Episode 70 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. Very colourful today, Eggs.

-Yes.

-Yes, we are.

-Suits your mood?

-Absolutely.

-Bright and cheerful.

Challenging the might of our quiz Goliaths today are...

..from Manchester.

Now, in forming this team,

captain, Nosheel, has called upon the services

of his four smartest friends.

The team quizzed together for the first time last week and won.

Let's meet them.

Hi, I'm Nosheel, and I'm a recruitment consultant.

Hello. I'm Jade and I'm a bid writer.

Hi, I'm Stuart and I'm a retail manager.

Hello, I'm Libby, and I'm a museum volunteer.

Hi, I'm John, and I'm an accounts clerk.

-So, Nosheel and team, welcome. ALL:

-Hi, Jeremy.

So kind of connections through university, Nosheel, is that right?

Yeah, various ways. Jade, Stuart and I went to uni together,

many moons ago.

I worked with Libby and John. Jade and I also lived together

some years ago, and now we quiz together a little bit.

Beginner's luck, I think, last week.

The quizzing has just really started, has it?

Yeah, we just fast-tracked it. We've done it over the years

in twos and things like that,

but not as a full team. Let's hope that luck continues.

-You once tweeted Kylie Minogue to ask her out for breakfast.

-I did.

She turned down breakfast but accepted coffee. I don't think she

likes Eggs Benedict, and thought we'll try something else.

-You couldn't get her on the team?

-No. Coffee.

That would be quite sensational, actually.

Good luck against the Eggheads.

-Do you watch the show? ALL:

-Yes, yes.

-Big fan.

-Have you worked out their weaknesses and strengths?

-Of course.

-All right.

Well, this will be good.

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, We Quiz You Not, the Eggheads have won the last seven games.

Isn't that good? They're on a streak.

£8,000, therefore, is yours if you win.

Would you like to try?

-We'd love to.

-Definitely.

-Good luck, team.

The first head-to-head battle is on Geography.

Who wants this?

-Shall I go?

-Yes.

-Start off.

-Well, are you sure?

Um, I think so. Lib, between you and I?

Yes, because we've discussed the subjects, haven't we?

Depends how it drops, but who are we going to take on, anyway, let's...

-I would, possibly, I think Judith, maybe.

-Judith?

I think Judith's been everywhere in the world, I would imagine.

-She knows it all.

-Shall we try with Barry?

-ALL:

-Yes, Barry.

-We're going to take on Barry.

-I love the way you talk about us.

They are fascinating. Fascinating for you to hear what they think of

-your skills.

-Barry is the one who's been everywhere in the world.

He's been to every answer.

Every Geography answer is one of Barry's holidays.

That's what we all say. Um, yeah. THEY LAUGH

So, Nosheel from We Quiz You Not versus Barry from the Eggheads

on Geography. To ensure there is no conferring,

please go to our special Question Room.

OK, so, Geography we are on.

Or, as it's known, Barry's holidays.

Nosheel, would you like to go first or second?

I'll go first, please.

OK, your question.

Which of these countries is larger than

the United Kingdom in terms of area?

Well, North Korea is pretty big, but I don't know much about it.

But Mexico surely has to be bigger.

I'm just trying to picture North Korea.

The first one, I can't really picture it at all.

I'm going to go for...

Mexico.

Yeah, I'm so glad you did. You're right. Well done.

OK, Barry.

Hong Kong Island lies off which of China's coasts?

Well, I should know this

because I was in Hong Kong about four years ago.

And I do believe it's off the south coast of China.

It is off the south coast, well done.

Nosheel, how high in metres is the world's second-tallest mountain, K2?

-That's metres, remember.

-Metres. OK, um, right.

Obviously, Everest is the tallest.

I think Kilimanjaro is pretty big as well

and I'm sure that's around the region of about 6,000,

but I might be making that up completely,

so I'm going to go for 8,611.

-What do you think, Eggheads?

-Yeah.

Yeah, you're right. 8,611 is the right answer.

Barry,

which of these structures is located in Kuala Lumpur?

Well, the Burj Khalifa, I think is in Dubai.

Taipei 101 is in Taiwan,

but the two Petronas Towers are in Kuala Lumpur.

-And which country are we talking about here?

-Malaysia.

-Malaysia, you're right.

-Petronas Towers is correct.

Back to you, Nosheel.

What colours are the three horizontal stripes

on the national flag of Venezuela?

Right, I'm trying to picture all the colours.

They're going a bit blurry in my head.

