I can't go into detail, but I have a feeling that the continuity announcer/s for Channel4 responsible for the 'cat nonsense' have been replaced. Tune in today and you should hear an older voice doing a straight 'now on 4 it's Countdown'.
I can't go into detail, but I have a feeling that the continuity announcer/s for Channel4 responsible for the 'cat nonsense' have been replaced. Tune in today and you should hear an older voice doing a straight 'now on 4 it's Countdown'.
Why, have you made a complaint???
I Think its brilliant, love people who don't take things too seriously...
I suggest you never write to Sainsburys Customer Service or even Listen to Radio 4's PM - you may have a fit!
There are so many talented, out of work actors, who could be continuity announcers and they allow the people who do it, to mess about. A pun only works if there is a connection between the subject matter.
who said it was a pun?
I rather enjoy these introductions, they make me smile. Just because its not to your sense of humour doesn't mean that others are not enjoying the odd intros.
I can't go into detail, but I have a feeling that the continuity announcer/s for Channel4 responsible for the 'cat nonsense' have been replaced. Tune in today and you should hear an older voice doing a straight 'now on 4 it's Countdown'.
Another victory for the silent majority! What are your feelings on the Challenge TV/Challenge debacle?
I'm left wondering how this thread has managed to reach 2 pages! Maybe ring Channel 4 and get Ofcom involved about this disgraceful, misleading cat reference.
To be honest... it's very unwelcoming. I just feel that maybe some of the people who are doing this, and some of the people who enjoy these announcements, feel they're superior to other viewers or people by pretendign to be in on a joke or pun that doesn't exist. It's not very nice and it's very British and sarcastic. Usually I would laugh at something like this but there's an air of something a bit more negative underneath.
It's like Channel 4 are saying "We know we might not be the best anymore, but instead of fixing it or being thankful for the programmes and loyal viewers we've still got, we're just gonna say f*** you!"
You can say I've overanalysed it or whatever. But I don't really care, I just don't like it and obviously other people don't either.
BA
baa
Poor you, sorry you're offended and think someone was being mean. Diddums.
I quite enjoy the banter from the Channel 4/E4 announcers, it's nice to see they have that freedom rather than the stiff sounding generic announcements you usually get (*cough* ITV1 *cough*).
I don't get the Countdown cat reference, and Countdown probably isn't the best show to do that going into, but at other times I think it works quite well. For me it gives the channels presentation a more human and personalised feel.
I think the Simpsons thing was funny. I heard the 'Sampsons' one first and thought it was just a mistake, and then heard another before reading it was being done for a laugh by the announcers. Once I knew it was a joke, I found it funny, because it conveys a sense that all the Channel 4 announcers know each other and get on well enough to come up with this game. I liked it for that, it made Channel 4 seem friendly.
Whilst the Countdown Cat is exactly the same thing, I don't think it works because mispronouncing the 'Simpsons' doesn't change the message of the announcement, but now they're announcing a "cataclysmic Countdown" and "watch out for the cat" which is just misinformation and confusing.
I think a little in-joke is fine, but the cat is too far.
Whilst the Countdown Cat is exactly the same thing, I don't think it works because mispronouncing the 'Simpsons' doesn't change the message of the announcement,
but now they're announcing a "cataclysmic Countdown"
and "watch out for the cat" which is just misinformation and confusing.
What exactly would a "cataclysmic Countdown" involve? The clock starts going backwards? The number board never comes up with a target? Nick's autocue starts talking in tongues? A member of the audience suddenly bursts into flames?
I don't think a tea time letter/number arranging game show like Countdown is ever going to be cataclysmic. It's not like Deal or no Deal where they probably would summon up the devil if they thought it would improve ratings, along with month long advert for "The Demon Banker" week... And to be honest, if someone is confused by Countdown coming on Channel 4 on a weekday afternoon, they deserve to be <insert outrageous Clarkson-style statement>.
What exactly would a "cataclysmic Countdown" involve?
Well this is exactly my point. They're not just mispronouncing things for a laugh, they're making false announcements. The episode won't be cataclysmic. That doesn't really make it a funny announcement, it just makes it a "strange" announcement and whilst the viewers won't be losing sleep over it, they may be thinking "what is he on about?" and not in an "I'm sharing in the joke" way.
If they'd started introducing it as "cat-down", then the observant viewers may sit at home going "did he say cat-down?", "did he make a mistake?", "that's funny" and "that's unusual".
By introducing it as "a cataclysmic episode of countdown" the viewers will be thinking "that doesn't make sense", "nothing cataclysmic happened." Hence I don't think it's as funny, or appropriate.
- you may have a fit!
