Channel 4 at 25

It is a bit slow isn't it. Love the way that bird with the letters walked across the split screen at halfway through a game!

Who knew that numbers thing was called CECIL?! (Countdown Electronic Calculator In Leeds)

Amazed there are so many 'auxiliary' staff and they only wheel Carol out for the solution of the numbers game (not even getting the numbers or setting off CECIL)

It's quite funny to see a retro edition of Countdown being sponsored by digitaluk.

digiperson

There's no "Bong" at the end of the clock as well which feels bizzare after hearing it like that for so many years.

Aye, even the announcer said that "after 25 years Carol and CECIL are still here...."

I'm surprised they didn't edit out the suggestions for Ted Moult by writing to Yorkshire Television in Leeds.

Nice to see that More4 haven't butchered this to death and that they haven't DOG-ged it either.

The Digital switchover started earlier than I thought!

Makes you wonder if Brookside will be sponsored by Wigleys Extra!

The bloke who got the closest to the total in the numbers game was given a point, but he used the 10 twice in his calculations, and you're not allowed to use a number twice - should he really have been given any points?

CECIL hasn't changed at all, in 1982 it's the only thing that looks modern among the various shades of brown that the set is made from

Obviously it's sad that Richard isn't still with us to join in these celebrations

I'm certain he got 10 from adding 7 and 3.

Did Brookside ever have a sponsor - don't think I can recall one?


Even though it's gone on to be the mainstay of the channel for 25 years, it still puzzles me why they decide to launch with this.

IIRC the show did have a record drop in ratings the next night though.

Wonderful to see this, especially without the More4 DOG and not cropped.

Did anyone catch the early Channel 4 style menu before the break into Countdown? It featured the classic Channel 4 logo and had the programme name (in Gill Sans Regular) in yellow when Danny announced the details of the programme.

Ha, it says SEX in the letters row.

To quote Sir Jeremy Issacs, he said he wanted the Opening Night's schedule to show what the Channel 4 would be like day in and day out, hence why Countdown was the first programme.

He did a nice introduction about it on the More4 ident before the episode came on.

And Beverley Isherwood hasn't said anything so far - if she did, would YTV have had to pay the union rate?

Carol also sounds dead posh and polite during the Numbers Game. I'm sure there are many people who wish she had such a minor role on the programme these days.