Monday 7th April 2014 (series 70 prelim 60)

[Andy McGurn]

Countdown recap for Monday 7 April 2014.

C1: Champion Ann Robinson (4 wins. 358 points) Became a half-octochamp last Wednesday by beating Jack Hurlock convincingly.

C2: Challenger Bobby Johnson. A taxi driver from Glasgow. Plays badminton and snooker and loves the city of Las Vegas

DC: Susie Dent and Colin Murray.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: S N R S O I E A F
R02: M E D N A S E O P
R03: 7, 4, 7, 5, 6, 75. Target: 506.
TTT: HENSPACE - "reduces the price of inferior writing equipment perhaps"
R04: V R A I L E M F A
R05: L N T R O A I E U
R06: 4, 5, 2, 10, 6, 100. Target: 913.
R07: S T S H E A I O M
R08: J S C A O E T B I
R09: 10, 8, 6, 3, 2, 100. Target: 694.
TTT: INALEMON - "you'll find a lot of similarities to this in a lemon"
R10: M P N U I D E S O
R11: N X H G I O E I K
R12: V T N A E A R P I
R13: R D T R O E O A Z
R14: 9, 3, 10, 4, 5, 25. Target: 771.
R15: L O A F I N T I N (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: S N R S O I E A F

Ann: REASONS (7)
Bobby: FAIRNESS (8)
OT: SANSERIF (8) SENSORIA (8)
Score: 0–8 (max 8)


Ann’s REASONS for missing the max here maybe the fact that this is the fifth game she’s played in this recording day, but in all FAIRNESS it is a great opener by Bobby



Round 2: M E D N A S E O P

Ann: DEMEANS (7)
Bobby: DAEMONS (7)
DC: POMADES (7)
OT: DAMPENS (7) DAPSONE (7) MASONED (7) MOPANES (7) OEDEMAS (7) SPONDEE (7)
Score: 7–15 (max 15)


Ann gets a Monograph of McGurn for her word, which is just one of the many sevens in this round. Bobby has seven also so maintains his lead from round one.


Round 3: 7, 4, 7, 5, 6, 75. Target: 506.

Ann: 509.
Bobby: 505. (75*7)*-(5*4) (7)
RR: 506. (7*75)-((6*4)-5) (10)
Score: 7–22 (max 25)


Ann has clearly been a better letters player than a numbers player. Bobby’s nearer to the target and increases his lead



Teatime teaser: HENSPACE -> CHEAPENS


Round 4: V R A I L E M F A

Ann: MARVEL (6)
Bobby: FLAMIER (7)
OT: VELARIA (7)
Score: 7–29 (max 32)


Bobby is unsure if his word is valid but Susie confirms that it is and he is now 22 points clear of the champ.
A VELARIA is a covering/ canvas for an amphitheatre to protect from bad weather



Round 5: L N T R O A I E U

Ann: LATRINE (7)
Bobby: RELATION (8)
DC: RELIANT (7) TENURIAL (8) ORIENTAL (8)
OT: OUTLINER (8)
Score: 7–37 (max 40)


Tiredness definitely seems a factor for Ann now because the 8’s here are not hard to spot and her missing them gives Bobby a 30 point lead.



Round 6: 4, 5, 2, 10, 6, 100. Target: 913.

Ann: 913. ((4+5)*100)+(6/3)+10 (10)
Bobby: 913. ((4+5)*100)+(6/3)+10 (10)
Score: 17–47 (max 50)


No problems here as both contestants nail this simple numbers game.


DC Guest : Colin talks about the remarkable record of the Harlem Globetrotters and their many achievements


Round 7: S T S H E A I O M

Ann: MASHIES (7)
Bobby: SHAMES (6)
DC: HOMIEST (7) ATOMISES (8)
OT: SOMATISE (8)
Score: 24–47 (max 58)


Ann wins her first round of the game and given her spectacular comeback last Monday a fifth win is still within her capability.
SOMATISE refers to mental health factors developing physical symptoms.


Round 8: J S C A O E T B I

Ann: OBJECTS (7)
Bobby: OBJECTS (7)
DC: BOATIES (7)
OT: ICEBOATS (8)
Score: 31–54 (max 66)


Ann clearly OBJECTS to Bobby having such a big lead but Bobby OBJECTS to Ann clawing it back.
Theres a great 8 here in ICEBOATS (presumably a boat that goes through ice) but no one spots it.




Round 9: 10, 8, 6, 3, 2, 100. Target: 694.

Ann: 694. ((10*3)*100)-6 (10)
Bobby: 694. ((10*3)*100)-6 (10)
Score: 41–64 (max 76)


Another simple numbers game, as Ann again picks the safe option.



Teatime teaser: INALEMON -> MINNEOLA

Round 10: M P N U I D E S O

Ann: POUNDS (6)
Bobby: IMPOUNDS (8)
DC: UNIPEDS (7)
Score: 41–72 (max 84)


Not putting the IM on POUNDS appears to all but end the game for Ann as Bobby maxes his seventh round of the game.



Round 11: N X H G I O E I K

Ann: HIKING (6)
Bobby: HIKING (6)
DC: HEXING (6)
OT: HIEING (6) HINOKI (6) HOEING (6) HOKING (6)
Score: 47–78 (max 90)


A very flat round maintains the Status Quo.



OoW: Susie talks about the origin of the word BINGE, both the real origin and one that was an urban myth.



Round 12: V T N A E A R P I

Ann: PAINTER (7)
Bobby: TAVERNA (7)
DC: PERTAIN (7) PRIVATE (7) PINATA (6)
OT: REPAINT (7) VARIANT (7) VARIATE (7)
Score: 54–85 (max 97)


More flatness and Ann can’t make any inroads into Bobby’s lead.



Round 13: R D T R O E O A Z

Ann: ROOTED (6)
Bobby: RAZORED (7)
DC: TOREADOR (8)
Score: 54–92 (max 105)


Another really nice spot by Bobby gives him the win, but he misses the max here as DC take the glory by spotting the Darren.



Round 14: 9, 3, 10, 4, 5, 25. Target: 771.

Ann: 770. (3*10*25)+(5*4) (7)
Bobby: 772. Mistake in working.
RR: 771. (((25*10)+4)*3)+9 (10)
Score: 61–92 (max 115)


Bobby clearly had what he said he had but wasn’t able to articulate it to Rachel when asked, giving Ann a chance to pick up some consolation points



Round 15: L O A F I N T I N

Bobby buzzes on 2 seconds to say FLOTATION which is incorrect.
Ann buzzes on 3 seconds to say INFLATION which is correct.
Final Score: 71–92 (max 125)


Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=70

Bobby gets it wrong and Ann again takes the opportunity to get ten more points. She has done well to get four wins, especially after that great comeback in her second game.

But Bobby is the new champion and he appears to be a very good letters player, he could get a few wins if he maintains this standard. There is an apterite coming up later this week though so he’ll need to maintain this standard as well as improve on numbers if he wants to be a serious contender for the finals.

Back in the day Countdown’s sister show was Fifteen-to-One which is finally back on our screens. There are some c4c members in that show over the next few weeks, lets hope they can do us proud on the revival.

[Ian Volante]

Couple of mistakes in the middle numbers rounds. /pedantry