Let's find out, enjoy.
Countdown recap for Thursday 14 August 2014.
C1: Champion Mark Davies (4 wins, 421 points.) A technical officer for the Environmental Agency from Widnes, Cheshire.
C2: Challenger Bill Linton. A retired computer programmer from Enfield. He stood as a Green Party candidate in Enfield North at the last election, coming in 6th place with 489 votes. (Quite appropriate that he wanted to be a politician, as his name is just one letter away from being a President.
)DC: Susie Dent and Gethin Jones.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: M S T I E A N E O
R02: V S C I O E G E M
R03: 75, 100, 10, 5, 2, 3. Target: 357.
TTT: GOODYILK - "It sounds like the study of children, but don't let it deceive you"
R04: T I G P O N L A S
R05: C B W E O E X U N
R06: 25, 9, 2, 1, 3, 7. Target: 997.
R07: S N T A O A L I G
R08: T O E R B I N E Y
R09: 25, 100, 50, 3, 9, 5. Target: 695.
TTT: GAVINSEE - "Gavin could close his eyes and see whatever he wanted"
R10: S M S U I E P L A
R11: R H T E I A P E R
R12: A F R I S V A E J
R13: R L R O E A P O U
R14: 25, 7, 2, 5, 1, 4. Target: 962.
R15: B A K E R S F A T (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: M S T I E A N E O
Mark: AMNIOTES (8)
Bill: MOANIEST (8)
DC: ATOMISE (7) MONETISE (8) SEMITONE (8)
OT: MATINEES (8)
Score: 8–8 (max 8)
MOANIEST now in the dictionary which makes it a big help, considering all the times in the recent past that it's disallowed............
Round 2: V S C I O E G E M
Mark: COVES (5)
Bill: VOICES (6)
DC: gomic MOVIES (6)
OT: EGOISM (6) OGIVES (6) VEGIES (6)
Score: 8–14 (max 14)
Wow, a shock lead for Bill, as Mark can only find some COVES.
Round 3: 75, 100, 10, 5, 2, 3. Target: 357.
Mark: -
Bill: 359. (75 x 5) - 10 - (2 x 3) (7)
RR: 357. ((100 + 75) x 2) + 10 - 3 (10)
Score: 8–21 (max 24)
WOW
The pressure of doing his 5th consecutive show in a recording day is clearly having an effect on Mark, who completely blanks, and Bill's lead is now in double figures at this early stage........... Is a mega shock on the cards 
Teatime teaser: GOODYILK -> KIDOLOGY
Round 4: T I G P O N L A S
Mark: POSTING (7)
Bill: POSTING (7)
DC: LAPSING (7) STAPLING (8)
OT: ANTILOGS (8)
Score: 15–28 (max 32)
Mark is now POSTING some letters, but he'll probably wanting to do some STAPLING to keep himself together.........
An ANTILOG (or ANTILOGARITHM) is the number of which a given number is the logarithm.
Round 5: C B W E O E X U N
Mark: BOUNCE (6)
Bill: unbow
Score: 21–28 (max 38)
Well, is this the metaphorical BOUNCE-back that Mark needs
Round 6: 25, 9, 2, 1, 3, 7. Target: 997.
Mark: -
Bill: 998. ((7 - 3) x (9 + 1) x 25) - 2 (7)
RR: 997. (((25 x 7) - 9) x 2 x 3) + 1 (10)
Score: 21–35 (max 48)
Well, his letters form might have returned, but he still can't get anything from his numbers games, and Bill doubles his advantage to 14 points now.........
Gethin talks about his time on Strictly Come Dancing, when Kylie Minogue was a guest singer and the whole area was sealed off, not that it mattered to Kenny Logan.
Round 7: S N T A O A L I G
Mark: AGAINST (7)
Bill: LASTING (7)
DC: analog NOSTALGIA (18)
Score: 28–42 (max 66)
Mark is certainly up AGAINST it, if he wants to keep his run LASTING beyond today, but maybe some NOSTALGIA might help in these troubled times.........
