Monday 13th September 2010 (Series 63, Prelim 46)

[Ryan Taylor]

Countdown recap for Monday 13 September 2010.

C1: Champion Daniel Pati (6 wins, 634 points.)
C2: Challenger Brenda Bagust.
DC: Susie Dent and Alastair Stewart.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: B E R I D U P A S
R02: R T C D E O E G I
R03: R E J I K E H N D
R04: S L R O U I S F B
R05: 50, 10, 2, 4, 8, 8. Target: 272.
TTT: HAMDRIES - "Yearn for the cattle. Sorry, what was that?"
R06: C T W E A O S G A
R07: T O M E N A Q O S
R08: R L P X E I E R T
R09: N A G F E T U A H
R10: 25, 100, 9, 9, 6, 6. Target: 912.
TTT: IRIGTHAT - "It's the kind of box you want for the biscuits"
R11: T O R E W U A L M
R12: D Y S O I E R P O
R13: S I G A C E Z N U
R14: 75, 50, 2, 6, 1, 10. Target: 886.
R15: D I Z E E G A L L (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Daniel Pati has made a big impact on series 63. He has amassed the largest score (127) of the series and is averaging over 100 points per show. He looks set to be on for 8 wins but let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves.

Brenda Bagust is the challenger with the tough task of deposing Mr Pati. She is from Southampton though so may have a bit of Peter Godwin class in her. She swims 2-3 times a week and apparently loves Exmoor. Cool.

Alastair Stewart returns to Countdown and I've always quite liked him as a guest.

Enjoy the show.

Round 1: B E R I D U P A S

C1: UPRAISED (8)
C2: PRAISED (7)
DC: UPBRAIDS (8)
Score: 8–0 (max 8)

Daniel amusingly points out to Brenda that he stuck the U in front of PRAISED to beat her. Boy did she look stupid.

Round 2: R T C D E O E G I

C1: RECITED (7)
C2: GOITRE (6)
DC: GOITRED (7) EROTIC (6) CORTEGE (7)
OT: GEODETIC (8)
Score: 15–0 (max 16)

Daniel spots a last second 7 (there were plenty to go at) as Brenda again could have added one letter to her word to score some points. I’m surprised Daniel didn’t point this out to her (about adding a D). Although I guess that would be harsh and it would really make her feel stupid. Oh, what’s this? Susie delivers the blow instead. Nice one Susie! Poor, poor Brenda.

GEODETIC relates to GEODESY, which is the branch of geology that studies the shape of the earth and the determination of the exact position of geographical points.

Round 3: R E J I K E H N D

C1: INHERED (7)
C2: HINDER (6)
OT: JINKERED (8)
Score: 22–0 (max 24)

A great 7 from Daniel means Brenda is still on zero. JINKERED is the second obscure darren in a row.

Round 4: S L R O U I S F B

C1: BROILS (6)
C2: FLOURS (6)
OT: FIBROUS (7) SUBSOIL (7)
Score: 28–6 (max 31)

Phew. Brenda gets on the scoreboard with a 6 and the champ manages just a 6 too.

Round 5: 50, 10, 2, 4, 8, 8. Target: 272.

C1: 272. (50+10+8)*4 (10)
C2: 274.
Score: 38–6 (max 41)

I was hoping for a stupidly easy numbers just so Brenda could get into double figures but sadly she can’t manage the target and is still on 6 as we go into the break. This could be very embarrassing for Brenda.

DC Guest Time: Alastair talks about women in West Africa. I’m sure if it was half interesting then I would have remembered more than them details.

Teatime teaser: HAMDRIES -> MISHEARD

Round 6: C T W E A O S G A

C1: STOWAGE (7)
C2: AGATES (6)
OT: TOWAGES (7) WASTAGE (7)
Score: 45–6 (max 48)

Daniel goes one better than Brenda and already she will be wishing she never sent in that application form!

Round 7: T O M E N A Q O S

C1: OMENTA (6)
C2: MOANS (5)
DC: MOONSET (7)
OT: ONOMAST (7)
Score: 51–6 (max 55)

Brenda MOANS (no, not in that way you sick bastards). This is relentless from Daniel but again there were a couple better as the lovely MOONSET appears (being one of Susie’s favourite words).

Round 8: R L P X E I E R T

C1: REPLIER (7)
C2: TRIPLE (6)
DC: TRIPLEX (7)
OT: PERLITE (7) REPTILE (7)
Score: 58–6 (max 62)

Daniel “risks” a 7 but of course it is there unfortunately for Brenda. Jeff says they can have a swimming race next, although I’m pretty confident that Daniel would have that one in the bag too!

Round 9: N A G F E T U A H

C1: NAUGHT (6)
C2: HAUNT (5)
OT: THANAGE (7)
Score: 64–6 (max 69)

Same old story as Daniel’s “risk” of spelling NOUGHT with an A pays off and Brenda slumps in her chair once more.

