Episode 90 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?

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 might of our quiz goliaths today

are the Black Horsemen from Birmingham.

The team are named after their local pub the Black Horse,

where they have been socialising and quizzing for over 15 years. Let's meet them.

Hello. My name's John.

-I'm 63 years of age and I'm an actor and a singer.

-Hi, I'm David.

I'm 36 and I'm an admin assistant.

Hi, I'm Paul. I'm 35 and I'm a recruitment consultant.

Hello. My name's John. I'm 57 and I'm a carpet fitter.

Hi. I'm Mark.

I'm 44 and I am a GIS operator.

-So, John, team captain?

-Yes.

-Actor?

-Yes.

-You've got that wonderful actor's voice. Give us a bit of it.

-Thank you and nice to see you.

-It's fantastic.

-Yes.

Casualty, am I right? And EastEnders and The Bill, parts in those?

Yeah, just blink and you've missed me. That sort of thing.

So you've got an amazing collection of different careers here.

Trainee radar operator, one of you has been in the past. Who's that?

-That's me, Jeremy.

-Right.

Administrator for a security company.

Recruitment consultant. Self-employed carpet fitter.

-That's me.

-John G.

-And Mark is a geographic information systems operator for Birmingham City Council?

-That's right, yes.

Every day there's £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.

So Black Horsemen, the Eggheads have won the last six games,

which means £7,000 says you can't beat them.

The first head-to-head battle will be on the subject of sport.

Which of you wants to play which Egghead?

I'll volunteer myself, Jeremy.

OK, David. Going to volunteer yourself.

-Administrator from Birmingham.

-Yes.

-Against who? Who's looking shaky?

Which egg is about to crack?

I'll go for Judith, please.

So it's David from the Black Horsemen versus

Judith from the Eggheads.

To ensure there's no conferring, would you please

take your positions in the question room?

David, your choice. Would you like the first set

of questions or the second set?

Under team orders from the captain, we'll go first, please.

OK, here we go.

How many times did Billie Jean King

win the Wimbledon Ladies' Singles title?

Jeremy, to be honest, tennis is not one

of me favourite sports, but I doubt very much that she won it one time.

I think 12 times is too many times.

So I'll go for an educated guess, six.

Brilliant process of elimination.

well done. It was six.

Judith, in April 2008, who was announced as the new manager of

the England rugby union team?

I think that is Martin Johnson.

You're quite right, it is. Well done, Judith.

So, David, your second question.

Which football player became the most expensive ever

when he was bought for a reported 76 million euros in 2001?

Well, football is a sport that I enjoy.

I don't think it's Rio Ferdinand, because I think he went for

£25-£30 million to Man United from Leeds.

So it's a choice between Ronaldinho and Zinedine Zidane.

By a process of elimination, I'll go for Zinedine Zidane.

The radar is working. Well done. It was Zidane.

Judith, which heavyweight boxer, born in 1878,

was known as the Galveston Giant?

I remember reading this once and it hasn't stuck.

It's not Rocky Marciano, I don't think.

I think it might be Jack Johnson.

That's the correct answer.

Third question, with the score at 2-2.

David, in March 2008, the sprinter Dwain Chambers announced that he was

to begin a month-long trial with which rugby league team?

I remember reading this in one of the papers,

so I'll go straight for it. It was Castleford Tigers.

It was. Brilliant. Well done. Three out of three.

Judith, here we go.

In golf,

what word is given to a score of two shots over par for a hole?

I don't know is the short answer.

Erm...

It must be American.

I'm just trying to think. I mean,

what birds...

I don't think it would be condor, cos that's South American, isn't it?

Erm... I think it might be buzzard.

I can hear American's talking about buzzards.

-Well done, you're right.

-Oh!

So after three questions each, the scores are level.

We will now go to Sudden Death and just to make it that bit harder,

these questions will not be multiple choice. David,

who was the first professional darts player to be awarded an MBE?

Haven't got a clue really.

Darts was big in the '80s.

It's made a bit of a comeback now.

