Episode 49 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.

-You feeling in tune today?

-Absolutely.

-Yes.

-Yes.

Cos these Challengers definitely are.

Because taking on the might of our quiz Goliaths today

are The Musicanos from London.

Now, the majority of this team met through working on various musical theatre productions together,

with two of them even finding romance during a tour of Dr Doolittle.

Everyone go, "Ooh."

Ooh.

Let's meet them.

Hi, my name's Richard and I'm a trombonist.

Hello, my name is Debra and I'm a freelance entertainer.

Hello, my name is Martin.

And I'm a luthier.

Hello, my name is Graham and I'm a saxophonist.

Hello, I'm Ian and I am a theatre musical director.

-So, Richard and team, hello. ALL:

-Hello, Jeremy.

Great to see you. I've got to ask first of all,

which two found romance? I wouldn't know where to start.

So who...?

Myself and Debbie here.

OK. Yourself and Debbie. That's great. So, Musicanos.

Tell us what form of music has brought you together?

Musical theatre has brought us all together.

I met Debs doing a tour, obviously.

I've worked with Graham on various different tours.

Worked with Ian on many shows.

And I know Martin through Debs,

and through the music base as well.

So, that's the link. I'm the link between everybody.

But we all have worked together.

Brilliant. So, you perform and I know Martin,

you actually make instruments, is that right?

-I do, yes.

-Which we'll hear about a bit later on.

A very, very exciting team we've got here. Good luck, Challengers.

Everyday, 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.

Now, Musicanos, the Eggheads are on a roll.

They've just won the last six games.

There's £7,000 to play for today.

Nice, very nice.

So, it's worth turning up for and I think it's about time you stop them.

The first head-to-head battle is on the subject of Film & TV.

So, it's going to be one of you against either Dave,

Pat, Beth, Kevin or Judith. You can choose.

Right, well, let's mediate.

Well, I think it's going to be you and Beth, I guess.

-We already plotted this one.

-We already plotted that one.

OK, good. Strategy we like.

Now, erm, to choose...

Who do you reckon we're going to go for?

Who is weak on Film & TV?

-I don't know.

-What about Beth? Go for Beth.

-Beth.

-Beth.

I'm loving the strategy here.

-I can tell there's a plan.

-There is another strategy.

More than one, yeah.

All right, Debra from The Musicanos is going to open things up by

taking on Beth from the Eggheads.

Please go to our legendary Question Room now.

Well, good luck in this round.

Film & TV, Debra against Beth.

Would you like to go first or second?

I will go first.

OK.

That sounded enthusiastic and that's good.

Here is your first question. In 2017,

Sandi Toksvig and Noel Fielding were announced as the new hosts

of which TV show?

Is this...

Well, it's, erm...

Definitely not two of them.

Of course. I'm going to go,

because I think it is...

The Great British Bake Off.

Yes, you're right. The Great British Bake Off.

OK, Beth, your question.

Which actress born in Hawaii in 1967 starred in

the films Paddington, Australia and The Golden Compass?

Well, famously this is a...

She's mostly known for being an Australian actress.

But Nicole Kidman was in fact born in Hawaii.

Nicole Kidman was born in Hawaii and is in those films.

You're quite right. Back to you, Debra.

Which of these is the title of a 2017 comedy series

starring Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan?

Debra, is this...

Oh, that's really nasty

cos I know it's The Trip.

DEBRA LAUGHS

Which one is it?

So, did you say 2017?

-2017.

-2017.

It's going to have to be a guess.

And...

I'm going to go Spain.

Let's see if your team-mates know.

-Is it Spain?

-Well, we think so, yeah.

Yeah, they like that. And they're right. It's correct. Trip To Spain.

Well done. That's good.

-Gosh!

-OK, Beth, the actor Todd Carty,

who played Mark Fowler in EastEnders,

first found fame as Tucker Jenkins in which children's drama series?

Was it...

