c4countdown

Again?
Again?
Again?

This thread again?
This thread again?
This thread again?



(Sorry)

He was really funny though so I would rather see him again and again rather than see Martin Jarvis ... at all.

I agree with what Chawky said in a post on another topic - "Phil Hammond rocks". I live in the (mostly) lovely city of Bristol which is where Phil hails from and works as a GP/Clinical Assistant in STD, and I never miss his Saturday morning programme on Radio Bristol. Totally irreverent, frequently wonderfully non-PC, loads of black humour, healthily vulgar. Worth finding it on the Internet if you can't get it on FM. And I've been around in the NHS long enough to remember when he first appeared on the scene as half of "Struck Off and Die". My hero.

Ralph wrote:Again?
Again?
Again?

I believe he is the DC guest with the most appearances, so I would expect him to make about 20 - 30 appearances this series (it will be more than any other DC guest for sure).

I honestly think they should try getting in new people to be a DC guest. I am not too keen on Doctor Phil Hammond either. If they had to use people who've been on before, I would like to see again Paul Zenon, Geoffrey Durham and Jo Brand at least.

Can't stand him myself, not my taste. I've been watching this week with the sound off.

Martin

Martin Gardner wrote:Can't stand him myself, not my taste. I've been watching this week with the sound off.

Martin

After the 1st numbers I do mute the TV myself because Richard will just go on and on and on.

Don't lynch me for saying this but I actually quite like his childish demeanour:

Carol: I think ATOMISE must be word of the year. It comes up quite often.

Richard: (Matter of factly) Not as often as CAT.

Carol: (Sigh) No. Not as often as CAT.

Class! (but then I do have the mind of a 2 year old)

Martin Gardner wrote:Can't stand him myself, not my taste. I've been watching this week with the sound off.

Martin

Each to their own Martin, although i seem to recall that your stint as a contestant coincided with record-breaking figures for viewers watching the show with subtitles.

Maybe they couldn't understand his obscure northern dialect. Where is this "Yorkshire" place anyway?

Definately need some new faces though. How about:

Derren Brown
Richard Madeley
Martin Kemp
Billy Connoly
David Mitchell- my ideal choice
Ade Edmonson or Rik Mayall
Julie Walters
Zoe Wannamaker

Don't ask me to explain these choices, it is difficult trying to simultaneously appeal to pensioners and students...

Any of those would be good, or at least I'd give them a shot at being good. I'm not sure how much control the production team have over the guests though, didn't Damian once say they just get given a list by YTV or something?

Charlie Reams wrote:Any of those would be good, or at least I'd give them a shot at being good. I'm not sure how much control the production team have over the guests though, didn't Damian once say they just get given a list by YTV or something?

No - surely not Damian? You said in 'Spreading the Word' (my bible, lol...) that it's completely under the control of the Countdown team, that you have regular team meetings and people put forward their wish-lists for people they want to see on the show, and then you go round phoning agents etc. That hasn't changed has it?

To Joseph - how can you not like Phil Hammond?! He's a legend! Re your comment about introducing new DC guests - they already do, don't they? As far as I know they aim to bring in a new face every few weeks, but they can't have a newbie every week!

To Matthew Green - yes yes yes yes x one million re David Mitchell - what a legend - he'd be brilliant. Not sure Richard Madeley is a good idea, but, like Charlie, I'd give the others a shot. But then, it's not up to me is it?

But yes Damian, is there any chance of getting David Mitchell to be in DC? Pleeeeaase?

I want to back up this campaign. David Mitchell would be an inspired choice.

Julian wrote:To Joseph - how can you not like Phil Hammond?! He's a legend! Re your comment about introducing new DC guests - they already do, don't they? As far as I know they aim to bring in a new face every few weeks, but they can't have a newbie every week!

I just don't find him funny at all really. Like Richard, I just mute him after the 1st numbers game.

I know they have new DC guests, but I was thinking of like having new ones on week after week consequitively (sp?) so we don't have to have the regulars back on for a while.

I'm going to join the David Mitchell brigade, because it seems like what all the cool people are doing. Also, I would like Phil Mitchell.

I would like to see Richard Hammond, Jeremy Clarkson or James May in Dictionary Corner.

David Mitchell also has Channel 4 ties already (with Peep Show and stuff) so I'm sure they could get him. We need that Robin guy back, who (as you may remenber) started about four million petitions, even if none of them had more than two signatures.

David Mitchell would be great, as long as the older viewers wouldn't mind him.

Incidentally, has their ever been a non-white DC guest?

The only one I can think of is Victor Ubogu. Although Ron Atkinson is a funny shade of red, does that count?

