Editing Countdown (game show) (section)

==Format==
''Countdown'' has occupied a daytime broadcast slot since its inception, originally in a 30-minute format. Since 2001, an episode lasts around 45 minutes including advertising breaks. During the normal series, the winner of each game returns for the next day's show. A player who wins eight games is declared an "octochamp" and retires from the programme. At the end of the series, the eight best players (ranked first by number of wins, then by total score if required to break a tie) are invited back to compete in the series finals. They are seeded in a [[single-elimination tournament|knockout]] tournament, with the first seed playing the eighth seed, the second playing the seventh and so on. The winner of this knockout, which culminates in the Grand Final, becomes the series champion. Each series lasts approximately six months with approximately 125 episodes.<ref>''Countdown: Spreading The Word'' (Granada Media, 2001) p. 87.</ref>

Approximately every four series, a Champion of Champions tournament takes place. For this, sixteen of the best players to have appeared since the previous Championship are invited back for another knockout tournament. The [[television producer|producer]], former contestant Damian Eadie, decides which players to include, but typically the tournament includes the series winners and other noteworthy contestants.<ref>[http://www.thecountdownpage.com/exp-julian-fell-1.htm The Countdown Page] Julian Fell's ''Countdown'' "experience"—Retrieved 24 June 2006.</ref> Series 33 was designated a "Supreme Championship", in which 56 of the best contestants from all the previous series returned for another knockout tournament. Series 10 champion Harvey Freeman was declared Supreme Champion after beating Allan Saldanha in the final.<ref name="Countdown 2001 p. 220">''Countdown: Spreading The Word'' (Granada Media, 2001), p. 220.</ref> There are also occasional special episodes, in which past contestants return for themed matches. For example, David Acton and Kenneth Michie returned for a rematch of their Series 31 final, while brothers and former contestants Sanjay and Sandeep Mazumder played off against each other on 20 December 2004.<ref>[http://www.thecountdownpage.com/specials.htm The Countdown Page] list of special episodes and their themes—Retrieved 20 June 2006.</ref>

Since the change to 45-minute episodes, the game has been split into three sections, separated by [[advertising]] breaks. The first section contains two letters rounds and one numbers round, the second has two letters rounds and one numbers round followed by the anecdote from the Dictionary Corner guest and then a further two letters rounds and one numbers round, while the last section has two letters rounds, Susie Dent's "Origins of Words" item since September 2007, two further letters rounds, one numbers round and a final "Conundrum" puzzle. With the exception of the Conundrum, the contestants swap control after every round so that each of them has control for five letters rounds and two numbers rounds.

At the end of the first two sections, the host poses a "Teatime Teaser" for the viewers since series 46 in 2001, giving a set of short words and a [[cryptic clue]] to a single word that can be anagrammed from them. The solution is revealed at the start of the next section. (Example: Given the words SAD MOODY and the clue "We'll all be sad and moody when this arrives", the solution would be DOOMSDAY.) The length of the Teatime Teaser anagram has varied between seven and nine letters since its introduction.

===Letters Round===
The contestant in control chooses between two stacks of face-down letter tiles, one containing [[vowel]]s (A-E-I-O-U only) and the other [[consonant]]s, and the assistant reveals the top tile from that stack and places it on the board. This is done nine times and the final grouping must contain at least three vowels and four consonants.<ref name="rulesref">''Countdown: Spreading the Word'' (Granada Media, 2001) p. 24.</ref> The contestants then have 30 seconds to form the longest single word they can, using the nine revealed letters; no letter may be used more often than it appears in the selection.<ref name="rulesref" /> The frequencies of the letters within each stack are weighted according to their [[Letter frequency|frequency in natural English]], in the same manner as [[Scrabble letter distributions|Scrabble]]. For example, there are many ''N''s and ''R''s in the consonant stack, but very few tiles for rarely used letters such as ''Q'' and ''J''. The letter frequencies are altered by the producers from time to time, so any published list does not necessarily reflect the letters used in any particular programme.<ref>[http://www.thecountdownpage.com/letters.htm The Countdown Page: Letters]—Retrieved 8 April 2010.</ref> The two stacks of tiles are not replenished between rounds.

