Countdown Game Show - Number Rounds (3 November 2023)

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

[@dcnole]

Caroline showed up and did her best. It's just amazing that she managed to dodge even a single person who could consistently solved math problems of a 6-out-of-10 difficulty level. She was begging an opponent to take an easy 20 points off of her in the math portion, and nobody ever did. Fair play, though. She must be excellent at the letters.

[@p.a.5148]

She has been very good with the letters. Just to underscore that: she sealed the win in this episode with an 18-pointer in the last letters round.

[@travelwell6049]

She has made a mess everytime. Not just saying no, or however many away. She just makes a mess of it, and Colin is very polite about it.

[@Gator11srq]

Curious to see the full episodes of her games. It's a touch odd for a math instructor to flub these - the lights can do that - yet be a wizard with the letters. She found her way to be an octochamp.😎

[@alanshand829]

For the last round I had: 2*8=16 16*50=800 800*75=875 875-10=865 865+7=872

[@reececollison5101]

I liked Caroline, if you’re wondering why she’s making mistakes it’s probably because they record a week of episodes in a day. This would have been her fifth show in just one day so one can forgive for for fumbling a bit by the end and getting tired😅

[@MichaelH3948]

She's fumbled the number rounds every game though. She's said "oh no, I've made a mistake" about 30 times this week

[@paulkenney700]

thought she was nasty actually - she tutted when the contestant beat her

[@travelwell6049]

@@paulkenney700 that's a not a sign of nastiness, that's a sign of her disappointment in herself.

[@mpdacey]

for 872, I did: 75 + 7 = 82 82 * 10 = 820 820 + 50 + 2 = 872

[@karelfinn2343]

Most of these were easy, but the last one took me longer than the time limit. 10 + 7 is 17, 17 x 2 is 34, 34 + 75 is 109, and 109 x 8 is 872.

[@crystalaustralia]

Oh that's how I did it 😊 by bus stopping the 872 and finding 34 as the difference I liked Rachel's way too

[@MichaelH3948]

Having only seen her attempts at the number rounds, Caroline must be fucking sensational at the letters to win 8 games

[@reececollison5101]

She’s a retired maths teacher, she did get some impressive ones though. She’s only human your brain can do really stupid things under the lights and cameras

[@MichaelH3948]

​@@reececollison5101yes, and that's fine but it's remarkable that she was able to win so many games after suffering so many brain farts.

[@ArmadilloAl]

Ooh, even by Caroline's standards, that fumble on the 392 round was painful (she was three away from her declared number with a 1 and a 4 left). I had a different method for the last one I haven't seen here yet: 75 + 7 = 82 82 + 10 = 820 820 + 50 + 2 = 872

[@lilyyy0412]

easiest way by far!!!! kicking myself for not seeing it

[@Simqer]

did it the same way, unlike what Rachel said, there is an elegant way

[@jamesrobert994]

For the second numbers game you could have just remembered that the answer is 7*7*8 which is made from; 25*2=50 50-1=49 49*8=392

[@joshuamarshall8166]

For the last one I had: 75 x 10=750 750 + 50= 800 2+7= 9 9x8 = 72 800+72= 872

[@ricksimon9867]

I just HAVE to watch some full episodes. Caroline is SO bad with the numbers, she must be an absolute genius with the letters.

[@crystalaustralia]

Everyday this comment from people 😂 bless her socks

[@ricksimon9867]

@@crystalaustralia It is just so unexpected 🙃

[@crystalaustralia]

@ricksimon9867 it is! Did I see she was a Maths teacher 😳

[@Furycrab]

Almost a century score with just 10 points off the numbers and no conundrum points. Average of 8 points per letters round. Which yeah. Is nuts.

[@ricksimon9867]

@@Furycrab I am convinced that one of the strong numbers rounds players could improve her game considerably with just a few pointers. _

[@matildamccraw5746]

392 I did it way different 25 x 8=200 200-4=196 196x2=392

[@NQTN1001]

Got 652, 111 and 392 on time. And then proceed to miss 872 by a mile.

[@easternbrown]

Well done Caroline, the only number that matters is the 8

[@kenchristie9214]

392: 25 x 2 = 50 - 1 =49 x 8 = 392

[@icturner23]

I did the 872 Rachel’s way but it annoyed me so much that there wasn’t a 109 to multiply the 8 by.

