Countdown (game show): Difference between revisions
Line 125: | Line 125: | ||
::Rachel Riley notes: 50 + 8 = 58, and 7 × 2 × 58 = 812, which would have scored ten points. |
::Rachel Riley notes: 50 + 8 = 58, and 7 × 2 × 58 = 812, which would have scored ten points. |
||
In some games, there are many ways to reach the target exactly–the example target above could also be reached by 7 × (75 + 50 + 2 – 8 – 3) = 812. However not all games are soluble, and for a few selections it is impossible even to get within 10{{Citation needed|date=September 2010}}. There is a tactical element in selecting how many large numbers to include. One large and five small numbers is the most popular selection,<ref>[http://www.pagetworld.plus.com/countdownresults.htm Countdown Statistics] on the frequency of each numbers games' selection–URL accessed 19/06/06.</ref> despite two large numbers giving the best chance of the game being solvable exactly.<ref name="numstats">[http://www.crosswordtools.com/numbers-game/faq.php#stats Crossword Tools] on analysis of the numbers game–URL accessed 20/06/06.</ref> Selections with zero or four large numbers are generally considered the hardest.<ref name="numstats" /> |
In some games, there are many ways to reach the target exactly–the example target above could also be reached by 7 × (75 + 50 + 2 – 8 – 3) = 812. However not all games are soluble, and for a few selections it is impossible even to get within 10, most commonly when a contestant picks six small numbers and the target number is quite large. {{Citation needed|date=September 2010}}. There is a tactical element in selecting how many large numbers to include. One large and five small numbers is the most popular selection,<ref>[http://www.pagetworld.plus.com/countdownresults.htm Countdown Statistics] on the frequency of each numbers games' selection–URL accessed 19/06/06.</ref> despite two large numbers giving the best chance of the game being solvable exactly.<ref name="numstats">[http://www.crosswordtools.com/numbers-game/faq.php#stats Crossword Tools] on analysis of the numbers game–URL accessed 20/06/06.</ref> Selections with zero or four large numbers are generally considered the hardest.<ref name="numstats" /> |
||
A special edition, broadcast on 15 March 2010, for two previous series champions, Kirk Bevins and Chris Davies, used instead of the usual four large numbers, the numbers 12, 37 and two numbers unrevealed for the duration of the show. |
A special edition, broadcast on 15 March 2010, for two previous series champions, Kirk Bevins and Chris Davies, used instead of the usual four large numbers, the numbers 12, 37 and two numbers unrevealed for the duration of the show. |
Revision as of 14:23, 1 October 2010
Countdown | |
---|---|
File:Countdown 2009 titlescreen.jpg | |
Genre | Game show |
Created by | Armand Jammot |
Directed by | Derek Hallworth |
Presented by | Main presenters: Richard Whiteley (1982–2005) Des Lynam (2005–06) Des O'Connor (2007–08) Jeff Stelling (2009–present) Co-presenters: Carol Vorderman (1982–2008) Rachel Riley (2009–present) Susie Dent (1992–present) |
Theme music composer | Alan Hawkshaw |
Country of origin | United Kingdom |
Original language | English |
No. of series | 62 (Original series) 13 (Champion of Champions) 2 (Countdown Masters) 1 (Celebrity series) |
No. of episodes | 5010 (as of 9 April 2010) (Original series) (inc. specials, not inc. Masters series)[1] 121 (Champion of Champions) 104 (Countdown Masters) 8 (Celebrity series) |
Production | |
Producer | Damian Eadie |
Camera setup | Multiple-camera setup |
Running time | 24 Mins (excluding adverts) 30 Mins (including) (1982–2001) 36 Mins (excluding adverts) 45 Mins (including) (2001–present) |
Production companies | Yorkshire Television (now branded ITV Studios) |
Original release | |
Network | Channel 4 |
Release | Original series: 2 November 1982 – Present Champion of Champions: 15 October 1984 – Present Countdown Masters: 3 April 1989 – 25 March 1991 Celebrity series: 23 April – 18 June 1998 |
Countdown is a British game show made by ITV Studios and broadcast on Channel 4. Since mid-January 2009 it has been presented by Jeff Stelling, assisted by Rachel Riley, with regular lexicographer Susie Dent. It was the first programme aired on Channel 4, and over fifty series have been broadcast since its debut on 2 November 1982. With over 5,000 episodes, it is one of the longest-running game shows in the world, along with the original French version Des chiffres et des lettres which has been running on French television continuously since 1965.
The programme was presented by the late Richard Whiteley for over twenty years, until his death in June 2005. His position was taken over by Des Lynam, who retired from the show in December 2006 and was replaced by Des O'Connor on 2 January 2007. Both O'Connor and Carol Vorderman, the show's co-host, who had been on the programme since it began, left the show in December 2008.
