Episode 82 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 challenges

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 How Fabby from Paisley.

This team of friends are a very social bunch

and they take their team name from their two favourite pubs,

The Wee Howff and The Abbey. Let's meet them.

Hi, my name's Michael, and I'm a plasterer.

Hi, my name's David and I'm a taxi driver.

Hi, my name's Brian and I'm a civil servant.

Hi, I'm Mikey and I'm a plumbing and heating engineer.

Hi, I'm Stevie. I'm an electrician.

So, Michael and team, welcome.

-Good to see you.

-Hi there.

-Hi.

So, two pub names, Wee Howff, what does that mean?

Wee howff, it means your favourite haunt, the place you go, um...

that's kind of where it got its name,

and The Abbey bar is just next to the Paisley Abbey,

so that's where that got its name from.

We combined the name between the two of them, we came up with How Fabby.

-Yes, I've got it completely.

-It was David...

-It was David's stroke of genius, was it?

-Yes...

And does the quizzing happen in one of them or both of them?

Both of them.

Actually, quite a few of us have ran pub quizzes in the past.

We quite like quizzing quite a lot,

but we spend a lot of time drinking in them as well,

-so, it's a bit of both.

-You surprise me!

And the colours today,

am I alone in remarking that the colours

are kind of coordinated that you're wearing? It's almost like a

desert camouflage or something. THEY LAUGH

You're going to try and sneak up on them, is that the idea?

-Hope so.

-Well, good luck.

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,

as you know. So, How Fabby, the Eggheads are doing well,

they've won the last six games, and they've had quite a few games

where they haven't even lost a contestant,

so, downside is they're playing well,

the upside is there are £7,000 for you to win today.

-Would you like to crack on and try?

-We'd love to.

All right, the first head-to-head battle

is on the subject of Film & Television.

-Is that good?

-Well, um...

-I think that's me.

-David?

-Yes, that's me, I think.

-Unless somebody else wants to?

-THEY LAUGH

-David?

-It's going to be me, yes.

Against which egghead, you can have anyone of the five?

Um, was it, did we say Chris?

-Chris.

-I'll go for Chris, yeah. We'll try Chris, please.

Going to try Chris. So, David from How Fabby

versus the fabulous Chris from the Eggheads,

on Film & TV and you watch quite a lot of, I know not films, but TV.

-TV, yeah.

-Yeah.

OK, so, to ensure there's no conferring,

would you take your positions in our Question Room.

-So, David, you're a taxi driver.

-That's correct.

And it says here that your strongest subject is trashy TV.

-DAVID LAUGHS

-We'll see.

-That's the same as you, Chris.

-More or less, yeah.

What's your favourite show at the moment, Chris?

Er, I'd say The Big Bang Theory.

It's this American comedy that's really rather well written

and rather funny about these four nerdy,

postgraduate student types and their girlfriends

and the scrapes they get into...

Yeah, it's good fun.

OK, Film & TV, David, your choice, would you like to go first or second?

I'd like to go first, please.

Good luck. Taking on the Eggheads, they haven't even had a contestant

knocked out for quite a few games, so let's see how you do here.

Here's your question, David. Ian Lavender

appears as Private Pike in which TV sitcom?

Erm...

I remember Ian Lavender.

Wasn't in the Army Game, don't think he was in It Ain't Half Hot Mum,

I'm pretty sure he was in Dad's Army.

Well done, Dad's Army it was.

Chris, your question.

Which musical instrument is Lisa Simpson

often seen playing in the Simpsons?

I think at various times she has played all three,

but her main instrument is the saxophone.

-The correct answer is saxophone, well done. Do you watch that as well?

-Yes.

It is funny, isn't it?

It's lost its edge, somehow. It's not what it is used to be.

Ah. OK, David.

Who plays the role of the aspiring jazz drummer,

Andrew Nieman, in the 2014 film, Whiplash?

Well, I've seen the movie.

Now...

The name...

that rings a bell with me out of those three is Chris Hemsworth,

so I think I'm going to have to go for Chris Hemsworth.

