Countdown Game Show - Number Rounds (18 January 2023)

Colin Murray and Rachel Riley host as contestants race against the clock to pit their wits against vowels, consonants and numbers. Rick Edwards joins Susie Dent in Dictionary Corner. Each day two contestants compete in 15 rounds of words and numbers to become the Countdown Champion.
Following Countdown's 40th birthday, the show now looks to its next Champion Of Champions series - which will crown the ultimate winner from the past few years.
Champion Of Champions XVI playlist:
• Countdown Maths 2023 (...
Countdown's 40th birthday playlist:
• Countdown 40th anniver...
#Channel4 #Countdown #ChampionOfChampions
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.
Playlist: • The Original Countdown...
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.
Playlist: • Series 23 - 8oo10cdc (...

[@garyrasberryjr.552]

Love the look of Rachel on 122. It was a look of "I'm bloody bored! I need a sip and a kip right now!" 😄

[@syntaxlost9239]

A rare case where the one large, safe pick traps you. James must've panicked when he realised it was actually much harder than usual for an exact solve. Congratulations all the same but praise to the Lords of Randomness for taking it down to the wire.

[@medusa_404]

617: 25 + 7 = 32 10 + 9 = 19 32 * 19 = 608 608 + 10 - 1 = 617 25 + 7 + 1 = 33 10 + 9 = 19 33 * 19 = 627 627 - 10 = 617

[@medusa_404]

339: 8 + 4 = 12 12 * 9 = 108 108 + 5 = 113 113 * 3 = 339 8 + 5 = 13 13 * 9 = 117 117 - 4 = 113 113 * 3 = 339 8 * 5 = 40 40 * 9 = 360 3 * 7 = 21 360 - 21 = 339 7 * 5 = 35 35 * 9 = 315 8 * 3 = 24 315 + 24 = 339

[@kevinreiter4683]

I love that the other Person can just say I got the Same xD

[@medusa_404]

122: 100 + 8 + 7 + 7 = 122 7 * 7 = 49 8 + 1 = 9 9 * 3 = 27 49 - 27 = 22 100 + 22 = 122 100 + 7 = 107 107 * 8 = 856 3 - 1 = 2 856 - 2 = 854 854 / 7 = 122 8 * 3 = 24 7 / 7 = 1 100 + 24 - 1 - 1 = 122 Only small solution: 7 * 7 = 49 49 - 8 = 41 41 * 3 = 123 123 - 1 = 122

[@peterkwan1448]

For the first round, I got another alternative similar to Florence's solution by getting 113 in another way: 8 + 4 = 12 12 x 9 = 108 108 + 5 = 113 113 x 3 = 339 In addition, I got another solution from a multiple of 4. 9 + 3 = 12 4 x 7 x 12 = 336 336 + 8 - 5 = 339 For the second round, I was expecting the contestants' to have the simplest solution as: 100 + 7 + 7 + 8 = 122 Besides, it is also possible to obtain the target using the small numbers only: 7 x 7 = 49 49 - 8 = 41 41 x 3 = 123 123 - 1 = 122 For the third round, I got the contestants' solution, and I found an alternative from 486: 5 x 10 = 50 50 + 4 = 54 54 x 9 = 486 486 + 3 = 489 For the final round, I got Rachel's solution and it is a tricky one, I cannot find any alternative on this.

[@TheSpotify95]

Got 489 without too many issues! (5 + 3) x 6 = 48 48 x 10 = 480 480 + 9 = 489 #

[@matt034]

339 8 * 5 = 40 40 + 9 = 49 49 * 7 = 343 343 - 4 = 339

[@Jothamvvw]

I had the 616 in a different way; I did 10*10*(7-1)=600 25-9=16 600+16=616

[@catw461]

25+7=32 10+9=19 19×32=608 608+10-1=617

[@daviddesreumaux338]

339 8×9×5=360 3×7=21 360-21=339

[@cwn89015]

339: 7x5=35, 35x9=315, 8x3=24, 315+24=339.

