The Common Denominator

Cerebral distractions of every kind, mostly but not exclusively Countdown-related.

Moderator: Michael Wallace

Post Reply
User avatar
Joseph Krol
Kiloposter
Posts: 1063
Joined: Wed Jun 23, 2010 6:47 pm

The Common Denominator

Post by Joseph Krol »

What do you guys think of it? In my opinion quite good but the questions lend themselves for several answers sometimes. Today there was a picture one with a steak and a blue moon and I went for blue, it being a way of cooking a steak, and the steak was very rare looking. However the answer given was 'rare'. I would say that either is equally acceptable. Still, a good concept.
Image
User avatar
Adam Gillard
Kiloposter
Posts: 1761
Joined: Thu Feb 11, 2010 8:42 pm
Location: About 45 minutes south-east of Thibodaux, Louisiana

Re: The Common Denominator

Post by Adam Gillard »

I've only seen it a couple of times, I agree with what you've said that it's a decent concept and possibly the better of the nonsense quizzes that C4 has commissioned lately, but it just seems a bit mean that people get knocked out after just 4 questions. There isn't enough gameplay in these quizzes for me, especially the 1001 Things You Should Know, which has about 3 questions interspersed with half an hour of chat.
Mike Brown: "Round 12: T N R S A E I G U

C1: SIGNATURE (18) ["9; not written down"]
C2: SEATING (7)
Score: 108–16 (max 113)

Another niner for Adam and yet another century. Well done, that man."
User avatar
Chris Philpot
Acolyte
Posts: 214
Joined: Sat Jan 26, 2008 12:34 pm
Location: West Sussex
Contact:

Re: The Common Denominator

Post by Chris Philpot »

It's rubbish.

Joking aside, I like the concept but agree that some of the questions seem a lot fairer than others. The steak v moon question from today was especially dubious.

Though at least in round two the 'shared' element of the questions lends itself to evening out any variations in difficulty, whereas in the first round you can go home after one stumper.
Ryan Taylor
Postmaster General
Posts: 3661
Joined: Sun Oct 25, 2009 6:18 pm

Re: The Common Denominator

Post by Ryan Taylor »

I've occasionally stayed with C4 after Countdown and caught this. I find it very easy-watching and there's a nice laid-back kind of nature to the show. There's nothing really new to be learnt from it in terms of knowledge, but it is quite good fun I find. And I'm always surprised at how often the simplest of connections catch me out! I saw your show Chris and you did very well. I know you received a bit of abuse from the Twittersphere but you were pretty entertaining to watch and I didn't think you strayed into the annoying side. And that dropping to the knees was pretty epic - I too had not one clue about the connection so you were extremely unlucky to get a stinker of a picture like that.

As for the dubious nature, I think mostly they definitively have 1 clear solution. However my gripe is that some of the pictures aren't very clear or are deliberately ambiguous. Obviously they want to catch you out and not let you win the money, but I think they should catch you out with a tougher Common Denominator, rather than tricking you with the pictures.

But yeah, I quite like it and I like Phil as the host. Some of the contestant exchanges are a little on the cringy side but I just tell myself that they are told to be like that.
Post Reply