good start there.

Which of these words is used to mean

an Italian Renaissance cathedral church?

Which of these words is used to mean

an Italian Renaissance cathedral church?

Gosh, um...

I think stiletto was a type of dagger.

I think it was a weapon, so I don't think it's that.

Rococo, I think, is a period of design.

Um...

I'm not 100% sure, but, best guess, I'm going to try duomo.

OK. It's a very good guess cos it's the right answer.

Well done, Paul.

And where would you go in Italy,

Eggheads, for a very famous duomo?

-The most famous duomo is in Florence.

-Florence.

-Florence.

Oh, yes. Anyone tell me any more about the Duomo in Florence?

The dome was the first to be built for a very long time.

By Brunelleschi.

-Oh.

-And it was built out of brick,

and for a couple of hundred years afterwards,

nobody knew how he managed to do it.

It's very striking, isn't it, almost shiny on the outside.

It has two shells - an inner and an outer shell -

very cleverly managed to construct platforms

between them to build it up and I think it wasn't until

the last part of the 20th century

-that they figured out how he managed to do it.

-Fascinating.

OK, well, well done, Paul.

You have two, Eggheads have one, second question for you, Eggheads.

St Swithin was a Saxon bishop of which city?

St Swithin was a Saxon bishop of which city?

Patron saint of Winchester.

-Winchester.

-Definitely Winchester.

That's Winchester, Dermot.

You don't need Kevin to tell you that, it is Winchester.

There's an interesting thing about St Swithin. His tomb was actually

outside the cathedral because he was such a modest and humble man

that he wanted people to walk over his tomb.

-Oh, OK.

-So there's not many saints

-who had their tomb built outside their own cathedral.

-No.

-OK.

-In the ground.

-Right, we go to a third question apiece.

Paul, Alex Dowsett

found fame as a leading British competitor in which sport?

Alex Dowsett - D-O-W-S-E-T-T -

Alex Dowsett found fame as a leading British competitor in which sport?

Oh, dear. Um...

Sport was the one category I hoped wouldn't come up.

I've never heard of this gentleman.

I have no interest in any of these sporting activities.

Um, so this is going to have to be a complete guess, I'm afraid.

Um...

..cycling perhaps gets more coverage in the media, so...

maybe if it was cycling, I may have heard him in passing.

Let's go for...

gymnastics.

OK, gymnastics for Alex Dowsett. What would you say, Eggheads,

-if it was your question?

-I'd have guessed sailing.

-Probably sailing.

-I'm not confident at all.

-OK, sailing, that's interesting.

Sir Alex Dowsett...

..is a cyclist.

-Cyclist.

-THEY MUMBLE

Yes, well, and also, to add to

considerable achievements, he also has to deal with haemophilia.

-He's a haemophiliac as well.

-When was he?

-Right now.

-Oh, really?

-A current cyclist.

-Why haven't I heard of him?

All right, but a chance for the Eggheads.

In which film did Frank Sinatra sing the Oscar-winning song All The Way?

In which film did Frank Sinatra sing the Oscar-winning song All The Way?

I thought The Man With The Golden Arm was about drug addiction.

-Yeah, but he's a...

-He's a musician.

A trumpeter. Jazz.

-Wouldn't be Ocean's

-Eleven. There aren't any songs in that, are there?

-Apart from the soundtrack.

-There are songs in The Joker Is Wild, though.

I don't know that film at all, I'm afraid.

I don't know, no.

He's a trumpet player in The Man With The Golden Arm.

He's a criminal in Ocean's Eleven.

Do we know anything at all about The Joker Is Wild?

I know nothing about that film.

-He's a card sharp.

-But if The Joker Is Wild is to do

-with gambling, you could relate that to...

-Yes.

..sticking with drug use or with bad luck, so, yeah...

Barry, you've some recollection of songs in The Joker as well.

Well, I've some recollection that there are songs in it, but...

-Have you seen it?

-It's very vague.

-Have you seen it?

-No.

I've only seen Ocean's Eleven.

We're going to be guessing here.

I would guess at The Joker Is Wild then.

Yes, that would be my gut feel.

OK, if you've recollection of songs in that, I'm happy to go with that.

There's no reason he couldn't do a trumpet solo, then sing the song.

Well, it's definitely got music in it, that's why I'd go for it.

Still, I mean...

-Nobody really knows anything.

-No.

-They're not sure.

-CJ: We don't know.

We're at a loss here. We're going to go for The Joker Is Wild.

We could judge from that conversation,

having a guess at The Joker Is Wild.

You think it's definitely not Ocean's Eleven, so choosing between

The Man With The Golden Arm, where you say Sinatra played a trumpeter,

wondering if he sang as well in that.

Well, Eggheads, the answer is...

The Joker Is Wild. You have won.

Sighs of relief from the Eggheads.

Well done, Paul, it's never easy on your own.

-No.

-You did well.

-Not quite enough, I'm afraid.

-You did very well,

but not enough on the day. Thank you for taking on the Eggheads.

Thanks to all the Critical Thinkers

who came along to give the Eggheads a contest. Very good to see you.

But those Eggheads have done what comes naturally to them

and they reign supreme over quiz land once again.

I'm afraid you won't be going home with £1,000.

That means the money rolls over to our next show.

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

have the brains to defeat the Eggheads.

£2,000 says they don't.

And until then, goodbye.