Episode 97 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. Are you learned today?

-Almost learned, yeah.

-That was a rather muted response.

Well, they might have to be,

cos challenging our resident quiz champions today are...

This team of friends from Oxford

are all keen quizzers, attending as many as three pub quizzes a week.

Let's meet them.

Hi, I'm Sarah and I'm an administrator.

Hi, I'm John and I am a digital designer.

Hi, I'm Simon and I work in publishing.

Hi, I'm Paul and I'm an accountant.

Hi, I'm Kirsty and I work in publishing.

-So, Sarah and team, welcome.

-Hi, Jeremy.

-Thanks for coming.

I guess you're learned cos I think Oxford University, brainboxes.

Well, I didn't study at Oxford but it's a beautiful place to live,

-so we enjoy living there.

-OK, and you quiz together, crucially.

So, four of us quiz together regularly as Queen Equizabeth I,

and then John is the quiz master at one of the quizzes we do,

so we thought Equizabethans covered the people in the team

and John being our quiz master for one of our quizzes.

I love the name. We have lots of names here

-and Equizabethans is one of the best, isn't it, Eggheads?

-Yeah.

And it does also give a sense of your historical knowledge, as well.

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, Equizabethans, the Eggheads lost a game, fairly tragically,

and then the next game back, to say you won it, is an exaggeration.

You basically didn't come second.

It means that £2,000 is on the table today to say you can't beat them.

-Good luck. Would you like to start?

-Yeah.

-Why not?

-We would, yes.

-As you're here.

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

-Who would like this?

-OK, I think that's me.

-Sarah?

-Yeah.

-OK. Against which Egghead?

-Um, I think I'm going to choose Lisa, if that's OK.

-Yeah, OK.

-You're originally from Australia?

-I am, yes.

-Oh, no. What?!

-LAUGHTER

What is this? This is a conspiracy now!

So, Sarah from The Equizabethans versus Lisa, who has now, I think,

a map of Australia on your bedroom wall, is it, or something?

This is how bad it is. My mum gave me a map of Australia for Christmas!

There we are. We'll see if she's got it out and up on the wall yet.

To endure there's no conferring,

please go to our special Question Room now.

You've got both sides of the world covered, Sarah,

with your Australian background,

-so would you like to go first or second on Geography?

-First, please.

Here we go. Good luck. Which is China's longest river?

OK, I don't know this.

Um, I don't think it's the Mekong,

cos I think that's through Vietnam and Cambodia and down there.

I think the Yangtze and the Yellow River are both in China,

but I don't know which one's longer.

I think I'm just going to have to guess one of them

and I'm going to guess the Yangtze.

I'm glad you did. It's right. Well done. Lisa.

Which South American country is bordered by Argentina to the east

and Peru and Bolivia to the north?

Oh, that makes it a little easier. It's Chile.

Chile is right.

Here we go, Sarah.

What is the approximate population of Turkey?

I have no idea. Um...

No idea at all. Um, let me think.

The UK is about 60-something.

Trying to just get any sense

of whether I think Turkey is bigger or smaller

or about the same size as the UK.

Um, I really don't know. It's going to be a complete guess.

I'm going to go for 80 million.

Yes, it is a bit bigger than the UK, population-wise,

-so you're right - 80 million it is.

-Cool.

Lisa, to catch up.

Zermatt or ZERmatt with a Z is a popular ski resort in which country?

Ai! First thought was Switzerland. It could be Austria.

No, I'll got for Switzerland.

-They like their zeds, don't they?

-They're quite fond of them.

Switzerland is right, so you're equal.

Let's see if The Equizabethans can take the lead here.

What colour is the background on the national flag of Tunisia?

OK, well, my team were probably smiling

because they know that I quite like flags,

so I should be able to get this

but, it's not... Again, it's not leaping out at me.

I don't think it's blue.

I have a feeling there might be a crescent moon or something

on the flag of Tunisia.

I'm going to go for green, Jeremy.

I must admit, I like flags too, and I would have gone for green,

but let's just check the Eggheads. Is she right?

-It's red.

-Oh, red.

-Mmm-hmm.

-But then, what's the crescent?

-It's a red background.

In the centre, there's a white background disc,

containing, within it, a red crescent.

OK, so Kevin says red background, white disc in the centre

containing the crescent you remembered, but no green.

And a red star, by the way, as well. So, red was the answer.

Lisa has a chance to take the round on Geography.

-Maybe we'll fill this mug up with champagne.

-Please do!

The former royal residence Frogmore House is located in which county?

I think I'm going to kick myself very hard...

