c4countdown

Yes, folks it's that time of the year again. It happens twice a year (4 times in the past on occasion), but we have reached the series finals, where the cream of the crop return to do battle again, to see who will be the new series champion.

We have 8 contestants, who between them have won 62 out of 64 shows, so some serious good stuff here.

First up today is the top v bottom clash, #1 Seed Mark "The Braughing Bullet" Deeks takes on #8 Seed David "The Epsom Enforcer" Butcher, for a place in Wednesday's 1st semi-final.

And by tradition for the occasion, here are the stats:

Firstly, No.1 Seed Mark Deeks - 8 Wins, 824 Points
Highest Score: 126 vs. Lesley Lewis (8th Game)
Lowest Score: 86 vs. Taymar Pitman (4th Game)
9's Achieved: 1/5
Total Points/Max/%: 824/998 (83%)
Letters Points/Max/%: 546/681 (80%)
Numbers Points/Max/%: 228/237 (96%)
Conundrum Points/Max/%: 50/80 (63%)

Secondly, No.8 Seed David Butcher - 7 Wins, 620 Points
Highest Score: 87 vs. Kyle McGrory (4th Game)
Lowest Score: 60 vs. Dawn Turner (5th Game)
9's Achieved: 1/8
Total Points/Max/%: 620/1031 (60%)
Letters Points/Max/%: 431/717 (60%)
Numbers Points/Max/%: 149/234 (64%)
Conundrum Points/Max/%: 40/80 (50%)

I'll be around with the recap a bit later. (If me starting these recaps at half past midnight is indeed annoying, feel free to complain. )

Jeff starting with a lie there.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/csc/i.html?rt=nc& ... 86.c0.m283

Jeff is a genius.

Adam Gillard wrote:Jeff is a genius.

Did you get that one Adam? I didn't.

I think the last time Jeff got the numbers not Rachel was my 1st show on 5th May (he has done them in between
without giving Rachel a chance to say she has got it).

Matt Morrison wrote:

Adam Gillard wrote:Jeff is a genius.

Did you get that one Adam? I didn't.

Nope I had 1 away the other side from Mark.

She had to OUTRULE OUTRULE! Oh, the irony!

Matt Morrison wrote:She had to OUTRULE OUTRULE! Oh, the irony!

Jeff said a pun to that effect. Jeff is a genius.

Adam Gillard wrote:

Matt Morrison wrote:She had to OUTRULE OUTRULE! Oh, the irony!

Jeff said a pun to that effect. Jeff is a genius.

I'm not entirely sure that qualifies as genius. I think you'd be cleverer not to make that pun.

Deeks used the 6 Rachel said he couldn't have - he could have done (4 x 3) + 1 = 13

Matt Morrison wrote:Jeff starting with a lie there.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/csc/i.html?rt=nc& ... 86.c0.m283

What was the lie?

Mark's "that one" was funny. Reminiscent of Little Britain.

770 was pretty doable for one away - (8-1)*2+8 for the 22, x5 then x7

Jon O'Neill wrote:

Matt Morrison wrote:Jeff starting with a lie there.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/csc/i.html?rt=nc& ... 86.c0.m283

What was the lie?

No Countdown teapots have ever found their way onto eBay. With emphasis on NEVER and NOT ONE.

Very impressive Mark, especially your rapport with Jeff and Rachel. Entertaining stuff.

Great show today, lots of laughs.

Well done Mark, hard lines to David and well done to Jeff for 956, Rachel must do better though.

Why does winning the toss put you in the champion's chair? I would call that losing the toss - in the other seat
you get to choose two numbers, get a better view of Rachel, don't have a hot floor light just to your right,
and don't have Gloria Hunniford in dictionary corner saying words out loud during the 30 seconds (or was that just my experience).

Tony Atkins wrote:Why does winning the toss put you in the champion's chair? I would call that losing the toss - in the other seat
you get to choose two numbers, get a better view of Rachel, don't have a hot floor light just to your right,
and don't have Gloria Hunniford in dictionary corner saying words out loud during the 30 seconds (or was that just my experience).

The person who wins the toss gets to choose where they sit (normally the challenger's chair). It's just always announced as "x won the toss and is sitting in the champion's chair" for some reason.

R14: 8*8*(7+5)+2+1, unless I misread something.

