Monday 17th February 2014 (series 70 prelim 31)

Andy McGurn · Post by **Andy McGurn** » Mon Feb 17, 2014 8:40 pm

Countdown recap for Monday 17 February 2014.

C1: Champion Brett Davids (1 win, 96 points.). A Dentist who went on safari and got close to a LEOPARD. Make a good debut on Friday by scoring 96.
C2: Challenger Christopher Jones. A retired solicitor from Bristol. He is part of a team that produces chess puzzles. This is his second stint on the show, having won one game in 1995.
DC: Susie Dent and Jonathan Edwards.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: R T D X E A O S J
R02: V R M U E I D S U
R03: 8, 9, 7, 8, 10, 100. Target: 398.
TTT: DRYHABIT - "I'll be buying the whole crew champagne tonight, because of this""
R04: O I R L B S A E B
R05: G D R S I E O P F
R06: 9, 2, 8, 7, 6, 100. Target: 568.
R07: N S D T I E A O P
R08: I E G S H N O A I
R09: 7, 5, 4, 7, 8, 25. Target: 376.
TTT: ANNSCLAM - "it sounds like Jurgen the footballer belonged to a Scottish community"
R10: T V E A I C R E G
R11: N T H D O A U P E
R12: N A G O E C L M A
R13: R N W R O I E L M
R14: 9, 2, 6, 1, 7, 75. Target: 432.
R15: C R E A M Y C O D (conundrum)

And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER

Enjoy the show.

Round 1: R T D X E A O S J

C1: ROASTED (7)
C2: ROASTED (7)
DC: EXTRADOS (8)
Score: 7–7 (max 8)

Standard start by the contestants, the impressive EXTRADOS is missed by them but DC spot it.

Round 2: V R M U E I D S U

C1: DIVERS (6)
C2: DRIVES (6)
DC: RESIDUUM (8)
OT: DUUMVIRS (8)
Score: 13–13 (max 16)

Level pegging for the contestants again. DC hit the max with the excellent RESIDUUM, while theres also another max word present. In ancient Rome DUUMVIRS are magistrates or officials holding a joint office.

Round 3: 8, 9, 7, 8, 10, 100. Target: 398.

C1: 398. 8/(9-7)*100-(10-8) (10)
C2: 400.
Score: 23–13 (max 26)

Brett spots the method but Christopher misses it, breaking the deadlock and giving Brett the ten point lead.

Teatime teaser: DRYHABIT -> BIRTHDAY

Round 4: O I R L B S A E B

C1: RABBLES (7)
C2: LOBBIES (7)
DC: SLOBBIER (8) SOLEBAR (7)
Score: 30–20 (max 34)

No Graeme he said LOBBIES

Round 5: G D R S I E O P F

C1: PODGIER (7)
C2: DIRGES (6)
DC: FIREDOGS (8)
Score: 37–20 (max 42)

Christopher misses one of several sevens available here. Brett takes full advantage and moves 17 points ahead. DC appear to be on form as they have spotted an 8 in every letters round thus far.

Round 6: 9, 2, 8, 7, 6, 100. Target: 568.

C1: 567.
C2: 568. (100*6)-((9-7)*2*8) (10)
Score: 37–30 (max 52)

Surprise miss by Brett here, giving Christopher the opportunity to get back to within ten.

Round 7: N S D T I E A O P

C1: ANTIPODES (18)
C2: SEDATION (8)
Score: 55–30 (max 70)

Brett will care a lot less about missing the numbers game now as he spots the 9 to go 25 points ahead. Interestingly while watching this I only spotted the nine after seeing Brett sit back after getting it early. This is something he should watch if he reaches the later stages of the series as he could inadvertently let his opponents know there’s a nine in a selection. It is of course, not an issue here as Christopher is stuck on 8

Round 8: I E G S H N O A I

C1: SHOEING (7)
C2: GEISHA (6)
DC: HOISIN (6) AGONISE (7)
OT: AGONIES (7) HOAGIES (7)
Score: 62–30 (max 77)

Nice word by Christopher, but Brett’s more straightforward SHOEING is the max and he takes a bigger lead by maxing the round.

Round 9: 7, 5, 4, 7, 8, 25. Target: 376.

C1: 376. (7-4)*5*25-(8-7) (10)
C2: 376. (8+7)*25+(5-4) (10)
Score: 72–40 (max 87)

Nice easy numbers game maintains Brett’s lead.

Teatime teaser: ANNSCLAM -> CLANSMAN

Round 10: T V E A I C R E G

C1: EVICT (5)
C2: GRIEVE (6)
DC: REACTIVE (8) CREATIVE (8)
OT: ERGATIVE (8)
Score: 72–46 (max 95)

For the second time today it’s a weak round by Brett enabling Christopher to regain a bit of ground. The gap remains big though and Brett appears to be heading to his second win.

Round 11: N T H D O A U P E

C1: HAUNTED (7)
C2: PHONED (6)
DC: HANDOUT (7)
OT: PHONATED (8)
Score: 79–46 (max 103)

The game is all but over now. DC surprisingly miss the 8 here, I say surprisingly as its come up many times on countdown and Susie must have spotted it on previous occasions.

Round 12: N A G O E C L M A

C1: MANACLE (7)
C2: MANGLE (6)
DC: CONGEAL (7) COALMAN (7)
OT: COALMEN (7) GAMELAN (7)
Score: 86–46 (max 110)

And with that Brett has sealed his second win. A GAMELAN is a traditional musical ensemble from Indonesia, typically from the islands of Java and Bali

Round 13: R N W R O I E L M

C1: LORINER (7)
C2: LORIMER (7)
OT: WORMIER (7)
Score: 93–53 (max 117)

LORIMER and LORINER have been mentioned as variants of each other by Susie on many occasions, I wonder if this is the first time the contestants have each offered these words in the same round.

Round 14: 9, 2, 6, 1, 7, 75. Target: 432.

C1: 432. (75*6)-(9*2) (10)
C2: 432. (75*6)-(9*2) (10)
Score: 103–63 (max 127)

Easy numbers games have been a theme of this episode and another one here enables the contestants to get an extra ten points

Round 15: C R E A M Y C O D

No one buzzes. The answer was DEMOCRACY.
Final Score: 103–63 (max 137)

Despite losing Christopher seems happy and seems genuinely impressed by Brett’s play.
The episode ends with Susie and Rachel giving Nick presents for his 70th birthday including a hat, a Bob Dylan box set and a cake in the shape of a car.
Join Callum tomorrow to see if Brett can continue his run.

Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=70
This website is not endorsed by or affiliated with Channel 4, the makers of Countdown, or any person associated with the aforementioned in any way whatsoever at all, never has been, never will be, and moreover is proud not to be. Yep.

Page design and all good stuff copyright © Charles Reams 2008. Thanks for Mike Brown for collecting the data for so many years