Episode 108 Eggheads

These five 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?

Hello and welcome to Eggheads,

the show where a team of five quiz challengers pit their wits against

possibly the greatest quiz team in Britain.

You might recognise them,

as they are Goliaths in the world of TV quiz shows.

They are the Eggheads.

And taking on the awesome might of our quiz giants today

are...

The team are all mature medical students

at St George's Hospital, University of London.

And when they aren't studying,

they are quite successful on the pub quiz circuit. Let's meet them.

Hi, I'm Charlie, I'm 32, I'm a medical student.

Hi, I'm Peter, I'm 26, I'm a medical student.

Hi, I'm Joe. I'm 26 and I'm a medical student.

Hi, I'm Ben, I'm 27 and I'm a medical student.

Hi, I'm Charlie, I'm 30 and also a medical student.

-Charlie, you're all medical students but studying later in life.

-We are.

Because you took a wrong turn somewhere?

I wouldn't say that, exactly.

I think we all decided to do medicine later on

because it was something we really wanted to do.

What's the most un-medical thing any of you have done before this course?

There's a lot from our year have done some bizarre things...

-Glass blowing, things like that.

-Glass blowing.

-Journalism is pretty strange.

-Journalism is bizarre.

-I worked in a chocolate factory for a few years.

-A chocolate factory!

How far... It's a four year course,

-so, you're how far in?

-We're coming to the end of our second year.

OK, good luck.

Young teams have been doing very well lately

-and you are still young, aren't you?

-Why, thank you(!)

-You are. Compared to our Eggheads. Every day...

-Ahem!

Sorry CJ.

Every day there is £1,000 cash up for grabs for our challengers,

however if they fail to defeat the Eggheads,

the prize money rolls over to the next show.

So, Don't Be A Stupid Head...and by the way, how'd you get that name?

-Joe?

-Well, me and Pete were watching Eggheads one time

when Pete got a very, very easy question wrong.

I told him not to be a stupid head,

and then we thought about that a bit more, and we thought that might be

a good aspirational approach to our medical career,

so that's kind of where it came from.

So, Don't Be A Stupid Head,

the Eggheads have won the last eight games,

which means £9,000 says you can't beat them.

Are you ready?

The first head-to-head is on the subject of Arts & Books,

who's the artist or book-lover here?

This was the one we didn't want.

Get it out the way, that's good!

-Who was it? It was one of you two.

-Was it, now(!)

-I don't mind. What do you want to do?

-I don't mind.

OK, I'll do it.

All right, so Charlie, but you've got to choose

-an Egghead to play against.

-Erm...

Which one?

-What about Chris? On Arts & Books...

-OK.

Erm, Chris.

OK, so Charlie from Don't Be A Stupid Head

versus Chris from the Eggheads.

Please leave the studio, take your positions in the question room.

I'll ask each of you three multiple choice questions

on Arts & Books, in turn.

Whoever answers the most correctly wins this round,

the other person won't play in the final round.

Charlie... You know the rules, you guys watch the whole time!

-Ready!

-So you'll know I'm going to ask you

-whether you want the first or second set.

-I think I'll go with the second.

So, we start with Chris. The Witches and Tales Of The Unexpected

are books by which writer?

Yeah, they are by Roald Dahl.

You said that as if you wanted a fanfare, drums or something.

You're right though.

Charlie, "all that glisters is not gold"

and "the quality of mercy is not strained"

are famous lines from which play by Shakespeare?

Is it...

I am pretty sure it's not the Merchant Of Venice

but I really don't have a clue, so I am going to guess with...

Twelfth Night.

It's not Twelfth Night and it's actually not King Lear either.

So, Merchant Of Venice was the correct answer,

but that doesn't come up on a medical course, does it?

-No, not too often.

-Not that much.

Chris, who painted the portrait of Whistlejacket,

which usually hangs in the National Gallery?

I'm assuming Whistlejacket's a horse

and the great painter of horse portraits was George Stubbs.

So, that would be the answer, George Stubbs.

That is exactly the right answer but I can't picture the painting.

Who's seen it?

Yes, it's a huge painting,

and it's the horse and there's no background.

-Just a brown horse standing there.

