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Countdown transmission times
Countdown is currently broadcast by Channel 4 from 14:10 to 15:00 British time on Mondays to Fridays most weeks throughout the year. In addition to the +1 channel, most programmes are repeated early mornings on Channel 4 at around 06:00, usually about 36 hours after their first transmission. In 2021, Channel 4 carrying the 2020 Summer Paralympics meant these repeats were delayed by three weeks – this was resolved 1.5 years later in end-2022 when episodes were aired on Saturday mornings for a few weeks.
Countdown programmes used to have additional repeat showings on More4 and 4seven, but these practices have now stopped. They were also given a showing on S4C a few days after the first Channel 4 transmission, but this ended with the completion of the digital switchover in Wales in March 2010 (at which point S4C ceased broadcast of Channel 4 programmes, since Channel 4 is now available throughout Wales).
Up until 2021, programmes could be watched using Channel 4's on-demand service at any time up to thirty days after the first transmission.
History
Start series | End series | Time (UK time) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Series 1 | 16:45 | Only shown Mondays to Thursdays. | |
Series 2 | 17:30 | Only shown Tuesdays to Fridays. | |
Series 3 | Series 4 | 17:00 | Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays only. |
16:45 | Tuesdays only. | ||
Championship of Champions I |
Series 50 | 16:30 (30 minutes) 16:15 (45 minutes) |
Grand finals between Series 11 and 17 were shown at 16:30. Up to and including Episode 3544. |
Countdown Masters Series 1 | 06:05 | Episodes M1 to M23. | |
Countdown Masters Series 1 |
Countdown Masters Series 2 |
08:45 | Episodes M24 to M54. |
Countdown Masters Series 2 | 06:54 | Episodes M55 to M94. (Episodes M100, M101, M103, and M104 are unknown.) | |
Celebrity Countdown Series 1 | 20:00 | ||
Series 50 | Series 53 | 15:15 | |
Series 54 | Series 55 | 15:30 | Up to and including Episode 4152. |
Series 55 | 15:45 | Episodes 4153 to 4177. | |
Series 55 | Series 57 | 15:30 | Up to and including Episode 4428. |
Series 57 | 15:25 | Episodes 4429 to 4438. | |
Series 57 | 15:30 | Episodes 4439 to 4468. | |
Series 57 | Series 63 | 15:25 | |
Series 64 | Series 67 | 15:10 | Up to and including Episode 5586. |
Series 67 | Series 71 | 14:40 | Up to and including Episode 5982. |
Series 71 | Series 72 | 15:10 | Up to and including Episode 6076. |
Series 72 | Series 73 | 14:10 | Up to and including Episode 6239. |
Series 73 | Series 75 | 15:10 | Up to and including Episode 6446. |
Series 75 | present | 14:10 | |
Celebrity Countdown Series 2 | 18:55 (More4) |
Exceptions
Exceptions are sorted by series, then by date of the first episode in that particular timeslot in a series. Any future episodes in the same timeslot have been added into that bracket rather than given a separate row.
Date | During series | Time (UK time) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
26 May 1983 27 May 1983 31 May 1983 1 June 1983 2 June 1983 3 June 1983 |
Series 2 | 17:00 | Broadcast 30 minutes earlier due to extended news coverage for the 1983 United Kingdom general election. |
2 July 1983 | 19:00 | Saturday episode, shown to accommodate the longer runtime of a 14-round game. | |
20 September 1983 11 October 1983 13 October 1983 |
Series 3 | 17:30 | |
12 October 1983 | 18:00 | ||
31 October 1983 2 November 1983 3 November 1983 |
16:45 | ||
1 November 1983 | 16:30 | ||
15 December 1983 | 16:45 | Changed start time for 45-minute edition, as the grand final. | |
23 April 1984 | Series 4 | 16:15 | Rescheduled due to Easter week. |
24 April 1984 | 17:00 | ||
25 April 1984 | 17:15 | ||
26 April 1984 | 16:45 | ||
28 June 1984 | Changed start time for 45-minute edition, as the grand final. | ||
25 October 1984 1 November 1984 15 November 1984 |
Series 5 | 16:25 | |
17 January 1985 7 February 1985 14 February 1985 7 March 1985 8 March 1985 |
Series 6 | 16:25 | |
21 Feburary 1985 14 March 1985 |
16:20 | ||
20 March 1985 | 18:00 | ||
23 November 1985 | Series 7 | 16:35 | Saturday episode (no episode on previous Monday). |
20 December 1985 | 16:45 | Changed start time for 45-minute edition, as the grand final. | |
27 January 1986 | Series 8 | 18:00 | Listed in TVTimes as 16:30 – delayed due to live House of Lords coverage. |
11 April 1986 | Series 9 | 16:25 | Listed in TVTimes as 16:30. |
5 May 1986 26 May 1986 |
17:00 | Changed due to a bank holiday. | |
13 October 1986 | Special episode | 16:30 | "Champion of Champion of Champions" special, extended to 45 minutes. |
