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00:30Good afternoon and welcome to the Countdown Studio.
00:33Now, I read a report recently that come Christmas Day, it'll be 60 years since PG Tips ran that series
00:42of advertisements,
00:43well, started running the series, actually, of the chimpanzees dressed up as people.
00:48Of course, a huge hit in their day, but times have changed, quite rightly too.
00:51And I began to think, well, what else has changed?
00:54You certainly couldn't have animals like that behaving in that way or being featured in that way.
00:59But what else has changed? What else can't we do?
01:02But I remember, I mean, we used to take risks.
01:04My mother, when we were very young, used to spend quite a lot of time up trees.
01:09She loved climbing trees.
01:11Now, of course, she'd be in prison for, you know, bad parenting, probably.
01:14Well, you used to just be able to make cakes with a bake sale and go in and sell them
01:17for, you know, 20p for charity.
01:19And my mum, because she's a charity fundraiser, she had to get £10 million liability insurance to sell cakes at
01:24the town hall for charity.
01:26Is that right?
01:26Things like that that have changed that you just don't need.
01:28No risks anymore, Rachel, no risks.
01:30Who's with us?
01:31Richard Hayward's here.
01:33Took a few risks, as it were, last Thursday.
01:35But you came through, you won.
01:37And here you are.
01:38You beat Ben.
01:39Well done.
01:39A chance to counter from Stockport.
01:42And you're joined today by Andrew Welch, an English teacher from Stockport.
01:47So, Stockport's well represented here.
01:50Hobbies include weightlifting and rock climbing.
01:53Weightlifting.
01:54Now, do you do it competitively or is this just for fun in the gym to keep fit?
01:58Not at all, Nick.
02:00I just like to go to the gym three times a week, lift a few weights.
02:04So, lots of fun and a good way to keep fit.
02:06And what sort of weight?
02:07I mean, you've got the one where, is it called dead weight, where you lift it off the ground?
02:12Dead lifting.
02:12Dead lifting.
02:13Yes.
02:14And what sort of weight can you lift?
02:15Your body weight or more or twice as much?
02:19Slightly more.
02:20Yeah.
02:20A lot.
02:21That's good.
02:22Not a huge amount.
02:23You increase the load every time you go.
02:24Are you building up a...
02:26I try to.
02:27That's the idea.
02:27It doesn't always work out that way, though.
02:29All right.
02:30Big round of applause for Andrew and Richard.
02:36Daniel's in the corner.
02:37Susie, of course.
02:38And he's surely one of the world's greatest lyricists.
02:40When it comes to words of his songs, we know them so well.
02:45It's multi-award winner Tim Rice.
02:47Tim, welcome back.
02:48Thank you very much, Annick.
02:49Now, Richard, let's have a letters game, shall we?
02:52Hi, Rachel.
02:52Hi, Richard.
02:53Could I start with a vowel, please?
02:55Start the week with A.
02:57And another.
02:59E.
03:00And another.
03:02I.
03:03And another.
03:05E.
03:05And a consonant.
03:07N.
03:09And another.
03:10S.
03:12And another.
03:14K.
03:16And another.
03:18S.
03:19And another consonant, please.
03:21And lastly, H.
03:23And here's the countdown clock.
03:26The.
03:45And another.
03:54S.
03:55It's a synony.
03:56It's a synony.
