What are... Jeopardy! experiences?

[teebax]

@j5cochran that's one of my recurring nightmares: to get an FJ question that I don't know and then find out I'd have gotten the next day's correct. Timing really is everything!

Someone asked what I studied that came up during my test, and I forgot to answer: classical music (who composed the Brandenburg Concerto), mythology (something about Aphrodite being Venus), and UK royals (can't remember the questions, but there were two I wouldn't have known otherwise). 

I watched a great series on Greek mythology on Amazon Prime. I also watched a Nordic one that wasn't as well done. I need to do the same for Roman and Egyptian mythology. I had never really been interested in mythology and am growing to love it. I wish I could say the same for classical music, but I at least now know who wrote some of the major works. 

Something else I forgot to mention was that I am left-handed but felt more comfortable using the buzzer with my right hand. That really surprised me. 

[GenerationX]

I'm right-handed, and my immediate reaction would be use my left hand for the buzzer.  My left hand is my glove hand in baseball, and if I'm going to hold something and squeeze in to catch the timing light, that's the hand.  If the buzzer were on the podium, I'd use my right hand to slap it because that's more of a throwing motion.  It all goes back to baseball with me.

[helpmerhonda]

I've auditioned twice in Chicago. The last one was at the Westin hotel, and the first one was also at a hotel, but I can't remember which one.

The one thing that stands out about the first one was that, during the mock game, I got a question right, "What is a shoji screen?" They responded with, "Huh. No one ever gets that one right." I remember leaving the second audition thinking I had done horribly. My 18 months in the contestant pool is over, so I'm now free to take the online test again the next time it comes up. Maybe the third time is the charm.

I firmly believe that one of the reasons that I didn't make it onto the actual show either time is that my listed facts about myself were LAME. LOL.

[Ailianna]

That's interesting @helpmerhonda.  I just googled shoji screens, and learned that's the real name for what I've always called Japanese screens.  I love how educational this forum is.

[teebax]

On 1/20/2019 at 7:26 AM, GenerationX said:

I'm right-handed, and my immediate reaction would be use my left hand for the buzzer.  My left hand is my glove hand in baseball, and if I'm going to hold something and squeeze in to catch the timing light, that's the hand.  If the buzzer were on the podium, I'd use my right hand to slap it because that's more of a throwing motion.  It all goes back to baseball with me.

I played softball growing up so that may also be the case for me. 

[MrAtoz]

On 1/20/2019 at 10:00 AM, helpmerhonda said:

I've auditioned twice in Chicago. The last one was at the Westin hotel, and the first one was also at a hotel, but I can't remember which one.

The one thing that stands out about the first one was that, during the mock game, I got a question right, "What is a shoji screen?" They responded with, "Huh. No one ever gets that one right." I remember leaving the second audition thinking I had done horribly. My 18 months in the contestant pool is over, so I'm now free to take the online test again the next time it comes up. Maybe the third time is the charm.

I firmly believe that one of the reasons that I didn't make it onto the actual show either time is that my listed facts about myself were LAME. LOL.

Third time was definitely the charm for me.  I had a total of three in-person auditions--the first in Chicago, then in Detroit, then in Chicago again--before I actually got "The Call."  I met people there who had auditioned more than that.

I honestly don't know how they go about deciding who to put on the show.  My facts about myself were basically the same each time, and I tried to be bright and enthusiastic.  Why did I get selected the third time, but not before that?  It's a mystery.  I didn't quite get a "No one ever gets that right," but I did get a couple of "Good!" responses to some of my answers.  That's one of the things I enjoyed about the audition, the contestant coordinators give you a kind of instant feedback to your performance.  Unlike Alex, they're usually impressed if you get a hard one right, and they let you know it.

Good luck, both to teebax, and to anyone taking the online test.  I should think the next time for online testing should be coming up--it's usually in March these days, I believe.

[Abstract]

I did my second audition last September. 

My first audition was in 2015. I did well on the written test, and I played very well in the mock game. However, I had no interesting facts about myself and so my interview was boring.

Second audition, I didn’t feel as good about the written test, and I didn’t play well in the mock game. I missed a question and then got buzzer-shy and didn’t ring in on some that I knew. However, my interview went great. I felt like the whole room was listening intently to my story and enjoying it. 

