Wednesday 21st October 2009 (Series 61, Prelim 68)

[James Robinson]

Hello. This is Ross Deshpande-Bevins, filling in for James Robinson this week.

James is busy at the Huddersfield Town Reserves v Hartlepool United Reserves match (That finished 2-0 to Jeff's Monkey Hangers by the way.), so I will take over proceedings for this show.

By the way, today is Apple Day, so have a succulent Pink Lady before the day is out.

Countdown recap for Wednesday 21 October 2009.

C1: Champion Brian Selway (2 wins, 211 points.) Our kitchen assistant & Doctor Who fan from Honiton, Devon has made an impressive start to his Countdown career with scores of 109 & 102 to his name already. Can he continue his run today He says his favourite place in the world is South West England, not too surprising since he lives there.
C2: Challenger Cherry Barnett. From Bournemouth, Dorset. She works as a university library assistant. She moved there from London 4 years ago with her husband. There was also talk about her returning to London for her daughter's hen night at a male strip club. She also enjoys reading, knitting, listening to The Beatles, ABBA, Elvis and her favourite, The Carpenters.
DC: Susie Dent and Lesley Garrett.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: S N H A O E R R O
R02: T S E A G S E T E
R03: N N I S E O R Z I
R04: N R U E D D E I Q
R05: 50, 100, 75, 25, 3, 7. Target: 935.
TTT: ROBSFEAR - "More than 3 ancestors of Teddy, perhaps"
R06: T Y E A R X W A D
R07: D U T O N L E I D
R08: K R O E G M A U P
R09: P N N O I E G R O
R10: 100, 7, 1, 4, 1, 3. Target: 744.
TTT: GUTTYAIR - "It's not a clue for this one, it's more of a tip"
R11: S C U N O E L S A
R12: S M I A D T I C A
R13: R T B F I O I A P
R14: 75, 7, 8, 3, 10, 2. Target: 293.
R15: R A C H E L S P I (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: S N H A O E R R O

C1: HERONS (6)
C2: HERONS (6)
DC: HOARSER (7) HORNEROS (8)
Score: 6–6 (max 8)

Round 2: T S E A G S E T E

C1: ESTATE (6)
C2: SETTEES (7)
DC: GESTATE (7)
JS: GESTATES (8)
OT: TAGETESES (18)
Score: 6–13 (max 26)

A strange round considering that Brian could have added the second S to make ESTATES and Jeff needed to inform DC of the second S, so that GESTATES would be given for 8.

TAGETESES are types of marigolds.

Round 3: N N I S E O R Z I

C1: SINNER (6)
C2: SENIOR (6)
DC: IONIZERS (8)
OT: IRONIZES (8)
Score: 12–19 (max 34)

Round 4: N R U E D D E I Q

C1: indured
C2: RUINED (6)
DC: ENQUIRED (8)
Score: 12–25 (max 42)

Brian doesn't seem to be on form today. He risks a 7, when a safer 7 (ENDURED) is buried in the selection.

Round 5: 50, 100, 75, 25, 3, 7. Target: 935.

C1: 927. ((7 + 3) x 100) - 75 + (50 / 25) (5)
C2: 920.
RR: 936. (7)
OT: 935. ((75 x 50) - (7 + 3)) / (100 / 25) (10)
Score: 17–25 (max 52)

A stinker numbers game in which only a sky-high method provides the 10 points.

Lesley provides us with some more of her delightful operatic voice, as she talks about her time as Eliza Doolittle with Jonathan Pryce in "My Fair Lady" at the Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles.
P.S. Those of you who despise Lesley's voice, should be ashamed of yourselves, especially if you watch the tripe that comes out of those peoples' mouths in "The X Factor"

Teatime teaser: ROBSFEAR -> FORBEARS

Round 6: T Y E A R X W A D

C1: WATERY (6)
C2: WATERY (6)
DC: DAYWEAR (7)
Score: 23–31 (max 59)

Round 7: D U T O N L E I D

C1: OUTLINED (8)
C2: untoiled
Score: 31–31 (max 67)

The scores return to level pegging as Cherry's dubious 8 is ruled out.

Round 8: K R O E G M A U P

C1: MAKER (5)
C2: ROMP (4)
DC: MARKUP (6)
OT: GOPURAM (7)
Score: 36–31 (max 74)

Round 9: P N N O I E G R O

C1: PONGIER (7)
C2: PONGIER (7)
OT: GOOPIER (7) NEGRONI (7) OPENING (7) PIROGEN (7) POONING (7)
Score: 43–38 (max 81)

A PIROGEN is a small Jewish pastry stuffed with things like chopped chicken liver and onions.

Susie's Origin of Words tells of nonsense words that have made it into everyday English, such as her favourite word: the Lewis Carroll creation "chortle", deriving from "chuckle" and "snort".

Round 10: 100, 7, 1, 4, 1, 3. Target: 744.

C1: 748. ((100 + 4 + 3) x 7) - 1 (7)
C2: -
RR: 744. (100 - 7) x (4 + 1 + 3) (10)
Score: 50–38 (max 91)

Luckily for Brian, taking the extra 1 off would have made no difference to his score.