Susie’s Origins of Words: Susie talks about the phrase “ten gallon hat”.

Round 10: 25, 100, 9, 9, 6, 6. Target: 912.

C1: 909. 6*6*25+9 (7)
C2: 919.
RR: 912. 9*100+6+6 (10)
Score: 71–6 (max 79)

This was genuinely laugh-out-loud funny! Jeff goes to Daniel and he declared “Nine-oh-niii-OH-NOOO” (after he clearly spots the straightforward solution). Daniel finds the funny side though. So then Jeff goes to Brenda (who has had at least another 10 seconds to find 912) says she has made a mistake! Srsly wtf? So Daniel once again takes the 7 points and Jeff allows Alastair Stewart to say what everyone else was thinking. Great moment!

Teatime teaser: IRIGTHAT -> AIRTIGHT

Round 11: T O R E W U A L M

C1: EMULATOR (8)
C2: MORTAL (6)
DC: TORULAE (7)
Score: 79–6 (max 87)

The darren 8 is found by Daniel and Brenda is STILL sat on 6. In a cruel kind of way, I’m enjoying this utter ruthlessness. He is destroying this woman and I like a good beating. (Careful now) I guess I’m just a bit of a bastard.

Round 12: D Y S O I E R P O

C1: PROSODY (7)
C2: PERIODS (7)
OT: ODORISE (7) SPIDERY (7) SPOORED (7)
Score: 86–13 (max 94)

Daniel shows off with PROSODY (the patterns of stress and intonation in a language) and amazingly Brenda has tied with him. Hooray! Double figures now.

Round 13: S I G A C E Z N U

C1: CEASING (7)
C2: CEASING (7)
OT: CAUSING (7) SAUCING (7) GUINEAS (7)
Score: 93–20 (max 101)

Lightning strikes twice as Brenda scores in back to back rounds managing another 7 taking her to the dizzy heights of 20.

Round 14: 75, 50, 2, 6, 1, 10. Target: 886.

C1: 886. ((75+1)/2)+50)*10+6 (10)
C2: 887.
Score: 103–20 (max 111)

A fantastic numbers solve from Daniel earns Rachel to say it was "ingenious". High praise.

Round 15: D I Z E E G A L L

C1 buzzes on 0.5 second to say LEGALIZED which is correct.
Final Score: 113–20 (max 121)

And an insanely fast spot from Daniel caps off one of the most dominant performances in Countdown history. He scored in every round but then again, as harsh as it is for me to say it...Brenda weren't that good. Sorry love. Pati now marches on to tomorrow where he has the shot at becoming octochamp number 3 of the series and also has the chance to put himself as the number one seed.

I shall be recapping his eighth game tomorrow so join me then.

A question for anyone who is good with statistics. Was this one of (if not the worst) beatings in terms of the difference in the two scores?

Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=63

[Robert Baxter]

No, biggest beating was when Julian Fell beat Carl McDermott by 109 points, 138-29, including three niners: VALORISED, REPULSION and ANTIPODES.

[Ryan Taylor]

No, biggest beating was when Julian Fell beat Carl McDermott by 109 points, 138-29, including three niners: VALORISED, REPULSION and ANTIPODES.

Thanks Robert.

[Ben Hunter]

She swims 2-3 times a week and apparently loves Exmoor.

I missed this bit and thought Jeff was invoking some obscure racist scientific study when he mentioned that maybe she could beat Daniel at swimming.

[Ryan Taylor]

She swims 2-3 times a week and apparently loves Exmoor.

I missed this bit and thought Jeff was invoking some obscure racist scientific study when he mentioned that maybe she could beat Daniel at swimming.

She did say how far she swam but having been a swimmer myself it wasn't much. I think she only did about 80 lengths (and it was unclear if she did this over the week or each session). Judging by her shape I deduct that it was probably 80 lengths over the week, or possibly even 80 lengths over 2-3 weeks. If you are reading this Brenda...PLEASE DON'T SIT ON ME!

[James Robinson]

A question for anyone who is good with statistics. Was this one of (if not the worst) beatings in terms of the difference in the two scores?

It is one of the biggest at 93 points, but it's not even the biggest of the series as Scott Gillies' 2nd game in this series against Judith Hunt was a 96 point gap. (122-26)

As Robert has said, Julian Fell's 109 point gap is the biggest, and to date, the only one in triple figures.

[Martin Smith]

That second numbers round was one of the funniest moments of the series - especially as it involved two such contrasting contestants both slipping up.

[Kirk Bevins]

As Robert has said, Julian Fell's 109 point gap is the biggest, and to date, the only one in triple figures.

Had the contestants that had played after my last show played one before, I would have broken this 109 point margin