Yes I can hear you all now 'YOU'RE 3 DAYS LATE!' And yes I do dutifully acknowledge my lateness. Things have been rather busy this weekend, but enough of the excuses and down to business. Today we have reached the ultimate moment in series 71. The Grand Final. And what a final it promises to be with 2 excellent players featuring. Number 1 seed Dan McColm has been pretty much flawless as he has stormed his way to the final with some barn storming performances, culminating in a max game against George Ford on Wednesday. Number 2 seed Antoinette Ryan has herself had an excellent run and did well to defeat Laurence Killen in the semi final on Thursday.The 2 players have an aggregate total score of well over 2,000, averaging in excess of 100 a game, so let's see how we get on today.
Enjoy.
Countdown recap for Friday 19 December 2014.
C1: Champion Dan McColm (10 wins, 1174 points.) An apterite and student from Kineton, Warwickshire. Defeated Paul Worsley and George Ford to reach the final, and became a 'Maxochamp' in the semi final.
C2: Champion Antoinette Ryan (10 wins, 1043 points.) An apterite and full time Mum from Nenagh, County Tipperary. Defeated David Stanford and Laurence Killen to reach the final.
DC: Susie Dent and David Baddiel.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: T M F I E A R E S
R02: M S P L O A U T I
R03: 7, 8, 6, 1, 6, 50, . Target: 815.
TTT: HISSLANG - "Massively reducing the cost of the guitarist's CD."
R04: G L S C E O A I E
R05: T D R O U I Y E I
R06: 7, 2, 6, 5, 5, 6, . Target: 840.
R07: R V B C A E U A E
R08: P C R U I O P E G
R09: 9, 10, 50, 100, 25, 75. Target: 518.
TTT: SVENOLLY - "Sven and Olly both behaved so carelessly."
R10: X S R D A E O N V
R11: B T H E O U T I E
R12: W N D T A I E K A
R13: R G N E I A S R O
R14: 10, 2, 4, 3, 10, 7, . Target: 768.
R15: A T E L L Y H I T (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Round 1: T M F I E A R E S
Dan: STEAMIER (8)
Antoinette: STEAMIER (8)
DC: MEATIER (7) FAIREST (7) EMIRATES (8)
OT: FRAMESET (8)
Score: 8–8 (max 8)
Could this have been a STEAMIER start? Well it was as both players kick off with 8.
Round 2: M S P L O A U T I
Dan: SOLATIUM (8)
Antoinette: LIPOMAS (7)
DC: OPTIMAL (7)
Score: 16–8 (max 16)
It's 8 for Dan with SOLATIUM as Antoinette's excellent LIPOMAS misses the scoreboard.
Round 3: 7, 8, 6, 1, 6, 50. Target: 815.
Dan: 816. (50 + 1) x (8 + 7 + ( 6 / 6)) (7)
Antoinette: 814. (6 / 6) + 1 x ((50 x 8) + 7) (7)
RR: 814. (7)
Score: 23–15 (max 23)
It's a slip up by both players... well actually it isn't because 1 away is the best that can be achieved, so 7 is the max, and 7 it shall be for each.
Teatime teaser: HISSLANG -> SLASHING
Round 4: G L S C E O A I E
Dan: CELOSIA (7)
Antoinette: GOALIES (7)
DC: LEGACIES (8)
OT: ELEGIACS (8)
Score: 30–22 (max 31)
But 7 wasn't the max this time. Both players missed 'legacies' for 8, and settled for CELOSIA and GOALIES.
Round 5: T D R O U I Y E I
Dan: OUTRIDE (7)
Antoinette: OUTRIDE (7)
DC: DIORITE (7)
Score: 37–29 (max 38)
Both players manage to OUTRIDE this round and get 7 points.
Round 6: 7, 2, 6, 5, 5, 6. Target: 840.
Dan: -
Antoinette: 840. (6 x 2) x 7 x (5 + 5) (10)
Score: 37–39 (max 48)
What!!
