Episode 57 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.

Going to cast a spell today, Eggs?

-EGGS:

-Hopefully.

-Well, let's see,

because hoping to get one over on our quiz champions

are The Egg Bags from West Yorkshire.

Now, this team are all members of Merlin's Magic Club,

which meets monthly at a magic shop in Wakefield.

Let's meet them.

Hello, my name's Bob,

I'm a fleet driver and a part-time magician.

Hello, my name's Darren and I'm a magician.

Hello, I'm Kim and I'm an IT adviser.

Hello, I'm Phil, I'm a magician and a magic dealer.

Hi, I'm Mark and I'm a magician and a magic dealer.

So, Bob and team, hello.

-ALL:

-Hello.

-Great to see you, thanks so much for coming in.

And I should ask why you have the name The Egg Bags?

Well, the egg bag trick is one of the oldest tricks in magic.

Maybe we can show you?

-Love you to.

-First thing we'll need is an egg.

Oh, sorry about that, Daz.

-We've got a red hanky.

-Um, that's not really much use.

Handkerchief is not much use to anybody.

It's not even the right colour.

Maybe we could do something about that.

If I take the handkerchief, we can change it from a red handkerchief,

all the way into...

-Oh, I love that!

-..a white handkerchief.

Oh, er... Well, Darren, I mean, it's

all well and good but, you know,

a handkerchief is not really

much use for the egg bag trick.

What we really need...

-..is an egg.

-Oh! EGGHEAD:

-Ohh!

So, this is the egg bag that we're talking about.

So, the egg goes in there...

-Yeah?

-..and instantly...

..disappears.

-Oh.

-So, now we've vanished it, we need to make it reappear.

To be honest, Phil, I'm not that keen on eggs.

-No?

-But I do like...

-An eggnog.

-Really?

-Cheers, Jeremy.

-Oh, wow.

Cheers!

And you've all got one.

-EGGHEAD:

-That was so clever.

-How do you do that?

That's the one thing you can't ask, "How do they do it?"

I don't know, it's proper magic, Judith.

Thank you, well... I don't even want to ask if you quiz as well as

doing magic, because it's doesn't really matter.

Because if you get into trouble here, you just make them disappear.

Once a year, we have a magic quiz at Merlin's Magic Shop in Wakefield.

It sounds like a fantastic shop.

Is it somewhere you go a lot?

We meet there once a month, and swap a few ideas, a few tricks.

We usually have a theme.

And it usually ends up with everybody taking the Mickey

-out of Phil.

-Yes, that's me!

It's been open for 22 years.

I've been going since I was eight years old.

Oh, how brilliant. Every town, every high street needs a magic shop.

-They do.

-Doesn't it? Well, good luck, Challengers.

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

However, if the challenging team fails to win that prize money,

it rolls over to the next show.

So, Egg Bags, the Eggheads have won the last four games.

So, £5,000 is here for you to play for.

Now, the first head-to-head battle is on the subject of Music.

It's one of you against either Dave, Steve, Beth, Kevin or Judith.

-OK, that was yours, wasn't it?

-I think you should.

-You think I should?

-I think you should.

-Straight into it, Bob.

-Captain's going straight in.

The captain goes in, that's a big moment.

So, against which Egghead?

Any one of the five.

I think I'm going to go for Judith.

You're going to be his magical assistant.

-Yes!

-Bob from the Egg Bags versus Judith from the Eggheads.

Certain symmetry here.

Please for the first time go to our legendary Question Room.

Bob, how did you first get into the magic?

I started quite a while ago.

I used to work with kids with behavioural problems.

And I found it a very useful tool to distract the kids.

And it just went from there, I've been doing it ever since.

All right, let's see what you can do in this round.

Music is the subject, you're up against Judith,

would you like to go first or second?

I'll go first, please.

Here we go. Which of these composers was born first?

OK, I think Edward Elgar was probably the younger of the three.

