Episode 9 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 our resident quiz champions today

are Age And Beauty from Cambridge.

This friends and family team is comprised of old school friends.

I'm guessing that must be the age part of their team name.

And the beauty? Well, Andrew, that must be you. Let's meet them.

Hi, I'm Isaac, I'm 20,

and I'm studying economics at the University of York.

Hi, I'm Neil, I'm 20,

and I'm studying physiology at Newcastle University.

Hi, I'm Will, I'm 20, I'm studying history and philosophy

at the University of Leeds.

Hi, my name is Will,

I'm 21 and I'm studying geography at the University of Leeds.

Hi, my name is Andrew, I'm 53 and I'm an insurance broker.

OK, good to see you, Age And Beauty, I see.

So you're mixing up the younger end of things

and a bit of experience down the far end there.

Just explain to us, Isaac, the relationships.

You three closest to me went to school together?

Yes, myself, Neil and the first Will are school friends.

And Will Harrison is Will Ford's friend from Leeds University.

So, a bit complicated, but...!

And Will Ford, Will F, you brought your dad along?

Yeah. He was, you know, lost, needed some direction.

Thought I'd bring him down.

OK, well, we've got that mixture, then, in the ages there.

Let's see how you do against the Eggheads today.

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, Age And Beauty, the Eggheads have won the last nine games.

It means we're into five figures,

£10,000 says you can't beat the Eggheads today. Right.

As you know, the rules of the game are, you try and knock them out

in four head-to-heads before the final round.

The first of those head-to-heads is going to be

on the subject of Geography.

And who'd like to play it?

I think we've already decided I'm going to take that one.

OK, right, it's going to be you, Will H. And which Egghead?

Any of those five, it's the opening round.

I reckon I'm going to have to take on CJ with that shirt.

LAUGHTER

That shirt and some deficiencies in certain parts...

HE HASTILY CLEARS HIS THROAT

They've already picked you, doesn't matter!

Let's have Will H and CJ into the question room, please.

Will, it's Geography, how good are you at it?

Why have you been picked for this?

I've been picked for it because I'm studying it for my degree.

So I'm hoping that's going to help a little bit.

OK, well, yeah. No pressure at all then, Will!

Would you like to go first or second?

I'd like to go first, please, Dermot.

OK, first question on Geography, Will.

Which of these words does not appear

in any of the names of the 50 states of the USA?

Well, I know there's North and South Carolina,

so I'm going to rule that one out.

I'm going to go with...

East.

You've got it, yes, east is correct.

-So, North Dakota, one of the Norths, what about the West?

-West Virginia.

OK. Your first question, CJ.

What is the official language of Costa Rica?

-Do you know, I think that might be Spanish, Dermot!

-Really?

-It might be.

-Is that a wild guess?

-Educated.

Yeah, it's the right answer, of course. OK, Will.

Prestatyn is in which area of Wales?

I have to admit to you,

I am not particularly good at Welsh geography.

So this is going to be a complete guess.

And I'm going to go for...

-..the Vale of Glamorgan.

-Vale of Glamorgan for Prestatyn.

Now, CJ, with all his deficiencies in his knowledge of the UK,

actually, his radar does cover Wales. Is Will right?

Well, I do live in Wales and I have done for several years.

Glamorgan is on the south coast,

Ceredigion is on the west coast, Denbighshire is on the north coast.

Prestatyn is on the north coast so I think it's Denbighshire.

Put the two together, yes, it's Denbighshire, Will,

so nothing there. CJ would have liked that.

Not his question, see how he does with this one.

Heraklion is the capital of which Greek island?

I think it's Cephalonia. Um...

No, hold on.

This is unfortunately, is...

..a very obvious symptom of not having quizzed for over two years.

All the...

Oh, dear. Basic capitals, and I've forgotten a lot of them.

I used to know all these.

Just straight off.

-Crete.

-Oh!

-Yeah.

Thought your first instinct was Cephalonia?

-It was, and then I started to think it through.

-So you're ring-rusty?

I'm very, very rusty.

The amount of stuff I've forgotten in the last two years is staggering.

OK, but I love the way you say basic capitals.

I suppose to the Eggheads,

Greek islands are basic capitals, are they?

You've got it, though, Heraklion, Crete, you changed your mind.

You didn't take us into the thought process. Anyway, CJ has the lead.

Will, you need to get this correct.

For which industry was Qatar best known

before the discovery of oil and gas?

As far as I'm aware, I don't believe there is any kind of pearl industry

within the Middle East. I could be wrong.

I can't imagine sword-making other than in...

as a traditional, cultural thing, is a big industry.

