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Countdown (game show)

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For other meanings of the term countdown, see Countdown (disambiguation).
Countdown is a British game show presented by Des Lynam and Carol Vorderman. It was the first programme aired on Channel 4, and over fifty series have been broadcast since its debut on 2 November 1982. With over 4,000 episodes, it is one of the longest-running game shows in the world. The programme was presented by Richard Whiteley for over twenty years, until his death in 2005. A celebrity guest also features in every programme, and provides a brief interlude before the first advertisement break.
The two contestants in each episode compete in three disciplines: eleven letters rounds, in which the contestants make the longest possible word from nine given letters; three numbers rounds, in which the contestants must use arithmetic to make a random target from six given numbers; and the "conundrum", a buzzer round in which the contestants try to solve a nine-letter anagram in the fastest time possible. During the series heats, the winning contestant returns the next day until he or she has accumulated eight wins. The best contestants are invited back for the series finals, which are decided in knockout format. Contestants of exceptional skill have received national media coverage, and the programme as a whole is widely recognised and parodied within British culture.

Contents

History

Richard "Twice Nightly" Whiteley
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Richard "Twice Nightly" Whiteley

Origins

Countdown is based on the French game show Des Chiffres et des Lettres (Numbers and Letters), created by Armand Jammot. The format was brought to Britain by Marcel Stellman, a Belgian record executive, who had watched Des Chiffres... and believed the show could be popular overseas. Yorkshire Television purchased the format and commissioned a series of eight shows under the title Calendar Countdown, which were to be part of their current affairs show Calendar. As the presenter of Calendar, Richard Whiteley was the natural choice to present Calendar Countdown - his daily appearances on both shows earned him the nickname "Twice Nightly".[BBC.co.uk] obituary for Richard Whiteley - URL accessed 24/06/06. These shows were only broadcast in the Yorkshire area.Countdown: Spreading the Word (Granada Media, 2001) p. 9 - 15.

An additional pilot episode was made, with a refined format, although it was never broadcast.Countdown: Spreading the Word (Granada Media, 2001) p. 20. A new British television channel, titled Channel 4, was due to launch in November 1982, and bought the newly-renamed Countdown on the strength of this additional episode. Countdown was the first programme to be broadcast on the new channel.[IMDB.com] on Countdown trivia - URL accessed 20/06/06. 

— Richard Whiteley introducing the first episode of Countdown.[UK Game Shows] on Countdown's first episode - URL accessed 26/06/06.

Presenters

Calendar Countdown was presented by Richard Whiteley, with Cathy Hytner and Denise McFarland-Cruickshanks managing the numbers and letters rounds respectively.Countdown: Spreading the Word (Granada Media, 2001) p. 17 - 18. When Countdown was commissioned for Channel 4 the number of hostesses expanded further: Cathy Hytner and Beverley Isherwood selected the letters and numbers tiles respectively, and calculations in the numbers rounds were checked by Linda Barrett or Carol Vorderman on alternate days.[UK Game Shows] on the five-presenter system - URL accessed 24/06/06. Vorderman, a Cambridge graduate and member of MENSA[IMDB] on Vorderman's Cambridge graduation and MENSA membership - URL accessed 08/07/06., was appointed as one of the numbers experts after responding to an advertisement in a national newspaper which asked for a young woman who would like to become a game show hostess; unlike almost any other game show hostess of the time, however, the advertisement also made it clear that the applicants' appearance would be less important than their being a talented mathematician.[Scotland on Sunday] on the advertisement to which Vorderman responded - URL accessed 06/07/06.

Gradually the tasks performed by the extra presenters were taken over by Carol Vorderman, whose role within the show is now essentially that of co-presenter.[Independent.co.uk] on viewer dissatisfaction with Vorderman's expanded role - URL accessed 20/06/06. The show was briefly taken off air following Whiteley's death in June 2005, but reappeared in October 2005 with Des Lynam as presenter.[BBC.co.uk] on Des Lynam as the new presenter of Countdown - URL accessed 20/06/06.

The other studio mainstay is Dictionary Corner, which houses a lexicographer and that week's celebrity guest. The rôle of the lexicographer is to verify the words offered by the contestants (see Letters round rules) and relay any longer or otherwise interesting words available. Many lexicographers have appeared over the years, but since her debut in 1992, Susie Dent has become synonymous with the role, and has now made over a thousand appearances.[The Countdown Page] on lexicographers]. The celebrity guest, sometimes known as the "Dictionary Dweller", also contributes words, and provides a short interlude at the end of the first section of the show. Dwellers have included Jo Brand, Martin Jarvis and Geoffrey Durham, providing poems, anecdotes, puzzles and magic tricks.Countdown: Spreading The Word, (Granada Media, 2001), p. 119 - 131.