A celebrity guest features in every programme, and provides a brief interlude before the first advertisement break. The two contestants in each episode compete in three disciplines: eleven letters rounds, in which the contestants attempt to make the longest word from nine randomly chosen letters; three numbers rounds, in which the contestants must use arithmetic to make a random target number from six other numbers; and the conundrum, a buzzer round in which the contestants try to be first to solve a nine-letter anagram. During the series heats, the winning contestant returns the next day until he or she loses or has accumulated eight wins. The best contestants are invited back for the series finals, which are decided in knockout format. Contestants of exceptional skill have received national media coverage, and the programme as a whole is widely recognised and parodied within British culture.
History
Origins
Countdown is based on the French game show Des chiffres et des lettres (Numbers and Letters), created by Armand Jammot. The format was brought to Britain by Marcel Stellman, a Belgian record executive, who had watched the French show and believed it could be popular overseas. Yorkshire Television purchased the format and commissioned a series of eight shows under the title Calendar Countdown, which were to be a spin-off of their regional news programme Calendar. As the presenter of Calendar, Richard Whiteley was the natural choice to present Calendar Countdown–his daily appearances on both shows earned him the nickname "Twice Nightly".[2] These shows were only broadcast in the Yorkshire area.[3]
An additional pilot episode was made, with a refined format, although it was never broadcast.[4] A new British television channel, Channel 4, was due to launch in November 1982, and bought the newly-renamed Countdown on the strength of this additional episode.[4] Countdown was the first programme to be broadcast on the new channel.[5]
As the countdown to a brand new channel ends, a brand new Countdown begins.
Presenters
Calendar Countdown was presented by Richard Whiteley, with Kathy Hytner and Denise McFarland-Cruickshanks managing the numbers and letters rounds respectively.[7] When Countdown was commissioned for Channel 4 the number of hostesses expanded further: Kathy Hytner and Beverley Isherwood selected the letters and numbers tiles respectively, and calculations in the numbers rounds were checked by Linda Barrett or Carol Vorderman. Vorderman, a Cambridge graduate and member of Mensa,[8] was appointed as one of the numbers experts after responding to an advertisement in a national newspaper which asked for a young woman who would like to become a game show hostess; unlike almost any other game show hostess of the time, however, the advertisement also made it clear that the applicants' appearance would be less important than their being a talented mathematician.[9] Gradually the tasks performed by the extra presenters were taken over by Carol Vorderman, whose role within the show essentially became that of co-presenter.[10]
The show was briefly taken off air following Whiteley's death from pneumonia in June 2005, but reappeared in October 2005 with Des Lynam (who had featured on Celebrity Countdown in 1998) as the main presenter.[11] On 30 September 2006, Lynam said that he had decided to leave the programme after Christmas 2006.[12]
Lynam's departure was due to travel requirements for the demanding filming schedule, with the show recorded in Leeds and Lynam living 250 miles away in Worthing, West Sussex. Channel 4 had tried an extra programme on Saturday in early 2006 which Lynam had agreed to, subject to part of the filming schedule being moved nearer to his home. However, viewers reacted angrily to the idea of the show leaving Leeds[12] and, when Lynam found out that a move would cause considerable disruption for many of the programme's camera crew, he decided to leave.[13]
On 7 November 2006, it was announced that Des O'Connor would succeed Lynam as host.[14] Lynam's final show as Countdown presenter was broadcast on 22 December 2006. O'Connor first presented Countdown on 2 January 2007.
The other studio mainstay is Dictionary Corner, which houses a lexicographer and that week's celebrity guest (AKA "GoD" or "Guardian of the Dictionaries"). Initially farmer & broadcaster Ted Moult was on hand for verification. The role of the lexicographer is to verify the words offered by the contestants (see Letters round rules) and point out any longer or otherwise interesting words available. The lexicographer is aided in finding these words by the show's producers, Michael Wylie (until his death in November 2008) and Damian Eadie.[15] The production team is insistent, however, that no computer program is used in this role, and that the words suggested in Dictionary Corner have been found manually.
Many lexicographers have appeared over the years, but since her debut in 1992, Susie Dent has become synonymous with the role, and has now made over a thousand appearances.[16] The celebrity guest, sometimes known as the "Dictionary Dweller", also contributes words, and provides a short interlude at the end of the first section of the show. Dwellers have included Jo Brand, Martin Jarvis, Richard Digance, Geoffrey Durham, Gyles Brandreth, Ken Bruce and John Sergeant providing poems, anecdotes, puzzles and magic tricks.[17] Alison Heard replaced Susie Dent over the winter of 2007–08, whilst Dent was on maternity leave; however, Susie Dent returned to Countdown on 6 February 2008.
