c4countdown

Clive Brooker

There was only one where I was seriously dubious - Dennis Edgson from series 20 and 23. Wiki definitely has him as two separate people. There are others on the Wiki of whom we are unable to be certain, so to be on the safe side just have them listed as separate people at the moment. So, there are p...

Clive Brooker

Thanks Derek. Perhaps I should explain briefly how I derived the list so that people can form a view on its validity. I used TCDP to get a convenient list of all games and removed finals, COC games, SC games, and specials. I then identified any names which occurred in more than one series - about 90...

Clive Brooker

How many people have been a contestant more than once? Welcome Chris. Because I imagine quite a few people will be interested in the answer to this question, I thought I'd have a bash at answering it. Excluding reappearances in special games which do not form part of a regular series, I think there...

Clive Brooker

James Robinson wrote:unless I'm not mistaken

One for the pedants. OK, I admit it.

Clive Brooker

I managed 14, possibly helped by having had a few more years to accumulate useless knowledge than most on this forum, and by taking a whole 5m 33s over it.

I am deeply shocked by what I have just seen.

Clive Brooker

Good luck tomorrow! I was far more nervous about the introductions than I was about the game itself, a ridiculous position to put myself in. Telling someone might have been a good idea! I don't think lied on the form although some of the stuff I put was clearly intended to lead to a predictable line...

Clive Brooker

Is that the first time Susie has acknowledged she gets help, or do I fast forward too much normally? And if so, should we assume everything else is her own work? I think this is a new policy coming into effect. Damian said a while back that this would happen, in response to that article in the Dail...

Clive Brooker

I'd like to see all the ones who are eligible, and I don't mind in what order.

Clive Brooker

A few weeks ago, in a charity shop, I found an almost new copy of the "Countdown Bumper Puzzle Book - Celebrating 20 years on Channel Four" by Michael Wylie and Damian Eadie. At 49p I wasn't going to leave it there. Quoting from one of the introductory sections: "As a rule of thumb, w...

Clive Brooker

Rachel v Carol Numbers Attack special :P I couldn't see this happening even if Carol hadn't left acrimoniously. A friendly game, with professional reputations to protect, would surely point to a very close game. Both emerge with equal credit, but it all looks far too convenient. If it were promoted...

Clive Brooker

Before the concept of a max game can even be mentioned on the show, the use of a computer would have to be admitted openly, and this would fundamentally change the show (the style rather than the substance).

Clive Brooker

I remember this vividly: http://wiki.apterous.org/Episode_3607 Perhaps there was something in the way the challenger never gave up or let his head drop. At the end of the game RW said (words to this effect) that someone behind the scenes has taken pity on the challenger and decided to award him a te...

Clive Brooker

First numbers (in about 15 minutes): ((100+9)*4*9+1)/5 One of WTP's 99% games (I checked first but didn't look at the answer). Lovely! I assume that's the only solution. Yes it is. Incidentally in the first four rounds of the numbers tourney 6 of these (99% games) came up, but unfortunately none wa...

Clive Brooker

First numbers (in about 15 minutes):

((100+9)*4*9+1)/5

One of WTP's 99% games (I checked first but didn't look at the answer).

Clive Brooker

The entrances/exits to the London Underground often have wide staircases divided in two with people swarming up and down like ants, trying to avoid bumping into each other (though I think ants just walk over one another) and it ought to be instinctive to use the right hand one (I know it's opposite...

Clive Brooker

I have this thing that really irritates me, but doesn't seem to bother anyone else, so I thought i'd bring it up here to see if anyone else shares my feelings. When Im going up/down an escalator, I like to walk along them to speed up the process of getting to the top/bottom. So when there is somebo...

Clive Brooker

Trick or treat night.

A couple of days ago the weather forecast promised heavy rain - perfect. Now the forecast has been adjusted and the rain is not expected until after midnight, so I'm not happy.

Clive Brooker

Clive Brooker 167 - 187 Gevin Chapwell Our final round game. Clive misclicked once which would have made it a lot closer. Several flat rounds meant that Clive didn't have much to work with to catch up. I was worried he might start doing 4 large but he stuck with his 2 large. I'm quite pleased with ...

Clive Brooker

There's one good thing about being a maths 'o' level failure - I always see the easy way to get the numbers: Round 5 50 + 4 = 54 times 7 + 3 = 10 (answer 540) Why did they make such a meal of it?? The charm of 2 large is that it gives a lot of ways to begin, and often they don't all work. You can u...

