Spoilers For Friday March 26th 2010 - Edition 5000

James Robinson · Post by **James Robinson** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 1:50 pm

Wahey

Countdown has hit the BIG 5-TREBLE 0.

And what better way to celebrate than with a brilliant show.

We've got champion Dave Wilkinson, who is making his 5th appearance on Edition 5,000.

And in DC, we've got sports broadcasting legend and former Countdown host Des Lynam sitting next to our Susie:!:

Does it get any better than this

(No

)

Prepare the fireworks and champagne as Countdown reaches 5,000.

James Robinson · Post by **James Robinson** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 3:26 pm

Jeff Stelling wrote:Welcome to the 5,000th episode of Countdown.

Clearly, Jeff doesn't share your views on this matter, Damian.

Marc Meakin · Post by **Marc Meakin** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 3:28 pm

James Robinson wrote:
Jeff Stelling wrote:Welcome to the 5,000th episode of Countdown.
Clearly, Jeff doesn't share your views on this matter, Damian.

Think you spoke too soon there James.

Kirk Bevins · Post by **Kirk Bevins** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 3:30 pm

WAITRON as a beater in round 1.

James Robinson · Post by **James Robinson** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 3:31 pm

Nice APTEROUS mention there.

Matt Morrison · Post by **Matt Morrison** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 3:32 pm

WTF? APTEROUS is wingless, not winged, surely? I didn't mishear that did I?

Kirk Bevins · Post by **Kirk Bevins** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 3:32 pm

James Robinson wrote:Nice APTEROUS mention there.

Indeed. Means without wings instead of with but I think she got so excited by the word it's forgivable!

Marc Meakin · Post by **Marc Meakin** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 3:33 pm

James Robinson wrote:Nice APTEROUS mention there.

No mention of the obvious coincidence though.

Kirk Bevins · Post by **Kirk Bevins** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 3:33 pm

SPHEROID as a beater in round 3.

Matt Morrison · Post by **Matt Morrison** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 3:35 pm

Kirk Bevins wrote:
James Robinson wrote:Nice APTEROUS mention there.
Indeed. Means without wings instead of with but I think she got so excited by the word it's forgivable!

No it's not. You traitor.

James Robinson · Post by **James Robinson** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 3:37 pm

Alternative To 1st Numbers:

((75 + 5 + 1 + 7) x 10) + 50 = 930

Richard Priest · Post by **Richard Priest** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 3:41 pm

Another alternative to 1st numbers - ((50/5) + 75 + 7 + 1) x 10

James Robinson · Post by **James Robinson** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 3:55 pm

Alternative To 2nd Numbers:

((75 + 8 + 8 + 6) x 2) + 9 = 203

James Robinson · Post by **James Robinson** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 4:02 pm

INCENSE as an equaller in Round 12.

James Robinson · Post by **James Robinson** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 4:04 pm

Very nice 9 to finish there. CEILINGS as a contestant beater.

D Eadie · Post by **D Eadie** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 4:05 pm

Somebody post an alternative to the 3rd numbers game ....please.......i can't bear the excitment.

Matt Morrison · Post by **Matt Morrison** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 4:05 pm

ANGLICISE "in tribute to Des"? :-s

James Robinson · Post by **James Robinson** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 4:07 pm

D Eadie wrote:Somebody post an alternative to the 3rd numbers game ....please.......i can't bear the excitment.

Alternative To 3rd Numbers:

(((3 x 10) + 7 - 6) x 25) + 7 = 782

Jimmy Gough · Post by **Jimmy Gough** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 4:08 pm

Good game, good contestants.

craig · Post by **craig** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 4:13 pm

D Eadie wrote:Somebody post an alternative to the 3rd numbers game ....please.......i can't bear the excitment.

Fine,....but only cos I'm nice.

(25*10+7+6)*3-7

Jojo Apollo · Post by **Jojo Apollo** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 4:17 pm

HAPPY

Good to see the guvnor Des Lynam again.

Marc Meakin · Post by **Marc Meakin** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 4:22 pm

Matt Morrison wrote:ANGLICISE "in tribute to Des"? :-s

Not Lynam then.

James Robinson · Post by **James Robinson** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 4:25 pm

Marc Meakin wrote:
Matt Morrison wrote:ANGLICISE "in tribute to Des"? :-s
Not Lynam then.

