Series 33

From Countdown

Series 33 ran from September 1996 to December 1996, and began with Championship of Champions VIII before moving on to the Supreme Championship. The thirty-third of 53 series presented by Richard Whiteley, it featured many of the best contestants from the previous thirty two series, and was won by Harvey Freeman.

The entrants comprised 26 series champions, three Championship of Champions winners who were not regular series champions and 25 other finalists from the first 32 series. The three champions of the first 32 series not to compete in the Supreme Championship were Andrew Guy, Nic Brown and Rajaretnam Yogasagarar. The Championship of Champions winner that didn't participate were Nic Brown and Mark Nyman - Nyman was the producer of the show at the time, and didn't invite himself back. Michael Wylie, the runner-up of the first ever series was also working for Countdown at the time, and didn't invite himself back either.

Unlike a normal series, the Supreme Championship operated on a strict knock-out basis. The contestants were organised into seven groups, and the winner of each group went through to the finals. Most groups had eight contestants and were based on the obvious three-round knockout, while groups C, D and F had only seven and gave a first-round bye to Harvey Freeman, Joyce Cansfield and Wayne Summers respectively. Chris Rogers qualified for the quarter-finals by virtue of having won Championship of Champions VIII, which had immediately preceded the championship proper, and doubled up as qualifying group for the main draw.

[edit] Progress

John Clarke vs Chris Rogers	John Clarke vs Harvey Freeman	Harvey Freeman vs Allan Saldanha
Andrew Perry vs Harvey Freeman
Joyce Cansfield vs Allan Saldanha	Allan Saldanha vs Tim Morrissey
Hilary Hopper vs Tim Morrissey

The winner of each game is displayed in bold.

