Countdown - Wednesday 3rd November 1982 - Episode 2

This episode was kindly donated by Edward Byrne - Broadcast on Wednesday 3rd November 1982 - Richard Whiteley hosts the show in which contestants race against the clock to pit their wits against vowels, consonants and numbers. With Mary and dictionary corner guest Ted Moult - All copyright remains with Channel Four & ITV Studios

[@danielbeach7177]

My God, the letters board looks like something out a 1950s Western

[@ursulareeder8568]

I’m so glad they’ve simplified the font over the years-much easier to read now!

[@MikeyMacOfficial]

Richard: And what's your word Michael? Michael: "Felony." Richard: "Felony. Okay, well there's no crime in that..." Classic Whiteley 4:04 😂😂😂

[@bmw10203]

Haha he was one of a kind 😂

[@AdamBeachDesign]

Watching this episode makes me wonder how the show actually survived?! Maureen certainly wouldn't be allowed that much time now to work out what she did for the numbers!

[@ajs41]

All shows get off to a slow start.

[@cwn89015]

25x2=50, 10+7=17, 50x17=850, 9-3=6, 850-6=844.

[@davidbennett9691]

Wow! Episode two. Such growing pains. The unintelligible font. The painfully slow pace. The agony of witnessing the duelling mathematicians. The arcane scoring system. The awkward lack of preparation. The unintentional but undeniable misogyny. Shocking that they pulled it together enough to allow it to succeed. And not only to succeed but to become as identifiably British as the Christmas speech. Rachel and Suzie are a world away, the spirits of Countdown future.

[@Clavinovaman]

Notice the clock shows 28 seconds when the contestant buzzes (22:30), but when the clock is shown again, it shows 29 seconds (23:05). _Eh, the good old days with the old clock..._

[@chambrevirgo8562]

These early episodes have the look.of an open University programme thankfully it improved

[@karlsmith8212]

Improved, I’d say, there’s a very clever girl doing the letters, remember as a school kid coming home to Carol, kids today can’t wait to come home from school. Hey Mom, can we watch countdown 🤣

[@danwoodhouse9290]

Ive never seen an OU programme with pastel colour squares before

[@hadj0587]

I cracked 844: 9x7=63, 10+3=13, 63x13=819, 819+25=844

[@alexlazebat839]

10+7= 17 x 2 = 34 x 25 = 850 - 9 = 841 + 3 = 844

[@mrshussain9840]

Please keep on going!

[@MultiVince95]

Wednesday 3rd November 1982

[@jamie5363]

Michael Goldman died in around this time of the year in 1997 of cancer

[@Steve.Dennis]

This show has come a very long way.

[@ajs41]

It had a lot of charm in the early days.

[@rupert5010]

Series 1 episode 2 of countdown there is series 1 episode 25 available as well

[@ajs41]

I wonder how far in advance these first few programmes were recorded. Perhaps 3 or 4 months?

[@realmimix]

Anyone realise there are contestant scenes on the conundrum?

[@karlsmith8212]

Just watching an old episode of The Chase, who was the first Celebrity in Dictionary Corner, & here he is, & not Richard Stilgoe

[@Cruithneach]

Sadly, Linda, Maureen, Michael, Ted and, of course, Richard are no longer with us

[@sophiee.h]

3 November 1982 - Series 1 episode 2

[@Clavinovaman]

To Countdowngoofs: I've tried to get the answer to this, but I get hazy answers. Do all the episodes exist in the archives?

[@countdowngoofs]

Hi Gary, to my knowledge all episodes of Countdown exist. However, the final of Calendar Countdown does not exist in the archives

[@Clavinovaman]

​@@countdowngoofsLovely to hear from you and I hope you are well. Countdown from the early 90s was repeated on Challenge a couple of years ago. Some episodes were missing from the run. If they do all exist, we need to see them repeated.

[@hadj0587]

641: 100+7=107 (10x3)/5=6 107x6=642 642-1=641

[@hannahpreece3651]

Nice I tried your way but couldn't figure how to make the 6 without using the 1. I end up doing this 100-7 = 93 (3+5-1) = 7 93X7 = 651 -10 = 641

[@philwoodward5069]

Terrible font, especially the letters. Very early 80s describing the person who puts up the letters as a "hostess" and not letting her speak, too. Would they have had to pay her extra if it was a speaking role, or something?

