Jeopardy! #32: Season 39 with Ken and Mayim

Link to previous thread.

Who are the opening 3 contestants? Have they announced them het or is it supposed to be a surprise?

And thank you, OP for starting the new thread!

The contestants on Monday's game are not yet listed on the Contestant Zone portion of the Jeopardy website.

But check back later. The contestants for each new week usually go up late on Sundays or early on Mondays.

Can't wait.

Info on the Tournament of Champions:

[quote] The Jeopardy! 2022 Tournament of Champions kicks off October 31, bringing back lots of familiar faces to the beloved game show. This year’s competition, hosted by Ken Jennings, is changing things up a bit with the inclusion of two alternate contestants in addition to the 19 already announced players. Emily Fiasco, who won three games and a total of $87,000, will be one of the alternates, and the second has not yet been announced.

So the article at r5 says the Tournament of Champions begins Oct. 31. What do we get tonight, Sept. 12?

Quite a "paperboy" tonight!

Regular season opener, R6.

Who would the champ be tonight, r8? Or anyone?

I noted it at the time, R9, (and have since forgotten) but it’s whoever won the last regular season game. IIRC, they were a one or two day champion when the final show aired.

Seems strange that they wouldn't start the new season with the Tournament of Champions.

The better question is, do we get Ken Jennings tonight?

Why would they start the season with the TOC? They’ve never done that before.

Monday, September 12? Why that’s today!

Tournament of Champions has ALWAYS been a sweeps event. Jeopardy fan s know that.

This weeks' contestants are now listed on the Jeopardy Contestant Zone.

So incredibly easy to check there to see who the contestants are.

One of tonight's contestants is a paperboy?

An elder paperboy.

R12, the commercials I've seen for the season opener has Ken hosting.

Poor paperboy ... a bit too slow.

Hudson Bay Colony or Hudson's Bay Colony? Dud Luigi get lucky?

[quote] Founded by a royal charter, the company named for this body of water employed "voyageurs" who explored Canada by canoe

The correct answer is Hudson Bay, the body of water not the company. Luigi got lucky.

Luigi is a pompous ass, and the woman had no business being on the show. How the fuck did she not know the FJ answer.

And the paperboy…..the paperboy appeared to have a stroke a minute into the program. I expected at some point for a giant monkey paw to mercifully pull him off the stage.

Bad first episode of the season.

I could never get on Jeopardy, but if I did my fear would be I would be as slow as the elder paperboy. Luigi was a powerhouse. Ken looked super sharp and happy to be back in front of a live audience.

Well, I’m off to a good start: I guessed FJ correctly.

😬

Great to have new episodes back.

Great to have an audience back.

Great to see Ken officially designated as host.

Yes, Luigi certainly was a powerhouse. Others were clearly nervous and never got a chance to hit a stride because of Luigi.

Luigi certainly got lucky with Ken giving the OK to Hudson's Bay Company. I kept expecting them to come back from commercial and announce the Hudson's Bay was not acceptable and take the money away from him. I sincerely doubt Alex would have ruled that acceptable.

I blanked on Final. Have never read the Hunchback of Notre Dame, but in hindsight, I should have figured it out from the clue.

Johnny, is it really up to Ken to determine the legitimate answer? Don't the unseen judges have the final say?

I'm going with Ken here, as if we all caught it, his powerhouse 74 episode brain should've as well.

The company is still in existence. It’s name is Hudson’s Bay Company

According to Wikipedia, the bay is “sometimes referred to as Hudson’s Bay”.

Interesting. So, Hudson's Bay is acceptable. The judges likely already knew that and gave the OK in Ken's earpiece.

I’ve said it many times, and I still don’t understand it. Why do so many women on Jeopardy have issues wagering FJ?? It’s frustrating.

Mayim is distractingly ugly. I'd mess up just from looking at her.

R22, I agree on all counts, especially about Luigi. I had forgotten him, or perhaps blocked him out. If I have to hear him ostentatiously use a foreign pronunciation for one more English name, I may have to skip Jeop until he's mercifully defeated.

Hey, Lou, in English it's car-TOOM, not [guttural throat clearing]ar-toom. There was another bit of "look I can pronounce foreign names!" pretentiousness, but I've forgotten what it was.

Also, he's not very pleasant to look at.

r31, and just to drive home your point there was the crazy lady tonight with the rat's nest of hair. The game was hers to win, she had the most money and the easiest FJ ever. All you needed was to think back on the recent Queen's of England husbands. Why did she wager so little??

Was rooting for cute Justin. The lady seemed rather a mess.

Another FJ correct answer. 😬

That lady should have wagered more. But then, that’s the trick, isn’t it? You have no idea what the question will be.

Maybe it's just me and maybe I'm wrong but if it were me up there I wouldn't wager based on the opponent champ guessing the wrong answer which is what she did.

Justin was at a loss in the song category. His older opponents had the advantage. He seemed very tightly wound.

Justin really thought a British King could have once been called the Prince Escort??? Oy, these kids.

I thought Marla Hootch did great!

Good game. I liked all the contestants.

Final was so very easy.

Luigi gets to correct himself over Constable, but she can't with LeGuin. Anyone else find that unfair?

Very R42. Luigi has benefited now from a couple of questionable decisions. I swear if he says another Hispanic name like he’s in a telenova, I’m going to hunt him down and harpoon his fat ass.

[quote] Luigi gets to correct himself over Constable

I thought that was extremely unfair because he didn’t say Constable on his first try. He garbled something entirely different.

SO VERY UNFAIR!!!!

Luigi clearly said Constan on his first answer. And Ken allowed him to correct himself. Why didn't Ken allow Harriet's correction to stand?

And I could not believe that the young Asian gent could not come up with the name Rin-Tin-Tin on his DJ. I mean, how many famous German Shepherds have been in the movies?

Agree. Ken basically said “close but no cigar” to Luigi.

I don't think Ken heard Luigi's first (incorrect) response, so he gave him a second chance; whereas Ken heard Harriet and immediately ruled her incorrect.

When is Luigi getting defeated? He’s fat & ugly.

Well, he SAID he didn’t hear, but how often does that happen?

R48, and smug and pretentious. He may not be aware of/able to do anything about the smug expression on his face, but he could stop with the ostentatiously foreign pronunciations.

Unfortunately, good luck and unfair decisions aside, he's an excellent player. I fear he will be making an appearance in a future Tournament of Champions after his run is over.

Yes, but at least we'd be spared that until a year from now.

R34, April looked like she was about to have a nervous breakdown when she lost.

Is it possible that Gilad is Tatiana from RDR??? It sure sounded like him and kind of looked like him.

Tatiana lives in D.C. I know her. Gilad isn’t her.

Voice was a dead ringer.

Both Gilad and the chubby lady were whomping Luigi in the first 10 minutes. But then those HIspanic categories, of course, finally gave him the edge he needed and the other two were left in the dust.

I thought they were holding their own with the Spanish stuff, surprisingly. Luigi stumbles enough that he's no Matt, Amy, Mattea. I'll give him credit that he knows a lot of obscure stuff.

I cannot stand Luigi. I hope he loses tonight.

Please, will someone take down Luigi....PLEASE?

When the Celebrity Jeopardy show debuts on ABC on Sunday, Sept 25, it will be an hour-long game with a third round called Triple Jeopardy.

Mayim will be the host of Celebrity Jeopardy.

Emmett revealed that he has no pets, no plants and no partner.

Hooray!!

Triple Jeopardy almost makes it pointless to play the first round.

Well, R58, you got your wish — a gay man knocked him off. Yay!!!!!!! He’s gone. And Emmett is cute.

Damn, FJ was hard.

I thought Beauty And The Beast.

Can You Feel…. Is not a duet.

Luigi dd not seem a gracious loser.

Emmett flailed about like one of those wind-filled tube men often seen in front of car dealerships.

Let's hope that Emmett sticks around for awhile. He's cute and smart and sweet.

Not a duet, and did not hit number one, unless you count Canada or the US “Adult Contemporary” chart.

YEAH Emmett!!

I instantly liked him. I love his enthusiasm and exuberance. So glad he won. Was getting tired of Luigi.

Will be happy to see Emmett stick around for a while.

I guessed A Whole New World for Final, although I couldn't have told you who sang it.

Emmett is a homosexualist. Yay!!!

R71, He offered that he had no partner as if he were advertising for one.

He will be getting lots of offers now, r72. Has anyone checked out his social media yet? What's his last name?

What did they say his profession is? He says there;s a lot of international travel involved.

R74, Freelance writer

Go ahead. Ask Emmett anything at all about monkeypox.

Please let there be a Broadway category on Monday so Emmett can plow through it.

I'd let Emmett plow through me.

Why was he wearing so many layers, though?

It's super cold in the studio, R78, and contestants are advised to layer clothing.

No idea for FJ. Good game.

Disney songs from the 1990s are my sweet spot so I got FJ immediately and remembered that Peabo Bryson & Regina Belle were the singers. I almost went with Beauty and the Beast which was sung by Peabo and Celine Dion, but BatB came out a couple of years before Aladdin so it is less recent. I'm glad we have a new champ.

Luigi’s accent.

I know zero about Disney stuff, but figured most of my DL homies would be pleased with the category. Often, it's obvious when a champ's time is up, which was true fairly early for Luigi.

Here's hoping that next year's ToC will have someone we'll be rallying around against him!

did the guy who posts on DL make it to the show?

Wow, I thought that Emmett was going to lose, but he pulled it off. And FJ, which saved him, was not a slam dunk.

Why was Redman accepted for Redmayne?

Emmett looked adorable tonight.

I wondered about that, R86, especially since it sounded like Ken supplied the correct answer.

I'm wondering if in England it's often pronounced Red-men.

That mole on Emmett’s face though.

Well, we love it!

Emmett looked good in that nice blue sweater. Jason looked a little like Adam Scott. Three likable contestants, but none had the best game. I had no idea for FJ.

I posted about auditioning. Have not heard anything, but they said it could take 10 months.

Yeah Emmett!!

Emmett has that Aw Shucks adorableness going on in spades! I was rooting for him the whole game. Glad he pulled it off in Final. Hope he can stick around for a while!

I also wondered about Eddie Redman vs Redmayne. That was two different words to my ear.

Had no idea on Final.

I didn't have the slightest idea about FJ - a contrast to last week when the questions seemed like they were geared toward HS students.

Every several months I find myself smitten with a Jeopardy contestant, and so it's déjà vu all over again with Emmett.

