Episode 7 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.

And challenging the might of our quiz Goliaths today are the

Metallurgists, from South Wales.

Now, this team of colleagues all work together in the metal industry

in Port Talbot. Let's meet them.

Hello, my name's Richard and I'm a product metallurgist.

Hello, my name's Peter. I'm a product development metallurgist.

Hello, my name is Elham and I'm a metallography technologist.

Hello, my name's Martyn and I'm a product specialist.

Hi, my name's Neil. I'm a metallography specialist.

-Richard and team, hello.

-Hello.

-Welcome. Great to see you.

-My goodness, you're all metals.

-Yes, yes,

we all work in the metals industry in South Wales.

OK, now, I've observantly noticed the T-shirts.

-Yes.

-So, let's just work this out.

These are periodic table elements, are they?

-That's right, yes.

-Let's start at the far end with Neil.

Neil, show us that one? Zn. I know Zinc.

OK, good. And next to you.

-Fe.

-That's Fe.

Which is iron.

Elham? Let's just... OK, that's...

I know that Au is gold, because that's come up before.

I do not know Nb...

-What's that?

-Niobium.

Niobium? Eggheads, would you have known that?

-No.

-Yes.

-Yes.

They're showing off. You're giving them a chance to show off.

-Last one.

-Silicon.

So, you've done a great thing there, you've come with answers on your T-shirts.

-That's right.

-And, of course, if they actually come up

in the questions, then there's going to be all kinds of...

-They'll be in their element, Jeremy!

-In my element, Steve, brilliant.

So, and is there a reason that you each individually

-chose your element?

-Yeah, we're all sort of either working

with those elements, they are all useful elements for

alloying additions to steel.

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

Challengers. However if they fail to defeat the Eggheads, as you know,

the prize-money rolls over. So, Metallurgists,

I can tell you that the Eggheads are on a little bit of a,

not so much a roll, a jaunt at the moment.

You're getting into your stride. They've won three in a row,

so there's £4,000 to play for today. Would you like to try and win it?

-Yes.

-All right, very good.

I'm really hoping science comes up.

The first head-to-head battle, though,

is on the subject of Film and TV.

Now, whose street is this up?

-Who would like...?

-Possibly not our best.

-Possibly not our best.

No.

-Elham or Peter?

-I'll take it.

-I'll take it.

-We'll pick Peter.

-OK.

Peter against whom?

You've got Judith, Kevin, Pat, Steve, Lisa.

Choose somebody who looks like their TV's broken.

-Who do you suggest?

-Judith possibly.

Yes, why not, why not?

-I'll play Judith.

-OK, Peter from the Metallurgists going against Judith.

Very early outing for you today.

-It is, yeah.

-Is that good?

-I rather like film and television.

-Energy levels really high.

-Yeah.

All right, would you please go to our legendary question room.

So, Film and TV, Peter against Judith.

And would you like to go first or second?

I'll go first, please.

And here is your question -

what is the name of the character played by Lesley Joseph

in the TV sitcom Birds Of A Feather?

It's not something I watch very much,

but occasionally my girlfriend makes me watch it,

so I think the answer is Dorien.

Dorien is the right answer, Peter. Well done.

Over to you, Judith. Which of these follows "national" and "blue"

to make the titles of a 1944 film starring Elizabeth Taylor and a 1986

film directed by David Lynch?

It's velvet.

Velvet is correct, well done.

Peter. In the 2006 film The Queen, starring Michael Sheen

as Tony Blair, who played Cherie Blair?

Not sure about this one.

I think I'll go for...

..Helen McCrory.

You're right. Helen McCrory it is.

Judi Dench would be a little bit too old to play her, I'm guessing.

All right. Judith, back to you.

Helena Bonham Carter was Oscar-nominated for her role

in which of these films?

Oh. Well, I don't think Planet Of The Apes.

I think Sweeney Todd.

It's The Wings Of The Dove, Judith.

-Oh, dear, is that going to be trouble?

-Oh, dear.

-Yes, probably.

-It's your initiative here, Peter.

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

The actress Patricia Arquette was married to which Hollywood star

between 1995 and 2001?

Again, I'm not sure about this.

I don't think it's Sylvester Stallone.

I'll go for Charlie Sheen.

Yeah, yeah, you should have ruled out Charlie as well, actually.

It's Nicolas Cage.

So, Judith has a chance to get back into it.

Here's your third question.

In the animated TV series SpongeBob SquarePants,

what type of creature is Patrick, SpongeBob's best friend?

