c4countdown

So, we've reached the end of the week. Normally, I'd say it was a shame, but after what's happened for the majority of the week, I'm kinda glad that it's the last one of the week.

Andy Royce has made the dramatic turn from hero to virtually-zero in the space of 3 days. His performance yesterday was well below-par, and really it was only thanks to Jacqui capsizing at the end that he lived to tell the tale.......

Can he rejuvenate himself and get to half-octochampdom today

Join Mike later to find out.

Corby?

Matt Morrison wrote:Corby?

What about him

If it's to do with what he said on my recap, I can't read it at the moment, cause my work computer blocks "inappropriate terminology".

So, if you could write a clean version of what he said, that would be helpful.

James Robinson wrote:

Matt Morrison wrote:Corby?

What about him

If it's to do with what he said on my recap, I can't read it at the moment, cause my work computer blocks "inappropriate terminology".

So, if you could write a clean version of what he said, that would be helpful.

It basically said "stop running down Andy" but in not such a polite way.

Really, really, stop it. I'm saying this not only because it would be unpleasant for him (or anyone he's beaten) to read, but it's making you look like a complete **** (redacted so you can read it). I'm trying to help you.

Unless I'm very much mistaken, he sits above you in any table of Countdown contestants ranked by success as well

Jon Corby wrote:It basically said "stop running down Andy" but in not such a polite way.

Really, really, stop it. I'm saying this not only because it would be unpleasant for him (or anyone he's beaten) to read, but it's making you look like a complete **** (redacted so you can read it). I'm trying to help you.

Unless I'm very much mistaken, he sits above you in any table of Countdown contestants ranked by success as well

That last bit is certainly true.

I don't wish to run down Andy. He had a fabulous debut on Tuesday, but the last 2 days have just been a huge disappointment, bar the last bit of yesterday's game.

There are certain players I've watched in the last couple of series who I've wished bad luck, because they were scraping undeserved victories and getting fluky results, but Andy is certainly not one of them. I was just saying that I was getting frustrated and disappointed that he was missing many "obvious" words, and that if he'd played to his known potential he'd have got them.

I had a feeling I was gonna get a bit of a backlash from last night's recap, but it was because I was just so angry watching it, and yes, it probably was gonna make look like a bit of a ****.

You can probably all guess the reasons why it is, but it's just hard to keep it in check all the time. I adore watching the show, as you all know, but my past is always going to leave a nasty taste in the back of my mouth, and that is highly unlikely to ever be rectified.

Someone needs to make a movie of this.

I want to see Andy and JR and Corby having a three-way hug. Someone's going to remove "hug" when they quote me aren't they?

James Robinson wrote:I don't wish to run down Andy. He had a fabulous debut on Tuesday, but the last 2 days have just been a huge disappointment, bar the last bit of yesterday's game... I was just saying that I was getting frustrated and disappointed that he was missing many "obvious" words, and that if he'd played to his known potential he'd have got them.

Well you are running him down in a massive, massive way.

If I'm understanding this correctly though, had Andy's games been the other way around, he'd have avoided your ire? It's just cos he had (in your eyes) a great debut and spotted lots that you consider "good", that you thought he should subsequently see other things that... well, that you think he should spot? What if that first game was the anomaly? (see Charlie in the last CoC for an example of a really shit player suddenly coming good for one game)

(Ugh, do you know I'm really uncomfortable talking about on-screen contestants performances like this, but hopefully you get the point. I don't consider his first game an anomaly.)

James Robinson wrote:but my past is always going to leave a nasty taste in the back of my mouth, and that is highly unlikely to ever be rectified.

You need to let it go dude. It's bad enough that you let it affect you this much, but when you start projecting that out onto others, you really need to deal with it.

As I said, I'm trying to be helpful here, you know that I like you really.

Jon Corby wrote:

James Robinson wrote:I don't wish to run down Andy. He had a fabulous debut on Tuesday, but the last 2 days have just been a huge disappointment, bar the last bit of yesterday's game... I was just saying that I was getting frustrated and disappointed that he was missing many "obvious" words, and that if he'd played to his known potential he'd have got them.