-No...

-It's rearing.

-It's rearing...

-Rearing?

-Yes. But it hasn't got a background.

It's got no kind of fields or trees...

-In fact the background is just a very light green.

-Wonderful.

A light green colour so the horse stands out really well.

OK, Charlie, your question.

A Prisoner Of Birth is a 2008 novel by which writer?

Well, I know Jeffrey Archer spent a little while in prison,

and again I don't have a clue on this,

so I'm going to guess Jeffrey Archer.

Absolutely, Jeffrey Archer is the right answer.

Well done, you're off the starting line!

Chris, your third question. If you get this you take the round.

Who wrote the 1969 bestseller Portnoy's Complaint?

Was it...

I don't want people going away with the idea I've ever read it,

but I know it's by Philip Roth.

It is by Philip Roth. What's that book about?

-This is a family programme!

-It's six o'clock!

Yes, it's about something post-watershed, you're right.

Er... Have you all read it?

-ALL: No...

-It gets medical at times.

Chris, you got that right,

that means, Charlie, there's no way back for you

because of the wrong answer earlier, so bad luck to you.

Chris will be in the final round.

Charlie, you won't. Please both of you come back to the studio.

As it stands, the challengers have lost one brain from the final round,

Eggheads have lost no brains, but it's early days.

Next subject is Science.

This is your subject,

you can't fail here! Who wants to take it on?

-I think I have drawn the short straw here.

-OK, Joe.

-I'll take it on.

-Which is the most unscientific Egghead,

that you can see?

-Judith?

-Weren't we going to go for Kevin on that one?

-Knock Kevin out for the final round?

-One of the two. Who do you want?

Kevin then, please.

So, it's Joe from Don't Be A Stupid Head, versus

Kevin from the Eggheads, on science.

Please do go to the question room now.

I'll ask each of you three questions on science in turn,

multiple choice. First set or second set, Joe?

I'd like the second set, please.

Kevin, first question to you.

The skin damage known as sunburn is caused

by exposure to harmful levels of which kind of ray?

That's ultraviolet rays, Jeremy.

Quite right, or UV.

So, Joe, your first question.

What is the term for a drink that is designed to replace

the fluids and salts lost from the body during strenuous exercise?

Well, I think I know the answer more from adverts than medical studies.

I think the answer is isotonic.

Isotonic is right, what is diuretic, medical man?

I think it makes you wee.

I see, so it's the opposite.

Kevin, your second question.

The atlas and the axis are bones in which part of the human body?

They are part of the spinal column in the neck.

They are indeed.

OK, Joe,

you need this.

The Ishihara test is used to diagnose which condition?

They are little charts where you look at numbers

and I think our friend Pete suffers from this. It's colour blindness.

-Do you Pete, is that right?

-Yes.

-And did you have an Ishihara test?

-Yes.

Because that is the correct answer, well done.

Kevin. What is the name of the radiation belt encircling the earth?

Is it...

If it was Van Helsing there'd be vampires in it. It's Van Allen.

You're quite right. Everything in there but Van Morrison.

-Yeah.

-Well, done, three points to you.

So, the disadvantage of going second,

Joe, is that you've got the pressure on now,

if you get this wrong you are also out of the final round, good luck.

What chemical is often used to produce light in street lamps?

Well, I should know this because I used to do some chemistry,

and I don't think it's rubidium,

because that's a different sort of element.

I am going to go for... HE EXHALES

Sodium.

-OK. Pfft! Sodium, with a little exhalation.

-Indeed.

It is "pfft" sodium, you're right.

Sodium is correct.

So it's three all, we go to sudden death.

So, Kevin, your question.

Which acute infectious disease caused by streptococcal bacteria

takes its popular name from the colour of the rash

that sufferers typically develop?

I think for that I would go for scarlet fever.

-That's your answer?

-Yes.

-You're right,

scarlet fever, or scarlatina.

Pressure back on you, Joe.

What type of astronomical object is said to exhibit a tail

and takes it name from the Greek word meaning "hairy one"?

The only thing I can think of that might be appropriate is a comet.

Comet is correct.

Kevin, which common British bird

has the scientific name Troglodytes troglodytes,

due to its preference for cave-like places?