-I'm sure Barry's probably been there.

-No.

Red, white, blue. I don't think it's red, white and blue.

I'm going to do a Judith and go down the right,

and go for green, red and white.

-Barry?

-I'd have gone for yellow, blue and red.

Yeah, it's yellow, blue and red, I'm afraid.

So, Barry, it gives you a little chance here

on your third question.

In terms of passenger numbers,

which city operated the busiest airport in the world in 2014?

Both Tokyo and London have very, very busy airports indeed

with Narita and Heathrow.

But I think Atlanta beats them in terms of passenger numbers,

so I'll go for Atlanta.

Yes, it's not the obvious one at all,

but it is right, Barry, well done. You've taken the round.

Sorry, Nosheel.

-That's OK.

-It was just the flags.

Often flags are meat and drink for quizzers.

Nosheel, sorry you've been knocked out. Barry is in the final.

Please, both of you, return to us.

So, as it stands, We Quiz You Not have lost a brain,

the skipper's brain, from the final round,

but the Eggheads have not lost any.

And we play on with Film & TV.

-Who wants this?

-It's definitely

John or Stuart, I think.

-But I think we should... John?

-What do you think? Are you ready?

-Happy to.

-What if Sport comes up, though, and we've lost John.

-I think we should go with Stuart.

-Shall we go with Stuart?

-Yeah, definitely.

-Yeah, good idea.

-Stuart then.

-Yeah.

-Happy?

-Yeah.

-What about Kevin? Cross your fingers.

-Are you going to go for Kevin?

-Do you want Kevin?

-Yeah.

All right? Throw yourself at Kevin.

THEY LAUGH

So, Stuart from We Quiz You Not versus the Grand Master

from the Eggheads. Please go to our Question Room.

-So, Stuart, do you want to go first or second?

-First, please.

OK, Film & TV against the great Kevin. Here we go.

The 2008 Tom Cruise film Valkyrie takes place during which conflict?

I haven't seen this film.

Um, and I don't know a lot about history either.

I feel like the title should give it away to me, but it really isn't.

I don't know. Something is sending out to me

about the Flight Of The Valkyrie.

I don't know whether I've just completely made that up.

It's just a complete guess.

My instinct probably to go for the Vietnam War.

OK, well, I see. Ride Of The Valkyries is the

thing in Apocalypse Now, you're right. It's not Vietnam, though.

This is about the German general who tried to kill Hitler, I think.

-Is that right?

-Yes, Stauffenberg.

-Stauffenberg.

-Colonel.

-World War II is the answer.

Kevin, which of these is a Channel 4 talk show?

Yeah, they probably all fall within the category and they all do

chat shows, but the one that has

the subtitle Chatty Man is Alan Carr.

Alan Carr, Chatty Man is right.

So back we go to you,

Stuart. The TV detective series, Luther, starring Idris Elba,

is primarily set in which city?

Again, it's not something that I watch. I probably should do.

Everyone at work is raving about it at the moment. Um.

I think it's London.

London is correct. Well done, Stuart. Kevin, your question.

Who is the oldest of the Bond girls in the 2015 film, Spectre?

There was quite a bit of publicity about it

because she became the first Bond girl aged over 50.

It's Monica Belucci.

Monica Belucci is the right answer.

So he takes the lead, Stuart.

And you need to get this one right to stay in.

Who provides the voice for Anna in the animated film Frozen?

Now, this film I have seen, numerous times.

I stayed away from it for quite a while because of all the hype

and it put me off, but I became a massive fan after watching it.

So I know the answer to that is Kristen Bell.

Kristen Bell, it is, well done.

So, equal, but Kevin

can take the round with this question.

Xander Cage is a character played by Vin Diesel

in which of these action films, Kevin?

It's not Pitch Black because his character in that is called Riddick.

He went on to other films.

But I haven't, I must admit they're not,

it's not a genre that I...

..I particularly favour.

Obviously, it's quite an unusual name.

I can't remember the name of his character

in the Fast And Furious but I'm...

.. I'm inclined to the xXx one, So I'll go for that.

-Triple X...

-Yeah.

..is the right answer. You've taken the round.

Sorry, Stuart. Single wrong answer

against Kevin can be an expensive thing.

So, you've been knocked out. Kevin is in the final.

Please return to us,

rejoin your teams and we'll see what happens next.

So, as it stands,

We Quiz You Not have lost two brains from the final round.

The Eggheads have still not lost one.

The next subject is Arts & Books. Let's see

if we can turn it around now.

