THE MINT

Cardinal Sin · Post by **Cardinal Sin** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 1:17 pm

So why do they keep changing the format? Is it just to try and keep people interested?

If anyone hasn't watched one of these programs, I urge you to do so. The one shown on C5 is particularly laughable. They were offering £50,000 the other day for their puzzle - big money, which is why they weren't letting any callers through to the studio. Well, not quite, but it was between 5 and 10 minutes for every call. To fill in the time, the presenter used to get very excited about counting down from 10 to 1 very slowly and suggestively. I was expecting some sort of momentous event to occur when she hit 1, but what actually happened was a clock appeared on the screen. This counted from 5 minutes to 0 minutes (taking one caller on the way). At this point, I fully expected to witness the second coming of Christ, but what actually occurred was she started counting with her fingers again and repeating the whole sorry cycle.

What radio station does Cashcall play on?

harry 3 · Post by **harry 3** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 1:25 pm

The landlord of the local pub was on WWTBAM the same show that the coughing Major was on. The landlord's name was Tom Lucy. Unfortunately the pub (The Whitley Tavern) has now closed. It was the pits though.

Nil Satis · Post by **Nil Satis** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 3:06 pm

Good to see that the non sequitur is alive and well in the Royal County!

Nil Satis · Post by **Nil Satis** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 3:25 pm

Cardinal Richelieu wrote:So why do they keep changing the format? Is it just to try and keep people interested?

I think it must be, although they are all pretty similar in the end. There are people however who watch The Mint as fans, i.e for entertainment only, and have favourite presenters. I'll post a link if you want to read the latest postings from the saddest people in Britain...

Cardinal Richelieu wrote:If anyone hasn't watched one of these programs, I urge you to do so. The one shown on C5 is particularly laughable.

The Channel 5 numbers games are particularly odd. They always go something like 'Count the cats in this - 25 cats all go to a party where they each meet 32 other cats then four more catty friends turn up and they all have a great time.' The reason why no one ever wins is that they can choose how they count them each time - do you have to count the word 'cat' in the phrase each time it appears? How about when it appears as part of 'catty'? If these things were remotely fair and they ever had to justify the answer, you could work out what each subsequent answer was, but of course they make them up as they go along. The Mint kept a similar game going for about three months on and off!

Cardinal Richelieu wrote:What radio station does Cashcall play on?

I believe it's on most of the identikit commercial local radio stations (Motto: Spot The Difference Between Us) but I'm not sure if that extends north of the border. It's only on certain nights between midnight and 2.00am and follows a very similar pattern to the TV shows - give a couple of prizes away early on for relatively obvious answers to draw people in then wait 1-2 hours while the much more difficult ones elude everyone.

harry 3 · Post by **harry 3** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 3:27 pm

Jim Bowen

Non sequitur's r' us......

Cardinal Sin · Post by **Cardinal Sin** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 9:27 pm

I'll probably give the radio a miss, but I'm sure I would like to read the musings of The Mint fans...

Nil Satis · Post by **Nil Satis** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 1:17 pm

It's one of those huge URLs so rather than my posting the link, just put "Digital Spy The Mint" into Google and it should be the first item on the list...

Nil Satis · Post by **Nil Satis** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 5:54 pm

Actually I take it all back, and not just because The Mint is now officially 'controversial' and 'cutting edge' since it has been caught up in the ITV phone-in scandal, I give you truly the saddest people in the world - 102 pages of discussion about WEATHER PRESENTERS...

http://www.tvforum.co.uk/forum/viewtopi ... start=1212

Istenem · Post by **Istenem** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 10:22 am

Nil Satis wrote:I give you truly the saddest people in the world

some people would say that about us

most of my friends think i'm a pathetic geek which is probably about right. but i'm pretty good at it.

Cardinal Sin · Post by **Cardinal Sin** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 9:51 am

Here's another belter (taken from BBC news site)

------

At the same time, Ofcom confirmed it was looking into 30 complaints about an episode of ITV1's Make Your Play, which allegedly contained an unfairly difficult question.

A graphic asked viewers to "Add the pence" from "Two pounds, 25p, £1.47, 16p, Fifty pence".

More than three hours later, the host announced the answer was 506 and that no-one had won. No method was given.

ITV has denied the problem was particularly complex but has not commented further.

--------

Anyone know how the answer was worked out?

Istenem · Post by **Istenem** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 10:08 am

yes, it was in the times a while back and is hideaously convoluted. monkeys and typewriters stuff. the link is here if you want to be singularly unimpressed:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/u ... 513484.ece

Cardinal Sin · Post by **Cardinal Sin** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 11:04 am

Cheers for that UP. I can't believe I wasted 30 seconds of my life trying to work it out...

Here's the answer for those who can't be arsed clicking on the link... I have to confess I still don't really understand it.

- Two pounds is 200p plus 2p (two p) and 1p (p at the beginning of pounds which makes 203p

- 25p: 25p plus 5p and 1p (the p symbol = 31p Pounds 1.47 = 147p

- 16p: 16p plus 6p and 1p (p again = 23p

- Fifty pence: 50p plus 50p (fifty p, a shortening of pence), 1p (reference to pence) and 1p (p only = 102p

- Adding 203p, 31p, 147p, 23p and 102p gives a total of 506p

Istenem · Post by **Istenem** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 11:09 am

unknownpseudonym wrote:yes, it was in the times a while back and is hideaously convoluted.

also hideously misspelled. i have disgraced myself. it will take many a noble deed to cleanse that blot on my honour.

ops:

Cardinal Sin · Post by **Cardinal Sin** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 11:29 am

Given that most viewers of the Mint have trouble tying their own shoelaces, I think you can be forgiven for that slip.

cool · Post by **cool** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 12:33 am

interested as to how the new legislation will effect radio stations who employ the same underhand methods to fleece the gullible listener that did include me in 2006!