Jeopardy! Season 37 (2020-2021)

[Athena]

Jeopardy! Season 37 will premiere September 14, 2020.

Please remember the basic rules of this forum and thread. Posting about the day's episode should happen after 7PM ET. Before that, it is considered spoilers so please tag it. As always, be civil to your fellow posters and no politics.  

Thank you! 

[bybrandy]

Anybody else shocked that nobody got 1848?    

I missed FJ.   So many decent buildings in Rome, but it did seem more obvious once the answer was given,

I was also expecting the contestant who went to London for such a short trip to have made a shorter trip.   That is a short trip, mind, but I was expecting them to be on the plane the following morning.  

[ams1001]

38 minutes ago, bybrandy said:

Anybody else shocked that nobody got 1848?    

I was yelling at my TV. Clearly they weren't paying attention to wording of the clue.

Haven't gotten to FJ yet. Only ~halfway through DJ. Will report back.

Edit: I did not get it, either.

[Katy M]

I got FJ, but it was a struggle. I really wanted to say the Colisseum, but didn't think that was Greek. And I really didn't want to say pantheon, but I did.

I got the TS of Lake Placid, 1848, and tau.

I got the entire categories of American cities and opening statements right, and the entire category of side bar wrong.  I was surprised I only missed on in opera.  Not usually my category.

[M. Darcy]

I got FJ! I remembered it from my trip to Rome.  Heh, plus it’s in an episode of Futurama. 

[Browncoat]

I almost forgot to pay attention!  I've been half-watching for so long!  I  started giving my full attention just in time to miss Lake Placid.  But I did get topic, 1848 (before they all danced around it), tau, and Celtic cross.  Completely whiffed FJ -- great start to a new season!

I'm glad Alex explained why Zach wasn't there.  I was briefly confused.  

Jeff reminded me of Bill Pullman.

[SoMuchTV]

I called out about half a dozen buildings, and the correct one was among them, so I get credit, right?

[PaulaO]

Alex looks good.  Glad to see him.  I said The. Parthenon for FJ ! then realized that is in Greece.  Isn’t it???

[Bastet]

I almost forgot the new season starts tonight; I'll be watching football, so I just checked the archive.  I did pretty well; I missed one in the first round, a handful in DJ, and got FJ.  So I'm back in the groove.

There were quite a few TS in the first round, all of which I would have figured someone would know, but no big shockers.  1848 was a bit of a doozy, though - 49ers minus one!

 

Edited September 15, 2020 by Bastet

[ABay]

Parthenon is in Athens, Pantheon is in Rome.  The Greek root was the only thing that tipped me off; there isn't anything especially angelic about it. He was probably referring to the roof but the place is pretty solid, not the delicate thing I'd associate with angels.

Edited September 15, 2020 by ABay

[zoey1996]

2 hours ago, bybrandy said:

Anybody else shocked that nobody got 1848?    

I missed FJ.   So many decent buildings in Rome, but it did seem more obvious once the answer was given,

I was also expecting the contestant who went to London for such a short trip to have made a shorter trip.   That is a short trip, mind, but I was expecting them to be on the plane the following morning.  

Yes, I knew the rush followed the strike, but didn’t remember if it was 1848 & 1849 or 1847 & 1848.

I couldn’t think of Pantheon either.

My quick trip to England was equally as short.  Flew after work on Wednesday, arriving Thursday afternoon, attended my granddaughter’s adoption ceremony on Friday, and returned Sunday.  Got home around 5 p.m. and had to go straight to work to get payroll ready for Monday morning.  My son-in-law arranged for my trip, and we surprised my daughter.  This was about 5 years ago.  It’s now been just over a year since I’ve been able to be with them in person; so hard!

[bybrandy]

Oh yeah of the TS I also got Lake Placid and tau... although I got to tau on the roundabout... the...no, that's not right... Tau.  I did realize Theta wasn't right before the constestant missed it but if I'd bee there maybe not in time to stop myself from blurting out Theta before I got there.   

 

[nokat]

Do I get some credit for saying it's not the Colosseum? I swear the Pantheon was right there on my tongue.
 

[Cotypubby]

The conversation in my brain during FJ:

“Parthenon! No, that’s in Greece. Stop thinking Parthenon, I know it’s not that!”

