Monday 12th September 2011 (Series 65, Prelim 51)

[Ryan Taylor]

Countdown recap for Monday 12 September 2011.

C1: Champion Carl Williams (4 wins, 368 points.)
C2: Challenger Campbell Ure.
DC: Susie Dent and Paul Zenon.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: D T P S I A E N I
R02: H N G A E A D T E
R03: S Y O S D J U A N
R04: R S M E O U E R M
R05: 8, 6, 2, 7, 4, 10. Target: 856.
TTT: MEABSENT - "It's where you might find bargains below stairs perhaps"
R06: N G L P A I E A T
R07: R W N I E A Z F G
R08: H O E P B L A I V
R09: E N A T E L N D S
R10: 6, 8, 8, 7, 9, 1. Target: 258.
TTT: SATDRANK - "Sat and drank a few of these filled with beer"
R11: M O T U E S Q C V
R12: W R T O A E R O L
R13: E S I B R O D R I
R14: 75, 6, 5, 9, 1, 1. Target: 985.
R15: H I S P A N I C Y (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Carl Williams has so far caused a bit of controversy amongst some c4cers but he has managed 4 wins so far which he deserves some credit for. He is of course from Burton-on-Trent and works as a solutions consultant for the NHS. He does enjoy a bit of weightlifting too and as such has done some work with Derrick Evans AKA Mr. Motivator.

Campbell Ure joins us from Scotland and is a proud father of 3. He works as an improvement manager for a firm and is into adrenaline sports. He once did a skydive but told his wife that he was in fact playing rounders. Naughty.

Enjoy the show.

Round 1: D T P S I A E N I

C1: PAINTED (7)
C2: PASTED (6)
DC: PEDANTS (7) PIANIST (7) DAINTIES (8)
Score: 7–0 (max 8)

Not a good opening round by Campbell as there were certainly a fair few 7's to go at (SAPIENT, PANTIES, STAINED, DETAINS etc.). DC though are on form and pick out a darrenic 8 which I always think is a tough one to spot.

Round 2: H N G A E A D T E

C1: NEGATED (7)
C2: HANGED (6)
DC: TEAHEAD (7)
OT: ENDGATE (7) HEADAGE (7) THANAGE (7)
Score: 14–0 (max 15)

Again Campbell declares a 6 and is once more trumped by Carl's 7. DC don't get TEAHEAD during this round but Susie mentions about compound words with HEAD and so in the next round we hear Paul and Susie reveal TEAHEAD which is apparently just like a POTHEAD.

Round 3: S Y O S D J U A N

C1: SOUNDS (6)
C2: SANDS (5)
OT: SYNODS (6) UNSAYS (6)
Score: 20–0 (max 21)

Carls goes one better than Campbell for the third time in a row but Campbell is taking it all in good spirit despite being sat on 0.

Round 4: R S M E O U E R M

C1: murmors
C2: SUMMER (6)
DC: REMORSE (7)
OT: RUMMERS (7)
Score: 20–6 (max 28)

OK. I didn't actually see the fudging by Carl last week but this was pretty dodgy. Just before he declares you see his eyes make a shifty glance and then he comes out with "murmurs". When asked to spell it by Susie he stutters further and starts reading it from the screen. If you can't fudge well then don't fudge at all. Wait. That's not right is it? I mean don't fudge ever ¬_¬

Round 5: 8, 6, 2, 7, 4, 10. Target: 856.

C1: 856. ((6+4)*10+7)*8 (10)
C2: -
Score: 30–6 (max 38)

An easy 6 small in my opinion (and I'm shit at 6 small) but Campbell just doesn't really see the trick with this one. Carl gets it though, however, controversy again as he says "plus 8" rather than "plus 7" to which Rachel prompts him to correct himself. I think Rachel should just write out exactly what the contestant says and if the calculation is wrong at the end then no points should be awarded. It would be OK for them to realise quickly if they made a mistake but Rachel shouldn't be prompting them.

Paul Zenon performs a trick with a bowling ball although you can certainly see how this one was done. Not one of his finest. And the fact that he should have bought a new marker pen! Did he put it in his top pocket with the nib faced down without the cap on? Outrageous!

Teatime teaser: MEABSENT -> BASEMENT

Round 6: N G L P A I E A T

C1: PEALING (7)
C2: PLEATING (8)
DC: PALATINE (8) PAGINATE (8)
OT: ALGINATE (8)
Score: 30–14 (max 46)

Interesting now as Campbell finds a lifeline after Carl misses the biggest -ING.

