Series 60/61 Wannabes

Kai Laddiman · Post by **Kai Laddiman** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 4:50 pm

Is there anyone on here (apart from me) who is considering going on the show soon?

Jon Corby · Post by **Jon Corby** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 4:50 pm

Amey Deshpande is back on again in Series 60, so I hear.

Jacob Sutton · Post by **Jacob Sutton** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 4:57 pm

I'm considering applying for the show towards the end of next year or so, although judging by my recent Apterous form I shouldn't really bother

Ben Hunter · Post by **Ben Hunter** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 5:10 pm

Jacob Sutton wrote:I'm considering applying for the show towards the end of next year or so, although judging by my recent Apterous form I shouldn't really bother

That's what I thought at first, but you will improve.

Think I'm gonna apply for series 61.

Jimmy Gough · Post by **Jimmy Gough** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 5:23 pm

When I have an apterous rating at about 800 (if that ever does happen).

Innis Carson · Post by **Innis Carson** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 2:58 am

I plan on going for it some time next year when I've moved out. Might be in series 61 if I'm lucky.

Ian Volante · Post by **Ian Volante** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 12:36 pm

Jimmy wrote:When I have an apterous rating at about 800 (if that ever does happen).

As far as I can tell, anyone with a rating of over 500 has the talent to make serious inroads into the knockout stages. Don't make the mistake of one of my mates who waited for just another year to get that bit better before going onto 15-to-1 and then missed out on it entirely...

Admittedly there's less chance of that happening for CD however.

Ian Volante · Post by **Ian Volante** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 12:37 pm

Jon Corby wrote:Amey Deshpande is back on again in Series 60, so I hear.

Argh, don't keep reminding me of my failure

Oliver Garner · Post by **Oliver Garner** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 1:42 pm

Still thinking of applying. Want an Apterous rating over 500 though.

Jason Larsen · Post by **Jason Larsen** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 2:44 pm

If I lived in England, I definitely would apply!

I would be the second wheelchair-bound (and second American-born) contestant on the show!

Howard Somerset · Post by **Howard Somerset** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 4:13 pm

I think I need an apterous rating to match my age ... in months.

Unfortunately, it's much more likely to match my age in years.

Charlie Reams · Post by **Charlie Reams** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 4:19 pm

Howard Somerset wrote:Unfortunately, it's much more likely to match my age in years.

Whatever do you mean? 582 would be quite a good rating!

Howard Somerset · Post by **Howard Somerset** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 5:06 pm

Charlie Reams wrote:
Howard Somerset wrote:Unfortunately, it's much more likely to match my age in years.
Whatever do you mean? 582 would be quite a good rating!

Kirk Bevins · Post by **Kirk Bevins** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 11:36 pm

Jason Larsen wrote:If I lived in England, I definitely would apply!

I would be the second wheelchair-bound (and second American-born) contestant on the show!

You do realise you'd have to pass an audition, Jason, which involves getting lots of 7s etc - it's not just a case of "apply and you'll be a contestant"

Jason Larsen · Post by **Jason Larsen** » Wed Dec 24, 2008 12:05 am

Thank you, Kirk!

I didn't realize you would have to pass an audition. I guess it's not enough to just impress all the staff and try to give them a lot of good things in return.

Joseph Bolas · Post by **Joseph Bolas** » Wed Dec 24, 2008 12:23 am

Jason Larsen wrote:Thank you, Kirk!

I didn't realize you would have to pass an audition. I guess it's not enough to just impress all the staff and try to give them a lot of good things in return.

Yeah. In fact I even posted my audition (from 2003) in here back in March

Jason Larsen · Post by **Jason Larsen** » Wed Dec 24, 2008 1:48 am

You know, Joseph, I like you. The Countdown staff must have liked you and then some!

Joe Denniss · Post by **Joe Denniss** » Thu Dec 25, 2008 12:45 am

What's the ruling on going on Countdown twice? I thought it was a big fat no, but I've been confused since I discovered that Junaid had been on before...

EDIT: Why am I on here when I could be in bed while Santa delivers my pressies?

