Countdown recap for Monday 28 June 2010.
C1: Champion Annie Hawes (1 win, 82 points.)
C2: Challenger Olive Collis.
DC: Susie Dent and Tim Vine.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: W A P A E V R L S
R02: T N F O E I G F E
R03: S R Y A D E A H S
R04: R D T O E O S R A
R05: 50, 4, 2, 8, 10, 1. Target: 811.
TTT: ALLSTHIN - "These places are definitely under mob rule"
R06: L T L R I O E J C
R07: R Z N R O E N M O
R08: I U A S X T H U D
R09: S T P T M O E U D
R10: 75, 1, 3, 10, 2, 4. Target: 569.
TTT: EUROPIGS - "Develop their own vegetables before following the stars around"
R11: W D G E I T R I B
R12: P P N T A O I G E
R13: S M S E I D U I C
R14: 75, 1, 7, 6, 10, 4. Target: 596.
R15: E L L N I G H T Y (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Jeff opens the show wearing a ginger beard as it is apparently national beard week!
Our champion at the moment is Annie Hawes who has a long fringe. She beat the controversial Chris Longden on Friday 82-80. She plays the drums and has an affection for ukuleles. OMG I LOVE HER!
Trying to knock Annie from her perch is Olive Collis from Street in Somerset. She is a retired librarian and ejoys reading (surprise), gardening, watching films and listening to classical music.
In DC this week is an absolute belter. It's Tim Bloody Vine!!! Already he cracks a joke about Jeff regarding his ginger beard, saying that he in fact asked for a ginger beer. Hilarious!
Round 1: W A P A E V R L S
C1: PAVERS (6)
C2: PALAVER (7)
DC: PALAVERS (8) PEARLS (6)
Score: 0–7 (max 8)
A brilliant start from Olive as she picks out a beater. She could have added the S but oh well it's 7 points for her and none for Annie.
Round 2: T N F O E I G F E
C1: OFFING (6)
C2: OFFING (6)
DC: TOFFEE (6) TOFFING (7)
OT: FIFTEEN (7)
Score: 6–13 (max 15)
Two 7's available using the 2 F's but pretty tricky to spot. Decent 6's from both.
Round 3: S R Y A D E A H S
C1: HEARSAY (7)
C2: SHADER (6)
DC: HARASSED (8)
OT: SASHAYED (8)
Score: 13–13 (max 23)
An excellent last minute spot from Annie here makes the scores level.
Round 4: R D T O E O S R A
C1: ROASTED (7)
C2: STARRED (7)
DC: ROASTER (7) ROADSTER (8)
OT: TOREADORS (18)
Score: 20–20 (max 41)
Easy seven points for both Annie and Olive but there was a 9. I don't think anyone will have spotted TOREADORS though.
'Fun' fact: TOREADOR is the name of a Nokia ringtone and could be heard at the end of the episode of Coronation Street when Duggie Ferguson fell to his death as part of the Richard Hillman plot. (Too off-topic?)
Round 5: 50, 4, 2, 8, 10, 1. Target: 811.
C1: 811. 50*2*8+10+1 (10)
C2: 811. 2*8*50+10+1 (10)
Score: 30–30 (max 51)
So both contestants show that their maths is good and scoop 10 points.
DC Guest Time: Tim delivers some classic one liners. The highlights include "conjunctivitis - that's a site for sore eyes" and when Googling "who hit the first ball in Wimbledon last year?" it came up with "server not found". Man I love him. Don't you just LOVE him?!
Teatime teaser: ALLSTHIN -> ANTHILLS
Round 6: L T L R I O E J C
C1: JOLLIER (7)
C2: JOLLIER (7)
DC: CORTILE (7)
OT: COLLIER (7) JOLTIER (7) LORILET (7)
Score: 37–37 (max 58)
Sevens all round. Game nicely poised at 37-37, I can see this going all the way.
Round 7: R Z N R O E N M O
C1: mooner
C2: mooner
DC: ROOMER (6)
OT: NOONER (6)
Score: 37–37 (max 64)
Ah, the classic invalid mooner which I'm sure most people have attempted in the past. Some more than once.
Round 8: I U A S X T H U D
C1: AUDITS (6)
C2: -
OT: HIATUS (6) HUTIAS (6)
Score: 43–37 (max 70)
Complete blank from Olive as Annie finds one of the hard to spot sixes available.
Round 9: S T P T M O E U D
C1: STUMPED (7)
C2: SPOUTED (7)
DC: SPOTTED (7) UTMOST (6)
OT: OUTSTEP (7) TOUPETS (7) SMUTTED (7) STOMPED (7) TESTUDO (7)
Score: 50–44 (max 77)
Loadsa sevens here and our capable contestants get one each. Annie keeps her lead after Olive's blank in round 8.
Susie's Origin of Words: Susie amusingly tells us the link between TESTIMONY and TESTICLE with Tim Vine humorously commenting on it. Ledge.
Round 10: 75, 1, 3, 10, 2, 4. Target: 569.
C1: -
C2: 569. 4*2*75-10*3-1 (10)
Score: 50–54 (max 87)
It's Annie's turn to blank now. A very good solve from Olive puts her in a good position as we enter the last third.
Teatime teaser: EUROPIGS -> GROUPIES
Round 11: W D G E I T R I B
C1: -
C2: WIDGET (6)
DC: BIRDIE (6)
OT: BRIDIE (6) BRIDGE (6) TIDIER (6) WIDGER (6)
Score: 50–60 (max 93)
And again nothing, 3 blanks from 4 rounds between the two contestants. Must be the heat, although that man in the audience with a scarf would suggest not!
'Fun' fact: WIDGETs were used as part of my Decisions 1 exam paper which I sat last Summer. I failed the full question and got no marks and got a shit grade. Since then I have forever hated WIDGETs.
Round 12: P P N T A O I G E
C1: APPOINT (7)
C2: TAPPING (7)
DC: PINOTAGE (8)
OT: ANTIPOPE (8) GENIPAPO (8)
Score: 57–67 (max 101)
They equal each other here which is lucky for Annie as it means she is still within touching distance of Olive (in more ways than one).
Round 13: S M S E I D U I C
C1: SUICIDES (8)
C2: musics
Score: 65–67 (max 109)
Error from Olive but it doesn't matter anyway as Annie spots the only 8 available. Fantastic play at a crucial time.
Round 14: 75, 1, 7, 6, 10, 4. Target: 596.
C1: 596. (7+1)*75-4 (10)
C2: 596. (7+1)*75-4 (10)
Score: 75–77 (max 119)
An easy numbers target means we are heading for a crucial as thought.
Round 15: E L L N I G H T Y
No one buzzes. The answer was LENGTHILY.
Score: 75–77 (max 129)
A pretty horrible conundrum with the two L's next to each other goes unsolved. Unfortunately for Annie she leaves with one win to her name. Good news for Olive as she is back tomorrow and seems pretty decent. A close game, which I enjoyed and had some nice spots in. Tim Vine was excellent as always and makes the show brilliant.
I may not be John Denver but this is for you, Annie. (Imagine it's me singing it)
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=63
He's a brill comedian, and needs to back on the show as often as possible. 
