c4countdown

Countdowngoofs has now put the special Julian Fell vs Chris Wills on youtube.

Part 1 is here; enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91xsrDJh ... annel_page

Wow! Yay!

Julian, if you're reading this... PLEASE COME OUT OF RETIREMENT!!!

4:57 of part 3: best laugh ever!

Ben Hunter wrote:4:57 of part 3: best laugh ever!

It sounds so scary.

Sorry Kirk but I think this confirms Julian as the true King of Countdown. To get words like that and know their meanings so well without apterous while still at college is just ridiculous.

And just a musing as I'd never seen him before but is Chris Wills a wee bit gay?

Ben Hunter wrote:4:57 of part 3: best laugh ever!

There's a classic RW moment just before that when Chris declares IMITATES and Richard asks, rather incredulously, "Are there enough Ms for all that?"

Matthew Green wrote:is Chris Wills a wee bit gay?

Oh, puh-lease. She invented it, dear.

Matthew Green wrote:Sorry Kirk but I think this confirms Julian as the true King of Countdown. To get words like that and know their meanings so well without apterous while still at college is just ridiculous

Totally. Although all his other awesome words aside, is VIRTUOSIC really that obscure?

Michael Wallace wrote:

Matthew Green wrote:Sorry Kirk but I think this confirms Julian as the true King of Countdown. To get words like that and know their meanings so well without apterous while still at college is just ridiculous

Totally. Although all his other awesome words aside, is VIRTUOSIC really that obscure?

I can say with a large degree of confidence that I had never heard or seen the word prior to that conundrum. Or since.

I agree that it was amazing that Julian knew the definitions. To know the words without Apterous and to just use the handheld machine is amazing too.

To be the true King of Countdown you need to define what that means. Some might say Conor is as it was amazing to see someone so young come up with words like ALBEDOS and BRESAOLA but some might say Beevers is as he had the highest percentage of max.

Kirk Bevins wrote:I agree that it was amazing that Julian knew the definitions. To know the words without Apterous and to just use the handheld machine is amazing too.

To be the true King of Countdown you need to define what that means. Some might say Conor is as it was amazing to see someone so young come up with words like ALBEDOS and BRESAOLA but some might say Beevers is as he had the highest percentage of max.

I would say Rory Miller because he is the funniest person ever.

Does the King of Countdown get a crown?

Kirk Bevins wrote:I agree that it was amazing that Julian knew the definitions. To know the words without Apterous and to just use the handheld machine is amazing too.

To be the true King of Countdown you need to define what that means. Some might say Conor is as it was amazing to see someone so young come up with words like ALBEDOS and BRESAOLA but some might say Beevers is as he had the highest percentage of max.

Most blatant fishing post ever

Jon Corby wrote:
Most blatant fishing post ever

Never

Jon Corby wrote:Most blatant fishing post ever

omg Jon u r so amazin' can i have ur babbies plz? :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy:

Michael Wallace wrote:

Jon Corby wrote:Most blatant fishing post ever

omg Jon u r so amazin' can i have ur babbies plz? :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy:

Yeah, you're welcome to them, the ungrateful little bastards.

That's great!

He was a true class act, as always.

Charlie Reams wrote:

Kirk Bevins wrote:I agree that it was amazing that Julian knew the definitions. To know the words without Apterous and to just use the handheld machine is amazing too.

To be the true King of Countdown you need to define what that means. Some might say Conor is as it was amazing to see someone so young come up with words like ALBEDOS and BRESAOLA but some might say Beevers is as he had the highest percentage of max.

I would say Rory Miller because he is the funniest person ever.

Yeah, as funny as a fire in an orphanage.......

D Eadie wrote:

Charlie Reams wrote: I would say Rory Miller because he is the funniest person ever.

Yeah, as funny as a fire in an orphanage.......

No way man, didn't you see that one time where he was all "maybe I should write the letters down" and it was totally hilarious?

Jason Larsen wrote:He was a true class act, as always.

Chris or Julian?

Easily the best special ever IMHO. Great credit to both players and played in a perfect spirit.

For anyone who's interested, this particular Youtube gem came from a SVCD which had sat in my loft for over 5 years. Around the time this was broadcast, digital camcorders had become affordable but DVD was still a bit too expensive for distributing finished results. As an alternative to nasty old VHS, I wanted to experiment with SVCD and a Countdown episode with adverts removed happened to be the perfect length. It probably took at least 10 hours to encode on my 500MHz Celeron, but that's how it survived.

I could alternatively have used Mearns/Kearsey, but that was a less happy event and I didn't think I'd ever want to see it again. How could I not have foreseen Youtube? Sorry...

