Comedian and actress, she was in Greg Davies'sitcom Man Down (with Rik Mayall), been on Cats does Countdown and regular 8/10 Cats a few times and I rather like her but dont know why.
Well wasn't expecting to like this week's show with 3 people I don't find very likeable: Jonathan Ross, Sarah Millican and Jason Manford. However I was pleasantly surprised that none of them seemed to be as obnoxious as they normally are. Add the fact that Joe Wilkinson (hooray - has C4 finally sacked him?) wasn't on meant that I actually quite enjoyed it.
Missed Jon though.
The problem with Joe Wilkinson is that he seems to make Jimmy Carr and co laugh but not us at home! I used to like him but he's gone the way of Harry Hill with over-elaborate set pieces and props.
1. what i'd pay to have the furthest left front row seat in that audience
2. have they let joe go or just a temp change e.g. is he on tour/filming something else?
3. the jimmy sketches during the countdown can be hit/miss, maybe reduce them and have him actually just sitting there occasionally with the ordinary 30 sec countdown. they're obviously so terrified that folk will get bored they feel the need to fill every part with 'comedy.'
4. i'm started to feel attracted to susie as much as rachel ... well ... almost as much
5. didn't like the 3rd guest thing.
1. what i'd pay to have the furthest left front row seat in that audience
2. have they let joe go or just a temp change e.g. is he on tour/filming something else?
3. the jimmy sketches during the countdown can be hit/miss, maybe reduce them and have him actually just sitting there occasionally with the ordinary 30 sec countdown. they're obviously so terrified that folk will get bored they feel the need to fill every part with 'comedy.'
4. i'm started to feel attracted to susie as much as rachel ... well ... almost as much
5. didn't like the 3rd guest thing.
Well its strange, they filmed 6 episodes for the series that just aired. They filmed it over 3 days with 2 episodes per day (One is filmed approx 5:30 pm and the other is filmed approx 8pm if I remember correctly). Jon & Joe appeared on 5 episodes which means there must have bee one day where they filmed one episode but then didn't film the second.
I don't know if they showed the episodes in the order they filmed them but maybe both had other commitments or both became ill or something. It seems a bit strange.
I noticed that, the target was 836 and her solution was:
(100 + 50 - 2 * 5) * 6 - 4
but this was simpler:
(100 + 5) * (6 + 2) - 4
I'm guessing the difference is because she worked backwards and you worked forwards. Working backwards, start by saying 836 + 4 is 840, which is a good first step because it obviously has a lot of factors. If she then tried dividing it by each of the other numbers she had available, she'd get 6 * 140. Then she tries to make 140, which given she has 100 and a 50 quickly left her having to make 10.
At each stage she just had one sub-problem to solve. Where-as, still working backwards, splitting 840 into 105 * 8 leaves you with two sub-problems: 105 and 8. That's tricky because it involves more short-term memory, and it seems like more work because she doesn't have either 105 or 8 in the available numbers.
I imagine you looked at the numbers and tried to build forward. You probably started with 100 * 6 and then 100 * (6 + 2) to get 800, and then (100 + 5) * (6 + 2) to get 840.
I'm guessing the difference is because she worked backwards and you worked forwards. Working backwards, start by saying 836 + 4 is 840, which is a good first step because it obviously has a lot of factors. If she then tried dividing it by each of the other numbers she had available, she'd get 6 * 140. Then she tries to make 140, which given she has 100 and a 50 quickly left her having to make 10.
At each stage she just had one sub-problem to solve. Where-as, still working backwards, splitting 840 into 105 * 8 leaves you with two sub-problems: 105 and 8. That's tricky because it involves more short-term memory, and it seems like more work because she doesn't have either 105 or 8 in the available numbers.
I imagine you looked at the numbers and tried to build forward. You probably started with 100 * 6 and then 100 * (6 + 2) to get 800, and then (100 + 5) * (6 + 2) to get 840.
You're probably right. My steps were as follows: get the 8 (6 + 2) in order get 800 (8 * 100) could not see how to get 36 from remaining numbers so tried adding to the 100 before multiplying by 8 (100 + 4 = 104; 104 * 8 = 832; 832 + 5 = 839) which was 1 away. In the last second, realised adding the 5 to the 100 would get 840 when multiplied by 8 then subtract the 4 to get 836, bingo.