I don't know. I don't know.

I don't know! Seahorse.

-Steve?

-A starfish.

-Starfish.

-Oh!

-Starfish is the answer.

Peter, you're through. First blood to our brilliant Metallurgists,

they've taken an Egghead out.

Please return and rejoin your teams.

As it stands, the Metallurgists have not lost any brains from the final

round, the Eggheads have lost a brain.

Oh, Eggs. Can you see the panic starting over there?

Drive it home, guys. The next subject for you is Music.

Now, I know you're scientists, is this going to be OK?

Which one of you wants it? Music.

Elham, you going to go for music?

-I'll go on. I don't mind.

-OK.

-Right.

-OK, Elham, choose an Egghead - not Judith.

-Yeah.

-Who would you like?

-I'll go against Lisa.

Very good. I think you're quite happy with that, probably.

It's not a science round.

I am absolutely rejoicing in the fact that it's not a science round.

Someone, if science comes up, whoever goes in will be quaking,

I know that. So, it's going to be Elham from the Metallurgists

versus Lisa from the Eggheads in the question room, please.

OK, so our next Metallurgist is Elham.

Tell us what kind of metallurgy you do, Elham.

We do a lot of analysis in the lab,

look at steel defects under the microscope.

And you're based in Cardiff, is that right?

-Port Talbot.

-Having originally been from Iran?

Yes, I'm originally from Iran.

-How is Wales for you?

-It's wonderful.

And your music knowledge?

-Not so wonderful!

-All right.

-Good luck, Elham, in this round against the great Lisa.

-Thank you.

Would you like to go first or second?

I'll go first.

First question for you, Elham.

Louise Redknapp, who took part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2016,

became famous with which pop group?

I know who she is.

I have a feeling it's not Atomic Kitten.

It's either Eternal or Bananarama.

I don't know the other two, but I'll go for...

..Eternal.

-Eternal is right.

-Oh, OK.

Well done.

OK, Lisa, which of these film characters

sings Let's Go Fly A Kite.

It is in Mary Poppins. It's Mr Banks.

Mr Banks is right.

Elham, back to you.

Which of these operatic works was composed by Jacques Offenbach?

I'll go for Nabucco.

Do you know this one, Lisa?

I think Orpheus is Gluck and Figaro is Mozart,

I think, so Nabucco would be where I'd go.

You'd both say the same, but you'd both be wrong.

Orpheus In The Underworld is the answer.

Lisa, which singer found fame with the group Catatonia?

So, Shirley Manson was Garbage and Beth Gibbons,

was she Portishead or have I made that up?

Might be a different Beth. Anyway, it's Cerys Matthews.

Who presents on 6 Music.

-She does.

-Yeah, Cerys Matthews is right.

I would say that Beth Gibbons is Portishead.

-I do believe she is.

-Yay.

OK. So, you need to get this one right, Elham.

I know it's not your natural subject, but here we go.

In what year was Nena's 99 Red Balloons a UK Number one single?

Nena is N-E-N-A.

Was it...?

I have no idea who that person is.

I'll go for 1988.

It was sort of around when I was a teenager. Lisa, what would you say?

-It's not easy, this, is it?

-Well, no,

I'm struggling a little bit. I knew it wasn't as late as 88.

I think it might have been as early as 1980,

but then I think it was a German hit first, so I'm a bit confused.

I would have said '80s as well.

But the answer is the middle one, actually, 1984.

So, well done, Lisa.

You have beaten the Challenger. Sorry, Elham,

you've been knocked out there. And you won't be in the final round.

Please, both of you, return and rejoin your teams.

So, it's levelled up now.

The Metallurgists have lost one brain from the final round,

while the Eggheads have lost a brain as well.

The next subject for you is Arts and Books.

Metallurgists, who wants this?

-Me or...?

-I can do it, but I...

I hope that a better subject comes up later on.

There may not be later.

Well, no, yeah.

It's definitely not my field so...

-Shall I try?

-Yeah, go on.

-I'll try.

-OK.

Martin, product specialist.

Against which non-metallic object here?

Can we try Steve, please?

Of course you can. Martin from the Metallurgists,

Steve from the Eggheads, please, take your positions.

Martin, I'm feeling this isn't particularly your subject?

It's not the subject I wanted to be doing, if I'm honest,

but I'll give it my best shot and see what I can do.

And ideally you would have wanted a whole round on the Titanic?

That would be perfect, yes.

