Monday 19th July 2010 (Series 63, Prelim 21)

[Ryan Taylor]

Hello bozos and welcome to the start of a new Countdown week. It feels good to be recapping a game I have actually watched as opposed to recapping series 47 where I have to imagine what these people were like.

Countdown recap for Monday 19 July 2010.

C1: Champion Richard Harris (4 wins, 353 points.)
C2: Challenger Sarah Ludgate.
DC: Susie Dent and Sharron Davies.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: G R D E I E Z D X
R02: N K R A E N I M O
R03: R F S E O U T L T
R04: L R L E O A V N S
R05: 1, 1, 7, 10, 9, 2. Target: 421.
TTT: PINKRAGS - "Igniting a huge debate perhaps"
R06: B D N E O I J G P
R07: P R S U E I L T A
R08: C L P E I A F R R
R09: T V S I A I R T S
R10: 100, 9, 6, 7, 1, 4. Target: 515.
TTT: SATRIGHT - "If you're sat right your back will be this"
R11: D M T U E A W S W
R12: H S N O E O T N C
R13: R S H E A E D G S
R14: 50, 1, 9, 2, 6, 5. Target: 225.
R15: T A N N I C E L Y (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER

Richard Harris is still here and going strong. A slight dip in his form came on Thursday but he was back to his best by Friday. He is of course the guy from Cambridge who plays in the Cambridge University Brass Band (CUBB) so I think we should lock him in a room with Innis for a bit. He has worn a different coloured CUBB polo shirt on each show so far and says that he gets a new one at the end of every year when the band goes on tour (or something like that). Today's shirt is a disgusting pale blue colour that looks like it has been washed too many time. It is apparently from 3 years ago, which begs the question, if he manages to get to 8 shows, does that mean he will have worn a shirt that's 8 years old? Ew. Get some new threads! I'm only kidding Richard (if you read this) I don't want you to go all Avada Kedavra on me.

The challenger, Sarah Ludgate, is a police officer from Devon. She has 3 kids with the oldest being 14and youngest 5. As for the middle child? No one cares. Not even her.

Sharron Davies is sat beside Susie today. She was a swimmer back in the day and has done loads of other shit too.

For the twitchers amongst us (Beevers): Jeff asks Rachel when her dress is getting finished...I think you get the picture. Now put them binoculars away, you!

Enjoy the show.

Round 1: G R D E I E Z D X

C1: RIDGED (6)
C2: GREED (5)
DC: EDGIER (6) DERIDE (6)
OT: DREDGE (6) GIRDED (6)
Score: 6–0 (max 6)

Not the best start from Sarah. Pretty crap selection like so all is forgiven.

Round 2: N K R A E N I M O

C1: MANKIER (7)
C2: MANKIER (7)
DC: MONIKER (7) MORAINE (7)
OT: EINKORN (7) RAMEKIN (7) ROMAINE (7)
Score: 13–7 (max 13)

Classic Countdown 7's here, every single one of them.

EINKORN is an early cultivated wheat. Chew on that. (No, not my fart)

Round 3: R F S E O U T L T

C1: STOUTER (7)
C2: FLUTTERS (8)
DC: flouters OUTLETS (7) TURTLES (7)
OT: FORTLETS (8)
Score: 13–15 (max 21)

Well everybody missed FLUTTERS except Sarah of course. That takes her into the lead. Cheesy grin and her tail is now up (if she had one).

Round 4: L R L E O A V N S

C1: LOANERS (7)
C2: LOANERS (7)
DC: OVERALLS (8) VERONALS (8)
OT: LLANEROS (8) NOVELLAS (8)
Score: 20–22 (max 29)

4 8's go amiss with DC getting 2 of them.

A LLANERO is a South American cattle herder or cowboy, particularly in Venezuela and Colombia.

Round 5: 1, 1, 7, 10, 9, 2. Target: 421.

C1: 421. (9-2-1)*7*10+1 (10)
C2: 421. (9-2-1)*7*10+1 (10)
Score: 30–32 (max 39)

A horrid looking set of 6 small numbers comes out but the target was piss easy.

DC Guest Time: Sharron Davies talks about her time on ITV1's Dancing on Ice which I never watched despite being a huge fan of Strictly Come Dancing but gather that the judge Jason Gardner was pretty horrible to her on it.

