Episode 15 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.

Challenging our resident quiz champions today

are the Rubber Ducks. Now, this team of school friends

have known each other for nearly 20 years

and regularly quiz together in various pubs in south London.

-Let's meet them.

-Hi, I'm Ali.

I'm a development researcher.

Hello, I'm Jack, I'm a museum staffing manager.

Hi, I'm Henry, I'm a civil servant.

Hi, I'm Constantine and I'm a ship broker.

Hello, I'm Jack and I'm a book-seller.

So, Ali and team, hello. ALL: Hello.

Thank you so much for coming from London to Glasgow,

I hope you had a good trip.

It was really great. We're happy to be here, Jeremy.

-And how do you all know each other?

-A few of us lived together

and the rest of us went to school together

and we stayed in touch, we're from the same part of town.

-And you're living in Brixton?

-South London,

so everyone's in and out of each other's houses all the time,

-it's a nice little community we've got going.

-Good.

-Do you quiz together already?

-We quiz, so in the build-up to this

we've been doing quite a lot, in the pubs pretty much every night.

-Team name the Rubber Ducks?

-That's right.

-Tell us why.

Well, life can be stressful when you're working.

We all like a bath to unwind,

and the mascot of the bath is of course the rubber duck.

It's a great team name, I'm sure it's a great team.

The Eggheads are looking a little bit bashed around.

They lost the last game, I can tell you.

So, as you will know, every day there is £1,000 worth of cash

up for grabs for our Challengers.

If the Challengers don't win, we roll the money over,

if they do, they take all the aggregated money

and it means, Rubber Ducks, there is £1,000 to play for today.

So, would you like to crack on?

-Absolutely.

-Let's go.

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

You can choose between Beth, Chris, Pat, Dave and Lisa.

So...are you taking Geography?

Yeah. We think that it would either be Beth...

-Beth or Dave?

-..Or Dave.

What do you think?

I'll take on Beth.

Constantine from the Rubber Ducks against Beth on Geography.

Please go to our legendary Question Room.

Well, I thought, Constantine, we might have you doing History

cos I know about your degree.

Yeah, I took ancient history but I feel quite comfortable on Geography

as well. We have some really good history buffs on the team.

You're up against Beth on Geography.

-Would you like to go first or second?

-I'll go first, please.

Here we go. Which of these capital cities is furthest from London?

Well, Madrid obviously is in Europe, Cairo, Egypt.

It's got to be Kathmandu, I think, in Nepal.

Kathmandu is quite right, well done.

Beth, onto you. Hammerfest,

which claims to be the northernmost town in the world,

is in which European country?

I think I remember the Hairy Bikers visiting this on one of their trips

and it's in Norway.

Well done, Beth. It's Norway.

Back to you, Constantine.

Which of these countries is bisected by the Tropic of Capricorn?

Ecuador is, I think, bisected by the equator.

I'm not actually sure but Chile is just so long

that I think I'm going to go with Chile.

Yeah, that's very good logic, actually.

-Chile is right. It's very long and thin, isn't it?

-Yeah.

Beth, the country of Malta lies approximately 60 miles to the south

of which Mediterranean island?

It's not Ibiza, because that's in the Balearics in Spain.

I'm pretty sure it's not Crete.

I've been to Crete.

So it's got to be Sicily.

Sicily is correct. You're both playing really well.

OK, third question could be crucial, Constantine. Here we go.

Which city in China was the eastern terminus of the trade route

known as the Silk Road?

I don't actually know, but when you said the names,

something sparked at Xi'an.

-So I'm going to go with Xi'an.

-Any Eggs know?

-I would have gone with the middle one.

-No, it's not.

They're not sure actually. But you played a blinder, Xi'an is right.

Well done. You seem to be the only person in the room

-who could've answered that!

-Well, I didn't know either, so...

OK, Beth, the pula is the official currency of which country?

I think this has popped up in my...research.

I am hoping...that it's...Botswana.

Well done. Good answer, Beth.

You've been looking at your currencies, have you?

Currencies aren't my strong point. But that one has popped up.

Well done, that's paid off.

So you're playing well, both of you. Three each, we go to Sudden Death.

Constantine, it gets a bit harder now.

I don't give you alternatives, OK?

-Yeah.

-Lake Ladoga is the largest lake by area on which continent?

It's going to have to be a guess again

and it's going to be South America.

It's Europe.

I am wondering if it might be Italy but I'm not sure.

-Near St Petersburg.

-Near St Petersburg?

