Jeopardy! Season 37 (2020-2021)

[PaulaO]

I confess I only watched the last 10 minutes of the game because I didn’t think I could bear it.  I’m crying now reading these comments.

 

 

[Snow Apple]

18 hours ago, Phebemarie said:

I don't know if I'm ready for Monday with Ken.  

Oh god. I just realized Ken may pay his own tribute to Alex during Monday's game. That will make me cry again.

[shapeshifter]

15 minutes ago, Snow Apple said:

Oh god. I just realized Ken may pay his own tribute to Alex during Monday's game. That will make me cry again.

Pretty sure Mom would watch anyway, so I will too.

[PBnJay]

Looking forward to a good game today, and I wish the best to all guest hosts. I hope some contestant today wins big and goes on to the Tournament of Champions.

[Trey]

I am also looking forward to a good game tonight.

I know it isn't for me to tell anyone what to post but I hope comments, good or bad, about the guest host will be kept to a minimum in this game thread.  Maybe a new thread could be started to talk about the guest hosts.

[chitowngirl]

1 hour ago, Trey said:

I am also looking forward to a good game tonight.

I know it isn't for me to tell anyone what to post but I hope comments, good or bad, about the guest host will be kept to a minimum in this game thread.  Maybe a new thread could be started to talk about the guest hosts.

I started a Guest Host thread, so talk can hopefully be directed there.

[mojoween]

I haven’t watched tonight’s show yet (it will be on at 7:30) but I was just thinking about what that champ must have felt.  He won for the first time on Thursday, October 29, the show took a break and I imagine he was told it was because Alex wasn’t feeling well, and then when taping resumes, Alex had passed.  His emotions must have been all over the place.

[chitowngirl]

Aw...they still have the Alex tribute card up at the end

Edited January 12, 2021 by chitowngirl

[ams1001]

Ken's voice catching when he was talking about Alex almost set me off...😢 He did well, I think. He has a slight lisp which was distracting at first but I stopped noticing it after a bit. Weird to not have Alex but like I said a few weeks ago, the new permanent host will have to be pretty bad for me to give up Jeopardy. I'm here for the game.

My old boss used to have a couple Poetry in Motion pieces in his office (I liked The Sloth by Theodore Roethke; I wish I could have taken it when he retired).

Tarsier! ❤️ 

Damn, Tanay just took off there. He's a little intense-looking (might just be the eyebrows) but I like him.

I was only half listening at the commercial break but there was a promo for Jeopardy virtual test/audition or something?...why do I feel like there is a reason they specified that you have to wear pants or other "out of the house clothing"?

I could not figure out FJ. Then I felt dumb.

[mojoween]

Johnny Gilbert NOT saying “and here is the host of Jeopardy!, Alex TREbek! ” is what absolute wrecked me.  Then Ken was choked up and I was super bawling.

[ABay]

I got FJ just a second too late to have written it out. How I wish that there were more than 24 hours in a day.

[Katy M]

I thought Ken did a good job, but it was weird.  And he made me tear up at the beginning.

I didn't do so hot tonight but FJ was an instaget.

I got the ts of tenderloin, eye teeth, eagle, and choir/quire.

I got the entire category of homophones right but the entire category of movies wrong.

And I got tripe just because our dad was always threatening to feed it to us.   that and beef tongue.

[Browncoat]

I really appreciated Ken's opening statement.  And yes, his voice cracking got me all teary-eyed, too.  

I thought the game went at a nice pace -- and Tanay was on fire!  

Almost instaget FJ -- I did have to translate "long live" to Viva, but as soon as I did that, it came to me immediately.  

I also got the TS/missed DD of Awakenings, eyeteeth, eagle, and choir/quire.

[M. Darcy]

I thought Ken did a great job and his opening comments were beautiful.

I didn’t get FJ - I kept trying to think of a movie with a Spanish name. 

[BuckeyeLou]

Ken's voice cracking really got to me....I thought he did a good job with keeping the game moving and reading the clues in a clear voice.  His interviews were nice, he seemed to enjoy doing that.  The Hubby got the FJ but I could not think of it in time.  I feel like it was a good start to a new era, but I'm still missing Alex.

[Prevailing Wind]

If you were gonna get "Awakenings" wrong, that was the best reply to give. I used to own a fat book that had several of Oliver Sacks' books bound within. The first one was "The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat."  Very interesting disorder.