It was announced in July 2008 that Des O'Connor would be stepping down as host from the end of the current series in December 2008. In the same month it became apparent that long-serving presenter and number-cruncher Carol Vorderman would also leave the gameshow at the same time.[18]
On 21 November 2008, Jeff Stelling was confirmed as the new host, with Oxford graduate Rachel Riley in the Vorderman role. Riley has since become known for her stylish outfits worn on the show.[19]
Character
Countdown quickly established cult status within British television[20] – an image which it maintains today,[21] despite numerous changes of rules and personnel. The programme's audience comprises mainly students, housewives and pensioners,[20] owing to the "teatime" broadcast slot and inclusive appeal of its format and presentation.[21] Countdown has been one of Channel 4's most-watched programmes for over twenty years, but has never won a major television award.[22] In its mid-afternoon broadcast slot, the show draws about 1.7 million viewers every day — around half a million fewer than with Richard Whiteley presenting[23] — and the Series 54 final, on 26 May 2006, attracted 2.5 million viewers.[24] Up to 2 million viewers had watched the show daily in its previous 4:15 p.m. slot. The drop in viewers following the scheduling change, coupled with the show's perceived educational benefits, even caused Labour MP Jonathan Shaw to table a motion in the UK Parliament, requesting that the show be returned to its later time.[25] Minor scheduling changes have subsequently seen the show move from 3:15 to 3:30, to 3:45 to 3:25.
In keeping with the show's friendly nature, contestants compete not for money but the Countdown winner's teapot (first introduced in December 1998), which is custom-made and can only be obtained by winning a game on the programme.[26] The prize for the series winner is a leather-bound copy of the twenty-volume Oxford English Dictionary, worth GB£4,000.[27] David Acton, winner of Series 31, opted for a CD-ROM version of the dictionaries, not wanting to accept leather-bound books owing to his strict veganism, and he donated the monetary difference to charity.[28]
Since 2006, the series champion also receives the Richard Whiteley Memorial Trophy, in memory of the show's original presenter.
Though the style and colour scheme of the set have changed many times (and the show itself moved to Manchester, after more than 25 years in Leeds) the clock has always provided the centrepiece and, like the clock music composed by Alan Hawkshaw, is an enduring and well-recognised feature of Countdown. Executive producer John Meade once commissioned Hawkshaw to revise the music for extra intensity; after hundreds of complaints from viewers, the old tune was reinstated.[29]
Celebrations
The first episode of Countdown was repeated on 1 October 2007 on More4 and on 2 November 2007 on Channel 4, as part of Channel 4 at 25, a season of celebratory Channel 4 programmes as it celebrated its 25th birthday.
On 2 November 2007, Countdown celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary and aired a special 'birthday episode'. The two players were 2006 winner Conor Travers and 2002 winner Chris Wills. However, for the rounds, VIP guests selected the letters and numbers.[citation needed] Guests included Gordon Brown, Amir Khan and Richard Attenborough. A statement from the French TV network France Télévisions was read out on air by Carol Vorderman to commend Channel 4 on its success of Countdown.
On 26 March 2010, Queen Elizabeth II congratulated Countdown for amassing 5000 episodes.
Departures of Vorderman and O'Connor
On 23 July 2008, it was announced that O'Connor would be leaving the show at the end of the 59th series in December 2008 to concentrate on other projects.[30]
ITV Productions announced on 25 July 2008 that Carol Vorderman would also be leaving at the end of the same series.[18]
Vorderman had been willing to accept a 33% salary decrease in line with a 33% budget cut being imposed on the show, but felt she was 'forced' to leave after being asked to accept a 90% pay cut. Her agent, John Miles, claims Vorderman had been told the show had survived the death of host Richard Whiteley in 2005 and could "easily survive without you."[31]
The early favourite in the betting to replace Des O'Connor, Rory Bremner, ruled himself out. Later reports suggested Alexander Armstrong[32] and Jeff Stelling[33] as potential hosts, although Armstrong later revealed he had refused the job.[34] Anthea Turner, Ulrika Johnson, and Myleene Klass were all linked with Vorderman's job;[35] however, Channel 4 then began to search for a previously unknown male or female arithmetician with "charm and charisma". Eventually, on 21 November 2008, after O'Connor and Vorderman had finished filming, it was confirmed that Stelling and Oxford maths graduate Rachel Riley would join the show,[36] with Susie Dent continuing as resident lexicographer.
Format
Countdown has occupied a tea-time broadcast slot since its inception. Currently an episode lasts around 45 minutes including advertising breaks. During the normal series, the winner of each game returns for the next day's show. If a player wins eight games, he is declared an "octochamp" and retires until the series finals. At the end of the series, the eight players with most wins (or the highest total score in the event of a tie) are invited back to compete in the series finals. They are seeded in a knockout tournament, with the first seed playing the eighth seed, the second playing the seventh, and so on. The winner of this knockout, which culminates in the Grand Final, becomes the series champion. Each series lasts around six months, with about 125 episodes.[37]
Approximately every four series, a Champion of Champions tournament takes place. For this, sixteen of the best players to have appeared since the previous Championship are invited back for another knockout tournament. The producer, former contestant Damian Eadie, decides which players to include, but typically the tournament includes the series winners and other noteworthy contestants.[38] Series 33 was designated a "Supreme Championship", in which 56 of the best contestants from all the previous series returned for another knockout tournament. Series 10 champion Harvey Freeman was declared Supreme Champion after beating Allan Saldanha in the final.[39] There are also occasional special episodes, in which past contestants return for themed matches. For example, David Acton and Kenneth Michie returned for a rematch of their Series 31 final, while brothers and former contestants Sanjay and Sandeep Mazumder played off against each other on 20 December 2004.[40]
The game is split into three sections, separated by advertising breaks. The first two sections each contain four letters rounds and a numbers round, while the last section has three letters rounds, a numbers round and a final "Conundrum". At the end of the first two sections, Stelling poses an anagram with a cryptic clue for the viewers, called the Teatime Teaser–the solution is revealed at the start of the next section. When the Teatime Teaser was first introduced, the anagrams were seven letters long, but they have since been extended to eight.