Clive Brooker

It's not really my idea. I've just had a look at the Wiki, and there seem to be two separate initiatives, involving Thomas Wood and Martin Gardner: http://wiki.apterous.org/YouTube_contents http://wiki.apterous.org/Category:Episodes_on_YouTube So leaping in to help might cause confusion rather than ...

Clive Brooker

Good work James. Quite a few of the Youtube uploads (but not all) have been linked from Countdownwiki, which seems very sensible. Should I be volunteering to help with this? There are a few episodes on Youtube put there by people other that Thomas Wood, notably this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch...

Clive Brooker

I presume it's the case, BTW, that all Countdown contestants sign a release form which includes a statement that they will not disclose details of their appearance to the press prior to transmission? If so, Brian really doesn't have a leg to stand on. Somewhat to my surprise, the declaration I sign...

Clive Brooker

It has to be "No". If the guest were, say, Bryn Terfel, I would be very disappointed if he didn't sing a couple of times at least.

I've been watching recordings this week so I've only seen LG's contributions in silence at 16x normal speed.

Clive Brooker

Having looked through the game, if Matt still feels at all guilty, he shouldn't. I conceded points on 4 rounds. R1 was a standard split multiplication which I saw quite easily - (50*7-6)*2+1. However, I often find cases where I need to multiply by the larger small number first awkward to remember an...

Clive Brooker

and anyone with half a brain cell should have got 923. I find this rude and disrespectful, James. I wasn't going to say anything before my Numbers Attack SF, but James's comment didn't make me feel great! To me the 450 x 2 line looks quite promising on this one (I assume this is what Rachel did) an...

Clive Brooker

Thanks for the comments Matt.

A draw looks pretty fair on balance. The misclicks were my fault (obviously). Heartbreaking though.

And well played.

Clive Brooker

I think a series full of first time losers would be a bit tedious, but a 16 or 32 player knockout tournement inbetween series would be cool. I don't see why people who got thrashed the first time because they generally wern't very good should get another go but I would like to see people that gener...

Clive Brooker

D Eadie wrote:80% of contesants lose their first and only game.

Since the start of the 15 round format, 69.7%

Unsurprisingly the proportion was highest (78.2%) in series 47, and lowest (59.3%) in series 49.

Clive Brooker

Gavin, I seem to remember that ages ago you posted an alternative method for organising a Countdown series, in which good players wouldn't be sunk for ever simply through being allocated an unfortunate slot. IIRC the scheme also retained the concept of an Octochamp, but there my memory ends. Person...

Clive Brooker

Dinos Sfyris wrote:Think you mean ONAGERS in round 4. Thought I'd point it out here rather than pming you discretely about it so we can all have a jolly good laugh.

discreetly

Clive Brooker

Lloyd Pettet 127-164 Clive Brooker

I fell apart after crossing the finishing line. Better that way round I suppose. I thought Lloyd would switch to 4 large earlier, but I don't think he was quite on his game.

Clive Brooker

Gavin, I seem to remember that ages ago you posted an alternative method for organising a Countdown series, in which good players wouldn't be sunk for ever simply through being allocated an unfortunate slot. IIRC the scheme also retained the concept of an Octochamp, but there my memory ends. Persona...

Clive Brooker

Good luck to his opponent too.

Clive Brooker

To save Charlie saying it (whether he was planning to or not), you guys aren't posting which division your matches in. Give the guy a hand. Surely we don't need to post them here anyway as apterous now automates the service. That's what I'd assumed, but I agree there's no reason not to say it here ...

Clive Brooker

Phil Collinge wrote:Clive Brooker 162-136 Phil Collinge

Well played Clive.

Thanks Phil. Could easily have gone either way.

(Division B)

Clive Brooker

Jon Corby wrote:
Clive Brooker wrote:There was a deceptively simple answer to the second numbers:

(75 + 8*6)*7 + 7

A few seconds late, sadly.
lol, how is that simple?!

What I meant was that because it only uses 5 numbers, it looks quite easy once written down.

Did I mean "deceptively difficult"?

Clive Brooker

There was a deceptively simple answer to the second numbers:

(75 + 8*6)*7 + 7

A few seconds late, sadly.

Clive Brooker

Clive Brooker 165 - Phil Reynolds 157

http://www.apterous.org/viewgame.php?game=122347

A tense close game. I seemed to have it, but Phil struck back with a winning 6 small to take us to a decider.

Clive Brooker

This is just a thought. When I received my recording date and slot, I already knew from this forum that I had just escaped a probable early meeting with Andrew Hulme. Had it been practically certain, from information available here, that I was going to meet someone of that ilk first up, would I have...