03:56Richard six six Andrew seven Richard shines and hankies hankies yep hankies
04:07are there yep hankies fantastic and the else in there nothing better than hankies
04:12no completely yes in front of it either so seven for us was the best thank you
04:17all right seven points to Andrew and it's Andrew's letters game now hi
04:22Rachel Andrew I'll start with a consonant please thank you start with d and
04:29another zed and another n and another d the vowel hi another vowel you a
04:46consonant n a vowel e and consonant and lastly why stand by
05:01so
05:32five Richard try six okay Andrew Donnie yes
05:39the dummy and same word different spelling all right we can have it both ways so
05:46you're spending it IE no that would be the plural IES but unfortunately has to be
05:54the y in the singular sorry okay bad luck on the dunny what have we got there well we've
06:00got dund I wasn't sure if that meant anything do you double n e d yeah quite an
06:05old verb to done is to make persistent demands on someone especially for payment
06:09of a debt actually goes back to a nickname from the 17th century Dunkirk privateer
06:16uh so a sort of a nasty nickname for a debt collector yes interesting all right thank you
06:2212 points to Andrew and it's Richard's numbers game Richard uh six more please thank you Richard
06:28six little ones try claw back some points early doors and these six more ones are one six two eight
06:36five and three and the target 117 one one seven
07:15Richard uh 117 and and 117 thank you Richard eight plus two is ten eight plus two ten uh six
07:26plus five
07:26is eleven yep multiply them together 110 have the eight take away the one you've already used the eight
07:34I'm afraid Richard sorry bad luck let's turn to Andrew uh eight plus three is 11 yep uh five times
07:45two
07:45is ten it is times them together 110 six plus a one is seven you've got those left over well
07:52done
07:52lovely well done well done well done Andrew Wills
07:5920 points as we turn to our first uh tea time teaser which is Dent Peace
08:05and the clue if Susie did a piece on this it might be called Origins of Worms
08:11if Susie did a piece on this it might be called Origins of Worms
08:30welcome back welcome back welcome back I left you with the clue if Susie did a piece on this it
08:35might be called Origins of Worms and the answer is centipede Susie centipede so there we are
08:43twenty two points to Andrew Richard you have to score that's a surprise Andrew let us get
08:50a consonant please thank you Andrew T and a consonant B and the vowel O and another vowel E
09:05consonant B and a final consonant B and a final R
09:26counton
09:28count on
10:00Andrew?
10:02Just a six.
10:03A six.
10:04Richard?
10:04A six.
10:06Yes, Andrew.
10:08Reboots?
10:09Richard?
10:10Same word, reboot.
10:11There we go.
10:12Just show that to Andrew as we turn to the corner.
10:15Now, Tim and Susie.
10:17Well, stand by to be amazed.
10:19We've got a seven.
10:22Overtop.
10:23To overtop something?
10:25Yes.
10:25Yes, to exceed in height.
10:27So, no building's allowed to overtop the cathedral, for example.
10:31Or it can be used for a liquid in a, you know, in a vessel that is exceeding the height
10:36and pouring over.
10:37Overtop.
10:39Well done.
10:4028 plays six.
10:41And it's Richard's letters game.
10:44Richard?
10:45A vowel, please.
10:46Thank you, Richard.
10:47I.
10:48And another.
10:50U.
10:50And another.
10:52E.
10:54And another.
10:55I.
10:56And a consonant.
10:58N.
11:00Another consonant.
11:01T.
11:02And another.
11:04L.
11:06And another.
11:08N.
11:10And another consonant, please.
11:11And, to finish, D.
11:14And the clock starts now.
11:34And another consonant, please.
11:35And another consonant, please.
11:35And another consonant, please.
11:35And another consonant, please.
11:35And another consonant, please.
11:35And another consonant, please.
11:35And another consonant, please.
11:36And another consonant, please.
11:36And another consonant, please.
11:36And another consonant, please.
11:37And another consonant, please.
11:38And another consonant, please.
11:38And another consonant, please.
11:39And another consonant, please.
11:42And another consonant, please.
11:47Richard?
11:48Six.
11:48A six.
11:49Andrew, I'll try a sudden.
11:52Richard?
11:53Tinned.
11:54And untiled?
11:58Untiled?
12:00Oh, really unlucky.
12:02Not all the un-words can be in, and that's not in, I'm afraid.
12:07Sorry.
12:08Bad luck, Andrew.
12:09What is in, I wonder?
12:10Tim and Susie.
12:12Unlined.
12:12Unlined, yes.
12:13Unlined.
12:14Yes.
12:15Unlined skin, unlined paper.
12:16Yep.
12:17And diluent is there as well, which is a substance used to dilute another substance.
12:22Diluent, yeah.
12:2428 plays 12.
12:25Richard creeping up there.
12:26It's Andrew's numbers game now.
12:29Andrew?
12:30I will have one large and the rest small, please, Rachel.
12:34Thank you, Andrew.
12:35One from the top row.
12:36Five little ones.
12:37And for this numbers round, the small ones are five, three, four, six.
12:43Six and ten.
12:44And the big one, 100.
12:46And the target to reach?
12:48333.
12:49Three, three, three.
12:51Three.
12:51Two.