Verdi and Mozart,

I'm going to say that the one that was born first was probably

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

You are absolutely right, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is correct.

We have Kevin here, so Kevin, when was Mozart born?

1756.

-Verdi?

-1813.

-Elgar?

-1857.

-Amazing, isn't it?

-It is amazing.

-It's magic!

No preparation, he didn't know that was coming.

OK, Judith -

"Drinking in the morning sun

"Blinking in the morning sun

"Shaking off a heavy one

"Heavy like a loaded gun"

are the opening lines to which song by Elbow?

Well, I'm trying to match the words to the title.

And I think the most likely is One Day Like This.

You've got it absolutely right, One Day Like This.

Well done, Judith.

OK, Bob. Promised You A Miracle,

Waterfront and Alive And Kicking

were UK top 20 hits in the 1980s by which band?

Yeah, I remember this back in the '80s.

Not a song that U2 or Depeche Mode would have sung.

I Think it Was Simple Minds.

Simple Minds is right. Well done.

Judith, Armando Christian Perez is the real name of which rapper?

I've absolutely not the first clue.

-Flo Rida.

-Flo Rida it's pronounced.

Well, Florida.

Yeah. Not a Flo Rida fan?

The answer is Pitbull.

Mm-hm.

All right, Bob. You're ahead.

Get this one right and you'll be in the final round.

Here we go.

24 Karat Magic is a 2016 UK hit single by which singer?

I've no idea.

That's typical, isn't it?

24 Karat Magic.

Which is K-A-R-A-T.

Um, I'm just going to have to plump for Bruno Mars.

-It is Bruno Mars, well done.

-Yes!

You've got it, you've got three in a row. And you've beaten Judith.

Sorry, Judith, that's another sticky end on Music.

So, Bob, you've taken on an Egghead, you've emerged triumphant.

A very, very good start for our Challengers.

Please return to us and we'll play on.

So, good start for the Egg Bags.

They have not lost any brains, the Eggheads have lost Judith.

And the next subject for you is Geography.

Who would like this? Which Egg Bag?

Geography, lads. Who's up for it?

-Can I?

-Kim?

-Yeah, I'll go for that.

-Kim's going to have a bash at Geography.

OK, Kim, our IT adviser and magician, against which Egghead?

Anyone but Judith.

I've got no idea, shall we go Steve?

-If you like.

-Yeah, I'll go with Steve, please.

Kim from the Egg Bags taking on Steve from the Eggheads.

Please go to the Question Room.

Kim, as well as magic, you do IT?

Yes, that's right, Jeremy, I'm an IT adviser.

Which is magic for the modern age, I guess?

-Yes, very much so!

-Most of us have not got a clue how that works.

-Yes.

-All right, so we're on Geography here.

Would you like to go first or second?

I think I'd like to go second, please, Jeremy.

-OK, Steve, are you ready?

-Got to be!

Got to be. No alternative.

The Eiger is a famous peak in which mountain range, Steve?

That's the Alps, Jeremy.

The Alps is correct.

Over to you, Kim. What is the official currency of South Africa?

So, that would be the rand.

The rand is right.

Steve, Wilsons Promontory,

the southernmost point of the Australian mainland,

lies in which state?

I'm not 100% with this, but I think it's Victoria.

So, that's my answer.

-Dave is nodding.

-Yeah, Victoria.

Yeah, Victoria is right.

OK, to catch up, Kim, your question.

The Grand Ballon, or the...

FRENCH ACCENT "Grand Ballon"

is the highest mountain in which French range close to

the German border?

So, I think the Pyrenees is in that direction,

so I'm going to go with the Pyrenees, please, Jeremy.

The answer is the Vosges Mountains.

All right, Steve has the advantage and because you went first, Steve,

you can end the round with this answer.

The towns of Narvik and Hammerfest,

both north of the Arctic Circle,

are in which country?

Hopefully, that's Norway, Jeremy.

Yes, it is Norway. How do you know that?

