Reusing Conundrums

[Joseph Krol]

If a guy - let's call him Bob - started watching countdown with no vocabulary, but only memorized the conundrum answers. If he had sufficient brainpower to unscramble conundrums instantly assuming he knows the word, how long would it take before he solved a conundrum? Basically, how many conundrums have been reused over the years?

[James Robinson]

Millions of conundrums have been reused again over the years.

I think the record holder is PARTRIDGE, which I think has been a conundrum at least 4 times over the years.

HAIRSPRAY from yesterday's show was on just 4 years ago, although it was as a tie-break conundrum then.

There are loads in fairness.

[Johnny Canuck]

I've considered this before, too.

According to wiki, PONDERING has been used five times, and used the exact same scramble for three of them. Two of those (same scramble, too) were in the same series (Series 53), only about a month apart

Also, I was going over the recaps for Series 32, and one of the conundrums was KENRIDDLE. Later on in the series the same scramble got used again as a tie-break.

[James Robinson]

Also, I was going over the recaps for Series 32, and one of the conundrums was KENRIDDLE. Later on in the series the same scramble got used again as a tie-break.

Not too uncommon.

The show before my first first show I was in the audience and solved SUPPORTED, and 3 weeks later, it was on the show again.

[Richard Priest]

I remember (how sad am I???) in series 13, the same conundrum with the same scramble came up twice in a week. Kevin Nelson, who went on to be the series runner-up, won his debut game in which the conundrum was FREEDRUTH (FURTHERED), and then the exact same scramble came up in his fifth game.He buzzed in with the correct answer but was clearly rather taken aback by its reappearance. Presumably it was a cock-up but it was a little unfair on the challenger considering it was a crucial one.

[James Robinson]

I remember (how sad am I???) in series 13, the same conundrum with the same scramble came up twice in a week. Kevin Nelson, who went on to be the series runner-up, won his debut game in which the conundrum was FREEDRUTH (FURTHERED), and then the exact same scramble came up in his fifth game.He buzzed in with the correct answer but was clearly rather taken aback by its reappearance. Presumably it was a cock-up but it was a little unfair on the challenger considering it was a crucial one.

Yeah, well weird. Just checked Mike's note. How bizarre.

Although, he doesn't have the scramble, so you have slightly more info on those games than he does

[Joseph Krol]

Do you have notes of the game or a superhuman memory, Rich?

[Richard Priest]

No notes of the game I'm afraid Joseph, just a mind in which the most bizarre things seem to stick

[James Robinson]

We seem to be running out of conundrums already.

Yesterday's conundrum was used just 3 series ago. http://www.c4countdown.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=2412

[Jon Corby]

We seem to be running out of conundrums already.

COUNTDOWN IN CRISIS

[James Robinson]

We seem to be running out of conundrums already.

COUNTDOWN IN CRISIS

Point proven again today.

Today's conundrum was on the show after RASPILLED. I remember being in the audience for that show thinking, "if only that was my conundrum then!"

[Graeme Cole]

We seem to be running out of conundrums already.

Yesterday's conundrum was used just 3 series ago. http://www.c4countdown.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=2412

Yeah, but the thing about that conundrum is it can easily be scrambled into a number of different anagrams as required. It's very... what's the word?