I know this comment is 6 yrs old haha but ill still reply. A big factor contributing to this is tape vs digital recording medium, around the time this was recorded tape was still the primariy recording medium being used as digital storage medium's such as sd cards etc weren't fast enough and we didn't have the really robust encoding formats we have now, so even higher budget digital back then would look average (compression artifacts, noise, lower dynamic range, low resolution etc). Also typically the studio's would hang on to their equipment for as long as possible before each refresh cycle for budgetary reasons, so they likely held off on upgrading their equipment and it wasn't constantly at the "cutting edge".
This host guy did a great job. Welcoming, introducing the idea, linking it back to the old series comfortably. Well done. Not as funny as Jimmy, but kind of a cool guy.
For me Jeff Stelling was the closest the regular show's come to truly succeeding the original host Richard Whiteley (that said Colin Murray's not bad himself), had he stayed on I feel he could've created a legacy of his own but a certain Richard Keys had to ruin that...
It had me googling the spelling just to be sure, but yeah I got cinnamon almost right away (if you don't count the three years late I am to this video and comment xD)
Winnie Wallace... Wow, look at you back then... And now you're all confident and very much a part of Countdown. Got yourself a lovely husband and two adorable girls.well done Rach, we love the show....
This is a new low for my procrastinating brain. Was surprised to see so many letter games in comparison with the 8 out of 10 version which to me is the proper one.
Kristian Gillström Björklund: That's why they always joke about the audience of the proper show being incredibly old (and Rachel Riley being responsible for thousands of old men dying from heart attacks, hah). This programme is entirely marketed to retired people who need to keep their brains active. The 8 out of 10 Cats version was originally a charity short because they thought it would be so bizarre to mix one of the funniest shows with one of the most famously boring, but they accidentally came up with a genuinely funny and entertaining show while trying to laugh at how ridiculous the combination would be.
Guys, how do you actually get good sr countdown? I'm trying to find a formula. Thinking about learning all prefixes and suffixes and working from there.
@@hyperboreandream I guess everyone has his own formula that works best for him/her! That doesn't mean that one is better than the other though! I used to teach Dutch, English, German and Portuguese and in all languages words have a defined ending in their present or past tense! If I see an E and a D for example I automatically search first in my past tense which saves thinking time! Then there's common endings like AN, ON, ER, ING, LY, RY, etc. So I my case I find it easier to work backwords! Vocab is key though because you won't find words you don't know or never use!
I solved CINNAMON for the second game, RESHORES for the first. A few seconds and a web search later, I realized RESHORERS was a perfect nine for that round.
She's 30 years old now, so back then she must've been 22ish? She's changed so much, gone from a kinda frumpy looking maths teacher to one of the hottest girls on british tv.
sorry but there was never a time she was frumpy looking, even in these earlier episodes. At worst she looks like Gwyneth Paltrow which isn't a bad thing. Even in very bad outfits she doesn't look frumpy at all. Average I would say on her worst days, super hot on her good days. I've seen some episodes where she looks really drawn out, tired, like she's been partying all night, but even in those episodes where she is so-so, she never has looked frumpy. Some bad outfits sure, some really horrible ones, but a hot girl can make bad outfits look better.
Are we watching the same video? Her posture back then was terrible, alongside the bad outfits as you mentioned. You have to admit, compare this video to her in 2017 and it's night a day.
If anything it was Carol who was totally frumpy and unattractive when Countdown first hit our screens but gradually became a goddess. I think Rachel looks great here
Keep replaying that opening monologue in my head but instead of “because Countdown is back”, the last line is “because...there’s been a goal at Anfield, Alan McInally!”
Countdown these days may look different, but the late Richard Whitley would’ve wanted the show to go on and on in his memory, so would Carol Vorderman too… Stay tuned for the 40th Anniversary this early November.. 💙
I remember seeing this show for the first time and thinking "Man this show is boring but holy moly the numbers/letters girl is smoking hot." I"m pretty sure I wasn't the only one. :p
I always thought the way they pick letters is odd. You are going to get the top three vowels, the top four consonants and two sort of random. Seems they could be pre-set to a large degree.
She's 30 I think and was approx. 22 when she started in 2009. And Countdown has barely changed since 1981, it was made for old people and it's still aimed at them.
Edgar1988 1 second ago Heck, I'm old and can't even watch original countdown, sorry Rachael. Cats is where it's at. I just wish they'd show the uncut cats version - apparently they have like a 2-3 hour filming for each one and some of the funniest stuff only shows up for a few hundred milliseconds
Jimmy Carr looks so much better after he had all that work done.
Cyclops Was Right hahaha! :)
So much funnier too
New teeth and dodging taxes will do that to you.
It’s tax deductible
lol, but how young are Rachael and Suzie!?
