Episode 23 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.

Here they are, the Eggheads.

And building back, aren't we, Eggheads?

-ALL:

-Yes.

-Yeah, very confident.

Taking on the awesome might of our quiz Goliaths

are The Balding Eagles from Lancashire.

Now, this team of friends

have known each other for over 12 years

and regularly quiz together at the Healy Hotel in Rochdale.

Let's meet them.

Hi, I'm Zahir. I'm an operations manager.

Hi. I'm Imran and I'm a store manager.

Hello. I'm Derrick.

I'm a landscape gardener.

Hi. I'm Glynn and I'm an operations manager.

Hello. I'm Darren and I'm a police officer.

So, Zahir, team, welcome.

-Good to see you.

-Thank you.

Tell us about the name, The Balding Eagles. What's that?

Right, OK, well, as you can see from some of us,

unfortunately, our hairlines may be receding slightly,

so it's got nothing to do with symbols of freedom

or anything like that, unfortunately.

It's just to do with old age, really.

The Healy Hotel I mentioned, and that's where you quiz, right?

Correct, yeah. So, we tend to do that weekly,

and, yeah, we've had some success.

And what is it about quizzing that you enjoy?

I think we're all pretty competitive.

I think we all work in pretty competitive industries as well,

so it's just a chance for us to put our wits, really,

against like-minded people, and who better than the Eggheads?

OK. Well, good luck here.

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.

So, Balding Eagles, the Eggheads have won the last two games,

which means £3,000 says you can't beat them today.

Would you like to have a go?

-Yes.

-Absolutely.

-All right.

The first head-to-head battle is on the subject of Arts & Books.

Who would like this?

-Does anybody have a passion to go on for Arts & Books?

-No.

-I'm not good at Arts & Books.

-Derrick, do you fancy doing it?

-I'll do it, then.

-Yeah. Fantastic.

-Derrick has kindly volunteered.

-Derrick, OK.

Against which Egghead, Derrick? Who looks unread?

-THEY LAUGH

-Ah, that's a good question.

-Uh, I'd like to go up against Dave, please.

-Very good.

Derrick from The Balding Eagles versus Tremendous Knowledge Dave,

as we call him, from the Eggheads,

and to ensure there's no conferring,

please take your positions in the Question Room.

OK, Derrick. Arts & Books.

And your choice, would you like to go first or second?

I'd like to go first, please.

Good luck. Which of these paintings features a large seashell?

I would say The Scream.

No, there's no seashell in The Scream, I don't think.

-It is The Birth Of Venus.

-Hm.

Dave, your question.

Which of these authors has set much of his fiction in Scotland?

I don't think it's Martin Amis, I don't think it's Salman Rushdie.

Books like Trainspotting

are written in Edinburgh jargon, I believe.

Irvine Welsh.

Irvine Welsh is correct.

Back to you, Derrick.

Which of these literary works

centres around a character with the name Pooter?

I would say The Diary Of A Nobody.

Yes. That is the right answer, Derrick. Well done.

The Diary Of A Nobody.

Dave, the author Erskine Childers was executed by firing squad

during which country's civil war?

I'm not happy with this question at all,

and I'll explain why.

Because I know Erskine Childers is Irish.

But an Irish Civil War?

Hmm.

Really not happy with this question at all,

cos I can't see a reason why he'd be executed in Ireland

for a civil war.

Have I over thought this?

Because he could've served in the International Brigade in Spain.

But why would he be...? Yeah, he could've done, to be honest.

Really not happy with this at all.

I'm going to go against my basic instinct

and go for Spain in the Spanish Civil War,

but it's really with a lot of doubts because I think the author is Irish.

-Yeah, Ireland is the answer, Dave.

-Yeah.

Back to you, Derrick.

Kevin Elyot's Olivier Award-winning 1995 stage comedy

is entitled My Night With WHOM?

Maud, Norman or Reg.

Not sure really. I think I would have to go with Maud.

-Do you know this one, Dave?

-No.

I would've gone My Night With Reg myself,

but I don't know the answer.

Reg is the answer. It's Reg.

OK, so, third question to Dave,

and, Dave, if you get this one right,

you're in the final round.

Which of these artists witnessed the Houses of Parliament on fire

in 1834 and painted several famous pictures of the scene?

I do like...

I'm going to go with what my instinct was.

I'm going to go JMW Turner.

Yes, JMW Turner is the right answer. Well done, Dave. You've got it.

You've won the round, and Derrick, sorry,

you've been beaten by our Egghead there and knocked out.