Well, he was in it before I was watching it.

And I was quite a fan of this when it was in my day,

though he was before my day.

-And he was in Grange Hill.

-He was, indeed, in Grange Hill.

All right, so where are we? 2-2.

This is good, Debra, so far.

Not got a question wrong. Get this right, put some pressure on.

Jason Momoa plays which superhero

in a brief cameo role in the 2016 film

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice?

Is it...

I don't know if I saw this.

I'm going... It's going to be a guess.

I'm going to go for Aquaman.

And what's just on the basis it begins with A?

Or what? What is your... Now, give me your insight.

How do you do that? Cos it's right.

Oh, good! Oh, no.

I'm getting my super...

I get my superheroes mixed up.

But I absolutely have a big beef with the film, I think.

And I know there's an underwater scene.

But, that might not have anything to do with it.

Right? OK, well, impressive. Well done. Three out of three for you.

OK, Beth.

You need to get this right to stay in.

Dustin Hoffman won an Oscar for his role in which of these films?

Oh, well he's certainly in all of them.

And...

My original thought...

My original thought when you asked the question

was he won it for Tootsie.

No, I'm going to go with my first thought.

Because if I don't, I'll regret it.

-Tootsie.

-OK. Tootsie, a great film.

No question. Is it the right answer?

Do you know this one, Debra?

I'm not sure.

I really am not sure.

Because I know Rain Man, he was brilliant in,

Tootsie I know I think, erm...

It was the supporting actress I know who...

I can't think of her name now.

The beautiful one with the long legs.

-Yeah.

-Who got a supporting actress.

Or is it Jessica Lange got the supporting actress?

Oh, well, let's just check.

Who wants to give us the readout here?

-Kevin?

-Yeah, well that's right about Jessica Lange.

So, Jessica Lange won an Oscar for Tootsie but not...?

-Best supporting actress, yeah.

-But not Dustin Hoffman?

-No.

-No, he won best actor for Rain Man.

He won best actor for Rain Man.

-Oh!

-You've been knocked out, Beth.

So, Debra well done. You're in the final round.

There we go!

-My word.

-That's how you do it, there we are.

-We're on track to win £7,000.

-Fantastic!

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

OK, exciting stuff.

As it stands, The Musicanos have not lost a brain from the final round.

The Eggheads have lost one.

The next subject is Science.

Now, musicians, is that tricky?

Not a great combination.

Martin? What do you reckon?

-Martin or...

-I'm no good.

Martin, do you want to take Science?

-I'll take it.

-Yeah, Martin will be our representative for Science.

Our luthier. Against anyone but Beth, who would you like?

Well, I think I would like to take on Dave.

-Wow!

-Tremendous Knowledge Dave.

All right. Martin from The Musicanos

to take on Dave from the Eggheads on Science.

Let's see if the Challengers can make it two.

Please go to the Question Room now.

Well, Martin, I feel bad. I feel we should have got you on music

cos you are a luthier.

-Indeed.

-Which means you make just lutes or guitars? Or...

I concentrate on guitars,

although it's any stringed instrument.

Wonderful. OK, Martin.

Science. Do you want to go first, or second?

I'd like to go first, please.

Here we go. Which of these is another name

for the African aardvark?

Ah! I'm pretty sure it's not a skunk bear.

Erm...

Definitely an ant bear.

Yes, ant bear is correct. Well done.

Dave, olfaction is another name for which of the senses?

I get these wrong all the time!

Oh, no!

That's terrible!

I'm going to have to go with what my first instinct was, because I really

wasn't expecting this, with smell.

But I've got no... I can get this wrong.

Smell is the right answer.

DAVE CHUCKLES

OK, Martin. In 1911,

Marie Curie won a Nobel Prize in which category,

having already won the Nobel Physics prize in 1903?

I don't think it's peace.

And I don't think they had a use for radium in medicine.

So, I would say chemistry.

Chemistry's correct.

