First impressions of Anne

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Rhys Benjamin
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Re: First impressions of Anne

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Gavin Chipper wrote: Thu Nov 04, 2021 11:12 pm
Rhys Benjamin wrote: Thu Nov 04, 2021 11:11 pm Tabloids often eschew politics for this sort of thing. The "RICHARD WHITELEY WAS A SPY" story comes into mind.
But were they doing it to hide a sleaze story?
Russia and China vetoed sanctions on Syria, a quick Google tells me.

Which is probably worse than an SW1A bubble story of a vote on an MP's suspension.
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Re: First impressions of Anne

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Actually, having said that, having also eschewed the Rafiq Yorkshire racism case, it only goes to further what I said earlier. It's a tabloid, they're more interested in shock value rather than reporting on proper things.
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Re: First impressions of Anne

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I've just tuned in to watch the final stages of this season and it just looks such an unhappy show. Clearly not helped with Suzie being away and leaving Adrian Chiles on his lonesome and a maternity cover for Rachel but boy, it just looks such an utterly miserable production. I thought Anne was an awful choice which is why I've stopped watching and there's nothing here to make me think any different. Zero warmth and charisma, you can almost feel the chill coming through the screen.
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Re: First impressions of Anne

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Ross Allatt wrote: Thu Dec 16, 2021 12:21 pm I've just tuned in to watch the final stages of this season and it just looks such an unhappy show. Clearly not helped with Suzie being away and leaving Adrian Chiles on his lonesome and a maternity cover for Rachel but boy, it just looks such an utterly miserable production. I thought Anne was an awful choice which is why I've stopped watching and there's nothing here to make me think any different. Zero warmth and charisma, you can almost feel the chill coming through the screen.
Damning stuff. I guess the lack of an audience might also be a factor?
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Re: First impressions of Anne

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An audience would have given Stu's hilarious 747 gag the laugh it deserved!
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Gavin Chipper
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Re: First impressions of Anne

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Ross Allatt wrote: Thu Dec 16, 2021 12:21 pm I've just tuned in to watch the final stages of this season and it just looks such an unhappy show. Clearly not helped with Suzie being away and leaving Adrian Chiles on his lonesome and a maternity cover for Rachel but boy, it just looks such an utterly miserable production. I thought Anne was an awful choice which is why I've stopped watching and there's nothing here to make me think any different. Zero warmth and charisma, you can almost feel the chill coming through the screen.
I think this is overly negative and an exaggeration. But it also depends on what you watch for. It's still essentially the same show.
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Re: First impressions of Anne

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Having also not watched for a while, Wednesday's did feel noticeably awkward, even compared to yesterday's. I think the constant needling of Ahmed for not knowing the meanings of the words, while also leaving Adrian to struggle through the definitions himself, led to a slightly weird tone.

For people who have been watching throughout, have you got used to Anne's randomly timed chats with the contestants?
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Re: First impressions of Anne

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Thomas Cappleman wrote: Fri Dec 17, 2021 10:44 am
For people who have been watching throughout, have you got used to Anne's randomly timed chats with the contestants?
I still notice it, but I'm pretty much used to it. And she's not openly hostile like perhaps she might have been a couple of times near the beginning.

But generally, while she wouldn't be my first pick as a host, her being there doesn't even come close to making a difference to whether I watch or not.
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Re: First impressions of Anne

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Gavin Chipper wrote: Fri Dec 17, 2021 10:55 am
Thomas Cappleman wrote: Fri Dec 17, 2021 10:44 am
For people who have been watching throughout, have you got used to Anne's randomly timed chats with the contestants?
I still notice it, but I'm pretty much used to it. And she's not openly hostile like perhaps she might have been a couple of times near the beginning.

But generally, while she wouldn't be my first pick as a host, her being there doesn't even come close to making a difference to whether I watch or not.
Good to hear. And to clarify, it doesn't make a difference for me either - I just don't watch it much outside of finals anyway.
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Re: First impressions of Anne

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I am on the opinion that all the chatting with the contestants should be done before the game begins – not in between rounds at random points.

