Friday 26 February 2010 (Series 62, Prelim 35)

[Mike Brown]

Countdown recap for Friday 26 February 2010.

C1: Champion Clarke Carlisle (2 wins, 190 points.)
C2: Challenger Raheel Mirza.
DC: Susie Dent and Jenni Falconer.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

Burnley footballer Clarke Carlisle is doing rather well, averaging 95 points per game. With form like that, it looks like it might be three in a row for the player from Ripponden. But will Raheel from Nottingham, whose mother has an MBE for her work in the local community, have other ideas?

R01: M R C O I A N S R
R02: F T P M E A O S B
R03: T N B I O A R I L
R04: T D S N E A U G E
R05: 50, 4, 8, 7, 1, 2. Target: 936.
TTT: TENHARPS - "One pink and plenty of blacks, but no snooker."
R06: P S H E O S R I D
R07: P R L E I O M T A
R08: S H C U E E L R O
R09: N D T U E A N T A
R10: 75, 100, 2, 6, 5, 10. Target: 415.
TTT: SETSLOVE - "This pretty much describes the UK Eurovision entry."
R11: K R L O A E S F V
R12: D J S I O E Y C T
R13: M T R I A E D N W
R14: 100, 4, 10, 2, 7, 8. Target: 625.
R15: S I S T E R T O M (conundrum)

Countdown is sponsored by Ibuleve, do’ntcha know.

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The programme opens with Jeff discussing the new Alice In Wonderland film, directed by Tim Burton. Rachel says she finds his films a bit creepy, but Jenni Falconer and Susie both seem to be fans of his work. Personally, I love them too, even if he renamed the Jabberwock ever so slightly...

Round 1: M R C O I A N S R

C1: carrions
C2: SCRAM (5)
OT: ANOSMIC (7) CARRION (7) CORSAIR (7) CRIMSON (7) MICRONS (7) MACRONS (7) MANOIRS (7) MARRONS (7)
Score: 0–5 (max 7)

A bad mass noun gamble for Clarke gives first dibs to Raheel, despite him missing out on the many sevens available. Surprisingly, no comment from DC: presumably this was edited out to make room for some chat from Miss Falconer later in the show.

Round 2: F T P M E A O S B

C1: FEAST (5)
C2: BEAST (5)
DC: TEMPOS (6)
Score: 5–10 (max 13)

DC spot the only six in a dull round, word-wise.

Round 3: T N B I O A R I L

C1: LIBATION (8)
C2: ORBITAL (7)
DC: LIBRATION (18)
Score: 13–10 (max 31)

Excellent spot for Clarke; an even better one from Dictionary Corner.

Round 4: T D S N E A U G E

C1: UNSEATED (8)
C2: ungated
OT: ENDGATES (8)
Score: 21–10 (max 39)

Clarke is on fire with another good eight. ENDGATE is another term for a tailgate.

Round 5: 50, 4, 8, 7, 1, 2. Target: 936.

C1: 936. (7+4+8-1)x(50+2) (10)
C2: 928.
Score: 31–10 (max 49)

Another win for Clarke is looking likely, as he moves more than 20 points clear.

To round off her week in DC, Jeff asks Jenni about some of the personalities she’s met during her years in television. Sounds like that Meat Loaf can be a bit of a handful when he feels like it...

Teatime teaser: TENHARPS -> PANTHERS

Round 6: P S H E O S R I D

C1: DOSSIER (7)
C2: DOSSIER (7)
DC: DROPSIES (8) SPHEROIDS (18)
Score: 38–17 (max 67)

DC spot a great eight and also the second niner of the day. DOSSIER comes up for the second time in just a few days and the rather dubious-sounding agent noun DISPOSER was another good eight available.

Round 7: P R L E I O M T A

C1: MORTAL (6)
C2: PRIMATE (7)
DC: PRIMATE (7) EPILATOR (8) TEMPORAL (8)
OT: PETIOLAR (8) PROEMIAL (8)
Score: 38–24 (max 75)

Some good eights again, but seven is enough for Raheel to recover some ground. It’s not over yet and could still go either way.

Round 8: S H C U E E L R O

C1: CLOSURE (7)
C2: CLOSURE (7)
DC: LECHEROUS (18)
Score: 45–31 (max 93)

Another nine? You’d better believe it. Damian and co. must have had their Weetabix.

Round 9: N D T U E A N T A

C1: TAUNTED (7)
C2: TAUNTED (7)
DC: ANDANTE (7)
OT: ATTUNED (7) TANNATE (7)
Score: 52–38 (max 100)
I always think ANDANTE should mean fast, but as all music lovers know, it means quite the reverse.

OoW: Rachel once more fails to win Susie’s weeklong contest, as she doesn’t realise that the word ‘doodle’ is derived from the German ‘dodeln’, meaning to play the bagpipes. And who can blame her?

Round 10: 75, 100, 2, 6, 5, 10. Target: 415.

C1: 415. (5x100)-75-10 (10)
C2: 415. ((6-2)x100)+10+5 (10)
Score: 62–48 (max 110)

The gap remains at 14 as we reach the second Teaser of the day.

Teatime teaser: SETSLOVE -> VOTELESS

Round 11: K R L O A E S F V

C1: flakers
C2: LOAFERS (7)
OT: FORSAKE (7)
Score: 62–55 (max 117)

Clarke’s second failed gamble of the day means that the gap shrinks to a mere seven points.

Round 12: D J S I O E Y C T

C1: JOISTED (7)
C2: SOCIETY (7)
DC: SOCIETY (7) JOISTED (7) COSIED (6)
OT: COTISED (7)
Score: 69–62 (max 124)

Sevens all round; COTISED is hard to find in the dictionary, listed as it is under the more common spelling in heraldic circles: COTTISED.

Round 13: M T R I A E D N W

C1: TRAINED (7)
C2: TRAINED (7)
DC: MEDIANT (7)
OT: DETRAIN (7) MERANTI (7) MINARET (7) RAIMENT (7) READMIT (7) TAWNIER (7) TINWARE (7) WARTIME (7) WIREMAN (7)
Score: 76–69 (max 131)

The flattest round since Round 1; DC go for that musical Countdown favourite MEDIANT.

Round 14: 100, 4, 10, 2, 7, 8. Target: 625.

C1: 625. (100x(4+2))+10+7+8 (10)
C2: 625. (100x(4+2))+10+7+8 (10)
Score: 86–79 (max 141)

After three tied rounds, it’s time for the first Crucial Conundrum since Monday. Start the clock!

Round 15: S I S T E R T O M

C2 buzzes on 3 seconds to say STORMIEST which is correct.
Score: 86–89 (max 151)

After leading almost all the way, it’s bad luck for Clarke, but great news for Raheel, as he takes just three-and-a-half seconds to achieve unravelment. Can he be the first contestant to win more than four since Craig Chittenden? Tune in next week to find out!

Recap by Der Molkind.

Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=62