A Countdown teapot, the prize for any contestant who wins a game.
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A Countdown teapot, the prize for any contestant who wins a game.

Character

Countdown's longevity is often considered to be a consequence of its cult status;[Encyclopædia Britannica] entry for Richard Whiteley - URL accessed 24/06/06. the programme's audience comprises mainly students and pensioners, due to the afternoon 'teatime' slot and the inclusive appeal of its format and presentation.[BBC.co.uk] Richard Whiteley obituary on the show's audience - URL accessed 24/06/06. Countdown has been one of Channel 4's most-watched programmes for over twenty years, but has never won a major television award.Spreading the Word (Granada Media, 2001), p. 74. In its 3.30pm broadcast slot, the show draws about 1.7 million viewers every day — around half a million more than it did with Richard Whiteley presenting[DailyRecord.co.uk] on viewing figures. — and the Series 54 final, on the 26 May 2006, attracted 2.5 million viewers.[UKGameshows.com] on Series 54 final viewing figures - URL accessed 10/07/06. Up to 2 million viewers had watched the show daily in its previous 4.15pm slot. The drop in viewers following the scheduling change, coupled with the show's perceived educational benefits, even caused Labour MP Jonathan Shaw to table a motion in the UK Parliament, requesting that the show be returned to its later time.[Jonathan Shaw's official website], detailing his parliamentary motion - URL accessed 10/07/06.

In keeping with the show's friendly nature, contestants compete not for money but the Countdown winner's teapot, which is custom-made and can only be obtained by winning a game on the programme.[Nebagram.co.uk] on the prizes - URL accessed 24/06/06. The prize for the series winner is a leather-bound copy of the twenty-volume Oxford English Dictionary, worth GB£4,000.[Amazon.co.uk] on the leather-bound Oxford English Dictionary - URL accessed 24/06/06. However Series 31 winner David Acton refused this prize on account of his strict veganism, instead opting for a CD-ROM version of the dictionaries and donating the monetary difference to charity.Countdown: Spreading the Word (Granada Media, 2001) p. 147.

Though the style and colour scheme of the set has changed many times, the clock has always provided the centerpiece and, like the clock music composed by Alan Hawkshaw, is an enduring and well-recognised feature of Countdown. Executive producer John Meade once commissioned Hawkshaw to revise the music for extra intensity; after hundreds of complaints from viewers, the old tune was reinstated.Countdown: Spreading the Word (Granada Media, 2001) p. 33.

The studio before the start of the game.
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The studio before the start of the game.

Format

Countdown has occupied a tea-time broadcast slot since its inception. Currently an episode lasts around 45 minutes including advertising breaks. During the normal series, the winner of each game returns for the next day's show. If a player wins eight games, they are declared an "Octochamp" and retire until the series finals. At the end of the series, the eight players with most wins (or the highest total score in the event of a tie) are invited back to compete in the series finals. They are seeded in a knockout tournament, with the first seed playing the eighth seed, the second playing the seventh, and so on. The winner of this knockout, which culminates in the Grand Final, becomes the series champion. Each series lasts around six months, with about 125 episodes.Countdown: Spreading The Word (Granada Media, 2001) p. 87.

Approximately every four series, a Champion of Champions tournament takes place. For this, sixteen of the best players to have appeared since the previous Championship are invited back for another knockout tournament. The producer, former contestant Damian Eadie, decides which players to include, but typically the tournament includes the series winners and other note-worthy contestants.[The Countdown Page] Julian Fell's Countdown "experience" - URL accessed 24/06/06. Series 33 was designated a "Supreme Championship", in which 56 of the best contestants from all the previous series returned for another knockout tournament. Series 10 champion Harvey Freeman was declared Supreme Champion after beating Allan Saldanha in the final.Countdown: Spreading The Word (Granada Media, 2001), p220. There are also occasional special episodes, in which past contestants return for themed matches. For example, David Acton and Kenneth Michie returned for a rematch of their Series 31 final, while brothers and former contestants Sanjay and Sandeep Mazumder played off against each other on December 20, 2004.[The Countdown Page] list of special episodes and their themes - URL accessed 20/06/06.

