c4countdown

Well, for the first time in 5 years, we have a series quarter-finals beginning in May.

Our first match today is #1 v #8, which is Adam "The Stanmore Supernova" Gillard vs. Michelle "The Glaswegian Goddess" Nevitt.

Now, I know what you're thinking, wasn't Michelle #9 Yes, but #6 seed, Graham Hill couldn't make it, so Mary, Andrew and Michelle all moved up a spot.

So, here are the stats:

Firstly, No.1 Seed Adam Gillard - 8 Wins, 903 Points
Highest Score: 126 vs. Ray Li (3rd Game)
Lowest Score: 102 vs. Adam Manning (7th Game)
9's Achieved: 4/9
Total Points/Max/%: 903/1044 (86%)
Letters Points/Max/%: 612/724 (85%)
Numbers Points/Max/%: 221/240 (92%)
Conundrum Points/Max/%: 70/80 (88%)

Secondly, No.8 Seed Michelle Nevitt - 4 Wins, 366 Points
Highest Score: 89 vs. Craig Laurenson (4th Game)
Lowest Score: 52 vs. Andy McGurn (5th Game)
9's Achieved: 0/2
Total Points/Max/%: 366/614 (60%)
Letters Points/Max/%: 299/417 (72%)
Numbers Points/Max/%: 57/147 (39%)
Conundrum Points/Max/%: 10/50 (20%)

Join me for the last Robinson Recap of the series later.

It's ace how for two consecutive series a contestant "couldn't make it" and was replaced by the people's favourite. I hope Graham Hill and Michael Chadwick are being looked after, wherever they may be.

James Robinson wrote:Adam "The Stanmore Supernova" Gillard

Is that because I have a flash of brilliance and explode?

This is not going to be close.

Adam Gillard wrote:

James Robinson wrote:Adam "The Stanmore Supernova" Gillard

Is that because I have a flash of brilliance and explode?

Erm, no, I just thought it sounded cool.

How about how I actually really enjoy Alastair McGowan's poetry? I didn't expect to when he started, but I like it. What of it, bitch?!

Alastair has been terrific in DC this week in my opinion. I dare say he could be my new favourite DC guest!

Matt Morrison wrote:How about how I actually really enjoy Alastair McGowan's poetry? I didn't expect to when he started, but I like it. What of it, bitch?!

Agree. Comedic poetry is always good fun. I might compile a Liszt of the one's he has read out on the show.

If you liked that Matt, look out for his Jens Lehmann joke, probably tomorrow I think

Brilliant. I'm watching live for the first time in fucking ages, and still reached for the buttons and pressed fast forward by reflex when the origin of words section comes on. Dictionary Bore-ner.

SIRTAKI round 9

EXIGENT in the BEEPING round

Please tell me that "no one getting the conundrum in the audience" thing was a joke?!

Great work Gillard.

Very well played, Adam, excellent standard as ever.

Matt Morrison wrote:Please tell me that "no one getting the conundrum in the audience" thing was a joke?!

Great work Gillard.

What I heard from Josh was that no one wanted to look stupid guessing LOADSPACE and so didn't put their hand up.

Ryan Taylor wrote:

Matt Morrison wrote:Please tell me that "no one getting the conundrum in the audience" thing was a joke?!

Great work Gillard.

What I heard from Josh was that no one wanted to look stupid guessing LOADSPACE and so didn't put their hand up.

I realised immediately that I had picked the wrong one out of LOADSPACE and spaceload*; you can see me mouthing the correct answer to Susie on about 27 seconds.

I also want to highlight that Michelle played very well and gave me a really good game.

Adam Gillard wrote:

Ryan Taylor wrote:

Matt Morrison wrote:Please tell me that "no one getting the conundrum in the audience" thing was a joke?!

What I heard from Josh was that no one wanted to look stupid guessing LOADSPACE and so didn't put their hand up.

I realised immediately that I had picked the wrong one out of LOADSPACE and spaceload*; you can see me mouthing the correct answer to Susie on about 27 seconds.