Do you tell people in real life that you’re auditioning? I have both times, but I don’t think I will tell if I do it again. I am so sick of being asked, “Abstract, have you heard anything from Jeopardy yet?” by people who are my FB friends. Obviously I will announce it there if I get the call, and so there’s no reason to ask!

[saber5055]

20 hours ago, Abstract said:

I am so sick of being asked, “Abstract, have you heard anything from Jeopardy yet?” by people who are my FB friends.

Too funny if you had responded, "Yes, I was on the show two months ago and won five games and $123,401. Didn't you see me? I guess I forgot to mention it ..."

[teebax]

I posted on the main page that I'd made this year's teachers tournament, but I wanted to post here in case anyone had specific questions I could answer.

One thing I didn't realize is that because it's a tournament, the show is providing my air fare, hotel, an extra free day for exploring the area, and a per diem. I spent quite a bit when I went for my audition, so it was refreshing to learn this one won't cost me much at all.

I have notified my school district and assume they'll be doing a lot of promotion on the local level, and I expect to also hear from our local ABC affiliate. The contestant coordinator who held our audition was the same one who called me, and he told me they really loved me at the audition and couldn't wait to see me on the show, so that was exciting to hear.

I can't think of anything else at the moment, but I'll keep you posted as things progress.

[Trey]

Congratulations!!! I look forward to cheering for you in the tournament.

[Browncoat]

1 hour ago, teebax said:

One thing I didn't realize is that because it's a tournament, the show is providing my air fare, hotel, an extra free day for exploring the area, and a per diem. I spent quite a bit when I went for my audition, so it was refreshing to learn this one won't cost me much at all.

That's great!  Can't wait to root for you!

[rubaco]

5 hours ago, teebax said:

I have notified my school district and assume they'll be doing a lot of promotion on the local level, and I expect to also hear from our local ABC affiliate. 

Where are you? Why do I have the feeling you are in Philly? Anyway, if I'm not making that up, I'm in the Philly area and so I'd see your local promotion on 6abc. 

Regardless, I'll be rooting for you!

[saber5055]

Holy cow, @teebax, with the show taking care of you that way and the PAs loving you, you are already a winner IMO. That's remarkable luck that you got in the tournament. Just getting an expenses-paid trip to LA (and per diem!) is golden. Becoming the Jeopardy Teachers Tournament Champ is just icing.

Oh, wait, am I jumping too far ahead?

I don't think so! I know you will rock it, girlfriend.

Is your mom or partner going with? If one of those people were me, you wouldn't be able to pry me away from going with. TOO EXCITING FOR WORDS! Heck, I don't live anywhere near you and wish I could go with. (Lucky for you I won't though.)

p.s. You are going to be so famous in your town and school. And what's up with your jerk-face student who wanted you to tank? I hope he is allowed to watch your episodes from detention.

Edited February 15, 2019 by saber5055

[MrAtoz]

19 hours ago, teebax said:

The contestant coordinator who held our audition was the same one who called me, and he told me they really loved me at the audition and couldn't wait to see me on the show, so that was exciting to hear.

Was it Glenn?  I loved Glenn; he's a really nice guy.

Best of luck to you.  And cool that they're paying for your trip out there.

[Good Queen Jane]

At the Teacher's Tournament, doesn't Farmer's Insurance pony up money for all the participants to use in their classrooms? I hope you do something cool with the money @teebax and don't let the smart mouth student get to use any of it ( I know, that's mean, but he was mean first). Best of luck to you.

[Toothbrush]

Congrats @teebax - what an accomplishment!! I'm so excited for you, & can't wait to pretend to hate you so as to not jinx you!

[teebax]

I owe you guys some responses but quoting on mobile is tricky for me. 

I am in Tucson but originally from southeastern PA. I'm a lifelong Philly sports fan, which hasn't always been easy. That may explain the confusion about my location. 

My partner and I split up for good two days before I got the call, so what was going to be a terrible Valentine's Day ended up being kind of amazing. I did let her know I made the show, but she didn't seem to care. Anyway, I'm taking my best friend.

Because it's not a far drive, my parents, brother, and sister-in-law will also come to the taping. I have an uncle in San Diego who will probably also attend. It depends on how many tickets I get. 

