Jeopardy

[pg1067]

This is tangentially related to Jeopardy!

The Chase is a game show in which three contestants compete against a "trivia master" referred to as "the chaser."  I believe it was originally a British show, but it was on Game Show Network in the early to mid-2010s with a "chaser" named Mark Labbett (aka "The Beast").  The show was recently resurrected on ABC (with commensurately higher prize money).  In the fist season, they had Jeopardy! legends Ken Jennings, Brad Rutter and James Holzhauer take turns as "the chaser" (each with a silly nickname).  The second season premieres this week with Mark Labbett added to the cast as a fourth "chaser."

As a side note, Labbett is 6'6" and, at the time of the original U.S. version, weighed close to 400#.  He has since apparently dropped about 200#.

[Stadler]

This is tangentially related to Jeopardy!

The Chase is a game show in which three contestants compete against a "trivia master" referred to as "the chaser."  I believe it was originally a British show, but it was on Game Show Network in the early to mid-2010s with a "chaser" named Mark Labbett (aka "The Beast").  The show was recently resurrected on ABC (with commensurately higher prize money).  In the fist season, they had Jeopardy! legends Ken Jennings, Brad Rutter and James Holzhauer take turns as "the chaser" (each with a silly nickname).  The second season premieres this week with Mark Labbett added to the cast as a fourth "chaser."

As a side note, Labbett is 6'6" and, at the time of the original U.S. version, weighed close to 400#.  He has since apparently dropped about 200#.

I love the Beast!   If he's on there, I will watch.  Holzhauer appeared on that GSN version of The Chase; Labbett said it was his fiercest competitor.  The magnificent Brook Burns was the host of that show.

[Chino]

I'd like to see a reboot of Beat the Geeks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7h5SeipT0c

[pg1067]

This is tangentially related to Jeopardy!

The Chase is a game show in which three contestants compete against a "trivia master" referred to as "the chaser."  I believe it was originally a British show, but it was on Game Show Network in the early to mid-2010s with a "chaser" named Mark Labbett (aka "The Beast").  The show was recently resurrected on ABC (with commensurately higher prize money).  In the fist season, they had Jeopardy! legends Ken Jennings, Brad Rutter and James Holzhauer take turns as "the chaser" (each with a silly nickname).  The second season premieres this week with Mark Labbett added to the cast as a fourth "chaser."

As a side note, Labbett is 6'6" and, at the time of the original U.S. version, weighed close to 400#.  He has since apparently dropped about 200#.

I love the Beast!   If he's on there, I will watch.  Holzhauer appeared on that GSN version of The Chase; Labbett said it was his fiercest competitor.  The magnificent Brook Burns was the host of that show.

I've been a Brooke Burns fan since the early 2000s.  She hosted a show called Dog Eat Dog that was a lot of fun.

As you may know, Ken Jennings also has a show on GSN called Master Minds, which is hosted by...you guessed it, Brooke Burns (The ABC version of The Chase is being hosted by a woman named Sara Haines, who doesn't have nearly the rapport with her "chasers" that Brooke and Mark had).  On that show, three contestants compete against each other, while three "masterminds" compete against each other on the same questions.  At the end, the top contestant and the top "mastermind" compete head-to-head.  Two of the "masterminds" other than Jennings are Muffy Something-or-Other and Jonathan What's-His-Name.  Both of them were also contestants on the GSN version of The Chase (in Muffy's case, twice).  The cross-pollination of questions between The Chase, Master Minds and Jeopardy! is interesting.

I'd like to see a reboot of Beat the Geeks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7h5SeipT0c

I LOVED that show!  Kinda surprised they haven't rebooted it.  The Music Geek looked like an amalgamation of a bunch of famous rock stars, including Steve Harris and RJD.

[Dream Team]

That is one annoying beotch that has won the last 2 nights. Her idiotic facial expressions have gone viral already.

[pg1067]

That is one annoying beotch that has won the last 2 nights. Her idiotic facial expressions have gone viral already.

I've only watched last Monday's episode so far.  I thought Mayim Bialik did a good job, but it's REALLY hard not to think of it as Amy Farrah Fowler from Big Bang Theory doing Jeopardy!  Almost makes me wish Jim Parsons (as Sheldon Cooper) would do a week).   

[pg1067]

That is one annoying beotch that has won the last 2 nights. Her idiotic facial expressions have gone viral already.

I've only watched last Monday's episode so far.  I thought Mayim Bialik did a good job, but it's REALLY hard not to think of it as Amy Farrah Fowler from Big Bang Theory doing Jeopardy!  Almost makes me wish Jim Parsons (as Sheldon Cooper) would do a week).   