That's good, well done.

Not easy. OK, Dave they're playing well, aren't they?

-Playing very well.

-Dave, which species of dinosaur,

whose name means great lizard, was the first non-avian dinosaur

to be named by the Reverend William Buckland

in the 1820s?

Well, great. I would've gone with mega.

So...

I'm not very good with me dinosaurs

but I'm going to go Megalosaurus, please.

Megalosaurus...

is the correct answer.

Your question, Martin.

Which German-born rocket scientist was the first president

of America's National Space Association in 1974?

Is it...

Well, I've only heard of one of them and he's a famous rocketeer.

So, it's not Dieter Grau.

It's not Walter Jacobi.

I'll go for Wernher von Braun.

And Wernher von Braun is quite right.

There's something interesting...

This guy's a mine of quiz information.

Wernher von Braun. Pat, you got anything on him?

Well, he was a key man in German rocketry

during World War II with the V1...the V2.

And after the war, the Americans made a great effort to scoop up

as many of these rocket scientists.

And they brought them to America.

And over the years, that became part of the core of America's space effort.

-Amazing. All right, Dave. Here we are again.

-Yep.

-They're playing very, very well.

-Playing brilliantly.

And if you get this wrong, you're going to be out as well with Beth.

Here we go. What is the chemical symbol for rubidium?

Dave, is it...

All right, I thought Ru was ruthenium.

I could be wrong.

Yeah, I'm going to go Rb.

Again, no certainty at all.

Rb is rubidium, Dave.

Well done. Saved yourself.

Three questions each, we've had. Scores are level.

Challengers haven't got one wrong yet.

Martin, we go to Sudden Death.

-He gets a bit harder.

-I don't give you alternative answers.

-OK.

Leo Baekeland, who invented the form of plastic called Bakelite,

was born which country?

His name is spelled like this.

Leo and then B-A-E-K-E-L-A-N-D.

Well, it's one of the low countries

from the name.

I would guess it would be Belgium.

Belgium is correct.

He's another one who went to the USA.

-Dave.

-Yeah.

-Feeling the pressure here.

Yeah, very much so.

Autotomy is the name for the ability some creatures have

to shed or discard what, often as a defensive tactic?

What's the spelling, please?

A-U-T-O-T-O-M-Y.

It's either skin or feathers.

It's a 50-50 day today for me.

Erm...

I'm going to go skin and fall on my sword.

Yep, you've fallen on your sword, cos it's limbs.

-All right, fair enough.

-It's more dramatic - legs, arms, tails, claws,

all of that stuff.

Dave, you've been knocked out. Well done, Martin.

-Our luthier is in the final!

-Well done.

It's looking interesting, this contest, isn't it?

So, the Eggheads in a little existential crisis.

Do return to us. Rejoin your teams, and we'll play Round Three.

As it stands, The Musicanos have not lost any brains

from the final round. You're doing really well here.

Keep the pressure on.

You've got to dislodge some of the others, as well.

The Eggheads have lost two brains and they are quietly panicking.

The next subject is Arts & Books.

-Oh, no!

-That's going to be great for you, isn't it?

Martin is gone!

I think that was me, as well, wasn't it?

Music is art.

Graham? Can you...?

-Not me, please.

-Graham?

-I think it's got to...

-Yeah.

-It was my spare, wasn't it?

-Yeah.

-We're going to go with Graham.

-All right.

-We're going to take Graham for that one.

A saxophonist against...?

And you can have Pat, or Kevin, or Judith.

Pat, please, Jeremy.

OK. Graham from The Musicanos

trying to take out Pat, known as The Shark.

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

Graham, Arts & Books against the great Pat.

Would you like to go first, or second?

I'd like to go first, please.

And here we go.

Which writer created the children's characters Noddy and Big-Ears?

I'm thinking that Beatrix Potter was more animals with her characters.

I don't think it was Roald Dahl

because he was Charlie And The Chocolate Factory.