If the way you reacted wasn't enough, then it's always damn obvious when Jeff takes ages to really slowly say "no, that's not the answer".
There's only one thing that ever means - someone's said/spelt it slightly wrong, or got it back-to-front.
He really shouldn't do that to be honest, what if it was crucial and Michelle wasn't so nervous slash whatever caused her to not answer it.
I was nowhere near solving it when you buzzed but what happened made it obvious. And I don't even bloody drive.

Adam Gillard wrote:

Ryan Taylor wrote:

Matt Morrison wrote:Please tell me that "no one getting the conundrum in the audience" thing was a joke?!

Great work Gillard.

What I heard from Josh was that no one wanted to look stupid guessing LOADSPACE and so didn't put their hand up.

I realised immediately that I had picked the wrong one out of LOADSPACE and spaceload*; you can see me mouthing the correct answer to Susie on about 27 seconds.

I also want to highlight that Michelle played very well and gave me a really good game.

Yeah you can see you contemplating which one to pick right before you buzz. Hard luck. Agree Michelle played well, you both beat me with TATTOOS and CHAMOIS but ultimately Michelle's numbers (as she openly admits) were not great today (even on the pretty simple 6 small) and that cost her 20 routine points.

Ryan Taylor wrote:

Matt Morrison wrote:Please tell me that "no one getting the conundrum in the audience" thing was a joke?!

Great work Gillard.

What I heard from Josh was that no one wanted to look stupid guessing LOADSPACE and so didn't put their hand up.

Yeah that's basically it. Well played both.

Dictionary corner made an error too which had to be refilmed. Susie originally claimed zanders was the plural of ZANDER.

I was in the audience for these finals and this one was even better than I remember - Michelle's 9 and the great spots of TATTOOS and CHAMOIS would have swept most opposition aside but she was unlucky to have to come up against the no.1 seed who by my reckoning only dropped 2 points going into the conundrum. Congrats Adam, really really well played today

Masterful performance Adam. Way to scare the shit out of me

And well played Michelle too, I was nowhere near CHAMOIS and TATTOOS.

I was also in the audience for all the finals, and the audience reaction when the conundrum was revealed was genuine - I for one felt that spaceload was a far more obvious word than loadspace but Damian and the dictionary must know. Agreed on the comments about Alastair McGowan, he was excellent and still another one tomorrow.

Top notch stuff Adam, you seemed very calm for someone in a quarter final . I thought Michelle played extremely well considering she was the stand in and had to face the number 1 seed (as Marcus said), and had her numbers been better, it would have provided one of the best 1st vs 8th seed games in a long time. Still Ed's my favourite to win and the one I want to win. (Irish you see )

Also, Alistair McGowan is a superb guest.

Jim Treloar wrote:I was also in the audience for all the finals, and the audience reaction when the conundrum was revealed was genuine - I for one felt that spaceload was a far more obvious word than loadspace

Yep, same. It's pretty funny when you compare the sort of conundrums you get in finals these days to the ones you got even just a few series ago. Always feels like such an anticlimax when the board spins round and you're left thinking "eh?".

This feels like a CAFETIERE moment, you fucking idiots.

Well played Adam, unlucky on the conundrum.

In R12, FASCISM was considered but dismissed because it's capitalised. Actually it's perfectly valid. However, you couldn't have it in that round because there was only one S.

[quote="Graeme Cole"]In R12, FASCISM was considered but dismissed because it's capitalised. Actually it's perfectly valid.
I agree, Fascism is perfectly valid.

Prediction still says Ed to win. Sorry.

Rhys Benjamin wrote:Prediction still says Ed to win. Sorry.

After Adam knocks him out in the semis?

Innis Carson wrote:

Rhys Benjamin wrote:Prediction still says Ed to win. Sorry.

After Adam knocks him out in the semis?

Edward is no 2 seed so they cannot meet until the final. Tom is 3, Andy 4, Ned 5, (Graham) Mary 6, Andrew 7. Mike Pickering was there as next reserve. Personally, I was hoping for an outbreak of food poisioning after lunch, being 4th reserve...

Tony Atkins wrote:

Innis Carson wrote:

Rhys Benjamin wrote:Prediction still says Ed to win. Sorry.

After Adam knocks him out in the semis?

