Tuesday 17 March 2009 (Series 60 Prelim 28)

[Mike Brown]

Countdown recap for Tuesday 17 March 2009 (Series 60 Prelim 28).

Well, here it is, ladies and gentlemen, the game of the century (so far). Could the Kirkatron beat Julian Fell’s six-year-old record of 924 points from eight prelims? The nation was on tenterhooks!

C1: Champion Kirk Bevins (7 wins, 811 points.)
C2: Challenger Rosie Owen. (from Farnborough in Kent.)
DC: Susie Dent and Colin Murray.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: G S T O E I L E Z
R02: S H D O E S W U A
R03: T R M E A O L E J
R04: D C L I I A R R U
R05: 25, 5, 10, 6, 2, 2. Target: 577.
TTT: BESTSACK - "We all have these along the road of life."
R06: M S T E I X A I D
R07: L F S E O A N E N
R08: F M S U E I N T E
R09: C P S I A I C O T
R10: 100, 3, 8, 6, 9, 7. Target: 187.
TTT: BIRDBEAT - "Talked a lot about bugs, perhaps."
R11: D Y H E I E M I N
R12: L N R S O E A U G
R13: R K R B A E I A T
R14: 25, 1, 3, 8, 5, 1. Target: 712.
R15: G E L D F L I N G (conundrum)

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Jeff opens proceedings by informing us that a Countdown teapot is up for grabs for the best limerick including any of the names Stelling, Riley or Dent. Mr Bolas... get writing!!

Round 1: G S T O E I L E Z

C1: ESTOILE (7)
C2: ELITE (5)
OT: ZEOLITES (8)
Score: 7–0 (max 8)

Kirk opens his account with an increasingly common Countdown word.

Round 2: S H D O E S W U A

C1: SHADOWS (7)
C2: SHADOWS (7)
DC: SWASHED (7)
Score: 14–7 (max 15)

Round 3: T R M E A O L E J

C1: OLEATE (6)
C2: MORTAL (6)
DC: REMOTE (6) METEOR (6)
OT: AREOLE (6) ARMLET (6) EMOTER (6) MELTER (6) MORALE (6) OMERTA (6) RAMJET (6) RELATE (6) TEAMER (6)
Score: 20–13 (max 21)

A flat round (grrr....) and Kirk is on the chemicals already!

Round 4: D C L I I A R R U

C1: URACIL (6)
C2: RADII (5)
OT: CRURAL (6)
Score: 26–13 (max 27)

Another round with a dodgy maximum threatens Kirk’s target of 114, but URACIL is a quality spot. CRURAL means ‘relating to the leg or thigh’.

Round 5: 25, 5, 10, 6, 2, 2. Target: 577.

C1: 577. ((10+6+5+2)x25)+2 (10)
C2: -
Score: 36–13 (max 37)

Not too bad a numbers game and the Kirkster is spot-on.

Teatime teaser: BESTSACK -> SETBACKS

Round 6: M S T E I X A I D

C1: TAXIED (6)
C2: stimied
DC: ADMIXES (7)
OT: MISDATE (7)
Score: 42–13 (max 44)

Rosie risks a seven, but fortunately for Kirk (but not her) it’s not in and he adds to his tally.

Round 7: L F S E O A N E N

C1: ONESELF (7)
C2: FELONS (6)
DC: FENNELS (7)
OT: LOANEES (7)
Score: 49–13 (max 51)

Great stuff! Personally, I was with Dictionary Corner and went with the mass noun plural. I loved Susie’s example of “I’ll have two braised fennels, please.” These are the kind of lines that make Countdown great (but then I don’t get out much).

Round 8: F M S U E I N T E

C1: MINUTES (7)
C2: FUMES (5)
DC: FEINTS (6) TUMEFIES (8)
Score: 56–13 (max 59)

Again Kirk misses the max by one, but keeps collecting the points. Will it be enough? This guy knows how to keep us all on the edge of our seats!

Round 9: C P S I A I C O T

C1: COPITAS (7)
C2: TOPICS (6)
OT: PASTICCIO (18)
Score: 63–13 (max 77)

A beautiful seven, but no one spotted the niner, the Italian version of ‘pastiche’.

OoW: Susie discusses the origins of ‘small beer’ and ‘miniatures’.

Round 10: 100, 3, 8, 6, 9, 7. Target: 187.

C1: 187. (9x7)+(3x8)+100 (10)
C2: 187. (9x7)+(3x8)+100 (10)
Score: 73–23 (max 87)

Teatime teaser: BIRDBEAT -> RABBITED

Let me see... if the Bevulator can score 7-7-7-10-10 in the last five rounds, that makes 41 points... plus the 73 he’s got at the moment makes... 114!!! ZOMG, I need to lie down.

