Monday 22nd June 2015 (series 73, prelim 2)

[Andy McGurn]

Countdown recap for Monday 22 June 2015.

C1: Champion Rhys Benjamin (1 win, 68 or 78 points, we don’t know yet.)– Apterite Rhys won the first preliminary game of series 73 when he beat James Judge on the third conundrum of the game. Rhys is a big fan of the Eurovision song contest, something that will not be news to readers of this forum. He also mentions having done karaoke performance of “You spin me round” by Dead or Alive.


C2: Challenger Michael Stokes -A lab technician from Hertfordshire whose favourite song is Chain Reaction by the Diana Ross. He danced on stage with her at a concert in 1997.

DC: Susie Dent and Colin Murray.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: S D N U A E G A O
R02: T M X U A E L R I
R03: 2, 5, 25, 50, 100, 75. Target: 350.
TTT: BATOFFUN - "it sounds lke the Italian goalkeeper's got a new hairstyle"
R04: D T L P S A E I O
R05: F N H U I E J A R
R06: 8, 1, 9, 7, 50, 75. Target: 534.
R07: S V C I O U T A R
R08: P L N E O G B I A
R09: 8, 3, 50, 100, 25, 75. Target: 193.
TTT: SONSBOOT - "they're not Springsteen tracks they are naughty boys"
R10: S Z T C E O I R U
R11: T R M E O I B A O
R12: K S P U I T D E O
R13: M P L E A I D E M
R14: 2, 5, 10, 1, 7, 100. Target: 367.
R15: L O N G T U L I P (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: S D N U A E G A O

Rhys: GONADS (6)
Michael: DUNES (5)
DC: SUNDAE (6) AGENDAS (7)
Score: 6–0 (max 7)


Rhys apologises for his GONADS. He need not do so as it gives him six points.

Round 2: T M X U A E L R I

Rhys: MATRIX (6)
Michael: RETAIL (6)
DC: MAILER (6) MAULER (6) MIXTURE (7)
OT: MALTIER (7) MURIATE (7)
Score: 12–6 (max 14)

Good use of the X by Rhys, Michael equals him this team and he is off the mark as well now.


Round 3: 2, 5, 25, 50, 100, 75. Target: 350.

Rhys: 350. (75*5)-25 (10)
Michael: 350. (5+2)*50 (10)
Score: 22–16 (max 24)

There are many ways to the answer here and the contestants both manage it.


Teatime teaser: BATOFFUN -> BOUFFANT

Round 4: D T L P S A E I O

Rhys: LIPASE (6)
Michael: SAILED (6)
DC: PLAITED (7) PILOTED (7) ISOLATED (8) SPOLIATED (18)
Score: 28–22 (max 42)

Sixes for the contestants but DC go to a seven, then an eight and then a nine.


Round 5: F N H U I E J A R

Rhys: FINER (5)
Michael: RAIN (4)
DC: UNFAIR (6) INJURE (6)
OT: HEJIRA (6) HERNIA (6) INJERA (6)
Score: 33–22 (max 48)

Early signs are that Rhys has a great chance of getting a second win as the challenger can only spot a very simple four here.


Round 6: 8, 1, 9, 7, 50, 75. Target: 534.

Rhys: 534. (75*7)+9 (10)
Michael: -
Score: 43–22 (max 58)

Michael might be too nervous as he misses a numbers game that can be reached with only three of the numbers in the selection.


DC Guest – Colin talks about a moment when Tony Jacklin and Jack Nicklaus tied the Ryder cup in a great act of sportsmanship.




Round 7: S V C I O U T A R

Rhys: VARIOUS (7)
Michael: VICTORS (7)
DC: CAVORTS (7)
OT: CARIOUS (7) CITROUS (7) CUATROS (7) CURIOSA (7) SAUTOIR (7) SAVIOUR (7) SURCOAT (7) TRAVOIS (7) TURACOS (7)
Score: 50–29 (max 65)

Many sevens here, both common and obscure and between them the contestants get the two that come last alphabetically.


Round 8: P L N E O G B I A

Rhys: PLAIN (5)
Michael: planing
DC: ELOPING (7)
OT: BEGONIA (7) BIPLANE (7) IGNOBLE (7) LEAPING (7) OPALINE (7) PEALING (7)
Score: 55–29 (max 72)

Rhys’s word may have been PLAIN or PLANE but we don’t find out because we only hear it said. Michael thinks he has PLANING but he didn’t realise he needed another N.


Round 9: 8, 3, 50, 100, 25, 75. Target: 193.

Rhys: 192. (100+75+25)-8 (7)
Michael: 192. (100+75+25)-8 (7)
RR: 193. (75*3)-((100/25)*8) (10)
Score: 62–36 (max 82)

Simple to get one away but spot on requires Rachael’s expertise.


Teatime teaser: SONSBOOT -> BOSTOONS

Round 10: S Z T C E O I R U

Rhys: coziest
Michael: RICE (4)
DC: OUTSIZE (7)
OT: OUTCRIES (8)
Score: 62–40 (max 90)

Rhys tries cosiest which it turs out is an American spelling enabling Michael to make up a bit of ground. With Susie having spotted OUTSIZE, its surprising that she misses the max of the similar sounding OUTCRIES.


Round 11: T R M E O I B A O

Rhys: BOOMER (6)
Michael: REBOOT (6)
DC: BOOTIE (6) BOOMIER (7)
OT: BROMATE (7) BROOMIE (7)
Score: 68–46 (max 97)

Rhys is heading for another win, though he could have all but sealed it in this round had he known he could have just added an I to his word.


OoW – Susie talks about what a cows urine has to do with Ammonia


Round 12: K S P U I T D E O

Rhys: SPOUTED (7)
Michael: SPOUTED (7)
DC: TEDIOUS (7) DISPUTE (7) OUTSIDE (7)
Score: 75–53 (max 104)

Four max words here, the contestants get one and DC spot the other three.


Round 13: M P L E A I D E M

Rhys: IMPALED (7)
Michael: DIMPLE (6)
DC: PALMED (6)
OT: DILEMMA (7) EMAILED (7) IMPLEAD (7) LIMEADE (7)
Score: 82–53 (max 111)

And Rhys now has his second win with that spot. Michael has not been the strongest challenger admittedly.


Round 14: 2, 5, 10, 1, 7, 100. Target: 367.

Rhys: 367. (5-1)*(100-10)+7 (10)
Michael: 369.
Score: 92–53 (max 121)

Nice solve by Rhys and he now has a chance of scoring a century, provided the conundrum is an –ING.


Round 15: L O N G T U L I P

Michael buzzes on 6 seconds to say POLLUTING which is correct.
Final Score: 92–63 (max 131)


The conundrum is an –ING but it’s the challenger Michael who gets it, meaning Rhys will have to make do with another two digit winning score, but this isn’t Eurovision and scores with two digits often lead to wins in this game.

It’s nice that we now have a full week of countdown with no interruptions for horses. It seems like a long road ahead for Rhys to become an octochamp but while he remains in the chair you can’t count him out.

James L. will be here tomorrow for Rhys’s third game. Lets see how far he can go.

Also, good luck to all competing at CO-St Albans this weekend. I was there last year and it was a great event, and I’m pretty sad that I can’t make it this year.

Hope all countdowners are enjoying the summer so far.


Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=73