Always been interested in the history of the Titanic.

It started out with some newspaper cuttings that were given to me by my

grandparents when I was five, six, something like that.

Martin, Arts and Books, would you like to go first or second?

Please can I go first?

You may, and good luck.

What first name was shared by the English poet Wordsworth

and the Irish poet known as WB Yeats?

I don't think it's Walter or Wesley.

I think it's William Wordsworth.

Not so familiar with the Irish poets, so I'm going to assume

it's William. So, can I say William, please?

Indeed, it is William Butler Yeats.

William is right.

Steve, which of these was the name used as a pseudonym by the writer

Anne Bronte?

That's Acton, Jeremy.

Nice work, I didn't know that, that's for sure.

Acton is right. Back to you, Martin.

In children's books by Gwynedd Rae, what type of animal is Mary Plain?

I'm not familiar with the books, so it's...

Unfortunately, I think it'll be a guess on this. So...

Hamster, cat or bear? I think there's a lot of books on bears,

but I'm going to say cats, because I'm not familiar of any books,

children's books, with hamster.

OK, so your answer is cat.

Let's just think about this, Steve, have you read any of these?

I've never heard of them, Jeremy, but just because it's child's book,

I'd have probably gone bear.

The answer is wrong.

-It's not cat, it's bear.

-Oh.

Steve's logic of bear, what, children like reading about bears?

Well, that's all I basically have to go on, because, like I say,

I've not heard of the books, but they do tend to feature quite

-often in kids' books, I suppose.

-OK, so it's one each.

Steve to take the lead.

Shakespeare's play Romeo And Juliet starts with the line,

"Two households both alike in..." What?

Are they both alike in...

Oh, my.

"Two households both alike..."

Dignity.

-"Two households both alike in dignity," that's what you say?

-Yeah.

-You look uncertain.

-I know, I'm really doubting,

because stature's really thrown me.

-Lisa?

-Well, it's got to be dignity, on the basis it is the only one with

three syllables and your pentameter will be all wrong.

It is dignity, he is quite right.

Lisa gives a good answer, which is that she's doing a syllable

count and dignity is the only one with three syllables.

Shakespeare writes in iambic pentameters,

so it's dee-dum, dee-dum, dee-dum, dee-dum, when he writes a line.

-"Two houses both alike in dignity."

-Yeah.

Dignity's the answer, Steve.

-Right.

-You got there.

Interesting question. OK, so he's ahead. Martin,

you've got to get this one right to stay in.

Damien Hirst's acceptance speech for his 1995 Turner Prize featured the

line, "It's amazing what you can do with an E in A-level art,

"a twisted imagination and a..."? What?

I'm not familiar with what he said, so...

He's...

I can see chainsaw being something he would do in his art,

but I don't know if he's trying to suggest from doing...

..from doing art and getting an E level,

getting an E, that maybe he's referring back to the glue stick,

because glue sticks is what I remember using a lot of in art.

So, I'm taking a guess, but glue stick, please.

I think he's referring to his art

since he left school. So, he'd upgraded by

that stage from the glue stick to the chainsaw.

Chainsaw is the right answer.

So, there is no way back there.

That's it, it's Steve's round.

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

A little bit of a crisis here for our Challengers. Please come back.

One more round to play.

So, as it stands, the Metallurgists have lost two brains

from the final round. The Eggheads have lost one

and the next subject is History.

So, who would like this?

What are we doing?

-I don't know.

-Who are we wanting to save for the last round?

I was going to save you. I can go up and save you for the last one, yeah?

-You're both good.

-I'm happy either way.

-I'll go up and save you for the last round.

-Right.

-I'll do the History one, Jeremy.

-OK, Richard on History,

against which Egghead? Pat or Kevin -

so, it's not an easy choice, I'm afraid.

THEY LAUGH Not at all.

-Quiz champions.

-Kevin.

So, it is Richard from the Metallurgists

versus Kevin, the grandmaster from the Eggheads, on History.

Please, for the last time, go to the question room.

OK, good luck, Richard. Would you like to go first or second

-against Kevin?

-I'll go first, please.

And here we go. Henry Ford, the founder of the Ford motor

company famously said of his Model T Ford,

"Any customer can have a car painted any colour

"that he wants so long as it is..." what colour?

It's not red or green,

it's black.

It is black, you're right.

Might have been tempted to go red on that if I was just guessing.

Kevin, your question on History -

in British history what regnal name was shared by two of the men

who served as King in 1936?

Well... In 1936?

