Let's see how we get on today. Enjoy.
Countdown recap for Thursday 18 April 2013.
C1: Champion Dan Tibbles (1 win, 76 points.) An astrophysicist from Bracknell, Berkshire.
C2: Challenger John Gardner. A retired solicitor from Cheddar, Somerset. He was previously on the show back in Series 14 in 1987, losing by a point to Eleanor Crosby.
DC: Susie Dent and Paul Zenon.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: G S V T U O E A H
R02: T P R J I E A I T
R03: 50, 7, 6, 9, 9, 8. Target: 615.
TTT: ABADSEAT - "It's where computer users might store their information"
R04: H R S Y E O A U S
R05: R D C E I D B E T
R06: 75, 6, 9, 7, 2, 4. Target: 149.
R07: I E A L R M L G D
R08: N P W S E I E A M
R09: 100, 75, 25, 50, 7, 2. Target: 455.
TTT: GROUNDED - "Not the top cat, in fact, quite the opposite"
R10: F G D K U O E I P
R11: G B M A E O C Q D
R12: F T D M O E E S A
R13: O E N T S R A T R
R14: 50, 8, 6, 10, 7, 10. Target: 442.
R15: T E E V I C T E D (conundrum)
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: G S V T U O E A H
C1: OUTAGES (7)
C2: OUTAGES (7)
DC: HOSTAGE (7) VAGUEST (7)
Score: 7–7 (max 7)
Certainly a new, if it wasn't already, favourite amongst Countdowners is OUTAGES, and both contestants spot it to get off to a perfect start.
Round 2: T P R J I E A I T
C1: pittier
C2: PATTER (6)
DC: PIRATE (6)
OT: PARTITE (7)
Score: 7–13 (max 14)
John, on his 2nd appearance, takes the early after Dan, also on his 2nd appearance, is halted by a lack of pittier in the dictionary.......
PARTITE is an adjective meaning divided into parts, usually into a specified number of parts.
Round 3: 50, 7, 6, 9, 9, 8. Target: 615.
C1: -
C2: 617. ((9 - 7) x 6 x 50) + 9 + 8 (7)
RR: 615. (50 - 9) x (9 + 6) (10)
Score: 7–20 (max 24)
A nasty numbers appears, and with Dan completely out of it, John gets 7 points for his 2 away, while Rachel needs a bit more time to solve it, and when she does, it's definitely much easier than at first view.
Teatime teaser: ABADSEAT -> DATABASE
Round 4: H R S Y E O A U S
C1: HOARSE (6)
C2: HOARSE (6)
DC: AROUSES (7)
OT: OSSUARY (7)
Score: 13–26 (max 31)
Our contestants now seem to be feeling a little HOARSE, which AROUSES DC a little bit.
An OSSUARY is a place or receptacle for the bones of the dead.
Round 5: R D C E I D B E T
C1: CREDITED (8)
C2: BIDDER (6)
DC: DIRECTED (8)
Score: 21–26 (max 39)
Dan gets back into the game with his CREDITED offering of an 8.
Round 6: 75, 6, 9, 7, 2, 4. Target: 149.
C1: 149. (2 x 75) - (7 - 6) (10)
C2: 149. (2 x 75) - (7 - 6) (10)
Score: 31–36 (max 49)
If the 1st numbers was nasty, then this one was about as gentle as you could get.
Paul does a fantastic synchronicity trick with Nick involving a couple of small decks of cards and some amazing trickery.
Round 7: I E A L R M L G D
C1: MILAGE (6)
C2: GRILLED (7)
DC: GRILLADE (8)
Score: 31–43 (max 57)
John gets back into a more commanding lead, as DC expand slightly on his 7 for the darrenic 8 available.
Round 8: N P W S E I E A M
C1: SEAMEN (6)
C2: pansie
RR: MEANIES (7)
OT: NEMESIA (7)
Score: 37–43 (max 64)
But, the lead is immediately halved, as you can't spell PANSY in the way that John would like, but it's top marks to our Rach for her 7.
Round 9: 100, 75, 25, 50, 7, 2. Target: 455.
C1: 453. ((7 + 2) x 50) + (75 / 25) (7)
C2: 457. Mistake in working.
RR: 455. (100 - 7 - 2) x ((75 + 50) / 25) (10)
Score: 44–43 (max 74)
Oh dear, John's method takes him 10 further out than he would've wanted, and Dan could've been one nearer if he'd switched the 75 with the 100, but he now takes the lead for the first time today, but he'll want to try and extend by more than the current 1 point.
Teatime teaser: GROUNDED -> UNDERDOG
Round 10: F G D K U O E I P
C1: PIKED (5)
C2: POKED (5)
DC: PUKED (5) FUDGE (5)
OT: DOGIE (5) GEOID (5) GOPIK (5) GUIDE (5) PODGE (5) POKIE (5) PUDGE (5)
Score: 49–48 (max 79)
Plenty of 5's in this flat round and nothing more.
The GOPIK is a unit of currency in Azerbaijan, with 100 gopik equaling one manat.
Round 11: G B M A E O C Q D
C1: BADGE (5)
C2: domage
DC: COMBED (6) BOCAGE (6)
OT: BODEGA (6)
Score: 54–48 (max 85)
Oh dear, John is such a likeable guy, and his French sounding domage sounded more than plausible, but it's instantly dismissed by Susie.
Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the boozy origins of "tipple".
Round 12: F T D M O E E S A
C1: STEAMED (7)
C2: DEMOTES (7)
DC: FEASTED (7)
OT: DEAFEST (7) DEFAMES (7) DEFEATS (7) OEDEMAS (7)
Score: 61–55 (max 92)
Seven sevens here. This game is heading for a tantalising finish.
Round 13: O E N T S R A T R
C1: STARTER (7)
C2: RANTERS (7)
DC: SENATOR (7) TREASON (7) TORRENTS (8)
OT: ROSTRATE (8)
Score: 68–62 (max 100)
A few 7's here, but DC get the raining TORRENTS of an 8 to finish the letters today.
ROSTRATE is an adjective meaning having a beak or beaklike process.
Round 14: 50, 8, 6, 10, 7, 10. Target: 442.
C1: 441.
C2: 442. (8 x 50) + (7 x 6) (10)
Score: 68–72 (max 110)
WOW! WOW!! WOW!!! An impressive spot from John there, just when he needed it most. He now returns into the lead and now we enter into a crucial conundrum, definitely fitting of this game.
Round 15: T E E V I C T E D
C2 buzzes on 23 seconds to say DETECTIVE which is correct.
Final Score: 68–82 (max 120)
Well, what a turn up for the books
John gets in with seconds to go and get his first win in 25 years on this show. 
A very accomplished performance by John there, and hopefully he can win a few more shows, as he's such a happy chap and definitely one who seems to connect with the audience in the right way.
Join Thomas (or whoever is now doing the Friday recap) for tomorrow's exciting instalment.
So, I'll be back tomorrow for the next 8 out of 10 Cats Does Countdown match, and then on Wednesday for the next Series 68 match.
So, till then, bye bye.
Statistics Corner
Dan:
Total score - 68
Raw score - 81
Total % of max - 57
Raw % of max - 68
Total average score per round - 4.5
Raw average score per round - 5.4
Number of maxes - 5
John:
Total score - 82
Raw score - 88
Total % of max - 68
Raw % of max - 73
Total average score per round - 5.4
Raw average score per round - 5.9
Number of maxes - 6
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=68
