Episode 2096

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Episode 2096 was broadcast on 18 September 1997, and was the first quarter-final of Series 36.

Bhavin Manek played Roger Green, with Bhavin Manek winning 37 – 22. The Dictionary Corner guest was Richard Stilgoe, and the lexicographer was Hannah Robertson.

NOTE: At the start of this episode, Richard Whiteley famously offered Green an apology for a comment that he had made at the end of 14 August when he lost in his third heat game. Whiteley had told Green that although he was seeded fifth at that stage, his record of two wins out of three would not be enough for him to return for the quarter-finals as the standard of Countdown was by now far too high to allow two-time winners to do so. But not only did Green eventually go on to qualify as the eighth seed for this series, this series' seventh seed Malcolm Fairy also had a record of two wins from three games. Following on from this, no other presenter of the show has ever since told a contestant that they would not qualify for the quarter-finals unless they had already failed to make the Top 8 of the seedings for that series at the time of filming.

During the Dictionary Corner break, Stilgoe anagrammed Green's name to "Grrr! No! Eee!". In fact, this is not a correct anagram of the name.

Rounds

Rnd	Selection	Bhavin Manek	Score	Roger Green	Others	Max.
1	WYAIGYEDH	WEIGH	5 – 0	wayed ☓	AWEIGH, HEYDAY*	6
2	MASNITAND	STAMINA	12 – 0	STAIN	MAIDANS*, MANTIDS*, SANDMAN	13
3	JESFIVCEG	FIVES	17 – 5	SIEVE	VEGIES	19
4	50 25 7 3 6 9 → 559	—	17 – 5	—	CV: 559 = (25 − 7 × 6 ÷ 3) × 50 + 9	29
5	VUPBAUDAW	BAP	17 – 9	DAUB	BAAP*, BAUD, BAWD, PAUA*, PUDU*, VADA*, WADA*	33
6	STEAQOMNL	LAMENTS	24 – 16	MANTELS	ETALONS*, LOMENTS*, MALTOSE*, MANTLES, MELTONS*, OMENTAL*, TELAMON*	40
7	TERKOTEDR	ROTTED	30 – 22	ROTTER	RETORTED	48
8	8 5 1 4 2 10 → 466	465 ((4 + 2) × 8 − 1) × 10 − 5	37 – 22	461	CV: 466 = ((8 + 1) × 5 + 2) × 10 − 4	58
9	TEAMPANEL		37 – 22	template ☓ (2 seconds)	NAMEPLATE	68