So, I'm going to go for Enid Blyton.

Enid Blyton's right.

I know it can be sort of panic inducing to be in that room,

so, I understand your caution.

Pat, your question.

Bob Cratchit is a character in which work by Charles Dickens?

I think I know all the Dickens books are packed with

legions of characters.

I think Bob pops up in A Christmas Carol.

A Christmas Carol is correct.

Graham, your second question.

Which poet wrote the following lines,

"You smug-faced crowds with kindling eye

"Who cheer when soldier lads march by,

"Sneak home and pray you'll never know

"The hell where youth and laughter go."

Who wrote that?

Oh, that's taking me back to my school days here.

Erm...

I'm being drawn to Wilfred Owen.

So, Wilfred Owen.

Wilfred Owen is wrong.

-OK.

-Siegfried Sassoon is the answer.

All right, Pat. Your question to take the lead.

Who's the central character of the novel Colonel Sun

written by Kingsley Amis and published in 1968

under the pseudonym Robert Markham?

I'm thinking Kingsley Amis is one of several authors

who have written Bond stories.

So, I think it's James Bond.

Yes, it is James Bond.

So, Pat is in the lead here.

And it means, Graham, you need to get this one right to stay in.

The artist Victor Pasmore was a pioneer of what sort of art

in Britain in the 1940s and 1950s?

So, post-war...

I am going to go for...

Symbolism.

Is that right, Pat?

I've heard of Pasmore.

I wouldn't be confident. I would have gone for abstract art.

But, I wouldn't be confident.

Abstract art is the answer.

Sorry, Graham, knocked out by Pat,

who's a fearsome quizzer.

And Pat will be in the final round.

So, one more round to play before the final.

Please return to us and we'll play it.

Could be a crucial moment in the contest, this.

The Musicanos have lost a brain now from the final round.

The Eggheads have lost two.

The next subject is History.

So, Richard and team.

Who's it going to be? Ian or Richard?

What do you reckon, Ian?

-You're captain, mate.

-Could you go up for the team for this one?

-Yeah.

-Take one for the team?

-Yeah.

-OK.

I nominate Ian for the team.

I feel you should have had music in here, it's just so random.

So random. So, against which Egghead?

And you've got left Kevin and Judith on the end.

I'm going to challenge Judith, please.

OK. Ian from The Musicanos plays Judith from the Eggheads.

Last round before the final. Please take your positions.

So, Ian, musical theatre is your thing?

That's right, Jeremy.

And I know you've been nominated for two Olivier awards.

Yep, two nominations

but, sadly, no wins yet.

For which particular works?

The first one was a Ska musical about ten years ago

called The Big Life.

And we were nominated, unfortunately, against a musical

-you might have heard of, Billy Elliot.

-OK.

Which seemed to pip us at the post.

-But...

-Yeah.

-It was a great, great musical.

Definitely the best experience of my life.

And you and I have met a few times because you are very good friends

-with my cousin.

-I am, indeed.

Seeing you, I didn't know you were coming in,

so I thought, "Oh, wow!"

So, he'll doubtless be watching and cheering you on.

-He will, I hope. I hope he will.

-Good stuff. Against Judith.

And here we are on History.

I know it's not your first choice of subject, Ian.

Would you like to go first, or second?

It certainly is not my first choice of subject.

I will go first, though, please.

Here we are.

Which of these historical figures was born first, Ian?

Unfortunately,

I don't know much about Mao Zedong.

I'm going to go for Ivan the Terrible.

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

Judith. Which of these people died

of typhoid in 1861?

Well, not Rasputin because he was shot about nine times

before he died, didn't he?

It was Prince Albert.

And Victoria blamed

Edward forever after for giving it to him.

Prince Albert is right. And she mourned him, didn't she?

-Forever, yes.

-Albert Memorial and all that?

-Yes, and wearing black until the day she died.

-Yeah.

