Episode 10 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 taking on the might of our quiz Goliaths

are Run Camden from London. This team of friends met

through their shared love of running

and regularly pound the pavements of north London together.

Let's meet them.

Hi, I'm Sam. I'm the manager of a running shop.

Hi, I'm John and I'm the assistant manager of a running shop.

Hi, I'm Emma and I'm studying for a PhD in neuromuscular diseases.

Hi, I'm Jonny and I'm an insurance claims handler.

Hi, I'm Charlotte and I'm a projects manager for a theatre company.

-So, Sam, team, welcome.

-Hello.

-Good to see you.

-You run together, do you?

-That's right, yeah.

Every single week... John and I are there every week

and the others are there almost every week.

When I said you pound the pavements of north London,

I think that's not easy cos there's a lot of people on those pavements.

There's a lot of parks, there's a lot of different places that we go -

Hampstead Heath, lots of lovely places to run.

-And you are quizzers, some of you.

-In theory.

-OK, I won't ask any more.

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, runners, I can tell you

that the Eggheads have been on a bit of a marathon here,

doing really well, stayed on their feet.

They've won the last 18 games,

so that means there's £19,000 to play for today. How's that?

You didn't know that, did you? I've surprised you with a number.

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

-That should be perfect.

-Should be.

-Who would like it?

-Choose a player. Sport.

-One of you two.

I should think, seeing as we work together

and talk about sport all the time,

-I'm OK but John's a little bit better.

-Yeah.

So, it's got to be John.

Against which Egghead? John, you can choose any one of them.

Pat's enjoying being squeezed in the middle there.

-We could try and get Barry out.

-I think Lisa.

-Yeah.

Shot in the dark, but Lisa. Why not? Try and get Lisa out.

OK, John from Run Camden versus Lisa from the Eggheads.

To ensure there's no conferring,

would you please both take your positions in our Question Room?

So, John, you were brought up in Cuba.

Yes, I was born in Cuba and spent the first six months there

and then spent some time in Portugal

before coming back to Scotland, so well travelled.

Fantastic route around the world there. Why were you in Cuba?

My dad used to work as a foreign correspondent,

so he was based out in a few different countries

and he happened to be in Cuba when I was on the way.

30 years ago, they were really a hot topic.

Yeah, certainly it was quite an interesting place to work.

I've been back a couple of times and it's certainly quite a place.

And Sport - I know you work in the shop, selling the running shoes,

so running is your sport. Anything else?

Running and football. Traditional Scottish.

I know a lot about football but not very good at it.

-So, Sport, John, your choice - first or second?

-Can I go second, please?

Second... OK, the runners are throwing us a googly there.

Lisa, the footballer Vincent Kompany usually plays in which position?

He ain't a goalkeeper but he's definitely up the back, I think.

-He's a defender.

-Defender is correct. Well done.

-You would have known that, I'm thinking, John?

-Yeah, yeah.

OK, your question.

Which of these men's international rugby union teams

performs the haka before their games?

Um, I'm going to have to go with New Zealand there.

It is, indeed, New Zealand. Well done. They might get harder.

Lisa, your second question.

Which of these sportsmen celebrated their 40th birthday in 2015?

Er, 2015... Now, I think Chris Hoy's that little bit younger

and I'm relatively certain...

2015, yeah...

I know an awful lot about David Beckham,

for reasons that are not entirely sporting,

but we'll go with David Beckham.

David Beckham is the right answer. You're a fan, are you?

-Oh, who isn't?

-I was in a restaurant or cafe the other day,

having breakfast, and I recognised him at one of the tables.

You mean he didn't come over and go,

"It's Jeremy Vine! Can I get a selfie?"

No, all I could think to say was, "Respect", like that.

He said, "Thank you," very politely and that was it.

So I've said one work to him, literally one word.

OK, John, she's ahead.

Who holds the record for the most weeks

as the world's number one-ranked male golfer?

I think Greg Norman never won a major, as far as I'm aware.