I consider my mental arithmetic to be fairly average, but going by how bad most guests usually do, maybe it's better than I thought, my success rate is roughly the same as Jon Richardson.
The problem with Joe Wilkinson is that he seems to make Jimmy Carr and co laugh but not us at home! I used to like him but he's gone the way of Harry Hill with over-elaborate set pieces and props.
I find him funny, sometimes very funny. His "incredible hulk" act last week worked well. His part has been toned down slightly so it doesn't interfere too much with the game, which is an improvement.
I had perfected the blotting out of Joe Wilkinson to such an art that it took me a while to even realise his absence.
I've found this series a bit dull and samey to be honest, though last night's show was one of the better ones of the run I thought. I quite like Jon, but all the same it was nice to see some different people on it, and indeed, even though I'm no fan of either Millican or Ross, I think they're OK on this. It felt fresher for the change.
However, the growing issue I have with it as a comedy show is that I find there's actually very little comedy once the game begins, now less than ever, as surely any scope for humour that the game can throw up with spontaneity has been done over, and over, and over by now. I love Countdown and used to enjoy the mix of the game and the comedy, but I find myself losing interest once they start playing these days. The twenty-minute introductions have become the star of the show.
Although I still think it was a bit laboured as an episode.
Good job Millican doesn't still have the shorter blonde hair or that other lass would have been her twin.
Hope they give it a rest now until next year but more likely they'll get another two series it before the year is out.
Although I still think it was a bit laboured as an episode.
Good job Millican doesn't still have the shorter blonde hair or that other lass would have been her twin.
Hope they give it a rest now until next year but more likely they'll get another two series it before the year is out.
I'm looking forward to the standard show again.
If they are doing it the same as the past year there will be a regular "8 Out Of 10 Cats" series in the spring time.
This is usually followed by about 4-6 episodes of "Cats Does Countdown" in the Summer.
Then in late October/Early November they do another series of regular "8 Out Of 10 Cats" leading up to about Mid December.
Then both regular "8 Out Of 10 Cats" and "Cats Does Countdown" get a "Christmas Special".
Then every new year starts with a "Cats Does Countdown" Series.
So they seem to give both the regular show and the Countdown show 2 series per year. Though the regular Cats show has more episodes per series than the Countdown one.
Does anyone find that Rachel overcomplicates the numbers solution? The first one tonight being he prime example?!
It's called showing off.
A number of viewers could have got the first one and she probably just wanted to prove she could come up with something different rather than just writing down what people at home could easily have come up with.
1. what i'd pay to have the furthest left front row seat in that audience
The way studio audience works is they over allocate tickets to ensure a full audience, so some people get refused entry if they don't turn up early enough. However, those people get offered priority tickets for a future recording and get let in first so usually get front row seats.
Alternatively you make get sat near the front if you have a disability.
So it's not easy to finish up with front row seats!
I think it's only Sean...He's missed 4 episodes in total.
2 when he was ill and another 2 when he was on tour and it clashed with filming.
Lee Mack stepped in on all 4 occasions
They usually film two episodes in the same evening, usually on a Monday so someone being absent for one day of filming usually means they miss two episodes. It's also why on some occasions a contestant on one program has been in dictionary corner the next.
I wouldn't be surprised if a one-off special for Easter appears which was filmed on the same night as episode 7.
Comments
Really awful, Sarah Milligan and Jonathon Ross >:( turned over
Comedian and actress, she was in Greg Davies'sitcom Man Down (with Rik Mayall), been on Cats does Countdown and regular 8/10 Cats a few times and I rather like her but dont know why.
Missed Jon though.
I really missed Joe Wilkinson tonight.
I really didn't miss Joe Wilkinson. It's such a better show without him.
+1 I used to really enjoy him, but his section has become so forced and unfunny. Loved tonights show!
2. have they let joe go or just a temp change e.g. is he on tour/filming something else?
3. the jimmy sketches during the countdown can be hit/miss, maybe reduce them and have him actually just sitting there occasionally with the ordinary 30 sec countdown. they're obviously so terrified that folk will get bored they feel the need to fill every part with 'comedy.'
