NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Countdown (game show)

Countdown is a British game show currently (June 2008) presented by Des O'Connor and Carol Vorderman, 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 4,000 episodes, it is one of the longest-running game shows in the world. The programme was presented by Richard Whiteley for over twenty years, until his death in 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 January 2, 2007. A celebrity guest features in every programme, and provides a brief interlude before the first advertisement break. A multi-camera setup is a film production technique wherein multiple cameras shoot the same action from different angles. ... This article is about the British television station. ... For other uses, see PAL (disambiguation). ... 576i is the shorthand name for a video mode. ... is the 306th day of the year (307th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... Quiz show redirects here. ... Robert Frederick Zenon Geldof (born January 12, 1932) is a veteran English television personality. ... Carol Jean Vorderman MBE (born 24 December 1960, Bedford), is a UK television personality best known for being a long-standing co-presenter of Channel 4 game show Countdown. ... Susie Dent is a British lexicographer born in Woking in the late 1960s. ... This article is about the British television station. ... is the 306th day of the year (307th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... John Richard Whiteley, OBE DL (28 December 1943 â€” 26 June 2005) was an English television presenter, and journalist. ... Desmond Michael Lynam (born 17 September 1942) is an Irish sports presenter and game show host on British television and radio, born in Ennis, County Clare, Ireland. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 2nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ...

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. Arithmetic tables for children, Lausanne, 1835 Arithmetic or arithmetics (from the Greek word Î±ÏÎ¹Î¸Î¼ÏŒÏ‚ = number) is the oldest and most elementary branch of mathematics, used by almost everyone, for tasks ranging from simple day-to-day counting to advanced science and business calculations. ... A buzzer or beeper is a signaling device, usually electronic, typically used in automobiles, household appliances such as a microwave oven, or game shows. ... For the game, see Anagrams. ... A single-elimination tournament, also called a knockout or sudden death tournament, is a type of tournament where the loser of each match is immediately eliminated from winning the championship or first prize in the event. ...

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 part 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".^[1] These shows were only broadcast in the Yorkshire area.^[2] Des Chiffres et Des Lettres (literally meaning Figures and letters) is a French television programme. ... Armand Jammot was born on the 4th of April 1922 and died on the 19th of April 1998. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Calendar is the local news programme for Yorkshire Television. ... John Richard Whiteley, OBE DL (28 December 1943 â€” 26 June 2005) was an English television presenter, and journalist. ...

An additional pilot episode was made, with a refined format, although it was never broadcast.^[3] 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.^[3] Countdown was the first programme to be broadcast on the new channel.^[4] Image File history File links This is a screenshot of a copyrighted website, video game graphic, computer program graphic, television broadcast, or film. ... Image File history File links This is a screenshot of a copyrighted website, video game graphic, computer program graphic, television broadcast, or film. ... A television pilot is a test episode of an intended television series. ... This article is about the British television station. ...

John Richard Whiteley, OBE DL (28 December 1943 â€” 26 June 2005) was an English television presenter, and journalist. ...

Presenters

Calendar Countdown was presented by Richard Whiteley, with Cathy Hytner and Denise McFarland-Cruickshanks managing the numbers and letters rounds respectively.^[6] When Countdown was commissioned for Channel 4 the number of hostesses expanded further: Cathy 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.^[7] 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] John Richard Whiteley, OBE DL (28 December 1943 â€” 26 June 2005) was an English television presenter, and journalist. ... This article is about the British television station. ... The University of Cambridge (often Cambridge University), located in Cambridge, England, is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world and has a reputation as one of the most prestigious universities in the world. ... Mensa is the largest, oldest, and most famous high-IQ society in the world. ...