Um... For all his recent travails, I'd have to say Tiger Woods.

Yeah, travails apart, it is Tiger Woods.

You're right and you're equal with Lisa,

who has the chance for three in a row now.

In tennis, what name is given to the right side of the court,

from which the serve is made and received at even-numbered points?

Ah, see, I knew one side was the ace court

and one side was the deuce court,

I just don't know which way round they are.

I think it's the ace court, but I'm not sure. I'll go with it anyway.

-Ace court.

-I would definitely have guessed that.

-It's the deuce court, isn't it?

-Well, it's an absolute stinker.

-It's deuce court, Lisa.

-Argh!

-So, here we are.

Chance to show her a clean pair of trainers, John.

The New Orleans Pelicans are a top-tier team in which sport?

The New Orleans Pelicans. Is it...?

Well, American football is the Saints. Basketball...

Oh, it had been the Hornets, but they moved back to Charlotte

and ice hockey, I have to admit, I'm not sure.

-I'm going to go with basketball.

-You've got a bit of knowledge there.

You think it was the New Orleans Hornets, was it?

Previously, cos they were in Charlotte,

then they moved to New Orleans,

but I think they moved back in Carolina, so I think the Pelicans...

Let's ask your sporty teammates.

-We think it's ice hockey but we could be wrong.

-Ice hockey, yeah.

OK, I'm glad they're playing you, John, cos you got it right.

-Basketball is the answer.

-Nice one! Well done, John.

-Three out of three.

You're in the final round. You've beaten Lisa.

Good play. Sorry, Miss Thiel.

That's perfectly all right.

Come back to us and we'll play the next round.

OK, this is going to be lively, I can tell. Trainers on, Eggheads.

You're a little bit complacent out of the starting gate, I think.

As it stands, Run Camden have got all their brains.

The Eggheads have had one knocked out.

We're playing for a lot of money here - £19,000.

The next subject is Film & TV.

Who would like this?

I think we've discussed in advance, haven't we, who's going to be that.

-Charlotte.

-Works in theatre.

-Yep.

-OK.

-Charlotte.

-Yeah.

OK, Charlotte, against which Egghead? They're all here, ready.

-Lisa can't.

-Pat?

-Yeah?

-Pat?

-Do you want to go for Pat?

-OK.

-Sure?

-Pat. Win!

-Pat. Win. LAUGHTER

OK, Pat lose, maybe. Here we go.

Charlotte from Run Camden versus Pat from the Eggheads.

To ensure there's no conferring, please go to our Question Room.

This will be good for you, I'm thinking, Charlotte, because you...

Well, tell us what your job is.

So, I'm a projects manager for a theatre company.

OK, so a lot of acting and stage and what kind of stuff?

So, we predominantly do family theatre,

so we're a touring a company.

We tour all over the world and in the UK.

Brilliant and a huge demand for that.

-Yeah.

-I know, as a father of young girls,

you just long for productions which they enjoy.

Yeah, and we really try and make them

so that they're for the whole family to enjoy - the parents as well -

because they're the ones booking the tickets

so we want them to have a good time as well.

And you're running with your teammates, is that right?

-Yeah, as much as I can, yeah.

-Good stuff. Good luck against Pat.

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

Can I go second, please?

So, the first question goes to Pat.

What genre is the 2014 Christopher Nolan film Interstellar?

I think this was a huge budget sci-fi film

with people like Matthew McConaughey in it.

I'm not sure it really triumphed at the box office,

but it's a big science fiction film.

It is, indeed, a big science fiction film, not a Western.

-No.

-Taking place on Mars.

Charlotte, who was unveiled

as the new main presenter of the TV show Top Gear in June, 2015?

Um, I'm fairly certain that it's Chris Evans.

He talked about it quite a lot on his radio show, so Chris Evans.

-What station does he work on?

-Radio 2.

-Oh, OK, right.

I've heard that's good. Chris Evans is the right answer.

Pat, over to you.

Who plays Alan Harper in the TV series Two And A Half Men?

