Countdown Game Show - Number Rounds (1 October 2024)

Colin Murray and Rachel Riley host as contestants race against the clock to pit their wits against vowels, consonants and numbers. Debbie McGee joins Susie Dent in Dictionary Corner. Each day two contestants compete in 15 rounds of words and numbers to become the Countdown Champion.

Debra Ann McGee (born 31 October 1958) is an English television, radio and stage performer who is best known as the assistant and widow of magician Paul Daniels. McGee is a former ballet dancer and for three years was artistic director of her own ballet company. She presents a Sunday morning show for BBC Radio Berkshire. McGee was a finalist in BBC's 2017 Strictly Come Dancing and a winner of the 2019 Christmas Special, and has been a recurring member of the Loose Women panel.

#Channel4 #Countdown

BACKGROUND
Countdown is the channel’s longest running show and the first show ever broadcast on Channel 4 when it launched 40 years ago, in November 1982. The original version of Channel 4's Countdown is the French television programme « Des chiffres et des lettres » (literally "numbers and letters"), where the Numbers Round is referred to as « Le compte est bon » ("the total is right"). The show debuted in 1965 as « Le mot le plus long » using letters only, and reached its present format in 1972. This year marks the shows 51st anniversary.

SPIN-OFF
"8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown" is hosted by Jimmy Carr, with Rachel Riley and Susie Dent assuming their Countdown roles. The formation of the crossover with "8 Out if 10 Cats" began as a series of specials, the first of which was broadcast on 2 January 2012, when Channel 4 orchestrated a special "mash-up night", merging two shows to form a special edition of the pair, as part of its 30th-anniversary celebrations eleven years ago.

[jayandreas]

5:00 can’t believe he didn’t see the 3x4 to be added to that 654?😂

[Michael_Knight]

I like Colin Murray's reaction to 666. "Be afraid."

[TheTradge]

For 666 I did 6x4+3=27, then 27x25=675, and then 675-9=666

[jonasfermefors]

It's always a thrill when I'm able to solve one with four large in time.. so I'm just a tad pleased with myself right now.

[medusa_]

609:
50 * 4 = 200
200 + 3 = 203
203 * 75 / 25 = 609

100 + 50 + 3 = 153
153 * 4 = 612
75 / 25 = 3
612 - 3 = 609

100 * 50 = 5000
5000 + 75 = 5075
5075 * 3 / 25 = 609

[johnm]

For the conundrum UNDERFISH is also a word.

[ESCLukemar]

Jimmy Carr: Don't mess with the machine

[TophTheMelonLord]

I was with Colin, looking for 111x6 or 222x3 and not trying the 9 until after time ran out.

[RussellSmith]

For 609, I did:
100 + 50 + 3 = 153
153 × 4 = 612
75 / 25 = 3
612 - 3 = 609

[medusa_]

292:
100 + 5 - 75 = 30
30 * 10 = 300
300 - 7 - 1 = 292

100 - 75 = 25
25 * 10 = 250
5 + 1 = 6
7 * 6 = 42
250 + 42 = 292

100 - 1 = 99
10 - 7 = 3
99 * 3 = 297
297 - 5 = 292

[icturner]

5x75 –100 + 10 + 7 = 292. Have written that down once the contestants didn’t get it.

[Nullifidian]

In the first numbers round, I saw Rachel's solution and also had these:

100 - 1 = 99
10 - 7 = 3
99 x 3 = 297
297 - 5 = 292

100 + 75 = 175
175 x 5 = 875
875 + 1 = 876
10 - 7 = 3
876 / 3 = 292

75 + 1 = 76
76 x 10 = 760 (152)
100 x 7 = 700 (140)
760 + 700 = 1460
1460 / 5 = 292

My thinking on this last one was that 10 / 5 is = 2 and 100 / 5 = 20, so this equation is equivalent to (75 + 1) x 2 + 7 x 20 = 292.

In the second numbers round, I saw the contestants' solution, but you can multiply directly to the target in these ways:

50 - 6 - 1 = 43
10 + 5 = 15
43 x 15 = 645

10 + 6 = 16
16 x 8 = 128
128 + 1 = 129
129 x 5 = 645

And I also had this solution:

50 + 8 + 6 = 64
64 x 10 = 640
640 + 5 = 645

In the third numbers round, I saw Rachel's solution and also had these:

25 x 3 = 75
9 x 4 = 36
75 + 36 = 111
111 x 6 = 666

4 x 3 = 12
25 + 12 = 37
37 x 9 = 333
6 - 4 = 2
333 x 2 = 666

And this:

25 x 3 = 75
75 + 9 = 84
4 + 4 = 8
84 x 8 = 672
672 - 6 = 666

In the final numbers round, I saw Graham solution, but also had this:

50 x 4 = 200
200 + 3 = 203
75 / 25 = 3
203 x 3 = 609

And if you wanted to showboat a bit, you could do this:

100 x 50 = 5000
5000 + 75 = 5075
5075 x 3 = 15225
15225 / 25 = 609

This is merely an elaboration on the above solution, since you can get 203 with just the four large: (100 x 50 + 75) / 25 = 203.

[crystalaustralia]

Happy raccoon appreciation day everyone 💓

[kienphatong]

The new episode of the week at Wheel Of Fortune in Bonus Round is loss at Big Money Week. Please Countdown, I want more numbers round to get easily

[NomadUniverse]

I did 645 differently again, within the time limit.

6 + 8 = 14
14 + 50 = 64
64 x 10 = 640
640 + 5 = 645

[NQTN]

(100 - 75 + 5) × 10 - (7 + 1) = 0 (that was a WAY too close of a late realization)
(50 + 6 + 8) × 10 + 5 = 0 (clean in and out)
(25 × 4 + 9 + 3) × 6 - 4 = +2 (closest I can get)
(100 + 50) × 4 + 75 ÷ 25 × 3 = 0 (clean all sixer to end)

[RussellSmith]

I went a little out there with 645:
10 + 6 = 16
16 × 8 = 128
128 + 1 = 129
129 × 5 = 645

[quizmaster]

For 645:

50 + 8 + 6 = 64
64 × 10 = 640
640 + 5 = *_645_*

[yatyayat]

292: nope, the same way the contestants did.
Rachel's way was impressive though as she got it through 392.

645: pretty easy. The same way Tarrant did.

666: a completely different way.
But first Tarrant could get the exact number by adding 4 × 3 instead of just 4 (and such a shame that Rachel didn't see that).
In other words, Tarrant should go:
(25 × 4 + 9) × 6 + 4 × 3
= 109 × 6 + 12
= 654 + 12
= 666.
Even so he could still get 661 by adding 658 (his answer) and 3.
Now, mine.
3 × 4 = 12
25 + 12 = 37
6 - 4 = 2
9 × 2 = 18
37 × 18 = 666.
A completely different way.

609: nope, I didn't get this one.

[alos]

1. (100-1)x(10-7)-5=292 or (5x75)-100+7+10=292 or (100-75)x10+(7x(1+5))=292
2. (50-1-6)x(5+10)=645 or 50-1+(8x10)=129x5=645
3. (25x3-4/4)x9=666 or (25x4+9)x6+3x4=666 or 25-(3x4)=13x6-4=74x9=666
4. ((100+50)x4)+3x75/25=609 or (4x50+3)x75/25=609