Gradually the tasks performed by the extra presenters were taken over by Carol Vorderman, whose role within the show is now essentially that of co-presenter.^[10] The show was briefly taken off air following Whiteley's death by Pnuemonia in June 2005, but reappeared in October 2005 with Des Lynam as presenter.^[11] On September 30, 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 December 22, 2006. Image File history File links CountdownDes. ... Image File history File links CountdownDes. ... Desmond Michael Lynam (born 17 September 1942) is an Irish sports presenter and game show host on British television and radio, born in Ennis, County Clare, Ireland. ... Carol Jean Vorderman MBE (born 24 December 1960, Bedford), is a UK television personality best known for being a long-standing co-presenter of Channel 4 game show Countdown. ... This article is about human pneumonia. ... Desmond Michael Lynam (born 17 September 1942) is an Irish sports presenter and game show host on British television and radio, born in Ennis, County Clare, Ireland. ... is the 273rd day of the year (274th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Christmas (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Leeds (disambiguation) and Leeds City (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Worthing (disambiguation). ... West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex (with Brighton and Hove), Hampshire and Surrey. ... Sony camera head with Betacam SP dock recorder. ... Robert Frederick Zenon Geldof (born January 12, 1932) is a veteran English television personality. ... is the 356th day of the year (357th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The other studio mainstay is Dictionary Corner, which houses a lexicographer and that week's celebrity guest. 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, currently Michael Wylie and Damian Eadie.^[15] 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 and John Sergeant providing poems, anecdotes, puzzles and magic tricks.^[17] Alison Heard replaced Susie Dent over the Winter of 2007-2008, whilst Dent was on maternity leave; however, Susie Dent returned to Countdown on 6 February 2008. Image File history File links Countdown_studio. ... Image File history File links Countdown_studio. ... A lexicographer is a person devoted to the study of lexicography, especially an author of a dictionary. ... Ted Moult (February 11, 1926 - September 3, 1986), real name Edward Moult, was a farmer at Scaddows Farm near Ticknall, Derbyshire, who became a radio and television personality known for his warm Derbyshire accent and earthy humour, with appearances on discussion programmes such as Any Questions and panel games such... Susie Dent is a British lexicographer born in Woking in the late 1960s. ... Jo Brand (born Josephine Grace Brand 3 May 1957, Hastings, East Sussex) is an English comedienne. ... Martin Jarvis (born August 4, 1941 in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England) is an English actor. ... Richard Digance (born 24 February 1949) is a British comedian and folk singer. ... Geoffrey Durham (born 22 July 1949) is a comedy magician who was known for many years as The Great Soprendo. ... Gyles Daubeney Brandreth (born March 8, 1948 in Germany) is a celebrity, author and politician in the United Kingdom. ... John Sergeant (born 14 April 1944, Oxford) is a journalist and broadcaster. ... is the 37th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Era (or Anno Domini), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ...

Character

Countdown quickly established cult status within British television^[18] -- an image which it maintains today,^[19] despite numerous changes of rules and personnel. The programme's audience comprises mainly students, housewives and pensioners,^[18] due to the "teatime" broadcast slot and inclusive appeal of its format and presentation.^[19] Countdown has been one of Channel 4's most-watched programmes for over twenty years, but has never won a major television award.^[20] 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^[21] — and the Series 54 final, on 26 May 2006, attracted 2.5 million viewers.^[22] Up to 2 million viewers had watched the show daily in its previous 4.15pm 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.^[23] Minor scheduling changes have subsequently seen the show move from 3.15 to 3.30 to 3.25. Cult television, like cult figures, cult film and cult radio, attracts a band of aficionados or appreciators, known as a cult following, devoted to a specific television series or fictional universe. ... is the 146th day of the year (147th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Labour Party is a political party in the United Kingdom. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... Jonathan Rowland Shaw (born 3 June 1966, Kent) is a politician in the United Kingdom. ... Type Bicameral Houses House of Commons House of Lords Speaker of the House of Commons Michael Martin MP Speaker of the House of Lords HÃ©lÃ¨ne Hayman, PC Members 1377 (646 Commons, 731 Peers) Political groups Labour Party Conservative Party Liberal Democrats Scottish National Party Plaid Cymru Democratic Unionist...

In keeping with the show's friendly nature, contestants compete not for money but the Countdown winner's teapot, which is custom-made and can only be obtained by winning a game on the programme.^[24] The prize for the series winner is a leather-bound copy of the twenty-volume Oxford English Dictionary, worth GB£4,000.^[25] However Series 31 winner David Acton refused this prize on account of his strict veganism, instead opting for a CD-ROM version of the dictionaries and donating the monetary difference to charity.^[26] Image File history File links Teapot_(levelled). ... Image File history File links Teapot_(levelled). ... The Oxford English Dictionary print set The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is a dictionary published by the Oxford University Press (OUP), and is the most successful dictionary of the English language, (not to be confused with the one-volume Oxford Dictionary of English, formerly New Oxford Dictionary of English, of... GBP redirects here. ... Vegan redirects here. ... The CD-ROM (an abbreviation for Compact Disc Read-Only Memory (ROM)) is a non-volatile optical data storage medium using the same physical format as audio compact discs, readable by a computer with a CD-ROM drive. ...

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 has changed many times, 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.^[27] Image File history File links Download high resolution version (992x760, 729 KB) Summary A photo of the Countdown set before the shows production has begun, taken by my father on December 3, 2003, which was when the show I appeared on was recorded. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (992x760, 729 KB) Summary A photo of the Countdown set before the shows production has begun, taken by my father on December 3, 2003, which was when the show I appeared on was recorded. ... Alan Hawkshaw is a composer and performer, particularly of themes for movies and television programmes. ... The primary definition of Executive Producer is the person who brings the money together for a motion picture or television production. ...

