So, enjoy.
Countdown recap for Wednesday 20 November 2013.
C1: Champion Philip Creed (1 win, 87 points.) From Lancaster, Lancashire. He used to be a bingo caller.
C2: Challenger June Madell. A retired examination marker from Sittingbourne, Kent. She once mistakenly put her cat into a tumble dryer
She is also a past contestant, reaching the semi-finals in Series 5, back in 1984.DC: Susie Dent and Selina Scott, making her DC début today.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: D W G N A E O J I
R02: C A R E H R O N A
R03: 25, 8, 10, 8, 1, 3. Target: 672.
TTT: FUNFLEET - "It's not fun, if the fleet are dumping this in the water"
R04: U E D S A T M O L
R05: M R F I A T R O E
R06: 75, 8, 9, 8, 4, 7. Target: 939.
R07: T D B I E O Q D B
R08: U A N D E N I L S
R09: 50, 3, 8, 1, 8, 6. Target: 652.
TTT: ALATECUE - "Is this type of insect a fan of the police?"
R10: N G A E R V I P A
R11: M S H Z U I O T S
R12: L Y E O G U S I F
R13: K T S A O C R A O
R14: 100, 9, 8, 4, 10, 7. Target: 725.
R15: R U D E S T A R E (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: D W G N A E O J I
C1: WADING (6)
C2: JOINED (6)
OT: WENDIGO (7) WIDGEON (7) WINDAGE (7)
Score: 6–6 (max 7)
A pair of 6's for the contestants to begin with today, but shockingly DC miss all three gettable 7's.
A WENDIGO is an evil spirit or cannibal.
WINDAGE is the influence of the wind in deflecting a missile.
Round 2: C A R E H R O N A
C1: RANCHER (7)
C2: CRANE (5)
DC: RANCHERO (8)
OT: RANCHERA (8)
Score: 13–6 (max 15)
Philip takes the first lead with his RANCHER, but he could've extended it to 8 by sticking the A or O onto the end of it..............
RANCHERA is a type of Mexican music involving folk ballads using guitars and horns.
Round 3: 25, 8, 10, 8, 1, 3. Target: 672.
C1: 671. (((8 x 8) + 3) x 10) + 1 (7)
C2: 671. (((3 x 25) - 8) x 10) + 1 (7)
RR: 672. (10 - 8 + 1 + 25) x 3 x 8 (10)
Score: 20–13 (max 25)
Everyone seemed to go a bit complex, when doing (27 x 25) - 3 would've done, but it's 7 points each for the contestants.
Teatime teaser: FUNFLEET -> EFFLUENT
Round 4: U E D S A T M O L
C1: LASTED (6)
C2: MOLEST (6)
DC: MODULATES (18)
Score: 26–19 (max 43)
Well, let's hope the MOLEST hasn't LASTED, but in the meantime, DC go for glory with a 9!!
Round 5: M R F I A T R O E
C1: MORTAR (6)
C2: FOAMIER (7)
DC: REFORMAT (8) FORMATE (7) FIREARM (7) ROTIFER (7)
OT: RETIFORM (8)
Score: 26–26 (max 51)
June levels up proceedings with her FOAMIER 7, while DC go one better with an impressive 8.
RETIFORM is an adjective meaning netlike.
Round 6: 75, 8, 9, 8, 4, 7. Target: 939.
C1: -
C2: -
RR: 939. ((8 + 4) x 8 x 9) + 75 (10)
Score: 26–26 (max 61)
A very nasty numbers appears, and even Rachel needs the extra time to get it spot on.
Selina talks about how she started her sock business by rescuing 2 billy goats.
Round 7: T D B I E O Q D B
C1: DOBBED (6)
C2: DOBBED (6)
OT: BODIED (6) DIBBED (6) DOITED (6)
Score: 32–32 (max 67)
And that's the first max achieved by the contestants today
And it's been DOBBED on. 
DOITED is an adjective meaning childish or feeble-minded, especially because of advanced age.