Is he right, Eggheads?

-Miles Teller.

-Miles Teller.

-Miles Teller is the answer, yeah.

OK, Chris, your question.

Ethan Hawke married which actress in 1998?

Ah...

Angelina Jolie, Uma Thurman or Julia Roberts?

Ethan Hawke and...

-..Julia Roberts.

-No.

-No.

-Julia Roberts is wrong.

-Oh?

-It is Uma.

-Uma Thurman.

-Yeah.

-Mm.

OK, one each after two questions.

That's pretty good, David. He's just let you off the hook there.

See if you can get this right. Press the advantage.

The TV series Better Call Saul

is a spin-off from which other drama?

Well, thankfully I was a big fan of this show. Um...

It's not Dexter, not Mad Men, it's Breaking Bad.

It's absolutely Breaking Bad, well done.

GENTLE APPLAUSE

So, let's see if Chris is the one who knocks.

Which Scottish actress played Missy,

Chris, in the TV series, Doctor Who, in 2014?

-You get this wrong, you're out.

-That was Ronni Ancona.

-Ronni Ancona is your answer.

-Uh-hm.

It's wrong, actually, it's Michelle Gomez,

so we say well done to our Challengers, you have

taken out an Egghead!

So, this long run that they'd had of not losing any rounds at all

has come to an end. David, well done, you are in the final round,

Chris, you are not, you've been knocked out,

please, both of you return to your team-mates and we'll play on.

So, as it stands, How Fabby have lost no brains from the final round,

the Eggheads have lost a brain. So, really good start, well done.

So, the next subject for you is Science.

Is there a scientist here?

-Myself, then?

-Go for it.

-I think it's myself, Jeremy, for this one.

-They all agree,

it's you, Michael, it's definitely you.

-Who would you like to play against?

-Who do you think?

-Dave.

-Dave?

-Go for Dave, then.

-OK, so it is Michael from How Fabby -

Dave from the Eggheads. It's been a while since you played Science.

-A couple of games ago, I think.

-Was it?

-Yeah.

-Did you win?

Yes, I did win, but, er...

Such a broad subject it just depends how the questions fall,

-as my colleague would say.

-So, to ensure there's no conferring,

please take your positions.

So, Michael, you're one of these people who wins competitions,

-I gather?

-I've won a couple when I worked for a previous employer.

I won a five-star trip to London to get my photo taken

with the World Cup. And I also won a trip to anywhere in the world,

which... My sister and her partner took that,

so... They went to Cuba with that, so...

Right. OK, well, I hope you are equally as successful today.

-Me, too.

-And up against Dave on Science.

Would you like to go first or second?

I think I'll go first, please, Jeremy.

So, here we go with your first question, Michael.

What is the technical term for the human kneecap?

Right, I'm not fantastic on the human body. I'm pretty sure

it's not the tibia or the cranium. I think the cranium is your head.

So, I think it's the patella.

Patella is the right answer, well done.

Dave, your question. Approximately what percentage of the earth's

atmosphere is made up of nitrogen?

Yeah...I think...it's, er...

nitrogen, you said, yeah? 78%.

78% is correct, well done.

Back to you, Michael, in the human body, a lymphocyte

is a type of what?

Lymphocyte...

The word lymph reminds me of some kind of hormone type thing.

Erm, tied between that and skin lesion.

I don't think it's a white blood cell, but, again,

the human body I'm not fantastic at.

But I'll go with my original instinct and go for hormone.

Hormone. Dave, do you know this one? Is he right?

I think it's a white blood cell.

Yeah, it is a white blood cell.

HE LAUGHS

It is a white blood cell. I'm sorry, we're hitting you with

-the human body here.

-I know, it's terrible.

-I know.

OK, Dave, which of these is the name of an extinct group of

aquatic reptiles?

Pterosaurs tend to indicate to me that they fly.

Er...dinosaurs...

I think...it's...ichthyosaurs.

