A group for contestants and lovers of the Channel 4 game show 'Countdown'.
http://www.c4countdown.co.uk/
Saturday 8:30, ITV.
I did the second pilot/runthrough which was back in June 2021 (think the pilot filmed in the July)- unfortunately the age range for the main show was 18 and I was only a few weeks away from it whereas I believe the age was 16 for the pilot, so hopefully Series 2 for me as wellJames Robinson wrote: ↑Thu Apr 14, 2022 11:37 amSaturday 8:30, ITV.
I did the pilot for this in January 2020. Had so much fun, was also supposed to be on this series, but got COVID the week before recording.
I’ve been told that if it gets a second series, I’ll be on.
Saw Mike Brailsford on there tooJohn Garcia wrote: ↑Tue May 24, 2022 6:49 pm Graham Nash was on The 1% Club on Saturday 21st May 2022. He made it all the way to the second to last round, but got a relatively easy question wrong and so didn't make it to the final question.
Yes, there were at least two, what I called ambiguous, questions last night.Steve Hyde wrote: ↑Sun Feb 25, 2024 12:57 am Is it just me or were there 3 or 4 questions where you could make a decent argument for more than one answer being correct tonight? 5% question in particular can eff right off
Aye, some horrible questions there. I'd have gone 5 instead of 2 on national anthem question, but you can make a strong argument for both. The eyes/is thing was brutal too - it's not so much ambiguous as a question, but when read out...Ian Fitzpatrick wrote: ↑Sun Feb 25, 2024 11:29 amYes, there were at least two, what I called ambiguous, questions last night.Steve Hyde wrote: ↑Sun Feb 25, 2024 12:57 am Is it just me or were there 3 or 4 questions where you could make a decent argument for more than one answer being correct tonight? 5% question in particular can eff right off
To be fair, if you read the question properly it clearly stipulates a “commonly-used word”. According to Lexplorer:Elliott Mellor wrote: ↑Sun Feb 25, 2024 5:20 pmAye, some horrible questions there. I'd have gone 5 instead of 2 on national anthem question, but you can make a strong argument for both. The eyes/is thing was brutal too - it's not so much ambiguous as a question, but when read out...Ian Fitzpatrick wrote: ↑Sun Feb 25, 2024 11:29 amYes, there were at least two, what I called ambiguous, questions last night.Steve Hyde wrote: ↑Sun Feb 25, 2024 12:57 am Is it just me or were there 3 or 4 questions where you could make a decent argument for more than one answer being correct tonight? 5% question in particular can eff right off
Also, we had a difference of opinion on "first letter of the alphabet" - I gravitated towards a, whereas my sister was going for t.
How is that in any way related to what I said? I didn't refer to that question anywhere.Philip A wrote: ↑Sun Feb 25, 2024 6:12 pmTo be fair, if you read the question properly it clearly stipulates a “commonly-used word”. According to Lexplorer:Elliott Mellor wrote: ↑Sun Feb 25, 2024 5:20 pmAye, some horrible questions there. I'd have gone 5 instead of 2 on national anthem question, but you can make a strong argument for both. The eyes/is thing was brutal too - it's not so much ambiguous as a question, but when read out...Ian Fitzpatrick wrote: ↑Sun Feb 25, 2024 11:29 am
Yes, there were at least two, what I called ambiguous, questions last night.
Also, we had a difference of opinion on "first letter of the alphabet" - I gravitated towards a, whereas my sister was going for t.
EFF has an estimated obscurity of 66% (rare) and returns about 158,000,000 Google results.
WHY has an estimated obscurity of 0% (ubiquitous) and returns about 20,800,000,000 Google results.
The national anthem question also stipulates words in the verse, not different words, which would otherwise make the answer 2.
The winner was impressive. My brain gave way from 25% onwards!
Apologies, my fault for not quoting separately; sorry if this is confusing. My 4th sentence down related to, “you can make a strong argument for both.” 5 is definitely the only correct answer.Elliott Mellor wrote: ↑Sun Feb 25, 2024 6:44 pmHow is that in any way related to what I said? I didn't refer to that question anywhere.Philip A wrote: ↑Sun Feb 25, 2024 6:12 pmTo be fair, if you read the question properly it clearly stipulates a “commonly-used word”. According to Lexplorer:Elliott Mellor wrote: ↑Sun Feb 25, 2024 5:20 pm
Aye, some horrible questions there. I'd have gone 5 instead of 2 on national anthem question, but you can make a strong argument for both. The eyes/is thing was brutal too - it's not so much ambiguous as a question, but when read out...
Also, we had a difference of opinion on "first letter of the alphabet" - I gravitated towards a, whereas my sister was going for t.
EFF has an estimated obscurity of 66% (rare) and returns about 158,000,000 Google results.
WHY has an estimated obscurity of 0% (ubiquitous) and returns about 20,800,000,000 Google results.
The national anthem question also stipulates words in the verse, not different words, which would otherwise make the answer 2.
