Episode 74 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. How are you feeling today? ALL: Good.

Indefatigable. Indefatigable, says Chris.

OK. Hoping to beat the might of the Eggs today

are Bright-On Ideas from - you guessed it -

the lovely south coast town of Brighton.

Everyone on this team has an association

with the town's historic pier. Let's meet them.

My name's Paul and I work in removals.

Hi, I'm Amanda and I'm a doctor's transcriber.

Hello, I'm Pete and I'm a Java developer.

Hello, I'm Sophie and I'm a project manager.

Hello, my name is Tim and I work in removals.

Paul, team, welcome. Good to see you. Thank you.

A lot of us know Brighton Pier,

which is a wonderful national institution really, isn't it?

It was a great place to work, fantastic.

You were selling food on it?

I was selling food, drinks, ice creams, all that. In the kiosks?

Yeah, about 15 or 16. About 100 staff. It was fantastic.

What a fantastic thing to do. Fantastic summers, yeah.

In just summers or winters? Summers. We used to travel in the winter.

So, how many of you worked at one point on Brighton Pier? Four of us.

Oh, OK. There are lots of pier questions that come up on the quiz.

That's good. The longest pier in the country is...?

EGGHEADS: Southend. See, they all know it. Anyway, good luck.

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, Bright-On Ideas, you've timed your run well,

cos the Eggheads have put a bit of a streak together.

They've won the last 14,

so that means ?15,000 is on the table for you to win

and take back and spend on the pier.

Wonderful. That'll last a while. A lot of ice cream! Yeah!

The first head-to-head battle is on the subject of Science.

Who would like Science? That'll be Tim.

OK, Tim at the end. Against which Egghead, Tim?

Um, I think I'll choose Judith.

So, Tim from Bright-On Ideas versus Judith from the Eggheads.

She once beat a rocket scientist on Science as well, I have to tell you.

But he didn't know anything else but rocket science.

No, he didn't. LAUGHTER

Please go to the Question Room now.

Tim, the moment of truth. You're up against Judith on Science.

Would you like to go first or second? I'll go first, Jeremy.

Here is your first question. Good luck.

It was announced in early 2015 that the diplodocus skeleton,

on display in the large Hintze Hall of London's Natural History Museum,

was to be replaced with the skeleton of which other creature?

Um, I've visited the Natural History Museum quite recently,

where the diplodocus was still there and I happen to know it.

The answer to this is whale.

Whale is correct. They needed something big to go in its place.

Judith, here's your first question.

36 inches or 3 feet is the equivalent

of which imperial unit of measurement?

I thought that was going to be really difficult.

It's a yard. It is a yard. Well done.

OK, we're playing well so far.

Tim, over to you.

Of the eight planets in our solar system, how many have no moons?

How many have NO moons? Right. Um...

I don't think Mercury has a moon.

I don't think Venus has. I think most of them have.

I'm going to have to go with...two.

Brilliant play. It is two, yeah.

I wouldn't have known where to start. Is he right, Barry? You'll know this.

Yes, Mercury and Venus.

Right, interesting. Didn't know that.

Judith...

Each molecule of water contains two atoms of which element?

H2O.

H2... Um...

Hydrogen. Hydrogen is correct, yes.

So, two each. Back to you, Tim.

The name of which device derives from the Greek for "view beautiful forms"?

Well, an oscilloscope is for measuring electronic frequencies

and such. Microscope can see any form, beautiful or not beautiful.

Kaleidoscope is all pretty colours, so I'm going to go for kaleidoscope.

Kaleidoscope is quite right. Are you a scientist in disguise here?

You're sounding very scientific here.

I'm an amateur. I'm a keen amateur. Right. Yeah.

OK, Judith your question to stay in.

Which of these types of creatures typically have four-chambered hearts?

Four-chambered hearts? Hearts with four chambers. Yes.

Divided into four. Um...

I'm trying to think.

Oh, dear.

