Episode 17 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 a bit of orange going on at both ends, I notice.

-A LOT of orange going on.

-Yeah.

-What does that mean?

-The Dutch Royal house.

The Dutch Royal house, OK.

Here we go. A fact straight away.

Taking on our quiz champions today

are the Old Ilfordians.

Now, this team is a real mixed bag of relationships.

A couple of them play badminton together,

some of them work together and two of them are married,

but they all share one thing in common - they love to quiz.

Let's meet them.

Hi, my name's Charlotte, and I'm a cover supervisor.

Hi, I'm Lynne and I'm a data manager.

Hi, my name's Ivan and I'm an administrator.

Hi, my name's Bob and I'm a tax inspector.

Hi, I'm Crumpton and I'm an HMRC officer.

So, team, Charlotte, welcome.

-Hello.

-Good to see you. And I should ask,

Old Ilfordians is a reference to what you call Ilford University?

Yes, that's right.

It was a made-up name, obviously,

and we used to quiz together

and we had T-shirts with a pint of beer on the front.

So Ilford University does not exist?

No, it does not.

It's a little bit of a joke about Essex girls and that type of thing.

You were trying to counterbalance

-the whole Essex-girl thing in the

-'90s. Yes.

-OK.

So you do love to quiz, and as soon as I said that

I heard this murmur of approval,

because they love to take on good teams.

You quiz separately in the main?

Mostly, yes.

Sometimes we get together in twos or threes, and we quiz

-all over the country as well.

-OK, well, good luck here.

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, Old Ilfordians, I can tell you that the Eggheads have won...

What is it now, 25?

Mm-hm.

Yeah! Seriously.

Which means that £26,000

says you can't beat them.

So worth coming...

-Definitely.

-..to play for.

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

who would like this?

OK, um...

Who was it?

Was it Bob?

THEY CONFER

-I was one of several interested...

-Bob or Lynne?

-OK, I'll take it.

-Lynne.

-Go for it.

OK, Lynne, Geography.

Versus? You want an orange one or a non-orange one?

Ooh...

(Pat?)

Yeah, I'll go for Pat, please.

OK. I feel like you haven't been in the booth for a while, Pat.

-No, no.

-There have been people worried about you.

I can only speculate as to their motives.

Can you find your way there?

We'll see!

So, Lynne from Old Ilfordians, Pat from the Eggheads

and the subject, Geography.

To ensure there's no conferring,

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

Pat, we were talking about travel the other day

and word went around that you'd once been to Germany.

I've been to Germany several times now. I like Germany.

And then it was also pointed out that you built a railway in Germany,

or have I made that up?

I worked briefly... A very long time ago

I did some labouring in a rail-track crew, laying railway.

I can vouch for the fact

that it's unbelievably strenuous and hard work,

so I kept my spell as short as I possibly could

and I haven't gone back.

And is this before or after you won the million?

I think you can safely speculate it was before.

OK, just wondering!

So good luck against our Pat, Lynne.

And would you like to go first or second on Geography?

I'll go first, please, Jeremy.

Here we go with your first question.

£26,000 we're playing for.

Until 1856, what was the name of Tasmania?

Was it...

I think that was Van Diemen's Land.

Nice quizzing, because you could easily get that wrong.

You're right, Van Diemen's Land.

It was. Pat, your question.

The waterfalls known as Niagara Falls

lie on the border between Ontario in Canada and which US state?

Is it...

I think the town of Niagara and the Niagara Falls

are in north-west of New York State, so it's New York.

It is indeed New York. So it's...

They're Canadian, aren't they, strictly speaking?

-And American.

-So shared?

-Mm-hm.

-New York is right.

Who was the first person to go over the Niagara Falls in a barrel,

Eggheads? Anyone know?

What, and live?

Hang on, first one to go over full stop

-or the first one to go over and survive, Jeremy?

-And survive!

OK.

Well, Blondin tightroped, didn't he?