Hilarious to see the commercials, all about cholesterol, funerals, and cholesterol. They know their target audience!
7 ads about food, 1 ad about pedigree (technically food lol) and 1 about perfume,
Do they have an obesity problem or what lol.
Weird to think that’s the same set that Sean lock will be in when he dumps cat littler all over himself.
OMFG this nearly killed me. You are so right!
LOL
RIP
All I can see is that Rachel's posture has gotten better over the years. LOL
no doubt
It reaaaaly has :-) dude lol
those heels probably did it, she slouched to reach the letters vs now she leans in
I think *part* of it is that the letters board was originally a bit too low.
@@NestorCustodio i was thinking the same for the whole episode
Poor Rachel! She looks so adorably nervous here!
Oh no
@richin212 she would be nervous on her first episode
Even though it was barely 9 years ago, it looks like it was recorded 19 years ago
It’s the black bars. Despite it being 16:9, the bad zoom factor makes it look like a pre-widescreen programme ie pre-2000.
I know this comment is 6 yrs old haha but ill still reply.
A big factor contributing to this is tape vs digital recording medium, around the time this was recorded tape was still the primariy recording medium being used as digital storage medium's such as sd cards etc weren't fast enough and we didn't have the really robust encoding formats we have now, so even higher budget digital back then would look average (compression artifacts, noise, lower dynamic range, low resolution etc).
Also typically the studio's would hang on to their equipment for as long as possible before each refresh cycle for budgetary reasons, so they likely held off on upgrading their equipment and it wasn't constantly at the "cutting edge".
go watch a 19 year old video and you wouldnt say that lol
@@lafondawilliams I was there Gandalf. I was there 3000 years ago.
This host guy did a great job. Welcoming, introducing the idea, linking it back to the old series comfortably. Well done. Not as funny as Jimmy, but kind of a cool guy.
For me Jeff Stelling was the closest the regular show's come to truly succeeding the original host Richard Whiteley (that said Colin Murray's not bad himself), had he stayed on I feel he could've created a legacy of his own but a certain Richard Keys had to ruin that...
My God they vamped up Rachel Riley over the years.......................
Wait till you've seen what "they" have done to Sean Lock!
Give the woman credit for some agency over her life. “They” couldn’t vamp her up unless she wanted it.
Juniper Hill she be great as a model she got the figure and looks. She one hot chic
the goatee and shaved head threw me the first time I saw it. He looked like he should have been starring in Breaking Bad.
It took me couple of seconds to figure out you were actually talking about Sean...
After the 8 out of 10 cats version, this is so damn boring lol
haha, I know... they're taking things WAY to seriously here.
@@arupian666 "to"
Gotcha mate
haha, Charlie, you rascal... you did get me mate, it's a fair cop.
@@arupian666 boy you sure were made the fool! commiserations, old chap.
@@pepe6666 Thanks, old bean... t'was indeed. a bitter pill to swallow.
I can hardly believe they missed 'cinnamon' on the second challenge.
I got that one right away , even Suzie missed it .
it was obvious to me straight off
Was just about to say that.
It had me googling the spelling just to be sure, but yeah I got cinnamon almost right away (if you don't count the three years late I am to this video and comment xD)
I hoped someone would have made this comment.
The speed of his answer for the Countdown Conundrum (nine letter problem at the end) is insane.
This is Britain, this is Britain, this is Britain, this is Britain, this is Britain, this is Britain
Britain Britain Britain, Not in Europe now
weird comment..
Winnie Wallace... Wow, look at you back then... And now you're all confident and very much a part of Countdown. Got yourself a lovely husband and two adorable girls.well done Rach, we love the show....
“Just the one “I” there, can’t see much with that” Wow. Lol
I love the fact the commercials are still here. i love watching old commercials
This is a new low for my procrastinating brain.
Was surprised to see so many letter games in comparison with the 8 out of 10 version which to me is the proper one.
I like 8 out of 10 Cats better, but it's not the proper version. It's a celebrity spin off of this one. More puzzles, less banter.
But this one is sooo slow
Kristian Gillström Björklund: That's why they always joke about the audience of the proper show being incredibly old (and Rachel Riley being responsible for thousands of old men dying from heart attacks, hah). This programme is entirely marketed to retired people who need to keep their brains active. The 8 out of 10 Cats version was originally a charity short because they thought it would be so bizarre to mix one of the funniest shows with one of the most famously boring, but they accidentally came up with a genuinely funny and entertaining show while trying to laugh at how ridiculous the combination would be.
@@somerandomguy2073 thats interesting. i wondered how it came about. its such a strange show.
@@pepe6666 if you wanna know about proper... Look no further then French "Des Chiffres et Des Lettres"...around 1972
I think Suzie looks better now, she's changed the most.