The host should not be allowed to chat to the contestants before they make their selections as this is potentially distracting them from playing the game. It’s unfair.

Anne needs to improvise her interview technique also, by being kind and polite by default at all times. When she asks questions, she asks too many yes/no questions. She needs to ask more open ended how/what/who/when/where/why questions.

‘How many languages can you speak?’

and not

‘Do you speak many languages?’

See the difference?

@Countdown Team please take note.
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Re: First impressions of Anne

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I don't think CD team need to worry too much about trying to make a silk purse out of an Anne Robinson.
The search for her replacement will be their main priority over the next season or two.

The only sincere hope I have is that the person / people responsible for her appointment get fired from their jobs.
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Re: First impressions of Anne

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While watching Anne I often think, there's no way Nick could have handled that and for that I commend her. with her we get a chance to see contestants personality, with Nick there never was a hope.

It's been a tough ask this week without Suzie
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Re: First impressions of Anne

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Six months on, Weaver’s Week on UKGameshows remain critical of Robinson:

“Countdown appointed a new host, Anne Robinson replaced the retiring Nick Hewer. After six months, we're still not convinced by Anne, it still sounds as though she's shouting across the studio, and isn't properly listening to people's answers, and still asks closed questions rather than letting the contestants tell their little anecdotes.”

This is spot on, and the public at large seem to agree that the show and her tenure isn’t worth their time. The last preliminary match of the year on 14 December was seen by just 259,000 viewers, compared with 768,000 on 9 February when Colin Murray served as stand-in presenter, and these figures consolidate one-week of catch-up. The flaw in these ratings, however, is the fact that almost all episodes now stay on All4 indefinitely, starting from Hewer’s last series.
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Re: First impressions of Anne

Post by L'oisleatch McGraw »

I doubt the people running Countdown are stupid, but just in case, it may be worth pointing out the obvious...

...Good ratings for Anne Robinson count for nothing.
Countdown is not a ratings based show.
Some trashy flash-in-the-pan TV show like e.g. "The X-Factor" is the sort of thing that should monitor ratings closely and try gimmick after gimmick to improve them, until eventually the novelty wears off and the show is cancelled.
Countdown isn't that sort of a show, it is a national institute. Trying to make it edgy, controversial. snarky or in any way tabloidy is utterly unnecessary.
That they have gone down the trashy route by employing Robinson... does justify a few sackings... not just Robinson, but those responsible for hiring her too.

Whatever changes are made to "freshen up" the show in the future, should be kept to a minimum, but whatever they are, they should never again involve compromising the dignity of the show for a cheap temporary ratings boost.
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Re: First impressions of Anne

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I disagree they count for nothing. Viewers, hardcore and casual, are losing interest and switching off. Some are citing the lack of studio audience. The show is losing respect of its fans IMHO. 259,000 is almost nobody. ITV afternoon can siphon off ratings in seven digits. And given the show airs at 2:10 pm, they should learn lessons from having Murray standing-in and appoint much more inviting presenters who will attract more viewers. Not switching off.
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Re: First impressions of Anne

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The ironic thing is that you get the sense that Romesh Ranganathan is attempting to do a "discount Anne Robinson" act on The Weakest Link.
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Christy Cooper
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Re: First impressions of Anne

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Philip A wrote: Mon Jan 03, 2022 9:47 am I disagree they count for nothing. Viewers, hardcore and casual, are losing interest and switching off. Some are citing the lack of studio audience. The show is losing respect of its fans IMHO. 259,000 is almost nobody. ITV afternoon can siphon off ratings in seven digits. And given the show airs at 2:10 pm, they should learn lessons from having Murray standing-in and appoint much more inviting presenters who will attract more viewers. Not switching off.
Philip, if you're in a room that holds 259,000 people, surely you'd notice the other 258,999 people there? It's not 'almost nobody'- it's still a good figure for daytime.

