The first ever max game?????
C1: Champion John Widdowson (3 wins, 164 points.)
C2: Challenger Jenny Haldane.
DC: Freda Thornton and Ned Sherrin.
CV: Carol Vorderman.
OT: Other words or solutions.
I’m recapping this now, because I noticed while preparing my notes for scanning for the Big Historical Recap Project that it appears to be a max game and seems quite likely to be the first one ever – in fact, I even noted as much at the time. It features the debut appearance of none other than Jenny Haldane, well-known as being the co-founder of the Edinburgh Countdown Club, along with Nita Marr. As aficionados will know, Jenny went on to win seven of her heat games before getting knocked out by series runner-up Roger Wales and got knocked out in the quarter-finals by none other than the eventual series winner Tony Vick – so no shame there. Anyway, without further gassing, let the max game commence...
R01: P S T E O S L E Y
R02: Q W N U A C R O A
R03: N N W E O B W A T
R04: 25, 8, 2, 5, 1, 6. Target: 364.
R05: N S P R U A E T N
R06: M C L A O G N I M
R07: F R N S E U E G R
R08: 100, 4, 10, 1, 3, 7. Target: 330.
R09: ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? (conundrum)
Countdown wasn’t sponsored in those days...
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Round 1: P S T E O S L E Y
C1: POETESS (7)
C2: PESTLES (7)
DC: TOPLESS (7)
OT: PEYOTES (7) STEEPLY (7) SYSTOLE (7) TOELESS (7)
Score: 7–7 (max 7)
The recap writer suggested EYESPOTS for 8, but that wasn’t valid back in the days of COD7.
Round 2: Q W N U A C R O A
C1: CROWN (5)
C2: ACORN (5)
OT: ROWAN (5)
Score: 12–12 (max 12)
Again, there’s a better word here if you’re playing on apterous, but CORNUA was a big no-no back in 1988.
Round 3: N N W E O B W A T
C1: WANTON (6)
C2: BONNET (6)
OT: NEWTON (6)
Score: 18–18 (max 18)
Round 4: 25, 8, 2, 5, 1, 6. Target: 364.
C1: 364. (25+1)x(8+6) (10)
C2: 364. (25+1)x(8+6) (10)
Score: 28–28 (max 28)
At the end of Part One (truly the ‘first half’ in those days!), it wasn’t just a max game that was on the cards, it could have been a double max game with both contestants on song. I wonder if we’ll ever get one of those??
Round 5: N S P R U A E T N
C1: TAPERS (6)
C2: SAUNTER (7)
DC: PASTURE (7) PUNNETS (7) PEANUTS (7)
OT: ENTRAPS (7) NATURES (7) PARENTS (7) PASTERN (7) PUNNERS (7) PUNSTER (7) PUNTERS (7) SAUNTER (7) SPANNER (7) STUNNER (7) TANNERS (7) TREPANS (7) UNSPENT (7)
Score: 28–35 (max 35)
Jenny finally pulls ahead and that mythical double max game is off.
Round 6: M C L A O G N I M
C1: CLAMMING (8)
C2: CLAMMING (8)
Score: 36–43 (max 43)
Our players’ ability to score isn’t CLAMMING up, that’s for sure.
Round 7: F R N S E U E G R
C1: FERNS (5)
C2: REFUGES (7)
Score: 36–50 (max 50)
Jenny spots the second successive darren: neither GURNERS and REFUSER were valid at the time.
Round 8: 100, 4, 10, 1, 3, 7. Target: 330.
C1: 330. (3x100)+((4-1)x10) (10)
C2: 330. (100+10)x3 (10)
Score: 46–60 (max 60)
CECIL is kind and the max game is still possible.
Round 9: ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
C2 buzzes on 4 seconds to say LUMBERING which is correct.
Score: 46–70 (max 70)
After just four seconds, Jenny’s buzzer sounds and history is made (unless we find an earlier example!). Sorry I don’t have the scramble, but this episode was recorded on audio cassette.
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif)
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=16