But it's early on in the contest.

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

So, we had a bit of a problem there

over the Irish Civil War reference, Dave,

and I understand that because, let me ask you, Kevin,

we all think of Ireland as having basically ejected the British,

-and you wouldn't call that a civil war.

-No.

No, that was revolution, rebellion, whatever you want to call it,

but after the treaty was concluded between Britain

and the new Irish government at the end of 1922,

it was basically one of those deals

where everybody settled for the best they could get.

But there was still constitutional arrangements

in place which, to a degree, tied Ireland still to Britain.

Most of the previously anti-British forces

were willing to be pragmatic and to accept the new arrangements,

and they formed the government,

but there was this die-hard contingent.

They were the anti-treaty forces. The government were the pro-treaty.

Childers was part of the anti-treaty forces,

one of the die-hards,

and he was such a high-profile person

that he was eventually shot by firing squad

on trumped-up charges relating to carrying an illegal weapon

sort of thing.

-But it was a nasty conflict.

-How about that, Dave? Interesting.

-Yeah, it is interesting. Yeah.

-Yeah.

Good. OK. So, there we are. One round down.

The Balding Eagles have lost a brain.

The Eggheads are still intact and we move onto our next subject,

which is Geography.

Who would like this?

OK, so, I think we've got a few people who are strong on Geography.

-I'm happy to go for Geography, if you want.

-Do you want to?

-Yeah.

Happy to go for it. Yeah.

OK, I think Glynn is going to take Geography for us.

Very good. So, Glynn, our operations manager from Rochdale, against who?

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

So, Glynn from The Balding Eagles versus Barry the Brain

from the Eggheads.

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

So, you've done a bit of travelling, I gather, Glynn?

Yeah, absolutely.

I was fortunate enough to live in Australia for three years,

which was very nice, up in Queensland in Brisbane.

OK, well, this sometimes goes to the most well-travelled person.

Sometimes it doesn't. Let's see. Geography, Glynn.

-Would you like to go first or second?

-I'll go first.

So, here is your first question.

The peninsula called the Isle of Portland

extends into which body of water?

Um, tough question.

I was hoping something...

Portland, Portland Timbers,

something American was going to come up.

For some reason, I don't think it's the English Channel

or the Irish Sea, so I'm going to go with the Firth of Forth.

OK, so, you think it's in Scotland.

It's actually quite a long way away.

It's down...

-I was thinking it was Dorset. Is that right?

-It is, yeah.

-Just south of Weymouth.

-South of Weymouth.

-English Channel is the answer.

-OK.

Barry, to take the lead,

which of these towns is a resort on the French Riviera?

-HE LAUGHS

-Yes.

I think Brest is on the western coast of France

and I think Dieppe is in the north,

but St Tropez is most definitely on the Riviera.

St Tropez is. You're right. You've gone ahead.

Back to you, Glynn.

The Snowy River rises in the Snowy Mountains of Australia

and flows into which body of water?

Um, I'm not 100% sure again, to be honest.

Living there for a while,

I thought I would've known something about this.

The Bass Strait, for some reason...

..for some reason kind of stands out to me,

but Atlantic Ocean as well is...

Stuck between the two of them.

I'm going to go with the Bass Strait.

Yeah, you've got it right. Well done, Glynn.

Nicely done. Not easy.

Barry, the peaks of Whernside,

Pen-y-ghent and Ingleborough are in which national park?

HE LAUGHS

Well, if I get this wrong, I can never go home again

because they're the three peaks of the Yorkshire Dales.

Yes, they are.

-That's quite near you, is it?

-Very near me indeed.

You go walking there sometimes?

I've been up all three of them at some time in my life.

Yorkshire Dales is the right answer.

So, you need to get this right, Glynn,

cos of that costly first error.

The city of Sana is one of the largest

in which Middle East country?

Um...

Again, one that I'm not 100% sure...

on which answer.

There's nothing that's standing out to me.

I'm going to go with Yemen.

Yemen is right.

Very good.

Is it the capital, Barry, or not?

-Yes, I think it is.

-I thought it was.

There's certainly been some trouble there.

It's full of the most wonderful medieval high-rise buildings.

-Really?

-Yes. It's a delight to see.

So, if you get this right, Barry, you're in the final round.

The Ninetyeast Ridge... It's all one word, Ninetyeast.

..is 3,100 miles long and is part of the floor of which ocean?

Oh, I've never heard of this.

So, the Ninetyeast Ridge.