I would go for the Crafty Cockney, Eric Bristow.

Completely right. Well done. 1989.

Judith, to stay in this round.

In betting slang what does "bee's wax" refer to?

I'm trying to rhyme it with something.

Bee's wax... blocked ears, could it be?

Bee's wax?

-The odds.

-The odds?

Thank you. It's the wrong answer.

Betting tax.

-Oh!

-Which rhymes with bee's wax.

-I was trying to get a rhyme.

-David, well done.

-Thank you.

You took on one of the Eggheads.

You emerged triumphant. You've delighted your team-mates.

Good news for the challengers as

it means, David, you'll be able to play in today's final round.

Congratulations. Do both, please come back to the studio.

So as it stands, the challengers haven't lost any

brains from the final round, while the Eggheads

have lost one brain. Next subject for you is Film and Television.

So which of you wants to do that and against which Egghead?

Ah, very confident hand up in the air from Mark.

Erm, Daphne, please.

So it's Mark from the Black Horsemen versus Daphne from the Eggheads.

Film and Television. To ensure there's no conferring, please do

do go through to the question room.

Mark, would you like the first set of questions or the second set?

Again, through instructions from the team captain, I'll take the first set

of questions please, Jeremy.

So you've got the first set, Mark.

Here we go. Don't look too nervous.

In the original American version of the TV series The Apprentice

contestants competed to win a job with which businessman?

I don't think it's Ted Turner. He's not familiar to me at all.

I don't think Rupert Murdoch

is flamboyant enough for that, but I'll go for Donald Trump.

Quite right, it was Donald Trump.

Alan Sugar over here. Donald Trump over there.

Daphne, who played the title role in the 1962 film Lawrence Of Arabia?

Can we have all these sort?

Yes, I like this. Peter O'Toole.

Peter O'Toole is the correct answer. Well done, Daphne.

Mark, your question. In the 2004 film The Polar Express

which actor played the parts of the conductor,

Hobo, Scrooge and Santa Claus?

I certainly

don't think it was Tim Allen and I don't think it was Eddie Murphy.

I'll go for Tom Hanks, a very versatile actor.

Spot on. It was Tom Hanks.

Well done.

Daphne, "The truth is out there" was the tagline to which TV series?

I know I'm going to get it wrong.

I'm doing really badly at the moment, but I will say The X-Files.

-You got it right, Daphne.

-Oh!

-Well done.

-Where did that come from?

-I don't know! It was 50-50.

The barren landscape.

So pressure back on you, Mark.

What was the name of the James Bond spoof character

played by Russ Abbot?

I can picture him now,

being many years ago, and I'm pretty sure it's Basildon Bond.

It was Basildon Bond. Quite right. Well done.

Three points to the challengers, two to the Eggheads.

Daphne, Miss Hoolie, Archie, Josie Jump and PC Plum

are characters in which children's TV show?

Oh, God!

Miss Hoolie, Archie, Josie Jump and PC Plum are characters in

-which children's TV show?

-Balamory.

-You're right.

-Yes!

-How did you know that?

-Miss Hoolie.

Yes, I remember Sarah Jane watching it. She's my youngest grandchild.

Beautiful. OK. So it's 3-3

and means we go to Sudden Death. You need to give me the answer.

It's not multiple choice now.

Mark, who starred as Beau Brummell in the 2006 TV drama

Beau Brummell This Charming Man?

I certainly haven't got a clue on this.

I don't even remember the film at all.

Erm...

The only people I know who are quite charming is Nigel Havers,

but I don't think it's that one.

It's not Nigel Havers. It's James Purefoy. Sorry, Mark.

OK, Daphne.

Set point to you now. Can you capitalise?

Which classic 1955 French film noir is best known for its safe-cracking

scene in which 32 minutes pass without dialogue or music?

I know Kevin knows this definitely.

The only one I can think of is Rififi.

-That's your answer?

-Yeah, sorry.

Don't be sorry, it's the right answer. Well done.

Well done, Daphne.

Mark, you were beaten by our Egghead

and you won't be able to help your team in the final round.