Letters round
Letter tiles are arranged face-down in two piles; one all consonants, the other vowels. The contestant picks a pile, and Riley reveals the top tile from that pile and places it on the board. A selection of nine tiles is generated in this way, and must contain at least three vowels and four consonants.[41] Then the clock is started and both contestants have thirty seconds to come up with the longest word they can make from the available letters. Each letter may be used only as often as it appears in the selection.[41] The frequencies of the letters within each pile are weighted according to their frequency in natural English, in the same manner as Scrabble. For example, there are many Ns and Rs in the consonant pile, but only one Q. The letter frequencies are altered by the producers from time to time, so any published list does not necessarily reflect the letters used in any particular programme.[42]
Contestants write down the words they have found during the round, in case they both have the same one. After the thirty seconds are up, the players declare the length of their chosen word, with the player who selected the letters declaring first. If either player has not written their word down in time, he or she must declare this also. The words are then revealed. If either player has not written their word down, their word is revealed first; otherwise, the shorter word is shown first. Only the contestant with the longer word scores points; both score in the event of a tie. One point is scored per letter, except for nine-letter words, which score double points. If a contestant offers an invalid word then they score no points. If the second player reveals the same word as the first, this must be proved by showing the word to the other contestant. Finally, Dictionary Corner reveals the best word(s) they could find from the selection, aided by the production team.[43]
Any word which appears in the Oxford Dictionary of English is allowable,[44] as well as some inflections. Standard inflections of nouns and verbs–for example, escapes, escaped and escaping–are accepted even though not explicitly shown in the dictionary. Comparative and superlative forms of monosyllabic adjectives–for example, greater and greatest–are valid although these too are not explicitly shown. For longer adjectives, the inflections must be stated explicitly.[45] However, some words given in the dictionary are not permitted: proper nouns (Kurdistan), hyphenated words (re-embark), some plurals of mass nouns (mankinds), and words that occur only in combination–for example, mistle is invalid as it is used only in mistle thrush. Also, only British spelling is permitted–American spellings and inflections, such as flavor and signaled, are invalid.[41]
- Example:
- Contestant One chooses five consonants, then three vowels, then another consonant.
- Selection is:
- G Y H D N O E U R.
- Contestant One declares 7, while Contestant Two declares 8.
- Contestant One reveals younger, but Contestant Two has hydrogen and scores eight points. Contestant One receives no points for this round.
- Dictionary Corner notes greyhound, which would have scored eighteen points, since nine letter words score double.
Numbers round
One contestant selects six of twenty-four shuffled tiles. The tiles are arranged into two groups: four "large numbers" (25, 50, 75 and 100) and the remainder "small numbers", which comprise two each of the numbers 1 to 10. The contestant chooses how many large numbers are in the selection; anywhere from none to all four. A random three-digit target is generated by an electronic machine, affectionately known as "CECIL" (which stands for Countdown Electronic Computer In Leeds).[46] The contestants then have thirty seconds to get as near to the target as possible by combining the six numbers selected using addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.[41] Not all numbers need to be used. A number can be used as many times as it appears. Fractions are not allowed–only integers may be used at any stage of the calculation.[41]
Points are awarded for the closest solution, and again both contestants score if the solutions are equally close. 10 points are given for an exact answer, 7 points for a non-exact solution up to 5 from the target, and 5 points for a solution between 6 and 10 from the target. If neither contestant can get within 10, no points are awarded.
- Example:
- Contestant One requests two large numbers and four small numbers.
- Selection is:
- 75, 50, 2, 3, 8, 7.
- Randomly generated target is:
- 812.
- Contestant One declares 813, while Contestant Two declares 815.
- Contestant One is closer and so reveals: 75 + 50 – 8 = 117, and 117 × 7 – (3 × 2) = 813, which scores seven points.
- Rachel Riley notes: 50 + 8 = 58, and 7 × 2 × 58 = 812, which would have scored ten points.
In some games, there are many ways to reach the target exactly–the example target above could also be reached by 7 × (75 + 50 + 2 – 8 – 3) = 812. However not all games are soluble, and for a few selections it is impossible even to get within 10, most commonly when a contestant picks six small numbers and the target number is quite large. [citation needed]. There is a tactical element in selecting how many large numbers to include. One large and five small numbers is the most popular selection,[47] despite two large numbers giving the best chance of the game being solvable exactly.[48] Selections with zero or four large numbers are generally considered the hardest.[48]
A special edition, broadcast on 15 March 2010, for two previous series champions, Kirk Bevins and Chris Davies, used instead of the usual four large numbers, the numbers 12, 37 and two numbers unrevealed for the duration of the show.