12:53Downtown!
12:54Two.
12:55Three.
12:57Three.
12:57Three.
12:58Three.
13:05Two.
13:08Two.
13:09Two.
13:13One.
13:14Four.
13:22Andrew?
13:243-3-4, not written down.
13:28Richard?
13:293-3-3.
13:30Thank you, Richard.
13:32100 plus 10 is 110 times by 3.
13:363-3-3.
13:386 minus 5 is 1.
13:39Take that off the 4 and add that on.
13:43And you haven't used any of those.
13:44Perfect. 3-3-3.
13:45Well done.
13:49So, we're clambering back 22 to Andrew's 28.
13:53As we turn to Tim.
13:55And Tim, you're up to something.
13:58You're writing lyrics for a new film.
14:00Well, I've just finished for a new Disney movie, Beauty and the Beast.
14:05And that's been done before as an animated film.
14:08And this is what's known in the trade as a live action film.
14:11So, you have real actors, not just doing the voices as they would in an animated film, but also doing...
14:18You actually see them.
14:19Although, Dan Stevens, of Downton Abbey fame and Broadway fame, he's the Beast and he's brilliant.
14:28But you might not recognise Dan because there's so much beastly stuff added to him.
14:34He's quite a good-looking guy.
14:35In our class, really, in that department.
14:40But it kind of works beautifully.
14:43I mean, his character...
14:45I mean, you fall in love with the Beast, which is the point of the story.
14:48And it was often quite difficult in the stage version of the show when the Beast at the end was
14:54turned back into this handsome prince.
14:57You tend to think, actually, I think I preferred him as the Beast.
15:01But Dan manages somehow to make you love him whether he's the Beast or he's the handsome prince.
15:08In fact, you don't like him to begin with because he's a pretty nasty handsome prince.
15:11And then Emma Watson's in it, Ian McKellen.
15:14It's a pretty good line-up.
15:15And Alan Menken and I have written three new songs for it.
15:19So that comes out in March.
15:22Excellent stuff.
15:23Lovely.
15:24Well done.
15:25Thank you, Tim.
15:29Now, 28th place, Richard's 22.
15:33And it's Richard's Letters again.
15:34Richard.
15:35A vowel, please.
15:37Thank you, Richard.
15:38A.
15:39And another.
15:40I.
15:41And another.
15:42A.
15:43And another.
15:44E.
15:45And a consonant.
15:47G.
15:48Another consonant.
15:49M.
15:50And another.
15:52L.
15:53And another.
15:54D.
15:56And another, please.
15:58And the last one.
15:59R.
16:00Countdown.
16:01T.
16:02And another.
16:03I.
16:03I.
16:29And another.
16:30I.
16:32Richard?
16:33Six.
16:33A six.
16:35Andrew?
16:35Under six.
16:37Richard?
16:38Milder.
16:39And?
16:40Derail.
16:41Derail.
16:43Yeah, absolutely fine.
16:44Can we match six, even beat it, maybe?
16:47We can.
16:48Madrigal.
16:49Madrigal.
16:50Madrigal, yes.
16:51What's the origin of that form of song?
16:53It's from the Latin Carmen Matricale,
16:56which means simple song,
17:01but the idea of being a maternal, primitive song originally.
17:04Okay, magical.
17:05Yeah.
17:05Lovely.
17:06Thank you, Sydney.
17:09So, Richard's standing at 28.
17:10Andrew at 34, and it's Andrew's letters game now.
17:14Andrew?
17:15Vowel, please.
17:16Thank you, Andrew.
17:17A.
17:18And another?
17:20O.
17:22Consonant?
17:23X.
17:25And another consonant?
17:26T.
17:28Another?
17:30R.
17:32And a vowel?
17:34E.
17:36A consonant?
17:38S.
17:40And a vowel?
17:43I.
17:44And a final consonant.
17:46And lastly, P.
17:48And here's the countdown clock.
17:50And a vowel?
18:19I.
18:22Andrew?
18:23A risky eight.
18:25Richard?
18:26Seven.
18:27Your seven?
18:28Pastier.
18:29Now then, Andrew.
18:31Er, atropies?
18:34Er, you need the H, I'm afraid, Andrew.
18:37Yeah, atropies, but not atropies.
