Special episode

A special episode is an episode that is not part of the main Countdown series, but is shown to fill a gap in the Channel 4 schedule – typically due to an unexpected absence of cricket or racing – or occasionally for some other reason.

List of special episodes

#	Date	Type	Contestant 1	Score	Contestant 2	Presenters				Guest	Lex	Max
445	13/10/1986	Champions of Champions I&II	Clive Freedman	67 – 76	Mark Nyman	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman			Cathy Hytner	Gyles Brandreth, Bill Tidy	Catherine Clarke
495	2/2/1987	500th show	Bill Tidy et al	41 – 32	Gyles Brandreth et al	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman			Cathy Hytner	none	Della Thompson
1003	2/7/1990	1000th show	Allan Saldanha	94 – 93	Tim Morrissey	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Gyles Brandreth, Richard Stilgoe	Catherine Clarke
1523	4/7/1994	1500th show	Gareth Williams	62 – 99	Allan Saldanha	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	Denis Norden	Mark Nyman
CS1997	25/12/1997	Christmas Special	Richard Whiteley	30 – 43	Carol King	William G Stewart	Susie Dent					Magnus Magnusson	Mark Nyman
2874	2/11/2000	18th Birthday	Gyles Brandreth and Mark Nyman	50 – 46	Jo Brand and Damian Eadie	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	none	Susie Dent
S1	26/5/2003	Husband & Wife	Stuart Barker	98 – 78	Daphne Barker	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Ann Widdecombe	Susie Dent
S2	25/7/2003	Replayed Series 40 Final	Terence English	92 – 57	Glynn Leaney	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Ann Widdecombe	Susie Dent
S3	4/8/2003	High Scoring Losers	Terry Rattle	94 – 78	Elfie Winterton	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Ann Widdecombe	Susie Dent
S4	18/8/2003	Maths Teachers	Mark Roper	95 – 68	Ruth Atkin	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Geoffrey Durham	Susie Dent
S5	25/8/2003	Solicitors	Simon Cobb	88 – 93	David Stainer	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Geoffrey Durham	Susie Dent
S6	2/9/2003	Clergymen	Alan Wright	71 – 97	John Povey	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Geoffrey Durham	Susie Dent
S7	3/9/2003	Scrabble Masters	Brett Smitheram	87 – 101	Harshan Lamabadusuriya	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Richard Stilgoe	Damian Eadie
S8	8/9/2003	Replayed Series 31 Final	David Acton	70 – 104	Kenneth Michie	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Richard Stilgoe	Damian Eadie
S9	9/9/2003	Champions of Champions IX&X	Scott Mearns	100 – 109	Natascha Kearsey	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Bob Bevan	Alison Heard
S10	10/9/2003	Police Officers	Debbie Haycock	81 – 61	Peter Brinkley	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Richard Stilgoe	Susie Dent
S11	11/9/2003	High Scoring Losers	Melanie Beaumont	83 – 126	Linda Dawe	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Bernard Ingham	Alison Heard
S12	12/9/2003	Series 47&48 Champions	Julian Fell	100 – 92	Chris Wills	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Bob Bevan	Alison Heard
S13	15/3/2004	Publicans	Paul Burlinson	66 – 84	Pamela Roud	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Bernard Ingham	Alison Heard
S14	19/3/2004	Father & Daughter	Sally Hutchings	104 – 87	Peter Hutchings	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Richard Stilgoe	Susie Dent
S15	14/6/2004	Replayed Series 35 Final	Pete Cashmore	66 – 107	Dag Griffiths	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Geoffrey Durham	Susie Dent
S16	26/7/2004	Replayed Series 39 Final	Richard Saldanha	83 – 92	Kate Ogilvie	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Geoffrey Durham	Susie Dent
S17	2/8/2004	Aficionados	Mike Brown	113 – 70	Nita Marr	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Richard Stilgoe	Susie Dent
S18	13/8/2004	Replayed Series 37 Final	Ray McPhie	104 – 89	Christine White	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Ann Widdecombe	Susie Dent
S19	23/8/2004	Mother & Son	Margaret Sambrooks	95 – 47	Tony Brooks	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Bob Bevan	Alison Heard
S20	30/8/2004	Starlets	Lucy Guile	66 – 76	James Robinson	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Bob Bevan	Alison Heard
S21	20/12/2004	Brothers	Sandeep Mazumder	72 – 67	Sanjay Mazumder	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Ann Widdecombe	Susie Dent
S22	25/3/2005	Cabaret Entertainers	John Marlowe	56 – 91	Alf Berry	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Bernard Ingham	Alison Heard
S23	30/5/2005	Starlets	Austin Shin	98 – 67	Beth Sutton	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Bernard Ingham	Alison Heard
S(24)	UNRELEASED	Replayed Series 38 Final	Steve Fisher	?	John Ashmore	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Bob Bevan	Alison Heard
S(25)	UNRELEASED	Old Countdownians	Joyce Cansfield	?	Dixie Baird	Richard Whiteley	Carol Vorderman					Bernard Ingham	Alison Heard
4473	2/11/2007	25th Anniversary	Chris Wills	58 – 69	Conor Travers	Des O'Connor	Carol Vorderman				Lucy Summers	none	Alison Heard

See also

• The 2000th Edition
• Celebrity Countdown
• A Tribute to Countdown: 3000 and Counting
• Category:Special episodes