Why would fish? I don't think fish do.

I'm trying to think of...dissecting things and looking inside a fish.

Birds... I think it's reptiles.

Anyone know this in the Eggheads side? Oh, you don't know. Not really.

I'm more inclined to birds. Kevin likes birds.

Anyone on this side? No idea. Tim, you'll know.

I think it's birds. Yeah, it IS birds.

It's birds. You've been knocked out, Judith. Well done, Tim.

First blood to Brighton Pier.

OK, both of you come back to us. We'll play on.

As it stands, Bright-On Ideas have lost no brains. They're doing well.

The Eggheads have lost Judith and that could be painful

in the final cos Judith brings that extra thing.

The next subject is Sport.

Who would like this? That's you, isn't it?

That'll be me. Wow, you're deciding quickly here.

OK, you're going to make light work of these Eggs if this continues.

I'm going to try and take on Chris.

OK, Chris on Sport. You can try! LAUGHTER

It never happens that you've been chosen on Sport, does it, Chris?

Never, ever, ever, in the entire History of Eggheads,

going right back to the last show.

So, Peter from Bright-On Ideas, Chris from the Eggheads,

please go to the Question Room now.

All right, we're on Sport.

Pete, would you like to go first or second? I'll go first.

Here is your question, Pete.

What term is often used to describe the type of kick

swimmers use to perform the breaststroke?

Well, you've got to look at the motion of the kick, I suppose.

I don't know how gerbils kick.

Horses kick with one leg, so it must be a frog kick.

Frog kick is the right answer.

Chris,

in which of these winter sports do competitors wear ice skates?

Er, well...

They hack each other's shins in ice hockey, so it's ice hockey.

Ice hockey is the right answer. Well done.

Here's your question, Pete.

When Fernando Torres left Liverpool for Chelsea in 2011,

what was the reported record transfer fee?

Um, now...

?30 million sounds a bit too low for me.

I think ?70 million's been done since.

I'm going to go with ?50 million. Yes.

I think that question has been put in to annoy ME. Yes!

?50 million. Quite right.

OK, Chris.

In which American city is the Major League Baseball team

known as the Mets located?

Well, there used to be two major teams,

the Dodgers and the Mets in New York.

New York is correct, so you've both got 2 points.

Try and get this one right, Pete.

Put some pressure on our Chris.

The American Charlie Sifford, who died in 2015 at the age of 92,

was a pioneer for civil rights in which sport?

Now, let me see.

Um, I don't think it's tennis, for some reason,

so I'm looking at golf or horse racing.

I don't know too much about horse racing,

so I'm going to go with golf. Yeah, golf it is.

OK, Chris, your question to stay in.

Which footballer was the top goal scorer at the 1978 FIFA World Cup?

I don't think it was Gerd Muller.

I don't think it was Paolo Rossi. I'll go with Mario Kempes.

Brilliant. Well, well, well, is he right, Dave?

Absolutely right. 1978 was Mario Kempes.

I think Rossi was '82 and Muller was 1970, top scorer. So, yes.

Well done, Chris. Mario Kempes is right. Well done, Chris.

Three out of three on Sport. A little celebration?

OK, Pete, we're on Sudden Death now.

You're annoying Chris a bit, but you haven't knocked him out yet.

Gets a bit harder. I don't give you alternatives.

The TV presenter Georgie Thompson announced her engagement

to which Olympic sailing champion in 2014?

Well, only one springs to mind and I'll go with Ben Ainslie.

Ben Ainslie is correct. Sudden Death.

Over to you, Chris. Sport - your favourite subject.

In which city did the swimmer Sharron Davies win an Olympic silver medal?

Sharron Davies... Ooh, '80s.

'84. Montreal?

No, he was unlucky. Eggs, do you know?

Moscow. Moscow, 1980. Moscow.

400 metres individual medley. Sudden Death,

and I'm afraid you've just died, Chris.

Peter, you're going to be in the final.

