Countdown recap for Friday 30 July 2021.
Arnold Schwarzenegger's birthday, says Anne, and recalls when he salted Rob Lowe's drink.
C1: Champion Andy McConnell (4 wins, 331 points.) Cannot let Anne finish a sentence.
C2: Challenger Patrick Welsh. Music studen-- OH MY WORD LISTEN TO THAT SHIRT. It's green and white in equal measure, but not in any regular pattern at all. A piano player. Apparently he can play the Countdown music on it. From Falmouth. Is also learning Swedish so as to watch The Bridge on iPlayer without subtitles. Anne suggests an ABBA tribute band. 20 years old.
DC: Richard Coles. I would honestly love to see Richard return, if you're reading this, Damian...
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: Y F S I A N H T I
R02: R A W R E U E S T
R03: 50, 4, 7, 4, 5, 1. Target: 414.
TTT: BOSSYBAT - "They'll keep the ship steady and Robert's going nowhere."
R04: M O L E A C E T N
R05: W R S I A I L S O
R06: 75, 5, 2, 4, 4, 9. Target: 933.
R07: N O P E U L D H I
R08: D A S U E A N M R
R09: 50, 7, 7, 6, 4, 3. Target: 534.
TTT: SNAGHEEL - "You might snag your heel if you wear these."
R10: D O K E E O R N L
R11: P T V O U G I B R
R12: M O D E E I N G T
R13: S T U S D E A R P
R14: 50, 6, 1, 10, 9, 7. Target: 177.
R15: P E D D L E R U N (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: Y F S I A N H T I
Andy: FAINTS (6)
Patrick: FAITHS (6)
DC: NASTIFY (7)
OT: TAHINIS (7)
Score: 6–6 (max 7, jos 7)
Darren-o-meter: 0/1 (0%)
Sixes each. Richard gives our own Mrs Robinson as an example of NASTIFY.
Round 2: R A W R E U E S T
Andy: WATERS (6)
Patrick: WATERS (6)
DC: REWATERS (8) TREASURE (8)
OT: AUSTERER (8) WATERERS (8)
Score: 12–12 (max 15, jos 15)
Darren-o-meter: 0/2 (0%)
More six-nesses. RE- can be added onto the front of WATERS, fairly surprisingly. Anne refers to Andy as "Abseiling Andy" and points out people may not believe he was an abseiler. He throws that right back at "Angry Anne", and Anne tells him to pick the numbers "if you have to". You could cut the tension with a cricket stump.
Round 3: 50, 4, 7, 4, 5, 1. Target: 414.
Andy: 415. (50 + 1) × (4 + 4) + 7 (7)
Patrick: 413. (7 + 1) × 50 + 4 + 5 + 4 (7)
RR: 414. (4 + 5) × (50 − 4) (10)
Score: 19–19 (max 25, jos 25)
One either side. It was easier than it looks.
Teatime teaser: BOSSYBAT -> BOBSTAYS
The All4 ad break was 4.5 minutes; they are definitely getting longer...!
Round 4: M O L E A C E T N
Andy: TALON (5)
Patrick: MOLTEN (6)
DC: CLEMENT (7)
OT: CLONEMATE (18)
Score: 19–25 (max 43, jos 32)
Darren-o-meter: 1/3 (33%)
Patrick leads as Andy can only see five. Andy and Anne joke about Patrick being "the young Liberace". Rachel quips "whether he wants to be or not!".
Round 5: W R S I A I L S O
Andy: SAILORS (7)
Patrick: SAILORS (7)
OT: LOIASIS (7)
Score: 26–32 (max 50, jos 39)
Darren-o-meter: 1/4 (25%)
Seven each here and the only common seven to boot.
Round 6: 75, 5, 2, 4, 4, 9. Target: 933.
Andy: 926. Mistake in working.
Patrick: -
RR: 933. (75 − 4) × (4 + 9) + 5 × 2 (10)
Score: 26–32 (max 60, jos 49)
Andy tries to fudge and ends up on 924.
