C1: Champion Dave Wilkinson (4 wins, 321 points.)
C2: Challenger Charlotte Godwyn.
DC: Susie Dent and Des Lynam.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
Well, it's finally here: the 5,000th edition of our favourite parlour game (give or take a few, anyway, depending on how you look at it) and I'm honoured (my tongue is only partially in my proverbial cheek) to be doing the recap for it. Like several forumites, I've been following the programme since Day One, and it's incredible to think that Countdown is still surviving today, so I take my hat off to all of those who have made it possible, not least of course our fellow C4Cer Mr Eadie, who has steered the programme through some rocky waters in the last few years since the sad passing of Richard Whiteley and the acrimonious departure of Carol. And a special mention also, I think, for associate producer Kate Horton, who displayed an immaculate sense of timing by giving birth to her daughter Jessica on the very day this programme comes to air. I'm sure that fact was uppermost in her mind at the time; I'm sure we all wish her and her family all the very best on this happy day.
In honour of the special occasion, Des Lynam returns to the show as Dictionary Corner guest (and thus becomes the only person to host and guest - and compete, for that matter - on the programme) and Marcel Stellman, the man responsible for bringing Countdown across the Channel back in 1982, pops up in the audience with a friendly wave to all those assembled.
Apart from the introductions, the game is pretty much a normal one, with not so much as a logo on the credits to indicate anything different, but that doesn't mean it's going to be a bad one. Dave Wilkinson is still in the champion's chair, having won four games already this week, and in the challenger's chair is another "fireball hottie" (I'm not sure I like the term, but certain others seem quite keen on it) in the shape of Charlotte Godwyn from the lovely Sussex city of Chichester, although she is studying at St Andrews University in Scotland at the moment (or has she recently graduated? - it didn't seem that clear to me from her conversation with Jeff).
With all of that stuff out of the way, then, let's get on with the game...
R01: R T A O A N W T I
R02: G S P A U R O T E
R03: S D O E H P R I O
R04: D F N R I E O J H
R05: 50, 75, 10, 5, 1, 7. Target: 930.
TTT: MORECUTS - "He can be tricky or awkward, but he's always right."
R06: R D A I A G T S E
R07: T N I O D L S U E
R08: X N D R A I E M T
R09: V Q T A E I L C O
R10: 75, 8, 8, 2, 9, 6. Target: 203.
TTT: PIESPLUS - "These provisions can cause a mild shock."
R11: L F E A M D O T K
R12: E I N S Y C E R N
R13: G C S A I L N E I
R14: 25, 7, 10, 7, 3, 6. Target: 782.
R15: D E S L H I N A M (conundrum)
Countdown is still sponsored by Ibuleve. Contains ibuprofen. Always read the label.
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Round 1: R T A O A N W T I
C1: RATION (6)
C2: RATION (6)
DC: ATTAIN (6) TITAN (SD: "which is Des.") (5)
OT: WAITRON (7)
Score: 6–6 (max 7)
A WAITRON is the politically correct, non-gender-specific version of a WAITER or WAITRESS.
Round 2: G S P A U R O T E
C1: OUTAGES (7)
C2: PAGERS (6)
DC: OUTRAGES (8) APTEROUS (8)
OT: GROUPSET (8) PORTAGES (8) POTAGERS (8)
Score: 13–6 (max 15)
The definition of APTEROUS read out by Susie is totally straight-faced, but when we see a shot of Rachel next to the letters board bearing the word, she gives a beaming smile and what I took to be a slightly exaggerated round of applause to the camera. I thought a GROUPSET would be some kind of geometrical term, although I didn't recall it from my Maths 'A' level; turns out it's all to do with the brakes and gears of a bicycle. Well, you learn something...
Round 3: S D O E H P R I O
C1: SHOOED (6)
C2: HORSED (6)
DC: HOODIES (7)
OT: SPHEROID (8)
Score: 19–12 (max 23)
Surely the more recent definition of HOODIES will be in the 3rd edition of the ODE, but in the mean time it's acceptable only as the thing that they wear.
Round 4: D F N R I E O J H
C1: JOINER (6)
C2: JOINER (6)
DC: JOINDER (7)
Score: 25–18 (max 30)
Both contestants fail to realise they could add the 'D' for the darren. Don't blame them, it's not the commonest of words.
Round 5: 50, 75, 10, 5, 1, 7. Target: 930.
C1: 926. Mistake in working.
C2: -
RR: 930. ((75+50)x7)+((10+1)x5) (10)
Score: 25–18 (max 40)
A tricky numbers game allows Rachel to shine on this special day.
