c4countdown

Philip A

What a fight to the finish. I was going to try SOCIO- something on the conundrum and backed out of it! Well done both. I wonder if James will choose something other than 1 large in the final.

Philip A

In the end, it’s a daytime entertainment programme that does its best to entertain the masses for 225 days of the year and there’s 1,001 ways to film, re-film and edit shots. The way they re-took my recordings may be different to past and future recordings. In TV, they just don’t do the exact same p...

Philip A

Surely with words such as DOUGLAS, GIAOURS (and other derogatory terms), it is best to let the players declare them, actually televise them and let Susie explain why they are derogatory. This would serve an educational purpose and, in my view, would be better than just editing the words out. I'm so...

Philip A

They should just reshoot like they did with Jack's SHITFACE round in the past. Doesn't matter if you yourself don't find a problem with hearing a derogatory terms does it? The whole point of something being labelled derogatory is that it will affect certain members of the demographics in question w...

Philip A

They should just reshoot like they did with Jack's SHITFACE round in the past. Doesn't matter if you yourself don't find a problem with hearing a derogatory terms does it? The whole point of something being labelled derogatory is that it will affect certain members of the demographics in question w...

Philip A

Surely with words such as DOUGLAS, GIAOURS (and other derogatory terms), it is best to let the players declare them, actually televise them and let Susie explain why they are derogatory. This would serve an educational purpose and, in my view, would be better than just editing the words out. It’s d...

Philip A

First time I’ve ever seen the contestants’ names fail to light up on the buzzers. Maybe the lights just got worn out. I think it came down to knowing words the other didn’t; just one word made the difference in the end. Commiserations to Adam - one of the funniest contestants ever. Great win, James....

Philip A

Letters and numbers were indeed a Jos! Only the unspotted MINDRIES and SCAZONS were beaters. Come to think of it, isn't it a total Jos since nobody knew the conundrum until Colin turned it over? Not really. I think at least the conundrum setter is aware of the meaning of the word used. So no, not a...

Philip A

Rhys Benjamin wrote: ↑Mon Jan 16, 2023 11:51 pm
Martin Hurst wrote: ↑Mon Jan 16, 2023 10:20 pm They should rename the show Woke-down and be done with it!
I mean, it is Channel 4...

It would have been cut on any channel IMO.

Philip A

And I hate to say it. But this Championship now looks like a foregone conclusion.

Philip A

Congratulations, Ahmed: perfect letters performance, which very few would have an answer to. The game could have swung on the 6-small challenge of retaining the 1 to deduct from 92*9, but Ahmed was just on fire and won it with two rounds to spare. Many commiserations to Luke – no doubt a kinder draw...

Philip A

Life moves on. The answer that was cut was the sole maximum so their answers couldn’t be replaced in the moment. Attitudes are changing hence why vulgarities and slurs which were uncensored in past games can’t even make the cut let alone bleeped out. They don’t even let FANNIES make the cut anymore....

Philip A

The final week of the 16th Championship of Champions begins with two quarter-final matchups – both between players whose records read 12 wins out of 12. Today, Ahmed Mohamed faces off Luke Johnson-Davies in a difficult-to-call clash of the titans. One man goes through, the other must relinquish thei...

Philip A

Countdown Team wrote: ↑Sat Jan 14, 2023 7:49 pm Also, i get married in April, so i'll need to keep working to help towards the plastic surgery bills.

Good luck with the wedding!

Philip A

When two players are at the top of their game, tactics become futile - there’s so little you can do other than play the best you can. Yeah it an interesting argument. However you could also argue if two top players are playing you know it will be close so it could be tactics that makes the differen...

Philip A

When two players are at the top of their game, tactics become futile - there’s so little you can do other than play the best you can. After all it’s finding the best answers that count. That said, I notice there were no 6-consonant selections, which could have made the letters game more taxing.

Philip A

Nothing wrong with these conundrums nor its selection/system in my view. Every conundrum that has appeared in this CoC so far appears in the less voluminous Google dictionary powered by Oxford Languages (also yielding graphs showing usage of the word over the years, and sometimes relevant pictures) ...