The coordinator to whom I was referring is Ryan. Great guy! Everyone I met from the show, including other audtioners, was amazing. I bonded with a few folks at the audition who I'm sure will be excited to see me on the show. I'd certainly be excited to see them.

I don't know how the grant works. They're apparently sending me a big package of information. I'll let you know more as I learn more. 

Let me know if I can answer anything else. 

ETA: The student who joked about me tanking has sincerely apologized. He's also one of my favorite students; he's bright and always participates in class. He said he truly wants me to win the whole thing. His classmates gave him so much grief I didn't really have to. Lol. 

The school made an announcement about my making the show, so students who I don't even know have been congratulating me. Its been a whirlwind two days. 

Edited February 16, 2019 by teebax

[j5cochran]

25 minutes ago, teebax said:

Because it's not a far drive, my parents, brother, and sister-in-law will also come to the taping. I have an uncle in San Diego who will probably also attend. It depends on how many tickets I get. 

The coordinator to whom I was referring is Ryan. Great guy! Everyone I met from the show, including other auditioners, was amazing. I bonded with a few folks at the audition who I'm sure will be excited to see me on the show. I'd certainly be excited to see them.

For the regular show (you lucky tournament participant!), you can get up to six tickets.  You just have to call the Jeopardy office a couple of weeks before the show with their names. That info will be in the packet.

All of the coordinators are wonderful!  They work so hard to put everyone at ease before the taping.  My favorite was Maggie, but you'll love them all!

[saber5055]

17 hours ago, teebax said:

Because it's not a far drive, my parents, brother, and sister-in-law will also come to the taping. I have an uncle in San Diego who will probably also attend.

How will you keep all those people from not spilling the beans after they watch you be crowned Tournament Champion?

So sorry to hear about your split with your partner, but maybe it's a good thing in retrospect. Most break ups are. Plus you getting "the Jeopardy call" at that time seems like divine intervention, out of the ashes the Phoenix rises! I like to think that if you were still together, Jeopardy would have passed you by. Karma and all.

Plus now you will be part of the Jeopardy Family. Yeay!

[teebax]

11 hours ago, saber5055 said:

How will you keep all those people from not spilling the beans after they watch you be crowned Tournament Champion?

So sorry to hear about your split with your partner, but maybe it's a good thing in retrospect. Most break ups are. Plus you getting "the Jeopardy call" at that time seems like divine intervention, out of the ashes the Phoenix rises! I like to think that if you were still together, Jeopardy would have passed you by. Karma and all.

Plus now you will be part of the Jeopardy Family. Yeay!

The timing was kind of perfect. It gave me something to focus on instead of wallowing in misery. Plus, we'd been arguing a lot, so it's one fewer distraction. 

I'm excited to be part of that family, after 20 years of trying! 

ETA: I will threaten them under penalty of death if they blab. There's not a lot of time between tape date and air date for the tournament, so it should be okay. 

Edited February 17, 2019 by teebax

[opus]

7 hours ago, teebax said:

ETA: I will threaten them under penalty of death if they blab. There's not a lot of time between tape date and air date for the tournament, so it should be okay. 

Is there a penalty for revealing? Suppose someone goes on, say, Twitter, and gives out the tournament results ( "[Whoever] won the Teacher's Tournament.")  Are there repercussions for such things?

Edited February 17, 2019 by opus

[saber5055]

1 hour ago, opus said:

Is there a penalty for revealing?

Good question. (*drink*) Maybe there are legal contracts like on The Bachelor? I don't remember signing anything when I was a Jeopardy audience member, but that was ... Before Your Time.

[SoMuchTV]

8 hours ago, opus said:

Is there a penalty for revealing? Suppose someone goes on, say, Twitter, and gives out the tournament results ( "[Whoever] won the Teacher's Tournament.")  Are there repercussions for such things?

At least for damage control, maybe Jeopardy could just send their social media team off to make lots of competing “leaks” so nobody could tell if any of them are true. 

It does seem like there should be some repercussions, but I’m not sure what would be appropriate, considering the actual contestant might not be the responsible party. 

[teebax]

20 hours ago, opus said:

Is there a penalty for revealing? Suppose someone goes on, say, Twitter, and gives out the tournament results ( "[Whoever] won the Teacher's Tournament.")  Are there repercussions for such things?