-It was a woman.

-I think it was a woman.

She had three names and I can't remember any of them.

Because I saw a thing saying this woman was the first person ever to

survive a drop in a barrel...

I think it was actually a mistake, but I forget why she was

-in the barrel in the first place.

-JEREMY LAUGHS

Well, she dined out on it after that, that's for sure.

OK, one each. Lynne, your question.

Which of these countries shares a border with Romania?

Is it...

Oh, my geography of that area is very shaky.

Um... Romania...

I'll follow the general rule of "if in doubt, go down the middle".

I'll say Czech Republic.

Let's see if you're right. Eggs?

-Serbia.

-Serbia is the answer.

Pat. Enniskillen is the county town of which county in Northern Ireland?

Is it...

Er, lies not far from the...

the big...the two...

Lough Ernes. It's in County Fermanagh.

Beautiful place? I've never been there.

I don't think I've ever been there.

Fermanagh is the right answer.

So Pat is ahead.

Lynne, you need to get this one right

or you will have been knocked out.

Which motorway runs from Swanley to Folkestone?

Is that...

It's the M20.

Yes, famous after problems with migrants in the Channel and so on.

M20 is right, well done.

You're still in it, but if Pat gets this right he's in the final.

Here we go, Pat.

Around 70% of Turkmenistan's territory

is covered by which desert?

Is Turkmenistan covered by...

Er, I think the name means black sand.

I think it's the Karakum Desert.

Karakum is the right answer.

-He just never looks uncertain, does he, Lynne?

-No.

Not even a glint of uncertainty.

Pat, well done. You've beaten Lynne.

Sorry, Lynne. Early days for your team, though -

plenty of time yet to come back.

Please return to us and we'll play on.

So well done, Pat.

We got onto the Niagara Falls and then I was asking about people

going over in barrels and the first person,

I had this faint memory it was a woman.

-Pat, you know about this, do you?

-Was it Annie Edson Taylor?

It was indeed, we just checked it.

Yeah. Annie Edson Taylor, 1901, in a barrel. Sent her cat over first...

-That's prudent, isn't it?

-Oh, that's cruel!

..to test the barrel.

The cat survived and she went over.

Now, what age was she?

That's my question. Have a guess - anyone?

Quite stout, wasn't she?

She was stout, there's a famous picture of her, yeah.

-63.

-Oh, I was going to say 50.

-No, 63.

-Goodness me.

-Isn't that an amazing story?

So, as it stands, the Old Ilfordians have lost a brain

from the final round, the Eggheads have still got all five.

See if you can throw one of them over the waterfall

in this next round, without the barrel.

It's Arts and Books. Who would like this?

I think that's you, Charlotte.

-Yes, it's me.

-It's not one of mine.

-That's me.

-Charlotte, OK.

And you've been doing an English degree?

I've finished it now, yes, Open University one.

-How was that?

-It was all right, I got a 2:1, not bad.

Brilliant. In order to teach one day?

Well, that's my big ambition, yeah, I'd love to be an English teacher.

OK, well, for now, you've got to pick an Egghead.

-Who would you like to take on?

-Who shall we go for?

That's up to you, I think.

Lisa, I think, please.

OK, Lisa.

So it's Charlotte from the Old Ilfordians

against Lisa from the Eggheads.

To ensure there's no conferring,

would you please take your positions in the Question Room?

Arts and Books. Charlotte, would you like to go first or second?

First, please.

Here we go.

Which of these fictional characters was created by Eoin Colfer?

Is it...

I think it's Artemis Fowl.

Artemis Fowl is correct.

Lisa. Who is credited with designing the iconic Sagrada Familia church

in Barcelona?

Is that...

One day, they might even get round to finish the build, it's Gaudi.

Poor old Gaudi is the right answer.

Yes, run over by a tram, the poor man.

-That's right, before it was finished.

-Yeah.

Charlotte, your question.

Queen Mab is a 19th-century poem by which writer?

