Episode 83 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 our quiz champions today are Alla Famiglia.

This family team originally are from Hampshire,

and they feature Mum and Dad, Sara and Richard, and their three sons.

Let's meet them.

Hi, I'm George. I'm a financial risk manager.

Hi, I'm Ben, and I'm a film-maker.

Hi, I'm Richard. I'm a volunteer with the Citizens Advice Bureau.

Hello, I'm Sara, and I'm a retired teacher.

Hi, I'm Sam, and I'm a fraud and risk consultant.

-So, George, team, welcome. Good to see you.

-Hi.

-Hello.

And it's a proper family unit, this, George.

Yes, we've got my parents and myself and my two brothers.

We've been doing quizzing individually for a while,

and occasionally as a team together, and my father, Richard,

thought this would be a fun opportunity for us

to get together and do it again.

So you are the brains at the centre there, Richard, are you?

No, I'm just at the centre.

LAUGHTER Well, 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, Alla Famiglia, I can tell you

the Eggheads have got a spring in their step at the moment, I think.

They've won the last seven games.

So £8,000 says you can't beat them today.

So worth playing for?

-Mm, yes.

-Certainly.

-Right, shall we go for it?

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

Now, who would like Geography?

-Oh, geography...

-George.

-Me?

-Yeah.

Me, OK.

-Me.

-You?

-Yeah.

-OK, George. Right, against which Egghead?

Any one. Who looks lost?

-It's up to you.

-Who do you think?

-Judith or CJ?

-CJ?

-CJ.

Yeah, fine. CJ?

-No, thanks!

-I think they've watched Eggheads before.

George from Alla Famiglia versus CJ from the Eggheads on Geography.

Please take your positions in our Question Room.

George, geography, you can choose

whether you go first or second against CJ.

I'll go second, please.

Seems to be a fad for going second at the moment among our Challengers.

OK, CJ. From 1922 to 1991, Armenia was part of which country?

I think from where it is geographically,

Armenia should have been part of the Soviet Union.

Indeed, yes, you're right. It is. And is it next to Azerbaijan?

Is it round that...?

It is in that area, yes. Next to Georgia.

Next to Georgia, right. One of those.

OK, George.

The Manzanares River runs through which European capital city?

I know it's not Budapest, because it's on the Danube.

I'm pretty sure it's Madrid.

Yes, well done, it is Madrid. It is Madrid.

Names of rivers, CJ - do you study those?

Yeah, I mean, the Manzanares is actually quite interesting,

cos it's the only river in a European capital city

that's not navigable when it gets to the capital.

Oh, I see. I must admit, I wouldn't have known the answer to that.

OK, CJ, in 2009, the government of which island nation

held an underwater cabinet meeting

to highlight the threat posed by rising sea levels?

I do remember this. I think...

I mean, certainly, one of those is very much at risk

from rising water levels, and I think it was in the Maldives.

And it is the Maldives. Well done.

You've got two now.

Back to George. Which body of water, George,

is known in Cornish as Mor Bretannek?

Oh, I don't speak Cornish. Um...

I'm guessing because of where Cornwall is,

it's the English Channel.

Yes, it is the English Channel. Well done.

OK, CJ, back to you.

On the east coast of Scotland, which historic county

lay between Aberdeenshire and Angus?

Historic counties as in ones that don't exist any more.

OK, I'm going to rule out Kincardineshire,

but for absolutely no reason apart from it's difficult to say.

So...

Do I go for Kintyre or Kyle?

Absolutely no idea. I'll try Kintyre.

Yeah. Kincardineshire is the right answer, CJ.

Kyle, anyone help us with Kyle?

It's just a geographical term for straits.

Oh, so it's not...

Kincardineshire there is the only one that was a historic...

Oh, the only one that was a historic county, says Kevin,

is Kincardineshire, CJ.

OK, so George, you've got a little bit of daylight here.

CJ stumbled, as he is wont to do, on the matter of UK geography.

And here's your third question for the round.

Which European country is known to its inhabitants as Hrvatska?

It's not Denmark.

It's certainly not Greece, so it must be Croatia.

Croatia is correct, George, well done. You are in the final round.

