Episode 72 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.

Here they are, the Eggheads!

Taking on our awesome quiz champions are Throws Before Bros.

Now, this team all play for the University of Oxford netball club.

-Let's meet them.

-Hi, I'm Catherine.

I'm a philosophy, politics and economics student.

Hi, I'm Hannah, and I'm studying medicine.

Hi, I'm Charlotte, and I'm a PhD student.

Hi, I'm Frankie, and I'm a languages student.

Hi, I'm Hebe, and I'm an English student.

So, Catherine, team, hello, welcome.

-Hi.

-Good to see you.

And netball is the centre of your lives?

Yeah, so we train four times a week altogether,

and we have weekly matches as well.

And I saw a story that you got up...

You were so certain you had to get to the court at two in the morning.

Oh, yeah, in my first year I was so enthusiastic

that I misread my clock,

got to training at 2am

and only realised when I looked at my phone that it was actually 6am,

and the sports hall was locked, so...

So you were four hours early?

-Yeah.

-You went straight back to bed?

-Yeah.

And, just to check, Throws Before Bros

means that you would rather play netball than...

Like, hang out with our friends.

So our friends always make fun of us cos we seem to spend our entire

lives at netball, and prioritise it over anything else.

Netball the centre of your lives,

and you've got the subject ranges covered here.

You've got science, you've got a bit of books...

Yeah, we've got a lot of science and a mixture of humanities as well.

Good, excellent. And Oxford University too, so...

OK, game on. Good luck.

Every day there is £1,000 of cash up for grabs for our Challengers.

If they fail to defeat the Eggheads,

the prize money rolls over to the next show.

Now, Throws Before Bros,

the Eggheads have played really well in the last few games,

so we now have £10,000 to play for.

When the jackpot goes above 10, Barry does jazz hands. Barry?

He's actually been practising that!

What do you think, would he be a good netball player?

-I'm not sure!

-It looks like he's got a good defence, sort of!

I don't know what that is, but anyway...

It means that they're on a roll and you've got to stop them.

-Would you like to try?

-Yes.

Excellent. The first head-to-head battle

will be on the subject of Geography,

and you can choose between Beth, Chris, Pat, Steve and Barry.

What's your favourite?

Me, Frankie and Charl are quite good at geography.

-It's true.

-But...

-Frankie's really good at food,

-so we want to keep her if they come up with food.

-Oh, that's true.

But we've got another scientist.

This is very stressful.

Because if it goes Science, Geography...

Charl, you're international, you've got this.

-OK. Sure.

-So Charlotte is from New Zealand, right?

Yes, yes, I am.

We had an Auckland question the other day.

-Did you?

-So not out of the question.

Embarrassingly, I probably wouldn't have known the answer!

We'll see how we go.

So, Charlotte, who would you like to take on?

You can have any of them.

I'm going to go with Barry, because I love the shirt, it's great.

-Oh, thank you.

-We'll go with Barry for the shirt.

He'll be pleased, he loves to play.

So, Charlotte from Throws Before Bros

plays Barry from the Eggheads with the jazz hands.

Please go to our Question Room, now.

So Charlotte, Auckland, New Zealand?

Yes, yeah, that's where I'm from.

And you came to the UK for study?

Yeah, I came to do my Masters and then I just did not leave.

So you're on a PhD now?

-Yes, yeah, I'm doing my PhD.

-And do you want to stay...?

I'm not hinting, but do you want to stay in the UK forever?

No, if Mama's watching this, I promise I will come home.

-JEREMY LAUGHS

-After the PhD.

All right, I think your mum probably definitely will be watching.

OK, good luck here.

It's quite good you've got the other side of the world covered

cos it ends up as quite a blank for some people.

So, Charlotte, would you like to go first or second against Barry,

known as The Brain?

Oh, my gosh, he's known as...? OK, good. I'll go first, please.

OK. Here is your question.

Brunei is a country in which continent?

Brunei is B-R-U-N-E-I, as you know.

Yes, yes, I should know the answer to this,

because the girl that sits directly opposite me

in my lab is from Brunei.

Not in Europe. I was doing countries of Asia,

I was looking at countries... I think it's Asia.