Queen Mab, that's...

Oh, gosh, I should know this, cos it's in Shakespeare... Oh...

I'd go for Shelley.

Yeah, I reckon it's Shelley.

Nicely done, it is Shelley.

OK, Lisa.

Us is a 2014 novel by which author?

Oh, that's going to annoy me so badly,

because I know and I don't know if it's going to come back.

Us. Hm...

I have a slight preference for David Nicholls for no real reason.

I'll go for David Nicholls.

Who's the guy who wrote One Day and all that.

That's him.

And he did write Us.

-Heeey!

-Well done. Yeah.

OK, so you're equal after two questions.

Two points each, and, Charlotte, back to you for your third.

New Bats In Old Belfries from 1945

and A Few Late Chrysanthemums from 1954

are collections of poetry by which Poet Laureate?

Oh, gosh.

Ted Hughes wrote a lot of things about animals.

Philip Larkin... No, I don't think it will be him....

Erm... Ohh...

John Betjeman was very homely sort of stuff,

he wrote about tennis and stuff.

Um... Gosh, toss-up.

I think John Betjeman.

Yeah, you're right.

Bang on. John Betjeman it is, three out of three. Very good.

All right, Lisa.

Which 2014 novel is the second released by JK Rowling

under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith?

Now, let's see, the first one, I think, was The Cuckoo's Calling,

I think that was the first Robert Galbraith.

And, of the three, I think it might be The Silkworm,

but I'll just have a little think about that.

I don't know, I could sit here all day and contemplate this

and not get much further, so I'll go for The Silkworm.

The Silkworm is the right answer.

Well done. Three out of three for you both.

We go to Sudden Death, Charlotte.

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

Which French novelist, born in 1828,

wrote a series of novels under the general title Extraordinary Voyages?

Gosh. I'll say Proust, "Proost".

I would normally ask for a first name as well, but it is wrong, so...

-It's Jules Verne.

-Oh.

-As in Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea and all that.

-Of course.

OK, Lisa, for the round,

The Inferno is the first part of which epic poem by Dante?

Oh, yes, it's The Divine Comedy.

It is Divina Commedia, or Divine Comedy.

Well done, Lisa. You've done it on Sudden Death.

Sorry, Charlotte.

You fought very hard there and she just nipped around the corner,

so she is in the final and I'm afraid you're not,

and come back to us, we will play the next round.

OK, bad luck, Charlotte, but played well...

Now is probably the moment to put on the spurt, Old Ilfordians.

You've lost two brains from the final round,

the Eggheads are still sitting there in orange.

The next subject for you is -

Chris bristles - Music.

-Who would like Music?

-I don't mind it.

-Definitely not me.

-It's not my speciality.

-That looks like you, is it, Ivan, then?

-I'll have a go.

-Be me, I'm afraid, Jeremy.

-Two refusals at the end there!

Not helping at all!

OK, Ivan on music.

And who would you like to take on?

It can be any of the three gentlemen on the right here.

-I choose Chris, if I may, please.

-That's fine.

So, Ivan from the Old Ilfordians against our Chris, Chris Hughes,

from the Eggheads.

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

OK, Ivan, Music, against Chris. Chris, we're loving the shirt.

Mm-hm. Oh, well...yeah.

It looks like a huge -

well, small - bumblebee!

Yeah, bit dark for a bumblebee,

should be yellow and black for a bumblebee.

-That's true.

-But I get the point.

Ivan, would you like to go first or second?

I'll go first, please, Jeremy.

OK, here we go with your first question.

Good luck, and let's see if you can just turn it around for the team.

In September 2014, who announced his departure from Take That?

Sadly, I believe I know this.

It's Jason Orange.

We've got so much orange on the programme today!

Jason Orange is the right answer.

OK. Mr Hughes...

Gamal Lewis had a 2015 UK top-10 single

with the song Bills under what name?

I think he goes by LunchMoney Lewis.

