Tuesday 7 July 2009 (Series 61, Prelim 12)

[Mike Brown]

Countdown recap for Tuesday 7 July 2009 (Series 61, Prelim 12)

C1: Challenger Anne Hughes (from Liverpool).
C2: Challenger Joe Banin (from Walmley, nr. Sutton Coldfield).
DC: Susie Dent and Donal MacIntyre.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

Better late than never (I hope), it’s time to recap the game that followed in the wake of Innis Carson’s successful journey to octochampdom. Anne looks vaguely familiar, and it turns out there was an Anne Hughes from Newry in County Down in Series 39. One and the same? ITWSBT. The broadcast also looks a little bit more widescreen than normal – just a quirk for today or the shape of things to come? We shall see. Without further ado, allons-y!

R01: R D E A R Z A I S
R02: L U L N E A M S I
R03: Q C O E S P O A T
R04: N I A D X E R T I
R05: 25, 6, 8, 8, 10, 6. Target: 192.
TTT: DIREPINT - "You can solve this, fear ye not."
R06: P O A H C S E D A
R07: R S T I E A F J O
R08: Y G E O R R E N K
R09: N F P A E U N A B
R10: 75, 5, 2, 7, 5, 10. Target: 678.
TTT: DAYBROKE - "Q to the left, but P to the right."
R11: N T W E A E L T E
R12: D U S C D I U L E
R13: R T H S A O E O G
R14: 100, 10, 9, 10, 5, 4. Target: 310.
R15: D E N I M T O N E (conundrum)

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The programme opens with Jeff telling us that it’s the anniversary of sliced bread going on sale (in 1928). This leads to Rachel telling us that someone once asked her whether she liked bread (as a chat-up line). He (the bread-questioner) then proceeded to throw a shoe at her, when she declined to go out with him. This is a good example of why Countdown is great: how many other game shows feature such pearls of information?

Round 1: R D E A R Z A I S

C1: RAISED (6)
C2: ARREArS
DC: RAIDERS (7)
Score: 6–0 (max 7)

Joe begins with a blob, while DC are on the money with the darren.

Round 2: L U L N E A M S I

C1: SULLIEd
C2: MAINS (5)
DC: LUMINAL (7)
OT: MULLEINS (8)
Score: 6–5 (max 15)

This time, it’s Anne’s turn to see a letter that’s not there. Susie gets the great word LUMINAL, but the darren eludes her: MULLEINS are Eurasian plants with woolly leaves (yes, really).

Round 3: Q C O E S P O A T

C1: SCOPE (5)
C2: COAST (5)
DC: CAPOTES (7)
OT: TOECAPS (7)
Score: 11–10 (max 22)

DC are at it again with a max spot, the semi-darrenic CAPOTES.

Round 4: N I A D X E R T I

C1: DAINTIER (8)
C2: TRAINED (7)
DC: INERTIA (7) DEXTRIN (7)
Score: 19–10 (max 30)

A fantastic spot by Anne means she creates the first significant gap between her and Joe’s scores. By the way, all this talk of “Anne and Joe” puts me in mind of the Barron Knights’ version of the Brotherhood of Man’s “Angelo”, for those of us who are old enough to remember such things.

Round 5: 25, 6, 8, 8, 10, 6. Target: 192.

C1: 192. (8x25)-8 (10)
C2: 192. (8x25)-8 (10)
Score: 29–20 (max 40)

An easy ten points apiece before Donal tells us all about his colonoscopy. Nice teatime viewing...

Teatime teaser: DIREPINT -> INTREPID

Round 6: P O A H C S E D A

C1: POACHES (7)
C2: POACHED (7)
DC: POACHED (7)
OT: APACHES (7) CHEAPOS (7)
Score: 36–27 (max 47)

An APACHE is a violent street ruffian (or a type of server, if you’re into that kind of thing, although it’s capitalized, natch). A CHEAPO is an inexpensive item; a DEARIE should be the opposite, but isn’t.

Round 7: R S T I E A F J O

C1: foister
C2: FIESTA (6)
DC: FEIJOAS (7)
OT: FAIREST (7) FORTIES (7)
Score: 36–33 (max 54)

Anne’s risky agent noun doesn’t pay off, while DC spot the excellent FEIJOAS. The pen-cam informs us that a FEIJOA is an evergreen tree, or its fruit. Interestingly, FEIJOADA is a Brazilian or Portuguese stew made with meat, black beans and rice, and has no connection with feijoas whatsoever.

Round 8: Y G E O R R E N K

C1: GREYER (6)
C2: gorey
OT: KEROGEN (7)
Score: 42–33 (max 61)

Now it’s Joe’s turn to make up a word, but Anne’s is longer anyway, so it’s of little consequence. KEROGEN is a fossilized organic material, but you probably knew that already.

Round 9: N F P A E U N A B

C1: FAUNA (5)
C2: paen (or maybe it was PANE with a West Midlands lilt, but I don’t think so.)
OT: PAEAN (5) PANNE (5) UNBAN (5)
Score: 47–33 (max 66)

Chambers (cough, spit) suggests the alternative FAUNAE, but Oxford says it’s FAUNAS only, so we’re stuck on fives. Anne isn’t stuck, though, and is now 14 points ahead.

OoW: Susie discusses the origins of the word POSH (nothing to do with ‘Port Out, Starboard Home’) and – appropriately enough – STARBOARD.

Round 10: 75, 5, 2, 7, 5, 10. Target: 678.

C1: -
C2: -
RR: 678. ((7+2)x75)+5-(10/5) (10)
Score: 47–33 (max 76)

Oops! A washout on the numbers means the scores remain the same.

Teatime teaser: DAYBROKE -> KEYBOARD

Round 11: N T W E A E L T E

C1: NETTLE (6)
C2: TALENT (6)
DC: TALENT (6) LATENT (6) WATTLE (6)
OT: LATEEN (6) LATTEN (6) TELNET (6)
Score: 53–39 (max 82)

The flattest round of the day. Let’s move on.

Round 12: D U S C D I U L E

C1: CUDDLES (7)
C2: DUELS (5)
DC: CUDDLES (7) SLUICED (7) CUDDIES (7)
Score: 60–39 (max 89)

Ahhh!! The lovely-sounding CUDDLES makes an appearance. CUDDY appears to be the Scottish equivalent of calling someone a silly ass, and probably derives from the name Cuthbert. Joe now needs a nine-letter word to stand any chance of winning. Can he do it...?

Round 13: R T H S A O E O G

C1: SHOOTER (7)
C2: GREATS (6)
DC: SHORTAGE (8)
Score: 67–39 (max 97)

... unfortunately not. The game is effectively over, with Anne more than 20 points ahead.

Round 14: 100, 10, 9, 10, 5, 4. Target: 310.

C1: 310. (4x100)-(9x10) (10)
C2: 310. (4x100)-(9x10) (10)
Score: 77–49 (max 107)

Another straightforward numbers games means that both our combatants score 10 points.

Round 15: D E N I M T O N E

C1 buzzes on 4 seconds to say MENTIONED which is correct.
Score: 87–49 (max 117)

A comfortable victory for Anne in the end, then, but how long will she remain in the champion’s chair, especially with Countdown returnee (and Junior Champion) Andrew Hulme due to make his comeback on Thursday? You probably already know...

Recap by Kid Mole

Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=61

[Derek Hazell]

I don't like sliced bread, but I do like this recap.
It's the best thing since unsliced bread.

[Mike Brown]

I don't like sliced bread, but I do like this recap.
It's the best thing since unsliced bread.

Thanks, Derek. And sorry that it took so long to bake it!