Hooray Countdown is back and at a new time of 3:10pm which doesn't affect me at all because I'm a lazy bum who does nothing all day anyway.
The dictionary is also new as the third edition of the OED is in use.
C1: Champion Mike Pickering (2 wins, 171 points.)
C2: Challenger Karen Conduit.
DC: Susie Dent and Tim Vine.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: G A E U J N D O S
R02: I D T S E O R V T
R03: I L F O N L E I T
R04: C A I A Y T L L P
R05: 50, 7, 4, 5, 8, 8. Target: 105.
TTT: BADBIRTH - "It's where the chicks might go for a dip"
R06: O A B T X U R N T
R07: M W R E A U G R I
R08: S N T E E R D O N
R09: D I M E O T S R A
R10: 75, 5, 3, 4, 1, 5. Target: 195.
TTT: TWINDOME - "The feathers and the watch were both not working"
R11: E E A Q D P E H C
R12: R N E B F O E S O
R13: A S E A P L R H O
R14: 50, 7, 9, 3, 1, 4. Target: 985.
R15: A E R O S M E T H (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Mike Pickering lives in Hull! Come on you Hull! He impressed in his first game when he came from 10 points behind with one round to go solving 2 conundrums in the time it takes Jack Hurst to solve 1. Great stuff Mike. He's into his sports golf, rugby and football, I wonder if he is FC or KR though. Hmmm...
Karen Conduit is an International Assignment Management Consultant from Swindon. She is a bit of a DAREDEVIL as she enjoys skydiving and zorbing. Pretty cool. She also stands as a good reason why Matt Morrison's campaign of getting pictures online should extend to recaps so that if you miss the episode you can at least see what the players looked like. She fits the term "the thinking man's crumpet". Also her surname is valid on apterous.
I don't want either to lose.
Tim Vine topped Joseph Krol's poll of favourite DC guest so what better way than to begin 2011 with our favourite man, well, maybe not for Scott.
Enjoy the show.
Round 1: G A E U J N D O S
C1: UNDOES (6)
C2: SOUND (5)
DC: DOSAGE (6)
OT: ANODES (6) DAGOES (6) DONGAS (6) GONADS (6) GENOAS (6) GUANOS (6) JUDGES (6) NUDGES (6) SUNDAE (6)
Score: 6–0 (max 6)
The 'ull man kicks off strongly by maxing the round. Go on son! I'd never heard of the word GALJOEN until two days ago and then it cropped up twice in as many days and GALJOEN would have been available in touchdown. (Although POUNDAGES would have been a max). But this is Countdown, not Touchdown. Sorry.
Round 2: I D T S E O R V T
C1: rotters
C2: VOTERS (6)
DC: DISTORT (7) SORTIED (7) DOTTIER (7)
OT: DEVISOR (7) DEVOIRS (7) VISORED (7) DIVERTS (7) STRIVED (7) DOTTERS (7) EDITORS (7) STEROID (7) STORIED (7) TRIODES (7) TRIVETS (7) VOIDEST (7)
Score: 6–6 (max 13)
Mike bodges it up this time though by seeing a phantom R. Karen is back on level terms. Final A for DEVIATORS. But this is Countdown, not Goatdown. Sorry.
Round 3: I L F O N L E I T
C1: FILLET (6)
C2: INLET (5)
DC: LENTIL (6)
OT: TEFILLIN (8)
Score: 12–6 (max 21)
This game hasn't really kicked off yet but it would have done if somebody knew TEFILLIN. Cool word but I just Googled it and it turns out it's Jewish or something.
Round 4: C A I A Y T L L P
C1: TALLY (5)
C2: PLAIT (5)
DC: TYPICAL (7)
OT: CAPITALLY (18)
Score: 17–11 (max 39)
That looked like a selection that would give a nice darren or something and it did. Just nobody (nor me) could see the 9 CAPITALLY! Typical.
Round 5: 50, 7, 4, 5, 8, 8. Target: 105.
C1: 105. (8/4)*50+5 (10)
C2: 105. (8/4)*50+5 (10)
Score: 27–21 (max 49)
An easy numbers game doesn't need much comment as both players roar into the 20's.
DC Guest Time: Tim Vine now has an End of Anecdote Horn to sound when his anecdote ends. Awesome. And again he reels off one liners in his bit. Funny as always.
