What is...In the Media?

[Prevailing Wind]

5 hours ago, saber5055 said:

I thought of you when I came across this in Mr. Jennings' twitter yesterday. I couldn't download or find the gif, so here is the link. If you watch long enough, "something different" will pop in.

Nancy?

[M. Darcy]

Interview with Jane Curtin where she talks about her time on Jeopardy 

[Kromm]

A British Quiz champ watches and comments on Jeopardy:

 

[saber5055]

9 hours ago, Kromm said:

A British Quiz champ watches and comments on Jeopardy:

Kromm, that is a brilliant video, thanks for posting. I loved the Brit's comments and questions; it would be excellent if he ever were on the show. He knocked out so many answers so easily, including the TS FJ. Interesting comments about Checker Cabs too. I also enjoyed his questioning why players start at the top and work down a category, wouldn't they want to get the highest clues out of the way so their opponents don't have a chance to win that money? LOL! I totally agree with that thinking, as did players who came along later. This episode was from 2013, season 30, although I didn't remember it at all.

I'll have to check out what this fellow has won in Britain.

[Driad]

42 minutes ago, saber5055 said:

I also enjoyed his questioning why players start at the top and work down a category

When he said that, he did not yet know that a contestant who gets an answer wrong loses that amount of money.  Also, if there had been a category in which it wasn't clear what they were looking for (so it's an advantage to use the lower value clues to figure it out) he might have changed his mind.

[saber5055]

I tend to agree with the Brit. His clue-choosing theory seems to have worked for CERTAIN PLAYERS. I personally like board hopping and looking for DDs and more money. As do the players who do that and keep winning several games in a row. If it's a category I am comfortable in, I don't need to start with the easy peasy, I'm heading right to the high dollars.

[blueray]

^Thanks for posting that. It is interesting to hear how different countries do game shows. As for the episode, I felt like the champion looked familiar but I didn't remember the episode until the taxi question. Unless that has come up another time, I remember that question because I had no clue and apparently still don't lol. 

[saber5055]

2 hours ago, blueray said:

It is interesting to hear how different countries do game shows.

I found his statement about thinking American show winners get taxed by federal and state and other entities to be interesting. I wonder/guess in Britain game-show winners get to keep all they win. Wouldn't that be nice here? I always figure someone takes home a bit more than half of what they win, so if one wins $10,000, that person really only gets about $6,000. The government made a bundle off of Ken, Brad and James.

2 hours ago, blueray said:

Unless that has come up another time, I remember that question because I had no clue and apparently still don't lol.

I looked it up and I think the show was from 2013. But don't quote me, I've already tossed my note about it.

[Browncoat]

That was very interesting, and he's absolutely right.  If you haven't been watching Jeopardy! for a while, you don't know what it means when "six" is in quotation marks, or what a Daily Double is.  Not that I want them to explain those things all the time, mind you!  But I can see where it might be confusing at first.  Even just how a contestant responds -- in the form of a question.  That's pretty easy to twig to, but it might be confusing to the novice watcher.  

I remember the champ from that ep, and I remembered the FJ clue, too, but I'm sure I missed it at the time.  I missed it just watching that clip.

[bankerchick]

Quote

I found his statement about thinking American show winners get taxed by federal and state and other entities to be interesting. I wonder/guess in Britain game-show winners get to keep all they win. 

In Canada, 'winnings' are considered tax-free, whether you win a game show, lottery or at the casino.  I believe there are different rules for those who are professional gamblers, but any Jeopardy winnings would be yours to keep.  Which I guess is why so many people's retirement plan involves winning the lottery.

[Prevailing Wind]

I've got my speaker turned to 100 and I still can't hear the show. I can barely hear the Brit.

[blueray]

3 hours ago, Prevailing Wind said:

I've got my speaker turned to 100 and I still can't hear the show. I can barely hear the Brit.

I was able to hear him just fine at normal volume. I had to turn it up a bit to hear the actual show, which made him a bit loud but I kept adjusting while watching. Do you have the volume up on youtube itself?

[Prevailing Wind]

This time of year, when all the news shows have a "dead guy reel," I have a tendency to get teary over the people we've lost. This year, however, my grief has burned out. I watch these clips of who died and I'm numb. ...until they get to Trebek. Then the dam breaks and my tears flow. I'm really surprised at how hard his death has hit me. I don't remember which show it was - Meet the Press or CBS Sunday Morning - but they did really nice tribute with pics from the past 37 years of AT.