Philip A

Would love to know what that teaser was and why it was ditched. As pointed out by Gevin, likely out of respect of recent events such as Pope Benedict XVI sadly passing away after recording and before broadcast – like when the pandemic began, every reference to it in any of the programmes was cut fr...

Philip A

If you have so much word knowledge, you need the letters to fall for you as well. That’s the thing. These killer conundrums have to fall for you as well.

Philip A

Would love to know what that teaser was and why it was ditched. As pointed out by Gevin, likely out of respect of recent events such as Pope Benedict XVI sadly passing away after recording and before broadcast – like when the pandemic began, every reference to it in any of the programmes was cut fr...

Philip A

After this game, he was moaning about the CoC draw making it impossible for him to play both Elliott and Luke to collect them all :) Yeah I'm still salty cos I'm the only one who can since Luke B's retirement (i guess maybe the person who beat him first time around?)- how else am i supposed to beco...

Philip A

EERILY in R10

Philip A

Gutting, actually. Really, really gutting. Feel so sorry for Elliott. Always a champion in my eyes. The competition is unreal in the tournament and it’s so open at this stage.

Congratulations to Dan; hardly put a foot wrong.

Philip A

Epic contest.

Philip A

TIL Adam Latchford is the first player to defeat two members of the 1,000 club – back-to-back as well. Giant killer indeed.

Philip A

FWIW I’d have gone for 6 small in the last numbers round. I haven't watched the episode yet so I don't know if it made the edit, but I explained in the studio that before the game, Florence and I had agreed to cover all the numbers selections except 1 large between us during the course of the game....

Philip A

What a shame for Sam, I think his pace faded in the home stretch and that was all it was. FWIW I’d have gone for 6 small in the last numbers round. That conundrum was a stinker as expected; one for gemologists for sure. Well played, Florence!

Philip A

Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Thu Jan 12, 2023 2:19 pm Now we have Colin permanant, wouldn't it be good if the slot was moved to 3 or even 4 o'clock

Might be wise to keep it out of competition against the likes of ITV 3-6 pm.

Philip A

We’re down to the last 8. It’s a married couple face-off between the Cappleman-Lynes’s! The winner plays the first semi-final on Wednesday. Not to be missed.

Philip A

Unlucky, Matt. Good spots, but just came up against someone on form on the day. Well done, Sam. 4 highly-anticipated quarter-finals now await.

Philip A

R9 - brilliant from Sam. Brilliant.

Philip A

I didn’t know this, but you can slot a U in VOYAGER to make VOYAGEUR; lesser known as it is a historical term, and comes from Canada.

Philip A

Apt that this was made official on Rachel Riley’s birthday.

Philip A

Fantastic news. The show has proven that it does listen to the fans, and that love conquers all. Another two years of Murray!

Philip A

Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Wed Jan 11, 2023 1:38 pm
Philip A wrote: ↑Wed Jan 11, 2023 1:33 pm Yep, it’s definitely Colin Murray.
Were you today's viewer?

I was watching it live. Colin Murray wore a wig, took it off and then messed up Steph’s sofa!

Philip A

Yep, it’s definitely Colin Murray.

Philip A

Dan Byrom wrote: ↑Wed Jan 11, 2023 10:54 am Damien told me himself a couple of weeks ago on apto, and was happy to let me share it. 100% confirmed to stay for two more years

Sounds like the announcement on Steph’s Packed Lunch is just a ratification, then. But sounds like good news.

Philip A

Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Wed Jan 11, 2023 8:25 am I thought it was announced recently that he had a new contract.

I only learned this from a wiki edit on the Series 87 article, but unfortunately I couldn’t find any reliable sources.

Philip A

Philip A wrote: ↑Sun Jan 01, 2023 9:12 pm Reliably informed he is now contracted until December 2024. Fantastic.

This now may be an untruth as we learn who the actual presenter is this lunchtime. I only got this from a Wiki edit but couldn’t find any reliable sources.

Philip A

Having rewatched the conundrum, maybe it’s the entire music that’s used for accurate timing, including the fade-out in the bong, which might explain why Colin said that Steve had 0.1 seconds left. Interesting either way.

Philip A

NEURAXES in Round 4, plural of neuraxis. Numbers easily missed under pressure, especially in a CoC. I totally forgot about 462=66*7.