Who thinks Emmett is a power bottom?

I love Emmett but he missed a couple of easy answers including one his DJs. I'm blanking now on what that DJ was.

Look who showed up at Emmett's Jeopardy! watch party.

R98, you can't link to Facebook.

R99, It was Luigi who showed up.

It linked to FB for me.

R101, And for me.

Emmett is one lucky fella. In second place, he makes a very big wager and was the only one who got FJ — which seemed very obvious to me. Though clearly the two other contestants wouldn’t agree.

Another homosexualist win 👍

No one else snickered as het-boi Ken dealt with frottage?

I knew Wellington, raddichio, and compact. Did you?

I'd do Emmett in a minute. Because that's all he could take.

Frottage? I missed it. Please fill me in.

That's the first FJ I've got right in a while. I thought Kelly would know it for sure, but was happy to see Emmett come back for the win again. I got Wellington, but not Dartmouth.

Emmett is easy on the eyes.

Whew! I was really worried about Emmett there going into Final. But he pulled it off. Yeah!

Final did indeed seem obvious to me as well. It was the date that made it so obvious.

The grind of taping back to back shows already seems to be getting to Emmett. I noticed several times when he seemed to be getting tired. Hope he pulls through and keeps winning. I like his smile and his personality!

Johnny Gilbert’s comments are annoying. There. I said what everyone is thinking.

Emmett’s got balls!

What do you find annoying specifically? I think his comments are perfectly normal. "Everyone" does not think as you do. I'm sure you don't like my comments either. Don't read them.

Good game with three excellent contestants.

That was a gutsy DD wager by Emmett.

I knew FJ immediately, that Einstein photo was a popular poster years ago.

Great game tonight. All three contestants were really strong. I got the Einstein FJ as well. I feel like that's one of those clues that comes to you instantly or not at all. I've seen that Einstein photo before but I never knew he was sticking his tongue out at paparazzi, lol.

I guessed Harry Truman for FJ. Thought the middle guy was very impressive. The older woman had the wisdom of age for her correct FJ answer,

I guessed Einstein because the clue said it was in NJ, and I knew Einstein was at Princeton around the early 50s.

Johnny Gilbert, don't listen to that grouchy poster upthread! I always love your take on things.

Exciting game. I knew FJ immediately after Martha answered "Einstein." Martha must be into her 70s, having last been on Jeopardy in 1972, but she's still quick and sharp. Bye Emmett.

I'm sad to see Emmett go. I really liked him. The gutsy Daily Double wager aside, he wasn't playing his best game tonight.

All three players were good. I liked both Martha and Christopher (who bore a striking resemblance to actor Sterling K. Brown). I would have been happy with any of them as the Champ.

Congrats to Martha. Glad she knew Einstein. I had no idea on Final.

Also have no idea what someone said about me upthread. Whoever it is, I've already got him blocked, so his comment didn't show up for me. Many thanks to the people who defended me.

Loved Emmett but I could see his infallibility from the get go. I'll miss him, such a sweet presence, but I'm very happy with Martha's win. I hope she sticks around a long while.

I guessed Lindbergh for FJ. Didn't he live in NJ and hate the paparazzi?

I initially thought of Lindbergh because of the New Jersey connection. Yes, he had a home in Hopewell, NJ. That's where the baby was kidnapped.

But then I realized Lindbergh's most famous photos would have come after landing the Spirit of St. Louis in Paris or during the kidnapping trial, both of which were 20+ prior to 1951.

My high school science teacher had this poster on the wall of his classroom.

Do you mean fallibility, R120?

Yes, of course, r124! Thank you for respectfully chastising me.

This has got to be the most civilized thread on DL. ' '

Sad to see Martha's short reign end, but Michael did what he had to do with his second DD wager.

Sad Martha's time as champ only lasted a day. She was fun. And a smart player.

Michael is also a smart player. but the man looks scary! Would not want to run into him in a dark alley.

I had no idea on Final. I'm not a Muppets fan.

Could FJ have been any easier?

New champ Michael seems a bit odd and there may be some missing front teeth.

I didn't know final either thinking "It's Not Easy Being Green" would be an awkward name for a bridge! I did get the Richard Scarry clue.

I would have guessed the Not Easy Being Green Bridge.

I really liked Martha too and was hoping she’d go on a run. I’m pleasantly surprised that others here liked her as well. She’s 71, so she would’ve been only 21 on her first appearance.

I was really sad to see Martha Bath go as well.

Michael looks like a bobblehead model.

Or the grandson of one of the hillbillies in Deliverance.

And yes, there seems too be a dental situation in that purty mouth.

I was surprised they didn't produce a video clip of Martha's earlier appearance or at least a still photo. But perhaps they don't exist in Jeopardy's files?

If you were Martha, would you want them to show a pic?

I was surprised they didn't show photo of 1972 Martha. I don't think she would have had an issue with it. She wouldn't have mentioned the 1972 Jeopardy at all if she did. Wonder if they took pictures of all the contestants back them like they do now?

I was also surprised they didn't cut to a shot of Martha's husband in the audience when she mentioned him.

Do tapes of the 1960s and 1970s Jeopardy games with Art Flemming still exist?

I don't think I've ever seen them on any of the game show networks.

I didn't like Martha on Wednesday because she defeated Jeopargay! champ Emmett.

However, she won me over yesterday and I was cheering for her.

‘Jeopardy!’ fans unhappy with possible rule change: ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’

“Jeopardy!” may be changing up its game!

Executive producer Michael Davies has revealed that the longtime game show could possibly be revising its rule book.

Davies recently appeared on the “Inside Jeopardy!” podcast that he’s thinking of gifting contestants cash for answering all the clues in one category correctly.

He elaborated on the idea to his co-producer Sarah Whitcomb Foss and “Jeopardy!” winner Buzzy Cohen that the changes may occur this season.

“It’s a moment in the studio; it’s a great thing,” Davies said.

He added that the cash bonus will be a completely separate and extra reward and would not affect who won the game.

He continued: “It might also give incentive to people who are trailing to try and go into a category and get something from the game beyond their second or third place prize.”

Many Twitter users were confused over the admission and questioned how exactly the game would work.

“If the contestant gets some tangible prize to take home, but not one that impacts the SCORE of the game, I’d be down,” someone explained.

They added: “I also think it shouldn’t be worth much more than the total of the clues. For instance, a $35k car for $6k worth of correct responses seems like overkill to me.”

“No no no no no. No sponsor prizes no BS. Do not turn this game into #WheelofFortune,” one exclaimed.

Another queried: “Why? I mean, why? … There is nothing wrong with #Jeopardy! If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

Davies announced in July that Ken Jennings and Mayim Bialik would be taking over as hosts for “Jeopardy!” for the time being.

Fans were also unhappy with this change and took to social media to express their disappointment.

“Will not be watching @Jeopardy until @KenJennings becomes the primary and only host. This switching stuff sucks! #boycottjeopardy because they have idiots running it. What a mess,” one commenter said.

“And I am permanently not watching,” another person said.

sorry I posted the link in the wrong place

Show's not broken. Doesn't need fixing.

But Michael Davies doesn't seem to understand that.

First he kills off the Clue Crew, now he wants to give a prize for running a category, plus he's doing to have a Second Chances Tournament.

Davies is going to find out quickly that Jeopardy fans respect the tradition and intelligence of the show. Don’t dumb it down. Don’t allow contestants to behave like they’re auditioning for their own show. Don’t waste viewer time with additional sponsors and any social media crap.

How about allowing the two losing contestants to keep what they earned?

I agree, r144. Surely, the show's budget can afford that.

Was it ever the case in the show's history that they did do that?

Well, somehow Martha went home with $40 in 1972.

Wonder if that's how much she racked up from the game? Or was it what all third place players went home with in 1972, like third place players today go home with $1,000?

That provides weird incentives in betting. If you have a big pile, but are behind, do you gamble on FJ or keep the money?

Michael is totally my type. He looks like a grown up Hummel to me.

The guy who patterns his adult life after “Golden Girls” reruns is the kind of low hanging fruit I still wouldn’t score at a speed dating relay.

Ah, i was rooting for Navid. He was fabulous!

Had no idea of FJ.

I’m sorry to see Martha lose but she probably has more rewards in her life and for that reason I’m glad Michael won.

Michael showed more of his teeth tonight with more big smiles and they look totally fine. And he has a girlfriend and a dog!

I was rooting for Navid but I'm ok with Michael for now. I thought FJ was only obvious once it was revealed.

I knew that ninny who loves the Golden Girls would lose.

Here are the clues I got but they didn't - anyone else? FDR (World's Fair TV appearance), Paul (Saul) of Tarsus, Queen of Sheba, and Malta.

I'll take this champ over several past ones who've been obnixious.

I came up with Bathsheba. 🤷🏻‍♂️

How MARY! was it when Navid said his dream was to go on a Golden Girls CRUISE based on the Mystery Weekend!!! I rooted for him when he said that.

And didn't Ken Jennings say something like "living your life based on Golden Girls is always a good thing" or something?

Nth Degree MARY to me. He might as well have started the sentence with "As a fag ..."

How did he work a CRUISE into the Murder Mystery? On the show they just went to a hotel

Did that GG cruise re-create the murder mystery?

"So what, I took a whole place setting!"

"NOT NOW, Ma!!!! "

I liked Navid from the start. His Golden Girls confession only made me like him more. He's likely a DL regular who did that as a shout out to his fellow DataLoungers. Hi Navid!

I still don't like Michael. But I dislike him less after Friday's show. That said, he still looks scary with that perpetual frown (save for a smile at the end when he won). Still wouldn't want to run into him alone in a dark alley.

I guessed Beowulf for Final. Was surprised when it was right!

Anyway watch Celebrity Jeopardy! last night?

It debuted last night on ABC and was an hour-long game with three rounds of play, followed by Final.

The questions were largely dumbed down for the celebrities whose banter between themselves was fun, but I was restless by the end of an hour-long game. The third round seemed a bit like overkill.

But all the celebrity winnings go to charity, so that's a good thing.

R160, When I saw who the three "celebrities" were, I bailed.

Part 1 of NY Times story on Jeopardy!

Celebrities Are Just the Start of the Expanding ‘Jeopardy!’-verse

Despite the loss of the show’s longtime host, viewership has held mostly steady, emboldening a move to spinoffs and tournaments, including a revival of “Celebrity Jeopardy!”