Very good. It's a great song as well,

I think you'd like it, actually.

-Yeah.

-One of the few.

LunchMoney Lewis.

Down to you, Ivan, now.

Fig Leaf Rag and Rose Leaf Rag are works by which American composer?

Hm, not my strong point here.

I think...

I think it sounds more like a Hoagy Carmichael...

Yes, sounds more like Hoagy Carmichael.

Hoagy Carmichael is your answer.

Let me just check with Chris - do you know, Chris?

Well, rags were the speciality of Scott Joplin,

so I'll go with Scott Joplin.

Yes, it is Scott Joplin.

He was the one who did the rags.

OK, your question, Chris, to go into the lead.

Which of these people played the role of the Artful Dodger

in a 1964 West End production of Oliver at the age of 13?

That was Phil Collins.

Yes, it was. Of course, child actor, I'd forgotten that completely.

Phil Collins is the right answer. He went on to Genesis and...

Yes. Played the drums a lot.

So, you need this one, Ivan.

"Once I had a love and it was a gas" is a line from a song by which band?

That's Blondie.

It is. Such a great opening line. That's Heart Of Glass, I think.

Yes. That's correct.

OK.

Chris, level, but you have a question in hand.

Here it is for the round.

In Gilbert and Sullivan's operetta The Mikado,

who sings A Wand'ring Minstrel I?

That is the wandering minstrel himself, Nanki-Poo.

No hesitation, three out of three - Nanki-Poo it is.

You're in the final, Chris.

Sorry, Ivan.

That's OK, it's not over,

still fighting fit on the Challengers' side,

but needing a result in their favour soon.

Come back and we'll play one more round before the final.

Well, it's a tricky old contest, this, Old Ilfordians.

You've lost three, but others have won from this position,

make no mistake - please keep fighting hard here.

They have to be taken down at some point,

this jackpot is getting ridiculously big.

The next subject is Science.

-So who would like this?

-Oh, well...

-That's me!

-Bob?

-That's me.

-OK, against which Egghead, Bob?

Dave or Barry?

-Barry's good on this?

-I think so.

-Dave it is, then.

-OK, Dave it is, yeah.

-Dave it is.

So it's going to be Bob from the Old Ilfordians

against Dave from the Eggheads.

The challenge is to try and get that one extra brain into the final.

Please go to the special Question Room now.

So here we are on Science

and, Bob, would you like to go first or second?

I won't break this trend, I'll go first.

Good luck, Bob - here we go.

The name of which branch of science comes from the Greek words meaning

Earth and study?

Well, studying the Earth would be geology, I think.

I'll go with geology.

Geology is correct.

OK, Dave.

Which planet is named after the Roman god of agriculture?

Just making sure I've got everything right, erm...

I believe that's Saturn.

Saturn is quite right.

Back to you, Bob. Also known as the fairy possum or the forest fairy,

to which country is Leadbeater's possum native?

Is it...

I don't think they're European, I don't think it's France.

You definitely get possums in Australia.

I'll say Australia.

Yes, you've got it right, well done.

Australia it is.

Dave, what name is given to the white, frothy liquid

often seen on plant stems

that is secreted by the nymphs of certain insects?

Is it...

Of those options that came up,

the only one I've heard of there is cuckoo spit. That's my answer.

It is cuckoo spit.

Well done, 2-2.

Cracking along here.

Bob, this is your moment - get this right,

give Dave a little bit of a fright.

You never know, it might help.

In the human body, what is stored in the gall bladder?

Is it...

Ooh...

The only one of those that's stored would be bile.

I think it's bile.

Bile is right, three out of three, well done.

So, Dave, do you stay in?

Let's see.

Which of these types of cloud is found at the highest altitude?

Always get these wrong, because...

Oh, it's a terrible one.

For me, I think the tax inspector's got me.

Right, I'm going to rule out cumulus,

so it's between cirrus or stratus...

All right, I'm going to put the return in late on cirrus.