I watched the rest of the Mayim Bialik episodes.  She's good, but I just can't get past the impression that this is Amy from BBT hosting Jeopardy!

Also, I really dig the current champ.  It's nice to see someone on the show with some personality.

[T-ski]

That is one annoying beotch that has won the last 2 nights. Her idiotic facial expressions have gone viral already.

I've only watched last Monday's episode so far.  I thought Mayim Bialik did a good job, but it's REALLY hard not to think of it as Amy Farrah Fowler from Big Bang Theory doing Jeopardy!  Almost makes me wish Jim Parsons (as Sheldon Cooper) would do a week).   

I watched the rest of the Mayim Bialik episodes.  She's good, but I just can't get past the impression that this is Amy from BBT hosting Jeopardy!

Also, I really dig the current champ.  It's nice to see someone on the show with some personality.

pg, what’s your status on your attempt to get on the show?

[crazy climber dude]

That is one annoying beotch that has won the last 2 nights. Her idiotic facial expressions have gone viral already.

Also, I really dig the current champ.  It's nice to see someone on the show with some personality.

I agree, I thought she was awesome/hilarious. Her facial expressions seemed genuinely connected to what she was thinking/feeling. I didn't think anything she was doing seemed contrived whatsoever....just a different, refreshing personality. Plus, she was really enjoying herself....smiling most of the time. And smart as a whip.....I didn't see or hear annoying or idiotic.

[pg1067]

That is one annoying beotch that has won the last 2 nights. Her idiotic facial expressions have gone viral already.

I've only watched last Monday's episode so far.  I thought Mayim Bialik did a good job, but it's REALLY hard not to think of it as Amy Farrah Fowler from Big Bang Theory doing Jeopardy!  Almost makes me wish Jim Parsons (as Sheldon Cooper) would do a week).   

I watched the rest of the Mayim Bialik episodes.  She's good, but I just can't get past the impression that this is Amy from BBT hosting Jeopardy!

Also, I really dig the current champ.  It's nice to see someone on the show with some personality.

pg, what’s your status on your attempt to get on the show?

I overlooked this last month.

In a little over an hour, I will be "participat[ing] in the final part of the Jeopardy! audition process that will consist of playing a 'mock version' of Jeopardy! to assess your game-playing skills."  Not quite sure how this is going to work over Zoom, but wish me luck!

[hefdaddy42]

Best of luck!

[pg1067]

So...I think it went pretty well.  There were 9 people, and they split us into groups of three for a mock game.  Then they did a little interview to ask about ourselves and what we'd do with the money if we won a lot.  We're all in the "contestant pool" for the next 18 months, so I'll either get a call to be on the show sometime before the end of 2022 or the time will pass and I'll hear nothing.

At the end, they asked if we had any questions, and no one said anything, so I asked if they knew who the new host would be.  Their answer was that we (i.e., the general public) will probably know before they do.

Waiting...waiting....

[hefdaddy42]

So...I think it went pretty well.  There were 9 people, and they split us into groups of three for a mock game.  Then they did a little interview to ask about ourselves and what we'd do with the money if we won a lot.  We're all in the "contestant pool" for the next 18 months, so I'll either get a call to be on the show sometime before the end of 2022 or the time will pass and I'll hear nothing.

At the end, they asked if we had any questions, and no one said anything, so I asked if they knew who the new host would be.  Their answer was that we (i.e., the general public) will probably know before they do.

Waiting...waiting....

[Cool Chris]

Nice.

Didn't TempusVox have a tryout once too? I feel like someone here did at one point in time.

[T-ski]

So...I think it went pretty well.  There were 9 people, and they split us into groups of three for a mock game.  Then they did a little interview to ask about ourselves and what we'd do with the money if we won a lot.  We're all in the "contestant pool" for the next 18 months, so I'll either get a call to be on the show sometime before the end of 2022 or the time will pass and I'll hear nothing.

At the end, they asked if we had any questions, and no one said anything, so I asked if they knew who the new host would be.  Their answer was that we (i.e., the general public) will probably know before they do.

Waiting...waiting....

Good to hear, hope your phone rings.

[pg1067]

Thanks, guys.

[crazy climber dude]

Benefit of the doubt after just one day.....however, Levar Burton (so far) was not "born to host Jeopardy" (as he put it). He's definitely personable enough, but seemed a bit awkward in the question to the contestants section. He seemed nervous at the beginning, and that seemed to set a tone for a somewhat disjointed game. He also mispronounced a couple of (key) words that related to the questions/answers.....something where the host needs to do his due diligence proactively.