By Julia Jacobs Sept. 25, 2022

Michael Davies, who has been an executive producer of “Jeopardy!” for over a year, has proposed numerous ways to expand the game show’s brand at a delicate moment of transition, but “Celebrity Jeopardy!” wasn’t one of them.

The order for that spinoff, which premieres on Sunday with Mayim Bialik as host, came from on high.

This past spring, an executive at ABC noticed fans on Twitter were musing about how well a revival of a celebrity version of the show would do, Davies said in a recent interview. When Sony, which produces the show, told Davies they had signed on, he was in shock: The production team would have only the summer to put together the new show, on top of mounting a new season of “Jeopardy!”

“It wasn’t anywhere in my plans,” Davies said. “I’m not often at a loss for words, but I was at a loss for words.”

It wasn’t a new idea. “Jeopardy!” first brought on celebrities as contestants in 1992 for a week at a time. (Early competitors included Carol Burnett, Rosie O’Donnell and Cheech Marin.) “Saturday Night Live” had a recurring sketch making fun of it, featuring a beleaguered Alex Trebek (played by Will Ferrell) trying to coax responses out of clueless stars. (Categories included “first-grade math” and “the letter that comes after ‘B.’”)

The real game show asked celebrities on intermittently up until 2016, donating winnings to the charity of the victor’s choice. But the new version would be more ambitious: an hourlong show to air in a prime-time Sunday slot.

Despite the tumult of the past couple of years — which has included the death of the show’s longtime host, Trebek, and a chaotic succession in which the official replacement host left under a cloud of scandal — the show’s ratings have held mostly steady. In 2020, the last year of Trebek’s tenure as host, episodes of “Jeopardy!” averaged 9.4 million viewers in the United States, according to data provided by Nielsen. In the year after, that number dipped slightly, to 9.3 million viewers, and viewership has remained the same so far this year.

Through the leadership transition, the show mostly kept its fans — assisted, no doubt, by a series of contestant streaks, including those of Amy Schneider and Matt Amodio, that rallied viewers’ excitement.

The numbers have emboldened Davies, a veteran game-show producer, and his team to press ahead with plans to expand what they have referred to as the “Jeopardy!”-verse.

“It does feel like with Michael Davies, we have someone who’s looking to probe the extent to which the brand can be expanded,” Chris Stratton, a fan and a moderator of a Reddit page devoted to discussing the show, said in an interview.

Part 2

“Jeopardy!” has already made other changes. It started filming a Second Chance Tournament, a series that invites back promising contestants, as well as a retooled Tournament of Champions. The show has also begun publishing in-depth statistics, started a podcast to parse “Jeopardy!” news, created a hall of fame to honor notable figures associated with the show and introduced edited highlights for each episode (an addition meant to serve the cord-cutting population).

And then there are the ideas that are still being batted around: spinoffs for sports and pop culture trivia, a tournament for librarians, and a masters league featuring the show’s most successful players. Davies, a soccer commentator who often compares “Jeopardy!” to a sport, dreams of airing the new league’s episodes live. (“That makes a lot of my staff nervous,” Davies acknowledged.)

The producer and his team have kept a close eye on the reaction online from devoted “Jeopardy!” fans, who are known to chafe at changes to the game show’s structure and who regularly discuss, sometimes critically, the minutiae of every announcement.

“The heart and soul of ‘Jeopardy!’ is that a clever person in their normal walk of life can take a couple days off work, fly to Culver City and come back a couple thousand dollars richer for it,” said Tyler Rhode, a “Jeopardy!” fan and contestant who is competing in this season’s Tournament of Champions.

But so far, Davies seems to have much of the fandom’s support, due in no small part to his commitment to listening to their feedback on Twitter, Reddit and other online channels.

Fans have long rallied behind the idea of a Second Chance Tournament, for example. And in July, when Davies announced that Bialik and Ken Jennings would be splitting hosting duties, he assured viewers that the show would not constantly alternate hosts, writing, “We know you value consistency.”

“I don’t think there’s ever really been a game show that has really listened to its fans the way that ‘Jeopardy!’ is currently doing,” said Cory Anotado, a game-show journalist who has been a contestant on the show.

Davies, who developed the original American version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” that premiered in 1999, was brought in last year during a crisis. Mike Richards, the show’s executive producer, had been named Trebek’s successor, but that plan imploded after revelations that Richards had made offensive comments on a podcast. Davies’s leadership, as well as Bialik and Jennings as a hosting duo, were temporary measures that eventually turned permanent.

Just as fan outcry contributed to Richards’s departure from the show, fan enthusiasm fueled the network’s interest in a new generation of “Celebrity Jeopardy!”

Part 3

For this iteration, producers choose contestants who are known to be fans of the show or to have some trivia prowess. This season, those contestants include: Michael Cera, B.J. Novak, Patton Oswalt, Ray Romano, Iliza Shlesinger, Aisha Tyler and Constance Wu. (The first episode features the actors Simu Liu, Andy Richter and Ego Nwodim, who happens to be an “S.N.L.” comedian.)

The appeal should lie in seeing comedians bring a chaotic informality to a formal game-show structure, Davies said, as well as in putting celebrities in the anxiety-inducing position of having their knowledge tested in a public setting.

“I browned out entirely; it was so stressful that I can’t remember one thing about it,” recalled Bellamy Young, an actress who won a celebrity episode of the show in 2015.

To stretch the game into an hourlong episode, the production has added Triple Jeopardy — a first for the American version of the show — in which clues start at $300 and go up to $1,500. The material will start off easier than in a typical game, which contestants take a test to qualify for. (It isn’t likely to sink to the level of “S.N.L.” sketches, though, in which one clue read: “This is the thing that becomes toast.”)

One thing on Davies’s wishlist? A new spinoff that would bring back former champions.

Within the most recent season, four new champions were added to the show’s all-time leaderboard, including Schneider, who won 40 games in a row, making her the contestant with the second-highest number of consecutive wins, and Amodio, who trails close behind with 38 wins.

To Davies, players like Schneider and Amodio are like professional athletes playing among amateurs, and so it makes sense to him to feature their talents in a separate tournament or league.

“What we really need to develop is the pro-level version of the game,” Davies said. “It seemed ridiculous to me that we have this sport where every single year we take all of our best players — we take our LeBrons and our Dwyanes — and we switch them all out.”

Jeopardy! needs to have a Hot Gay Guys Tournament.

Prime-time Jeopardy was a disaster. It was dumbed down to cater to the celebrities and really dumbed down to cater to a celebrity boot-licking audience. It was a farce.

Btw, I want to see Simu naked.

Agree, but I was happy Andy fumbled.

The chat between celebrities was fun. But the questions seemed written for the Jeopardy kids edition!

Whether I watch future episodes will depend entirely on if I like the celebrities involved.

Does anyone have the full list of the 27 celebrity contestants in this tournament?

I was stunned they had the question about Queen Elizabeth II's death on Sept. 8.

That means the episode was taped within the last two weeks. I would have thought they would have taped in much earlier than that. Like in early to mid August.

They’re diluting the brand, as it were.

I haven’t watched any prime time Jeopardy in a while.

Don’t care to.

Just give me my syndicated show and I’m happy.

When was the last priest contestant?

Has there ever been a nun?

The gay vicar.

Celebrity Jeopardy! did NOT add a Triple Jeopardy. The added a Half Jeopardy. First round is $100 to $500. Cheapskates.

Bless me Father. Glad he knocked out the creepy guy.

I was wondering about that, R173

I've never met an Episcopalian who wasn't gay.

No one recognized Elliott Gould?

No one knew Gertrude was Hamlet's mother??

I meant an Episcopalian priest,

The priest was wired tighter than a brass coil. I hope he calms down a little tomorrow.

The lady in the middle flew in from Massachusetts for that?

Stupid question perhaps, but.....is there ever a tie of who hits the buzzer first?

I mean, even with modern technology, surely there must be some occasions of tied buzzers?

The priest had a shapely ass and was working that podium like his Sunday service lectern. Norway and patrician could be added to Gould and Gertrude.

In fact, a Triple Jeopardy game is worth the same as a normal Jeopardy game since the 2X and 3X are applied to values in the first round that are half normal game values.

Yeah for our Episcopal minister, David. I'm glad to see scary Michael go.

I knew Gertrude and Elliot Gould.

I guessed Vanity Fair for Final.

I guessed Architectural Digest for FJ.

Elliott Gould hasn't been on the front burner in ages, all three can be forgiven for not readily recognizing him.

I guessed Town & Country but knew at once it was wrong.

Also guessed Vanity Fair. Forbes was hard.

I got Forbes because they mentioned 400.

Nick was cute, but didn’t stand a chance against Padre David — though I’m sure that David would like to see Nick’s wrestling moves. FJ seemed fairly obvious, so I was surprised that Charlotte missed both countries.

I knew Nick was in trouble when he said he spent time in India and yet David ripped through all of the the India category.

No one knew Mr. Chips was a teacher????

The swaying priest is making me seasick.

There were quite a few surprising misses.

Bix and Sonny among them. Still a good game until Charlotte lagged. Nick's ears were so cute that his wrestling opponents must have been tempted to tweak them. David is a mash up of Edward Snowden and Michael Riedel.

The current champion David looks like he's hula hooping while drunk. He also looks like he was made from the same mold as this season's Big Brother House Guest Michael.

final jeopardy was more common sense. I guessed it right away knowing how populated and also touristy those 2 countries are

I briefly considered Nigeria.

Yes, David swaying back and forth did get annoying.

Final seemed incredibly obvious, especially after the bit about an 8 hour flight between the two.

I did guess South Africa correctly but didn’t think of where the other one might be.

Damn, it takes an 8 hour flight to get from one to the other? That’s crazy.😳

I like the champion.

I briefly considered Nigeria too R198 but then went with Egypt on a wild guess. I figured South Africa had to be the other country based on the 8 hour travel time mentioned in the clue.

I think if one just thought major African cities, the 2 most logical guesses would be Cairo and Johannesburg.

Agreed R202, but Lagos is also very populous and Nigeria has a huge global diaspora.

Something just tells me people don't fly in and out of Lagos like they do in Cairo and Johannesburg.

An 8-hour plane flight would mean the two locations would have to be at opposite ends of the continent.

That gives you South Africa and Egypt or possibly South African and Morocco.

Nigeria would not be an 8-hour flight to South Africa, Egypt or Morocco.

Point well taken R204 :-)

I could have sworn Ken said Sam and Dean, right before he went to commercial 😂

Would a gay man mistake Mae West for Greta Garbo?

