It's Friday, and who's going to have either a comfortable cushion over the weekend and one eye on octochampdom or a new spot of blood in the can?
MC: Champion Matt Croy (5 wins, 448 points.)
AH: Challenger Andrew Halliburton. Passed his standard grade when we was 11.
DC: Susie Dent and Tim Vine.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
DOM: Darren-o-meter (number of darrens)
DC Max: If DC, RR or the contestants were right every time.....
R01: R S I D E A T U U
R02: S N G I E I N A R
R03: T E M O N E A L O
R04: G R S I E R U M T
R05: 25, 2, 3, 9, 4, 7. Target: 118.
TTT: NICEGIRL - "The nice girl doesn't want to let go of you."
R06: S D T I O E W K O
R07: L S A J E O R T I
R08: N P G A E I R H T
R09: S D A I L U D O T
R10: 100, 50, 25, 1, 10, 10. Target: 805.
TTT: IVYROADS - "It's about recommendation, not enforcement."
R11: S W A O X U N U T
R12: Q V N E A E D H P
R13: M P O N E I C E B
R14: 25, 50, 75, 6, 7, 9. Target: 158.
R15: M Y Q U A R T E R (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy this vaguely important show.
Round 1: R S I D E A T U U
MC: RAISED (6)
AH: TIRADES (7)
DC: RESIDUA (7)
OT: ASTRIDE (7) AUTEURS (7) DISRATE (7) DUSTIER (7) STAIDER (7) SUTURED (7)
DOM: 0
Score: 0–7 (max 7, DC Max 7)
Matt hasn't RAISED his authority over Andrew, so Andrew's in TIRADES.
Round 2: S N G I E I N A R
MC: GRANNIES (8)
AH: ASININE (7)
DC: ERASING (7)
OT: ARGININE (8) EARNINGS (8) ENGRAINS (8) INGRAINS (8) RESINING (8) SIRENIAN (8)
DOM: 0
Score: 8–7 (max 15, DC Max 15)
Something a bit scripted happens now - the champion takes his customary lead.
Round 3: T E M O N E A L O
MC: OMENTAL (7)
AH: LAMENT (6)
DC: MOONLET (7)
OT: TELAMON (7)
DOM: 0
Score: 15–7 (max 22, DC Max 22)
O Mental.
(See what I did there? Well actually Viney did it.)
Round 4: G R S I E R U M T
MC: MUSTIER (7)
AH: MUSTIER (7)
OT: GUSTIER (7) GUTSIER (7) RUSTIER (7) TRIMERS (7)
DOM: 0
Score: 22–14 (max 29, DC Max 29)
Flat. Despite mustering up all their efforts, it comes to no avail.
Round 5: 25, 2, 3, 9, 4, 7. Target: 118.
MC: 118. (25 x 4) + (9 + 7 + 2) (10)
AH: 118. (25 x 4) + (9 x 2) (10)
Score: 32–24 (max 39, DC Max 39)
Small target and easily cracked.
I think it's time for a STATS UPDATE:
One of the contestants has scored the max in every round so far.
That's about it.
Tim plays 3 songs on his keyboard:
My mother speaks like this (very high pitched)
My father speaks like this (very low pitched)
So I speak like this
Which can be rather embarrassing.
"Ode to my Girlfriend's mother."
Ode to my girlfriend's mother
Ten Thousand Pounds.
"Countdown"
Countdown
Thrills me to bits
With its hundreds of letters
Well, 26.
But the best thing about
This word-based show
Are the variety of people you meet
In this studio.
First there's the audience;
They sit miles away
With their pads on their laps.
A mixture of friendly-looking grannies
And some scary-looking chaps.
Then there's the contestants -
They're highly intelligent
And occasionally odd.
They never say short words like,
"Well, I've got COD."
Then there's Susie;
She stresses the importance
Of the root of a word
Like why lemon jam
Is called lemon curd.
Then there's Rachel;
Without any doubt
She's a mathematical hero.
Say "71 times nought"
And she'll say "zero."