Well you are running him down in a massive, massive way.

If I'm understanding this correctly though, had Andy's games been the other way around, he'd have avoided your ire? It's just cos he had (in your eyes) a great debut and spotted lots that you consider "good", that you thought he should subsequently see other things that... well, that you think he should spot? What if that first game was the anomaly? (see Charlie in the last CoC for an example of a really shit player suddenly coming good for one game)

(Ugh, do you know I'm really uncomfortable talking about on-screen contestants performances like this, but hopefully you get the point. I don't consider his first game an anomaly.)

Yeah, you've got it spot on, mate. I was willing him on, but when he kept on missing, it was sort of tearing me apart. If he is reading, I do apologise for any hurt I may have caused you.

Jon Corby wrote:

James Robinson wrote:but my past is always going to leave a nasty taste in the back of my mouth, and that is highly unlikely to ever be rectified.

You need to let it go dude. It's bad enough that you let it affect you this much, but when you start projecting that out onto others, you really need to deal with it.

As I said, I'm trying to be helpful here, you know that I like you really.

Yeah, I know I should give it up, but when you've improved as much as I have over the 2 and a half years since I last recorded (not that I was dreadful, just not in the same league as others), and then you see so many "mediocre" people wedged in with all the good Apterites, you know you've blown your chance.

That day will always be one of the happiest and saddest days ever in my life. How many other people have nearly cried on set after messing up a conundrum like I did - Probably not many, if any. That's how much it hurts, but it's happened and will stay in my mind, so as much as I'd like to let it go, it is hard to.

I do though realise my error in letting it affect me in other ways, of which I also apologise again.

It is so hard, and yet at the same time, such a tedious thing to be upset about, but I always do seem to let the smallest of things bug me.

James Robinson wrote:I do apologise for any hurt I may have caused you.

Hey, you haven't caused me any hurt. I just think you need to rein yourself in when talking about other contestants - particularly when they're doing well! He's won three games FFS, and yet he's getting way more criticism than his opponents?! (Even then I'm not saying they deserve any - okay, sometimes somebody's so appallingly bad that it can't pass without comment, but that hasn't applied here.)

I remember back when I filmed, (somehow) I wasn't aware of any Countdown stuff online. It was only on the way home afterwards that I thought "I wonder if my name might crop up on some website somewhere, if there's a log of scores or something" and I then discovered this community (in its previous guise). Thankfully everybody was kind about it (introducing myself before broadcast probably helped!) but I always try and picture other people doing the same thing. Do you think Andy deserves to find this site and find the words "zero", "downer", "travesty", "farcical" etc being attributed to him?

Jon Corby wrote: Do you think Andy deserves to find this site and find the words "zero", "downer", "travesty", "farcical" etc being attributed to him?

Nope, certainly not. As I said before, the heat of the moment does get to me sometimes. He definitely seems like a decent bloke, and there have been worse who have gone further too.

James Robinson wrote:He definitely seems like a decent bloke, and there have been worse who have gone further too.

Hmm... it's an improvement I guess!


ETA in fairness it wasn't just you either James. Anyway, to more pleasant subjects: do you prefer my new avatar to my previous one?

Changing the subject - I was very pleased that Jane picked the right 9. I wondered if she remembered it from my first show (as she probably hasn't seen last Friday's show), but then she admitted to having "captioner" down as well as RECAPTION. Anyway nice to see a female champ for a change.

Tony Atkins wrote:I wondered if she remembered it from my first show

Probably - that's certainly why it was so fresh in my mind, as just last night I had watched my DVD of all your shows (again!)

Jon Corby wrote:

Tony Atkins wrote:I wondered if she remembered it from my first show

Probably - that's certainly why it was so fresh in my mind, as just last night I had watched my DVD of all your shows (again!)

At least with only 3 shows I didn't keep you up all night! (I hate SHUFFLING)

Tony Atkins wrote:At least with only 3 shows I didn't keep you up all night! (I hate SHUFFLING)

I don't hate it. In fact, it's what often keeps me up all night.