I assume there are for contestants, but I'm not sure how much control they have over audience members. That's a great question, though. I've never been spoiled about a tournament result, but I don't do Twitter or most other social media.

[MrAtoz]

On 2/17/2019 at 1:35 PM, opus said:

Is there a penalty for revealing? Suppose someone goes on, say, Twitter, and gives out the tournament results ( "[Whoever] won the Teacher's Tournament.")  Are there repercussions for such things?

I don't know about audience members or contestant guests (my wife couldn't get off work, so I didn't bring any guests with me).  Contestants sign a contract in which they agree that revealing details of the game before it airs will constitute "irreparable injury and damage" to Jeopardy!, and that the producers are "entitled to injunctive and other equitable relief."  In other words, they can sue you.

I would bet that the audience is at least instructed not to blab, but I don't know if they have to officially sign anything or how it could be enforced.

[j5cochran]

4 hours ago, MrAtoz said:

I don't know about audience members or contestant guests (my wife couldn't get off work, so I didn't bring any guests with me).  Contestants sign a contract in which they agree that revealing details of the game before it airs will constitute "irreparable injury and damage" to Jeopardy!, and that the producers are "entitled to injunctive and other equitable relief."  In other words, they can sue you.

I would bet that the audience is at least instructed not to blab, but I don't know if they have to officially sign anything or how it could be enforced.

Ditto on the contract. My family came to the taping, and although they did not sign anything, they and the rest of the audience were asked not to reveal the results, in order to not spoil it for the viewing audience.

Though now y'all have me wondering if the audience for tournament shows are given a stricter injunction.

[Good Queen Jane]

23 hours ago, MrAtoz said:

Contestants sign a contract in which they agree that revealing details of the game before it airs will constitute "irreparable injury and damage" to Jeopardy!, and that the producers are "entitled to injunctive and other equitable relief."  In other words, they can sue you.

Also, don't they hold the winnings until the shows air? That way they can withhold any payouts pending the litigation.

[MrAtoz]

1 hour ago, Good Queen Jane said:

Also, don't they hold the winnings until the shows air? That way they can withhold any payouts pending the litigation.

After the shows air, in fact.  My final episode aired on July 2, and I got my check in early September.

[saber5055]

3 hours ago, MrAtoz said:

I got my check in early September.

Road trip! Road trip?

[j5cochran]

7 hours ago, MrAtoz said:

After the shows air, in fact.  My final episode aired on July 2, and I got my check in early September.

They told me to expect my check 120 after my episode aired. 

Tick...tick...tick...tick....tick...

[teebax]

On 2/19/2019 at 11:46 AM, j5cochran said:

Though now y'all have me wondering if the audience for tournament shows are given a stricter injunction.

If no one answers before my taping, I'll answer this in April!

[MrAtoz]

15 hours ago, j5cochran said:

They told me to expect my check 120 after my episode aired. 

Tick...tick...tick...tick....tick...

They told me that, too, but it actually came earlier than that.  I think that 120 days is the maximum time.  From talking to other contestants, I have the impression that most people's checks seem to come sooner than promised.

When you find an envelope in your mailbox with "Quadra Productions" in the return address, that's it. 🙂

[MrAtoz]

19 hours ago, saber5055 said:

Road trip! Road trip?

Mostly bill paying, if I'm honest.  We did do our annual trip to Walt Disney World, and stayed in a nicer hotel than we usually do. 🙂

Hopefully we'll finally do Route 66 in the next year or two.

[saber5055]

3 hours ago, MrAtoz said:

Hopefully we'll finally do Route 66 in the next year or two.

I hope you got most of your bills paid off. Well, make that ALL of your bills.

I drove Route 66 when I was in Arizona. It was fun and nostalgic. I don't pay much attention to it here in Illinois though.

[teebax]

I have received my contestant packet. Woohoo!

I was asked to provide a list of up to 6 guests who will be attending. The guests are not supposed to spoil the results, but it doesn't look like they're being asked to sign anything.

The amount of stuff I had to sign, on the other hand... whew!

