Jeff Stelling to host Countdown

Originally Posted by Shadow Demon UK

I think the show gets more viewers then that, i read that it hit over 1 million at the start of the year, but if he's a good presenter surely the viewing figures don't matter?

I checked BARB before posting. In the last couple of months he reached slightly in excess of 350,000 on one occasion. All the other entries I looked at were well below 300,000.

Viewing figures for his Sky Sports show really don't matter. For all I know he's superb, and I wish him well. My mum's a big fan of Countdown so I hope he continues the show's success for her sake if nothing else.

I was challenging the idea that he is some sort of a legend. I don't think it's possible to achieve legendary status on any pay channel in this country. There simply aren't enough people watching.

Originally Posted by ANTOINE

Well..... if you'e never heard of him, so what?

He isn't a legend. That's what. But not because Russ, or I, haven't heard of him. Because almost everyone else in the country hasn't heard of him either.

He's the presenter of a very popular sky sports program and has been for many years.

Recent viewing figures say his programme is not 'very popular' even by Sky's standards. He appears to get less than a third of the viewers of a top-rated Sky One show.

And he is a legend, if you haven't heard of him, who cares - he's ultimately more interesting than you.

No need to get snippy. Let's turn that on its head. You've heard of him? Who cares? You're one person. You're one of very few people in the UK who watch his show.

It doesn't matter how forcefully you stamp your foot and insist on your point - being legendary requires rather more than being seen by comfortably fewer than half a million people on a subscription-only TV channel on a Saturday afternoon.

Richard Whiteley - now he was legendary. If Stelling can achieve half of what Whiteley did as host of Countdown, well then maybe he'll be a legend.

[Turkey Machine]

Bloody hell, never saw that one coming! Stelling's good at his job at Sky Sports, but it'll be interesting to see how he measures up on Countdown. Words and numbers may be his forté (after all, he does have to announce every goal, half-time and full-time score that comes on the vidiprinter), but it's a whole new ball game (sorry) on a gameshow.

Who's the totty he's got doing the maths, then?

[moaningmags]

According to the news:-

"He will be joined on the show by a 22-year-old replacement for Carol Vorderman – a brilliant but unknown Oxford University maths graduate. Rachel Riley beat more than 1,000 other applicants to win her place on the programme."

[Shadow Demon UK]

Originally Posted by Chris

I checked BARB before posting. In the last couple of months he reached slightly in excess of 350,000 on one occasion. All the other entries I looked at were well below 300,000.

Well according to the BARB website here http://www.barb.co.uk/viewingsummary...rt=weeklytop30 the show got 605,000 viewers a couple of weeks ago on Sky Sports one and it's also shown on Sky Sports News which it doesn't have the figures for but as that's on freeview i would have thought they would have been fairly high also. But as you say the viewing figures don't really matter.

[supremus]

Originally Posted by Chris

He isn't a legend. That's what. But not because Russ, or I, haven't heard of him. Because almost everyone else in the country hasn't heard of him either.

He can still be legendary among his modest group of "followers" without being well known by the public at large, but being legendary or not has little or nothing to do with this. Being well known has, though. And that, he is not.

The average countdown viewer is a loyal creature who doesn't particularly like change. When change inevitably forces its way into their little world, it's much easier to keep them from becoming upset, if the change is something they're comfortable with. I think Des & Des fit that description, and their transition was helped by the presence of Carol's steady hand, but when you throw out all the old and replace it with two new complete unknowns like this, it could spell trouble. It's like when that annoying little ginger woman left that irritating dating show, whose name escapes me. For better or for worse, it's the end of an era, and it might have made more sense to put the show on the shelf for a little while, and maybe bring back a revamped version in a year or two, when people might have missed in, instead of doing it now, where they might just be looking for an excuse to drop it.

