Will Jon repeat his victory from back in January, or will Sean perform a Lazarus-like recovery
And watch out for some interest semi-firsts on the show, as you'll see.............
Enjoy.
Countdown recap for Friday 24 August 2012.
C1: 8 Out of 10 Cats Team Captain & Reigning Challenger Sean Lock. (0 wins, 21 points.)
C2: 8 Out of 10 Cats Team Captain & Reigning Champion Jon Richardson. (1 win, 45 points.)
DC: Susie Dent and David O'Doherty, making his DC debut.
RR: 8 Out of 10 Cats Semi-Regular Rachel Riley.
Host: 8 Out of 10 Cats Host Jimmy Carr.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: M G N X O E A F O
R02: E I E I A S N B H
R03: 50, 25, 10, 6, 5, 1. Target: 400.
TTT: ARSEMUFF - "They'll keep you warm on a winter's day"
R04: P W E Q O R U D A
R05: 75, 25, 50, 100, 3, 10. Target: 676.
TTT: PISSHOLE - "You'll need to spray and rub repeatedly"
R06: E P U C Z D O T E
R07: 75, 50, 3, 8, 6, 3. Target: 396.
TTT: NEATKNOB - "Comes in different colours and sizes"
R08: G A L E W O T R A
R09: 50, 25, 5, 2, 1, 3. Target: 527.
R10: R A N D Y B U S H (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
After Rachel was asked to chuck the first letter that came out, an R, the real action began.
Round 1 (Picked by Jon): M G N X O E A F O
Jimmy's Distraction (back by popular demand, it seems): Reading a copy of 50 Shades Of Grey.
C1: foog
C2: GNOME (5)
DC: exmango MANGO (5) MANGE (5) FANGO (5)
OT: MAGNOX (6)
Score: 0–5 (max 6)
After trying to use his "free letter" for a 6, Sean gives the invalid 4 of foog.
Meanwhile, Jon might be feeling small, but his GNOME wins the day and the 5 points. MAGNOX is an alloy consisting mostly of magnesium with small amounts of aluminium and other metals, used in fuel elements of nuclear reactors.
Round 2 (Picked by Sean): E I E I A S N B H
Jimmy's Distraction: Blowing up and "making" a balloon bouquet.
C1: SHEEN (5)
C2: BANSHEE (7)
DC: HEINIES (7) BEANIES (7)
Score: 0–12 (max 13)
After almost making a detour to Old McDonald's Farm, Jon shows he still hasn't lost any of the skill that won him the first match back in January, as he spots a very impressive 7 there.
Round 3 (Picked by Jon): 50, 25, 10, 6, 5, 1. Target: 400.
Jimmy's Distraction: Eating cream crackers, then talking with his mouth full.
C1: 400. (6 x 50) + ((5 - 1) x 25) (10)
C2: 400. (25 - 10 - 6 - 1) x 50 (10)
Score: 10–22 (max 23)
So, while Jimmy is desperately gagging for some water after trying to scoff a tray of cream crackers, Sean & Jon come up with 2 very different methods to reach the target.
David talks about bringing Countdown to "another level", by updating the clock music and adding some extra lights.
Teatime teaser: ARSEMUFF -> EARMUFFS
Round 4 (Picked by Jon): P W E Q O R U D A
Jimmy's Distraction: Brushing the hair of one of those big doll heads.
C1: PRUDE (5)
C2: POURED (6)
DC: OPAQUER (7)
Score: 10–28 (max 30)
Jon seems to have the letters games in his hand almost. Sean will need a miracle of some sort here.................
............and he might be about to get it. Jimmy thinks that because Sean needs a bit extra help for the numbers game, he lets Rachel move from her board and become Sean's teammate for one round. And in case, you were wondering, taking up Rachel's spot was the guest in the last matchup, Joe Wilkinson.
Round 5 (Picked by Sean): 75, 25, 50, 100, 3, 10. Target: 676.
Jimmy's Distraction: Drinking a full pint in one go, as well as Joe blocking the numbers on the screen (although I'm sure that was completely "accidental"
).C1: 676. (50 + (100 / (75 - 25))) x (10 + 3) (10)
C2: 675.