..on this one, because I'm sure I've heard of it.

It sort of sounds to me like a Berkshire name

more than a Kent name or a Norfolk name.

Not that that's a guarantee.

No, I mean, I don't know if thinking about this is going to get me

any closer to it, to be honest. I will try Berkshire.

-Is she right, Eggs?

-Yes.

-Yes, they all say. Berkshire is correct.

-Yay!

Sorry, Sarah. Knocked out there, but early days for your team.

Rejoin us, please. We'll play on.

Lisa, actually, you will be delighted to know

that you have won your last eight Geography rounds.

Well, thank you very much.

So, the idea that it's all panic and Australia, actually...

All Panic And Australia is now the title of my memoir.

Yeah, well, it misled us completely.

She's been playing an absolute blinder without us realising.

OK, so... I'm going to say this again and again - "Elizabethans".

Equizabethans have lost one brain from the final round -

their captain. The Eggheads are still all sitting there,

although they need a bit of stabilisation after their last game.

The next subject is Arts & Books.

-Who would like this?

-That's me.

-Simon, you're on.

Simon, who works in publishing - that's handy. Against which Egghead?

-I think Barry.

-Barry, let's do it.

-Good for you, Simon.

OK, Simon from The Equizabethans versus Barry, known as The Brain.

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

Arts & Books - right up your street. I know you went Oxford University,

-and would you like to go first or second?

-I will go first, please.

OK, Simon, my money's on you here, but let's see.

Barry's a very good player.

Botticelli's The Birth Of Venus was painted in which century?

I have to admit that I was rather hoping that dates of things

wouldn't come up, because I was learning names and titles.

Um, well, 13th seems very early.

I'm just going to go down the middle,

for want of any knowledge on the topic, and say 15th.

15th is correct. Well done.

Before the Renaissance then, Barry, is that right?

-Ooh, no, right in the middle of the Renaissance.

-Part of it.

-I always think Renaissance is 1500s but it's 1400s.

-Mmm-hmm.

Here's your question.

The cities referred to in the title of the Dickens novel

A Tale Of Two Cities are Paris and which other?

Well, certainly the most virtuous city of those three is London.

London is correct. Here's your question, Simon.

Which science fiction book by Andy Weir

was adapted into a Hollywood movie starring Matt Damon?

I'm pretty sure that that is The Martian.

It is The Martian. Have you seen that?

I haven't seen it or read it but I saw the posters everywhere.

I'm just thinking that Matt Damon was in Interstellar,

-wasn't he, Eggs?

-And Elysium.

-And Elysium?

-He's in all of them.

He's in all of them, so you did well there, Simon.

-You knew that, of course.

-Um, yeah, let's say I knew it.

Barry, to catch up.

How many of William Shakespeare's plays feature

characters' names in their titles?

Oh, my goodness me.

All right, let's have a try here.

King Lear, Hamlet,

Antony and Cleopatra,

Troilus and Cressida,

Timon of Athens is five. Er...

Oh, then there's all the historical ones.

I think it's going to be more than...

A rough count tells me it's going to be more than 13 and less than 23.

I'll go down the middle at 18.

-You got it wrong. It's 23.

-Oh!

-You won't forget that.

-I won't.

OK, Simon, this for the round.

"How soon hath Time, the subtle thief of youth

"Stol'n on his wing my three-and-twentieth year!"

are the opening lines to a poem by which writer?

Let me see. Well...

I know Keats died young, but he probably didn't know that himself

at the time he was writing his poems, so...

I know that Donne was quite a tearaway in his youth

and became much more sort of reverent -

well, literally reverent in his older years.

Um, it sounds like the sort of lament

that Donne might have turned to in his later poetry,

-so I'm going to say John Donne.

-Barry, do you know this?

I don't, but I would have gone for John Donne,

-by the sound of the language he expressed.

-Yeah, I would, too.

-I love poetry and I've never read this, and it is John Milton.

-Ah.

It is, and I guess his Paradise Lost and Regained

has overshadowed everything else.

Barry, Marlon James's award-winning novel

A Brief History Of Seven Killings tells the story

of the attempted assassination of which figure?

Oh, goodness me.

A Brief History Of Seven Killings...

Well, I'll discount Bob Marley straightaway,

cos I don't think anybody else was involved in that.

Martin Luther King - the killing was by James Earl Ray.

But it could be...

There could be seven killings around there

because, at the time of Martin Luther King's great marches,

there were many freedom fighters who were killed.

But then Malcolm X as well.

There might well have been more people killed around HIM.