Mmm...

I've not been a regular viewer of this programme,

so it's going to be a bit of a guess, I'm afraid.

Very, very hazardous business, this.

I will guess at John Krasinski.

-Do you know, Charlotte?

-I don't.

I would have gone for the same one, actually, so...

-Jon Cryer is the answer.

-Ah!

So, Charlotte, your chance to take the lead.

This is getting a bit exciting, this contest.

Which actor has been married to Scarlett Johansson and Blake Lively?

Um...

So, I'm going to rule out Colin Farrell.

Um, I know that Josh Hartnett and Scarlett Johansson

did have a relationship

but I know that Blake Lively is married to Ryan Reynolds.

I'm going to go for Ryan Reynolds.

Ryan Reynolds is your answer. Well done, you're right.

Pat, let's put those thoughts of Scarlett Johansson aside

and here is your third question.

Which film and literary antihero

is played on TV by the Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen?

I think he plays the serial killer Hannibal Lecter.

Hannibal Lecter is right. Well done. You've got two out of three, Pat,

but if Charlotte gets this right, she is in the final round,

otherwise we go to Sudden Death.

Who directed the films Scarface, Carrie and Mission: Impossible?

Um...

I've seen Mission: Impossible. I've not seen the other two. Er...

I'm not sure it's Martin Scorsese,

so I think I'm going to go for...

..Brian de Palma, although that might be wrong, thinking about it.

Brian de Palma is your answer.

There was a little murmur from the Eggheads.

-Why did you murmur, Eggs?

-Cos she's right.

Because they know they've lost two players.

Charlotte, you're in the final round.

Brian de Palma is the right answer. Pat's been knocked out.

Oh, and we're playing for £19,000 as well.

Can't wait to get on with the next round. Please come back to us.

Well, Run Camden... Sam, just a bit of an update from you?

-How are you feeling?

-It's going well.

-Where are we on the marathon?

-It's 26 miles for a marathon, so we're on...mile 10?

-Not even that.

-It's all down to the final round, isn't it?

-Yeah, good point.

You obviously watch the programme,

so no chickens being counted here, to mix our metaphors.

But you have taken two Eggheads out

and gently pushed them off the cliff.

So, Run Camden, you're playing really well

and this is a big jackpot we're playing for. They've lost no brains.

Let's see what happens now. The subject is Science.

That's quite obvious who we're going to go for.

-We'll go for the scientist.

-We have a PhD student here.

-Yes.

OK, Emma, against which Egghead? It can be Judith or Barry or Dave.

-I think Dave. I think...

-You're the captain.

-I'd like Dave.

-OK.

-It's got to be Dave.

-Dave, Dave.

-Dave, you are, what is it?

-The boy with the finger in the dyke now?

-Yeah, the guinea pig.

OK, Emma from Run Camden against Dave from the Eggheads.

The Eggheads on the back foot here. Please go to the Question Room.

Emma, good luck on Science.

They said you are the scientist, so tell us.

Yeah, I'm studying for a PhD in neuromuscular diseases,

so a fairly niche area of science.

But then that does in a way, fit in

-with all the running that you all do.

-Yes, absolutely.

And neuromuscular disease would be

something like motor neurone, would it, or something?

Absolutely, so motor neurone disease or some of the rarer ones,

-like Charcot-Marie-Tooth.

-OK, tremendous.

Good luck against Dave. This is an interesting contest today, Dave.

Yes, isn't it?

You've come in at the right moment to hold the fort for the Eggheads.

-Good luck with that, yeah.

-Emma, Science.

-Do you want to go first or second?

-Second, please, Jeremy.

Dave, your first question then.

For what does the medical abbreviation DVT stand?

-It's deep vein thrombosis.

-Yes, it is deep vein thrombosis.

-On aeroplanes, people wear special socks, don't they?

-Yeah.

OK, Emma.

What type of marine creature is a conch?

Can you spell the creature for me?

Yeah, C-O-N-C-H.