OK, your question Ian.

Who was the prime minister of Prussia when that country defeated

France in the war of 1870-71?

I'm pretty sure it's not Otto Von Bismarck.

Oh, this is...

This is really hard.

I'm going to plump for Wilhelm Marx.

Ian, sorry. That was wrong.

It's Otto Von Bismarck.

Judith, a chance for you to take the lead.

The Abraham Lincoln Brigade was a force of international volunteers

who participated in which 20th century war?

Well, the Spanish Civil War was famous for having volunteers.

I mean, otherwise it was non-volunteers who were made

to fight in World War I, Vietnam.

So, I think I'll plump for Spanish Civil War.

You've got it right. Well done.

Yeah, it's the international volunteers bit

I think led you there.

-Yeah.

-Rightly so. OK, Ian.

You need to get this right to stay in.

Keep the stress low.

Nicholas II, the last Emperor of Russia,

was first cousins with which British monarch?

This is pretty relevant to my life, actually.

It's connected with a musical.

I'm going to go with George V.

How is it connected with a musical? You've got to tell us.

I'm writing a musical about this period in history.

-Really?

-I am, indeed.

George V is quite right.

-Well done, Ian.

-Thank you.

It always helps to have written a musical on the answer.

LAUGHTER

It does definitely help!

Judith, you've still got the advantage here

if you get this right.

Penda and Wulfhere

were both rulers of which Anglo-Saxon kingdom?

Oh, I'm not sure.

I don't think it's Northumbria.

But I'm just not sure about whether Mercia was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom,

or only Wessex.

I think I'm going to say Mercia.

Mercia is right, Judith.

-Is it?

-You did it.

-Sorry, Ian.

-A sort of instinct somewhere.

I'm sorry!

I didn't think you were going to go near that one.

Well, I'm just not sure...

Wasn't sure whether it was Anglo-Saxon, or not.

-Yup, well, it is. It was.

-Luckily, it was.

And it always will be. Judith, you're in the final round.

Sorry, Ian, knocked out, but a stout performance there.

-Solid.

-Thank you.

-And come back to us, both of you.

We're going to play the final round for £7,000.

All right, this is what we've been playing towards.

It's time for the final round which, as always, is General Knowledge.

I'm afraid those of you who lost your head-to-heads are not allowed

to take part in this round.

So, Graham and Ian from The Musicanos

and Dave and Beth from the Eggheads, who staged this comeback,

would you please now leave the studio?

All right, Richard, Debra, Martin.

You're playing to win The Musicanos £7,000.

-Surreally.

-Pat, Kevin and Judith,

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

which is just to shore up the Eggheads' reputation,

keep the run going, turn it into a roll, maybe.

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

This time, they are all General Knowledge.

You may confer.

So, Challengers, the question is can your three brains defeat those three

over there? Simple as that.

Would you like to go first or second, Richard?

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

Here we go with your first question.

What is the official language of Austria?

-I don't think it's a trick question.

-No, it has to be German, hasn't it?

It has to be German.

Definitely German. I think there's no trick question there.

-Are you happy with that, Martin?

-Definitely.

-I am.

-Are you happy with that, Debra?

-Yes.

We're going to go, Jeremy, with German.

German is correct. Well done.

Not a trick question. No trick questions here.

Your question, Eggheads.

Which American celebrity was robbed of an estimated £8 million

in jewellery by armed thieves in a Paris apartment in 2016?

That was Kim Kardashian.

Kim Kardashian is correct.

OK, Challengers.

In 2017, Edward Enninful

became the first-ever male editor of which magazine?

I would have said that is not a British name.

-Right.

-More likely to be...

American.

So, I wouldn't go for British Vogue.

-No...

-On that basis.

So, you'd be looking at Tatler for that one?

It's a guess.

Yeah, mine's between Town and country and Tatler

but, I think, probably Tatler.

Or was there ever... Has there ever had been female, though?

