Thursday, 2nd October 2008 (Series 59, Game 54)

[Jon Corby]

Countdown recap for Thursday 2 October 2008.

C1: Challenger Kai Laddiman.
C2: Challenger James Bruce.
DC: Susie Dent and Barry Cryer.
CV: Carol Vorderman.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: C U E R T N O N B
R02: P I G A R O C A H
R03: W R E E Y R M I L
R04: T D D R S E U I M
R05: 75, 25, 7, 2, 9, 5. Target: 816.
TTT: SHAKYCAT - "Looking for Melvin's needle here, perhaps?"
R06: J N R O I O C I P
R07: L S O D E E L X T
R08: N M D T A U A E N
R09: H A E B N D I T R
R10: 100, 8, 4, 2, 6, 9. Target: 901.
TTT: CHEAPSUN - "There's a lot of guts in more ways than one"
R11: L E O T R E M S P
R12: F O V A N Z L E A
R13: T Q S I O E T K U
R14: 100, 10, 1, 3, 7, 9. Target: 373.
R15: P E R C I P O N G (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Junaid's departure as an octochamp leaves us with two new contestants today. Let's meet them!
Sitting in the champion's chair (on a cushion, apparently) is Kai Laddiman. Not a piles sufferer, but an 11 year old boy. Aww, he's so cute! (But, obviously an utter nightmare for his opponent!) He's from Broadoak, East Sussex, and lives with his parents and three brothers. A pupil at Heathfield Community College, he wants to be a footballer, inventor and/or singer when he's older, and the unwavering smile on his face suggests that nobody's crushed any of those dreams just yet. Bless, the innocence of youth.

The poor contestant in a no-win situation (oh, unless he wins I guess) is James Bruce. He's a teacher from Sheffield who likes to play Countdown in class with his kids (why didn't I have teachers like this?) He wants to try his hand at stand-up comedy, and thinks Chris Perry is the greatest defender ever. Ordinarily I'd make some kind of humorous connection between those two things, but not while Chris is playing for Saints

Round 1: C U E R T N O N B

C1: BOUNCER (7)
C2: BOUNCER (7)
DC: COUNTER (7) RECOUNT (7) NOCTURNE (8)
Score: 7–7 (max 8)

Round 2: P I G A R O C A H

C1: GRAPHIC (7)
C2: CHAIR (5)
DC: CARGO (5)
Score: 14–7 (max 15)

Round 3: W R E E Y R M I L

C1: MERRY (5)
C2: MERRY (5)
DC: MERRILY (7)
Score: 19–12 (max 22)

Round 4: T D D R S E U I M

C1: MERITS (6)
C2: MUDDIEST (8)
OT: RUDDIEST (8) STURDIED (8)
Score: 19–20 (max 30)

Round 5: 75, 25, 7, 2, 9, 5. Target: 816.

C1: 818. (2+9)*75-7 (7)
C2: 814. Mistake in working.
CV: 815. (7)
OT: 816. (7*5-2)*25-9 (10)
Score: 26–20 (max 40)

Teatime teaser: SHAKYCAT -> HAYSTACK

Round 6: J N R O I O C I P

C1: CROP (4)
C2: CROON (5)
DC: PORCINI (7)
Score: 26–25 (max 47)

Point of interest: James actually asked for a consonant as the 8th letter, and Carol instead gave him a vowel. He noticed, but let it slide.

Round 7: L S O D E E L X T

C1: TOLLED (6)
C2: TOLLED (6)
DC: EXTOLLED (8)
Score: 32–31 (max 55)

Round 8: N M D T A U A E N

C1: UNTAMED (7)
C2: munted
DC: MANDATE (7)
OT: ANDANTE (7) MANTEAU (7) MUNDANE (7) UNNAMED (7) UNMEANT (7)
Score: 39–31 (max 62)

Round 9: H A E B N D I T R

C1: TRAINED (7)
C2: BANDIT (6)
DC: BANDIER (7) ANTBIRD (7)
OT: BRAINED (7) BARTEND (7) BIRTHED (7) BREADTH (7) DETRAIN (7) HABITED (7) HAIRNET (7) THERIAN (7) HANDIER (7) TRIBADE (7)
Score: 46–31 (max 69)

Round 10: 100, 8, 4, 2, 6, 9. Target: 901.