Hey, it's going well. APPLAUSE

Brighton is playing very well here. This is getting interesting.

Please return to your teams.

Well, it's a surge, I think, this, isn't it? Let's hope so.

We really are surging here. Bright-On Ideas have lost no brains so far.

The Eggheads have lost two. The next subject is Geography.

Who would like this? I'll take that one.

OK, Paul, no hesitation.

Who would you like to play against? Who do you think then, guys?

There's only a choice of three. Go for whoever you like.

Dave. I'd go Dave. Yeah.

Right, Paul from Bright-On Ideas, Dave from the Eggheads,

the subject Geography. Please go to the Question Room now.

Paul, are you well-travelled? This being the Geography round.

I am well-travelled. I've been round the world twice, so...

And what's the most unusual place you've lived?

I lived in China for two years,

but the most unusual place I've visited is Papua New Guinea.

Good luck. Geography. Would you like to go first or second? First.

Here is your first question and good luck.

What is the state capital of Massachusetts?

I don't know, actually, but it's obviously not New York.

Is it Boston or Chicago though?

Um, I will go with Boston.

Well done, you got it right. That's a relief. Chicago's Illinois. Oh!

OK, Dave.

Which city is home to the Royal Northern College of Music?

DAVE LAUGHS

Should I go for the million YouTube hits or what?

Er... DAVE LAUGHS

Royal Northern College of Music.

It's about three miles away from where I live. It's in Manchester.

Manchester is the right answer. Well done. It might have stumped others.

OK, Paul.

Portuguese is the official language of which South American country?

World Cup there recently, so that would be Brazil.

Nicely done. Brazil it is. Two out of two. Dave.

According to the country's 2011 census,

what is the approximate population of Greece?

I don't believe it's 78 or 45. I'll go for the low end.

11 million, please. Yes, it's 11 million. Well done.

Back with you, Paul, for your third question.

Irkutsk near Lake Baikal is one of the largest cities

in which geographical region?

Um, if I remember my Risk game-playing, it's Siberia.

What is the risk reference? Irkutsk is an area in Risk, a board game.

Oh, OK. Siberia is right.

Well done, three out of three,

in record time as well. OK, Dave, to stay in.

The Australian territory of Christmas Island is so-called

because it was reportedly discovered on Christmas Day in which year?

Oh, deary me. No idea at all. Um...

Thinking of when they'd go over to settle.

I'm just going to have a guess at 1643. You got it right.

I thought you were going to go down the middle there.

So, well done, Dave and well done to you as well, Paul.

You both got three out of three. We go to Sudden Death again.

It's such an exciting contest.

Gets a bit harder. I don't give you alternatives, Paul. So, here we go.

Which major Spanish river takes its name from the Arabic Wadi Al-Kabir,

meaning "great river"?

I don't know the name of any Spanish rivers. Um...

Red River? I don't know, sorry. Anyone know this on this side?

Is it the Guadalquivir? It is the Guadalquivir.

Well, OK, so Sophie's got it. Guadalquivir is the answer.

So, for the round, Dave,

the name of which urban area in South Africa is an acronym

formed by the abbreviation of Southwestern townships?

Soweto. Soweto is the right answer and you've taken the round,

so the Eggheads have pulled one back.

Paul, the captain, has been knocked out.

Is it on the turn here? Let's see.

Come back to us. We'll play the next round.

As it stands, Bright-On ideas have lost a brain now.

Not worried yet? No, we're fine, yeah. OK.

Push them all off the end of the pier...

LAUGHTER ..if they cut up rough.

The Eggheads have lost two. The next subject is Music.

Who would like this? I'm going to give it a go, Jeremy. OK, Amanda.

And against which Egghead? Go for Barry. Barry, please. All right.

So, Amanda from Brighton-On Ideas, Barry from the Eggheads,

just to make sure there's no conferring, go to the Question Room.

