Episode 37 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 looking fearsome today, may I say.

-Oh!

-Thank you!

-Really, despite the smiles.

Challenging our resident quiz champions today are the Ludophiles.

Now, this is a cracking team.

They're all members of Mensa

and they have a shared love of board games and puzzles.

Let's meet them.

Hello, I'm Paul. I'm a mature student.

Hello, I'm David and I'm a law librarian.

Hi, I'm Una. I'm a retired civil servant.

Hello, I'm David. I'm a retired chartered surveyor.

Hi, I'm Ian, a retired teacher.

-So, Paul and team, welcome. ALL:

-Hello.

Members of Mensa means you're in, basically,

-a higher category of intelligence.

-Apparently, yes.

You don't have to be modest about it, just tell us.

-What is it, the top 2%?

-Top 2%.

-It doesn't mean we're good at general knowledge though.

-No, no.

The classic we had the other year was "what colour is Noddy's hat?"

Obviously, that's...

you don't have to say it, but that's a classic thing where

-intelligence may not tell you the answer.

-Absolutely.

-So you play games together?

-Yes.

Every year, Mensa organise a national tournament

of various games including Scrabble, Monopoly...

..and also poker and snooker, surprisingly.

And we've all met by playing each other over the years

-and they have a final tournament in Birmingham every year.

-Brilliant.

And most of us have got to the final at one stage.

-And any quizzing in there or not?

-There's a bit of quizzing

but there's a Trivial Pursuit tournament.

-I see. So you've got good general knowledge, I'm sure.

-Yeah.

-Hope so.

-Well, good luck.

This is exciting and this is impressive here, we've got Mensa.

-Excellent.

-All right, we've got the top IQs.

I'm sensing we've got a contest.

Every day there's £1,000-worth of cash up for grabs

for our Challengers but if they fail to defeat the Eggheads,

that prize money rolls over to our next show.

So, Ludophiles, the Eggheads have won the last two games.

They had a bit of a difficult moment the other day,

so £3,000 on the table to say you can't beat them.

Would you like to try?

-We'll try.

-Oh, yes.

The first head-to-head battle is on Film & Television.

Now, who would like this?

-Who was that? Was that me?

-I think it's you, Paul.

-I think that's you, Paul.

-That's definitely you.

I was hoping not but it is me.

The team captain goes straight in. OK, the stakes are high.

You can have any one of them. We've got some classic Eggs here as well.

Let's go with Lisa cos she's the nearest.

I gather you have a book about favourite words

and your favourite word is...

-Pulchritudinous.

-And is Lisa pulchritudious?

Yes, indeed she is. It's not a disease.

Oh, we like him, he can stay.

I think that means excessively beautiful.

-It means very beautiful, yes.

-OK, so Paul...

That's a good way to start, actually.

Absolutely, we'll take that.

Paul from the Ludophiles versus Lisa, the pulchritudinous Egghead.

And to ensure there's no conferring,

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

OK, so we're on Film & TV, Paul,

and would you like to go first or second?

I'll go second, please.

Lisa, here's your first question.

Lacey Turner's character, Stacey, first appeared on EastEnders

in which year?

I think it must be the later one of those.

I mean, she can't be 30 yet.

Yeah, I don't think she can be 30 yet,

so I think I'll have to go for 2004.

Let's check with Judith, who watches this the whole time. Judith?

Well, I think it must be right.

-Judith confirms 2004 is the correct answer.

-Excellent.

-Well done.

Paul.

Michael Fish, born in 1944, found fame in which role on TV?

Yes, I remember Michael Fish.

He's famous for the comment he made

about the lack of a hurricane on the way,

so he was the weather forecaster.

Weather forecaster's right.

He's still trying to live that down

and downplay it. I think he probably

should embrace it now at this stage.

OK, Lisa. Which member of Liam Neeson's character's family

is kidnapped in the 2008 action film Taken?

Do you know, I've not seen them and I'm a big Liam Neeson fan, actually.