Oh, it's Russia? OK. Good stuff.

OK, Beth, this for the round.

The flag of Texas features a vertical blue stripe

containing which symbol, from which the state takes its nickname?

It's a plain white star.

Yes, indeed. Just a star I could have accepted. Well done, Beth,

you're in the final round. Sorry, Constantine.

It's gone on Lake Ladoga, I'm afraid.

-Yeah.

-And Beth is in the final, you've been knocked out.

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

The Rubber Ducks have lost a brain from the final round,

the Eggheads have not lost any so far.

Beth is through to the final.

The next subject is Film & TV.

I reckon this is good for you.

That's you, right?

-Yeah, sure. Let's do it.

-They've chosen you?

-Who should we take on?

-It would be good to have Chris out,

-if you could do it.

-Yeah, OK.

-I'll take on Chris, please.

-All right.

So it's going to be Ali from the Rubber Ducks

versus Chris from the Eggheads.

To ensure there is no conferring, please take your positions.

Well, Ali, heavy metal is your thing?

That's right. Love it.

And you were actually in the Air Guitar World Championships?

That's right. Several years ago now,

I went as an observer and they needed a volunteer to go on stage

and I was quite well refreshed and feeling confident

and I just went to town and unfortunately didn't make it through

the first round but gave it a good try.

Chris, I can imagine you doing that, a bit of air guitar?

I used to, yeah.

-Used to.

-In private.

Film & TV. Ali, would you like to go first or second?

First, please, Jeremy.

Ali, here is your first question.

Which British monarch does Helen Mirren portray

in the 2006 film The Queen?

-Elizabeth II.

-Elizabeth II is quite right. Well done.

OK, Chris.

What type of animal was the long-standing Blue Peter pet George?

He had his name painted on his shell, didn't he?

He was actually Georgina, cos he turned out to be female.

-It's a tortoise.

-Tortoise is right. Well done.

Back to you, Ali.

On the television programme Countdown,

how many number cards are selected in each number round?

I can picture the board in my head.

It's kind of a geometric grid.

You get the big total and then you get a few numbers beside that.

Six sounds like a bit too few.

But eight sounds like too many, so...

I think I'm going to go with eight.

One large and five from anywhere else, please, Carol. It's six.

Six is the answer.

Terrible, disaster.

OK, Chris. Thoughts on this question, please.

The fictional law firm Cage & Fish,

was the main setting for which long-running US television series?

Ah. Well, Ally McBeal was set in a lawyer's office.

I don't think it was Cage & Fish.

The one that's been running the longest, I think, is Boston Legal.

-That would have to my answer. Boston Legal.

-Boston Legal.

-Ali, do you know this answer?

-I can't say.

-Ally McBeal, maybe?

-Chris, it's Ally McBeal.

-Is it?

-Yeah.

Oh, well.

-This is good, Ali.

-Yeah, it's good.

Which director made his feature film debut

with the 1953 movie Fear And Desire?

I'm just trying to place the dates

of the Kubrick films I know in my head.

I think I'm going to go with Stanley Kubrick.

Kubrick is the right answer. Well done.

-Yes.

-Well done.

-Good lad.

-Cheers.

-Good fight-back there.

Let's see if Chris can stay in.

Chris, this is to stay in the contest.

Which real-life character does Joseph Gordon Levitt

play in a 2016 film written and directed by Oliver Stone?

I would have to go with Edward Snowden.

Ali, you'll know this, for sure.

Yeah, it's Edward Snowden.

Edward Snowden is the right answer.

Equal after three questions. We go to Sudden Death.

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

Rose DeWitt Bukater is the central character in which 1997 film?

It sounds like quite the sort of period drama name.

In 1997, I remember my sister

was watching a lot of Pride And Prejudice,

so I'm going to go with Pride And Prejudice.

She's actually the one who hangs off the front of the Titanic.

-Oh!

-With Leonardo DiCaprio.

And then at the start she's the old lady, actually.

She's kind of central to Titanic.

That's a huge blow for me, Jeremy.

OK. Chris, you can take the round now.

Who plays the title character in the 1973 film adaptation

of Frederick Forsyth's book The Day Of The Jackal?

What's his name? Edward Fox.

The answer is Edward Fox.

Chris, well done. Sorry, Ali.

-That's a blow.

-What can you do?

-What can you do?

I think you just got steam-rolled, Ali.

Come back to us and we'll play on.

Chris, no shame in this, but I think

we might have got confused with our Blue Peter tortoises.

The one you're thinking of was Fred the tortoise.