I thought he said Sam and Dave.

I figured the answer was somewhere on the South American continent but had no idea about the rivers there.

I actually found FJ rather easy, mainly because of the last 4 letters of both countries being the same. I had no idea there were rivers named for those countries though.

I'm totally confused that David would know United Artists but mistake Mae West for Greta Garbo.

I couldn't for the life of me figure out FJ and then said a massive "DUHHH" to myself after the answer was revealed. I was thinking the answer was two of those "stan" countries (i.e. Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, etc ....) My knowledge of geography obviously sucks donkey balls.

I was clueless at FJ. I liked Grandma Emily, but she slowed down near the end as David staged his comeback. I see he will wear his clerical collar tomorrow.

What a bad game! So many clues they didn't even try to answer! But many of them I didn't know either.

I recognized Mae West but blanked on her name. Maybe that's what happened with David.

For Final, I figured it was in South America because I knew that two countries there ended with the same four letters. But I couldn't think of the name of either country. And I certainly didn't know there were rivers named after those same two countries.

I also guessed "hockey pucks" for FJ.

I guess I'm going to have to stop watching the show again for a while, because I can't stand the current champ. And P.S. I hope he's openly gay, because he is very obviously gay whether or not he's open about it.

LOL R217

FJ stumped me. But then, I don't recall soccer ever being on tv in the US in 1970.

I like David, but so help me all I can think of when he speaks is the Church Lady.

He mentioned a young daughter, but no wife or husband, so he's probably a single parent and likely gay.

"A native of South Carolina, David holds a B.S. and M.S. in Chemistry from Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, and an M.Div. from The General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church in New York City. He is married to Emily, a native of Western Washington, and they have a young daughter."

So there's that, he is married to a woman. He still seems gay.

His wife has a PhD but no tenure track job. Works as a research associate. That Jeopardy money will come in handy. I wonder if they get free housing from the parish?

As I said, I never met a straight Episcopal priest.

Yeah, David’s a pain in the ass. I love it when he confidently gives a stupid answer. Wrong!

I had no idea for FJ. Sports questions belong in sports categories.

Agreed, R225. I find him smug and annoying, and all the more unlikable because he seems to be a closeted gay. Unless, of course, he and his wife have an understanding....

Stop! - David has a [bold]wife[/bold]?

OK let me guess: Emily is probably really butch.

Well that changes everything for me.

I've been putting up with his incessant swaying all along because I've been presuming he wasn't straight.

But for him to come across as gay and then have a wife & child?

Oh, honey, GTFO!

Yes, David is beginning to wear on my nerves. And yes, he comes off as gay.

I had no idea on Final.

The producers should have told David what they told Dorothy Zbornak.

“We don’t think anyone would root for you.”

R216, At one time, the NHL tried using illuminated pucks so they would show up better on television screens, but that didn’t last long.

Too many stupid answers will catch up to you churchy.

I am not a sports fan --and in particular not soccer---but I got FJ right. I pictured black hexagons and saw a soccer ball.

I cannot believe the priest is str8. Church Lady is what he remind me of too. I think every Episcopal priest I have ever met was gay/lesbian. Then again, I'm gay so there is a bias!

Every Episcopal priest I've ever met has been gay. Even though some of them were married. My uncle, for instance.

Chris . . . super cute and super smart.

Yet another easy as pie FJ.

It’s Cris R235, and is it me, or was he throwing off David Rose furrowed brow face a lot?

Cris is a serious, and I mean serious, cutie:

"Cris Pannullo, a customer success operations manager from Ocean City, New Jersey"

What is a Customer Success Operations Manager?

I came across this quote from the (I'm happy to say) now departed David:

"Yesterday, the 37-year-old also memorably made it clear that he didn't want to divide any viewers by being a man of God. He tweeted as the show aired: 'I'm sure the occupation of 'Episcopal Priest' [is] traumatizing or triggering for some #Jeopardy so I want to be unequivocally clear: this priest is affirming of the lives, loves, and vocations of LGBTQIA+ people. So for anyone that needs to hear it from a priest: This priest loves you.'"

Yeah, yeah, whatever. Hope the door didn't hit you on the way out.

One more thing:

Cris appeared on "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" four years ago:

Also very serious in all ways. Barely cracked a smile.

Who is/was David Rose?

Other than Judy Garland's first husband, though I can't imagine that's the reference.

I love Cris. Great poker face! So often he appeared to be wildly guessing and getting it right.

That suit and tie sported by Cris in r239's photo would lead me to suspect he's gotta be straight.

David Rose is Daniel Levy’s character on Schitt’s Creek. He didn’t speak like David, but had this constant constipated furrowed brow face.

Cris was seriously good, even though he missed FJ. Pam should have bet way more than $4,000 on the DD-she might have won the game. David's "La bohème"/"Rent" engagement story could only have been gayer if he had ended it by singing out, "Yes, they call me Mimi!"

[quote]WHat is a Customer Success Operations Manager?

You know when Karen asks to speak to the manager? That’s him.

I totally got Ian Fleming 😬😬

The new champ seems so low-key.

I want Cris inside me - quite deeply.

LMFAO the whole fucking week I kept laughing at the thought of a priest with that sort of speaking voice and I thought wow a gay priest in this day and age? Now come to find out he's married to a woman and they have a kid together shocking

he seems nice enough but glad to see him go

Farewell David. Good contestant, but I was getting tired of him. I was rolling my eyes at the Rent/La Boheme story. Seems super gay.

I like stoic Cris. Very cute. Seemed very smart but certainly not displaying much personality. I guess that's his poker face coming into play.

I knew Final before Ken even finished reading the clue.

Cris is very hot, but those of you who like his looks should move to Philadelphia. His type is a dime a dozen (which is not a bad thing, mind you) in South Philly.

Given how well he did during the game - did he give even one incorrect answer after buzzing in? - I was surprised Cris missed Ian Fleming. It seemed like such an obvious FJ - but I guess they all do when you know them.

Am I the only one who guessed John LeCarre for FJ?

I guess LeCarre as well.

Me too.

R241, David Rose was also married to Martha Raye prior to Judy.

Hot STRAIGHT Cris comes through again!

No kids, I guess, but a 10-year-old bunny!

Good grief, I had no freaking idea about FJ 😑

I couldn't get FH either. Nice to see Cris smile--he has great teeth as well as a great brain. I liked all three contestants--Jenny reminded me of Anne Meara.

I've never considered "The Night of the Hunter" to be a film noir.

R259, Neither did I.

“Celebrity” Jeopardy is unwatchable.

R261, How can it be "Celebrity Jeopardy!" without celebrities?

Very good game. Cris could be around for a while.

I'm impressed that all three knew Final because I had no idea.

That very slight quizzical hesitation Cris brings to his responses can be utterly chilling!

That shirt he wore on Monday was not flattering.

We need to see him in a tight t-shirt.

Cris is quite the juggernaut.

Blanked on FJ, Asia is not one of my strengths.

Cris is invincible. I love his brazen betting. He's not going anywhere.

Cris is good at finding the DDs.

He likes playing cute for the camera.

Cris is beyond sexy. He needs an OnlyFans where somebody reads him questions off camera and he answers them naked, getting harder with correct answer. When he gets "final Jeopardy" right, he ejaculates. I'd subscribe!

Tonight's FJ was very hard. I'm usually OK with geography, but this stumped me. I think it was particularly hard because the example than gave - TUValu - had the consecutive letters at the beginning, so that's what I was looking for. To think of aFGHanistan required thinking of every landlocked Asian country and then reviewing their spelling.

I'm not saying it wasn't a good question - it was an excellent FJ ... just very hard (IMO - I'm sure others got it immediately).

[quote]He likes playing cute for the camera.

Cris is cute with or without the camera.

Cris just isn't into smiling a lot but when he does smile, his smile is dazzling.

I'd love to see him trounce Mattea.

I agree that Cris is very cute and sexy, but does he set off anyone else's gaydar as he does mine? It's something about his speech, particularly the way he pronounces his esses.

Mind you, I'm not saying he sets off my gaydar as much as the previous champ, but still.....

Cris totally dominated the game again. I think he'll be around for a while.

I had no idea on Final.

I've been playing geography games and got Afghanistan, but not much else. I thought Sean was kind of cute too, but needs to lose the moustache.

It stumped me.

Yes, Sean was also cute. I love mustaches, so I liked, that, too. I wonder if he would have been a good player against someone other than Cris, who is phenomenal with the buzzer and rarely answers incorrectly.

Cris is on fire!

When Ken Jennings expresses amazement with a "Wow!" after a difficult correct response, that is high praise.

Wednesday's brown polo shirt is a fashion improvement for Cris.

Current winner Chris Pannullo is adorable. Is he one of those cutie gays who don't know how to dress?..

WTF is a "customer success operations manager" and what do I need to know to hire Cris to do it to me? I want customer success as much as the next gay.....I mean, guy.

Stumped by FJ. I never saw "Green Book". Nice contestants flattened by steamroller Cris.

Cris is a good player. Very smart. He's probably going to be around for a while. But somehow he doesn't quite have the charisma of James Holzhauer so I think I will begin to tire of him before long.

I do wish Cris would at least attempt to smile when he wins. James did (even though it was a forced smile).

I knew Final before Ken finished reading the clue.

I flipped for him when he talked about what a cautious chap he is. Even drives slowly!

[quote]Cris is a good player. Very smart. He's probably going to be around for a while. But somehow he doesn't quite have the charisma of James Holzhauer so I think I will begin to tire of him before long. I do wish Cris would at least attempt to smile when he wins. James did (even though it was a forced smile).

Well, he has been smiling occasionally, and since he doesn't do it often, it's all the more effective when he does. Plus, he has a really great smile.

The difference between Cris Pannullo and James Holzhauer?

Cris is sexy, James is not.

I thought something to do with AAA.

I saw Green Book but didn’t even think of it.

Green Book (if you knew of it) was obvious due to date.

[quote] The difference between Cris Pannullo and James Holzhauer?

Cris is sexy, James is not.

Plus,

Cris is humble, James is not.

I find Cris very sexy. I also found James sexy.

But you're right about the humble. James was not humble.

That whole thing of miming “putting in all your chips” that James does during Daily Doubles is so cringe. He’s incredibly annoying and I was thrilled when he finally lost.

^ I liked it.

^ I did too. It was very endearing. One of the many reasons I came to like James.

But I also liked Amy and Mattea too. Only super-champ we've had recently that I didn't like was Matt Amodio.