18:39I'm sorry, atropine, but not a blend of the two.
18:43Bad luck.
18:43Bad luck.
18:43Bad luck.
18:44Brave shot.
18:45Tim?
18:46Well, the first one we got was a mere six, was sex pot.
18:50Yes, but Susie has come up with...
18:55Er, there's a nine there, Nick.
18:57Expiators, people who absolve sins from others.
19:01Expiators.
19:02Yes, expiators.
19:05Oh, very good.
19:07Expiators.
19:08Sin.
19:09One point ahead now, Richard.
19:11Well done.
19:12And now, Richard, it's a numbers game.
19:14Er, an inverted T, please.
19:17Thank you, Richard.
19:17Just one from the top this time.
19:18And five little ones.
19:21And this time around, the selection is three, one, five, two, two, and twenty-five.
19:30And the target, nine hundred and fifty-three.
19:32Nine, five, three.
19:33Nine, one, six, and five.
19:38Three, two, and twenty-eight.
19:38Two, three.
19:56Over VHz, three, and twenty-five.
19:57Two, three, and three, and five.
19:57Five, four, and six, and seven.
19:58One, six, and seven, two, three.
19:59One, eight, two, and five.
20:01Two, three.
20:02One, seven, seven, six.
20:03Two, and seven.
20:05Richard?
20:06No.
20:08Andrew?
20:09No.
20:10Rachel, we're in terrible trouble here.
20:13You can get to 950, but this one's impossible with all those little numbers.
20:18That's not far, is it?
20:19Only three away.
20:20Thank you very much indeed.
20:21As we turn now to our Tea Time teaser, with the score standing at 35 to Andrew's 34.
20:28And it's rather mow.
20:30And the clue, it would much rather you mow the grass when it's not around.
20:35It would much rather you mow the grass when it's not around.
20:54Warm welcome back.
20:55I left you with the clue, it would much rather you mow the grass when it's not around.
21:00And the answer to that one is earthworm.
21:03I can understand its feelings.
21:05Earthworm.
21:06So, 35 to 34.
21:08Andrew, just a point behind.
21:10It's your letters game.
21:11A consonant, please.
21:13Thank you, Andrew.
21:14S.
21:15Another.
21:18G.
21:19And another.
21:21V.
21:22And another.
21:25S.
21:25A vowel.
21:27A.
21:28A vowel.
21:30E.
21:31A vowel.
21:33I.
21:35A consonant.
21:37T.
21:40And a final consonant.
21:43And lastly, H.
21:45Countdown.
21:46A vowel.
21:49A vowel.
21:52A vowel.
21:55A vowel.
21:56A vowel.
22:02A vowel.
22:02A vowel.
22:03A vowel.
22:03A vowel.
22:03A vowel.
22:03A vowel.
22:03A vowel.
22:03A vowel.
22:04A vowel.
22:16Andrew, just a six, a six, Richard, seven, Andrew, stages, yes, Richard, geishas, geishas,
22:31yep, absolutely fine, very, very good, yeah, geisha, Japanese hostesses trained to entertain men with conversation, dance and song, complicated
22:42business, you know, years of training, apparently, yeah, I think so, but yeah, very strict rules, Tim, no, the only
22:51other one we got for seven is visages, yep, yes, bases, all right, so 42 to 34,
22:59we turn now to Richard for your letters game, Richard, a vowel please, thank you Richard, a, and another, u,
23:08and another, a, and another, e, consonant, m, and another, t, and another, f, and another, l, and another consonant
23:27please,
23:28and the last one, t,
23:30stand by,
23:31heel, set by,
24:01here we go,
24:01Well, Richard? Five. A five. Andrew? And a five. Richard? Metal. And Andrew? And flutes. So, how do we get
24:14on in the corner? Tim?
24:15Well, we got mutate and amulet, to begin with, which is six. And then, moment of genius, flatmate.
24:23Flatmate. Very good indeed. A good eight there. Well done. Well done. 47 to 39. As we turn to Susie
24:35for her wonderful origins of words. And today, Susie?
24:39Well, not so much origins today, but the complexities of the English language. Because we often speak here about how
24:45complicated English is, particularly if you're a non-native speaker trying to learn it.
24:50The spelling, as we know, has anomalies and oddities all over the place. Not least because spelling and pronunciation parted
24:58ways a couple of centuries ago.
