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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, about 32 hours after their first transmission.
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).
Programmes can, however, be watched using All4, 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 Fridays 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 Series 17 were shown at 16:30. Up to and including Episode 3544. |
Masters Series 1 | 06:05 | Episodes M1 to M23. | |
Masters Series 1 | Masters Series 2 | 08:45 | Episodes M24 to M54. |
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 4468. |
Series 57 | 15:25 | Episodes 4369 to 4378. | |
Series 57 | Series 63 | 15:25 | |
Series 64 | Series 67 | 15:10 | Up to and including Episode 5586. |
Series 67 | Series 71 | 14:40 | Some information for this era is unclear; at some point, the show migrated temporarily to 15:10, but a start and end date for this is not known. |
Series 72 | present | 14:10 | From late January 2015 onwards, the exact episode is not known. |
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 28 June 1984 |
16:45 | ||
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 25 January 1985 31 January 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 | |
20 December 1985 | 16:45 | Changed start time for 45-minute edition, as the grand final. | |
27 January 1986 | Series 8 | 18:00 | Delayed due to live House of Lords coverage. |
11 April 1986 | Series 9 | 16:25 | |
5 May 1986 26 May 1986 |
17:00 | Changed due to a bank holiday. | |
13 October 1986 | Series 10 | 16:30 | "Champion of Champion of Champions" special. |
3 June 1987 | Series 12 | 16:35 | Delayed due to Derby Day. |
15 July 1989 | Series 18 | 18:00 | Moved to Saturday owing to the bicentary of the French Revolution. |
17 April 1990 18 April 1990 19 April 1990 20 April 1990 21 April 1990 23 April 1990 24 April 1990 8 May 1990 |
Masters Series 2 | 06:50 | |
2 July 1990 | Series 20 | 16:10 | 1000th episode, extended to 50 minutes. |
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 5 minutes. |
5 July 2000 25 December 2000 |
Series 43 | 16:45 | Delayed due to cricket coverage. Christmas Day. |
26 December 2000 29 December 2000 |
Series 44 | 16:15 | Christmas and New Year. |
28 December 2000 | 16:00 | ||
1 January 2001 | 16:25 | ||
24 December 2001 | Series 46 | 17:45 | Christmas Eve. |
25 December 2001 | 17:50 | Christmas Day. | |
26 December 2001 | Series 47 | 15:30 | Christmas and New Year. |
28 December 2001 | 15:45 | ||
31 December 2001 | 16:00 | ||
1 January 2001 | 16:45 | ||
6 May 2002 | 15:50 | May Day bank holiday. | |
3 June 2002 | 16:05/16:10 | Listed as 16:05 in some listings, 16:10 in others (broadcast commenced 16:08); Golden Jubilee bank holiday. | |
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. |
17 April 2017 | Series 76 | 14:05 | Moved due to Formula One coverage. |
15 September 2017 | Series 77 | 12:40 | |
24 November 2018 | Series 79 | 14:45 | |
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 26 February 2021 |
Series 83 | 14:25 (More4) |
Moved due to coverage of the 2021 Anthony De Mello Trophy. Unlike cricket shown between 1999 and 2005, these episodes had already been filmed when the rights were awarded to Channel 4. |