Without anything to go on, I'm going to go for Martin Luther King.

-If you've got this wrong, you're out, Barry.

-Mmm-hmm.

Still not quite back on track after the last game, I don't think.

-It's Bob Marley.

-Ah!

-So, you have been knocked out again.

Simon, you're in the final round. Well done.

Maybe things are on the turn for our Equizabethans.

Please come back to us, both of you, and we'll see what happens next.

Good game. As it stands,

The Equizabethans have lost a brain from the final round,

but they've now taken out an Egghead,

so they've lost Barry on that side, which can be painful.

The next subject is Music.

Oh, I reckon this is good for you.

-It's not!

-Oh, dear.

-It was going to be Music for me and Simon, so that's not great.

-I see.

-Who's third choice for Music?

-Who are we going to go for?

I think we're both equally terrible at Music, aren't we?

Do I have more of the remaining subjects covered?

-Do you mind doing it, Kirsty?

-No.

-Sorry.

-I'll give it a go.

-Kirsty?

-Thank you.

-OK.

-Thank you, Kirsty.

Kirsty, choose an Egghead before you go. Anyone but Barry or Lisa.

-Maybe Chris?

-Sure.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-Chris it is. Go on, Kirsty.

-That'll get him up and bouncing, won't it?

-Boing!

Yeah, straight out of bed.

OK, Kirsty, for The Equizabethans, Chris for the Eggheads, on Music.

Please go to our Question Room.

-Kirsty, you work in publishing for Oxford Dictionaries.

-Um, yes.

So are you anywhere near the people who decide what the new words are?

No, I'm in the marketing department, so we hear about the new words.

It comes up all the time in quizzes. What did we have the other day?

-Was it "box set bingeing" as a new phrase?

-Yeah.

-"Binge watching".

Any favourites that you have, Kirsty?

I've recently been reading a lot of old words

that have gone into the dictionary, and I did come across "ridibund",

which means "inclined to laughter", which is a really nice word.

Ridibund. Excellent. We might bring that on board.

Any words you particularly like, Chris,

-which are not in normal usage?

-Oh, not really.

A lot of the old Victorian-type words like "rambunctious"

-and that sort of thing.

-OK, so Music is the subject.

Kirsty, would you like to go first or second?

Um, first, please, Jeremy.

Good luck. On a standard piano, there are...

Choose one answer.

OK, um, I'm inclined to say more white keys than black keys

because, um...

..I've been trying to learn to play the piano

and I feel like you don't come across a black key

as often as you expect to.

I'm going to say more white keys than black keys.

OK, you're treading carefully there, I can sense, but you are right.

Well done.

I know in that room, it's very easy

to get the simplest questions wrong, so I do understand that.

More white keys than black keys is the correct answer. Chris.

Which of these characters appears in the stage musical Hairspray?

-Did you say Hairspray, Jeremy?

-Hairspray.

That's Tracy Turnblad.

It is Tracy Turnblad. Eliza Doolittle is from...?

-My Fair Lady.

-And Velma?

-Chicago.

-Yeah, Chicago. Kirsty.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer, Chad Smith,

is known for his striking resemblance to which movie star?

Um, I don't know what he looks like

and I'm not sure I know what most of those look like either,

so...I'm going to guess Vince Vaughn.

It's actually not Vince Vaughn. Let's see if your teammates know.

-ALL:

-No idea.

-Will Ferrell, apparently.

-Oh.

Will Ferrell is the answer.

Chris, your question.

The theme tune to which James Bond film was sung by Tom Jones?

Er, ba-ba-ba-ba... You Only Live Twice - that was Japanese.

I think OHMSS was We Have All The Time In The World, Louis Armstrong,

-so it's Thunderball with Tom Jones.

-Yes, it is Thunderball.

Well done, Chris. He takes the lead, Kirsty. You need this one.

After his death, which Puccini opera was completed by Franco Alfano?

I've seen Madame Butterfly but I'm not sure who wrote it,

but I think if he hadn't finished it, I might have heard of that.

Um, I'm going to go with La Boheme but it's a guess.

Barry will know this. Barry?

They're all Puccini operas, but Alfano completed Turandot.

Because Madame Butterfly was done, and La Boheme, while he was alive.

-Absolutely, yes.

-Turandot is the answer, Kirsty, sorry.

Chris has taken the round.

-There we go, Chris. You'll be in the final.

-Mmm.

Please come back to us, both of you.

We'll play the last round before the final.

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

The Eggheads have lost just the one.

Your chance now to even things up, team. The next subject is Sport.