What is Matt Amodio?

You leave my Marty alone, R253? I taught him everything he knows!

Go Cris! I'll be very surprised if he doesn't become one of Jeopardy's longest running champs.

That closeup shot of Cris while he was writing his FJ response . . . Yowza!

FJ was easy, knew it immediately.

Jeff gave Cris a little competition, but not enough.

Without even really knowing the FJ answer I guessed TuTu. What else could it possibly be? I was shocked that Jeff didn't guess correctly though even if he did, he still wouldn't have defeated handsome Cris.

Yeah, the FJ was pretty easy.

Too easy, which led me to believe it couldn’t be Tutu.

The FJ was clearly written by someone under 30. Anyone else would have realized it was way too easy for a FJ. How many bishops from Africa were household names…and won Nobel Peace Prizes?? 🙄

Prizes? Just the one, dear.

[quote]Prizes? Just the one, dear.

Seriously? Everyone knew what R299 meant except you, bitch!

Dear R299….I believe the question clearly said how many bishopS were household nameS. If there were multiple bishopS then they would have collectively won multiple prizeS…,unless they shared one.

Don’t fuck with me fellas! 🙀

Now look what you’ve done R300?? You’ve got me talking to myself!!! 🙀🙀

I totally tanked on Physics, but did get Monroe Doctrine, Shogun, and Devon. Cris' girlfriend is living the dream.

Great game. Jeff gave Cris a run for the money, but he pulled through.

Nice to see Cris smiling a bit more during the intros.

Yes, Final was so easy, I also doubted it. But I stuck with Tutu since I couldn't think of anyone else.

Cris may be straight, but he seems to lean more than a little to the gay end of the spectrum.

R306, We need to see what Heather looks like.

Cris smiles a little bit more after the show as well.

At any rate, I sure wouldn't mind him being around for a long time.

Heather pees standing up.

An explanation of his job.

It's been a long time since I've heard of a job more boring! Hope he really wants to make a living as an actor or a novelist.

It strikes me that Cris looks a little like Eric McCormack might look if Eric had a little Italian in him. No jokes, please :-)

OK, I've read, or tried to read, r310's link and I still have NO idea what Cris does for a living.

Not so clear, huh? Try this one:

The chief responsibility of customer success operations (or CS Ops) is to make the other members of your customer success function -- your customer success managers and any related roles -- more effective.

See?

Seriously, stuff like this is why I stopped working.

R314, In other words, Cris is a corporate cheerleader.

I think the real purpose of a customer success manager is to give sales and marketing somebody to hate other than each other.

I understand it, it’s redundancy and micromanagement. Absolutely soul crushing for the ‘team.’ I’m with r314, no work is better than that work.

The key is understanding the difference between customer success management and customer success operations. Once you’ve got that, everything makes sense.

Does Cris work for Target?

I do hope that Ken runs out of innocuous questions to ask Cris and has to ask him to explain what he does for a living.

Someone on another site posted that Cris has been dating Heather for ten(10) years?

Ten years???

What’s wrong with that r321? I’ve been dating my BF for 38 years. Sounds like they’re off to a good start.

R322, That's not unusual for gay couples, but it is for hetero couples.

H’s straight? I thought Heather was a dude.

R321, I think the 10 years info is based on his story about rescuing the rabbit. I also heard Cris say he and his GF had rescued the rabbit 10 years ago and then thought "wait, what?They've been together ten years and he still hasn't married her? Red flag! Red flag!"

However, maybe I and the person on the other site misheard, and Cris said two years, not ten years. He was talking fast. Anyway, I hope so, because R323 is right. It's rare for straight couples, who usually want to start a family, to be together so long without marrying. There should be a couple little Pannullos by now!

R311, I think it’s kind of sexy that he has a boring, normal, left-brain job – much sexier than some narcissistic, emotional “creative”. I will admit that that job description is a bunch of fluff and buzz words and screams “non-essential staff position – prime layoff material”.

R325, Cris definitely says ten years at 6:05 on this recording of Monday's show.

Cris is a cutie...But talking about his girlfriend is costing him gay fans. Is he homophobic? Maybe he doesn't want us to slobber over him?

Cutie Cris buys his clothes from Target. He also looks like he has never had a threesome but always wanted to try it. LoL

Cutie Cris has worn the same Target shirt every day but one so far. Twice with the same sweater.

He’s too modest to have packed for an extended stay.

Good game. Crossword puzzle guy was giving him some competition until he lost the Daily Double.

I had no idea on Final.

I'm loving Cris on my TV screen.

Crossword players are always formidable, but not this one.

Friday he could have bet 3 thousand and still won with a wrong answer. He bet 221 dollars. He is either really bad at math or stupider than we are giving him credit for. He is a cutie. I can't take him seriously until he wins a couple of more games.

He bet $221 because that's his girlfriend Heather's birthday. He said so at end of show.

Poker players are superstitious. James Holzhauer certainly was and had many bets that represented important dates to him.

I hope Heather convinces Cris to buy another shirt. And sweater.

I really thought that pretty brunette was going to give Cris a run for his money tonight. She seemed very sharp at first.

Cris seems unstoppable.

Another obvious FJ, though Morton wasn't an embarrassing guess.

Love him, but still don't understand the coy chin on fist gesture he makes in the beginning. Very fay.

Or fey?

Hard to get a real take on Cris. I actually find him very opaque. But a brilliant player.

I guessed Gerber, second-guessing myself with Campbell's Soup. The second-chance tournament contestants: either they have gone way back to find them from before I started watching, or my memory is worse than I think...

I got Gerber right away as well.

Great game. Cris was on fire. Surprised he didn't bet even more on Final.

Yes, Gerber was very obvious for Final.

Thanks for posting the Second Chances contestants. None of them look familiar to me either. Wish they would have posted when they originally played.

Supposedly, some of the Second Chances players games were repeated in August. But I didn't watch any of those games.

Both fay and fey are correct.

Cris is really getting cuter and cuter with each game. I love his cute little facial expressions and gestures now that he's more relaxed in front of the camera.

Where is Mister Cocoa?

R342, I feel your pain, I can't recall a single one.

If it's supposedly as freezing cold in the TV studio as they say, Cris must have quite the HOT body, wearing just that same thin cotton shirt every day.

R350, But, no sign of nipplage.

They need to bring back Tom the bartender.

It seems Cris has decided to be more aggressive after the break.

So, assuming Cris will keep winning, will he be given a long break during ToC or do they keep shooting regular Jeopardy during that time? If given that break. it can only help him regain his energy (not that it seems to be flagging) and then there's no stopping him.

Taping of regular season shows stops for the Tournaments.

It will take two days to tape each tournament. So, that's four days taping.

So, it will be at least a week break between taping new regular season shows if they tape both Tournaments in a week. More likely, it will be a two week break since they typically only tape on two days each week. Occasionally they'll change that and add a third and fourth day of taping to a week.

Cris will be in the [bold]2023[/bold]TOC next year, not the [bold]2022[/bold]TOC, taping/airing this year.

Ken has stated that repeatedly.

So they will give the tournament if champions at the regular, local Jeopardy time?

It’s not gonna be a prime time affair, is it?

We know, r356.

Tournament of Champions has always aired during the regular, syndicated show. Ken's announcement last night indicated it will again be part of the regular show.

In February 2022, a student tournament aired during Prime Time on ABC. And almost three years ago, in January 2020, while Alex was still alive, the Greatest of All Time championship between Ken, Brad Rutter and James Holzhauer aired in Prime Time on ABC. No other tournaments have aired in Prime Time.

I like the daily coy chin gesture.

But I could do without that slo-mo thumb up gesture he does preceding it.

Still, I find him more attractive each day.

R352 - That made me laugh.

To that end, my fantasy Jeopardy game would have Tom the Bartender along with Cris and Sameer, that young Indian guy from a year or so ago.

Tom the bartender should come back every season.

Maybe Tom should host every now and then.

Marsha was blatantly pissed. Shaking her head thru out the game. She also seemed to be rooting on Mike to beat Cris at the end..

Actually kind of loved Mike and I was almost.....almost....hoping he'd beat sexy Cris.

Two of Cris answers tonight in particular: Florence Harding (WTF??) and the those two planets.....I just don't get how anyone could get them right.

How old is Cris? He looks younger every night.

I’d love for the final round of TOC to be between last season’s biggest champs: Matt Amodio, Amy Schneider, and Mattea. Not only would it be a riveting contest, but I believe it would also be the first time ever that there’s a 2/3 chance of having a woman champ.

I think I’d put my money on Mattea, if only because she seemed to have the best buzzer timing of the three of them. They all seem pretty equally matched as far as trivia is concerned.

Regardless of who wins TOC, it’s still mind-boggling to me that the standing record for winningest female contestant was bested not once but twice last season by Mattea and Amy respectively.

I would put my money on Amodio, but am hoping Margaret will surprise the frontrunners and win.

I like how Cris good naturedly chides his opponents during the interview segment.

Tonight, Mike's Ken Jennings video and the other night the woman's visit to Jerusalem and violence broke out.

Today brought one of Chris Sexiest Poses!!

Sexiest of all is that he seems like a really nice grounded guy.

R364, for Florence Harding, Cris just had to know the names of first ladies going back less than a century. That's not such a stretch; I suspect lots of DL'ers could name every FL going back to Martha Washington. The planet question did require a triple-think - first you had to remember what sort of object might be orbiting between planets, then think of asteroids, then remember that the asteroid belt is between Mars and Jupiter. (OTOH).

I thought FJ was perfect. Hard, as FJ should be (I didn't get it), but not impossible. I went wrong by focusing on Pearl Harbor because the year was 1941. I like questions that have a little extra hook requiring the contestants to think beyond the obvious.

Cris is amazing.

Heather is one lucky bitch.

Did Mike the meat cutter ping for anyone else?

My guess on FJ was Carpathia. oh well....My guess for the First Lady Question was DOLLY......NoT my night. Chris' Hotness was too distracting. I couldn't focus.

R373, you mean before or after he correctly answered a bunch of contemporary Broadway questions? Before, no. After, you betcha.

What specifically was the reference on Florence Harding? I remember barely taking in the meaning and phrasing of the clue before Cris gave the correct answer (question).

And no, I don't think even most DLers would know Warren Harding's wife's name!

Perhaps if Cris has a weakness it will be in categories involving Broadway musicals and plays

Picture = Even trying to act cool, Cutie Cris looks nerdy hot. That sleeve!!....

