Thursday 8th December 2011 (Series 65, 1st QF)

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Thursday 8th December 2011 (Series 65, 1st QF)

Post by James Robinson »

So, we have arrived at the series finals yet again. It doesn't seem 28 weeks ago when we started the last finals, but let's see if we spark some more excitement into these finals as the 4th host of Countdown's tenure approaches its climax.

Enjoy. ;) :) :D

Countdown recap for Thursday 8 December 2011.

C1: #8 Seed David"The Epsom Enforcer" Butcher (7 wins, 620 points.) From Epsom, Surrey. After a slow start to his career, he managed to get to 8 shows.
C2: #1 Seed Mark "The Braughing Bullet" Deeks (8 wins, 824 points.) An Apteforumite and law student from Braughing, Hertfordshire. Since appearing on the show in July, he has been practising like mad. (Anyone noticed :?: :P )
DC: Susie Dent and David "Bumble" Lloyd.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: P R D O I A S C O
R02: S E M I T L O Z M
R03: N P K E E A T B E
R04: S U Q T O D E S I
R05: 75, 100, 3, 1, 8, 1. Target: 956.
TTT: MORALBAN - "To ban all morals just wouldn't be right"
R06: G E R U L E T O U
R07: G N D A I E R S A
R08: T A V O X M I R I
R09: S T P F A E E W U
R10: 6, 7, 1, 3, 4, 10. Target: 130.
TTT: TUNALAMB - "Unlike the tuna, the lamb can go for a walk"
R11: G D F J O E A N N
R12: R E L I C R E L W
R13: N V D S A I U H E
R14: 5, 8, 1, 2, 8, 7. Target: 771.
R15: R U R A L N E E D (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: P R D O I A S C O

C1: DROOPS (6)
C2: PICADORS (8)
DC: SPORADIC (8)
OT: PROSODIC (8)
Score: 0–8 (max 8)

A super impressive start by the top dog here. Clearly he wants to assert his authority early on here. :)

PROSODIC derives from PROSODY, which is the science or study of poetic meters and versification.

Round 2: S E M I T L O Z M

C1: EMITS (5)
C2: MESTIZO (7)
DC: tommies
OT: TZIMMES (7) ZLOTIES (7)
Score: 0–15 (max 15)

All that "practice" is definitely paying off. Even DC are in awe of these amazing words :!:

In Jewish cookery, a TZIMMES (or TSIMMES) is any of various sweetened combinations of vegetables, fruit, and sometimes meat, prepared as a casserole or stew.

Round 3: N P K E E A T B E

C1: BEAT (4)
C2: NEPETA (6)
DC: BETAKEN (7) KEEPNET (7)
Score: 0–21 (max 22)

Mark decides not to go for BETAKEN, but David is completely BEAT in that round, or should it be BEATEN (which I think he realised immediately) :?: :oops:

Round 4: S U Q T O D E S I

C1: QUOTES (6)
C2: TEDIOUS (7)
DC: OUTSIDES (8)
Score: 0–28 (max 30)

DC go darrenic with their 8, while David still can't get off zero.

Round 5: 75, 100, 3, 1, 8, 1. Target: 956.

C1: -
C2: 957. ((8 + 1) x (100 - 3 + 1)) + 75 (7)
RR: 957. ((8 + 1) x (100 - 3 + 1)) + 75 (7)
JS: 956. ((1 + 1) x (75 + 3)) + (8 x 100) (10) 8-) :lol:
Score: 0–35 (max 40)

One of the highlights of the entire year here :!: :!: #

After Mark gives his unwritten 1 away method, Rachel reveals that she did the same, and then Jeff pulls out a RACHEL BEATER :!: :!: :!: :shock: :o 8-) , much to her bemusement, it's fair to say. :lol:

Bumble talks about "the Brigadier", who he mentioned in his last appearance, who has now moved out to Milverton in Somerset, and Bumble thinks he'll be up to his old tricks again to get into the Somerset CCC at Taunton. :lol:

Teatime teaser: MORALBAN -> ABNORMAL

Round 6: G E R U L E T O U

C1: outrule
C2: REGULO (6)
OT: REGLET (6) ROUGET (6)
Score: 0–41 (max 46)

David is already clutching at straws by declaring an illegal 7, but Mark is just unstoppable at the moment.

In architecture, a REGLET is a groove for guiding or holding a panel, window sash, etc.

Round 7: G N D A I E R S A

C1: READINGS (8)
C2: GARDENIAS (18)
Score: 0–59 (max 64)

Just about the only thing that Mark's performance was missing was a 9. Not any more. :D (Note also how quickly he got it, clearly sub-5 seconds. :geek: )

Round 8: T A V O X M I R I

C1: RIOT (4)
C2: RATIO (5)
DC: VOMIT (5) AXIOM (5) TRIVIA (6)
OT: MATRIX (6) TRIMIX (6)
Score: 0–64 (max 70)

While David predicts a RIOT (bit late, in hindsight), Mark will probably be left to VOMIT at not seeing TRIVIA or MATRIX even. :|

Round 9: S T P F A E E W U

C1: PASTE (5)
C2: PESEWA (6)
DC: PESETA (6)
OT: ESTUFA (6) FEWEST (6)
Score: 0–70 (max 76)

Mark goes African currency, while DC go for the soon-to-be resurrected at this rate European currency. And I'm sure David just wants to get back to Epsom as soon as possible.

Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the origins of the London towns of "Chalk Farm", "Charing Cross", "Chelsea", "Swiss Cottage" and "Maida Vale".

Round 10: 6, 7, 1, 3, 4, 10. Target: 130.

C1: 130. (6 + 7) x 10 (10)
C2: 130. (6 + 7) x 10 (10)
Score: 10–80 (max 86)

Mark is definitely showing no mercy. 70 points up and going 6 small :!: Well, he does need the practice, not that he gets much here with that easy one, which finally gets David off the mark, which leads to a euphoric round of applause. :D

Teatime teaser: TUNALAMB -> AMBULANT

Round 11: G D F J O E A N N

C1: FANNED (6)
C2: DEFANG (6)
DC: NONAGE (6)
OT: FANGED (6)
Score: 16–86 (max 92)

And he even gets some letters points too, but the game is now officially over and Mark is safely through to the semis.

Round 12: R E L I C R E L W

C1: RELIC (5)
C2: "That one" :lol: (5)
DC: REWIRE (6)
OT: CREWEL (6) RELLIE (6) WELLIE (6)
Score: 21–91 (max 98)

DC even manage to "shock" the contestants with a beater here. :P

CREWEL is a worsted yarn for embroidery and edging.

Round 13: N V D S A I U H E

C1: INVADES (7)
C2: VANISHED (8)
DC: UNSHAVED (8)
Score: 21–99 (max 106)

I bet David wished that Mark had VANISHED before the recording began. :lol:

Round 14: 5, 8, 1, 2, 8, 7. Target: 771.

C1: -
C2: 773. ((7 - 1) x 2 x 8 x 8) + 5 (7)
RR: 773. ((7 - 1) x 2 x 8 x 8) + 5 (7)
Me: 771. (8 x 8 x (7 + 5)) + 2 + 1 (10) 8-)
Score: 21–106 (max 116)

And he goes 6 small again and gets a better workout this time, but surprisingly no-one in the studio gets it (well, not within the time anyway) :!: :shock: :o

Oh well, I'll take the glory instead. 8-) :mrgreen: :ugeek:

Round 15: R U R A L N E E D

C2 buzzes on 4.75 seconds to say LAUNDERER which is correct.
Final Score: 21–116 (max 126)

He hasn't lost that conundrum touch either, and completes an impressive and emphatic win, which is definitely a strong warning message to the other 6 finalists.

Note also that today's show broke 2 finals records: the 95 point margin is the largest in ANY series finals game and David's score of 21 is the lowest in a 15-round finals match (smashing the previous low of 35 set by my mate, Shane Roberts, in Series 60 when he lost to Neil Zussman.

But forgetting the nerdy stuff for a second, this was one of the most entertaining shows in a good while. Maybe thanks to Mark's personality and the fact that Jeff sort of had the high pedestal, thanks to that 956 early on, which gave the show a highly entertaining spark which stayed for the duration. I so hope that these final shows are going to be just as good.

But Mark will be back on Wednesday (along with my recap), when he'll be playing either the #4 seed Carl "The Burton Bruiser" Williams or the #5 seed Jayne "The Barnt Green Battleaxe" Wisniewski.

Join Mike tomorrow for the 2nd quarter-final between #2 seed Graeme "The Reading Ramrod" Cole and the #7 seed Nikki "The Widford Whirlwind" Roberts.

I'll be back for next week's semi-finals, so enjoy the rest of the quarters. ;) :) :D

Till then, bye bye.

Statistics Corner

David:
Total score - 21
Raw score - 66
Total % of max - 17
Raw % of max - 52
Total average score per round - 1.4
Raw average score per round - 4.4
Number of maxes - 2

Mark:
Total score - 116
Raw score - 116
Total % of max - 92
Raw % of max - 92
Total average score per round - 7.7
Raw average score per round - 7.7
Number of maxes - 9

Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=65
Last edited by James Robinson on Thu Dec 08, 2011 10:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Jayne Wisniewski
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Re: Thursday 8th December 2011 (Series 65, 1st QF)

Post by Jayne Wisniewski »

Not sure I like being called a " battleaxe" James! :lol:

Excellent game today. Mark's stunning performance, the lively banter and Jeff on great form. It was a privilege to be in the audience :D
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Re: Thursday 8th December 2011 (Series 65, 1st QF)

Post by James Robinson »

Jayne Wisniewski wrote:Not sure I like being called a " battleaxe" James! :lol:
True, but I wouldn't like to call you a "bruiser", either :!: :lol: ;)
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