c4countdown

L'oisleatch McGraw

If you know that you Opp is a numbers wizard, the only reason why a nums gamble would be acceptable is perhaps as an attempt to get inside their head... But even then, it is a high risk, low probability strategy.

L'oisleatch McGraw

No. It's silly logic that the only rounds you can or should 'gamble' on are numbers rounds.
His 3-vowel gamble in Rd13 did more for him than an ill-advised 6s or 4L could have done in Rd9.

L'oisleatch McGraw

Stu surprisingly does not gamble in R9 despite the fact that he's 14 behind Of course he doesn't. He's not insane. Gambling on numbers is only ever sensible if you have an edge over your opponent's numbers game. Stu knew well what he was doing. His 'gambles' took place in letters rounds. Florence w...

L'oisleatch McGraw

Jenny Haldane got a max game* in 1988... so nope.
Close, but no banana.

(*It was actually the first max game in the show's history!)

L'oisleatch McGraw

I don't think CD team need to worry too much about trying to make a silk purse out of an Anne Robinson. The search for her replacement will be their main priority over the next season or two. The only sincere hope I have is that the person / people responsible for her appointment get fired from thei...

L'oisleatch McGraw

Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Thu Dec 16, 2021 3:21 pm
Tom S wrote: ↑Thu Dec 16, 2021 3:20 pm Good game between 2 worthy finalists. Loved Stu's 747 bit...
Yeah, should have got 10 points for that.

Or even 747pts!
Best. Contestant. Moment. Ever!

L'oisleatch McGraw

An audience would have given Stu's hilarious 747 gag the laugh it deserved!

L'oisleatch McGraw

Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Tue Dec 14, 2021 8:30 am OK, guidelines then. I don't imagine many events going against them anyway.

Me neither. I certainly would be happy to have a robust and fair adjudication system to fall back on, in case we were stuck on a tricky judgment call.

L'oisleatch McGraw

Really? Surely Jeff knows better than to make a balls of the business end of his co-event?! :D If even someone that experienced can get it wrong, then perhaps there is some substance to your argument? However, given the history of co-events, and FOCAL's place within that history, it should be a list...

L'oisleatch McGraw

No. The alternative is trusting that event organisers are not morons.
As much as I am on board with the idea of FOCAL, it is worth reminding ourselves every so often that events were running successfully for years before any umbrella organisations or mandated rules came into the picture.

L'oisleatch McGraw

So if Janet loses one of the next 2 shows she'll be in the S84 finals (assuming she picks up another 23 points). But if she wins both, she'll carry forward her 7 wins to S85 (and then if she loses the first match there, and there are 8 octochamps in S85, she won't qualify for the finals at all...) ...

L'oisleatch McGraw

I agree with almost all of Graeme's original post, including the controversial Point #5. Though I do agree that event hosts should vet their conundrums properly in advance to avoid such situations, in general. I have no sympathy for the "Alice might feel aggrieved" point that Tom makes, an...

L'oisleatch McGraw

Have ye just had yet ANOTHER cheating controversy?! :shock: It's becoming par for the course at this stage. If ye're reinstating all of Eeshan's defeated contestants, surely it is now the perfect opportunity to let Ahmad/James continue his run? Should be Ahmad v Florence, winner plays Luke, winner o...

L'oisleatch McGraw

Ok, I'll take that as a "that news hasn't been released yet".
Hopefully they will set something in stone sooner rather than later.

L'oisleatch McGraw

No-one knows the craic with this yet?
Do they push everything back by one day, or perhaps keep the schedule as is & make today's episode available to view on More 4 instead?

L'oisleatch McGraw

As regards whether hardcore fans can force 'muggles' to watch ZoomDown with them... ...the key consideration is how smoothly the show goes. The more it looks and plays like a real TV show (i.e. if it can be at the very least -watchable), the more likely casual fans and non-fans will be prepared to t...

L'oisleatch McGraw

One of the competitors was a football fan, and hence both conundrums used a scramble of a footballer which made it much easier for said contestant to get them both Disagree... the scrambles being familiar names would more likely flummox a footie fan than a non-fan. More an extra obstacle to overcom...

L'oisleatch McGraw

Countdown Team wrote: ↑Sun Nov 28, 2021 3:52 pm The final was stacked in Dinos' favour because i used a Greek conundrum TABBOULEH. Surprised you didn't mention this Eoin. You're slacking a little.

The Great S80 Conspiracy should be a spicy one!
Just need a little more time to properly invent, eh - research it.

L'oisleatch McGraw

At Co:Dub 2019, Bradley and I were talking about this... he said that Tom Stephenson also applied for S79. But that is the only source that rumour came from, not 100% sure of its validity. I wonder will any more of S79's lost souls come out of the woodwork? Who else among us tried to apply for the s...

L'oisleatch McGraw

In series 79 , there were no top-tier Apterites. This could just be random chance - if you average a couple per series, sometimes you'll get more, sometimes less. However, there was definitely something about Elliott Mellor being put off to a later series, although the only discussion I could find ...

