Spoilers for Tuesday December 8th 2009

[Chris Davies]

Today's challenger is the brother of Series 60 finalist Hamish Williamson.

[James Robinson]

We seem to have had quite a lot of family connected people on the show in the last year or so.

We've had Eileen & Paul Broadhead. We've had the 2 sisters that James Doohan beat on his octochamp run. There was Vicky Smith, who Andrew Hulme beat, whose parents, I think were on Countdown in the past.

This list seems endless.

[Derek Hazell]

We seem to have had quite a lot of family connected people on the show in the last year or so.

We've had Eileen & Paul Broadhead. We've had the 2 sisters that James Doohan beat on his octochamp run. There was Vicky Smith, who Andrew Hulme beat, whose parents, I think were on Countdown in the past.

This list seems endless.

It's not just recently though, James. There have always been related people on the show. Ones I can find include:

• Russell Byers and his sister Esther (1983)
  Allan Simmons (1983) and his sister Val (1984)
  Mark Nyman (1983) and his father Les (1987)
  Armand Gilinsky and his brother Adam (both 1985)
  Sandie Simonis (1986) and her son Daniel (1994)
  Lawrence Pearse and his son Alex (both 1989)
  Len Marshall (1989) and his son, also Len Marshall (2008)
  Liz Barber (1990) and her great nephew Lewis Mackay (1999)
  Martin Summers and his son Wayne (both 1992)
  Edward Martin (1992)/James Martin (1997) (brothers?)
  Damian Eadie (1994) and John Eadie (1997) ???
  Sally Hutchings (1998) and her father Peter (1999)
  Brian Fell (1998) and his nephew Julian (2002)
  Sanjay Mazumder (1999) and his brother Sandeep (2000)
  Margaret Sambrooks (2002) and her son Tony Brooks (2004 - Special only)
  Mark Danks (2004) and his father Peter (2005)

Maybe anagramability is a genetic thing.

[Marc Meakin]

John Tickle and his sister Tess.
Samantha Janus and her father Hugh.

[Kirk Bevins]

Maybe anagramability is a genetic thing.

Or maybe the first person has such a great time and tell their dad "Dad it was great, you gotta go on and experience it" and, since you watch it together, he has got quite good at it and passed an audition.

[Derek Hazell]

Or maybe the first person has such a great time and tell their dad "Dad it was great, you gotta go on and experience it" and, since you watch it together, he has got quite good at it and passed an audition.

Wow, has Keith Bevins passed an audition then? I wondered why he had got too busy to post on here! Congratulations to him.

[Kirk Bevins]

Wow, has Keith Bevins passed an audition then? I wondered why he had got too busy to post on here! Congratulations to him.

No, not in my case. My dad is a good player and would probably pass an audition but he said he has no immediate plans to apply which frustrates me. He said he can't compete with the top players on apterous. (He's competitive but won't/can't put in the hours).

[James Robinson]

Right onto today's game.

Jan remains the champion, although as we know, her run will be shortly paused for one of 3 reasons.

1. She loses today.
2. She wins today, but loses tomorrow.
3. She wins today & tomorrow, but can't continue because of the imminent finals.

As #2 Seed Chris mentioned, Jan's challenger is the brother of Series 60 semi-finallist Hamish Williamson. I wonder how alike he is to his brother. Hamish, as we all remember was certainly someone you didn't forget in a hurry.

Dr. Phil is still in DC today, after his interesting Scrabble marriage story bringing him onto to his new book. He always seems to have a new book out every time he comes onto the show, doesn't he

Enjoy the show.

P.S. Did anyone else notice that Phil has had his "Dr" prefix put back on his name in the credits, because last time he was on the show, he was referred to as just "Phil Hammond", whereas yesterday it was "Dr. Phil Hammond" (If I'm boring you, please complain.)

[Derek Hazell]

(If I'm boring you, please complain.)

Never, James. The longer the better.

[Marc Meakin]

Right onto today's game.

Jan remains the champion, although as we know, her run will be shortly paused for one of 3 reasons.

1. She loses today.
2. She wins today, but loses tomorrow.
3. She wins today & tomorrow, but can't continue because of the imminent finals.