Round 7: R W N I E A Z F G

C1: warfine
C2: WEARING (7)
DC: FEARING (7)
OT: WAFERING (8)
Score: 30–21 (max 54)

Ugh this is pretty horrible too as this nonsense word from Carl seems to Susie to be a confusion of warfarin (blood thinner). He then says "so it's definitely not a word then?".

Round 8: H O E P B L A I V

C1: VIOLA (5)
C2: VIABLE (6)
OT: HAVELI (6) OBELIA (6) PHOBIA (6)
Score: 30–27 (max 60)

This is awesome. Campbell is making a right fight of this and has won his 3rd round in a row to close the scores back to almost level. Woop woop.

Round 9: E N A T E L N D S

C1: SLANTED (7)
C2: SLANTED (7)
OT: DELATES (7) DENTALS (7) ENNEADS (7) LATEENS (7) LEANEST (7) NEATENS (7) NESTLED (7) STANDEE (7)
Score: 37–34 (max 67)

And for the first time in this third, Carl increases his score but Campbell remains with him.

Susie's Words: Marjorie Jackson in Taunton asks: "Why do we call the last chance a 'last ditch' attempt?" Apparently this has it's roots in military battles.

Round 10: 6, 8, 8, 7, 9, 1. Target: 258.

C1: -
C2: -
RR: 258. (8*7-1)*6-8*9 (10) *
Score: 37–34 (max 77)

A lowish numbers target bypasses absolutely everyone and so as this 2nd third closes we have a pretty interesting contest poised nicely despite the low scoring.

* Rachel manages to come up with this solve after the break and admits it certainly was "tricky".

Teatime teaser: SATDRANK -> TANKARDS

Round 11: M O T U E S Q C V

C1: QUEST (5)
C2: QUEST (5)
DC: COSTUME (7)
Score: 42–39 (max 84)

I feel the urge to point out that you could get MUSCOVITE in Touchdown for this round! Carl sticks with his 5 but I reckon he might have had MOSQUE written down which would have been fine.

Round 12: W R T O A E R O L

C1: TRAWLER (7)
C2: TRAWLER (7)
DC: REALTOR (7)
OT: RELATOR (7)
Score: 49–46 (max 91)

Yep, these 3 all jumped out really and it's no surprise that both contestants get it. Campbell is playing with far more confidence now and he is still hot on Carl's heels.

Round 13: E S I B R O D R I

C1: BODIES (6)
C2: DRIERS (6)
DC: DISROBE (7) BORDERS (7) BIRDIES (7)
OT: BIRDERS (7) BORIDES (7) BRIDIES (7)
Score: 55–52 (max 98)

I take that back as both of them only get 6's in a pretty generous round. Now, I hope Campbell doesn't go for 6 small numbers again as that would be a poor tactic.

Round 14: 75, 6, 5, 9, 1, 1. Target: 985.

C1: 988. (9+5-1)*(75+1) (7)
C2: 982. (9+5-1)*75+6+1 (7)
RR: 984. (6+5+1+1)*75+9 (7)
Score: 62–59 (max 105)

These numbers have been horrible today but I'm glad that we do have a crucial conundrum on our hands. The target was not possible and Rachel managed the best here.

Round 15: H I S P A N I C Y

No one buzzes. The answer was PHYSICIAN.
Final Score: 62–59 (max 115)

Booo! This is a bit annoying when tricky-ish conundrums are put in heats. What happened to putting -INGs and IESTs in the heats! Anyway, Carl wins and there's just time ofr him to make a bit of a dick head remark by saying that he was just keeping the people at home on their toes. Of course he is joking and that although it still sounds pretty disrespectful to Campbell who performed admirably after the first interval onwards. So it is looking more and more likely that Carl will be at the finals in November now (broadcast December).

That's the recap done for another week (and all done before Deal or No Deal has even started!). If you like you can watch me on ITV1 at 5pm, but you don't have to if you don't like, I won't force you. (But I will hunt you down if you don't).

Bye!

Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=65

[Adam Gillard]

If you like you can watch me on ITV1 at 5pm, but you don't have to if you don't like, I won't force you. (But I will hunt you down if you don't)

Quote from http://www.tvguide.co.uk/ listing for Coach Trip at the same time on C4: "Brendan Sheerin sends the tourists to a pretzel factory in Germany, where some of the travellers make risque snacks. Meanwhile, inappropriate remarks prove costly for one couple at voting time"

Oooh, never watched Coach Trip before, but "pretzel factory", "risque snacks" and "inappropriate remarks" sounds like an unmissable combination. Sorry Ryan.