I'm guessing that's a reference to longitude.

So, if you're going 90 east from Greenwich...

..it can't be as far as the Pacific Ocean.

I'll have to go for the Indian Ocean,

based on the longitude.

You're right, Barry. Well done. It's Indian Ocean.

Sorry, Glynn. You've been knocked out. Barry's very good.

-We didn't even have a Japan question, Barry.

-They'll come.

You still went through, three out of three. Good stuff.

But difficult now for our Challengers,

so come back and play the next round.

Not yet a crisis for The Balding Eagles,

but getting a little bit sticky, isn't it?

-Yes.

-Yeah.

-And time to...

Well, you're eagles. You can swoop and drag them away.

You've lost two brains from the final round.

The Eggheads have not lost one yet.

The next subject is Film & TV.

Who would like this?

I think that's your specialist subject.

-I think Imran, yeah.

-Yeah?

Uh, OK, Jeremy, I think we're going to select Imran.

-Imran.

-I'll go with that, yeah.

Which Egghead would you like, Imran?

You can have any of the three nearest me.

I think we'll go with Judith.

Imran from The Balding Eagles versus Judith from The Eggheads.

Film & TV the subject,

and please go through to our Question Room now.

Imran, Film & TV. Three questions.

Would you like to go first or second?

I'll go first, please.

Here we go.

Which of these TV programmes is a science documentary series

that started in 1964?

It's definitely not Panorama.

That's more current affairs, I'd say.

Omnibus I'm a bit iffy about,

but Horizon, I think...

that's the one that's striking the chord.

Hmm.

I'd have to go with Horizon.

Well done. Horizon it is. Yeah. Still going.

OK, Judith, your question.

Which of her Strictly Come Dancing colleagues did dancer Karen Hauer

marry in July 2015?

I can't visualise her...

or any of them.

I can visualise Brendan Cole

cos he's the one who makes trouble, isn't it?

Anyway, answers back a bit.

I can't remember the other two.

Karen and Robin Windsor.

Karen, Kevin, Karen, Kevin Clifton.

It's impossible to say "Karen and Kevin Clifton."

I'm going to say Robin Windsor.

OK. That's...

It's easier to say.

Well, it's an approach we haven't seen you use before,

which is that if the two names combined make a tongue twister,

it can't be the right answer.

-Well, it might be true.

-It's true.

They might have been put off each other by the letters

that begin their first names.

That's true. It's not what happened. It is Karen and Kevin.

THEY LAUGH

Karen Hauer married Kevin Clifton.

So, you're in the lead.

Imran, here's your question.

Which actress played Miss Havisham

in the 2011 BBC adaptation of Great Expectations?

Both Kim Cattrall and Gillian Anderson, Americans,

and I don't remember them being in any adaptation.

This is a guess, unfortunately,

but through process of elimination

I guess I'd have to go with Elizabeth McGovern.

It's not. It's Gillian Anderson, actually.

I'm sorry.

Judith, your question.

Which actor spoke the line

"Young fella, if you're looking for trouble, I'll accommodate ya"

in a 1969 film?

It sounds an awfully John Wayne kind of remark.

I think I'm going to say John Wayne. It's the sort of thing he would say.

John Wayne is the right answer. Well done.

OK, Imran,

Wally Pfister has been Oscar-nominated

on a number of occasions in which field?

This one again, it's going to have to be a bit of a guess here.

The name does ring a bell.

Unfortunately, I just can't place him right now.

I'm going to go with cinematography.

You've got it right, actually. Yeah.

-It's Christopher Nolan's Batman films, particularly.

-Yeah.

So, Judith, here we are.

In 2010, Joanne Froggatt took on which role

in the TV drama series Downton Abbey?

Well, she's Lady Mary's lady's maid, so she's Anna Smith.

She is indeed Anna Smith. Well done. So, what's happened?

You're equal after three questions.

Not an easy round at all.

And we go back to you, Imran. We start Sudden Death, OK?

So, here it gets a bit more tricky

because I don't give you alternatives.

Here we go.

Who directed the 1987 film Wall Street and its 2010 sequel

Wall Street - Money Never Sleeps.

Just for a split second there, I had this sudden thought

that it might be one of the Douglas boys, Kirk or Michael,

but I don't think it's them.

And I keep thinking it's Scorsese.

I'm going to have to go with Scorsese, I'm afraid.

Martin Scorsese. Sorry.

It's actually Oliver Stone.

-Oh!

-Oliver Stone.