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.^[28] A single-elimination tournament, also called a knockout or sudden death tournament, is a type of tournament where the loser of each match is immediately eliminated from winning the championship or first prize in the event. ...

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 note-worthy contestants.^[29] 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.^[30] 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.^[31] The primary role of a television producer is to coordinate and control all aspects of production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking. ... is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

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, O'Connor poses an anagram with a cryptic clue for the viewers at home, 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 have since been extended to eight. // Advert redirects here. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Letters round

Letter tiles are arranged face-down into two piles; one all consonants, the other vowels. The contestant chooses a pile, and Vorderman 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.^[32] 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.^[32] 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.^[33] See also consonance in music. ... Note: This page contains phonetic information presented in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) using Unicode. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Many editions of the word board game Scrabble vary in the letter distribution of the tiles, because the frequency of each letter of the alphabet is different for every language. ...

Contestants write down the words they have found during the round, in case they 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, that 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-lettered words, which score eighteen 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 either the host or celebrity guest - whoever is closest. Finally, Dictionary Corner reveals the best word they could find from the selection, aided by the production team.^[34]

Any word which appears in the Oxford Dictionary of English is allowable,^[35] as well as some inflections. Standard inflections of nouns and verbs - for example, escapes, escaped and escaping - are accepted even though not explicitly stated in the dictionary. Comparative and superlative forms of monosyllabic adjectives - for example, greater and greatest - are valid although these too are not explicitly stated. For longer adjectives, the inflections must be stated explicitly.^[36] However, some words given in the dictionary are not permitted: proper nouns (Kurdistan), hyphenated words (re-embark), some plurals of mass noun (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.^[32] A copy of the 2001 issue of the NODE The Oxford Dictionary of English (formerly The New Oxford Dictionary of English, often abbreviated to NODE) is a single-volume English language dictionary first published in 1998 by the Oxford University Press. ... Inflection of the Spanish lexeme for cat, with blue representing the masculine gender, pink representing the feminine gender, grey representing the form used for mixed-gender, and green representing the plural number. ... In linguistics, a noun or noun substantive is a lexical category which is defined in terms of how its members combine with other grammatical kinds of expressions. ... It has been suggested that Verbal agreement be merged into this article or section. ... In grammar the comparative is the form of an adjective or adverb which denotes the degree or grade by which a person, thing, or other entity has a property or quality greater or less in extent than that of another. ... For the noun case, see superlative case. ... In grammar, an adjective is a word whose main syntactic role is to modify a noun or pronoun (called the adjectives subject), giving more information about what the noun or pronoun refers to. ... In linguistics, a noun or noun substantive is a lexical category which is defined in terms of how its members combine with other grammatical kinds of expressions. ... This article is about the punctuation mark. ... Look up plural in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... It has been suggested that Count noun be merged into this article or section. ... U.S. English, Inc. ...

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 dictates 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 Calculator In Leeds).^[37] The contestants then have thirty seconds to get as near to the target as possible by combining the six numbers selected with addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.^[32] Numbers can be used as many times as they appear in the selection, and need not all be used. Decimals and fractions are not allowed - only integers may be used at any stage of the calculation.^[32] 3 + 2 = 5 with apples, a popular choice in textbooks[1] This article is about addition in mathematics. ... 5 - 2 = 3 (verbally, five minus two equals three) An example problem Subtraction is one of the four basic arithmetic operations; it is the inverse of addition. ... In mathematics, multiplication is an elementary arithmetic operation. ... In mathematics, especially in elementary arithmetic, division is an arithmetic operation which is the inverse of multiplication. ... Not to be confused with Natural number. ...

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.

For some games, there are many ways to reach the target exactly, including getting an odd number with only even numbers. However not all games are solvable, and for some selections it is impossible even to get within 10. There is a tactical element in selecting how many large numbers to include. One large and five small numbers is the most popular selection,^[38] despite two large numbers giving the best chance of the game being solvable exactly.^[39] Selections with zero or four large numbers are generally considered the hardest.^[39]

Conundrum

The final round of the game is the "Countdown Conundrum". A board revolves to reveal the "conundrum" - a nine-lettered anagram, usually arranged into the form of two condensed words (see example). The contestants have thirty seconds to find the 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 asks if anyone in the audience knows the word, and if so, chooses someone to shout it out. 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.^[40]

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.^[41]

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 rounds are each 45 seconds long to Countdown's 30. Also, DCedL has a standard letters round as its final round, so there is no analogue to Countdown's Conundrum finale. However, DCedL has an alternative two rounds, called "duels", in which players compete to solve a mental arithmetic problem, extract two themed words, or spell a rare word. Other minor discrepancies 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).^[42] Des Chiffres et Des Lettres (literally meaning Figures and letters) is a French television programme. ...