Obviously, I've read it and I've remembered it.

Like so many things. Sorry, Kim.

-No problem.

-Beaten by our Egghead there.

Always the danger of going second, gives him the initiative slightly.

So, Steve is in the final round, Kim is knocked out.

Return to us, we'll play round three.

Tight contest, it's even now,

the Egg Bags have lost one brain from the final round,

the Eggheads have lost one as well and we play on with History.

Who's history? Mark?

Mark, do you fancy that?

-Take one for the team?

-Yes.

Mark's going to take on History.

OK, Mark at the end.

Magician and magic dealer, who do you want to deal to?

Dave, Beth or Kevin?

Up to you, Mark. Take your pick.

I'll go for Beth, please, Jeremy.

So, Mark from the Egg Bags, Beth from the Eggheads,

please go to the Question Room to face your History questions.

Mark, you're a fascinating team, I must say.

You used to teach Dynamo magic tricks?

Yes, we've run an academy for ten to 16-year-olds

for the last 18 years,

and Dynamo is probably one of the most famous, if not the most famous,

-yes.

-Very cool.

OK, against Beth, you're on history, Mark.

Would you like to go first or second?

I think I'll go second, Jeremy, please.

Beth, your first question.

What name was given to the leaders of the

Spanish soldiers and sailors

who conquered large parts of the Americas

in the 16th century?

Er... They were conquistadors.

Conquistador is right.

Over to you, Mark. In World War II, what was flak?

-Flak, F-L-A-K.

-F-L-A-K.

I'll go anti-aircraft fire.

Yeah, absolutely, as in, "He came under a lot of flak."

It's gone into the language.

Anti-aircraft fire is right.

Beth, Queen Anne,

who reigned from 1702-1714

was the niece of which other English monarch?

Oh, this is where I've got to do my kings and queens.

Um, I have Horrible Histories

to thank for my knowing the order of kings and queens.

Anne, so she came before George.

So, it must be Charles II.

Charles II is right, well done.

So, we go back to you, Mark.

What was the first name of the mother

of the women's rights campaigners Christabel and Sylvia Pankhurst?

Don't instinctively know this one, so...

Um, I'm drawn towards Albertina.

I don't really know why, but I'll go Albertina.

It's actually... Emmeline is the most famous one and it's her.

Emmeline, Emmeline Pankhurst.

OK, Beth.

Powered aircraft were first used

in war in 1911 by which country

against the Turks?

Powered aircraft...

Now, I'm not sure whether Italy and Spain would have quite had the

engineering powers.

So, I'll have to go with the percentage guess of Germany.

Let's see, Eggheads, do we know?

It's Italy.

-Italy.

-Italy wanted colonial territory

and one of its targets was Libya,

which at that time was loosely under the control of the Ottoman Empire.

So, they went to war with the Ottomans and for the first time,

planes were used to drop bombs.

They would literally reach out of the cockpit

and drop bombs against some of the tribal characters below.

But it was a brief war, but it was Italy against the Ottomans.

-OK, Italy is the answer.

-Oh, well.

So, you have a chance here to come back,

but you need to get this one right, Mark.

Which Scottish king was assassinated by a group of

conspirators, led by Walter Stewart, Earl of Atholl in 1437?

Balliol I've never really heard of.

I'm going with the Scottish lean, so I'll go with Robert the Bruce.

It's actually James I.

Mark, sorry. Beth is in the final round, and you've been knocked out.

So, come back to us, both of you.

One more round to play before the final for £5,000.

So, the Eggheads fighting back against the Egg Bags,

who've now lost two brains from the final round,

the Eggheads have just lost Judith.

And one more round before the final, it's sport.

-Who would like this?

-Darren.

-Darren.

Yes, I'll take that one, please, Jeremy.

OK, going to be Darren. Which Egghead?

You can have either Kevin or Dave.

-Try Kevin.

-Go for it.

I'm going to try and take on Kevin.

