Episode 23 Eggheads

These people are amongst the greatest quiz players in Britain.

Together they make up the Eggheads,

arguably the most formidable quiz team in the country.

The question is - can they be beaten?

Welcome to Eggheads, the show where a team of five quiz Challengers

pit their wits against possibly the greatest quiz team in Britain.

They are the Eggheads.

Looking very knowledgeable today.

-Thank you.

-Very kind of you.

-Honestly, you really are.

Hoping to get one over on our quiz champions today are The Skelfers.

Now, the majority of this team hail from the village of Ulleskelf in

North Yorkshire. Let's meet them.

Hi, I'm Fliss and I work for the NHS.

Hi, I'm Jeff and I'm a service advisor.

Hello, my name's Steve and I work as a tour manager.

Hi, I'm Alistair and I'm a relationship manager.

Hi, I'm Tom and I'm a relationship manager.

So, Fliss and team, welcome.

-ALL:

-Hello!

-Tell us, Fliss, how you all know each other.

Right, well Jeff, Steve and I, we drink in the same pub.

-Very important.

-And we know Alistair from London,

and Tom works with Alistair.

-OK.

-So basically north-south unison.

I haven't mentioned quizzing, I know you haven't...

-You're not a quiz team. Is that right?

-That's right.

But you've certainly got a quizziness about you, I think.

We just like to take you on on the telly.

So we thought we'd come and do it in person today!

Do you know what? You can do it. I'm sure you can take them down.

It's time. It needs to happen. So, good luck.

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, Skelfers, the Eggheads have got a real swagger about them now.

They've won the last seven games in a row.

So there's £8,000 to win today and basically we need you to stop them.

-OK? Would you like to try?

-Yes, we would!

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

So which of you would like this?

-What do you think?

-That's not me.

Want to do that?

-Do you want me to do it?

-I will take it if you want me to, yes.

Go on. Steve. Steve plays.

Steve, our tour manager, against which Egghead?

Any one of the five.

I'd like to pick Pat, please.

Very good. Steve from The Skelfers against Pat from the Eggheads.

To ensure there is no conferring, would you please take your positions

in our special Question Room.

OK, so, Steve, would you like to go first or second on Arts & Books?

I'd like to go first, please, Jeremy.

Here we go, Steve, good luck.

In which year was the artist Lucien Freud born?

Um, let me see now, Lucien Freud.

I'd like to go for 1942, please.

OK. It's 1922, Steve.

OK, Pat, your question.

Which of these is a famous line from Romeo and Juliet?

I think "Friends, Romans, countrymen" is the start

of Mark Antony's speech to the crowd in Julius Caesar.

"Neither a borrower nor a lender be" I think is Polonius in Hamlet.

And the Romeo and Juliet line is, "Parting is such sweet sorrow."

"Parting is such sweet sorrow" is the right answer.

Steve, back to you.

Which of these literary characters has appeared in

the most novels by their original authors?

Um, right.

Deary me.

I'm struggling. I don't know this.

So I will go straight down the middle and plump for Tarzan, please.

You're absolutely right, Steve, well done!

-Yeah!

-Got it right.

Pat, your question.

Any Human Heart is a novel by which author?

They are all contemporaries,

but I think I can remember this being made into an acclaimed film,

or I think perhaps a TV drama, and it's William Boyd.

The correct answer is William Boyd, well done.

So he takes the lead, there. Steve, you need to get this,

your third question, right to stay in.

Bedroom Farce is a 1975 play by which writer?

Let me see now. Bedroom Farce, you say.

-Bedroom Farce.

-Yes.

I think I'd like to go for Alan Ayckbourn.

Alan Ayckbourn is the correct answer, well done.

Two out of three. Let's just see now.

If Pat gets this right, he will have knocked you out.

His third question. Pat,

what is the name of the collective that won the 2015 Turner Prize for

their Granby Four Streets project?

If I remember correctly, I think these people

took over a block of housing in Liverpool and transformed it.

I think they were called Assemble.

Oh, you're good. Assemble's right.

Sorry, Steve, it's very hard to see daylight with Pat.

He very rarely gets them wrong.

He plays a quiet game, but a brilliant one.

So Pat is in the final round. Steve, you've been knocked out,

but it's early days. Come back, rejoin your teams. We'll play on.

As it stands, the Skelfers have lost a brain from the final round,

the Eggheads have not lost any so far.

We need to bring this locomotive to a juddering halt over here.

The next subject is Geography, so which of you would like this?

Oh. We said Fliss maybe, or...

Not me, no.

Do you want me to take it?