So I'm going to go for basket-weaving.

-It's the one that you instantly discounted, it is pearl-diving.

-Oh!

Which means the round's over, I'm sorry, Will.

CJ has done enough to ensure his place in the final round.

Please come back and join your teams.

OK, as it stands, Age And Beauty have lost one member of their team,

the Eggheads are all there.

We've only played one round, let's play another.

Next subject is Music, who wants to play this for Age And Beauty?

I think we agreed that was Isaac.

-Unfortunately, I think I may be lumped with that.

-OK, Isaac.

Right, well, choose an Egghead.

Remember, it can't be CJ, any of the other four.

Barry? I reckon Barry.

-Barry? Barry.

-Any reasoning for this?

-Not at all!

-No!

-No reasoning, but Barry, please.

-OK, Isaac.

Barry, your favourite era is kind of disco bunny, from the '70s?

-I must admit, I really do like ABBA.

-Right, anything else?

-Oh, lots of things.

-OK. Well, let's demonstrate it in the question room.

Please, Isaac and Barry, into there, please.

OK, Isaac. What about your taste in music?

We know quite a lot about Barry, we don't want to discuss that any more.

Isaac, what do you like?

Well, generally my taste is slightly more modern than disco,

although I do like some new disco.

However, yeah, I think some of the questions could be quite challenging

if it's more classical, because I'm not a big fan of classical music.

All right. Let's hope you avoid those.

-Do you want to take the first or second set?

-I will go first, please.

OK, then, Isaac. First question on music, and good luck.

Which band had a UK top 10 hit

in 1980 with Another One Bites The Dust?

Well, I'm imagining the sound of Madness,

because my dad's a bit of a fan.

I'm trying to imagine the song, I don't think it's a Madness song.

I think, for some reason, I'm going towards Queen.

However, I'm not really sure why.

-I think maybe they could have done it so I'm going to go with Queen.

-OK.

Queen. Yeah, it's the right answer, Queen is correct.

Well done, Isaac, good start.

Barry, what type of vehicle is in a swimming pool

on the cover of the Oasis album Be Here Now?

Goodness! Haven't a clue. I shall go for London bus.

Right. No!

-Of course not!

-You surprise me!

-I mean, you surprise yourself, don't you? It's a Rolls-Royce.

-Oh!

-I thought they were more down-market.

-It is a Rolls-Royce.

So that's a Rolls-Royce start for you, then, Isaac.

You have a 1-0 lead and can double that now.

Which of these composers is believed to have written 65 completed operas?

I have not heard of the first and third answers, if I'm honest.

Which could be quite embarrassing if they're quite famous.

I purely know Beethoven did a lot of work. But operas, though?

I know he's got a lot of symphonies, but I don't know...

I'll purely guess for Beethoven, but...

Ludwig van Beethoven, but no real reasoning to that.

OK, Beethoven. Because you've heard of him!

-Yes, pretty much, yes.

-It's not the right answer. No, it's incorrect.

-Barry?

-It's Donizetti.

-Donizetti, OK.

Well, still have the lead though, Isaac.

Let's see how Barry does with his second attempt.

Barry, in which year did the Rolling Stones release

the famous album entitled Their Satanic Majesties Request?

Now, I'm just trying to think where this album is

in the Rolling Stones discography.

The Rolling Stones first released albums, I would guess, around 1964.

And I don't think that was as early as that.

And I certainly don't think it was as late as '87.

So I'm going to plump down the middle for 1977.

OK, execrable so far, Barry!

-HE LAUGHS

-You're utter rubbish.

-You mean I'm not right?

-No. You didn't really get that, did you?

-No, you're really good. '67.

-Oh, as early as that?

Their Satanic Majesties Request.

I thought that would be right up your street.

-No, I was a Beatles fan, and never a Stones fan.

-OK.

And I suppose when it came to Oasis, you were always a Blur fan.

-HE LAUGHS

-No!

Wrong side of the tracks on both.

Listen, Isaac, he's doing everything he can to help you here.

That's two he's got wrong. OK. Well, this puts you through.

Who released the 1975 album, The Hissing Of Summer Lawns?

I can't say I've ever heard of that album.

I can't say I've heard of the first two,

or really can think of what they might have been involved in.

So I'll go straight down the middle again with Joni Mitchell.

BARRY ROARS WITH LAUGHTER

OK, I like your technique!

It's like throwing darts blindfolded, really. Isn't it?

Pretty much.

Well, you're through to the final round, it's the right answer.

I mean, throwing darts blindfolded,

better than Barry, anyway!

-He doesn't have a clue in there.

-One of my favourite artists too.