Ichthyosaurs...

is the correct answer. Yeah. Got it right, well done, ichthyosaurs.

Back to you, Michael, you must get this one right.

What is the more common name for the rhino called

the hook-lipped rhinoceros?

Mmm...

..hook-lipped rhinoceros...

I'll rule out the black rhinoceros.

Out of the other two I'll just need to take a wild stab in the dark

and go for... I'll go for Javan rhinoceros.

Black rhinoceros is the answer, Michael, sorry, so...

Well...

No way back for you in this round at Dave has taken it

and he will be in the final and you've been knocked out.

-Never fear...

-OK.

-..you can still turn it around, your team.

Please, return to us and we'll see what happens next.

Well, Michael, it's always painful when the skipper goes.

-What can you do?

-And the human body...

It's not my strongest subject, to be honest with you.

-Or, kind of, nature either!

-Yeah, cos the Science round can...

We know this... It can go in all directions...

You get the periodic table, you get...plants, rockets,

everything... So...

Anyway, bad luck. How Fabby have lost a brain,

but of course, the Eggheads have lost one too,

so it's quite a contest here. The next subject is Arts & Books.

-Arts & Books, Brian, that will be you.

-Yeah.

-You OK with that?

-Brian, in the middle, OK.

And who do you want to take on, Brian?

-Your options are all quite strong... Judith...

-It's up to you.

-OK, Judith.

-Go for Judith, please.

-Good.

So, Brian from How Fabby versus our own Judith

from the Eggheads, on Arts & Books. And to ensure there's no conferring,

please, take your positions.

So, Brian, are you the quizmeister in the team, then?

Well, er, I'd like to think so...

LAUGHTER

You'll be pleased to know, they are all laughing here.

Arts & Books, any particular favourite in that category for you?

-Er...books or classical music.

-OK. So, Brian, Arts & Books,

-first or second?

-Ladies first.

Here is your first question, Judith...

Which of these is a 20th century work of art?

-20th century work of art?

-20th century.

Warhol is definitely 20th century, so Andy Warhol.

Warhol's One Hundred Cans is the right answer, well done.

OK, over to you, Brian.

Erika Leonard is the real name of which bestselling author?

Well, it's not Dan Brown. I don't think it's JK Rowling.

I'll go for EL James.

El James it is, well done.

Who wrote... Anyone here?

ALL: Fifty Shades Of Grey.

-Fifty Shades Of Grey. Have you read that, Judith?

-No.

-Would you?

-No.

SHE CHUCKLES

It's maybe not the best-written, but my goodness, so many people read it.

You've read it, have you?

I have read it, cos everyone else was, he said, blushing!

SHE LAUGHS

OK...

Here's your question, Judith. The artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir

was born in which year?

Well, he was a French Impressionist, so he would have been born in...

1841.

1841 is correct. Judith, well done, you got it right.

OK, back to you, Brian. Your second question...

Which of these is a poem written by Elizabeth Barrett Browning?

Well, I know exactly which one it is...

It's How Do I Love Thee?

-And how do you know that?

-Because I know it's not the other two.

LAUGHTER

I thought you were about to go and quote the whole thing for us, there.

I remember doing it at school, but that's a very long time ago.

Anyway, How Do I Love Thee? is the right answer, well done, Brian.

So, two each, tight round.

Judith, back to you, Arts & Books. I would say your favourite subject.

Which author wrote the 1975 novel, High Rise, about a tower block

that descends into tribal conflict?

-What date?

-1975.

High Rise. Oh, Lord.

I don't think it's Will Self, cos I think it's too soon for Will Self.

Erm, well, Clockwork Orange was sort of...

modern life descending into tribal conflict, would he

have written another one? Anthony Burgess, I mean...

Oh, dear, I don't know, it's going to be Will Self.

Um, I'm going to say JG Ballard.

BARRY LAUGHS

Yes, you've got it right.

It wasn't going to be Will Self cos he's too young, but...

-He's too young, then.

-But Burgess and Clockwork Orange, I thought,

-was leading you in that direction.