Adam Gillard wrote:

Tony Atkins wrote:Why does winning the toss put you in the champion's chair? I would call that losing the toss - in the other seat
you get to choose two numbers, get a better view of Rachel, don't have a hot floor light just to your right,
and don't have Gloria Hunniford in dictionary corner saying words out loud during the 30 seconds (or was that just my experience).

The person who wins the toss gets to choose where they sit (normally the challenger's chair). It's just always announced as "x won the toss and is sitting in the champion's chair" for some reason.

When Nikki and I were being seated for tomorrow's game I pointed this out to Jay. Turns out that for the last three years Jeff thought they tossed for the champion's chair, and nobody had ever mentioned to him otherwise.

Graeme Cole wrote:

Adam Gillard wrote:

Tony Atkins wrote:Why does winning the toss put you in the champion's chair? I would call that losing the toss - in the other seat
you get to choose two numbers, get a better view of Rachel, don't have a hot floor light just to your right,
and don't have Gloria Hunniford in dictionary corner saying words out loud during the 30 seconds (or was that just my experience).

The person who wins the toss gets to choose where they sit (normally the challenger's chair). It's just always announced as "x won the toss and is sitting in the champion's chair" for some reason.

When Nikki and I were being seated for tomorrow's game I pointed this out to Jay. Turns out that for the last three years Jeff thought they tossed for the champion's chair, and nobody had ever mentioned to him otherwise.

Fail.

I think the higher seed should get to choose.

Mark was on fire, hardly missed anything. GARDENIAS was magnificent, I was sitting very contently with ARANEIDS!

Unfortunately for David, I think he's set a new record low for score in a finals match, with the previous being 35, so he's broken it by some distance.

Epic numbers solve by Jeff!

Chris Hare wrote:R14: 8*8*(7+5)+2+1, unless I misread something.

We all missed this. Too used to splitting the multiple. I worked it out during the outro, and said it to Rachel in case they wanted to do a retake with the solve in. She shouted "SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT" with that many I's in it. Pretty funny.

Incidentally, if you're wondering why I did what looks like a dick move and chose six small when miles in front, I have an excuse. I asked David what numbers he wanted, and he magnanimously said "choose whichever ones you feel you most need to practice." I asked if he was sure, and he said yes. So I did. Nice guy, he was indeed.

Mark Deeks wrote:

Chris Hare wrote:R14: 8*8*(7+5)+2+1, unless I misread something.

Incidentally, if you're wondering why I did what looks like a dick move and chose six small when miles in front, I have an excuse. I asked David what numbers he wanted, and he magnanimously said "choose whichever ones you feel you most need to practice." I asked if he was sure, and he said yes. So I did. Nice guy, he was indeed.

I thought it seemed like a strange decision but I can't really say anything as I went for four large myself with a 34 point lead. I was expecting you to go with four large like you did in the heats but I wonder if you were practising six small because you anticipated that you might come up against Graeme in the final?

Also the biggest difference between Apterous and Countdown is not the cameras, nor the prestige, but the doubt. I saw OUTSIDES and didn't go for it, because my brain was all like "nooooo, that's not a word, you just think it is cos INSIDES is." Them lights make you think weird.

I don't like four large and I seem to have completely forgotten how to do it since my heats.

Chris Hare wrote:R14: 8*8*(7+5)+2+1, unless I misread something.

No, that's how I did it. Surprised it was missed in the studio.

Just to add a nerdy touch, 2 finals records were set in this match.

The winning margin of 95 is the biggest in ANY finals match, and unsurprisingly, David's score of 21 is the lowest in a 15-round finals match, smashing the previous low of 35 set by Shane Roberts when he lost to Neil Zussman in S60. (Realised those records soon after Andy Platt showed me the notes in the pub the following night. )

ZLOTIES in round 2 and FEWEST in round 9.

Awesome show, for the standard of play, the Jeff numbers solve and the banter. Loved every minute of it

I got 956 as well

I was glad David eventually got some points, especially as he took his thrashing so well. Quality word choices and banter from Mark - really setting the standard for the other quarter finals there. Not really much else to say that hasn't been said... roll on the rest of the finals!

Just finished watching it again even tho I was in the audience, just quality play all the way and yeah, really funny stuff from all parties

First show I've seen in quite a few months, and it was fantastic. Well done to everyone involved!

Best "I've got a nine" look EVER.

Haha, great effort Graeme, that is just incredible.

Heh. Awesome. I was trying not to do the smugly-sit-back thing, but wasn't sure what to do instead. It seems that this was apparent

Andy Platt wrote:Haha, great effort Graeme, that is just incredible.

