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Series 37

From Countdown

Series 37 ran from September 1997 to December 1997. The thirty-seventh of 53 series presented by Richard Whiteley, it was won by Ray McPhie. This was also the first series to introduce the Champion and Challenger's chairs.

Beginning in Series 38, Countdown would extend its standard series length to six months. Accordingly, Series 37 was the last series to run for only three months, with the exception of Series 45 and 46, which straddled the rather abrupt change from the 9 round format to the 15 round format in September 2001.

Series 37 was also the last series where the number of points took precedence over the number of wins in the seedings table. From Series 38 onwards, the extension of series length from three to six months saw this ruling switched over. Thus Kate Surtees was the last #1 seed to top the seedings board with an inferior win-loss record to an unbeaten octochamp as #2 seed (in this case Ray McPhie) due to a higher points total.

Seed table

Rank Name Wins Points
1 Kate Surtees 7 423
2 Ray McPhie 8 416
3 Brett Smitheram 6 372
4 Christine White 4 289
5 Mark Wyndham-Jones 4 276
6 Ruth Collier 3 236
7 Ricky Zinger 3 215
8 Janet Nelson 3 204
Between Series 22 and Series 37, players were ranked by total number of points, including winning and losing scores.

Finals progress

Kate Surtees (1) vs Janet Nelson (8) Kate Surtees (1) vs Christine White (4) Christine White (4)
vs
Ray McPhie (2)
Mark Wyndham-Jones (5) vs Christine White (4)
Brett Smitheram (3) vs Ruth Collier (6) Ruth Collier (6) vs Ray McPhie (2)
Ricky Zinger (7) vs Ray McPhie (2)
The winner of each game is displayed in bold.

