Thursday, 9th October 2008 (Series 59, Game 59)

[Jon Corby]

Countdown recap for Thursday 9 October 2008.

C1: Champion Kai Laddiman (5 wins, 463 points)
C2: Challenger Zachary Stephenson.
DC: Susie Dent and Nicholas Owen.
CV: Carol Vorderman.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: F N M A I O T V P
R02: B E R I S E R D I
R03: W O A J L Z E C S
R04: A N I L A P B E C
R05: 100, 50, 9, 8, 6, 3. Target: 828.
TTT: SAMELOSS - "Sweet girls belonging to Maureen, perhaps"
R06: T O G A L E S A N
R07: U N G H A E T N M
R08: T I F A X E G I S
R09: D L E U Y O N S R
R10: 25, 5, 8, 3, 9, 10. Target: 808.
TTT: QUIETSON - "Ask things about the clock-watching herb"
R11: S T N I E K R I M
R12: T E R O R E L I D
R13: R E A N H S O Q T
R14: 75, 10, 1, 6, 8, 2. Target: 812.
R15: E C O M O P E D S (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

Young Kai has been setting the world of Countdown alight since he debuted on our screens a week ago, unlike most other boys his age who are probably setting their school portakabins alight, and teasing people with the surname 'Laddiman' because Laddiman = ladyman = ladyboy = transsexual. Little punks. I blame the parents.
Kai's yet to break a hundred although his scores have been consistently high (I think 89 is his lowest), and according to Des he's got every conundrum so far. Which may or may not be true as I don't particularly trust his powers of recall, he seems to say stuff like "that's the first time we've ever had two nines in a show" every time it happens.

Today he faces Zachary Stephenson, a musician from Cork (now living in London) who looks and indeed sounds a bit like David O'Donnell in a wig. Actually he sounds like David O'Donnell without a wig too, as he tends to sound the same no matter what he's wearing (gimp suit withstanding). He currently plays in a band called 'The Refuseniks' (sp), although he had two top 75 smash hits a few years ago with a band called "Special Needs" - "and we kind of acted like it too" he quips, giving everyone a quick chuckle at the behaviour of the mentally disadvantaged, which is always nice.

On with the show!

Round 1: F N M A I O T V P

C1: PATIO (5)
C2: PATIO (5)
DC: POTMAN (6)
OT: PIVOTMAN (8)
Score: 5–5 (max 8)

A pivotman (chiefly North American) is a player in a central position in a team sport.

Round 2: B E R I S E R D I

C1: BERRIES (7)
C2: BERRIES (7)
DC: BIRDIES (7) SERRIED (7)
OT: BERRIED (7) BIRDERS (7) BREDIES (7) BRIDIES (7) DERBIES (7) DERRIES (7)
Score: 12–12 (max 15)

'Berry' is in as a verb (to gather berries) and berried can also be used as an adjective to describe berry-bearing plants. A birder is (mainly in North America) a birdwatcher, and a bredie is an African stew. And I can't be bothered to look the rest up, all the letters look the same and it's giving me a headache.

Round 3: W O A J L Z E C S

C1: CAJOLES (7)
C2: CAJOLES (7)
Score: 19–19 (max 22)

An excellent spot from both players from a tricky-looking set of letters, and we have a real game on here. This one's going to go all the way to the wire, I can sense it!

Round 4: A N I L A P B E C

C1: INCAPABLE (18)
C2: ALPINE (6)
Score: 37–19 (max 40)

Great spot from Kai completely kills the game as a contest, stone-dead. That's it, it's all over.

Round 5: 100, 50, 9, 8, 6, 3. Target: 828.

C1: 827. (100+3)*8+9-6 (7)
C2: 832.
CV: 828. (100-8)*9 (10)
Score: 44–19 (max 50)

Teatime teaser: SAMELOSS -> MOLASSES

Round 6: T O G A L E S A N

C1: TANGLES (7)
C2: TANGELOS (8)
DC: LANGOSTA (8)
Score: 44–27 (max 58)

Wait, the comeback is on!