Shock! Horror for Dan as he misses a not too difficult numbers game, allowing Antoinette to take the lead. Are we about to see one of Countdown's biggest 'upsets' of all time?David Baddiel talks about his cat called 'Chairman Meiow'
Round 7: R V B C A E U A E
Dan: BAUERA (6)
Antoinette: verbace
DC: BRACE (5) CARVE (5) CRAVE (5) BEAVER (6)
Score: 43–39 (max 54)
Antoinette gets 'verbace' disallowed, allowing Dan to recover and go 4 ahead with BAUERA.
Round 8: P C R U I O P E G
Dan: PIROGUE (7)
Antoinette: GROUPIE (7)
Score: 50–46 (max 61)
It's 7 each as PIROGUE and GROUPIE feature.
Round 9: 9, 10, 50, 100, 25, 75. Target: 518.
Dan: 518. (50 x 10) + ((100 / 50) x 9) (10)
Antoinette: 516.
Score: 60–46 (max 71)
Antoinette misses the numbers and allows Dan to increase his lead with a perfect 10.
Teatime teaser: SVENOLLY -> SLOVENLY
Round 10: X S R D A E O N V
Dan: DROVES (6)
Antoinette: andovers
DC: VENDORS (7)
Score: 66–46 (max 78)
People came in their DROVES to support Dan, and he gets another 6 here as Antoinette has 'andovers' disallowed.
Round 11: B T H E O U T I E
Dan: BOTHIE (6)
Antoinette: OUTHIT (6)
OT: BUTTIE (6) HOTTIE (6)
Score: 72–52 (max 84)
It's 6 a piece here with BOTHIE and OUTHIT.
Susie Dent talks about the origin of the phrase 'being on tenterhooks'
Round 12: W N D T A I E K A
Dan: AWAITED (7)
Antoinette: AWAITED (7)
DC: WINKED (6)
Score: 79–59 (max 91)
The long AWAITED 12th round sees both players get 7 points.
Round 13: R G N E I A S R O
Dan: ORGANISER (18)
Antoinette: ORGANISER (18)
DC: GROANERS (8) REARINGS (8)
Score: 97–77 (max 109)
You have to be a good ORGANISER to play this game. What a way to end the letters rounds as both players get 18 points.
Round 14: 10, 2, 4, 3, 10, 7. Target: 768.
Dan: 768. (10 + 4 - 3) x 7 x 10 - 2 (10)
Antoinette: 768. (7 - 3) x 2 x (10 x 10 - 4) (10)
Score: 107–87 (max 119)
Superb numbers from both players, as 768 is achieved for a perfect 10.
Round 15: A T E L L Y H I T
Dan buzzes on 3 seconds to say LETHALITY which is correct.
Dan has been ATELLYHIT on Countdown since October, and the LETHALITY of his button came to pass here as he ends the game with the Conundrum in the bag.
So Dan McColm becomes series 71 champion, and few will argue the merit of his achievement. He has been truly magnificent throughout the series, and his victory will come as little surprise. Antoinette Ryan was a gallant challenger though, and put up a really good fight here, but in the end she was overshadowed by Dan. A great final, and I get the feeling this won't be the last time we see either of these players, with rumours of a COC in the air, etc.
But for now, the end has come. This has been a fantastic series, and I have really enjoyed doing my share of recaps throughout this series, and indeed throughout 2014. I look forward to continuing my duties in 2015. There are 2 special programmes on Monday and Tuesday next week, just before Christmas, so don't miss them. Series 72 starts on Monday 5th January. The first reigning champion will be Andy Noden, as he won the last game of series 71 before the QF's began. Join Andy McGurn on that day, and indeed on Monday for the special. I'll be back on Friday 9th January with my first recap of 2015. In the meantime, thank you very much for reading and I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year.
Goodbye for now.
Final Score: 117–87 (max 129)
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=71
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