> Enter your vote today! A new poll has been created
> for the gevincountdown group:
>
> What is your verdict on "the new Des", Des O'Connor,
> as Countdown host?
>
>
> o The best ever Countdown host
> o A good choice - renew his contract
> o He needs more time yet / I'm undecided
> o Let him stay - but don't renew his contract
> o Pension him off before his contract is up
>
>
> To vote, please visit the following web page:
> http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/gevincountdown/surveys?id=1819637
>

I've started this poll because I want to see if what I've
been getting told by the people that I've spoken to is
representative of wider opinion.

Des Lynam as Countdown host wasn't necessarily "warmed to"
by everybody who might watch Countdown. But when he was
there, I'd say that he managed 2 big achievements.

(1) Many of those who were unsure about Lynam as Countdown
host were retained as viewers, because they found that
their interest in the game outweighed their discomfiture
with the host.

(2) Lynam actually brought in extra and new viewers, who
hadn't had enough of a liking for Countdown to interrupt
their lives at 3.30 or so each weekday afternoon when
Richard Whiteley was host.

When Dezzo began as Countdown host, people generally
started off open minded or else welcoming his appointment.
For the vast majority, it was going to be a case of
"handsome as handsome does" - not "Dezzo, no way!"

I could be wrong, but I sense that interest in the show
has been waning since Des O'Connor took over as host.
This contrasts sharply with the immediate leap in public
and media interest which Countdown enjoyed when Lynam
began. That leap of interest took place in the face of
a tentative start that Lynam made in his new job. But
whereas Lynam gradually improved as he went along, I've
yet to have anyone say that to me about Dezzo. Or much
of anything else recently that is enthusiastic towards
Countdown as it is while hosted by Des O'Connor.

This is why I've posted the above mentioned poll, asking
for people to give us THEIR verdict on "the new Des".


Zef