-Yes, but I thought he wouldn't

-have repeated it.

-Oh, I see.

-He'd have gone on to something else.

-OK.

At least, that's what I hoped.

Back to you, Brian. The trouble with going second is you've got

the pressure moment now. You've got to get this right.

John Dryden's play All For Love, also known as The World Well Lost,

retells which famous story?

I don't know this one.

So, I'm just trying to eliminate...

Well, Antony lost everything for love, so I'm going to go for

Antony and Cleopatra.

It's very astute of you, cos you sort of sound like

you want to go for Romeo and Juliet but it would have taken you astray.

Antony and Cleopatra's right, well done.

So, three out of three for both of you. Good round.

We go to Sudden Death, Judith. Comes a little tougher,

cos I don't give you alternative answers, as you well know.

The Ipcress File is a spy thriller by which author?

Erm, Len Deighton.

Len Deighton is correct.

Brian, who became the UK's poet laureate in 1968?

Sir John Betjeman.

That's wrong.

Cecil Day-Lewis is the answer, I'm afraid, Brian.

And that was just all Sudden Death and it did end suddenly, I'm afraid.

There we are. I thought we were going to go on for lots of questions there.

Brian, I'm so sorry, you've been knocked out by Judith,

who has triumphed on Arts & Books and will be in the final round.

If you come back to us, we'll play the next round.

Bad luck, Brian. John Betjeman became poet laureate in '72,

-so you weren't far out, there.

-Yeah.

-Just four years later.

-And, Judith, we've had a little look at the records...

-Mm.

On Arts & Books, 33 of the last 36...victories.

I'm glad you said that now, rather than before.

LAUGHTER

-But I will say it next time.

-No, don't you dare, Jeremy!

HE LAUGHS

So mischievous. Anyway, as it stands, How Fabby have lost two brains

from the final round. The Eggheads have lost one.

The next subject is Politics.

-Politics...

-Who would like this?

-Mikey or Stephen.

-I think it's going to be Stevie.

-I'll take it.

Stevie, at the end, OK. Electrician from Paisley against...

-which Egghead?

-Which one do you want?

-Barry or Kevin?

-Phh...lucky me(!)

-I think you should go for Barry.

-Barry.

-Go for Barry.

Go for Barry, then. Barry, please.

All right. OK, so Stevie from How Fabby on Politics, versus

Barry from the... It almost rhymes, doesn't it?

Barry from the Eggheads, please go to the Question Room.

OK, Stevie, it's Politics against our Barry

without the beard... HE LAUGHS

-And would you like to go first or second?

-I'll go first, please.

And here is your first question, Stevie, good luck.

What was the name of the youngest brother of John and Robert Kennedy,

himself a US senator for over 40 years?

I think it's not James.

Teddy Kennedy...

Edward.

I think it's Edward.

Edward is the right answer, well done, yes, Teddy Kennedy.

-Almost had a run at president, didn't quite...do it.

-Yeah.

Barry, which of these was the nickname of the politician

Michael Heseltine?

It was a wonderful nickname cos I thought it suited him perfectly,

-and he was known as Tarzan.

-Tarzan is correct, well done.

Well done. And I think his biography was called Life In The Jungle...?

-Yes, it was.

-I think...

OK, over to you, Stevie.

For how many years must a candidate for the US President

have been resident in the country?

I haven't a clue.

I've never heard this before, so...

I'll go for the longest one at 22.

Yes, I would have gone for that, but it's wrong, 14 years.

This is a strange one, because I thought someone like

Schwarzenegger can't be... US President, can he?

-He can be governor, though, can't he?

-Yes, he can.

But he's been resident for a long time, but I don't...

-I thought the whole point was he can't run for it. But maybe I'm wrong.

-Can't he?

-This was written into the Constitution right at the start...

-You've got to be born in the States.

-Yes, you have to be born in the States.

-That's why Superman couldn't run for it...

-LAUGHTER Who couldn't run for it?

-Superman!

Yes, Superman couldn't run for it, yeah.