Round 7: U N G H A E T N M

C1: GANNET (6)
C2: ANTHEM (6)
DC: HANGMEN (7) MUTAGEN (7)
OT: UNMEANT (7) AUGMENT (7) MANHUNT (7)
Score: 50–33 (max 65)

Round 8: T I F A X E G I S

C1: FIXATES (7)
C2: TAXES (5)
Score: 57–33 (max 72)

Nope, that's it, Kai's definitely out of sight now with that darrenic winner.

Round 9: D L E U Y O N S R

C1: SOUNDLY (7)
C2: ROUNDELS (8)
OT: DELUSORY (8) UNSOLDER (8)
Score: 57–41 (max 80)

But no! Zach comes storming back. Game on!

Round 10: 25, 5, 8, 3, 9, 10. Target: 808.

C1: 807. (9-5)*8*25+7 (7)
C2: 812.
CV: 808. (3*9+5)*25+8 (10)
Score: 64–41 (max 90)

Teatime teaser: QUIETSON -> QUESTION

Round 11: S T N I E K R I M

C1: MINISTER (8)
C2: STINKIER (8)
DC: INTERIMS (8)
OT: MIRKIEST (8)
Score: 72–49 (max 98)

Does it (mildly) annoy anyone else when Carol draws attention to words which are almost-spelt (or even on occasion, spelt) in the selection? People have missed words that have been virtually spelt out before, just rankles me a bit that she might help contestants sometimes.

Round 12: T E R O R E L I D

C1: LOITERED (8)
C2: lorried
DC: DOLERITE (8)
OT: LOITERER (8)
Score: 80–49 (max 106)

Round 13: R E A N H S O Q T

C1: SHORTEN (7)
C2: EARSHOT (7)
DC: ANOTHER (7) HORNETS (7)
OT: ANTHERS (7) HOARSEN (7) SANTERO (7) SENATOR (7) SENHORA (7) THRONES (7) TREASON (7)
Score: 87–56 (max 113)

Zach invents a new selection nickname, with a "Samson", which is one big one and five small numbers, each small number representing a thousand Phillistines apparently. "I prefer meat and two veg" blurts out Carol somewhat bizarrely, sending Des into spasmodic giggling, and arousing me somewhat. Quality

Round 14: 75, 10, 1, 6, 8, 2. Target: 812.

C1: 812. Mistake in working.
C2: 899.
CV: 812. (75+6)*10+2 (10)
Score: 87–56 (max 123)

Round 15: E C O M O P E D S

C1 buzzes on 2 seconds to say DECOMPOSE which is correct.
Score: 97–56 (max 133)

Kai keeps up his 100% record on the conundrums as he seals what turned out to be a more comfortable victory than the first three rounds suggested. Unfortunately Zach didn't play quite as well as David O'Donnell in a wig, although he did considerably better than David O'Donnell in a gimp suit. A couple of good spots in the letters from the challenger were undone by missing the niner and also failing to score in any of the numbers rounds. Still no century for Kai, but he's got another couple of goes at it. Without bothering to check, I guess he's headed for the 2nd seed slot behind Junaid at this rate, but all that could soon change with the arrival of a certain Charlie Reams in just a few days' time....

Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=59

[Julian Fell]

Kai scored 91 on Tuesday, Jon, according to the Wiki...

Zach invents a new selection nickname, with a "Samson", which is one big one and five small numbers, each small number representing a thousand Phillistines apparently. "I prefer meat and two veg" blurts out Carol somewhat bizarrely, sending Des into spasmodic giggling, and arousing me somewhat. Quality

Oh yeah I'd forgotten about that thanks for reminding me Corby. Some genius comedy moments in Thursday's and Friday's shows

As for the drawing-attention-to-words-spelt-out thing, to be fair it was the audience who started laughing first here, which sort of indicated the word before Carol did. I don't really have a problem with it; I think laughing at words-nearly-spelt-out is part of the homely/fun nature of the show - a bit like when (so I've heard, although I didn't see the programme) Richard Digance leaned over to tell Conor how to do the (piss-easy) middle numbers game in his semi-final vs. Paul H.