So please would you both please come back and join your team-mates?

The challengers have lost one brain

from the final round and the Eggheads have also lost one brain.

The next subject is Science. So who from this team

would like to take science? Who would you like to play against?

-You sure you want to do it?

-Yeah, I'll do it, yeah.

-John G?

-Yeah.

-Carpet fitter.

-Yes.

-Against?

-CJ.

-CJ.

It's my second-best subject.

-Your second-best subject?

-Yep.

OK, not that we're intimidated or anything. So it's John G from the

Black Horsemen versus CJ from the Eggheads.

To ensure there's no conferring, would you please take your positions in the question room?

John, would you like the first set or the second set?

I've gotta go with first.

John, which black and white mammal from the sub-family Mephitidae

is well known for emitting an unpleasant-smelling liquid when threatened?

I've got to go with the skunk, I do believe.

Quite right. We're all wondering what it

would be like if it was the killer whale.

CJ,

what's the term for each three-month period of a human pregnancy?

Well, "tri" is the prefix for three, so it's a trimester.

It is indeed. Well done. One each.

John G,

cubic zirconia is a cheap substitute for which type of precious material?

I know it's diamond.

-Well, I think I know it's diamond.

-How do you know it's diamond?

Er, I just do. I don't know why.

You're right, you're right.

I'm sensing we've got quite a player here, CJ. I think he knows a lot.

I may as well just give up now, cos I'm not confident.

CJ, which member of the sloth family,

that weighed as much as an elephant and

had a name meaning "giant beast", died out around 10,000 years ago?

This is one where if you'd have asked me this

without the options, there's one of I would have said straightaway.

And now one of the other options is slightly trying to sway me.

-What's trying to sway you?

-Well, megalodon's trying to sway me.

My first instinct was the megatherium.

No, I think

the sloth is the megatherium, so that's what I'll go for.

-That's your answer?

-Yep. You're right. well done.

2-2.

John, what type of rock are soap stone and quartzite?

I've no idea, I don't think.

Geology's not my...

I'm going to go with sedimentary.

-Sedimentary's your answer?

-Yeah.

-It's metamorphic.

-Oh, well, there you go.

That's the type of rock. Bad luck.

CJ, for the round.

Jaundice is caused

by excessive amounts of which chemical in the blood stream?

Haven't got the first clue.

It could be melanin, simply cos you change colour.

Erm...

I don't know about either of the other two.

Simply cos it's got something to do with skin changing colour,

even though that could be

completely misleading, I'll try melanin with no degree of certainty.

No, it is not melanin, you're right about that. It's bilirubin.

No idea.

So you live to fight another day, John.

So it's three questions each. We go to Sudden Death.

John, here's your first question.

What name is given to the process by which heat is transmitted through

contact between the particles of matter and not through movement

of the material itself?

I'm thinking radiation. Erm...

You've got convection.

Radiation.

No, it's conduction.

Conduction, oh.

CJ, to take the round.

Which planet is the brightest in our solar system?

Seen from Earth, it's Venus, but are any of the planets

more reflective? Erm...

Going outwards, it wouldn't be Mercury, Mars.

It wouldn't be Jupiter, Saturn.

I'd have to say Venus.

You're quite right, it is Venus.

-Why is it so bright? Anyone?

-Cos it's near.

-Near?

-Well, it's nearer than most of the others.

-It's reflective.

-Second closest to the sun.

-The sun shines off...?

-It's hotter, cos it's got an atmosphere.

Well, CJ, you've shone more brightly

than your fellow competitor. Well done. You've taken the round.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

As it stands, the challengers have lost two brains

from the final round, the Eggheads have lost one brain.

The last subject is Music. So who from the challengers

-wants to play Music?

-It's looking like it's me, Jeremy.

You're very fast with your decisions here. You're well-drilled.

It's your team captain, isn't it? So, Paul and against who?

Erm, Chris I think.

It's Paul from the Black Horsemen against Chris.

To ensure there's not conferring, please take your positions.

Paul, would you like the first set of questions or the second set?

