After 101 days of lockdown inducing, repeat watching, ZoomDown playing, WMAC quizzing, football supporting, Netflix binging, social distancing, COUNTDOWN IS BACK, BABY!!!!
And now, we have a super extended Series 82 taking us up to Christmas...., let's see what's going to happen in this new slightly altered studio environment...
And it's nice to start with a clean slate too.
Countdown recap for Monday 10 August 2020.
C1: Challenger Liam Gouldson. A process operator from the Wirral. He's a big darts fan.
C2: Challenger Brendan Russell-Cooper. A retired business improvement manager from Bradford. He works for Australia Post, and flies back between Bradford and Sydney for his job.
DC: Susie Dent and Dr. Phil Hammond (both now so far apart from each other....
)RR: Rachel Riley, still in her own self isolation on her podium area.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: C S T O E U F S I
R02: R D N G A O I A L
R03: 25, 2, 7, 9, 6, 3. Target: 543.
TTT: INCHPARTS - "This will make sure your helmet doesn't stray where it shouldn't."
R04: R N Y T E U E C U
R05: Q M N I O I T R O
R06: 75, 50, 7, 2, 3, 6. Target: 454.
R07: D N B A I A T V U
R08: R C X S E E O A J
R09: 25, 1, 1, 7, 4, 3. Target: 934.
TTT: RERUNWIDE - "It's not a football captain, but it gets to lift the cup everyday."
R10: G R N S I E I A P
R11: V W Y R O I E K L
R12: F D S D O A E C T
R13: R L D U I M H O E
R14: 75, 100, 1, 7, 3, 1. Target: 202.
R15: U L T R A E D G E (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: C S T O E U F S I
Liam: COSTS (5)
Brendan: COSIEST (7)
DC: FOCUSES (7) COSSET (6) CUTIES (6) CESS
OT: COTISES (7) CUEISTS (7) FUSTICS (7) ICTUSES (7) OECISTS (7) SOFTIES (7)
Score: 0–7 (max 7)
It might be the COSIEST place in the world, and it certainly is for Brendan thanks to his perfect start.
A COTISE (or COTTISE) is a narrow band adjacent and parallel to an ordinary such as a bend or chevron.
A CUEIST is a person who plays snooker, pool, or billiards.
A FUSTIC is a tropical American tree with heartwood that yields dyes and other products.
An ICTUS is a rhythmical or metrical stress in terms of prose, or in medicine, it's a stroke or seizure.
In Ancient Greece, an OECIST was the founder of a colony in ancient Greece. Hence allusively: the founder of a colony in more recent times.
Round 2: R D N G A O I A L
Liam: LOADING (7)
Brendan: LORDING (7)
DC: GRANOLA (7) GONADAL (7)
RR: DIAGONAL (8)
OT: LARGANDO (8)
Score: 7–14 (max 15)
Our players might be across and down with the -ING's, but Rach spots the perfect DIAGONAL.
LARGANDO (or ALLARGANDO) is music performed in a slower and broader manner.
Round 3: 25, 2, 7, 9, 6, 3. Target: 543.
Liam: 543. (3 x 7 x 25) + (9 x 2) (10)
Brendan: 543. (3 x 7 x 25) + (9 x 2) (10)
Score: 17–24 (max 25)
Nice to see that everyone has been doing their sums during the break.
And we also see another noticeable change with players showing their workings to their opponents by putting it up to their face, rather than passing it along the desk as before (apparently, they're also using whiteboard markers, as opposed to the usual pens.)
Teatime teaser: INCHPARTS -> CHINSTRAP
Round 4: R N Y T E U E C U
Liam: CENTURY (7)
Brendan: CENTURY (7)
DC: NEUTER (6) RECENT (6)
Score: 24–31 (max 32)
Will either of our players score a CENTURY today, I wonder...
Round 5: Q M N I O I T R O
Liam: MONITOR (7)
Brendan: MONITOR (7)
DC: MOTION (6)
OT: MIROTON (7)
Score: 31–38 (max 39)
I see that the situation in the studio is being MONITORed closely indeed...
A MIROTON is a French dish of sliced cooked meat, especially boiled beef, cooked slowly in a sauce with finely chopped onions.
