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Series 18

From Countdown
Carol posing unaware with part of the problematic new colour scheme
This series marked the debut of the wooden set, which was only used for two years. The Countdown clock music also changed to its present version.

Series 18 ran from July 1989 to October 1989. The eighteenth of 53 series presented by Richard Whiteley, it was won by Rajaretnam Yogasagarar.

This series was notable for the letter and number tiles changing to a red and white colour scheme. In conjunction with this, a new set was issued for the first time. After several episodes had been recorded using the new tiles, someone pointed out that they would be problematic for photosensitive epileptics. An attempt was made to record all the shows again with the original contestants, but this caused issues as some of them were no longer available. This resulted in some episodes, notably in the series finals, still having to be screened with the unsuitable tiles. Those episodes that were rerecorded had the tiles reverted to the blue and white configuration introduced in Series 11.

This series was also the first to feature Carol Vorderman as the letters hostess; previously, she had only been the arithmetician.

Seed table

Rank Name Wins Points
1 Jonathan Anstey 8+1 540
2 Richard Evans 8 433
3 Rajaretnam Yogasagarar 6 333
4 Derek Stuart-Clark 6 325
5 Mandi Hale 5 257
6 Shirley Scott 5 251
7 Mark St. John London 4 237
8 Margaret Budden 3 165
Numbers after "+" signs in the Wins column represent drawn games.
Between Series 3 and Series 20, players were ranked by total number of points, including winning and drawing scores, but not losing ones.

Derek Stuart-Clark was undefeated before retiring after his sixth game.

Finals progress

Jonathan Anstey (1) vs Margaret Budden (8) Jonathan Anstey (1) vs Mandi Hale (5) Mandi Hale (5)
vs
Rajaretnam Yogasagarar (3)
Mandi Hale (5) vs Derek Stuart-Clark (4)
Rajaretnam Yogasagarar (3) vs Shirley Scott (6) Rajaretnam Yogasagarar (3) vs Richard Evans (2)
Mark St. John London (7) vs Richard Evans (2)
The winner of each game is displayed in bold.

