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Nick Hewer quits Countdown

Anne Robinson announced as replacement - page 11 (December 2020)

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DE
DE88


No-one can deny that Countdown, and indeed the world, would be poorer without Susie...

...but am I the only one who's read that article and gotten the impression that the author would be very unhappy if Nick's replacement was another man? She hasn't listed a single candidate with a Y chromosome... Embarassed

I can't help but notice that seemingly every news outlet has reported on Nick's announcement except the BBC... Embarassed I'm going to be charitable and assume Auntie has been distracted.
BR
Brekkie
None of them seem to be sensible suggestions. Surprised Carol Vorderman's name hasn't been thrown around yet either.

I'm sure the inevitable comments about a potential BAME replacement are doing the rounds in the usual places but what actually is quite saddening is that there aren't too many obvious candidates, if any, which is exactly why that is a conversation that needs to happen when such roles come up. Indeed was thinking today of local North West personalities who could take over and how the late Tony Morris would possibly have been ideal for it.

I think Countdown can get away with lesser known names too - both Jeff Stelling and Nick Hewer would have been new faces to many of the Countdown audience. Saying that though based on the last casting I wouldn't rule out Anton du Beke.
DO
dosxuk
What's Harry Gration up to these days?
JK
JKDerry
Countdown will never be axed as it has a pride of place in the history of Channel 4 as being the first programme to air on the channel on November 2nd 1982, with that special opening line from the late Richard Whiteley:

"As the countdown to a brand new channel ends, a brand new countdown begins"

So it had a place in history, which will be very hard for Channel 4 to end.


As sentimental as that is, it doesn't guarantee the survival of any TV programme.
Realistically if the networks kept all the stuff that was on air on their first day, there would never be anything new.

Its probably safe to say the only reason Countdown survives at all is that its cheap to make and still generates a relatively good return. On commercial channels that's all that matters, that it makes money (on the whole as an average). If it didn't do that it goes out the door or elsewhere in the schedule. Simple as.

Channel 4 might be publicly owned but doesn't mean its a charity/dumping ground for programming that has sentimental value. Countdown will end one day, that much is guaranteed.

It has nothing to do with sentimental reasoning, it is a key Channel 4 show and a show with a long heritage, which you don't dump in the dustbin.

Channel 4 know that Countdown has one attraction - it is safe and secure. Stephen Fry mentioned this, Countdown is a programme where you could have watched last in 2010, and then left it, but returned in 2020 knowing it is always there. It is a safety net.

Since the programme is not a money game show, its budget is minute compared to Pointless and The Chase, with a whole weeks worth of episodes filmed in one day. So financially it is a show which fits perfectly for them.

I see no sign of it ever leaving Channel 4, it has secured itself in the Channel, and like Channel 4 News at 7pm, I doubt we will ever see it move. If it was to move, it would have left some years back.
JK
JKDerry
"Countdown will end one day, that much is guaranteed." - that has been said about so many shows and has been proved wrong many times.

Countdown on Channel 4 leads perfectly into the rest of their daytime schedules.
BR
Brekkie
It has nothing to do with sentimental reasoning, it is a key Channel 4 show and a show with a long heritage, which you don't dump in the dustbin.

So was Brookside.
NJ
Neil Jones Founding member
I see no sign of it ever leaving Channel 4, it has secured itself in the Channel, and like Channel 4 News at 7pm, I doubt we will ever see it move. If it was to move, it would have left some years back.


Channel 4 is obliged to provide the news, it is not obliged to provide Countdown.
Otis Crump, valley and DE88 gave kudos
DE
DE88
Sadly Neil is right. Countdown *will* end one day, even if that day comes long after every current TVF member has left this world.

The same can be said for Corrie, Emmerdale, Blue Peter, Panorama...

It can also be said for the French original, Des Chiffres et Des Lettres, which is only 13 months away from its jubilé d'or.

DV
DVB Cornwall
The French progenitor is seventeen years it's senior (albeit with a year's haitus) and is still going strong.
VM
VMPhil
It took five pages to get from ‘new presenter’ to ‘definitely going to be axed’
Steve Williams and Brekkie gave kudos
JO
Jon
The French progenitor is seventeen years it's senior (albeit with a year's haitus) and is still going strong.

Although unlike our version the format has undergone a lot more alterations over the years.

It also lacks some of the charm.
Last edited by Jon on 7 December 2020 9:51pm
JA
JAS84
Ten letters, not nine?

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