We're on Music and I know lots of your team love music,

I guess you as well. Yes, indeed.

Would you like to go first or second against our Barry?

I'll go first, please, Jeremy.

Here we go, Amanda.

In which decade did Bryan Ferry find fame

as the lead singer of the band Roxy Music?

That'll be the 1970s, Jeremy. Indeed. Indeed it was.

OK, Barry, without the beard.

You wrecked my nickname for you when you took your beard off.

In early 2015, Katy Perry performed

a series of her greatest hits during which sporting event?

I actually watched this event.

It was the first time I'd ever watched it

and I thought Katy Perry was absolutely stupendous

and it was in Superbowl. Superbowl is right.

Amanda, back to you.

Which of the following appears

on Rihanna's 2015 single FourFiveSeconds?

FourFiveSeconds.

F-O-U-R-F-I-V-E-S-E-C-O-N-D-S, no spaces.

I really don't know this one, so I am going to go for Bob Dylan.

It's not. It's Paul McCartney, who's playing bass, I think.

OK, Barry,

your question to take the lead. Which West Coast US city is often called

the birthplace of the grunge movement of the 1990s?

My children were very much into Nirvana when they were younger

and I know that Nirvana came from Seattle,

so I'm guessing that's the right answer.

You're absolutely right. Smells Like Teen Spirit.

Seattle is the right answer. So, you're in the lead.

Amanda, you need to get this one right.

BBC Music produced a cover version of which Beach Boys song in 2014,

featuring, among others, Pharrell Williams, Elton John,

Chris Martin and One Direction?

I believe that was God Only Knows. It was God Only Knows. Well done.

You're level, but Barry can take the round with this question.

In which country, Barry, was the composer Samuel Barber born?

Samuel Barber is one of my favourite composers.

His Adagio For Strings is one of the most moving pieces of music

I've ever heard and I believe he was American, so he was born in the USA.

USA is right, so, Barry, you've got the round.

Sorry, Amanda, you've been knocked out.

Teams are level now, going into the final. Let's play it.

Please come back.

Just before we play the final, on the matter of FourFiveSeconds,

this record with, what was it, Dave? Rihanna...

Kanye West and Paul McCartney. And there was some chatter around it.

Yeah, there was some chatter there where people were tweeting,

"This is brilliant, this Paul McCartney who's with Kanye West.

"Where did you find him from?"

LAUGHTER Isn't that great?

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

It's time for the final round, which is General Knowledge.

Those of you who lost your head-to-heads

won't be allowed to take part in this round,

but equal numbers from both sides. Been a great contest.

Paul and Amanda from Bright-On Ideas

and Judith and Chris from the Eggheads,

I have to ask you, please, to leave the studio.

So, Pete, Sophie and Tim,

you are playing to win Bright-On Ideas ?15,000.

Let's just remind ourselves how big that jackpot is.

Dave, Kevin and Barry, you're playing for something that money can't buy.

I think it's incalculably precious, which is the Eggheads' reputation.

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

They're all General Knowledge. You can confer.

So, Bright-On Ideas, the question is

can you, with your three brains, defeat the Eggheads' three over here?

You don't have to answer that question.

Just tell me if you want to go first or second. First, please.

Here we go, with your first question on General Knowledge.

In the folk tale known variously as Chicken Licken,

Henny Penny or Chicken Little,

which item is commonly said to land on the central character's head

that makes them believe that the sky is falling down?

You all look to me, the one with the kids, but you have kids too.

I do, but they're a bit older than your kids.

They are a bit, but it's an old story. I think...

I KNOW it's an acorn. Right, we're happy with that. Happy with that?

We'd like to go for acorn, please.

Acorn is the right answer. Well done. Excellent.

OK, over to you, Eggheads.

In terms of film and video, what does the abbreviation FPS stand for?

ALL: Frames per second.

It's the ratio of the speed of film. It's frames per second.

Frames per second is quite right. Well done.

One each. Back to you.