Teatime teaser: GUTTYAIR -> GRATUITY

Round 11: S C U N O E L S A

C1: CONSULS (7)
C2: COUNSELS (8)
OT: UNCLOSES (8) LACUNOSE (8) SCALENUS (8)
Score: 50–46 (max 99)

Brian is clearly going on a downward spiral as he misses the similarly sounding COUNSELS for 8.

Round 12: S M I A D T I C A

C1: mastic (declared as 7)
C2: ADMITS (6)
DC: MASTIC (6)
OT: AMIDST (6) CASITA (6) MATAIS (6) SAMITI (6) STADIA (6)
Score: 50–52 (max 105)

Pressure mounts on Brian as he declares his 6 as a 7, giving Cherry the lead again.

Round 13: R T B F I O I A P

C1: PROFIT (6)
C2: PROFIT (6)
DC: ABORT (5) PATIO (5)
OT: PROBIT (6)
Score: 56–58 (max 111)

Round 14: 75, 7, 8, 3, 10, 2. Target: 293.

C1: 292. ((7 - 3) x 75) - 8 (7)
C2: -
RR: 293. ((8 / 2) x 75) - 7 (10)
Score: 63–58 (max 121)

Finding the correct way to make 4 didn't make too much difference as Brian capitalises on Cherry's 3rd blank numbers game to bring this game to a crucial.

Round 15: R A C H E L S P I

No one buzzes. The answer was SPHERICAL.
Score: 63–58 (max 131)

Not even an audience member gets the conundrum, meaning that Brian manages to survive for another day, just. Although, I think that he might have lost quite a bit of his octochamp form in that game.

Well, if he can get his form back, hopefully James will be recapping his octochamp show next week.

This has been Ross Deshpande-Bevins, filling in for James Robinson. Normal service will resume next week. Bye!

Statistics Corner

Brian:
Total score - 63
Raw score - 76
Total % of max - 48
Raw % of max - 58
Total average score per round - 4.2
Raw average score per round - 5.1
Number of maxes - 3

Cherry:
Total score - 58
Raw score - 62
Total % of max - 44
Raw % of max - 47
Total average score per round - 3.9
Raw average score per round - 4.1
Number of maxes - 4

Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=61

[Kirk Bevins]

P.S. Those of you who despise Lesley's voice, should be ashamed of yourselves, especially if you watch the tripe that comes out of those peoples' mouths in "The X Factor"

I'm not ashamed I hate her operatic voice, it's loud and unnecessarily annoying. What I am ashamed about is the relative ease with which you've stolen my surname.

[Rosemary Roberts]

Lesley Garrett's singing got a great deal more applause from the studio audience than Tim Vine ever did. There's just no pleasing some people. No sooner does the studio audience show a bit of animation than everybody starts slagging off the guest.

Personally, although I certainly don't despise Lesley's voice, I don't think the Countdown studio is really a suitable venue for it. In particular, those songs are not at all suitable for unaccompanied singing.

Actually I had been supposing that it was Damian's attempt to stop James going to the studio every day - although if so, it seems to have misfired.

[Marc Meakin]

I do not have a problem with Operatic singing per se(nor do I have a problem with Lesleys singing) , just that it seems so inapropriate during Countdown
I just prefer guests to tell anecdotes, jokes, or, in small doses, read a bit of poetry

I wouldn't have expected Steve Davis to demonstrate some trick shots during his stint on Countdown

[Ian Fitzpatrick]

But it's ok for Paul Zenon to do his magic tricks.

[Marc Meakin]

But it's ok for Paul Zenon to do his magic tricks.

Good point
Magic tricks seem to be ok and yet singing seems wrong
It does seem odd that Chris Davies solving the Rubiks Cube was good to watch, but if Innis Carson had got his trumpet out and started playing it would have been cringeworthy regardless of how good he is

Maybe it is just me who thinks this?

[Charlie Reams]

Maybe it is just me who thinks this?

Probably not, lots of people have arbitrary opinions.

[Derek Hazell]

Someone once said the best guests always stimulate discussion by dividing opinion. So, despite what anyone says, that presumably makes Lesley Garrett one of the best guests.

[Marc Meakin]

Someone once said the best guests always stimulate discussion by dividing opinion. So, despite what anyone says, that presumably makes Lesley Garrett one of the best guests.

You might need to qualify who that someone is, in order for your argument to carry any weight

[Derek Hazell]

You might need to qualify who that someone is, in order for your argument to carry any weight

Oh, well I wasn't expecting to be challenged on who had said it. Maybe it was Francis Bacon. Or David O'Donnell.

[Marc Meakin]

Someone once said the best guests always stimulate discussion by dividing opinion. So, despite what anyone says, that presumably makes Lesley Garrett one of the best guests.

I wonder if Nick Griffin will use that quote on question time tonight

[Kirk Bevins]

but if Innis Carson had got his trumpet out and started playing it

Countdown is no platform for masturbation, Marc.

[Ian Fitzpatrick]

but if Innis Carson had got his trumpet out and started playing it

Countdown is no platform for masturbation, Marc.

Aren't you getting confused with the pink oboe?