-Ooh, I knew I'd get punished.

-Poor John!

-It's me.

-It's going to be John.

OK, John, against which Egghead?

We'll go for...Pat.

John from The Equizabethans versus Pat from the Eggheads on Sport.

Last round before the final. See if they can even it up.

Please go to the special room now.

-John, I gather Sport is not your thing.

-It isn't, no.

-I know nothing whatsoever.

-What did you study at Oxford University?

-Chinese.

-Ancient Chinese?

-Mainly ancient Chinese, yeah.

-I'm sorry the Ancient Chinese round didn't come up!

-I...I...

Yeah, if there's a question on ancient Chinese sports,

-I'm might be able to do that.

-Well, that IS possible, yeah.

-OK.

How about that, Pat?

I think on 1,500 episodes, we've never had someone

-whose specialism is ancient Chinese, have we?

-It's long overdue.

-Yeah!

So, Sport, John. Would you like to go first or second?

I'd have less humiliation if I were to go second

because I'd get knocked out quicker, but for comedy value, I'll go first.

All right. Kasper Schmeichel, son of the former Manchester United

and Denmark footballer Peter Schmeichel,

usually plays in which position?

I have never heard of him. I... Ooh...

I have a vague feeling

that Peter Schmeichel might have been a goalkeeper.

I don't know where I'm getting that from.

So, if he's following in his father's football boots,

that would make sense.

Peter Schmeichel...

Yeah, OK, we'll go with goalkeeper.

That's a very good application of the inkling and logic.

-You are right.

-Oh, wow! Excellent.

-And everything you said was true.

Pat, who captained the England test cricket team between 1993 and 1998?

I think Alastair Cook, most of his work was done

in the 21st century, so I think I can remove him.

I think Botham's big years were in the '70s, weren't they?

Hmm, I need to make sure I've put Ian Botham in his right decade.

I think his sensational performances were generally in the '70s.

I think I'm going to have to go for Mike Atherton.

Mike Atherton is correct.

OK, John,

use that brilliant little bit of inkling and logic,

great brain of yours.

Anthony Joshua became the British heavyweight champion

in December, 2015, after knocking out which boxer?

Anthony Joshua.

-This is in 2015, sorry?

-Yes, it is.

The only one I've heard of is David Haye.

For some reason, I thought he wasn't active any more,

but all of this knowledge, I'm entirely making up.

Um, I will go down the middle and I will choose Derek Chisora.

-I'm sorry. Dillian Whyte is the answer.

-Damn it.

-Bad luck.

Difficult, that.

I wouldn't have got it. Pat.

The New Zealand rugby union player Dan Carter made his debut

for which club in December, 2015?

Well, after a very distinguished All Black career,

I think he retired at the World Cup in 2015

and, having retired from international duties,

he was then free to ply his trade outside of New Zealand,

because I think they operate a fairly severe

New Zealand-only selection policy.

So, he took the opportunity, I think,

to sign a very big contract with Racing 92.

You call it "Racing", I call it "Ra-cing" - doesn't matter,

it's the right answer. Well done. So, he's ahead, John.

-Unsurprisingly.

-Pat, known as the "Silent Destroyer",

and you need to get this one right.

Which basketball team won 33 consecutive games

during the 1971/72 season,

the longest undefeated streak in NBA history?

OK...

I'm thinking the LA Lakers are the more famous.

Maybe they're more famous because they've been more successful. Um...

So, yeah, let's plump for the LA Lakers.

-You've got it right, John.

-Yay!

-Well done, John.

-Well done.

And not even any need for your knowledge of ancient Chinese.

Yet!

So, if Pat gets this wrong, we go to Sudden Death, so stand by for that.

Pat, Rob Gronkowski, born in 1989, is a famous name in which sport?

I think he's a... I'm not sure he's an out-and-out wide receiver,

but he certainly catches the ball from Tom Brady.

They're quite a formidable partnership,

so it's American football.

You've got all the facts there, haven't you?

Sorry, John, he's got it right. It is American football.

Well played, though,

-given that it's not your subject.

-Thank you.

Did that with a lot of confidence.

Pat is in the final round. Come back to us and we will play that final.

This is what we've been playing towards.

It is time for the final round. As always, it's General Knowledge.

But those of you who lost your head-to-heads

won't be allowed to take part in this round,

so Sarah, John and Kirsty from The Equizabethans,

and Barry from the Eggheads, would you please now leave the studio?

Here we are, Simon and Paul.

You are playing to win The Equizabethans £2,000.

Lisa, Pat, Kevin and Chris,

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

which is the Eggheads' precious reputation

after it was bashed around a bit.

