c4countdown

Martin Thompson

Good to see you prepare. I've done 3 months of it myself. The theory being that it will come as second nature spotting things in spite of the pressure you're under. That's the weird thing. The pressure I feel is in just trying to maximise performance, rather than the fact you're on TV.

Martin Thompson

Countdown Team wrote: Don't really see how her having a different thought process to others is such a shock to some.

That's what she gets paid for, surely?

Martin Thompson

The question I would have had to asked myself having got, say, 80 or 90 points ahead, is would I have been so focused on maximising my own personal score to leave her with a score of nil? Personally, I don't think I could. That wouidn't bother me. I would be more likely to lose out on maximising my...

Martin Thompson

Ryan Taylor wrote:Upon reading this thread I think Martin Thompson should go on Countdown. Seems like such a charming sort, and excellent at the game too.

Thanks. I'm recording on the last slot next Wednesday.

Martin Thompson

That was quite a good spot. I could only find APOGEE from those letters....

Martin Thompson

The most agonising part of this excruciating viewing experience is that with the third 9 just having come up, if the contestants were actually competent they could have had an enormous score. You've also got to remember that most contestants haven't dedicated months and years of their lives towards...

Martin Thompson

Fred Mumford wrote: I felt like an idiot watching the last finals. One week into this new series and I feel like a fucking genius.

I think the current champion has had a fortunate run of opponents.

Martin Thompson

JackHurst wrote:79 points out of about 160.
Has anybody ever won an episode and scored less than half the points available?

I suppose if your opponent's a long way short you don't have to.

Martin Thompson

Bradley Cates wrote:INHUMANE in R2

Nice spot. I had HUMANISE already lined up and was waiting on a D or an S.

Martin Thompson

Thought of FUZEES in R1 but it is a US spelling. English spelling is FUSEES which I didn't think of.
Though I don't think it's worth gambling for a 6 letter word.

Martin Thompson

Callum Todd wrote:Danny was a great character, it's a shame he didn't get a chance to play another game. Bobby seems like a nice chap too though. Series 70's got off to a good start

Indeed. Really felt for him when he could only see a four letter word in the FAINTER round.

Martin Thompson

I saw GUERDONS as opposed to ROUNDEST. Also thought of UNDERGOS but it would have needed an extra E.

Martin Thompson

I think the most nervous thing would be first coming on and having to talk a bit about yourself. After that, you'd be too busy trying to spot words and numbers within the 30 seconds.

Martin Thompson

It still would have been a crucial conundrum, though.

Martin Thompson

Andy McGurn wrote:
Andy Platt wrote:Are people being serious about Abdi? lol
Can't speak for anyone else, but Im serious. I think he was the most standout personality on Coundown in 2013

Especially during the conundrum round....

Martin Thompson

Gavin Chipper wrote:Brilliant final, and brilliant series overall. I'd definitely say this was the best series in terms of good players that we've had..

That's where luck of the draw comes in. You could be a potential quarter-finalist, but if your first match is against players of that standard it's exit time.

Martin Thompson

Tony Atkins wrote:AMARETTO as alt in R1

Golly! I saw that one. Not sure if I would have had the conviction to call it though.

Martin Thompson

Easily the highest quality Countdown match I've seen. It was like a world class field in a track race running record breaking times.

Martin Thompson

Solid performance by Callum. Made less mistakes than his opponent and a class spot of PETIOLE to close out the match.

Martin Thompson

Dave Preece wrote:Well done Glen one of my favorite players of this series, but he's going to have to go some to beat Callum never mind Dylan in the final.

He's strong with letters but might come up short with the numbers.

Martin Thompson

An example of consistently spotting the sevens and eights, which makes you very difficult to beat.

Just got me with ESTUFAS. It's not in the Collins Scrabble Dictionary, so unfortunately wouldn't be in my wordy studying.

Martin Thompson

Or pick what you think your opponent would be weak at.
For example, some players pick 6 small numbers. I doubt that it's what they're most comfortable with, but rather what they perceive to be their opponent's weak spot.

Martin Thompson

True. But so is picking one large number instead of four large/six small, but some players like a challenge.

Martin Thompson

You could win the last 6 games of a series to put you 8th in the list, but then lose the first in the next series and come 9th in the rankings. But if you hadn't won that 6th game you wouldn't have qualified anyway. So really it would have to be 7 wins and losing the next one, but you must surely al...

Martin Thompson

I've noticed that players tend to avoid selecting five vowels, but I would say there's a reasonably good chance of making 8 and 9 letter words from them.

Martin Thompson

I first started watching in September after a long break, and I thought the standard had really improved. Then after that I was rather underwhelmed. However, the quarter-finalists seem really strong.