Both players were a lot of fun. Commiserations to Steve and well played Dan.

Philip A

The Only Connect thing where they buzz in at the last possible moment in a game of chicken with the timer seems a bit silly to me. They basically always buzz (they very rarely don't make a guess even if they have no idea) so it might as well just auto-buzz at the end of the time rather than require...

Philip A

What about it? If your opponent gets it wrong, then you get the opportunity to guess anyway, with the time remaining (as long as you press your buzzer - one of my opponents answered before buzzing but this was refilmed). Just wondering if you meant they should guess straight away without buzzing in...

Philip A

I think if someone buzzes in and gets it wrong, then the other player should have the opportunity to guess as well because it's the same time left and it shouldn't be a question of how fast their reactions are. I’m bewildered by this TBH. What about it? If your opponent gets it wrong, then you get ...

Philip A

Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Tue Jan 10, 2023 5:07 pm I think if someone buzzes in and gets it wrong, then the other player should have the opportunity to guess as well because it's the same time left and it shouldn't be a question of how fast their reactions are.

I’m bewildered by this TBH.

Philip A

Does that mean the buzzers are no longer locked out when the clock isn’t on? I always thought that the clock’s “bong” started with the final light on, marking 30 seconds…? I once saw a YouTube comment highlighting this was incorrect in the past, and the camera would cut to Richard on the “bong” bef...

Philip A

The other big thing I will say is don’t reapply too frequently (say, every year or two), especially if you have been on before. That will just make them prioritise new contestants even more IMHO.

Philip A

Two Series 85 representatives go head-to-head in the penultimate 1st-round match: semi-finalist Steve Hyde and champion Dan Byrom.

Philip A

13 maxima as well, which is the most by anyone in this championship so far.

Philip A

Congrats Luke, some excellent spots in there. Commiserations Martin. Can't wait for Ahmed v Luke, should be a belter. ABUTTER in R2 I had ABUTTER too. And yes, Ahmed V Luke will be almighty close. Given their form, I think it’ll likely come down to a crucial conundrum. Never heard of a tomatillo. H...

Philip A

The search to find Countdown ’s 16th Champion of Champions continues with three more 1st-round matches this week, followed by two quarter-finals. Martin May, the runner-up of Series 79 from over 4 years ago, makes his 19th Countdown appearance. He’s up against Luke Johnson-Davies, who won the longes...

Philip A

I don’t understand why some contestants get another go after 3 or 5 years and others have to wait 9 or 10. This “10 year rule” is inconsistent, woolly and misleading. May as well say you can come back in at least 3 years’ time. Are contestants genuinely asked to have another bite at the cherry witho...

Philip A

Callum Todd wrote: ↑Fri Jan 06, 2023 5:21 pm I quite light this game but expect the novelty will be short-lived for me, like with Wordle.

Meanwhile crosswords have stood the test of time: 100 years, in fact. No word puzzle beats crosswords.

Philip A

I went for that and scored it as it's on Apterous. I don't have the dictionary subcription so didn't go into it any finer. This might count as STEALING but here is the dictionary definition: noun [mass noun] the action or offence of taking another person's property without permission or legal right...

Philip A

Rhys Benjamin wrote: ↑Fri Jan 06, 2023 5:01 pm Do we think Richard gets a presenting credit in the wiki then? (We haven't given arith credits for Jo Brand or David O'Doherty, but admittedly one is Cats and the other one I never saw.)

I’d say no, since he only did one round.

Philip A

I thought about the conundrum solution for 1 second, but said the answer just before Adam buzzed in. A toing and froing of points in that game. The round with 9s available was a tricky test of picking a right one. Another cracking conundrum solve from Adam. Commiserations, Tom. Two lovely, comedic c...

Philip A

I wonder if they would have given STEALINGS. @Countdown Team could you confirm whether it’s valid or not, please?

Philip A

This is a first. The host changes midway through an episode (well, only for Round 5).

Philip A

I can’t wait for this beard-off. The reigning series champion and current single game top scorer Tom Stevenson faces Nick Hewer’s last series champion Adam Latchford.

Philip A

Ah, rotten luck for Stu. So near. James missed a trick on VOCALISES, but held on and cracked that tricky conundrum brilliantly. What a finish to an exciting game.

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