Friday 30 September 2011 (Series 65, Prelim 65)

[Mike Brown]

Countdown recap for Friday 30 September 2011 (Series 65, Prelim 65).

C1: Champion Jayne Wisniewski (5 wins, 431 points.)
C2: Challenger Suzanne Osen.
DC: Susie Dent and Kate Humble.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

Since last Friday’s debut, Jayne Wisniewski has held on to her place in the champion’s chair, and today she faces a challenge from Suzanne Osen, who hails from Stanmore in Middlesex. Suzanne reveals that on her first date with her husband, whom she met on the Internet, he presented her with a box full of roast potatoes, while Jayne notes that she started watching Countdown in 1982 while at Leicester University and has been ‘hooked ever since’. Let’s see who wins this one...

R01: T N E O S R U O G
R02: M H A B E F R A S
R03: T R U E D P I N T
R04: B U S G E N A A V
R05: 100, 4, 6, 2, 8, 5. Target: 807.
TTT: SOMEGENT - "Some gent might be polishing this for his fiancee"
R06: C K E U X O T S M
R07: S C A O L M L A O
R08: S R N E I N E T W
R09: L F I O R G I O T
R10: 50, 100, 6, 8, 5, 4. Target: 102.
TTT: TUNALIPS - "The occasion when the bride and the cake both end up in tears"
R11: M W I E C S A O H
R12: D R A E P P I U N
R13: N D O E G T A T Z
R14: 50, 25, 8, 5, 9, 10. Target: 366.
R15: A L T E R B O T H (conundrum)

Countdown is sponsored by Vitabiotics Wellman.

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After reading out a joke sent in by Thomas Marshall of Market Harborough, Jeff and Rachel move on to the subject of Countdown Associate Producer Lara Searle’s wedding, which is taking place this weekend. Susie will be getting her best frock out, Rachel apparently has ‘nothing to wear’, while Jeff won’t be able to make it – something about football on Sky and prior commitments... Anyway, good luck to Lara and James on their special day!

Round 1: T N E O S R U O G

C1: OUTGOES (7)
C2: TONERS (6)
DC: ONEROUS (7) GENTOOS (7) STURGEON (8)
Score: 7–0 (max 8)

Jayne takes an early lead, while DC reveal a rather fishy darren.

Round 2: M H A B E F R A S

C1: FRAMES (6)
C2: FRAMES (6)
OT: BRAHMAS (7) SAMBHAR (7)
Score: 13–6 (max 15)

A BRAHMA (short for BRAHMAPUTRA) is a type of chicken, while a SAMBHAR (also SAMBAR) is a spicy South Indian dish containing lentils and vegetables.

Round 3: T R U E D P I N T

C1: PRINTED (7)
C2: PRINTED (7)
DC: UNDERTIP (8)
OT: INPUTTED (8) INPUTTER (8)
Score: 20–13 (max 23)

Jayne toys with UNPITTED^ for eight, but wisely sticks to her seven.

Round 4: B U S G E N A A V

C1: USAGE (5)
C2: SAVAGE (6)
DC: VEGANS (6)
OT: AGAVES (6) GUAVAS (6) NAEVUS (6) NAUSEA (6) SEABAG (6) VANGAS (6)
Score: 20–19 (max 29)

Could tiredness be getting to Jayne as she misses all of the available sixes? (Although to be fair most of them are pretty obscure). A NAEVUS is a type of birthmark; a SEABAG is a sailor’s travelling bag; and a VANGA is a songbird found in Madagascar.

Round 5: 100, 4, 6, 2, 8, 5. Target: 807.

C1: 807. (8x100)+5+2 (10)
C2: 807. (8x100)+5+2 (10)
Score: 30–29 (max 39)

A nice easy numbers game to ease us into the break... but before we get there, Kate Humble tells us all about preparing a ram for a country show and also how to blow-dry a cow – yes, really!

