Friday 16 December 2011 (Series 65 Grand Final)

[Mike Brown]

Countdown recap for Friday 16 December 2011 (Series 65 Grand Final).

C1: #4 Seed Carl Williams (10 wins, 901 points.)
C2: #2 Seed Graeme Cole (10 wins, 1022 points.)
DC: Susie Dent and Jon Culshaw.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

Yes! We’ve finally reached the climax of this, the 65th series of Countdown and the remaining contestants are the statuesque Carl Williams and the Jools Holland-impersonating Graeme Cole. Sadly, there will be none of Mark Deeks’s humour gracing the final after he lost out on Wednesday, but whoever wins will be a worthy victor after already amassing ten victories to their name – even if Carl’s route to today’s game was not without a little controversy in the early stages!

R01: S M L A O A N Z F
R02: S P J U O A Y D I
R03: E O A R W N G S F
R04: M R S O E I R W O
R05: 50, 75, 9, 7, 5, 4. Target: 424.
R06: H R N E I O C T E
TTT: HAPPYONE - "You might be happy to find one of these that works."
R07: G D K V A I U I B
R08: P R V E O U C T R
R09: A E A B T D P E N
R10: 2, 10, 1, 7, 1, 10. Target: 608.
R11: S N I U O L N E C
TTT: RUDEPECK - "Prepared her lips for a rude peck on the cheek."
R12: M T G A E O T M Q
R13: L R N S I E I U D
R14: 7, 9, 9, 5, 4, 4. Target: 807.
R15: T I M E U P L A D (conundrum)
TB: V A A N G E L I S (conundrum)

Countdown is sponsored by Vitabiotics Immunace.

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Because it’s the final, there isn’t really time for the standard banter today, but Jeff does tell us the prizes on offer for the winner (exactly the same as last time around – the dictionaries, the laptop, a subscription to Oxford Online and their name on the Richard Whiteley Memorial Trophy) and we also see a little message put together by the audience, which reads (on held-up pieces of A4) “UNBELIEVABLE JEFF THANK YOU”, although at first the initial ‘word’ is actually “UNBELIEVAL”, due to a failure to hold the B and E aloft! If you look carefully, you can see number six seed Dave Taylor and a certain recapper amongst the crowd! Let’s move on...

Round 1: S M L A O A N Z F

C1: SALMON (6)
C2: SALMON (6)
OT: AMAZONS (7)
Score: 6–6 (max 7)

There’s nothing fishy about the contestants’ opening offerings and an AMAZON (lower case A) is a Central or South American parrot.

Round 2: S P J U O A Y D I

C1: DAISY (5)
C2: PODIA (5)
DC: JOYPADS (7)
Score: 11–11 (max 14)

Good spot from DC, for which Susie gets the pen-cam out.

Round 3: E O A R W N G S F

C1: FORAGES (7)
C2: FORAGES (7)
DC: FORAGES (7) WAGONERS (8)
Score: 18–18 (max 22)

Carl and Graeme may have been foraging for an eight, but DC actually manage to come up with one.

Round 4: M R S O E I R W O

C1: WORRISOME (18)
C2: WORRISOME (18)
Score: 36–36 (max 40)

A good nine, and still even stevens - great stuff.

Round 5: 50, 75, 9, 7, 5, 4. Target: 424.

C1: 425. (5x75)+50 (7)
C2: 423. (50x9)-(5x4)-7 (7)
RR: 424. (50x7)+75-5+4 (10)
Score: 43–43 (max 50)

And now it’s time for something from Jon Culshaw... oh, apparently not!!! It’s straight into another letters selection...

Round 6: H R N E I O C T E

C1: ERECTION (8)
C2: HEROINE (7)
OT: COHERENT (8) NEOTERIC (8) NOTCHIER (8)
Score: 51–43 (max 58)

Carl’s erection gives him a small lead. Insert your own joke here.

And NOW it actually is time for Jon’s piece, which is an ode apparently written by Star Wars legend Obi Wan-Kenobi. Things weren’t like this when it was recorded, so presumably it was down to making the three parts of the programme more equal or to fix some kind of continuity hitch. Maybe we’ll find out, or maybe we have already, as I haven’t read the spoiler thread for the show yet.

