Enjoy.
Countdown recap for Monday 28 March 2011.
C1: Champion Rhonda Holden (1 win, 68 points.) Originally from County Antrim, Northern Ireland, but now lives in Bolton, Lancashire. The most daring thing she has ever done was snorkelling with turtles and dolphins on her honeymoon in Hawaii, despite not being able to swim
C2: Challenger Len Bryon. From Pendlebury, . He has been an air traffic controller in the RAF, a bricklayer and has been an accountant. He enjoys fishing, DIY and karaoke, which Rhonda also likes as well we are told. Interestingly, he lives in Bulgaria for most of the year. Quite a trip just to appear on Countdown!
DC: Susie Dent and Paul Zenon.
RR: Rachel Riley, who Jeff compared to Lady GaGa at the beginning of the programme. At least our Rach has a much better dress sense, as well as bundles more talent too.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: G T R E I B C O U
R02: T N Y A I E D N I
R03: S D R A E L R O E
R04: C V J A E A N D U
R05: 75, 100, 5, 2, 8, 9. Target: 445.
TTT: SILENCER - "Lies back and thinks about Patsy and Calvin, perhaps?"
R06: W F N E I E Q L A
R07: R E A D T O S X E
R08: T K R I A E P C T
R09: N M G A E O Z R E
R10: 100, 3, 7, 5, 2, 8. Target: 184.
TTT: SADANGLE - "This strange looking beast has got the hump"
R11: S H U O E V P S M
R12: D G N U O I M P T
R13: L S L U E H T M U
R14: 75, 5, 5, 3, 6, 7. Target: 181.
R15: M A S T E R S I M (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
Enjoy the show.
Round 1: G T R E I B C O U
C1: GROUT (5)
C2: GROUT (5)
DC: GOUTIER (7)
OT: BRUCITE (7)
Score: 5–5 (max 7)
A tricky start here, as DC go for the disgusting sounding GOUTIER for 7, maybe they should've gone EROTIC instead.
BRUCITE is a mineral, magnesium hydroxide, Mg(OH)2, occurring in tabular, foliated crystals, it's used in magnesia refractories.
Round 2: T N Y A I E D N I
C1: DETAIN (6)
C2: TANNED (6)
DC: NINETY (6) INANITY (7)
Score: 11–11 (max 14)
A very tricky round again, but DC excel by finding the darrenic 7.
Round 3: S D R A E L R O E
C1: LEADERS (7)
C2: RELOADS (7)
DC: DEALERS (7) LOADERS (7) ORDEALS (7) reloaders
OT: RELEASOR (8) SOLDERER (8)
Score: 18–18 (max 22)
More 7's around, as the two 8's are missed. Weirdly RELEASOR(S) was spotted by DC last time Paul was here, during the series finals back in December. A bit of memory loss methinks.
Round 4: C V J A E A N D U
C1: caven
C2: DANCE (5)
DC: ADVANCE (7)
Score: 18–23 (max 29)
As Len starts to annoy with his irritating method of picking his 2nd letter before Rachel even announces the firs one, but in scoring terms, DC ADVANCE with the darren, but Len also advances by DANCE, as Rhonda gets stuck in her misspelt CAVErN.
Round 5: 75, 100, 5, 2, 8, 9. Target: 445.
C1: 445. ((8 - 2) x 75) - 5 (10)
C2: 446.
Score: 28–23 (max 39)
But Len's advantage immediately becomes a deficit, as he misses the relatively straightforward numbers.
Paul amazes us with a magic trick involving some cards, numbers, symbols and trying to double bluff all the antagonists in the studio.
Teatime teaser: SILENCER -> RECLINES
Round 6: W F N E I E Q L A
C1: LEAF (4)
C2: weanie
DC: FELINE (6)
OT: ALEWIFE (7)
Score: 32–23 (max 46)
Len wasn't too far away with weanie, as WIENIE exists, although it's not in the selection, but an impressive darren is missed by all this time.
An ALEWIFE is a North American fish, Alosa pseudoharengus, resembling a small shad.
Round 7: R E A D T O S X E
C1: retreads
C2: SORTED (6)
DC: EXTRADOS (8)
OT: DEXTROSE (8)
Score: 32–29 (max 54)
Just as you think that Rhonda is about to take control of the game, she uses a phantom 2nd R and the gap suddenly shrinks back to 3 points.