I'll take it.

-You sure?

-Yeah.

-Who are you going to choose, Ali?

-Anyone but Pat you can have.

-Beth, please.

-All right.

Alistair from The Skelfers versus Beth from the Eggheads on Geography.

Please go to our Question Room now.

Well, it's Geography, and Alistair,

we ask you whether you'd like to go first or second.

I'll go first, please, Jeremy.

Here we go with your first question, Alistair.

Which geographical term is given to

an area of relatively level high ground?

It's not archipelago.

Isthmus, if I'm honest, I don't know.

But my gut reaction on this one is plateau, so yeah, plateau.

Plateau is the right answer.

OK, Beth.

Stornoway is the largest settlement in which island group?

It's the Outer Hebrides, Jeremy.

Outer Hebrides is the right answer, well done.

Back to you, Alistair.

Which is the most southerly National Park in the UK?

Yeah. Straight away on this one...

..Dartmoor.

South Downs, further north, Peak District, yeah,

they're all much further north.

Setting myself up for a fall, but Dartmoor!

-Dartmoor is right, well done.

-Thank you.

So two out of two and we go back to our Egghead.

In terms of US geography,

what name is given to a narrow strip of land projecting from the main

territory of one state into another?

I think Florida's well known for having one of these,

and it's the panhandle.

Yeah, because it looks exactly like one. Panhandle is right.

OK, Alistair, third question...

can be crucial. Here we go.

Which of these countries is the largest by area?

So, Mongolia's near China, we tend not to know the size of them.

By being very familiar with them.

So that's a possibility.

Spain, large.

I'm going to go with my gut instinct on this one, which is Mongolia.

Mongolia, Mongolia. Any Eggs help us here?

-I think he's right.

-Mongolia.

-They like it! It's right! Well done!

Mongolia's the right answer.

Quizzing well, Challengers.

OK, Beth, your third question.

The Perfume River, named for its aroma, flows through which country?

Perfume River? It's not somewhere I've heard of.

I wonder if it is named that ironically...

..because it doesn't actually smell that nice?

Hmmm. Going to be a bit like Alistair with this one and

take a punt, I think, on India.

Is it India?

Vietnam is the right answer, Beth, sorry.

You've been knocked out. Alistair, well done!

Alistair, OK.

So you're turning it around here for the Challengers.

You took on an Egghead, you emerged triumphant, good news for your team.

Please return to us and we'll see what happens next.

All right. The Skelfers have lost one brain from the final round,

the Eggheads have lost a brain too.

By the way, the Perfume River, Eggheads,

is mentioned in the film Full Metal Jacket.

The Kubrick film about the Vietnam War.

-Only in passing, though.

-It was filmed in Beckton Gasworks!

Yes, it was filmed in London, wasn't it?

-Nearly all of it.

-But even the place that's supposed to be Da Nang,

that's actually Bassingbourn Barracks in Cambridgeshire!

The next subject is Film & TV.

-Who would like this?

-Tommy!

Tom. It's our Tom.

-Do you want to do it?

-No, I'll get Tom.

-Tom.

OK. I'll go for it.

Our relationship manager Tom against which Egghead?

Whose relationship shall we manage now?

Dave's giving me the eye but I'm going to go for Lisa.

Is Lisa not giving you the eye, then?

Not yet!

LAUGHTER

-There's time!

-There's time.

OK, Tom from The Skelfers, versus Lisa from the Eggheads,

please go to the Question Room.

So you go to a local quiz, I gather, Tom?

Well, Jeremy, back home they call me Quizzee Rascal.

-Is that right?

-Yeah.

-Because you love to quiz?

-Because I'm a quizzer.

-Oh, well,

you recognise a fellow personality type in Lisa, I'm sure.

-Certainly.

-On Film & TV, Tom,

you can choose whether you go first or second.

I'll go first, please, Jeremy.

Here we go, good luck.

Julia Somerville and Clive Myrie are best known for

performing which role on UK TV?

See, I listen to a lot of talkSPORT.

Um, I don't think they're sports commentators.

I don't think they're newsreaders

so I'll go with talk-show hosts, please.

I thought you were going to rule that out.

-It's newsreaders, actually.

-Sorry.

OK. Lisa.

What is the name of the panda voiced by Jack Black

in the Kung Fu Panda film franchise?

Oh, back to Dave's favourite subject of Tellytubby names, he's called Po.

The name of the panda voiced by Jack Black

in the Kung Fu Panda franchise is Po. Well done.

Back to you, Tom. What is the name of the hotel

in which the Stanley Kubrick film The Shining is set?

