c4countdown

[MODERATOR'S NOTE: This topic is taken from the private Series 59 finalists forum. It's now on public view.]

Welcome to this new and exclusive forum! Anything posted here, and indeed the very existence of the forum, is completely invisible except to those elite few who will be attending the final on 13 November. I thought this would be a good place for us to discuss any spoiler-ish things before the final itself, and also between filming and transmission (a long period of painful self-restraint, especially for the contestants), without fear of spoiling it for anyone else. I will probably move any topics from this forum back into the main forum after the end of the series, so don't post anything in here about your secret fetish for Jon Corby/inexplicable obsession with Jason Cullen's mum etc.

The schedule for the day is:
1pm: Audience arrive
1.30pm: Filming of the Grand Final of Series 59
3.00pm (approv): Filming of Carol's special retrospective show (no idea what this actually entails)
5pm: End of filming, free bar opens.
Late: Free bar closes

The full membership list, for your interest is:
The finalists:- Me, Junaid, Kai, Debbi, Lee.
The guests of honour:- Jono, Mike, Dan V, Ben, Howard and Nick. (sadly Jon Stitcher and Paul had to withdraw at the last moment.)

Quite a few of us will be staying in the legendary Express by Holiday Inn on the Wednesday and Thursday nights, so there should be plenty of good nerdy chat to be had.

I worry how many of the guests of honour will be able to go to the free bar party. I've been invited already, so I'm definitely fucking in.

Unfortunately I can't make it to Leeds for the finals.
I guess you guys will just have to drink my share!!

DebbiF wrote:Unfortunately I can't make it to Leeds for the finals.

Do you want me to remove you from the forum after filming? I don't want to spoil the final for you.

Like the idea, Charlie! I was thinking after the quarters that such a place would be a good idea, but never got round to mentioning it. Nice to see that so many forumites are coming to the final, too. Presumably some of them may want to be kept in the dark about what happened in the quarters, or is coming here basically admitting you don't mind knowing!? Really looking forward to next week, anyway.

To be honest they're going to be spoilered in a few days anyway, but I won't mention some details until the last possible moment. (I hope the people in the know realise what I'm alluding to here!)

Charlie Reams wrote:

DebbiF wrote:Unfortunately I can't make it to Leeds for the finals.

Do you want me to remove you from the forum after filming? I don't want to spoil the final for you.

Oooh no! I promise not to tell anyone what happens, but knowing the outcome will make up for not being there.
Thanks for the thought though.

I remain completely impartial on this topic.

Good luck Charlie!

PS Am I invited to the free bar?

Kai Laddiman wrote:I remain completely impartial on this topic.

Good luck Charlie!

Haha. Cheers!

Kai Laddiman wrote:PS Am I invited to the free bar?

They've got to at least let you have a glass of champagne.

Charlie Reams wrote:

Kai Laddiman wrote:PS Am I invited to the free bar?

They've got to at least let you have a glass of champagne.

But you'll have to wait until you're a suitable age until you can drink it. Of course, there's an alternative. You can let someone else drink it on your behalf, and then I'll tell you what it tasted like.

so don't post anything in here about your secret fetish for Jon Corby

good thing I read this just in time.

Jon O'Neill wrote:I worry how many of the guests of honour will be able to go to the free bar party. I've been invited already, so I'm definitely fucking in.

I don't know if anyone can answer this (Charlie perhaps?), but as an ordinary audience member I wasn't expecting party access in the eve - but I'd like it! I could do with knowing either way, as any alcohol will mean I'll book a hotel room for Thu night, rather than drive back then. Nick and Paul - will you be interested in a lift/car-sharing? From memory it's about £60 return petrol in my Micra from Enfield, and I've got a Jono for the trip-up currently. Anyone else on my probably route is welcome to a lift as well btw, but I know Nick is (or was) London and Paul is (or was) Hemel Hempstead (near to M1).

I'm in the same boat as Dan; I'll book a room at the Holiday Inn Express if I'm able to sneak into the after-party.

I was going to book a train today but would happily accept a lift, thanks. I only require transport to Leeds though as I'm going to visit friends in the north over the weekend. Would that be OK?

