Is COUNTDOWN worthy of respect as a game?
Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2020 2:21 am
Is it a good enough game to justify the attention it gets from a such a highly dedicated fan community?
Does the attention it gets, elevate it to the status of 'good enough'?
And if it is indeed good enough to be worthy of some degree of respect from people who play 'proper' games like Scrabble or Chess; what is the gold standard format? 9R, 14R, Old 15, New 15, ...or perhaps there is a future tweak that will trump all of these as the accepted 'best' version of the game?
Is there a consensus among the fan community as to what the signature format actually is?
The biggest problem, as I see it, is that this game (unlike the aforementioned -and rather similar- Scrabble) originated on a TV show. TV shows need to be mindful of ratings figures, changing trends, viewer habits etc etc... and quite often these pressures can lead to change for the sake of change, under the guise of keeping the show 'fresh' or 'current'.
Another curious fact about Countdown is that it crosses borders. It was devised by a Frenchman in 1965. Yet, today, the original French show bears only a passing resemblance to the UK version. There are 16 rounds, it includes Duels, a final sprint, then the winner goes on to play another round (introduced in 2016) to accumulate a cash total. The letters rounds originally featured 7 letters, then were increased to 8, then 9, and in 2010 they upped it to 10... which is where is remains for now. The French and UK versions are too dissimilar to be considered the same game. Siblings, but not twins.
To my mind, the format of the UK show -right now- is perfect. 15R is more effective than 9 at rewarding talent over luck. The New 15R, where each contestant gets 2 numbers picks, is fairer than the Old 15 where there was a built in imbalance. Damian and team have gotten it very much right over the last decade or so.
If there are changes in the future (perhaps under a new producer keen to make his/her mark), I pessimistically assume they would be changes for the worse. I can't see the current format being improved upon. For me, in the 2013-2020 period, we have reached peak Countdown.
If there are changes in the future, what are they most likely to be?
But what about gameplay?
We had 9R for around 19 years, Old 15 for approx 12, and New 15 only for the last 7... would it be fair to say that the changes from 9R to 15R, and subsequently to New 15R, were all about evolution to a best format... or were these done principally to keep the show fresh? Will "New 15R" become the legacy version of the game...
...and of so, is it time to embrace that? e.g. at co-events perhaps the days of using 9R should come to an end, as it is an outdated version of the game that has been superseded since. If a co-event wanted to use a short form of the game, wouldn't it be more sensible to use half versions of the New 15R instead? (i.e. 8R games featuring LLLNLLNC, where the conundrum is worth 5pts and not 10.)
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This has turned out a bit longer, rantier, and looser than I had initially intended. If you dislike verbose, stream of consciousness musings, you're probably not reading anymore anyway, so why am I even considering putting in a disclaimer? Never mind. I hope it has been food for thought for some, and plz feel free to add your tuppence worth.
*This may have already happened in a fever dream, or on a version of Countdown. Can't recall clearly...
Does the attention it gets, elevate it to the status of 'good enough'?
And if it is indeed good enough to be worthy of some degree of respect from people who play 'proper' games like Scrabble or Chess; what is the gold standard format? 9R, 14R, Old 15, New 15, ...or perhaps there is a future tweak that will trump all of these as the accepted 'best' version of the game?
Is there a consensus among the fan community as to what the signature format actually is?
The biggest problem, as I see it, is that this game (unlike the aforementioned -and rather similar- Scrabble) originated on a TV show. TV shows need to be mindful of ratings figures, changing trends, viewer habits etc etc... and quite often these pressures can lead to change for the sake of change, under the guise of keeping the show 'fresh' or 'current'.
Another curious fact about Countdown is that it crosses borders. It was devised by a Frenchman in 1965. Yet, today, the original French show bears only a passing resemblance to the UK version. There are 16 rounds, it includes Duels, a final sprint, then the winner goes on to play another round (introduced in 2016) to accumulate a cash total. The letters rounds originally featured 7 letters, then were increased to 8, then 9, and in 2010 they upped it to 10... which is where is remains for now. The French and UK versions are too dissimilar to be considered the same game. Siblings, but not twins.
To my mind, the format of the UK show -right now- is perfect. 15R is more effective than 9 at rewarding talent over luck. The New 15R, where each contestant gets 2 numbers picks, is fairer than the Old 15 where there was a built in imbalance. Damian and team have gotten it very much right over the last decade or so.
If there are changes in the future (perhaps under a new producer keen to make his/her mark), I pessimistically assume they would be changes for the worse. I can't see the current format being improved upon. For me, in the 2013-2020 period, we have reached peak Countdown.
If there are changes in the future, what are they most likely to be?
- An increase to 10, or decrease to 8-letter selections?
- The number of rounds changed? Perhaps another conundrum built in.
- A change to the numbers game? (different large numbers introduced etc.)
- A change to the scoring? (e.g. celebrity Countdown)
- Introduction of buzz-in duels?
- Apter-ish variant rounds? (e.g. Aegilops / Touchdown / Goatdown/ etc.)
- Male playboy bunnies presenting prizes!*
But what about gameplay?
We had 9R for around 19 years, Old 15 for approx 12, and New 15 only for the last 7... would it be fair to say that the changes from 9R to 15R, and subsequently to New 15R, were all about evolution to a best format... or were these done principally to keep the show fresh? Will "New 15R" become the legacy version of the game...
...and of so, is it time to embrace that? e.g. at co-events perhaps the days of using 9R should come to an end, as it is an outdated version of the game that has been superseded since. If a co-event wanted to use a short form of the game, wouldn't it be more sensible to use half versions of the New 15R instead? (i.e. 8R games featuring LLLNLLNC, where the conundrum is worth 5pts and not 10.)
----------------------------------
This has turned out a bit longer, rantier, and looser than I had initially intended. If you dislike verbose, stream of consciousness musings, you're probably not reading anymore anyway, so why am I even considering putting in a disclaimer? Never mind. I hope it has been food for thought for some, and plz feel free to add your tuppence worth.
*This may have already happened in a fever dream, or on a version of Countdown. Can't recall clearly...