Not terrible by any means, just not as good as.....let's say even Robin Roberts was last week. And I thought she was about average technically (reading fluently, pronouncing words correctly, moving the game along, etc.).....and then above average in the personality area (responses to questions of contestants, comfort in front of the camera, genuine enthusiasm).

Maybe he will settle down a bit as the week goes along. To be fair, it's probably even more difficult for someone who thought they would be perfect for the role....perhaps only to discover there's more to it than originally thought?

[pg1067]

I "follow" the Jeopardy page on FB, and a LOT of folks there have been creaming in their shorts in anticipation of Burton hosting.  From what I read, he admitted he didn't do well on his first show but thought he improved on the other four shows.  I'll reserve judgment until I watch his episodes (although I thought about watching last night's episode when it was on rather than wait for the weekend to watch all five, which is what I usually do).

I was NOT a fan of Robin Roberts.  She and Aaron Rodgers are the two that I definitely wouldn't want as a permanent host.  I found Rodgers to be very low-energy and monotone, and Roberts was on the other end of the scale -- a bit two excited.

[DragonAttack]

Last night's show had the record LOW total for a contestant.  He just seemed a bit too nervous.

Burton was OK, but it was show #1.  I had not warmed to the thought of him being the permanent host, because I felt there was way too much hoopla.  Well, even with just one show, I can see it.  I can sense already that I'll be more than fine with him.

I am sooooo far behind posting here, but Dr. Sanjay Gupta has been the best hands down.  Good voice, good interviewer, good host, etc.   Mike Richards, Anderson Cooper, and Buzzy Cohen (surprisingly) at the next tier.  I liked Aaron Rodgers.

Sadly, Mayim Bialik was way too giddy and silly, as were a couple of her contestants.  I didn't care for her interjections of 'that's where I went to school' or, 'yup, my grandma played that game'.   Bill Whitaker and Savannah Guthrie were often shocked that the contestants answered correctly (uh, this is 'Jeopardy', correct? ).  Guthrie must have excitedly said 'You got it!' 15x a show the first week.  And yes, Robin Roberts was disappointing, had too much caffeine and was way too bubbly.  But I will give her a pass:  she only did the one 'week', and any cancer survivor can generally do anything they damn well please in my book.

[DragonAttack]

So...I think it went pretty well.  There were 9 people, and they split us into groups of three for a mock game.  Then they did a little interview to ask about ourselves and what we'd do with the money if we won a lot.  We're all in the "contestant pool" for the next 18 months, so I'll either get a call to be on the show sometime before the end of 2022 or the time will pass and I'll hear nothing.

At the end, they asked if we had any questions, and no one said anything, so I asked if they knew who the new host would be.  Their answer was that we (i.e., the general public) will probably know before they do.

Waiting...waiting....

So curious as to the mock game.  How many categories/clues?  The 'full gamut'?  So impressed with your accomplishment.  I figure I'd get a full Cliff Klavin 'right down the middle' categories, or nothing but Shakespeare, or African and South American countries, geography, and history, that I'd end up with my left elbow on the podium holding up my head, while I scream, 'ask me the state capital of Cleveland!'......

[pg1067]

So curious as to the mock game.  How many categories/clues?  The 'full gamut'?  So impressed with your accomplishment.  I figure I'd get a full Cliff Klavin 'right down the middle' categories, or nothing but Shakespeare, or African and South American countries, geography, and history, that I'd end up with my left elbow on the podium holding up my head, while I scream, 'ask me the state capital of Cleveland!'......

By way of perspective, I've been to the live audition a few times, and here's what usually happens there:  To get to the live audition, you have to pass the online test (50 questions).  At the live audition, you show up and fill out a personal bio form and get a Polaroid picture taken.  You then go into a room and take another 50 question test (same as the online test, except instead of typing in answers, you write them on a sheet of paper).  After that, they bring 3 people at a time to the front of the room and give everyone a buzzer.  They then give you a half board:  six categories, but only the $200, $400 and $600 clues (and no daily doubles).  They pick someone to go first, and you play for about five minutes.  Even though you're using buzzers so they know who buzzes in first, they will call on everyone roughly equally to get a sense of how you come across.  They then do brief interviews (where are you from, what do you do for a living and for fun, and what would you do with the money if you win?).  In the live auditions, there were usually about eight groups of three.