[lauzjp]

Originally Posted by supremus

The average countdown viewer is a loyal creature who doesn't particularly like change. When change inevitably forces its way into their little world, it's much easier to keep them from becoming upset, if the change is something they're comfortable with. I think Des & Des fit that description, and their transition was helped by the presence of Carol's steady hand, but when you throw out all the old and replace it with two new complete unknowns like this, it could spell trouble. It's like when that annoying little ginger woman left that irritating dating show, whose name escapes me. For better or for worse, it's the end of an era, and it might have made more sense to put the show on the shelf for a little while, and maybe bring back a revamped version in a year or two, when people might have missed in, instead of doing it now, where they might just be looking for an excuse to drop it.

Carol was very arrogant to think that the show wouldn't exist without her, and that they would continue to pay her whatever she wanted.

I considered myself a loyal Countdown viewer before all that hoo-hah.

I also thought it would be a poorer show after Richard Whiteley. Des Lynam was just way too dull, and Des O' Connor was struggling a bit at times - with reading, keeping up with the game... As for Carol's show performences - I have often found myself yelling at the telly, cos I've worked out the numbers game, and for the nth time this week she hasn't!

Originally Posted by Chris

Recent viewing figures say his programme is not 'very popular' even by Sky's standards. He appears to get less than a third of the viewers of a top-rated Sky One show.

being legendary requires rather more than being seen by comfortably fewer than half a million people on a subscription-only TV channel on a Saturday afternoon.

Sky Sports News also shows Soccer Saturday. Which is available on freeview, as well as virgin basic / xl again now I believe?

[gazzae]

Originally Posted by Chris

I checked BARB before posting. In the last couple of months he reached slightly in excess of 350,000 on one occasion. All the other entries I looked at were well below 300,000.

There seems to be two entries for GSS on the BARB site. One that starts at 12pm and one that starts at 3pm. The viewing figures pick up for the 3pm one...

09/11/08 GILLETTE SOCCER SATURDAY (Sat 15:15) 605
02/11/08 GILLETTE SOCCER SATURDAY (Sat 15:00) 614
26/10/08 GILLETTE SOCCER SATURDAY (Sat 15:00) 592
19/10/08 GILLETTE SOCCER SATURDAY (Sat 15:00) 570

[cimt]

It's likely that people tune in after they've been to the match...

Also, within the football world, Jeff is a legend.

[Mal]

Originally Posted by cimt

It's likely that people tune in after they've been to the match...

His show finishes not long after the end of the match

[mr,m]

I feel good !!!

[cimt]

Sometimes matches kickoff at like 11/12 though.

[Shadow Demon UK]

Originally Posted by cimt

It's likely that people tune in after they've been to the match...

I would have thought it's more likely people tune in towards the end to see the final scores.

[scrotnig]

I'm not a massive sports fan, but I've heard of him, he's almost legendary and makes a very entertaining show. I think he'll be absolutely brilliant on Contdown, an inspired choice.

Incidentally he's on Sky Sports NEWS, not Sky Sports, it's free to air so you don't need a Sky Sports dubscription to see him.

[frogstamper]

Personally I doubt that Countdown has much more than a couple of years left in it, imo one of the main reasons it has run for so long were because of its two main presenters Richard Whitely and Carol Vorderman.
After the sad demise of Richard the show done well in contracting both Des Lynam and O'Connor, the pair of them certainly appealed to the shows core audience with their laid back style, both ably supported by Carol Vorderman.
Now both of these original presenters have left Countdown will become just one more tea-time quiz show in a market already full of them.

[dev]

Originally Posted by gazzae

There seems to be two entries for GSS on the BARB site. One that starts at 12pm and one that starts at 3pm. The viewing figures pick up for the 3pm one...

09/11/08 GILLETTE SOCCER SATURDAY (Sat 15:15) 605
02/11/08 GILLETTE SOCCER SATURDAY (Sat 15:00) 614
26/10/08 GILLETTE SOCCER SATURDAY (Sat 15:00) 592
19/10/08 GILLETTE SOCCER SATURDAY (Sat 15:00) 570

it starts at 12pm on sky sports news and 3pm on sky sports 1 (after the live football match they have at 12pm)