Right then, I think that means you, Jade.

-We wanted to keep Jade for the last round, but it has to be you.

-Yeah.

OK, Jade? Against which Egghead?

Chris or Dave, guys?

I'd say Dave.

-Yeah.

-Dave.

-Yeah.

-Dave.

-Pick Dave.

-Yeah, I'm going to go for Dave, please.

All right, so, Jade from We Quiz You Not

against Dave from the Eggheads,

and please go to our Question Room now.

All right, Arts & Books, Jade, good luck. First or second?

I'll go first, please, Jeremy.

OK, here we go.

The artist LS Lowry was particularly famous for his paintings

of scenes in which part of the UK?

Oh, this is an easy one for us,

obviously, being from the part of the world that

I am from in Manchester.

Obviously, Lowry is a local sort of legend and hero,

so he was primarily based in the North of England

doing his paintings.

Yes, North of England is quite right.

-Dave.

-Yep.

What type of creature is the protagonist of The Gruffalo

by Julia Donaldson?

HE LAUGHS

Me and children's literature don't really get on,

but in this case, it's a mouse.

Of course, a mouse, yeah.

So, 1-1.

Here's your question.

Which writer sued the Marquess of Queensbury

for criminal libel?

OK, so I'm having to think about

the time of the Marquess of Queensbury,

and I think that George Orwell is a little later than that or quite

a bit later, so it's between HG Wells and Oscar Wilde.

I'm going to go for Oscar Wilde, please, Jeremy.

I'm so glad you did because it's right.

So, Dave,

which of these artists was a famous

apprentice of the painter Domenico Ghirlandaio?

Right, um...

Not heard of this, but it doesn't sound like Paul Gauguin,

doesn't sound like El Greco.

I'm going to go Michelangelo.

Yeah, you're right, Michelangelo.

Jade,

get this right, put some pressure on Dave.

Who is the lead female character of John Van Druten's 1951 play,

I Am A Camera?

OK, now, I have not heard of this play. I've never read it.

So this is going to be a complete guess.

But Sally Bowles is a character from Cabaret, I'm pretty sure.

So I'm going to discount Sally Bowles.

Charity Valentine or Fanny Brice?

See, Fanny Brice sounds familiar again

which I think that she's from another play that I might have

heard of or a television programme or something like that.

So, again, I'm not sure if Fanny Brice is it.

It is a complete guess.

But I'm going to go for Charity Valentine.

I see the way you've done that. Let me just ask the Eggheads.

-Is she right? ALL:

-No, Sally Bowles.

-Sally Bowles, they all say.

And, Eggheads, why do we know this play?

Because the play was the basis of the film, Cabaret.

Jade, that's...that's a shame.

-I Am A Camera led to Cabaret.

-Oh.

So, brilliantly, you spotted her from Cabaret

but that was not a reason to rule her out.

Dave's question, to take the round.

Modern Painters is a 19th-century book by John Ruskin

which primarily defends the work of which artists?

Right. Um...

Maybe wrongly, but let's have a think about this.

Modern Painters by Ruskin.

The one I would associate with that, I would have said, for some reason

is Joshua Reynolds so that's what I'm going to go for,

Joshua Reynolds.

OK.

No, you're wrong.

I mean, I was thinking that Turner was the one who was a bit

more outrageous and I think, maybe that's the logic.

-Turner is the answer.

-Right, fine.

So, equal after three.

Bit of a let-off there, Jade. This is good.

Augurs well. Goes to Sudden Death now, OK?

I don't give you alternatives.

Damien Hirst first won the Turner prize in which decade?

It was the 2000s.

No, 1990s. 95.

Dave,

for the round. In which 1911 book is an orphan girl called Mary sent to

live in Misselthwaite Hall,

where she befriends her sickly cousin, Colin.

I've got to go with The Secret Garden.

Do you know the author?

Frances Hodgson Burnett.

You're absolutely right. Secret Garden, it is.

I'm sure you would have known that, Jade,

sorry. You're out, though. And Dave is in. In the final.

Come back to us, both of you, we'll play on.

Nosheel, any change of plan at this point? Lost three.

-Well, I don't think there was a plan.

-THEY LAUGH

So, yeah, just depends what comes up now, really.

OK, well, let's see.

You've lost three. The Eggheads are still intact. And it's Sport.

-Oh, no!

-That's a disaster.

-THEY LAUGH

-That means Libby is left until the end.

-Sorry, Libby.

-That's going to be John.

-That's me.

-OK.

-Did we say Chris or with Judith?

