c4countdown

These are the two best players i've ever seen on countdown, but the question is......who's the better of the two?

At this point in time i'd have to say Beevers simply because he scored at least 100 points in every appearance he made. Still, on the other hand Bevins has been unbelievable too.

Who has he edge for you?

I like Beevers, and I like Bevins. But which is better?
There's only one way to find out....

Butthead.

Matt Morrison wrote:I like Beevers, and I like Bevins. But which is better?
There's only one way to find out....

Fight to the death?

Michael Wallace wrote:

Matt Morrison wrote:I like Beevers, and I like Bevins. But which is better?
There's only one way to find out....

Fight to the death?

"FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT!" - it's from Harry Hill's TV Burp. Bit of a cheesy comment (can't have people quoting it every time an A vs. B question is asked, but it's funny enough occasionally, if you watch the show). I actually can't stand Harry Hill in anything he's done apart from TV Burp, which I enjoy as a kind of working class version of Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe.

Anyway I can't really provide a serious answer as (and I've mentioned this before) it wasn't until I joined up here that the contestants really meant much to me, so obviously I hold Kirk in a higher esteem than Beevers merely for the fact that I remember him (if 'remember' isn't too odd a word to use for something that's going on right now).

I can't really see Craig's max percentage score ever being beaten but I think Kirk will get a higher overall score. I prefer Kirk because of his dedication to Countdown knowing he may never make the big time again and because he seems a little more human. A little.

If I'm calculating correctly, Kirk is on track for beating Craig's percentage octochamp max (he's currently on 92.4% I think, with 92.1% to beat), which would swing it towards him pretty significantly if it happened. That said though, I like Craig's style.

Innis Carson wrote:I like Craig's style.

...what style?

I'll wait til after Kirk wins the series final to decide, but Kirk definitely edges it in the personality stakes.

Matt Morrison wrote:I actually can't stand Harry Hill in anything he's done apart from TV Burp, which I enjoy as a kind of working class version of Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe.

Have you ever seen his stand up comedy? I personally think he's a genius.

Jimmy Gough wrote:I can't really see Craig's max percentage score ever being beaten but I think Kirk will get a higher overall score. I prefer Kirk because of his dedication to Countdown knowing he may never make the big time again and because he seems a little more human. A little.

Someone will probably beat it eventually, it doesn't take much really other than not making mistakes and a chunk of luck (bad contestants, easy numbers/conundrums etc.)

Really most top players would be getting over 95% generally speaking, it's the mistakes, really tough rounds and an opponent who can spot tricky maximums that knock the percentage down from there.

Ben Hunter wrote:

Matt Morrison wrote:I actually can't stand Harry Hill in anything he's done apart from TV Burp.

Have you ever seen his stand up comedy? I personally think he's a genius.

He is very clever indeed, I won't deny that. And yes, his stand up is a lot better than his old Channel 4 TV show, but for me it's still pretty middling. A bit too hotch-potch.

Are we ever going to see these two greats play each other on the Apterous site? It would be like Tyson vs Ali.

I'd sleep with either of them.

Matt Morrison wrote:"FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT!" - it's from Harry Hill's TV Burp. Bit of a cheesy comment (can't have people quoting it every time an A vs. B question is asked, but it's funny enough occasionally, if you watch the show). I actually can't stand Harry Hill in anything he's done apart from TV Burp, which I enjoy as a kind of working class version of Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe.

Harry Hill is a brilliant programme and that "FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT!" bit is funny. Watching the clip you posted, the fight between a baby and a cat was incredibly funny.

Joseph Bolas wrote:

Matt Morrison wrote:"FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT!" - it's from Harry Hill's TV Burp. Bit of a cheesy comment (can't have people quoting it every time an A vs. B question is asked, but it's funny enough occasionally, if you watch the show). I actually can't stand Harry Hill in anything he's done apart from TV Burp, which I enjoy as a kind of working class version of Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe.

Harry Hill is a brilliant programme and that "FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT!" bit is funny. Watching the clip you posted, the fight between a baby and a cat was incredibly funny.