Why not Lynam, he was born in Ireland. Make some sense. A very good game. Good to see Des, because I never really got to see the show when he was in charge.

Marc Meakin · Post by **Marc Meakin** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 4:32 pm

Sorry I seem to have France on my mind just lately.

Neil Zussman · Post by **Neil Zussman** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 5:26 pm

Congrats on reaching 5000 editions/ episodes Countdown! Let's hope for at least 5000 more.

I did expect more fireworks though.
Dave has gone down in my estimation. Fancy thinking that gradiates is a word. Muppet.

Alt numbers solution for those odd people who like such things: 8*8*2+75=203

(Edited to multiply things by 10)

Kevin Davis · Post by **Kevin Davis** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 5:54 pm

Neil Zussman wrote:Congrats on reaching 500 editions/ episodes Countdown! Let's hope for at least 5000 more. I did expect more fireworks though.
Dave has gone down in my estimation. Fancy thinking that gradiates is a word. Muppet.
Alt numbers solution for those odd people who like such things: 8*8*2+75=203

Five hundred?

Neil Zussman · Post by **Neil Zussman** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 5:58 pm

Kevin Davis wrote:
Neil Zussman wrote:Congrats on reaching 500 editions/ episodes Countdown! Let's hope for at least 5000 more. I did expect more fireworks though.
Dave has gone down in my estimation. Fancy thinking that gradiates is a word. Muppet.
Alt numbers solution for those odd people who like such things: 8*8*2+75=203
Five hundred?

500 episodes, yes. The rest were issues.

Marc Meakin · Post by **Marc Meakin** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 6:08 pm

Neil Zussman wrote:
Kevin Davis wrote:
Neil Zussman wrote:Congrats on reaching 500 editions/ episodes Countdown! Let's hope for at least 5000 more. I did expect more fireworks though.
Dave has gone down in my estimation. Fancy thinking that gradiates is a word. Muppet.
Alt numbers solution for those odd people who like such things: 8*8*2+75=203
Five hundred?
500 episodes, yes. The rest were issues.

Editions, even.

Kai Laddiman · Post by **Kai Laddiman** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 6:18 pm

Ciaran Thompson · Post by **Ciaran Thompson** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 7:04 pm

Neil Zussman wrote:Congrats on reaching 5000 editions/ episodes Countdown! Let's hope for at least 5000 more. I did expect more fireworks though.

Couldn't agree more. I think it was still a lovely show today, and a good idea having Des L back, he was great craic. Very 'apt' getting 'apterous' in R2! Great what you've done there Kai. Nice touch with the conundrum too, but maybe C4 has 'mishandled' it because more fireworks was needed indeed! For budgetting/ratings/other reasons its understandable that the level of fuss given will be reduced compared to previous celebrations, but how about a cake, a presentation at the end and look-back clips, and even if it read "5000th COUNTDOWN" behind Rachel on the letters board at the start of the show. All those surely don't cost much at all. And of course no mention of Carol and her contribution (but I think I no y).

But hey, I dont want complain, I'm v pleased that it did get a good amount of media attention, which is a great boost and the news of a new 2 year contract taking Countdown up to 30 years!

Countdown is still with us and may it be for years to come!

Ian Dent · Post by **Ian Dent** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 7:04 pm

A knowing look.

Matt Morrison · Post by **Matt Morrison** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 8:04 pm

Ian Dent wrote:A knowing look.

You should get Jason to teach you how to quote posts, Ian.

Gavin Chipper · Post by **Gavin Chipper** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 8:27 pm

With all these specials going about (e.g. Kirk v Chris, Charlie v Junaid) I think it would have been nice to have one of these as the 5000th show.

Rosemary Roberts · Post by **Rosemary Roberts** » Sat Mar 27, 2010 12:25 am

I know I'm hours too late to surprise anybody, but I did get it within the time:

Second numbers game: (75 * 8 + 9) / 3 = 203

I particularly like solutions that use the much neglected divide operator.

Kirk Bevins · Post by **Kirk Bevins** » Sat Mar 27, 2010 3:04 am

Gavin Chipper wrote:With all these specials going about (e.g. Kirk v Chris, Charlie v Junaid) I think it would have been nice to have one of these as the 5000th show.