I probably should go and look them up.

I am semi-certain it's his daughter.

Daughter is correct, well done.

Paul, over to you.

A film version of which of these TV shows was released in August 2015?

Fortunately, I actually went to see this film, so that's quite lucky.

It's The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

The Man From U.N.C.L.E is quite right.

Lisa, your third question.

Mark Boal was Oscar-nominated in which of these categories

for his work on the films The Hurt Locker

and Zero Dark Thirty?

Right. Well, it ain't director, we can rule that out straightaway

because The Hurt Locker's famously Kathryn Bigelow.

They're similar types of film.

Now, I wonder if that's a clue, that they're similar types of film.

On the basis that if you were a screenwriter,

you wouldn't want to necessarily be writing war dramas all the time.

OK, that's the best logic I can muster. We'll go for cinematography.

-It's the wrong answer.

-Oh, well, too bad.

-It is original screenplay.

-That's all right.

Let's just get a bit of background here, who wants

to answer on those two films?

Are they both Bigelow? That's my first question?

-Which would...

-Are they both Kathryn Bigelow who directed them?

Yes, they are.

Screenplay is script and cinematography is the look

and, I mean, there's no real logical way

of getting to the right answer there, is there?

Not really, no. Well, certainly not in that case anyway.

Yeah.

As Lisa said, the subject matter is similar in some respects...

-Both great films.

-..in terms of dealing with current

American entanglements in Iraq and Afghanistan

and I suspect that's probably why she worked with him both times.

Yeah. Paul, if you get this right, you're in the final round

and it'll be a great start for the Ludophiles.

Which of these actresses was born first?

Oh, that's a difficult question.

Obviously all of them are of a certain age.

Probably not much in it in terms of years,

so I'll just have to take a punt on this one, I think and...

..go with the one that I remember most and that's Vivien Leigh.

Now, Kevin is very good on his dates.

Let's see, can you do any birth dates here, Kevin?

Well, Vivien Leigh was 1913.

Joan Fontaine...

Well, her sister was Olivia de Havilland,

who was born in 1916.

I know Joan Fontaine was within a couple of years of that.

But Katharine Hepburn, although there's been some debate

over the years about exactly when she was born,

she was actually born in the first decade of the 20th century.

So I've actually seen separate sources

give her as 1904, 1907, 1908,

but she's in the Os anyway, so she's the oldest.

Katharine Hepburn is the answer, Paul.

Two each after three questions.

Your life has been saved, Lisa, by Katharine Hepburn.

-I'll take that.

-And we go to Sudden Death.

It gets a bit harder, I don't give you alternatives. Here we go.

In which decade were the comedy films Three Men And A Baby

and The Goonies released?

As a child of the era,

I can fairly confidently confirm that's the 1980s.

1980s is correct.

Paul, Sudden Death, your question.

Erinsborough is the fictional setting of which TV soap?

I'll go with something like Geordie Shores.

Geordie Shore.

No. Do you know this, Lisa?

-Neighbours.

-Neighbours.

-Oh, it's Australian.

A bit more long-standing.

So, sorry, Paul.

On Neighbours you've gone, there's no shame in that.

Not at all, frankly.

Lisa will be in the final round.

Please come back to us and we'll play on.

All right. Well, a tricky start for the Ludophiles.

They have lost a brain to the Eggheads,

who are still intact over there, shells unbroken.

Next subject is History.

Who would like History?

-I think you're all good at History.

-Now, I think that's

-my one, isn't it?

-Yes.

-David, isn't it?

-David?

OK, our law librarian against anyone but Lisa.

Let's go down the line, shall we? Go for Dave?

OK, I will take on Dave.

So David from the Ludophiles versus Dave from the Eggheads.

To ensure there's no conferring,

would you please take your positions?

David, you have a history degree?

I do and luckily ancient and modern history.

I try to be as broad as possible, which is quite useful for quizzes

-but you never know what's going to come up though.

-OK.