Round 11: D Y H E I E M I N

C1: DEMINE (6)
C2: MINED (5)
OT: MEHENDI (7)
Score: 79–23 (max 94)

A nice six from a tough round means an eight or nine is now required in the last two letters games. This is gonna be TIGHT. By the way, let’s not forget that this is Rosie’s big TV moment too – I hope she’s enjoying it. MEHENDI (also MEHNDI) is the art of henna tattooing (or a henna tattoo), in case you were wondering.

Round 12: L N R S O E A U G

C1: GRANULES (8)
C2: LOUNGERS (8)
DC: GRANULES (8)
Score: 87–31 (max 102)

Yay! Eights all round! No Q in the last round, please, Rachel!

Round 13: R K R B A E I A T

C1: RAREBIT (7)
C2: baiter
DC: RAREBIT (7)
OT: ARBITER (7)
Score: 94–31 (max 109)

The classic RAREBIT/ARBITER pops up and Kirk keeps the record in his sights.

Round 14: 25, 1, 3, 8, 5, 1. Target: 712.

C1: 712. (((25+5)x3)-1)x8 (10)
C2: -
Score: 104–31 (max 119)

Wow! To get the solution to what was not the world’s easiest numbers game, while being aware that you are on the threshold of a Countdown record is no mean feat, and I fear for Kirk’s opponents in the quarter-finals. I was so nervous watching, let along playing, that I was floundering on 705!

Round 15: G E L D F L I N G

C1 buzzes on 0 seconds to say FLEDGLING which is correct.
Score: 114–31 (max 129)

No messing about, and thankfully no repeat of the ENSCONDED incident, as Mr Bevins presses after about half-a-second with the right answer. Kirk looks really pleased with his performance (and rightly so) and thankfully Jeff has been fully updated on the situation and points out to everyone what all the C4Cers knew already – that Kirk’s 925 points total is a record.

I’d just like to end this recap by saying a huge “well done” to Kirk and to say what an honour it is to have ended up being the recapper for such a classic and historic game. I think I might cry...

Recap by Mike Brown (Kid Mole has been captured by the Bevatron’s evil sidekick, the Reamster, but will return in a fortnight).

Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=60

[Chris Corby]

Great feat Kirk, and the rest of you ain't bad either.

You got to know your camera as well, didn't you, making all that eye contact at the beginning with all those girlies out there?

You're gonna get stick off the class for that!


And at the end, you looked as pleased as Alan Carr waking up and finding himself in Manchester United's dressing room

You must be the hottest favourite to win the finals since Conor Travers in Series 54.

Awesome octochamp run and made for great television - plus a top class recap from Mike.

[Kirk Bevins]

Thanks for an awesome recap, Mike. I have Charlie and Simon to thank massively. Knowing they were in the crowd cheering me on helped amazingly. For a lot of the time it just felt like I was playing on apterous or at CO-events which was obviously awesome for the no-nerves situation. I'd often forget I was on TV and it just felt so natural playing the game up there, it was weird. After getting the 925 I just couldn't believe it - I found it so hard not to smile. It felt amazing.

[Julie T]

Fantastic run, Kirk, congratulations!

[Paul Howe]

Round 9: C P S I A I C O T

C1: COPITAS (7)
C2: TOPICS (6)
OT: PASTICCIO (18)
Score: 63–13 (max 77)

Wow, awesome nine. Worth pointing out that the rather lovely SPICCATO was there, which I was feeling extremely smug about until I saw this recap.

Congratulations again Kirk on your fabulous achievement. I think Charlie should spend the apterous money on a 10ft cast iron statue of the Bevatron, to be placed beneath the Countdown clock so that when future contestants offer 6 from STLEIONAR, we can remind ourselves that a better world is possible. And possibly also a statue of Julian Fell that's 924/925ths of the height if there's any money left over.

Oh, and 9*7*3 - 8 + 6 as an alternative to the second numbers

[Michael Wallace]

Awesome stuff. I have finally managed to watch the show and was getting pretty nervous towards the end when I realised you needed 8-7-10-10. Really impressed with the team for having Jeff ready with the news about the record at the end (not least because I was worrying that Kirk looked a bit lame looking so pleased with himself after thrashing someone (again)).

Fantastic stuff Kirk.

[Ross Allatt]

Outstanding performance Kirk - well played fella.

[Kai Laddiman]

and Kirk is on the chemicals already!

Cos the crack didn't give him enough of a rush.