Countdown : Jeff and Rachel take over

I think it's very nice, though the numbers board could be hidden better behind the letters board. Presumably they have to bring in the table (with the numbers on) each time they rotate the board too, and I bet that's carried in rather than rising out of the floor or something!

I really like the look of this set, it suits the show better IMO, it feels more words and numbers than an afternoon gameshow type.

Who designed it? Jonathan Paul Green?

It does look more of a highbrow set ala University Challenge but on BBC Four style. Looks nice all the same.

Nick King. Among other things, he was production designer for the classic-era Krypton Factor. Though oddly enough, JPG was my first thought on seeing it too!

It looks to me like a cross between the University Challenge set and the old ITV News set!

I'm assuming that the studio walls are not going to be that awfully dark colour and were only that colour because the lights weren't on them, otherwise that would be terrible!

Anyone seen any trailers for the "new" Countdown yet?

Yes, well it's clumped together with Channel 4's new tea time schedule.

Sort of looks like it could be the inside of a cruise liner. And the marble reminds me of public baths.

Nevertheless, it's better than the previous set, which was beginning to look VERY stale.

There's a feature about Countdown here from The Guardian:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2009/jan/03/countdown-rachel-riley-vordeman

Stelling gets the thumbs up and the two Desmonds weren't considered to be good.

I know the tabloids soon turned on Rachel Riley when word leaked she couldn't do the sums on a few recordings - but to be fair to her they are starting off with Champions of Champions, meaning it's likely if the numbers aren't solved they can't be!

Jeff Stelling and Rachel Riley are on This Morning at 12.15pm today.

The set looks very blue on screen from the clips they've shown - it'll take some getting used too. Rachel looks petrified too in the couple of (very short) clips they've shown.