So, here we go - History. I'm kind of looking forward to this.

David... I'll distinguish between David and Dave, how about that?

David, our Challenger, would you like to go first or second?

I will go first, please, Jeremy.

So let's see if the Ludophiles can make up some ground.

In British history, David,

the Edwardian era refers to the first decade of which century?

Well, there have been lots of King Edwards

that it could be named after

but I think we normally are talking about Edward VII,

so that would be the 20th century.

And 20th is quite right.

Dave,

which of these was a 1346 battle during the Hundred Years' War?

Waterloo's Napoleonic.

Balaclava's Crimean.

It's the Battle of Crecy.

It is indeed the Battle of Crecy, well done.

David, which of these countries

gained independence from France in 1953?

Ooh, I don't think I know this.

Now, obviously I know that the French were in Southeast Asia,

which isn't really helping.

I'm going to guess Cambodia.

Cambodia is correct.

-Phew!

-Well done.

OK, Dave, your question.

In ancient Rome, which of these was a coin?

I don't think it's thermae, I thought they were the baths.

I'm not quite sure what a pilum was but I think it's a denarius, myself,

for a coin.

Yeah, denarius is quite right.

Back to you, David.

Which French king who ruled from 1270 to 1285

was nicknamed The Bold?

Ooh.

Now, this one I will have studied but it's quite a long time ago.

Erm...

When you said the question, Charles popped into my head so...

I don't know why but I shall say Charles IV.

Charles IV. Let's just check to see if you're right.

Do you know, Challengers?

-I don't know.

-I'd have said Charles.

You would have said Charles? Anyone over here?

-Philip III.

-Philip III, the Eggheads say is the answer.

Sorry, David, it is Philip III - The Bold.

So, let's see if the bold Dave will get through.

Here's your third question for a seat in the final round.

In which year did the abolitionist John Brown

lead a raid on the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry

that was instrumental in heightening sectional animosities

that led to the American Civil War?

Can't mess about with this. Erm...

Harpers Ferry. Yeah, it's not 1759, it's not 1809. It's 1859.

1859 is the right answer. Well done, Dave, you've knocked out David.

Sorry, David.

That beastly Philip III or whoever he was,

the bold king has unseated you

and Tremendous Knowledge Dave will be in our final round.

If you come back to us, gentlemen, we will play on.

So, the Ludophiles have lost two brains from the final round.

They just need powering up.

We've got to get into second, third gear here now, guys.

This is the moment. The Eggheads are still sitting there

trying not to look smug, we know those expressions.

The next subject is Sport.

-Is that good, Ludophiles?

-It's very good.

-Well...

-Hopefully.

I think I'm giving it a try.

OK. David against which Egghead?

It can be either Kevin or Judith or Chris.

So you're choosing from the left wing there.

-Judith?

-Yeah.

-I think we'll try Judith.

LAUGHTER Oh, dear.

The cat among the pigeons.

So, David from the...

You're all called David. ..from the Ludophiles

versus Judith from the Eggheads on Sport,

her beloved Sport.

And to ensure there's no conferring, please go to the Question Room.

I was hoping we were going to get a chance to chat, David,

cos I gather you were Mensa Monopoly champion?

Yes, I was last year.

Right and help me out here cos I keep losing Monopoly

to my nine-year-old daughter, Anna.

What am I doing wrong?

Well, it's the deal you do.

It's the deal you do and the timing and the sets you get.

It's getting the right set at the right time -

-you normally have to do a deal.

-I always try and buy Vine Street.

-Now...

-That's the best.

Well, I think so but is that a mistake?

Is that a mistake I'm making?

-You're buying it just cos of your name, of course.

-I know.

You should be buying it because it's the most landed on set.

-Oh, is it?

-Yes, because you end up in jail more often than not.

That's the most landed spot and then you're coming out of jail,

-you're going to hit the oranges.

-I love the oranges.

-Bow Street

-on double three and Marlborough on double four.

