Countdown on Saturday

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Jason Larsen
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Countdown on Saturday

Post by Jason Larsen »

I have an interesting question for all of you.

The show that follows "Countdown" every day in the UK, "Deal or No Deal" is on six days a week and so is the length-wise equivalent of "Countdown" here, (The US version of "Wheel of Fortune.")

My question to all of you is, would you like to see "Countdown" on Saturday?
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Ben Pugh
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Re: Countdown on Saturday

Post by Ben Pugh »

No.

It's not really a weekend thing.
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Ben Wilson
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Re: Countdown on Saturday

Post by Ben Wilson »

It was done at the start of 2006, and ultimately decided it probably wasn't a good idea after all IIRC.
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Jason Larsen
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Re: Countdown on Saturday

Post by Jason Larsen »

Students don't have classes on weekends though.

It was just an idea.
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Joseph Bolas
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Re: Countdown on Saturday

Post by Joseph Bolas »

They should definitely bring it back, it was nice to have Countdown on 6 days a week.
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Re: Countdown on Saturday

Post by Jason Larsen »

Yea.

I see someone agrees with me.
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Re: Countdown on Saturday

Post by Martin Smith »

The main problem was that the weekend schedules couldn't be standardised, mainly because of sport. The Saturday edition was on at different times every week - it was hard to keep track of, especially for the older viewers.

Having the occasional special or Champion of Champions series on Saturdays might be an option, but not for the main show.
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Jason Larsen
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Re: Countdown on Saturday

Post by Jason Larsen »

Why does "Deal or No Deal" work then?
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Joseph Bolas
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Re: Countdown on Saturday

Post by Joseph Bolas »

Jason Larsen wrote:Why does "Deal or No Deal" work then?
I don't know the answer to this, but if they are able to have a fixed time for DOND, you would think they would have a fixed time for Countdown too.

RE Martin - Sometimes Countdown is taken off the air throughout the week, because of Cricket and Horse Racing (not sure when this last happened) so if this was to ever happen again, it would be nice to have a Saturday game to make up for it.

If they were to be extreme enough, they could do a Come Dine With Me thing (they do this on More 4) where they have all 5 episodes on in one sitting :lol:. EDIT: They could do it on Sunday as an omnibus type thing :lol:.
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Jason Larsen
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Re: Countdown on Saturday

Post by Jason Larsen »

Joseph, I agree with you about a fixed time for Countdown.

Also, I think the last time "Countdown" was pre-empted on weekdays was last season, when they had a festival I can't even pronounce the name of.

That was just a thought in my head.
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Re: Countdown on Saturday

Post by Julian Fell »

Yes that's something I've been meaning to ask: does Countdown still get interrupted now for cricket / horse racing like it used to when I was on?
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Re: Countdown on Saturday

Post by Charlie Reams »

Cricket has been flogged off to Sky, which seems to have killed much of its popularity - good work MCC! The racing still interrupts broadcasts occasionally. If it's rained off, there are no Countdown specials left in the can (except ones with RW, which would be weird) so they just show something else.
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Joseph Bolas
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Re: Countdown on Saturday

Post by Joseph Bolas »

Charlie Reams wrote:Cricket has been flogged off to Sky, which seems to have killed much of its popularity - good work MCC! The racing still interrupts broadcasts occasionally. If it's rained off, there are no Countdown specials left in the can (except ones with RW, which would be weird) so they just show something else.
I think it would be nice to see some classic RW Countdown epsiodes. I would definitely like to see the Christmas special again where Carol played Richard. Was it Magnus Magnusson that hosted that and Susie who put the letters/numbers on the board?
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Jason Larsen
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Re: Countdown on Saturday

Post by Jason Larsen »

Cricket is not popular here, but I thought for sure it was one of the most popular sports in the UK.
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Re: Countdown on Saturday

Post by Julian Fell »

Joseph Bolas wrote:
Charlie Reams wrote:Cricket has been flogged off to Sky, which seems to have killed much of its popularity - good work MCC! The racing still interrupts broadcasts occasionally. If it's rained off, there are no Countdown specials left in the can (except ones with RW, which would be weird) so they just show something else.
I think it would be nice to see some classic RW Countdown epsiodes. I would definitely like to see the Christmas special again where Carol played Richard. Was it Magnus Magnusson that hosted that and Susie who put the letters/numbers on the board?
This is something that Damian told me though Joseph - Richard and Carol didn't / don't want any really old episodes to be shown as non-scheduled broadcasts, because if your average Joe Bloggs is channel-hopping and suddenly comes across decades-old images of them looking frumpy, they'll wonder what's going on and it's not good for their image. And of course the weirdness of such a situation would, as Charlie says, now be multiplied 100-fold with Richard no longer being with us...