L'oisleatch McGraw

this . Hadn't seen that thread before. A forehead slapper. Really ain't that deep. https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.15752-9/p403x403/260867390_579893293307715_769827566914296453_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-5&_nc_sid=aee45a&_nc_ohc=Cw2k2X-Bz2sAX-tnhnu&_nc_ad=z-m&_nc_cid=0&_nc_h...

L'oisleatch McGraw

Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Sat Nov 27, 2021 9:42 pm Harry Peters

Love this!
The original story hosted on Ben Wilson's website to boot.
Younger Ben, funner Ben.

The real conspiracy here, is will we ever find out which scheming CDer invented him...
...surely once enough time has passed, the culprit will own up?

L'oisleatch McGraw

Gawd, hardly surprising Damo's not in a hurry to do another CoC. :roll: Wow, I didn't realise how little respect you had for D. Eadie's professionalism. You think he would get in enough of a snot over one person's opinion on a dying internet forum, that he'd deprive the viewers of the latest instal...

L'oisleatch McGraw

Mark Deeks wrote: ↑Sat Nov 27, 2021 12:54 pm Not sure I agree with your first five words.

But you will in time...
...as will be outlined further once full details of "The Great Mark Deeks Conspiracy" are published.

L'oisleatch McGraw

:::The Great S84 Conspiracy::: HYPOTHESIS : "In general, there have been closer matches on S84 than on any series in living memory. This is because the CD producers have been inspired by online sensation ZoomDown." EVIDENCE : 1. Players who would normally win 8 games running into another ...

L'oisleatch McGraw

We do need this thread. But there should be rules, e.g:- No entry to the thread without the required apparel. Apparel required consists of one tin foil hat. Subject line for each new proposed theory should be changed so people know which theory is being replied to. Tongue to be positioned in cheek w...

L'oisleatch McGraw

Ignoring the daftness of forcing users to be available when they don't want to play people... Before Spotify introduced it, forcing users to listen to songs in a playlist without being able to skip may have been considered 'daftness' too, similarly being forced to sit through adverts before you pla...

L'oisleatch McGraw

Stu is playing a blinder, and I'd say the response to his demeanour and personality has probably been v. positive.
Though, on the negative side, he is fast earning a reputation as a crusher of children's hopes and dreams!

L'oisleatch McGraw

mean spiritness (sic) Good point! That DOES make me feel sic (sic). I hate making spelling mistakes! :? "fear, anxiety, peer pressure, mean spiritedness, lack of respect". You say that some reasons are more worthy than others. People will immediately feel the need to defend their reason a...

L'oisleatch McGraw

Quick word of advice / criticism:- The chat after Rd6. Usually the point is to chat to a contestant and find out a little more about them... however one of Paul's standard questions is whether the person watches Countdown... this invariably leads to a lengthy discussion of the dubious merits of Anne...

L'oisleatch McGraw

If people wanna be on busy let them, if they wanna be available let them, if they wanna be seeking let them. https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/819551125572943923/911772373697593364/image0.gif?width=225&height=169 Oooh, don't do that Rhys... It's a little embarrassing. You remind me of on...

L'oisleatch McGraw

Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Wed Nov 17, 2021 10:55 am
Thomas Carey wrote: ↑Wed Nov 17, 2021 10:42 am [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/vendor/twig/twig/lib/Twig/Extension/Core.php on line 1266: count(): Parameter must be an array or an object that implements Countable
Took the words right out of my mouth.

+1

L'oisleatch McGraw

Sorry you're right. I suppose I fixated on the "it is what it is" part. Filters -like on ISC- is one idea, yes. The only problem with that is it would feed into a culture of elitism... but certainly better than the wall of grey. But here's the thing, there was a time when the wall of grey ...

L'oisleatch McGraw

"It is what it is" is a strange response, and one that can be applied to anything... including endemic sexism and racism. Try harder to find a better reason why no action is required. If nothing is to be done about this, then the Apto welcome text must change, because as it stands, it verg...

L'oisleatch McGraw

When someone first discovers Apterous, they are greeted with this "About" message:- "The first thing to say is that apterous is definitely not Countdown. It is not endorsed by Countdown, Channel 4 or anyone important at all. However, it is a game with rounds including numbers, letters...

L'oisleatch McGraw

Rhys Benjamin wrote: ↑Fri Oct 29, 2021 6:02 pm Well, given I subscribe to the Ben Wilson school of shuffling.

Which begs the question, why would anyone subscribe to an incorrect system?

L'oisleatch McGraw

Page 6 eh?

L'oisleatch McGraw

Some nerd (preferably from this parish) should devise a complete searchable list* of what is and is not valid for Countdown... This list should include every allowable word including all forms (plurals / comparatives / superlatives etc), be freely available online, and used by Susie, Charlie, co-eve...

L'oisleatch McGraw

Thomas Carey wrote: ↑Tue Oct 26, 2021 3:53 pm I'm not suggesting we need to change how things are done at co-events.

Ah we do though.
I already changed Co:Wat in 2021 to use Apterous... and the selections were far more true to the gold standard - aka the TV show.
Others should probably follow my lead on that.