Charlie Reams wrote:The only one I can think of is Victor Ubogu. Although Ron Atkinson is a funny shade of red, does that count?

Ron Atkinson is what is known in some schools as a thick, lazy f###ing beetroot. I've not got anything against beetroot mind, in fact I was the first person to export beetroot to this country...



As for David Mitchell, did anyone see him on Have I Got News For You- hilarious. However, he definately upstaged Carol on that 25th Anniversary quiz and she might not be glad to see him back.

Matthew Green wrote:

Charlie Reams wrote:As for David Mitchell, did anyone see him on Have I Got News For You- hilarious. However, he definately upstaged Carol on that 25th Anniversary quiz and she might not be glad to see him back.

Is that why then Carol wasn't on the Big Fat Quiz of the Year then, because Carol was on that last year and was surprised to see she wasn't on it at the end of last year?

Speaking of David Mitchell, they should have the regulars off Mock The Week too - Frankie Boyle, Rory Bremner, Hugh Dennis, Russell Howard, Dara O'Briain and Andy Parsons.

Joseph Bolas wrote:

Matthew Green wrote:

Charlie Reams wrote:As for David Mitchell, did anyone see him on Have I Got News For You- hilarious. However, he definately upstaged Carol on that 25th Anniversary quiz and she might not be glad to see him back.

Is that why then Carol wasn't on the Big Fat Quiz of the Year then, because Carol was on that last year and was surprised to see she wasn't on it at the end of last year?

Carol Vorderman has never been on the Big Fat Quiz of the Year, she was only on the 25th Anniversary Quiz. I doubt that she felt upstaged on the 25th Anniversary Quiz, she wasn't asked to go on the show to be funny, unlike David Mitchell.

Ben Pugh wrote:Carol Vorderman has never been on the Big Fat Quiz of the Year, she was only on the 25th Anniversary Quiz. I doubt that she felt upstaged on the 25th Anniversary Quiz, she wasn't asked to go on the show to be funny, unlike David Mitchell.

You are right, I apologise. I think I remember though she appeared for 1 question where she asked the contestants to solve a conundrum which turned out to be INSURANCE.

so to summarise this thread, they should take the revolutionary step of having people who are actually *funny*?

To please me the guests don`t have to be *funny* (as in comedy performers), but evidence of wit would be appreciated.
Because the programme is largely based on words I also enjoy it more if the guest has verbal skill and an obvious fondness for the language.
I agree that David Mitchell could be good, while it would be great to see the likes of Stephen Fry, Graham Garden and Stuart Hall.

Charlie Reams wrote:The only one I can think of is Victor Ubogu. Although Ron Atkinson is a funny shade of red, does that count?

Without checking, Andi Peters and Raj Persaud spring to mind.

Mike

Joseph Bolas wrote:You are right, I apologise. I think I remember though she appeared for 1 question where she asked the contestants to solve a conundrum which turned out to be INSURANCE.

Think that was when she hosted Have I got News for you. LOL at all her adverts! Here's some Carol conundrums:

MASSHEELS
RATESDIVE
FULSTRIPS
SODOMRAFF

Hello, I think Richard Digance is rather fun actually. A jolly good hoot! Still, as I think someone else has already said, each to their own. Some will like someone, and some will like someone else. I think the producers do a pretty decent job of choosing DC guests appealing to the wide age range and tastes of viewers.

Tarquin

Carol's hosted Have I Got News For You? When was that? Wish I'd seen that episode - and the one with David Mitchell...

Anyway like Tarquin said, with DC guests you can never please everyone. I think Phil Hammond is absolutely brilliant and am at a loss as to how anyone could think differently, but Joseph appears not to like him... and there are ones I dislike who everybody else likes, c'est la vie. So I agree that the producers do a difficult job very well on the whole.

Btw Ralph you know Stephen Fry has been in DC loads of times before don't you? Agree that it would be nice to see him back though.

They can't do much worse than James Whitaker today, who is what you get if you breed a human with a worm.

Yes not liking James Whitaker much, but hey. It's five days and then they won't have him back again (I'm sure the Countdown office has been inundated with complaints / negative comments about him already), so it's not the end of the world.

I lke Richard Digance, keep him coming on. Also Geoffrey Durham, Paul Xenon, Alistair Stewart, Tim Rice, Catherine Apanowicz are among the list of people that might make me decide to watch when I've got something else I ought to be doing.

James Whittaker isn't on that list.

I'm finding James Whittaker pretty dull, and that voice is so annoying....

At the risk of becoming more unpoplar/hated etc , I am really finding James Whittaker very tolerable. His voice ain't too bad either.

