c4countdown

Is there anyone on here (apart from me) who is considering going on the show soon?

Amey Deshpande is back on again in Series 60, so I hear.

I'm considering applying for the show towards the end of next year or so, although judging by my recent Apterous form I shouldn't really bother

Jacob Sutton wrote:I'm considering applying for the show towards the end of next year or so, although judging by my recent Apterous form I shouldn't really bother

That's what I thought at first, but you will improve.

Think I'm gonna apply for series 61.

When I have an apterous rating at about 800 (if that ever does happen).

I plan on going for it some time next year when I've moved out. Might be in series 61 if I'm lucky.

Jimmy wrote:When I have an apterous rating at about 800 (if that ever does happen).

As far as I can tell, anyone with a rating of over 500 has the talent to make serious inroads into the knockout stages. Don't make the mistake of one of my mates who waited for just another year to get that bit better before going onto 15-to-1 and then missed out on it entirely...

Admittedly there's less chance of that happening for CD however.

Jon Corby wrote:Amey Deshpande is back on again in Series 60, so I hear.

Argh, don't keep reminding me of my failure

Still thinking of applying. Want an Apterous rating over 500 though.

If I lived in England, I definitely would apply!

I would be the second wheelchair-bound (and second American-born) contestant on the show!

I think I need an apterous rating to match my age ... in months.

Unfortunately, it's much more likely to match my age in years.

Howard Somerset wrote:Unfortunately, it's much more likely to match my age in years.

Whatever do you mean? 582 would be quite a good rating!

Charlie Reams wrote:

Howard Somerset wrote:Unfortunately, it's much more likely to match my age in years.

Whatever do you mean? 582 would be quite a good rating!

Jason Larsen wrote:If I lived in England, I definitely would apply!

I would be the second wheelchair-bound (and second American-born) contestant on the show!

You do realise you'd have to pass an audition, Jason, which involves getting lots of 7s etc - it's not just a case of "apply and you'll be a contestant"

Thank you, Kirk!

I didn't realize you would have to pass an audition. I guess it's not enough to just impress all the staff and try to give them a lot of good things in return.

Jason Larsen wrote:Thank you, Kirk!

I didn't realize you would have to pass an audition. I guess it's not enough to just impress all the staff and try to give them a lot of good things in return.

Yeah. In fact I even posted my audition (from 2003) in here back in March

You know, Joseph, I like you. The Countdown staff must have liked you and then some!

What's the ruling on going on Countdown twice? I thought it was a big fat no, but I've been confused since I discovered that Junaid had been on before...

EDIT: Why am I on here when I could be in bed while Santa delivers my pressies?

Joe, I was surprised to hear that too!

As far as I know, unless there's a technical difficulty on any other game show the only game show you can appear on twice in the US is The Price is Right.

And yes, I haven't forgotten you're 14! As the song implies, Santa Claus only sees you when you're sleeping!

If a tiny tot (like Kai) goes on the show, and loses (not like Kai!), they might have him back when he's grown up. No other exemptions as far as I know.

Joe Denniss wrote:What's the ruling on going on Countdown twice? I thought it was a big fat no, but I've been confused since I discovered that Junaid had been on before...

EDIT: Why am I on here when I could be in bed while Santa delivers my pressies?

I think you have to have been young and lost your first show, or lost your first show narrowly to a top player- like Terry Rattle did against Chris Wills, before being let back on a second time, and again losing to an octochamp.

Ben Wilson wrote:

Joe Denniss wrote:What's the ruling on going on Countdown twice? I thought it was a big fat no, but I've been confused since I discovered that Junaid had been on before...

EDIT: Why am I on here when I could be in bed while Santa delivers my pressies?

I think you have to have been young and lost your first show, or lost your first show narrowly to a top player- like Terry Rattle did against Chris Wills, before being let back on a second time, and again losing to an octochamp.

Are there any other examples of the Terry Rattle situation or was that a one-off? Also it does sem a bit strange that you have to lose your first game. Had some 8-year-old scraped through and won one game and then lost horribly that would be that? Whereas had he lost his first game it would be fine for him to come back a few years later?

That's nice of the staff!

I'm not sure how long they've been that nice, though.

Jason Larsen wrote:If I lived in England, I definitely would apply!