So, you had to be born in the States and resident for that

-amount of time.

-For that amount of time, yes,

-cos you could have been born and then gone somewhere else...

-Yes, understood.

-..and come back.

-You have to be at least 35, as well.

-At least 35, to run?

-Hm.

-It's all written into the Constitution.

-Right.

OK, Barry, your question. A motion for a UK general election

other than at a five-year interval has to be agreed by what

proportion of Commons' members?

Oh, this is a good one, I've not heard this before.

I have to think about this.

I can't imagine it would be as low as a quarter.

I think it must be two-thirds.

You've got it right, well done. And this is obviously a recent thing

as a result of the coalition coming in and all that.

Yes, indeed.

It's good to know that it has to be at least two-thirds.

Yeah, two-thirds could get an earlier election.

So, two to the Eggheads, one to you, Stevie,

got to get this one right.

Annie's Bar was a famous feature of which political building?

I don't think it's the Scottish Parliament.

I couldn't imagine it being the...

I'll go for the House of Commons.

Yes, completely right, House of Commons it is.

Not sure if it was an MPs' bar or a press bar, I can't remember.

But... Certainly in there somewhere.

So, Barry, if you get this one right you are in the final round.

"Like being savaged by a dead sheep,"

was how the Labour politician Denis Healey famously described

being attacked by which man?

This was a wonderful comment...

I think he did this politician a deal of injustice,

cos he was really quite a significant politician

and very trustworthy. But it was Geoffrey Howe.

It was Geoffrey Howe, who had his own back, in a way, when he took down

-Mrs Thatcher with a famous speech.

-He did, indeed.

-Yeah.

Geoffrey Howe is right, so, Barry, you got three out of three there.

-I think you like your politics, don't you, Barry?

-I do, yes.

So, you are in the final. Sorry about that, Stevie,

-he's knocked you out. That costly wrong answer.

-Yeah.

And if you come back to us, both of you, we will play the final round.

So, this is what we have been playing towards, it is 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, that is Michael and Brian and Stevie from How Fabby.

And also Chris from the Eggheads, would you, please, leave the studio.

OK, David and Mikey, you are playing to win How Fabby £7,000.

I know it's been hit and miss so far, the contest,

but honestly, you can do it. You've taken a lump out of the

Eggheads, the lump being Chris.

LAUGHTER

Dave, Kevin, Judith and Barry...

LAUGHTER CONTINUES

You can't say that.

..you're playing for something that money can't buy,

which is the Eggheads' reputation.

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

This time the questions are all General Knowledge.

You can confer with each other. How Fabby, the question is -

are your two brains able to defeat these four?

They're just showing signs of attrition at the moment,

so I think you can do it. David and Mikey, would you like to go

-first or second?

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

All right, best of luck to you - here we go...

If somebody shouts out, "Shotgun!" which seat in a car

are they hoping to reserve for themselves?

(Passenger...)

We're quite confident on this one, it's the front passenger seat.

Front passenger seat...is the right answer.

That's never happened to me...

David, you're the taxi driver, is that...?

-People shout shotgun, do they?

-Had it once or twice, yeah.

LAUGHTER

OK, you're correct, anyway.

First question to you, Eggheads...

In which Japanese martial art do competitors typically

use bamboo or wooden swords?

Kendo?

ALL: Kendo? Yeah.

That's kendo.

Kendo is right.

OK, second question to you, Challengers.

What is the literal meaning of the phrase, "terracotta" when

translated from the Italian?

-Terra?

-Terra.

Well, it's definitely earth.

-Well, terracotta.

-Hang on, so...

-That's red, is it not?

-Baked earth cos it's pottery.

That makes sense to me.

All the terracotta soldiers in China were baked. It's pottery, so...

-Go with baked, then, yeah?

-I think so.

-I'm not sure.

I think we'll go with baked earth.

Eggheads, are they right?

-Yes.

-Yup! 100%, well done, baked earth.

Your second question.

Which American city has a subway system

sometimes informally known as "The T"?