So it's not going to happen, basically, although I agree with you, there's loads of classic games I'd like to see. You could maybe befriend Mike Brown and see if he'll let you watch some of the old series finals he has on video! (not sure if he has the Christmas special though...)
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Joseph Bolas
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Re: Countdown on Saturday

Post by Joseph Bolas »

Julian wrote:This is something that Damian told me though Joseph - Richard and Carol didn't / don't want any really old episodes to be shown as non-scheduled broadcasts, because if your average Joe Bloggs is channel-hopping and suddenly comes across decades-old images of them looking frumpy, they'll wonder what's going on and it's not good for their image. And of course the weirdness of such a situation would, as Charlie says, now be multiplied 100-fold with Richard no longer being with us...

So it's not going to happen, basically, although I agree with you, there's loads of classic games I'd like to see. You could maybe befriend Mike Brown and see if he'll let you watch some of the old series finals he has on video! (not sure if he has the Christmas special though...)
Thats quite disappointing, but I can understand what your saying because of the fact that Richard is no longer with us.

It still would've been nice to see some old matches, maybe help rejog my memory so I know who people are talking about in other threads :lol:.

EDIT: Thank you for suggestion regarding Mike Brown, but seems though I am better at making enemies than befriending people :lol:, I thill I will pass up on that route.
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Jason Larsen
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Re: Countdown on Saturday

Post by Jason Larsen »

Actually, I thought the practice of showing old episodes of Countdown was ok because the last time they pre-empted an episode because of sports was fairly recently. I think they showed an episode from 2003.
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Re: Countdown on Saturday

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Joseph Bolas wrote:EDIT: Thank you for suggestion regarding Mike Brown, but seems though I am better at making enemies than befriending people :lol:, I thill I will pass up on that route.
Did I say something to upset you at COLIN, Joseph? ;)
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Jason Larsen
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Re: Countdown on Saturday

Post by Jason Larsen »

I should ask, did anyone here have anything arranged on a Saturday?
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Joseph Bolas
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Re: Countdown on Saturday

Post by Joseph Bolas »

Mike Brown wrote:
Joseph Bolas wrote:EDIT: Thank you for suggestion regarding Mike Brown, but seems though I am better at making enemies than befriending people :lol:, I thill I will pass up on that route.
Did I say something to upset you at COLIN, Joseph? ;)
Oh no, not at all. I myself, just find it very hard to talk to people and when I do start talking, I normally have a nack for saying the wrong things or fear that I am going to say the wrong things.

It is a problem I have had since I started college, where at lunchtime I would never go into the cafeteria (too many people there). I would instead, wait in the hall, outside the room we would be in after lunch.

I have been to 4 of these CO-events now, I believe, and the only part I dread is lunchtime. I just can't get up the confidence to start any conversations or contribute to one going on.
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Jason Larsen
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Re: Countdown on Saturday

Post by Jason Larsen »

I like you anyway, Joseph.
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Re: Countdown on Saturday

Post by Mike Brown »

Joseph Bolas wrote:I have been to 4 of these CO-events now, I believe, and the only part I dread is lunchtime. I just can't get up the confidence to start any conversations or contribute to one going on.
I can relate to that to some extent, Joseph. Being naturally shy myself, I often feel the same in new environments, and certainly felt that way at the first COLIN event at times. I'm sure you'll get more proficient at these things as time goes on.

Mike.
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Joseph Bolas
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Re: Countdown on Saturday

Post by Joseph Bolas »

Mike Brown wrote:
Joseph Bolas wrote:I have been to 4 of these CO-events now, I believe, and the only part I dread is lunchtime. I just can't get up the confidence to start any conversations or contribute to one going on.
I can relate to that to some extent, Joseph. Being naturally shy myself, I often feel the same in new environments, and certainly felt that way at the first COLIN event at times. I'm sure you'll get more proficient at these things as time goes on.