Round 6: 75, 50, 7, 2, 3, 6. Target: 454.
Liam: 454. Mistake in working.
Brendan: 454. (75 x 6) + 7 - 3 (10)
Score: 31–48 (max 49)
Ouch, ouch, ouch, Liam stupidly forgets he's already used the 6 and throws away a simple 10 points there....
Dr. Phil talks about how humans usually deal well with emergency situations.
Round 7: D N B A I A T V U
Liam: bandita
Brendan: BANDIT (6)
DC: AVAUNT (6)
OT: BADIAN (6) BAVIAN (6) INDABA (6) NAVAID (6)
Score: 31–54 (max 55)
Probably trying to recoup his losses from the last round, but Liam finds himself further in trouble thanks to his guess.
A BADIAN is an alternative name for star anise, the fruit of the Chinese tree Illicium verum (family Illiaceae), or a preparation made from it.
A BAVIAN is a baboon; specifically (South African) the chacma, Papio ursinus.
In South Africa, an INDABA is a discussion or conference.
A NAVAID is a navigational device in an aircraft, ship, or other vehicle.
Round 8: R C X S E E O A J
Liam: COARSE (6)
Brendan: COARSE (6)
DC: COAXES (6) COAXERS (7) jacksee
OT: ACEROSE (7)
Score: 37–60 (max 62)
Staying on the right "COARSE"...
ACEROSE is an adjective meaning full of or resembling chaff.
Round 9: 25, 1, 1, 7, 4, 3. Target: 934.
Liam: -
Brendan: -
RR: 936. (7 + 3 - 1) x 4 x (25 + 1) (7)
Score: 37–60 (max 69)
Yeah, that's certainly a nasty one..., especially being a 1 large too
Teatime teaser: RERUNWIDE -> UNDERWIRE
Round 10: G R N S I E I A P
Liam: PRAISING (8)
Brendan: SPEARING (8)
DC: ASPIRING (8) PAIRINGS (8)
Score: 45–68 (max 77)
A full house in the studio as all 8's are accounted for.
Round 11: V W Y R O I E K L
Liam: LOWER (5)
Brendan: WORK (4)
DC: OVERLY (6) LIVERY (6)
OT: YOLKIER (7)
Score: 50–68 (max 84)
Hmmm, a surprising drop off by Brendan there, as Liam gets back within range, thanks to being LOWER...
Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the origins of the song "Yankee Doodle".
Round 12: F D S D O A E C T
Liam: DECAFS (6)
Brendan: CADETS (6)
DC: COASTED (7) SADDO (5)
Score: 56–74 (max 91)
The traditional COASTED is missed by all, but the game is still not secure for Brendan yet...
Round 13: R L D U I M H O E
Liam: HURDLE (6)
Brendan: HOLIER (6)
DC: MOULDIER (8) HEIRDOM (7) HUMIDOR (7)
Score: 62–80 (max 99)
DC go MAX with MOULDIER, but Brendan just needs a simple numbers to seal the deal.
Round 14: 75, 100, 1, 7, 3, 1. Target: 202.
Liam: 202. 100 + 75 + ((7 + 1 + 1) x 3) (10)
Brendan: 202. (100 + 1) x (3 - 1) (10)
Score: 72–90 (max 109)
And that's what he gets.
So, we now move onto our new DIGITAL Countdown Conundrum. Yes, no manually/mechanically operated conundrum boards now. Time to move into the 21st century!!
Round 15: U L T R A E D G E
No one buzzes. The answer was REGULATED.
Final Score: 72–90 (max 119)
Slightly anticlimactic, but at least Rachel still proves she knows a conundrum when she sees one.
So, that ends the first social distanced Countdown, and it happens to have been won by a Yorkshireman, which I'm of course proud to say.
Will Brendan continue for a while yet, I wonder...
Statistics Corner
Liam:
Total score - 72
Raw score - 77
Total % of max - 61
Raw % of max - 65
Total average score per round - 4.8
Raw average score per round - 5.1
Number of maxes - 5
Brendan:
Total score - 90
Raw score - 94
Total % of max - 76
Raw % of max - 79
Total average score per round - 6.0
Raw average score per round - 6.3
Number of maxes - 8
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=82