🙄 And I’ve been inside the Pantheon!

[peeayebee]

3 hours ago, Katy M said:

I got FJ, but it was a struggle. I really wanted to say the Colisseum, but didn't think that was Greek. And I really didn't want to say pantheon, but I did.

Funny, I was thinking about how people confuse the Parthenon and the Pantheon, and I knew it wasn't the Parthenon, but I didn't want to say Pantheon. And I didn't.

3 hours ago, Browncoat said:

Jeff reminded me of Bill Pullman.

He reminded me of an actor named Jack Plotnick.

 

The only TSs I got were tau (thanks to my daily word puzzles) and celtic. For the gold rush clue, I immediately thought "49ers" and so, 1849. When that was incorrect, I was all "Duh! The year before."

So good to have the show back.

[Bastet]

17 minutes ago, peeayebee said:

He reminded me of an actor named Jack Plotnick.

Jeff didn't remind me of him, but I "know" him (by face, not name) from Grace and Frankie and an episode of Major Crimes.

I wound up watching the episode after having read the clues on the archive because the Giants had sunk themselves by the time it started.  The returning champ did not return (but will later) because he was unable to make the trip from the East coast, and all three of the new contestants were from the greater Los Angeles area -- it will be interesting to see where the rest of the contestants are from in these games filmed during the early days of the return to production.  Not like it's much safer now, in terms of traveling or being in Los Angeles, but with more lead time so subsequent contestants can quarantine and be tested, I'm curious how this will progress.

[Mario500]

I had believed the first edition of this program ("Jeopardy!") for its thirty-seventh series (or season) of shows was interrupted on one of the broadcast channels for a certain TV station to which I had access locally this past Monday (specifically a main channel of theirs) (note: the channel appeared to have had programming about a news conference immediately afterwards before appearing to have had a certain part of the edition all ready in progress minutes later in the same period of time* in which the program was usually part of the programming of this kind of channel for the station before that Monday earlier this calendar year and certain calendar years prior to this one (*the first half of an hour of 6:00 p.m. (for the Central time zone)). 

Edited September 15, 2020 by Mario500

[ams1001]

7 hours ago, Bastet said:

I wound up watching the episode after having read the clues on the archive because the Giants had sunk themselves by the time it started.  The returning champ did not return (but will later) because he was unable to make the trip from the East coast, and all three of the new contestants were from the greater Los Angeles area -- it will be interesting to see where the rest of the contestants are from in these games filmed during the early days of the return to production.  Not like it's much safer now, in terms of traveling or being in Los Angeles, but with more lead time so subsequent contestants can quarantine and be tested, I'm curious how this will progress.

I just saw an article this morning that said the initial batch (at least) of contestants for the season were all within driving distance, so mostly LA area, San Diego, some from San Francisco area.... 

It also said they had to do their own makeup and microphones. One guy's girlfriend took him to a makeup counter to find the right shade of powder. Rather than waiting in the green room for their game they're over on the Wheel of Fortune set where they can spread out more, and after they're done they have to fill out their tax forms, get their things, and leave, instead of getting to sit in the audience and watch like usual. (Wheel is using the J! set similarly.)

And Johnny Gilbert is still working from home.

[Trey]

It's been so long since we've seen an original game that I forgot to write down my ts's.  I know I got Celtic cross, Lake Placid, and 1848, maybe more.

Did not get FJ.

I read that Zach wouldn't be back right away so I was not surprised.  It must be years since they had three new contestants.

I am so glad Jeopardy! is back, for the game and the posts here.

[Clanstarling]

12 hours ago, PaulaO said:

Alex looks good.  Glad to see him.  I said The. Parthenon for FJ ! then realized that is in Greece.  Isn’t it???

I almost said that - but realized it was in Greece. So I came up with the only structure I could remember with a name that had Greek origins - the Hippodrome. 😄

11 hours ago, ABay said:

Parthenon is in Athens, Pantheon is in Rome.  The Greek root was the only thing that tipped me off; there isn't anything especially angelic about it. He was probably referring to the roof but the place is pretty solid, not the delicate thing I'd associate with angels.

I know, right? I looked it up and that, well, that's a building. But I guess the perspective in Michelangelo's time was quite different.