-1936.

-Yeah.

That would be George, George V and George VI.

You're quite right, George is right.

Back to you, Richard. In Britain's history,

how old was Charles I when he was executed in 1649?

I don't think it's 88.

I think 68's probably too old,

so I think it's probably 48.

You're right, he was 48 when he was executed.

Kevin, over to you. Which of these historical figures had an older

sister called Francis Parthenope, who was often known as Pop?

Sorry, it was Francis Parthenope?

Parthenope, yeah.

I think that was Florence Nightingale.

It was and how do we know about Miss Parthenope,

is she famous for other reasons?

Mainly for being Florence Nightingale's sister, basically.

That's it. Their parents did choose some quite... Even for the time,

some quite unusual names for them.

Florence Nightingale is the right answer, Kevin.

So, two each. And we go back to you, Richard.

Which industrialist was the maternal grandfather of Charles Darwin?

I've never heard of Titus Salt, and industrialist...

I think it'll probably be Josiah Wedgwood.

Brilliant, you're right. Josiah Wedgwood.

Three out of three. So, over to you, Kevin.

You've got to get this right to stay in.

In British history, who was the father of the man who succeeded to

the English throne in 1603 as James I?

Right, so the father of James the VI and I, as it was.

All three of these were associated with Mary Queen of Scots one way or

another, and two of them actually married her, but the one who was the

father of James I was Lord Darnley.

Lord Darnley is correct.

All right, we're equal. Richard, well done so far.

We go to sudden death. It gets a bit harder,

-I don't give you different options, OK?

-OK.

Here is your question. You'll love this.

Which element in the periodic table shares its name with the codename of

one of the beaches in the 1944 D-Day landings?

That would be gold.

Let's check with Elham.

-It's correct.

-Yes.

Yeah. She confirms it is right. She is wearing a gold T-shirt.

Gold is correct.

Sudden death. Challenger in the lead.

Kevin, over to you. Which civil rights activist married the singer

Coretta Scott in 1953?

That was Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr is correct.

Richard, sudden death. Your question -

Robert Falcon Scott's last expedition was on which ship,

that left Cardiff docks in June 1910?

Oh, I feel like I should know this. Erm...

I want to say the Bounty, but I know it's not.

The Bounty is the only one I can think of, but I know...

I don't think it's the right answer.

No, it's the Terra Nova.

That's the one that went wrong, isn't it, Kevin?

That's the expedition that went disastrously wrong, yes, in the end.

Over to you, Kevin, you can win the round with this question,

sudden death. Which British aviation engineer born in 1887 designed the

bomb known as the tall boy?

Well, I believe it's the same man who designed the bouncing bomb -

I think it's Barnes Wallis.

If it's right, you're through to the final.

The answer is Barnes Wallis.

Well done, Kevin. Booked your place in the final.

He is very hard to beat on History particularly, Richard,

but you played really well there.

Barely missed a beat until the very end.

But you were beaten by our Egghead and if you return to your teams,

we will play the final round for £4,000.

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

heads won't be allowed to take part in this round. So, Richard,

Elham and Martin from the Metallurgists

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

So, here we are, a final, Peter and Neil,

you're playing to win the Metallurgists £4,000.

Lisa, Steve, Pat, Kevin, you're playing for something that money

can't buy, which is 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 may confer, gentlemen.

So, Metallurgists,

the question is, are your two brains better than the Eggheads' four?

And would you like to go first or second?

Shall we go second?

We'll go second, I think.

And here is the first question, then, to the Eggs.

Shrewsbury is the county town of which English county?

-I think it's Shropshire.

-It's definitely Shropshire.

-Shrewsbury, Shropshire, yeah.

-OK. Shropshire.

Shropshire is correct.

Back to you, Challengers.

Which of these is a sea bird that defends itself

by spitting out a foul smelling oil?

I believe the only one of those three birds which is a sea bird,

is the fulmar. So, we shall say fulmar.

-Fulmar is your answer. Eggheads, is that right?

-Yeah.

Yes, it is, well done. Fulmar. One each.

Final, playing for £4,000. Back to you, Eggheads.

What were the first names of the British scientists Crick and Watson

who won the 1962 Nobel Prize in medicine? Were they...

-Francis and James.

-Yeah. Francis and James.

-All the way.

-Francis Crick and James Watson.

-They were Francis and James.

They were indeed Francis Crick and James Watson.

Your second question, to catch up.

Which of these comedians is six feet eight inches tall?