-Fred, yeah.

-And they then had a look

and they said, "It's Freda, not Fred."

As it stands, the Rubber Ducks

have lost two brains from the final round.

The next subject for you is Politics.

-What do we think?

-Who wants this?

-Henry?

-Yeah, Henry is...

Henry, take it home.

-I'll do it.

-Henry, you're going to take it home.

All right, civil servant. Against which Egghead?

And you can have any of the three on the left.

All big brains.

Let's go for Dave.

Tremendous knowledge.

Henry from the Rubber Ducks versus Tremendous Knowledge Dave.

To ensure there's no conferring,

please go to our famous Question Room.

Henry, good luck in this against Tremendous Knowledge Dave.

-Would you like to go first or second?

-I will go second, please.

Change of strategy from our Challengers.

Just trying to unpick the lock here.

Dave, in 2016, the MP Sarah Olney

ousted Zac Goldsmith from his Richmond Park constituency,

winning the seat for which political party?

I think she was a Liberal Democrat.

Liberal Democrat is right.

And, Henry, your question.

In August 2016, which English political leader was embroiled

in the so-called Traingate dispute, in which he claimed he was forced

to sit on the floor of a ram-packed train?

Well, I remember the CCTV footage quite well and it was Jeremy Corbyn.

It was indeed. And it introduced us to the word ram-packed,

which I now use all the time.

Dave, who was Hilary Clinton's running mate

in the 2016 presidential election?

It's Tim Kaine.

Tim Kaine is right.

Henry, from 1990-97,

Mary Robinson was the first female president of which country?

So, I'm not 100% certain.

I think it's definitely not South Africa.

I'm going to guess for Ireland.

You've guessed absolutely right.

OK, Dave. To get three in a row, here we go.

In 1989, which backbench MP launched

the first unsuccessful leadership challenge against Margaret Thatcher?

Think Julian Critchley was a colourful MP for Aldershot,

if I'm not mistaken.

Michael Cartiss doesn't ring any bells.

I do remember Anthony Meyer being put forward as a stalking horse,

so that's my answer. Anthony Meyer.

Brilliant. That's another real obscure point in history.

But you're absolutely right, Dave.

It is Anthony Meyer.

All right, he's got three in a row.

So, Henry, you need this.

Which of these women was jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize

in 2011 for her work to improve woman's rights?

So I'm afraid it's a slight guess again.

So I've heard of Dilma Rouseff from Brazil,

Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner is Argentina.

I'm afraid I haven't heard of the other person.

I'm going to go for the answer on the right, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

-So you're going for the one you haven't heard of?

-Yes.

She's president of Liberia and she is the answer.

Very well done. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

You've got three out of three as well.

Henry, nice work from our civil servant.

It goes to Sudden Death.

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

Dave, what did the initials GLC

stand for in the name of the local government body

formed in the 1960s and abolished in 1986?

Greater London Council.

Quite right, Dave. Well done.

-So you're on the edge now, Henry.

-Yeah.

Until his death in 2016, the world's longest-reigning living monarch

was the king of which country?

It was Thailand.

Thailand is right. Well done.

You're still in it. Sudden Death. Dave, back to you.

Which prominent figure in politics was born in 1964

with a middle name LaVaughn and the surname Robinson?

Sounds American.

LaVaughn...Robinson.

Right, total guess...

Michelle Obama.

Michelle Obama is correct.

Henry. In 1994, who became the first woman

to be appointed acting leader of the Labour Party?

There's a few people swirling in my head.

I know Harriet Harman's done the job in the past.

So probably part of my question is whether she was prominent in 1994

to have done it then as well?

I am going to guess that she was not, and go for Margaret Beckett.

Margaret Beckett is correct. ALL: Yes!

And you were only about six years old in '94. Well done.

Dave, Sudden Death. Your question.

What is the largely formal final stage

a public bill must go through in Parliament

before the proposals in it become an act of Parliament?

I don't know. The wording of the question is just confusing me.

But all I can go off is Royal assent.

Royal assent is correct.

Henry, members of which a British political body have to swear an oath

or solemnly affirm to keep secret all matters treated of secretly in counsel?

So, the two things in my head are either the Cabinet or the Privy Council.

I'm going to go for the Privy Council, though.

Well done. Privy Council is correct.

You're really doing well.

Dave, "It's the economy, stupid,"

was written on a sign in the campaign headquarters of which

American presidential candidate, to keep everyone on-message?

Right, well...

..it's either Herbert Walker Bush or it's Bill Clinton,

I think. It's from that time.