Conundrum
The final round of the game is the "Countdown Conundrum". A board revolves to reveal the "conundrum"–a nine-letter anagram, usually arranged in the form of two condensed words (see example). The contestants have thirty seconds to find the nine-letter word. The first contestant to buzz with the correct answer (the champion rings in with a bell, while the challenger rings in with a buzzer) is awarded ten points, but each contestant may guess only once. If neither contestant guesses correctly, the presenter used to ask if anyone in the audience knew the word, and if so, chose someone to shout it out. (This was stopped temporarily in 2009, because of difficulties with camera angles in the new studio layout.) Once a contestant guesses correctly or the time expires, a second board rotates to reveal the answer. Each conundrum is designed to have only one solution but if, unintentionally, the conundrum has two answers (e.g. CARTHORSE and ORCHESTRA) then either is accepted.[49]
A "crucial Countdown conundrum" occurs if, before the conundrum, the leading contestant is ahead by ten points or fewer. The studio lights are dimmed and the first contestant to answer correctly wins the game. If the scores are level after the conundrum, additional conundrums are used until the match is decided.[50]
- Example:
- Conundrum is revealed:
- C H I N A L U N G.
- Contestant One buzzes, and says launching, which scores 10 points.
- Conundrum is revealed:
Evolution
The rules of Countdown are derived from those of Des chiffres et des lettres. Perhaps the biggest difference is the length of the round; DCedL's number rounds are each 45 seconds long to Countdown's 30. DCedL also feature "duels", in which players compete in short tasks such as mental arithmetic problems, extracting two themed words from another, or being asked to spell a word correctly. Other minor differences include a different numbers scoring system (9 points for an exact solution, or 6 points for the closest inexact solution in DCedL) and the proportion of letters to numbers rounds (11 to 3 in Countdown, 8 to 4 in DCedL).[51]
The pilot episode followed significantly different rules from the current ones. Most noticeably, only eight letters were selected for each letters round. If two contestants offered a word of the same length, or an equally close solution to a numbers game, then only the contestant who made the selection for that round was awarded points. Also, only five points were given for an exact numbers solution, three for a solution within 5, and one point for the closer solution, no matter how far away.[52]
Until the end of Series 21, if the two contestants had equal scores after the first conundrum, the match was considered a draw and they both returned for the next show.[53] A significant change in the format occurred in September 2001, when the show was expanded from nine rounds and 30 minutes to the current fifteen rounds and 45 minutes.[54] The older format was split into two halves, each having three letters and one numbers game, with the conundrum at the end of the second half. When the format was expanded to fifteen rounds, Richard Whiteley continued to refer jokingly to the three segments of the show as "halves". Under the old format, Grand Finals were specially extended shows of fourteen rounds,[55] but now all shows follow the same format.[56]
The rules regarding which words are permitted have changed with time. American spelling was allowed until 2002,[57] and more unspecified inflections were assumed to be valid.[58]
In September 2007 a new feature was added to the show in which, during a brief pause in the game after round nine, Susie Dent explains the origin of a word or phrase which she has been researching. For the short time Susie was on maternity leave this addition was not continued; however, when she returned on Wednesday 6 February 2008, she continued the feature once again.
Notable contestants
Since Countdown's debut in 1982, there have been over 5,000 televised games and 62 complete series. There have also been thirteen Champion of Champions tournaments, with the most recent starting in January 2009.[39]
Several of Countdown's most successful contestants have received national media coverage. Teenager Julian Fell set a record score of 146 in December 2002.[59] More recently, fourteen-year-old Conor Travers became the youngest series champion in the show's history,[60][61][62] and 11 year old Kai Laddiman became the youngest octochamp for 20 years.
At eight years old, Tanmay Dixit was one of the youngest players ever to appear on the show when he achieved two wins in March 2005.[63] He also received press attention for his offerings in the letters round, which included fannies and farted.[64]
In July 2009, Andrew Hulme, an economics student at the University of Warwick, broke the record for the highest octochamp score. He amassed 930 points over 8 games.
Three former contestants have returned to Countdown as part of the production team: Michael Wylie, Mark Nyman (as producer, and occasional lexicographer in Dictionary Corner) and Damian Eadie (the current series producer).
In 1998, sixteen celebrities were invited to play Celebrity Countdown, a series of eight games broadcast every Thursday evening over the course of eight weeks.[65] The celebrities included Whiteley's successor Des Lynam, who beat Siân Lloyd.[66] The highest and lowest scores were posted in the same game when Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall beat Jilly Goolden 47-9.[66]
Richard Whiteley and Carol Vorderman competed in another special episode on Christmas Day 1997. For this game, the presenter's chair was taken by William G. Stewart, the host of fellow Channel 4 game show Fifteen to One. Susie Dent took over Vorderman's duties, and Mark Nyman occupied Dictionary Corner.[66] The game was close-fought, and decided only by the crucial Countdown conundrum mistletoe which Vorderman solved in two seconds.[67]
Contestants who have or had become notable for other reasons include Nuts magazine editor-at-large Pete Cashmore, rugby player Ayoola Erinle, footballer Neil MacKenzie, musician Jon Marsh, musician Nick Saloman, comedian Alex Horne and footballer Clarke Carlisle.