I was so excited to have Jeopardy back. I actually like the way the players are spaced, and don't really miss Alex getting up close and personal with them. These days have given me a different perspective - and it seems weird to me now when people are close together.

[sugarbaker design]

1 minute ago, Clanstarling said:

I was so excited to have Jeopardy back. I actually like the way the players are spaced, and don't really miss Alex getting up close and personal with them. These days have given me a different perspective - and it seems weird to me now when people are close together.

Same here.  So glad the show is back, as well as Alex.  I could tell he was happy to be back at work.

[Mindthinkr]

In a time where everything is not normal, I at least feel a bit more normal now that I can watch new episodes of Jeopardy. I got Lake Placid, Tau and the Celtic cross as well as FJ. 

[ByaNose]

I’m glad Jeopardy didn’t look too different so I can continue watching. It’s nice to have new episodes and Alex looking amazing. Wheel of Fortune was a little strange with Pat (And, Vanna) staying away from the contestants but walking in arm & arm. Overall, it’s nice to see my shows back. I’m from Philadelphia and they’ve been airing back to back for 38 years. Just crazy!

[PaulaO]

There is a Pantheon in Paris also but that isn’t relevant.  When Alex said Zach couldn’t be there, I shouted at the tv “the only thing more important than being on Jeopardy!  is being in the Olympics.”   

[ams1001]

She didn't do too well but I liked Betsy. "I debated among my head voices." 😄 Hey, she was closer than I was on FJ. (I also liked her story of her 20-year-old flower girl. I used to work with a woman, who is technically old enough to be my mother, and we had a running joke that if I ever got married she wanted to be my flower girl.)

Ken felt awkward as a clue reader. Hopefully he gets more comfortable over time. Also wasn't crazy about the almost-empty blue background.

[opus]

I said Detroit....Motown.......and then I went with Quincy Jones 😢

[ams1001]

2 minutes ago, opus said:

I said Detroit....Motown.......and then I went with Quincy Jones 😢

I got as far as Motown but I couldn't think of any names.

[Katy M]

I said  Quincy Jones, but I'm a little confused as to why Barry Gordy was wrong. Did he say spelling counted?  Aren't Barry and Berry pronounced the same?  They are in my head.

I got the TS of civil rights, 78, Triton, Mary Higgins Clark (who I hadn't realized died), hasta la vista and Sylvia Plath.

And i go the entire categories of on the go ad eight right and the partial category of rights.

Edited September 16, 2020 by Katy M

[SoMuchTV]

I know it didn’t matter since it was a runaway, but being ruled incorrect on spelling when it’s pronounced the same (Barry vs Berry)??? And please don’t start with the Mary/merry/marry thing. Pretty sure at least half the US doesn’t hear the difference. 

[zoey1996]

I thought I’d read somewhere that spelling didn’t count in FJ as long as it didn’t change the meaning.  Is there an exception for names?  I, too, thought Quincy Jones, though.

Ken is a good addition to the team.  

[Bastet]

1 hour ago, SoMuchTV said:

And please don’t start with the Mary/merry/marry thing. Pretty sure at least half the US doesn’t hear the difference. 

Yeah, this came up elsewhere recently, so the numbers are still in my head:  The famous Harvard Dialect Study found that nearly 60 percent of Americans pronounce them all the same.  (Nearly 20 percent pronounce each of the three distinctly, and then the rest pronounce "marry" and "Mary" the same but "merry" differently.)

 

Edited September 16, 2020 by Bastet

[Grundoon59]

FJ was an instaget- I was born in Detroit the year he founded Tamla which became Motown the next year- trying not to feel old. 🤣

Seriously I am glad Jeopardy is back even modified as it is.  I wasn't really able to enjoy the second half of last season- Mother Grundoon passed away in January and she loved it so.  I think being able to watch and enjoy it now is healthy progress.  

I am also glad to be back on this board - I have missed all of you.

[Maverick]

 I got FJ instantly but I would have spelled it wrong too.   I know you're just supposed to use last name unless you have to be more specific for some reason but I still would have written it down because that's the way it popped into my head.   I think that was a lame call.   I have to believe if it had mattered in the final outcome that they would ultimately decide to let her come back.   I couldn't believe the other two didn't even have a guess.   Detroit + 60 years = Motown.  Pick some name associated with it.  