The game is split into three sections, separated by advertising breaks. The first two sections each contain four letters rounds and a numbers round, while the last section has three letters rounds, a numbers round and a final "Conundrum". At the end of the first two sections, Lynam poses an eight-letter anagram with a cryptic clue for the viewers at home, called the Teatime Teaser - the solution is revealed at the start of the next section.

Letters round

Letter tiles are arranged face-down into two piles; one all consonants, the other vowels. The contestant chooses a pile, and Vorderman reveals the top tile from that pile and places it on the board. A selection of nine tiles is generated in this way, and must contain at least three vowels and four consonants.Countdown: Spreading the Word (Granada Media, 2001) p. 24. Then, the clock is started and both contestants have thirty seconds to come up with the longest word they can make from the available letters. Each letter may be used only as often as it appears in the selection. The frequencies of the letters within each pile are weighted according to their frequency in natural English, in the same manner as Scrabble. For example, there are many Ns and Rs in the consonant pile, but only one Q.[The Countdown Corral] on letter frequencies - URL accessed 20/06/06.

Contestants write down the words they have found during the round, in case they have the same one. If a word is not written down, the player must declare this and reveal his word first, in case it is the same as the one his opponent has written. After the thirty seconds is up, the players declare the length of their chosen word, with the player who selected the letters declaring first. Then the players reveal their words, with the shorter word being revealed first. Only the contestant with the longer word scores points; both in the event of a tie. One point is scored per letter, except for nine-lettered words, which score eighteen points. If a contestant offers an invalid word then they score no points. Finally, Dictionary Corner reveals the best word they could find from the selection, aided by the production team.[UK Game Shows] on production team aid - URL accessed 20/06/06.

Any word which appears in the Oxford Dictionary of English is allowable,[The Countdown Page] on dictionaries - URL accessed 20/06/06. as well as some inflections. Standard inflections of nouns and verbs - for example, escapes, escaped and escaping - are accepted though not explicitly stated in the dictionary. Comparative and superlative forms of monosyllabic adjectives - for example, greater and greatest - are valid although these too are not explicitly stated. For longer adjectives, the inflections must be stated explicitly.The Oxford Dictionary of English (2005, Oxford University Press), p. xvii. However, some words given in the dictionary are not permitted: proper nouns (Kurdistan), hyphenated words (re-embark), some plurals of mass noun (mankinds), and words that occur only in combination - for example, mistle is invalid as it is used only in mistle thrush. Also, only British spelling is permitted - American spellings and inflections, such as flavor and signaled, are invalid.

Example:
:Contestant One chooses five consonants, then three vowels, then another consonant.
:Selection is:
::D N G H R O U E Y.
:Contestant One declares 7, while Contestant Two declares 8.
:Contestant One reveals younger, but Contestant Two has hydrogen and scores eight points.
:Dictionary Corner note greyhound, which would have scored eighteen points.

Numbers round

One contestant selects six of twenty-four shuffled tiles. The tiles are arranged into two piles: four "large numbers" (25, 50, 75 and 100) and the remainder "small numbers", which comprise two each of the numbers 1 to 10. The contestant dictates how many large numbers are in the selection; anywhere from none to all four. A random three-digit target is generated by an electronic machine, "CECIL" (which stands for Countdown Electronic Calculator In Leeds).[UK Game Shows] on game equipment - URL accessed 20/06/06. The contestants then have thirty seconds to get as near to the target as possible by combining the six numbers selected with addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Numbers can be used as many times as they appear in the selection, and need not all be used. Decimals and fractions are not allowed - only integers may be used at any stage of the calculation.

Points are awarded for the closest solution, and again both contestants score if the solutions are equally close. 10 points is given for an exact answer, 7 points for a non-exact solution up to 5 from the target, and 5 points for a solution between 6 and 10 from the target. If neither contestant can get within 10, no points are awarded.