And now, a rather appropriate Teatime Teaser:

Teatime teaser: SOMEGENT -> GEMSTONE

Round 6: C K E U X O T S M

C1: SOCKET (6)
C2: COSTUME (7)
DC: SOCKET (6) COSTUME (7)
Score: 30–36 (max 46)

I spotted SOCKET and COSTUME; Jayne and Suzanne spotted SOCKET and COSTUME; Susie and Kate spotted SOCKET and COSTUME. Apparently, there were some other sixes available...

Round 7: S C A O L M L A O

C1: CALMS (5)
C2: LOOMS (5)
DC: LOOMS (5) LLAMAS (6) SLALOM (6) (JS)
OT: CALLAS (6) LOCALS (6)
Score: 35–41 (max 52)

CALLAS has nothing to do with opera singers; it’s actually the plural of CALLA, which is a plant of the alum family.

Round 8: S R N E I N E T W

C1: WINTERS (7)
C2: ENTWINES (8)
DC: ENTWINES (8) INTERNS (7)
OT: INTENSER (8) INTERNES (8)
Score: 35–49 (max 60)

Suzanne spots an eight right at the last minute (which will probably have upset Jon Corby) and thus increases her lead.

Round 9: L F I O R G I O T

C1: FLOOR (5)
C2: RIOT (4)
DC: FORGOT (6)
Score: 40–49 (max 66)

OoW: Susie gives us some more ‘little’ origins, based on words she’s apparently looked up while bored during the numbers game. Today’s words are: juggernaut, khaki, pamphlet, pandemonium and panic.

Round 10: 50, 100, 6, 8, 5, 4. Target: 102.

C1: 102. 100+8-6 (10)
C2: 102. 100+(8/4) (10)
Score: 50–59 (max 76)

Another easy-peasy numbers game, which prompts Rachel to utter, “oh dear” as the target is revealed.

Teatime teaser: TUNALIPS -> NUPTIALS

Another rather apposite Teaser. Good old Damo!

Round 11: M W I E C S A O H

C1: HOMIES (6)
C2: SHAME (5)
DC: CASHEW (6)
OT: CHAMISE (7) CHAMISO (7) CHAMOIS (7)
Score: 56–59 (max 83)

Jayne recovers some ground by offering relatively recent Countdown favourite HOMIES. A CHAMISE (also CHAMISO) is an evergreen shrub, commonly found in California.

Round 12: D R A E P P I U N

C1: UNPAIRED (8)
C2: NIPPER (6)
OT: UNRIPPED (8)
Score: 64–59 (max 91)

Jayne gambles on a great eight and takes the lead for the first time today.

Round 13: N D O E G T A T Z

C1: TANGOED (7)
C2: GATED (5)
DC: GOTTEN (6)
OT: NOTATED (7)
Score: 71–59 (max 98)

Jayne offers a seven, while Suzanne remains stalled on 59. With twelve points separating them, this game is finely balanced and could easily go either way. Good stuff.

Round 14: 50, 25, 8, 5, 9, 10. Target: 366.

C1: 366. ((50+25)x5)-9 (10)
C2: 366. (50x8)-25-9 (10)
Score: 81–69 (max 108)

Jayne hasn’t got her solution written down, but thankfully for her, it’s good and she breathes a visible sigh of relief as she realises she’s won.

Round 15: A L T E R B O T H

C2 buzzes on 9 seconds to say BETROTHAL which is correct.
Final Score: 81–79 (max 118)

The game ends with yet another nod to the soon-to-be-betrothed Lara (and why not?) and rather nicely Suzanne unravels it after exactly nine seconds, leaving the scores giving a rather accurate reflection of the closeness of today’s game (which also results in a double-handshake between the contestants).

Monday sees Anneka Rice making her debut in Dictionary Corner and we’ll also see whether Jayne can make it seven wins out of seven. Join Ryan for the recap and I’ll see you next weekend. In the meantime, unless you’re living too far north, enjoy the heatwave!

Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=65

[Adam Gillard]

I've just been informed via a mutual friend of my Mum and Suzanne that Suzanne was inspired to appear on Countdown by my performances on the show. It turns out that she also attends Stanmore and Canons Park Synagogue and heard about my progress from the website. Neat