Both contestants write down the words they form, in case they select the same one. After time runs out, the host asks the contestants to declare their word lengths, starting with the contestant who chose the letters. The host then asks the discovered words, starting with the shorter declared length. If one contestant has not written their word down in time, they must state this fact; if both then declare the same length, that contestant must give their word first to prevent cheating. If both contestants state that they have not written their words, the host allows them a moment to do so; this is typically edited out of the final broadcast. The contestant with the longer valid word scores one point per letter, or 18 points if they have used all nine. If the words are identical or of the same length, both contestants score. In the former case, the contestants must show their written words to each other as proof that they are the same. If a contestant is visually impaired, Dictionary Corner will verify the word. Contestants who inaccurately declare the length of their word score zero, even if the word is valid. Each round ends with Dictionary Corner revealing the longest words and/or any unusual ones that can be formed from the available letters, aided by the production team.<ref>[http://www.ukgameshows.com/ukgs/Countdown UK Game Shows] on production team aid—Retrieved 20 June 2006.</ref>

Any word which appears in the ''[[Oxford Dictionary of English]]'' is valid,<ref>[http://www.thecountdownpage.com/dictionaries.htm The Countdown Page] on dictionaries—Retrieved 20 June 2006.</ref> as well as accepted forms of them that may not be explicitly listed. Examples are:
* Common [[noun]]s and their plurals
* [[Verb]]s and their inflections (e.g. "escape", "escaped", "escaping")
* [[Comparative]] and [[superlative]] forms of [[adjective]]s (if the adjective is more than one syllable, the form must be explicitly listed)<ref>The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' (2005, Oxford University Press), p. xvii.</ref>
* Plurals of foods specified as mass nouns that may be ordered in restaurants (e.g. "pastas", as in "We'll have two pastas")

Words that are not allowed include:
* Terms which are always capitalised, including proper nouns (e.g. "Jane" or "London")
* Words spelled with an apostrophe (e.g. "Didn't" or "Wouldn't")
* Hyphenated terms
* Words that are never used alone (e.g. "gefilte"; only used as part of "gefilte fish")
* Since 2002,<ref name="rulesref" /> [[American English|American spellings]] of words are not allowed (e.g. "flavour" and "signalled" are allowed, but "flavor" and "signaled" are not). Notably, though, words with the suffix ''-ize'' (e.g. "realize") and derived words thereof (e.g. "realizing") are permitted in addition to the corresponding ''-ise'' spellings (e.g. "realise"), as the ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' regards both as British English spellings per the [[Oxford spelling]] convention.

:'''''Example:'''''
::Contestant One chooses five consonants, then three vowels, then another consonant.
::Selection is:
:::<span style="display:block;float:left;margin:0 0.25em;width:1.5em;text-align:center;border:1px solid #000">G</span> <span style="display:block;float:left;margin:0 0.25em;width:1.5em;text-align:center;border:1px solid #000">Y</span> <span style="display:block;float:left;margin:0 0.25em;width:1.5em;text-align:center;border:1px solid #000">H</span> <span style="display:block;float:left;margin:0 0.25em;width:1.5em;text-align:center;border:1px solid #000">D</span> <span style="display:block;float:left;margin:0 0.25em;width:1.5em;text-align:center;border:1px solid #000">N</span> <span style="display:block;float:left;margin:0 0.25em;width:1.5em;text-align:center;border:1px solid #000">O</span> <span style="display:block;float:left;margin:0 0.25em;width:1.5em;text-align:center;border:1px solid #000">E</span> <span style="display:block;float:left;margin:0 0.25em;width:1.5em;text-align:center;border:1px solid #000">U</span> <span style="display:block;float:left;margin:0 0.25em;width:1.5em;text-align:center;border:1px solid #000">R</span>{{clear left}}
::Contestant One declares 7, while Contestant Two declares 8.
::Contestant One reveals ''younger'', but Contestant Two reveals ''hydrogen'' and scores 8 points. Contestant One does not score.
::Dictionary Corner notes ''greyhound'', which would have scored 18 points for using all nine letters.