Teatime teaser: HAPPYONE -> PAYPHONE

Ah, Part Two at last!

Round 7: G D K V A I U I B

C1: buda
C2: DIVA (4)
DC: BAD (3)
OT: ADUKI (5)
Score: 51–47 (max 63)

Carl hesitates when offering his four and it turns out it’s a bad ‘un, which means Graeme can reduce the gap to four points. Had they ‘bean’ paying more attention, someone may have spotted the darren for five.

Round 8: P R V E O U C T R

C1: CORRUPT (7)
C2: CUTOVER (7)
DC: PROCURE (7) ROUTER (6)
OT: COUVERT (7) TROUPER (7)

As Susie points out, you can’t have OVERCUT^, but CUTOVER is fine. A COUVERT is an alternative version of COVER, when used to describe a place-setting in a restaurant.

Score: 58–54 (max 70)

Round 9: A E A B T D P E N

C1: BEATEN (6)
C2: PEDANT (6)
DC: BEATEN (6)
OT: TAPENADE (8)
Score: 64–60 (max 78)

No one spots the tasty eight in the selection.

OoW: Before Susie starts her discussion of the items in a traditional Christmas stocking, she tells Jeff “you no longer have to look interested – you can yawn your way through this one”. LOL.

Round 10: 2, 10, 1, 7, 1, 10. Target: 608.

C1: 608. (((10x10)+1)x(7-1))+2 (10)
C2: 608. (((10x10)+1)x(7-1))+2 (10)
Score: 74–70 (max 88)

Is it time for the ad break yet? Er, no...

Round 11: S N I U O L N E C

C1: UNCLES (6)
C2: ELUSION (7)
DC: INCLOSE (7)
OT: NUCLEONS (8)
Score: 74–77 (max 96)

Ooh, Graeme’s now in the lead. What a final!

And as Jeff announces the second teaser, here comes that second break!

Teatime teaser: RUDEPECK -> PUCKERED

It’s Part Three!

Round 12: M T G A E O T M Q

C1: MEAT (4)
C2: GAME (4)
DC: OMEGA (5) (RR)
OT: GEMMA (5) GOTTA (5) MATTE (5) METTA (5) MOTET (5) MOTTE (5) TOMME (5) TOTEM (5)
Score: 78–81 (max 101)

Not really sure who got OMEGA, but Graeme says he’s spotted a five out of time, DC declare they have “just fives” and then we cut to Rachel standing next to it on the letters board. In terms of mysteries, it’s not really up there with Lord Lucan and Shergar, but still...

Round 13: L R N S I E I U D

C1: INSURED (7)
C2: INSURED (7)
DC: INSIDER (7)
OT: INLIERS (7) RESILIN (7) URIDINE (7)
Score: 85–88 (max 108)

RESILIN is an elastic material made of protein chains and URIDINE is a compound formed by partial hydrolysis of RNA. And for the record, they’re both mass nouns.

Round 14: 7, 9, 9, 5, 4, 4. Target: 807.

C1: -
C2: 806. ((9x7)-5+4)x(9+4) (7)
Score: 85–95 (max 115)

As it’s Jeff’s last show, Rachel asks him if he’d like to give the spot-on answer, but he informs us that it’s impossible – and he’s correct.

So, with just the conundrum to go, it’s exciting stuff. If Carl spots it, he can force a tie-break. If Graeme spots it, he’ll be series champ. The crowd is on its proverbial feet.

Round 15: T I M E U P L A D

The seconds have almost ticked away and Graeme is almost touching that trophy, when...

C1 buzzes on 26 seconds to say AMPLITUDE which is correct.

Score: 95-95 (max 125)

HOW EXCITING IS THIS!!!???!!??? Can Graeme remember to keep breathing? Bless her, Rachel was really concerned for his welfare!

Tie-break: V A A N G E L I S

C2 buzzes on 2.5 seconds to say (in a very high-pitched voice) GALVANISE which is correct.

