Countdown - Series 94 and Beyond

 Hello there everybody, and welcome to my last blog of the week -- Countdown for July 3, 2026 Colin starts things off by letting us know that today is the 10th anniversary of Stranger Things.  Colin sent Rachel and Susie a WhatsApp message about it, and reminds us that it is a phenomenally successful show.  Susie reminds us that it is a good show to watch with teenagers as it spans both Generations Y and Alpha.  She says that it brings back so much music, such as Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush.  Yesterday, we said goodbye to Karen Pearson, the Nutcracker, for now.  So, there are 2 new challengers in the studio today. Randomly selected to be in the champion's chair is Dave Smithson, a motorsports fan living in Cheshire but originally from Lancaster.  He has even marshaled motorsports.  Challenging him today is Sarah Sharkey, a software engineer from Dublin.  She has worked with a company since sometime around its birth, and the company now ...

 Hi there everybody, and welcome to my Countdown blog for July 2, 2026. Colin starts off the show by telling us it's UFO Day.  Rachel says that life is more probable than not out there according to sensible scientists.  She says that we're not alone in the universe given the size of it.  Jon believes that alien civilization in life has existed for thousands of years, and the subject fascinates him.  Colin remembers being in his back garden and seeing a blue object fly past him.  It turns out that was a balloon from the birthday party next door to him.  Colin thinks that other civilizations have taken a look in the way past and thought we were fine.  Rachel admits her 6-year-old (Noa?) is very strange. Karen Pearson is back today with 7 wins under her belt.  This is her final game, for now, whether she wins or loses.  She reminds us of her game in Series 53 when Richard Heald beat her by a country mile.  Colin reminds us that Patrick...

Howdy doo everybody, and welcome to my Countdown blog for the 1st of July 2026. Colin starts the show by reminding us that it's Canada Day today.  Before I continue with this blog, I must pay my condolences to a man who has been gone for 6 years already but is still not forgotten and very much missed.  Please allow me to say he would have loved Countdown if ever he saw it because it is a very cerebral game, and his constant desire to learn would have made Susie proud.  He was seen in the US by Stephen Fry, and he became enamored with him.  He was someone who brought peace to this hectic world.  It's a little darker without him.  RIP Alex Trebek.  We miss you. Karen Pearson is back again after scoring her 3rd century in a row.  If her confidence of playing Countdown hasn't boosted by now, I don't know if it ever will.  After 6 wins, I think she has no reason to believe she can't win another game.  She has a husband, 3 brothers, 1 sister, ...

Hello, and welcome to another edition of my blog. Colin, Rachel, Susie and Jon start by mentioning that the movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory was released on this day in 1971.  Rachel says that her kids' gateway to Roald Dahl books was The BFG.  Then they branched out, read Willy Wonka and eventually saw the movie.  They say the kids weren't allowed to see the chocolate room until they were filming.  Jon says that Mr. Bain, his English teacher at the time, let him watch the movie at the end of his school day.  Susie said that the chocolate in the movie was actually brown water that they put cream in to make it look more appetizing, but it was not and smelled terrible.  Karen Pearson is back today after securing a come-from-behind victory in the last third of the game yesterday.  Trying to stop her is Alan Chambers from Stevenage but now living in Cambridgeshire, a retired criminal investigator for HMRC, which is the UK's tax, payment and cust...

  Welcome to my blog.  This blog is a live, play-by-play analysis of each episode of Countdown.  It will have my opinions as well as facts about the show.  Also, I plan to inject some humor into it. So, without further ado, let's get to it! Jon Culshaw, the very funny comedian, is in Dictionary Corner this week. Colin, Rachel and Susie talk about the last series, and how the final had the highest combined score of any Countdown game in the history of the show (274.)  Colin works out that Series 100 will be at exactly this time in 2029.  He also works out that Susie has been on Countdown since Series 30, and that Rachel has done 35 complete series' up to this point. She says she doesn't look a day over 18! She also reminds us that Patrick Thompson, this past series' champion, did not win om his first attempt (back in Series 72,) but then came back to win the whole series.  Susie says that the reasons people watch the show forever and don't apply is unde...