[2003 March 20] Thursday - one of Julian Fell's favourites

[Charlie Reams]

Countdown recap for Thursday 20th March 2003.

C1: Champion Andrew Tatham (5 wins, 435 points.)
C2: Challenger Beth Sutton.
DC: Susie Dent and Lawrence Llewelyn-Bowen.
CV: Carol Vorderman.
OT: Other words or solutions.

Julian asked me to draw special attention to this game because good female contestants are rare and, at 15, Beth Sutton was among the rarest of them... Enjoy!

R01: P S B S O E O N A
R02: M I M C S O E R L
R03: L Z T N I A E U D
R04: T M D E I E S B H
R05: 75, 10, 7, 1, 9, 4. Target: 468.
TTT: DAYCAME
R06: T Q P U T O E G A
R07: R N R K E I E X U
R08: S R I J O S P E D
R09: Y N R T O A E F E
R10: 100, 75, 9, 1, 8, 6. Target: 789.
TTT: SAMSCOP
R11: D G H C U O E L N
R12: M L I A D I C E F
R13: T R G W O A U L N
R14: 25, 50, 10, 7, 4, 3. Target: 920.
R15: C U T C L A I R E (conundrum)


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Round 1: P S B S O E O N A
C1: SEASON (6)
C2: BASSOON (7)
Score: 0–7 (max 7)

Round 2: M I M C S O E R L
C1: commies (capitalised)
C2: comlier (it's COMELIER)
DC: RECOILS (7) SLIMMER (7)
OT: CORMELS (7) MEMOIRS (7)
Score: 0–7 (max 14)

Round 3: L Z T N I A E U D
C1: UNITED (6)
C2: ENTAIL (6)
DC: DENIAL (6)
OT: DEUTZIA (7) DILUENT (7) DUALIZE (7) LANDTIE (7) UNIDEAL (7)
Score: 6–13 (max 21)

Round 4: T M D E I E S B H
C1: MESHED (6)
C2: DEMISE (6)
DC: BEDTIMES (8)
Score: 12–19 (max 29)

Round 5: 75, 10, 7, 1, 9, 4. Target: 468.
C1: 468.(75+4-(10-9))x(7-1) (10)
C2: 469.
Score: 22–19 (max 39)

Teatime teaser: DAYCAME -> ACADEMY

Round 6: T Q P U T O E G A
C1: POTAGE (6)
C2: aptote
DC: POTTAGE (7) TAUTOG (6)
Score: 28–19 (max 46)

Round 7: R N R K E I E X U
C1: ruiner
C2: ruiner
DC: URINE (5) INURE (5)
OT: KERERU (6)
Score: 28–19 (max 52)

Round 8: S R I J O S P E D
C1: DISPOSE (7)
C2: DOSSIER (7)
DC: DISPOSER (8)
OT: DROPSIES (8)
Score: 35–26 (max 60)

Round 9: Y N R T O A E F E
C1: frontee
C2: fornate
DC: ORNATE (6)
OT: OFTENER (7)
Score: 35–26 (max 67)

Round 10: 100, 75, 9, 1, 8, 6. Target: 789.
C1: 790.
C2: 789.(100-1)x8+6-9 (10)
Score: 35–36 (max 77)

Teatime teaser: SAMSCOP -> COMPASS

Round 11: D G H C U O E L N
C1: COUGHED (7)
C2: COUGHED (7)
DC: LUNCHED (7) LOUNGED (7)
Score: 42–43 (max 84)

Round 12: M L I A D I C E F
C1: MEDICAL (7)
C2: DECIMAL (7)
DC: MIDLIFE (7)
OT: CAMELID (7) CLAIMED (7) DECLAIM (7) MALEFIC (7)
Score: 49–50 (max 91)

Round 13: T R G W O A U L N
C1: OUTLAW (6)
C2: taurog
DC: LANGUOR (7)
OT: LUNGWORT (8)
Score: 55–50 (max 99)

Round 14: 25, 50, 10, 7, 4, 3. Target: 920.
C1: 921.(3x10+7)x25-4 (7)
C2: 921.(3x10+7)x25-4 (7)
CV: 920. (4x25-3)x10-50 (10)
Score: 62–57 (max 109)

Round 15: C U T C L A I R E
C1 buzzes on 3 seconds but does not declare.
C2 buzzes on 14 seconds to say CIRCULATE which is correct.
Score: 62–67 (max 119)


Further summaries are at:
http://www.thecountdowncorral.com/cd/se ... ?series=49

[Julian Fell]

Thanks for drawing attention to this game Charlie, you are a legend, as is Beth Sutton. May I also draw attention to the fact that she had five words disallowed in this game and still won, which must surely be a unique achievement. I may put this on the Wiki some day!

[Gavin Chipper]

Thanks for drawing attention to this game Charlie, you are a legend, as is Beth Sutton. May I also draw attention to the fact that she had five words disallowed in this game and still won, which must surely be a unique achievement. I may put this on the Wiki some day!

But doesn't this show that it was a poor game rather than a good one? It may have been exciting in some sense, but not of high quality. And without meaning to sound too rude, to class Beth Sutton as a legend isn't setting your standards of legends that high. If anything, it is being sexist by effectively giving up hope that there will be some genuinely brilliant female players and assigning legendary status to any that can win a few games.

[Kirk Bevins]

Thanks for drawing attention to this game Charlie, you are a legend, as is Beth Sutton. May I also draw attention to the fact that she had five words disallowed in this game and still won, which must surely be a unique achievement. I may put this on the Wiki some day!

But doesn't this show that it was a poor game rather than a good one? It may have been exciting in some sense, but not of high quality. And without meaning to sound too rude, to class Beth Sutton as a legend isn't setting your standards of legends that high. If anything, it is being sexist by effectively giving up hope that there will be some genuinely brilliant female players and assigning legendary status to any that can win a few games.

That's not what he's saying at all. She is a legend in my eyes (read my Countdown experience) as she inspired me when I was younger. You very rarely see young players on the show nowadays and when you do, they're male. Seeing a young female is memorable.

[David O'Donnell]

Seeing a young female is memorable.

An unfortunate choice of words

[Kirk Bevins]

Oops. Yeah, but you know what I meant.