Round 8: U A N D E N I L S
C1: SUNDIAL (7)
C2: DENIALS (7)
DC: ANNELIDS (8)
Score: 39–39 (max 75)
DENIALS and SUNDIAL............., that reminds me of round 9 in this legendary game.
Nice darrenic 8 from DC too. Round 9: 50, 3, 8, 1, 8, 6. Target: 652.
C1: 652. Mistake in working.
C2: -
OT: 652. ((50 - 3 - 1) x (8 + 6)) + 8 (10)
Score: 39–39 (max 85)
Oh dear, Philip looks a bit shaky offering 652, and it was proven to be well founded, as he realises that he used the 6 twice, meaning that the scores remain level pegging, and even Rachel can't solve this 88%, which is actually a slight modification on what Philip was going to do for his 652......................
Teatime teaser: ALATECUE -> ACULEATE
Round 10: N G A E R V I P A
C1: repaving
C2: RAVAGE (6)
DC: PERVING (7)
OT: ANERGIA (7) PERGANA (7) REAPING (7) REAVING (7) VAGINAE (7) VINEGAR (7)
Score: 39–45 (max 92)
Oh dear, after messing up the numbers, Philip makes a rash decision in trying for an 8, and it backfires badly, giving June her first lead of the day.
ANERGIA is a lack of energy.
To REAVE is to take away by or as by force.
Round 11: M S H Z U I O T S
C1: SHOUTS (6)
C2: SHOUTS (6)
DC: OSTIUM (6)
OT: ISTHMUS (7)
Score: 45–51 (max 99)
So, it's SHOUTS, sorry, SO, IT'S SHOUTS!!!
A very nice 7 which reminds me of Licence To Kill, the Timothy Dalton Bond film. 
An ISTHMUS is a narrow strip of land, bordered on both sides by water, connecting two larger bodies of land.
Susie's Origins Of Words talk about the origins of "LOL", "texting" and "cool".
Round 12: L Y E O G U S I F
C1: FUELS (5)
C2: FOGEYS (6)
DC: EULOGY (6) SOLIFUGE (8)
Score: 45–57 (max 107)
June doubles her advantages thanks to some FOGEYS, while DC go darrenic yet again.
Round 13: K T S A O C R A O
C1: CROOKS (6)
C2: CARATS (6)
DC: ACTORS (6) CROAKS (6)
OT: OSTRACA (7) OSTRAKA (7)
Score: 51–63 (max 114)
Philip's CROOKS seem to be after June's CARATS, while the OSTRACA/OSTRAKA double is avoided by everyone.............
In Ancient Greece, an OSTRACON/OSTRAKON (plural OSTRACA/OSTRAKA) is a potsherd, especially one used as a ballot on which the name of a person voted to be ostracized was inscribed.
Philip is a dozen points behind, but he was further behind at this stage yesterday, and still won. Is he going to do it again today
Round 14: 100, 9, 8, 4, 10, 7. Target: 725.
C1: 726. Mistake in working.
C2: 723. Mistake in working.
RR: 725. ((9 - 4 + 100) x 7) - 10 (10)
Score: 51–63 (max 124)
Well, he declares 1 away, with June a further 1 away, but he has reused a number again, while June's memory lapse is irrelevant, as she has wrapped up the win by default.
Round 15: R U D E S T A R E
No one buzzes. The answer was TREASURED.
Final Score: 51–63 (max 134)
Well, it's a complete blank in the entire studio. In a way slightly symbolic of the game, as both contestants only managed ONE MAX each in the entire game
But, it's June who returns from the past to sneak the win away from Philip, who sort of had a mini-implosion in the final half, which gave June the win.
Join me tomorrow to see if we can see a marked improvement all round.
So, till then, bye bye.
Statistics Corner
Philip:
Total score - 51
Raw score - 62
Total % of max - 38
Raw % of max - 46
Total average score per round - 3.4
Raw average score per round - 4.1
Number of maxes - 1
June:
Total score - 63
Raw score - 68
Total % of max - 47
Raw % of max - 51
Total average score per round - 4.2
Raw average score per round - 4.5
Number of maxes - 1
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=69