Teatime teaser: BADBIRTH -> BIRDBATH
Round 6: O A B T X U R N T
C1: outrant
C2: OUTRAN (6)
DC: BUTTON (6) TURBAN (6)
OT: ATTORN (6) BURTON (6) RUBATO (6) TRUANT (6) TURBOT (6)
Score: 27–27 (max 55)
Mike oversteps the line with his word and this costs him the lead.
Round 7: M W R E A U G R I
C1: MIRAGE (6)
C2: WARMER (6)
DC: GAMIER (6) EARWIG (6)
OT: ARMIGER (7)
Score: 33–33 (max 62)
*Musical interlude*
Round 8: S N T E E R D O N
C1: TENNERS (7)
C2: toners
DC: TENDONS (7) SONNETED (8)
OT: ENDNOTES (8) TENONERS (8)
Score: 40–33 (max 70)
Being from Hull Mike is familiar with a lot of slang I imagine. No trouble seeing TENNERS then for 7 and stealing the round.
Round 9: D I M E O T S R A
C1: ROADIES (7)
C2: MOISTER (7)
DC: STORMED (7) MEDIATORS (18) AMORTISED (18)
Score: 47–40 (max 88)
I can't believe anyone can miss these 2 9's at all.
(Spoilers).Susie's Origins of Words: Ah, Susie's slot has survived into 2011 and seen as I'm recapping I can't fast forward past it. Oh well. She discusses the word TOADY today (see what I did there?).
Round 10: 75, 5, 3, 4, 1, 5. Target: 195.
C1: 195. (75-5-5)*3 (10)
C2: -
Score: 57–40 (max 98)
Again an easy numbers game but sadly Karen hasn't learnt a basic skill of the Countdown numbers game leaving mike to take all 10 points and a commanding lead now.
Teatime teaser: TWINDOME -> DOWNTIME
Round 11: E E A Q D P E H C
C1: PEACHED (7)
C2: CHEEPED (7)
Score: 64–47 (max 105)
I thought Susie might have asked Mike to spell his in case he had PEECHED^ but she didn't. Controversial!
Round 12: R N E B F O E S O
C1: foreseen
C2: SOBER (5)
DC: ENROBES (7)
OT: BOREENS (7)
Score: 64–52 (max 112)
Mike's phantomitis has returned meaning Karen has nearly got back within 10. Bit to go yet though...
Round 13: A S E A P L R H O
C1: POLARS (6)
C2: PEARLS (6)
DC: PAROLES (7)
OT: PARASOL (7) REPOSAL (7) PHALERA (7) PHRASAL (7) SPHERAL (7)
Score: 70–58 (max 119)
This time Susie does ask Mike to spell his word (in case he spelt it POLERS^). Countdown in Inconsistency shocker.
Round 14: 50, 7, 9, 3, 1, 4. Target: 985.
C1: 987. (7*3-1)*50-9-4 (7)
C2: 991.
RR: 986. (7)
OT: 986. (50*3-9)*7-1 (7)
Score: 77–58 (max 126)
This was Karen's last hope to force a crucial conundrum however Mike stays calm under pressure and gets within 2 of the target. The target was in fact impossible to reach so Mike did pretty well here as only Rachel Riley could go 1 better.
Game set and match to the sporting Mike. Now let's see if his conundrums skillz are even quicker...
Round 15: A E R O S M E T H
No one buzzes. The answer was HORSEMEAT.
...in fact, they are non-existent. Not surprised though, a tough conundrum I thought but a lovely scramble. Enjoyed that. Quite a few people in the audience solved this though so congratulations for a well-earned mug.
Final Score: 77–58 (max 136)
Not an explosive opener and by no means a classic but Series 64 is in it's early stages. Mike looks like he could rack up a handful of wins but I would say is a bit off octochampness. If he manages to clock up 5 or 6 wins though he might still be on the leader board when it comes to the finals but with such talent as Edward McCullagh and Adam Gillard rumoured to be in this series and God knows who else then this series might just be as good as the last one.
But it is still early days.
That's your recap for today. Pretty bog standard nothing spectacular (a bit like Rachel's trousers today).
I'm off for a nap.
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=64