===Numbers Round===
The contestant in control chooses six of 24 shuffled face-down number tiles, arranged into two groups: 20 "small numbers" (two each of 1 to 10) and four "large numbers" of 25, 50, 75 and 100. The contestant decides how many large numbers are to be used, from none to all four, after which the six tiles are randomly drawn and placed on the board. A random three-digit target figure is then generated by an electronic machine, known as "CECIL" (which stands for ''Countdown's Electronic Calculator In Leeds'').<ref>[http://www.ukgameshows.com/ukgs/Countdown UK Game Shows] on game equipment—Retrieved 20 June 2006.</ref> The contestants have 30 seconds to work out a sequence of calculations with the numbers whose final result is as close to the target number as possible. They may use only the four basic operations of [[addition]], [[subtraction]], [[multiplication]] and [[division (mathematics)|division]]<ref name="rulesref" /> and do not have to use all six numbers. A number may not be used more times than it appears on the board. Division can only be performed if the result has no remainder (i.e., the divisor is a factor of the dividend). Fractions are not allowed and only positive [[integer]]s may be obtained as a result at any stage of the calculation.<ref name="rulesref" /> As in the letters rounds, both contestants must declare their results and any contestant who has not fully written their calculations down in time must go first if both declare the same result. In addition, both contestants must show their written work to each other if their results and calculations are identical.

The contestant who has declared a result closer to the target is called upon to state their calculations first. Only if they make a mistake or if both contestants are equally close to the target, is the opponent called upon.

Only the contestant whose result is closer to the target scores points: ten for reaching it exactly, seven for being between one and five from the target and five for being within six and ten from the target. Contestants score no points for being more than ten away, if their calculations are flawed or if they take too long to give a solution or after saying they have not written it down. Both score if they reach the same result or if their results are the same distance away. Should neither contestant reach the target exactly, the assistant is called upon to attempt a solution, either immediately or at a later time during the episode.

:'''''Example:'''''
::Contestant One requests two large numbers and four small numbers.
::Selection is:
:::<span style="display:block;float:left;margin:0 0.25em;width:1.5em;text-align:center;border:1px solid #000">75</span> <span style="display:block;float:left;margin:0 0.25em;width:1.5em;text-align:center;border:1px solid #000">50</span> <span style="display:block;float:left;margin:0 0.25em;width:1.5em;text-align:center;border:1px solid #000">2</span> <span style="display:block;float:left;margin:0 0.25em;width:1.5em;text-align:center;border:1px solid #000">3</span> <span style="display:block;float:left;margin:0 0.25em;width:1.5em;text-align:center;border:1px solid #000">8</span> <span style="display:block;float:left;margin:0 0.25em;width:1.5em;text-align:center;border:1px solid #000">7</span>{{clear left}}
::Randomly generated target is:
:::<span style="display:block;float:left;margin:0 0.25em;width:3em;text-align:center;border:1px solid #000">812</span>{{clear left}}
::Contestant One declares 813, while Contestant Two declares 815.
::Contestant One is closer and so reveals: 75 + 50 – 8 = 117, and 117 × 7 – (3 × 2) = 813, which scores 7 points for being 1 away. Contestant Two does not score.
::Assistant notes: 50 + 8 = 58, and 7 × 2 × 58 = 812, which would have scored 10 points.

In some games, there are many ways to reach the target exactly; the example target above could also be reached by 7 × (75 + 50 + 2 – 8 – 3) = 812. Not all games are solvable, and for a few selections it is impossible even to get within 10, most commonly when a contestant picks six small numbers and the target number is quite large.<ref>{{cite arXiv | eprint=1502.05450 | last1=Alliot | first1=Jean-Marc | title=The (Final) countdown | year=2015 | class=cs.AI }}</ref> There is a tactical element in selecting how many large numbers to include. One large and five small numbers is the most popular selection,<ref>[http://www.pagetworld.plus.com/countdownresults.htm Countdown Statistics] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071228171319/http://www.pagetworld.plus.com/countdownresults.htm |date=28 December 2007}} on the frequency of each numbers games' selection—Retrieved 19 June 2006.</ref> despite two large numbers giving the best chance of the game being solvable exactly.<ref name="numstats">[http://www.crosswordtools.com/numbers-game/faq.php#stats Crossword Tools] on analysis of the numbers game—Retrieved 20 June 2006.</ref> Selections with zero or four large numbers are generally considered the hardest.<ref name="numstats" />

The 24 tiles are laid out in four rows, the topmost of which contains only the four large numbers. The contestant may specify how many tiles to draw from each row, or simply state how many large and small numbers will be used; in the latter case, the assistant draws the tiles randomly. The numbers are usually placed on the board from right to left, starting with the small ones, but have occasionally been displayed in scrambled order. On rare occasions, the contestant has declined to make any choices, in which case the assistant selects the tiles. Unlike the letters round, the pool of tiles is fully replenished after each numbers round.