4. i'm started to feel attracted to susie as much as rachel ... well ... almost as much
5. didn't like the 3rd guest thing.
Well its strange, they filmed 6 episodes for the series that just aired. They filmed it over 3 days with 2 episodes per day (One is filmed approx 5:30 pm and the other is filmed approx 8pm if I remember correctly). Jon & Joe appeared on 5 episodes which means there must have bee one day where they filmed one episode but then didn't film the second.
I don't know if they showed the episodes in the order they filmed them but maybe both had other commitments or both became ill or something. It seems a bit strange.
Though yes I would love that left seat too
I noticed that, the target was 836 and her solution was:
(100 + 50 - 2 * 5) * 6 - 4
but this was simpler:
(100 + 5) * (6 + 2) - 4
They've done this on Countdown for years using as many numbers on the board as possible to solve the equation. I guess it's showing off a bit.
Certainly better than not solving it at all, which is what most of the guests do.
Last night's episode was okay, nothing special. I didn't miss Joe but I do find it funnier with Jon. Bill Bailey was pretty good.
At each stage she just had one sub-problem to solve. Where-as, still working backwards, splitting 840 into 105 * 8 leaves you with two sub-problems: 105 and 8. That's tricky because it involves more short-term memory, and it seems like more work because she doesn't have either 105 or 8 in the available numbers.
I imagine you looked at the numbers and tried to build forward. You probably started with 100 * 6 and then 100 * (6 + 2) to get 800, and then (100 + 5) * (6 + 2) to get 840.
You're probably right. My steps were as follows: get the 8 (6 + 2) in order get 800 (8 * 100) could not see how to get 36 from remaining numbers so tried adding to the 100 before multiplying by 8 (100 + 4 = 104; 104 * 8 = 832; 832 + 5 = 839) which was 1 away. In the last second, realised adding the 5 to the 100 would get 840 when multiplied by 8 then subtract the 4 to get 836, bingo.
I consider my mental arithmetic to be fairly average, but going by how bad most guests usually do, maybe it's better than I thought, my success rate is roughly the same as Jon Richardson.
I've found this series a bit dull and samey to be honest, though last night's show was one of the better ones of the run I thought. I quite like Jon, but all the same it was nice to see some different people on it, and indeed, even though I'm no fan of either Millican or Ross, I think they're OK on this. It felt fresher for the change.
However, the growing issue I have with it as a comedy show is that I find there's actually very little comedy once the game begins, now less than ever, as surely any scope for humour that the game can throw up with spontaneity has been done over, and over, and over by now. I love Countdown and used to enjoy the mix of the game and the comedy, but I find myself losing interest once they start playing these days. The twenty-minute introductions have become the star of the show.
Although I still think it was a bit laboured as an episode.
Good job Millican doesn't still have the shorter blonde hair or that other lass would have been her twin.
Hope they give it a rest now until next year but more likely they'll get another two series it before the year is out.
I'm looking forward to the standard show again.
If they are doing it the same as the past year there will be a regular "8 Out Of 10 Cats" series in the spring time.
This is usually followed by about 4-6 episodes of "Cats Does Countdown" in the Summer.
Then in late October/Early November they do another series of regular "8 Out Of 10 Cats" leading up to about Mid December.
Then both regular "8 Out Of 10 Cats" and "Cats Does Countdown" get a "Christmas Special".
Then every new year starts with a "Cats Does Countdown" Series.
So they seem to give both the regular show and the Countdown show 2 series per year. Though the regular Cats show has more episodes per series than the Countdown one.
It's called showing off.
A number of viewers could have got the first one and she probably just wanted to prove she could come up with something different rather than just writing down what people at home could easily have come up with.
The way studio audience works is they over allocate tickets to ensure a full audience, so some people get refused entry if they don't turn up early enough. However, those people get offered priority tickets for a future recording and get let in first so usually get front row seats.
Alternatively you make get sat near the front if you have a disability.
So it's not easy to finish up with front row seats!
They usually film two episodes in the same evening, usually on a Monday so someone being absent for one day of filming usually means they miss two episodes. It's also why on some occasions a contestant on one program has been in dictionary corner the next.
I wouldn't be surprised if a one-off special for Easter appears which was filmed on the same night as episode 7.