Countdown Pilot Episode
- Thomas Wood
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Re: "Jazzed" Up Clock Music
Good watch. Love it when Richard asked Joyce how many crosswords she does and she says "compiles or solves?" and Richard says "OK" and moves on. First show nerves maybe? It's great to see how Countdown has evolved, in particular showing the target number alongside the small numbers.Thomas Wood wrote:Hi Mike,
The pilots up. Link to part 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGR-Fhizcyc
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Re: "Jazzed" Up Clock Music
That was terrible, I hope it never gets commissioned.Thomas Wood wrote:Hi Mike,
The pilots up. Link to part 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGR-Fhizcyc
(srsly though, that was amazing, this should be in its own thread, there is so much awesome about it)
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Re: "Jazzed" Up Clock Music
James, hurry up with the recap please. Make sure you use the right dictionary.
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Re: Countdown Pilot Episode
Awesomes, in its own thread now.
So yeah, what the hell was with the format? I guess the plan was to try lots of different rounds to see what worked, but the whole "you can only score when it's *your* round" thing was really peculiar. Also the 'preselected word' round, genius.
So yeah, what the hell was with the format? I guess the plan was to try lots of different rounds to see what worked, but the whole "you can only score when it's *your* round" thing was really peculiar. Also the 'preselected word' round, genius.
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Re: Countdown Pilot Episode
I've never seen a game show pilot before, but I would guess that kind of crazy experimentation is pretty par for the course.
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Re: Countdown Pilot Episode
"It's as easy as ABC, as simple as one to ten"
Can't believe that catchphrase didn't take off.
Can't believe that catchphrase didn't take off.
Re: Countdown Pilot Episode
Never want to see one again after that, it's hideous.Charlie Reams wrote:I've never seen a game show pilot before....
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Re: Countdown Pilot Episode
Makes you realise how perfect 9 letters is, the extra one makes such a huge difference.
And did Christine in 'DC' get introduced as an "ex-contestant" ?
And did Christine in 'DC' get introduced as an "ex-contestant" ?
Yeah. Calendar Countdown is dead, long live Countdown!D Eadie wrote:it's hideous.
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Re: "Jazzed" Up Clock Music
Interesting. Joyce gave me that same answer when I asked her a similar question when we played each other at CoNot08. I'd occasionally seen Joyce's name as a prizewinner in the Times crossword, but didn't know until then that she's a frequent complier too.Kirk Bevins wrote:Love it when Richard asked Joyce how many crosswords she does and she says "compiles or solves?"
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Re: Countdown Pilot Episode
Horrifying and hilarious at the same time - like watching a chav drive your new car off a cliff.
Re: "Jazzed" Up Clock Music
Very interesting for us nostalgia buffs, thanks for posting that up, Thomas. Watched part 1, and looking forward to seeing the rest of the pilot when it's uploaded. Or is it just I can't find the links?
Weird scoring, and only 8 letters, but great fun seeing the first ideas, and, of course, the lovely Whiters.
Maybe my imagination, but Alec also seemed to sigh in a "I'm way too good for this, but I've been roped into doing this pilot" kind of way.Howard Somerset wrote:Interesting. Joyce gave me that same answer when I asked her a similar question when we played each other at CoNot08. I'd occasionally seen Joyce's name as a prizewinner in the Times crossword, but didn't know until then that she's a frequent complier too.Kirk Bevins wrote:Love it when Richard asked Joyce how many crosswords she does and she says "compiles or solves?"
Weird scoring, and only 8 letters, but great fun seeing the first ideas, and, of course, the lovely Whiters.
"My idea of an agreeable person is a person who agrees with me." Benjamin Disraeli
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Re: "Jazzed" Up Clock Music
It's all up there. Just click on Countdowngoofs profile and check out which vids he's uploaded.Julie T wrote:Very interesting for us nostalgia buffs, thanks for posting that up, Thomas. Watched part 1, and looking forward to seeing the rest of the pilot when it's uploaded. Or is it just I can't find the links?
Re: "Jazzed" Up Clock Music
Thanks, Kirk!Kirk Bevins wrote:It's all up there. Just click on Countdowngoofs profile and check out which vids he's uploaded.Julie T wrote:Very interesting for us nostalgia buffs, thanks for posting that up, Thomas. Watched part 1, and looking forward to seeing the rest of the pilot when it's uploaded. Or is it just I can't find the links?
"My idea of an agreeable person is a person who agrees with me." Benjamin Disraeli
- Ben Hunter
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Re: Countdown Pilot Episode
I like the rotating screaming man's head at the beginning, they should've kept that in the proper version of Countdown.
