Episode 52 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.

Is that build up good enough for you?

OK, taking on our awesome quiz champions today are...

Let's meet them.

Hi, I'm Jess and I'm an IT problem manager.

Hi, I'm Ruairidh and I'm head of applications development.

Hi, I'm Cat and I'm the office manager of a wine shop.

Hi, I'm James and I'm a financial underwriter.

we've all come together at various times.

I think Ruairidh's been in the group the longest.

James and myself, Jess and Cat are more recent additions, so...

And I gather if you win, you're going to spend the money

on something special?

Yes, our van is nearing the end of its shelf life -

which we use to transport our set around -

so we'll be - hopefully, if we're lucky enough to win -

we'll be sending the winnings towards buying a new van.

And La Triviata, because...?

It's just a play on our love of trivia

and our love of amateur theatre.

OK, all right, well, good luck

getting the money to buy the new van.

Every day there's ?1,000 of cash up for grabs for our Challengers.

However, if they fail to defeat the Eggheads,

that prize money rolls over to our next show.

Now, La Triviata, the Eggheads have won the last three games,

they've got a little bit of a roll.

Quite modest roll, really.

And it means ?4,000 is here for you to win.

So, do you want to try?

Absolutely. Yes, we do.

OK, the first head-to-head battle is on the subject of Music.

Who would like this?

I think we said that was... Jess? Yeah, OK.

It's going to be Jess. Against which player on this side?

Take on Kevin, Jess, you can do it.

OK. Kevin, please.

Oh, right, I like that.

Sometimes people hurl themselves at Kevin

and he's knocked out early,

he's never expecting to play this early.

So, Jess from La Triviata versus Kevin from the Eggheads.

It's a good gambit, let's see what happens now.

Go to the Question Room, please.

OK, well good luck, Jess, here.

Music it is, would you like to go first or second against Kevin?

I'd like to go first, please.

And here we go.

The lyrics of which nursery rhyme tell the story of a monk

who's urged to wake up after oversleeping for morning prayers?

I...I'm trying to think now.

I don't think it's Humpty Dumpty,

because he's a big egg on a wall.

I've heard Bobby Shafto, but I can't remember the lyrics to that,

I can't remember the words.

Frere Jacques...

I can't speak French, but I think frere might be brother.

So a monk who'd fallen asleep on his prayer.

No, I can't even remember any of the French lyrics,

and I don't think I'd know what they meant anyway.

So, I think I'm going to go for Frere Jacques, though.

Well done, Frere Jacques. You checked that out so carefully.

Frere Jacques, Frere Jacques, dormez-vouz?

Are you sleeping? Kevin, your question.

The song Anchors Aweigh is sometimes regarded as the unofficial anthem

of which branch of the US military?

Well, I think there's a bit of a clue in the Anchors there.

That's the Navy.

Navy is correct.

They may get harder.

Jess. Calvin Harris made UK chart history

in 2013 with nine top ten hit singles from which album?

Oh, Calvin Harris...

That's quite a lot of hit singles

and I can't think of many Calvin Harris songs.

But I think he had a song Ready For The Weekend,

but I'm not sure if that was the name of the album.

Because I think it's the name of a song that he did,

and it could also be the name of the album,

I think I'd have to go for Ready For The Weekend.

Let's see if your team-mates know, is she right?

I think it might be 18 Months.

Yeah, 18 Months it is, Jess, actually. Sorry.

And you used brilliant logic there.

OK, Kevin,

which character in the stage musical Guys And Dolls

falls in love with Sarah Brown of The Salvation Army?

Well, it's one of the two male leads,

so it's not a Nicely Nicely Johnson,

who is a character in it, but he's...

..he's one of the more minor characters.

I think it's Sky Masterson,

who was played by Marlon Brando in the film.

I think he's the one who gets involved with The Salvation Army.

So, it's Sky Masterson.

You are right, Sky Masterson it is.

So, Kevin takes the lead here.

Jess, you need to get this one right to stay in.