-And the other thing is

that what she does is she buys hotels very quickly.

You don't want to go too far on hotels.

Sometimes it's best to stick on four houses.

When I won the Mensa game, I made a housing shortage.

I had all the houses, my opponent had just hotels

and when they had to come off, there were no houses for her to buy.

-OK, we're on Sport, David. You've chosen Judith.

-Yes.

-She's very happy about that.

-I know.

Would you like to go first or second?

I'd like to go first, please.

Here is your first question then, David.

Who won the men's 100m at the 2015 World Athletics Championships?

I think it was sort of Bolt against Gatlin is what I recall.

I'm not entirely sure but Usain was in great form -

Olympics and post-Olympics and I think he still is and was,

so I'm going to go for Usain Bolt.

Usain Bolt is right.

Judith,

what role did Darren Gough usually perform

for the England cricket team?

Erm... Well, I'm sure he wasn't a wicketkeeper

cos I've tried wicketkeeper so many

times, I never get a wicketkeeper.

Darren Gough? I think he was a fast bowler.

-Is she right, Eggheads?

-Yes.

-Yes, they like that.

-Magic.

-Well done.

-And it wasn't a guess, was it?

-No, of course not.

-Never.

-It just came back to you.

-It was logic.

OK, David, which two Australian cities

have hosted the Summer Olympic Games?

Well, Sydney certainly and that was fairly recent,

I'm not sure the year but not very long ago.

I think the other one goes back many years

and was Melbourne, back in the 1950s maybe.

So I'm going to go for Melbourne and Sydney.

Yeah, completely right, well done. Not an easy question.

Judith,

Anthony Martial joined which football club for £36 million

in 2015?

I haven't the faintest idea. Erm...

Manchester United.

OK. Well, Man U is Dave's team, of course. Dave?

Dave is ecstatic, Judith.

-Dave's very happy with that.

-Yes.

-Well done, it's Manchester United.

-Hooray.

-Perhaps he mentioned it and it went in somewhere.

-It did.

Possibly it did go in somewhere, yeah.

OK, David. So we're 2-2.

I won't say it's a tight round but it's level.

How old was the tennis player Maureen Connolly, David,

when she won her ninth and final Grand Slam singles title in 1954?

I don't know. This is before my time.

I know she was very young when she won her first.

I can't believe she can get nine by 19, that's implausible, isn't it?

34 is entirely likely.

49's perhaps getting on a bit.

I don't know but I think the logical one

is I'm going to go down the middle for 34.

She actually sadly died at 34.

-Oh, dear.

-19 it was.

-19? OK.

-Yeah, a real prodigy.

At least she won it early, yeah.

So, a little bit

of a chance here, Judith.

Bobby Orr, born in 1948, is a famous name, Judith, in which sport?

And Orr is spelt O-R-R.

It could be any of those.

Get this right, you're in the final.

I really have absolutely no idea.

I think he was...

very good footballer.

You think he was a very good footballer.

And you've got visions of him just stroking the ball around?

I have, yes.

American football, out of interest, or...?

-Well, as it says American football, American football, yeah.

-Right.

-Ice hockey is the answer.

-Oh.

We go to Sudden Death.

David, you're off the hook there. Did you know that one, David?

-I didn't know that one, no.

-All right.

-So it gets a bit harder cos I don't give you alternatives now.

-OK.

Here is your question, Challenger.

Which England cricketer took 8 for 15 against Australia

in the fourth test of the 2015 Ashes series?

Erm, it was a great series and it's clearly one of two.

It's Broad or Anderson.

I think it was Broad, so I'm going to go for Stuart Broad.

Stuart Broad is correct, well done.

Judith, back to you.

In which year did Rhona Martin, Debbie Knox,

Fiona MacDonald, Margaret Morton and Janice Rankin

win curling gold medals at the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics?

Erm... 2006.

It wasn't 2006, it was 2002, Judith.

-Oh, the one before.

-The one before.

-Yeah.