As #2 Seed Chris mentioned, Jan's challenger is the brother of Series 60 semi-finallist Hamish Williamson. I wonder how alike he is to his brother. Hamish, as we all remember was certainly someone you didn't forget in a hurry.

Dr. Phil is still in DC today, after his interesting Scrabble marriage story bringing him onto to his new book. He always seems to have a new book out every time he comes onto the show, doesn't he

Enjoy the show.

P.S. Did anyone else notice that Phil has had his "Dr" prefix put back on his name in the credits, because last time he was on the show, he was referred to as just "Phil Hammond", whereas yesterday it was "Dr. Phil Hammond" (If I'm boring you, please complain.)

TL:DR

[D Eadie]

Damian Eadie (1994) and John Eadie (1997) ???

No relation.

(If I'm boring you, please complain.)

Will it make any difference?

[James Robinson]

(If I'm boring you, please complain.)

Will it make any difference?

Maybe...

[Derek Hazell]

Jan's a singer . . .

[Marc Meakin]

STOMPIER in round 1

[Kirk Bevins]

CORDONED as a beater in round 9.

[Mark Kudlowski]

CORDONED in Round 9 (sorry Kirk beat my by a few sec)

(I spotted the inverted M again for W in Round 7 !)

[Kirk Bevins]

EUSTASY for a beater in round 11.

[Mark Kudlowski]

Does anyone else think that Jan looks like Lynsey de Paul ?

[Kirk Bevins]

Argh, running all the selections through a solver it turns out if the W in round 7 was an M (which it should have been) I'd have had a max game. As it was a W I missed the max in that round and only managed 14. Frustrating.

[John Bosley]

Argh, running all the selections through a solver it turns out if the W in round 7 was an M (which it should have been) I'd have had a max game. As it was a W I missed the max in that round and only managed 14. Frustrating.

On the W v M thing, my question is that if is important and I guess, in the scheme of things, it is, then why do the guys in charge not change the style to have the M with vetical legs like in this font here.

I have seen the 8 upside down, but did not bother to say anything.

[D Eadie]

Argh, running all the selections through a solver it turns out if the W in round 7 was an M (which it should have been) I'd have had a max game. As it was a W I missed the max in that round and only managed 14. Frustrating.

On the W v M thing, my question is that if is important and I guess, in the scheme of things, it is, then why do the guys in charge not change the style to have the M with vetical legs like in this font here.

I have seen the 8 upside down, but did not bother to say anything.

It's not really that important to be honest. We're not going to break the flow of the show for an upside down letter, unless of course it's an F or something that renders itself unreadable. The V has now been replaced also, but it was hardly a big loss.

[Malcolm James]

R9 DC Beater

DONORCIDE - I'm surprised Phil Hammond didn't spot it. It would solve the organ transplnt problem.

[Lesley Hines]

DONORCIDE It would solve the organ transplnt problem.

Then it would be the recipients you'd have to finish off, not the donors. Not all transplants are cadaveric.

[Matthew Green]

(If I'm boring you, please complain.)

A little bit. More importantly though, I worry about you.

[Kirk Bevins]

Are you sure it's his brother, Chris. They only went to the same chess club or something didn't they?

[Andy Thomson]

I don't like to make personal comments about people but I'm glad Mr Cheery didn;t win. I'm warming to Jan as the week goes on.

[Ben Wilson]

We seem to have had quite a lot of family connected people on the show in the last year or so.

We've had Eileen & Paul Broadhead. We've had the 2 sisters that James Doohan beat on his octochamp run. There was Vicky Smith, who Andrew Hulme beat, whose parents, I think were on Countdown in the past.

This list seems endless.

It's not just recently though, James. There have always been related people on the show. Ones I can find include:

• Russell Byers and his sister Esther (1983)
  Allan Simmons (1983) and his sister Val (1984)
  Mark Nyman (1983) and his father Les (1987)
  Armand Gilinsky and his brother Adam (both 1985)
  Sandie Simonis (1986) and her son Daniel (1994)
  Lawrence Pearse and his son Alex (both 1989)
  Len Marshall (1989) and his son, also Len Marshall (2008)
  Liz Barber (1990) and her great nephew Lewis Mackay (1999)
  Martin Summers and his son Wayne (both 1992)
  Edward Martin (1992)/James Martin (1997) (brothers?)
  Damian Eadie (1994) and John Eadie (1997) ???
  Sally Hutchings (1998) and her father Peter (1999)
  Brian Fell (1998) and his nephew Julian (2002)
  Sanjay Mazumder (1999) and his brother Sandeep (2000)
  Margaret Sambrooks (2002) and her son Tony Brooks (2004 - Special only)
  Mark Danks (2004) and his father Peter (2005)

Maybe anagramability is a genetic thing.