[@CharlieFlemingOriginal]

I wonder when the rules were explained for the last time lol? I suppose everyone has seen enough episodes now :D

[@countdowngoofs]

Funnily enough they were mentioned at the start of Jeff's presenter spell:- kzbin.info/www/bejne/qIXQZaWfgdp4kM0

[@johnjtm1097]

@@countdowngoofs People do need reminding now and again.

[@guypalmer7961]

Does anyone have the end credits to this episode of Countdown? Please upload if they do. Thanks.

[@realmimix]

Search it up, screen record it.

[@johnjtm1097]

I always thought that, if a contestant gets the conundrum wrong, the other has the rest of the 30 seconds to themselves. I know there wasn't much time left, but it would still happen regardless these days. Not here at 22:28.

[@ajs41]

Also, in the early days, if it was still a tie after the first conundrum they didn't have another one. The game ended on a draw. It always takes time for a show to settle down.

[@johnjtm1097]

@@ajs41 The same two contestants came back for a rematch in the next show.

[@evanslater4551]

It was a bit silly to have different women to put up numbers and letters. Anyway the numbers woman (don’t know her name but I know the letters was Cathy something) does she ever speak? Look at when she puts up the numbers and Richard reads it out instead

[@Cowman9791]

In series 3, the numbers woman was made redundant and her task given to cathy hytner

[@cjmillsnun]

@@Cowman9791 and a few series later, Cathy was made redundant and Carol did letters and numbers.

[@Cowman9791]

@@cjmillsnun not exactly, Cathy left (by choice) in 1987, and was replaced by a lady called Karen Laughlin, but she left in 1988, And was replaced by Lucy summers who quit after just a single series, they then couldn't be bothered to find a replacement and just gave the jobs to carol

[@ajs41]

@@Cowman9791 Just found out that Carol first did the letters job on Countdown Masters in April 1989.

[@philwoodward5069]

@@Cowman9791 I never knew Carol Vorderman was a scab! What about demarcation?

[@stewarthooper6059]

Does anyone know where I can find all series of this where you don't have to pay

[@danwoodhouse9290]

Ive tried and there's nothing - the only hope is anyone who uploads it on youtube

[@hannahpreece3651]

or even one where I do have today at this point. I can't find it anywhere in the US.

[@KRPTV]

Was this the second ever episode then?

[@KRPTV]

@James Booker The clock looks so weird without the markings on it!

[@danwoodhouse9290]

@@KRPTV and there's no contestant name plates either! that and the clock markings were introduced about halfway through this first series

[@mango4606]

@@KRPTV goodbye

[@Clavinovaman]

@@KRPTV Indeed. And when the clock was first introduced, there were 45 lights.

[@mkbuddy]

Early Countdown really was awful if that was shown now it would have been axed after series one

[@ajs41]

What's wrong with it? You have to compare it with other shows at the time, not with shows today.

[@evanslater4551]

Did the lady putting up the numbers ever speak?

[@ajs41]

Don't think so.

[@lindamarshall9724]

Looking for a copy of Hayley Mills on this programme please

[@closedaccount411]

That'll be the episodes from 15th - 21st January 1991

[@markdixon2594]

@@closedaccount411 I would love to see these episodes from the 15th January-21st January 1991 please

[@joshtherock223]

Is there episode 3

[@markdixon2594]

I would love to see Countdown season 1 episode 3 please

[@hannahpreece3651]

was coalized a real word back then? I don't think it was, as far as I can tell it isn't now.

[@shymike]

Flippin eck this is painful to watch

[@Squab1972]

5+3=8 8-1=7 100-7=93 93*7=651 651-10=641

[@DA-eq1yp]

22:32

[@ahmeddhagahofficial9034]

27th October 1982

[@Knappa22]

The ‘statistician’ woman is so nervous. The typeface for the letters game and conundrum is dreadful. Terrible clunky progress throughout the episode. It certainly improved when Carol joined.

[@crispyvoices2679]

Linda wasn't very good at the numbers was she? Asking the contestants what a sum equalled- you don't get this nonsense with Rachel, Carol or Anne-Marie

[@ralphbarrett3408]

Mate she had a doctorate in maths.. Thats how the producers asked to do it back then

[@fighting.myself.to.stay.alive.]

"wasn't very good at the numbers?!" she literally had a doctorate in maths. ofc she had to ask contestants the answer to each sum to check they hadn't made a mistake.

[@einSteppenwolf]

844=(10+7)×2×25-9+3

[@einSteppenwolf]

641=7×(100-5-3+1)-10