c4countdown

Wahey Countdown has hit the BIG 5-TREBLE 0.

And what better way to celebrate than with a brilliant show.

We've got champion Dave Wilkinson, who is making his 5th appearance on Edition 5,000.

And in DC, we've got sports broadcasting legend and former Countdown host Des Lynam sitting next to our Susie:!:

Does it get any better than this (No )

Prepare the fireworks and champagne as Countdown reaches 5,000.

Jeff Stelling wrote:Welcome to the 5,000th episode of Countdown.

Clearly, Jeff doesn't share your views on this matter, Damian.

James Robinson wrote:

Jeff Stelling wrote:Welcome to the 5,000th episode of Countdown.

Clearly, Jeff doesn't share your views on this matter, Damian.

Think you spoke too soon there James.

WAITRON as a beater in round 1.

Nice APTEROUS mention there.

WTF? APTEROUS is wingless, not winged, surely? I didn't mishear that did I?

James Robinson wrote:Nice APTEROUS mention there.

Indeed. Means without wings instead of with but I think she got so excited by the word it's forgivable!

James Robinson wrote:Nice APTEROUS mention there.

No mention of the obvious coincidence though.

SPHEROID as a beater in round 3.

Kirk Bevins wrote:

James Robinson wrote:Nice APTEROUS mention there.

Indeed. Means without wings instead of with but I think she got so excited by the word it's forgivable!

No it's not. You traitor.

Alternative To 1st Numbers:

((75 + 5 + 1 + 7) x 10) + 50 = 930

Another alternative to 1st numbers - ((50/5) + 75 + 7 + 1) x 10

Alternative To 2nd Numbers:

((75 + 8 + 8 + 6) x 2) + 9 = 203

INCENSE as an equaller in Round 12.

Very nice 9 to finish there. CEILINGS as a contestant beater.

Somebody post an alternative to the 3rd numbers game ....please.......i can't bear the excitment.

ANGLICISE "in tribute to Des"? :-s

D Eadie wrote:Somebody post an alternative to the 3rd numbers game ....please.......i can't bear the excitment.

Alternative To 3rd Numbers:

(((3 x 10) + 7 - 6) x 25) + 7 = 782

Good game, good contestants.

D Eadie wrote:Somebody post an alternative to the 3rd numbers game ....please.......i can't bear the excitment.

Fine,....but only cos I'm nice.

(25*10+7+6)*3-7

HAPPY



Good to see the guvnor Des Lynam again.

Matt Morrison wrote:ANGLICISE "in tribute to Des"? :-s

Not Lynam then.

Marc Meakin wrote:

Matt Morrison wrote:ANGLICISE "in tribute to Des"? :-s

Not Lynam then.

Why not Lynam, he was born in Ireland. Make some sense. A very good game. Good to see Des, because I never really got to see the show when he was in charge.

Sorry I seem to have France on my mind just lately.

Congrats on reaching 5000 editions/ episodes Countdown! Let's hope for at least 5000 more. I did expect more fireworks though.
Dave has gone down in my estimation. Fancy thinking that gradiates is a word. Muppet.
Alt numbers solution for those odd people who like such things: 8*8*2+75=203

(Edited to multiply things by 10)

Neil Zussman wrote:Congrats on reaching 500 editions/ episodes Countdown! Let's hope for at least 5000 more. I did expect more fireworks though.
Dave has gone down in my estimation. Fancy thinking that gradiates is a word. Muppet.
Alt numbers solution for those odd people who like such things: 8*8*2+75=203

Five hundred?

Kevin Davis wrote:

Neil Zussman wrote:Congrats on reaching 500 editions/ episodes Countdown! Let's hope for at least 5000 more. I did expect more fireworks though.
Dave has gone down in my estimation. Fancy thinking that gradiates is a word. Muppet.
Alt numbers solution for those odd people who like such things: 8*8*2+75=203

Five hundred?

500 episodes, yes. The rest were issues.

Neil Zussman wrote:

Kevin Davis wrote:

Neil Zussman wrote:Congrats on reaching 500 editions/ episodes Countdown! Let's hope for at least 5000 more. I did expect more fireworks though.
Dave has gone down in my estimation. Fancy thinking that gradiates is a word. Muppet.
Alt numbers solution for those odd people who like such things: 8*8*2+75=203

Five hundred?

500 episodes, yes. The rest were issues.

Editions, even.

Neil Zussman wrote:Congrats on reaching 5000 editions/ episodes Countdown! Let's hope for at least 5000 more. I did expect more fireworks though.