?15,000. By what name is the English fashion and beauty vlogger

and internet star Zoe Sugg better known?

I know this. Is it Zoella? You know it, do you? Cos I don't.

My daughter watches her all the time.

I thought Suggzie was Adam Ant! Yeah, my daughter watches her.

Zoella, happy with that? Yeah, we're going to go with Zoella.

Yeah, it is Zoella. Well done. Excellent.

OK, Eggheads.

Anthroponomastics is the study of what?

It's all one word. Anthro-pono-mastics. Pono is P-O-N-O.

P-O-N-O.

I'm thinking it might be names,

but if it were feet it would be "podo" wouldn't it?

I'd go with names. And anxieties would be phobialiosis or something.

So, "mastics". Mastics... It's where you put the pronunciation.

Yeah. Yeah. Anthropo-nomastics. Ah, that makes it clearer for names.

So, that's names then. It makes more sense, doesn't it? OK. Yeah.

People's names. Yes, you're right.

People's names. And as you were saying that,

I realised I'd read it in a very unhelpful way.

So it's anthropo-nomastics, rather than anthropono-mastics.

But I don't regret it. No, not at all.

People's names. What have we got here? 2-2.

Get this one right and then see them tremble.

The basset hound was originally bred in which country?

Right, any clues?

Basset... INAUDIBLE DISCUSSION

I was erring on the side of France.

If you think "bass-ay", rather than "basset". Right, OK.

Are we happy with France? Yeah. Let's go for it.

Because of the name, we think... We are going for France.

Wow, you got there quickly. Yes, "basse" or "bas", French for "low".

Basset hound originally bred in France. Well done. Yeah!

Three out of three. We can ask for no more.

Impressive, this team of Challengers here.

?15,000 on the table. Eggheads, you get this wrong, it's theirs.

You don't have to do another stroke of work. Today, at least.

OK, Eggheads, your third question.

Which American TV presenter was born in a London Tube station?

Springer was born in London. During the war...

Definitely. The other two... Yeah, the other two aren't.

That is Jerry Springer. Jerry Springer is correct.

So, the Eggheads are still in play here.

Three questions each. The scores are level.

It couldn't be tighter. We go to Sudden Death.

It gets a bit more tricky cos I don't give you alternatives.

Here we go, Challengers. Good luck.

Thornton Wilder's play The Merchant Of Yonkers

eventually developed into which musical, first produced in 1964?

Merchant Of Yonkers... Is it...?

Merchant... Is it...? Death Of A S...

No, it's... I think it might be "Hello, Dolly!"

I have absolutely no idea. This is your subject.

It's more... Death Of A Salesman is not a musical. No.

But I think... It would be a good one, though.

I think that it's "Hello, Dolly!"

"Hello, Dolly!" is correct. Yes! You're playing well, Sophie.

OK, Eggheads, Sudden Death.

Who was the first Director-General of the BBC?

That must be Lord Reith. Lord Reith. Surely. Yeah. It's Lord Reith.

It was Lord Reith.

Do you want John as well? I need the first name and the surname.

I reckon it's... Or was he William?

I don't know. I thought it was John, but let's have a think.

THEY TALK OVER EACH OTHER

We're not 100% certain at all on the first name, but John Reith.

Lord Reith would have been right, but I couldn't have given you that.

John Reith is correct. Well done. If you'd got the first name wrong,

we would have been in a real pickle here.

Those are the rules. That's true, although Lord Reith, you know...

He was Lord Reith! Yep.

John Reith. John Reith, you've said it and it's right

and sorry, they're still in it. But you haven't made a mistake so far.

Here's your question. In 1987, who became the first woman

to be appointed editor of the Sunday Mirror?

God... That's too early for Rebekah Brooks.

I think it might be Eve Pollard. That sounds...

Yeah? I think it might be Eve Pollard.

Are you happy to go for that?

I'm happy to go with that cos I really don't know.

We're going to go for Eve Pollard.