Fado, F-A-D`O, is a form of melancholic singing,

especially associated with which European country?

SHE SIGHS

Melancholic singing might be what I'm doing after this.

Um, oh. Fado.

Fado.

Anyway, I think fado sounds as though it could

be a word perhaps from any of those countries, to me.

Perhaps less Portuguese-sounding,

but you never know.

I think I'll go for, and it's going to be have to be a guess...

Bulgaria.

Yeah, it would be kind of obscure, wouldn't it?

Did I hear the right answer from your team?

I think it might be Portugal. Yeah, they're all saying Portugal.

Portugal is the answer, Jess, sorry. No.

Not one I'd heard of, I must say. Tough question.

I was going to say that one. Well done, Kevin.

Don't worry. Well done. It's early days here.

Jess, you have been knocked out, Kevin is in the final.

But there we are, much to play for, please come back to us.

OK. La Triviata have lost a brain.

Little trivial injury.

But don't want to lose too many more.

The Eggheads are still sitting there.

I feel them revving, actually.

I think they had a bad loss a few days ago

and they get very stuck in to trying to build up a run,

so you need to stop them.

And Geography is how you've got to do it.

That's the next subject. Who would like this?

Who was the back up on Geography? Back up on Geography?

Were you back up for Geography? It definitely wasn't me.

It wasn't me, definitely wasn't me. I can't be...

Do you want me to go for it? Go on.

I think you'll probably be our best shot.

What if History comes up, though?

Chances are it won't, though, if Geography's come up.

Go for it, Ruairidh. I have no idea.

Yes, why not. OK, Ruairidh is going to play for us.

Ruairidh from La Triviata versus anyone but Kevin.

Maybe Pat or Lisa?

Go for Lisa. Shall we go for Lisa?

Yeah. Sorry, Lisa. We'll go for Lisa.

Can we go for Lisa, please? Of course.

So, Ruairidh from La Triviata versus Lisa on Geography.

We had problems with Australia once, didn't we?

We've had problems with Australia more than once,

but they were a while ago.

They were a while ago, we've put them behind us.

So please go to the Question Room and we'll see what happens.

Ruairidh, tell us about what you do for the theatre group.

I do a bit of everything.

I started off performing, and then it got me singing,

and most recently I've been doing direction and production.

Lisa, are you in any am-dram excitement?

I used to be before my daughter was born,

it was my sort of main thing all the way through school and university,

right up to, yeah, a few years ago now.

OK, so kindred spirits on Geography.

Ruairidh, do you want to go first or second?

I'll go first, please.

Here we go with your first question.

The Thames Barrier is designed to prevent London

being flooded by storm surges moving up from which body of water?

Well, I think London's probably a little bit far away

from Ireland to be the Irish Sea.

And as I live in Cardiff, I kind of know where the Bristol Channel is,

and that would be some flood if it came from the Bristol Channel,

so I'm going to punt for the North Sea.

Yeah, North Sea.

OK, Lisa, your question.

In mainland Europe, the Netherlands is bordered by Germany

and which other country?

Well, I never have been very spatially aware

when it comes to these things,

but out of the three, I think it must be Belgium.

Of the three, it is Belgium, well done.

OK, back to you, Ruairidh.

Which country is the third largest in South America by area?

Ah, right.

Chile is long and narrow...

Peru...also quite large,

Columbia's nice and squat and round.

And, well, I'm not really sure,

I wish I'd been to South America like some of my friends.

However, I'm going to say Columbia.

Three is Peru, I'm afraid.

Peru is the third largest.

OK, Lisa, your question.

Greenock is a port on which Scottish firth?

Well, Greenock, I think,

is not so far from our little home here in Glasgow.

Which would make sense

for it to be the Firth of Clyde.

Firth of Clyde is quite right.

Well done. OK, she's ahead, Ruairidh.

Try and stop her with this answer.

In mountaineering and hill bagging,

what name is given to Scottish hills

that are between 2,000 and 2,499ft high

that have a drop of at least 115m on all sides?