I thought this was Cris' most impressive game yet. Even if I had seen Bismarck on a multiple choice quiz question, I would not have guessed it. His range of knowledge is very broad: he does very well on TV, but then also gets that planet question and many history questions. I did so badly tonight, along the lines of that poor woman in the middle.

R371, your opinions as to which clues are easy or difficult to answer are....interesting.

I got the planets right. It’s no mystery where the asteroid belt is.

If I had had a few minutes I could have come up with Florence. She's had bios written about her because of hubby's scandal-ridden presidency—and there were rumors that she had poisoned him. Some feel she was a powerful, influential FL like Eleanor and Nancy. But it wasn't on the tip of my tongue!

I guessed the Edmund Fitzgerald.

I got Bismarck.

Great game! Mike gave Cris a run for his money, especially after his gutsy Daily Double bet. I could have lived with Mike as the new champ.

I think Mike is someone who should be invited back for Second Chances Tournament next year. If I understand the criteria for who they invite back for Second Chances, Mike would definitely qualify.

But Cris had an equally impressive DD bet too! My hats off to him for being so gutsy on that bet.

I had no idea on Final.

That Marsha was a nasty thing.

[quote]And no, I don't think even most DLers would know Warren Harding's wife's name!

She was an easily forgotten bitch, that's for sure!

I thought it was Lou.

By unpopular demand, Cris "grey shirt and sweater" combo will return tomorrow. Oh Cris...Can I FedEx you something new? This studmuffin!! Fernando wasn't bad though..

I like that Cris' wardrobe is boring and unimaginative. He's a straight nerd. That's how he's supposed to dress. It's appealing when a guy appears not to care about clothes but is nevertheless hot af.

Has anyone seen what the girlfriend looks like?

I love the way he gets weak in the knees when he misses a question.

I'm guessing Cris is around 34?

Cris causes an uncomfortable stirring in my loins. He's reserved and delicate but not femme or flamboyant. He's definitely my type. I want to bend him over...

Fernando was cute too. FJ was easier than yesterday's WWII question.

Final was very easy as evidenced that everyone got it.

Once Fernando got out of the hole, he did very well. I liked him.

And Elizabeth referenced the gay "stay at home uncle" we were commenting on early in the year. Anyone remember what his name was?

R393, According to the Internet, Cristofer Pannullo of Ocean City, NJ is 38 years old.

R397 = That just makes him hotter.

Surprised he missed the Rent/La Boheme question.

Yes, Cris' theater knowledge is very spotty. It could be his downfall in a FJ down the road.

And yet, Cris has answered some theater questions that were not super-obvious. You could see that he realized immediately that he had mixed up his Puccinis.

Still, definitely not his forte, R400, I agree.

Cris is such a strong player, and yet one day from out of nowhere he'll just lose, like Amy Schneider. And I'll bet he takes it like a man, just as Amy did.

Tonight’s FJ was so obvious it was embarrassing.

Apparently, Cris packed light for his trip to California. Those same clothes are really getting a workout.

Somewhat easy FJ

Just thought of Woodstock right away. Didn’t even know that there was a documentary by the same name.

Cris showing everyone how thick his cock is was a pleasant surprise.....It is kind of funny watching the other contestants get pissy going up against a champion...For a minute I did think this could be a finale for Cris...Another day where he could have at least banked a few hundred dollars and STILL won but he didn't.

Zack did seem unhappy, but it was kind of brutal how Cris' last answer put him out of reach...

I got Greensleeves and Scooby Snack.

Greensleeves was the obvious answer.

I knew Final the moment I heard Max Yasgur's name, Didn't need to hear any more of the question. But I guess this was a generational thing. No reason why anyone under 30 should know Max Yasgur.

I did not know Greensleeves.

If FJ has anything to do with the realm of entertainment, count on Chris to get it wrong. He bet low because he knows his limitations.

Chris who, r408?

[quote]Chris who, R408?

[quote]—Cris Panullo

R409 - Who's Cris Panullo

What is . . . Cris Panullo?

Cris is really good at TV and pretty good at popular music.

R412, As well as cunnilingus.

He just steamrolled through the board tonight.

I got FJ because the answer seemed to be the most obvious one to fit the clue.

After his break, Cris is only going to return stronger and smarter than ever. I predict he'll become one of Jeopardy's 3 top winners of all time.

Cris looking adorable. He needs to stop with the girlfriend "homage" wagers. If she was that great you would have married her by now.

Adorably sexy yet he makes me wonder why someone that smart and attractive has not gone further in his life by age 38.

Between our tropical storm and a European trip, tonight was my first time with Cris. He pinged fairly strongly to me; maybe the "girlfriend" is some sort of bi/denial thing?

Final was obvious to me. Cris' stepping on Ken's reveal was a bit startling.

I love that about Cris, his boldness with Ken. I appreciate his brashness as a relief from the normal ho-hum obedience of all the other contestants.

I think Cris loathes Ken and I am okay with that...I used to truly hate Ken but not nearly as much as I hated Alex Trebek and his blatant snobbery and subtle femininity. True Story = when Alex announced he had cancer I thought "Finally!! Some Good News!!"....Alex milked that cancer for every ounce of attention he could get.

I guessed Dumas (senselessly) and am still pouty.

I got pituitary correct. Otherwise I was having an off day. I knew Cris would wipe up those two bitties.

I’m falling in love like some silly FANGURL.

Knowing a lot of trivia doesn’t mean you’re smart in other ways.

Cris said he considered himself an underachiever and seemed OK with that.

Maybe he makes quite a bit of $$ in his job. Or maybe, as I wondered earlier, he's pursuing some kind of artistic career—writing, painting, etc. while he makes a living.

R420, I’m sorry Alex hurt you so badly that you felt the need to post that. The pain is over for him, and I hope your healing can begin now that you’ve faced your anger.

We won't see Cris again until mid November. So, he'll have three weeks of real time (a month of screen time) to get some rest, study more trivia and buy some new clothes. Unless that's his lucky shirt he's been wearing over and over.

I guessed Dumas for Final.

Second Chances starts next week.

R427 = Hurt Me? HA!! You wish!!...Good Riddance to Alex and his bad hairpiece.

Well, it seems like someone hurt you r429. You act like you think everyone hates you, the way an abused animal does. Were you tortured and beat as a child? It’s okay…there’s help.

R419, Cris comes across as self-confident without being noisy or obnoxious about it. Even if that's just a façade, he's good at it, and it's a big part of his appeal.

If Cris were up against Amy, Matt or Mattea, would he win?

R432 = Agreed. I don't see Cris getting to Super Contestant against the pros. Love him. He is adorable. But let's face it---he has LOST more than one FJ question. So far his biggest skill is racking up enough money to win even with a losing answer.

[quote]So far his biggest skill is racking up enough money to win even with a losing answer.

R433, I don't understand the logic of your answer. Racking up lots of money going into FJ requires answering a lot of questions correctly. How many FJ questions did Amy miss? More than one, I seem to remember.

I look forward to the matchup between Cris and the other big champs. I am not at all sure he'll win, or even do well, but I think it's impossible to say as long as he's on this winning streak.

You don’t seem to understand much, R434. Cris won’t ever be facing those other big champs like Matt, Amy or Mattea. 🙄

World "exclusive"....Yet another contestant Cris mopped up has complaints about----wait for it---Cris!!!.....LINK!!...Apparently Cris likes to focus on the game rather than mingle with the losing contestants......Other online Buzz is also claiming Ken "favors" Cris over the other contestants---while untrue, expect Ken to be more formal when Hot Cris comes back..

A story confirming Cris blatant hotness. I am very curious why he has the same GF for over 10 years and doesn't marry her?

So ... like ... yeah, I got Final. But, Out of Africa and San Marino were obvious as well.

I thought of the little RCA doggie with his tilted head. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I don't mind Cris for keeping his own counsel between matches. He's dealing with a lot of pressure.

Anyone here wonder if Cris has ever had a threesome? Or is it just me?..

I'm bad at scrambles, but did get parsley. And Duke Ellington. Ken looked good in blues, and Michael Strahan is hot.

"Checkers" in "Dick." James Dean asks Nixon, "Shouldn't you call him King Timahoe?" King Timahoe would have been a brutal FJ.

Maybe he’s just shy.

Second Chances seems to be an intriguing experiment. Don't know that winning just two games in this second chances tournament should qualify people for the Tournament of Champions. But it does. At least this year.

Personally, I'd rather see some of the more personable people who fell just short of the TOC cutoff invited back like Margaret Shelton or the bow-tie loving Yungsheng Wang.

Of the three on Monday, I liked Jessica the best. Glad she won. But she doesn't seem familiar. She apparently was on the episode that Matt Amodio lost to Jonathan Fisher?

Yes, Final was very easy. As was Out of Africa and San Marino.

R443 = Only a desperate chick is sticking around for over 10 years without even an engagement ring. Maybe Cris just made her up?

Margaret squeaked by with four wins to be included among the TOC contestants. Would love to see her do well.

Link below has the setup for the Tournament of Champions.

Matt, Amy and Mattea all have a first-round byes.

18 other contestants play in the first round. Those that make it to the second round semifinals face off with either Matt, Amy or Mattea.

Whoever wins the semifinal games then goes on to a Best-Three out-of-Seven game Final. If you look at the game brackets, you'll see they're setting this up for the final tournament to be between Matt, Mattea and Amy.

Because of this new set up with the Tournament winner being the first to win three out of seven games in the finals, this tournament will last a minimum of 12 days and has the potential to last 16 day.s

Because they've expanded the number of contestants in the Tournament of Champions this year, Margaret Shelton is one of the people in the tournament!

Oh, good. I liked Margaret. She seemed like she'd be a fun friend.

Sorry to read in one of the Sun articles above that Mayim will be back in the new year. I want to like her because she seems nice, but Ken is just so much better at hosting - more natural, more genuinely involved and funnier.

[quote]Only a desperate chick is sticking around for over 10 years without even an engagement ring.

It is weird, but maybe they don't want kids and see no point in getting married otherwise? But, yeah, weird.

Ha! I thought about Dolly the sheep 🐑

Had no idea about what plant/tree it could be.

Though the pea plant was a good guess.

That FJ was impossible!

Good game, I enjoyed all 3 ladies, pretty evenly matched, and it seemed like any one of them could have won tonight.

Molly is a robot, right?

I also thought of Dolly the sheep.

Apple trees seem very obscure for Final. How was anybody supposed to know that?

