Ask Mike Brown

[Charlie Reams]

Dear Mike,

Why did CoC X, in addition to sounding like a Richard Desmond production, only have five games?

Thanks,
Charlie in Cambridge

[Mike Brown]

Dear Charlie

Thank you for your interesting and thought-provoking question.

I have always assumed it was simply that the powers that be wanted to fit in the Championship of Champions neatly between Christmas and New Year (and so that the finals could be on Christmas Day and Millennium Eve (sic) respectively). Whatever the reason, it seemed a bit of a shame to only include six contestants, especially coming off the back of one of the most octochamp-rich series of all-time (and I think, from memory, the one during which the term was coined).

And you made me google Richard Desmond!

Yours conundrumly

Dr Mike

[Charlie Reams]

Dear Mike,

Thanks for your excellent answer. Maybe in compensation all the contestants from the preceeding four series should be invited back for specials. Just a thought!

Yours,
Charlie

[David Williams]

I'm pretty sure that I've seen a reason given, but I can't remember what it was! If so, the explanation can only have come from Damian.

Possibly they thought the 16 player three week affair went on too long. I'm also pretty sure Damian did say at one time that there weren't going to be any more. I know I was surprised when I got the invitation to the following one.

Ask Damian Eadie?

[Gavin Chipper]

I'm fairly sure Damian himself said that Channel 4 asked them to do it like that to get the CofC final on New Year's Eve. Also Damian has certainly talked about scrapping CofCs before, but after the last one I thin he conceded it was too good to drop. But don't hold your breath for another Supreme championship.

[D Eadie]

Random question if ever i saw one. I think from memory, C4 gave us late notification to make shows for the last week of the year, so we had to shoe-horn 5 progs in somehow. I remember it was thrown together in no time, so it definitely wasn't planned. The C of C debate, well let's see. Maybe its time to have a game between the two series winners at the end of the year instead, as somebody mentioned in a different thread somewhere.

[Marc Meakin]

Random question if ever i saw one. I think from memory, C4 gave us late notification to make shows for the last week of the year, so we had to shoe-horn 5 progs in somehow. I remember it was thrown together in no time, so it definitely wasn't planned. The C of C debate, well let's see. Maybe its time to have a game between the two series winners at the end of the year instead, as somebody mentioned in a different thread somewhere.

Can't you do both?

[Kirk Bevins]

Can't you do both?

Yeah, COC is vengeful for some. Take Junaid and Charlie. Junaid won the series and if there was no COC, Charlie wouldn't have been able to get his sweet revenge. As Damian once said, anybody can beat anybody on any given day which is what makes the COC exciting (a losing quarter finalist won the last one!).

[D Eadie]

Can't you do both?

The last C of C was pretty special, in that several of the players (Kai, Charlie, Corby, James H, Steve Baines and others), were very congenial, smiling, giving, open and warm. Next time it could be top-heavy with guys who aren't quite so outgoing, which makes it less enjoyable. It's nobodies fault, it's just circumstance.

[Marc Meakin]

Has Apterous killed off CofC?

[Charlie Reams]

It's nobodies fault

Bit harsh to call them nobodies

[Jimmy Gough]

Can't you do both?

The last C of C was pretty special, in that several of the players (Kai, Charlie, Corby, James H, Steve Baines and others), were very congenial, smiling, giving, open and warm. Next time it could be top-heavy with guys who aren't quite so outgoing, which makes it less enjoyable. It's nobodies fault, it's just circumstance.

I guess that would include me. I don't disagree at all, but for me one of the cool things about Countdown is how it gives people who really really enjoy the game a chance to shine on TV who would otherwise probably not be given the opportunity. I totally see what you're saying (like I would find me on TV pretty boring), and yeah those guys are all really great, but I felt the urge to reply cos (for whatever reason) this just made me feel a bit ":("

[Gavin Chipper]

Can't you do both?

The last C of C was pretty special, in that several of the players (Kai, Charlie, Corby, James H, Steve Baines and others), were very congenial, smiling, giving, open and warm. Next time it could be top-heavy with guys who aren't quite so outgoing, which makes it less enjoyable. It's nobodies fault, it's just circumstance.

Is this less enjoyable for you or for the viewers?

[D Eadie]

Nobody specifically Jimmy, just on the whole. I fully understand how difficult it is for young lads to try and be telegenic, i'm not being critical at all, just open about how it might look if we had a 16-player C of C.

Can't you do both?

The last C of C was pretty special, in that several of the players (Kai, Charlie, Corby, James H, Steve Baines and others), were very congenial, smiling, giving, open and warm. Next time it could be top-heavy with guys who aren't quite so outgoing, which makes it less enjoyable. It's nobodies fault, it's just circumstance.

Is this less enjoyable for you or for the viewers?

My enjoyment isn't relevant and i've no idea about the viewers, they've never been surveyed. Perception maybe, call it what you like, but i'm not wrong.

[Jon Corby]

The last C of C was pretty special, in that several of the players (Kai, Charlie, Corby, James H, Steve Baines and others), were very congenial, smiling, giving, open and warm. Next time it could be top-heavy with guys who aren't quite so outgoing, which makes it less enjoyable. It's nobodies fault, it's just circumstance.

It's fairly obvious that you should just fuck all those other guys off and have us lot back again then

[Ralph Gillions]

I suppose individual viewers are drawn to different aspects of a contestants 'television personality'.
If it is any consolation to you, Jimmy, I much enjoyed watching you on television (not as much as Jeffrey Burgin
of course .)
If someone is very chatty, obviously outgoing, or a poser I could be turned off.
I am enjoying watching Craig's run at the moment.
Different things appeal.
You were not boring Jimmy.

[D Eadie]

I suppose individual viewers are drawn to different aspects of a contestants 'television personality'.

Exactly, hence the better it is to have a mixed-bag of person, so to speak, which is harder to get in a C of C.
Jimmy wasn't boring at all, his conundrum exploits are stuff of legend.

[Lesley Hines]

top-heavy with guys who aren't quite so outgoing

Spike 'em with ecstacy








*This is obviously a joke and an extremely bad idea; drugs aren't legal and why would you waste them on some bleeder who was happy to be miserable anyway? No conclusions should be drawn from the reading of this post, and no responsibility will be taken for anybody, anywhere having a good time.