No she hasnt changed the most but she has changed a fair bit
Both look better in Older Version.Ofc it's only MY opinion😊
Rachel is one of the very few that get better with age
uncanny resemblance to Gwyneth Paltrow here... 😲
yes exactly, same hair, same looks, very very close
Oh wow I've never thought of that haha. I can't unsee it now
yes but without the stuck up attitude
The time Gwyneth did the movie Sliding Doors.
That hair.. It suits Rachel too!
How adorable was Rachel on her first day?
She stayed lovely 'til the end.
When did she die?
@@AaronHahnStudios 'Til the end of the show.
@@milosterwheeler2520the show ended?
@@Kellestial - It hasn't ended.
omg rachel's dead and the show ended!
At least I'd expect "Cinnamon" from Suzy there!
Yes and pleiades in r4. Must less time spent in dictionary corner in those days and a bit more on introducing the contestants - other way round now.
I thought I was going nuts haha, I was surprised neither of the contestants got it, but floored when Suzy didn't mention it
Guys, how do you actually get good sr countdown? I'm trying to find a formula. Thinking about learning all prefixes and suffixes and working from there.
@@hyperboreandream I guess everyone has his own formula that works best for him/her!
That doesn't mean that one is better than the other though!
I used to teach Dutch, English, German and Portuguese and in all languages words have a defined ending in their present or past tense!
If I see an E and a D for example I automatically search first in my past tense which saves thinking time!
Then there's common endings like AN, ON, ER, ING, LY, RY, etc.
So I my case I find it easier to work backwords!
Vocab is key though because you won't find words you don't know or never use!
Thank you! I actually went and looked it up because I thought I must be spelling it wrong since Suzy didn't come up with it.
I got cinnamon in the second word game
Tom Stasinski I was wondering about that, me too and I expected Susie to come up with that
yea how did the all miss it?
Same
Came to write it in the comments and here it is x)
My thought exactly, how could they have missed cinnamon?
Rachel started off beautiful and got more stunning as she went on.
I solved CINNAMON for the second game, RESHORES for the first. A few seconds and a web search later, I realized RESHORERS was a perfect nine for that round.
OMG all the props for going out there and doing it, Rachel!
She's 30 years old now, so back then she must've been 22ish? She's changed so much, gone from a kinda frumpy looking maths teacher to one of the hottest girls on british tv.
sorry but there was never a time she was frumpy looking, even in these earlier episodes. At worst she looks like Gwyneth Paltrow which isn't a bad thing. Even in very bad outfits she doesn't look frumpy at all. Average I would say on her worst days, super hot on her good days. I've seen some episodes where she looks really drawn out, tired, like she's been partying all night, but even in those episodes where she is so-so, she never has looked frumpy. Some bad outfits sure, some really horrible ones, but a hot girl can make bad outfits look better.
Are we watching the same video? Her posture back then was terrible, alongside the bad outfits as you mentioned. You have to admit, compare this video to her in 2017 and it's night a day.
your not ugly just poor
If anything it was Carol who was totally frumpy and unattractive when Countdown first hit our screens but gradually became a goddess. I think Rachel looks great here
yes she does just a bit understandable awkward
Keep replaying that opening monologue in my head but instead of “because Countdown is back”, the last line is “because...there’s been a goal at Anfield, Alan McInally!”
Rach looked so nervous, bless her
Quite a different vibe, Jimmy Carr's version seems very much high octane in comparison.
Susie’s “always blissing out with new words”. Lexicography & etymology is her passion, so nice for her that it’s also her job.
Rachel's posture got so much better over time, shes so hunched over. Probs out of nervousness
More likely to be because she’s wearing incredibly high heels!
Countdown these days may look different, but the late Richard Whitley would’ve wanted the show to go on and on in his memory, so would Carol Vorderman too… Stay tuned for the 40th Anniversary this early November.. 💙
You mean 40th anniversary?
R u swindeedwuwhkwkhhjwr❤r
Hit iuyeindeedgunyyngw gwyuntwr❤r
Since the description doesn't state it, this episode aired on 2nd February 2009
It's great to see these generational TV shows from the UK. 👍
Rachel is dressed like Theresa May
Why does this video from 2009 look like it's from the 80s?
Maybe the background noise?
It's incredible how Susie and Rachel hold her great appearance for this long.
Rachael's barely 30, Suzie is 50+ and has had obvious work done if you see this in actual HD, no judgement she still looks great
She's wearing ridiculously high heels. Mad.
rachel looks so good as always!!!
The conundrum... Holy crap!
"Precycling" certainly took the language by storm, didn't it? 🙂
This is the first time I ever heard it. ;)
I remember seeing this show for the first time and thinking "Man this show is boring but holy moly the numbers/letters girl is smoking hot." I"m pretty sure I wasn't the only one. :p
It's only boring if you can beat the contestants
how on earth does someone solve the conundrum in less than a second??? I know it can happen but it's just ridiculous
I have an 8 letter word for the first one: Reshores.