-Yes!

-First blood to our Challengers.

CJ has been knocked out on Geography.

CJ, George, please return to us and we'll play on.

Well, what a promising start with £8,000 on the table.

Alla Famiglia have not lost a brain. Well done, George, and CJ, gone.

-Gone with a map folded around your head.

-I'm sorry.

It does happen in that round for you.

The next subject is Music. Who would like this?

-Ooh, Music.

-Who's going to take music?

-Tricky one, isn't it?

-Yeah, it is a tricky one.

-Who's going to take Music?

-We didn't decide, did we?

-No.

-Sam or Mum?

-I don't know any contemporary stuff.

-That's the trouble.

-You can have it.

-Yeah, OK, send Sam.

-And then if we get science...

-Sam.

-OK? Good luck.

OK, Sam, before you go, just choose an Egghead for us.

-Again, we looked at you two for that.

-Who's bad at Music?

-You'll beat Chris.

-There's a chance there might be contemporary ones.

Pop music, he won't know a thing about pop music.

-Without being ageist. Let's go for it.

-Yes, take Chris, yeah.

-Chris.

-Yeah, lot of people settle on Chris for Music.

It's interesting. Sam from Alla Famiglia,

that was a nice little taste of

the family around the Christmas tree there.

I thought it was going to get out of hand for a second there!

Versus Chris from the Eggheads on Music.

Please go to our Question Room now.

So you're up against Chris on Music.

That will have delighted Chris, who loves to answer questions about rap.

Oh, wonderful, isn't it? Absolutely wonderful.

The greatest art form of the 20th century, without a doubt.

LAUGHTER Right, so,

would you like to go first or second, Sam?

I'd like to go first, please.

Funny thing is, I think Chris actually means it.

So here's your question.

Which of these is a famous piece of music by Tchaikovsky?

OK, I know it's not Adagio. That was Barber.

And that is where my classical knowledge ends.

So I'm going to have to go for...

1812 Overture.

Excellent. Your parents are delighted. 1812 Overture.

You thought he was wrong! Well done, Mum.

-Oh, you got it wrong, Sara, did you?

-I did.

You've actually outwitted your mum on that.

Chris, Why Can't I Wake Up With You

was a UK top 10 hit in 1993 for which group?

Er, never heard of Charles & Eddie.

It's not Take That. So it's got to be 2 Unlimited.

-It is Take That, actually.

-Is it?

-Yes, it is.

-Well.

-All right, so this is good, Sam.

You're in the lead on a question about classical music.

It doesn't get any better than this, does it? OK, your second question.

Bill Haley, the singer famous for the song Rock Around The Clock,

started his career in which musical genre?

Wow, another oldie. Erm...

The fact that the song's got saxophones in it leads me to think

maybe it could be jazz.

Yeah, I'll go with that logic. Jazz.

-No, it's country.

-Oh.

Chris, you have a way back in.

What is the title of Madonna's 2015 studio album?

Rebel Rebel, surely, was David Bowie.

Wouldn't be Rebel Yell. She's not a Confederate.

So it's Rebel Heart.

Rebel Yell was Billy Idol.

Rebel Heart is Madonna, you're quite right. Well done.

So you're level.

He sneaked back up, Sam.

See if you can get this right.

Put the frighteners on him.

Kashmir is a famous track by which of these groups?

I've got a few friends that wouldn't talk to me again

if I got this wrong. So going to go straight in - it's Led Zeppelin.

It is indeed. Get out the Led, as they say. Led Zeppelin.

All right, so, Chris, to stay in, your question.

Which Russian composer died on the 5th of March 1953,

the same day as Joseph Stalin?

This to stay in.

We had a question about Rachmaninov the other day,

but it's not him.

Neither is it Igor Stravinsky. It's Prokofiev.

Prokofiev is the right answer.

The interesting facts about that is that there weren't any flowers

at Prokofiev's funeral, because Stalin had taken them all.

LAUGHTER

So we go to Sudden Death.

Sam, it gets a bit harder, because I don't give you alternatives.

Should I Stay Or Should I Go was a 1991 UK number one for which band?