[edit] Episodes

#	Date	Type	Contestant 1	Score	Contestant 2	Guest	Lex
Group A
1855	9/10/1996	aQF	Don Reid	57 – 40	Olivia Lloyd-Potts	Nigel Rees	Susie Dent
1856	10/10/1996	aQF	Dick Green	56 – 35	Fiona Davies	Nigel Rees	Susie Dent
1857	11/10/1996	aQF	John Clarke	58 – 52	Derek Coombs	Nigel Rees	Susie Dent
1858	14/10/1996	aQF	Andy Bodle	55 – 51	Phil Jordan	Nigel Rees	Susie Dent
1859	15/10/1996	aSF	Don Reid	59 – 56	Dick Green	Philip Franks	Susie Dent
1860	16/10/1996	aSF	John Clarke	55 – 39	Andy Bodle	Philip Franks	Susie Dent
1861	17/10/1996	aF	John Clarke	63* – 53	Don Reid	Philip Franks	Susie Dent
Group B
1862	18/10/1996	bQF	Clive Freedman	67 – 50	Mick Keeble	Philip Franks	Susie Dent
1863	21/10/1996	bQF	Pete Evans	28 – 50	Evan Simpson	Philip Franks	Susie Dent
1864	22/10/1996	bQF	Chris Waddington	58 – 41	Christine Hunt	Philip Franks	Susie Dent
1865	23/10/1996	bQF	David Elias	43 – 60	Andrew Perry	Philip Franks	Susie Dent
1866	24/10/1996	bSF	Clive Freedman	68* – 58	Evan Simpson	June Whitfield	Susie Dent
1867	25/10/1996	bSF	Chris Waddington	37 – 43	Andrew Perry	June Whitfield	Susie Dent
1868	28/10/1996	bF	Clive Freedman	43 – 71	Andrew Perry	June Whitfield	Susie Dent
Group C
1869	29/10/1996	cQF	Ian Bebbington	45 – 36	James Sinclair	June Whitfield	Susie Dent
1870	30/10/1996	cQF	Barry Grossman	48 – 42	Robert Violett	June Whitfield	Susie Dent
1871	31/10/1996	cQF	Brian Hudson	58* – 48	Mandi Hale	June Whitfield	Susie Dent
1872	1/11/1996	cSF	Ian Bebbington	54 – 72	Harvey Freeman	Geoffrey Durham	Susie Dent
1873	4/11/1996	cSF	Barry Grossman	52 – 51	Brian Hudson	Geoffrey Durham	Susie Dent
1874	5/11/1996	cF	Barry Grossman	37 – 44	Harvey Freeman	Geoffrey Durham	Susie Dent
Group D
1875	6/11/1996	dQF	Stephen Balment	52 – 44	Gino Corr	Geoffrey Durham	Susie Dent
1876	7/11/1996	dQF	Lawrence Pearse	45 – 47	Jackie McLeod	Geoffrey Durham	Susie Dent
1877	8/11/1996	dQF	Clive Spate	63 – 23	David Reid	Geoffrey Durham	Susie Dent
1878	11/11/1996	dSF	Stephen Balment	48 – 57	Joyce Cansfield	Barry Cryer	Susie Dent
1879	12/11/1996	dSF	Jackie McLeod	49 – 46	Clive Spate	Barry Cryer	Susie Dent
1880	13/11/1996	dF	Jackie McLeod	42 – 50	Joyce Cansfield	Barry Cryer	Susie Dent
Group E
1881	14/11/1996	eQF	David Trace	68 – 63	Russell Byers	Barry Cryer	Susie Dent
1882	15/11/1996	eQF	Liz Barber	37 – 59	Richard Campbell	Barry Cryer	Susie Dent
1883	18/11/1996	eQF	Darryl Francis	60 – 31	Mike Percik	Barry Cryer	Susie Dent
1884	19/11/1996	eQF	Michael Wareham	20 – 69	Allan Saldanha	Barry Cryer	Susie Dent
1885	20/11/1996	eSF	David Trace	46 – 36	Richard Campbell	Tom O'Connor	Catherine Stokes
1886	21/11/1996	eSF	Darryl Francis	24 – 83	Allan Saldanha	Tom O'Connor	Catherine Stokes
1887	22/11/1996	eF	David Trace	34 – 45	Allan Saldanha	Tom O'Connor	Catherine Stokes
Group F
1888	25/11/1996	fQF	Hilary Hopper	56 – 23	Anthony Butcher	Tom O'Connor	Catherine Stokes
1889	26/11/1996	fQF	Janet McRae	38 – 62	Damian Eadie	Tom O'Connor	Catherine Stokes
1890	27/11/1996	fQF	Ash Haji	58 – 65	Julian Hough	Tom O'Connor	Catherine Stokes
1891	28/11/1996	fSF	Hilary Hopper	59 – 39	Wayne Summers	Richard Digance	David Swarbrick
1892	29/11/1996	fSF	Julian Hough	46 – 52	Damian Eadie	Richard Digance	David Swarbrick
1893	2/12/1996	fF	Hilary Hopper	59 – 40	Damian Eadie	Richard Digance	David Swarbrick
Group G
1894	3/12/1996	gQF	Tim Morrissey	60 – 51	Nita Marr	Richard Digance	David Swarbrick
1895	4/12/1996	gQF	Verity Joubert	35 – 43	Kevin Nelson	Richard Digance	David Swarbrick
1896	5/12/1996	gQF	Gareth Williams	59 – 55	Wayne Kelly	Richard Digance	David Swarbrick
1897	6/12/1996	gQF	Tony Vick	63 – 30	Robert Teuton	Jenny Hanley	Susie Dent
1898	9/12/1996	gSF	Tim Morrissey	57 – 41	Kevin Nelson	Jenny Hanley	Susie Dent
1899	10/12/1996	gSF	Gareth Williams	41 – 51	Tony Vick	Jenny Hanley	Susie Dent
1900	11/12/1996	gF	Tim Morrissey	73 – 41	Tony Vick	Jenny Hanley	Susie Dent
Finals
1901	12/12/1996	SQF	John Clarke	56 – 41	Chris Rogers	Jenny Hanley	Susie Dent
1902	13/12/1996	SQF	Andrew Perry	44 – 54	Harvey Freeman	Jenny Hanley	Susie Dent
1903	16/12/1996	SQF	Joyce Cansfield	50 – 67	Allan Saldanha	Nigel Rees	Catherine Clarke
1904	17/12/1996	SQF	Hilary Hopper	49 – 56	Tim Morrissey	Nigel Rees	Catherine Clarke
1905	18/12/1996	SSF	John Clarke	48 – 65	Harvey Freeman	Nigel Rees	Catherine Clarke
1906	19/12/1996	SSF	Allan Saldanha	61 – 57	Tim Morrissey	Nigel Rees	Catherine Clarke
1907	20/12/1996	SGF	Allan Saldanha	79 – 82	Harvey Freeman	Nigel Rees	Catherine Clarke