Michael Wallace wrote:Someone needs to make a movie of this.

Hahaha, lovely work Phil.

Jon Corby wrote:Hahaha, lovely work Phil.

IAWTP

Jon Corby wrote:(see Charlie in the last CoC for an example of a really shit player suddenly coming good for one game)

I know right! You got within 40 points of me, way above your normal standard. Very well done.

BTW this thread is gold.

Lol at above. That picture is amazing.

Discrediting Jayne a bit by not mentioning her though eh? Especially being an apterous member herself.

She was OK - good start (as someone that hasn't been on TV, I could visualise myself doing poorly in the first couple tbh, and imo at least, only battle-hardened apterites might spot "granaries" so "arranges" is quite solid), and very good work with the 9 after somewhat of a lull in the middle rounds. Looks like she could be vulnerable to someone sharper at numbers/conundrums than Andy, but fingers crossed for her of course.

Charlie Reams wrote:I know right! You got within 40 points of me, way above your normal standard. Very well done.

Jon Corby wrote:You need to let it go dude.

Jon Corby wrote:Hahaha, lovely work Phil.

**Now with betterer text**

I do quite like that, Phil. Very impressive. I only wish there was much better picture of my face, not that there is one.

I was told that Jayne was going to be on soon, but I didn't realise it was this soon, and a very good performance too. Nice also to have a female winner too.

ETALON in round 8 and TREADLED in round 9.

Where did that one photo of James come from, Photoshop?

No Jason it's a film coming out in England soon...

Congratulations on getting a new job James!

Jason Larsen wrote:Where did that one photo of James come from, Photoshop?

Yes, Photoshop Pro edition comes with a full James Robinson photo library installed.

This game was worth watching just to see the RECAPTION/captioner round, especially as it turned out Jayne would have lost if she'd picked the wrong one. Good work Jayne, let's hope you win a few more.

Up until last week I always assumed RECAPTION meant to "caption again", as if to change the text on a lolcat picture. Never knew it as a legal term.

Jon, I think you're kidding.

Just watched this, and seeing 29 posts and half of them from Jon Corby, I assumed they were all about the second(?) numbers game - the one where the target was 215. After a long pause, C1 said something like "I rather lost it at the end, and I haven't got it written down, but", and just when you thought he was going to continue "I think I've got 215", having generated quite a few extra seconds, Jeff simply cut him off, and let C2 have a go at 211.

Incidentally, as one who hates DC guests who pretend to have found words that Susie has obviously given them, there's something refreshing about a guest who not only declares only his own work, but actually has no interest whatever in what Susie finds.

David Williams wrote:Just watched this, and seeing 29 posts and half of them from Jon Corby, I assumed they were all about the second(?) numbers game - the one where the target was 215. After a long pause, C1 said something like "I rather lost it at the end, and I haven't got it written down, but", and just when you thought he was going to continue "I think I've got 215", having generated quite a few extra seconds, Jeff simply cut him off, and let C2 have a go at 211.

Incidentally, as one who hates DC guests who pretend to have found words that Susie has obviously given them, there's something refreshing about a guest who not only declares only his own work, but actually has no interest whatever in what Susie finds.

I haven't actually watched the show! Come to think of it, I haven't watched any of Andy's shows yet - if he's all cheaty like you've alleged there, I may have to unmuzzle Robbo again!

Wow wow wow. Another Apterous member on Countdown. That caught me by surprise!

Jayne, I know you don't post here often but on the off chance that you will soon I have to ask, did the economy hit you? Jeff did not mention your job on the show and I wonder what you do in your spare time when it's raining out. Your plants get water anyway when it rains so I hope you don't choose the option of doing nothing during the day.

David Cameron is partly on Barack Obama's side because just as much he wants the economy to improve. He is a Conservocrat, as Kai Laddiman calls him.

Also, I thought you were American because I remember your daughter calling you her "mom." Does she plan to study American English?

Jon Corby wrote:

Jon Corby wrote:Hahaha, lovely work Phil.