The pilot episode followed significantly different rules to 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.^[43] A television pilot is a test episode of an intended television series. ...

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.^[44] 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.^[45] 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 jokingly continued to refer to the three segments of the show as "halves". Under the old format, Grand Finals were specially extended shows of fourteen rounds,^[46] but now all shows follow the same format.^[47]

The rules regarding which words are permitted have changed with time. American spelling was allowed until 2002,^[48] and more unspecified inflections were assumed to be valid.^[49] Spelling differences redirects here. ...

In September 2007 a new feature was added to the show, in which during a brief pause in the game 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 Susie returned, on Wednesday 6 February 2008, she continued the feature once again.

25th Anniversary 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. is the 274th day of the year (275th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... More4 is a digital television channel, produced by United Kingdom broadcaster Channel 4, that launched on 10 October 2005. ... is the 306th day of the year (307th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ...

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. The network then showed the original, French version of the show, Des chiffres et des lettres on the station France 3.^{[citation needed]} is the 306th day of the year (307th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... Chris Wills (born on 17 February 1978) is a Champion of the British game show Countdown and a veteran of numerous other shows. ... For other uses, see VIP. For the 1961 British comedy film, see Very Important Person (film). ... For others with the same or similar names, see Gordon Brown (disambiguation). ... Amir Khan (born December 8, 1986) is a British Pakistani boxer from Bolton, Greater Manchester, England. ... Richard Samuel Attenborough, Baron Attenborough, CBE (born 29 August 1923) is an English actor, director, producer, and entrepreneur. ... Logo France tÃ©lÃ©visions headquarters in Paris France TÃ©lÃ©visions is the French public national television broadcaster. ... Carol Jean Vorderman MBE (born 24 December 1960, Bedford), is a UK television personality best known for being a long-standing co-presenter of Channel 4 game show Countdown. ... This article is about the British television station. ... Des Chiffres et Des Lettres (literally meaning Figures and letters) is a French television programme. ...

Notable contestants

Since Countdown's debut in 1982, there have been over 4,000 televised games and 57 complete series. There have also been twelve Champion of Champions tournaments, with the most recent in June 2006.^[50]

Several of Countdown's most successful contestants have received national media coverage. Teenager Julian Fell set a record score of 146 in December 2002.^[51] More recently, fourteen-year-old Conor Travers became the youngest series champion in the show's history, gaining wide newspaper interest.^[52]^[53]^[54] 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.^[55] He also received press attention for his offerings in the letters round, which included fannies and farted.^[56] A couple of former contestants have returned to Countdown as part of the production team: Mark Nyman (as producer, and occasional lexicographer in Dictionary Corner) and Damian Eadie (the current series producer). Julian Fell is a British Countdown champion. ... Mark Nyman (1967-) is a Scrabble player from Leeds, England. ...

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.^[57] The celebrities included Whiteley's successor Des Lynam, who defeated Siân Lloyd.^[58] The highest and lowest scores were posted in the same game when Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall defeated Jilly Goolden 47-9.^[58] Image:ITVSiÃ¢nLloyd. ... Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall (Born 14 January 1965) is a English celebrity chef and TV presenter, noted for his mildly eccentric antics and back-to-nature philosophy. ... Jilly Goolden (born 1956) is a well-known British wine critic, journalist and television personality. ...

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.^[58] The game was close-fought, and decided only by the crucial Countdown conundrum mistletoe which Vorderman solved in two seconds.^[59] Joseph and Mary with baby Jesus, at the first Christmas Christmas (literally, the Mass of Christ) is a holiday in the Christian calendar, usually observed on December 25, which celebrates the birth of Jesus. ... William Gladstone Stewart (born July 15, 1935) is an English television producer and director of comedy and game shows, now best known as the former presenter of the Channel 4 quiz show Fifteen to One and producer of the original series of The Price is Right on ITV . ... Fifteen to One is a popular general knowledge quiz show on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom, that ran from 4 January 1988 to 19 December 2003 that had a reputation for being the toughest quiz on TV. Repeats of the final series used to be shown on Challenge. ... Mark Nyman (1967-) is a Scrabble player from Leeds, England. ...