25:01And spellings like cough and tough are spelled very similar ways, but pronounced completely differently. So, that's one hazard.
25:09But there's another as well that I don't think we're so aware of. And social media users might well have
25:14seen this.
25:15It took Twitter, for example, by storm quite recently. And that was all about the order of adjectives in English,
25:22which is not something that we normally think about.
25:25And there was a book written by Mark Forsyth called The Elements of Eloquence, How to Turn the Perfect English
25:30Phrase.
25:31And someone picked up this idea of, you know, quite strict rules, really, of adjective order.
25:38So, this sounds very complicated. And in fact, it is. They have to be pretty much adjectives in English in
25:44this order.
25:44Opinion, size, age, shape, colour, origin, material, purpose, and noun, which all sounds something we could never memorise that, really.
25:54But it comes to us instinctively. So, we wouldn't talk about cotton blue socks. We'd talk about blue cotton socks.
26:00We wouldn't talk about yellow awful curtains. We'd talk about those awful yellow curtains.
26:05And it can get quite complicated, because if you have two fact adjectives, even native English speakers know what to
26:12do in that circumstance as well.
26:14But if you look at it on paper, it becomes almost impossible.
26:17So, we put size first, then age, then colour, then material.
26:20So, you have a small black plastic bag, an old Spanish song, a large mature yellow cheese.
26:28So, to use Mark Forsyth's brilliant example, and this is a very long one, you can have a lovely little
26:33old rectangular green French silver whittling knife.
26:37But if you mess with that order in any way, as he puts it, you sound like a maniac.
26:41So, we all know that, but foreign language students don't.
26:45And they might spend hours trying to remember incredibly complicated rules.
26:48So, I don't think we realise quite how lucky we are.
26:50That's fascinating.
26:52Yeah, it's amazing.
26:52Well done, please.
26:56Very good, thank you.
26:5747 plays, 39, and it's Andrew's letters game.
27:00Andrew.
27:01A consonant, please, Rachel.
27:03Thank you, Andrew.
27:04D.
27:05And another.
27:07Q.
27:08And another.
27:10R.
27:11A vowel.
27:13I.
27:14Another vowel.
27:15O.
27:16A consonant.
27:19F.
27:20A vowel.
27:22A.
27:23A consonant.
27:25B.
27:27And a final...
27:30...consonant.
27:32And a final S.
27:34Block starts now.
28:04так цветed.
28:05A consonant.
28:05A consonant.
28:05Andrew just a six a six Richard six Andrew radios and braids and braids sixes yeah sixes
28:19broads boards isobar slightly different but still any six better yes I think more interesting yeah
28:26more unusual Susie meteorological six was our best Nick thank you isobars 53 to 45 and it's
28:33Richard's letters game now Richard a consonant please thank you Richard ah and another C and
28:42another L and another M and a vowel E a vowel O another vowel E consonant R
29:03and a vowel please and the last one a countdown
29:11so
29:42Andrew and a six your six karma karma and clearer and clearer very good yeah there we go can we
29:53match
29:54it we can no we can't beat it though can we no we had exactly that yes that's it nothing
29:59better
30:00than all right 60 plays 45 into the final numbers game and it's for Andrew Andrew Welch uh one large
30:07and the rest small please don't want to gamble 15 points behind no stick with one large right we'll
30:11see how it plays thank you Andrew and five little ones don't say I didn't try this last numbers game
30:17is one nine another nine four two and a large one 100 and the target 997 997
30:29so
30:42so
30:43so
30:57Andrew.
30:589.97.
31:00Yes, Richard.
31:019.97.
31:02Take it away, Andrew.
31:059 plus 1 is 10.
31:06Yep.
31:07Times 100 is 1,000.
31:09It is indeed.
31:10The other 9, take away the 4, is 5.
31:13Take away the 2, is 3, and then take that away.
31:16Lovely.
31:169.97.
31:17Richard.
31:20Well done.
31:22Same from Richard.
31:23And so, with the score standing 70 to 55,
31:26we lurch into the final round,
31:28which, of course, is conundrum time.
31:30Fingers on buzzers, gentlemen.
31:31Let's roll today's Countdown Conundrum.
