Enjoy. 
Countdown recap for Wednesday 26 May 2010.
C1: Challenger Brendan Chadwick. An Apterite from Morley, Leeds, West Yorkshire. He works as a printing manufacturer. He describes himself as very competitive and like to play Countdown at home with his wife, and normally it is she who wins. Maybe we should send Mrs Chadwick an application form.
C2: Challenger James Saker. From Bourne, Lincolnshire. He works as a Network Rail signaller at King's Cross station in London. In his spare time, he enjoys watching films, reading, pub quizzes and storm chasing.
DC: Susie Dent and Dr. Phil Hammond.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: Q L S A I T N E F
R02: A E B Y T A R V S
R03: J T N E U I G D E
R04: L P N I O E C U M
R05: 25, 50, 9, 8, 3, 6. Target: 907.
TTT: CLINGFEE - "Overcharging people for bags of wool"
R06: R C S I A U I D S
R07: A E H G M O X A W
R08: D T R I O E S H A
R09: T S R E U D I M E
R10: 75, 25, 100, 50, 1, 8. Target: 397.
TTT: MORESNOW - "If there's more snow on the way, they'll update you about it here"
R11: T N O E O S G I N
R12: D R T E A O D R A
R13: S N E I C Z O R L
R14: 25, 75, 100, 50, 8, 10. Target: 357.
R15: D O U B T I C A N (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: Q L S A I T N E F
C1: FAINTS (6)
C2: FAINTS (6)
DC: ENTAILS (7) INFLATES (8)
Score: 6–6 (max 8)
DC darrenly expand to 2 better than the contestants, but it's an even start for our 2 new challengers.
Round 2: A E B Y T A R V S
C1: STARVE (6)
C2: BRAVEST (7)
DC: BETRAYS (7)
OT: ABREAST (7) BARYTES (7)
Score: 6–13 (max 15)
James takes the early lead with that 7.
BARYTE (or BARITE) is a common mineral, barium sulphate, BaSO4, occurring in white, yellow, or colorless tabular crystals: the principal ore of barium.
Round 3: J T N E U I G D E
C1: DETUNE (6)
C2: DENT (4)
DC: UNTIED (6) UNITED (6)
OT: DETINUE (7)
Score: 12–13 (max 22)
Brendan gets back in with that 6, but the 7 eludes everyone, except me.
DETINUE is an old commonlaw form of action to recover possession of personal property wrongfully detained.
Round 4: L P N I O E C U M
C1: UNCOIL (6)
C2: COLUMN (6)
DC: COMPLINE (8)
OT: PULMONIC (8)
Score: 18–19 (max 30)
DC yet again go 2 better than the contestants, although the other medical 8 is missed in the studio.
Round 5: 25, 50, 9, 8, 3, 6. Target: 907.
C1: 908. (6 x 3 x 50) + 8 (7)
C2: -
RR: 907. ((50 - (9 - 8)) x 3 x 6) + 25 (10)
Score: 25–19 (max 40)
Brendan's 1 away gives him the lead as James blanks out and Rachel gets the 10 points for herself.
Dr. Phil talks about how to make a visit to the doctor more pleasurable.
Teatime teaser: CLINGFEE -> FLEECING
Round 6: R C S I A U I D S
C1: RADIUS (6)
C2: CARDS (5)
DC: DISCUS (6) CRISIS (6)
OT: CUIRASS (7) SARDIUS (7)
Score: 31–19 (max 47)
Brendan's lead goes to double figures with that 6.
A CURIASS is defensive armour for the torso comprising a breastplate and backplate, originally made of leather.
A SARDIUS, as described in Exodus 28:17, is the precious stone, thought to have been a ruby, in the breastplate of the Jewish high priest.
Round 7: A E H G M O X A W
C1: HOMAGE (6)
C2: HOMAGE (6)
DC: OMEGA (5) OGHAM (5)
Score: 37–25 (max 53)
Round 8: D T R I O E S H A
C1: HOARDS (6)
C2: SHORTED (7)
DC: HARDIEST (8) rhodesia
OT: ASTEROID (8) HOARIEST (8)
Score: 37–32 (max 61)
Luckily Scrabble rules don't apply here, so Phil's Rhodesia isn't allowed here.
Round 9: T S R E U D I M E
C1: MUSTERED (8)
C2: MUSTERED (8)
DC: EMERITUS (8)
OT: DEMERITS (8) DEMISTER (8) DIMETERS (8) DEMUREST (8)
Score: 45–40 (max 69)
A DIMETER is a verse or line of two measures or feet in poems.
Susie's Origins Of Words continues with the pub theme by telling of the origins of "The Red Lion".
Round 10: 75, 25, 100, 50, 1, 8. Target: 397.
C1: -
C2: 399. (50 x 8) - 1 (7)
JS: 397. (50 x 8) - (75 / 25) (10)
Score: 45–47 (max 79)
Right, not the hardest 4 large of all time. 10 point all round.
Or not.....
Brendan doesn't even declare a target, and James is 2 away, when he talked himself out of the answer, leaving Jeff to take the glory. But, those 7 points give him the lead again.
Teatime teaser: MORESNOW -> NEWSROOM
Round 11: T N O E O S G I N
C1: snooting
C2: STONING (7)
DC: NESTING (7) GENTOOS (7)
OT: GOOIEST (7) INTONES (7) TENSION (7) TENSING (7) NOOGIES (7) NOOSING (7) NOTIONS (7) SOOTING (7) TIGNONS (7)
Score: 45–54 (max 86)
Brendan's dodgy 8 is just that, but with just 7's around, the game's not over yet.
Round 12: D R T E A O D R A
C1: TREAD (5)
C2: RETARD (6)
DC: AERATOR (7)
Score: 45–60 (max 93)
There's me thinking ADORATED was a word
What was I thinking of 
Round 13: S N E I C Z O R L
C1: CLONES (6)
C2: CRONIES (7)
DC: INCLOSE (7) LICENSOR (8)
Score: 45–67 (max 101)
The game ends as James' 7 wraps up the game for him, although if Brendan had stuck the R in CLONES for CLONERS, the game would still be alive.
Round 14: 25, 75, 100, 50, 8, 10. Target: 357.
C1: 360. (50 x 8) - 75 + 25 + 10 (7)
C2: 358. Mistake in working.
RR: 358. (7)
OT: 357. ((50 + (100 / 25)) x 8) - 75 (10)
Score: 52–67 (max 111)
Well, has that missing R cost Brendan the match possibly
After James messes up his 358, he would've been just 8 behind, instead of 15 behind. As it is, James doesn't need to worry about the conundrum. Well, not today anyway.Round 15: D O U B T I C A N
No one buzzes. The answer was ABDUCTION.
Score: 52–67 (max 121)
A slightly appropriate anagram as no-one in the whole studio can solve the conundrum.
So, James is the new champ, but can he stay for a long spell and possibly get into the finals. With just one spot left, can Claudia Tyson hang on for these next 2 weeks
I'll be back tomorrow for the next installment of Series 62.
Till then, bye bye.
Statistics Corner
Brendan:
Total score - 52
Raw score - 75
Total % of max - 43
Raw % of max - 62
Total average score per round - 3.5
Raw average score per round - 5.0
Number of maxes - 2
James:
Total score - 67
Raw score - 76
Total % of max - 55
Raw % of max - 63
Total average score per round - 4.5
Raw average score per round - 5.1
Number of maxes - 4
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=62