[PaulaO]

FJ! was an instaget and I spelled it correctly.  Like many of you, I though spelling didn’t count as long as the pronunciation was the same.  And let’s not get into Don/dawn.  Alex said Ken J. is part of the team but didn’t specify that he’s part of the Clue Crew.  This leads me to believe Ken will be Alex’s successor.

Edited September 16, 2020 by PaulaO

[secnarf]

I am also extremely confused as to why the incorrectly spelled answer was not correct. I think that required an explanation other than "it is not spelled correctly". I don't think it would have made a difference in the outcome, but still!

As for me, I got as far as Motown and then could not think of a single 'producer'. I'm sure I have heard his name somewhere but it's not something that ever stuck. Music is a weak spot for me.

[ams1001]

15 minutes ago, PaulaO said:

Alex said Ken J. is part of the team but didn’t specify that he’s part of the Clue Crew.

Technically he's a "consulting producer"...whatever that means.

[Clanstarling]

It was a  good set of boards for me today, so I had fun. 🙂

FJ wasn't quite an instaget - but I got it fairly quickly. Though I might not have spelled it correctly. Like the rest of you, I thought as long as a misspelling didn't change the pronunciation, it was okay.

 

[peeayebee]

Like everyone else, apparently, I'm perplexed by the Barry/Berry ruling. BTW, what was the significance of the "come full circle" quote?

Anyway, I guessed Quincy Jones. Spector occurred to me, but I knew that wasn't right.

TSs I got were 78, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel, and Sylvia Plath.

 

[MrAtoz]

2 hours ago, SoMuchTV said:

And please don’t start with the Mary/merry/marry thing.

I'm pretty sure that was the reason.  I pronounce "Barry" and "Berry" identically, but I imagine a lot of people don't.  I noticed that Alex pronounced them differently.

This is why, when your head voices aren't sure, you should just go with the last name! 😀

[saber5055]

6 minutes ago, MrAtoz said:

I'm pretty sure that was the reason.  I pronounce "Barry" and "Berry" identically, but I imagine a lot of people don't.  I noticed that Alex pronounced them differently.

I shouted WTF when all of a sudden now spelling counts in FJ. When TH did that happen after 36 seasons of pronunciation counting, spelling not. I'm very familiar with Motown and got FJ easily, but I would have spelled it Barry too. Berry ... who knew. I didn't. And I have a ton load of Motown vinyl, and going to a Temps concert was a yearly event back then.

If Berry Gordy married Mary Berry and took her name ...

If we're going to discuss Alex saying words differently than anyone else, let's start with "genre."

As for yesterday, no one said Acropolis? Just me? Alrighty then.

Edited September 16, 2020 by saber5055

[theatremouse]

1 hour ago, secnarf said:

I am also extremely confused as to why the incorrectly spelled answer was not correct. I think that required an explanation other than "it is not spelled correctly". I don't think it would have made a difference in the outcome, but still!

I don't think they're ruling on this as a "misspelling" issue. I think it's considered incorrect because it's a different name. If the correct response were supposed to be "Hank Aaron" and someone wrote "Hank Erin", I'd expect that to be wrong too, even though I realize some regional dialects do pronounce those the same.

[Bastet]

I read FJ earlier today and it was an instaget (and I knew the correct spelling), but I didn't know about the misspelling being ruled incorrect until I read about it here.  Since, as I relayed above, the majority of the country pronounces "marry" and "merry" the same, I figure the majority also pronounces "Barry" and "Berry" the same (I do - Barry Manilow and Berry Gordy have no discernible difference), and thus if the rule is that spelling doesn't count against contestants unless it's phonetically incorrect, I call join those who call bullshit (unless names have been an exception to the rule).

17 hours ago, Katy M said:

Mary Higgins Clark (who I hadn't realized died)

The genre + remembering reading about her death is how I got that one; I don't know her by title or face.

I only missed a couple of directors (my only first round misses), but I only knew one TV show (not at all my only miss; I also sucked in the sultans category and missed a couple of others).  Pop culture is so hit and miss for me.

I want to be surprised Civil Rights Act was a TS, but I can't.  I was a little surprised by Krakatoa.

