Tuesday 3 February 2015

Reruns back on!

Thanks to commenter Justin Thai for pointing out that SBS has started showing some more re-runs (who knows for how long).  Ignore the website's erroneous claim that they are showing season 4; the two episodes currently available on the show's webpage are 251 and 252.  For anyone wanting to watch them on TV as they air, it appears that they are showing at 5:30PM on SBS ONE.

If they keep showing them then we have 43 episodes to see that I have not covered yet (before we hit the season three finals).  I'm going to suspend new games while the re-runs are on, and aim to catch up on those shortly.  It will be interesting to see what it's like playing the show's games after this time.  I've got a suspicion I've been overly lenient with my timings.

7 comments:

Mike Backhouse said...

I've been playing on the Countdown episodes Geoff and was surprised that the 30 seconds seemed to be more time than I have been allowing myself here. Anyway we will see with the new L and N games. I'm glad we will be playing the games from the TV show and we will have that timing accuracy and imperative.

Sam G said...

I watched 251 & 252 yesterday, and was surprised how difficult I found some rounds.

There are a few changes from the norm that inhibit performance, which are an even bigger issue for actual contestants:
1. Seeing the letters/numbers in a different format to what you've gotten used to.
2. Sitting in a different environment.
3. The now-unfamiliar distraction of the 30-second music.
4. The distraction of what is happening on screen.
5. Feeling the presence of your opponent/s (on conundrums in particular).

With number rounds, one can feel in a rush to get something down. Sometimes pen might go to paper too early, and the contestant would have been better off thinking longer about how to solve or get closer to the target.

Contestants face additional distractions, such as the prospect of public humiliation, and the possibility of your time on the show finishing forever.

Mike Backhouse said...

Thanks for the insight Sam. I could only imagine what it must be like to actually be on the show with all that pressure. The 'kangaroo in the spotlight' syndrome would certainly inhibit me. I definitely felt that pressure on the conundrums watching Countdown.

Geoff Bailey said...

Yes, I had a similar experience to Sam. In particular, I panicked at one point in episode 252, and only barely recovered in time. It's interesting!

Unknown said...

Ditto above. It certainly is much more challenging even in your own living room (and not actually ON TV!) for all the reasons Sam outlined.

Unknown said...

Actually it's great to see the re-runs back on.
I do miss the original having been a previous contestant on the show.
Love the blogs, thank you

Geoff Bailey said...

Nice to hear from you, Steve; I hope the re-runs will keep going for a while. Always nice to hear from a former contestant!

(For anyone else reading this, Steve first appeared in episode 426.)