-Chris.

Because Judith is starting to swot up on sport, we believe.

She is, yeah. She's done a lot of reading, yeah.

-So, John and Chris.

-Chris, yeah.

-Chris?

-Hm? Yeah, AGAIN.

-OK.

To ensure there's no conferring,

would you please take your positions?

So, John, I'm assuming cos you're Australian, you love sport.

That's my thing.

-That was the exact decision-making of the team, I think. Yeah.

-What?

Because you're Australian, you've got to do sport?

-Yeah, compared to everyone else it's, yeah, it's in the genes.

-Yeah.

-John, would you like to go first or second?

-First, please.

OK, here is your question. The footballer Garrincha

won the World Cup twice, representing which country?

Right, unfortunately, football's not my strong...

..or soccer, as we call it. Um, right. So he's won it twice.

I'm trying to think what countries have...

maybe won it twice.

I know Brazil's good at their football,

So I'll say Brazil.

Brazil is correct.

Chris, which of these boxers was a featherweight world champion?

Featherweight?

He's a little fella so that's got to be...

Well, Nigel Benn's a large fella. So is Herbie Hide.

So it's Barry McGuigan.

Barry McGuigan is right.

John, which of these rugby union internationals

retired in November 2015?

I think Jonny Wilkinson retired a bit earlier.

I remember reading about Brian O'Driscoll, I think,

he seems more familiar, so I'll say Brian O'Driscoll.

No, it's Richie McCaw.

-Wrong one.

-Bad luck. Chris.

By what name is the former England cricketer David Lloyd best-known?

Beefy is Ian Botham.

Big Bird's on Sesame Street, so David Lloyd is known as Bumble.

Well, he might share it with a Sesame Street character.

-No?

-No.

-Bumble's right.

Chris has two,

and you have one, John.

You've got to get this right or it's going to be Libby

all alone in the final.

The tennis player Don Budge won six Grand Slam singles titles

in which decade?

I'm ashamed to say I am a big tennis fan as well, but unfortunately,

I don't know this straight off.

For some reason, when it first came up, the 1950s stood out to me,

so I'll go '50s.

-Is he right, Eggheads?

-No.

-'30s.

'30s is the answer, John, so sorry,

been knocked out by Chris on Sport.

That's not your natural territory, Chris, is it?

Very alien territory to me.

So come back to us, and we will play the final round for £8,000.

So this is what we have been playing towards.

It is time for the final round which, as always,

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 Nosheel, Jade, Stuart and John from We Quiz You Not.

I'm sorry, but you have to leave the studio.

Libby, you are playing to win We Quiz You Not £8,000.

Barry, Chris, Judith, Kevin and Dave, you are playing for

something that money can't really buy

which is the Eggheads' reputation.

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

This time, the questions are all General Knowledge.

You are allowed to confer. Sorry, that doesn't help you, Libby.

They're all backstage.

Well, the question here is

whether your brain can defeat these five in a famous victory.

Wish you all the best. Would you like to go first or second?

I'll go first, thank you very much.

Here is your question.

The leader of which of these political parties

stepped down after the 2015 general election,

but was then reinstated when his resignation was not accepted.

This is a political question that I actually know, I think.

It wasn't the Lib Dems. Labour, I think, went

and hasn't come back again. So I think the answer is UKIP.

-It is, it was Mr Farage of UKIP. Well done.

-Indeed.

OK, over to you.

Eggheads, which of these triangles has two sides of equal length

and a third of unequal length?

-Is that Isosceles?

-Isosceles.

Right, I wouldn't dare open my mouth on the subject. Isosceles.

-Yes, you ran into trouble with scalene the other day, Judith.

-Yes.

Isosceles is the right answer.

Libby, our Challenger, back to you.

What is the main alcoholic ingredient of a Mai Tai cocktail?

Oh, I don't think it's gin-based. I drink gin.

It's between vodka and rum.

Mai Tai. Oh. I'm going to have to go rum.

Let's see if you are right. Eggheads?

-ALL:

-Yes.

-You're right.

SHE SIGHS

OK, Eggheads.

In Greek mythology, the monster Echidna

was half-woman and half what?

-Snake?

-Snake.

Yeah, pretty sure that was snake.

I'm sure Echidna was half a snake.

Yeah, yeah. Think so.

Snake? Everyone pleased with that?

Half-lion would be a sphinx

and half-dog, well, say no more.

Cerberus or something. It's a...

It's a snake.

Snake is correct. 2-2.