Jason Larsen · Post by **Jason Larsen** » Thu Dec 25, 2008 12:52 am

Joe, I was surprised to hear that too!

As far as I know, unless there's a technical difficulty on any other game show the only game show you can appear on twice in the US is The Price is Right.

And yes, I haven't forgotten you're 14! As the song implies, Santa Claus only sees you when you're sleeping!

David Roe · Post by **David Roe** » Fri Dec 26, 2008 12:21 pm

If a tiny tot (like Kai) goes on the show, and loses (not like Kai!), they might have him back when he's grown up. No other exemptions as far as I know.

Ben Wilson · Post by **Ben Wilson** » Fri Dec 26, 2008 12:53 pm

Joe Denniss wrote:What's the ruling on going on Countdown twice? I thought it was a big fat no, but I've been confused since I discovered that Junaid had been on before...

EDIT: Why am I on here when I could be in bed while Santa delivers my pressies?

I think you have to have been young and lost your first show, or lost your first show narrowly to a top player- like Terry Rattle did against Chris Wills, before being let back on a second time, and again losing to an octochamp.

Gavin Chipper · Post by **Gavin Chipper** » Fri Dec 26, 2008 3:06 pm

Ben Wilson wrote:
Joe Denniss wrote:What's the ruling on going on Countdown twice? I thought it was a big fat no, but I've been confused since I discovered that Junaid had been on before...

EDIT: Why am I on here when I could be in bed while Santa delivers my pressies?
I think you have to have been young and lost your first show, or lost your first show narrowly to a top player- like Terry Rattle did against Chris Wills, before being let back on a second time, and again losing to an octochamp.

Are there any other examples of the Terry Rattle situation or was that a one-off? Also it does sem a bit strange that you have to lose your first game. Had some 8-year-old scraped through and won one game and then lost horribly that would be that? Whereas had he lost his first game it would be fine for him to come back a few years later?

Jason Larsen · Post by **Jason Larsen** » Fri Dec 26, 2008 5:00 pm

That's nice of the staff!

I'm not sure how long they've been that nice, though.

Martin Gardner · Post by **Martin Gardner** » Fri Dec 26, 2008 6:38 pm

Jason Larsen wrote:If I lived in England, I definitely would apply!

I would be the second wheelchair-bound (and second American-born) contestant on the show!

I didn't know you were in a wheelchair, although are you sure that only one wheelchair bound person has been on the show? I think I've seen at least two (a friend, Patricia Pay is one, I assume she was already in a wheelchair in 1995).

Charlie Reams · Post by **Charlie Reams** » Fri Dec 26, 2008 6:39 pm

Gavin Chipper wrote: Are there any other examples of the Terry Rattle situation or was that a one-off?

Junaid, Amey Deshpande and James Squires all appeared twice with the blessing of the producer. Saladin Khoshnaw appeared twice, first under his own name (reaching one win) and then again under the name Karl Kurdistan, but I believe his deception was discovered. Two people with the name Ola Odutola have appeared (losing to Jono on the latter occasion) and no one seems to know if it was the same guy or not, but I suspect it was.

Jason Larsen · Post by **Jason Larsen** » Fri Dec 26, 2008 7:55 pm

Martin, I know Frank Larkin is in a wheelchair, too.

Gavin Chipper · Post by **Gavin Chipper** » Fri Dec 26, 2008 8:03 pm

Charlie Reams wrote:
Gavin Chipper wrote: Are there any other examples of the Terry Rattle situation or was that a one-off?
Junaid, Amey Deshpande and James Squires all appeared twice with the blessing of the producer. Saladin Khoshnaw appeared twice, first under his own name (reaching one win) and then again under the name Karl Kurdistan, but I believe his deception was discovered. Two people with the name Ola Odutola have appeared (losing to Jono on the latter occasion) and no one seems to know if it was the same guy or not, but I suspect it was.

Cheers. Actually by "Terry Rattle situation" I meant specifically someone that had got back on through a high losing score rather than through age etc.