In popular culture
Countdown is often referenced and parodied in British culture.
Assorted allusions
The Doctor Who episode "Bad Wolf" (2005) mentions a futuristic version of Countdown, in which the goal is to stop a bomb from exploding in 30 seconds. Countdown was referenced again in a later series in "Last of the Time Lords" (2007), where Professor Docherty expresses a keen fondness for the show and how it "hasn't been the same since Des took over–Both Des's".
In the 2002 film About a Boy, protagonist Will Freeman is a regular viewer of Countdown.[68]
Fairport Convention guitarist Simon Nicol named one of his solo records Consonant Please, Carol, echoing one of the show's most famous catchphrases.
Outtakes
Countdown has also generated a number of popular outtakes, with the letters producing the occasional word that was deemed unsuitable for the original broadcast. A round in which Dictionary Corner offered the word gobshite featured in TV's Finest Failures in 2001,[69] and in one episode, contestants Gino Corr and Lawrence Pearse both declared the word wankers. This was edited out of the programme but has since appeared on many outtakes shows.[70][71] When contestant Charlie Reams declared "wankers" on the 21 October 2008 edition, the declaration was kept in but the word itself was bleeped. Other incidents with only marginally rude words (including wanker, singular) have made it into the programme as they appeared, such as those with Tanmay Dixit referenced above, a clip from a 2001 episode in which the word fart appeared as the first four letters on the board (which also featured on 100 Greatest TV Moments from Hell,[72] and a round where an anagram of the word fucked appeared on the board in the string "A U O D F C K E G", although neither player chose to use the word, and Dictionary Corner was able to find two seven-letter words that could have been made from the board's offerings.[73]
Humour
The programme is mentioned in an episode of Irish sitcom Father Ted entitled "The Old Grey Whistle Theft",[74] Still Game (in the episode "Kill Wullie") and is also referenced in the very first episode of Little Britain from 2003.[75] BBC impression sketch show, Dead Ringers, parodies Countdown numerous times, and another television programme, The Big Breakfast, parodied Countdown in a feature called "Countdown Under".[76] Comedy show A Bit of Fry and Laurie further lampooned Countdown in a sketch entitled Countdown to Hell. Fry played Richard Whiteley, while Gyles Brandreth got the word sloblock — an anagram of bollocks.[77] The show also has a fleeting reference in British sitcom The Office when Chris 'Finchy' Finch attempts to insult temporary worker Ricky when he explains he had a job to pay for his studies. Finchy states that it probably was 'professor in charge of watching Countdown every day', commenting on its student audience, and referring to the fact anyone watching Countdown during its 'hometime' time slot cannot be out at work.
The format of the show has been parodied on Have I Got News for You. In 1999, when Richard was a guest, the numbers game was copied along with the famous clock music and at the end of the show was a conundrum, the conundrum was "PHANIOILS", to which the answer was IAN HISLOP. In 2004, when Carol was a guest one of the usual rounds was replaced with a conundrum round based on the week's news. When Carol hosted the show in 2006, one of the rounds was the "Spinning Conundrum Numbers Round", altering the "Spinning Headlines" round, by adding a number to a picture relating to the week's news, then at the end of the round the 6 numbers from the picture were used for a numbers game.
Richard Whiteley was the victim of a practical joke while presenting the show. The contestants and rounds had been planted as part of a "Gotcha!", a regular prank feature on the light entertainment show Noel's House Party. In the prank, the two contestants missed the word "something" from the letters OMETHINGS, and from another selection, both of the contestants declared "I've got diarrhoea" referring to the selection. In the numbers round that followed, the male contestant "answered" the puzzle by reading out the numbers. Whiteley did not uncover the joke until House Party presenter Noel Edmonds appeared on the set, having revealed the unusually short conundrum of HOGCAT to be "gotcha" at the end of the programme.[78]
It was also referred to on Harry Hill's TV Burp twice. The first time it was referred to was when "Dev" (Coronation Street) made a sound like the countdown end of thirty seconds time. The second time was when the competition "Where Has The Knitted Character Been This Week?" had the answer: On Rachel Riley's chair.
On 2 July 2010, the game was featured in the fourth series of The IT Crowd in the episode 'The Final Countdown'. Moss stuns everyone by declaring that the 9 letter string TNETENNBA is in fact a word. Later, Moss becomes an octochamp and is consequently invited into an underground club named "8+", where he competes in a game of "Street Countdown" as part of a spoof of Boogie Town (as mentioned on writer, Graham Linehan's blog). Also British Entertainer Stevie Riks' parodied the show on one of his many YouTube comedy videos [79].