[@bmcl364]

For the last numbers I did; ((75+7) x 10) + 50 + 2

[@JoeGrohlDJ]

Round 1 (10 + 3) x 50 + 2 Round 2 (9 + 2) x 10 + (75 / 25 / 3) not sure how I saw that complicated way before the easiest one! 75 + 25 + 9 + 2 Round 3 (10 + 4 + 2) x 25 - 8 Round 4 2 x 8 x 50 + 75 - (10 - 7)

[@simonrodgers8902]

7:15 Is Colins jumper showing a rude word?

[@seangates900]

His Northern Irish accent makes it a rude word!

[@vekyxeivo5595]

2:38 2 seconds: (25+75)+9+2

[@MikeRomulus]

The 392 I did by doing: 25*2 = 50 50-1 = 49 49*8 = 392

[@icturner23]

8(25x2 -1) = 392 = 25(10+4+2) - 8. Those two and many other variations jump out immediately. They needed 8 and 16 and had all those even numbers - how could they not get it?!

[@icturner23]

N.B. I wrote that before he gave the second option. I was so incredulous that I had to get it off my chest.

[@vekyxeivo5595]

3:52 2 seconds: 49*8=392 (another 4 seconds so: 25+2*10+4) so 6 seconds

[@dmontes133]

Rachel is a goddess! ❤️

[@baspagrey1545]

Rachel is like the mikasa Ackerman of countdown

[@ticijevish]

Agreed!

[@ricksimon9867]

one of those ancient goddesses with the extremely large ...

[@zzzaphod8507]

And she's not a robot?

[@TheSpotify95]

Got there in the end: 4 + 2 + 10 = 16 16 x 25 = 400 400 - 8 = 392 #

[@DanielSmith-k7z]

So now we have two 2’s.

[@Ima-hoot]

Simpler way for 872. 75+7=82. Multiply by 10=820. Add 50 add 2 for 872

[@seangates900]

Even Caroline's glasses are octo-champs!

[@romeostroe]

872=(75+7)*10+50+2

[@dcnole]

That's how I did it too.

[@jacquesmertens3369]

Did it the same way, and so did Rachel probably. But she always shows the most difficult way to make it less embarrassing for the candidates.

[@TheTradge]

That 392 one was way easier than they made it seem, 25 x 4 is 100, so find a way of making 16 (10+2+4) and you've got 400, with the 8 there to get you over the line (EDIT: after watching the rest of the clip I realise that's how the other guy got it haha!)

[@paulkenney700]

10 times 3 add 9 minus 2 is 37 . times 75 = 2775 / 25 = 111

[@alos1978]

1. (3+10)x50+2=652 or (10-3)x2x50-(6x8)=652 2. (2+10+25)x3=111 or (3x9+10)x75/25=111 3. (25x2-1)x8=392 or (25-1-4)x2x10-8=392 4. (75+7)x10+2+50=872 or (2x8x50)+75-10+7=872

[@quizmaster85]

Different solution for 111: 75 + 25 + 9 + 2 = *_111_*

[@dorlirahmeti7576]

Last numbers I did 50*2*8+75+7-10=872

[@denniscain7218]

3:25 111=75+25+9+2 5:35 392=(25*2+(10-4))*(8-1)

[@medusa_404]

392: 10 + 4 + 2 = 16 25 * 16 = 400 400 - 8 = 392 25 * 8 = 200 200 - 4 = 196 196 * 2 = 392 25 * 2 = 50 50 - 1 = 49 49 * 8 = 392

[@sammoloney3745]

75*10 = 750 750 + 50 = 800 7+2 = 9 9*8= 72 800 + 72 = 872

[@quizmaster85]

For 872: 8, 7 ,2. Or not. 😅

[@ticijevish]

The first two were too easy. I nearly missed the third, fixated on 2x8 and only saw the addition with five seconds to spare. The last number, I missed. Got 875. 10+8=18, 18x50=900, 50/2=25, 900-25=875

[@icturner23]

3(25+10+2) = 111

[@medusa_404]

652: 10 + 3 = 13 50 * 13 = 650 650 + 2 = 652 6 * 3 = 18 50 + 18 - 2 = 66 66 * 10 = 660 660 - 8 = 652 50 + 3 = 53 53 * 6 = 318 318 + 8 = 326 326 * 2 = 652