L'oisleatch McGraw

Yes... this conversation is interesting, and raises important questions. It was hilarious when the first letters out on Thursday were XVAV. WebRack trolling you and adding fuel to the conspiracy theories! :lol: You ask this:- What's wrong with the letters selections, specifically? but then go on to ...

L'oisleatch McGraw

Suspect it wasn't the Countdown team's decision. Smacks of an appointment from C4 itself. Agreed, but someone decided it. Someone who is paid way too much money to get these things right, got it massively wrong. That person should get their marching orders along with Anne. Probably would have been ...

L'oisleatch McGraw

Yeah, it could be a non-story but very believable (which may play a part in why it exists).
I don't remember seeing any such non-stories circulating regarding other hosts.

The tide of public opinion continues to mitigate against her too.
It's looking grim for her CD future.

L'oisleatch McGraw

I did get a vibe off Rachel. I'd say if given a choice of lunch out with Anne, Nick or Jeff... Anne would be her 3rd preference. This may be from the Daily Mail, but the story's everywhere. It's not a surprise. Looks like we're getting a new presenter sooner rather than later, but who will it be?

L'oisleatch McGraw

The co-events circuit name being stolen and used for the ZoomDown YouTube channel was never a good idea.
And FOCAL still stands for what it was originally meant to stand for. The best solution here would be for the ZoomDown Youtube to rebrand itself properly.

L'oisleatch McGraw

I'd say, after the most recent show, it's fair to assume the verdict is in? As regards letters selections, the new system doesn't cut the mustard (assuming you want to stay true to the TV show). It might be time to have a quick word with Damian Eadie, Charlie Reams or Jack Hurst... each of these has...

L'oisleatch McGraw

8th of October in which year?

L'oisleatch McGraw

Do you explain your jokes? Thought not (Interestingly, Paul would never take that tone with Eadie, Carson or Travers.) Agree that sometimes those teasers could do with an extra comment when the joke is a bit niche or the connection tenuous. In the case of "Just In", I got it, so didn't ca...

L'oisleatch McGraw

The group admins there would encourage such drippy sentimentality and can be quite forceful in trying to steer the tone of the commentary to align with the values system of the group founder. It has become rather echo chambery, and certainly not a reflection of the real world. Given their censorship...

L'oisleatch McGraw

God no, Philip. The pity porn angle is not a reason to admire anyone.
I admire both of those players in spite of any alleged social media emotional splurges, rather than because of them.

L'oisleatch McGraw

That Beach character did very well... ...and was cute (in a "kitten" way, as opposed to a "I want to ride him" way). Have you ever seen a contestant almost break down in tears like that? You could tell this was someone who was really living out a dream just by being there, and ge...

L'oisleatch McGraw

That's the real metric.
% max all the way... the true measure of a champion.

91% is among the best there have been.

L'oisleatch McGraw

But you already know what you're writing for. 30s Countdown round music. The brief could not be any more specific, and you've already (kind of) done it for ZD. For fun, if you'd like our massive egos to go head to head... I will write a 30s round music theme for Jack's new thing, and you write one.....

L'oisleatch McGraw

Fiona T wrote: ↑Sat Oct 09, 2021 1:26 pm You're not really making much effort on this hatchet burying/relationship building stuff, are you...

Paul knows I love him really.
But the massive ego stuff has to be called out from time to time to help keep him grounded.

L'oisleatch McGraw

Re: Music I have offered to write/find something, but having no access is a bit of a barrier. Classic Paul C.A. Anderson right there! "Having no access" makes you somehow unable to make a 30s ditty. :lol: Complaining about 'access' is a weird way to try put yourself front and centre, but ...

L'oisleatch McGraw

Ok... I had a game on it, and have thoughts. First thought:- It is amazingly good and just what the doctor ordered. The absence of a phone App version of Apterous has been an elephant in the room for at least 7 years now. It is crazy (given how wonderfully complex Apterous is, and how much time and ...

L'oisleatch McGraw

Yeah, of course.
But if the thread was something that you actually needed... you wouldn't have closed it. That's my point.

L'oisleatch McGraw

I'm pretty great at most things, that is hard to disagree with. Fair point Noel! No doubt yer wan will be a fine & inoffensive replacement. The role isn't that pivotal to enjoyment of the show... but it is a bonus when there is someone as great as Rachel doing it,,, so I'll be counting down the ...

L'oisleatch McGraw

I would, yes... and even you got it in time!

She will be adequate, undoubtedly... and nowhere near as bad a fit for the show as Anne Robinson.
But I am glad it is temporary.

L'oisleatch McGraw

Don't be silly Adam... 1. She's not hot enough for the permanent role. 2. Based on just one show, she lacks charisma (though that could just be first day nerves) 3. She moves clumsily when putting up letters. She'll probably be an adequate replacement, but nowhere near 'fantastic'. And that numbers ...

L'oisleatch McGraw

We're only gonna have her for a short while, so it's fair to judge prematurely in this case.
And yeah, she was certainly the weakest link on BTF day - a charisma free zone, with moderate maths skills. Thankfully it is only temporary.

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