Episodes

# Date Type Contestant 1 Score Contestant 2 Presenters Guest Lex Max
2103 29/09/1997 P Rachelle Kedzior 43 – 57 Allan Cooper Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Nigel Rees Sarah Kinsella 73
2104 30/09/1997 P Ian Newman 29 – 61 Allan Cooper Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Nigel Rees Sarah Kinsella 82
2105 01/10/1997 P Bill Skinner 55 – 52 Allan Cooper Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Nigel Rees Sarah Kinsella 87
2106 02/10/1997 P Bill Skinner 52 – 27 Vera Sudlow Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Nigel Rees Sarah Kinsella 73
2107 03/10/1997 P Bill Skinner 34 – 58 Dan Southwell Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Nigel Rees Sarah Kinsella 72
2108 06/10/1997 P Edgar Holme 47 – 32 Dan Southwell Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Nigel Rees Sarah Kinsella 72
2109 07/10/1997 P Edgar Holme 36 – 55 Janet Nelson Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Merrill Thomas Sarah Kinsella 85
2110 08/10/1997 P Janet Nelson 45 – 30 Bern Ayles Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Merrill Thomas Sarah Kinsella 83
2111 09/10/1997 P Janet Nelson 55 – 39 Barrie Scothern Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Merrill Thomas Sarah Kinsella 74
2112 10/10/1997 P Janet Nelson 49 – 63 Kate Surtees Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Merrill Thomas Sarah Kinsella 74
2113 13/10/1997 P Kate Surtees 40 – 39 David Dent Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Merrill Thomas Sarah Kinsella 71
2114 14/10/1997 P Kate Surtees 59 – 35 Clive Hilton Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Merrill Thomas Sarah Kinsella 73
2115 15/10/1997 P Kate Surtees 51 – 30 Dennis Simmons Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Geoffrey Durham Anna Eaton 75
2116 16/10/1997 P Kate Surtees 61 – 51 Dorothy Pymer Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Geoffrey Durham Anna Eaton 69
2117 17/10/1997 P Kate Surtees 47 – 36 Tom Sweeney Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Geoffrey Durham Anna Eaton 73
2118 20/10/1997 P Kate Surtees 58 – 23 Norman Oakley Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Geoffrey Durham Anna Eaton 71
2119 21/10/1997 P Kate Surtees 44 – 59 Brett Smitheram Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Geoffrey Durham Anna Eaton 81
2120 22/10/1997 P Brett Smitheram 50 – 28 Sylvia Bell Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Geoffrey Durham Anna Eaton 73
2121 23/10/1997 P Brett Smitheram 52 – 45 Colin Harwood Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Angela Rippon Anna Eaton 67
2122 24/10/1997 P Brett Smitheram 55 – 29 Betty Cunningham Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Angela Rippon Anna Eaton 85
2123 27/10/1997 P Brett Smitheram 53 – 31 Jonathan Goldstone Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Angela Rippon Anna Eaton 70
2124 28/10/1997 P Brett Smitheram 59 – 52 Jeff Schwartz Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Angela Rippon Anna Eaton 71
2125 29/10/1997 P Brett Smitheram 44 – 45 Alan Cameron Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Angela Rippon Anna Eaton 77
2126 30/10/1997 P Alan Cameron 45 – 51 Chris Fossey Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Angela Rippon Anna Eaton 71
2127 31/10/1997 P Chris Fossey 39 – 55 Steve Cox Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Rick Wakeman Susie Dent 71
2128 03/11/1997 P Steve Cox 32 – 63 Mark Wyndham-Jones Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Rick Wakeman Susie Dent 73
2129 04/11/1997 P Mark Wyndham-Jones 48 – 29 Laura Spence Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Rick Wakeman Susie Dent 70
2130 05/11/1997 P Mark Wyndham-Jones 43 – 26 Cyril Pickard Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Rick Wakeman Susie Dent 73
2131 06/11/1997 P Mark Wyndham-Jones 68 – 45 Gilbert North Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Rick Wakeman Susie Dent 74
2132 07/11/1997 P Mark Wyndham-Jones 54 – 62 Ruth Collier Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Rick Wakeman Susie Dent 74
2133 10/11/1997 P Ruth Collier 67 – 38 Sam Percy Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Jan Harvey Susie Dent 82
2134 11/11/1997 P Ruth Collier 47 – 23 Mark Stenton Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Jan Harvey Susie Dent 72
2135 12/11/1997 P Ruth Collier 60 – 64 Christine White Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Jan Harvey Susie Dent 85
2136 13/11/1997 P Christine White 65 – 48 David Clement Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Jan Harvey Susie Dent 69
2137 14/11/1997 P Christine White 55 – 44 Sally Attwater Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Jan Harvey Susie Dent 83
2138 17/11/1997 P Christine White 58 – 52 Alan Lund Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Jan Harvey Susie Dent 73
2139 18/11/1997 P Christine White 47 – 56 Ricky Zinger Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Jan Harvey Susie Dent 75
2140 19/11/1997 P Ricky Zinger 70 – 54 Ledger White Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Philip Franks Susie Dent 72
2141 20/11/1997 P Ricky Zinger 55 – 25 Margaret Wood Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Philip Franks Susie Dent 71
2142 21/11/1997 P Ricky Zinger 34 – 45 Ray McPhie Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Philip Franks Susie Dent 71
2143 24/11/1997 P Ray McPhie 58 – 48 Paul Bowen Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Philip Franks Susie Dent 71
2144 25/11/1997 P Ray McPhie 52 – 40 Rob Lolley Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Philip Franks Susie Dent 70
2145 26/11/1997 P Ray McPhie 55 – 22 John Charlesworth Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Philip Franks Susie Dent 74
2146 27/11/1997 P Ray McPhie 47 – 45 Jan Jones Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Tony Robinson Mark Nyman 70
2147 28/11/1997 P Ray McPhie 58 – 37 Sandy Lowe Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Tony Robinson Mark Nyman 82
2148 01/12/1997 P Ray McPhie 48 – 41 Mandy Williams Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Tony Robinson Mark Nyman 69
2149 02/12/1997 P Ray McPhie 53 – 44 Geoff Tarpey Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Tony Robinson Mark Nyman 75
2150 03/12/1997 P Kate Stannett 41 – 37 Isolde Yelland Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Tony Robinson Mark Nyman 71
2151 04/12/1997 P Kate Stannett 50 – 38 Adam Brown Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Tony Robinson Mark Nyman 71
2152 05/12/1997 P Kate Stannett 55 – 38 Arthur Heal Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Barry Cryer Mark Nyman 72
2153 08/12/1997 P Kate Stannett 43 – 48 Christine Kavanagh Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Barry Cryer Mark Nyman 73
2154 09/12/1997 P Christine Kavanagh 58 – 62 Michael Joy Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Barry Cryer Mark Nyman 71
2155 10/12/1997 P Michael Joy 30 – 43 Richard Basi Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Barry Cryer Mark Nyman 72
2156 11/12/1997 QF Kate Surtees 57 – 52 Janet Nelson Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Barry Cryer Mark Nyman 71
2157 12/12/1997 QF Ray McPhie 57 – 53 Ricky Zinger Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Barry Cryer Mark Nyman 73
2158 15/12/1997 QF Brett Smitheram 44 – 54* Ruth Collier Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Gyles Brandreth Mark Nyman 84
2159 16/12/1997 QF Christine White 53 – 42 Mark Wyndham-Jones Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Gyles Brandreth Mark Nyman 69
2160 17/12/1997 SF Kate Surtees 35 – 55 Christine White Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Gyles Brandreth Mark Nyman 82
2161 18/12/1997 SF Ray McPhie 53 – 38 Ruth Collier Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Gyles Brandreth Mark Nyman 71
2162 19/12/1997 GF Ray McPhie 86 – 79 Christine White Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Gyles Brandreth Mark Nyman 128
* includes 10 points from a tie-break conundrum

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