Example:
:Contestant One requests two large numbers and four small numbers.
:Selection is:
::75, 50, 2, 3, 8, 7.
:Randomly generated target is:
::812.
:Contestant One declares 813, while Contestant Two declares 815.
:Contestant One is closer and so reveals: 75 + 50 - 8 = 117. 117 × 7 - 3 × 2 = 813, which scores seven points.
:Carol Vorderman notes: 50 + 8 = 58. 7 × 2 × 58 = 812, which would have scored ten points.
For some games, there are many ways to reach the target exactly. However not all games are solvable, and for some selections it is impossible even to get within 10. There is a tactical element in selecting how many large numbers to include. One large and five small numbers is the most popular selection,[Countdown Statistics] on the frequency of each numbers games' selection - URL accessed 19/06/06. despite two large numbers giving the best chance of the game being solvable exactly.[Crossword Tools] on analysis of the numbers game - URL accessed 20/06/06. Selections with zero or four large numbers are generally considered the hardest.

Conundrum

A board revolves to reveal the "conundrum" - a jumbled nine-lettered word. The contestants have thirty seconds to find the word. The first contestant to buzz with the correct answer is awarded ten points, but each contestant may guess only once. Once a contestant guesses correctly or the time expires, a second board rotates to reveal the answer. It is intended that each conundrum has only one solution but if, by mistake, the conundrum has two answers (e.g. CARTHORSE and ORCHESTRA) then either is accepted.Countdown: Spreading the Word (Granada Media, 2001) p. 26.

A "crucial Countdown conundrum" occurs if, before the conundrum, the leading contestant is ahead by ten points or fewer. The studio lights are dimmed and the first contestant to answer correctly wins the game. If the scores are level after the conundrum, additional conundrums are used until the match is decided.[The Countdown Page] game recap involving a tie-break conundrum - URL accessed 20/06/06.

Example:
:Conundrum is revealed:
::C H I N A L U N G.
:Contestant One buzzes, and says launching, which scores 10 points.

Evolution

The rules of Countdown are derived from those of Des Chiffres et des Lettres. Perhaps the biggest difference is the length of the round; DCedL's rounds are each 45 seconds long to Countdown's 30. Also, DCedL has a standard letters round as its final round, so there is no analogue to Countdown's Conundrum finale. However DCedL has an alternative two rounds, called "duels", in which players compete to solve a mental arithmetic problem or extract two themed words. Other minor discrepancies include a different numbers scoring system (9 points for an exact solution, or 6 points for the closest inexact solution in DCedL) and the proportion of letters to numbers rounds (11 to 3 in Countdown, 8 to 4 in DCedL).[cybercl.free.fr] rules of Des Chiffres et des Lettres (in French) - URL accessed 07/07/06.[New Improved Head] rules of Des Chiffres et des Lettres - URL accessed 07/07/06.

The pilot episode followed significantly different rules to the current ones. Most noticeably, only eight letters were selected for each letters round. If two contestants offered a word of the same length, or an equally close solution to a numbers game, then only the contestant who made the selection for that round was awarded points. Also, only five points were given for an exact numbers solution, three for a solution within 5, and one point for the closer solution, no matter how far away.Countdown: Spreading The Word (Granada Media, 2001), p. 18.

A significant change in the format occurred in September 2001, when the show was expanded from nine rounds and 30 minutes to the current fifteen rounds and 45 minutes.[The Countdown Page] showing the expanded format - URL accessed 20/06/06. The older format was split into two halves, each having three letters and one numbers game, with the conundrum at the end of the second half. When the format was expanded to fifteen rounds, Richard Whiteley jokingly continued to refer to the three segments of the show as "halves". Under the old format, Grand Finals were specially extended shows of fourteen rounds,[The Countdown Page] showing a fourteen-round final - URL accessed 20/06/06. but now all shows follow the same format.[The Countdown Page] showing a fifteen-round final - URL accessed 20/06/06.

The rules regarding which words are permitted have changed with time. American spelling was allowed in early shows[New Oxford Dictionary of English Guidelines] on the change in rules regarding American spelling - URL accessed 21/06/06., and more unspecified inflections were assumed to be valid.[The Countdown Page] series final recap in which dominater was deemed valid - URL accessed 20/06/06.

Until the end of Series 21, if the two contestants had equal scores after the first conundrum, the match was considered a draw and they both returned for the next show.Countdown: Spreading The Word (Granada Media, 2001), p. 133.

Notable contestants

Since Countdown's debut in 1982, there have been over 4,000 televised games and 54 complete series. There have also been twelve Champion of Champions tournaments, with the most recent in June 2006.Countdown: Spreading The Word (Granada Media, 2001), p. 220. See List of Countdown Champions.