-I'm pretty sure it's Greg Davies.

-Greg Davies, yes.

More than one of them's a teacher, I believe.

A former teacher. But we think it's Greg Davies.

You're absolutely right. Greg Davies is correct.

He's a former teacher, is there another one?

-Romesh Ranganathan.

-Romesh is a former teacher too?

Right. Two each after two questions for you both. Your third question,

Eggheads. What was the name of Richard Branson's first business,

a magazine launched in 1968? Was this...

-Hmm.

-Ooh.

-Can't say I know that?

-No.

Is Student too obvious?

Or did he like letter V and go from Visions to Virgin?

Oh, now Virgin...

No, I can't even think. I... Hmm, no. I'm not sure.

No, I'm not at all sure.

Tiny something in the back of my mind that it was

something to do with...

students, but not necessarily that's what it was called.

Yeah, I knew he'd done a magazine...

Did he actually go to university?

-I don't think he did.

-He rented a stall.

I've seen the phone box where he did all the business from,

but, other than that, I can't help you.

No, I don't know. If anything, I still favour Student.

I don't know why.

-I really don't know why.

-Pat?

I have no idea, but if I had to pin the tail on the donkey,

-I'd go Student.

-Go Student, then.

It's just completely arbitrary. I have no knowledge.

Go for it, then, Pat.

Stumped here, but we've decided to go with Student.

Oh, you were really struggling.

Really struggling. I thought you might be attracted by Visions,

cos the Vi is reminiscent of Virgin,

even if it was only subliminal.

He was 16 when he launched a magazine

-called Student.

-Well done.

Well done, Eggheads. You got there.

Touch and go.

So, now you need to get this one right to stay in,

otherwise the contest is over.

In Norse mythology, what is the name of the spear that is frequently

wielded by the God Odin?

The spear.

Any idea, Neil?

I think Hel is a goddess.

So, I'd be guessing really, I think.

I'd be guessing as well.

Gungnir is...

..my guess.

But it's no more than a guess, really.

I wouldn't know, so we might as well go.

We'll go for Gungnir.

-Is it right or wrong?

-It's right.

It's right, well done. Gungnir it is.

Three out of three for you both, the scores are level.

It's suddenly got very tense in here, hasn't it?

You're playing brilliantly against four Eggheads here. Well done.

We go to sudden death. It gets a bit harder, as you know,

because I don't give you different options. OK. Eggheads, in the UK,

for what does the letter I stand in the savings acronym Isa?

-Individual Savings Account.

-That's what I thought it was initially.

It hasn't... It's never been superseded by anything, has it?

No. I don't think so.

Then the Pep came in.

-OK.

-Yeah, I think Individual.

-Individual?

Yeah, I think Individual.

Individual.

Individual is right. Individual Savings Account, as you rightly say.

Sudden death, here we go. You've got to get this one right to stay in.

Which driver was the Formula 1 World Champion in 1998 and 1999?

Not my subject, I'm afraid.

I'm tempted to say Schumacher.

I am not sure.

I am not really certain of that,

but I, honestly, can't think of anything better to say.

We'll go with Michael Schumacher.

Michael Schumacher is your answer.

OK. If you've got it wrong, the contest is over.

Let's check with a Schumacher fan. How many years was he champion for?

-He won seven world titles.

-Seven world titles.

-Seven world titles.

Were they in '98 and '99?

-No.

-Who is this, then?

-Mika Hakkinen.

-Mika Hakkinen is the right answer, Challengers.

-Oh!

I'm sorry. We have to say congratulations, Eggheads.

You've won again.

Well done.

I think, you know, Formula 1 is something you either know it all or

-nothing.

-Unfortunately, he's...

-Not today.

Oh, he's at the back, is he? Who's the Formula 1 fan?

-Richard was our sports...

-Richard might have known it.

-Yeah.

Well, commiserations to Metallurgists.

Love the T-shirts.

Best team outfit we've had for years, I think.

The Eggheads have done what comes naturally to them,

and they still reign supreme over Quizland.

Well done, Eggs. You were touch and go a little bit, weren't you?

I'm afraid it means you won't be going home with £4,000.

So, the money rolls over to our next exciting show.

Eggheads, very well done.

Getting closer to five, then maybe ten,

then maybe we'll get up to 100,000, who knows?

Maybe it will happen, maybe it won't.

But anyway, the key thing is the next game.

Join us then to see if a new team of Challengers

have the brains to defeat the Eggs and win 5,000.

Till then, goodbye.