So it's a cover of The Clash.

I'm just going to have to go with The Clash.

Yeah, it's not a cover. It's their song. The Clash is the answer.

-Yes!

-Brilliant.

-Well done, Sam.

OK, Chris, to stay in now.

Which member of One Direction was born in County Westmeath

in the Republic of Ireland?

I only know one member of One Direction, and that's Harry Styles.

You want to try any others, or it's that one, is it?

-Yeah. I don't know any others.

-LAUGHTER

It's not Harry Styles.

It's Neil Horan. Or Niall Horan.

-None the wiser.

-OK, not heard of him?

-No.

Chris, you've been knocked out. Well done, Sam.

Good work.

OK, Chris, come back to us. Sam, come back. We'll play on.

Alla Famiglia have lost no brains.

The Eggheads are down two already, and they've barely got out of bed.

The next subject is History.

-Who's the historian?

-Dad.

-Yeah, Dad.

-Richard.

-Richard.

I keep wanting to call you Dad here. LAUGHTER

Against which Egghead?

What do you think?

-I think probably Judith.

-Judith.

-Is that OK with you?

-Yes.

-Well, it doesn't matter whether it's OK with her or not.

-Exactly.

-But of course, your patron saint will be with you, Judith.

-I hope so.

-Eleanor of Aquitaine.

-Yes.

-OK, so Richard from Alla Famiglia

versus Judith from the Eggheads, our Millionaire.

To ensure there's no conferring, please take your position.

Are you a historian on the quiet, Richard?

I taught it for some years, but that itself is history.

-That was about 45 years ago.

-Oh, right. But Judith then gasped

at that point. You didn't realise that, Judith?

I didn't realise he was a history teacher, no. Oh, dear.

As was pointed out, it's not as if

-you've got a choice here, Judith, is it?

-No, exactly.

-It's fate.

-It is fate. So Richard, would you like to go first or second?

I'll go first, please, Jeremy.

And all the best to you, Richard. Here we go.

Charles I was executed by which method in 1649?

That's a very interesting question. Erm...

I'll go for beheading.

Yes, beheading is the right answer.

Judith, which of these battles was a major engagement

in the Hundred Years' War?

Well, Hastings, 1066 and all that.

And Sedan was a French and German battle, I think.

I think it's Crecy.

Crecy is quite right.

One each. Back to you, Richard.

Before coming dictator of Cuba, Fulgencio Batista

was first formally elected the country's president in what year?

Well, 1960 is too late.

I don't remember which of the other two it is.

But let's assume that politics there were relatively turbulent

before the Castro regime, and that he was president for ten years.

So let's go for 1950.

-It's the wrong answer.

-Ah.

-Ah.

It's 1940, actually.

OK, Judith, your question. Second question.

In which decade did Prince Rainier of Monaco

marry the film actress Grace Kelly?

Well, '30s too early, '70s too late, so '50s.

'50s is right. Indeed, indeed.

Judith is in the lead, Richard.

That means you need to get this one right.

The Krypteia was a military tradition

in which city state of ancient Greece?

And it's spelt, Richard, K-R-Y-P-T-E-I-A. Krypteia.

I don't know, and I can't think what I've got to go on there,

other than knowing that certainly Athens

and Sparta were both city states.

The word crypt, krypton, leads me to Athens.

So I'll say Athens, Jeremy.

OK, I've got your logic. Let's check this with Kevin. Kevin?

The one with the great military. I mean, actually,

Thebes had some military traditions as well, but probably not.

I would go for Sparta.

-Because of what?

-It was a very military society.

I mean, there were certain classes who were brought up as warriors,

as soldiers, from birth, effectively.

And I'm assuming that's probably what this system is.

Kevin is right. It is Sparta, Richard.

I'm sorry, not Athens.

So no way back in this round,

and Judith has taken the round on History. And Richard,

you've been knocked out, but not over for your team, not by any means,

cos you're playing very, very well. Come back to us,

and we'll see what happens next.

So, Alla Famiglia have lost a brain now from the final round,

but the Eggheads have lost two, so they are lagging.

And the last subject before the final is Film & TV.