In the Zoom audition I did, there were nine people (so three groups of three).  It was otherwise almost exactly the same as a live audition.  The difference, of course, is that there were no buzzers.  They had us hold pens next to our heads so they could see who was buzzing in.  One guy in my group was blind, so they actually had a verbal cue to tell him when to start "buzzing in."  The only particular categories I remember from my part of the game was one relating to U.S. history and another relating to the Simpsons.

[ZirconBlue]

Burton: I had, like all of the hosts, one day of rehearsal and the following day I shot five episodes of ‘Jeopardy!’ I came backstage after taping the first episode and I said to Stephanie, ‘Well, how did I do?’ She said, ‘Ehhh.’ Now, this is a woman who loves me enough to tell me the truth. She said it wasn’t me.

AP: How did you adjust?

Burton: I made it my business for the next four chances at bat to just be myself, to forget about the procedure, to forget about the process, stop trying, stop focusing on the wrong thing. You’re not going to be smooth as Alex, let go of that. But what you can bring to the table is you. So that became my point of focus. And when it did, I started having fun.

Source

[pg1067]

I watched the five Burton episodes earlier today.  The first one was easily the worst of any of the guest hosts.  He improved (and might have continued improving if he'd had a second week), but he is pretty easily at the bottom of my guest host rankings.

It's funny because there was a significant contingent of Jeopardy fans on social media who were ready to hire him as the permanent host without ever seeing him do an episode.  I have to wonder how they feel now.

[crazy climber dude]

I watched the five Burton episodes earlier today.  The first one was easily the worst of any of the guest hosts.  He improved (and might have continued improving if he'd had a second week), but he is pretty easily at the bottom of my guest host rankings.

It's funny because there was a significant contingent of Jeopardy fans on social media who were ready to hire him as the permanent host without ever seeing him do an episode.  I have to wonder how they feel now.

I think they are fanboys and still thought he did an amazing job. I'm sure he would improve and do well as a permanent host, but evaluating his week vs everyone else.....definitely in the lower half for me as well. 

[crazy climber dude]

How about this guy, Matt? He's already in the top 10 highest earners on the show. He said he never wanted to try out for Jeopardy, because he thought he would suck at it! His dad had to encourage him to give it a try. Guessing he's going to take care of his dad with some of these winnings!

A lot of people are up in arms about his tendency to use "what" in place of "who". It is a little off-putting, but many are calling him the most annoying contestant ever. Guessing those people are not daily viewers!

[Harmony]

How about this guy, Matt? He's already in the top 10 highest earners on the show. He said he never wanted to try out for Jeopardy, because he thought he would suck at it! His dad had to encourage him to give it a try. Guessing he's going to take care of his dad with some of these winnings!

A lot of people are up in arms about his tendency to use "what" in place of "who". It is a little off-putting, but many are calling him the most annoying contestant ever. Guessing those people are not daily viewers!

Yeah, I admit it is like fingernails on a chalkboard to hear this extremely intelligent guy use improper grammar but all in all, I like him and it's been great to see him play so well.

But I have no idea who this current host is. 

[crazy climber dude]

How about this guy, Matt? He's already in the top 10 highest earners on the show. He said he never wanted to try out for Jeopardy, because he thought he would suck at it! His dad had to encourage him to give it a try. Guessing he's going to take care of his dad with some of these winnings!

A lot of people are up in arms about his tendency to use "what" in place of "who". It is a little off-putting, but many are calling him the most annoying contestant ever. Guessing those people are not daily viewers!

Yeah, I admit it is like fingernails on a chalkboard to hear this extremely intelligent guy use improper grammar but all in all, I like him and it's been great to see him play so well.

But I have no idea who this current host is. 

Current host is a business/market analyst/anchor on CNBC. I actually think he's doing a pretty good job, despite the anonymity among viewers.

 Also, here's some clarification on Matt's answering controversy. https://www.jeopardy.com/jbuzz/behind-scenes/what-are-some-questions-about-jeopardy

[Stadler]

HAHAHA!  "The Who" is a legit answer!  That's cool.

[pg1067]

How about this guy, Matt? He's already in the top 10 highest earners on the show. He said he never wanted to try out for Jeopardy, because he thought he would suck at it! His dad had to encourage him to give it a try. Guessing he's going to take care of his dad with some of these winnings!

A lot of people are up in arms about his tendency to use "what" in place of "who". It is a little off-putting, but many are calling him the most annoying contestant ever. Guessing those people are not daily viewers!