I'm going to go with Asia, and if I'm wrong,

that's going to be embarrassing for me, but...

Don't worry, Barry can tell you. Barry?

It's definitely in Asia.

It's in Asia, well done. First point to you, first point to your team.

Excellent. OK, Barry.

Which historical peninsula lies between the

Black Sea and the Sea of Azov?

Barry, is this...?

Well, it's a peninsula that's been much in the news,

as Russia invaded it and took it over from the Ukraine.

And it's the Crimean.

Crimean is quite right.

The Sea of Azov, though, I haven't heard much talk of.

Yes, it is separated from the Black Sea by the Straits of Kerch.

OK. This is why we call him The Brain, Charlotte!

Mmm, good!

But don't worry, you can take him down.

Here's your question.

What is the name of the Victorian model village

in Shipley near Bradford,

which was designated a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2001?

Well, I've got to say that anything to do with the UK is not a strength.

Bournville I just look at and I think cocoa.

I think that's a thing here too,

not sure if that would classify as a World Heritage Site.

All right, this is going to have to be a bit of a stab in the dark,

because I feel like...Bournville,

I've already got Bournville associated with something else.

I'm going to go dead down the middle, and go Saltaire.

-OK.

-And you're laughing, so it's probably Bournville!

Barry's very polite, he only laughs when you've got it right.

Saltaire is the right answer.

-Rea-? Ah!

-So, Barry, I know you'll be good on this, Barry,

-because you live nearby.

-I do indeed.

She was absolutely right about Bournville, it's chocolate,

-and it's another place.

-It is, and it's near Birmingham.

But Saltaire is the most beautiful model village.

It was founded by Sir Titus Salt, a textile entrepreneur.

And he built this model village,

and all the streets are named after his children,

and it's a wonderful place to visit, truly.

OK, I'm thinking, Charlotte,

Barry will give you a tour of Saltaire one day, if you ask him.

That sounds great, looking forward to it.

-You live nearby, don't you, Barry? I mean, not far.

-I do.

I only live about eight miles away.

It's not a tiny place, it's a proper village.

No, it's quite a substantial place.

It's got churches and recreation halls and a lake and restaurants.

Everything's there.

It was one of the first model villages by the Victorian

entrepreneurs who wanted to look after their workers

and give them a better standard of living.

Yeah, I should say model village, you think of tiny matchbox houses,

like Bekonscot. But it's not that, it is a proper thing.

-No, it's the real thing.

-OK, Barry, your question.

The Great Bear Rainforest was officially recognised

in which country in 2016?

Well, the only thing I've got to go on is that there is a huge lake in

Canada called Great Bear Lake.

So I'm hoping that Great Bear Lake is by the Great Bear Rainforest,

and on that basis I'll go for Canada.

Yes, you've got it right, well done.

Canada it is. Charlotte, back to you.

Playing well. Here's your question.

Which American city claims to be the home of the world's first boardwalk,

which was built in the 19th century in an attempt to stop tourists

spreading sand in hotels?

Oh, OK.

I've been to the States, I've only been to LA.

But I'm thinking about something that you think about

as being a classic sort of resorty, beachy town.

And for me, Atlantic City isn't really doing that.

I'm going to go with Miami because my gut says Miami.

OK, your gut says Miami.

Let's just see whether your Challengers know.

There was a TV series called Boardwalk Empire.

-Where is that based?

-Yeah, I think we were thinking Atlantic City.

Yeah, Atlantic City it is, Charlotte.

-Oh, no!

-OK, your question, you can take the round with this, Barry.

How long is the walking trail known as the Cleveland Way,

which runs through the North York Moors?

Oh, goodness, this is a local question that I'm struggling with!

It's got to be longer than 11 miles.

The Cleveland Way?

The North York Moors can't be 109 miles, I will go for 29 miles.

You've got it wrong!

BARRY LAUGHS

Oh, dear, am I going to get some opprobrium and stick for this?

Yeah, you will. How far away from that...?

All these questions have been around the corner from you!

They have, and I've got one wrong!

109 miles.

OK, Charlotte, you're still in it, that's good.