We are encouraged to hype up our upcoming appearances on social media, and I feel like I've done more than my share of that already. I only wish I could get my friends and family to understand that I feel like I've already won. Making the show was the goal, and everything else is just gravy, including getting into the tournament. I appreciate their confidence, but it's putting some unnecessary pressure on me!

[saber5055]

39 minutes ago, teebax said:

I only wish I could get my friends and family to understand that I feel like I've already won. Making the show was the goal, and everything else is just gravy, including getting into the tournament.

If it's any consolation, those of us who are fans of this show and have taken the online test multi times know how difficult it is to do well on just the online quiz, sitting at home. You not only passed that, you rocked the in-person testing and voilá, you are in the Teachers Tournament. That's a land-speed record from online test to being on the (real) show. Just getting asked to take more tests is an achievement. I think Ken Jennings was asked back several times to take in-person tests. You rocked it, girl, just by achieving the dream of actually BEING on the best game show ever.

Win or not, you are joining a very elite group of people. A group I will never be a part of, even though I enjoy looking in the window at you guys!

If you can only come up with five names for your guest list, there's always Saber ... *cough*

[teebax]

On 2/23/2019 at 6:48 PM, saber5055 said:

If it's any consolation, those of us who are fans of this show and have taken the online test multi times know how difficult it is to do well on just the online quiz, sitting at home. You not only passed that, you rocked the in-person testing and voilá, you are in the Teachers Tournament. That's a land-speed record from online test to being on the (real) show. Just getting asked to take more tests is an achievement. I think Ken Jennings was asked back several times to take in-person tests. You rocked it, girl, just by achieving the dream of actually BEING on the best game show ever.

Win or not, you are joining a very elite group of people. A group I will never be a part of, even though I enjoy looking in the window at you guys!

If you can only come up with five names for your guest list, there's always Saber ... *cough*

Thanks for the kind words. I have been super busy since I got back and am feeling a little Jeopardy'd out. Other former contestants will have to let me know if they felt that way. I tried to watch a couple of episodes this week, and I'm kinda over it right now.

Anyway, I promised to supply an air date. It is Tuesday, May 7. I'll make sure to hop online to answer any questions or comments from any of you. What I can reveal to you now is Alex talked to me for quite a while after taping, so much so that my family that was in the audience asked me what he and I were talking about for so long. I found him to be very kind and personable. We talked about bases at which I was stationed that he'd also been to on tours. He looks gaunt but seemed to be in good spirits, and it really was one of the best times of my life.

[BuckeyeLou]

1 hour ago, teebax said:

Thanks for the kind words. I have been super busy since I got back and am feeling a little Jeopardy'd out. Other former contestants will have to let me know if they felt that way. I tried to watch a couple of episodes this week, and I'm kinda over it right now.

Anyway, I promised to supply an air date. It is Tuesday, May 7. I'll make sure to hop online to answer any questions or comments from any of you. What I can reveal to you now is Alex talked to me for quite a while after taping, so much so that my family that was in the audience asked me what he and I were talking about for so long. I found him to be very kind and personable. We talked about bases at which I was stationed that he'd also been to on tours. He looks gaunt but seemed to be in good spirits, and it really was one of the best times of my life.

Awww...that was nice that you got to chat with him & I'm happy to hear that he was in good spirits....looking forward to seeing your appearance!

[peeayebee]

Glad you had a great experience and got to talk longer with Alex. I'm looking forward to May 7.

[saber5055]

@teebax, so exciting to hear from you. I can understand the burn out,  you studied long and hard for your Olympic Jeopardy medal; you have to be mentally exhausted. I hope it ends up being one of your better life experiences. Rest up so you can fill us in on the details after the May tournament.

It's said television adds 10 pounds (20 for me), so Alex looking gaunt in person could just be normal. He's always looked like a slim kinda guy. That's cool he took an interest in you. But ... what's not to love?

Welcome home!

[j5cochran]

2 hours ago, teebax said:

Thanks for the kind words. I have been super busy since I got back and am feeling a little Jeopardy'd out. Other former contestants will have to let me know if they felt that way. I tried to watch a couple of episodes this week, and I'm kinda over it right now.

After my experience was over, I had a definite letdown. It wasn't losing; it was realizing that I could never have this amazing experience again.  It was marking something off my bucket list and knowing that I'm closer to the end of my life than to the beginning.