I'm going to go for the first set please, Jeremy.

Here's your first question.

"If you can't find a partner use a wooden chair"

is a line from which Elvis Presley single?

I'm pretty sure that I know the answer to this one.

I'm going to go for Jailhouse Rock.

Quite right. Chris, go on, sing it for us.

No way. It's early Presley. I only do late Presley.

# You were always on my mind... #

-Oh, gosh! Why did we ask?

-LAUGHTER

Your first question, Chris.

Lee Latchford-Evans and Lisa Scott-Lee

were members of which pop group?

They were members of Steps.

How on earth do you know that?

I've just got a strange mind, Jeremy.

-It works in odd ways.

-You're right.

Well done.

Second question to you, Paul.

Which German composer wrote the Brandenburg Concertos?

Erm...

Not too hot on composers.

I'm going to take a bit of a stab in the dark at

Johann Sebastian Bach.

That's your answer?

-It is.

-It's right.

-Excellent!

-Don't worry.

Where did that come from, that stab on Bach?

Just one of those that you'd probably go for the most famous name I guess.

Chris, She's So Lovely was a UK top ten

hit single in 2007 for which group?

Eee!

Don't think it's the Arctic Monkeys. I don't think it's Coldplay.

So, with no hope of success, I'll say Scouting For Girls.

-It's a brilliant guess. It is Scouting For Girls.

-Mmm.

Shows elimination is often the best way of doing this round.

Paul, your third question. Which rock band,

originally called Gothic Plague, was formed in Teignmouth in Devon

in the early 1990s?

Right, not much of a clue on this one.

I've got a sneaking feeling

that Pete Docherty might be from that part of the world,

so I'm going to go for Babyshambles.

Cos he is the singer in Babyshambles,

but you're wrong I'm afraid. It's Muse.

Muse. Chris, the David Bowie albums Low, Heroes and Lodger

were produced by Brian Eno and recorded in which city?

Mm...

Bowie's got a reputation for doing obscure things

in obscure places, hasn't he?

So it's unlikely to be New York.

Likewise Berlin. He's quite capable

of recording an album in Helsinki. So I'll say Helsinki.

-You're wrong. It's Berlin.

-Oh!

-Cos at the time it was recorded, Berlin was...

-Still divided.

-Ah!

-And therefore quite an exciting place to record it.

So the round continues.

We now go after three questions each to Sudden Death and just to make it

that bit harder, these questions will not be multiple choice.

Paul, which pop group's name

was taken from a French fashion magazine, the title of which can

roughly be translated into English as Fashion Update?

Pretty sure...

Fashion Update... "fashion"

I think in French is "mode".

"Depeche" is "speed". So I'm going to go for Depeche Mode.

Depeche Mode is correct.

Chris, which comedy duo released the 1991 Comic Relief single The Stonk?

Not Reeves and Mortimer.

Er...

Newman and Baddiel?

Newman and Baddiel, it was not.

It was Hale and Pace.

Gareth Hale, Norman Pace. Credited as Hale and Pace and the Stonkers.

That's another one for your library.

Well, Paul, well done to you. You took on the Eggheads.

You emerged triumphant.

Good news for our challengers.

It means you'll be able to play in today's final round.

Congratulations. So would you both please come back

and join your teams?

So this is what we've been playing towards.

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

But those of you who lost your head to heads

won't be taking part in this round.

So, John and Mark from the Black Horsemen and Judith

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

So, John, David and Paul, you are playing to win the Black Horsemen

£7,000. Kevin, CJ and Daphne, you are playing for something which

money cannot buy, the Eggheads' reputation.

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

The questions are all General Knowledge.

You are allowed to confer. The Black Horsemen, the question is,

are your three brains better than the Eggheads' three?

John, David and Paul, do you want to go first or second?

I think we'll go first this time.

First question for the Black Horsemen.

In terms of numbers of followers,

what is the world's third largest religion,

following Christianity and Islam?

In terms of numbers of followers,

Black Horsemen, what is the

world's third largest religion, following Christianity and Islam?

