Monday 23rd February 2009 (Series 60, Prelim 16)

[Kai Laddiman]

Countdown recap for Monday 23 February 2009.

C1: Champion Neil Zussman (5 wins, 482 points.)
C2: Challenger Heather Chidgey. A Somersetian easy-going competitive perfectionist medical secretary. A common theme is obvious.
DC: Susie Dent and Graham Cole. We discover that Rachel has also appeared in the bill as a child and got paid the same amount as Graham does nowadays (£12).
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: P A S C A L E N T
R02: D I T Q E M S O E
R03: G E R N A C O H I
R04: N E D L A J T U E
R05: 10, 9, 5, 9, 3, 2. Target: 706.
TTT: CREEDLAD - "Make an announcement about the cricket score."
R06: N P S O E O G A K
R07: M E S T A C E B R
R08: F I M P A S T E E
R09: R I L N A T O E W
R10: 100, 3, 3, 5, 8, 9. Target: 188.
TTT: RINGFOOL - "Carpet at a knockout price, perhaps."
R11: D O N S O R I X H
R12: R E D D A N T I E
R13: R O V L U B A R S
R14: 75, 1, 10, 8, 3, 7. Target: 606.
R15: G R A H A M D I P (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: P A S C A L () E N T

C1: PLACENTAS (18)
C2: SCALE (5)
Score: 18–0 (max 18)

A quality start from Neil with that (although the letters were obviously set up).

Round 2: D I T Q E M S O E

C1: DEMOTES (7)
C2: moisted
DC: MODISTE (7)
OT: TIMESED (7) Yes, the word Countdonians love to hate.
Score: 25–0 (max 25)

Round 3: G E R N A C O H I

C1: REACHING (8)
C2: HEARING (7)
OT: COHERING (8)
Score: 33–0 (max 33)

A max start from Neil leaves Heather on love...

Round 4: N E D L A J T U E

C1: DENTAL (6)
C2: JAUNTED (7)
Score: 33–7 (max 40)

...Until she steals some points (somehow) of the Zussinator. Nice spot.

Round 5: 10, 9, 5, 9, 3, 2. Target: 706.

C1: 709.
C2: 707. (9x9-(5x2))x10-3 (7)
OT: 706. (10x5+9)x(9+3)-2 (10)
Score: 33–14 (max 50)

Aargh! Neil got beaten on 6 small!

Graham describes something about some rubbish soap thingy on da box.

Teatime teaser: CREEDLAD -> DECLARED

Round 6: N P S O E O G A K

C1: pongoes
C2: SPONGE (6)
OT: GENOAS (6) GOPAKS (6) PAEONS (6) PEKANS (6) PENGOS (6) POGOES (6) PONGAS (6) PONGOS (6) POOKAS (6) SPOKEN (6)
Score: 33–20 (max 56)

PONGO becomes PONGOS, unfortunately.

Round 7: M E S T A C E B R

C1: BEATERS (7)
C2: CAMBERS (7)
DC: EMBRACES (8) Aaaahhhh!
OT: CREMATES (8)
Score: 40–27 (max 64)

Round 8: F I M P A S T E E

C1: FIESTA (6)
C2: PASTIME (7)
DC: EMPTIES (7)
OT: SEPTIME (7) STEAMIE (7)
Score: 40–34 (max 71)

Heather brings the game back into the balance with her favourite hobby.

Round 9: R I L N A T O E W

C1: RELATION (8)
C2: RELATION (8)
OT: ORIENTAL (8)
Score: 48–42 (max 79)

The classic!

OoW: Susie talks (coincidentally) about thugs.

Round 10: 100, 3, 3, 5, 8, 9. Target: 188.

C1: 188. 100+((5+3+3)x8) (10)
C2: 188. 100x(5-3)-9-3 (10)
Score: 58–52 (max 89)

Teatime teaser: RINGFOOL -> FLOORING

Round 11: D O N S O R I X H

C1: INDOORS (7)
C2: INDOORS (7)
OT: SINDOOR (7) SORDINO (7)
Score: 65–59 (max 96)

Round 12: R E D D A N T I E

C1: DETRAINED (18)
C2: DETRAINED (18)
Score: 83–77 (max 114)

Yet another nine comes up, and this time both contestants spot it.

Round 13: R O V L U B A R S

C1: BLURS (5)
C2: BARS (4)
DC: OVULAR (6) BRAVOS (Jeff) (6)
OT: ARBOURS (7) LABOURS (7) LOUVARS (7)
Score: 88–77 (max 121)

BRAVO - thug (wow! That's like OoW!
)
Round 14: 75, 1, 10, 8, 3, 7. Target: 606.

C1: 606. 75x8+7-1 (10)
C2: 606. 75x8+7-1 (10)
Score: 98–87 (max 131)

An easy numbers game assures Neil of a non-crucial conundrum.

Round 15: G R A H A M D I P

C1 buzzes on 1.5 seconds to say DIAPHRAGM which is correct.
Score: 108–87 (max 141)

Another quick spot from Neil gives him another century and it looks like he'll be in the finals now. Brilliant letters today, with a max of 141.

Recap brought to you by Howard Somerset.

Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=-15

Toodles!

[Howard Somerset]

Recap brought to you by Howard Somerset.

I know it should've been brought to you by me, but I haven't even seen the programme yet.

[Jason Larsen]

Monday! I'm feeling chipper, so here is my review.

Introduction: I heard the Burlesque music in my head when Rachel kicked her feet up! So, now we know she's a night owl!
Round 1: Way to go, Neil! Great word! If you've got a girlfriend or wife you know your future baby will come into her womb by way of her PLACENTA!
Round 2: Heather, you can only moisten a baked item and not MOIST it. Too bad!
Round 3: Again, great word, Neil!
Round 4: Yea, Heather! You're on the board!
Graham's Words of Wisdom: Graham, that's interesting! You worked with Agatha Christie? And why did you always play the villains when you were in plays?
Teatime Teaser #1: Right on, Jeff! You know cricket is the sport in England!
Round 6: PONGOS has no "e," Neil! Too bad!
Round 9: Good word, contestants!
Origins of Words: How appropriate, Susie! Graham does play a policeman after all!
Round 12: Again, great word, contestants!
Round 13: Way to go, Jeff! How did you know about BRAVOS? And how appropriate, too!
Round 14: That was a very easy numbers game!
Conundrum: Way to go, Neil! That was a great spot! I was playing along and I said to myself, "Right, DIAPHRAGM!" You win some and you lose some!

Neil, you scored a century! On top of that, you're one game away from being an Octochamp! Good luck tomorrow, Neil!

[John Bosley]

'your future baby will come into her womb by way of her PLACENTA!'

Not too sure about that !

[Phil Reynolds]

I'm feeling chipper

[obvious joke about Gavin deleted]

Graham, that's interesting! You worked with Agatha Christie?

I think what Graham meant was that he'd worked with Agatha Christie's material, rather than the Dame herself.

[Howard Somerset]

Another great recap, Kai. And thanks for standing in at short notice.

[Jason Larsen]

Phil, thank you for deleting the joke about Gavin!

I thought for sure an unborn baby is in a woman's placenta because I said they get there "by way" of that part. They can't possibly get there once their entire body forms!

Oh, so Phil, that makes sense. Agatha Christie may have been already dead by the time Graham Cole would have had a chance to work with her! If she inspired a few plays, then I'm not surprised.

[Derek Hazell]

Graham Cole has now been axed from The Bill:

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/a1580 ... -bill.html

[Jason Larsen]

Wow.