Non-canon games
The game has also been played on a number of different programmes- notably as the first challenge in "What's Next" on Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, featuring the pair versus one of the duo's old head teachers. More recently, it was played as a shopping task on the final series of Celebrity Big Brother, with a team of housemates competing in the house against the current champion in the Countdown studio via satellite. The housemates failed this task.
Transmissions
Series
Series | Start date | End date | Episodes |
---|---|---|---|
Regular | |||
Champion of Champions | |||
Regular | |||
Champion of Champions | |||
Regular | |||
Champion of Champions | |||
Regular | |||
Champion of Champions | |||
Regular | |||
Champion of Champions | |||
Regular | |||
Champion of Champions | |||
Regular | |||
Champion of Champions | |||
Regular | |||
Champion of Champions | |||
Supreme Championship | |||
Regular | |||
Champion of Champions | |||
Regular | |||
Champion of Champions | |||
Regular | |||
Champion of Champions | |||
Regular | |||
Champion of Champions | |||
Regular | |||
Champion of Champions | |||
Regular | |||
Masters series
Series | Start date | End date | Episodes |
---|---|---|---|
Other
Countdown at Christmas
Date |
---|
Celebrity
Series | Start date | End date | Episodes |
---|---|---|---|
Specials
Date |
---|
International versions
In 1991[citation needed], a Spanish version of this show was released: Cifras y Letras (numbers and letters). The show was originally presented by Elisenda Roca, along with a word expert and mathematician. As this show progressed, a second version of the same show was also produced, which covered Latin American Spanish. The current Peninsular Spanish edition is presented by Paco Lodeiro.
Shortly after this, a Galician version was also released: Cifras e Letras, differing from the above only in the fact that it used Galician instead of Spanish, and a studio design variation.This version is presented also by Paco Lodeiro, assisted by the physicist Jorge Mira and the poet Yolanda Castaño, and broadcasted by the Galician TV channels in Spain, Europe and South America.[80]
There was also a South African version released called A Word or 2.
On 2 August 2010, the new Australian version entitled Letters and Numbers debuted on SBS, hosted by Richard Morecroft.
See also
References
- ^ [1]
- ^ BBC.co.uk obituary for Richard Whiteley–URL accessed 24/06/06.
- ^ Countdown: Spreading the Word (Granada Media, 2001) p. 9–15.
- ^ a b Countdown: Spreading the Word (Granada Media, 2001) p. 20.
- ^ IMDB.com on Countdown trivia–URL accessed 20/06/06.
- ^ UK Game Shows on Countdown's first episode–URL accessed 26/06/06.
- ^ Countdown: Spreading the Word (Granada Media, 2001) p. 17–18.
- ^ IMDB on Vorderman's Cambridge graduation and Mensa membership–URL accessed 08/07/06.
- ^ Scotland on Sunday on the advertisement to which Vorderman responded–URL accessed 06/07/06.
- ^ Independent.co.uk on viewer dissatisfaction with Vorderman's expanded role–URL accessed 20/06/06.
- ^ BBC.co.uk on Des Lynam as the new presenter of Countdown–URL accessed 20/06/06.
- ^ a b BBC.co.uk on Lynam leaving the programme–URL accessed 30/09/06.
- ^ The Sun Countdown's Des quits show–URL accessed 30/09/06.
- ^ BBC News on Des O'Connor succeeding Des Lynam as host–URL accessed 13 November 2006.
- ^ "Channel4.com".
- ^ .The Countdown Page on lexicographers].
- ^ Countdown: Spreading The Word, (Granada Media, 2001), p. 119–131.
- ^ a b "Carol Vorderman quits Countdown". BBC. 2008-07-25. Retrieved 2008-07-25.
- ^ "Sky host Stelling joins Countdown". BBC News. 21 November 2008. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
- ^ a b Scotsman.com on Countdown establishing cult status
- ^ a b BBC.co.uk Richard Whiteley obituary on the show's audience and cult status. URL accessed 24/06/06.
- ^ Spreading the Word (Granada Media, 2001), p. 74.
- ^ DailyRecord.co.uk on viewing figures.
- ^ UKGameshows.com on Series 54 final viewing figures–URL accessed 10/07/06.
- ^ Jonathan Shaw's official website, detailing his parliamentary motion–URL accessed 10/07/06.
- ^ Nebagram.co.uk on the prizes–page accessed 24/06/06.
- ^ Amazon.co.uk on the leather-bound Oxford English Dictionary–page accessed 24/06/06.
- ^ Countdown: Spreading the Word (Granada Media, 2001) p. 147.
- ^ Countdown: Spreading the Word (Granada Media, 2001) p. 33.
- ^ Fletcher, Alex (2008-07-23). "O'Connor quits as 'Countdown' host". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2008-07-23.
- ^ "Vorderman 'forced' to quit quiz". BBC. 2008-07-26. Retrieved 2008-07-26.