[bankerchick]

Five days a week for 37 years.  Of course I missed the odd game but if I was home at 7:30, Jeopardy was on.  To the point where if anyone else was watching something, the main TV went to Jeopardy and everyone else had to find somewhere else to watch whatever they were watching.  Alex was more than your favourite uncle, he was like a good friend you visited every day for half an hour.  I just don't know how I can do it without Alex, and know for sure I can't do it with Ken Jennings.

[Browncoat]

1 hour ago, Prevailing Wind said:

I don't remember which show it was - Meet the Press or CBS Sunday Morning - but they did really nice tribute with pics from the past 37 years of AT.

It was CBS Sunday Morning -- I saw it, and I don't watch Meet the Press.  Alex and John Prine both still gut me.

[Bliss]

Have to admit... I'm happy I'm not the only one gutted by Alex's death. I guess the saying, 'misery loves company', is true afterall...

So, thank you to all of you for your shared grief - it helps! It seems to me we all carry a bit of each other's load, rather than carrying our own overly-full load separately.

[Prevailing Wind]

9 hours ago, Browncoat said:

It was CBS Sunday Morning -- I saw it, and I don't watch Meet the Press.  Alex and John Prine both still gut me.

Meet the Press did one, as well.  One of 'em did fewer than the other one, but more in depth.  How sad that I can't remember which and it hasn't even been 12 hours.

 

Edited December 28, 2020 by Prevailing Wind

[saber5055]

While you guys are watching smart programs on Sunday morning, I'm watching old George Reeves Superman episodes. Says a lot about me, doesn't it.

[M. Darcy]

Article  with interview with EP about Alex’s final week of shows. 

[Prevailing Wind]

4 hours ago, saber5055 said:

While you guys are watching smart programs on Sunday morning, I'm watching old George Reeves Superman episodes. Says a lot about me, doesn't it.

I'm not exactly "watching." It's on and I occasionally look up from scrolling through cat pictures on Facebook. Hahahaha.  Honestly, most of the stuff *I* post on FB is pet related, jokes, or outrage about things I find outrageous. But it's mostly cat stuff.

[saber5055]

Thanks @M. Darcy. There must be pollen blowing around this room because I had to blow my nose a lot reading that EW article.

[Bliss]

13 hours ago, saber5055 said:

Thanks @M. Darcy. There must be pollen blowing around this room because I had to blow my nose a lot reading that EW article.

I think you blew that pollen all the way up to Canada!

[bankerchick]

Looks as if Ken Jennings is on his serious apology tour.  He's deleting and apologizing for years of garbage tweets.

Please, please, not him.  Anybody else.  

[thebigboot]

Ken Jennings is now defending his podcast cohost. What a great guy, defending anti semites, hope the show never lets him do anything else.

Ken Jennings defends bigoted Podcast co host

[saber5055]

On 12/29/2020 at 4:45 PM, M. Darcy said:

Article  with interview with EP about Alex’s final week of shows. 

I was pleased to read that Alex really liked Brayden, he's smart and was doing well on the show. I'm a Braden fan too. I hope he wins all this week and Alex gets to end his run with a contestant who will be going on to the TOC. I was glad EW included that in the story.

This will be a sad week indeed.

Edited January 4, 2021 by saber5055

[ABay]

@thebigboot, have you ever listened to Omnibus? Or any of the other podcasts John Roderick is on?

Edited January 4, 2021 by ABay

[Prevailing Wind]

One of those articles' headline mentioned "Jeopardy! Star Ken Jennings..."  See, right there - there's a problem. He's NOT a star. Alex claimed he wasn't a star, either - he was the HOST.

[possibilities]

I still want them to hire Levar Burton.

[j5cochran]

FYI -- my local Jeopardy! affiliate has asked me for an interview on Friday. Their plan is to interview several local folks who have appeared on the show.

This is kind of like preparing the little bits of interest for the interview portion of the show. I'm trying to come up with some short but fascinating word-pictures of Alex and of the Jeopardy experience. It's going to be hard to avoid crying. Any suggestions would be highly appreciated!

[bankerchick]

Wow, that sounds really exciting, j5cochran.  I'm sure I would be crying for sure.  Alex was a comfortable presence every day.  He was warm and welcoming to everyone, and always seemed interested in the anecdotes, even though some of them were pretty lame (this is the main reason why I would never go on Jeopardy; I have no interesting anecdotes.)

I have no advice for you.  Enjoy, I'm sure anything you say will be glowing about Alex.  If you could slip in that you don't want Ken Jennings as the next host, that would be good.

[Bliss]

10 hours ago, j5cochran said:

FYI -- my local Jeopardy! affiliate has asked me for an interview on Friday. Their plan is to interview several local folks who have appeared on the show.

