Monday 21 June 2010 (Series 63, Prelim 1)

[Ryan Taylor]

The 21st June is one hell of a day. Not only is it the longest day of the year but Wimbledon started today, Portugal just hit 7 against North Korea and series 63 of Countdown starts here.

Huge congratulations to Oliver Garner becoming series 62 champion after beating Nicki Sellars in the final. Oliver was solid throughout the competition and even when I had a small bit of doubt that he would get beaten he just raised his game. In my short time watching Countdown you definitely won the series the most convincingly. That was last series though and history awaits for the series 63ers.

Countdown recap for Tuesday 22 June 2010.

C1: Champion Scott Gillies (5 wins, 499 points.)
C2: Challenger Kevin Quinn.
DC: Susie Dent and Aled Jones.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: T B G I E I A T S
R02: F N G I A E H W S
R03: R D I U E P V O E
R04: L R L W U A I E S
R05: 50, 75, 25, 100, 9, 7. Target: 839.
TTT: REDOPOTS - "For a large piece of bread its the way forward"
R06: D L S A E O R P R
R07: Z R K A I O U D E
R08: S H B A O E Q S A
R09: M R A E O X T S E
R10: 4, 9, 7, 7, 5, 1. Target: 275.
TTT: DAFTASHE - "These people most certainly are as daft as he"
R11: N D V O O E L I T
R12: R G T A E O J R N
R13: T M G A E U O R N
R14: 3, 2, 6, 7, 3, 1. Target: 130.
R15: E N T E R T R I P (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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We start the first edition of series 63 with a joke...an Englishman an Irishman and a Scotsman.

No offence was intended to Scott or Kevin by me describing them as jokes. I was just trying to be funny. Emphasis on trying.

So, carrying on from his run in series 62 is apteforumite Scott Gillies. He has been strong so far and averaging just under 100 points per game.

Hoping to stop Scott on his run is Kevin Quinn. He lives in Helen's Bay, Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland and is married with 2 children. For the last 5-6 years he has dressed up as Santa Clause and delivered presents around Belfast. He already has the big white beard which makes him look intelligent too. Could be tough for Scott.

In dictionary corner is a new face Aled Jones. So we now have a Welshman added to the mix. In the chat before the contest we learn Aled in fact reached county level at tennis and played at Wimbledon against Alan Mills. Even more interesting, I found out that Susie Dent's parents were in fact champions at county level of table tennis (wiff-waff if you're Boris). Jizztastic stuff.

Enjoy the show.

Round 1: T B G I E I A T S

C1: AGEIST (6)
C2: STAGE (5)
DC: BATTIES (7)
OT: BATISTE (7)
Score: 6–0 (max 7)

A nervy start from Kev as Scott finds a beater and probably considered BATTIES but played it safe to take the lead. DC fill us in that BATTIES is a term for the buttocks which surprised me and BATISTE is a fine cloth made from cotton or linen.

Round 2: F N G I A E H W S

C1: WASHING (7)
C2: WASHING (7)
DC: WHINGES (7)
OT: SHEAFING (8)
Score: 13–7 (max 15)

Again, I am pretty sure Scott had SHEAFING written down but chose to "stick with a 7".

Round 3: R D I U E P V O E

C1: DEPRIVE (7)
C2: PROVIDE (7)
DC: OVERDUE (7)
Score: 20–14 (max 22)

All 3 7's spotted by contestants and DC. Good stuff.

Round 4: L R L W U A I E S

C1: WALLIES (7)
C2: RALLIES (7)
DC: WAILERS (7)
OT: ALLURES (7) LAURELS (7) SWILLER (7)
Score: 27–21 (max 29)

Some laughter from the audience here, after the announcement of WALLIES by Scott, suspiciously coming from an older person. Kev is with the spirit of the show and comments on his word RALLIES tying it in with Wimbledon. Just little things like this are nice to see and makes the show better when the players interact.

Round 5: 50, 75, 25, 100, 9, 7. Target: 839.

C1: 839. (100-7)*9+50/25 (10)
C2: 834.
Score: 37–21 (max 39)

Dirty tactics here. 4 large by Scott. I hate 4 large. Thankfully this one wasn't too demanding but still a good solve by Scott and his tactic pays off leading to a 16 point advantage.

DC guest time: Aled Jones tells of how a woman once mistook him for that very handsome young man David O'Donnell. Sorry. Daniel O'Donnell.

Teatime teaser: REDOPOTS -> DOORSTEP

Round 6: D L S A E O R P R

C1: LEOPARDS (8)
C2: LEOPARDS (8)
DC: PRELOADS (8) ORDEALS (7)
OT: PREDORSAL (18)
Score: 45–29 (max 57)

Good 8's from both Scott and Kev. It seems that Scott is very comfortable at the moment. Kev is finding good words but Scott has always equalled him or better. A great nine hid away there which was spotted by Bevins (and probably a few others). I've never heard of it so had no chance of spotting it. Well done if you got it.

Round 7: Z R K A I O U D E

C1: RAKED (5)
C2: DOZIER (6)
OT: ADZUKI (6) DARKIE (6) DUIKER (6) OAKIER (6) ROADIE (6)
Score: 45–35 (max 63)

Finally a breakthrough for Kev. Scott can only find 5 and Kev has a 6 which Susie rightly acknowledges as an excellent spot. Kev now pulls it back to a 10 point deficit.

Round 8: S H B A O E Q S A

C1: BASHES (6)
C2: ABASHES (7)
Score: 45–42 (max 70)

And again! The only 7 available here and it is Kev who finds it. Scott's BASHES is one off.