I don't know.

-Do you want to go for Tatler, then.

-Shall we go for Tatler, then?

-It's a punt?

-Punt.

-OK, Jeremy,

we're going to go with Tatler.

All right. The keyword here is male.

So, we're looking for a magazine that's only ever had female editors

and Tatler is a fashion magazine,

-we could have...

-No, it's a sort of social magazine.

-Social. Is it...

Would it have been all-female editors? Or would it...?

-No, no.

-I think it's probably had...

-Geordie Greig, or whatever he's called.

-Geordie Greig was Tatler?

OK. So this person would not have been the first-ever male

editor, whoever Edward Enninful is.

The answer is, and the reason it was a news story,

is that it's British Vogue,

which has always had females.

Yes. Alexandra Shulman was the last one.

British Vogue was the answer.

OK, Eggheads. Your question to take the lead.

Which Greek god had a statue at Olympia

which was one of the Seven Wonders Of The Ancient World?

Was it...

It's Zeus.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-The oldest statue of Zeus at Olympia.

Yeah, the statue of Zeus at Olympia.

Zeus.

Zeus is correct.

Now, they've pulled ahead. That's worrying.

You've got to get this one right, Challengers.

What is the real first name of the American model known

as Gigi Hadid?

Gigi Hadid...

Gigi Hadid.

Could you spell her second name for me?

Yeah, well it's - Gigi is G-I-G-I.

-Yeah.

-And then Hadid, as you'd expect, is H-A-D-I-D.

I must confess my ignorance.

-I know, even I...

-I've never heard of her.

She goes out with Zayn from One Direction.

So, Hadid I think is Iranian.

Or, it's Middle Eastern.

Yeah, what do you reckon on that then, there?

-I have...

-It won't be Laura.

-It won't be Laura.

-Gigi sounds like...

Well, it's probably Jelena rather than...

-I would have said Zara.

-Or is it Gigi as in Zara?

Zsa Zsa Gabor. Zara.

-Jelena?

-Should we go with Jelena? Yes.

A bit of an educated guess.

-Martin?

-It's a nice name, but I...

Jeremy, we're going to go with Jelena.

Jelena, let's see if you are right.

Eggheads, do you know this?

No, I would have...

-Well?

-I don't know.

I would have probably gone for Zara

on the basis that Hadid is an Arabic sounding name.

And Zara perhaps fits more...

But Jelena is a sort of Balkan name.

But, then again, it could be if she's Bosnian.

If it's of Bosnian descent.

Jelena is the right answer.

Yes!

It's a shame you didn't send them that question on their side.

You might have had a bit of a lively contest here.

I think we might have... It just suddenly occurred to me,

if it's of Bosnian origin...

-Yeah.

-Then Jelena is a Balkan name, is more...

So, you know, we'd have had the discussion.

OK, Eggheads.

You have a chance to take the contest on this question.

The American Edward Weston, born in 1886,

was a celebrated 20th-century figure in which art form?

-Photography.

-Is it?

-Is it photography?

-I don't know.

-Yeah, definitely.

-OK.

-He was a famous photographer, Jeremy.

So, photography.

The correct answer is photography.

We say congratulations, Eggheads,

you have won!

Oh...

You see, you just ripped into them at the start there.

-And then they gathered.

-They gathered.

Quality came through in the end.

Yeah... Absolutely. Bravo.

It's hard with these three here

to get past them, I must say.

Commiserations, Musicanos.

-You've seen what they're made of today.

-Yep.

-Very much so.

The Eggheads, well done. You fought back and you've continued your winning streak,

which is now officially impressive.

I'm afraid it means that you won't be going home with the £7,000.

So, the money rolls over to our next show.

Eggheads, well done.

Looking pretty unbeatable at the moment.

But a few scary moments there, weren't there?

-Yeah, definitely.

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

can take them down.

And there'll be £8,000 to play for.

Until we meet again, goodbye.