And to brag, I did also get courtier duringthe letter round at 24:30 ish
Lovely to see how both contestants take the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to say Hi to a pretty girl.
8:10 Can't believe no one came up with 'cinnamon' including Susie.
Round 2, letters game...CINNAMON, for a tasty 8! Checked out first Rachel, and killed the game 8 minutes in. I'm 'droppin the mic' Peace Out!
Waw, how shy and modest she was, even in her clothes, no very short bodycon dress yet, but good girl will soon turn wild.
All kind of quiet and gentle by comparison to later years. lol😂
Ron Jeremys first countdown is one to remember 2‼️
She beautiful then stunning now more please
But with a lot less confident posture
Findecanor love her to do more sexual moves
Oh my God look at Rachel! She is so young!
Recorded On Monday 12th January 2009
Feels like 1996 or so :)
How could they have missed "cinnamon" in the first round???
So odd, rachel's left arm just kinda hangs there
Yes like broken 🪽.
LOL I got "abounds" as well. Of course I paused for a good minute. 😭
I watch the 8 out of 10 cats version thinking the people who play this for real must be brilliant but honestly I'm holding my own pretty easily
every time I see Rachel, I end up holding my own, also. Oo
Every time she turns around she has a different expression on her face 😂
I also had RESHOES in the first word game. Sadly it's not in.
on 11 may 2009 the granada logo at the end has been replaced by the itv studios logo
she's a fine wine that one
Rachels RRRs was lovely.
She looks kinda awkward and shy. Still super cute thou.
The second letters round had CINNAMON!!! How did they miss that?
I was thinking the same thing.... maybe Im good at this game? Then i couldnt get over 6 letters for any of the others :D
And thus the legend was born
I always thought the way they pick letters is odd. You are going to get the top three vowels, the top four consonants and two sort of random. Seems they could be pre-set to a large degree.
I really enjoyed watching the commercials.
Susie Dent is my hero.
WHAT ABOUT CINNAMON??
they polished up Rachel since this show. Suzzies just the same TFS
She is soooo cute !
We All must agree that Jimmy Car is
Far more BETTER HOST.😂
On that first numbers round, where is Joe Wilkinson when you need him? 😂
Both Girls Rachel and Suzie look better now
NGL, I've always had a crush on Susie.
for the first numbers round i had 25+75=100 x10 = 1000 X 50=50,000 / 100 =500 + 3 for 503
How old is Rachel Riley? She looks younger now than in this video. xD And the video seems to be from the 70s :O
She keeps a portrait in the attic.
She's 30 I think and was approx. 22 when she started in 2009. And Countdown has barely changed since 1981, it was made for old people and it's still aimed at them.
It was a joke mate. But cheers for proper answer. :)
Edgar1988
1 second ago
Heck, I'm old and can't even watch original countdown, sorry Rachael. Cats is where it's at. I just wish they'd show the uncut cats version - apparently they have like a 2-3 hour filming for each one and some of the funniest stuff only shows up for a few hundred milliseconds
SquareB0t
1 second ago
An XL version of cats countdown would be amazing
It’s Manuel!
I've never seen contestants pass their answers to the other contestant to verify their answers.
8:11 CINNAMON!!!
I love the ads haha, major throw back
howd they not see "cinnamon" on the second word? I'm stoned and saw it immediately.
In the MANNIOC round I'm surprised that nobody found CINNAMON for 8.
Gotta turn night mode to max for this white and blue hellscape, but seeing Manuel Sachs 😋 was a pleasant surprise.
How the legs have changed over the years.
This was her Second appearance on the show. The first was way more interesting, purely for the state Rachel Riley turned out in...a dogs breakfast.
would loved to see if roisin conaty wouldve worked that 503 one out in the 8oo10c version lmao
...what about "cinnamon"...but..I was stumped on that 503...
okay now i get it. she does at least resemble a mathematician here.
It's cold and it's damp... I feel like Jimmy would have made a joke about that 😂
loved the commercials
2009 her first episode! Wow....
You know who the target audience is by the ads they put on
503 hahaha. Well they certainly gave her an easy one
8:55 And we have a tribute to an Australian band 'INXS'
That the longest dress I’ve seen her to wear.
8:30 cinnamon and I thought I was bad at this game
Jesus. That introduction. Makes me thankful I live in the land of always summer.
40:40 IT'S YOUR ONLY JOB RACHEL!!!!!!!!!
At 13:10 she forgot to add the 25 and 75 and divide by the other 100 so that she could times the whole thing by 1. Rookie mistake, really.