C1: 901. 100*9+(6/(8/4))-2 (10)
C2: 901. 9*100+8/(4*2) (10)
Score: 56–41 (max 79)

Teatime teaser: CHEAPSUN -> PAUNCHES

Round 11: L E O T R E M S P

C1: METEORS (7)
C2: PETROLS (7)
DC: MOLESTER (8)
Score: 63–48 (max 87)

Heh heh.

Round 12: F O V A N Z L E A

C1: VANE (4)
C2: azlean
DC: FLAVONE (7)
Score: 67–48 (max 94)

Round 13: T Q S I O E T K U

C1: QUIETS (6)
C2: QUOITS (6)
DC: QUOTES (6) OUTSET (6)
OT: OUTIES (6) OUTSIT (6) TOQUES (6)
Score: 73–54 (max 100)

Round 14: 100, 10, 1, 3, 7, 9. Target: 373.

C1: 373. 100*3+9*7+10 (10)
C2: 373. (100+1)*3+7*10 (10)
Score: 83–64 (max 110)

Round 15: P E R C I P O N G

C1 buzzes on 14 seconds to say COPPERING which is correct.
Score: 93–64 (max 120)

A super debut from Kai, but a shame to see James depart so soon as he seemed like a good bloke. To be fair, the whole consonant/vowel thing in round six seemed to throw him completely, and he never really recovered from that point on. I hope he gets invited back for a second shot to redress this travesty. Difficult to predict really how far young Kai might go, but he'll certainly have us all glued to the TV to find out!

Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=59

[Jason Larsen]

Here we go again! My thoughts on the game!

I find it interesting that a student played against a teacher today!

Round 1: Kai came up with BOUNCER? I think he's going to get that grown man's body very soon, something tells me!

Round 2: Good for Carol for telling Kai not to take it personally that the first three letters James chose spelled pig. I wasn't sure whether Kai would take it in stride, but his big toothy grin made me answer my own question. But, Des, why would you say "good boy" to any contestant on an intellectual show like this. My mouth dropped open. It's, "good young man," not good boy."

Conundrum: Has anyone ever been so unsure about the Conundrum before? At least I got a kick out of the way he asked. Des has got that touch of youth in himself. Way to play your own little pleasant social game, Des!

Ah-ooga! Ah-ooga! Kai has won his first game? Will he make us all faint before we can even think about opening our eyes. We'll find out in 65 hours and 25 minutes.

[Charlie Reams]

I think he's going to get that grown man's body very soon, something tells me!

This is probably the single weirdest thing I've ever seen on the Internet.

[Jason Larsen]

Kai has shown us how impressive he can be at Countdown. That's why, Charlie.

[Kirk Bevins]

But, Des, why would you say "good boy" to any contestant on an intellectual show like this. My mouth dropped open. It's, "good young man," not good boy."

Des said it because Kai is, well, a boy. "Good boy" was a perfectably acceptable compliment, whether it's an intellectual show or not.

Will he make us all faint before we can even think about opening our eyes.

What the hell is this?

[Michael Wallace]

I think he's going to get that grown man's body very soon, something tells me!

This is probably the single weirdest thing I've ever seen on the Internet.

I was getting ready to copy+pasta this to you, but then scrolled down to see you'd already noticed...

[Jason Larsen]

Kirk, I was just asking the rhetorical question because he just might blow our minds and be an Octochamp!

[Kirk Bevins]

Kirk, I was just asking the rhetorical question because he just might blow our minds and be an Octochamp!

Oh, I hope he is, but I won't be fainting nor closing my eyes for a prolonged period of time - certainly no longer than the occasional blink.

[Jason Larsen]

Kirk, he's 11 years old!

[Kirk Bevins]

Kirk, he's 11 years old!

Yes, I know - I bet you 10 virtual dollars that if he's an octochamp, even you won't faint.

[Jason Larsen]

Look at Bradley Cates or Tanmay Dixit, Kirk!

[Kirk Bevins]

Look at Bradley Cates or Tanmay Dixit, Kirk!

*Sigh*. Yes, I met Bradley at a CO-event and I was impressed with the ability for his age, but I certainly did not faint. I knew my $10 would be safe...

[Jason Larsen]

Kirk, would you call him a "nippy little chappy" like Des did?