Then there's Jeff.
Teatime teaser: NICEGIRL -> "The nice girl doesn't want to let go of you."
Answer: CLINGIER
Round 6: S D T I O E W K O
MC: WOODIEST (8)
AH: stookied
DOM: 1
Score: 40–24 (max 47, DC Max 47)
FINALLY! A Darren comes up.
Round 7: L S A J E O R T I
MC: JAILERS (7)
AH: REALIST (7)
DC: ORALIST (7)
OT: ISOLATE (7) JOLTIER (7) LOITERS (7) OSTERIA (7) RETAILS (7) SALTIER (7) SALTIRE (7) TAILORS (7) TOILERS (7)
DOM: 1
Score: 47–31 (max 54, DC Max 54)
Andrew is starting to become a realist because he is starting to run out of time....
Round 8: N P G A E I R H T
MC: EARTHING (8)
AH: HEARTING (8)
DC: TAPERING (8)
OT: GRAPHITE (8) INGATHER (8) PERIANTH (8)
DOM: 1
Score: 55–39 (max 62, DC Max 62)
Ouch! That's a bit eighty.
Round 9: S D A I L U D O T
MC: OUTSAIL (7)
AH: OUTSAIL (7)
OT: DUALIST (7)
DOM: 1
Score: 62–46 (max 69, DC Max 69)
So, each one ties to outsail each other but they don't.
Susie talks about long words.... but not PNEUMONOULTRAMICROSCOPICSILICOVOLCANOCONIOSIS.
Round 10: 100, 50, 25, 1, 10, 10. Target: 805.
MC: 815.
AH: 809. (10 - (50 / 25)) x 100 + (10 - 1) (7)
RR: 802. (7)
OT: 808. (100 + 1) x (10 - (50 / 25)) (7)
Score: 62–53 (max 76, DC Max 76)
Impossible numbers suits Andrew and he's suddenly back in it!
Teatime teaser: IVYROADS -> "It's about recommendation, not enforcement."
Answer: ADVISORY
Round 11: S W A O X U N U T
MC: WANTS (5)
AH: TOWNS (5)
OT: AUNTS (5) AUTOS (5) AXONS (5) NUTSO (5) SANTO (5) SNOUT (5) TANSU (5) TAXON (5) TONUS (5) TUANS (5) TUNAS (5) WONTS (5)
DOM: 1
Score: 67–58 (max 81, DC Max 81)
Flat five. Andrew needs 10 point more than Matt to win with 4 rounds to go.
Round 12: Q V N E A E D H P
MC: HEAPED (6)
AH: HEAVEN (6)
OT: DAPHNE (6) HEAVED (6) NEAPED (6) PEAHEN (6)
DOM: 1
Score: 73–64 (max 87, DC Max 87)
Flat 6 but Andrew still needs 10 points more than Matt to win the game, 3 rounds to go.
Round 13: M P O N E I C E B
MC: COMBINE (7)
AH: COMBINE (7)
DC: INCOME (6)
DOM: 2
Score: 80–71 (max 94, DC Max 94)
Studio on for a max here, as the contestants COMBINE. Meanwhile DC harvest the INCOME. And yes, that was mine.
Round 14: 25, 50, 75, 6, 7, 9. Target: 158.
MC: 158. 75 + 50 + 25 + (9 - (7 - 6)) (10)
AH: 158. (9 - 7) x 75 + (50 / 25) + 2 (10)
Score: 90–81 (max 104, DC Max 104)
It's gonna go all the way......
Round 15:
M Y Q U A R T E R
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23 (At this point My Mum gets it.)
24
25
26
27 (At this point I get it.)
28
29
BUZZ
It's Andrew. On 29.5 seconds.
MARQUETRY.
Which is....
Correct.
Final Score: 90–91 (max 114, DC Max 114)
Then, Jeff goes up to Rachel wearing some tights for "Wrong Trousers Day." And he donates £1. Ah well. If your TV has a live pause feature, please use it now.
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=65
http://wiki.apterous.org/Episode_5293