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Re: Countdown Pilot Episode
I can see why it has taken so long to see the light of day
It was bad and that's not in a Michael Jackson kind of way.
Still the ugly duckling turned into a beautiful swan.
It was bad and that's not in a Michael Jackson kind of way.
Still the ugly duckling turned into a beautiful swan.
GR MSL GNDT MSS NGVWL SRND NNLYC NNCT
- Steve Durney
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Re: Countdown Pilot Episode
Anyone else notice that the score was 7-5 at the end of round 2, when it should have been 12-12?!
Loved the "Compiled or.....?" bit that Kirk mentioned!
Loved the "Compiled or.....?" bit that Kirk mentioned!
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Re: "Jazzed" Up Clock Music
No problem Julie, glad you and everyone else enjoyed seeing this classic gem.Julie T wrote:Very interesting for us nostalgia buffs, thanks for posting that up, Thomas.
Thomas Wood
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http://www.youtube.com/countdowngoofs
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Re: Countdown Pilot Episode
Yeah they seemed to have a scoring system where only one person scores even when they both declare the same word. How very fair.Steve Durney wrote:Anyone else notice that the score was 7-5 at the end of round 2, when it should have been 12-12?!
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Re: Countdown Pilot Episode
Yep. Declarer scores if it's a tie, it seems, which is particularly unfair when the first round was 45 seconds, but the second only 30. I guess that's what pilots are for, though.Innis Carson wrote:Yeah they seemed to have a scoring system where only one person scores even when they both declare the same word. How very fair.Steve Durney wrote:Anyone else notice that the score was 7-5 at the end of round 2, when it should have been 12-12?!
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Re: Countdown Pilot Episode
Maybe Charlie should make it a variant on Apterous.Innis Carson wrote:Yeah they seemed to have a scoring system where only one person scores even when they both declare the same word. How very fair.Steve Durney wrote:Anyone else notice that the score was 7-5 at the end of round 2, when it should have been 12-12?!
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Re: Countdown Pilot Episode
Was that meant to be the case then?! I obviously didn't watch it properly as I just assumed it was a fuck up!!
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Re: Countdown Pilot Episode
I liked the bit when Joyce accused Ralph? of using the 5 twice in the first numbers.Steve Durney wrote:Was that meant to be the case then?! I obviously didn't watch it properly as I just assumed it was a fuck up!!
And the retake on the conundrum.
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- Michael Wallace
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Re: Countdown Pilot Episode
I think it was deliberate, since they seemed to check the first declarer's word, and then say "out of interest, what did you have?" to the second player.Steve Durney wrote:Was that meant to be the case then?! I obviously didn't watch it properly as I just assumed it was a fuck up!!
I think you mean the Preselected Word, the one part of the show I think should have caught on.Marc Meakin wrote:I liked the bit when Joyce accused Ralph? of using the 5 twice in the first numbers.Steve Durney wrote:Was that meant to be the case then?! I obviously didn't watch it properly as I just assumed it was a fuck up!!
And the retake on the conundrum.
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Re: Countdown Pilot Episode
This is only really a decent argument if part of the pilot's job was to physically test the capabilities of the clock stopping at different points. But I doubt it was.Michael Wallace wrote:Yep. Declarer scores if it's a tie, it seems, which is particularly unfair when the first round was 45 seconds, but the second only 30. I guess that's what pilots are for, though.Innis Carson wrote:Yeah they seemed to have a scoring system where only one person scores even when they both declare the same word. How very fair.Steve Durney wrote:Anyone else notice that the score was 7-5 at the end of round 2, when it should have been 12-12?!
The scoring and timing system in evidence in the first two rounds is so ill-conceived it's a fucking miracle that what we have today spawned from this.
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Re: Countdown Pilot Episode
I can only presume that they had different round lengths to get a feel for which time was better, obviously I have no idea what their real rationale was. The scoring system is definitely barking.Matt Morrison wrote:This is only really a decent argument if part of the pilot's job was to physically test the capabilities of the clock stopping at different points. But I doubt it was.Michael Wallace wrote:Yep. Declarer scores if it's a tie, it seems, which is particularly unfair when the first round was 45 seconds, but the second only 30. I guess that's what pilots are for, though.
The scoring and timing system in evidence in the first two rounds is so ill-conceived it's a fucking miracle that what we have today spawned from this.
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Re: Countdown Pilot Episode
Yeah, some bits definitely seemed put in to test how they'd work - other bits like displaying the pre-selected word for about 20 seconds while the rules are explained before the clock even starts (not that that held Joyce back from buzzing) just kind of leave me a bit lacking in the ol' human race faith department. Either the pilot was hastily arranged after two minutes of brainstorming on the back of a cigarette packet or there were just some genuinely special people who'd helped devise it.
