Anyway I'm here now, so here goes. Cliff Lee returns today for his 4th appearance, today playing James Topps as he bids to get half way to Octochampdom. A new DC guest for a new week. I wish all weeks started on Friday sometimes 
this being thanks to a very rude interruption by the horses at Cheltenham for 4 days last week. 
Countdown recap for Friday 21 March 2014.
C1: Challenger Cliff Lee. (3 wins, 293 points) A casino manager from Balham, South-West London. Owns five cats called Rosie, Lulu, Scruff, Dusty and Cindy.
C2: Challenger James Topps. A supply chain analyst from Doncaster. Currently restoring a 1977 Mini.
DC: Susie Dent and Maureen Lipman.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: L S D R A U E N C
R02: M L V I E A O R R
R03: 2, 1, 9, 8, 8, 3. Target: 986.
TTT: NIGHTCAM - "The two red headed strikers look exactly the same."
R04: X S D I E O A G C
R05: H R N F E U I O W
R06: 6, 3, 1, 9, 5, 25. Target: 610.
R07: E A I D M B R G O
R08: P N Q A E A O S T
R09: 10, 1, 6, 8, 75, 25. Target: 422.
TTT: BIGLINGO - "Not necessarily fond of tennis, but more than willing to serve."
R10: G P R E O E S T I
R11: F N T D U O A E P
R12: B L T I O E U N G
R13: O I E L S H M P V
R14: 7, 5, 5, 3, 10, 75. Target: 309.
R15: O T T E R D E A L (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: L S D R A U E N C
Cliff: LAUNDERS (8)
James: CLEANS (6)
DC: UNSCALED (8)
OT: CANDLERS (8) LURDANES (8)
Score: 8–0 (max 8)
Something is clearly awash in the opening round. James gets CLEANS for 6, but it is Cliff who LAUNDERS his way to 8 points.
Round 2: M L V I E A O R R
Cliff: OVERARM (7)
James: LOVER (5)
DC: REMOVAL (7) LORIMER (7)
OT: ARMOIRE (7) LOAMIER (7)
Score: 15–0 (max 15)
Cliff gets an OVERARM 7, while James only gets 5 with his LOVER.
Round 3: 2, 1, 9, 8, 8, 3. Target: 986.
Cliff: 984. Mistake in working.
James: -
OT: 987. ( (9x8x2) -3) x (8-1) (7)
Score: 15–0 (max 22)
James didn't get anywhere near this one. Cliff thought he had 984 but sadly came almost 100 out. Rachel couldn't get 986 either, mainly due to the fact it was actually impossible, with 987 being the confirmed max.
Teatime teaser: NIGHTCAM -> MATCHING
Round 4: X S D I E O A G C
Cliff: CADGES (6)
James: CAGED (5)
DC: OXIDES (6)
OT: OXIDASE (7)
Score: 21–0 (max 29)
James is yet to get off the mark. He gets CAGED in, in this round as Cliff CADGES 6 points.
Round 5: H R N F E U I O W
Cliff: WHINER (6)
James: WIFE (4)
DC: FROWN (5) INFER (5)
OT: HEROIN (6)
Score: 27–0 (max 35)
Cliff is the WHINER of this round as James loses out again with his WIFE. Don't worry James, it happens to a lot of men that
Round 6: 6, 3, 1, 9, 5, 25. Target: 610.
Cliff: 609. (1+3) x 6 x 25 + 9 (7)
James: 609. (1+3) x 6 x 25 + 9 (7)
RR: 610. (6-1) x25 -3 x 5 (10)
Score: 34–7 (max 45)
Both get 1 away with 609. Rachel manages 610 though.
Maureen Lipman talks about her play Daytona.
Round 7: E A I D M B R G O
Cliff: EMBARGO (7)
James: BORED (5)
DC: BRIGADE (7) GRIMED (6) BROMIDE (7)
OT: IDEOGRAM (8)
Score: 41–7 (max 53)
James is clearly BORED of this game now, as Cliff puts an EMBARGO on him scoring any points.
Round 8: P N Q A E A O S T
Cliff: pantoes
James: PEASANT (7)
DC: PANTOS (6) SONATA (6) PANES (5)
Score: 41–14 (max 60)
James gets a PEASANT as Cliff makes a mistake by adding a rogue 'e' to 'pantoes'.
Round 9: 10, 1, 6, 8, 75, 25. Target: 422.
Cliff: 422. (6 x 75) -25-1-(10-8) (10)
James: 422. )6 x 75) -25-1-(10-8) (10)
Score: 51–24 (max 70)
Perfection all round as both players get 10 points for 422.
Teatime teaser: BIGLINGO -> OBLIGING
Round 10: G P R E O E S T I
Cliff: STRIPE (6)
James: ropiest
DC: PRESTIGE (8) RIPOSTE (7)
OT: PROTEGES (8)
Score: 57–24 (max 78)
Cliff gets STRIPE for 6, while James gets 'ropiest'. Perfectly good word really, but unfortunately he declared it as an 8 instead of a 7
Round 11: F N T D U O A E P
Cliff: PEANUT (6)
James: fondant
DC: PEDANT (6) PUNTED (6) NOTEPAD (7)
OT: TONEPAD (7)
Score: 63–24 (max 85)
It's a PEANUT for Cliff to score 6 points again by default as James sees a phantom second 'n' to come up with 'fondant'.
Susie talks about the origin of the word 'complexion'.
Round 12: B L T I O E U N G
Cliff: BOLTING (7)
James: bloting
DC: BILTONG (7) TONGUE (6) BLING (5)
OT: BOULTING (8)
Score: 70–24 (max 93)
Cliff is BOLTING to another 7 points here, as James declares 'bloting' which requires a double T. Becoming quite embarrassing now I'm afraid.
Round 13: O I E L S H M P V
Cliff: POLISH (6)
James: HOMIES (6)
DC: IMPELS (6) PLOSIVE (7)
Score: 76–30 (max 100)
Cliff gets another 6 to POLISH off the letters. James gets HOMIES. Clearly thinking about going home.
Round 14: 7, 5, 5, 3, 10, 75. Target: 309.
Cliff: 309. (7-3) x 75 + 10 - (5/5) (10)
James: 310.
Score: 86–30 (max 110)
It's another 10 points for Cliff as he gets the numbers spot on with 309. James only manages to get 310.
Round 15: O T T E R D E A L
Cliff buzzes on 13 seconds but fails to give an answer.
James does not buzz.
The answer was TOLERATED.
Final Score: 86–30 (max 120)
Cliff tried to get the conundrum but unfortunately buzzed in and couldn't come up with an answer. James couldn't capitalise, so a dear lady in the audience was left to claim a mug by getting TOLERATED. Despite this, Cliff has claimed his 4th win and is now half way to becoming an Octochamp. Will he go all the way next week? Tune in to find out. Andy McGurn will be here on Monday to recap Cliff's 5th game. I'll be back next Friday. Thank you once again for reading, and have a great week. Goodbye for now.
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.