Round 9: M R A E O X T S E

C1: METEORS (7)
C2: STEAMER (7)
DC: REMOTES (7)
OT: EMOTERS (7) EXTREMA (7) MAESTRO (7) ROSEATE (7) TEAMERS (7)
Score: 52–49 (max 77)

Naff round really. Scott's lead, after just been cut to 3, remains in tact.

Origins of Words: Susie shows us the link between CORONER and CORONATION chicken. Tasty.

Round 10: 4, 9, 7, 7, 5, 1. Target: 275.

C1: 275. (9*7-7-1)*5 (10)
C2: 277.
Score: 62–49 (max 87)

Kev chooses 6 from the bottom and Rachel comments that she's heard it called the Hartlepool because it's "lots from the bottom" which to me didn't make any sense but that same old lady laughed raucously in the audience.

Anyway, relief for Scott as the 6 small numbers game does him the favours. He gets his 5 times table right and takes all 10 points which might be enough to see off Kev's fightback.

Teatime teaser: DAFTASHE -> FATHEADS

Round 11: N D V O O E L I T

C1: EIDOLON (7)
C2: DEVOTION (8)
DC: LOVE
Score: 62–57 (max 95)

But no. Kev still comes back ad once again finds the darren. Great stuff. In case anyone wondered (I did), LOTIONED is invalid.

Round 12: R G T A E O J R N

C1: GROANER (7)
C2: oranger
OT: GRANTER (7) GRANTOR (7) NEGATOR (7)
Score: 69–57 (max 102)

A good try by Kev but unfortunately ORANGER is not a word which seems stupid since REDDER is a word. Oh well. Scott restores a 12 point lead with a standard GROANER.

Round 13: T M G A E U O R N

C1: OUTRANGE (8)
C2: ORANGE (6)
DC: ARGUMENT (8)
Score: 77–57 (max 110)

Somewhat amusingly Kev spots ORANGE and the audience all laugh (loudly). Rowdy bunch this afternoon! Sadly MEGATRON is not allowed.

Round 14: 3, 2, 6, 7, 3, 1. Target: 130.

C1: 130. 7*3*6+3+1 (10)
C2: 130. (7+6)*(3+3-1)*2 (10)
Score: 87–67 (max 120)

Last chance now for Kev and he chose 6 small. Unfortunately it was an easy target with many ways of getting to it. Game, set and match to Scott.

Round 15: E N T E R T R I P

C2 buzzes on 5 seconds to say PERTINENT which is incorrect.
C1 does not buzz.
The answer was INTERPRET.
Score: 87–67 (max 130)

I'm glad nobody buzzed as it meant we got to see the audience and see the rowdy bunch. Turns out to be 7 old women sat along the front row. Too much sherry for them methinks. Bless 'em.

So Scott has won his 6th game but with his lowest score. That is a sign of the opposition who outplayed Scott in a handful of rounds. Well played to Kev, I enjoyed him on the show and a big congratulations to Mr Gillies as he returns tomorrow for his 7th show.

Will he become the series' first octochamp? Will those pensioners be as loud tomorrow? What new clothes has Rachel got lined up? Can Aled Jones make his next anecdote shorter? Find out with Dinos, our resident Geek, I mean Greek, later on.

As for me, I'm off for a nap.

Goodbye my lovelies xx.

Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=63

[James Robinson]

Round 15: E N T E R T R I P

C2 buzzes on 5 seconds to say which is incorrect.
C1 does not buzz.
The answer was INTERPRET.
Score: 87–67 (max 130)

I seem to recall that Kevin buzzed in with pertinent, rather than nothing, Ryan.

[Ryan Taylor]

Round 15: E N T E R T R I P

C2 buzzes on 5 seconds to say which is incorrect.
C1 does not buzz.
The answer was INTERPRET.
Score: 87–67 (max 130)

I seem to recall that Kevin buzzed in with pertinent, rather than nothing, Ryan.

Yeah but it was a shit guess and for this recap I didn't think it was pertinent.

[Gavin Chipper]

Round 15: E N T E R T R I P

C2 buzzes on 5 seconds to say which is incorrect.
C1 does not buzz.
The answer was INTERPRET.
Score: 87–67 (max 130)

I seem to recall that Kevin buzzed in with pertinent, rather than nothing, Ryan.

Yeah but it was a shit guess and for this recap I didn't think it was pertinent.

Did you leave it blank just as a way of building to this pun?

[Ryan Taylor]

Did you leave it blank just as a way of building to this pun?

Do you really think I deliberately left it blank, hoping James would pick up on it and then point it out just for me to execute a crap pun? You'd be right.

[Ryan Taylor]

In all seriousness, it was a genuine mistake which is now fixed I submit the recap without rereading it until it's submitted.

[Mike Brown]

Round 12: R G T A E O J R N

C1: GROANER (7)
C2: oranger
OT: GRANTER (7) GRANTOR (7) NEGATOR (7)
Score: 69–57 (max 102)

I'm certain Susie said "the astronomical term" in response to Scott's word; I assume she misheard his declaration as
'corona', unless anyone else has any better suggestions...

[Ryan Taylor]

Round 12: R G T A E O J R N

C1: GROANER (7)
C2: oranger
OT: GRANTER (7) GRANTOR (7) NEGATOR (7)
Score: 69–57 (max 102)

I'm certain Susie said "the astronomical term" in response to Scott's word; I assume she misheard his declaration as
'corona', unless anyone else has any better suggestions...

Yeah she did say that and I just presumed there was another meaning for the word GROANER. I always take Susie's word for it.