This is kind of like preparing the little bits of interest for the interview portion of the show. I'm trying to come up with some short but fascinating word-pictures of Alex and of the Jeopardy experience. It's going to be hard to avoid crying. Any suggestions would be highly appreciated!

Awesome! Good For You!

What a lovely opportunity for you, and how precious it will be to pay tribute to Alex. I don't have a concrete suggestion - all I can suggest is that you mention what impact Alex had on you personally, perhaps how he made you feel (hopefully, in a positive way).

Tears simply show how much love there is for Alex - nothing to be embarrassed about. JMO

[saber5055]

22 hours ago, Prevailing Wind said:

One of those articles' headline mentioned "Jeopardy! Star Ken Jennings..."  See, right there - there's a problem. He's NOT a star. Alex claimed he wasn't a star, either - he was the HOST.

That's on the journalist, not Ken. Writer didn't do his/her homework. If anyone knows how Alex "ran" the show and how he viewed his role, it's Ken, and I doubt anyone anywhere has more respect for Alex Trebek than Ken Jennings. That he is being villainized here and other places online is beyond outrageous and an insult to Alex's memory. To Ken, Alex was a real-life friend. To us, he was a tv host. Nothing more.

Wow @j5cochran, that is indeed awesome and worth multiple Good For Yous. Maybe some of the replies in the Remembering Alex thread will help jog your memories. Maybe your thoughts when you first met/saw AT, anything he said to you personally during your interview and after the show. I know he didn't want to see any contestants before the episode, so maybe how helpful crew was in getting you ready for your episode and how they maybe helped during breaks, and what Alex was doing during breaks. Anything he said or did after your episode was over, if you were in the audience watching before or after. When I was in the audience he came out and talked to us during breaks. Sometimes he would take questions from the audience. Gosh, I'd be making note cards if I were going to be interviewed, I'm terrible on camera! Good luck to you. You are in a special club, being a J contestant.

I am curious as to how many from your area will be in the interview, how far away they had to go to find past contestants.

58 minutes ago, bankerchick said:

(this is the main reason why I would never go on Jeopardy; I have no interesting anecdotes.)

Plus there's that little roadblock called passing a test.

[bankerchick]

Quote

That he is being villainized here and other places online is beyond outrageous and an insult to Alex's memory. To Ken, Alex was a real-life friend. To us, he was a tv host. Nothing more.

I am not villainizing Jennings because a journalist called him a star.  I am doing it because he is a garbage human being who has hundreds of tweets that show his rude smugness and outright cruelty to people he thinks he's better than, because he won a bunch of Jeopardy games.  As one person I read said about him, 'there's knowledge and there's intelligence.  He has a lot of the former and shows little of the latter.'

Edited January 6, 2021 by bankerchick

[opus]

11 hours ago, j5cochran said:

FYI -- my local Jeopardy! affiliate has asked me for an interview on Friday. Their plan is to interview several local folks who have appeared on the show.

This is kind of like preparing the little bits of interest for the interview portion of the show. I'm trying to come up with some short but fascinating word-pictures of Alex and of the Jeopardy experience. It's going to be hard to avoid crying. Any suggestions would be highly appreciated!

Just speak from the heart. Can't go wrong there.

[catlover79]

10 hours ago, bankerchick said:

I am not villainizing Jennings because a journalist called him a star.  I am doing it because he is a garbage human being who has hundreds of tweets that show his rude smugness and outright cruelty to people he thinks he's better than, because he won a bunch of Jeopardy games.  As one person I read said about him, 'there's knowledge and there's intelligence.  He has a lot of the former and shows little of the latter.'

@bankerchick, you absolutely nailed it. No matter how much money he earned from J!, there's one thing he can't buy and that's class. Alex had class. Ken...not so much.

[Cotypubby]

What did he do that makes him “a garbage human”? I only know him from the show so he seems fine to me. 

[bankerchick]

Read some of his tweets.  Perhaps 'garbage human' is strong, but he is smug, condescending and insulting for no apparent reason other than he can be.  He is mean-spirited just for the sake of it.  

I understand YMMV and I believe he should be allowed to say whatever he wants to say on his own Twitter account, but the price of that is some people will choose to disengage from someone whose true nature they find so offensive.  To me, that will mean Art Fleming and Alex Trebek are the only Jeopardy hosts because the show's run for me ends with a Ken Jennings hosting job.

Edited January 6, 2021 by bankerchick

[Athena]

Please go back to the topic of media related to Jeopardy. Thank you.

