Des chiffres et des lettres axed after 52 years

[Philip A]

Des chiffres et des lettres has been axed, ending a 52-year run of over 12,000 episodes as one of the longest-running gameshows in the world.

Devised by Armand Jammot, the show is the inspiration for Countdown, which itself was created by Marcel Stellman and greenlit by Yorkshire Television for Channel 4.

The French parent began in 1972, superseding Jammot’s original creation, Le mot le plus long, which launched in 1965.

The programme was relegated from 5 shows a week to just 2, airing only on weekends, in 2022; the re-scheduling also saw a change of co-presenters. Reports suggest the show failed to find its audience since the changes were made.

No more episodes will be made after the remaining recordings are broadcast.

It comes 5 months after the BBC ceased production of Question of Sport after 53 years, which was entirely re-booted in 2021.

[Mark Ivey]

Just goes to prove that nothing lasts forever.

[David Williams]

I read that it was cancelled because viewing figures had fallen to 700,000. I do sometimes wonder how Countdown survives on rather less than that, and still manages to pay presumably hefty sums to four presenters.

[Gavin Chipper]

Advertising for stairlifts and eardrops is worth a lot of money.

[Philip A]

Here are some clips from the last ever episode, broadcast in June: https://youtu.be/uRurfiiMJyk?si=MmCDsohl-JALI0Yn

[Jamie Weisenberg]

Will Countdown ever be cancelled or is it just too popular ?

[Philip A]

Will Countdown ever be cancelled or is it just too popular ?

Small team who work extremely hard; dead easy to reset what is in essence a card game; sustainable and economical; format works and makes regular viewers come back for more; never resorts to repeats because they make 240 shows per year (more than any other game show on air); airdate is known at time of recording, hence the “on this day” anecdotes; still attracts 10% of the 2:10 slot audience share and hundreds of shows from last 12 months archived on demand; no chance of it being axed.

You watch the credits roll on all other shows, let alone quiz shows, and it’s ridiculous how many people they employ to make. They have no idea when these shows are gonna turn up either, so some recordings stay on the shelf for 2 years!

[Jeff Clayton Quiz]

The announcement in late spring / early summer that DCDL would be axed, was followed in August by the passing of Patrice Laffont -- who, just short of his 85th birthday, was still working as producer on that show.

Monsieur Laffont was host of DCDL from 1972 (the reboot when the numbers game was introduced) until 1989, and went on to develop and to host a range of other shows including Fort Boyard and Pyramid. He was also screen tested in 1993 as a possible replacement host on Questions Pour Un Champion (Going For Gold) which has been on the air since 1988. Over the last 20-25 years in DCDL, he oversaw the evolution of the touch-screen format, the studio décor and the different types of rounds. He was highly regarded for his work in game shows and entertainment programmes, and also spoke openly about his love for arts, comedy and theatre.

With the news that DCDL would be axed, the team was granted a final farewell show to be aired in September in prime time. That show went ahead, but in light of the circumstances, its content was reconstructed and it was named "Merci Patrice".

I can't say I knew the man especially well, but on the occasions between 2005 and 2014 when I visited the DCDL studio, whenever he came down from the gallery to the set, he was receptive to "bonjour", a handshake and a quick chat.

In 1986, with Bénédicte, one of his on-screen presenters who latterly became a researcher, he released the single "Je Déchiffre Ses Lettres". One for the time capsule

Jeff