We'll get someone to bring you back from the question room,

you'll need a bit of help.

-You'll have forgotten the way back by now.

-Probably!

You seem to have forgotten everything else.

OK, Isaac, good news, you're in the final round.

No place for Barry, good news for the Eggheads,

imagine what damage he'd do!

Please come back and join your teams.

Well, normally we get informed discussion

and reasoned logic in the question room there,

as contestants and Eggheads try to work out the answers there.

There, we just had blind guessing and Isaac got through.

Good to see it, Isaac, it evens it up.

As it stands, Age And Beauty have lost one brain from the final round,

the Eggheads have lost one as well. So we go to round three.

Our next subject, Film And Television.

Who wants to take this one on? We've got one Will left, Neil or Andrew.

-I think it's going to have to be me.

-OK, Will, and choose your Egghead.

CJ and Barry have played so it's Kevin, Chris or Judith.

-Can I take on Judith, please?

-Course you can.

Pleased about that, Judith?

-I don't mind. I haven't got any choice.

-Indeed!

OK, Will and Judith, into the question room, please.

-So, Will, you study history and philosophy.

-Yes, I do.

I thought you'd be too busy studying to watch any film or television.

-No, I work very, very hard indeed, obviously.

-Course you do!

-I don't have a TV. So, yeah. I watch a lot of films, though.

-Oh, right.

Let's hope you get more films than television then.

-Do you want to go first or second?

-I'll go first, please.

First question coming right up, Will, good luck with it.

The drama series Foyle's War was originally set during which war?

Foyle. I'm pretty sure, OK...

I literally have no idea. Um...

-Didn't stop Isaac.

-I know, I know, I'm trying to think like Isaac.

Um...

Something's telling me Crimean War. I don't know why.

-So I'm going to go, I'll go with that, please.

-OK, Crimean War.

Obviously, never saw Foyle's War. Just a century or so out.

It's World War II.

Bad luck. OK, Judith.

The long-running television drama Heartbeat

was set in which part of 1960s England?

I think it was Yorkshire.

Yes, Yorkshire is the right answer.

So, Will, let's get you off the mark here.

Which actress plays the evil Queen in the 2012 film,

Snow White And The Huntsman?

Did you see it?

-I missed that one, actually.

-I wonder why!

Oh, this is awful! Um...

-Down the middle, then. After Isaac. Julia Roberts.

-OK, Julia Roberts.

Well, Barry is enjoying it after what he went through.

It's not Julia Roberts.

It's Charlize Theron.

And Judith goes through if she gets this.

In which film did Jude Law play the role of Dickie Greenleaf?

I don't think it's Closer. And I can't remember... Jude Law.

..what the, not Mr Ripley, the other one, was called.

And Sleuth, what on earth were they called?

I think it's The Talented Mr Ripley.

Talented Ms Keppel there, it is the right answer.

You're through to the final round. Talented Mr Ripley. Bad luck.

We don't get to see, I'm sure you would have got

a bit of a head of steam up, if we'd managed to play a bit further.

-Course.

-But that's it. You can't overhaul Judith's two points there.

Which means you're not in the final round.

Please come back and join your teams.

Well, that round means, as it stands now,

Age And Beauty have lost two brains from the final round.

The Eggheads have lost one.

Our last head-to-head before the final round then is History.

-Oh, Will!

-That's really irritating.

-Oh, dear me.

And you can't play it.

It is either Andrew or Neil for this History round.

Well, I think we're leaving the beauty, as Andrew, to the end.

-So I'll take that, please, Dermot.

-OK, Neil.

And you can choose from Chris or Kevin on the Egghead side.

-I think they're both going to be tough.

-Go for Chris, please, Dermot.

They are going to be tough, yeah. You're having Chris though.

Let's have Neil and Chris into the question room, please.

Well, Neil, you can relax in there, really.

When you see Brain of Britain Barry scoring a spectacular zero,

the bar's not been sent too high.

-Neil, would you like to go first or second?

-First, please, Dermot.

OK. First History question to you, Neil.

Which of these was famously designed

by Christopher Wren in the 17th century?

17th century. I'm going to rule out St Paul's Cathedral.

And go between Buckingham Palace and Tower Bridge.

I think Buckingham Palace is older than that.

I'm going to go down the middle with Tower Bridge.

OK, down the middle. And down the plughole on this question.

No, it is St Paul's Cathedral. OK, right.

Well, nothing there for Neil.

Chris, Samuel Pepys started writing his diary

on 1st January in which year?

He was secretary of the Navy at the time,

he started writing his diary on 1.1.1660.

1660, I mean, just pairing up those questions,

must have been about the time when St Paul's Cathedral was going up.