It's funny because I was talking about the Bellagio last night.

I've stayed in the Bellagio, so it's not that.

Em... I've seen the film.

I'm going to go for the Overlook.

Yeah, quite right. The Overlook, it is.

Over to you, Lisa.

Helen George plays the role of Trixie Franklin in which

TV drama series?

She a Strictly alumnus alongside you, Jeremy?

It's Call The Midwife.

I can tell you your answer is correct and, yes - yes, yes, yes.

We're bezzie mates.

OK, Tom, your question.

In which TV drama series does Helen McCrory play the role of Aunt Polly?

And you've got to get this one right, Tom.

Funnily enough, I've not watched Penny Dreadful,

and I've not watched Line Of Duty.

I've seen Peaky Blinders.

I'm trying to think if Cillian Murphy's got an auntie in it.

I think I'm going to have to go for Peaky Blinders, but I'm not 100%.

It is Peaky Blinders, so well done, Tom - you got it right.

Nice one, Tom.

Get this one right and you're in the final.

Lisa, which famous British film was known as Stairway To Heaven

when it was released in the USA?

Hmm, there's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold,

and there's a lady who is

completely not sure of the answer sat here.

OK, Stairway To Heaven - interesting.

Hang on - if you call it Brief Encounter in the US,

would they think it had something to do with pants?

Would that be the issue?

Maybe, because they think pants are trousers and all sorts of

inappropriate things.

I don't really see how that connects up with Lawrence Of Arabia at all,

so I'm minded to rule it out.

And of the other two,

I'm not sure why you would change A Matter Of Life And Death.

I know very little about the subject matter of A Matter Of Life And Death

so it possibly is that.

But just on the slightly tenuous logic that of one is going to

say Brief Encounter,

Americans might think it's possibly a saucier film than it was,

I will try Brief Encounter.

To summarise, you think Brief Encounter was not released

in the States because people would think it was about an encounter

with a pair of pants?

I have no idea, Jeremy!

I told you it's tenuous logic.

Chris, you'll know this.

Yeah, well, it's A Matter Of Life And Death, Lisa.

David Niven is a bomber pilot coming back from a mission,

in this flaming Lancaster that's going down any minute now.

He gets into conversation on the radio with this American WAAF,

falls in love with her over the air. He eventually

dies and is in limbo, if you like.

The main nub of the film is

he's sort of on trial for his life, in Heaven.

It's a very good film.

If you ever get a chance to watch it, do so.

OK, so the long and short of it is that you are level.

And we go to Sudden Death now, Tom.

It gets a bit harder. I don't give you different options.

OK.

Whose name appears before Amazing Spaces in the title of

a Channel 4 building and interior design programme?

Amazing Spaces. Let's see...

Jones' Amazing Spaces?

-I have no idea.

-Lisa, do you know?

I bet it's that bloke who does Grand Designs - Kevin something,

but I can't remember his other name.

George Clarke is the answer. George Clarke's Amazing Spaces.

OK, Lisa, this for the round.

Syed Masood, played by Marc Elliott, was a character in which soap opera?

Syed Masood?

Where is Judith when you need her?

It was EastEnders.

EastEnders is the right answer.

On Sudden Death, you've just sneaked it.

Well done, Lisa. Tom, sorry, I know you're a good quizzer,

but you've been beaten here by our Egghead

so she is in the final.

Please return to your teams.

Oh, dear. The Skelfers have lost another brain.

But they are not down and out yet, that's for sure.

The Eggheads have lost one brain,

and your next subject, Challengers, is Politics.

Who would like this?

-Me, I'll go.

-Fliss? Good.

In the booth with either Dave or Chris.

Come on, Dave.

Fliss from The Skelfers versus "Come on, Dave" from the Eggheads.

To ensure there is no conferring,

please go to the legendary Question Room.

Good luck, Fliss against Dave. Last round before the final.

-Would you like to go first or second?

-First, please.

And here we go with your first question.

Which UK party leader lost a vote of no confidence in 2016

with 80% of his MPs calling for him to leave his post?

It must be Jeremy Corbyn.

It is Jeremy Corbyn. Well done.

All right, Dave.

Theresa May is famous for wearing

flamboyant items of which type of clothing?

Shoes.

Shoes is right. OK, Fliss.

Which US Senator was Hillary Clinton's chief opponent in her bid

to become the Democratic Party's presidential candidate in 2016?

I think it's Bernie Sanders.

It is indeed Bernie Sanders. Well done.

Dave, your question.

In 2013, Mamnoon Hussain became the president of which country?