Martin Thompson

From the current series: Players with 8 wins - 6 - 5.2% Players with 7 wins - 1 - 0.9% Players with 6 wins - 1 - 0.9% Players with 5 wins - 4 - 3.5% Players with 4 wins - 2 - 1.7% Players with 3 wins - 4 - 3.5% Players with 2 wins - 4 - 3.5% Players with 1 win - 8 - 7.0 % Players with 0 wins - 85 - ...

Martin Thompson

That Jen the greatest female player ever is unargufied, but it's largely missing the point when she's one of the best Countdowners ever anyway. That was the slightly annoying thing about the accolades bestowed on her in the intros (and even by Rachel at the end of her octorun). Firstly, it's not th...

Martin Thompson

Philip Jarvis wrote:Great game by both Jen and Callum. It's shame Jen didn't progress further, but it's good to see a fellow Yorkshireman get to the semis. Argufies was a fantastic spot. Well done Callum.

Brilliant spot. I was quite pleased just to see FIGURES.

Martin Thompson

Tony Atkins wrote:Note that conundrum is one of those where the scramble (GANGLIONS) is a valid 9, but not a valid conundrum of course.

That totally threw me, knowing that was a valid word.

Martin Thompson

I wonder what the percentage is of players who appear on the programme who fail at the first hurdle?

The format of the shows seems to generate serial winners, so there must be a high number of players who don't win a match.

Martin Thompson

James S Roper wrote:((9x8x6)+1+1)/2=167 for R9 - pretty chuffed with that! Though well done Dylan for ending my 179 show winning streak against the TV .

I did (9+1) X (8x2) + 6 + 1. Try to make use of 10s if I can.

Martin Thompson

Think I'll need to practice my 4 large numbers after seeing that. Letters were fine but I never saw PINOUT. It's not in the Collins Scrabble Dictionary.

Martin Thompson

James Robinson wrote:EVASION in round 1 and SATPHONE in round 5 as equallers.

Is PHONATES valid?

Martin Thompson

Jack Worsley wrote:CANDIRUS and PERINEA in the last two letters rounds. .

Damn! I know PERINEA but didn't spot it. That's the challenge with Countdown. If you are given 7 letters it's relatively easy to spot the seven letter word, but harder to select it amongst 9 letters.

Martin Thompson

Of course, the other side of the coin is not playing you words you know.

For example, I know perfectly well that AEGIRINE is a mineral, but for some reason isn't in the Oxford dictionary.

Martin Thompson

I don't think he was that good. Apart from his aptitude for the small numbers he was very inconsistent on the letters and the conundrum.

Martin Thompson

Indeed. In 1994, for example, Forrest Gump won best picture while the Shawshank Redemption and Pulp Fiction were runners-up.

So maybe the top 20 would be found amongst the nominees?

Martin Thompson

Ian Volante wrote:You give the people that pick the Oscar winners way too much credit.

So who is best qualified to decide what the best films are?

Martin Thompson

Should it not be 'favourite' films as the best films are surely the Oscar winners? Anyway, my top 20 is: 1. Contact 2. The Matrix 3. Nineteen eighty four (1984) 4. The Killing Fields 5. The Shawshank Redemption 6. The Pianist 7. Wall Street 8. Gladiator 9. The Omen (1976) 10. Planet of the Apes (196...

Martin Thompson

John Garcia wrote:
Tony Atkins wrote: I got HEROISED for 8 in R1 unlike DC who only seemed to declare HEROISE

Same here. I'm sure you can have past tenses...

Martin Thompson

Can't remember what round it was but I saw BRUCITES. Probably wouldn't be allowed as it is a mass noun, but the singularly form would have tied the round.

Martin Thompson

DC said 'strakers' was an alternative anagram to 'starkers', but I don't see how that is a word.

Martin Thompson

Alt 3rd numbers 3x3x50+100-2 Yeah, I did the vaguely similar ((50 + 25) x (3 + 3)) + 100 - 2 for that one. :P HEROICS in round 1, BETAINES in round 2, OCULIST in round 4, LAGOONS in round 8 and PROMOTE in round 12. (All equallers.) Betaine is a mass noun. Can it be pluralised? BEAMIEST is another 8...

Martin Thompson

Jon Stitcher wrote:Brett,

My little sister Jenny is filming on the 14th so you might get to play her!

I'm on the last show on the 15th. Apparently if I win I won't return for another match until the 27th, which seems a little strange.

Martin Thompson

I've bean analysing the on-line Oxford dictionary for some time. On today's programme I saw the word 'betaines'. However, betaine is a chemical and shown as a mass noun, so I would guess you can't have that. I also spotted 'beamiest' which I believe is acceptable so I would have gone for that. Thoug...

Martin Thompson

I've just received the literature for appearing on the show, which includes a section on allowable words, in particular mass nouns. Generally, mass nouns can not be pluralised, and it gives the example of 'sanidine'. However, there is then a fairly long list of exceptions. For example, rocks, so tha...

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