So it can be Ben or Sara.

We were arguing in the toss that sacrificing Mum

to keep me in for the last round, cos I know more,

I've got a broader knowledge for the end.

I would say Ben, to be honest. I think you've got a chance.

-Is my argument not sound?

-No, your argument is sound, but...

I'm not going to knock one of those two out.

-You might do.

-Film & Television was one of your specialities.

-We're playing for the end. We're not playing for this round.

-All right.

-OK, good logic.

-Do you want to do it, Mum?

-If not, we can save you for the end.

-No, fine.

I think Sara wants to do it.

-I think secretly wants to do it.

-No, I don't!

-You want to go in the booth.

-I think she does.

-OK, Sara from Alla Famiglia. Are we agreed here?

-Yeah.

We're keeping the film-maker off the Film And TV round.

-We're sure about this, right?

-Yeah, we're playing for the end.

I know, I understand that. OK, I've got it.

-Before you go, just choose an Egghead for us.

-Barry.

-Barry.

-Please.

-Straight off, no discussion.

Those are his TV viewing glasses he's got on.

Sara from Alla Famiglia versus Barry from the Eggheads.

Film & TV. Whoa, what a discussion on that side!

To ensure there's no conferring, please take your positions.

Film & TV. And would you like to go first or second, Sara?

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

Here's your question, then.

Which film director famously made two versions of the 10 Commandments,

one released in 1923 and one in 1956?

I think I'm going to plump for Cecil B DeMille.

Yes, you're absolutely right. Well done.

Not Hitchcock, who was more thrillers.

I think if it had been made by Sam Peckinpah

everyone would have been machine-gunned. Is that right?

-That's basically...

-A plague of bullets

-instead of a plague of locusts.

-Exactly, yeah.

Well done, Sara. Barry, your question.

The former model Amanda Lamb is best known

for presenting TV programmes about which subject?

Oh.

I'm afraid to say I've not come across this.

But I watch a lot of history and science,

and I don't recall the name, so I shall go for property.

Yes, she is. I think probably half the country at the moment

-presents programmes on property.

-True!

-But she is one of them.

Property is the right answer, well done.

Sara. Which of these is the title

of a 1957 film starring the person in the title as themselves

and charting their rise to fame?

It's too early for David Essex, I think.

Billy Fury and Tommy Steele...

I really don't know, but I'm going to guess The Billy Fury Story.

-Team-mates on this side? Richard?

-I've got no idea.

-Tommy Steele?

Tommy Steele, yeah. Tommy Steele is the answer.

OK, Tommy Steele Story is the answer there.

Barry, your chance to take the lead.

Risky Business, one of the first films starring Tom Cruise,

was released in which year?

Oh, my goodness me. Tom Cruise was about 19,

I think, in this film.

How old is Tom Cruise now?

30s, early 40s, maybe?

So 19, knock 20 years off,

which would put it about...

1993. I'll go for 1993.

I do hope Tom Cruise is watching.

He's older than that, is he?

-Well, he must be 50, isn't he?

-He's in his early 50s.

Yeah, he's in his... LAUGHTER

Late 30s! He'll love that, Barry.

He's got good hair, that's for sure.

1983 is the answer.

How about that, Sara?

-Quite good, isn't it?

-Yes.

OK, your question. Get this right, put some pressure on Barry the brain.

Which actress plays Olivia Pope,

the lead character in the American TV drama series Scandal?

I have no idea. I've never heard of the programme.

I'm just going to have to guess.

I'm going to do what one of the famous Eggheads usually does

and go straight down the middle. Can't remember who it was.

-Edie Falco.

-Well, it's Judith who goes down the right, isn't it?

-Yes.

-Yes, magic right.

-Although you haven't done that recently.

No, cos I've perhaps known the answers.

You've known the answer, yeah.

Kerry Washington is the answer, Sara.

So a chance for Barry to take the round.

Barry, which TV series is based on a series of books by Charlaine Harris?

Oh, goodness.

A series of books.

I don't think it's Six Feet Under.

I don't know.

I'm going to go for Homeland.

No, you've got that wrong as well. It's True Blood.

HE LAUGHS

So a point each after three.

