Enjoy.
Countdown recap for Wednesday 16 February 2011.
C1: Champion Andy Campbell (2 wins, 168 points.) From Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland, which also happens to be his favourite place in the world, because everything he loves is there.
C2: Challenger Mark Jones. From Dublin, Republic of Ireland. He works as a cashier in a bookmakers. He's trying to get some of his writing published at the moment, mainly on films, sport and some poetry. He says the most dangerous thing he's ever done is taking part in a pancake eating contest in America with his brother, who won the contest, while Mark was throwing up.
DC: Susie Dent and Debra Stephenson.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: G R M D O E I T P
R02: N S C U O A N F H
R03: W G T E I A N M S
R04: X N P O E A Y S D
R05: 75, 8, 1, 2, 6, 9. Target: 303.
TTT: YOURBAND - "It's an eight that can also be a four or a six"
R06: L N R I O E T S D
R07: B T H O E D P I S
R08: M N T E U A M Q O
R09: N R T V I E A R C
R10: 75, 9, 8, 3, 7, 5. Target: 763.
TTT: INNERGIG - "The current champ of cats and dogs, perhaps?"
R11: S L R T U I A L R
R12: N G S E I E Z L P
R13: V R T U A K D E W
R14: 25, 4, 8, 10, 4, 9. Target: 828.
R15: F E E L L U G L Y (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: G R M D O E I T P
C1: GROPED (6)
C2: PODGIER (7)
DC: DIOPTRE (7) IMPORTED (8)
Score: 0–7 (max 8)
A not unhard eight is missed by the contestants, but Mark takes the early lead with his 7. Interestingly GEOMETRID would've been available if the last letter was an E.
Round 2: N S C U O A N F H
C1: -
C2: FOCUS (5)
DC: CHANSON (7)
OT: NONSUCH (7)
Score: 0–12 (max 15)
Andy blanks out here as DC find an impressive 7, which leads Debra into a song.
Round 3: W G T E I A N M S
C1: STEAMING (8)
C2: MANGIEST (8)
DC: SWEATING (8) GAMINES (7)
Score: 8–20 (max 23)
3 simple 8's. That'll do.
Round 4: X N P O E A Y S D
C1: EXPANDS (7)
C2: SPANDEX (7)
DC: DAPSONE (7)
OT: DYSPNOEA (8)
Score: 15–27 (max 31)
The darrenic 8 is missed, but everyone is happy with 7.
DYSPNOEA is difficult or laboured respiration.
Round 5: 75, 8, 1, 2, 6, 9. Target: 303.
C1: 303. ((8 / 2) x 75) + 9 - 6 (10)
C2: 303. ((8 / 2) x 75) + 9 - 6 (10)
Score: 25–37 (max 41)
Debra talks about how hard it was for her to count from 1 to 10, which leads Jeff to ask her to count from 1 to 10 in the voices of Anne Robinson, Janet Street-Porter, Victoria Wood, Fiona Bruce, Cilla Black and Dannii Minogue.
Teatime teaser: YOURBAND -> BOUNDARY
Round 6: L N R I O E T S D
C1: LOITERS (7)
C2: LOITERS (7)
DC: TENDRILS (8)
Score: 32–44 (max 49)
An A would've brought up the classic 3 9's of which ORIENTALS is one, but instead DC go darrenic, while the contestants get a 7 apiece.
Round 7: B T H O E D P I S
C1: DEPOSIT (7)
C2: DOPIEST (7)
DC: TOPSIDE (7) HOTBEDS (7) BOTHIES (7)
OT: BEDPOST (7) POSITED (7) HOISTED (7)
Score: 39–51 (max 56)
Pancake time
Round 8: M N T E U A M Q O
C1: AMOUNT (6)
C2: AMOUNT (6)
DC: MUM (3)
OT: MOMENTA (7) OMENTUM (7)
Score: 45–57 (max 63)
The contestants are sharing their AMOUNTs, as the 2 7's are left alone.
An OMENTUM is a fold of the peritoneum connecting the stomach and the abdominal viscera forming a protective and supportive covering.
Round 9: N R T V I E A R C
C1: CAVERN (6)
C2: TRAINER (7)
DC: CRETIN (6) CERTAIN (7) ERRATIC (7)
OT: TACRINE (7) RETRAIN (7) TERRAIN (7)
Score: 45–64 (max 70)
Mark goes further ahead with that 7. Is Andy's grip on the champions' chair starting to slip now
TACRINE is a drug that halts or reverses memory loss temporarily in some individuals with Alzheimer's disease, but does not alter the course of the disease.
Susie's Origins Of Words continues with the "common mistakes" theme, with the origin of "between you and I".
Round 10: 75, 9, 8, 3, 7, 5. Target: 763.
C1: -
C2: -
RR: 763. ((7 + 3) x 75) + 8 + 5 (10)
Score: 45–64 (max 80)
Ermmm,......... I think the surprise of the audience when both declare nothing, tells you all you need to know about this round. Still not quite as bad as that 850 miss from the last series.
Teatime teaser: INNERGIG -> REIGNING
Round 11: S L R T U I A L R
C1: RITUALS (7)
C2: TRAILS (6)
OT: RURALIST (8)
Score: 52–64 (max 88)
Another missed darren in the studio, but Mark's lead is snipped down to a dozen now.
Round 12: N G S E I E Z L P
C1: SLEEPING (8)
C2: PEELINGS (8)
Score: 60–72 (max 96)
Easy 8's. NEXT.....
Round 13: V R T U A K D E W
C1: RAKED (5)
C2: warted
DC: ADVERT (6)
Score: 65–72 (max 102)
Ooooh, that 6 didn't sound bad, but it's not in the dictionary, and now that the gap is down to 7, this last numbers has got very interesting all of a sudden.
Also a big surprise that ADVERT is the darren
Round 14: 25, 4, 8, 10, 4, 9. Target: 828.
C1: 832.
C2: 831. (25 x 4 x 8) + (10 x 4) - 9 (7)
RR: 828. ((25 x 4) - 8) x 9 (10)
Score: 65–79 (max 112)
And indeed the numbers does prove pivotal, as Mark gets one closer than Andy and the game is his.
Round 15: F E E L L U G L Y
C2 buzzes on 19.75 seconds to say GLEEFULLY which is correct.
Final Score: 65–89 (max 122)
I'm sure Andy doesn't feel ugly now with that conundrum solve. A very good finish and he goes through to tomorrow's game.
Also at the end, we're treated to more of Debra's 1 to 10 impressions, this time of Marilyn Monroe, Julie Walters and Lesley Garrett.
I'll be back tomorrow, so till then, bye bye.
Statistics Corner
Andy:
Total score - 65
Raw score - 84
Total % of max - 53
Raw % of max - 69
Total average score per round - 4.3
Raw average score per round - 5.6
Number of maxes - 4
Mark:
Total score - 89
Raw score - 95
Total % of max - 73
Raw % of max - 78
Total average score per round - 5.9
Raw average score per round - 6.3
Number of maxes - 6
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=64
(That's if there is even going to be one. 
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