Wednesday 29th January 2014 (series 70 prelim 18)

Andy McGurn · Post by **Andy McGurn** » Wed Jan 29, 2014 8:17 pm

Countdown recap for Wednesday 29 January 2014.

C1: Champion Priscilla Munday (6 wins, 503 points.) Priscilla is only half way through a jigsaw but is three quarters of the way through an octorun.
C2: Challenger Andy Gardner. A trainee accountant from Reading. His dad was a contestant on countdown in 1984
DC: Susie Dent and Nicki Chapman.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: D F N A O U H E P
R02: T B O I N Y A R S
R03: 2, 10, 4, 8, 8, 75. Target: 663.
TTT: NOTESPIG - "he notes that the pig is very smelly"
R04: R S M E I E P S J
R05: R Q O E M G O A T
R06: 7, 4, 7, 2, 100, 75. Target: 382.
R07: R V E U L N I A G
R08: T S W O E O N P K
R09: 7, 1, 5, 10, 3, 25. Target: 925.
TTT: HAILDISC - "do the cold commercials come by the thousand"
R10: S D S A E U F L T
R11: D S I A R T E O C
R12: D R B I A H U R N
R13: C P O A H L E O M
R14: 1, 1, 10, 7, 25, 100. Target: 478.
R15: I T V E R Y S A D (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

Enjoy the show.

Round 1: D F N A O U H E P

C1: PHONED (6)
C2: PHONED (6)
DC: FONDUE (6)
OT: UNHOPED (7)
Score: 6–6 (max 7)

Nice start for both contestants with PHONED. Given that most non-wordsmiths wouldn’t recognise UNHOPED as a word, missing the max is forgiven here.

Round 2: T B O I N Y A R S

C1: RATIONS (7)
C2: RATIONS (7)
DC: OBTAINS (7) ABORTS (6)
OT: BARYTONS (8) SORBITAN (8)
Score: 13–13 (max 15)

Both contestants spot the very common RATIONS for seven. And again, the maxes here are more for the top Apterites than the general public. BARYTONS are stringed instruments related to the violin. SORBITAN is a mixture of isomeric organic compounds derived from the dehydration of sorbitol.

Round 3: 2, 10, 4, 8, 8, 75. Target: 663.

C1: -
C2: 663. Mistake in working.
RR: 663. (75+8)*8-((10/2)-4) (10)
Score: 13–13 (max 25)

Neither contestant has the solution here as Rachel gets the opportunity to display her skills.

Teatime teaser: NOTESPIG -> PONGIEST

Round 4: R S M E I E P S J

C1: IMPRESS (7)
C2: EMPIRES (7)
DC: PREMISES (8)
Score: 20–20 (max 33)

Priscilla continues to IMPRESS as the challenger tries to take over her EMPIRE of the champions chair. DC spot the max PREMISES.

Round 5: R Q O E M G O A T

C1: MOTOR (5)
C2: MOORAGE (7)
DC: TOERAG (6)
Score: 20–27 (max 40)
A breakaway from the challenger puts him seven points ahead.

Round 6: 7, 4, 7, 2, 100, 75. Target: 382.

C1: 382. (7-2)*75+7 (10)
C2: 382. (7-2)*75+7 (10)
Score: 30–37 (max 50)

A straightforward solve by both contestants keeps the gap at seven points.

DC Guest: Nicki Chapman talks about the music she has loved over the years. She then tells a story about interviewing J-Lo who was 3 hours late for the interview.

Round 7: R V E U L N I A G

C1: LEAVING (7)
C2: REVALUING (18)
Score: 30–55 (max 68)

The challenger gets the max to shoot 25 points ahead. Priscilla is gonna have to work hard now to retain her crown

Round 8: T S W O E O N P K

C1: TOKENS (6)
C2: TOKENS (6)
DC: SPOKEN (6) SWOON (5)
OT: PONTES (6) TWONKS (6)
Score: 36–61 (max 74)

A flat round sees the gap stay at 25. PONTES is the plural of PON, a slender tissue joining two parts of an organ.

Round 9: 7, 1, 5, 10, 3, 25. Target: 925.

C1: 925. (3*10)+7*25 (10)
C2: 925. (3*10)+7*25 (10)
Score: 46–71 (max 84)

An easy numbers game maintains the gap. Time may be running short for Priscilla to keep the octo dream alive.

Teatime teaser: HAILDISC -> CHILIADS

Round 10: S D S A E U F L T

C1: FAULTED (7)
C2: tassled
DC: DEFAULTS (8)
OT: SULFATES (8)
Score: 53–71 (max 92)

Bad spelling by the challenger enables Priscilla to make up some ground. It might not be all over yet.

Round 11: D S I A R T E O C

C1: TRIODES (7)
C2: EDITORS (7)
DC: ASTEROID (8) CAROTIDS (8)
OT: IDOCRASE (8) REDCOATS (8)
Score: 60–78 (max 100)

Four eights in this selection, all missed by the contestants. IDOCRASE also known as vesuvianite is a green, brown, yellow, or blue silicate mineral.

OoW- Susie talks about words relating to relationships and women.

Round 12: D R B I A H U R N

C1: DURIAN (6)
C2: BRAID (5)
DC: UNBRAID (7)
Score: 66–78 (max 107
)
The challenger fails to add UN- to his BRAID, meaning that Priscilla is only 12 points behind. A comeback seems to be a genuine possibility now, even though it looked unlikely just a few rounds back.

Round 13: C P O A H L E O M

C1: ampoule
C2: CHAPEL (6)
DC: COMPEL (6)
OT: EPOCHAL (7)
Score: 66–84 (max 114)

When Priscilla said seven and the challenger just six, it seemed that a crucial conundrum was inevitable. Unfortunately for the champ, she has written down a wrong letter and with the challenger having the last numbers pick, it seems all over for her.

Round 14: 1, 1, 10, 7, 25, 100. Target: 478.

C1: 475. (7-1-1)*100-25 (7)
C2: 475. (7-1-1)*100-25 (7)
Score: 73–91 (max 121)

Not for the first time this week its an impossible numbers game. This ends Priscilla’s chances of becoming an octochamp.

Round 15: I T V E R Y S A D

C1 buzzes on 3 seconds to say ADVERSITY which is correct.
Final Score: 83–91 (max 131)

But she ends her run on a high with a quick conundrum spot and, in a nice touch, thanks the team for such a great experience. Nick, as tactful as ever, tells the challenger that he has “slain a dragon”, something Priscilla takes in good humour. Join James tomorrow and can I just thank him for swapping recaps with me this week.

Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=70
This website is not endorsed by or affiliated with Channel 4, the makers of Countdown, or any person associated with the aforementioned in any way whatsoever at all, never has been, never will be, and moreover is proud not to be. Yep.

Page design and all good stuff copyright © Charles Reams 2008. Thanks for Mike Brown for collecting the data for so many years.