I pre-guessed "Paint It Black" for FJ. Boy, was I far off. Didn't get it. I have some mental block when it comes to Elvis.

OK, Ken, I'll give you a chance.

[catrice2]

I was ok with Ken but it was a difficult episode without Alex.  Love how the champ didn't let his early misses get him down and just went to work...

[SeanC]

Ken was solid.  There's just an inherent weirdness to seeing anybody other than Trebek in this role.

[catlover79]

1 hour ago, chitowngirl said:

Aw...they still have the Alex tribute card up at the end

I'm touched by that, too. I'm sure it will be there for the rest of the season.

[GreekGeek]

1 hour ago, ams1001 said:

 

I was only half listening at the commercial break but there was a promo for Jeopardy virtual test/audition or something?...why do I feel like there is a reason they specified that you have to wear pants or other "out of the house clothing"?

 

It was a joke about people doing  virtual activities without pants, or in their pajamas. They said you could take the test clothed (or not) any way you wanted, but if you appeared on the actual show you had to be fully dressed.

I thought Ken did fine, though it was weird not hearing Alex's voice. ☹️

[Mindthinkr]

I almost wish that this was the last game that Alex had hosted. I think he would have been chuffed with Tanay’s prowess.
I got Awakenings, tenderloin, eagle, choir and the FJ of Viva Las Vegas. It kind of threw me off as I think of Elvis as having hits in the 1950’s. 

[shapeshifter]

I would have wagered everything for the FJ category of "1960s Songs," and I would have lost it all.
I wonder if Alex would have given some hint like: Keep in mind this includes the entire decade.

I thought Ken did a great job.

[mjc570]

I thought ken was a great host, and kept the game moving along.  I’m surprised unit wasn’t closer, I thought all 3 contestants were pretty evenly matched. 
Kens tribute to Alex was so sincere, and it seemed like Ken totally channeled him tonight.  Except for the voice, every word could have been Alex’s.  

[Calibabydolly]

I had to rewind a second at the end when Ken said THANKS ALEX! My goodness was that sad at the opening with Ken getting glassy eyed reassuring us he was not going to REPLACE Alex. Then again right at the end (my recording cut off before the tribute?) to hear Ken say Alex again! This is so eerie....like Alex is just off on a sick leave or vacation or something!!!

[ams1001]

28 minutes ago, GreekGeek said:

It was a joke about people doing  virtual activities without pants, or in their pajamas. They said you could take the test clothed (or not) any way you wanted, but if you appeared on the actual show you had to be fully dressed.

I'll have to pay more attention next time...

[Bastet]

I think Ken handled himself very well for a first try.  I'll have to get used to the way he says "no" when a contestant answers incorrectly, as there's something about it that hits my ear wrong, but I think his stint will go well; he seemed to really enjoy being there, despite the circumstances.  They hit the perfect note with his opening remarks, and his delivery was clearly sincere. 

I was surprised none of them got eye teeth or out on a limb. Tenderloin and Tower Hill I also wasn't expecting to go unanswered.  But it was a good game, with an impressive performance by Tanay.

I did well, too, missing just a handful in each round, and knowing FJ instantly.

[Dobian]

Ken's opening remarks were both heartfelt and hit all the right notes.  And he had the presence of mind to thank Alex at the end too.  I would have given him a passing grade even if he did nothing else right on the show.  But he was solid host too.  It will never be the same without Alex, but Ken showed he is worthy to wear the mantle.

[853fisher]

I liked Julia.  Shame it wasn't her day.  I hadn't heard of a "Lawyers Philharmonic" before but the PBS NewsHour did an interesting piece about medical orchestras a few months ago that I thought was worth resharing.  I know the lights add pressure, but although it wouldn't've won her the game, it was tough to see her get as far as "Viva Las" and not find the third word for FJ.  Just overthought it, I guess.

Tanay seemed very tense to me.  He was almost making me a little anxious, the way he was clutching himself!  But I suspect I'd be standing much the same way, and he got me on his side quickly with his gameplay.  I thought the "Lady and the Tramp" DD could've been "The Fox and the Hound," so when Ken said he was correct after what seemed to me like an extra-long pause, it thrilled me.

I'm going to be thinking all night about where I knew the NYSSV from.  After a quick Wikipedia skim, it might have come up in any of these stories.  Between the short stories-become-movies category and "Mistook His Wife for a Hat," I have a few things that sound interesting to read.  Finally, as far as I'm concerned, "Eyes Wide Shut" was with Nicole Kidman, not Tom Cruise!