Mamnoon Hussain.

I think it is Pakistan but I'm...

Yeah, Pakistan.

Pakistan is correct.

So, equal, sprinting along here.

-This would be handy for you, Fliss.

-Make it easy, please, Jeremy.

I'm going to do my best for you.

Who came third in the first ballot to decide the new Prime Minister

in July 2016?

Michael Gove.

-No hanging about.

-Well, Theresa May won.

Andrea Leadsom was going to be second.

I'm sure it was Michael Gove that was the next one.

-You're absolutely right.

-Yeah!

Stephen Crabb was further down the list. Well done.

OK, Dave, to stay in...

Which of these is a nickname of the US President Ronald Reagan?

Not particularly happy about this.

It's not the Peanut Farmer - that's Jimmy Carter.

Now, why would he be called the Great Engineer?

I've just got to think about this,

because there was a film where it was Win One For The Gipper,

which he was in, so the logic says go with The Gipper.

I'm just trying to rule out why he would be called the Great Engineer,

and trying to think if there was another president who was nicknamed

the Great Engineer.

What I will say is The Gipper.

The Gipper, of course, is Ronald Reagan. And he...

In fact, I think in the '88 election, when he was campaigning

for his successor, George Bush Sr, he went and did a big speech and

said, "Win one for The Gipper," so he actually quoted it.

After three questions, you're level.

Well done, Fliss, you're playing well. Unfortunately, so is he.

And you've got to win this round to even it up.

So we go to Sudden Death. Gets a bit harder.

I'm not going to give you alternative options.

What word is now commonly used in the media to describe a coach that

transports UK politicians and their team during an election?

I'll be honest - I have no idea, but some kind of bus.

-Election bus?

-You're so close!

It's battle bus.

-Oh!

-Of course, of course.

-Sorry.

-No, don't apologise. I totally understand.

OK, Dave, for the round.

What is the name of the National Park that encompasses

the White House and its grounds?

Not really thought about it, but I've heard the words,

or couple of words... Not giving an answer yet but I'm thinking it's

something like the Presidential Garden,

but I'm not giving that as my answer.

It's something like that.

Presidential Garden.

-Do you know this, Fliss?

-No.

President's Park.

Not heard that phrase at all.

Do you know what? I must admit, Dave, I haven't either.

OK, Fliss,

which federal area of Australia

became a self-governing entity in 1978?

Victoria?

No, the Northern Territory.

-Ah.

-Dave, for the round.

Baroness Warsi, Grant Shapps, and from 2015 Robert Halfon,

have all held which ministerial post?

-Oh, right, ministerial?

-Yes.

I didn't think he was in the Cabinet.

I think it was just party chairman.

It's not a ministerial post, that.

That is just the chairman of the party.

It can't be a post there. I will go...

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

I can see your... This is an absolute stinker of a question.

I see your logic. So, yeah,

you're right that they held a position in the Conservative Party,

probably vice-chairman or whatever,

but you're right that that is not a ministerial post.

The way they get them into the Cabinet then is they give them a job

of Minister Without Portfolio.

-Fair enough.

-So that was the ministerial post.

Kind of a non-post.

That is a horrible question.

Fliss, in 1842, which British Prime Minister reintroduced income tax?

Chamberlain.

-It's Robert Peel.

-Ah.

Dave, for the round.

Which Tory MP was expelled from the House of Commons in 1954

after being convicted of forgery?

I don't know.

Forgery? No, I don't know.

I haven't got... I wouldn't begin to guess.

No, no, not a clue.

-You're passing?

-Yes.

-Challengers, Eggheads?

The answer I've got is Peter Baker.

Big story at the time!

OK, you're still in it but we need a correct answer, Fliss,

to put the pressure on. The Iran-Contra affair,

in which America's National Security Council channelled funds to the

Nicaraguan Contra rebels

from profits gained by selling arms to Iran,

took place in which decade of the 20th century?

1960s.

No, no, it was under the Reagan administration - it was the '80s.

-Oh, right - sorry.

-That's OK.

Dave, for the round. What colour is used to denote periods in the

EU parliamentary calendar when political groups get together

to discuss their position on forthcoming debates?

Forthcoming debates...

Blue.

The correct answer is blue.

-Well done, Dave.

-Well done, Dave.

Oh, Fliss, sorry - you played well.

You played well, but this Sudden Death is hard, and tested you both.

Dave will be in the final. Fliss has been knocked out.

If you come back to us, we will play that final round.

So this is what we have been playing towards.

It is time for our final round - as always, General Knowledge.