I'm another who's planning to book in on Thursday evening. Would go for Wednesday too, but I'm in the Lake District again for the first half of the week and do need to spend a couple of hours at home next week.

Looking at the list of those going, I believe I'm the only one who's not experienced the Leeds studio before. Is it relatively easy to find?

Dan Vanniasingham wrote:

Jon O'Neill wrote:I worry how many of the guests of honour will be able to go to the free bar party. I've been invited already, so I'm definitely fucking in.

I don't know if anyone can answer this (Charlie perhaps?), but as an ordinary audience member I wasn't expecting party access in the eve - but I'd like it! I could do with knowing either way, as any alcohol will mean I'll book a hotel room for Thu night, rather than drive back then. Nick and Paul - will you be interested in a lift/car-sharing? From memory it's about £60 return petrol in my Micra from Enfield, and I've got a Jono for the trip-up currently. Anyone else on my probably route is welcome to a lift as well btw, but I know Nick is (or was) London and Paul is (or was) Hemel Hempstead (near to M1).

A Micra?

How come Carol's special takes 2 hours to film yet it will only be half an hour long? Is this to do with those weirdos in the production team?

I'll split a room with anyone wanting to cut costs on the Thursday night, fwiw.

Howard Somerset wrote: Is it relatively easy to find?

Yep, every taxi driver will know where ITV Studios are, although just in case they're exceptionally dim you can direct them to Kirkstall Road (same road as the hotel.)

Great idea Charlie setting up this private thread. Looking forward to coming back down to Leeds and meeting C4C people I have not already met.

Good luck to both finalists.

Charlie, btw, the tickets I received says filming is due to finish at 6pm?

Nick Wainwright wrote:I'm in the same boat as Dan; I'll book a room at the Holiday Inn Express if I'm able to sneak into the after-party.

I was going to book a train today but would happily accept a lift, thanks. I only require transport to Leeds though as I'm going to visit friends in the north over the weekend. Would that be OK?

That's fine, I'll just charge you for your share on the way up.

Ben Wilson wrote:I'll split a room with anyone wanting to cut costs on the Thursday night, fwiw.

How much would that be? I'm guessing £60 per night max, so £30 each? Given that I'm currently transporting nobody back, I'm thinking I can stay over and get drunk in Leeds anyway if a burly bouncer/Damian refuses me entry, especially if half a hotel room cost isn't much more than giving Jono a lift back and nabbing some more petrol cash off him.

It's about £99 a night, IIRC.

I've just checked, and there are £65 rooms available.

Hey everyone. Thanks for starting this thread Charlie. I'm very much looking forward to meeting everyone! I'll be staying overnight on Wednesday* so I hope to catch some/all of you then. The audience tickets are very fancy aren't they?

*If only so I can have the awesome Classic Boxed Pizza. The highlight of the week for me, if not the highlight of 2008.

Junaid Mubeen wrote:*If only so I can have the awesome Classic Boxed Pizza. The highlight of the week for me, if not the highlight of 2008.

Lee Simmonds wrote:Charlie, btw, the tickets I received says filming is due to finish at 6pm?

I suspect it's a ballpark figure anyway, but 5pm was the time Damian gave me a few days ago.

The hotels are £65. Rip off, I know. Especially as they only have a bathroom with no bath, a bed, a Freeview TV, 4 walls and a ceiling.

Kai Laddiman wrote:A Micra?

An 11 year old is taking the piss out of my automobile. My life is now complete.

Dan Vanniasingham wrote:

Kai Laddiman wrote:A Micra?

An 11 year old is taking the piss out of my automobile. My life is now complete.

Ahh, but not just any 11 yr old!

Charlie, if I downloaded CountMax, could I (try and) write a recap for a QF or SF and keep it on this forum? If so, how do I get CountMax?

DebbiF wrote:

Dan Vanniasingham wrote:

Kai Laddiman wrote:A Micra?

An 11 year old is taking the piss out of my automobile. My life is now complete.

Ahh, but not just any 11 yr old!

An M&S 11-year old?

Kai Laddiman wrote:Charlie, if I downloaded CountMax, could I (try and) write a recap for a QF or SF and keep it on this forum? If so, how do I get CountMax?