Mike.
I don't think its going to get any easier for me, as I go to more and more CO-events.
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Re: Countdown on Saturday

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Richard and Carol didn't / don't want any really old episodes to be shown as non-scheduled broadcasts, because if your average Joe Bloggs is channel-hopping and suddenly comes across decades-old images of them looking frumpy, they'll wonder what's going on and it's not good for their image.
Well, I don't know if Carol looked frumpy or not but she was certainly likable in those days.

Conversely, the new, improved, detoxed, debt selling version of Carol is ,in my opinion, not all that likable at all. Furthermore, Carol is a classic case study of a celebrity who believes their own media hype.
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Re: Countdown on Saturday

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James Turner wrote:Conversely, the new, improved, detoxed, debt selling version of Carol is ,in my opinion, not all that likable at all. Furthermore, Carol is a classic case study of a celebrity who believes their own media hype.
Do you have anything useful to contribute? If you dislike the show so much, try not watching it.
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Re: Countdown on Saturday

Post by Dinos Sfyris »

James Turner wrote:
Richard and Carol didn't / don't want any really old episodes to be shown as non-scheduled broadcasts, because if your average Joe Bloggs is channel-hopping and suddenly comes across decades-old images of them looking frumpy, they'll wonder what's going on and it's not good for their image.
Well, I don't know if Carol looked frumpy or not but she was certainly likable in those days.

Conversely, the new, improved, detoxed, debt selling version of Carol is ,in my opinion, not all that likable at all. Furthermore, Carol is a classic case study of a celebrity who believes their own media hype.
Have you ever met her? She's a wonderful woman and made myself, and undoubtedly many others feel very welcome on the show. Who cares if she's a sell-out? Also she's well fit for her age, even if she's had work done. A goddess in her own right! Anyone else want to have a go at Carol?
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Re: Countdown on Saturday

Post by James Turner »

dinos_the_chemist wrote: Have you ever met her? She's a wonderful woman and made myself, and undoubtedly many others feel very welcome on the show. Who cares if she's a sell-out? Also she's well fit for her age, even if she's had work done. A goddess in her own right! Anyone else want to have a go at Carol?
Yeah, I'm sure she was very nice. Here's another picture for your collection:

Image
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Re: Countdown on Saturday

Post by James Turner »

Charlie Reams wrote:
James Turner wrote:Conversely, the new, improved, detoxed, debt selling version of Carol is ,in my opinion, not all that likable at all. Furthermore, Carol is a classic case study of a celebrity who believes their own media hype.
Do you have anything useful to contribute? If you dislike the show so much, try not watching it.
You know, you're a really very helpful guy, I would never have thought of that solution. :)

Still, I mainly watch the program for the games themselves rather than the presenters, so I might carry on watching, at least for a while. After all, that's what the mute button is for.
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Re: Countdown on Saturday

Post by JasonCullen »

I'm with you Jason, Countdown should be on 6 days a week. Although, I would struggle to watch it on Saturdays if my beloved Bolton Wanderers FC are playing at home !
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Re: Countdown on Saturday

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jasoncullen wrote:I'm with you Jason, Countdown should be on 6 days a week. Although, I would struggle to watch it on Saturdays if my beloved Bolton Wanderers FC are playing at home !
Yea would fall into some sort of coma I guess after watching Bolton.
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Re: Countdown on Saturday

Post by Kirk Bevins »

Craig Beevers wrote:
jasoncullen wrote:I'm with you Jason, Countdown should be on 6 days a week. Although, I would struggle to watch it on Saturdays if my beloved Bolton Wanderers FC are playing at home !
Yea would fall into some sort of coma I guess after watching Bolton.
Replace "Bolton" with "football" and you're spot on.
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Re: Countdown on Saturday

Post by Joseph Bolas »

Kirk Bevins wrote:Replace "Bolton" with "football" and you're spot on.
:D

EDIT: I know your favourite sport is darts Kirk, but I always thought you were fan of football (just not as much of a fan as you are of darts obviously)?
Last edited by Joseph Bolas on Sat Feb 16, 2008 7:26 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Jason Larsen
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Re: Countdown on Saturday

Post by Jason Larsen »

The Bolton Wanderers must be a football team.
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Re: Countdown on Saturday

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Jason Larsen wrote:The Bolton Wanderers must be a football team.
I think that's being rather kind. Any similarities between what Bolton Wanderers do and the game the rest of us call football are purely coincidental.
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Re: Countdown on Saturday

Post by Jason Larsen »

Maybe I have a misconception about British students and retired people.
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