[Prevailing Wind]

https://www.cbc.ca/radio/q/thursday-jan-7-2021-michie-mee-lang-lang-and-more-1.5863366/we-are-a-country-of-accomplishments-alex-trebek-praises-canada-in-never-before-heard-acceptance-speech-1.5863370

 

Link courtesy of Jonny Harris' "Still Standing" FB page.

[Bastet]

Today's New York Times interview with Johnny Gilbert about doing J! with and without Alex is a touching read, including:

Quote

 

After Trebek’s death, Gilbert, who has had a roughly 70-year career in entertainment, said that he wondered whether it was the right time to leave. At that point, because of the pandemic, he had not been working at the studio, in Culver City, Calif., but had been recording his announcements from a bedroom in his Venice Beach home.

“I thought, ‘Gee, can I go on doing this? Can I still do what the show needs?’” he said. “And I decided, yes, I would go on. I would go on because Alex wanted the show to go on.”

 

and

Quote

 

Trebek wrote in his memoir that there were days during his illness where he could barely walk to production meetings. But after Gilbert delivered his trademark introduction — “And now, here is the host of ‘Jeopardy!’… Alex Trebek!” — Trebek wrote that he would feel like himself again, and be able to walk out onto the stage.

That transformation was apparent to Gilbert, too.

“Regardless of how he felt when he walked out onstage,” Gilbert said, “when I introduced him, there was Alex Trebek.”

 

 

[j5cochran]

Well, I did my interview today, and I didn't cry. Or screw it up too badly. Y'all be the judges.

https://www.wsaz.com/2021/01/08/former-jeopardy-contest-on-studio-3/

[Browncoat]

8 hours ago, j5cochran said:

Well, I did my interview today, and I didn't cry. Or screw it up too badly. Y'all be the judges.

https://www.wsaz.com/2021/01/08/former-jeopardy-contest-on-studio-3/

You did a great job, @j5cochran.  

[bankerchick]

That was a great interview, j5cochran.  Thanks for sharing.  It's nice to hear from someone who had the opportunity to meet him, that he is (was) as nice as he seems.  I agree that coming up with 5 anecdotes that complete strangers will find interesting sounds very daunting, perhaps scarier than playing the actual game (given that anyone who makes the show can clearly answer most of the questions.)  I think most games are probably decided by who manages to have the right buzzer rhythm, would you agree?

[HelenBaby]

1 hour ago, bankerchick said:

That was a great interview, j5cochran.  Thanks for sharing.  It's nice to hear from someone who had the opportunity to meet him, that he is (was) as nice as he seems.  I agree that coming up with 5 anecdotes that complete strangers will find interesting sounds very daunting, perhaps scarier than playing the actual game (given that anyone who makes the show can clearly answer most of the questions.)  I think most games are probably decided by who manages to have the right buzzer rhythm, would you agree?

When I was on the show & the production staff members were briefing us, I did find that the most daunting thing—trying to come up with anecdotes about my life. Alex asked me about returning to college as an older student (I was 38 when I returned to school and was in the middle of that all when I was a contestant at age 44.) But since I didn’t win, I didn’t have to worry about any additional stories because my other two were lame. 

[Prevailing Wind]

Excellent, Ms. Cochran! You're a natural!

[Mindthinkr]

16 hours ago, j5cochran said:

Well, I did my interview today, and I didn't cry. Or screw it up too badly. Y'all be the judges.

https://www.wsaz.com/2021/01/08/former-jeopardy-contest-on-studio-3/

You looked very poised and were well spoken. It must have been difficult to speak about Alex without breaking down, but you did well  Thumbs up  

 

[MrAtoz]

I agree, j5cochran.  Very well done.  I also agree about the difficulty of coming up with amusing anecdotes!  I'm glad that you mentioned the camaraderie among contestants, which is something that I suspect a lot of people don't think about.  Like you, I am now Facebook friends with folks from my taping group. 

[SoMuchTV]

Are podcasts considered “media”?  Not sure where else to put this. Anyone familiar with the podcast “We Got This”?  The two hosts pick a category for each episode and discuss and arrive at “the best”.  The most recent category is “best game show host”.  Jeopardy fans who also occasionally listen to that podcast may want to check this one out. 

[dcalley]

The History of the ‘Jeopardy!’ Tiebreaker and the Quest to Revolutionize the Final Wager

Quote

On Friday, ‘Jeopardy!’ had its third-ever tiebreaker. It surprised contestants and fans alike—and pulled back the curtain on the iconic quiz show’s competitive evolution.

 

[Mario500]

"[Merriam-Webster] Word of the Day: January 28, 2021" ("jeopardy")