c4countdown

My 3rd game and this was the last recording of the day, as said earlier the series 46 final had been recorded earlier and finalists had flocked back to the studios to check happenings.

Countdown recap for Thursday 27 December 2001.

C1: Champion Tom Hargreaves (2 wins, 221 points.)
C2: Challenger Alan Wright.
DC: Clare Pemberton and Geoffrey Durham.
CV: Carol Vorderman.
OT: Other words or solutions.

Round 1: R D T B U E I S C

C1: CRUDITES (8)
C2: CRUDITES (8)
DC: CURBSIDE (8)
OT: CURTSIED (8)
Score: 8–8 (max 8)

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

C1: FOAMED (6)
C2: DAMPEN (6)
DC: POMADE (6)
OT: ADENOMA (7)
Score: 14–14 (max 15)

Round 3: R T S G I U O L E

C1: GLORIES (7)
C2: UGLIEST (7)
DC: OUTLIERS (8)
OT: EULOGIST (8)
Score: 21–21 (max 23)

Round 4: N I T A S D P E F

C1: DEFIANT (7)
C2: STAINED (7)
DC: STIPEND (7)
OT: FAINTED (7) DESTAIN (7) DETAINS (7) INSTEAD (7) SAINTED (7) SATINED (7) TIENDAS (7) PAINTED (7) PANDITS (7) SANDPIT (7) PANTIES (7) SAPIENT (7) PEDANTS (7) PENTADS (7)
Score: 28–28 (max 30)

Round 5: 100, 4, 1, 5, 6, 9. Target: 993.

C1: 993. 9+1=10*100=1000, 5-4+6=7, 1000-7=993 (10)
C2: 993. 9+1=10*100=1000, 6-4+5=7, 1000-7=993 (10)
Score: 38–38 (max 40)

Round 6: S O Q B A I H T D

C1: BOAST (5)
C2: OATHS (5)
DC: DHOTIS (6)
OT: TOADISH (7)
Score: 43–43 (max 47)

Round 7: C M P N E A U Y L

C1: ENCAMP (6)
C2: CAMEL (5)
DC: LUNACY (6)
OT: CALUMNY (7) CLEANUP (7)
Score: 49–43 (max 54)

Round 8: V E T O R S A I L

C1: VIOLATES (8)
C2: TAILORS (7)
DC: OVERSAIL (8)
OT: LEVATORS (8) VALORISE (8) VERTISOL (8) VOTARIES (8)
Score: 57–43 (max 62)

Round 9: G N R W E I A T E

C1: WATERING (8)
C2: WEARING (7)
OT: ENARGITE (8) GRATINEE (8)
Score: 65–43 (max 70)

Round 10: 75, 7, 6, 2, 9, 1. Target: 644.

C1: 643. 75+6=81, 9-1=8, 81*8=648+2-7=643 (7)
C2: 636.
CV: 644. 75+1=76*9=684, 7*6-2=40, 684-40=644 (10)
Score: 72–43 (max 80)

Round 11: M S L C O E A D F

C1: SCALED (6)
C2: FOAMED (6)
OT: SOLACED (7)
Score: 78–49 (max 87)

Round 12: B O T I P R A U H

C1: PATIO (5)
C2: THROB (5)
DC: AUTHOR (6) PHOBIA (6)
OT: ABRUPT (6) PROBIT (6) ABITUR (6) RUBATI (6) RUBATO (6) RUPIAH (6) THORIA (6)
Score: 83–54 (max 93)

Round 13: D N G R E I O M D

C1: IGNORED (7)
C2: MINDER (6)
DC: REDOING (7)
OT: DEMIGOD (7) DEMOING (7) DODGIER (7) ERODING (7) GROINED (7) MINORED (7) REDDING (7) DERMOID (7)
Score: 90–54 (max 100)

Round 14: 50, 10, 9, 6, 2, 8. Target: 132.

C1: 132. 50+10+6=66*2=132 (10)
C2: 132. 9-6=3*50=150, 150-10-8=132 (10)
Score: 100–64 (max 110)

Round 15: N U T D O U C H E

C1 buzzes on 2 seconds to say UNTOUCHED which is correct.
Score: 110–64 (max 120)

Nice game this, Alan was one of the nicest people I've ever met and I was really pleased when he got invited back to play again - lovely bloke. So much he even sent me a good luck card when I continued my run. Remember Alan saying I would go on and win 8 and then the thought of it scared me because it was so far away.

Hit the free bar after recordings and my parents even let me have double Vodka red bulls. Remember some of the finalists saying they were glad they didn't bump into me earlier - was a memorable experience this recording day.

Incidentally, for those who have seen the C**TFLAPS scene on youtube, Alan is the guy on the left selecting the letters.

Look out for games 4 and 5 coming later this week - I warn you these are great games and shows how good some of my opponents were.

Thanks for putting these up Tom, I look forward to the rest. I have vague recollections of your series; I certainly remember the finals. Your heat opponents seem to be pretty shit hot!

Does this mean you are coming out of retirement, forum-wise? Come on, you know you want to!

Great games, and glad you've got to grips with the Recap Writer so easily. I'm updating your series on CDB as we go along.

Cheers, once again its a great tool, only 2 minor hiccups are that the max in games 1 and 2 are 3 higher than what has been put because of round 14 both numbers games are solvable. Was convinced my max was going to be below 1000 but I'm starting to have second thoughts now.

My series and 2002 in my view was a watershed in that the overall standard increased loads and in my view set the standard for today. True to say I could still win 8 but most forumites I wouldn't stand a chance against. 8 Octochamps alone, 2 seven-time winners and Julia Wilkinson winning 7 games in the last prelim of the series makes series 47 probably the best when I was a regular viewer.

Think I'll be staying in retirement Junaid though Countdown is incredibly difficult to get away from. Forum-wise and Countdown altogether I am intending to because I wanna try and get away just because it was such a long time ago and my heart is not in it though that said I will definitely not unsubscribe and will probably end up dipping in here once in a while.