In popular culture

Countdown is often referenced and parodied in British culture. In the 2002 film About a Boy, protagonist Will Freeman is a regular viewer of Countdown.^[60] Fairport Convention guitarist Simon Nicol named one of his solo records Consonant Please, Carol, echoing one of the show's most famous catchphrases. The programme is mentioned in an episode of Irish sitcom Father Ted entitled "The Old Grey Whistle Theft,"^[61] Still Game (in the episode "Kill Wullie") and is also referenced in the very first episode of Little Britain from 2003.^[62] 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".^[63] 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.^[64] 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 can't be out at work. Image File history File links Countdown_letters_game. ... Image File history File links Countdown_letters_game. ... About a Boy is RUBBISH !!!! :( == Headline text == Link titleLink titleLink title About a Boy is a 2002 film directed by brothers Chris Weitz and Paul Weitz, based on the book of the same name by Nick Hornby. ... Fairport Convention are often credited with being the first English electric folk band. ... Simon John Breckenridge Nicol, born October 13, 1950, Muswell Hill, North London is an English folk rock guitarist and singer. ... This article is about a genre of comedy. ... Father Ted was a popular 1990s television situation comedy set around the lives of three priests on the extremely remote (and completely fictional) Craggy Island off the west coast of Ireland. ... The Old Grey Whistle Theft is episode 4 of the second series of comedy show Father Ted. ... Still Game is a Scottish sitcom, a spin-off from the sketch show series Chewin the Fat. ... This article is about the British TV show Little Britain. ... For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... An impressionist is a performer whose act consists of giving the impression of being someone else by imitating the other persons voice and mannerisms. ... Sketch Show redirects here. ... Dead Ringers is a UK radio and television comedy impressions show broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Two. ... Lockkeepers Cottages, in Old Ford Lock, used as the studio for The Big Breakfast The Big Breakfast was a British light entertainment television show shown on Channel 4 each weekday morning from 28 September 1992 until 29 March 2002. ... This article is about the television series. ... Stephen John Fry (born 24 August 1957) is an English comedian, writer, actor, humourist, novelist, columnist, filmmaker and television personality. ... John Richard Whiteley, OBE DL (28 December 1943 â€” 26 June 2005) was an English television presenter, and journalist. ... Gyles Daubeney Brandreth (born March 8, 1948 in Germany) is a celebrity, author and politician in the United Kingdom. ... Bollox redirects here. ... The Office is a British television comedy series, created, written and directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, and first aired in the UK on BBC Two on July 9, 2001. ...

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,^[65] 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.^[66]^[67] 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, and a clip from a 2001 episode in which the word fart appeared on the letters board, which also featured on 100 Greatest TV Moments from Hell.^[68] An outtake can be a take or scene, as of a movie, or a television program, that is filmed but not used in the final cut, usually for pacing reasons. ...

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. Have I Got News for You is a British television panel show; produced by Hat Trick Productions for the BBC. It is based loosely on the BBC Radio 4 show The News Quiz, and has been running since 1990. ... Events of 2008: (EMILY) Me Lesley and MIley are going to China! This article is about the year. ... Ian Hislop (born 13 July 1960) is the editor of British satirical magazine Private Eye, a team captain on the popular satirical current affairs quiz Have I Got News for You and a comedy scriptwriter. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

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. It was referenced again in a later series in "Last of the Time Lords" (2007), where Professor Docherty expresses a keen fondness for the show. This article is about the television series. ... Bad Wolf is an episode in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on June 11, 2005. ... Last of the Time Lords is an episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. ...

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, one 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 shorter conundrum of HOGCAT to be "gotcha" at the end of the programme.^[69] Noels House Party is a BBC television light entertainment show hosted by Noel Edmonds that was broadcast live on Saturday evenings throughout the 1990s. ... Noel Ernest Edmonds (born 22 December 1948 in Ilford, Essex) is a British television presenter, DJ, executive who made his name on BBC Radio 1 in the UK. He is more recently known as the presenter of the television gameshow Deal or No Deal. ...

Contents

History

Origins

Presenters

Character

Format

Letters round

Numbers round

Conundrum

Evolution

25th Anniversary Celebrations

Notable contestants

In popular culture

See also

Transmissions

Series

Regular

Champion of Champions

Masters

Celebrity

References

External links

Contents

History var ACE_AR = {Site: '756743', Size: '300250'};

Origins

Presenters

Character

Format

Letters round

Numbers round

Conundrum

Evolution

25th Anniversary Celebrations

Notable contestants

In popular culture

See also

Transmissions

Series

Regular

Champion of Champions

Masters

Celebrity

References

External links

History