I mean, Judaism. There's Jews all over the world, isn't there?

It's got to be from a heavily populated country, hasn't it?

-Well, Hinduism that's...

-It's either Hinduism or Sikhism.

Hindus in India... there's millions in India.

So are Sikhs...

-I think it's Hinduism.

-Hinduism.

-You happy with that?

-Happy with what?

-We're happy with Hinduism.

-Hinduism.

-Is that your answer?

-Yeah.

You're right. Well done.

The sound of one hand clapping.

THEY LAUGH

Eggheads, "Smoggies" is a

nickname traditionally applying to inhabitants of which town?

"Smoggies" is a nickname

applied to inhabitants of which town?

-Is it Middlesbrough simply...?

-Nantwich is...

-It's famous for the salt industry, but...

-Smoggy?

I mean, "Smoggies"

if it does relate to the smoke...

Middlesbrough was a great industrial town, Ironopolis.

-Well, it's industrial...

-Which town, "Smoggies", Eggheads?

If "Smoggies" does actually relate to factory smoke and the atmosphere,

then logically it should be Middlesbrough,

so we'll go for Middlesbrough.

Do you know, Black Horsemen?

-We would have gone for that.

-Middlesbrough.

It's the right answer. Well done.

Challengers, your second question.

On which album did Paul Simon collaborate with the South African

choral group Ladysmith Black Mambazo?

On which album did

Paul Simon collaborate with the South African choral group

Ladysmith Black Mambazo?

Definitely Graceland. Trust me 100%.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Definitely.

-Cracking album.

-Cracking album, I'm told.

I've never heard it, but I'm told it's a wonderful album, Graceland.

You're right. If you win today, you'll be able to go out and buy...

-Buy one, yeah.

-You'll enjoy it. It's great.

Eggheads, "Hello, my darlings" was the catchphrase of which entertainer?

-Charlie Drake.

-"Hello, my darlings"

was the catchphrase of which entertainer?

Well, I leave the voices to Chris,

so you're not getting me to do this, I tell you. It's Charlie Drake.

It was Charlie Drake in that very high-pitched voice of his.

Two points apiece.

Challengers, you need this.

What was the former name of Liberty Island, the location

of the Statue of Liberty?

I think it's Ellis Island. That's where the...

Where all the immigrants...

-Landed originally.

-Landed before going on to the mainland.

-Yeah.

-I think it's Ellis Island.

-Yeah, I agree with you.

-So, Ellis Island?

-Have a go.

-Yeah.

We think it's Ellis Island. We think that's where

the people used to land originally before

they went on to...

-The mainland.

-The mainland and the States.

Ellis Island. No, it's not.

It's Bedloe's Island.

Bedloe's Island. I think 99 people out of 100 would have said Ellis.

It's a separate island in the New York harbour.

Ellis Island was the big immigration reception place.

Bedloe's Island's very small, where the Statue of Liberty is.

-It's got the statue on it and not much else.

-No. And then officially changed its name to Liberty Island.

Your third question to take the contest.

Eggheads, which Brazilian footballer announced his retirement in April 2008,

ending a career in which he claims to have scored over 1,000 goals?

Romario.

Which Brazilian footballer announced his retirement in April 2008,

ending a career in which he claims to have scored over 1,000 goals?

They don't seem to be quite sure.

There are some matches that are not sanctioned.

But it's the famously temperamental Romario.

-Are you sure it's Romario?

-Yeah, yeah.

-That's your answer?

-Yeah.

It's right. Congratulations, Eggheads, you've won.

Unlucky, Black Horsemen. And, I tell you, Ellis Island, we were all with you on that answer.

And now you'll see Bedloe's again and again. Commiserations to you.

The Eggheads have done what comes naturally to them. Their winning

streak continues. I'm afraid you won't be going home with the £7,000,

which means that the money rolls over to the next show.

Eggheads, congratulations. Who will beat you?

Join us next time to see if the new challengers have the brains

to defeat the Eggheads.

£8,000 says they don't.

Till then, goodbye.

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