Edited September 16, 2020 by Bastet

[853fisher]

I think @ams1001 is in my head.  I echo their comments.  "Betsy!" seemed like she'd a fun person to know.  I like Ken and think he is a good ambassador for the show but he did not sound or look natural reading those clues and I wish he had stayed in his void.  I bet we will see him maybe weekly or so.  That's fine, maybe he'll grow into it.  Cory is a friend of a musician friend, so it's nice to see her doing well.

I instantly got Gordy but can't honestly say whether I would've written down Barry or Berry.  It's not really the same thing, but I was reminded of one of the young people's tournaments a few years ago where the contestant put down "Emanciptation Proclamation" or something like that and was ruled incorrect.  I thought that was kind of a bum call too.  Anyway, if they ever cast me, I'll remember: only the last name unless prompted!

In general, I agree that it's really good to have the show back.  Alex is simply the best and it's easy to see how meaningful it is for him to be there.  I am warming up to the new look of the podiums, although I might have preferred something connecting them visually.  I'm sure I am reading more into it than I would if I didn't know his political affiliation and his thoughts on the pandemic specifically, but Pat made clear on Wheel that he thought their measures were the stupidest thing he'd ever heard of, so it was nice to see someone else just getting on with what they had to do.  We're all sick of the changes and disruption in our lives, but attitude makes a difference.

Final note: I wish this show were reliably streaming somewhere.  I haven't had traditional TV service since I left college five years ago and miss watching regularly.  I had to wade through a lot of false results and go to the dark web (OK, just Dailymotion) to find these first two shows of the season, but I thought the effort was worth it.  I don't watch anything else in first-run syndication, just network shows, so I have no idea if anyone else is doing it.  But if I'm willing to pay CBS All Access $10ish a month for one Star Trek a week part of the year, I'd pay Sony the same for a game show bundle.  Take my money!

Edited September 16, 2020 by 853fisher
Bearry

[bybrandy]

Add me to the Quincy Jones guessers and being all, "huh" about Barry vs Berry Gordy.    They soud the same to me.   But I'm in the group that says Mary and marry the same but not merry.   I don't know.   

I knew Mary Higgins Clark by sight.   I was obsessed when I was like 11 and read Loves Music, Loves to Dance and she did a reading some place local right around my 12th birthday.  My big brother took me.   My brother finding a reading by an author I was obsessed with and taking me is really all I remember about the night...that and I can totally recognize Mary Higginns Clark on sight.   I don't know about her imaginary cousin Merry Higgens Clarke though.  

I also got Mrs. Maisel, 78, and civil rights.  

 

[Robert Lynch]

Pat said that? Oh, boy....

[Mindthinkr]

I started out well. I got insects, 78, Triton, and kept trying to pull Quincy Jones out of my head for FJ even tho I know now that it’s wrong. I kept saying that guy Diana Ross was married to, but obviously missed it. Add me to the list of people who thought that Ken looked awkward. 

[MrAtoz]

6 hours ago, 853fisher said:

I think @ams1001 is in my head.  I echo their comments.  "Betsy!" seemed like she'd a fun person to know. 

I agree with that as well.  I also note that, for all the Berry-Barry furor, Betsy herself didn't seem too upset about it.  Maybe she's a non-merger speaker.  The fact that it wouldn't have made a difference probably helps, too.

[Mindthinkr]

I started out well. I got insects, 78, Triton, and kept trying to pull Quincy Jones out of my head for FJ even tho I know now that it’s wrong. I kept saying that guy Diana Ross was married to 

[nokat]

1 hour ago, Mindthinkr said:

Add me to the list of people who thought that Ken looked awkward.

Alex has a likability even when he's a bit of a jerk (like when he makes a point of correct pronunciation, or acts like contestants are stupid) and Ken doesn't have that.
 

[rubaco]

Unpopular opinion, I guess, but I like the spaced-out podiums a lot and thought, gee, they should've done that long ago. 

Also thought Ken did a good job with his clues. Try reading a clue or two out loud in the privacy of your own home, and give it some inflection, try to infuse some personality, don't stumble over any words... it's not easy. I think he will improve, but I gave him a thumbs-up. (Full disclosure: I love Ken in general.)

Do we still have a Clue Crew? Maybe I'm wrong, but I assume their travels have been paused for at least a while.