-Oh, gosh.

-We go to Sudden Death, so it gets a bit harder.

-OK.

-I don't give you alternative answers, OK?

-Right.

-So here's your question.

Which major Japanese city and port, about 20 miles south-west of Tokyo,

is the capital of Kanagawa Prefecture?

Erm, OK, Japanese... Japanese cities.

I know a couple, I can't say I'm great with where they actually are.

Erm, what have we got?

Is it Ogasawara, and Kyoto, are the kind of...

apart from Tokyo, are the couple that I'm going with.

And so I'm going to go with Kyoto, because it is the

only real city that I know, apart from Tokyo.

We'll go with Kyoto.

-Yokohama is the answer.

-Oh.

Barry, for the round.

Park City, the home of the Sundance Film Festival, is in which US state?

Now, this is one of the American Midwest states

that have the Sundance Festival.

And I'm not sure whether it's Utah or Arizona.

Sundance...

I'll go for Utah.

Let's see, Eggheads, is he right?

-Yes.

-Yes, Utah is the right answer, Barry, well done on Sudden Death,

you've taken it. Charlotte, well fought.

You almost fought him to a standstill there

and you've been knocked out, sadly.

Barry will be in the final round, but it's early days.

Please return to your teams.

All right. As it stands,

Throws Before Bros have lost a brain from the final round,

they lost Charlotte.

The Eggheads have still got all five.

So let's try and change that, now. Sport is the subject.

I can't guarantee netball, but we've got Sport. Who wants this?

Sport...

-You're really good at football, aren't you?

-She's good at Sport,

but do we want to keep her for something else?

-What else am I good at?

-Two have gone already, we're only going to get two more.

I think we should hedge our bets and take Cat for Sport.

I think that's probably a good call.

Because if History comes up, I can cover History,

-and Frankie can cover the rest.

-And Hannah's got all the science.

Also, you don't want me in the General Knowledge round alone.

I think Cat.

Yeah, we're going to go for me.

OK, Catherine, and which Egghead do you want?

It can't be Barry.

I would go either Chris or Beth, but...

OK, I'm going to go for Chris.

OK. You've done a lot of Sport recently, Chris.

I have won a lot of Sport recently!

-ALL:

-Oh, no!

He may be bluffing!

So Catherine from Throws Before Bros

plays Chris on Sport from the Eggheads.

Please, if you can, go to our Question Room, now.

So, are you ready for this, Catherine, Sport against Chris?

I suppose so.

I feel like I might have made a bad choice, by everyone's reaction!

No, I mean, you have your on days and your off days, Chris, don't you?

Yes, this from a man who once thought Mo Farah

was a woman called Maureen!

I do remember that, actually!

So, Catherine, apart from netball what are your favourite sports?

Football, probably. I played a lot of football when I was younger,

and I watch a lot of football with my brother and my dad.

All right, good stuff.

So, on Sport, would you like to go first or second?

I'll go second, please.

So, Chris has the first sporting question.

Chris, and here it is.

In which sport would you be most likely to participate

in a nearest-the-pin competition?

Well, that's the stick that the flag's on in the hole, so it's golf.

Golf is right.

Catherine, your question.

In 2015, which bowler became England's all-time

leading wicket taker in Test cricket?

Erm, my cricket isn't great.

Erm, a lot of the men on my mum's side of the family like cricket.

I believe Ben Stokes is a batsman, or a batsman specialist, anyway,

I don't know how you say it.

Erm, so I think I'm going to choose between

Steve Finn and James Anderson.

I think I'm going to go for Steve Finn.

I'm afraid that's wrong, it's James Anderson.

Sorry.

Chris, which long-distance runner

was the winner of the 1974 BBC Sports Personality of the Year?

Chris, was this...?

Well, Roger Bannister was back in the '50s, wasn't he?

He cooperated with Chris Chataway.

I don't think it was David Moorcroft,

but that was about the time when Brendan Foster was at the peak of

his popularity, with the Great North Run and what have you.

So I'll say Brendan Foster.

Brendan Foster is the right answer.

So you've got two. Because you went first, there's a bit of pressure on,

now, Catherine. You've got to get this one right to stay in.