I'm afraid those of you who lost your head-to-heads won't be allowed

to take part in this round. Fliss, Steve and Tom from The Skelfers,

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

Jeff and Alistair, you are playing to win The Skelfers £8,000.

Chris, Lisa, Dave and Pat,

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

the Eggheads' reputation,

and to really continue this impressive roll.

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

This time, they're all General Knowledge.

You may confer, gentlemen. So, Skelfers, the question is

can your two brains defeat these four in a famous victory?

Would you like to go first or second?

-First, are we?

-Yeah, go first.

-Yeah. First, yeah.

OK, Jeff, Alistair, here we go.

Which type of dog takes its name from the German for monkey terrier?

Monkey terrier... I don't know.

It doesn't feel like Doberman.

No, I wouldn't have said Doberman.

Monkey... How's your German?

It's not schnauz, is it, cos it's...

Monkey. Terrier.

I think... I think affen...

That's where I was going at the start.

I was that's where I was going at the start,

so let's take out Doberman.

Schnauzer, monkey, terrier...

Just in terms of the first part of the word, yes.

I quite fancy... I'm happy to go with that.

Yeah. I don't think it's the other two.

-Yeah?

-I'm happy. I'm happy, Jeff.

OK, Jeremy, we're going to go for Affenpinscher.

Affenpinscher's right.

The "affen" bit, I guess ape - that's the clue.

So, well done, you got your first one right.

Over to you, Eggheads.

A trencherman is someone who particularly likes what?

-Eating.

-Eating.

-Eating, yeah.

We are unanimous on this, Jeremy.

It's eating.

Eating? That's right.

Are you a trencherman, Chris?

Up to a point. I'm a trencherman without being a glutton.

Yeah, absolutely.

OK, over to you, Challengers.

Which member of the Rolling Stones celebrated his 69th birthday

in the same week as he became father to twins in 2016?

Well, we know...

We know which one we think...

Certainly not Keith Richards.

Mick's... Mick's known to have fathered a few,

but we are going to say Ronnie Wood.

Mick certainly had some family news around this time,

but you're right to rule him out.

Ronnie Wood...is the answer.

OK, your question, Eggs.

In 2016, the son of which boxer

became British Middleweight Champion?

-Eubank.

-Eubank.

-Chris Eubank.

Chris Eubank Jr, definitely.

That's Chris Eubank, Jeremy.

Chris Eubank is quite right.

OK, third question.

Get this right, if they get theirs wrong, you're away with the money.

In Greek mythology, what type of creature was Prometheus?

-What's coming through?

-Prometheus...

I don't think it's Cyclops.

I'm just trying to...relate to what I've heard.

Centaur is the one that's coming through.

But... Cyclops, one eye.

-Do you want to go with centaur?

-I'm...

That's my gut feel, yes.

I'm going to have to go on that.

-What do you think?

-I don't really know, but, yeah,

that's something that I feel we should go for.

Erm...

We're going to go for centaur.

Centaur is your answer? OK. I feel your uncertainty.

I wanted to help, but I'm not allowed to.

It's a big quizzing thing this, so, quizzers...?

-He's a Titan.

-Titan is the answer.

All right. You're not out of it yet.

They've still got to get this one right.

There are four of them. Sometimes, where there are four, things happen.

Things go wrong. Here's your question, Eggs.

Who wrote Cliff Richard's famous hit single Living Doll?

Lionel Bart? I'm fairly certain.

Let's just go through it. It's not Bacharach.

Not Anthony Newley.

I'm fairly certain it's Lionel Bart.

-Pat, have you heard of this?

-Rings a bell.

-Yeah. I'm fairly certain it is.

-Timing is certainly right, yeah.

We think, 98% sure,

it's Lionel Bart, Jeremy.

Eggheads, the answer is Lionel Bart. We say congratulations.

You have won.

Well played. Well played.

Commiserations, Skelfers, you have caught them

in a particularly strong phase at the moment, actually.

They're playing with a little bit of a swagger,

a roll of the shoulders here, aren't you, Eggs?

Yeah, that! Do that again.

Do the Pat shoulder roll.

-That's it.

-Pat shoulder roll!

-That sums it up.

The shoulder roll is coming a bit too naturally to the Eggheads

at the moment. Their winning streak continues,

so it means you won't be going home with the £8,000.

We take that money and why don't we roll it over to the next show?

Eggheads, well done. I'm honestly starting to wonder if you will ever

lose. Can I possibly have jinxed it? Join us next time

to see if a new team of Challengers can swipe the money.

£9,000 will be on the table for them. Till then, goodbye.