- ^ Taylor, Jerome (18 October 2008). "The Independent, 18 October 2008". London. Retrieved 30 April 2010.
- ^ Brook, Stephen (14 October 2008). "The Guardian, 14 October 2008". London. Retrieved 30 April 2010.
- ^ Rajan, Amol (31 October 2008). "Armstrong turns down 'Countdown' job". London: The Independent, 18 October 2008. Retrieved 30 April 2010.
{{cite news}}
: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=
(help) - ^ "BBC News, 28 July 2008". 28 July 2008. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
- ^ "BBC News, 28 July 2008". 21 November 2008. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
- ^ Countdown: Spreading The Word (Granada Media, 2001) p. 87.
- ^ The Countdown Page Julian Fell's Countdown "experience"–URL accessed 24/06/06.
- ^ a b Countdown: Spreading The Word (Granada Media, 2001), p. 220.
- ^ The Countdown Page list of special episodes and their themes–URL accessed 20/06/06.
- ^ a b c d e Countdown: Spreading the Word (Granada Media, 2001) p. 24.
- ^ The Countdown Page: Letters–URL accessed 08/04/10.
- ^ UK Game Shows on production team aid–URL accessed 20/06/06.
- ^ The Countdown Page on dictionaries–URL accessed 20/06/06.
- ^ The Oxford Dictionary of English (2005, Oxford University Press), p. xvii.
- ^ UK Game Shows on game equipment–URL accessed 20/06/06.
- ^ Countdown Statistics on the frequency of each numbers games' selection–URL accessed 19/06/06.
- ^ a b Crossword Tools on analysis of the numbers game–URL accessed 20/06/06.
- ^ Countdown: Spreading the Word (Granada Media, 2001) p. 26.
- ^ The Countdown Page game recap involving a tie-break conundrum–URL accessed 20/06/06.
- ^ cybercl.free.fr rules of Des Chiffres et des Lettres (in French)–URL accessed 07/07/06.
- ^ Countdown: Spreading the Word (Granada Media, 2001), p. 18.
- ^ Countdown: Spreading the Word (Granada Media, 2001), p. 133.
- ^ The Countdown Page showing the expanded format–URL accessed 20/06/06.
- ^ The Countdown Page showing a fourteen-round final–URL accessed 20/06/06.
- ^ The Countdown Page showing a fifteen-round final–URL accessed 20/06/06.
- ^ New Oxford Dictionary of English Guidelines on the change in rules regarding American spelling–URL accessed 21/06/06.
- ^ The Countdown Page series final recap in which dominater was deemed valid–URL accessed 20/06/06.
- ^ The Countdown Page on Julian Fell's record score–URL accessed 25/06/06.
- ^ Daily Mail on Conor Travers–URL accessed 25/06/06.
- ^ The Independent on Conor Travers–URL accessed 21/06/06.
- ^ The Guardian on Conor Travers–URL accessed 21/06/06.
- ^ Daily Mail on Tanmay Dixit–URL accessed 25/06/06.
- ^ Sky.com on Tanmay Dixit–URL accessed 21/06/06.
- ^ Countdown: Spreading the Word (Granada Media, 2001) p. 34.
- ^ a b c The Countdown Page on Celebrity Countdown–URL accessed 25/06/06.
- ^ The Countdown Page recap of Whiteley vs. Vorderman Christmas special–URL accessed 25/06/06.
- ^ IMDB About a Boy movie connections page–URL accessed 18/06/06.
- ^ IMDB TV's Finest Failures movie connections page–URL accessed 21/06/06.
- ^ Snopes on the wankers incident–URL accessed 21/06/06.
- ^ Telegraph.co.uk on the wankers incident–URL accessed 20/07/06.
- ^ IMDB 100 Greatest TV Moments from Hell movie connections page–URL accessed 19/06/06.
- ^ "Countdown contestants asked to make word using U,D,F,C,K,E". London: The Telegraph. March 24, 2010. Retrieved 27 March 2010.
- ^ IMDB Father Ted movie connections–URL accessed 21/06/06.
- ^ IMDB Little Britain movie connections page–URL accessed 21/06/06.
- ^ UK Game Shows list of game show spoofs–URL accessed 21/06/06.
- ^ Countdown to Hell transcript–URL accessed 23/06/06.
- ^ Channel 4 Community webchat with Richard Whiteley, explaining his Gotcha!–URL accessed 21/06/06.
- ^ [2]
- ^ http://crtvg.es/programas/?m=1&p=1
- Countdown: Spreading the Word (Granada Media, 2001) ISBN 0-233-99976-0
External links
- Countdown at Channel4.com
- Countdown at IMDb
- Template:Tv.com
- Countdown at the BFI's Screenonline
- The Countdown Page, results from every game
- The Countdown Wiki
- Yorkshire Television productions
- 1982 in television
- 1982 in British television
- 1982 television series debuts
- 1980s British television series
- 1990s British television series
- 2000s British television series
- 2010s British television series
- British game shows
- Channel 4 television programmes
- Countdown
- English-language television series