Round 8: T K R I A E P C T
C1: CATTIER (7)
C2: tricept
DC: PICRATE (7)
OT: CITRATE (7) PARETIC (7) PARTITE (7) PRICKET (7) TACKIER (7) TRACKIE (7)
Score: 39–29 (max 61)
A weird round as Len declares 6, then declares an incorrect 7
Either way, Rhonda gets the 7 points, putting her lead up to 10.Round 9: N M G A E O Z R E
C1: gonner
C2: ORANGE (6)
DC: GERMANE (7)
OT: MEGARON (7)
Score: 39–35 (max 68)
This game is turning into a well weird see-saw game. Now it's Rhonda's turn to misspell a word, and Len is back in the game again.
Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the origin of "upshot", which led to the phrase, "parting shot".
Round 10: 100, 3, 7, 5, 2, 8. Target: 184.
C1: 184. (2 x 5 x 8) + 100 + 7 - 3 (10)
C2: 184. (2 x 5 x 8) + 100 + 7 - 3 (10)
Score: 49–45 (max 78)
The contestants decide to go round the houses, but 10 points are 10 points, and this game is delicately poised as we head into the 3rd half.....
Teatime teaser: SADANGLE -> SELADANG
Round 11: S H U O E V P S M
C1: SHOVES (6)
C2: HOUSES (6)
DC: SPOUSE (6) POSSUM (6) MOSHES (6)
OT: MOUSES (6) MOUSSE (6) MUSHES (6) OPUSES (6) POSHES (6) PUSHES (6) SHMOES (6) SPUMES (6) SUMPHS (6)
Score: 55–51 (max 84)
PANCAKE TIME!!!
A SHMO (or SCHMO) is a foolish, boring, or stupid person.
To SPUME is to eject or discharge as or like foam or froth.
Round 12: D G N U O I M P T
C1: POUTING (7)
C2: DUMPING (7)
DC: IMPOUND (7) IMPUGN (6)
RR: GUMPTION (8)
OT: UPDOMING (8)
Score: 62–58 (max 92)
Rachel takes the plaudits with her impressive 8, while the contestants spot the obvious -ING 7's.
Round 13: L S L U E H T M U
C1: SLEUTH (6)
C2: HUSTLE (6)
DC: MULLETS (7)
OT: MUTUELS (7) MUTULES (7)
Score: 68–64 (max 99)
While DC go for the fishy haircut, the contestants make do with their 6's, meaning that this last numbers game could be very crucial indeed.....
Round 14: 75, 5, 5, 3, 6, 7. Target: 181.
C1: 182. Mistake in working.
C2: 180. ((5 - 3) x 75) + (6 x 5) (7)
RR: 181. ((75 / 3) x 7) + 6 (10)
Score: 68–71 (max 109)
Indeed it is, as Len takes the lead for the first time since round 4, as Rhonda might wish to replace her outburst of "Oh, Sugar!", to "Oh, something else"...
Round 15: M A S T E R S I M
C1 buzzes on 27.5 seconds to say STREAMISM which is incorrect.
C2 does not buzz.
The answer was SMARMIEST.
Final Score: 68–71 (max 119)
Like on Friday, Rhonda buzzes in late, and like on Friday, declares the wrong answer, and also like Friday, Rhonda finishes with 68 points, but unlike Friday, shw isn't the winner.
Meaning that almost out of nowhere, Len has somehow managed to win today's game, but there were mistakes aplenty today, leading to a pretty disappointing spectacle in truth. We're not even treated to a little mini trickette by Paul at the end
But, nevertheless, Len is the champ, and if he stops interrupting Rachel during his letter selections, he might improve a bit.
I'll be back on Wednesday, but I'll leave you in the "capable" hands of Rhys Benjamin tomorrow.
So till then, bye bye.
Statistics Corner
Rhonda:
Total score - 68
Raw score - 68
Total % of max - 57
Raw % of max - 57
Total average score per round - 4.5
Raw average score per round - 4.5
Number of maxes - 4
Len:
Total score - 71
Raw score - 78
Total % of max - 60
Raw % of max - 66
Total average score per round - 4.7
Raw average score per round - 5.2
Number of maxes - 2
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=64