Countdown isn't meant to be too serious (gosh did I really just say that??) and I reckon if they started having some kind of rule whereby you can't say or do anything as the letters are being put up, the show would lose more than it gained...

[Jon Corby]

Kai scored 91 on Tuesday, Jon, according to the Wiki...

Thanks mate, I was almost convincing myself it was 94 for some reason.

As for the drawing-attention-to-words-spelt-out thing, to be fair it was the audience who started laughing first here, which sort of indicated the word before Carol did.

Fair enough, I didn't pick up on that because I was watching with the volume turned down low (with subtitles) because my bird gets the arse on if she can hear it from bed upstairs, the stroppy cow. And you're probably right, I am taking it all too seriously

[JimBentley]

Today he faces Zachary Stephenson, a musician from Cork (now living in London) who looks and indeed sounds a bit like David O'Donnell in a wig. Actually he sounds like David O'Donnell without a wig too, as he tends to sound the same no matter what he's wearing (gimp suit withstanding). He currently plays in a band called 'The Refuseniks' (sp), although he had two top 75 smash hits a few years ago with a band called "Special Needs" - "and we kind of acted like it too" he quips, giving everyone a quick chuckle at the behaviour of the mentally disadvantaged, which is always nice.

I vaguely remember Special Needs, they were one of a long line of bands who were supposed to be the new Libertines for about thirty seconds in 2003 or 2004, although they didn't really sound like the Libertines at all. I'm pretty sure they changed their name (or were forced to change their name) to The Needs, then they all took too many drugs and drank too much booze and split up, or something like that, anyway.

Wow, I'm like Paul Gambaccini with my razor-sharp recall of pop trivia.

[David O'Donnell]

Today he faces Zachary Stephenson, a musician from Cork (now living in London) who looks and indeed sounds a bit like David O'Donnell in a wig. Actually he sounds like David O'Donnell without a wig too, as he tends to sound the same no matter what he's wearing (gimp suit withstanding).


Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=59

A quality recap, Jon, that one had me LOL ..... BUT. ... how can you compare my definitely northern accent to the accent of a man, albeit gentrified, who is from one of the most southerly points of Ireland? Kinda like comparing an Aberdeen accent with a Cornish accent

[Dinos Sfyris]

Thoroughly enjoyed this recap. Especially as I missed the "I prefer a phallic representation of numbers" statement by Carol. Also I hadn't noticed the teasing possibilities of Kai's name. Now there's a fun activity should I attend the finals!

How can you compare my definitely northern accent to the accent of a man, albeit gentrified, who is from one of the most southerly points of Ireland? Kinda like comparing an Aberdeen accent with a Cornish accent

No I agree with Jon here. I'm pretty sure the 2 of you are the same person.

[Charlie Reams]

This is my favourite Corbycap ever. Shame I don't have a TV right now, but this is the next best thing.

[Jon Corby]

BUT. ... how can you compare my definitely northern accent to the accent of a man, albeit gentrified, who is from one of the most southerly points of Ireland?

Because I'm English

[Julian Fell]

This is my favourite Corbycap ever. Shame I don't have a TV right now, but this is the next best thing.

You can watch the episodes on 4oD if you've got the internet in your house though Charlie (if you didn't know that, it makes me feel a lot better because it took me a while to realize it, and in the meantime I was spending loads on DVD recorders etc, like a numpty )

Am sure you did know it though

[Charlie Reams]

This is my favourite Corbycap ever. Shame I don't have a TV right now, but this is the next best thing.

You can watch the episodes on 4oD if you've got the internet in your house though Charlie (if you didn't know that, it makes me feel a lot better because it took me a while to realize it, and in the meantime I was spending loads on DVD recorders etc, like a numpty )

Am sure you did know it though

I did know, and I don't have Internet in my house. Not yet, anyway.

[David O'Donnell]

BUT. ... how can you compare my definitely northern accent to the accent of a man, albeit gentrified, who is from one of the most southerly points of Ireland?

Because I'm English

Ha ha, fair enough!

[Jason Larsen]

This game came under the radar for me due to the uploader on UK Nova's absence, but it was great!