As far as Ken, I think the fact that I enjoyed the game and considered it like any other speaks to the most important elements of his performance.  He was perfectly fine for me.  His intro and conclusion were especially nice.

I don't expect the dedication card at the end to last forever, but I like the suggestion I've seen from a few folks here and elsewhere.  "From the Alex Trebek Studio, this is Jeopardy!" would sound just fantastic.

[Swenson]

I going to use this thread one last time to comment on the host....I know he hasn't been named permanently....but Ken Jennings presented the game  almost as if Alex were speaking through him....he's perfect for the role.....that is all.  Like everything else.....you'll get used to him.

[dcalley]

1 hour ago, mjc570 said:

Kens tribute to Alex was so sincere, and it seemed like Ken totally channeled him tonight.  Except for the voice, every word could have been Alex’s.  

Maybe not the hydraulic joke in the interview!

[DonnaMae]

"Finally, as far as I'm concerned, "Eyes Wide Shut" was with Nicole Kidman, not Tom Cruise!"  They were both in the movie.

[853fisher]

21 minutes ago, DonnaMae said:

"Finally, as far as I'm concerned, "Eyes Wide Shut" was with Nicole Kidman, not Tom Cruise!"  They were both in the movie.

Yes, I know.  Just not to my eyes.  Forgive me, obviously not one of my better lines!

[Prevailing Wind]

19 minutes ago, 853fisher said:

Yes, I know.  Just not to my eyes.  Forgive me, obviously not one of my better lines!

I knew what you meant. Was anyone else in Raiders of the Lost Ark or Star Wars other than Harrison Ford?

[catlover79]

3 hours ago, 853fisher said:

"From the Alex Trebek Studio, this is Jeopardy!" would sound just fantastic.

That's an awesome idea, and I hope that happens. ❤

[Bastet]

3 hours ago, dcalley said:

4 hours ago, mjc570 said:

Kens tribute to Alex was so sincere, and it seemed like Ken totally channeled him tonight.  Except for the voice, every word could have been Alex’s.  

Maybe not the hydraulic joke in the interview!

That sounded like quite an Alex moment to me, a joke he'd have thought of and split-second chosen whether or not to make, and Ken decided to go for it.  So it was dumb, yet comforting.

The interviews were the only segment where I found Ken awkward, but that sometimes happened with Alex despite 35+ years under his belt - contestants are nervous, the stories are dumb, etc. and it's hard to redirect that - so that's pretty far down in my checklist of evaluating guest hosts.

[shapeshifter]

Seems like we all agree that Ken Jennings (I can’t not say both his first and last name) exceeded our expectations. I agree that he was “channeling” Alex, and I think it worked because he came by it naturally, having done over 70 episodes with Alex himself. Kudos to whoever decided to have KJ be first to………you know. 

[Mario500]

14 hours ago, ams1001 said:

Ken's voice catching when he was talking about Alex almost set me off...😢 He did well, I think. He has a slight lisp which was distracting at first but I stopped noticing it after a bit. Weird to not have Alex but like I said a few weeks ago, the new permanent host will have to be pretty bad for me to give up Jeopardy. I'm here for the game.

My old boss used to have a couple Poetry in Motion pieces in his office (I liked The Sloth by Theodore Roethke; I wish I could have taken it when he retired).

Tarsier! ❤️ 

Damn, Tanay just took off there. He's a little intense-looking (might just be the eyebrows) but I like him.

I was only half listening at the commercial break but there was a promo for Jeopardy virtual test/audition or something?...why do I feel like there is a reason they specified that you have to wear pants or other "out of the house clothing"?

I could not figure out FJ. Then I felt dumb.

Why the negativity? 

Edited January 12, 2021 by Mario500

[Clanstarling]

12 hours ago, ABay said:

I got FJ just a second too late to have written it out. How I wish that there were more than 24 hours in a day.

I managed to get it in time, but I had to work it out. I chewed on "meadows" for awhile, but didn't know the Spanish word for it, finally I said "Viva" and the rest came with it.

12 hours ago, M. Darcy said:

I thought Ken did a great job and his opening comments were beautiful.

I didn’t get FJ - I kept trying to think of a movie with a Spanish name. 

Technically the movie had a Spanish name - but it doesn't really seem like it's Spanish since Las Vegas is a town more associated with gambling than Hispanic heritage, and Viva has been in our English vocabulary for a while.

