The Countdown Thread

[XIII]

I've just worked that while Anne-Marie will be on screen for 12 weeks, because they film 15 shows a week, she's only covering Rachel for about a month which seems short for maternity leave.

[adamiow]

Why should an employee of 12 years walk away from a job they love and have been successful at because a bully has been employed a couple of months earlier?

Just because someone is a stickler for timekeeping, does not suffer fools, and is sick of young folk constantly zombied out by their phones 24/7 does not make them a bully.

Look at most workplaces when a new manager starts. All those who are set in their ways, with bad habits and a cba attitude usually have major grumbles over new management trying to implement their own ways of doing things. "I've been here over 20 years and we've always done it like this" says the employee of a company that's on its last legs and about to go into liquidation.

People don't like change....simple as that. As soon as someone new comes in(Anne Robinson), after the old boss has been asleep at the wheel (as Nick was), People don't like it and its easy to say you are being picked on. That's the human defense mechanism and the barriers coming up.

And as viewers have increased(reportedly), it shows a change was needed. Countdown with Anne is SO MUCH more watchable now, and those grumbles on social media are mostly from those who had written her off after episode 1.

However, Anne isn't the boss of the show - she is an employee and it is up to the producers to set the tone for the set, not Anne. She is a member of the team and to be honest, Rachel and Susie are more important to the show than Anne.

[adamiow]

I've just worked that while Anne-Marie will be on screen for 12 weeks, because they film 15 shows a week, she's only covering Rachel for about a month which seems short for maternity leave.

There is probably a production break afterwards, which forms the rest of Rachel's maternity leave, and they will all return together when the next block of recording starts.

[Joe]

Just because someone is a stickler for timekeeping, does not suffer fools, and is sick of young folk constantly zombied out by their phones 24/7 does not make them a bully.

Wanted to pick you up on this. Really hate the narrative that young people are always on their phones constantly. It’s true, data-wise that digital consumption is high in young people, but I challenge you to walk into any social setting and tell me who are the ones on their phones the most. Older people are JUST as bad, if not worse. Visit a coffee shop, restaurant, museum…

[This is UTV]

Just because someone is a stickler for timekeeping, does not suffer fools, and is sick of young folk constantly zombied out by their phones 24/7 does not make them a bully.

Wanted to pick you up on this. Really hate the narrative that young people are always on their phones constantly. It’s true, data-wise that digital consumption is high in young people, but I challenge you to walk into any social setting and tell me who are the ones on their phones the most. Older people are JUST as bad, if not worse. Visit a coffee shop, restaurant, museum…

If the news paper reports are to be believed, it states how much Anne dislikes "Her co-star turning up late and being on her phone too much".

Personally I have to say I agree whole heartedly with Anne on this, as one of my biggest bugbears is someone on their phone, zombied out and paying no attention and you can't get past them on the pavement.

I bet Anne gets rather annoyed with several members of the crew being on their phones (when they should be working), not just what's been reported in the news between the presenters.

[DE88]

Just because someone is a stickler for timekeeping, does not suffer fools, and is sick of young folk constantly zombied out by their phones 24/7 does not make them a bully.

Wanted to pick you up on this. Really hate the narrative that young people are always on their phones constantly. It’s true, data-wise that digital consumption is high in young people, but I challenge you to walk into any social setting and tell me who are the ones on their phones the most. Older people are JUST as bad, if not worse. Visit a coffee shop, restaurant, museum…

If the news paper reports are to be believed, it states how much Anne dislikes "Her co-star turning up late and being on her phone too much".

Personally I have to say I agree whole heartedly with Anne on this, as one of my biggest bugbears is someone on their phone, zombied out and paying no attention and you can't get past them on the pavement.

I bet Anne gets rather annoyed with several members of the crew being on their phones (when they should be working), not just what's been reported in the news between the presenters.

No disrespect intended whatsoever, and not trying to get you to change your ways regarding newspapers, but... I, for one, don't readily trust the tabloids. I've always been more of a broadsheet person myself.

Also - and again without any disrespect intended - you have to accept that not everyone likes Anne on Countdown as much as you do, and indeed some do not like her on it at all. (I wouldn't go so far as to call her a bully, however, unless it turns out that she genuinely is making life difficult for Rachel, Susie and the crew - and at present none of us know for sure.) You have to respect the views of those who do not have so much love for her, even if you vehemently disagree with these views.

Personally, I'm neutral on Anne, but I agree that Rachel and Susie are more important to the show (and not just because they've been there considerably longer than Anne has).

[Brekkie]

Turns out the missing episode aired this morning which is what I suspected from the vagueness of their reply.

[Whataday]

Whenever I've ever met someone described as "not suffering fools gladly" they've always proven to be an unbearably rude bully.

[This is UTV]

Cant quite put my finger on it, but Anne seems much more perky today and it's the first ep without both Rachel and Susie.

Maybe the recording was all running to time, without mobile phones and too much chatter causing distractions on the floor??? :lol:

[TomJ]

Maybe the recording was all running to time, without mobile phones and too much chatter causing distractions on the floor???

Your choice to characterise whatever issues there might be at Countdown as being caused by Rachel and Susie, who've been on the show for more than 10 years (almost 30 in Susie's case) is baffling to me. Pretty astounding, being so unprofessional and causing constant delays, that they've been in their jobs for so long, wouldn't you think?

[DE88]

Rachel >> Anne and Susie >> Anne.

Susie is missing this week for the same reason she missed the last two weeks of July - having to self-isolate.

[This is UTV]

Anne's visible demeanour was clearly very different today, compared to the past few months.

People are very quick to pin the blame on her for the reported 'tensions' on the production, just because she's been there only a few months compared to everyone else (both on and off screen).

Being the newbie to an established team, does not automatically make you the 'troublemaker', as many are assuming she is.

Today's episode just felt soooo different, no excruciating tension, no awkward 'nicey nicey' chat through gritted teath, both Anne and Anne-Marie seemed to be getting along and I would say Anne-Marie was some what in awe of the Queen Anne Robinson.

[Rob]

I think it's time to put this particular aspect of the discussion to bed please. It's all speculation and gossip from the tabloids.

[Brekkie]

Tim Vine lifting this significantly today, playing up to the non-existent studio audience and trying to break a smile from Anne.

Anne-Marie settled in well too - as with Carol and Rachel her best handwriting when doing the numbers didn't last too long.

[HarveyB]

I hope this series sees more regulars. Last series there were only 7 or 8 people who had appeared previously (Excluding Both Appearances from Richard Coles). Hopefully we can see more of likes of Paul Zenon, Jo Brand, Richard Digance, Richard Madeley, Jon Culshaw, etc