The winner was impressive. My brain gave way from 25% onwards!
It's annoying for those of us playing along in the appMarc Meakin wrote: ↑Sun Feb 25, 2024 8:00 pm It's moot unless any of the contestants answered the alternate choices
"Common" is too vague to use in a quiz question. I wouldn't say EFF isn't common.Steve Hyde wrote: ↑Sun Feb 25, 2024 8:02 pm For the record I don't really think EFF is commonly used enough to be a valid answer, regardless of how many times I used it during last night's episode. I was trying to avoid spoilers. OUR and WHY definitely are though
Hem and Hex alongside Hen in that caseCallum Todd wrote: ↑Mon Feb 26, 2024 1:31 pm Regional accents probably changed the answer for that one too. For example I would consider OUR and HEN to be valid answers in my dialect but not in Queen's (King's?) English
Yep. Maybe OAR in Irish accent?Adam Gillard wrote: ↑Mon Feb 26, 2024 5:00 pmHem and Hex alongside Hen in that caseCallum Todd wrote: ↑Mon Feb 26, 2024 1:31 pm Regional accents probably changed the answer for that one too. For example I would consider OUR and HEN to be valid answers in my dialect but not in Queen's (King's?) English
Yeah I think it's a cop-out as well and have considered what might be a better alternative approach. I like your first suggestion here especially (I don't think it'd be fair for someone who was eliminated on the 90% question to be given the same crack at winning the prize fund as someone who battled their way through and got eliminated on a difficult 5% question - I think there should be some reward for being the furthest in the show).Martin Hurst wrote: ↑Mon Feb 26, 2024 11:01 pm Anyone else find the ending unsatisfactory when we have the scenario where everyone remaining gets eliminated on the same question? Seems a bit of a cop out that all those eliminated on that question just get flung to the 1% question and have the ability to collect the money, or play for the full prize pot.
I'd like to see one of two potential processes:
1) Those who lasted the longest get to play the 1% question, but on a halved prize fund, with no option to cash out (and no entry to the "1% Club" (if that is even seriously a thing))
2) All 100 get put back in the game, and get to attempt to answer the 1% question, with everyone who gets it correct getting an equal share of the full prize fund (which is similar to what they used to do on the kindred 1990s show Whittle if the winner got the final question wrong)
Agree re halved prize fund. The rest, absolutely not.Martin Hurst wrote: ↑Mon Feb 26, 2024 11:01 pm Anyone else find the ending unsatisfactory when we have the scenario where everyone remaining gets eliminated on the same question? Seems a bit of a cop out that all those eliminated on that question just get flung to the 1% question and have the ability to collect the money, or play for the full prize pot.
I'd like to see one of two potential processes:
1) Those who lasted the longest get to play the 1% question, but on a halved prize fund, with no option to cash out (and no entry to the "1% Club" (if that is even seriously a thing))
2) All 100 get put back in the game, and get to attempt to answer the 1% question, with everyone who gets it correct getting an equal share of the full prize fund (which is similar to what they used to do on the kindred 1990s show Whittle if the winner got the final question wrong)
Not sure I understand this. What benefit is there to deliberately getting a question wrong? There is no benefit to doing anything other than remaining in the game for as long as you can. If no one gets to the 1% question and it's then open to everyone, then whether you was eliminated early or late doesn't matter. You might as well try and stay in and get to the 1% question and have a crack at a much larger prize.
Look at it this way: if the rules were that all 100 players were brought back into the game, that would be an enormous flaw. Everyone might as well all get 90% wrong and go straight through to 1%. Therefore, Martin’s 1st suggestion is better. The format as it is incentives right answers.Elliott Mellor wrote: ↑Tue Feb 27, 2024 2:22 pmNot sure I understand this. What benefit is there to deliberately getting a question wrong? There is no benefit to doing anything other than remaining in the game for as long as you can. If no one gets to the 1% question and it's then open to everyone, then whether you was eliminated early or late doesn't matter. You might as well try and stay in and get to the 1% question and have a crack at a much larger prize.
Er...no they wouldn't? It's absolutely unquestionably better from an individual perspective to go as far as you can. Either you make it all the way and get a crack at a much larger amount, or you don't in which case you've got the fallback anyway. There is literally no situation where it is better for a person to tank early on.Philip A wrote: ↑Tue Feb 27, 2024 3:10 pmLook at it this way: if the rules were that all 100 players were brought back into the game, that would be an enormous flaw. Everyone might as well all get 90% wrong and go straight through to 1%. Therefore, Martin’s 1st suggestion is better. The format as it is incentives right answers.Elliott Mellor wrote: ↑Tue Feb 27, 2024 2:22 pmNot sure I understand this. What benefit is there to deliberately getting a question wrong? There is no benefit to doing anything other than remaining in the game for as long as you can. If no one gets to the 1% question and it's then open to everyone, then whether you was eliminated early or late doesn't matter. You might as well try and stay in and get to the 1% question and have a crack at a much larger prize.