Does anybody know what the ratings were like when Colin stood in? I wasn't a fan of Colin and I think Anne has really freshened the show up. I do miss Nick but I'd rather either of them than Countdown. Colin treated it like he was presenting the sports, and at the end of the day, it's just a silly little word game.
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Re: First impressions of Anne

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Christy Cooper wrote: Sun Jan 23, 2022 2:51 pm
Philip A wrote: Mon Jan 03, 2022 9:47 am I disagree they count for nothing. Viewers, hardcore and casual, are losing interest and switching off. Some are citing the lack of studio audience. The show is losing respect of its fans IMHO. 259,000 is almost nobody. ITV afternoon can siphon off ratings in seven digits. And given the show airs at 2:10 pm, they should learn lessons from having Murray standing-in and appoint much more inviting presenters who will attract more viewers. Not switching off.
Philip, if you're in a room that holds 259,000 people, surely you'd notice the other 258,999 people there? It's not 'almost nobody'- it's still a good figure for daytime.

Does anybody know what the ratings were like when Colin stood in? I wasn't a fan of Colin and I think Anne has really freshened the show up. I do miss Nick but I'd rather either of them than Countdown. Colin treated it like he was presenting the sports, and at the end of the day, it's just a silly little word game.
It is almost nobody UK-population wise, though. (259,000/67,440,000)*100=0.384%. The Answer Trap ended after one series because, as UKGameshows put it, Channel 4 at 3 pm with watched by almost nobody (150,000 for The Answer Trap), whilst ITV at 3 pm can siphon off 1,000,000 viewers (over 1% of the population, which is good for 3 pm).

259,000 is not a good look even for 2:10 pm IMHO. It’s one of the lowest figures in history (still higher than Celebrity Countdown on More4 which fell from 250k to 125k in two shows).

Colin Murray drew in 768,000 on 9 February, incl. one week of catch-up: highest ratings for 8 years, I believe. For 2:10 pm I’d say over 500k is good, 800k even better (Neighbours gets this figure at 1:45 pm). 768k for C4 at 2:10 pm is asking for a shift to 3 pm.

The main problem with Channel 4 daytime is that it’s losing out to its competitors. ITV dominate daytime now.
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Re: First impressions of Anne

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Philip A wrote: Mon Jan 24, 2022 5:02 pm


Colin Murray drew in 768,000 on 9 February, incl. one week of catch-up: highest ratings for 8 years, I believe. For 2:10 pm I’d say over 500k is good, 800k even better (Neighbours gets this figure at 1:45 pm). 768k for C4 at 2:10 pm is asking for a shift to 3 pm.
that episode slapped...

At what point does this thread stop being first impressions? Since anne has been in charge theres been 19 watford managers
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Re: First impressions of Anne

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L'oisleatch McGraw wrote: Fri Dec 17, 2021 11:10 pm I don't think CD team need to worry too much about trying to make a silk purse out of an Anne Robinson.
The search for her replacement will be their main priority over the next season or two.

The only sincere hope I have is that the person / people responsible for her appointment get fired from their jobs.
Every word of this is still true...
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Re: First impressions of Anne

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Phew! Just phew!

The number of contestants lately appearing for the second time would seem to indicate that people are shying away from applying to be on the show, and the production team are having to resort to phoning up "old friends" to see if they will fill in.

Anne's stilted "ask a question and then challenge the response" engagement style with the contestants has been a disaster; the kind of people who appear do so not to be grilled and booby-trapped by an ex-journo in the twilight of her combative career, who thinks it's her duty to get one up on some poor punter who just wants to play a words and numbers game. How I miss the urbane friendliness and gentleness of Nick Hewer.

Anne never seems to have come to terms with the show being about the contestants, and not her.
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Re: First impressions of Anne

Post by L'oisleatch McGraw »

Jim Vincent wrote: Tue May 03, 2022 8:48 am Anne never seems to have come to terms with the show being about the contestants, and not her.
Correction:-

The show is about the game, and not the contestants or the hosts.
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