I've seen a bunch of this on Facebook and it just cracks me up.  There are even people saying things like, "Alex never would have permitted this."  "He would have given him a warning to use the correct pronoun."  There were even people complaining that he buzzes in and takes a bit of time before giving the answer.  "Alex would have hurried him along."  Ummm...no.  The best thing is that former Jeopardy contestants are smacking these people down.  The rules (which are read to the contestants and discussed before they're played -- they're even discussed during contestant searches) expressly say that the specific question doesn't matter.  You can use any question as long as you answer in the form of a question.  "When is Pink Floyd?" would be a perfectly correct response.

But I get bored with dominant champions after bout 5-8 games, so....

[Stadler]

I imagine you have 96 other, more pressing, things to deal with in the moment, but all things being equal, that would be funny, to answer all the questions in the "wrong" way:

"When is The Yangtze River, Alex.  House Parts for $400, Alex."
"Who is a doorknob, Alex.   Russian Literature for $600, Alex."
"Why are Anna Karenina, Alex."

[Harmony]

Mike Richards in talks to be permanent host.

https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/mike-richards-jeopardy-host-alex-trebek-1235034673/?fbclid=IwAR06Zl31jTi0kRIIgE7fWuSqq6jO-uT2GoEJ6HHg8_ltdfHOPiLklV9kHmg

[pg1067]

I imagine you have 96 other, more pressing, things to deal with in the moment, but all things being equal, that would be funny, to answer all the questions in the "wrong" way:

"When is The Yangtze River, Alex.  House Parts for $400, Alex."
"Who is a doorknob, Alex.   Russian Literature for $600, Alex."
"Why are Anna Karenina, Alex."

There was a category a few years back in which all of the correct responses were already in the form of questions.  For example, "This obnoxious song by Baha Men became one of the most pervasive earworms of 2000."  Correct response:  "Who Let the Dogs Out?"  Alex told the contestants when he introduced the category that they did not need to add anything -- e.g., they did not need to response with "What is 'Who Let the Dogs Out?'"  After the first contestant who responded to a clue in the category added the unnecessary "what is," Alex reminded the contestants, but they continued to do so throughout the category; he couldn't get them to stop.

That said, if I actually make it on the show one of these days, I very much intend to take advantage of this rule.

Mike Richards in talks to be permanent host.

https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/mike-richards-jeopardy-host-alex-trebek-1235034673/?fbclid=IwAR06Zl31jTi0kRIIgE7fWuSqq6jO-uT2GoEJ6HHg8_ltdfHOPiLklV9kHmg

Intriguing.  Of course it also says, "A Sony Pictures spokesman said discussions were ongoing with several potential candidates.  He would not comment specifically on Richards’ status.  A source close to the situation cautioned that there’s no certainty that the sides will close a deal and that other candidates remain in the mix, although Richards is clearly the front-runner."

I wonder if the source was speaking out of turn or if it was an intentional release to gauge reaction to the possible hiring of Richards.  If what I've read is any indication, Richards would be a very popular choice.

[SoundscapeMN]

this guy Matt, who keeps trouncing the competition is pretty annoying. He definitely ranks up there, maybe only surpassed by Holzhauer.
Almost to the point I'm not sure how much I want to watch. Today's episode was ridiculous; the other 2 contestants had -Negative amounts with only 8 questions left in Double Jeopardy.

Matt even risked a bundle and got the Final Jeopardy question wrong. and won handily.

I really want someone to beat him asap.

[Stadler]

Mike Richards in talks to be permanent host.

https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/mike-richards-jeopardy-host-alex-trebek-1235034673/?fbclid=IwAR06Zl31jTi0kRIIgE7fWuSqq6jO-uT2GoEJ6HHg8_ltdfHOPiLklV9kHmg

Intriguing.  Of course it also says, "A Sony Pictures spokesman said discussions were ongoing with several potential candidates.  He would not comment specifically on Richards’ status.  A source close to the situation cautioned that there’s no certainty that the sides will close a deal and that other candidates remain in the mix, although Richards is clearly the front-runner."

I wonder if the source was speaking out of turn or if it was an intentional release to gauge reaction to the possible hiring of Richards.  If what I've read is any indication, Richards would be a very popular choice.

I'm not thrilled with "Kramer" as host, but if the people want it...

[ZirconBlue]

Yeah, I admit it is like fingernails on a chalkboard to hear this extremely intelligent guy use improper grammar but all in all, I like him and it's been great to see him play so well.

I think it would bother me less if he said "What is. . ." instead of "What's . . .".