Clive Brooker wrote:

Jason Larsen wrote:He was a true class act, as always.

Chris or Julian?

Easily the best special ever IMHO. Great credit to both players and played in a perfect spirit.

For anyone who's interested, this particular Youtube gem came from a SVCD which had sat in my loft for over 5 years. Around the time this was broadcast, digital camcorders had become affordable but DVD was still a bit too expensive for distributing finished results. As an alternative to nasty old VHS, I wanted to experiment with SVCD and a Countdown episode with adverts removed happened to be the perfect length. It probably took at least 10 hours to encode on my 500MHz Celeron, but that's how it survived.

I could alternatively have used Mearns/Kearsey, but that was a less happy event and I didn't think I'd ever want to see it again. How could I not have foreseen Youtube? Sorry...

Excellent work. Cheers.

If you have any more classic games mate, I for one would be so happy to view them. Thanks for posting this one.

Julian was the class act.

Kirk Bevins wrote:If you have any more classic games mate, I for one would be so happy to view them. Thanks for posting this one.

As I'm sure you realised, the point of my little yarn was to illustrate how random is the process by which precious stuff like this gets preserved - rather like the uncoordinated way in which steam locomotives were saved from scrap. Hindsight and all that...

The nearest to classics I have found in recent days are Conor Travers's 2nd and 3rd heat games, featuring an almost young and enthusiastic Des Lynam and, by happy chance, Jan Ravens. These were recorded on a DVD recorder which no longer exists and I'm having trouble finding a machine that will play them smoothly. But I'll be sending them to Countdowngoofs anyway and I'm sure he'll be able to sort them out.

There is one other tantalising possibility - a classic episode I recorded for someone else but didn't keep. If I can retrieve that it will some people will be very happy - but at least one might not be.

Clive Brooker wrote:
There is one other tantalising possibility - a classic episode I recorded for someone else but didn't keep. If I can retrieve that it will some people will be very happy - but at least one might not be.

Don't keep us in suspense - who was involved?

Shouldn't you be working?

Here's a clue - Nuts.

Clive Brooker wrote:Shouldn't you be working?

Here's a clue - Nuts.

Pete Cashmore v Dag Griffiths? The special that Damian hated?

Clive Brooker wrote:Shouldn't you be working?

Here's a clue - Nuts.

I'm writing reports and it's dire. I need a break every now and then. Why did Damian hate that special?

Jon Corby wrote:

Clive Brooker wrote:Shouldn't you be working?

Here's a clue - Nuts.

Pete Cashmore v Dag Griffiths? The special that Damian hated?

I was going to offer a prize of more cash than Charlie's ever put up, but it was obviously too easy.

Kirk Bevins wrote:

Clive Brooker wrote:Shouldn't you be working?

Here's a clue - Nuts.

I'm writing reports and it's dire. I need a break every now and then. Why did Damian hate that special?

Linked in my original post now. Although he doesn't go into great detail, and I haven't actually seen the episode but remember talking to Pete about it.

The nearest to classics I have found in recent days are Conor Travers's 2nd and 3rd heat games, featuring an almost young and enthusiastic Des Lynam and, by happy chance, Jan Ravens. These were recorded on a DVD recorder which no longer exists and I'm having trouble finding a machine that will play them smoothly. But I'll be sending them to Countdowngoofs anyway and I'm sure he'll be able to sort them out.

There is one other tantalising possibility - a classic episode I recorded for someone else but didn't keep. If I can retrieve that it will some people will be very happy - but at least one might not be.

I'm sure somehow me or someone will manage to get it sorted and uploaded. Any ideas as too when you'll be sending them? Was great to see the last one and can't wait for these other episodes. Don't feel pressured though I'm sure you'll get them done whenever you can.

First time I've seen Julian, you can tell his experience and skill with languages, especially other than english, I enjoyed gerontic, given its Ancient Greek roots, but I'd never see it, or indeed risk it, he's an amazing contestant, especially as he never had apterous

The first of these episodes is now up for anyone that's interested.

It's from Thursday 24th November 2005 and sees Conor Travers in his 2nd game taking on John Archer

Many thanks for sending these again Clive!

Reminds me how ace Des Lynam was.

He was my least favorite host, Ben.

Jason Larsen wrote:He was my least favorite host, Ben.

In a strange way I grew to like him throughout his run. I thought he brought his own unique style to the show, as have all the other hosts.

He did have his funny moments:

Des Lynam was a very good host and I think he is quite underrated just because he didn't wear loud ties or talk about his career all the time. I too grew to like him, he had a very dry and witty sense of humour and didn't try and take over the programme. Was infinitely better than Des O'Connor for me.

That is very funny, Thomas!