Final Score: 95–105 (max 125)

The crowd erupts like an Icelandic volcano and massive cheers can be heard. There’s a sporting handshake between the combatants and then after a very groovy cut via a zoom ‘into’ the centre of the clock, we go into the usual front-of-set presentation. Carl gets his £1000 in a gold envelope handed to him by Jon Culshaw and Rachel presents the trophy to Graeme, which he briefly, but proudly, holds aloft. Rach then says goodbye to Jeff, during which we see a VT of some of his ‘best bits’ from the last three years (gosh, he looked a bit younger on the first show!) and she then takes her shoes off to quite literally bring herself down to his level, by way of an apology for all the mocking she has given him about his height during the last six series. Susie then fans the flames a little by giving him a very small gnome, before Jeff announces that – of course – Countdown goes on without him and will be returning in January with a new presenter, who we now know of course to be The Apprentice’s Nick Hewer (who, in my opinion, is looking promising).

Well, Series 66 will be back on Monday 9 January with Paul Zenon in DC, but I won’t be back for the Friday the 13th recap, because – like Jeff – I’m also moving on. Having done the Friday slot for the last four series, which I’ve thoroughly enjoyed, I’ve decided I’m going to let someone else have a crack at it and also have an extra hour or so to spare every week! I will miss James’s little teases about exactly when it’s going to appear each weekend, but I’m sure I’ll cope, and I’m also hoping to do some more historical recaps in the coming months, so you won’t get rid of me completely, I’m afraid. And now, it just remains for me to say...

Jeff Stelling shows remaining: 0.

Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=65

[James Robinson]

Round 12: M T G A E O T M Q

C1: MEAT (4)
C2: GAME (4)
DC: OMEGA (5) (RR)
OT: GEMMA (5) GOTTA (5) MATTE (5) METTA (5) MOTET (5) MOTTE (5) TOMME (5) TOTEM (5)
Score: 78–81 (max 101)

Not really sure who got OMEGA, but Graeme says he’s spotted a five out of time, DC declare they have “just fives” and then we cut to Rachel standing next to it on the letters board. In terms of mysteries, it’s not really up there with Lord Lucan and Shergar, but still...

Jeff asked Graeme straight after Carl declared MEAT, and then Graeme said OMEGA. (I actually rewound it too when I saw it after Rachel had put OMEGA on the board.)

I will miss James’s little teases about exactly when it’s going to appear each weekend, but I’m sure I’ll cope

I think we'll all miss your recaps too, Mike. Happy "retirement".

[Adam Gillard]

Round 7: G D K V A I U I B

C1: buda
C2: DIVA (4)
DC: BAD
OT: ADUKI (5)

BAD has 3 letters. I counted them myself. Nice recap Mike, thanks for all of the recapping and the nice things you had to say when I was on the show (as in the first part of my post signature).

[Mike Brown]

BAD has 3 letters. I counted them myself. Nice recap Mike, thanks for all of the recapping and the nice things you had to say when I was on the show (as in the first part of my post signature).

The recap writer doesn't put a count after words of four letters or less, possibly because it's so easy to count them yourself - as you proved! - but I'll change it since you've pointed it out. And you're welcome (twice).

[Rhys Benjamin]

The crowd erupts like an Icelandic volcano

Sorry, Mike, world's worst simile.

Even worse than "Copying a book is like putting wheels on a tomato."

And "[...] about as useful as a cat-flap in an elephant house.

[Mike Brown]

The crowd erupts like an Icelandic volcano

Sorry, Mike, world's worst simile.

OK, not the greatest ever, but "world's worst" seems a bit harsh! It just seemed to flow (ha ha) at the time.

[Rhys Benjamin]

The crowd erupts like an Icelandic volcano

Sorry, Mike, world's worst simile.

OK, not the greatest ever, but "world's worst" seems a bit harsh! It just seemed to flow (ha ha) at the time.

Now that's good.

[Mike Brown]

OK, not the greatest ever, but "world's worst" seems a bit harsh! It just seemed to flow (ha ha) at the time.

Now that's good.

[Jon O'Neill]

Sorry, Mike, world's worst simile.

OK, not the greatest ever, but "world's worst" seems a bit harsh! It just seemed to flow (ha ha) at the time.

Now that's good.

Your opinion on similes is like your opinion on politics.

[Rhys Benjamin]

OK, not the greatest ever, but "world's worst" seems a bit harsh! It just seemed to flow (ha ha) at the time.

Now that's good.

Your opinion on similes is like your opinion on politics.

What, fan-tabby-do-zee?