-£8,000 in play here.

-No pressure, thank you, Jeremy.

Get the third one right,

and then you may have to do no more work today.

The Chronicles Of Thomas Covenant, The Unbeliever

is a series of novels by which author?

I have not a clue about this.

I've not heard of the novels

or the authors.

It's probably going to be Hobb because that's

the one I thought of first, but I'm going to go for Donaldson.

-Shall I check with them?

-Yes.

-Yep.

-You're right!

-I'm not right?

-Yeah, you are.

-Wonderful.

-Three out of three.

No, it gets worse, because if they get this, which they

-probably will, then I have to...

-Sudden Death.

-Yes.

-Ah, don't worry.

-Thank you.

-The force is with you. I can see that.

Stephen R Donaldson, OK.

So, Eggheads, get this wrong, and it's over.

From 1747 to 1776,

which celebrated English actor was

the manager of the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane?

-David Garrick was later.

-I thought

Garrick was the manager.

The other two were both

19th century. So it's David Garrick.

It's David Garrick.

That is the famous David Garrick.

It's so annoying when they're certain, isn't it?

David Garrick is right.

3-3, after three questions.

Very tense in here.

-£8,000. You're playing a blinder, Libby.

-Ah, yes, thank you.

So, it's now Sudden Death.

-Gets a bit harder.

-Quick death.

I don't give you alternatives.

Wordshaker and Chasing Lights

are albums by which girl group?

I'm going to be told off later by Nosheel, I know.

-Name the albums again, please.

-Wordshaker and Chasing Lights.

I don't even know which decade this is from. Um...

Saturdays.

-You're right.

-I'm not right?

I can't be right! Good Lord!

SHE SHRIEKS

-I was so stunned...

-I'm stunned!

I was watching them.

They were going crazy, and then they absolutely gave up all hope.

And they were sitting there waiting for you to say, you know,

Martha Reeves or something.

Right, well, Eggheads, get this wrong, they've won the 8,000.

In which month of 1863 did Abraham Lincoln

deliver the Gettysburg Address?

September.

-Was it?

-Yeah, because the Battle of Gettysburg...

-Well, the battle was in July, wasn't it?

-That was in early July...

-So it would have to be after that.

-It was, yeah.

I mean, if I've got an exact date in my mind,

it was September the 19th.

-Let me just think about it again...

-Take your time.

Because now I'm starting to...

That's the trouble when you...

I'm starting to think about October now.

What started to get into the back of my mind now is that the

previous year, the Emancipation Proclamation was...

-..September.

-Now Kevin's said it,

not because Kevin said it, I'm October.

Rings a faint bell with me.

Now I'm really starting to doubt myself.

-Why, because the Emancipation speech was...

-Yes, yes.

-September, the year before?

-Yes.

The Emancipation Proclamation, yes.

I honestly don't know what to advise now. I really don't.

I'll lay my clothes on the line.

I think I read somewhere it was two months after,

-so I'm going for September.

-All right.

You were quite sure, and you said a date even in September.

We've got to give an answer now.

-Yeah, we've got to do an answer.

-We've got to do an answer.

I'm sorry if it turns out to be the wrong answer.

OK. Um...

-We're going to say September after all that.

-OK.

-How many times had you quizzed before as a team?

-Never.

-Oh, once, sorry, once.

-Once and won?

-Last week. Yes, and won.

-You've played one, won one?

-Yes, as a team.

Well, you've now played two and won two. The answer is November.

We say, congratulations, Challengers, you've won!

SHE LAUGHS

-Thank you!

-And I must say at no point did anyone say November.

When I saw that question, I thought

four of the five of you at least

will just say the date, straight out.

No, don't know what happened.

Well, it wasn't just you because everyone was...

Well, I didn't know at all, anyhow. So I didn't want to confuse him.

Well, well, well, Libby. But your Saturdays answer was genius.

-It really was.

-I really don't know where it came from so...

It was just brilliant.

To be honest, I was so scared of coming

and not even getting one question right,

never mind a General Knowledge one,

-but in my own subjects. So, and it's been a pleasure.

-And what a team!

We love you all. Thank you so much. Yeah, lovely team. Thank you.

Lovely to meet you all. Thank you.

So, We Quiz You Not have just won £8,000.

They are officially cleverer than the Eggheads.

Join us next time on Eggheads to see

if a new team of Challengers will be just as successful.

Oh, what a game!

What brilliant Challengers! And, you know, I can't say you played badly.

You played well, but they beat you. Until next time, goodbye.