Ah, right.

I'm probably going to horribly embarrass myself.

I'm originally from the north-west coast of Scotland,

which is surrounded by beautiful mountains.

But I'm pretty sure Brians and Trevors

would be a bit odd.

And so, I think I'm going to go for Grahams.

Grahams is right, well done.

Well done, Ruairidh.

So, you have two,

Lisa has two,

you've held her off,

but will she take the round now?

Believed to be over 3,000 years old,

the statues known as the Colossi of Memnon

are a popular tourist attraction in which country?

Memnon was a big name in Egypt.

It may or not be as simple as that.

They may, of course, have originated in Egypt and moved them.

I think I might be in danger of overthinking

if I start thinking about where they've moved to.

But I will, as I don't know, just say Egypt.

If you're right, you're in the final round.

Do you think she's right, Ruairidh?

I think she's probably right. She's probably right.

In fact, definitely right. Egypt it is.

Well done, Lisa, you're in the final. Sorry, Ruairidh,

been knocked out on Geography by our Egghead.

Please return to us and we'll play on.

So, as it stands, La Triviata have lost a second brain

from the final round.

The Eggheads have not lost any. How annoying is this?

The next subject is Film TV.

Who would like this? I think James

is our man for Film TV. Shall I, yeah?

James, financial underwriter,

against which of the Eggs?

Judith, maybe? Judith? Judith.

Can we take on Judith, please? OK.

You certainly can. And I think you'd be pleased about that. Hm.

So, it's James from La Triviata versus Judith from the Eggheads.

Please go to the Question Room.

Well, Judith, I was thinking that you're kind of an answerer

on the Film TV round, aren't you?

In what way?

Well, in the sense that you're a bit of British TV history.

I suppose so. I'm first person to win Millionaire, yeah.

All right, so good luck, James, against our millionaire.

Would you like to go first or second? Go first, please.

And here we go. Film TV, James, and your question.

In which year was the TV series Lovejoy first broadcast?

OK.

I'm pretty sure that it's the later of the three.

I'm hoping it's not '76.

It's definitely not '66

because there's no way that Ian McShane is that old.

I used to watch it as a kid.

And I grew up in the '80s and '90s.

I'm going to go with '86.

1986 is correct. Well done. Ian McShane as well, you're right.

Judith, Waldorf Salad and The Kipper And The Corpse are the titles

of two episodes from which classic sitcom?

Um...

Well, I don't think it would be The Office.

It sounds very Fawlty Towers.

The catering went wrong somewhere.

I think it's probably Fawlty Towers.

It's definitely Fawlty Towers.

James, your question.

Who won an Oscar for Best Director for the 2006 film The Departed?

Definitely not Tarantino or Danny Boyle.

Martin Scorsese, cos I know that he waited years to win one.

Martin Scorsese is the right answer.

And it's your kind of film, I think, is it?

I've seen it. It's a good film, yeah.

I do enjoy lots of different types of films but, yeah,

a big Scorsese fan.

OK, well done. You got it right. Scorsese.

So, Judith, your question.

Which actress played the role of Elsie Tanner in Coronation Street

between 1960 and 1984?

Elsie Tanner?

Elsie Tanner. I was thinking it was someone completely different.

I was thinking of the one in the hairnet.

Elsie Tanner. I think that's Pat Phoenix.

Pat Phoenix is right.

Yup. So well done, Judith.

Your question, James.

The first advert shown on commercial TV in Britain was for what

type of product?

HE SIGHS

Uh, I'm a bit young to remember adverts starting.

This is going to be a bit of a guess.

I don't think toothpaste.

So soap or perfume.

I'm going to go with perfume, but it's a bit of a guess.

Sorry, James. Toothpaste.

Oh, no.

Yeah, yeah. Not perfume.

So Judith has a chance to take the round

and book her place in the final.

Which European actress' roles

have included Persephone in the Matrix series,

Mary Magdalene in The Passion Of The Christ,

and Lucia Sciarra in the 2015 James Bond film Spectre?