-Chicago is "The L."

-My first thought was Boston.

My thought was Boston, it's not New York.

I don't think Los Angeles has a subway.

-I think it does, I don't know.

-Does it?

-I was there, I never saw one.

-In an earthquake area...

My instinct was Boston.

My instinct... I should know it, but I don't know it.

-Chicago's the Loop.

-That's right.

-What's the New York one called.

-Metro.

-Just the Metro.

Boston was coming up in...

There's nothing saying Los Angeles to me.

-What about you, Kevin?

-I bet Chris is having kittens at the back, there.

OK...

Yeah... The other thing with LA... You're dealing with more...

..freeways and... I don't know what...

Also it's an earthquake area...

Could really spread...

-I'm not aware of Los Angeles.

-No...

-Yeah, I think we've got to go with Boston.

-I'm happy with Boston.

Not too sure on this. We don't think it's New York,

but we're having a little bit of a problem

with whether Los Angeles has A) got one...

Because of being in an earthquake area

and whether that might be called "The T". But on balance...

Boston certainly has got a metro system and...

We'll go for Boston.

Boston...

Well, it is the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority -

MBTA. And it's called "The T" possibly for that reason.

Not LA, not New York. Yes, Boston is the answer, well done.

-Well done, team.

-Well done.

-Chris, you knew that, didn't you?

-I knew that, Jeremy.

-Yep.

So, Challengers...

all-important third question. Get this right...

And we've seen it happen before - they start to panic...

And then they lose.

And we're playing for £7,000.

Who succeeded his father, Juan Carlos I,

to become the King of Spain in June 2014?

Do you know?

I knew who the king was beforehand...

I don't think it's something I've heard...at all.

-No.

-You've not got any...

-Nothing's ringing a bell.

..gut instinct with one, no?

Alfonso, maybe?

-I don't know...

-It's...

Do you want to go for it?

-We've got nothing better to go on, have we?

-No.

So, we're going to take a wee punt here and...Alfonso.

I wonder if you're right...

I can't picture this guy. Eggheads, it's it Alfonso?

-Felipe VI.

-Felipe.

-Felipe VI, it's the one with the lowest number!

Hardly sounds fair.

Felipe VI is the answer...

Eggheads, here's your question...

Which female tennis player won the singles titles at both

Wimbledon and the US Open in 1957 and 1958?

Yeah, it's Althea Gibson, just check the dates,

because it's '57 and '58.

'59 was Bueno, wasn't it?

-Mo Connelly was...

-Early '50s, 52...

It is Althea Gibson...

-Are we all happy?

-Maria Bueno is the '60s, wasn't she?

-'59.

-She won it in... Wimbledon in '59, then again in the '60s.

-Yeah.

-Maureen Connelly was '52, 3, 4.

-Yeah, so it's Althea Gibson.

Yeah.

-Very confident on that, yeah.

-Yeah.

-Well done.

-It's Althea Gibson.

-I do sometimes wonder how they know this stuff.

-No idea.

It's amazing, isn't it?

Not just to know Althea, but the other ones as well.

The correct answer is Althea Gibson.

We say, congratulations, Eggheads, you have won.

-She was a sportsperson in another field, as well.

-Golf?

Yeah, golf, Judith, exactly.

She was a professional golfer, as well.

Well done. Even though you lost Chris, you've played a good game

there, Eggheads. I'm sorry, Challengers.

They are just in very good form at the moment. Have you enjoyed it?

-Yeah, it's been great, yeah.

-Yeah. But commiserations to

How Fabby. It's been great to see you, and play the game with you.

The Eggheads have done what comes naturally to them,

we can say that with confidence at the moment.

They really are on a winning streak. It means the Challengers won't be going home with the £7,000,

I'm afraid. So we take the money and we roll it over to the next show.

Eggheads, congratulations. I'm starting to think

you'll never lose.

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

have the brains to defeat the Eggheads.

Or maybe even get a couple of them out, this time.

£8,000 says they can't do it.

Till then, goodbye.