Some formats in the past have done this (Whittle and !mpossible). But only putting the best player(s) forward is preferable, in my view.
Quite a few Countdowners already have played. I don’t find Lee facetious at all. I find him a natural. Without him this wouldn’t be a ratings winner as it is now. Each to their own, I guess. I seriously would like to see him host Bullseye.
This should help: http://www.ukgameshows.com/ukgs/The_1%25_Club It has a live play-along app as well.Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Sun Mar 10, 2024 8:41 pm I've still not watched this. Is it like 1 vs 100 (which I've also not watched)?
Why would a half be an acceptable answer?Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Mon Mar 11, 2024 1:23 pm Saturdays 1% question
Spoilers below
Would a half been acceptable given the sequence before?
Also each sequence is 22 greater than the one below
2 x a half is 1 so sequentially it would workElliott Mellor wrote: ↑Mon Mar 11, 2024 5:17 pmWhy would a half be an acceptable answer?Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Mon Mar 11, 2024 1:23 pm Saturdays 1% question
Spoilers below
Would a half been acceptable given the sequence before?
Also each sequence is 22 greater than the one below
I understand that 2 x 0.5 = 1, I just don't know how you think that 1 logically follows the sequence 98, 76, 54, 32. I suppose it does make the sequence 987654321, but the implication is that each answer is a 2 digit number, and it's also clearly decreasing by 22 each time.Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Mon Mar 11, 2024 6:36 pm2 x a half is 1 so sequentially it would workElliott Mellor wrote: ↑Mon Mar 11, 2024 5:17 pmWhy would a half be an acceptable answer?Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Mon Mar 11, 2024 1:23 pm Saturdays 1% question
Spoilers below
Would a half been acceptable given the sequence before?
Also each sequence is 22 greater than the one below
I thought the calendar question was fine, but yes, Twitter was raging at the fingers and toes question for exactly the same reason. Very poor. I gather contestants argue their cases during the recordings.Elliott Mellor wrote: ↑Sun Apr 21, 2024 6:19 pm A bit disappointed by the ambiguity of some of the questions of late. On yesterday's there were two questions which I think were especially poor.
- Making every month 30 days long does not mean you'd have fewer days in a year. A year would still have the same number of days; you'd just have more months in a year.
- "If you had the same number of toes on your right foot as your left hand" - you don't have any toes on your left hand, so this should have been interpreted as 0. Wouldn't have been too hard for them to word the sentence properly here and use "if you had the same number of toes on your right foot as fingers on your left hand".
A year is the time it takes the earth to complete one revolution of the sun. That's 365.25 days regardless of how many days you shove in each month. A year is not defined scientifically as "12 months".Philip A wrote: ↑Sun Apr 21, 2024 6:26 pmI thought the calendar question was fine, but yes, Twitter was raging at the fingers and toes question for exactly the same reason. Very poor. I gather contestants argue their cases during the recordings.Elliott Mellor wrote: ↑Sun Apr 21, 2024 6:19 pm A bit disappointed by the ambiguity of some of the questions of late. On yesterday's there were two questions which I think were especially poor.
- Making every month 30 days long does not mean you'd have fewer days in a year. A year would still have the same number of days; you'd just have more months in a year.
- "If you had the same number of toes on your right foot as your left hand" - you don't have any toes on your left hand, so this should have been interpreted as 0. Wouldn't have been too hard for them to word the sentence properly here and use "if you had the same number of toes on your right foot as fingers on your left hand".
Accoring to a Digital Spy Forum:Elliott Mellor wrote: ↑Sun Apr 21, 2024 9:42 pmA year is the time it takes the earth to complete one revolution of the sun. That's 365.25 days regardless of how many days you shove in each month. A year is not defined scientifically as "12 months".Philip A wrote: ↑Sun Apr 21, 2024 6:26 pmI thought the calendar question was fine, but yes, Twitter was raging at the fingers and toes question for exactly the same reason. Very poor. I gather contestants argue their cases during the recordings.Elliott Mellor wrote: ↑Sun Apr 21, 2024 6:19 pm A bit disappointed by the ambiguity of some of the questions of late. On yesterday's there were two questions which I think were especially poor.
- Making every month 30 days long does not mean you'd have fewer days in a year. A year would still have the same number of days; you'd just have more months in a year.
- "If you had the same number of toes on your right foot as your left hand" - you don't have any toes on your left hand, so this should have been interpreted as 0. Wouldn't have been too hard for them to word the sentence properly here and use "if you had the same number of toes on your right foot as fingers on your left hand".
There shouldn't be ambiguous questions making it in to the final question deck that gets used. You should have one clear right answer, with no room for discussion. If you allow contestants to "argue their case" for alternative answers, then where do you draw the line as to what is acceptable and what isn't? It also makes for a poor viewer experience to be told the answer is different to what they got, even though they have a very valid solution.
It's a bit disappointing that a show with such a huge prize fund apparently can't be bothered to at least quality check the questions they use.