2 February 1987 | 16:30 | 500th episode, extended to 45 minutes. | |
3 June 1987 | Series 12 | 16:35 | Delayed due to Derby Day. |
18 April 1989 | Countdown Masters Series 1 | 06:05 (leg 1) 08:19 (leg 2) |
Leg 1 of Episode M3 scheduled for 17 April 1989 – reason unknown. |
15 July 1989 | Series 18 | 18:00 | Moved from Friday to Saturday owing to the bicentenary of the French Revolution. |
27 October 1989 | Countdown Masters Series 1 | 08:55 | Listed in TVTimes as 08:45 – delayed by news of Nigel Lawson's resignation. |
10 November 1989 13 November 1989 |
08:51 | Listed in TVTimes as 08:45 – delayed by news of the Fall of the Berlin Wall. | |
26 December 1989 | Boxing Day. | ||
12 February 1990 | Listed in TVTimes as 08:45 – delayed by news of Nelson Mandela's release. | ||
25 December 1989 | 08:48 | Listed in TVTimes as 08:45 – Christmas Day. | |
17 April 1990 18 April 1990 19 April 1990 20 April 1990 23 April 1990 24 April 1990 1 May 1990 |
Countdown Masters Series 2 | 06:50 | |
2 July 1990 | Special episode | 16:10 | 1000th episode, extended to 45 minutes. |
25 December 1990 | Countdown Masters Series 2 | 09:19 | Listed in TVTimes as 09:16 – Christmas Day. |
26 December 1990 | 09:17 | Listed in TVTimes as 09:16 – Boxing Day. | |
1 January 1991 | New Year's Day. | ||
8 January 1991 | Championship of Champions V | 16:30 | Unlike 14-round broadcasts at the time, shown at the "normal" time of 16:30. |
16 January 1998 | Championship of Champions IX | ||
24 December 1998 | Series 39 | 17:30 | Christmas Eve. |
25 December 1998 | 16:50 | Christmas Day. | |
25 December 1999 | Series 41 | 16:55 | |
23 June 2000 | Series 42 | 16:10 | Grand final, extended by five minutes. |
5 July 2000 | Series 43 | 16:45 | Delayed due to cricket coverage. |
25 December 2000 | Christmas and New Year. | ||
26 December 2000 29 December 2000 |
Series 44 | 16:15 | |
28 December 2000 | 16:00 | ||
1 January 2001 | 16:25 | ||
24 December 2001 | Series 46 | 17:45 | |
25 December 2001 | 17:50 | ||
26 December 2001 | Series 47 | 15:30 | |
28 December 2001 | 16:45 | ||
31 December 2001 | 16:00 | ||
1 January 2002 | 15:45 | ||
6 May 2002 | 15:50 | May Day bank holiday. | |
3 June 2002 | 16:08 | Listed in TVTimes as 16:05, Daily Mail as 16:10 – bank holiday for Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II. | |
5 May 2003 | Series 49 | 15:55 | May Day bank holiday. |
12 April 2004 | Series 51 | 15:30 | Easter Monday. |
31 May 2004 | 15:10 | Spring bank holiday. | |
30 June 2005 | Series 53 | 15:00 15:45 |
Double-bill of the two semi-finals, as the previous two episodes had been delayed by a day due to the death of Richard Whiteley. |
7 January 2006 8 April 2006 |
Series 54 | 16:20 | A short-lived Saturday slot for the show – the episodes were erratically scheduled. |
14 January 2006 28 January 2006 1 April 2006 |
16:10 | ||
21 January 2006 4 February 2006 4 March 2006 18 March 2006 |
16:00 | ||
11 February 2006 | 16:35 | ||
18 February 2006 25 February 2006 11 March 2006 |
16:15 | ||
25 March 2006 | 16:05 | ||
28 August 2006 | Series 55 | 15:25 | August bank holiday. |
1 April 2016 | Series 74 | 15:05 | Moved due to Formula One coverage. |
14 April 2017 | Series 76 | 14:05 | |
15 September 2017 | Series 77 | 12:40 | |
24 November 2018 | Series 79 | 14:55 | |
12 November 2019 19 November 2019 |
Celebrity Countdown Series 2 | 21:00 (More4) |
Original timeslot for Celebrity Countdown Series 2 – following disappointing ratings, the remaining four episodes were pulled and rescheduled. |
24 February 2021 25 February 2021 |
Series 83 | 14:25 (More4) |
Moved due to coverage of the 2021 Anthony de Mello Trophy. |
24 August 2021 | Series 84 | 15:15 | Moved due to scheduled coverage of the 2020 Summer Paralympics. |
26 August 2021 | 15:10 | ||
3 September 2021 | 14:40 | Moved due to unscheduled coverage of the above Paralympics. EPGs were not updated. | |
27 October 2021 | 14:23 | Delayed by technical failures. A good episode to bury, as it was critically affected by an administrative error. EPGs were not updated. | |
8 December 2021 | 06:10 | Moved due to technical difficulties which prevented it from being broadcast on 3 December 2021. | |
9 September 2022 | Series 86 | 14:15 | Moved due to the death of Queen Elizabeth II the previous day which saw special programs broadcast to celebrate her life. |
24 September 2022 | 14:35 | Saturday episode – moved due to the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II which resulted in the episodes that week being aired a day behind schedule. | |
7 July 2023 | Series 88 | 14:05 | Moved due to Formula One coverage. |
5 July 2024 | Series 90 |