One of the smallest - that's the wren.

You're right. Never knew that.

-Did you know that, Daphne?

-Yes.

-It's a wren...

-Used to be on the farthing.

-Troglodytes troglodytes.

Why say it twice, though?

-It's so good they named it twice.

-So good they named it twice.

Oh dear... Over to you, Joe.

The lower, middle and upper epochs

of which geological period

are referred to as Lias, Dogger and Malm?

Lias is spelled L-I-A-S,

Dogger, D-O-G-G-E-R, Malm, M-A-L-M.

Ooh, this really is a tricky one for me,

the only thing I can think of

that might even be a geological period is Jurassic.

I don't think that's right, but I'll go for that. Jurassic, please.

Jurassic's your answer.

You boys are sharp, you're right.

You can even, like, cheer a little, at that point,

because that was a good answer!

Kevin,

which allotrope of oxygen occurs naturally in small amounts

in the earth's stratosphere,

where it absorbs potentially harmful solar radiation?

That's ozone, the ozone layer.

You're quite right. What does ozone smell of?

-Geraniums.

-Geraniums!

-Yes, isn't that a useless fact to know.

-It is.

-How do you know that?

-I must've read it.

-Have you smelt it or something?

No, no, I must have read it somewhere...

"The ozone layer smells of geraniums."

-How do they know?

-They must have sent a spaceman up there.

And they opened a window, you mean? Had a sniff?

-What? Opened the window of his rocket?

-And had a sniff?

We've got to get back to Joe, cos he's on tenterhooks.

We'll come back to geraniums...later on.

Joe, you're playing a great game here,

and at some point one of you will crack

and you have to hope it's Kevin.

Which armoured mammal of Africa and Asia takes its name

from the Malayan for "rolling over",

relating to its habit of rolling into a ball if attacked?

Well, for this one I think I'm going for an armadillo.

Armadillo is your answer.

It's wrong. I could have accepted scaly anteater,

the answer is the pangolin.

Sorry, Joe, but you played so well there,

nearly, nearly had Kevin off the edge.

Well done, Kevin. Joe, you were beaten by our Egghead so you can't

help your team in the final round.

Please both of you come back to the studio.

As it stands the challengers have lost two brains

from the final round,

Eggheads haven't lost any. We've got to think about pulverising them now.

Next subject is Sport.

Which one of you wants to go on Sport?

Do you know your football?

Ben, are you nodding?

I'm game.

Against who, Ben?

OK, I think we'll choose Judith.

So, Ben from Don't Be A Stupid Head against Judith

from the Eggheads on Sport, please take your positions.

So it's multiple choice, three questions. First or second set for you?

I will go first, please.

Is that because the strategy has changed?

Just trying to keep the Eggheads on their toes.

Your first question.

Paul Jewell became the manager of which football club in 2007?

OK, well Paul Jewell did a very good job

at Wigan for a while and Sheffield Wednesday,

which a friend of mine supports.

He left Wigan at the end of one season or another

and he went on to Derby County.

You said that with great certainty and you're right, well done.

Judith, here we are again with Sport.

In which year did Carl Lewis win his last Olympic gold medal?

I think it was later rather than earlier...

..so I'm going to say 1996.

It was later rather than earlier, well done. A point each.

Ben, in which town was the cricket umpire Dickie Bird born?

I must admit this will be slightly more of a hunch,

although Dickie Bird, I'm sure I've seen him

at some FA Cup games, supporting a certain team.

I'm sure it was Barnsley that he ended up supporting.

So, on that basis alone I will go for Barnsley.

Absolutely right, well done.

Your team-mates are very pleased with you.

So, pressure still on you, Judith.

In which Canadian city is the circuit Gilles Villeneuve used for many motoring races?

Well, I'm sure it's not Vancouver.

I think it's Montreal or Quebec.

Oh dear, it could be either.

I think it's Montreal.

Why do you think that?

-Well, I don't know.

-Well, you just said it with alacrity.

Well, I just have a feeling I've heard that it is.

Somebody came up to you and told you.

No, I read the papers once in a while.

Brilliant, well done. It is Montreal, Judith.

