Countdown
TV Show · Game Show · Special Interest

In this game show, two contestants compete against each other and the clock in a battle of wits that tests both their lexical dexterity and numerical knowledge. In the letters round, the contestants must find as many words as they can from nine letter tiles on the board, with longer words being worth more points. In the numbers round, contestants must use addition, subtraction, multiplication and division to come as close to a randomly generated, unknown target as possible using any of six numbered tiles. It's back to letters for the final round, the conundrum, during which the contestants must figure out what nine-letter word is represented by a nine-letter anagram shown on the board. The contestant who has the most points at the end of the conundrum round is declared the winner.

2002 · 35m
Starring Rachel Riley, Susie Dent, Colin Murray

Episodes

  • First shown: Mon 10 Nov 2025
    First shown: Mon 10 Nov 2025
    Colin Murray, Rachel Riley and Susie Dent host, with John Thomson in Dictionary Corner, as contestants race against the clock to pit their wits against vowels, consonants and numbers.
    34 min
  • First shown: Tue 11 Nov 2025
    First shown: Tue 11 Nov 2025
    Colin Murray, Rachel Riley and Susie Dent host, with John Thomson in Dictionary Corner, as contestants race against the clock to pit their wits against vowels, consonants and numbers.
    34 min
  • First shown: Wed 12 Nov 2025
    First shown: Wed 12 Nov 2025
    Colin Murray, Rachel Riley and Susie Dent host, with John Thomson in Dictionary Corner, as contestants race against the clock to pit their wits against vowels, consonants and numbers.
    35 min
  • First shown: Thu 13 Nov 2025
    First shown: Thu 13 Nov 2025
    Colin Murray, Rachel Riley and Susie Dent host, with John Thomson in Dictionary Corner, as contestants race against the clock to pit their wits against vowels, consonants and numbers.
    35 min
  • First shown: Fri 14 Nov 2025
    First shown: Fri 14 Nov 2025
    Colin Murray, Rachel Riley and Susie Dent host, with John Thomson in Dictionary Corner, as contestants race against the clock to pit their wits against vowels, consonants and numbers.
    35 min
  • First shown: Mon 17 Nov 2025
    First shown: Mon 17 Nov 2025
    Colin Murray, Rachel Riley and Susie Dent host, with Pam Ayres in Dictionary Corner, as contestants race against the clock to pit their wits against vowels, consonants and numbers
    35 min

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Cast & Crew

  • Rachel Riley
    Host
  • Susie Dent
    Host
  • Colin Murray
    Host
  • Anne Robinson
    Host
  • Nick Hewer
    Host
  • Jeff Stelling
    Host
  • Armand Jammot
    Creator

About

Countdown

Game Show

In this game show, two contestants compete against each other and the clock in a battle of wits that tests both their lexical dexterity and numerical knowledge. In the letters round, the contestants must find as many words as they can from nine letter tiles on the board, with longer words being worth more points. In the numbers round, contestants must use addition, subtraction, multiplication and division to come as close to a randomly generated, unknown target as possible using any of six numbered tiles. It's back to letters for the final round, the conundrum, during which the contestants must figure out what nine-letter word is represented by a nine-letter anagram shown on the board. The contestant who has the most points at the end of the conundrum round is declared the winner.

Information

Studio
Channel 4
Released
2002

Languages

Original Audio
English
Audio

English (United Kingdom) (AAC)

Subtitles

English (United Kingdom)

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Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

  • Armenia
  • Azerbaijan
  • Bahrain
  • Botswana
  • Brunei Darussalam
  • Cape Verde
  • Egypt
  • Eswatini
  • Gambia
  • Ghana
  • Guinea-Bissau
  • India
  • Israel
  • Jordan
  • Lebanon
  • Mauritius
  • Mozambique
  • Namibia
  • Niger (English)
  • Oman
  • Qatar
  • Saudi Arabia
  • South Africa
  • Sri Lanka
  • Tajikistan
  • Turkmenistan
  • Uganda
  • United Arab Emirates
  • Zimbabwe

Asia Pacific

  • Australia
  • Cambodia
  • Fiji
  • 香港 (廣東話–繁體)
  • Indonesia (English)
  • 日本
  • Lao People's Democratic Republic
  • 澳門 (廣東話–繁體)
  • Malaysia (English)
  • Micronesia, Federated States of
  • Mongolia
  • New Zealand
  • Philippines
  • Singapore
  • 대한민국
  • 台灣
  • Thailand
  • Turkmenistan
  • Vietnam

Europe

  • Armenia
  • Österreich
  • Belarus
  • Belgium
  • Bulgaria
  • Cyprus
  • Czechia
  • Denmark
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • France (Français)
  • Deutschland
  • Greece
  • Hungary
  • Ireland
  • Italia
  • Latvia
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg (English)
  • Malta
  • Moldova, Republic Of
  • Nederland
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Portugal (Português)
  • Россия
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • España
  • Sverige
  • Schweiz
  • Türkiye (English)
  • Ukraine
  • United Kingdom

Latin America and the Caribbean

  • Anguilla
  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Argentina (Español)
  • Bahamas
  • Belize
  • Bermuda
  • Bolivia (Español)
  • Brasil
  • Virgin Islands, British
  • Cayman Islands
  • Chile (Español)
  • Colombia (Español)
  • Costa Rica (Español)
  • Dominica
  • República Dominicana
  • Ecuador (Español)
  • El Salvador (Español)
  • Grenada
  • Guatemala (Español)
  • Honduras (Español)
  • México
  • Nicaragua (Español)
  • Panamá
  • Paraguay (Español)
  • Perú
  • St. Kitts and Nevis
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Venezuela (Español)

The United States and Canada

  • Canada (English)
  • Canada (Français)
  • United States
  • Estados Unidos (Español México)