**Now with betterer text**

I've tinkered some more.

Jon Corby wrote:I haven't actually watched the show! Come to think of it, I haven't watched any of Andy's shows yet - if he's all cheaty like you've alleged there, I may have to unmuzzle Robbo again!

Not sure. I think you could describe his style as languid. Like Deeks on Prozac. He plays as if he's got something much more important on his mind. In this instance he definitely spent far too long, but based on what we'd seen before (both his style and his numbers games) I think it's perfectly possible that he did have the solution.

They really need to bring back those conundrums ending in -ING.

Unrelated: Today is the 10th anniversary of the 15 round format.

Hi all -just to answer some of your comments. I had remembered seeing captioner/recaption in a previous game and I wrote both words down. Luckily something spurred me on to declare the right one!

Watching the programme back I'm obviously disappointed in a few rounds (the numbers especially) but it is very different being in the studio compared to playing at home or on the computer. Anyway I'm pleased I won obviously, as I thought, Andy was a good player.

Jason what can I say? You are very observant! I don't have a job but its through choice and family circumstances nothing to do with David Cameron. And Emily and I are both English. Mom and Mum are both acceptable variant spelling in English English and Emily has no desire to study American English. Hope that clears that up.

Jayne Wisniewski wrote:Mom and Mum are both acceptable variant spelling in English English

No they're not!

Jayne, the economy is in a big global downturn and it's not just Prime Minister Cameron and President Obama who need to work to get the economy back to normal, it's every other political head in the world too. I wasn't blaming them.

Oh well, you can't tell someone what to do when they get older. If you can function without a job you must be brilliant!

And Gavin, I think you're right about the universal matron family member.

Jason Larsen wrote:
And Gavin, I think you're right about the universal matron family member.

Jayne is from a region of England (the Midlands) where lots of people call their mother "mom".
http://www.bl.uk/learning/langlit/sound ... danesford/

If you read the birthday announcements in the local Midlands newspapers, you'll find many references to "mom and dad"
http://www.myfamilyannouncements.co.uk/ ... ys=31&pg=1

I predict that Gavin will contest whether people from the midlands speak English English

Ah-ha! Jayne's right all along!

It seems a bit weird. When Americans say "mom" it sounds a bit like "mum" anyway, because of the way they pronounce their "o"s - a bit like a long "u". But to say "mom" and pronounce it "mom" would just be weird.

I would contest whether people from the midlands speak English English anyway.

Lucy Gowers wrote:

Jason Larsen wrote:
And Gavin, I think you're right about the universal matron family member.

Jayne is from a region of England (the Midlands) where lots of people call their mother "mom".
http://www.bl.uk/learning/langlit/sound ... danesford/

If you read the birthday announcements in the local Midlands newspapers, you'll find many references to "mom and dad"
http://www.myfamilyannouncements.co.uk/ ... ys=31&pg=1

Yep. My mother-in-law, who's from Kidderminster, refers to herself as 'Mom'.

Gavin Chipper wrote:I would contest whether people from the midlands speak English English anyway.

zomg i psychic!

By the way, what's the worst spelling of 'psychic' (or psychological etc) you've ever seen? Some people (by which I mean thick ones) seem to have real trouble with it, they must just get all flustered and jam in as many c's, s's and h's as they can, just in case.

Gavin, I think you may be right.

So nice to see you on the show Jayne. I was willing you to declare the correct 9 and you did! - but it wouldn't have made any difference as it happens. i too must be brilliant because i manage without a job - but I am a lot older than you!

I'm glad you can function too Joyce!

Joyce Phillips wrote:So nice to see you on the show Jayne. I was willing you to declare the correct 9 and you did! - but it wouldn't have made any difference as it happens. i too must be brilliant because i manage without a job - but I am a lot older than you!

Do you plan to be on the show soon Joyce?

Gavin Chipper wrote:I would contest whether people from the midlands speak English English anyway.

Look me babba, we'm not takin tharoff nobody. Not nobody off Essex anyways. If you'm got summat ter say baht the way we talks you'm better jus say it straigh or shurrit.