So, Judith, sorry about that, you won't be in the final

but it was close. David, well done.

You've beaten an Egghead

and maybe things are turning for our Ludophiles.

Come back and we'll see what happens next.

Right, so Ludophiles have lost two brains but now, Paul,

-you've got one back.

-Hm.

Or is that a strategic move you did there?

-We've saved the best till last.

-Well, not quite last. Let's see.

Poor old Judith is out but maybe another Egghead will follow her

and you can level things up.

A lot at stake in this round, it's Geography.

-Good.

-Who would like this?

I'll take this, please.

-Ian, you look a bit reluctant there.

-No, no, never.

-You're a retired teacher?

-Yes, but not a geography teacher, I'm afraid.

Ah, OK. Which Egghead? You can have either Kevin or Chris.

I'll take on Chris, please.

Ian from Ludophiles versus Chris from the Eggheads on Geography,

please take your positions.

Ian, Geography is the subject. Would you like to go first or second?

I'll go second, I think, please.

-OK, Mr Hughes, in the bright green, are you ready?

-I'm ready.

Here is your question.

The Ionian Sea is part of which larger body of water?

Well, the Ionian islands are off Greece

and it's part of the Mediterranean Sea.

Well done, it is indeed.

OK, over to you now, Ian.

The Khyber Pass links Afghanistan to which country?

That certainly isn't Turkey.

That's way over to the other side of the continent.

So it's between Russia and Pakistan

and I believe the answer is Pakistan.

Pakistan is the right answer, well done.

OK, Chris.

British Columbia is a province located in which part of Canada?

It's on the far west, on the Pacific coast.

-You're not hesitating today, Chris.

-No. I know where it is.

JEREMY LAUGHS

-You're not even pretending not to know.

-No.

West is right. There we are.

Ian...

JEREMY CHUCKLES

..which of these is one of the seven United Arab Emirates?

Oh, dear.

Well, I was hoping Chris would have gone off the rails

on the last question but he didn't.

I don't know if I can stay on the rails on this one.

Well, I'm thinking it's possibly, or probably,

an oil-producing country, so my best bet would be Kuwait.

OK. It's the wrong answer. It's Sharjah.

Now, let's get a bit of help here from the Eggheads.

Who's an expert? Are you, Chris? Do you know about the UAE?

Oh, I knew the answer was Sharjah.

Abu Dhabi and those places are UAE, aren't they?

Bahrain's a sovereign state in its own right and so is Kuwait.

Sorry, Ian, you are behind.

And Chris has the third question

and you can clean up with this one, Chris.

Which of these Indian cities is centred on the east bank

of the Hooghly River?

Ah. Now, the Hooghly River is one of the branches of the deltas

of the Ganges.

So, it's to the east of India

and it's what used to be called Calcutta - it's Kolkata.

Kolkata is the right answer.

You've got it, you've got three out of three. Sorry, Ian.

-They're in good form today, aren't they?

-Yes, they certainly are.

But if you come back to us, we will play the final round.

All right, big moment now.

This is what we've been playing towards, time for our final round.

As always, it is General Knowledge.

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

are not allowed to play.

So, Paul, David P and Ian from the Ludophiles

and also our own Judith from the Eggheads,

would you please now leave the studio?

All right, it is the final.

Una and David H, you're playing to win the Ludophiles £3,000.

Chris, Kevin, Dave, Lisa, you're playing for something

that money can't buy - the Eggheads' fearsome reputation.

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

They're all going to be General Knowledge, OK?

You can confer.

So, Ludophiles, the question is,

can your two brains take down these smouldering four over here?

And would you like to go first or second, Una and David?

-We'd like to go first, please.

-Hm.

Good luck to you.

Which of these people celebrated their 80th birthday in 2015?

-I think it's the Dalai Lama.

-It wasn't Prince Philip.

It certainly wasn't Prince Philip.

Shall we try the Dalai Lama?

I think so, yes.

We think Dalai Lama.

