Friday 18th September 2009 (Series 61, Prelim 45)

[Phil Reynolds]

Countdown recap for Friday 18 September 2009.

C1: Champion Jeffrey Burgin (2 wins, 171 points.)
C2: Challenger Darren Carter.
DC: Susie Dent and Jo Brand.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

Making his third appearance today is 18-year-old Jeffrey, who has a large gay following. Unfortunately it's Christopher Biggins. Ba-doom. Jeffrey is of mixed British and Filipino descent and is a champion debater, with his school's debating team having been awarded the cup for Best Delegation in this year's International Model United Nations. I've no idea what that is but it sounds seriously impressive.

Jeff Stelling persists in pronouncing Jeffrey's surname with a soft G. However, Jeffrey assures us that it's hard. (Oh god...)

Today's challenger is yet another forumoid and Apterite (or is it forumist and Apteree - I can never remember). Darren Carter is a Business Economics graduate from the Midlands whose ambition is to found his own multi-million pound management consultancy. He lived in Qatar for two years as a child and enjoys mountain biking, supporting Leicester City FC and telling bad jokes. Unaccountably, he is not wearing a baseball cap.

So, on with the game.


R01: B H R U A I D S A
R02: N F D E I U Q N E
R03: R L P O E I M F R
R04: P A T U A N C R I
R05: 50, 6, 3, 8, 7, 9. Target: 321.
TTT: BLOWAGUN - "None of life's ups and downs here"
R06: T C T H O I O I O
R07: L R D E O U R L T
R08: E A N R Y E C N T
R09: L R P I E I G L E
R10: 10, 2, 5, 4, 9, 7. Target: 998.
TTT: HOUSENOT - "Did far better than a dimmer star, perhaps"
R11: S T S A O I D R E
R12: M S I E V D A O W
R13: J N K A I O D T X
R14: 3, 5, 8, 5, 8, 10. Target: 308.
R15: H E W M L O V E R (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: B H R U A I D S A

C1: BRAIDS (6)
C2: BRAIDS (6)
DC: ABASH (5) RADISH (6)
OT: BAHADURS (8)
Score: 6–6 (max 8)

A difficult opening selection, lurking within which was an undiscovered 8: the plural of BAHADUR, a title formerly bestowed by the British on distinguished Indians.

Round 2: N F D E I U Q N E

C1: undefine
C2: DEFINE (6)
DC: EQUINE (6)
OT: INFEED (6) FINNED (6) FUNDIE (6) FUNNED (6) INDENE (6) UNDINE (6)
Score: 6–12 (max 14)

Jeffrey takes a risk and finds himself a little behind.

Round 3: R L P O E I M F R

C1: IMPLORE (7)
C2: PERFORM (7)
OT: PROFILER (8)
Score: 13–19 (max 22)

Round 4: P A T U A N C R I

C1: CAPTAIN (7)
C2: TRAIN (5)
DC: PATINA (6)
OT: CANTRIP (7) CURTAIN (7) CURTANA (7) PURITAN (7) TANPURA (7)
Score: 20–19 (max 29)

Jeffrey takes back the lead in what is shaping up to be a closely fought game.

Round 5: 50, 6, 3, 8, 7, 9. Target: 321.

C1: 321. 50 X 6 + 7 X 3 (10)
C2: 321. 50 X 6 + 7 X 3 (10)
Score: 30–29 (max 39)

Both players put their pens down quickly in an easy first numbers round.

Teatime teaser: BLOWAGUN -> BUNGALOW

Round 6: T C T H O I O I O

C1: TOOTH (5)
C2: HOOT (4)
DC: TITCH (5)
Score: 35–29 (max 44)

Darren will have kicked himself for that miss.

Round 7: L R D E O U R L T

C1: TROLLED (7)
C2: TROLLED (7)
OT: DROLLER (7) TROLLER (7)
Score: 42–36 (max 51)

Both players declare "dodgy" 7s, but TROLLED is fine, although surprisingly the list of definitions read out by Susie doesn't include the familiar internet forum usage.

Round 8: E A N R Y E C N T

C1: CENTENARY (18)
C2: CENTENARY (18)
Score: 60–54 (max 69)

A superb spot by both players. Darren gets his first darren.

Round 9: L R P I E I G L E

C1: GRIPE (5)
C2: GRIP (4)
OT: GILLIE (6) GIRLIE (6) GRILLE (6) RELLIE (6)
Score: 65–54 (max 75)

And another opportunity for self-kicking as Darren fails to put the E onto GRIP.

OoW: Susie talks about "antigrams" - a nonce word for anagrams with opposite meanings.

Round 10: 10, 2, 5, 4, 9, 7. Target: 998.

C1: -
C2: 998. (9 + 7 + 4) X 5 X 10 - 2 (10)
Score: 65–64 (max 85)

A good tactical choice of six small pays off for Darren as we go into the second break with just one point separating the players.

Teatime teaser: HOUSENOT -> OUTSHONE

Round 11: S T S A O I D R E

C1: ASTEROIDS (18)
C2: ROADIES (7)
Score: 83–64 (max 103)

A classic Countdown 9 eludes Darren, leaving him with a 19-point deficit to make up in the remaining four rounds. Can he do it? Only time (or possibly James Robinson) will tell.

Round 12: M S I E V D A O W

C1: MOVIES (6)
C2: MEADOWS (7)
OT: DISAVOW (7) MIAOWED (7)
Score: 83–71 (max 110)

Round 13: J N K A I O D T X

C1: INTO (4)
C2: JOINT (5)
DC: ADJOINT (7)
OT: OXIDANT (7)
Score: 83–76 (max 117)

Again, spotting JOINT but not ADJOINT must have been extremely frustrating for Darren. However, Jeffrey hasn't scored in the last two rounds, putting the game tantalisingly within Darren's reach once more.

Round 14: 3, 5, 8, 5, 8, 10. Target: 308.

C1: 308. (5 + 5) X 10 X 3 + 8 (10)
C2: 308. (5 + 5) X 10 X 3 + 8 (10)
Score: 93–86 (max 127)

This time, both players score the max with six small, leading us to the only climax that this game merits - a crucial conundrum.

Round 15: H E W M L O V E R

C2 buzzes on 29 seconds but doesn't have an answer.
C1 does not buzz.
The answer was OVERWHELM.
Score: 93–86 (max 137)

The pressure of the game has evidently got to both players, as a relatively easy conundrum for those of us watching in comfort at home proves remarkably apt and overwhelms them both under the studio lights, though Darren buzzes at the last second just for the craic.

Despite some tantalising misses, this was a great game of Countdown. Jeffrey and Darren were extremely well-matched as players, which led to one of the most nail-biting finishes we've seen in a while. Superb stuff.

There was a lengthy break in the recording schedule after today's game, so Jeffrey will have had the opportunity for lots more Apterous practice by the time he returns to defend his title in Monday's show. Will we notice an improvement in his standard? I can't wait to find out.

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