Score: 20–28 (max 40)
Well, that's what you get when you have the brainiest and most beautiful mathematician on your side for 1 round, and Sean uses her huge asset to full effect.
Teatime teaser: PISSHOLE -> POLISHES
So, onto something that the show hasn't seen since the 18th Birthday Special in 2000, when Gyles Brandreth & Mark Nyman took on Jo Brand & Damian Eadie, a 2 vs. 2 matchup.
Jimmy brings out a bag of coloured balls (how many are in the bag is never mentioned), Sean picks the red ball, which means that his partner for the rest of the game is Series 62 contestant and "Britain's Brainiest Footballer", Clarke Carlisle, while Jon's yellow ball, gives him the arithmetician from the last round, Joe Wilkinson.
Round 6 (Picked by Sean & Clarke): E P U C Z D O T E
Jimmy's Distraction: Lazing around with his feet on the desk.
C1: POUTED (6)
C2: POUTED (6)
DC: TOUPEE (6)
OT: COUPED (6) DEPUTE (6) PUTZED (6)
Score: 26–34 (max 46)
Just 6's available here, although Sean gave us a few laughs with his 4 of zeep, a Spanish word for a clothes fastener.
Round 7 (Picked by Jon & Joe): 75, 50, 3, 8, 6, 3. Target: 396.
Jimmy's Distraction: Doing 10 press-ups in the "centre circle".
C1: 397. (8 x 50) - 3 (7)
C2: 398.
RR: 396. (50 x 8) - (((75 - 3) / 3) / 6) (10)
Score: 33–34 (max 56)
Well, not sure how Jon & Joe missed the pretty straightforward one away, but Clarke's pretty simple method gets him and Sean within one point of Jon & Joe.
Back in DC again, David talks about trying to get a Simon Cowell figure to "liven up" the show.
Teatime teaser: NEATKNOB -> BANKNOTE
Round 8 (Picked by Jon & Joe): G A L E W O T R A
Jimmy's Distraction: "Making" a card pyramid, before toppling it over at the last second.
C1: GLOATER (7)
C2: GLOATER (7)
OT: LEGATOR (7)
Score: 40–41 (max 63)
Jon goes risky, Clarke goes safe, both go the same way.
Round 9 (Picked by Sean & Clarke): 50, 25, 5, 2, 1, 3. Target: 527.
Jimmy's Distraction: Having a shot of gin, following then sucking a lemon.
C1: 527. (2 x 5 x 50) + 25 + 3 - 1 (10)
C2: 528.
Score: 50–41 (max 73)
WOAH! WOAH!! WOAH!!! Sean and Clarke have definitely become Lazarus now, but can they hold out past this conundrum, I wonder..........
For the conundrum, Sean and Jon had to do battle on their own, with no help from Clarke and Joe.
Round 10: R A N D Y B U S H
C1 buzzes on 29.75 seconds to say "I'm just happy to be here", which is incorrect.
C2 does not buzz.
The answer was HUSBANDRY.
Final Score: 50–41 (max 83)
Well, it was an anti-climactic conundrum in the end, but at least Clarke hadn't lost his touch, as he got the conundrum, but no-one else did.
So, Sean got his own teapot thanks, as Jon pointed out, to his "individual" efforts.
A very unique show this was, and will probably not forgotten in a hurry, and I suppose it makes up for us having to wait another 3 weeks for our beloved Countdown to return.
So, I'll be back on September 19 for the next Series 67 recap.
So, till then, have a good summer and bye bye.
Statistics Corner
Sean (& Rachel and Clarke):
Total score - 50
Raw score - 60
Total % of max - 60
Raw % of max - 72
Total average score per round - 5.0
Raw average score per round - 6.0
Number of maxes - 5
Jon (& Joe):
Total score - 41
Raw score - 62
Total % of max - 49
Raw % of max - 75
Total average score per round - 4.1
Raw average score per round - 6.2
Number of maxes - 4