Quite oppositely, it's probably the bit I enjoy least in the whole programme! I'm regretting posting the original comment now!
(plus I have an unnerving ability to take threads off in the wrong direction, apologies)

But seriously, some sort of naked mud wrestling contest excites me immensely. Yum-yum.

Jimmy Gough wrote:But seriously, some sort of naked mud wrestling contest excites me immensely. Yum-yum.

Regardless of the competitors, or specifically because it's Beevers and Bevins?

Matt Morrison wrote:

Jimmy Gough wrote:But seriously, some sort of naked mud wrestling contest excites me immensely. Yum-yum.

Regardless of the competitors, or specifically because it's Beevers and Bevins?

Beevers and Bevins and maybe William Regal.

Innis Carson wrote:If I'm calculating correctly, Kirk is on track for beating Craig's percentage octochamp max (he's currently on 92.4% I think, with 92.1% to beat), which would swing it towards him pretty significantly if it happened. That said though, I like Craig's style.

When people have brought up the percentage of max score before, people have often pounced on it saying that percentage of maximums would be more relevant. Maybe that could be a feature on the database thing, or just total out of 120.

Craig Beevers wrote:Really most top players would be getting over 95% generally speaking, it's the mistakes, really tough rounds and an opponent who can spot tricky maximums that knock the percentage down from there.

Opponents - annoying aren't they? I actually think that most, if not all, contestants could become octochamps if it wasn't for them.

Gavin Chipper wrote: When people have brought up the percentage of max score before, people have often pounced on it saying that percentage of maximums would be more relevant. Maybe that could be a feature on the database thing, or just total out of 120.

You send me the data, I'll add the page.

Matt Morrison wrote:

Ben Hunter wrote:

Matt Morrison wrote:I actually can't stand Harry Hill in anything he's done apart from TV Burp.

Have you ever seen his stand up comedy? I personally think he's a genius.

He is very clever indeed, I won't deny that. And yes, his stand up is a lot better than his old Channel 4 TV show, but for me it's still pretty middling. A bit too hotch-potch.

I'm with Matt on this, I never heard any jokes funnier than his big collar, but on Burp he can just be silly and doesn't need his own material - a great improvement.

Charlie Reams wrote:

Gavin Chipper wrote: When people have brought up the percentage of max score before, people have often pounced on it saying that percentage of maximums would be more relevant. Maybe that could be a feature on the database thing, or just total out of 120.

You send me the data, I'll add the page.

Well maybe I'll go through some of them, but could it be added as an automatic thing on the recap so that going through them manually would not need to go on forever?

Bevins is best. First time ever I've recorded Countdown. He is a superb contestant and I just don't want to miss any of his games.

Gavin Chipper wrote:Opponents - annoying aren't they? I actually think that most, if not all, contestants could become octochamps if it wasn't for them.

shouldn't this thread have a poll?

Matt Morrison wrote:shouldn't this thread have a poll?

Start a poll to find out .

Matt Morrison wrote:shouldn't this thread have a poll?

And be on the spoilers forum?

In fairness, for anyone that never saw Julian Fell play, he played a heck of lot like that.

Gavin Chipper wrote:

Charlie Reams wrote:

Gavin Chipper wrote: When people have brought up the percentage of max score before, people have often pounced on it saying that percentage of maximums would be more relevant. Maybe that could be a feature on the database thing, or just total out of 120.

You send me the data, I'll add the page.

Well maybe I'll go through some of them, but could it be added as an automatic thing on the recap so that going through them manually would not need to go on forever?

The ultimate aim is to have everything in one big database so that such facts and figures can be pulled out at will. The first step towards this goal is to get everything on the wiki, because the wiki recap format is (largely) machine-readable. That project has stalled a bit but we are gradually getting there.

I do intend to check a load of recaps when I can next be bothered. Frankly it could be 2010 in that case.

Jojo Apollo wrote: the Apterous site

This is a new discovery for me. Fantastic.