Is he right, Eggheads?

-Yes.

-Yes, you are. You are right, Dave, well done.

Cirrus, so three out of three for you both.

Bit of tutting on the Challengers' side!

Never easy. Never easy, is it?

OK, Sudden Death for you as well, Bob.

Egghead versus the tax inspector.

Let's see who has the strength to carry on.

Which chemical element has the symbol V?

V.

Oh, vanadium.

Vanadium is the right answer.

-Phew!

-Clever, wowee!

That is good play, Bob!

Where did that come from?

-Somewhere deep down!

-Well, well, well!

Well, well, well.

OK...

Game on, as they say.

This is for you, Dave.

When used to describe a telescope,

for what does the letter E stand in the abbreviation ELT?

ELT. Extra lens...

I'm just trying to think of something to do with the lens

of a telescope and what the lens would be...

Why would...

Why would it have an E,

so I'm struggling.

Erm... OK, extra.

Extra is your answer.

You're very close, actually. A VLT is a very large telescope,

an ELT is an extremely large telescope.

So you got it wrong, Dave, I'm sorry.

Bob is in the final round, well done.

-Well done, mate.

-Well done, and just...

Really good quizzing there, Bob.

You took on an Egghead and you emerged triumphant,

so you will be in the final.

If you'd both come back to us, gentlemen, we'll play for £26,000.

Well, a lively game, and this is what we have been playing towards,

it is time for the final round.

As always, it's General Knowledge,

but I'm afraid those of you who lost your head-to-heads

won't be allowed to take part -

that's Charlotte, Lynne and Ivan from the Old Ilfordians,

but also Dave, with the tremendous knowledge, from the Eggheads.

Please leave the studio.

Well, here's a little thing - when I talked about the team just now,

I said you had a married couple and a couple who played badminton.

We have lost the married couple and the couple who play badminton,

but we have only lost three people, Eggheads.

I bet you can't work out why that is.

Because one person is married and plays badminton.

-That's the answer.

-Have to be the only viable answer.

That's the only question they haven't managed to answer yet.

Anyway, it leaves our two colleagues - as was, I know that's how you met -

Bob and Crumpton, playing to win the Old Ilfordians £26,000.

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

which is your reputation and to continue this roll you're on.

Can you get to 30?

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

They're all going to be General Knowledge.

You can confer with each other, gentlemen, so, Old Ilfordians,

the question is, are your two brains

able to take down these four Eggheads over here?

Bob, Crumpton - would you like to go first or second?

-Shall we go first?

-Right, let's go first, please.

Here is your first question.

General Knowledge. Good luck.

Which golf course hosted the 2015 Men's Open?

Is it...

I haven't a clue.

I think in 2015 it was held at...St Andrews.

-Are you happy with that?

-You're the sportsperson.

-Go for it.

-Right, we'll go for St Andrews, please.

Crumpton, you're right. St Andrews it is.

Well done.

Easy to come unstuck on the first question,

Eggheads, as we know.

In pre-decimal UK currency,

which coin was equal to two shillings and sixpence?

Was that...

Carry on, old men!

-Are you happy with half a crown?

-Half a crown.

-Yes, half-crown.

My grandfather for many years used

to give me pocket money, which was half a crown,

and he gave me the same amount of money for about 15 years!

It was a half a crown.

Half a crown is the right answer, well done.

When were you born, Lisa?

1980, considerably after the introduction of decimal currency.

So you were minus nine?!

-Was it '71?

-You used to get... Yes.

You used to get ten-pence coins with

"two shillings" written on the back, so...there's no excuse.

Half-crown is correct, and of course we'd often say

-you have to know stuff from before you were born.

-Of course.

Exactly. OK.

Which of these people appear in the 1952 Charlie Chaplin film Limelight?

I'm not sure which of those comedians

were still around at that time.

-1952.

-I know Oliver Hardy...

He was still around.

-He came with...Laurel...

-Stan Laurel.