[@scragar]

The missing 392 seems like an obvious mistake. 8×2×25=400 Since we're 8 away and have a 4 it makes sense that instead we should do: 8×25=200 200-4=196 196×2=392

[@woodywoodpecker1984]

I did (25*2)-1 before *8 - the process is the same though

[@TheTradge]

I got it the same way as the guy, (10+2+4)x25-8

[@einSteppenwolf]

872=8×(75+2×(10+7))

[@catw461]

(10+3)×10+2=652 75+25+9+2=111 (25×2-1)×8=392 50×8×2+75-10+7=872

[@einSteppenwolf]

111=75+25+9+2=75+25+10+3-2=3×(25+10+2)

[@Nullifidian]

In the first numbers round, I saw Heather's solution and also had these: 50 x 2 = 100 100 + 10 = 110 110 x 6 = 660 660 - 8 = 652 50 - 6 = 44 10 + 3 + 2 = 15 44 x 15 = 660 660 - 8 = 652 50 - 3 = 47 8 / 2 = 4 10 + 4 = 14 47 x 14 = 658 658 - 6 = 652 In the second round, I sort of saw Heather's solution, but I did the easier 75 + 25 + 9 + 2 = 111. However, I also had these alternatives: 10 + 2 = 12 12 x 3 = 36 75 + 36 = 111 9 + 2 = 11 11 x 10 = 110 25 x 3 = 75 75 / 75 = 1 110 + 1 = 111 And if you want to go up into four digits, you can with this solution: 9 x 3 = 27 27 + 10 = 37 75 x 37 = 2775 2775 / 25 = 111 But it is equivalent to merely multiplying by 37 x 3. in the third round, I saw the Dictionary Corner guest's solution, but also had these: 25 x 2 = 50 50 - 1 = 49 49 x 8 = 392 This is Colin's "divisible by 8 solution". And another is: 10 x 2 = 20 20 + 4 = 24 25 + 24 = 49 49 x 8 = 392 25 x 8 = 200 200 - 4 = 196 196 x 2 = 392 25 - 2 - 1 = 22 10 + 8 = 18 22 x 18 = 396 396 - 4 = 392 In the final numbers round, I saw Rachel's solution. Her other solution was probably one of my first two. 75 + 7 = 82 82 x 10 = 820 820 + 50 + 2 = 872 50 x 8 x 2 = 800 800 + 75 = 875 10 - 7 = 3 875 - 3 = 872 10 + 2 = 12 12 x 7 = 84 84 - 50 = 34 75 + 34 = 109 109 x 8 = 872 50 + 8 = 58 75 x 58 = 4350 4350 + 10 = 4360 7 - 2 = 5 4360 / 5 = 872

[@simonrodgers8902]

I'm so ashamed about the first one. I should have got it!

[@AkshayDhargave]

[(75 + 50) × 7] + (10 / 2) - 8 = (125 × 7) - 3 = 872 OR {75 + [(10 + 7) × 2]} × 8 = (75 + 34) × 8 = 109 × 8 = 872.

[@TheSpotify95]

10 + 3 = 13 13 x 50 = 650 650 + 2 = 652 #

[@medusa_404]

111: 75 + 25 + 9 + 2 = 111 25 + 10 + 2 = 37 37 * 3 = 111 9 + 2 = 11 11 * 10 = 110 3 * 25 / 75 = 1 110 + 1 = 111

[@einSteppenwolf]

652=(10+3)×50+2

[@YourBeingParanoid]

all were easy - this was shocking

[@DanielSmith-k7z]

So then what I did was 50 times 3 which is 150.

[@TheSpotify95]

75 + 25 + 9 + 2 = 111 #

[@DanielSmith-k7z]

So my way was 8-6=2.

[@shanehicks5643]

Tired of this run of easy maths.

[@simonrodgers8902]

Zoe Ball's radio show isn't that good at all. Colin obviously doesn't listen to it!

[@medusa_404]

872: 50 * 8 * 2 = 800 800 + 75 + 7 - 10 = 872 10 + 7 = 17 17 * 2 = 34 75 + 34 = 109 109 * 8 = 872 75 + 50 = 125 125 * 7 = 875 10 / 2 = 5 875 + 5 - 8 = 872