Sure, and we could move it over to the real recap forum after transmission. Which games are you planning to do? Incidentally you don't need CountMax, you can just use the Recap Writer.

Charlie Reams wrote:

Kai Laddiman wrote:Charlie, if I downloaded CountMax, could I (try and) write a recap for a QF or SF and keep it on this forum? If so, how do I get CountMax?

Sure, and we could move it over to the real recap forum after transmission. Which games are you planning to do? Incidentally you don't need CountMax, you can just use the Recap Writer.

I could try my QF.

I'd be very happy for you to do the Monday quarter final recap, Kai, as that's the one I'd be scheduled to do. Since I don't know the line up yet, I don't know which quarter final you'll be in. My guess, the way Martin's playing at the moment, is that you'll be in Tuesday's QF. But Martin could always trip up in the next four games, and then that would put you in Monday's QF.

And to preserve confidentiality, Charlie, I'll make sure any that Kai does do not get put onto the Wiki before the game is transmitted.

Maybe it might be better not to press the "make wiki recap" button, as there may be people other than me who see the output from that facility.

Howard Somerset wrote:I'd be very happy for you to do the Monday quarter final recap, Kai, as that's the one I'd be scheduled to do. Since I don't know the line up yet, I don't know which quarter final you'll be in. My guess, the way Martin's playing at the moment, is that you'll be in Tuesday's QF. But Martin could always trip up in the next four games, and then that would put you in Monday's QF.

And to preserve confidentiality, Charlie, I'll make sure any that Kai does do not get put onto the Wiki before the game is transmitted.

Maybe it might be better not to press the "make wiki recap" button, as there may be people other than me who see the output from that facility.

Yes, I am on Tuesday.

Howard Somerset wrote:Maybe it might be better not to press the "make wiki recap" button, as there may be people other than me who see the output from that facility.

Smart thinking. I'll make a copy and then delete it from the record so no one can see it.

Howard Somerset wrote:I've just checked, and there are £65 rooms available.

Not now there aren't. Advance booking is now £69, and it goes up to £79 after Monday. I should've booked when I looked earlier.

Charlie Reams wrote:

Howard Somerset wrote:Maybe it might be better not to press the "make wiki recap" button, as there may be people other than me who see the output from that facility.

Smart thinking. I'll make a copy and then delete it from the record so no one can see it.

Don't delete any others Charlie, as there are still a number in there that I've not dealt with yet.

Thanks for the tip-off Howard, I've now booked a room and got Neb in it. If all else fails I'll frequent a Leeds nightclub (last time I did that was a decent night). I've currently got an empty car for the return journey southwards.

Evening all.

Is anyone going to Leeds on Thursday by way of the A1, and can make a quick pit-stop at either Newark station to give me a lift? Will happily split petrol costs on the grounds that it's bound to be immensely cheaper than the difference in a train fare between Lincoln and Newark and a train fare between Lincoln and Leeds.

Ben Wilson wrote:Evening all.

Is anyone going to Leeds on Thursday by way of the A1, and can make a quick pit-stop at either Newark station to give me a lift? Will happily split petrol costs on the grounds that it's bound to be immensely cheaper than the difference in a train fare between Lincoln and Newark and a train fare between Lincoln and Leeds.

I would offer (well, maybe) but I live in East Sussex.

Yo! I only have 1 more lesson before I go up to the final! WWWOOO!!!

Kai Laddiman wrote:Yo! I only have 1 more lesson before I go up to the final! WWWOOO!!!

Are you staying in Leeds tonight or coming up tomorrow morning?

Charlie Reams wrote:

Kai Laddiman wrote:Yo! I only have 1 more lesson before I go up to the final! WWWOOO!!!

Are you staying in Leeds tonight or coming up tomorrow morning?

I'm staying in Leeds tonight. In fact, I'm on the train right now.

Have fun everyone - I'll be thinking of you.
Good luck Charlie and Junaid

DebbiF wrote:Have fun everyone - I'll be thinking of you.
Good luck Charlie and Junaid

Ah - now I know for certain who's going to be playing. That pairing was one of my two top bets.