31:34CONUNDRUM
31:35CONUNDRUM
31:37CONUNDRUM
31:38CONUNDRUM
31:39CONUNDRUM
31:42CONUNDRUM
31:44Richard.
31:45Imitating.
31:47Imitating.
31:48Let's see whether you're right.
31:50Here we go.
31:51Well done.
31:52APPLAUSE
31:55Good score.
31:56Well done, Richard.
31:56Excellent stuff.
31:58So, Andrew, you started off
32:01so strongly.
32:02And, er,
32:04Mr Haywood came creeping up
32:06and overtook you.
32:07Bad luck.
32:08Bad luck.
32:08You played very, very well indeed.
32:10So, back to Stockport.
32:11Take this goodie bag
32:12and our very best wishes.
32:13And good luck with the weightlifting.
32:15Ah.
32:15You carry on.
32:16Well done.
32:17All right.
32:18Wow, Richard,
32:18that was a bit of a slow start.
32:20A slow start,
32:21so it's becoming a thing.
32:22Top competitor, there.
32:23Anyway, you came through.
32:2480 points to 55.
32:26That's a pretty good score.
32:27Well done.
32:27We shall see you tomorrow.
32:29Well done.
32:30Well done.
32:31Now, this Beauty and the Beast
32:33and these new songs,
32:34which characters sing them
32:36and what are the songs called?
32:38Well, one of them is sung
32:40by almost everybody.
32:42All the people
32:45who have been turned
32:45into items of furniture,
32:47if you remember that from the film.
32:48And that's called
32:48Days in the Sun.
32:50And they're kind of longing
32:51for the good old days.
32:53Another one is called
32:55Evermore,
32:55which has probably been used before,
32:57but there's no copyright
32:58in a title.
33:00And then the other one
33:01is called
33:02Our Song Lives On,
33:04I had to remember,
33:04because the title kept
33:05getting changed on that one.
33:06And I think those are
33:07the three titles
33:09which I think
33:10have been agreed on.
33:11I mean, the songs are written.
33:12Sometimes you think,
33:13well, maybe that line
33:13would make a better title
33:14than this line.
33:16But you heard it here exclusively.
33:19So some of those,
33:20or one or more of those,
33:21may well be released
33:22as a single,
33:23if that's still the language
33:24you're used.
33:24Yes, I guess they will be.
33:25I mean, it seems to me
33:26records don't really
33:27get released these days.
33:28They're just sort of
33:29somewhere up there
33:30in the ether.
33:31And the great thrill
33:32in the olden days
33:32when you would actually
33:34have a 45 RPM
33:36plastic seven-inch disc
33:38in your hands
33:38that you owned,
33:40that's all gone.
33:41Yeah.
33:41So I'm not sure
33:43that people even know
33:44or care what a number one
33:45record is these days
33:45and how do you measure it?
33:46But it'll get played
33:47on the radio,
33:48on the music shows.
33:49Probably, yes.
33:50Well, I hope so.
33:51Anyway, all right,
33:52definitely, I don't know.
33:53We shall see you tomorrow
33:55anyway.
33:55OK, thanks.
33:56More fun tomorrow, Susie?
33:57See you tomorrow.
33:58See you tomorrow.
33:58And Rachel, of course.
33:59Yeah, and Richard won
34:00that one the hard way,
34:01which I've just noticed
34:02is an anagram of his name,
34:03so it's very apt.
34:04I'll tell you, indeed.
34:05Can't stop the anagram,
34:06it's an fiction.
34:07All right, we'll see you tomorrow.
34:08See you tomorrow.
34:08Same time,
34:10same place.
34:11You be sure of it.
34:12A very good afternoon.
34:13Contact us by email
34:15at countdown at channel4.com
34:17by Twitter at C4Countdown
34:19or write to us
34:20at Countdown Leeds LS3 1JS.
34:24You can also find our webpage
34:25at channel4.com forward slash countdown.
34:31Proving that you're never
34:32too old for love,
34:33we meet the couples
34:34willing to tie the knot
34:35despite their advancing years.
34:36I do at 92,
34:38tomorrow night at 10.
34:39And later on today,
34:40they've packed the boxes
34:41and they're on the move.
34:42The Dream Factory is no more,
34:43so there's only one thing for it.
34:45Deal or no deal
34:46on tour today at 4.