It's the largest Francophone city in the world after Paris.

-Is that right? Montreal.

-Yeah.

Your third question now, Ben. Playing well.

Which sport might you play with equipment

that has long or short pimples or pips?

I must admit I'm out of my comfort zone on this one.

I wouldn't have thought it would be darts.

I can't see the fine figures of sportsmen that are darts players

using anything as technical as that.

Table tennis table isn't the biggest bit of equipment in the world

so I wouldn't have thought you'd need long pimples for that.

So, I will say golf.

You know I looked at this and I thought, I love table tennis,

where are these pimples? I realised they are on the bat.

Table tennis is the answer.

-It's what you need for the spin, isn't it?

-Yes.

The longer pimples are on the red side for spin.

The shorter pimples are usually on the black side for speed.

You were looking on the table and they were on the bat, Ben, sorry.

Judith, for the round.

Which tennis player reached the Wimbledon men's singles final in 1974 at the age of 39?

I'm absolutely sure Lew Hoad had stopped by then

because he was in the '50s.

Ken Rosewall went on till he was quite old, '74...

..I think it was Ken Rosewall.

Are we getting anything on John Newcombe?

-Er...well...

-Not much.

-No.

It's lucky he didn't come into the picture.

You're right about Ken Rosewall, well done, Judith.

Well played and you will be in the final round.

Ben, sorry you won't be, cos you've been beaten by our Egghead.

So you can't help them in the last round.

Please, both of you come back. Rejoin your teams.

The challengers have lost three brains from the final round,

the Eggheads haven't lost any brains and are feeling fit and healthy.

The last subject is Film & Television.

Who from the challengers wants to play Film & Television?

Do you know?

-It's got to be Pete.

-Yeah.

-Well, do you wanna stay... till the end?

-It's Charlie?

No, I'm gonna go.

Oh, Pete, right. Peter against who?

-Daphne.

-OK, Peter from Don't Be A Stupid Head

-against Daphne. Are you ready, Daphne?

-Oh, no.

Don't be beguiled by that. Daphne for the Eggheads.

So there's no conferring, please go to the question room.

So, Peter you're from Ireland.

-Yep.

-But you've been here for a couple of years?

Two years now, to study.

We're trying to make out what's on your T-shirt, we think it's a ribcage.

-Yeah, it is!

-It's not your rib cage.

-No, not mine.

It helps me cheat at my medical exams. I can look down and see the different ribs.

You can take that into an exam?

I've pushed it once or twice. The examiners haven't been that bright.

They haven't really noticed yet.

You got it into the Eggheads contest, well done.

I'll ask each of you three questions on Film & TV, multiple choice.

-Would you like the first or second set?

-I'll go first.

Peter, who played the role of Roxie Hart

in the 2002 musical film Chicago?

I know it wasn't Julia Roberts or Andie MacDowell.

I'm sure Renee Zellweger did a musical of some shape or form

in the last year, so I'll go with Renee Zellweger.

Spot on, it was Renee. Well done.

Who is the presenter of the BBC series Life In Cold Blood, Daphne?

I think that's the series that David Attenborough

did about reptiles.

-It is, I'm being convincing.

-It is.

It's gone red, it's right, it's the great David Attenborough.

Well done.

Next question, Peter.

Officer Dibble was one of the main characters

in which television cartoon?

Never heard of Hong Kong Phooey.

The Flintstones I don't remember a police officer,

but I do remember a police officer in Top Cat,

so I'll go with Top Cat.

You remember Officer Dibble. Well done, it was Top Cat.

Daphne, what was the name of the 1980s TV series

starring Kate O'Mara, set on a North Sea ferry?

Well, they called it Triangle

because it was a ferry that went between three ports.

So, Triangle.

Triangle it is.

Well done. Two points apiece. Back to you, Peter.

Which Oscar nominated actress played the title role

in the 1990s drama series The Governor?

I can't think who has been nominated for an Oscar there.

The most obvious one in my head would be Helen Mirren,

but...I don't remember her being associated

with that name and that programme.

I'll go with Helen Mirren.

Often the obvious guess, the one that stands out is the right one.

Not in this case. It was Janet McTeer.