Who scored the greatest number of Premier League goals, 25 in all,

in the 2015-16 season?

Erm, so I think I do know this one.

I believe Daniel Sturridge was injured for the majority

of that season, and I don't think it was Sergio Aguero.

I'm fairly certain that it's Harry Kane.

Yeah, well done, bang on, Harry Kane, it's right.

Great season for him. OK, Chris.

You can take the round with this.

Which tennis player won the women's singles tournament

at the 2016 US Open?

US Open.

Flushing Meadows.

Karolina Pliskova.

Does that come from a place of knowledge, or a place of guesswork?

That comes from a place of complete and utter guesswork, Jeremy.

I sensed that! Let's see if our Eggheads know. Is he right?

-We think it's Kerber.

-Kerber, they all say Kerber.

It is Angelique Kerber, Chris.

That's handy for our Challenger,

but you still need to get this right

to force it to Sudden Death, Catherine.

The American sportswoman Hope Solo has represented her country

in which sport?

Again, I think I do know this one.

Mostly because I don't know any basketball or volleyball players.

I'm pretty sure Hope Solo is a football player.

Yes, you're right. She is football.

Go, Cat!

That's good, that's very good, actually.

So, two each, after three questions.

And, once again, we go to Sudden Death.

And you'll know, Catherine, that it gets a tiny bit harder,

because I don't give you alternatives.

So, you're up against Chris, we go to him first.

Garry Schofield and Andy Gregory represented Great Britain

in which sport, Chris, in the 1980s and '90s?

Sailing.

No, rugby league.

OK, a chance for you, Catherine.

-Get this right, you're in the final round.

-OK.

Egypt's Mohamed El Shorbagy

has been men's world number one in which racket sport?

I suppose I'm just going to have to go for a racket sport.

It's definitely not tennis.

Erm, I suppose other racket sports, squash, badminton...

I'll go for one of those two.

I think I'm going to go for squash.

Squash is your answer and if you've got this right,

you're in the final round.

Let's see, ladies, do you know?

I think Egypt's good at squash.

I would have gone squash.

They all like the answer, but is it right?

-Eggheads?

-It certainly is.

Squash is the right answer, well done!

You're in the final round. Chris, you've been knocked out on Sports!

There we are, Chris had some valiant words at the start,

but it came to nothing.

He's been knocked out. Catherine's in the final. Please return to us,

and we'll see what happens next.

Well, this is getting lively.

As it stands, Throws Before Bros have lost a brain from the final,

but the Eggheads have now also lost a brain.

And that's good work, because in a lot of recent games,

they've lost no brains at all.

The next subject is Arts & Books.

-Who wants this?

-Me.

-I think it's going to be Hebe.

OK. Hebe, our English student, against which Egghead?

Anyone but Barry or Chris.

Do you know who you want?

Yes, but Pat's very good at everything,

so maybe if you can knock him out, that would be good, yeah?

Shall we go for Pat?

-I back you, yeah.

-You back me?

We'll go for Pat.

I see what you're doing there.

OK, Hebe from Throws Before Bros

is going to try and throw Pat out the contest.

Let's see, bounce and, like that, and straight out.

So, would you take your positions, please, in the Question Room?

Good luck, Hebe. Let's see if we can keep the momentum going on the

Challengers' side.

Would you like to go first or second on Arts & Books?

I'd like to go second.

OK, so we start with Pat.

Pat, in poetry, a couplet is made up of how many lines?

I think it's just two lines.

It is just two.

OK, your question, Hebe.

Which of these artists was born first?

I'm going to go with Caravaggio.

Yes, Caravaggio is the right answer, well done.

Here's your question, Pat.

The 1991 work The Beauty Myth

was the first book by which feminist author?

Well, they're all distinguished feminist writers,

but I think I've heard of this.

I think she's Canadian, I'm not certain.

But it's Naomi Wolf, I think.

It is Naomi Wolf.

OK, Hebe, your question.

The caddish character Rupert Campbell-Black

features in a series of novels by which author?

I've heard of Rupert Campbell-Black, but I can't remember where.

So I'd assume that I'd heard of the author.