No. The old St Paul's didn't come down

until the Great Fire of London in 1666.

-Ah.

-And Wren built the new St Paul's from about 1680 onwards.

-OK.

And Tower Bridge was opened in 1895, if anyone's interested.

Neil does know all that, he was just bluffing early on.

OK, it's 1-0 to you, Chris. Neil, second question.

What was the name of the 13th century Scottish king

who married Margaret, daughter of Henry III of England?

Right. Again, not one that jumps to mind.

-So, I'll go with Richard III, please.

-OK, Richard III of Scotland.

No, it's not. Chris?

Alexander III.

Alexander III of Scotland, married Margaret,

daughter of Henry III of England. OK.

Second question, will we get to a third one?

Chris has to get this wrong for that to happen. To go through, Chris.

The kingdom referred to as Scandinavian York

was founded in which century?

Ah, yes, now, that was the Vikings.

Their capital, Jorvik, or York as it now is.

Uh... 6th is too early, 12th is too late, so it's the 9th.

It is the correct answer, Chris. It's over. Sorry about that, Neil.

You aren't playing in the final round.

Please come back and join your teams.

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 lost your head-to-heads

are not allowed to take part in this round.

So, Neil, Will F and Will H from Age And Beauty,

and Barry from the Eggheads, would you leave the studio please?

So, Isaac and Andrew, you're playing to win Age And Beauty £10,000.

Kevin, CJ, Chris and Judith,

you're playing for something which money can't buy.

The Eggheads' reputation.

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

The questions are all General Knowledge,

and you are allowed to confer. So Age And Beauty, the question is,

are your two brains better than the Eggheads' four?

Isaac and Andrew, how do you want to play this round?

-Do you want to go first or second?

-Like to go first, please, Dermot.

It's General Knowledge and the first question to Age And Beauty.

Which type of cycling race

is described in French as contre-la-montre?

-Well, la mont is a mountain.

-Yeah, that's what I'm thinking.

I'm thinking King of the Mountains, personally.

Time trial, I've definitely heard of time trial in French

-and I don't think it's that.

-I don't think it is King of the Mountains.

I think it is...time trial, actually.

-Against the...

-You reckon?

It's absolutely fine if you want to go for that.

-Dermot, we'd like to go for time trial.

-Time trial?

Thought for a while there you were going to go with

mont as in mountains,

but it is montre, which is a clock.

So you're right, against the clock, quite literally.

-Time trial, it's the right answer, well done.

-Good French!

OK, Eggheads.

Particularly in universities in the United States,

a sophomore is a student in which year?

-Second? Second?

-Freshman, sophomore.

Second, it's literally "wise fool",

in the sense that you're halfway to becoming wise.

I see, that's what sophomore translates as?

It is second, it's the right answer, Eggheads. Second year.

OK, good start, there.

Avoided any mess-ups.

Keep that going, Age And Beauty, second question.

The king of which country announced his abdication in July 2013?

-Norway? Scandinavian?

-No, I don't think it's Norway.

No. I think it's...

I thought, Holland came to mind for me.

-Yeah, but there isn't a Holland option!

-I know.

-I think it's Belgium.

That's why I might be thinking that.

-I don't think it's Luxembourg.

-I think it's King of the Belgians.

-King of Belgium.

-King of Belgium, it's the right answer. OK.

Second question to the Eggheads.

The red wine called Brunello di Montalcino

is made from a strain of which grape?

It's Italian.

-Yeah.

-So, Sangiovese.

-Remember where it comes from.

-I've got an idea it's from Tuscany?

-Yeah, Montalcino.

-Um, Silvaner is more...

-Sounds German.

Yeah, it's used more in Alsace and places like that.

-On balance, it should be Sangiovese.

-Well, that's Italian.

-It's a Tuscany area grape. But I don't know for sure.

-No, nor do I.

-But I think that's a good bet.

-OK?

Not entirely certain on this one but it's an Italian wine and we think

it probably is made from an Italian grape variety, so Sangiovese.

OK, for Brunello di Montalcino, it's the right answer, Eggheads.

Knowing their grape varieties there. OK, third question.

Well, you're going really well here, Age And Beauty.

Will this win you the money?

The fossilised wood called jet comes from an ancient species

similar to which modern tree?

-Well, weeping willow is quite soft.

-That's what I was thinking.

And oak's going to be hard.

But the monkey puzzle tree, there are whole forests in Chile

made up of that and it is a very old tree.

So therefore you could actually make something fossilised.

You've got to have a large amount of trees

to make a large amount of matter.

So I'd go for the monkey puzzle tree, Dermot.