So...

..I'm going to go Bill Clinton.

Bill Clinton is correct. In 1992.

Henry, to stay in,

what is the surname of the brothers Charles and Jonathan, who were

private secretary to Margaret Thatcher,

and chief of staff to Tony Blair, respectively?

It's a bit of a guess, but for some reason

the name Powell is coming to mind.

That's my guess. Powell.

Powell is right.

ALL EXCLAIM

Famously, one calls himself "Pole" and one calls himself Powell.

All right, Dave. Which independent body was created in 2000 to oversee

donations to and campaign-spending by UK political parties?

I can't think of what it would be called...

..I don't think... It's obviously something I've heard of but

not coming to mind at all.

Because the Electoral Commission was going for a long time before.

So it is just to have a look at funding.

No, I'm not getting anything, really.

Committee for Public Scrutiny.

No, you said the answer earlier.

-Electoral Commission.

-Oh, I didn't know it was...

Oh. I thought that had been around longer.

-Sorry.

-Henry, you can get your place in the final now, with this answer.

The Trades Union Congress was founded in which decade in the 19th century?

In the 19th century, so...

Well, I've heard of the TUC, obviously.

Decade in the 19th century,

it's going to be a complete and utter guess.

But I would be surprised if it was too early on and so I'm going to go

for the 18...

..90s.

The 1860s.

Dave, what was the name of the feminist magazine that pursued

issues concerned with the Women's Movement, which was published in

Britain between 1972 and 1993?

Only one that I've heard of, Spare Rib.

Spare Rib is right.

Henry, back to you, to stay in.

Which Soviet president signed the START 1 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty?

I do not know the answer.

Erm, so... There's two in my mind.

I'm going to go for...

Khrushchev.

Khrushchev is your answer.

It isn't him, actually, it's Mikhail Gorbachev,

who's probably in your mind, your brilliant quizzing mind,

probably the more obvious one.

-Yeah.

-Sorry, Henry.

What a quiz, eh, Dave?

Yeah, it was. He was absolutely superb.

Yeah, absolutely superb.

I mean, picking out answers from way before you were born, on Politics.

That is seriously impressive.

Margaret Beckett is a seriously impressive answer.

So was Powell.

And Powell as well.

Really, we are all applauding here, Henry.

Well done. Well done.

I won't be going to Brixton for a pub quiz any time soon,

I can tell you.

All right, so Dave is JUST in the final.

But he loves a good quiz.

Henry, well done. Come back to us, we'll play on.

Well, this doesn't really reflect the brilliant quizzing we've seen,

but the Rubber Ducks have lost three brains from the final round.

Even lost Henry there.

The Eggheads are still all sitting there.

So see if you can get one out now.

It's Music. Who would like Music?

-It could be Jack or Jack.

-I'll take that one.

Jack M. OK.

Our museum staffing manager.

And it can either be Pat or Lisa you take on.

I've seen Pat give some outrageous music answers before,

but Lisa does have a great singing voice.

This is really tough. Lisa, please.

So, Jack M from the Rubber Ducks versus Lisa from the Eggheads.

Please go to our Question Room for the last time.

OK, Jack M, on Music.

Would you like to go first or second against the very tuneful Lisa?

I'm going to follow suit with Henry, I'd like to go second, please.

Lisa, your question. Which single word has been the title of UK

singles for Duffy, Shawn Mendes and Kanye West?

Rather good song titles, I think more songwriters should consider.

I'm guessing that one is Mercy.

Mercy is correct.

First question for you, Jack. When they formed,

who was the youngest member of the Spice Girls?

I haven't kept track with the ages of the Spice Girls, I'm afraid,

but given their spice monikers,

Gerry being Ginger and Mel B being Scary,

I think it makes more sense for it to be Emma Bunton,

given that she's Baby Spice.

So I'll say Emma Bunton.

That is the most perfect logic we've ever had.

Emma Bunton is right. Lisa,

in which year did the singer Al Martino have the first-ever official

UK number one, with the single Here In My Heart?

I don't think they had an official chart until the '50s.

I don't think it did start earlier, I think it is 1952.

Here In My Heart was 1952.

Lisa, well done.

OK, back to you, Jack. How many members make up the electronic music

group Daft Punk?

It's two of them. They wear their little helmets on the stage.

There's definitely only two of them.

Yes, I remember seeing them getting an award and they looked very,

very odd. Two is right!

OK, Lisa. Who wrote the poem on

which the Christmas carol, In The Bleak Midwinter is based?