I'm going to plump down the middle with sea snail.

Yes, it is sea snail. Well done, Emma. One point each.

-Have you even got a question wrong yet?

-No, they haven't.

-Have they?

-They can't have.

-No.

-I don't think they have.

-No, they haven't yet.

OK, Dave.

Which of these was a type of prehistoric shark?

I've got no idea. I'm going to rule out megalosaurus.

Smilodon would be an eloquent... I'll have to go mega...

Er...

Megatherium, with no confidence at all.

-You're going megatherium?

-Mmm-hmm.

-You got it wrong, Dave.

-Is it "don"?

-It's megalodon. Judith kept saying "don". It's "don".

-You're being eaten by a shark here.

-Yes!

-OK, so here we are again.

Get this right, take the lead.

According to the RSPB, which coast-dwelling water bird

is the UK's heaviest and fastest-flying duck?

Um...I think I'm going to go for eider.

Eider is right. Well done. They're so purposeful, this team.

They're not even applauding their own players.

They're like, "We're running towards the money."

OK, Dave,

-precipice - you feel it?

-I'm on the edge.

-Feel the breeze?

-Yeah.

-Hear the sea below?

-Yeah.

You're off the edge if you get this wrong.

What was the nationality of the scientist after whom the ampere,

the SI unit of electrical current, takes its name?

I'm ruling out Italian.

Swiss or French?

I've got an instinct for French but, again, it's...

-I'm on the edge, so, French.

-Yeah, it does sound like a French word.

French is right, so you've got two out of three.

This is a crucial moment in the contest now.

If you get this right, you will have knocked out Dave

and three Eggheads will be gone. Take your time here.

Stibium is an obsolete name for which chemical element?

Stibium. S-T-I-B-I-U-M.

Er, I'm going to rule out bismuth and antimony

-and go with cadmium.

-Cadmium is your answer.

So, in other words, stibium was the old name

and it's not used any more for one of these.

If you've got it right, Dave will be out

and three Eggheads will be down, which doesn't happen very often.

-Barry, do you know?

-It's antimony.

-It is antimony. How do we know that?

-Can we guess that somehow or not?

-I don't think it's guessable.

Yes, it is, cos I did it. The chemical symbol for antimony is Sb.

Ah! So, what we've got here, Emma,

is that the chemical symbol for antimony, Lisa says, is Sb.

-Ah-ha.

-Stibium is the old word for antimony.

-You've got it wrong, so you're now equal with Dave.

-OK.

So, we go to Sudden Death.

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

Your question, Dave. The tarsier is a primate found in which continent?

Tarsier, Dave, is T-A-R-S-I-E-R.

Tarsier. Not heard of it. Um...

Let's go for Africa.

It's a small, large-eyed, leaping primate, native to Southeast Asia.

-Right, OK.

-Got it wrong. Sudden Death.

Emma, get this right, you will be in the final,

after the team's first wrong answer of the whole contest.

In which city was the scientist Marie Curie born in 1867?

I'm going to...

I don't know 100%.

Obviously, she's associated with France, so I'm going to say Paris.

The answer is Warsaw.

-Dave, your question.

-Mmm-hmm.

"I eat green caterpillars" is a mnemonic

to help remember the four largest satellites of which planet?

"I eat green caterpillars".

So, Io, Europa, Callisto and Ganymede.

Mind's gone blank there, but I'll go Jupiter.

You did well because you got the satellites as well.

It is Io, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto.

"I eat green caterpillars".

The answer is Jupiter. You're correct.

For the first time in the contest,

the Eggheads have the initiative.

Emma, you need to get this right to stay in.

In which category was Werner Heisenberg

awarded a Nobel prize in 1932?

Um...

I don't recognise the name, so based on that,

I'm going to say maybe not medicine and physiology.

I could be wrong.

-I'm going to take a guess at chemistry.

-Chemistry is your answer.

Now, the name has become very famous recently

-because, am I right, Breaking Bad?

-Yeah.

