"Countdown" (1982)TV series 1982-????

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59

Release Date:

2 November 1982 (UK)

Genre:

Game-Show

Plot:

The long-running words and numbers game.

Plot Keywords:

Math Whiz | Number Game | Anagram | Dictionary | Conundrum

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Carol Vorderman	...	Herself - Hostess / ... (4,666 episodes, 1982-2008)
Richard Whiteley	...	Himself - Host / ... (3,983 episodes, 1982-2005)
Susie Dent	...	Herself - Lexicographer / ... (1,820 episodes, 1992-2008)

(more)

Series Directed by
Derek Goodall		(132 episodes, 1982-1983)

Series Writing credits
Armand Jammot		(4,549 episodes, 1982-2008)

Series Produced by
Michael Wylie	....	producer (2,842 episodes, 1996-2008)
Damian Eadie	....	series producer (1 episode, 2004-2007)
Claire Pizey	....	executive producer (unknown episodes, 2004)
Marie Wale	....	associate producer (unknown episodes, 2004)
Mark Nyman	....	producer (unknown episodes)
Daniel Twist	....	associate producer (unknown episodes)

Series Production Design by
Mike Long		(27 episodes, 1982)
Robert Scott		(27 episodes, 1982)

Series Art Direction by
Demelza Sampson		(1 episode, 2007)
Wayne Gosnall		(unknown episodes, 2004)

Series Makeup Department
Christine Castle	....	makeup artist (1 episode, 1982)

Series Production Management
Addie Orfila	....	unit manager (unknown episodes)

Series Art Department
Ed Bailey	....	graphic artist / graphic designer (27 episodes, 1982)

Series Sound Department
John Fountaine	....	sound (1 episode, 1982)
Chris Greaves	....	sound (1 episode, 2004-2007)
Dave Armstrong	....	playback operator (unknown episodes)
Gareth Hall	....	sound (unknown episodes)
Paul Venner	....	sound (unknown episodes)

Series Visual Effects by
Ken Meddings	....	vision control (unknown episodes, 2004)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Stuart Hinchliffe	....	camera operator (1 episode, 1982)
Roger Sanders	....	vision controller (1 episode, 1982)
Paul Thompson	....	lighting director (1 episode, 1982)
Andrew Cowley	....	lighting (1 episode, 2004-2007)
Barry Loader	....	camera operator (1 episode, 2004-2007)
Peter Hardman	....	lighting technician (unknown episodes)
Geoff Lonsdale	....	vision controller (unknown episodes)

Series Editorial Department
Jenny Courtenay-Dunn	....	vision mixer (1 episode, 1982)
Sarah Millson	....	vision mixer (1 episode, 2007)
Vicky Smith	....	editor: video tape (1 episode, 2007)
Andrew Stone	....	vision control (1 episode, 2007)
David Jackson	....	editor: video tape (unknown episodes, 2004)
Niki Millband	....	vision mixer (unknown episodes, 2004)
Karen Hall-Carter	....	vision mixer (unknown episodes)

Series Music Department
Alan Hawkshaw	....	composer: theme music / composer: title music (833 episodes, 1982-2007)

Series Other crew
Cindy Ritson	....	production assistant (2 episodes, 1982-2007)
Diane Barr	....	program associate (unknown episodes, 2004)
Lee Benfold	....	floor manager (unknown episodes, 2004)
Marcus Brown	....	production financing (unknown episodes, 2004)
Charlotte Hudson	....	researcher (unknown episodes, 2004)
Christa Lovisetto	....	floor manager (unknown episodes, 2004)
Steve Senior	....	studio manager (unknown episodes, 2004)
Brian Abram	....	studio manager (unknown episodes)
John Anderton	....	stage manager (unknown episodes)
Trevor Lowndes	....	floor manager (unknown episodes)
Marie Wale	....	researcher (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• Yorkshire Television (YTV)

Distributors

• Channel 4 Television Corporation

Other Companies

• Oxford English Dictionaries  consulting
• Peppiate Sharpe  titles

Runtime:

45 min (including commercials) (2001-) | 30 min (including commercials) (1982-2001)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Sound Mix:

Mono | Stereo

Filming Locations:

Yorkshire Television Studios, Studio Road, Kirkstall, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, UK

Company:

Yorkshire Television (YTV)

Trivia:

Desmond Lynam's departure from the show was due to his travel requirements, which necessitated a journey of 250 miles to the studio in Leeds from his home in Worthing, West Sussex.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Richard Whiteley: Television Man (2003) (TV)

Counting Down Now... *click*

Countdown, Channel 4's longest running and first programme to air on the network. The concept is simple: 9 random letters, make the longest word you can. Repeat four times. Now get six numbers of any combination from 1-10 twice over and/or 25, 50, 75 or 100 all once-over. Have a huge sum total and try to get to it using only addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Now repeat all of that three times over, chuck in a 9 letter word scrambled up, descramble it, thank you, goodnight.

Okay, so its a popular programme. It turned purple in 2003 for its new set (although it looked like somebody had started hanging wallpaper and left the job half finished) and the show later changed timeslot as well which caused a major upset in the political world of the House of Commons with an early day motion tabled to get Channel 4 to shift it back again! I kid you not.

One thing that strikes you when you first see this show is Richard Whiteley, or rather what he's wearing. This man must go out of his way to pick some awful blazer in some shocking colour and/or pattern and then choose a tie that doesn't complement it or the background in any way whatsoever. I thought there was something wrong with my set when I turned Countdown on one day and there was Mr Whiteley in some god-awful blazer that looks like the sort of interference you get when you use a mobile phone next to the TV set.

Fortunately the shocking blazers don't happen *that* often I'm pleased to say and you can see this man in "normal" attire most of the time.

Carol Vorderman launched her TV career on the back of this. Initially wandering on to do the numbers game, now she does everything. She works well with Richard. It's incredible to think that we are now on series 52 and these two presenters have featured in every single episode to date, which is well over 3000 episodes by now.

The show "expanded" to a 45min format in 2002 from its previous 30min format which tided it over for 20yrs. While the 30min format indeed felt "cramped" at times, You now get the impression that there's too much time to fill under the 45min format which might explain why there's more yakking overall.

Still, beggars can't be choosers I suppose.

Worth watching though but will eventually grate as the format doesn't change. When it does, watch something else for a few months.