Richard is very nice to Patrick, and says "he's far too sensible to be upset" by comparisons to Liberace. So Richard talks about the time he saw Liberace in concert. Richard has one of Liberace's candelabras. Richard talks about the time there was a overcast of children in the nativity, and thus Jesus was visited by three wise men and Darth Vader. Let there be light(sabers)! He then does the "please come to church" ad.
Round 7: N O P E U L D H I
Andy: UPHELD (6)
Patrick: HOUND (5)
DC: DOLPHIN (7)
OT: PINHOLED (8)
Score: 32–32 (max 68, jos 56)
Darren-o-meter: 2/5 (40%)
Andy levels the tie with a six of his own. Richard sees a seven but everyone misses the eight.
Round 8: D A S U E A N M R
Andy: UNDER (5) (very safe)
Patrick: REMANDS (7) (risk)
DC: MAUNDERS (8)
OT: MURAENAS (8) SURNAMED (8)
Score: 32–39 (max 76. jos 64)
Darren-o-meter: 2/6 (33%)
A BRILLIANT gamble from Patrick, possibly overcompensating for REWATERS earlier, taking the lead.
Round 9: 50, 7, 7, 6, 4, 3. Target: 534.
Andy: 537.
Patrick: 534. (7 + 4) × 50 − (7 + 3 + 6) (10)
Score: 32–49 (max 86, jos 74)
By offering his solution we finally get to hear some from Patrick. He has a nice voice, I must say, and is extremely eloquent... "first, you take the 7..."
Teatime teaser: SNAGHEEL -> LEHENGAS
Round 10: D O K E E O R N L
Andy: LOOKED (6) (stick with)
Patrick: RELOOKED (8) (risk)
Score: 32–57 (max 94, jos 82)
Darren-o-meter: 3/7 (43%)
Patrick pulls the same trick twice. Wow. Andy must LOOK a bit of a fool now.
Round 11: P T V O U G I B R
Andy: brigout ("gamble time")
Patrick: PIVOT (5)
DC: OUTRIG (6)
OT: PROBIT (6) RUBIGO (6) VIGOUR (6)
Score: 32–62 (max 100, jos 88)
Darren-o-meter: 3/8 (38%)
For "gamble time", read "kamikaze mission". Richard says it's a brilliant word that doesn't exist yet. Patrick says his ambition is to be a film composer. Could hardly be worse than some incidental music I've heard. Anne points out these Countdown clips will be wheeled out at the Oscars when he wins (a backhanded compliment if ever I've seen one) but Patrick says they'll just call him a young Liberace.
Round 12: M O D E E I N G T
Andy: DEMOTING (8)
Patrick: DEMOTING (8)
DC: TEENDOM (7)
Score: 40–70 (max 108, jos 96)
Darren-o-meter: 4/9 (44%)
Both contestants get the darren here. Andy now needs a nine.
Round 13: S T U S D E A R P
Andy: SPURTED (7)
Patrick: DUSTERS (7)
DC: PASTURES (8)
OT: PASTURED (8) RAPTUSES (8)
Score: 47–77 (max 116, jos 104)
Darren-o-meter: 4/10 (40%)
And he doesn't get a nine, getting Patrick over the line!
Round 14: 50, 6, 1, 10, 9, 7. Target: 177.
Andy: 176. Mistake in working.
Patrick: 168. (9 − 6) × 50 + 10 + 7 + 1 (5)
RR: 177. (10 − 7) × (50 + 9) (10)
Score: 47–82 (max 126, jos 114)
Patrick goes for a lesser-spotted-these-days Whitehall (1-2-1-2), endearing him to Whiteley-era Countdown fans everywhere. However, he is nine away, but Andy goes for another nakedly brazen fudge and it doesn't come off (good... it was THAT obvious).
Round 15: P E D D L E R U N
Andy buzzes on 11 seconds to say PLUNDERED which is correct.
Final Score: 57–82 (max 136, jos 124)
Andy does a Hewer special and signs off with the conundrum. But Patrick will be back on Monday. I enjoyed Patrick. Or that may be The Oval's beer bumps talking. He'll be back on Monday.
Susie Dent will be back on Monday too, and making his debut will be Julian Clary. "We'll see what he knows about pump systems". Not sure if homophobic or just misguided humour, Anne.
Join us again for Countdown. Goodbye.
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=84