Craig Beevers wrote: Really most top players would be getting over 95% generally speaking, it's the mistakes, really tough rounds and an opponent who can spot tricky maximums that knock the percentage down from there.

I will admit that I kept a spreadsheet of my games against challenger and champion before I went on (I think I alluded to this in another thread). My percentage max of any given octorun was calculated and it was coloured green if I beat your 92.1% or yellow if I beat David's 88.6%. If I was under 88.6% it was left blank as I had "failed" to make the top 2. Without giving too much away, my best octorun since September (televised shows only) is 95.43% (that was with an octo total of 959) but my average octorun total is 91.35%.

Therefore, I have to dispute that "most top players would be getting over 95%" as it's happened once in shitloads of games for me. (Sorry Kai.)

Maybe I'm not a top player then.

Kirk Bevins wrote:

Craig Beevers wrote: Really most top players would be getting over 95% generally speaking, it's the mistakes, really tough rounds and an opponent who can spot tricky maximums that knock the percentage down from there.

I will admit that I kept a spreadsheet of my games against challenger and champion before I went on (I think I alluded to this in another thread). My percentage max of any given octorun was calculated and it was coloured green if I beat your 92.1% or yellow if I beat David's 88.6%. If I was under 88.6% it was left blank as I had "failed" to make the top 2. Without giving too much away, my best octorun since September (televised shows only) is 95.43% (that was with an octo total of 959) but my average octorun total is 91.35%.

Therefore, I have to dispute that "most top players would be getting over 95%" as it's happened once in shitloads of games for me. (Sorry Kai.)

Maybe I'm not a top player then.

I think he meant truly flat max, i.e. getting points when the opponent beats you, getting the full 30s for the conundrum (instead of 5s if the opponent buzzes) and as many guesses as you like (avoiding PASSOVER^ = OVERPASS type errors), getting the points for your next best word if the one you offered is phoney, etc.

Obviously it's impossible to record most of these facts from a show (you could however do it at home as an extra statistic and it would be possible on Apterous if there was a demand), but it's hypothetical.

Bevins, how can he be considered a good player? Played one game, lost to Richard Pay and was lost from Countdown forever!

David O'Donnell wrote:Bevins, how can he be considered a good player? Played one game, lost to Richard Pay and was lost from Countdown forever!

Nightmares.

I've got to go for Kirk because Craig shares his surname with the football team I like the least (almost)

Oliver Garner wrote:I've got to go for Kirk because Craig shares his surname with the football team I like the least (almost)

What you on about, 'Beevers' sounds nothing like 'Man United'.

Matt Morrison wrote:

Oliver Garner wrote:I've got to go for Kirk because Craig shares his surname with the football team I like the least (almost)

What you on about, 'Beevers' sounds nothing like 'Man United'.

As an AFC Wimbledon (leading the Blue Square South by 3 points) fan, 'Beavers' is the nickname of Hampton and Richmond Borough, the second placed team with a game in hand and local rivals.
The title could be decided at Hampton's ground on Saturday 18th when the teams meet. Incidently, I've got tickets for the game (at the Hampton end) as my dad wasn't sure if we could still get tickets from AFC.

Will have to keep my cheering quiet then.

Whilst playing bridge last week, a couple of my opponents started chatting to me about Countdown. It runs out they are regular viewers. Their verdict? "Kirk's good, yes. But that guy who won the last series? It was the last series right? The Scrabble champion? He was something else!" (Paraphrased).
So there you have it. From a completely unbiased source too (unless they were Craig's aunt and uncle, unbeknown to me).
That settles that then.

Neil Zussman wrote:Whilst playing bridge last week, a couple of my opponents started chatting to me about Countdown. It runs out they are regular viewers. Their verdict? "Kirk's good, yes. But that guy who won the last series? It was the last series right? The Scrabble champion? He was something else!" (Paraphrased).
So there you have it. From a completely unbiased source too (unless they were Craig's aunt and uncle, unbeknown to me).
That settles that then.

Pah. On what basis was he "something else"?