:'''''Example:'''''
::Contestant requests one from the top (large), two from the second row (small), and three more from the top (large).
::Selection is (in disorder):
:::<span style="display:block;float:left;margin:0 0.25em;width:1.5em;text-align:center;border:1px solid #000">50</span> <span style="display:block;float:left;margin:0 0.25em;width:1.5em;text-align:center;border:1px solid #000">10</span> <span style="display:block;float:left;margin:0 0.25em;width:1.5em;text-align:center;border:1px solid #000">6</span> <span style="display:block;float:left;margin:0 0.25em;width:1.5em;text-align:center;border:1px solid #000">25</span> <span style="display:block;float:left;margin:0 0.25em;width:2em;text-align:center;border:1px solid #000">100</span> <span style="display:block;float:left;margin:0 0.25em;width:1.5em;text-align:center;border:1px solid #000">75</span>{{clear left}}

A special edition, broadcast on 15 March 2010, for two previous series champions, Kirk Bevins and Chris Davies, used instead of the usual four large numbers, the numbers 12, 37 and two numbers unrevealed for the duration of the show. In a further special broadcast on 16 August 2010 between the Series 59 finalists Charlie Reams and Junaid Mubeen, the other two numbers were revealed to be 62 and 87.

===Conundrum===
The final round of the game is the ''Countdown Conundrum'', in which the contestants are shown a combination of two or three words with a total of nine letters. They have 30 seconds to form a single word using all the letters and must buzz in to respond (a bell for the champion and a buzzer for the challenger). Each contestant is allowed only one guess and the first to answer correctly scores 10 points. If a contestant buzzes-in and either responds incorrectly or fails to give any response, they are frozen out and the remaining time is given to the opponent. If neither contestant can solve it, the presenter asks whether anyone in the audience knows the answer and if so, chooses someone to call it out (this practice was stopped temporarily in 2009 to avoid difficulties with camera angles after the studio layout was changed). The Conundrum is designed to have only one solution, but on occasion more than one valid word is found by happenstance (e.g. MISSATTEE can become both ESTIMATES and STEAMIEST). If this happens, any of these results are accepted. On rare occasions, the Conundrum is presented as a single nine-letter word that must be anagrammed into another one (e.g. SMARTENED becoming TRADESMEN).

If the contestants' scores are within ten points of each other going into this round, it is referred to as a "Crucial Countdown Conundrum." Since ten points are at stake, the contestant who solves it (if any) will either win the game or force a tiebreaker. If the scores are tied after the Conundrum, additional Conundrums are played until the tie is broken. There have been several instances in which two Conundrums were used to decide the winner, but only a handful of episodes have required three. There have also been cases when even more Conundrums have been required to provide a winner, but not all have been included in the transmitted programme.{{citation needed|date=October 2023}}

:'''''Example:'''''
::Conundrum is revealed:
:::<span style="display:block;float:left;margin:0 0.25em;width:1.5em;text-align:center;border:1px solid #000">C</span> <span style="display:block;float:left;margin:0 0.25em;width:1.5em;text-align:center;border:1px solid #000">H</span> <span style="display:block;float:left;margin:0 0.25em;width:1.5em;text-align:center;border:1px solid #000">I</span> <span style="display:block;float:left;margin:0 0.25em;width:1.5em;text-align:center;border:1px solid #000">N</span> <span style="display:block;float:left;margin:0 0.25em;width:1.5em;text-align:center;border:1px solid #000">A</span> <span style="display:block;float:left;margin:0 0.25em;width:1.5em;text-align:center;border:1px solid #000">L</span> <span style="display:block;float:left;margin:0 0.25em;width:1.5em;text-align:center;border:1px solid #000">U</span> <span style="display:block;float:left;margin:0 0.25em;width:1.5em;text-align:center;border:1px solid #000">N</span> <span style="display:block;float:left;margin:0 0.25em;width:1.5em;text-align:center;border:1px solid #000">G</span>{{clear left}}
::Contestant One buzzes-in and says ''launching''. This answer is revealed to be correct and Contestant One scores 10 points.