I would be the second wheelchair-bound (and second American-born) contestant on the show!

I didn't know you were in a wheelchair, although are you sure that only one wheelchair bound person has been on the show? I think I've seen at least two (a friend, Patricia Pay is one, I assume she was already in a wheelchair in 1995).

Gavin Chipper wrote: Are there any other examples of the Terry Rattle situation or was that a one-off?

Junaid, Amey Deshpande and James Squires all appeared twice with the blessing of the producer. Saladin Khoshnaw appeared twice, first under his own name (reaching one win) and then again under the name Karl Kurdistan, but I believe his deception was discovered. Two people with the name Ola Odutola have appeared (losing to Jono on the latter occasion) and no one seems to know if it was the same guy or not, but I suspect it was.

Martin, I know Frank Larkin is in a wheelchair, too.

Charlie Reams wrote:

Gavin Chipper wrote: Are there any other examples of the Terry Rattle situation or was that a one-off?

Junaid, Amey Deshpande and James Squires all appeared twice with the blessing of the producer. Saladin Khoshnaw appeared twice, first under his own name (reaching one win) and then again under the name Karl Kurdistan, but I believe his deception was discovered. Two people with the name Ola Odutola have appeared (losing to Jono on the latter occasion) and no one seems to know if it was the same guy or not, but I suspect it was.

Cheers. Actually by "Terry Rattle situation" I meant specifically someone that had got back on through a high losing score rather than through age etc.

Speaking of Saladin Khoshnaw I remember reading recently that he had died and in his "obituary" that appeared somewhere, he was actually asked back on as the producer wanted more ethnic minority players (a racist producer!) rather than being his deception. I can't remember where I read it, but have found this: http://osdir.com/ml/games.scrabble.sowp ... 00022.html which might be word-for-word the same as what I read but I don't recognise the actual look of the page.

The producers try to be nice regardless.

Plus that guy (Carl something?) in s57 who's opponent cheated so he came back for another attempt in s58. Is this the only case of this happening?

Another example of the same contestant appearing twice may be Garry Preston from Eccles, who may have been in both Series 18 and 59 - some 19 years apart!

Mike Brown wrote:Another example of the same contestant appearing twice may be Garry Preston from Eccles, who may have been in both Series 18 and 59 - some 19 years apart!

I was just about to say that. He was on as the standby after I won my eighth game. He lost on a crucial conundrum both times. I sat with him in the audience for the final show of the day. He's a nice man and was good enough to have won a few games, if he hadn't been so nervous.

When I was on in 1998, there was a contestant in the game before mine called Alex Davis who was making his second appearance as a challenger in 6 months. If I recall correctly he was allowed on again because he'd ever so slightly mispronounced the crucial conundrum PROBOSCIS. He also lost second time round.

Well I'll give it 10 years and a name change and I'll be back.

An identical twin might be useful. Real or imaginary.

Or a sex change. I wonder if they've ever had a transsexual on countdown. I'd guess not.

Matthew, you're thinking of Carl Dundas, who reminds some of us of Jeffrey Hansford.

But, he hasn't been invited back since Series 57.

It seems Matthew is referring to Carl Dundas, Jason, at least according to the wiki. He was invited back to compete in series 58.

I think you may be referring to Dundas Keating as the contestant with (partial) similarities to Jeffrey Hansford.

I really think Matthew was talking about Carl, Dan.

I really don't know why I bother, Jason.

http://apterous.org/cdb/game.php?game=1428

Jason is right.

Ohh I see! I thought Jason meant Carl possessed similar disability-traits to Mr Hansford, but he was referring to his cheating on the conundrums. Fair enough!

I blame his "...but he's not been seen since S57" comment for throwing me off the scent, as well as something else. In any event - why do I bother?!

At least I've succeeded in implying Dundas Keating was a bit special.

I meant to imply both, Dan. Carl Dundas is another one-of-a-kind contestant.

You did? Well you thoroughly confused me then (which isn't hard admittedly). I can't remember Carl at all, although I remember the furore last year which led to him being invited back. I'll just agree he was a "one-of-a-kind" type anyway.

Out of interest, Jason, did you think Dundas Keating was the same (if you remember him)?

I barely remembered Dundas Keating!