I have heard of both Jilly Cooper and Jackie Collins,

but I don't think it's Jilly Cooper, so I'm going to say Jackie Collins.

Let me see, I think your team-mates know this. Do you know?

Yeah, I think it is Jilly Cooper.

And have we got some Jilly Cooper readers here, have we, or...?

My cousin, I think, was reading Jilly Cooper on holiday.

Yeah, Jilly Cooper is the answer, Hebe.

-Sorry, guys.

-Not to worry.

But, Pat, because he went first, can take the round with this question.

Which American playwright won a Pulitzer Prize for his play Fences,

which was made into a 2016 film directed by Denzel Washington?

I think Tony Kushner is best known for Angels In America.

Harvey Fierstein has the Torch Song Trilogy.

This play, Fences, strikes a chord with August Wilson.

So of the three, I think I'll go for August Wilson.

August Wilson is correct, you've got three out of three.

Sorry, Hebe, you've been knocked out there.

-No worries.

-Brave to take him on, he is very good.

Come back to us, both of you,

and we'll play the last round before the final.

OK, a bit of a setback here,

but just to say, we had, a few weeks ago,

the Oxford University lacrosse team in.

I don't know if you know any of them?

I think we do know a couple of them, yeah.

You're already doing better than they did.

-Oh, perfect.

-That's what we want!

No disrespect, lacrossers, if you're watching!

As it stands, Throws Before Bros have lost two brains,

but the Eggheads have lost a brain as well.

And you can level it up now before the final, with the last subject,

which is Music.

So, Frankie or Hannah?

-Oh, no!

-I think you're going to be better than me.

I know absolutely nothing about music, I do not listen to music.

-Oh, Frankie!

-Oh, my goodness!

It might not be popular, it might be...

-It might be old.

-It can be anything.

It could be opera, it could be rap, it could be anything.

-OK.

-I think I ought to...

-I reckon Frankie should go.

-I think Frankie should do it.

-OK.

-Frankie, I know that's going to be tough.

-You got it.

Just before you go, you can choose either Steve or Beth to take on.

I don't think it... They're all good, so I don't think it matters.

OK, I will go with Steve.

All right. It's high stakes, this.

Frankie from Throws Before Bros versus Steve from the Eggheads.

To ensure there is no conferring, please, for the last time,

go to the Question Room.

Frankie, I'm just wondering if your claim to have never listened to any

music at all might be a very clever double bluff?

Erm, I would hope it is because otherwise I'm in a bit of trouble.

You don't have any,

you're somebody who just doesn't really have a music thing?

Yeah, not really, it's not one of my interests.

But I'll give it a shot.

OK, so, Frankie, we range through the world of music here,

from rap in the present day to, I don't know,

stuff they were banging in the 11th century.

Would you like to go first or second?

Yeah, I'll bite the bullet, I'll go first.

OK, good luck. A language student, Frankie, on music.

And here we go. Last round before the final.

Frankie, which song, recorded by The Four Tops,

starts with the line "Now if you feel that you can't go on"?

Right.

I'm going to go for the name I like the best,

which is River Deep Mountain High.

Mmm, no, it's not right.

I suppose the only way of guessing, if you haven't heard it,

-is that it's a kind of, "If you feel that you can't go on..."

-Oh, yeah.

Reach Out I'll Be There.

It's that sort of sentiment of "I'm there to help".

-Reach Out I'll Be There is the right answer, Frankie.

-OK.

So, Steve.

The singer Jamala won the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest,

representing which country?

Yeah, I didn't watch it, but I know there was a bit of fuss

about it at the time, a bit of a political statement.

It's Ukraine.

Ukraine is the right answer, Jamala was Ukraine.

Frankie, back to you.

The operatic soprano singer Jessye Norman was born

in which country?

Right, again, I know nothing about opera.

But Jessye Norman sounds like she could either be from the USA or

Australia. However, because I think that, maybe she was born in Belgium.

So...

I will go

with Belgium.

Oh, OK.

I thought you were going to go straight to the obvious one.

Really?

-USA.

-I'm sorry, it's USA.

Oh, right. I'm trying anything out, here.