That's probably the only science FJ I've got right. I saw this story and somehow remembered it. Molly's a bit intense, but she made a smart wager.

I got Newton’s Apple Tree. Locations—Cambridge UK and Cambridge MA suggested an English origin.

I couldn't watch. I felt like I was cheating on Cris....It's going to be a long month.

Every DLer watching got "Company."

I didn't R456.

Does Cris get to spend any of his winnings during his break? I wonder what he'll spend it all on?

Cris doesn't get any of his winnings until after he is defeated.

Damn, r459!!

Ah, James, the Naval officer. I remember him from his first time. Such a hot man, and so sexy in that uniform. Glad he won.

Poor Cris. By now his girlfriend (of 10 years) is nagging him to buy an engagement ring with his winnings.

I got FJ... remembered some kerfuffle between Franklin and Adams when F was ambassador to France. R461, hot? Nah, but he does seem to have a well balanced range of expertise - science, popular culture, the "crossword puzzle" word shit. - but he'll likely lose in the next round because of his lack of expertise re: either drama or food. You heard it here first.

My FJ answer was Boston.....whoops

Eh, i thought of Philadelphia. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I guessed New York. Tricked me but not James.

Wow. Great game. Pam and James were both strong players. Would have been happy whichever one won.

For Final, I initially thought Philadelphia, then changed to Paris.

I got Paris. Very hard to deduce if you didn’t stone-cold know it.

FJ was a snap for me, but I agree R468, if you’re not familiar with that bit of US history, it would’ve been difficult to figure out.

What happened to the lady in the middle? Hard to believe she was a near-champ.

I knew FJ because I watched the Ben Franklin doc on PBS earlier this year. Adams hated Franklin.

I figured Philadelphia, hoes, because of our hit, if misguided and cringey, revival of 1776.

Great game tonight and I'm so happy that all 3 contestants will get another shot with each other tomorrow.

What do we know about James' personal life?

Good first final game of the 2nd Chances Tournament. Could be anyone's game tomorrow!

I knew Mongolia for Final and guessed Kazakhstan. Imagine my surprise when Kazakhstan was one of the correct answers!

Molly is way too intense...

Any update on who won tonight (Friday)? ...I tuned out after the religious questions...Who advances?...I am too lazy to go to YT....Thanks in advance...

The winner was the Brunette Lady, not Intense Molly or Uniformed Sexy Guy (who was really off his game tonight).

R477 = Thanks. Brunette was way too chipper for me.

I got Defarge--they've used that before. James was in freefall, but was a good sport.

Weird game. James totally lost his mojo after tanking on the Daily Double. I was screaming Milton Hershey at him!

But I liked Jessica. Will be interesting to see how she does in the Tournament.

I didn't have the slightest idea on Final.

Nor did I, and I'm a huge Dickens fan.

I guessed Miss Havisham, knowing it must be wrong.

I figured it was Dickens, but that’s as far as I got.

If not adorbs James (nary a mention of wife/gf), I was hoping for Molly to make a comeback. Oh, well ...

So James just disappears into the ether now and we'll never find out more about his personal life?

I can't put my finger on it, but there was something really likeable about James.

And I, too, would have liked knowing more about his personal life.

Sorry to see him crash & burn in the second game, but I liked Jessica's personality and so I'm OK with her winning.

And as for Molly - she kind of reminded me of Kim Darby/Hilary Swank, plus she had an intense vibe that I found more than a bit off-putting.

Or perhaps it was just that her medication needed to be adjusted.

It may have been mentioned previously, but Molly struck me as an SNL skit character.

Molly was scary intense. She was so intense, she was scowling as she listening to the questions. And yes, there was an SNL skit character quality about her.

James may have given some personal info during his original episode. Did they ever mention which episode he was first on? Who he lost to?

James is a beautiful gay man.

Hew was based in Norfolk, Virginia when he first appeared, now he's in Newport Beach. That's all I've got.

Can you talk about Celebrity Jeopardy on this thread? Is so, can I state how much I hate Mayim on this show. And I couldn't tell if Aisha was wearing a wig or not.

Mayim is especially annoying on CJ. She loves to flirt and giggle with the celebs and indulge their worst childish instincts.

Celebrity Jeopardy! is unwatchable.

R493, So are these silly Second Chance games. I’ll return when Cris returns.

I was skeptical about the Second Chance games, R494, but I found them very fun to watch and competitive.

Of course it was noticeable that the questions seemed easier than an average game.

Curious George never had a tail.

I wouldn't watch Celebrity Jeopardy if you paid me.

Tonight's winner was the woman screwed by Bialik the first time she appeared on the show. Mayim made a stupid mistake (which she does all the time), and that player wrote a legible answer when Bialik said she didn't. Tonight she won.

Wow, Sarah, really came on strong but faded a lot.

Ha! The prime minister lasted a few weeks, which means these shows are shot fairly recently. I thought they had more lead time than that.

I liked the lady that won.

I thought of Truman Capote 😛😛

I forgot that about Sadie but remember it vividly now that you mention it, r498. Good for Sadie and glad she won tonight!

[quote]Tonight's winner was the woman screwed by Bialik the first time she appeared on the show. Mayim made a stupid mistake (which she does all the time), and that player wrote a legible answer when Bialik said she didn't. Tonight she won.

Thanks, but I don't get it. Isn't it supposed to be up to the judges, rather than the host, as to whether or not an answer is legible?

Matt Rogers was cute on Celeb Jeopardy...Sadly as the game went on his Fem Bottom Energy came out and ruined it. He was flaming and his hands were moving more than a deaf persons at a deaf school. I didn't know who he is but I know a bottom when I see one.

Matt looks like the cute gay you see at a club and then when he opens his mouth you realize he is more fem than your sister and Ross Matthews combined.

The host doesn’t make legibility decisions. The control room sees the FJ answers before they are revealed. They tell the host how to rule.

Good game. Sadie was especially impressive.

If Sadie is the one ruled wrong for her handwriting, we discussed that here at length when it happened. In fact, emailed the show saying they owed her another chance. Glad they gave it to her.

Final was easy.

[quote]The host doesn’t make legibility decisions. The control room sees the FJ answers before they are revealed. They tell the host how to rule.

Thanks, that's what I thought. I hope R498 reads this.

I got half of FJ.

I got the North part. 😛

Sorry, but I thought Matt with his "Fem Bottom Energy" was rather sweet.

Having said that, I'm sure I'd find him insufferable if he were like that when he's in his 50s or older.

Re tonight's show, I forgot how well Jack played when he was originally on earlier in the season.

Jack seems, uh, heftier than in his last appearance.

Good game. I liked both Jack and Alicia.

I remember Jack in that tie breaker. Thanks for posting the video.

I had no idea on Final.

Watching today’s episode right now, and I have one thing to say.

I fucking hate Rowan. It needs to go the fuck away. Now.

ROWAN!!!!

Wow, what a player. Does anyone remember them (s that correct?) from their earlier appearance? How did they ever lose? Is that episode accessible and would anyone know the date to search for it?

I wouldn't be surprised if Rowan goes up against Matt, Amy and Mattea.

Indeed r512! The anecdotes write themselves: “A trans, a lez, and a they/them walk into a soundstage…”

Rowan certainly is exuberant and probably will be back for TOC. Groan.

Normally I would hate someone like Rowan but for some reason she didn't make me hate her. Damn---she knew her birds. She could be a wild card on TOC...

Rowan was simply too brilliant a player to hate. That exuberance! I'd love to see her trounce all 3 of the Big 3. Is that a possibility or do the Big 3 ultimately only play against themselves?

I'm still reeling over bivOuac!

How does anyone think of things like that in the heat of the moment??

Even though Do was an especially weak player---he got a lot wrong---I don't think Rowans win was a fluke. Keep an eye on here. She might be some serious competition.

How could you not know Trevi Fountain??

It seems obvious it was a fountain of some type. Where else would someone generate daily money?

Rowan truly was masterful and spirited.

Apparently Rowan has joined us here at DL, posting several times. We don’t like you, dear.

Also, it’s not exuberance. It’s being fucking rude and a terrible sport.

Rowan needs a better haircut. The only people who look good with short buzz cuts are Marine recruits. Fat people especially look terrible - the lack of hair makes their faces look even fatter.

Wow! Rowan is way beyond exuberant.

I'm thinking perky with a million and one exclamation points.

The "o" in Rowan's name even had a smiley face.

Watching the show made me feel like Lou Grant complaining about Mary Richards' spunk.

Good Lord in Heaven, I was [bold]exhausted[/bold] by the time the game was over.

What was Rowan’s original name?

I knew “bivouac” but missed Trevi Fountain as well as some other easier clues. It was a prominent vocab word in War and Peace.

I still can't believe that the Trevi Fountain has $3500 in coins tossed in every day.

I thought the answer must be a cathedral in Rome like St. Peter's.

I doubt very much that St Peter’s Basilica would actually give the money to the poor of the city when there are many charities that do give the to the poor.

🫣

My FJ answer was Calcutta. No Joke. I don't know what I was thinking. But then I remembered some of Dos' dumb answers and I didn't feel so bad.

I got Yorick and Woman Warrior at the start, then went into a deep trough. I cheered for Nikkee after she talked about her therapy and then started to look increasingly depressed as Rowan continued their exuberant and exhausting tear. I think losing TWICE on Jeopardy may be too much for Nikkee and her therapist to handle, and may warrant a rebooted Weird Al song.

Ken's tie was beautiful.

R528 = Nikki deflated real quick after losing the first daily double and betting 1000. It threw her off.

Incredible play by Rowan. I liked them. Very smart. I found their exuberance invigorating.

I really had no idea on Final, but now Trevi Fountain seems to obvious.

I like all three of this week's winners. All are smart and deserving of a second chance. Thursday and Friday should be good games.

Nikki made a mistake in declaring that her mental health was tied to her Jeopardy performance. Made me watch for her gradual decline as the show progressed.

R531 And her self-absorbed despondency at the end depressed me. A portrait of the wrong way to experience being alive (IMHO).

I had to turn off tonight's game at the first commercial break, as I cannot stand watching or listening to this Rowan person.

[quote]Incredible play by Rowan. I liked them. Very smart. I found their exuberance invigorating.

R530, I didn't realize Rowan had multiple personalities. I wonder if all of them are as exuberant as the Rowan personality.

They have 13 personalities R534, ranging from narcissistic hippo to psychotic rhino. The other contestants are afraid of them.

I’m starting to think Matty did us all a favor by beating them the first time.