Episodes

# Date Type Contestant 1 Score Contestant 2 Presenters Guest Lex Max
868 10/07/1989 P Rajaretnam Yogasagarar 59 – 36 Monica Kirby Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Richard Stilgoe Della Thompson 73
869 11/07/1989 P Rajaretnam Yogasagarar 64 – 37 Brian Clarke Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Richard Stilgoe Della Thompson ??
870 12/07/1989 P Rajaretnam Yogasagarar 49 – 37 Margaret Jones Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Richard Stilgoe Della Thompson 69
871 13/07/1989 P Rajaretnam Yogasagarar 58 – 20 Bob Holland Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Richard Stilgoe Della Thompson 83
872 15/07/1989 P Rajaretnam Yogasagarar 47 – 18 Graham Owen Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Richard Stilgoe Della Thompson 73
873 17/07/1989 P Rajaretnam Yogasagarar 56 – 25 Win Strange Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Ned Sherrin Della Thompson 71
874 18/07/1989 P Rajaretnam Yogasagarar 37 – 44 Shirley Scott Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Ned Sherrin Della Thompson 69
875 19/07/1989 P Reg Jones 45 – 57 Shirley Scott Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Ned Sherrin Della Thompson 71
876 20/07/1989 P Ron Smith 43 – 46 Shirley Scott Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Ned Sherrin Della Thompson 73
877 21/07/1989 P Joan Gray 31 – 57 Shirley Scott Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Ned Sherrin Della Thompson 83
878 24/07/1989 P Christine Stallybrass 44 – 47 Shirley Scott Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Simon Williams Della Thompson 80
879 25/07/1989 P Derek Stuart-Clark 61 – 41 Shirley Scott Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Simon Williams Della Thompson 73
880 26/07/1989 P Derek Stuart-Clark 46 – 30 Valia Hedley Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Simon Williams Della Thompson 74
881 27/07/1989 P Derek Stuart-Clark 63 – 39 Anne Cox Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Simon Williams Della Thompson 84
882 28/07/1989 P Derek Stuart-Clark 49 – 37 John Gough-Cooper Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Simon Williams Della Thompson 84
883 31/07/1989 P Derek Stuart-Clark 39 – 29 Garry Preston Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Simon Williams Della Thompson 71
884 1/08/1989 P Derek Stuart-Clark 67 – 34 Karen Hazell Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Simon Williams Della Thompson 84
885 2/08/1989 P Tom Dudley 43 – 39 Win Blackborow Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Eve Pollard Simon Mason 72
886 3/08/1989 P Tom Dudley 35 – 54 Jonathan Anstey Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Eve Pollard Simon Mason 71
887 4/08/1989 P Keith Pottage 12 – 66 Jonathan Anstey Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Eve Pollard Simon Mason 82
888 7/08/1989 P Sue Hall 61 – 61 Jonathan Anstey Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Eve Pollard Simon Mason 86
889 8/08/1989 P Sue Hall 37 – 46 Jonathan Anstey Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Eve Pollard Simon Mason 73
890 9/08/1989 P Neil Barlow 40 – 81 Jonathan Anstey Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Eve Pollard Simon Mason 84
891 10/08/1989 P John Feetenby 42 – 62 Jonathan Anstey Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Eve Pollard Simon Mason 73
892 11/08/1989 P Eileen Meghen 24 – 53 Jonathan Anstey Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Lance Percival Simon Mason 71
893 14/08/1989 P Ian Whitcombe 33 – 59 Jonathan Anstey Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Lance Percival Simon Mason 74
894 15/08/1989 P Elizabeth Rennie 41 – 58 Jonathan Anstey Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Lance Percival Simon Mason 71
895 16/08/1989 P Leslie Martin 41 – 32 Steve Tidbury Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Lance Percival Simon Mason 71
896 17/08/1989 P Leslie Martin 52 – 39 Anne Maclachlan Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Lance Percival Simon Mason 75
897 18/08/1989 P Leslie Martin 44 – 53 Mark Pont Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Lance Percival Simon Mason 82
898 21/08/1989 P Debbie Williams 45 – 65 Mark Pont Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Brian Johnston Della Thompson 83
899 22/08/1989 P Andrew Balkin 40 – 44 Mark Pont Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Brian Johnston Della Thompson 71
900 23/08/1989 P Ann Rutter 63 – 59 Mark Pont Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Brian Johnston Della Thompson 76
901 24/08/1989 P Ann Rutter 38 – 40 David Ware Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Brian Johnston Della Thompson 74
902 25/08/1989 P Tony Diball 23 – 39 David Ware Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Brian Johnston Della Thompson 81
903 28/08/1989 P Jan Whitfield 46 – 51 David Ware Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Gyles Brandreth Della Thompson 74
904 29/08/1989 P Clive Everill 50 – 43 David Ware Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Gyles Brandreth Della Thompson 71
905 30/08/1989 P Clive Everill 70 – 60 Chris Magill Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Gyles Brandreth Della Thompson 87
906 31/08/1989 P Clive Everill 27 – 50 Bill Taylor Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Gyles Brandreth Della Thompson 73
907 1/09/1989 P Mark St. John London 50 – 42 Bill Taylor Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Gyles Brandreth Della Thompson 73
908 4/09/1989 P Mark St. John London 60 – 55 Alex McClimens Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Gyles Brandreth Della Thompson 73
909 5/09/1989 P Mark St. John London 70 – 26 John Slade Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Richard Stilgoe Della Thompson 83
910 6/09/1989 P Mark St. John London 57 – 51 Patrick Kavanagh Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Richard Stilgoe Della Thompson 85
911 7/09/1989 P Mark St. John London 48 – 64 Margaret Budden Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Richard Stilgoe Della Thompson 71
912 8/09/1989 P Christopher Alexander 34 – 43 Margaret Budden Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Richard Stilgoe Della Thompson 83
913 11/09/1989 P Patrick Lindfield 30 – 58 Margaret Budden Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Richard Stilgoe Della Thompson 72
914 12/09/1989 P Diane Pratesi 57 – 45 Margaret Budden Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Richard Stilgoe Della Thompson 95
915 13/09/1989 P Diane Pratesi 59 – 34 Christopher Quartermaine Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Clement Freud Freda Thornton 71
916 14/09/1989 P Diane Pratesi 48 – 60 Richard Evans Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Clement Freud Freda Thornton 83
917 15/09/1989 P Mary Mullins 32 – 50 Richard Evans Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Clement Freud Freda Thornton 65
918 18/09/1989 P Fraser McLeod 49 – 63 Richard Evans Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Clement Freud Freda Thornton 84
919 19/09/1989 P Avril Goldsworthy 29 – 50 Richard Evans Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Clement Freud Freda Thornton 74
920 20/09/1989 P Brian Porter 30 – 45 Richard Evans Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Dinah Sheridan Freda Thornton 74
921 21/09/1989 P Garry Thomas 44 – 49 Richard Evans Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Dinah Sheridan Freda Thornton 70
922 22/09/1989 P Brendan Meghan 51 – 68 Richard Evans Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Dinah Sheridan Freda Thornton 73
923 25/09/1989 P Chris Tesseras 45 – 48 Richard Evans Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Dinah Sheridan Freda Thornton 77
924 26/09/1989 P Mandi Hale 51 – 27 Rosemary Tame Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Dinah Sheridan Freda Thornton 73
925 27/09/1989 P Mandi Hale 41 – 30 Brian Burrows Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Dinah Sheridan Freda Thornton 72
926 28/09/1989 P Mandi Hale 46 – 27 Julian Bloom Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Nigel Rees Freda Thornton 83
927 29/09/1989 P Mandi Hale 54 – 36 Doris Beckerlegge Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Nigel Rees Freda Thornton 70
928 2/10/1989 P Mandi Hale 65 – 29 David Dillner Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Nigel Rees Freda Thornton 71
929 3/10/1989 P Mandi Hale 32 – 48 Mark Cooper Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Nigel Rees Freda Thornton 70
930 4/10/1989 P Mark Cooper 41 – 33 Robin Robinson Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Gyles Brandreth Catherine Clarke 95
931 5/10/1989 QF Jonathan Anstey 45 – 33 Margaret Budden Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Gyles Brandreth Catherine Clarke 86
932 6/10/1989 QF Mark St. John London 12 – 45 Richard Evans Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Gyles Brandreth Catherine Clarke 74
933 9/10/1989 QF Shirley Scott 39 – 46 Rajaretnam Yogasagarar Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Gyles Brandreth Catherine Clarke 77
934 10/10/1989 QF Mandi Hale 53 – 47 Derek Stuart-Clark Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Gyles Brandreth Catherine Clarke 70
935 11/10/1989 SF Mandi Hale 48 – 36 Jonathan Anstey Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Eve Pollard Catherine Clarke 73
936 12/10/1989 SF Richard Evans 46 – 56 Rajaretnam Yogasagarar Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Eve Pollard Catherine Clarke 72
937 13/10/1989 GF Mandi Hale 73 – 92 Rajaretnam Yogasagarar Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Frazer Hines, Eve Pollard Catherine Clarke 128

External Links

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