Re: Countdown She doesn't look old enough to be having those problems, so that is sad. Although I suppose she's still doing better than I'd ever be able to if I had the job!
Re: Countdown Oh wow! Well you know how good I am at guessing age since thinking the plastic surgery guy from the Spanish TC was in his late 50s lol.
Yeah, that age makes sense for those problems I guess. I'm experiencing a bit of it currently, although very mild. It's mostly just forgetting small things and repeating stuff, but it's still sad to see. Luckily this family member keeps a good sense of humor about it and is aware of everything.
But it sucks!! One reason why I don't want to get old or want others around me to get old
Re: Countdown Watching for the first time in a few weeks, it occurred to me that the Countdown format is 40 this year, as the original unaired pilots were produced in 1981, ahead of the full Calendar Countdown series on YTV in 1982, which then led to the debut of the national show in 1982 as well.
Down this rabbit hole now, I looked around for the start date of Des Chiffres et des Lettres. 1972. Wow. 50 years next year. It was then I learned that the letters and numbers format is that old, but the letters game on its own is even older. The show first started in France in 1965. So 56 this year.
Now that explains why the older clips I've seen of DCedL make a clear distinction between the two games. The letters game's original name, Le Mot le Plus Long (The word that is the longest), was the name of the show itself initially. Des Chiffres et des Lettres was born in 1972 when the numbers game, Le Compte est Bon (The total is right),
was added. Which also explains why the consolation prize board game in the old days came in two separate boxes. As an added touch, on DCedL, if you have the target exactly right, you must declare it by actually saying "Le Compte est Bon".
So that got me watching current episodes, and only now have I also realized that, while Countdown has Octochamps that retire after 8 individual game victories, on DCedL a single contestant can potentially remain on the show for 30 - THIRTY - episodes maximum. It rarely turns out like that, but that's the maximum. Contestants face each other on a best-of-3 match basis. The match is won if a contestant either wins 2 games or wins the first game by 50 points or more. The champion retires after 10 matches, so a Decachamp, if you will. 3 episodes maximum to a match x 10 matches = 30 episodes for a champion. Or, 10 episodes if the champion blows away all their opponents by 50 points or more. Their hosting trio - Laurent Romejko, Arielle Boulin-Prat and Bertrand Renard - has been hosting since 1992, the latter two had been on for years already, before Laurent joined. Something about this format keeps people around a long time, doesn't it? It's that addictive.
DCedL's theme tune, Western Patrol, is so damn catchy, too.
Also just this month, after almost a decade away, Letters and Numbers has returned in Australia. Now played by celebrities, although with 3 playing instead of 2, interestingly, and with comedian Michael Ning replacing the host of the civilian version, newsreader Richard Morecroft. Lily Serna on the board and David Astle in Dictionary Corner return from before, older and wiser. Apart from that, rather than being a hybrid of DCedL and Countdown like before, the show now is just straight up an Aussie version of Countdown, using the same set - only the clock still looking different really, having a celebrity guest in Dictionary Corner, and using the Countdown theme tune, with full credit to ITV Studios at the end. It's being compared to Cats Does Countdown, which airs on SBS as well, but it isn't. It's the Celebrity Countdown series from the late 90s, and revived near the end of Nick's time as host, Aussie style.
So, yeah. This format's heading for multiple anniversaries, right now.
Re: Countdown A real shame Anne Robinson is ruining this for so many people. My mum has watched religiously for 40 years but had to give upon it when Anne arrived.
The special last month showed what a difference a good host makes - Sir Trevor McDonald was brilliant. So relaxed and took control of the show effortlessly. Good though to see though that Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon will be returning to cover Rachel's maternity leave. I thought she was pretty good, although doubt she'll have much chemistry with Anne because nobody does.
--- "It's a bit like water boarding. It's got water in it... and I'm bored!" Charlie Brooker on Total Wipeout
Re: Countdown The only real problem with Anne-Marie is that she was painfully slow at writing up the numbers explanations. So much dead air as she was writing as if it was a page in her school exercise book, trying to keep each number in its own square and everything But I imagine she'll get faster, as long as they tell her neatness doesn't matter!
But yeah, I imagine that her x Anne is going to be awkwardness².
Re: Countdown It was her first show though - you look back at Rachel and Carol on their first day and you'll see the same thing. Best handwriting on day 1!