Dalai Lama is the right answer.

Over to you, Eggheads.

Grandpa's Great Escape is a bestselling 2015

children's book by which author?

I'd have gone Walliams.

-I thought Walliams before the options came up.

-So did I.

Whether that's...

We don't know it per se but we all instinctively think David Walliams.

So that's what we're going for.

David Walliams is the right answer.

OK, you've started well.

Your question - the groundhog is also known by what name?

Groundhog.

-There was Groundhog Day, wasn't there, the film?

-Yeah.

-It's not beaver...

-I didn't think it was beaver.

..and I don't think it's chipmunk.

I don't know.

I would go for woodchuck myself.

Shall we have a guess? We're ruling

-out beaver, aren't we?

-Yes.

-Shall we go for woodchuck?

-Yes, go on, then, we'll try that.

We think maybe woodchuck.

Beautifully done, you're right.

It's... You can be completely thrown by that but you're quite right.

Woodchuck it is.

Eggheads, who was revealed to be the wealthiest man in the UK

in the Sunday Times 2015 Rich List?

I thought it was Abramovich but I could be wrong.

It's not Branson.

No. I thought it was Abramovich.

-And I don't...

-I don't know who this...

Well, I've heard of Len Blavatnik but I don't think he was number one.

I mean, I... Unfortunately, I didn't see that particular...

No, I didn't take any... Lisa?

-No, I'm afraid not.

-My...

..instinct was Abramovich.

If it is that other geezer, I would...

Cos it would've surely been a major headline

that he's, you know...

Yeah, Abramovich has lots of money,

-is not really a massive headline, is it?

-No.

-No.

Well, I can't really make a case for changing from Abramovich, so...

-No, OK.

-We're going to have to deal with that.

-All right.

Not entirely sure on this one

cos unfortunately none of us actually seem to have seen

the list, in this instance.

Seen it in some previous years.

Erm...on balance, we think it's

probably going to be Abramovich.

-Do you know the answer?

-We fancy Len Blavatnik.

And why is that?

-I don't know.

-What does he do, Len Blavatnik?

He's in some sort of industry, isn't he?

I don't know what he does at all but I think that's maybe the only reason

I know his name. I might be wrong.

It's a very good reason

cos it's the right answer.

Len Blavatnik,

and Abramovich is 10th.

So your perch... You were just rebuilding

and you're perched on the edge of some...

defeat here.

So let's see.

If you get this one right, you have taken the contest...

but let's see.

Video Killed The Radio Star,

the first music video ever played on MTV,

was a hit for which band?

-Get this right and you've won.

-It's The Buggles.

-100% it's The Buggles...

-Is it? OK.

..so is there any point in sitting having a lengthy conversation?

No. If you're sure, we'll go straight for The Buggles.

The Buggles, Jeremy.

-You're certain, aren't you?

-I am.

Are they right?

-Yes, of course.

-Buggles is the right answer.

We say congratulations, Ludophiles,

you have won!

-And you're the Mensa Trivial Pursuit champion?

-Yes, Una is.

-I am, yes.

-And when I see Una, your name, U-N-A,

should I go Una or Yuna?

-In my case it's Una because it's Scottish Gaelic.

-OK.

-But I don't answer to Yuna.

-You don't?

-No. Una.

Well, I'm very relieved I went with Una.

You're numero UNA now, your team!

Well done! Congratulations, Ludophiles. What about that?

The three relaxing in the back were suddenly...a big jolt

and you've won it, you've won £3,000.

You are officially cleverer than the Eggheads.

We suspected something might be happening in this game.

You've proved they can be beaten. It wasn't a straight line, was it?

-No, no. It was tough.

-It was.

Maybe you relaxed a bit too much there, Eggs.

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

will be just as successful.

Well done, you did brilliantly. I hope you've enjoyed it.

-Absolutely.

-It's been lovely, we've had a lovely day.

-Great stuff.

Great to see you. See you next time, goodbye.