Wouldn't surprise me if this isn't a "serious" attempt at making the programme again to judge if it's worth a revival. Otherwise, why wouldn't you go to some effort to at least honour the original set?
It was never the most exciting of quiz shows and would seem quite dated now after the likes of The Weakest Link. I can't imagine it coming back properly especially with how badly Countdown (and the rest of the C4 daytime schedule) is doing these days.
Even as a '8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown' type revival it would be limited in it's appeal
I would regard 15 to 1 as more of a 1990s thing really, considering it was only around for the final two years of the 1980s. I wonder how much Adam Hills can remember of the original considering he probably wasn't around for much of it's run.
The set would be odd even if this was a brand new show, I suspect they are planning an 8 out of 10 Cats Does Countdown type of run if it does well.
Also I note their was a studio audience unlike the original too, I wonder if it would have been better to have them in the background instead of those random objects. Maybe a bit too much like primetime Weakest Link though and no doubt we'll see them behind Hills.
Last edited by Jon on 14 September 2013 2:14pm - 3 times in total
Also I note their was a studio audience unlike the original too.
There was an audience for the first few series, but William G. Stewart decided to abolish it after audience members audibly whispered answers to questions on too many occasions.
Also I note their was a studio audience unlike the original too.
There was an audience for the first few series, but William G. Stewart decided to abolish it after audience members audibly whispered answers to questions on too many occasions.
Didn't realise that, I guess in that respect it's actually keeping something that was more specific to the 80s than the 90s.
Would love to see C4 get it's colour back with the next revamp, which can't be too far off you'd think - although this set has aged well and I wouldn't want to see Jay Hunt and David Abrahams oversee the next rebrand considering the mess they've made of the "creative renewal" of programming.
Channel 4's schedule shows that 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown and Alan Carr: Chatty Man are also both 80s specials. I wonder if this was an after thought. Based on the publicity shot on Channel 4's website 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown features neither an 80s style set nor Carol Vorderman. Alan Carr: Chatty Man has Jessie J (born 1988) as the headline guest.
Would love to see C4 get it's colour back with the next revamp, which can't be too far off you'd think - although this set has aged well and I wouldn't want to see Jay Hunt and David Abrahams oversee the next rebrand considering the mess they've made of the "creative renewal" of programming.
I wouldn't be surprised if we don't see anything new for a long time, considering they once went without a rebrand for 14 years. Granted, the current ones have been going for "only) 9 years, but they don't seem to get as tiresome as the BBC One circles.