Number Frequencies

[Tracey Lilly]

Apart from the four large numbers which we know are 25 50 75 100 does any one know the number frequency for the lower numbers.
Do they change from game to game?
Are the numbers shuffled for each of the three number rounds during the game to ensure a totally random selection?

[James Robinson]

As someone who has been to a few recordings, Tracey, I'll help you out.

There are 4 big numbers as you say: 100, 75, 50 and 25.

The remaining 20 small numbers are the numbers 1-10 twice.

After each numbers game, after the guys move the numbers trolley off the set, one person moves the numbers around, so they are completely mixed up for the next numbers game.

[Jon Corby]

All 20 numbers aren't present on the board for selection of course though James, so it's not evident that there are actually 2 of everything. The 15 are presumably randomly chosen from the 20.

Obviously this makes absolutely no difference to the outcome, you only really need to have 6 randomly selected small numbers there to choose from. This may upset the "Whitehall" brigade, but they're idiots.

[Phil Reynolds]

All 20 numbers aren't present on the board for selection of course though James, so it's not evident that there are actually 2 of everything. The 15 are presumably randomly chosen from the 20.

Er, Jon... count the numbers in the second, third and fourth rows:

[Jon Corby]

Fuck me that's embarrassing. I could've sworn there were less than 20 there. I was so positive I didn't even bother to check. Maybe it was an observation I made a long time ago (has that ever been the case?) Or maybe I was basing it on some computer version. Or maybe I'm just an idiot.

[Matt Morrison]

Fuck me that's embarrassing. I could've sworn there were less than 20 there. I was so positive I didn't even bother to check. Maybe it was an observation I made a long time ago (has that ever been the case?) Or maybe I was basing it on some computer version. Or maybe I'm just an idiot.

None of those. Phil photoshopped the picture to make it look like they were 20 there. He's going to do it every day until you turn mental.

[Phil Reynolds]

Fuck me that's embarrassing. I could've sworn there were less than 20 there. I was so positive I didn't even bother to check. Maybe it was an observation I made a long time ago (has that ever been the case?) Or maybe I was basing it on some computer version. Or maybe I'm just an idiot.

Haha. I think it's more likely just a natural tendency to assume that the same number of small-number tiles are in each row; from a casual glance, the "obvious" distribution would arguably be 5x3. But yeah, coming from someone who's actually been on the show and (presumably) had the set-up explained to them, that is quite embarrassing.

[Kieran Child]

*sigh* this old fallacy.
A lot of people believed that they only used 18 or 15 because there were only 3 rows, but the picture above is accurate. It is 20, but with only 6 on the 2 row. This was true up to the finals of the last series, which used the following board:

You can count them for yourself. Talks with the producers revealed that, to make it harder, they included three '0' cards, but nobody was unlucky enough to get them throughout the course of the games.

Glad to have sorted that one out.

[Jon Corby]

None of those. Phil photoshopped the picture to make it look like they were 20 there. He's going to do it every day until you turn mental.

I travelled the banks of the River of Jordan
To find where it flows to the sea
I looked in the eyes of the cold and hungry
And I saw that I was looking at me
And I wanted to know if life had a purpose
And what it all means in the end
In the silence I listened to voices inside me
And they told me again and again

There is only one river
There is only one sea
And it flows through you
And it flows through me
There is only one people
We are one and the same
We are all one spirit
One name
We are the father
We are one
We are one

[Derek Hazell]

None of those. Phil photoshopped the picture to make it look like they were 20 there. He's going to do it every day until you turn mental.

[Some kind of hymn or something]

Awww it's happened already.

[Jon Corby]

[Some kind of hymn or something]

It's a Peter, Paul and Mary song (I think). Although that version has some words missing. And some extra ones.

Where does that exact version come from?

[Derek Hazell]

[Some kind of hymn or something]

It's a Peter, Paul and Mary song (I think). Although that version has some words missing. And some extra ones.

Oh! My brother secretly* likes them.
* Not anymore!

Where does that exact version come from?

Is it your own adaptation to better fit your interpretation of the personification of Matt Morrison(ation)?

[Jon Corby]

Where does that exact version come from?

Is it your own adaptation to better fit your interpretation of the personification of Matt Morrison(ation)?

No.

Kloo

[Derek Hazell]

Where does that exact version come from?

Is it your own adaptation to better fit your interpretation of the personification of Matt Morrison(ation)?

No.

Kloo

Oh, Victor Silvester?

[Jon Corby]

What?

No.

[Derek Hazell]

Ohhhh is it the song during that brilliant scene in "Airplane!" where the nun is singing and keeps unplugging the girl's life support with her guitar?

[Tracey Lilly]

Thanks James for the explanation. It is much clearer now.

[Jon Corby]

Ohhhh is it the song during that brilliant scene in "Airplane!" where the nun is singing and keeps unplugging the girl's life support with her guitar?

Yip, although it's the stewardess singing - but she is playing the nun's guitar. Partial credit.

[Matt Morrison]

I hadn't picked that up when Charlie said it, remember it now though.