[@daviddesreumaux338]

122 3×7=21+1 +100=122

[@daviddesreumaux338]

489 5+3=8×6×10=480+9=489

[@TheSpotify95]

Sorry, I'm struggling a bit with my 32 times tables... and struggling even more trying to find a multiple that's 9 away from what I need.

[@eccehomer8182]

LOL, I know what you mean, but you can think of it like this: 32x20 = 640 which is an easy way to get in the ball park. Subtract 32 ... i.e. 32x19 and you get 608 which is even closer, then luckily the 9 is already there or you can make it like Rachel did. Eventually I found (25+7)x(10+10-1)+9 = 617, which is essential the same as Rachel's solution. I didn't get it within the 30 seconds... but then neither did Rachel, so I won't beat myself up about it. I spent too long trying to find 61x10+7 before realising it was a dead end. It becomes a bit more like a cryptic crossword rather than a maths problem... there's certain patterns and tricks.

[@syntaxlost9239]

@@eccehomer8182 The last one does indeed trap you. Seeing a number close to 625 with a 25 on the board entices you to search around 25^2 and the 9, 7 and 10 entices a search around 630 (which pulled Florence).

[@isaacking6305]

122 100 + (7x3) = 121 121 + 1 = 122

[@isaacking6305]

If you used all numbers for 122: 8 x 3 = 24 24 + 100 = 124 7/7 = 1 1 + 1 = 2 124 - 2 = 122

[@eccehomer8182]

((8+4)x9+5)x3 = 339 100+8+7+7 = 122 (5+3)x10x6+9 = 489 (25+7)x(10+10-1)+9 = 617 (Took me a couple of minutes).

[@isaacking6305]

617: 25 + 7 = 32 10 + 9 = 19 32 x 19 = 608 10 - 1 = 9 608 + 9 = 617

[@daviddesreumaux338]

617 10+9=19 25+7=32×19=608-1=607+10=617

[@AkshayDhargave]

{[9 × (8 + 4)] + 5} × 3 = [108 + 5] × 3 = 339

[@jaidenmcmichael8115]

Can you start adding the ending credits please?

[@hithere152]

Wait why?

[@jaidenmcmichael8115]

@@hithere152 I like the credits

[@shymike]

Hmm no, completely pointless

[@jaidenmcmichael8115]

@@shymike Don't be so rude.

[@shymike]

@@jaidenmcmichael8115 wasn't being rude, just saying in my opinion there's no point. They're pretty much the same every day.

[@Nullifidian]

In the first round, I saw both contestants' solutions and also had these alternative ways of getting 113 x 3: 8 + 4 = 12 12 x 9 = 108 108 + 5 = 113 113 x 3 = 339 5 x 4 = 20 20 - 7 = 13 13 x 8 = 104 104 + 9 = 113 113 x 3 = 339 In the second round, I'm surprised they didn't see you could just add your way to the target: 100 + 8 + 7 + 7 = 122 Also, I always try to solve low-target one-large puzzles as "five small", and this one can be: 7 x 7 = 49 49 - 8 = 41 41 x 3 = 123 123 - 1 = 122 In the third numbers round, I saw the contestants' solution and also had these alternative ways of writing the same basic solution as each other: 10 x 5 = 50 50 + 4 = 54 54 x 9 = 486 486 + 3 = 489 5 + 4 = 9 9 x 9 x 6 = 486 486 + 3 = 489 And while you can't factor down very far (163 x 3 = 489), you can do this: 10 + 4 = 14 6 + 5 = 11 14 x 11 = 154 154 + 9 = 163 163 x 3 = 489 In the fourth numbers round, I beat Rachel to the solution because I had hers in the 30 seconds, but I actually derived it from _this_ solution, which I got first: 25 + 7 + 1 = 33 10 + 9 = 19 33 x 19 = 627 627 - 10 = 617 But that's very much just the flip side of the coin. I was thinking in terms of 57 x 11 being just 10 above the target.