eggheads

[chirpychirpy]

how do the experts know so many of the answers? do you ever think it's fixed? i find it boring the experts always win!

[MarkRae]

Because they're experts.
I know it isn't.
They don't always win...

[masma]

They are very clever but.... how come, whenever they don't know an answer and have to take a guess they always get it right. Mr M recons someone's holding up the answer off screen!

[askyourgran]

Some can hold obscure answers in their heads, I watched The Chase tonight and the Big Guy was good, just firing off the answers.

[askyourgran]

Cj is an absolute so-and -so on that.

[Prudie]

As with most serious quizzers I expect they spend a good deal of time researching and memorising stuff. I did feel very sorry for the roller derby girls this week. They knocked every egghead out except, unfortunately for them, Kevin who beat them all in the final on his own. He irritates me the most (Mark Rae will be cross I said this!).

[crisgal]

what is it with that cj?? God he's so annoying!!!!!
And Judith millionaire has had her face done ain't she?

[MarkRae]

Prudie, I'm not cross in the slightest - people often get irritated by others who are so much better at something than they are...

[Hopkirk]

... and what about Dictionary Corner on Countdown?

They must have a group of geeks on t'internet doing their work for them.

They would have you believe they find a 9 letter job in 30 seconds by leafing through the Oxford Concise.

[rowanwitch]

the more you use your memory the better it gets and add that to an interest in the world and its goings on and a smattering of a number of languages so you can work out some of the answers from the words in the question/answer choices you can be pretty good in a quiz situation...the big advantage they do have is familiarity with the pressure of performing under the spotlight so they are less likely to go blank

[Prudie]

Mark on the contrary they are all better than me but don't all irritate me. Only Kevin closely followed by Barry and it's their mannerisms not their brains. My favourite for the record is CJ.

[NoMercy]

How much do those guys actually get paid?

[scotman]

I think the problem with the mannerisms is that some of them are better than others at faking the 'thinking process' that they say they are following. I am quite sure that most of them know the answer instantly but just sitting there saying one word is not considered good television.
Apparently Stephen Fry generates similar feelings of dislike and resentment in some people.

[MarkRae]

Scotman, you are right, of course. Eggheads isn't JUST a quiz show in the way that University Challenge and Mastermind are, and Fifteen-to-One was. It's part quiz, part entertainment, and a certain amount of showmanship is expected. You are right that, unlike the above-mentioned shows, it wouldn't make good telly for the Eggheads just to answer straightaway every time, though they do that sometimes. It's also important that the public thinks that the opponents have at least some chance of winning, even if the opponents generally don't, and are mostly there just to get on the box.

I can assure everyone that the Eggheads really do not like to lose, and the chasers even less...

[JeniPeni]

I can't stand CJ or Daphne - I hate the faces they make when Judith doesn't get a question right; I actually think they don't like Judith!

[chelle7272]

I think you're right - i used to like Daphne, she's from my hometown after all, but her and CJ together really irritate me.

[supersuezy24]

Mark, where you been??

[Hopkirk]

No, Daphne is sweet.

[MarkRae]

Been on hols, Susie...

[hc4361]

I have a friend who is a 'quizzer'. He has flash cards with the questions on one side and the answers on the other - thousands of them.
He memorises lists of everything and knows them by rote.
He just knows a load of facts without knowing much beyond the answer.