Judith, this for the round.

Who became the presenter

of the TV quiz show Only Connect in 2008.

Well, Victoria Coren.

-Victoria Coren is your answer.

-Yes.

That's right.

Victoria Coren, who became Victoria Coren Mitchell,

-is the presenter of Only Connect.

-Yeah.

Judith, you've taken the round on Sudden Death. Sorry, Imran.

Please return to your teams

and we'll play the last round before the final.

OK, as it stands, The Balding Eagles

have lost three brains from the final round.

Frustratingly, the Eggheads are still sitting there quite happily.

The next subject is Politics. Who would like this?

I don't know. Do you think you could do Politics?

-I can have a go at Politics.

-Yeah, go on. Yes.

By no means my strongest subject,

-but I think I'll have a go at Politics.

-OK, Zahir.

Which Egghead would you like?

You've got two left - Chris or Kevin.

-I think I'll take Chris Thank you.

-Good stuff.

So, Zahir from The Balding Eagles - who's definitely not balding -

and Chris from the Eggheads.

And... THEY LAUGH

..to ensure there's no...

no conferring, would you please take your positions in the Question Room?

So, good luck, Zahir. Do you want to go first or second?

I think, hopefully, we'll buck the trend

and I'll try and go second.

Mr Chris, your question.

What is the British equivalent

of the US cabinet post of secretary of state?

That is the foreign secretary, Jeremy.

Foreign secretary is correct.

OK, your question, Zahir.

What phrase was used for the series of uprisings

in North Africa and the Middle East which began in Tunisia in 2010?

I think it was linked to the time periods

that the uprisings happened,

and I think I'm going to go with Arab Spring.

Zahir, you're quite right. Well done. First point to you.

OK, over to Chris.

Who was elected leader of the Liberal Democrat party

in July 2015?

That's Tim Farron, Jeremy.

It is indeed.

And the other two are...?

Are they Lib Dems or no?

I wouldn't know.

OK, Bradshaw is...

-Bradshaw is Labour.

-Labour.

-David Davis is Tory.

-Davis is Tory.

-There's actually two David Davises, and they're both Tory.

-Yeah.

But, yes, Tim Farron.

OK, Zahir.

Of these countries,

what was the first to elect a female prime minister?

India had Indira Gandhi, I'm presuming was the first one.

And that was going back into the '80s.

And I don't really remember Australia or Denmark

having one earlier than that, so process of elimination,

I'm going to go with India.

India is quite right.

Two out of two. Back to Chris.

Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq was the president of which country

from 1978 until his death in 1988?

He was president of Pakistan.

Yes, he was indeed president of Pakistan. Well done.

So, three to Chris,

and you need to get this one right to stay in, Zahir.

The chancellor of which of these bodies is a minister

in the UK government?

I can't say I'm certain on this, but Duchy, for whatever reason,

seems to ring a bell related to the question you've asked,

so I'm going to go with the Duchy of Lancaster.

Yes, it is the chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

Well done. You've got it. You got three questions right. So did Chris.

We go to Sudden Death therefore,

because you're locked on equal scores.

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

What is the first name of the daughter

of the right-wing French politician Jean-Marie Le Pen

who received nearly 18% of the votes

in the first round of the 2012 French presidential election?

She is Marine Le Pen.

She is indeed Marine. You've got it.

So, over to you, Zahir. You need this to stay in.

Who served as vice president of the United States

before Walter Mondale and after Gerald Ford?

Knowledge of vice presidents isn't too strong.

I'd have to guess at somebody who was president.

Richard Nixon.

No, it's not Richard Nixon.

The answer is Nelson Rockefeller, Zahir,

so, I'm sorry, you've been knocked out by Chris.

Chris, well done. Sudden Death, you've done it.

And if you come back to us,

we will see what happens in the final.

So, this is what we have been playing towards.

It is time for our final round. As always, it 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's Zahir, Imran, Derrick and Glynn

from The Balding Eagles.

I'm afraid I have to ask you to leave the studio.

OK, Darren, I know it was not supposed to happen like this,

but you are playing alone to win The Balding Eagles £3,000.

Eggheads, here you are, all five of you,

playing to keep your reputation intact,

which is a very big thing indeed.

As usual, I will ask each team three questions.

The questions are all General Knowledge.

You can confer, I always say that.

It's difficult when you're on your own.

So, Darren, the question is,

can you, with your one brain, destroy these five?

And, yeah, if you do, it'll be a famous victory.