-He calls himself Heisenberg.

And I think Heisenberg... It was Heisenberg's rule of what is it?

-I'm uncertain about that.

-The uncertainty principle.

-Yes.

Anything you observe, you change. And the answer is physics.

-OK.

-Quantum mechanics.

Emma, you've been knocked out by Dave, on Sudden Death.

Dave is in the final round.

The Eggheads pulling back a bit here.

First bump in the road for our runners.

Do come back to us and we'll play the last round before the final.

So, Run Camden hit a little problem there and Heisenberg was the reason.

We know Heisenberg now, from Breaking Bad,

because that's the code name that Walter White gives himself.

Barry, over to you with Science.

It's surprising he gave himself that because he was a chemist

and Heisenberg was a physicist.

But Heisenberg's famous for his uncertainty principle,

which says you can know the speed of an object

or you can know its position but you can't know both.

All right, Heisenberg, are we there?

So, Emma's been knocked out. The next subject is Politics.

Who would like this from the runners,

-Run Camden?

-Jonny?

-Jonny?

I think they're hard, aren't they, but you can give it a go.

Take your pick, Jonny. Who are you going to take on?

-So, Jonny...

-I think, if we can knock Barry out...

If we can knock any of them out if would be good.

-I'd like to take on Barry, please.

-Good stuff.

You can see he's good on Science. Maybe the Politics is lacking.

Let's hope so. Jonny from Run Camden versus Barry from the Eggheads.

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

Jonny, you have an interest in Politics

or did you just get press-ganged there?

I think it was Sam's doing.

I was hoping for Geography but it's the luck of the draw,

-so I'm in and I'm ready to answer a few questions.

-All right. Good luck.

-Thank you.

-Would you like to go first or second?

Rule of thumb is second, so I'll stick with that, please.

Barry, you, therefore, have the first question.

The parliament of which country is located in Holyrood?

If I get this wrong, I shall have to go home and hang my head in shame.

The answer to that question is Scotland.

Yes, you're right. Well done, Barry.

Jonny, how many seats

did the Conservative party win at the 2015 UK general election?

I know they got an overall majority and you need 326 to do that,

so it's 331.

Bang on, well done. Not everybody knows that.

331 is the right answer. Barry, your question.

Which Nobel prize was the former US president Jimmy Carter

awarded in 2002?

Although he started out his career in a scientific discipline,

cos he worked on nuclear submarines for a while,

I believe he won the Peace Prize.

He did win the Peace Prize. Well done. Peace it is.

Jonny, what is the first real name

of Jeb Bush, son of George HW Bush?

I...don't actually know this.

I am going to guess James.

I think I would have guessed Jeffrey cos there's an E in it,

-but neither is right. It's John.

-Oh, OK.

-John Bush. OK, Barry.

Dean Barrow was re-elected prime minister

of which Central American state in 2012?

I don't know the name but that sounds an English name

and Belize was British Honduras,

so because there's a link to Britain there, I would go for Belize.

The logic is good and the answer is correct, Barry. Belize it is.

You've got three out of three. Sorry, Jonny.

-Your wrong answer means you have been knocked out.

-That's OK.

The Eggheads are pulling back a bit here.

See how dangerous they are.

Come back to us, gents, and we'll see what happens.

This is what we have been playing towards.

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

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 Emma and Jonny from Run Camden

and Pat and Lisa from the Eggheads.

Would you please leave the studio?

Well, here we are. Sam, John and Charlotte,

you were taking them apart, they fought back.

It is very much a marathon not a sprint, as you can tell,

so now we're very evenly poised for an exciting final

and you're playing to win, Run Camden, £19,000.

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

which is A, your reputation

and B, the chance to continue this amazing run you're on.

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

The questions are all General Knowledge.

You are allowed to confer. Run Camden, the question is,

are your three brains better than the Eggheads' three?

-Would you like to go first or second?

-Second.

Here we go. Eggheads, your first question.

On Twitter, what is the maximum number of characters

that can appear in a public message, known as a tweet?