Allan Simmons is also the brother-in-law of 1983's Philip Appleby, which was noted on the website of this year's World Scrabble Championship when they wound uo playing each other halfway through. There were also three brothers with the surname Murray from series 45 and 46.

And seriously, you missed Allan and Richard Saldanha?

[Derek Hazell]

Allan Simmons is also the brother-in-law of 1983's Philip Appleby, which was noted on the website of this year's World Scrabble Championship when they wound up playing each other halfway through. There were also three brothers with the surname Murray from series 45 and 46.

Thanks, Ben. I was hoping you would come along with some more of these.

And seriously, you missed Allan and Richard Saldanha?

Oh yeah, weird how I always seem to miss the most obvious!

[Gavin Chipper]

It's not really that important to be honest. We're not going to break the flow of the show for an upside down letter, unless of course it's an F or something that renders itself unreadable. The V has now been replaced also, but it was hardly a big loss.

But I suppose the point is that there wouldn't even be any question of breaking the flow of the game if the M had vertical lines. What was up with the V? Did that have vertical lines?

[Derek Hazell]

What was up with the V? Did that have vertical lines?

Aye.

[Derek Hazell]

As James mentioned, Vicky Smith's parents appeared on the show - Pam Smith (2007) and Barry Smith (2008). As well as the relatives, there have also been several other married couples on the show:

• Mike Willis (1984) and Karen Willis (1991)
  Anilkumar Shah (1986) and Anju Shah (1987)
  Nuala Clenaghan (1991) and Mike O'Rourke (2001)
  Stuart Barker (1997) and Daphne Barker (2000)
  Tony Warren (2006) and Carol Warren (2009)
  Eileen Broadhead and Paul Broadhead (both 2009)

[James Robinson]

Argh, running all the selections through a solver it turns out if the W in round 7 was an M (which it should have been) I'd have had a max game. As it was a W I missed the max in that round and only managed 14. Frustrating.

Most of us could probably only dream of a 14 max game, Kirk.

[Ben Wilson]

As James mentioned, Vicky Smith's parents appeared on the show - Pam Smith (2007) and Barry Smith (2008). As well as the relatives, there have also been several other married couples on the show:

• Mike Willis (1984) and Karen Willis (1991)
  Anilkumar Shah (1986) and Anju Shah (1987)
  Nuala Clenaghan (1991) and Mike O'Rourke (2001)
  Stuart Barker (1997) and Daphne Barker (2000)
  Tony Warren (2006) and Carol Warren (2009)
  Eileen Broadhead and Paul Broadhead (both 2009)

Clive Spate (1985) and Sheila Arnold (1982)

[D Eadie]

It's not really that important to be honest. We're not going to break the flow of the show for an upside down letter, unless of course it's an F or something that renders itself unreadable. The V has now been replaced also, but it was hardly a big loss.

But I suppose the point is that there wouldn't even be any question of breaking the flow of the game if the M had vertical lines. What was up with the V? Did that have vertical lines?

I can't believe it, but i suppose i'll have to.

[Scott Gillies]

Today's challenger is the brother of Series 60 finalist Hamish Williamson.

that character was at my audition in glasgow a while back, cant believe he got on he was distinctly average. anyway thanks fk i didnt cause then i found apterous! bring on next one, surely cant fail this time!

[Lesley Hines]

It's not really that important to be honest. We're not going to break the flow of the show for an upside down letter, unless of course it's an F or something that renders itself unreadable. The V has now been replaced also, but it was hardly a big loss.

But I suppose the point is that there wouldn't even be any question of breaking the flow of the game if the M had vertical lines. What was up with the V? Did that have vertical lines?

I think this'll help