Countdown recap for Thursday 17 December 2009.
C1: No.2 Seed Chris Davies (9 wins, 1,000 points.) A charity shop volunteer from the Wirral. Beat No.7 Seed Steve Wood 108-61 on Friday.
C2: No.3 Seed Innis Carson (9 wins, 972 points.) A chemistry student at Edinburgh University. Beat No.6 Seed Jeffrey Burgin 111-70 on Monday.
DC: Susie Dent and Rory "Bearded Tit" McGrath.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: L N T I C E A O J
R02: R S R A I E W R D
R03: N E T N I Y E S M
R04: R N I A Y C I T O
R05: 8, 10, 2, 10, 9, 6. Target: 176.
TTT: HAMCORKS - "This emblem is unmistakeably Irish"
R06: M F I E L S A P R
R07: I F T D B E L I M
R08: K S X A E P S I D
R09: T L E T L A E W N
R10: 75, 25, 6, 3, 7, 3. Target: 982.
TTT: PLOTTREE - "You might need Scotty's help if you want to do this"
R11: P S T U E C Z O H
R12: N G A O A T B M U
R13: E O R I S D N O L
R14: 75, 25, 10, 1, 1, 5. Target: 655.
R15: E P I T U S S L E (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: L N T I C E A O J
C1: JACONET (7)
C2: ELATION (7)
OT: ACONITE (7) TOENAIL (7) LACTONE (7) LECTION (7)
Score: 7–7 (max 7)
Round 2: R S R A I E W R D
C1: DRAWERS (7)
C2: DRAWERS (7)
DC: REWARDS (7) WARDERS (7) RAIDERS (7)
OT: REDRAWS (7)
Score: 14–14 (max 14)
A double flat start to the 2nd semi-final.
Round 3: N E T N I Y E S M
C1: NINETY (6)
C2: INTENSE (7)
OT: EMINENT (7) TENNIES (7) SYENITE (7)
Score: 14–21 (max 21)
A fatal slip by Chris gives Innis an early advantage.
SYENITE is a granular igneous rock consisting chiefly of orthoclase and oligoclase.
Round 4: R N I A Y C I T O
C1: CORTINA (7)
C2: CORTINA (7)
Score: 21–28 (max 28)
Round 5: 8, 10, 2, 10, 9, 6. Target: 176.
C1: 176. ((9 + 8) x 10) + 6 (10)
C2: 176. ((10 + 8) x 10) - (6 - 2) (10)
Score: 31–38 (max 38)
Rory tells of the time he nearly died during the Great Nevis River Race, while filming for Rory & Paddy's Great British Adventure on Five.
Teatime teaser: HAMCORKS -> SHAMROCK
Round 6: M F I E L S A P R
C1: LEMPIRAS (8)
C2: IMPALERS (8)
OT: PALMIERS (8)
Score: 39–46 (max 46)
Round 7: I F T D B E L I M
C1: LIMITED (7)
C2: LIMITED (7)
OT: DELIMIT (7) MIDLIFE (7)
Score: 46–53 (max 53)
Innis is still on for a max game at half-way. Hope I haven't jinxed it...
Round 8: K S X A E P S I D
C1: SPEAKS (6)
C2: PASSED (6)
DC: APSIDES (7)
Score: 52–59 (max 60)
Oh dear! It was actually Chris who wondered if APSIDES was in, and it was, so he remains 7 down.
Round 9: T L E T L A E W N
C1: TALENT (6)
C2: LATENT (6)
DC: WATTLE (6) NETTLE (6) WALLET (6) wantee
OT: LATEEN (6) LATTEN (6) TELNET (6)
Score: 58–65 (max 66)
This game is still too close to call. Susie was hoping that WANTEE would be in. Rory declares that it's a ridiculous word, and he's right, because it's not there.
Susie's Origin Of Words tells of the origins of "census" and "caucus".
Round 10: 75, 25, 6, 3, 7, 3. Target: 982.
C1: 982. ((25 - 6 - 3 - 3) x 75) + 7 (10)
C2: 982. ((75 + 25) x (7 + 3)) - (6 x 3) (10)
Score: 68–75 (max 76)
Yet again, 2 very contrasting solutions, but still 10 points to both players.
Teatime teaser: PLOTTREE -> TELEPORT
Round 11: P S T U E C Z O H
C1: POUCHES (7)
C2: TOUCHES (7)
Score: 75–82 (max 83)
The only 2 7's are got by both players.
Round 12: N G A O A T B M U
C1: BOATMAN (7)
C2: BOATMAN (7)
DC: GUNBOAT (7)
OT: TUMBAGA (7)
Score: 82–89 (max 90)
TUMBAGA was the name given by Spaniards to a non-specific alloy of gold and copper which they found in widespread use in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica and South America.
Round 13: E O R I S D N O L
C1: INDOORS (7)
C2: SOLENOID (8)
DC: NOODLES (7) EROSION (7)
OT: EIDOLONS (8)
Score: 82–97 (max 98)
Woah! Has Chris just made another fatal slip? Innis gets the electric SOLENOID to give him a 15-point lead. He just needs to get this numbers to win the match.
EIDOLONS are phantoms or apparitions.
Round 14: 75, 25, 10, 1, 1, 5. Target: 655.
C1: 655. ((10 - 1) x 75) - 25 + 5 (10)
C2: 654.
Score: 92–97 (max 108)
The audience gasps as Chris solves that crucial numbers to bring the gap down to 5 points.
This game is now going to be decided by the conundrum. Both players' records on conundrums are pretty formidable and fast.
How will this one go...
Round 15: E P I T U S S L E
C1 buzzes on 25.5 seconds to say SLEEPSUIT which is correct.
Score: 102–97 (max 118)
Just as the famous der-der-der-der-duh-duh-duh-duhs come into the ears, Chris breaks the silence in the studio with the correct answer. A 5 point defecit is turned into a 5 point victory.
This game definitely ranks as one of the best I've ever seen and probably one of the best ever in the 27-year history of the show. That would have been a worthy final. As it is, Chris has made it to the final to play No.1 Seed Andrew Hulme.
Join Allan Harmer tomorrow for the Series 61 Grand Final. Which of these Countdown goliaths will reign supreme?
Will it be Lincolnshire's Andrew Hulme or the Wirral's Chris Davies
Tune in for one of the most eagerly anticipated finals of the TV year. Not The X Factor, not even Strictly Come Dancing, but Countdown.
That's me done for this year.
I'll just wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
See you for my next recap on January 13th 2010.
Statistics Corner
Chris:
Total score - 102
Raw score - 115
Total % of max - 86
Raw % of max - 97
Total average score per round - 6.8
Raw average score per round - 7.7
Number of maxes - 12
Innis:
Total score - 97
Raw score - 104
Total % of max - 82
Raw % of max - 88
Total average score per round - 6.5
Raw average score per round - 6.9
Number of maxes - 12
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=61