Bleak pretty much gives it all away.

She wasn't known for her cheery outlook on life.

That's Christina Rossetti.

Yes, she was a bit miserable, wasn't she?

A little bit, but still a great poet.

Christina Rossetti is quite right.

So she's got three out of three, Jack, which is a bit inconvenient.

-A little.

-A little.

See if you can take her to Sudden Death with this question.

In 1969, which musical act had a UK number-two single,

with the title Call Me Number One?

I'll level with you, Jeremy, I don't have a clue with this one.

I'm going to go for The Monkees.

So it's a very hard question this.

The Crickets were Buddy Holly's band.

-Yes, they were.

-And The Tremeloes we know for Silence Is Golden.

Not so much for this. The Tremeloes is the answer.

Lisa, you're through.

Sorry, Jack. Beaten by our Egghead.

Come back and we'll see what happens in the final round.

OK, 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 won't be

allowed to take part in this round. I honestly can't believe I'm taking

them all from the Challengers' side. Ali, Jack M, Henry,

and Constantine from the Rubber Ducks,

would you now please leave the studio.

-Good luck, Jack.

-Thank you very much.

Our book-seller, playing to win the Rubber Ducks £1,000.

Lisa, Dave, Pat, Chris and Beth,

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

the Eggheads' reputation, and dare I say, just to get back

on track after a rather awkward performance the other day.

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

This time they are all General Knowledge.

You can confer.

Sorry, that doesn't help you very much.

So, Jack R, the question is, can your one brain defeat these five?

And they'll talk about it in Brixton for years if it happens.

-Good luck.

-Thank you very much.

-Would you like to go first or second?

-I would like to go first.

And they're cheering you on back there.

I know you can't look but they're riveted already.

In Scrabble, which of these letters is worth only one point?

This is something that I know I should have

revised up on a little bit more.

Based on the fact that it is very common. I think it's one of the most

common letters, I'm going to go with A.

You're absolutely right, it is A.

Eggheads, over to you. What's going to happen here?

Just see if you're back on track, Eggs.

The melting point of beeswax is closest to how many degrees Celsius?

-60.

-About 60.

-You would think so, wouldn't you?

At six, they would be dripping out of the hive.

Melts in boiling water and so it's got to be less than 100.

OK, yeah.

We're going for 60.

60 is quite right.

Jack. The White Queen is the first

book in a series of Wars Of The Roses novels,

known as the Cousins' War, by which writer?

All three of these write historical fiction.

I know it's not Hilary Mantel.

So it's between Antonia Fraser and Philippa Gregory.

I'm going to go with Philippa Gregory.

Philippa Gregory is quite right.

Eggheads, in English grammar,

which of these terms is specifically used for a word that connects

clauses or sentences, such as "if" and "but"?

-Conjunction, I would have said.

-Means joining, doesn't it?

We think that's conjunction.

Conjunction is quite right, Pat.

Well done, Eggs. Playing well at the moment.

Here's your third question. Which player was unexpectedly defeated by

Arthur Ashe in the Men's Singles Final at Wimbledon in 1975?

I'm at complete loss here.

I'm not good on my tennis.

I'm going to go with Bjorn Borg.

-Eggheads, do you know?

-Jimmy Connors.

Jimmy Connors is the answer.

It gives the Eggs a chance to take the whole contest with this one

question. Eggheads, who plays the handsome American, Jack,

love rival to Colin Firth's Mark Darcy,

in the 2016 film, Bridget Jones's Baby?

Patrick Dempsey. McDreamy himself.

-Yeah, McDreamy.

-OK.

I'm advised it's Patrick Dempsey.

The handsome American, Jack, is indeed played by Patrick Dempsey.

And with three out of three in the final,

we say, congratulations, Eggheads, you have won.

If you played them every single day,

they would win, might not win half, but...

-It would average out.

-You would take them down an awful lot of times.

You were just bit unlucky on those marginal calls.

We will come back, if you like.

Honestly, what great, smart quizzers, my goodness gracious me,

and so young as well. Commiserations, Rubber Ducks.

The Eggheads have done what comes naturally to them, most of the time.

Here they are, back reigning supreme over Quizland.

It does mean you don't go home with the £1,000, but

you played brilliantly and everyone is going to remember this one.

The money rolls over to the next show.

Eggheads, I wonder if you are now going to begin one of those runs

that you get on. Join us next time,

to see if a new team of Challengers can stop them

in their tracks. £2,000 says they can't.

Until then, goodbye.