Countdown : Jeff and Rachel take over

If that figure is true then a 90% pay cut is just obscene. Quite clearly anyone in employment faced with that would tell their employer exactly where to go.

Good on Carol for letting the cat out of the bag as opposed to the polite "it's time to move on" nonsense. Always grateful to the viewers and the team she was clearly happy to continue on the programme providing there was a realistic contract.

Completely understandable - and she'd probably have a decent case for unfair dismissal considering she's basically been forced out.

This has ITV's grubby little paws all over it - the reports imply it's about ITV saving cash, rather than C4 paying less for the programme making the cuts necessary. ITV have made it clear in the last couple of years they want to make less for other channels, and I think they're willing for Countdown to pay the price.

The ironic thing of course is that the only things of any quality that ITV Productions do make, they make for other channels.

Does ITV own the rights to Countdown?

If not Ch4 could well give it to someone else to make,

Not being funny but have you read this thread before posting?
Ch4 makes no programmes of its own and hasn't done since it was launched.

I know that, BUT still...... Does ITV own the rights to this show?

This could be the issue, the copyright to the programme is held by Yorkshire Television Ltd (unlike most C4 programmes where it's held by Channel Four Television Corporation directly). This presumably therefore means that the episodes produced to date are ITV's property and C4 merely have the rights to show them, rather than it being a C4 programme with production merely outsourced to ITV.

Added also that the programme in it's earliest form was originally aired on ITV as a Yorkshire regional programme, then in all likelihood ITV claim ownership not only of the material produced, but of the series format itself.

This makes it unlikely that C4 can simply get someone else to make it for them without ITV's approval (and presumably would also have to pay a big fat royalty fee for use of the series format almost certainly negating any reduced production costs).

As said above, this probably is an attempt by ITV to kill it in order to help their own schedules - they probably didn't think it would survive Richard Whiteley's death and seeing that it has they've decided to push Carol Vorderman out in an effort to get it gone.

But as I said above, I think it's time to be laid to rest anyway. If C4 truly are the only commercial broadcaster left who can be innovative and try new things, then the loss of a 27 year old daytime quiz show shouldn't be a big deal to them. If they can't envisage life without Countdown, then they will have proved themselves to be no different to any other commercial broadcaster and don't deserve the high esteem in which they are often held.

Absolute bloomin' masterstroke by ITV this -- cause damage to C4's schedule by ending one of their daytime staples, lay the foundation for Kirkstall's closure due to the end of its main production, and all the time place the blame in the viewers' eyes squarely on Channel 4 -- viewers will think that C4 have treated Vorderman disgracefully and secured the loss of hundreds of jobs at the poor betrayed YTV, when all along it was ITV themselves who conspired to manufacture the whole thing.

Clever, I'll give them that.

Aw right, longer than I thought. Aspel is 75 I believe... then again Brucie and Patrick Moore are still going I suppose-- not that I'm suggesting they present the programme

Speaking of senior presenters, Dictionary Corner regular Barry Cryer could be a good choice. Might be a logical progression from Sorry I Haven't Got A Clue ?

I'm don't think the end of Countdown would be the end of the YTV studios- Heartbeat and The Royal still pull in the punters-- and there's Emmerdale produced there too.

Unless ITV find a way of wrecking those programmes of course

I believe C4 has more influence over the on screen talent than some here would like to believe. According to reports earlier in the week it was Channel 4 that were making enquiries as to Rory Bremners availability as a replacement. If they desperately wanted to retain Carol i'm sure they could intervene. Besides C4's own financial woes are well documented.

> I'm don't think the end of Countdown would be the end of the YTV studios- Heartbeat and The Royal still pull in the punters-- and there's Emmerdale produced there too.

I was under the impression that these shows were produced on location, rather than at Kirkstall?

Just had a thought. Get Eamon Holmes and Kay Burley to present Countdown

Emmerdale is filmed in the biggest studios in Europe

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harewood