Round 8: T O E R B I N E Y
Mark: ENTIRE (6)
Bill: BONIER (6)
DC: ENROBE (6) EBONITE (7)
OT: BORNITE (7)
Score: 34–48 (max 73)
Nothing too much here, the game is still within Mark's reach.
BORNITE is a brittle reddish-brown crystalline mineral with an iridescent purple tarnish, consisting of a sulphide of copper and iron.
Round 9: 25, 100, 50, 3, 9, 5. Target: 695.
Mark: 699. ((100 + 25 + 3) x 5) + 50 + 9 (7)
Bill: -
RR: 695. ((3 + 9) x 50) + 100 - 5 (10)
Score: 41–48 (max 83)
Well, Mark's 3 large gamble pays off and the tables are turned, as Bill now can't get anything in the numbers, while Mark's 4 away halves the deficit. Will part 3 see him complete his comeback
Teatime teaser: GAVINSEE -> ENVISAGE
Round 10: S M S U I E P L A
Mark: IMPULSES (8)
Bill: SAMPLES (7)
Score: 49–48 (max 91)
Well, I don't normally act on IMPULSES, but surely that's got to be the turning point for Mark now.
Round 11: R H T E I A P E R
Mark: HEARTIER (8)
Bill: PIRATE (6)
DC: TAPIR (5) PREHEAT (7)
OT: EARTHIER (8)
Score: 57–48 (max 99)
And a HEARTIER offering takes Mark's lead up to 9 points. Not enough of a lead yet, but it's clear for all to see that the Mark we've come to enjoy watching has returned.
Susie's Origins of Words talks about the origins of "chummy".
Round 12: A F R I S V A E J
Mark: VARIES (6)
Bill: VARIES (6)
DC: SAFARI (6)
OT: FERIAS (6) FIVERS (6) FRAISE (6) JIVERS (6) VAJRAS (6)
Score: 63–54 (max 105)
Nothing VARIES much here.
In Spain and Spanish-speaking America, a FERIA is a fair.
In Buddhism and Hinduism, a VAJRA is a thunderbolt or mythical weapon, especially one wielded by the god Indra.
Round 13: R L R O E A P O U
Mark: PARLOUR (7)
Bill: PARLOUR (7)
DC: POORER (6) PAROLE (6)
Score: 70–61 (max 112)
A couple of trips to the PARLOUR later, but nothing different about the scores, meaning the gap remains at 9 heading into the last numbers game............
Round 14: 25, 7, 2, 5, 1, 4. Target: 962.
Mark: 954. (((7 x 5) + 2 + 1) x 25) + 4 (5)
Bill: 954. (((7 x 5) + 2 + 1) x 25) + 4 (5)
RR: 962. ((25 - 2) x (5 + 1) x 7) - 4 (10)
Score: 75–66 (max 122)
Well, well, well, another nasty 900+ target proves too difficult for our contestants who can both only get to 8 away, meaning that we have a CRUCIAL CONUNDRUM
(Admittedly, it took Rachel a good time to solve it too. 
)Round 15: B A K E R S F A T
Mark buzzes on 1.75 seconds to say BREAKFAST which is correct.
Final Score: 85–66 (max 132)
Memories of one of the recent Catsdown games returns with this conundrum, but Mark has got the final say, as he buzzes in as quick as his only other conundrum solve to wrap up this very hard-fought victory.
Clearly, the exertions from a full day in the studio took their toll on Mark, but he managed to bring up all the reserves he needed to get through this 5th show, and head to bed, still the current champion of Countdown.
Hopefully a good night's rest will see him return to peak performance tomorrow, and you can find out how he does with Anthony tomorrow.
Unfortunately, Countdown is only on Monday & Tuesday next week, so my next recap is on Wednesday 27th August, when Mark will be done, come what may.
So, till the 27th, have a great time, and bye for now.
Statistics Corner
Mark:
Total score - 85
Raw score - 90
Total % of max - 64
Raw % of max - 68
Total average score per round - 5.7
Raw average score per round - 6.0
Number of maxes - 7
Bill:
Total score - 66
Raw score - 79
Total % of max - 50
Raw % of max - 60
Total average score per round - 4.4
Raw average score per round - 5.3
Number of maxes - 4
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=71