Well, it's not Marion Cotillard, I don't think.

I think it's Monica Bellucci.

If you've got this right, you're in the final round.

I thought you were going to struggle here.

I never saw any of those films, so I am a bit.

It's a bit of a guess. You sound so certain.

And you are so right.

Monica Bellucci is the answer. Well done.

You're in the final. James, I'm sorry, you've been

knocked out by our Egghead there.

So you won't be in the final round.

Is it getting difficult for our competitors?

They've still got time.

But it's running out. Please come back, rejoin us.

So, as it stands,

La Triviata have lost three brains from the final round.

The Eggheads are still there and intact.

Let's see what you can do now. It is Politics.

So Cat or Andrew?

You read the paper, Cat. I read the paper. I'll take it.

OK, Cat. Against which Egghead?

You can have either Dave or Pat.

I imagine they're both equally good. I suspect they're just the same.

I suspect they're very good.

Should you try and take Pat? Pat.

The consensus is Pat. Yeah, go for Pat.

Cat from La Triviata versus Pat, on Politics, from the Eggheads.

To ensure there's no conferring,

would you please take your positions in the Question Room.

So how did you get nominated for Politics there, Cat?

First, please.

Here we go.

Which term is often used to refer to the grassroots

I think they are the rank and file.

You're right. Rank and file.

What is the first name of the charity worker with

the surname Batmanghelidjh, who founded Kids Company

which controversially went into liquidation in 2015?

OK, Pat. To catch up.

Who was Lyndon B Johnson's Republican rival

in the 1964 US presidential election?

Eisenhower had had his two terms as president and had retired.

So he's out of the picture.

I think it must be Barry Goldwater.

He was senator of Arizona or somewhere like that.

Somewhere in the Rockies.

Quite right wing.

I think Nixon sort of laid low for a while

and then came in after Johnson.

I think it's Barry Goldwater.

Barry Goldwater is the right answer. Yeah, well done.

All right, you're equal.

Cat, third question has been crucial in previous rounds.

Let's hope you've got a bit of luck here.

The so-called Ward incident of 1948 caused a diplomatic

incident between the United States and which other country

when an American consul was held there under house arrest?

Um...

OK, not one I know.

I know late '40s was quite turbulent for China.

I'm...

going to go with China.

China is correct.

Wow. OK. The Ward incident was between the USA and China.

So, Pat, to catch up and stay in.

Named after a UK private military company,

the Sandline affair of the 1990s brought down the government

of which Oceanic nation?

The Sandline affair.

Bringing down the government is a pretty major development.

I don't think I can recall New Zealand's government being

brought down by a scandal of that sort.

I don't know very much about

Papua New Guinea's government either.

I know that Fiji has had quite a turbulent political past.

I think it's had coups and rapid changes of government.

Solely on the basis that Fiji has had quite a turbulent

political path for a few decades...

I think I'll go for Fiji.

Fiji is your answer? No, you are wrong.

Oh. It is Papua New Guinea.

So, Cat, you're in the final. Well done.

Awesome. I was thinking he was going to get that.

Come back to us and we will play that final round.

All right, so the Challengers here just pulling back.

And now it's time for our 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, Jess, Ruairidh and James from La Triviata

and also Pat here from the Eggheads,

would you please leave the studio?

Andrew and Cat, good luck.

You are playing to win La Triviata ?4,000 and buy that van.

Yes, hopefully so. Yes.

Right, Judith, Kevin, Dave and Lisa,

you're playing for something that money can't buy.

The Eggheads' reputation.

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

This time they're all General Knowledge.

And you are allowed to confer.

So, La Triviata, the question is -

can your two brains defeat these four over here?

Who are just getting themselves back on the road.

Andrew and Cat, would you like to go first or second?

We'll go first, please.

Good luck to you. First question.

Which international airport is located about three miles

north of Crawley?

Wow.

I don't think it's Heathrow.

I don't know. Um...

No, my gut says Stansted. My first instinct was Stansted as well.