[Trey]

I did not get FJ.  When I heard the answer it was beyond a head smack - I had to go bang my head against a wall for my stupidity.  I loved Elvis movies in my younger years and would go to see every one as soon as it came to our small town movie theatre. I know little Spanish but should have known "long live" is viva.

I did get some ts's and did okay through the rest of the game but missing FJ really brought me down.

[Dobian]

2 hours ago, Trey said:

I did not get FJ.  When I heard the answer it was beyond a head smack - I had to go bang my head against a wall for my stupidity.  I loved Elvis movies in my younger years and would go to see every one as soon as it came to our small town movie theatre. I know little Spanish but should have known "long live" is viva.

I did get some ts's and did okay through the rest of the game but missing FJ really brought me down.

It's because of the way our brains work, I did the same thing.  You start thinking about Spanish themed movies like Man of La Mancha and El Cid and all of a sudden you are miles away from Elvis Presley.  By the time you would have circled back to translating "Viva", time is up.

[Katy M]

I knew that Las Vegas meant the meadows, so I didn't even go to movies in my head.  Lucked out, I guess.

[PaulaO]

I wagered everything on FJ! assuming it would be The Beach Boys or The Beatles.  I lost everything.

Ken is off my Irrational Hate List (yes, it IS thing!)  I cried when he did his opening remarks.  He did not try to replace Alex (nobody can and we know it), and he did a fine job being the host.   I wouldn't mind if he took the gig permanently, although I'd love to see Buzzy or Brad do guest stints.

 

 

[DrSpaceman73]

Ken performed great in my opinion.  Its just different with someone other than Alex.  He doesn't have quite the gravitas in his voice or demeanor that Alex always did, which will take some time getting used to. 

[Moose135]

14 hours ago, dcalley said:

Maybe not the hydraulic joke in the interview!

I thought it to myself just before Ken said it...

[ABay]

Ken did fine but the true test will be the first clue that includes "genre."

[Bliss]

Colour me surprised?! I'm neither a Ken fan, nor a hater... and I had to force me to watch the show last night - call it my ATFandomitis. (You can also colour me stubborn.) Somewhere, deep inside, I knew that I had to rip off the bandaid eventually..., might as well get it over with now.

I found Ken's tribute to Alex quite perfect - not just what he said. How he said it was equally important. He basically said what I was thinking, and proceeded to host the game with 'grace' - almost as if he was channeling Alex (and in my world, those channels can be vital). I could nitpick. I'm choosing not to.

Posting this as I was not in favour of Ken being host (I wanted them to find someone brand, spanking new... untouched and unsullied by social media. Yeah, I know, I still think a unicorn will show up on my property someday! LOL) and I was wrong. Ken's as qualified as anyone else and I'm sure his mom was super proud of his performance!

However, I'll always be an AT fan, and I doubt there'll be another who checks all the boxes so completely, so handsomely. You da bomb, Alex.

[Bliss]

17 hours ago, Katy M said:

And I got tripe just because our dad was always threatening to feed it to us.   that and beef tongue.

LOL... my Dad always teased Mom about the fact she wouldn't eat beef tongue because it came out of a cattlebeast's mouth... he'd say, "but you'll eat an egg?!!!"

[M. Darcy]

5 hours ago, Clanstarling said:

Technically the movie had a Spanish name - but it doesn't really seem like it's Spanish since Las Vegas is a town more associated with gambling than Hispanic heritage, and Viva has been in our English vocabulary for a while.

That is true! I should have at the least remembered the origin of Las Vegas. 

[Tabasco Cat]

9 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

Seems like we all agree that Ken Jennings (I can’t not say both his first and last name) exceeded our expectations. I agree that he was “channeling” Alex, and I think it worked because he came by it naturally, having done over 70 episodes with Alex himself. Kudos to whoever decided to have KJ be first to………you know. 

Hate to burst your bubble but no, we all don't agree. He doesn't have a good voice for the job, It's not just the lisp, either. The timbre is all wrong and instead of commanding the audience's attention, his voice is like weak noise that blends into the background.

[ams1001]

Are we going to get a tribute to Alex before every game? (Not complaining, mind you...)

I did pretty well with the songs, history and kid's lit. (Maybe others but that's all I remember at the moment; wasn't keeping score.)

FJ was instaget. I laughed at Dusty's response.

I like the new champ's hair.