Several of Countdown's most successful contestants have received national media coverage. Teenager Julian Fell set a record score of 146 in December 2002.[The Countdown Page] on Julian Fell's record score - URL accessed 25/06/06. More recently, fourteen-year-old Conor Travers became the youngest series champion in the show's history, gaining wide newspaper interest.[Daily Mail] on Conor Travers - URL accessed 25/06/06.[The Independent] on Conor Travers - URL accessed 21/06/06.[The Guardian] on Conor Travers - URL accessed 21/06/06. At eight years old, Tanmay Dixit was one of the youngest players ever to appear on the show when he achieved two wins in March 2005.[Daily Mail] on Tanmay Dixit - URL accessed 25/06/06. He also received press attention for his offerings in the letters round, which included fannies and farted.[Sky.com] on Tanmay Dixit - URL accessed 21/06/06.

In 1998, sixteen celebrities were invited to play Celebrity Countdown, a series of eight games broadcast every Thursday evening over the course of eight weeks.Countdown: Spreading the Word (Granada Media, 2001) p. 34. The celebrities included future presenter Des Lynam, who defeated Sian Lloyd.[The Countdown Page] on Celebrity Countdown - URL accessed 25/06/06. The highest and lowest scores were posted in the same game when Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall defeated Jilly Goolden 47-9.

Richard Whiteley and Carol Vorderman competed in another special episode on Christmas Day 1997. For this game, the presenter's chair was taken by William G. Stewart, the host of fellow Channel 4 game show Fifteen To One. Susie Dent took over Vorderman's duties, and Mark Nyman occupied Dictionary Corner. The game was close-fought, and decided only by the crucial Countdown conundrum mistletoe which Vorderman solved in two seconds.[The Countdown Page] recap of Whiteley vs. Vorderman Christmas special - URL accessed 25/06/06.

In popular culture

The letters of the infamous round in which both contestants declared wankers.
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The letters of the infamous round in which both contestants declared wankers.
Countdown is often referenced and parodied in British culture. In the 2002 film About a Boy, protagonist Will Freeman is a regular viewer of Countdown.[IMDB] About a Boy movie connections page - URL accessed 18/06/06. The programme is mentioned in an episode of British sitcom Father Ted entitled The Old Grey Whistle Theft[IMDB] Father Ted movie connections - URL accessed 21/06/06. and is also referenced in the very first episode of Little Britain from 2003.[IMDB] Little Britain movie connections page - URL accessed 21/06/06. BBC impression sketch show, Dead Ringers, parodies Countdown numerous times[YouTube] clip of Countdown parody - URL accessed on 21/06/06., and another television programme, the Big Breakfast, parodied Countdown in a feature called "Countdown Under".[UK Game Shows] list of game show spoofs - URL accessed 21/06/06. Comedy show Fry and Laurie further lampooned Countdown in a sketch entitled Countdown to Hell. Fry played Richard Whiteley, while Gyles Brandreth got the word sloblock — an anagram of bollocks.[Countdown to Hell] transcript - URL accessed 23/06/06.

Countdown has also generated a number of popular outtakes, with the randomly selected letters producing the occasional moment that was deemed unsuitable for the original broadcast. A clip from a 1982 episode in which the word fart appearing on the letters board featured on 100 Greatest TV Moments from Hell[IMDB] 100 Greatest TV Moments from Hell movie connections page - URL accessed 19/06/06.[YouTube] clip of Countdown outtake - URL accessed 19/06/06. and a round in which Dictionary Corner offered the word gobshite featured in TV's Finest Failures in 2001.[IMDB] TV's Finest Failures movie connections page - URL accessed 21/06/06.[YouTube] clip of the gobshite incident - URL accessed 21/06/06. When contestants Gino Corr and Lawrence Pearse[Oxford University Quiz Society] on Gino Corr and Lawrence Pearse - URL accessed 21/06/06. both declared the word wankers, one of the contestants quipped, "You've got a couple of wankers here!". This was edited out of the programme but has since appeared on many outtakes shows.[Snopes] on the wankers incident - URL accessed 21/06/06.

Richard Whiteley was the victim of a practical joke while presenting the show. The contestants and rounds had been planted as part of a "Gotcha!", a regular prank feature on light entertainment show Noel's House Party. Whiteley did not uncover the joke until House Party presenter Noel Edmonds appeared on the set at the end of the programme.[Channel 4] Community webchat with Richard Whiteley, explaining his Gotcha! - URL accessed 21/06/06.

References

External links

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