Oh dearie me.
Here he is again.
Who decides that he is a "real Countdown favourite"?
He most certainly isn't with me.
Jarvis last week, Digance this week. It is a very testing time.

Ralph wrote:Oh dearie me.
Here he is again.
Who decides that he is a "real Countdown favourite"?
He most certainly isn't with me.
Jarvis last week, Digance this week. It is a very testing time.

Its a disappointment, but it had to happen. Can't keep him off forever unfortunately.

Meh I like him, he's clearly very interested in the game itself which is more than you can say for some guests.

Being on the opposite side of the fence to Joseph and Ralph fills me with a great inner calm.

I'll upset that inner calm now by siding with you, Jon.

There are a number of guests I like more than RD, but plenty I like less. But a very significant point you make is his clear interest in the game itself and in the contestants. Some guests seem to be there solely to push themselves, and RD does not do this in any way.

Not that my opinion matters much but I really like RD. I like his poems at half time (and that says something!) and he's generally quite comical. Oh, and there's the contestant-oriented and game playing bit mentioned before which is good.

I think Richard Digance is quite entertaining. He does sometimes seem to be battling with minor demons which are inside of him, but this only adds to his watchability.

Also, I quite like Martin Jarvis. He has an authority about him which other guests cannot command.

Oh dear.
Just as I thought it was safe, here he is again.
I can't stand him.
I hope this doesn't mean that Martin Jarvis is not far behind.

First time in about 12 months. Can't stand him, so what. Probably thinks you're a bit of a knob himself. Get over it darling.

Right darling.
Only expressing an opinion. (I thought that was allowed.)

I like him. I think he's a funny guy.

Ralph Gillions wrote:Oh dear.
Just as I thought it was safe, here he is again.
I can't stand him.

Have to switch sound off when he spouts his rubbish. Almost enough to stop me watching Countdown; almost.

John Bosley wrote:

Ralph Gillions wrote:Oh dear.
Just as I thought it was safe, here he is again.
I can't stand him.

Have to switch sound off when he spouts his rubbish. Almost enough to stop me watching Countdown; almost.

Is Richard Digence the Marmite man of Countdown?

Could be. I turned to Vegemite years ago

John Bosley wrote:I turned to Vegemite years ago

I think a similar fate befell Lot's wife.

Charlie Reams wrote:

John Bosley wrote:I turned to Vegemite years ago

I think a similar fate befell Lot's wife.

I always wondered why it tasted salty.

He actually does a poem later in the week which is pure class. Very clever bloke, writes everything himself and has achieved more in his lifetime than most will in 1000 years.

Sure, i understand he's not everybodies cup of tea, but i've yet to work with a DC guest who is.

D Eadie wrote:He actually does a poem later in the week which is pure class. Very clever bloke, writes everything himself and has achieved more in his lifetime than most will in 1000 years.

Sure, i understand he's not everybodies cup of tea, but i've yet to work with a DC guest who is.

I've always liked him! very nice guy as well!

To sum up this thread:

[x] Some people don't like Richard Digance as a guest.

[x] Most people do like Richard Digance as a guest.

[ ] A single person's opinion on a guest will make any difference as to whether they appear on the show (again)

[x] I like Richard Digance

Seems like a fair summary, Andrew.

I agree with you, Damian.

The context of his words is always different. That's what I like about him.

Andrew Hulme wrote:To sum up this thread:

[x] Some people don't like Richard Digance as a guest.

[x] Most people do like Richard Digance as a guest.

[ ] A single person's opinion on a guest will make any difference as to whether they appear on the show (again)

[x] I like Richard Digance

Can we have a post like this at the end of every thread? Sort of like recaps.

For some of them, sure, Charlie.

I like him too, we had him for the Series 54 finals and he was very chatty and funny off-camera.

He also tried to give me £20 for helping plug his book on air, which I stupidly refused

Jon Corby wrote:I like him too, we had him for the Series 54 finals and he was very chatty and funny off-camera.

He also tried to give me £20 for helping plug his book on air, which I stupidly refused

Imagine where you'd be now if you'd have accepted .

D Eadie wrote:He actually does a poem later in the week which is pure class. Very clever bloke, writes everything himself and has achieved more in his lifetime than most will in 1000 years.

Sure, i understand he's not everybodies cup of tea, but i've yet to work with a DC guest who is.

I haven't watched any this week, but my general impression of him is that his poems are generally very bad but he is occasionally funny off the cuff. It's interesting what you say about what he's achieved - I'm genuinely interested to know what because I know very little about him outside of Countdown. Was he really a celebrity to begin with?