..Stan Laurel, did tours of Britain and the world.

I don't think Harold Lloyd was around at that time.

Or Buster Keaton. They go back a long, long way.

-Yes.

-Go Oliver Hardy?

-Happy with Oliver Hardy?

-Yeah.

We'll go for Oliver Hardy, please.

Oliver Hardy is your answer.

-Let's just check with the Eggheads, what do you think?

-Buster Keaton.

-Ooh.

-Really?

-I think.

-Mm, I do, too.

Yeah, it was Buster Keaton.

Buster Keaton appeared with Charlie Chaplin...

Your worry was that he was around later, or earlier?

We thought it was too late for Buster Keaton.

-Yeah, he was...

-It was the only film they ever appeared in together.

Oh, really?

He was alive until, what, 20 years ago?

-About that, yes.

-Mm.

OK, Eggs. Your question.

In which business did the US billionaire Donald Trump

mainly make his fortune?

-Everyone happy with property?

-Property deals, yeah.

-Property, I think.

-Yes, I'm afraid Mr Trump was...

We'll leave it as Mr Trump!

Made his money in property.

Yes, the answer is property.

I don't know where you were going with that! I'm afraid Mr Trump

-is rich and silly.

-Let's put it this way, I'm not one of his fans!

Property is the right answer.

That puts them ahead, 2-1,

so you must get this one right to stay in.

£26,000 is the jackpot.

The word maven, meaning an expert or connoisseur,

comes from which language?

Is it...

Can you spell that, please?

Of course - as expected, like raven,

but with an "M". M-A-V-E-N.

Maven.

-I don't...

-It doesn't sound Greek, does it?

I've got a feeling for Hebrew. I really have no idea...

I was erring towards that as well.

For no particular reason.

"Mah-ven", "may-ven".

-We don't know.

-Shall we go with Hebrew?

We both thought the same, yeah.

We're going to go for Hebrew, please.

Eggheads, are they right?

-Yes. Absolutely.

-It is Hebrew.

Well done. Shame about that wrong answer, isn't it?

But let's see what happens now.

Third question. If the Eggheads get this right, the contest is over.

Get it wrong, we go to Sudden Death.

£26,000, very big jackpot.

The boobrie, a mythical creature of the Scottish Highlands,

is said to take what form?

Boobrie is a bird.

It's spelt B-O-O-B-R-I-E.

-Yes. Boobrie. It's a bird.

-I've got nothing on this one.

I've nothing. I like the sound of Chris, but I've got nothing.

You're on your own, but we'll go with it!

-Yeah.

-Well, I'm happy to go with that.

It's not a fox, it's not a deer.

Well, three of us have never heard of it,

but Chris seems certain that it's a bird

and I'm not going to argue with him, so we'll go for bird.

Have you seen it, Chris?

I haven't seen it, no, I've read about it.

You sound pretty certain.

-Mm.

-The boobrie is said to take the form of a bird.

-Well done, Chris.

-Well done, Chris,

straight up with that, and we say congratulations, Eggheads -

you have won.

I thought you were about to draw a blank there,

and we were going to have a very interesting wrangle,

but it didn't happen. They are fearsome at the moment.

-I know.

-Catching them in this form is good jackpot-wise,

but it's so hard to win, they're just holding on to that money.

-I hope you've enjoyed it.

-We have, thank you.

-Very much.

-Thanks so much for coming.

Commiserations to the Old Ilfordians.

The Eggheads have done what comes naturally to them

and this amazing winning streak continues.

It does mean you won't be going home with the £26,000,

so the money rolls over to our next show.

Eggheads, I say well done again, I'm almost tired of saying it.

No-one will ever beat you, we now know that for sure.

-Ever.

-No, we don't!

-Join us next time...

I'm trying to rattle them!

Join us to see if a new team of Challengers have the brains

to defeat the Eggheads in our next programme.

There's going to be £27,000 in play.

Until then, goodbye.