I'm not sure if you've been reading, Gavin, but if it was a special it wouldn't count in the tally. Isn't it 5000 regular shows and specials are ignored - or something.

Clive Brooker · Post by **Clive Brooker** » Sat Mar 27, 2010 8:40 am

Kirk Bevins wrote:
Gavin Chipper wrote:With all these specials going about (e.g. Kirk v Chris, Charlie v Junaid) I think it would have been nice to have one of these as the 5000th show.
I'm not sure if you've been reading, Gavin, but if it was a special it wouldn't count in the tally. Isn't it 5000 regular shows and specials are ignored - or something.

The "tally" made Friday's show the 5003rd, as has been discussed here ad nauseam. The producers could have picked any show they wanted over the past few weeks to announce as the 5000th, including your special.

Ian Dent · Post by **Ian Dent** » Sat Mar 27, 2010 12:13 pm

A knowing look.

Gavin Chipper · Post by **Gavin Chipper** » Sat Mar 27, 2010 4:21 pm

Kirk Bevins wrote:
Gavin Chipper wrote:With all these specials going about (e.g. Kirk v Chris, Charlie v Junaid) I think it would have been nice to have one of these as the 5000th show.
I'm not sure if you've been reading, Gavin, but if it was a special it wouldn't count in the tally. Isn't it 5000 regular shows and specials are ignored - or something.

I've sort of skimmed over the argument but I can't imagine this happening:

"OK, let's have a special game for our 5000th, perhaps Kirks Bevins v Chris Davies."

"No, because then it won't count as adding to the number, so the next one would also be the 5000th, so we'd have an infinite number of 5000th specials. We'll have to have a normal episode instead."

Also, some of the the other milestone-number shows have been specials anyway.

Steve Durney · Post by **Steve Durney** » Sat Mar 27, 2010 5:32 pm

If it's an episode of Countdown that's been broadcast, then it counts! Why wouldn't it just because it's not part of a particular series? It's still an episode of Countdown at the end of the day!!

Charlie Reams · Post by **Charlie Reams** » Sat Mar 27, 2010 5:52 pm

The whole thing is arbitrary anyway, depending on whether you count Masters episodes as two, one or not at all, specials, Champion of Champions, untransmitted episodes and what-have-you. Or to summarise, who cares.

JackHurst · Post by **JackHurst** » Sat Mar 27, 2010 7:34 pm

All these bloody alternate numbers solutions! Its like tourettes in my eyes, the ppl that submit them know its a waste of time and most ppl don't want to see them, but they just can't hold it in.

Having said that, I liked this solution:

Rosemary Roberts wrote:I know I'm hours too late to surprise anybody, but I did get it within the time:

Second numbers game: (75 * 8 + 9) / 3 = 203

I particularly like solutions that use the much neglected divide operator.

Chris Philpot · Post by **Chris Philpot** » Sat Mar 27, 2010 9:05 pm

Just watching the show back on 4oD as I missed the first showing - am I alone in seeing a really irritating shadow slowly moving behind Jeff? It's very clear on his single - almost like a lighting tag or similar spinning slowly around.

Kirk Bevins · Post by **Kirk Bevins** » Sun Mar 28, 2010 4:39 pm

The only thing I picked out when watching the show was the camera had a close up of Dave, you could read the time from his watch...about 5:15pm if I remember correctly.

Gavin Chipper · Post by **Gavin Chipper** » Mon Mar 29, 2010 6:06 pm

Charlie Reams wrote:depending on whether you count Masters episodes as two, one or not at all

I thought they were five.

Peter Mabey · Post by **Peter Mabey** » Tue Mar 30, 2010 5:10 pm

D Eadie wrote:Somebody post an alternative to the 3rd numbers game ....please.......i can't bear the excitment.

Only got round to watching program on C4 site today but did get (25+3x7)x(10+7) = 782 in time.

Mike Brown · Post by **Mike Brown** » Tue Apr 06, 2010 10:15 pm

Chris Philpot wrote:Just watching the show back on 4oD as I missed the first showing - am I alone in seeing a really irritating shadow slowly moving behind Jeff? It's very clear on his single - almost like a lighting tag or similar spinning slowly around.

Probably the rotating lights (at least I think that's what they are) that shine off the backdrop behind the desk. Been there since the new set was launched, I believe.