Maybe I'm just making informed assumptions based on modern information (Countdown as it is now) that nobody had discovered at the time (Charlie's told me off for doing that before but I can't remember the proper terminology), but I really don't think I'm being harsh, and if I sat down with no knowledge at all of letters and numbers quiz games I'd come up with something closer to Countdown than the pilot episode managed. Dammit I should just apply for a job in TV.
Maybe I'm just making informed assumptions based on modern information (Countdown as it is now) that nobody had discovered at the time (Charlie's told me off for doing that before but I can't remember the proper terminology), but I really don't think I'm being harsh, and if I sat down with no knowledge at all of letters and numbers quiz games I'd come up with something closer to Countdown than the pilot episode managed. Dammit I should just apply for a job in TV.
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Re: Countdown Pilot Episode
Haha yep. I did wonder wtf was going on with the preselected word round. They did it once, and Joyce buzzed before he started the clock, and then they did it again, and I presumed they'd said "ok Joyce, could you buzz after, like, 15 seconds please?", but no, we got 45 seconds of shots of both contestants clearly utterly bored. Utterly bizarre.Matt Morrison wrote:Yeah, some bits definitely seemed put in to test how they'd work - other bits like displaying the pre-selected word for about 20 seconds while the rules are explained before the clock even starts (not that that held Joyce back from buzzing) just kind of leave me a bit lacking in the ol' human race faith department. Either the pilot was hastily arranged after two minutes of brainstorming on the back of a cigarette packet or there were just some genuinely special people who'd helped devise it.
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Re: Countdown Pilot Episode
Someone thought it was a good idea.Francisco Segura wrote:Cifras y Letras is the name of Countdown tv show in Spain.
I am a Cifras y Letras contestant on Canal Sur 2 channel.
I have win 101 times and I must come back to play with new contestants next season.
Differences:
There are four rounds consisting of a number game followed by two letter games.
Words are worth one point per letter, but a nine-letter word is worth double; that is, 18 points.
Wrong words don't give points to the opponent.
The correct sum gets 9 points, and aproximations gets 6 points.
If both players tie with the answers, the champion add points on even games and the newbie on odd games.
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Re: Countdown Pilot Episode
Many thanks to Thomas for the upload - fantastic stuff. The bungling over the preselected word gets funnier every time I watch, and Christine Jones must be easily the most attractive female contestant to appear so far this year.
In a moment of idiocy I reworked all the scores from Series 49 onwards (excluding finals and COCs) using a method as close as possible to the Pilot. Out of 1424 games, the results of 186 would have been different. Notable casualties are John Davies and Stewart Holden, whilst the beneficiaries include Beth Sutton and Joseph Bolas.
In a moment of idiocy I reworked all the scores from Series 49 onwards (excluding finals and COCs) using a method as close as possible to the Pilot. Out of 1424 games, the results of 186 would have been different. Notable casualties are John Davies and Stewart Holden, whilst the beneficiaries include Beth Sutton and Joseph Bolas.
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Re: Countdown Pilot Episode
IIRC it's called the Availability Error.Matt Morrison wrote:Maybe I'm just making informed assumptions based on modern information ... I can't remember the proper terminology
Re: Countdown Pilot Episode
With 12 points for the pre-selected word (catchy), the other 5 rounds become a bit irrelevant.
How did the gazebo round work? First to buzz got it, regardless of length? And why did Cathy, if that's who it was, have to turn every letter over after fishing it out - why not put the letters the other way up in the box?
Though I do like the way the loser gets escorted from the studio. Did Ann Robinson learn something from that?
(Incidentally, for a supposed "maths whizz from Leeds University", Beverley took an awfully long time to add 529 + 13. Let's be charitable, first night nerves.)
How did the gazebo round work? First to buzz got it, regardless of length? And why did Cathy, if that's who it was, have to turn every letter over after fishing it out - why not put the letters the other way up in the box?
Though I do like the way the loser gets escorted from the studio. Did Ann Robinson learn something from that?
(Incidentally, for a supposed "maths whizz from Leeds University", Beverley took an awfully long time to add 529 + 13. Let's be charitable, first night nerves.)
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Re: Countdown Pilot Episode
I noticed this. It really makes you appreciate the find they had in Carol and Rachel.David Roe wrote: (Incidentally, for a supposed "maths whizz from Leeds University", Beverley took an awfully long time to add 529 + 13. Let's be charitable, first night nerves.)
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Re: Countdown Pilot Episode
I agree with you on thatD Eadie wrote:Never want to see one again after that, it's hideous.Charlie Reams wrote:I've never seen a game show pilot before....
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