Seconded

In hindsight, should have done an awkward turtle.

Graeme Cole wrote:Best "I've got a nine" look EVER.

Quality, Graeme!

Graeme Cole wrote:Best "I've got a nine" look EVER.

Just got to see the recording. Great entertainment. I rewinded SKY+ at the time to see this look again but it doesn't quite capture the upward motion of the eyes as well as the left and right.

Even so, it's still great and I think Mark should use this as his avatar from now on.

I tried. It wouldn't let me.

So did Jeff actually get 956 himself? And well done Deeks. Perhaps you'll even overturn your losing record against me on Apterous one day.

(Also, I got 771 the sae way as Graeme and James, you losers.)

Gavin Chipper wrote:So did Jeff actually get 956 himself?

As far as I know, yes he did.

(Also, I got 771 the sae way as Graeme and James, you losers.)

I didn't get 771. I was dithering about at 774 or something.

Graeme Cole wrote:

Gavin Chipper wrote:So did Jeff actually get 956 himself?

As far as I know, yes he did.

(Also, I got 771 the sae way as Graeme and James, you losers.)

I didn't get 771. I was dithering about at 774 or something.

Oh yes - you made the post under the person who did.

So did Jeff actually get 956 himself?

During the break, I asked him if he got it through his earpiece. He was quite curt with his response; he said "NO, LOOK AT MY WORKING!", and showed me his working. I believe him. I like that guy.

Mark Deeks wrote:he said "NO, LOOK AT MY WORKING!", and showed me his working. I believe him. I like that guy.

That's exactly what they would have told him to say through his earpiece.

Mark Deeks wrote:Heh. Awesome. I was trying not to do the smugly-sit-back thing, but wasn't sure what to do instead. It seems that this was apparent

It seems the "don't do the smugly-sit-back thing" advice hasn't yet reached down under...

Graeme Cole wrote:

Mark Deeks wrote:Heh. Awesome. I was trying not to do the smugly-sit-back thing, but wasn't sure what to do instead. It seems that this was apparent

It seems the "don't do the smugly-sit-back thing" advice hasn't yet reached down under...

Nice one mate!

Actually when I was on I used the extra time to work out a second solution to every game (or tried to) to avoid all that annoying passing of papers for checking.

Graeme Cole wrote:

Mark Deeks wrote:Heh. Awesome. I was trying not to do the smugly-sit-back thing, but wasn't sure what to do instead. It seems that this was apparent

It seems the "don't do the smugly-sit-back thing" advice hasn't yet reached down under...

Christ. That's like awkward satire. I know Countdown over here has that lived-in familiar feel that it's hard for anyone else to rival, but surely they could at least license the music.

Graeme Cole wrote:

Mark Deeks wrote:Heh. Awesome. I was trying not to do the smugly-sit-back thing, but wasn't sure what to do instead. It seems that this was apparent

It seems the "don't do the smugly-sit-back thing" advice hasn't yet reached down under...

Thanks for posting this Graeme. it set me off on a load of googling. The challenger, Andrew Fisher, comes from Bramhall (Stockport) and about 15 years or so ago used to sing tenor in a choir I am involved with in Manchester. Very nice guy.

He won an unshown Countdown mini-series around then and was getting into scrabble seriously. He used to sit reading the scrabble word lists before rehearsals started and on the way to the pub afterwards he'd be unscrambling street names etc for valid words. (I'll bet Andy Platt wanders around the sidestreets doing just the same in his lunch hour now he can't get on Apterous all day).

I knew he'd moved south in the UK, but didn't realise he'd gone even further.

Keith Bennett wrote:unshown Countdown mini-series

Oh? Details!

You didn't need to go as far as Google, Keith. C4C has a search facility too!

Discussion: http://www.c4countdown.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=3572
Recap: http://www.c4countdown.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=5893 (including several posts by Andrew himself discussing the programme)

Cheers Matt hadn't seen that, though did pick up that he's been runner-up in the World Scrabble earlier this year.

Seems he won a "Masters" series which wasn't broadcast due to the Gulf War - remember him saying that at the time. Think he still got the standard dictionaries as the prize though. Er, and it seems my "15 years or so" was really 20. Streuth.

Actually it was probably through Andrew talking about that win that I first heard of Countdown because I was always at work when it was on and had no idea what was on daytime TV, and hadn't even got a video at that time.

Like I say, really nice guy, glad he's done so well.