This is no ordinary recap...........today is an important day............it's a battle of the returnees...........before we get this party started.......let's get down to business...................can Terence Newnham reach the dizzying heights of Octo-Champdom or will Tom Read crash this party ? Tune into the show and find out how these returnees get on !
C1: Champion Terence Newnham (7 wins, 647 points.)
C2: Challenger Tom Read.
DC: Susie Dent and Pam Ayres.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: M L D A E O N R T
R02: F A B E R I S P R
R03: 25, 75, 4, 6, 10, 5. Target: 227.
TTT: LENTDAVE - "I lent Dave a lot of money, then he scarpered"
R04: Y A N D U E L H M
R05: R T C U A U T E V
R06: 3, 5, 7, 4, 8, 9. Target: 570.
R07: C S A O R N T O U
R08: G O P D I E S B D
R09: 100, 2, 7, 10, 8, 5. Target: 701.
TTT: CASHONLY - "The birds were looking back at happier times"
R10: G I N P S E I T S
R11: L M Z O E O N G E
R12: L I G P O E T R N
R13: H S R U E I S N T
R14: 5, 8, 6, 7, 9, 4. Target: 754.
R15: I N V E R T H O G (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Round 1: M L D A E O N R T
Terence: LAMENT (6)
Tom: matroned
DC: LEOTARD (7) ROADMEN (7)
OT: ALMONER (7) DELATOR (7) DORMANT (7) EARLDOM (7) LADRONE (7) MADRONE (7) MANDREL (7) MANTLED (7) MORDANT (7) MORDENT (7) OMENTAL (7) TALONED (7) TELAMON (7)
Score: 6–0 (max 7)
A great start from our champion Terence, but not so for our challenger Tom as Susie disallows his eight Matroned...................
There were quite a lot of sevens to be had.................nothing worth arguing over..........and no extra points if you spot most of them !
Round 2: F A B E R I S P R
Terence: PARRIES (7)
Tom: PARRIES (7)
DC: BRIEFS (6) REPAIRS (7) PRAISER (7)
OT: PREFABS (7) RAPIERS (7) RASPIER (7)
Score: 13–7 (max 14)
Sevens all round................nothing worth having a catfight over............so let's play nicely !
Round 3: 25, 75, 4, 6, 10, 5. Target: 227.
C1: 226. 25 × 10 − 6 × 4 (7)
C2: 229. Mistake in working.
RR: 227. 25 × 6 + 75 + 10 ÷ 5 (10)
Score: 20–7 (max 24)
A good 1 away solve from our champion and gets 7 more points................but Ms Riley gets to shine and produce a perfect 10...........I used a different method to sove this bad boy
25*6=150
150+75=225
10/5=2
225+2=227
Teatime teaser: LENTDAVE -> LEVANTED
Round 4: Y A N D U E L H M
Terence: HANDLE (6)
Tom: HANDLE (6)
DC: HUMANELY (8)
Score: 26–13 (max 32)
Sixes all round from our champion and challenger.................over in DC they get show off with their 8 Humanely
Round 5: R T C U A U T E V
Terence: CUTTER (6)
Tom: CUTTER (6)
DC: CURATE (6)
OT: AUTEUR (6) CURVET (6) TAUTER (6)
Score: 32–19 (max 38)
Okay next please !
Round 6: 3, 5, 7, 4, 8, 9. Target: 570.
C1: 563.
C2: 570. (8 + 4 + 7) × (9 − 3) × 5 (10)
Score: 32–29 (max 48)
What a fantastic solve under pressure...........this reduces the arrears to 3 points..........it is game on !
Round 7: C S A O R N T O U
Terence: CONTOURS (8)
Tom: ACORNS (6)
DC: CARTOONS (8)
OT: CANOROUS (8) CROUTONS (8) OSTRACON (8) TOURACOS (8)
Score: 40–29 (max 56)
But our champion Terence hits straight back with his 8 Contours...................and an 11 point lead............with everything to play for.............quite a few eights to be had............no extra points for spotting most of those ! nothing worth complaining over.............so lets move ahead !
Round 8: G O P D I E S B D
Terence: BODIES (6)
Tom: BODIES (6)
DC: PODDIES (7)
OT: BODGIES (7)
Score: 46–35 (max 63)
Sixes all round from Terence and Tom.................a couple of 7s to be Poddies was the one DC spotted..........the other 7 with Bodgies was the spot from our recap writer ! So let's not fight over this..........and let's play nicely !
Round 9: 100, 2, 7, 10, 8, 5. Target: 701.
C1: 701. 7 × 100 + 10 ÷ 2 ÷ 5 (10)
C2: 701. 7 × 100 + 8 − 5 − 2 (10)
Score: 56–45 (max 73)
A piece of piss this solve.....................lets count some sheep instead
Teatime teaser: CASHONLY -> HALYCONS
Round 10: G I N P S E I T S
Terence: IGNITES (7)
Tom: INGESTS (7)
DC: PIGSTIES (8) SPINIEST (8)
Score: 63–52 (max 81)
Sevens all round from our champion and challenger................
Over in DC they get to shine yet again with their eights..........Spiniest and Pigsties.............one I spotted was Spiniest........so let's move on for now !
Round 11: L M Z O E O N G E
Terence: GLOOM (5)
Tom: MELON (5)
DC: LOZENGE (7)
Score: 68–57 (max 88)
It's certainly doom and gloom in this round..........but who is twistin' my melon man ? as our champion and challenger get those fives respectively................but Susie gets to shine with her 7 Lozenge
Round 12: L I G P O E T R N
Terence: PORTING (7)
Tom: POLITER (7)
DC: POINTER (7) PROTEIN (7)
OT: ELOPING (7) GENITOR (7) LENTIGO (7) PELTING (7) PIROGEN (7) PONGIER (7) PROLINE (7) REPOINT (7) RETINOL (7) RINGLET (7) TRIGONE (7)
Score: 75–64 (max 95)
Lots of sevens here.............no extra points if you spot most of these...........nothing worth squabbling over..........so let's play nicely now !
Round 13: H S R U E I S N T
Terence: SHUNTERS (8)
Tom: INSURES (7)
DC: SHUNTERS (8) HIRSUTE (7)
OT: HUNTRESS (8) INRUSHES (8)
Score: 83–64 (max 103)
Tom will need maximum points in the next two rounds and stop Terence's bid for octochamp glory...........the question is can he do it ?
Our champion Terence gets to shine with his 8 Shunters....................but there is still everything left to play for.............let's see how the next two rounds play out !
Round 14: 5, 8, 6, 7, 9, 4. Target: 754.
C1: -
C2: 755. (8 + 4) × 9 × 7 − (6 − 5) (7)
RR: 754. (7 × 4 − 9) × 5 × 8 − 6 (10)
Score: 83–71 (max 113)
Sadly not our challenger can manage one away....................sad to say that............but for Tom his Countdown adventure is over.............it is game over
Round 15: I N V E R T H O G
C2 buzzes on 23.75 seconds to say OVERNIGHT which is correct.
Final Score: 83–81 (max 123)
What a great contest this has been firstly congratulations to Terence on becoming the 4th Octo-champ of Series 90 this puts him as the provisional fifth seed for now........he will be returning in December for the series 90 finals his total of 730 points averages out at 91.25 points a game.........secondly take nothing away from Tom he gave as good as he got but had the last laugh by solving the conundrum.........join me again for the next recap as we welcome two new contestants to the Countdown studios in the meantime it is bye for now !