[Douglas Wilson]

What I don't understand is that I know the board where Rachel writes the solutions is the back of where the letters are displayed but where does the tray that holds the numbers in before they are picked come from?

[James Robinson]

The tray (or trolley as I like to refer to it as), is kept near the numbers board. On the opening shot of the show, it would be just to the left of the board (out of shot of course), near to where all the letters are kept after they've been used for that show.

Whenever a numbers round is being called, the show is stopped to allow the letters/numbers board to revolve (that's manually) and then 2 men roll the trolley out and lift it onto the platform.

[James Robinson]

UPDATE on numbers trolley.

I've just come back from today's recordings in Manchester (to be broadcast w/c September 28th) and I noticed that there are now 21 small numbers on the tray.

For some reason an extra 5 has been put on the trolley. I know it's an extra 5 because the 5 is smaller than all the other numbers. Some explanation will be needed pronto.

Thank goodness not all 3 5's were used in one go!

[Matt Morrison]

I know it's an extra 5 because the 5 is smaller than all the other numbers. Some explanation will be needed pronto.

What about 4, 3, 2, and 1? That's what they taught me in school. Some explanation is indeed needed, and pronto to be sure.

[James Robinson]

I know it's an extra 5 because the 5 is smaller than all the other numbers. Some explanation will be needed pronto.

What about 4, 3, 2, and 1? That's what they taught me in school. Some explanation is indeed needed, and pronto to be sure.

I meant the size of the 5. Normal 5's are like this: 5

This new 5 is like this: 5

[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.

[James Robinson]

James, doesn't that mean that sooner or late 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.

Well, we'll see Clive. I'll have to ask about this interesting topic when I go back tomorrow.

[Gavin Chipper]

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.

http://www.thecountdownpage.com/final14.htm

[Kirk Bevins]

How did you see the 5 James? Was it used for a numbers round or did you ask afterwards?

[Matt Morrison]

I know it's an extra 5 because the 5 is smaller than all the other numbers. Some explanation will be needed pronto.

What about 4, 3, 2, and 1? That's what they taught me in school. Some explanation is indeed needed, and pronto to be sure.

I meant the size of the 5. Normal 5's are like this: 5

This new 5 is like this: 5

Do you mean the size of the number 5 printed on the tile? If so, surely you can see it is a 5 from the fact that it is a 5 rather than how big the number is printed?

OR do you mean the size of the 5 tile is physically smaller than the other small numbers tiles? In which case that doesn't exactly bode well for random selections and would be a rather big Countdown revelation.

Either way makes no sense to me. Some explanation will be needed pronto.

[James Robinson]

Do you mean the size of the number 5 printed on the tile? If so, surely you can see it is a 5 from the fact that it is a 5 rather than how big the number is printed?

OR do you mean the size of the 5 tile is physically smaller than the other small numbers tiles? In which case that doesn't exactly bode well for random selections and would be a rather big Countdown revelation.

Either way makes no sense to me. Some explanation will be needed pronto.

Right, Matt, it's option 1. And secondly, Damian and the backroom staff sorted the problem out today, so we don't need to worry about it too much.

[Gavin Chipper]

And secondly, Damian and the backroom staff sorted the problem out today, so we don't need to worry about it too much.

Phew! So am I right in saying that the problem that they've sorted out is that they accidentally printed an extra card with a 5 on and not only that but they also accidentally printed it smaller than the other numbers, and then accidentally failed to notice any of this?

[James Robinson]

And secondly, Damian and the backroom staff sorted the problem out today, so we don't need to worry about it too much.

Phew! So am I right in saying that the problem that they've sorted out is that they accidentally printed an extra card with a 5 on and not only that but they also accidentally printed it smaller than the other numbers, and then accidentally failed to notice any of this?

No idea about the accidentally, but in one word, YES.

[Derek Hazell]

I could've sworn there were less than 20 there. I was so positive I didn't even bother to check. Maybe it was an observation I made a long time ago (has that ever been the case?) Or maybe I was basing it on some computer version. Or maybe I'm just an idiot.

There were 19 in the very first episode (pause at 5:36), so whatever happened at intervening times you were right about there being less than 20 at some point.

[Jon Corby]

I could've sworn there were less than 20 there. I was so positive I didn't even bother to check. Maybe it was an observation I made a long time ago (has that ever been the case?) Or maybe I was basing it on some computer version. Or maybe I'm just an idiot.

There were 19 in the very first episode (pause at 5:36), so whatever happened at intervening times you were right about there being less than 20 at some point.

Yeah, that's clearly what I was thinking of. TBH I think that's actually the only show I've ever watched, hence the comical mistake.

Thanks Derek.

[Derek Hazell]

Yeah, that's clearly what I was thinking of. TBH I think that's actually the only show I've ever watched, hence the comical mistake.

I've never played or watched Countdown.

I'm not a Countdown geek - in fact, what is Countdown?

Arrrrgghhhhh!!! Never mind Derren Brown or how many numbers there are. Does Countdown even really exist??

Thanks Derek.

You're welcome though, Jon.

[Alec Rivers]

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

.. with which you can make 272 of the 900 numbers in the range 100-999, for those who are excited by such things.