Speaking of Saladin Khoshnaw I remember reading recently that he had died and in his "obituary" that appeared somewhere, he was actually asked back on as the producer wanted more ethnic minority players (a racist producer!) rather than being his deception. I can't remember where I read it, but have found this: http://osdir.com/ml/games.scrabble.sowp ... 00022.html which might be word-for-word the same as what I read but I don't recognise the actual look of the page.

Jason Larsen · Post by **Jason Larsen** » Fri Dec 26, 2008 8:37 pm

The producers try to be nice regardless.

Matthew Green · Post by **Matthew Green** » Sat Dec 27, 2008 12:17 pm

Plus that guy (Carl something?) in s57 who's opponent cheated so he came back for another attempt in s58. Is this the only case of this happening?

Mike Brown · Post by **Mike Brown** » Sat Dec 27, 2008 6:34 pm

Another example of the same contestant appearing twice may be Garry Preston from Eccles, who may have been in both Series 18 and 59 - some 19 years apart!

Martin Bishop · Post by **Martin Bishop** » Sat Dec 27, 2008 8:25 pm

Mike Brown wrote:Another example of the same contestant appearing twice may be Garry Preston from Eccles, who may have been in both Series 18 and 59 - some 19 years apart!

I was just about to say that. He was on as the standby after I won my eighth game. He lost on a crucial conundrum both times. I sat with him in the audience for the final show of the day. He's a nice man and was good enough to have won a few games, if he hadn't been so nervous.

Junaid Mubeen · Post by **Junaid Mubeen** » Sat Dec 27, 2008 10:15 pm

When I was on in 1998, there was a contestant in the game before mine called Alex Davis who was making his second appearance as a challenger in 6 months. If I recall correctly he was allowed on again because he'd ever so slightly mispronounced the crucial conundrum PROBOSCIS. He also lost second time round.

Joe Denniss · Post by **Joe Denniss** » Sun Dec 28, 2008 1:02 am

Well I'll give it 10 years and a name change and I'll be back.

David Roe · Post by **David Roe** » Mon Dec 29, 2008 10:51 am

An identical twin might be useful. Real or imaginary.

Jimmy Gough · Post by **Jimmy Gough** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 1:48 am

Or a sex change. I wonder if they've ever had a transsexual on countdown. I'd guess not.

Jason Larsen · Post by **Jason Larsen** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 2:28 am

Matthew, you're thinking of Carl Dundas, who reminds some of us of Jeffrey Hansford.

But, he hasn't been invited back since Series 57.

Dan Vanniasingham · Post by **Dan Vanniasingham** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 2:55 am

It seems Matthew is referring to Carl Dundas, Jason, at least according to the wiki. He was invited back to compete in series 58.

I think you may be referring to Dundas Keating as the contestant with (partial) similarities to Jeffrey Hansford.

Jason Larsen · Post by **Jason Larsen** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 2:58 am

I really think Matthew was talking about Carl, Dan.

Dan Vanniasingham · Post by **Dan Vanniasingham** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 2:59 am

I really don't know why I bother, Jason.

Jimmy Gough · Post by **Jimmy Gough** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 3:19 am

http://apterous.org/cdb/game.php?game=1428

Jason is right.

Dan Vanniasingham · Post by **Dan Vanniasingham** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 3:28 am

Ohh I see! I thought Jason meant Carl possessed similar disability-traits to Mr Hansford, but he was referring to his cheating on the conundrums. Fair enough!

I blame his "...but he's not been seen since S57" comment for throwing me off the scent, as well as something else. In any event - why do I bother?!

At least I've succeeded in implying Dundas Keating was a bit special.

Jason Larsen · Post by **Jason Larsen** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 3:39 am

I meant to imply both, Dan. Carl Dundas is another one-of-a-kind contestant.

Dan Vanniasingham · Post by **Dan Vanniasingham** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 3:45 am

You did? Well you thoroughly confused me then (which isn't hard admittedly). I can't remember Carl at all, although I remember the furore last year which led to him being invited back. I'll just agree he was a "one-of-a-kind" type anyway.

Out of interest, Jason, did you think Dundas Keating was the same (if you remember him)?

Jason Larsen · Post by **Jason Larsen** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 4:20 am

I barely remembered Dundas Keating!