Well, this is handy, Sara, I must say.

So we go to Sudden Death now.

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

Rudge Park Comprehensive is the setting for which British sitcom

about a group of friends trying to get through the sixth form?

-No, I really can't think of anything.

-Come on, Mum!

-Inbetweeners. You would have heard them talking about it.

-Can't think of the name of the school.

I ought to be able to, I know, but I can't. Sorry, pass.

-All right, team-mates?

-The Inbetweeners.

-The Inbetweeners, yeah. The Inbetweeners.

-Oh.

Barry, for the round - in which 2009 film,

directed by Neill Blomkamp,

were members of an alien race referred to as prawns?

Ah, I remember watching this one.

I think it was set in South Africa.

And I believe it was District 9.

Yeah, it was not, as you might have thought, Eggheads.

HE LAUGHS

-No, we're known as lobsters.

-No, exactly.

We don't refer to you as prawns, but you are aliens.

District 9 is the right answer. Well done, Barry.

You slugged it out there with Sara.

Sorry, Sara, you've been knocked out by Barry.

-Hope you enjoyed the experience, though.

-Yes, thank you.

All right, come back to us and we'll play the final round.

So it's evened up, and this is what we have been playing towards.

It's 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 Richard and Sara from Alla Famiglia

and Chris and CJ from the Eggheads,

would you please now leave the studio.

George, Ben and Sam, you're playing to win Alla Famiglia £8,000.

Kevin, Judith and Barry, you're playing for something

that money can't really buy, which is the Eggheads' reputation.

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

This time they're all General Knowledge,

and you can confer. Guys, OK?

So the question is, can you, with your three brains,

take down these three here? Give them a proper mugging?

-Maybe.

-LAUGHTER

Yes, a slightly doubtful noise.

-We'll give it a go.

-We've lost our fearless leader in Dad.

You've lost the matriarch and the patriarch, that's true.

But you can still win. Would you like to go first or second?

Second, please, Jeremy.

Second. Here we go, Eggs.

In which year was the athlete Mo Farah born?

Certainly not around 40.

-So 83?

-He can't be... Is he 32?

If it was 91, that would make him only 24, and he's not that young.

So he's 32.

-Yeah, I think so.

-Must be in the middle.

-I think it's 1983.

-I know I get confused over dates, but this one's

-relatively straightforward.

-Yeah, 1983, I think.

We think that's 1983.

1983 is correct.

Your question, brothers.

Watford is a town in which county?

-Hertfordshire?

-Hertfordshire, it's near London.

-Yeah.

-Yeah, Hertfordshire.

-Hertfordshire is the right answer, well done.

They may get harder. OK, Eggheads. In which area does the organisation

known by the acronym Ucas operate?

University admissions.

-Can we just get the spelling on that to make sure?

-U-C-A-S.

-Yeah.

Ucas, it's university. It's the clearing body, isn't it?

-Yeah, clearing body.

-University clearing.

-Universities, yeah.

-Right, OK?

-Yeah.

They deal with university admissions.

University admissions is correct.

OK. Alla Famiglia,

your second question.

Which of these is another name for the bird of prey known as the osprey?

-Fish hawk?

-It must be fish hawk, cos they eat fish.

So if it was one of the other two, that'd be quite ridiculous, right?

I'll hand it to you. My ornithology isn't good.

It has got to be fish hawk.

Fish hawk is correct. Straight there, well done. OK, good start.

Two out of two, well done.

Eggheads, who resigned as US Secretary of Defense

in November 2014?

-It's Chuck Hagel.

-It's the name that rings a bell with me.

-Carter is the one who has taken over.

-Yeah.

-Oh, has he?

And Hillary Clinton never has been.

-Hillary Clinton has never been Secretary of Defense.

-No.

We think this is - although there is an Ashton Carter connection,

because we think he replaced Chuck Hagel -

but the one who resigned was Chuck Hagel.

Chuck Hagel is correct.

All right, they've got three out of three, which is a bit annoying.

So you need to get this one right, because you went second.

Pressure on.

The ancient Sumerian city of Ur,

U-R, is located on an old channel of which major river?

