Countdown Series 88 Finale - QF 2 (15 December 2023)

Colin Murray and Rachel Riley host as contestants race against the clock to pit their wits against vowels, consonants and numbers. Richard Coles 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]

Viraj was nervous today. He hammered every math problem during his octochamp run. Today I got multiple solutions he didn't within the time, and he is WAYYYY better at this than me. Still got 103 points though, lol. He's also still the favorite, IMO.

[@Apple_Head94]

How has nobody noticed that Viraj could've then said 5-3 = 2 and got 518 and the 10 points?

[@boneistt]

I know, right?! I couldn’t believe that he missed the 5-3 when he’d got that far, but for Rachel to not point it out? That’s the second time in recent memory she’s either not spotted how to finish the almost complete solution (or deliberately not mentioned it)!

[@litigioussociety4249]

This is one of those times I suspect the show wanted her to show a more complicated way, because her phrase, "I think it's the nerves," suggested she knew he goofed.

[@miikasutinen389]

I bet that he noticed it himself as he went through it but he had already declared 520

[@ricksimon9867]

Or at least take away the 3 to be 1 below instead of 2 above. Rachel was right, these two were pretty nervous.

[@rodrigomarinho1807]

Sometimes she calls on the contestants when they miss the bullet by so little. I found it weird when she didn't this time.

[@Eewec]

The last numbers round the closest I got was 744; 5+2 = 7, 7x9=63, 63-1=62, 62x4x3 = 744 which is 1 away.

[@user-sz6lo8kt2x]

I love countdown. It’s my favourite Tv show.

[@DJ-fl4gn]

👍

[@jorgelenny47]

I got there by 25*10+3+5 for 258; 258 * 2 = 516, +2 = 518 I can get that viraj didnt see 5-3 but I'm really shocked he didnt at least subtract 3 for 517

[@dahorn100011]

I got the 491 with a slight variation in the order of Rachel's method. 4+1 = 5 5*50 for 250 double it for 500 - 7 - 2 = 491

[@alastairhopkins245]

"And take off the nine we made earlier". Sounds like Blue Peter!!!

[@dglcomputers1498]

For the 2nd one I did, (4 + 1) x 50) x 2 = 500 then (500 - (7 - 2) = 491 and the 3rd one I did, (25 x 2) + 2) x 10 = 520 the (520 - (5-3)) = 518

[@petemk73]

For 518 I had 25*2+2=52*10=520-(5-3)=518

[@quizmaster85]

For 491: 50 × (2 × (4 + 1)) = 500 500 - (7 + 2) = *_491_*

[@rodrigomarinho1807]

Viraj was a littlw nervous today and he didnt even pick his 6 little ones, which he used to when he was going for the octochamp.

[@syntaxlost9239]

If you go back to the CoC rounds, you'll find the top players will typically play 1 large when competing amongst each other. The consensus appears to just play defensively during numbers rounds and rely on letters plus the conundrum to generate a score differential.

[@user-sz6lo8kt2x]

36 times 6 is 216. 36 times 8 is 282.

[@dcnole]

Did anyone get 1 away on the last one (745)? Closest I could get was 738=(4x(3+1)x5+2)x9. Really hard one.

[@catw461]

I found a way ((5+2)×9-1)×3×4=744

[@Kellestial]

(5+2)x9 63-1 3x4 62x12 for 744

[@medusa_404]

518: 25 * 2 = 50 50 + 2 = 52 52 * 10 = 520 520+ 3 - 5 = 518 25 * 10 = 250 5 - 2 = 3 3 * 3 = 9 250 + 9 = 259 259 * 2 =518 25 * 10 = 250 250 + 5 + 3 = 258 258 * 2 = 516 516 + 2 = 518

[@einSteppenwolf]

518=2×(10×25+3×(5-2))

[@NhanNguyen-vb6sr]

100 × (6 + 2 + 1) - 4 × 6 = -4 (got blindspotted) 50 × (7 + 2 + 1) - 4 × 2 = +1 (nice) 25 × 10 × 2 + 5 × 3 + 2 = -1 (barely in time) I'm not seeing this last one.

[@deanworrall4567]

did 518 a little differently.. 25 x 10 = 250 250 + 5 + 3 = 258 258 x 2 = 516 516 + 2 = 518

[@medusa_404]

980: 100 - 2 = 98 6 + 4 = 10 98 * 10 = 980 100 * 2 = 200 200 - 4 = 196 6 - 1 = 5 196 * 5 = 980 6 - 1 = 5 100 * 5 = 500 500 - 6 - 4 = 490 490 * 2 = 980

[@einSteppenwolf]

491=2×(4+1)×50-7-2

[@JoeGrohlDJ]

Round 1 (100 - 2) x (6 + 4) Round 2 (4 + 1) x 2 x 50 - 7 - 2 Round 3 (2 x 25 + 2) x 10 - (5 - 3) Round 4 Nada 🤷‍♂

[@medusa_404]

491: 4 + 1 = 5 50 * 5 * 2 = 500 500 - 7 - 2 = 491 7 - 2 = 5 50 * 5 = 250 250 - 4 = 246 246 * 2 = 492 492 - 1 = 491 50 * 2 = 100 100 - 1 = 99 7 - 2 = 5 99 * 5 = 495 495 - 4 = 491

[@apexmanayt5319]

491 ...4+1=5×50=250×2=500-7-2=491

[@einSteppenwolf]

980=(6+4)×(100-2)

[@einSteppenwolf]

745-1=3×4×((5+2)×9-1)

[@davidfearis7335]

TARGET 980 100 - 2 = 98 4 + 6 = 10 98 X 10 = 980

[@catw461]

Target =745. (744 or 746 possible) 744= ((5+2)×9-1)×4×3

[@paulkenney700]

well done - have to confess I usually good at these games but got nowhere near on this one . 720

[@catw461]

@@paulkenney700 I definitely didn't get it in 30 seconds.

[@davidfearis7335]

TARGET 518 25 X 2 = 50 50 + 2 = 52 52 X 10 = 520 5 - 3 = 2 520 - 2 = 518

[@boybawang1981]

100X2 = 200-4 = 196 6-1 = 5X196 = 980 100-2 = 98 6+4 = 10X98 = 980 4+1 = 5X2 = 10X50 = 500-7-2 = 491 7-2 = 5X50 = 250-4 = 246X2 = 492-1 = 491 5-2 = 3X3 = 9 25X10 = 250+9 = 259X2 = 518 25X2 = 50+2 = 52X10 = 520-5 = 515+3 = 518 4X3 = 12 5+2 = 7X12 = 84-1 = 83X9 = 747 (Closest Above) 5+2 = 7X9 = 63-1 = 62 4X3 = 12X62 = 744 (Closest Below)