Edward is no 2 seed so they cannot meet until the final.

I think Innis was making a satirical point about the ineptitude of Rhys's "predictions".

I think I know what Rhys is predicting here, hold on:

After the chalk sweeps the quarters, one of the producers is going to get blazed backstage, and intentionally switch the match-ups in the semis to troll Apterous (I mean, those bastards raised the standard to the point where things like LOADSPACE have to be used for conundrums, they deserve it) and put 1 vs. 2 and 3 vs. 4, assuming casual viewers won't notice or care. Adam will win against Edward in the semis, but before the 2nd semifinal, the food poisoning thing Tony mentioned will happen and both Tom and Andy will be too sick to play. Needing a game for Adam in the finals, though, they'll bring back Edward for a best 2 out of 3 to win the series, with Adam only needing one more game to win, but Edward will win both games to come from behind.

I mean, it's a really unlikely scenario, but Rhys has some balls to predict something like this. I mean, if he's right, he'll be the freaking Nostradamus of our generation.

Or he could have just cocked up the editing.

That was an epically thought-out post, Steve. Never mind grumpy drawers.

Adam Gillard wrote:That was an epically thought-out post, Steve. Never mind grumpy drawers.

Yea I really don't mind such comments, I just shoot them with eye lasers.

Well, in a couple months, at least. They aren't quite finished yet. For now, I'll just do it metaphorically.

Ben Hunter wrote:It's ace how for two consecutive series a contestant "couldn't make it" and was replaced by the people's favourite. I hope Graham Hill and Michael Chadwick are being looked after, wherever they may be.

Yeah, a Special between them would be nice (if we're going to get some more this summer).

Matt Morrison wrote:How about how I actually really enjoy Alastair McGowan's poetry? I didn't expect to when he started, but I like it. What of it, bitch?!

See, I was recognising his greatness days ago. It would just make my week complete if he'd do one of his poems in a Pam Ayres voice.

Michael Wallace wrote:

Jim Treloar wrote:I was also in the audience for all the finals, and the audience reaction when the conundrum was revealed was genuine - I for one felt that spaceload was a far more obvious word than loadspace

Yep, same. It's pretty funny when you compare the sort of conundrums you get in finals these days to the ones you got even just a few series ago. Always feels like such an anticlimax when the board spins round and you're left thinking "eh?".

Totally agree here, conundrums should be words that most people know, otherwise viewers watching at home have more or less no chance. The same is sometimes true of the contestants, too.

Everyone in the world knows it apart from the idiots on this forum and in the audience.

Matt Morrison wrote:Everyone in the world knows it apart from the idiots on this forum and in the audience.

Yea, I mean my mom told me "loadspace" was the first word I ever said.

I think a better idea would be words that obvious stems that don't use them (GANDISEEG -> DISENGAGE, for instance, with its false -ING and -ED stems -- it's a word people have heard of but neither player in a champion of champions tournament got). Stuff like, I don't know, THENEXIST or QUITESOUR might be a good way to both prevent instantaneous solves every show and the quiet sour taste of a word you've never seen before.

(in before "I got both of those in under a second each", I just know it's going to happen)

Steve Balog wrote:THENEXIST or QUITESOUR

(in before "I got both of those in under a second each", I just know it's going to happen)

I got the first one in 0.0625 seconds.

Tony Atkins wrote:Dictionary corner made an error too which had to be refilmed. Susie originally claimed zanders was the plural of ZANDER.

I have just watched it back and Rachel strangly had ZANDER above YI on the board - but no S. I wonder where it had gone? Did they airbrush it out?

Steve Balog wrote:THENEXIST or QUITESOUR

(in before "I got both of those in under a second each", I just know it's going to happen)

THENEXIST is still better than the scramble Countdown DS gave me for that word. TEENSIXTH (and I had IDSPLAYED once)

Graeme Cole wrote:

Steve Balog wrote:THENEXIST or QUITESOUR

(in before "I got both of those in under a second each", I just know it's going to happen)

I got the first one in 0.0625 seconds.

I only just got this. Nice one Graeme.

Edit: I mean the joke, not the conundrum.