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8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown

From Countdown

8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown is a programme of special episodes that first began on 2 January 2012 and has aired during irregular times of the year ever since.

The show was originally shown as part of a "mash-up" series celebrating Channel 4's 30th birthday in 2012, and is a fusion of the shows Countdown and 8 Out of 10 Cats. It has so far had 156 episodes broadcast as of 2024, and following the success of the first two episodes, eight episodes were commissioned by Channel 4 in June 2013, starting off with 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown Series 1.

The show consists of some permanent people, such as host Jimmy Carr, lexicographer Susie Dent, arithmetician Rachel Riley as well as two male models, one of whom is called Fabio and has been a prominent fixture. Jon Richardson, one of the original team captains, makes regular appearances from time to time, and the other original team captain, Sean Lock, also made regular appearances until his death in 2021.

The rules are based on those of Countdown, with exceptions, and usually consist of seven to eight rounds as most of the show consists of comedic and anecdotal acts and runs for 45 minutes as opposed to the former where it runs for 35 minutes. The scores for each round can deviate from the usual maximum for various reasons as well, for example a numbers round may be worth 20 points instead of 10, and a conundrum may be worth whatever the difference the losing team needs to win instead of the usual 10 (or in rare cases, to beat a record on the show).

The show originally gave away teapots for the players on the winning team, but since 2014 they have given away various prizes with the Countdown logo on them, with the two male models introducing it before Round 1.

Overall, the programme has been a success over the years and has continued ever since.

Series

Year Series
2012 Pilots
2013 Series 1
2013 Series 2
2014 Series 3
2014 Series 4
2014 Series 5
2015 Series 6
2015 Series 7
2016 Series 8
2016 Series 9
2016 Series 10
2016 Series 11
2017 Series 12
2017 Series 13
2017 Series 14
2018 Series 15
2018 Series 16
2019 Series 17
2019 Series 18
2020 Series 19
2020 Series 20
2021 Series 21
2022 Series 22
2022 Series 23
2023 Series 24
2024 Series 25

External Links