Clive Brooker

And then there was "Three Weddings and a Funeral". At least that gave AA a good one-liner.

But it seems we are still watching.

Clive Brooker

Yeah, I'm getting more annoyed with it as each day goes by, particularly by not getting an inkling as to whether 'my answers' were any good... Quite. Having just re-read my post from a couple of weeks ago, I clearly wasn't as angry with the show then as we all seem to be now. It's been surviving on...

Clive Brooker

Following on from the banter at the top of this thread, it's just possible that someone might like to know that since the start of the 15 round format, the average score for a multichamp (more than one win but fewer than 8) is about 83. This is the average of players' averages, thereby weighting eac...

Clive Brooker

I knew something would make me join Apterous eventually.

It may be a disaster but I'd like to enter anyway.

Clive Brooker

I couldn't resist the temptation to vote for the Ross County footballer, but my real answer would probably be Dickie Bird. Bonus point for anyone who knows his real name without looking it up on Wikipedia. IIRC he's H D Bird. I'm pretty sure H stands for Harold, but I don't know about the D. My gue...

Clive Brooker

D Eadie wrote:What 2 unshown specials?

The ones at the bottom of this page I think.

http://www.thecountdownpage.com/specials.htm

I'd also vote for John Davies v Jerry Humphreys.

Clive Brooker

I was hoping to keep my 100th post for something memorable (fat chance, I know). Curious that at least three episodes already mentioned have been posted recently on Youtube and presumably seen by most of us. It would seem a shame to "waste" precious slots on these. I'm referring to the fir...

Clive Brooker

(9+7)*5*9-7*3 does the first numbers, but it took me a few minutes.

Jacqueline Baker is now in some danger

Edit: sorry, I miscounted. Bob probably needs another win to take 4th. Good luck!

Clive Brooker

32. Not a trememdous surprise, but to my knowledge I've never received any label. I was slightly amused by the theatre/museum question. Many good museums are still free to enter, which I think makes the choice quite easy.

Clive Brooker

Thanks for taking the time, Charlie. As your know I did have a perfectly valid reason for wanting to know this information, but that's had its day and I don't really care any more. Carol usually made it clear that the "achievement" had no merit What? Clumsily expressed, I admit. Typically,...

Clive Brooker

I've just watched R5 again and it's a typical example of one of Rachel's biggest failings (IMO). When Rachel gives a late solution she stands there soaking up the applause as though she's done something good, whereas in the same situation Carol usually made it clear that the "achievement" ...

Clive Brooker

Kai Laddiman wrote:Note to Clive: first numbers game was late from Rachel.

A lost cause, I think, like my grammar.

Clive Brooker

Well, I must be in that very tiny minority. In 2002 I was a very average viewer and was totally astounded by what Julian could do. Mike Brown posted a note on his site just before Julian started, warning people not to miss next week because the game was going to be moved to a new level (apologies to...

Clive Brooker

James Robinson wrote: Of course, everyone who was there that day will remember it for one unbroadcastable bit of magic involving Rachel. I won't divulge what unless you're that desperate.

I am that desperate.

Clive Brooker

The following events are all unconnected:

As a pre-teenage trainspotter, I once forgot that I was leaning on a level crossing barrier.

I was reminded ths evening that I once delivered a telegram sent by Brigadier Gerard.

I've tasted my own urine.

Clive Brooker

James, doesn't that mean that sooner or later there will be 3 5's in one selection?

Perhaps there will be an upside down 9 as well, giving 6 6 6 5 5 5.

Clive Brooker

This is a graph of Countdown's viewing figures between 1998 and 2003:

With such a strong seasonal trend, it would be surprising if the audience wasn't starting to increase as we approach mid-September.

Clive Brooker

Kai Laddiman wrote:
Clive Brooker wrote:the data is missing
*growl*

Clive Brooker

David Williams wrote:Time for an update of Rachel v Carol while you're at it!

Some people in my household think my priorities should lie elsewhere.

Clive Brooker

I've started pulling the numbers out of the published BARB data to try and see what the overall picture is. Available data starts in June 1998, and in the week beginning 1/2/1999 the lowest audience was 4.32m, the highest 4.48m. During that month the average appears to be well over 4m and I think t...

Clive Brooker

Having read all of the comments about the viewing figures I think that the real point about the decline has been missed. It started when Richard died. Sorry, but I don't believe this is true. The daily pattern of viewing figures in 2003 was very similar to that of 1999. 1999 is the first complete y...

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