Eve Pollard is correct. Star! Well done, Soph.

Do you know who she's the mother of?

She is the mother of... Sue Pollard. Claudia Winkleman.

Yeah, Claudia Winkleman. Yeah.

OK, Eggheads,

which word for a state of being pleasantly lost in one's thoughts

comes from the French for "dreaming"?

Reverie? Reverie, yeah. Yeah, yeah.

French for "dream" is "reve", so you're in a reverie.

Reverie is quite right.

Back to you, Challengers.

The name of which actor, the star of many Westerns,

is the nickname of the number 6 in bingo?

6. Number 6...

Ain't got a clue, number 6.

Clickety-click, number 6. John Wayne.

Clickety-click. That's 66, isn't it? Yeah.

INAUDIBLE DISCUSSION

Tom Mix... We need a first name and a surname.

If Tom Mix was an actor in Westerns... OK. Got to be right.

We're going to go for Tom Mix.

You're brilliant! Tom Mix is right. You are...

So, you've been saved till the end, Sophie, I'm sensing. My goodness me.

I thought that you were out of the game there. My goodness, you're good!

Eggheads, you need to get this question right.

Which term, derived from the Greek words for "end" and "a line of verse"

is given to a poem in which the first letters of each line

read downwards to form words?

Acrostic. It's an acrostic, isn't it? Yeah, yeah. Acrostic.

That sounds like a definition of an acrostic. Acrostic is correct.

Sudden Death. We don't get many finals this long.

Whoo! AND the jackpot is big!

OK, you're doing brilliantly, Challengers.

Here's your next question.

Which artist created the long-running comic strip

You Are The Ref, which asks and answers hypothetical questions

on the rules of association football?

Right, name some comics. Obviously, I only know Bunty.

Comic. Dandy? Remember he said it was artist.

Oh, artist. It was artist.

Oh, right, artist. Who've you got? You've got Gerald Scarf. Steve Bell.

Does cartoons, doesn't he? Mmm. Matt in the Telegraph.

Steve Bell. He's been going...

I remember it from when I was a boy, so we're looking at '70s and '80s.

Genuinely, I would have no idea.

Early '80s. I don't know, mate. Shall we go Steve Bell?

There's a lot of papers.

Go for Steve Bell? Yeah. Go for that.

We don't really know, but we're going to go for Steve Bell.

Steve Bell, you say. So, the comic strip is You Are The Ref.

It's been in things like The Guardian, The Observer, Shoot.

This guy is nicknamed the Master of Movement

and he's made a career out of sporting portraits.

Not Steve Bell. Paul Trevillion.

Also famously drew Churchill.

So, Eggheads, you have a chance to take the whole contest

with this question.

Since the late 1980s,

Trent Reznor has been best known as the frontman

of which industrial rock group?

Nine Inch Nails? Nine Inch Nails. Definitely. It's Nine Inch Nails.

You don't sound uncertain. No, not on this one. We're not.

Are they right? Yeah. Nine Inch Nails is the right answer.

We say congratulations, Eggheads. You have won.

APPLAUSE Wow!

And I know you know that so, ha, commiserations. What a final!

Even when other people win, they don't often get that far.

That's the longest run for some time, I think. Yeah. Yep.

Usually, before you've answered that many correct, they've slipped up.

That's where you were unlucky, actually.

The Eggheads have done what -

I was going to say what comes naturally to them -

but this was not natural today. No.

Their winning streak continues. It's very impressive now, Eggs.

Not taking that away from you.

It does mean the Challengers don't go home with the ?15,000,

so the money rolls over to our next show. But what a game.

Well done, Eggheads. Especially well done to Bright-On Ideas.

Absolutely tremendous quizzing.

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

have the brains to defeat the Eggheads.

?16,000 says they don't. Till then, goodbye.

# Can you feel it?

# Can you feel it?

# Can you feel it? #

I'm actually tingling with the excitement.