Monday 19th May 2014 (series 70 prelim 82)

[Andy McGurn]

Countdown recap for Monday 19 May 2014.

C1: Champion Sean Fletcher (4 wins 382 points.) Now on four wins. Even as Nick does his opening monologue we can Sean touching his head, a sign of his trademark anguish throughout his run on the show.

C2: Challenger Dan Fenna. a draughtsman and poker player from Droylsden. He recounts a story of how he travelled via London, Naples, Rome and Milan to see (and return from) the 2009 European cup final


DC: Susie Dent and David Emanuel.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: T P X E O M D I Y
R02: G R A E N L O S I
R03: 1, 9, 3, 10, 6, 50. Target: 416.
TTT: LIFETASK - "this is the pastry that gets everywhere apart from your mouth"
R04: U O P B N P E J S
R05: T L D O E M R A I
R06: 4, 1, 10, 50, 25, 75. Target: 916.
R07: W P S O E T K I S
R08: R D L A E R N O U
R09: 5, 7, 8, 10, 6, 75. Target: 211.
TTT: EPICSCAR - "are these mood swings an example of model behaviour"
R10: M S D M I E O N G
R11: R T A D N E A R S
R12: C G Q H I A E B S
R13: R F R O A V R I E
R14: 4, 1, 3, 8, 75, 100. Target: 272.
R15: M A M B A F E L L (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: T P X E O M D I Y

Sean: MOPED (5)
Dan: EMPTY (5)
DC: MOIETY (6)
OT: YOMPED (6)
Score: 5–5 (max 6)


Sean will be hoping he doesn’t have to get on his MOPED at the end of the game. Its five each for the contestants as DC spot one of the two sixes.


Round 2: G R A E N L O S I

Sean: LEASING (7)
Dan: SLANGIER (8)
DC: ORGANISE (8) REGIONALS (18)
Score: 5–13 (max 24)


SLANGIER sounds like a word that could not possibly be in the dictionary, but it is and it’s the challenger who takes the first lead of the game.



Round 3: 1, 9, 3, 10, 6, 50. Target: 416.

Sean: 416. ((6/3)+50)*(9-1) (10)
Dan: 416. ((9-1)*50)+10+6 (10)
Score: 15–23 (max 34)


Both contestants spot different methods of getting the ten points in a nice and easy first numbers game


Teatime teaser: LIFETASK -> FLAKIEST

Round 4: U O P B N P E J S

Sean: BONUS (5)
Dan: BONUS (5)
DC: BONES (5) OPENS (5)
OT: BOSUN (5) JONES (5) JUBES (5) NOPES (5) OUENS (5) PEONS (5) PEPOS (5) POPES (5) PUBES (5)
Score: 20–28 (max 39)


It’s a major five-fest here as there are twelve max words in this round.




Round 5: T L D O E M R A I

Sean: MODE (4)
Dan: TRAILED (7)
DC: LEOTARD (7) IDOLATER (8)
OT: MEDIATOR (8) TAILORED (8)
Score: 20–35 (max 47)


What makes Sean such an interesting contestant is that he is very unpredictable. In this round, its all common letters and there are loads of longer words available but he only spots a four. Dan gets seven to take him fifteen points ahead.

David Emanuel explains the meaning of the word LEOTARD, which may be a first for countdown



Round 6: 4, 1, 10, 50, 25, 75. Target: 916.

Sean: 910. Mistake in working.
Dan: -
Score: 20–35 (max 57)

Rachel says “leave it with me”. If Clive Brooker had been in the audience could he have handed his solution to one of the floor staff and had it given to Rachel? Or is this not allowed?


DC Guest – David Emanuel tells a story of him dressing Elizabeth Taylor

and then…

RR: 916. (75+1)*((50/25)+10)+4 (10)



Round 7: W P S O E T K I S

Sean: STOKES (6)
Dan: POETS (5)
DC: POKIEST (7)
OT: KETOSIS (7) POSIEST (7) POSTIES (7)
Score: 26–35 (max 64)


Sean gets back to within ten with his six here. Its left to DC to max the round.


Round 8: R D L A E R N O U

Sean: LOANED (6)
Dan: UNREAL (6)
DC: EUROLAND (8)
OT: UNLOADER (8)
Score: 32–41 (max 72)


Sixes for the contestants keep the gap at nine, DC spot EUROLAND. The more impressive UNLOADER is also there for a max


Round 9: 5, 7, 8, 10, 6, 75. Target: 211.

Sean: 210. (7+8+6)*10 (7)
Dan: 210. Mistake in working.
RR: 211. ((10-7)*75)-8-6 (10)
Score: 39–41 (max 82)


A mistake from Dan takes Sean to just two behind. Its anybodys game as we go into the last advert break.


Teatime teaser: EPICSCAR -> CAPRICES

Round 10: M S D M I E O N G

Sean: DEMONS (6)
Dan: MODEMS (6)
DC: SMIDGEON (8)
OT: DEMONISM (8) MODEMING (8)
Score: 45–47 (max 90)


Interestingly both contestants 6’s could have been extended to make 8’s



Round 11: R T A D N E A R S

Sean: RETARDS (7)
Dan: ERRANDS (7)
DC: NARRATED (8)
OT: NARRATES (8)
Score: 52–54 (max 98)


Sean seems to think his word is funny. Both he and Dan gets sevens but again DC spot the max.


OoW- Susie explains the meaning of the phrase “before you can say Jack Robinson”,



Round 12: C G Q H I A E B S

Sean: BEACH (5)
Dan: CHASE (5)
DC: BASIC (5)
OT: BACHES (6) BIGHAS (6) CEIBAS (6) CHAISE (6) GEISHA (6)
Score: 57–59 (max 104)


Fives for the contestants here, with five sixes available it is surprising that Dc don’t spot any of them.


Round 13: R F R O A V R I E

Sean: RIVER (5)
Dan: ROAR (4)
DC: FARRIER (7)
Score: 62–59 (max 111)


Not a great round by Sean, but an even worse one by Dan means that Sean takes the lead for the first time. Can he retain the champions chair?


Round 14: 4, 1, 3, 8, 75, 100. Target: 272.

Sean: 272. ((100-8)*3)-4 (10)
Dan: -
Score: 72–59 (max 121)


We see Sean breathe one of the biggest sighs of relief ever on countdown as he spots the decisive solution to secure his fifth win. Dan looks genuinely gutted.



Round 15: M A M B A F E L L

Dan buzzes on 2 seconds to say FLAMMABLE which is correct.
Final Score: 72–69 (max 131)


A nice spot from Dan to lose by just three points, but the disappointment in his demeanour is obvious. He had a good lead early in the game but couldn’t follow it through.
As for Sean he seems so relieved to win again. The whole experience seems like its been like water torture to him. Makes you wonder why he’s putting himself through it if its that difficult.

Fortunately for him he has only got a maximum of three games to go in his run. And one more win will give likely take him to the finals. Be here with Callum to see if he can do it…


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

[Gavin Chipper]

Round 1: T P X E O M D I Y

Sean: MOPED (5)
Dan: EMPTY (5)
DC: MOIETY (6)
OT: YOMPED (6)
Score: 5–5 (max 6)


Sean will be hoping he doesn’t have to get on his MOPED at the end of the game. Its five each for the contestants as DC spot one of the two sixes.

But it was MOPED rather than MOPED wasn't it?

So if after Sean said "moapt", Dan then said "moaped", would he have had to show him his paper?

[Sean Fletcher]

Round 5: I had retailed and stopped looking but realised late on there was only one E. Had 2 choices - spot a word quickly, hence MODE, or declare a word that wasn't there