Couldn't agree more. I think it was still a lovely show today, and a good idea having Des L back, he was great craic. Very 'apt' getting 'apterous' in R2! Great what you've done there Kai. Nice touch with the conundrum too, but maybe C4 has 'mishandled' it because more fireworks was needed indeed! For budgetting/ratings/other reasons its understandable that the level of fuss given will be reduced compared to previous celebrations, but how about a cake, a presentation at the end and look-back clips, and even if it read "5000th COUNTDOWN" behind Rachel on the letters board at the start of the show. All those surely don't cost much at all. And of course no mention of Carol and her contribution (but I think I no y).

But hey, I dont want complain, I'm v pleased that it did get a good amount of media attention, which is a great boost and the news of a new 2 year contract taking Countdown up to 30 years!

Countdown is still with us and may it be for years to come!

A knowing look.

Ian Dent wrote:A knowing look.

You should get Jason to teach you how to quote posts, Ian.

With all these specials going about (e.g. Kirk v Chris, Charlie v Junaid) I think it would have been nice to have one of these as the 5000th show.

I know I'm hours too late to surprise anybody, but I did get it within the time:

Second numbers game: (75 * 8 + 9) / 3 = 203

I particularly like solutions that use the much neglected divide operator.

Gavin Chipper wrote:With all these specials going about (e.g. Kirk v Chris, Charlie v Junaid) I think it would have been nice to have one of these as the 5000th show.

I'm not sure if you've been reading, Gavin, but if it was a special it wouldn't count in the tally. Isn't it 5000 regular shows and specials are ignored - or something.

Kirk Bevins wrote:

Gavin Chipper wrote:With all these specials going about (e.g. Kirk v Chris, Charlie v Junaid) I think it would have been nice to have one of these as the 5000th show.

I'm not sure if you've been reading, Gavin, but if it was a special it wouldn't count in the tally. Isn't it 5000 regular shows and specials are ignored - or something.

The "tally" made Friday's show the 5003rd, as has been discussed here ad nauseam. The producers could have picked any show they wanted over the past few weeks to announce as the 5000th, including your special.

A knowing look.

Kirk Bevins wrote:

Gavin Chipper wrote:With all these specials going about (e.g. Kirk v Chris, Charlie v Junaid) I think it would have been nice to have one of these as the 5000th show.

I'm not sure if you've been reading, Gavin, but if it was a special it wouldn't count in the tally. Isn't it 5000 regular shows and specials are ignored - or something.

I've sort of skimmed over the argument but I can't imagine this happening:

"OK, let's have a special game for our 5000th, perhaps Kirks Bevins v Chris Davies."

"No, because then it won't count as adding to the number, so the next one would also be the 5000th, so we'd have an infinite number of 5000th specials. We'll have to have a normal episode instead."

Also, some of the the other milestone-number shows have been specials anyway.

If it's an episode of Countdown that's been broadcast, then it counts! Why wouldn't it just because it's not part of a particular series? It's still an episode of Countdown at the end of the day!!

The whole thing is arbitrary anyway, depending on whether you count Masters episodes as two, one or not at all, specials, Champion of Champions, untransmitted episodes and what-have-you. Or to summarise, who cares.

All these bloody alternate numbers solutions! Its like tourettes in my eyes, the ppl that submit them know its a waste of time and most ppl don't want to see them, but they just can't hold it in.

Having said that, I liked this solution:

Rosemary Roberts wrote:I know I'm hours too late to surprise anybody, but I did get it within the time:

Second numbers game: (75 * 8 + 9) / 3 = 203

I particularly like solutions that use the much neglected divide operator.

Just watching the show back on 4oD as I missed the first showing - am I alone in seeing a really irritating shadow slowly moving behind Jeff? It's very clear on his single - almost like a lighting tag or similar spinning slowly around.

The only thing I picked out when watching the show was the camera had a close up of Dave, you could read the time from his watch...about 5:15pm if I remember correctly.

Charlie Reams wrote:depending on whether you count Masters episodes as two, one or not at all

I thought they were five.

D Eadie wrote:Somebody post an alternative to the 3rd numbers game ....please.......i can't bear the excitment.

Only got round to watching program on C4 site today but did get (25+3x7)x(10+7) = 782 in time.

Chris Philpot wrote:Just watching the show back on 4oD as I missed the first showing - am I alone in seeing a really irritating shadow slowly moving behind Jeff? It's very clear on his single - almost like a lighting tag or similar spinning slowly around.

Probably the rotating lights (at least I think that's what they are) that shine off the backdrop behind the desk. Been there since the new set was launched, I believe.