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

This time, they're all General Knowledge.

You are allowed to confer.

So, Equizabethans, the question is,

are your two brains able to defeat these four?

-And would you like to go first or second?

-First, please.

Good luck, Simon and Paul.

Which instalment of the Star Wars film series is The Force Awakens?

-I think this is on me, isn't it, Simon?

-My brother will know.

He'll be angry with me for not knowing, but I haven't got a clue.

Er, so, I think we had the prequels, which is I, II and III,

and I think Star Wars - the first one, A New Hope - was IV,

so I think it will be 7th. I'm going to say 7th, I think.

-So, is 7th the most recent one?

-Yes.

-The one they've just brought out?

-Yes.

-And that's...?

-Yeah.

-Great.

-OK, we'll go for the 7th, I think.

You're right. And that's impressive.

That's another stinker of a question.

Eggheads, who won the 2015 series of the TV show X Factor?

-Louisa Johnson.

-Louisa Johnson, isn't it?

-Yeah.

OK, that was Louisa Johnson.

-Are they right?

-They're right.

Yeah, you're right. It's Louisa Johnson.

One each.

Which of these words relates to the fox?

So, I think "ursine" is bear.

I don't know what "hircine" is, but I'm pretty sure it's...

-I think it's "vulpine".

-That's what the Volpone play was based on, so...

Was it really? OK, so, on that, I think we'll go for "vulpine."

Very learned. You're right. Eggheads.

Deuterium is a form of which gas?

-It's hydrogen.

-Hydrogen.

-Yeah.

That is a form of hydrogen.

Hydrogen is quite right.

OK, it's very tight.

I can't see who's going to slip up first.

Third question can be crucial.

Doutzen Kroes, born in the Netherlands in 1985,

is a famous name in which field? Which field?

-Could you spell the name?

-Yes.

-Yes, sorry.

D-O-U-T-Z-E-N, and then K-R-O-E-S.

Have you heard of him? Or her?

Doutzen Kroes... Er, famous name, Doutzen Kroes...

What are you thinking?

Er, there's a cookery book that sounds a little like that.

But 1985 just seems too... Was he born in 1985, Jeremy?

Yes, Doutzen Kroes, born in the Netherlands in 1985,

-is a famous name in which field?

-I don't think it...

Well, I wouldn't think it was fashion because I would have...

I don't know anything about ballet or cookery,

I know a little bit about fashion. I might have heard of it then.

-Doutzen Kroes...

-Um... So, he'll be 30, same age as me.

-Um...

-Too young for cookery, do you think?

-Maybe.

-Maybe ballet then?

I mean, I really have no idea,

so if you're having vague memories of a cookery book.

I really don't know. Do you want to go with our first instinct or not?

Or do you want to stick with ballet, maybe?

-We've discounted fashion immediately, haven't we?

-On nothing.

Based on absolutely nothing, we've discounted it.

-I mean, Creuset?

-It would be...

Maybe that's where I'm getting it from, so...

-Shall we go with ballet?

-Try ballet, yes.

As you may have spotted, we really don't know the answer,

so we're going to go with ballet.

Ballet is your answer. I'm sensing your teammates know in the back.

-Do you know?

-Yeah, I think it's fashion.

-Oh!

-First bad news, guys, is she's a she.

-It's a she.

-Sorry, guys.

-Sorry.

-It's a she and she is in fashion.

-I'm sure she does lovely work.

Let's see if the Eggheads get this right.

If they do, the contest is over. If they don't, we go to Sudden Death.

Eggheads, your question.

In which city was Tsar Nicholas II and his family executed in 1918?

Yekaterinburg.

We're happy with Yekaterinburg.

That was in Yekaterinburg,

or sometimes it doesn't have the Y at the front,

because of Russian transliteration, but Yekaterinburg.

The city is Yekaterinburg.

We say congratulations, Eggheads. You have won!

-Bad luck. Did you know the Star Wars answer?

-Yes.

-OK.

I just was wondering if you'd gone first, maybe that made a difference.

-I didn't know their answers.

-They do know a lot.

-Commiserations, Equizabethans.

-Thank you, guys.

On another day, I'm sure you could have won it,

but the Eggheads have done what is starting to come naturally again.

They're back, reigning supreme over Quizland.

It does mean you're not going home with the £2,000,

so we roll the money over to our next show.

Eggheads, congratulations. Who will beat you?

You just lost Barry this time.

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

to defeat the Eggheads. £3,000 will be here to play for.

Till then, goodbye.