No, but I could see the logic there of swerving.

So, Frankie, it's a difficult situation.

You're behind, and if Steve gets this right, he's in the final round.

Steve, your question.

Released in 2016,

This Town is the first solo single by which member of One Direction?

Right. I do know this, I'm not ashamed to admit it either,

because I think it's quite a good song.

It's Niall Horan.

Niall Horan is the right answer.

Frankie, I know this was not your subject, to say the least.

So, bravely going in to bat there for the Challengers.

Frankie, you've been knocked out, Steve, you're in the final.

If you come back to us and rejoin your teams,

we will play the final round for £10,000.

So, this is what we have been playing towards.

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

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

are not allowed to take part in this round.

So, that is Charlotte, Frankie and Hebe from Throws Before Bros,

but also Chris from the Eggheads.

Would you please now leave the studio?

Catherine and Hannah, you're playing to win Throws Before Bros £10,000.

Barry, Steve, Pat and Beth,

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

which is the Eggheads' reputation, and to see Barry's jazz hands again.

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

This time, they're all General Knowledge,

and you may confer with each other.

So, Catherine and Hannah, the question is, can you,

with your two brilliant brains, defeat these four over here?

-Yeah, I think so.

-Yeah, we can.

Good stuff. And your team sitting behind you, cheering you on,

or egging you on, I should say.

Would you like to go first or second?

I think we're going to employ Cat's winning technique of going second.

Yeah, it worked for Cat in her round,

let's see what it does in the final.

So your first question, Eggheads.

A seminary is a training establishment

for someone who may be interested in following a career in which area?

-Religion.

-For priests, no?

It's where priests go and study.

We think that's where priests go and study religion.

Religion is right, Beth, well done.

So, back to you, Challengers.

In October 2016,

Antonio Guterres was ratified

as the ninth Secretary-General of which organisation?

United Nations is the only one

-I think I've heard of the title of Secretary-General.

-Yes, same.

I think we should go for that.

I think we'll go for United Nations.

United Nations is correct.

They like that back there.

Eggheads, which English radio DJ wrote a book about his experiences

as a music journalist entitled Cider With Roadies?

-Sounds very Stuart Maconie, that.

-I would have thought so.

I think it's Stuart Maconie.

He's done a succession of books,

hasn't he, with slightly punny titles?

Yeah. We believe that's Stuart Maconie.

Stuart Maconie is the right answer.

So, your second question, Challengers.

Which king fought alongside his victorious army

at the Battle of Lostwithiel?

So, I don't really have any reason for thinking it,

I just don't think it was Charles or Richard.

But I don't really have a reason for it.

If you've got a gut instinct, I say go for it.

Was George too late?

-George IV was, like, modern.

-OK.

Yeah, let's go for George.

Bit of a stab in the dark, but we'll go for George I.

George I, well, it was part of the first English Civil War, 1644.

Charles.

Can you help us here, Eggs?

-16...

-It must be Charles I.

Charles I is the right answer.

-Sorry.

-Don't worry.

Eggheads, your third question.

Because you went first, you can take the contest with this.

In 2016, a planned new polar research vessel

was named after which figure,

despite an online petition to name it Boaty McBoatface?

I think it was David Attenborough.

I love David Attenborough.

Erm, we think that's David Attenborough.

David Attenborough is your answer.

If you've got this right the contest is over.

-Are they right?

-I mean, I think so.

-That's what we would have guessed, I think.

-Yeah.

The correct answer is David Attenborough.

We have to say congratulations, Eggheads, you have won!

Those history questions...

-Yeah.

-I hope you've enjoyed it, Throws.

-Yeah, it's been great.

-Definitely.

And you can say that the lacrosse team didn't do as well!

That's a crucial thing. Commiserations, Challengers.

The Eggheads have done what comes naturally to them.

Their winning streak continues.

I'm afraid it means you won't be going home with the £10,000,

so the money rolls over to our next show.

Eggheads, congratulations.

Who will beat you?

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

have the brains to defeat the Eggheads.

It's going to be an £11,000 jackpot,

so we may even see Barry's jazz hands.

Till then, goodbye.