Countdown (game show) World Records" for the most series of a TV game show broadcast. Countdown (game show) Countdown is a British game show involving word and number puzzles. It is produced by ITV Studios and broadcast on Channel 4. It is currently presented by Nick Hewer, assisted by Rachel Riley, with regular lexicographer Susie Dent. It was the first programme to be aired on Channel 4, and 77 series have been broadcast since its debut on 2 November 1982. With over 6,500 episodes, "Countdown" is one of the longest-running game shows in the world, along with the original French version, "Des chiffres
Countdown (game show) show and believed it could be popular overseas. Yorkshire Television purchased the format and commissioned a series of eight shows under the title "Calendar Countdown", which was to be a spin-off of their regional news programme "Calendar". As the presenter of "Calendar", Richard Whiteley was the natural choice to present "Calendar Countdown" with his daily appearances on both shows earning him the nickname "Twice Nightly". These shows were only broadcast in the Yorkshire area. An additional pilot episode was made, with a refined format, although it was never broadcast. A new British television channel, Channel 4, was due to launch