It's happened before. Would you like to go first or second?

I'll go second, please.

Here is your first question, Eggheads.

In which role did Manuel Benitez Perez,

known as El Cordobes, become famous in Spain?

-Bullfighter?

-Bullfighter.

-El Cordobes was bullfighter.

-Bullfighter. Yeah.

He was a bullfighter.

He was indeed a bullfighter.

Well done. First one to you.

OK, Darren, your question.

Which term is used for a tennis shot

played between the legs?

Uh, tennis isn't my main sport, I wouldn't say.

I think it's a hot dog.

Hot dog is the right answer. Well done. First one to you.

OK, Eggheads, your second question.

The word graffiti is derived from an Italian word meaning what?

-ALL:

-Scratch.

-Graffito. Yeah.

It's a scratch.

-A scratch is correct. So, graffito is a scratch.

-Mm.

-Graffiti is the plural, right?

-Yes.

-Scratches.

-So, it just means scratches.

-Scratches, basically.

-Yeah.

OK, Darren...

the name of the African snake the black mamba

refers to its black WHAT?

I think it's either the venom or the mouth.

How would they know the venom was a black at first?

I'll go with mouth.

Glad you did. It's right.

HE LAUGHS

The third question.

Eggheads, which writer's works include the line

"If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him"?

-Voltaire.

-Voltaire.

-Yeah.

Voltaire.

That is Voltaire.

You're storming, aren't you? Voltaire is correct.

So, your third question, Darren, now,

and you need to get this right to keep the contest alive.

The Scottish dialect known as Doric is particularly associated

with which city?

Going purely on Aberdeen being The Dons,

I'll go with Aberdeen.

Aberdeen is the right answer. HE LAUGHS

You're cruising very well.

-Aberdeen being The Dons, the football team?

-Mm.

Sudden Death, Eggheads.

Three points each. Suddenly it's got rather tense around here.

You thought you were just sailing away into the evening

uninhibited, unchallenged, and now you've got somebody

who looks like he might take you down.

Which comedy group reformed to give what they described

as their last ever live shows at the O2 Arena in 2014?

-Monty Python.

-Monty Python, yeah.

-Monty Python did, yeah.

-Definitely reformed then, didn't they?

-Yeah.

-Monty Python.

-Made all the jokes about the parrot dropping off the perch.

-Yeah.

Monty Python.

Yes, it is Monty Python. Well done.

OK, Darren, back to you.

In which sport is it common for spectators

to take part in a seventh-inning stretch?

Well, I've been to a match last year when I was visiting New York.

I think it's baseball.

It is baseball. And do you know why it's called that?

-They sing the national anthem. They have a rest.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

Fans get up for a stretch. Yeah. Exactly.

OK.

Eggheads, the Latin phrase ab urbe condita

traditionally refers to the date of the founding

of which city?

-ALL:

-Rome.

-753 BC.

Yeah. 753 BC. It's Rome.

Rome is correct.

Here we go.

Your question, Darren.

Which BBC radio DJ is particularly associated

with the popular PopMaster music quiz.

-On before you - Ken Bruce.

-LAUGHTER

So glad you got it right.

I was all ready to tell Ken.

Ken Bruce is right. Sudden Death. Your question.

The famous World War I song Bless 'Em All

contains the line "The long and the short and the WHAT"?

-Tall.

-Tall.

-Tall.

-Bless 'Em All.

-Tall.

That's the clean version, Jeremy.

And the tall. Tall is correct.

Darren, you're playing very well. You have not made a mistake so far.

Here's your question.

For what does the letter N stand in the acronym NAAFI,

which is N-A-A-F-I,

for the organisation that runs canteens

and other services for the Armed Forces?

I don't know. I don't know the answer.

National.

National is your answer.

You'll kick yourself when I tell you.

It's not right.

NAAFI is Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes.

The answer is Navy.

So, sorry, Darren.

We have to say congratulations, Eggheads.

You have won.

Well, that was good.

That was very good.

They're clapping backstairs as well, so well done.

And we just needed them to stumble a little bit earlier,

but with all five of them, it's very hard.

So, commiserations, Balding Eagles, all five of you.

The Eggheads have done what comes naturally to them,

and they still reign supreme over quiz land.

It does mean you won't be going home with the £3,000.

It's been a great, great contest, though. Thank you.

The money rolls over to our next show

and we say, Eggheads, well done,

and we wonder again if you can ever be beaten.

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

have the brains to take them down.

£4,000 says they don't. Till then, goodbye.