All right, 2-2

Peter, you've got to hope that Daphne trips up here.

Daphne, which British actor won an Oscar for portraying Thomas More

in the 1966 film A Man For All Seasons?

Do you know the first ever fan letter I ever wrote

was after seeing Paul Scofield in Henry IV Part One.

I think it's Paul Scofield.

It is and what did your letter say?

I just thought he was the most gorgeous thing I'd ever seen!

It was a long time ago.

Well done, Daphne. Peter, you were beaten by our Egghead.

Commiserations to you and to our challengers here.

Please come back and rejoin your teams.

This is what we've been playing towards. It's the final round which, as always, is General Knowledge.

But anyone who lost their head-to-head

is not allowed to take part in this round.

I'm only looking on this side cos it's Peter, Joe, Ben and Charlie from Don't Be A Stupid Head.

Don't be embarrassed because there's so many of you. Please leave the studio.

Charlie, I'm gonna give you a comforting fact.

The last two occasions where the Eggheads have lost there has only been one person sitting there.

So, not only is it not a bad thing, it may even be a good thing.

I don't know why, I can't explain it.

You're playing to win Don't Be A Stupid Head £9,000.

Judith, Kevin, CJ, Daphne and Chris,

you're playing for what money can't buy, the Eggheads' reputation.

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

The questions are all general knowledge and you are allowed to confer.

Don't Be A Stupid Head the question is, is your one brain better than the Eggheads' five?

Charlie, first or second set of questions?

I'll take the second, please.

Here we go, Eggheads.

What name is sometimes given to the tops of ocean waves in particularly choppy weather?

< White horses for that.

-Yeah, CJ.

-CJ.

Recently voted the best TV commercial ever in Britain

was the Guinness one, which had white horses over the top of the waves.

OK, so, it's not white tigers?

Or white monkeys, which is interesting!

You're right. First point to you, Eggheads.

Charlie, numpty is an affectionate Scottish term for what?

I used to work with a Scotsman who was my boss, in fact.

In the chocolate factory?

No, this was for a magazine

and he was the editor and he'd often refer to me as a numpty.

I don't think he meant that as a husband or child,

so I think that's an idiot.

You're right, numpty, affectionately means idiot.

Your second question, Eggheads.

What type of animal is the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' father figure Master Splinter?

What type of animal is the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'

father figure Master Splinter?

He's a sensei and he's a mutant rat.

Is that the right answer?

Well done, he is, yeah.

Your second question, Charlie.

Which city became the new starting point of the Orient Express' nightly journey in June 2007?

Which city became the new starting point

of the Orient Express' nightly journey in June 2007?

I always thought the Orient Express was...

..from London to the Orient,

that probably being Turkey via Vienna.

So I'm not really sure about any of these.

OK, I'm not really sure about this at all.

I'm only going for this on the basis of which would be the biggest city

and is most famous from a railway point of view.

So, I am going to go for Lyons.

You're going for Lyons.

Chris, you know this?

I don't actually know this because it's modern stuff but...

the main lines out of Lyons go north to south,

as do the main lines out of Grenoble.

The Orient by definition heads east.

The main line out of Strasbourg heads east,

so I'd say it's Strasbourg.

Strasbourg is the right answer.

Sorry, Charlie.

So, you're now lagging behind as we go into question three.

Eggheads, if you get this right the contest is yours.

Which architect designed the famous red telephone box?

Which architect designed the famous red telephone box, Eggheads?

Giles Gilbert Scott.

You didn't even hesitate.

-No.

-What did Pugin do?

-Houses of Parliament.

-Various churches.

Pugin did the inside, Barry did the outside of the Houses of Parliament.

Well, from the point of view of our other team I am sorry to say,

that you are right.

It was Giles Gilbert Scott.

Eggheads, you've won.

Commiserations, Charlie. Bad luck to you and your team.

The Eggheads have done what's natural to them.

Their winning streak continues, so we can't send you home

with the £9,000, which means the money rolls over to the next show.

Eggheads, congratulations. Who will ever beat you?

Join us to see if the new challengers have the brains to beat the Eggheads.

£10,000 will say they don't.

Till then, goodbye.

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