Certainly not the Yangtze.

Do you think it would be the Tigris?

-Mm, I actually don't...

-You don't know?

-I think it's Euphrates,

-but I'm guessing.

-It's an educated guess, isn't it?

They're both in Iraq. They both go through Iraq.

-I honestly don't know.

-Go Euphrates.

-Handing it to you.

-Yeah.

-Nothing else?

-50-50.

-50-50? You're not sure,

-it could be either of them?

-Yeah. I wouldn't change it now.

-Final answer?

-Yeah.

-You sure? Euphrates?

-Go for it.

We'll go with George. He's the geographer. Euphrates.

OK, Euphrates is your answer, then. George, were you...?

-It's not Yangtze.

-It's not the Yangtze, that's in China.

And I must admit, I'm not really sure.

-The Tigris and Euphrates are both...

-They both go through Iraq.

-Iraq, and Ur is in Iraq, that was your logic?

-Yeah.

-OK.

-Eggheads, are they right?

-Think so.

-Euphrates is the right answer. Well done!

-Well done, George.

Excellent, George. OK, so three out of three for both of you.

We go to Sudden Death. Your question, Eggheads.

The historic town of Sintra, known for its national palace,

is a World Heritage Site in which European country?

-Portugal?

-Portugal, yeah.

That's Portugal.

It's a few miles north of Lisbon. It is indeed Portugal.

OK, I'm sorry they're not giving you any space here.

You have to keep running to catch up. Don't get one wrong.

In 2014, a recording was released of a telephone apology

by Ronald Reagan to Margaret Thatcher

over the 1983 invasion of which Commonwealth state?

Grenada.

-Wow.

-It's Grenada, yeah?

-OK.

Clearly, it's Grenada - from both sides.

It is. It is Grenada.

Back to you, Eggheads.

Writings by Lord Gnome

and EJ Thribb appear regularly in which publication?

-Private Eye.

-Yup.

That's Private Eye.

Private Eye is quite right.

Back to you.

The only medieval cathedral in England with three spires

is situated in which city?

Salisbury?

Salisbury's massive, I've been in it.

Is Salisbury a city?

There's Ely, but that's got one big tower, I've driven past it.

I can see it from miles away, cos it's flat.

Winchester, I think, has two at one end.

And it's the old capital, wasn't it?

-Yeah. Yeah.

-When it was Wessex.

-Try Winchester.

-Two big ones at each end?

-There will be another one at the other end?

-Try that.

-I don't think so.

-You don't think so?

-No.

You don't think it's Winchester? We are from Hampshire.

-Exactly. We would know that.

-Do you think we would?

HE WHISPERS

-It's not York Minster, is it?

-Medieval.

We haven't even thought about when... When is medieval time?

-Is it that old?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

Why have you suddenly gone back from Winchester to York?

I'm thinking in my head it might have one at one end

-and two at the other.

-Didn't Blue Peter do that...?

There was a fire, and they rebuilt

-all those wooden things...

-Yeah.

-The roof...

-It's a punt.

-Yeah.

It is a guess, sadly, Jeremy. Are you sure you want to go with York?

-Why not?

-Why not.

We've got to say something.

It's only worth £8,000, isn't it? So...

LAUGHTER

-What's your answer?

-York.

York Minster, York Cathedral.

I wonder if your parents know this?

Er...no...

Lichfield comes to mind, but...

Richard, you're right, it is Lichfield.

THEY GROAN Lichfield is the answer.

And because you've gone second...

-That's it.

-That's it!

So, we have to say congratulations, Eggheads, you have won.

Well, I guess there's consolation with your dad's Lichfield...

If he'd been here, might have...

-It might have got into the mix.

-Yeah.

-Commiserations to

Alla Famiglia, the Eggheads have done what comes naturally to them,

their winning streak continues. You did play very, very well

and stuck at it, as well.

I'm afraid you won't be going home with the £8,000.

So, the money rolls over to our next show.

Eggheads, very well done, only three of you left today,

but still playing powerfully. Who will beat you, I wonder?

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

can do it - defeat the Eggheads and walk off with £9,000.

Till then, goodbye.