Monkey puzzle? Crucial question.

You've got it! Solved that puzzle.

Three out of three. Well, I think...

the age part of that team

bringing quite a lot of stability to the ship!

Right, Eggheads, well, you've got to get this.

The leading businessman Martin Sorrell

made his name in which industry?

-Advertising.

-The leading businessman Martin Sorrell

made his name in which industry?

A very big name in advertising.

Advertising is correct, Eggheads. It's time for sudden death.

Sudden death, of course, we haven't played it so far,

we remove the options so, as you know,

I've just got to hear an answer from you.

Can't offer you anything to have a guess at if you need to.

This is your question.

Which planet is referred to as the Bringer Of Peace

in Gustav Holst's famous orchestral suite The Planets?

Do you reckon it's a planet that you can see from Earth?

Because I have no idea what that piece is.

However I think it might be quite old.

So I'm thinking it might be something that...

you'd be able to see from Earth. Would that be Venus, Mars, Jupiter?

-I think Mars is war.

-I would not recognise it.

-Venus?

-You can see Venus. It's a very bright star.

So potentially. Or Jupiter?

Jupiter is the mighty hunter, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Venus is probably what I would... Yeah, I think so.

If Jupiter is the mighty hunter, you wouldn't suggest it's that.

So go for it.

Dermot, we'd like to go for Venus.

The Bringer Of Peace.

It is Venus, it is the right answer.

Well, Eggheads.

Under the cosh a little bit. Need this.

Which Italian city is nicknamed La Rossa for the colour

of its roofs and for the left-wing tendency of its politics?

-The one...

-Go on.

I was going to say, the one that springs to mind for me,

-in both instances, is Bologna.

-Is it left-wing?

Yeah, it was traditionally the heartland of the Communist Party.

-Oh, well, that's it.

-They actually took power there relatively early on.

-Have you been there?

-I've been to Bologna, yeah.

-Has it got red roofs?

-It's pretty red, yeah.

I think, in terms of the way it looks architecturally,

it would fit, with the roofs,

but then that's also true of a lot of other Italian cities.

But one of the real heartlands of the Italian Communist Party

in politics in the modern era has been Bologna.

So I think it would probably must be Bologna. Well, I say, "must be."

Bologna is what we're going for.

It is the right answer, Bologna is correct.

So, we play on.

Well!

-Are you enjoying it, though? Andrew, Isaac?

-Yeah.

-Yeah. Sort of.

You'll tell me when it's over. OK, well, listen, concentrate.

This could be worth £10,000.

In 2013, which British actress married the keyboard player

of The Klaxons, James Righton?

-It's one for you.

-I've honestly no idea.

I know that The Klaxons are fairly young. Mid, late 20s, maybe.

Age-wise, the band.

So I'd go with someone around that age, a British actress.

-Yeah.

-Which I can't think of anyone, personally.

I'm trying to think of who got married recently.

For some reason it's only singers that come to mind.

I literally can't think of anyone, can you?

-No, I've got absolutely nothing.

-No, I'm sorry, we don't know.

No British actresses coming to mind? Well, unfortunately, that is a pass.

The Eggheads will be able to enlighten us?

Keira Knightley.

From Judith, Keira Knightley, the right answer.

-I had Cameron Diaz in my head!

-Keira Knightley.

Cameron Diaz wouldn't have fitted the British part of it.

-That's all I had in my head.

-Keira Knightley married James Righton.

Well, it wasn't the Eggheads' question,

so that answer from Judith doesn't count, just out of interest.

This is the Eggheads' question. For the match.

In 2011, which former German international

became head coach of the USA men's soccer team?

Jurgen Klinsmann went to the States.

-Oh, really? There you go then.

-He went to the States.

-We think that's Jurgen Klinsmann.

-Jurgen Klinsmann.

It's the correct answer, Eggheads, you've won.

Well, bad luck, Age And Beauty.

It really was nicely balanced in that final round.

You two were really working well together.

But just ran into Keira Knightley and James Righton there.

In spite of Barry's best efforts, the Eggheads have managed to win.

The Brain of Britain there trying to sabotage the Eggheads!

It was a great performance in the end from you, Age And Beauty.

Took a while to get going in some of those head-to-heads.

But it's been a lot of fun having you here.

I would suggest you can continue your quizzing, Andrew,

if you can stand hanging around with this lot!

The Eggheads have done what comes naturally to them

and their winning streak continues.

I'm afraid you won't be going home with the £10,000.

That means the money rolls over to our next show and Eggheads,

congratulations, who will beat you?

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

have the brains to defeat the Eggheads.

£11,000 says they don't. Until then, goodbye.