C1: Champion Raheel Mirza (5 wins, 417 points.)
C2: Challenger Jamie Ellwood.
DC: Susie Dent and Nicholas Owen.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
Raheel Mirza made his first appearance last Friday against footballer Clarke Carlisle, and he's still here a week later. Can he make it six and become a hexachamp? Or will Jamie Ellwood, a former footballer for Carlisle, who hails from Cumbria, but is currently studying at Newcastle University, stop him? Let's get down to business...
R01: P R S M I E O A N
R02: G N R O E A F G I
R03: Y L S T U E B O P
R04: T D R I O O H S A
R05: 75, 50, 2, 5, 1, 7. Target: 300.
TTT: BESTRACK - "In mathematics, a lot can hinge on these."
R06: D N T E I O E P S
R07: K N T R E A I D B
R08: R L S C U A E N O
R09: C R S V E I O L T
R10: 10, 1, 7, 10, 8, 6. Target: 706.
TTT: HAIRSCAM - "Don't let this charm bypass you."
R11: Q M F R M S A I A
R12: Z R G U E I H T L
R13: S D P N A E A O T
R14: 50, 8, 3, 7, 2, 10. Target: 500.
R15: V E G D A N C E S (conundrum)
Countdown is sponsored by Ibuleve, pain relief you can count on.
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The programme starts with Jeff giving us his "Oscar acceptance speech". He even thanks the chap who operates the conundrum board, the person who refills his water glass, and some warm-up cove called Dudley, whoever he might be
. Good stuff, Damian. Susie tells us how much she hates walking down the red carpet at events, but enjoys indulging in a spot of peoplewatching (which, surprisingly, doesn't appear to have made it into the dictionary yet) once she's inside. Round 1: P R S M I E O A N
C1: MARINES (7)
C2: MOANERS (7)
DC: RAMPIONS (8)
OT: MORAINES (8) ROMAINES (8) ROMANISE (8)
Score: 7–7 (max 8)
Nice opener from Dictionary Corner.
Round 2: G N R O E A F G I
C1: FORGING (7)
C2: FOGGIER (7)
DC: FORAGING (8)
Score: 14–14 (max 16)
And another.
Round 3: Y L S T U E B O P
C1: subtely
C2: BLOUSE (6)
DC: TUPELOS (7)
OT: OBTUSELY (8)
Score: 14–20 (max 24)
This time, they get stuck on TUPELOS, but miss the sitter OBTUSELY. Sadly, Raheel misspells SUBTLY and hands the lead to Jamie.
Round 4: T D R I O O H S A
C1: SHORT (5)
C2: DOORS (5)
DC: DASTOOR (7)
OT: ASTROID (7) HAIRDOS (7) HOODIAS (7) TOADISH (7) TOROIDS (7)
Score: 19–25 (max 31)
Nice seven from Suze, but her shyness of geometry means she fails to mention either ASTROID or TOROIDS. (OK, so that probably isn't the reason, but I thought it sounded good.)
Round 5: 75, 50, 2, 5, 1, 7. Target: 300.
C1: 300. (5+1)x50 (10)
C2: 300. (5+1)x50 (10)
Score: 29–35 (max 41)
Nice easy numbers game that probably scores 0.7% difficulty on the Tunstall-Pedoe solver, but I can't be bothered to check. Or as Ben's avatar might put it...
Nick Owen regales us with some crime-related anecdotes before we go to the break with a Teaser from Jeff.
Teatime teaser: BESTRACK -> BRACKETS
Round 6: D N T E I O E P S
C1: DEPOSIT (7)
C2: SPITED (6)
DC: PENTODES (8)
OT: POETISED (8)
Score: 36–35 (max 49)
Nice Countdown fave from DC, but more importantly Raheel regains the lead by making a useful DEPOSIT.
Round 7: K N T R E A I D B
C1: BANDIER (7)
C2: BRAINED (7)
DC: TRAINED (7) ANTBIRD (7)
OT: BARTEND (7) BEATNIK (7) DETRAIN (7) KERATIN (7) TRANKED (7) TRIBADE (7)
Score: 43–42 (max 56)
Bit of a flattie (but some nice words there) leaves the gap at one point (count it).
Round 8: R L S C U A E N O
C1: UNCLEAR (7)
C2: COUNSEL (7)
DC: LARCENOUS (18)
Score: 50–49 (max 74)
I always like the fact that UNCLEAR is an anagram of NUCLEAR (just felt like saying that). DC spot a good nine, which also yields a foursome of eights: CAROUSEL, CONSULAR, LACUNOSE and NACREOUS.
Round 9: C R S V E I O L T
C1: REVOLTS (7)
C2: REVOLTS (7)
DC: COSTLIER (8) CLOISTER (8)
OT: CORTILES (8) EVICTORS (8) VORTICES (8) VERTISOL (8)
Score: 57–56 (max 82)
Another round with some good words available, but our contestants share a revolting seven.
OoW: Susie discusses the (surprisingly) interesting origins of the word 'thing', which is closely related to the German 'Ding', among other things (there's that word again).
Round 10: 10, 1, 7, 10, 8, 6. Target: 706.
C1: 706. (7x10x10)+6 (10)
C2: 706. (7x10x10)+6 (10)
Score: 67–66 (max 92)
These numbers games are scarily simple today. Or as a certain avatar was saying earlier, they're proving to be...
To the break!
Teatime teaser: HAIRSCAM -> CHARISMA
Round 11: Q M F R M S A I A
C1: FARMS (5)
C2: FARMS (5)
DC: MAFIAS (6)
OT: MIASMA (6) SAFARI (6)
Score: 72–71 (max 98)
Round 12: Z R G U E I H T L
C1: LIGHTER (7)
C2: LIGHTER (7)
DC: LIGHTER (7) RELIGHT (7)
OT: LUTHIER (7)
Score: 79–78 (max 105)
The contestants have now been locked just one point apart since Round 6; Susie says DC have RELIGHT, "as in Relight My Fire" (obviously a Take That fan, then). LUTHIER doesn't mean more LUTHY, it's actually a chap who makes stringed instruments, such as violins and guitars (and presumably the odd lute from time to time).
Round 13: S D P N A E A O T
C1: tapades
C2: PASTED (6)
DC: NOTEPADS (8) DONATES (7) PEDANTS (7)
OT: TONEPADS (8)
Score: 79–84 (max 113)
Oops... Raheel gets his TAPAS and his TAPENADES mixed up at a critical moment and gives a five-point lead to his opponent.
Round 14: 50, 8, 3, 7, 2, 10. Target: 500.
C1: 500. 50x10 (10)
C2: 500. 50x10 (10)
Score: 89–94 (max 123)
Rachel (after generating the number): "There's no point." A million kettles go on up and down the land. Oh yes, and for one last time...
And we have our third consecutive Friday Crucial Conundrum to decide the contest. Start the clock...
Round 15: V E G D A N C E S
No one buzzes. The answer was SCAVENGED.
Score: 89–94 (max 133)
A lady in the audience gives us the answer (disappointingly, there's no shot of the whole audience for the second time in succession). Jamie wins by virtue of the lead he had going into Round 15 and he takes his place (and his teapot) as Countdown champion. Happily, it looks like Raheel will be back for the finals with 5 wins and 506 points to his name, so well done to him.
Countdown returns on Monday with Kai in the recapping chair. This recap was brought to you by Le Petit Taupe.
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=62