All right, Darren from the Egg Bags taking on Kevin from the Eggheads on

Sport. Let's see what happens here.

Take your positions, please.

OK, so we're on sport, Darren.

-First or second?

-I'll go first, please.

And good luck. Aside from the floor and any ceiling,

how many walls does a squash court have?

So, it has a wall at the front,

two sidewalls and the back wall is glass.

I'm going to say four.

Four is right, yeah.

Back wall counts, because you can bounce the ball off it.

Kevin, who was named captain of the British and Irish Lions

for the second time in 2017?

That was Sam Warburton.

Sam Warburton is right.

One each.

And we go back to you, Darren.

Vancouver and which other Canadian city have hosted

the Winter Olympic Games?

Not 100% sure on this one.

I think possibly there is a reference

to this in Cool Runnings and it could be Calgary.

So, I'm going to say Calgary.

Nicely done, Calgary is correct, two out of two.

Playing well.

Kevin, the New Zealander Kane Williamson

is a leading name in which sport?

Well, I think that he has actually captained the New Zealand

cricket team.

So, cricket.

Cricket is correct, Kane Williamson.

2-2, very tight!

Moving along briskly here.

Darren, third question could be crucial.

Which snooker player, a 150-1 outsider,

beat Steve Davis in the final of the 1986 World Championship

at the Crucible?

Um, I believe this gentleman is from

pretty close to where we live,

and I think that the answer...

I think Dennis Taylor was 1985,

I think the answer for '86 was Joe Johnson.

That's a very good quizzing, because Dennis Taylor,

that final was a very famous one, wasn't it?

I remember sitting watching it at university.

But that was the year before, Joe Johnson is the right answer.

Well done, three out of three.

Perfect so far. Kevin, to stay in.

Which American heavyweight world champion of the 1930s

was known by the nickname Cinderella Man?

And I think there was a...

I think that was the title of the film,

there was a film made which starred,

I believe, Russell Crowe as this man.

Known as Cinderella Man because his career had appeared to be over.

And then he got a shot,

a chance to get the title and he

took it and briefly became world champion again.

And it's James Braddock.

Let me check with Beth, who likes her boxing.

Is it, is he right?

-Yeah, James Braddock.

-James Braddock is the correct answer,

so three questions each we've had, the scores are level.

We go to Sudden Death.

And, Darren, it gets a little bit

harder now because I don't give you options,

Don't give you alternatives.

Here we go. The 1975 boxing match known as the Thrilla in Manila

took place in which country?

Is that the Philippines?

It is the Philippines!

It's a funny old question, it is like saying where is Manila?

It's nothing to do with boxing, that question.

The Philippines is the right answer.

All right, Kevin, in 2001,

the Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci became a citizen of which other

country, to which she had defected in 1989?

Well, I believe she moved to the USA

to work and coach and that, and she still

is a commentator on gymnastics and various other things.

So, I think the USA.

USA is correct, well done.

Sudden Death, back to you, Darren.

Who was the manager of Leicester City in their 2015-2016

Premier League winning season?

Um, the Tinkerman, Claudio Ranieri.

Claudio Ranieri is the right answer.

So, Claudio Ranieri is right.

Kevin, to stay in.

Which Formula 1 driver won a record 91 Grand Prixs?

Well, I think it's...

Oh, hang on.

No, I think he's still got, Michael Schumacher.

Michael Schumacher is correct.

Sudden Death, Darren, back to you.

The England cricketer Stuart Broad

began his first-class career with which county team

before moving to Nottinghamshire in 2008?

Not sure on this one. I was hoping that you wouldn't have said

Nottinghamshire, because I knew he spent a loss of his career there.

I'll just have to take a guess at Lancashire.

-Eggheads? EGGHEADS:

-Leicestershire.

Leicestershire is the answer!

All right, so a chance for Kevin

here to take the round on Sudden Death.

Kevin, in 2016, which American golfer became the first player in

PGA Tour history to shoot a round of 58?