Cos I think Gatwick's...

I went there recently

and I can't remember seeing any signs for Crawley.

So picture it. You're going up the M11. Yeah.

I think it's Crawley. I think, first instinct was Stansted.

Should we go for that? Yep, let's go.

OK. We'd like to go for Stansted, please.

Stansted is wrong.

The... Crawley is...

I think it's Surrey, isn't it, Crawley?

Sussex. Sussex, is it?

So it's down the bit between London and Brighton,

on the coast, basically.

And that's where you find Gatwick. Not north of London.

Eggheads.

The theatre director Sophie Hunter married which actor in 2015?

Cumberbatch. She's Mrs Ben C, yeah.

Benedict Cumberbatch, isn't it?

Eddie Redmayne's wife is called Hannah Bagshawe.

I couldn't tell you about Chiwetel's wife.

Benedict Cumberbatch. Yeah.

We believe that's Benedict Cumberbatch,

please, Jeremy.

Benedict Cumberbatch is right.

OK, your question.

In January 2015, which company broke the world record

for the biggest quarterly profit ever made by a public company?

Yeah. My instinct was Apple before I saw the options come up.

I'm pretty sure it's not BP,

cos oil companies have been having real problems lately.

My first choice would be Apple.

Yeah, I would say...

I mean, they're massively profitable. So yeah. Let's go. OK.

Let's go Apple. Go for Apple, please.

Apple is right. Well done.

OK, Eggheads.

In 2015, who became the first captain to lift

the Men's Rugby Union World Cup twice when his team won the trophy?

It's Richie McCaw, isn't it, Judith?

Yeah. Richie McCaw. I think so.

Yes? Yeah. Richie McCaw.

Judith has told me the first captain was Richie McCaw.

Yep, Judith was right on that.

Straightaway.

Well done. Richie McCaw is right.

So they're ahead.

At this juncture, with ?4,000 to play for, what we need -

we really, really need - is a correct answer from you

to keep that van in prospect.

If you don't give me a correct answer, the contest is over.

Which Asian country has the largest number of

active volcanoes in the world?

Take your time here.

Which Asian country has the largest number of

active volcanoes in the world?

South Korea is on the Pacific ring of fire.

I was going to say the same about Indonesia.

Yeah, but then I was going to say, I think...

Although, is Indonesia a little bit more distal from the tectonic plate?

Cos it comes down and it hugs the Pacific Rim.

I was thinking that Indonesia is basically volcanic islands.

Yeah.

So assuming any of them are still active,

that's going to be quite a lot of volcanoes.

I'm pretty sure it's not Bangladesh. No.

I knew obviously it was close to the tectonic plate

cos of what happened in 2004. Exactly.

Would you be more drawn towards Indonesia?

I would be drawn to Indonesia over South Korea.

OK. But you're the captain.

I'm going to bow to your wisdom on this one, Cat.

Don't you blame it on me.

Can we go for Indonesia, please?

I'm pleased you did. Indonesia is right.

Got about 150 active volcanoes.

OK, Eggheads, you can take the contest with this answer.

If you get it right. Cos they dropped one earlier.

Hertford Bridge, completed in 1914 and popularly known

as the Bridge of Sighs, is a feature of which English university city?

I walked underneath it many a time at university.

We're going to go for Oxford, please, Jeremy.

Oxford, you didn't veer towards... Kevin, you were quiet there.

Were you thinking Cambridge?

No. I mean, there is one at Cambridge, but...

Mathematical Bridge, is it?

Hertford Bridge is actually part of Hertford College. Yeah.

It's Hertford College, which is at Oxford.

And you were at Oxford? I was. But not at Hertford College.

Judith, were you? No.

I think we know what's happened here, don't we?

Mm. They've got it right. Oxford is the answer.

And commiserations. Lovely to see you.

And reign supreme over Quizland.

The money then rolls over to our next show.

Eggheads, very well done.

On a roll, aren't they? Join us next time to see

We will have ?5,000 to say they don't.

Till then, goodbye.