For his 'one day only' appearance in DC, Des regales us with some anecdotes from his long career in broadcasting.
Teatime teaser: MORECUTS -> CUSTOMER
I hope there aren't going to be any more cuts; ITV Studios has had quite enough of those recently.
Round 6: R D A I A G T S E
C1: gradiates
C2: staired
DC: GRADATES (8) RADIATES (8) AIRDATES (8)
Score: 25–18 (max 48)
A double-blob from our players. DC get all three maxes; plurals of the three sevens they got in Round 9 a couple of days ago, in fact. I think we're suffering from 'new shuffler syndrome' again.
Round 7: T N I O D L S U E
C1: INSOLE (6)
C2: OUTLINED (8)
DC: UNSOILED (8) INSULTED (8) SOLITUDE (8) DELUSION (8)
OT: DILUENTS (8) UNLISTED (8) ELUTIONS (8) OUTLINES (8)
Score: 25–26 (max 56)
Wow, eights galore, and Charlotte gets one of them, which gives her a narrow lead for the first time.
Round 8: X N D R A I E M T
C1: TRAINED (7)
C2: TRAINED (7)
DC: MINARET (7) MEDIANT (7)
OT: DETRAIN (7) DEXTRAN (7) DEXTRIN (7) MERANTI (7) RAIMENT (7) READMIT (7)
Score: 32–33 (max 63)
MERANTI may sound like an aristocratic Italian dynasty, but it's actually a kind of timber from Malaysia and Indonesia, which comes in three colours: red, white and yellow (I was going to say 'a bit like the flag of such and such a country', but there isn't one).
Round 9: V Q T A E I L C O
C1: VIOLET (6)
C2: ALIVE (5)
DC: LOCATIVE (8)
Score: 38–33 (max 71)
As Susie points out, the word LOCATIVE evokes memories for all of us who studied Latin. Ah, those were the days.
OoW: Susie tests Des on the meaning of the word 'rebarbative' and he guesses correctly. The word means 'repulsive' and derives from an Old French expression meaning 'to face each other beard to beard'.
Round 10: 75, 8, 8, 2, 9, 6. Target: 203.
C1: 205. (75x2)+(8x8)-9 (7)
C2: 206.
RR: 203. (75x2)+(9x6)-(8/8) (10)
Score: 45–33 (max 81)
Dave bags some points on the numbers this time around, which allows him to extend his lead to twelve as we go into break number two. But before we do, Rachel gets to dazzle us once more with her arithmetic prowess.
Teatime teaser: PIESPLUS -> SUPPLIES
I'd have thought a SUPPLY might give you more than just a 'mild' shock, but there you are.
Round 11: L F E A M D O T K
C1: FLOATED (7)
C2: FLOATED (7)
DC: FLOATED (7)
Score: 52–40 (max 88)
Dullest round of the day, but I'm sure the contestants are happy with their seven points apiece.
Round 12: E I N S Y C E R N
C1: SINCERE (7)
C2: SINCERE (7)
DC: SINCERE (7) CERISE (6)
OT: CERESIN (7) INCENSE (7) NERINES (7) SCENERY (7)
Score: 59–47 (max 95)
The word SINCERE always reminds me of Hughie Green; CERESIN is a kind of wax; NERINES are bulbous South African plants.
Round 13: G C S A I L N E I
C1: SCALING (7)
C2: SCALING (7)
DC: ANGLICISE (18)
Score: 66–54 (max 113)
What better way to finish off the letters rounds of Edition 5000 (ish) than with a nine? Well, here it is in the shape of ANGLICISE, which I'm not sure has ever been on the programme before.
Round 14: 25, 7, 10, 7, 3, 6. Target: 782.
C1: -
C2: -
RR: 782. (((25x10)+6)x3)+7+7 (10)
Score: 66–54 (max 123)
One of those rare occasions when Rach gets to show us how it's done three times in one day (as it were) with a very impressive solve. On contestant's row, Dave has done enough to win already, thus breaking the run of Friday Crucial Conundrums. Never mind, it was good while it lasted.
Round 15: D E S L H I N A M
Nice conundrum!
C1 buzzes on 2 seconds to say MISHANDLE which is correct.
Score: 76–54 (max 133)
Well, that just about wraps up the recap of this milestone episode. Join everyone's favourite person from Alsager, Mr Howard Somerset, on Monday for more of the same. Kid Mole will return on Good Friday.
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=62
According to the CDB, there are currently 1,921 recaps of regular editions, so we've still got a long way to go!!