THEY??.....Give me a fucking break....I just went from rooting for Rowan to hating HER....Fuck this...I am sorry you hate the word SHE or LESBIAN but how does that turn you into a THEY?

Non -binary = masculine lesbian who isn't able to accept that?

R538, the thing is, Rowan isn't very masculine except her haircut. She acts and looks like a chubby, cheerful woman - the kind we've all encountered in the workplace. IRL, they are annoying but so nice that it feels churlish to dislike them. Her demeanor is actually quite feminine.

Maybe non-binary means "looks and acts like a middle-aged office party coordinator and secret Santa organizer and isn't able to accept that."

[quote] Rowan was simply too brilliant a player to hate.

Hang on. I’m enough of a curmudgeon to take up that challenge. I found Rowan’s bubbly exuberance to be annoying, obnoxious, and exhausting.

I agree with R536. I’m glad that Matt beat bested Rowan, because I couldn’t have taken a long series of appearances

Rowan is loud.

I'm frankly shocked by all this unbridled hate for Rowan, who couldn't be a more enthusiastic and smart player. I find them very watchable and really hope we see them up against Matt, Amy and Mattea.

[quote] She acts and looks like a chubby, cheerful woman - the kind we've all encountered in the workplace.

Thank God that I never had to encounter anyone like that in any of my jobs.

Somehow I get the feeling that by the time the championship games are over in a couple of weeks, I'm gonna feel worse than despondent Nikki felt at the end of yesterday's show.

It’s a good thing it’s only a half hour show because any more of Rowan would be a bit to much to take.

She’s very enthusiastic and it borders on mania.

What level of enthusiastic exuberance finally tips the scales over into unsportsmanlike exuberance?

When the other contestants are hanging their heads and looking brow beaten, R545??

Yep, Rowan has all the characteristics that would make me truly dislike her. But I don't. I'm not in love with her ("could someone unplug that Christmas tree" comes to mind), but she's really good. And all the other stuff mysteriously doesn't bug me THAT much.

"A little exuberance goes a long way." - Jack, "Lord of the Flies"

I never thought of Joplin for FJ. Good question.

Sadly, the score has never been found.

OK, I liked Rowan on Wednesday, but today, I found their exuberance annoying. A little goes a long way and we are well past "a little."

I also started disliking Rowan because they were so fast on the buzzer, the others weren't getting a chance to buzz in. I like both Jack and Sadie. Thus, I want this to be competitive game with everyone having a shot at winning. I want to see Jack and Sadie get a fair chance and steamroller Rowan isn't letting that happen.

At the same time, Rowan is clearly very smart and I do have to admire that.

But this episode was a chore to watch because of Rowan. Someone said that yesterday about Wednesday's game. I now understand exactly what you meant.

I had no idea on Final.

I had no idea of FJ but guessed Joplin because of the time frame and the black content. Still was very uncertain. (But Gershwin???)

R551, At least Gershwin was in the same century.

[quote]I also started disliking Rowan because they were so fast on the buzzer, the others weren't getting a chance to buzz in.

After all these years of watching the show, I still don't completely understand how this works. Is it true that the contestants have to wait till the split second after the host finishes reading the clue to buzz in, because if they buzz in earlier they'll be temporarily locked out, and if they buzz in later they likely won't be first among the contestants to do so? And is it therefore true that some of the biggest winners, like this Rowan person, are so successful largely because their timing at that is so much better than everyone else's, and not necessarily because their knowledge is so much greater?

I often wonder if it wouldn't be better if the contestant who buzzes in first -- even if they do so while the clue is still being read -- were given the opportunity to answer first. Thoughts?

That’s a problem R553, when you have contestants like Matt and Cris who would press the button immediately, knowing that the answer would likely come to them in the allotted time. At least this way, everyone is starting from the same point. I do believe it helps Rowan the way she holds the buzzer…against her gelatinous knockers.

Thanks, R554. So can we assume that the reason this Rowan person buzzes in first ALMOST EVERY TIME is because her timing is SO much better than the other contestants'? Of course, buzzing in first doesn't help if she doesn't know the answer, but it does seem somehow a little unfair that better timing should give someone such a huge advantage.

It’s all about timing, and I do believe bracing the buzzer against your body means less wasted movement and a quicker thumb on the buzzer.

While we're on this subject, I'm a little surprised that the buzzers haven't been replaced by touch screens or some other method of ringing in. Yes, there can be malfunctions with those, but that goes for the buzzers as well. I guess the show is holding on to the buzzers for tradition's sake.

The first night, I thought Rowan was an excellent player. The second night, she creeped me out so much I wished someone from the audience had stormed the stage and punched her the fuck out. Something about that smarmy countenance is triggering. I can't wait to watch Amy and Matt destroy her.

The thing about Rowan is they rarely have to hesitate with their answer (unlike darling Cris, for example) once they've been called.

Daniel Radcliffe looked hot reading those clues about himself.

I can just imagine the horror of an Rowan-Amy match-up:

Jeopardy's most obnoxiously chirpy contestant vs. one of the most monotonous - Yin vs. Yang.

To that add Mattea - Chatty Cathy with the T-rex flapping hands - and it'll be nothing less than the Tournament from Hell.

I'm head-aching as I type.

Next week will be like watching steer in a slaughterhouse. And I'm fine with that.

You made me suicidal, R561.

Interesting, R558. Why do you suppose Rowan's off-putting mannerisms and personality didn't bother you in the first game?

[quote]Is it true that the contestants have to wait till the split second after the host finishes reading the clue to buzz in, because if they buzz in earlier they'll be temporarily locked out, and if they buzz in later they likely won't be first among the contestants to do so?

Yes - and it means that Jeopardy is as much about reflexes as it is about knowledge.

I wish there were a similar quiz show with similar questions but where contestants all get the same time to answer. If more than one of them answer correctly, they divide the value of the question equally. Then, you'd be rewarding knowledge, not manual dexterity.

Anyway, the number one thing I'd change about Jeopardy is to reinstate the five-game, or whatever it was, maximum rule and end the trend toward long runs by one especially quick contestant. I hate that (except when it's a hot guy like Cris, obviously!).

I can't imagine a computer, machine....device....or whatever you call it that can determine those split-second responses.

Oh, and Rowan haters? So sorry. Great game tonight from everyone though.

[quote]I wish there were a similar quiz show with similar questions but where contestants all get the same time to answer. If more than one of them answer correctly, they divide the value of the question equally. Then, you'd be rewarding knowledge, not manual dexterity. Anyway, the number one thing I'd change about Jeopardy is to reinstate the five-game, or whatever it was, maximum rule and end the trend toward long runs by one especially quick contestant. I hate that (except when it's a hot guy like Cris, obviously!).

Agreed on both counts

Word from the Jersey shore is Cris Pannullo has joined a gym and is working out for his DL fans every morning before he cracks his Encyclopedia Britannica and Rand McNallys. Heather has bought him a couple of off-white polo shirts (athletic cut) and he is making a grand comeback!

That was tough--I guessed Chagall. James had quite an impressive run today; an exciting ending.

I got Magritte because I knew he and Sabena were Belgian.

Much better game Friday night than Thursday. At least it was competitive. Jack was impressive tonight! I really thought Jack might pull it off. I was rooting for him to best Rowan. Alas, it was not to be.

So, we're stuck with Rowan in the Tournament. Hopefully, they will be eliminated quickly.

I didn't have the slightest idea on Final.

Call me a bigot, TERF, whatever you'd like. I find the term "non-gender" with "they" incomprehensible. If you'd like to explain it, fine.

I got Magritte immediately. At this point I'd like Matt to win, but could live with Mattea.

An upset win for Margaret would be delightful.

My Matty will win the TOC!

[quote] Non -binary = masculine lesbian who isn't able to accept that?

I hope I won't get flamed on here for this, but I think we all have the same thought. When "Rowan" reintroduced themself as "non-binary", my first thought was, oh honey, if you lost some weight, grew your hair out and dialed down the personality, someone will find you attractive and you don't have to use the gender identify shit as an excuse.

This thread is about to fill up, so here's a new one to continue talking about the daily game and the Tournament of Champions!

Finish out this thread and then move to the new one.

That was a tough game tonight. Several tough categories and so many wrong answers and unanswered answers. FJ was on the tip of my tongue but I just couldn't get it out.

I liked all 3 contestants and I like the winner, though, so I'm happy.

I agree that tonight's game was tough overall but I thought FJ was quite easy.

FJ was so obvious.

Nice to see that Ryan has cleaned up a bit.

Hard to think that these three made it to the TOC based on last night's performance. They all disappointed.

I don't think I've ever seen a Jeopardy! round with more wrong answers and unanswered questions (or unquestioned answers), but I will say, I myself had no idea on most of those.

It was a hard game! Don't blame it on the contestants.

Missed an awful lot of really tough questions tonight. I wasn't surprised by those low scores.

The names of foreign parliaments really stumped them. I thought it was a gimme category, except for Iceland.

The only foreign parliament answer (question) I got was the Knesset.

I cannot stand Rowan and I will not be ashamed of it.

Perfect ending to tonight’s game.

Loved seeing that pompous ass go down.

Exactly, R588. I was reminded how much I disliked that jackass Jonathan. So glad he lost by $2.

Tomorrow night is the return of DL fav Margaret.

R587 is secretly attracted to them.

FWIW, I don't think Jonathan comes off as pompous at all.

R591, Well, that says a lot about you.

I agree with r591. Jonathan is a hammy actor and was just enjoying his 1/2 hour on camera. He seemed to genuinely enjoy losing and generously applauded the winner.

Or about YOU, R592. You POS.

^MARY!

Fisher in a production of Martin McDonagh's "A Skull in Connemara".

Of the two, I disliked Andrew He much more than Jonathan Fisher. Andrew comes across as much more pompous to me. So, I was rooting for Jonathan all the way.

But I must give Andrew kudos for making the bet he did so he would win by $2.

I had no idea on Final.

R597, Racist much, Johnny Gilbert?

[quote]I must give Andrew kudos for making the bet he did so he would win by $2.

Can you explain? I don't understand your meaning here. Of course, Andrew had no idea that Jonathan would bet the odd amount of $7,801. He just got lucky.

So, tonight we will see if DL Fave Margaret gets to move on to the next round.

How does this work? Will tonight's winner play the 2 previous winners of the week on Thursday and Friday? Do the 3 semi-champs get 2 chances and get to total their 2 day winnings to determine who goes on to the next round? What happens next week?