-It's 140.

-140, is it?

-Yeah.

-That's 140.

-140 is the right answer.

-Yeah.

Challengers, what is the first name

of the Queen's eldest granddaughter, born in 1981?

-I'm pretty sure it's not Beatrice.

-Yeah.

-The other two are much too young.

-Yeah, it's definitely Zara.

-Zara Phillips, isn't it?

-She's the oldest, yeah.

-Zara Phillips.

Zara is the right answer, well done. One each.

Eggheads, prior to its abolition in the UK,

what colour cap was worn by judges who passed the death sentence?

-Black.

-Black.

-Definitely.

-That was definitely the black cap.

It was, indeed, the black cap. Well done.

Two points to you.

OK, Run Camden.

In Greek mythology, who killed the Trojan warrior Hector?

So, I saw it, actually.

I saw a film of this the other day and it was Achilles.

-It's Achilles, the warrior Achilles.

-Achilles.

-Yeah.

It's Achilles, yeah.

Achilles is right. Oh, this is a good competition today!

We're playing for £19,000.

Eggheads, third question. Get this wrong

and all they have to do is get the next one right.

The site of the 1746 Battle of Culloden

is located near which Scottish city?

Inverness.

-It's Inverness.

-Yes.

It was at Drumlochy Moor, just outside Inverness.

-Yeah.

-Inverness, yeah.

-That's definitely Inverness.

It is definitely Inverness. Well done. You've got three out of three.

Giving them chance to go first means

they put you under pressure, so you have to get this one right

or the contest is over. Take your time. Here it is.

Every year, the Duke of Marlborough and the Duke of Wellington

each present the Crown with which item

as a symbolic rent for their country estate?

-Any confident ideas?

-Both famous soldiers.

I would confidently discount the French flag.

-Who would want a French flag?

-Barrel of sherry sticks out to me.

-I don't know.

-See, I don't know. I was edging towards cannon ball.

I'd say, on the basis of them both being...

their ancestors being the most famous soldiers.

-Cannon ball jumps out.

-Well, none of us know.

-Why does barrel of sherry jump out to you?

-Cos he likes sherry.

I just think it's barrel of sherry but there's two of you

and there's one of me. Two of you, one of me.

A 19-grand punt on a cannon ball.

Yeah, we've not got a huge amount to go on

and it's probably going to be French flag now, but cannon ball.

OK, cannon ball, you say, and if you get this wrong, the contest is over.

I guess there aren't that many cannon balls around.

I have got a memory of a barrel of sherry in this, somehow.

Do you know the answer, Eggheads?

No, but they both had famous victories against the French,

-so I'd be tempted for French flag.

-It would be too tactless.

I think it would be too insensitive, a French flag.

As you can see, this is not easy

but you've given a reason for French flag.

-The answer is French flag.

-No!

-Seriously.

-Yes, I thought so.

-I'm amazed.

Barry would have got that but Judith might have stopped him.

-I'd have stopped him.

-You wouldn't have.

You're the spokesperson.

-Ah, if only we'd gone the other way round.

-We'd have argued.

I'm sorry, Challengers. After a great contest,

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

-Well played.

-Well played.

EGGHEADS APPLAUD

Yeah, they did both have famous victories against the French,

so it was that one sliver of information

that might have led you there, but very hard.

Commiserations to Run Camden.

Great contest. Really brilliant watching it from here, thank you.

The Eggheads have done what comes naturally to them.

Their winning streak continues.

You don't have to put up with any of my training shoe jokes now,

Eggheads, which is really good.

You won't be going home with the £19,000, back to Camden,

so that means the money rolls over to our next show.

Eggheads, congratulations. You are now officially unbeatable.

-You can never, never be beaten.

-Don't say that, please!

I'm tempting it! Join us next time

to see if a new team of Challengers have the brains to take them apart.

My goodness, Run Camden nearly did today.

It's going to be £20,000 they're playing for next time.

Join us then. Goodbye.