I saw this at the time,

but unfortunately not seen it recently.

It's not necessarily one of the big names.

Er... Was it...? Just trying to think if it's Koepka,

Patrick Reed...

No, I'm going to have to go for something.

I think I may be distracted by this

because I've seen his name recently, but I'm not...

I shall say Justin Thomas.

-No, it's Jim Furyk.

-Oh, it was Furyk, was it?

Yeah, the Travellers Championship in Connecticut.

-No, I thought it was somebody a bit younger, OK.

-58 round.

-OK.

Darren, you're still in it.

-Come on, Darren.

-A bit of magic there.

In which city did the British swimmer Anita Lonsbrough

win an Olympic gold medal?

Now, we haven't won an Olympic gold medal

until 2016 for quite a long time.

Possibly as far back as the '80s or '90s.

I'm going to have a guess at Seoul.

No, it was even before that, 1960 in Rome.

Rome in 1960.

OK, Kevin, you can take the round.

Dick Butkus, born in December 1942, is a famous name in which sport?

Um, I hope I'm not snatching at this

but I believe that's American football.

He's one of the NFL's most fearsome tacklers.

American football is absolutely right, Kevin, well done.

Darren, you played well there,

you kept him going on Sudden Death for longer than most.

But you've been knocked out, I'm afraid.

Come back to us, Kevin and Darren,

and we will play the all-important final round.

So, this is what we have been playing towards.

It is time for the final round,

which, as always, is General Knowledge.

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

part in the round.

So, that is Darren, Kim and Mark from the Egg Bags,

but also Judith from the Eggheads.

Would you please now leave our studio?

Bob and Phil, here we are.

You are playing to win the magic team of the Egg Bags £5,000.

Dave, Steve, Beth and Kevin,

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

the Eggheads' reputation and to keep this roll going.

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

This time, they are all General Knowledge. You can confer.

So, Egg Bags, the question is can your two brains defeat these four?

I'm sure you can do it, Bob and Phil.

-Do you want to go first or second?

-Go first.

Yeah, we'll go first, Jeremy, please.

OK, here's your question.

Banh mi is a term for bread and a type of sandwich from which country?

It's two words, the first one is B-A-N-H and the second one is M-I.

-Sounds like Vietnamese to me.

-I was thinking that as well.

-I was thinking Vietnamese as well.

-I'd go for Vietnamese.

-Yeah, let's plump for that.

-I think we'll go for Vietnam.

Vietnam is the right answer, well done.

Eggheads, which actor born in 1987

has appeared in the films The Paperboy,

Neighbours and Dirty Grandpa?

-Is it's Efron?

-Yeah, Zac Efron.

Zac Efron's appeared in all of those, hasn't he?

Be about right for the year.

It will be about that, won't he?

We're going to go for Zac Efron, please.

Zac Efron is the right answer.

Back to you, Challengers. One each.

What was the first name of the Russian mystic and adviser Rasputin?

I thought it were Ra-Ra!

I don't know. You don't have any?

-I'm stuck.

-I'm not getting...

I'm not getting anything further.

I'm drawn to Ivan, for some reason.

Really? I was thinking Grigori.

Yeah?

Ivan don't seem obvious.

-It's not Russian enough.

-Aleksey, it could be Aleksey.

Let's go Aleksey.

-You think?

-No.

But I think that would be the least obvious.

But perhaps it is, because it's the least obvious.

I don't know. I can't think of anything apart from the song

that might mention it. It's don't mention it at all, does it?

What do you reckon?

-I don't think it is Ivan.

-Don't think it's Ivan.

-I don't know.

I don't think it's Aleksey.

-So, shall we just go for it?

-Go for it.

We're not really sure, Jeremy, but we're going to go for Grigori.

It's just a case, we hardly ever hear his first name, do we?

It's like a glimmer. And I was going through the Boney M song as well.

Are they right, Eggheads?

-Yes!

-Yes, you're right.

Grigori, well done.