Teatime teaser: PINKRAGS -> SPARKING

Round 6: B D N E O I J G P

C1: PINGED (6)
C2: BINGED (6)
DC: BOINGED (7)
Score: 36–38 (max 46)

Sarah did have BOINGED but didn't risk it. Where are your balls woman?

Round 7: P R S U E I L T A

C1: PERUSAL (7)
C2: plaster
DC: TALIPES (7) PILASTER (8)
OT: STIPULAR (8)
Score: 43–38 (max 54)

And she goes from bad to worse here by declaring PLASTER as a 6. *facepalm*

Round 8: C L P E I A F R R

C1: FRAILER (7)
C2: plaice
DC: REPLICA (7) CALIPER (7)
Score: 50–38 (max 61)

And she does the same again announcing a 5. This is getting awfully fishy, has anyone noticed and suspicious betting patterns?

Round 9: T V S I A I R T S

C1: ARTISTS (7)
C2: STAIRS (6)
DC: STRAITS (7)
OT: SATIRIST (8) SITARIST (8)
Score: 57–38 (max 69)

Sarah's 6 is raised by Richard to a 7. One of those rounds where you would have loved to have been sat in the seat and just said "8. How do you like that?" then lean over and rub his head as he think his 7 is unbeatable. I'll stop being nasty, I actually like Richard, he's a cool customer. (Someone turned the aircon up)

Susie's Origin of Words: Susie is back to the Call My Bluff style questions starting with Jeff today.

The word in question is ZICZAC. Which of these feinitions is correct?

a) From the Arabic for zigzag meaning to dart back and forth quickly
b) An Egyptian plover whose cry warns a crocodile of approaching danger
c) A many tiered temple originating in Mesopotamia

If you went with b) then you're either awesome or a good picker. Well done!

Round 10: 100, 9, 6, 7, 1, 4. Target: 515.

C1: 515. (100+7-4)*(6-1) (10)
C2: -
Score: 67–38 (max 79)

Sarah says she is miles away, more like lightyears love, she weren't ever getting that. I would say this game is pretty much over by now. Sarah's mistakes have forged too much of a gap.

Teatime teaser: SATRIGHT -> STRAIGHT

Round 11: D M T U E A W S W

C1: WASTED (6)
C2: WASTED (6)
DC: AMUSED (6) MEDUSA (6)
OT: MASTED (6) MEATUS (6) SAUTED (6)
Score: 73–44 (max 85)

I have absolutely nothing to say for this round.

Round 12: H S N O E O T N C

C1: SONNET (6)
C2: CHOSEN (6)
DC: CONNOTES (8)
Score: 79–50 (max 93)

Sharron spots CONNOTES. My arse.

Round 13: R S H E A E D G S

C1: SHEARED (7)
C2: GRASSED (7)
DC: DRESSAGE (8)
Score: 86–57 (max 101)

Sarah was tempted by an 8 but then couldn't remember what that 8 was. Total mindfuck. DC are maxing everything at the moment are they Rex in disguise?

Round 14: 50, 1, 9, 2, 6, 5. Target: 225.

C1: 225. (50*9)/2 (10)
C2: -
Score: 96–57 (max 111)

Her brain has been turned to pulp as Richard gallops on.

Round 15: T A N N I C E L Y

No one buzzes. The answer was ANCIENTLY.
Score: 96–57 (max 121)

But neither of them can get this. And the audience can't either. What a pity.

Richard is showing consistency and his numbers game is clearly good. He does look very beatable though as there are plenty of chances in each game to punish him.

A bit of a rushed recap today because I have 10 S47 recaps all ready to be victims of my drivel and I want to get them done before I go and see Toy Story. I can't chuffing wait.

Dinos the Supremos is gonna recap tomorrow I hope, cos I ain't doing it!

Smell ya later.

Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=63

[Eoin Monaghan]

Very enjoyable recap Ryan.

[James Doohan]

Very enjoyable recap Ryan.

Agreed, each one makes me lol, top stuff

[Chris Corby]

Agreed, superb Ryan. My heart went out to Sarah who made a promising start then nerves set in and her brain froze. In the end could not even get near the numbers game of 515 where she had a 100,4,1,9,6 to use... uncomfortable viewing!

[Marc Meakin]

Ryan's recaps are the stuff of legend.
Robiknson will have to up his game methiknks.