Well done.

You've got two, the Eggheads have got one.

Final round, £5,000.

Eggheads, a man named Willem-Alexander

became the king of which European country in 2013?

I think the Netherlands.

Netherlands, yeah? We're all happy with that?

We're going for the Netherlands, please, Jeremy.

Yes, Netherlands is correct.

2-2.

Now, if you get this one right, you could put some serious pressure on.

In the 18th century,

the Royal Navy introduced a policy

of sheathing the hulls of their ships with which metal?

Steel would rust.

It would be the hardest, wouldn't it?

That was before the time of stainless steel.

Hmm.

Copper is often used in water.

You see copper on top of boats, don't you?

-Yeah.

-But I don't know about underneath.

I think tin would be too expensive, wouldn't it?

Tin's an expensive metal, isn't it?

Well, copper is as well.

-I think tin's more expensive.

-Yeah?

Shall we go for copper, then?

That's probably all we've got, isn't it?

Yeah.

-Go for it.

-Again, we're not sure on this, Jeremy,

but I think we're going to go for copper.

The correct answer is...

Copper.

Well done! You've got three out of three.

You might well find you've won.

If the Eggheads fall apart now, you've won £5,000,

you don't need to do anything more.

Well, well, well, Eggheads,

here's your third question in the final round.

What colour is the plumage of the chough,

a bird found in the west of the British Isles?

-I thought it was black.

-Yes, it's a member of the crow family.

-OK.

-Beth, you happy?

-Yes.

-You happy?

-Yeah, I think black.

-Black, on reflection?

-Mm-hm.

-Yeah, we're going to go black, please, Jeremy.

Black, now this is the kind of question that Judith loves,

isn't it, Judith?

-The plumage of the chough.

-I think it's an insignificant brown.

It's very lucky you're not in the final round,

because the answer is black.

-Oh!

-That's a shame you knocked her out.

Oh, dear.

We needed Judith at the desk for that one.

That would have been good!

Derail the whole enterprise.

OK, so it's 3-3.

-Sudden Death now.

-OK.

I don't give you alternative answers.

What is the name of the Act of Parliament

that came into force in 1968

that prohibits sellers from using false or misleading information

in order to sell goods or services?

Well, you should know a bit about this, Phil.

Running a magic shop.

Yeah, I should. I think it's the Sale Of Goods Act.

That's the only thing I can think of, Sale Of Goods Act.

Sounds right to me.

It's been updated a few times, hasn't it?

So, it might have been updated.

-That's all I've got.

-I...

-You got anything else?

-No, no.

I think we're going to go with the Sale Of Goods Act.

The Sale Of Goods Act wasn't 1968.

-It is the Trade Descriptions Act.

-Oh!

It's not over, but if the Eggheads get this right, it will be.

Eggheads, which city is the largest by population in Morocco?

-Casablanca.

-I think...

Yeah, I think Casablanca is the biggest by population.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-Right, OK.

We're going to go for Casablanca, please, Jeremy.

Casablanca is your answer.

We're on Sudden Death, so if you've got this right the contest is over.

The largest city by population

in Morocco, £5,000 is the jackpot today.

The answer is...

..Casablanca.

We say congratulations, Eggheads, you have won.

APPLAUSE

Ah, sorry! I know because you run a shop.

Yeah. Just unlucky, it never crossed us.

I know you know it. Commiserations to the Egg Bags and thank you for

bringing your magic into the studio today.

-You're welcome.

-Great to meet you.

-Thank you.

-Hope you've enjoyed it.

-Yeah.

-We have, yeah.

The Eggheads have done what comes naturally to them,

most of the time anyway. They still reign supreme.

It does mean that the Challengers don't go home with the £5,000.

It rolls over to our next show.

Eggheads, well done, you are in pretty storming form at the moment.

You only lost one today.

So, join us next time to see if

a new team of Challengers can take them down.

There will be £6,000 to play for.

Until we quiz again, goodbye.