Whoa! That got really dark really fast! I got over it after a few weeks, once I found other projects to work on. I suspect that if I were not retired, work would have distracted me much more quickly. Heck, I'm taking the Jeopardy online test this week, just for fun!

[MrAtoz]

On 4/9/2019 at 9:07 PM, j5cochran said:

After my experience was over, I had a definite letdown. It wasn't losing; it was realizing that I could never have this amazing experience again.

I kind of felt the same way, although I never did stop watching.  There was definitely a sense of melancholy that I was never going to go back to that studio, never going to interact with the contestant coordinators (who are all super-nice) again, that this experience which I had looked forward to for a long time was over now.

I do know of contestants who have said that, once their experience was over, they were never able to watch the show again.  I hope that's not the case for @teebax.  If you find you need to take a break from the show for awhile, of course you should do whatever you need to do.  But hopefully you'll find that after a bit, the enjoyment of the show comes back to you.

[Grundoon59]

Teebax - glad to hear the date.  I will try to keep up my no snarking vow until May 7.  Will look forward to more inside information after that.  In the meantime, recharge your batteries and take care of yourself.  

[saber5055]

39 minutes ago, Grundoon59 said:

I will try to keep up my no snarking vow until May 7.

What? Your snark will start again on @teebax's debut? ACK!

[teebax]

On 4/11/2019 at 5:42 PM, Grundoon59 said:

Teebax - glad to hear the date.  I will try to keep up my no snarking vow until May 7.  Will look forward to more inside information after that.  In the meantime, recharge your batteries and take care of yourself.  

Oh, I did something during my introduction that some of you will hate. It was my way of saying hello to all of you, so be gentle with me!

[saber5055]

9 hours ago, teebax said:

Oh, I did something during my introduction that some of you will hate. It was my way of saying hello to all of you, so be gentle with me! 

Double finger pistols! YES! Can't wait. I hope you also blew the smoke off them. You ROCK!

[HelenBaby]

On 4/11/2019 at 7:30 AM, MrAtoz said:

I kind of felt the same way, although I never did stop watching.  There was definitely a sense of melancholy that I was never going to go back to that studio, never going to interact with the contestant coordinators (who are all super-nice) again, that this experience which I had looked forward to for a long time was over now.

I do know of contestants who have said that, once their experience was over, they were never able to watch the show again.  I hope that's not the case for @teebax.  If you find you need to take a break from the show for awhile, of course you should do whatever you need to do.  But hopefully you'll find that after a bit, the enjoyment of the show comes back to you.

I was a contestant in 1997 and I didn’t watch the show for at least 10 years after that. 

[teebax]

17 hours ago, HelenBaby said:

I was a contestant in 1997 and I didn’t watch the show for at least 10 years after that. 

I could definitely see that happening. I've started watching again, but it's different now. 

[saber5055]

2 hours ago, teebax said:

I've started watching again, but it's different now. 

Because you know all the secrets and backstage goings on. (Okay, just a guess.) You also know how small the studio is now!

How have your students been since you got back? I hope you are getting respect. More than before that is.

[teebax]

3 hours ago, saber5055 said:

Because you know all the secrets and backstage goings on. (Okay, just a guess.) You also know how small the studio is now!

How have your students been since you got back? I hope you are getting respect. More than before that is.

My students (and district) have been pretty amazing.

I don't know if I mentioned it, but the classroom grant money has gone away, which saddens me. I was looking forward to doing some cool stuff with it. My district, like many, struggles with funding, and I had a whole list of books of which I was going to get class sets. I guess I'll keep begging online for donations. In the past, each teacher received a $2,500 classroom grant. There's a new sponsor this year, and I guess they didn't continue with the classroom grant part.

Also, they no longer will announce where we teach. They said it was because of the school shootings and for our privacy, but I was looking forward to my little school getting some publicity. I teach at a small, alternative public high school. We serve students who, for whatever reasons, did not succeed at the traditional high schools. There are two huge high schools in my district and then my school. When I tell most people where I teach, they've never heard of it and didn't know my district had three high schools.

Anyway, during the past Teachers Tournaments, they used to show videos of the students wishing their teachers luck, and they don't do that anymore. Don't get me wrong; I'm still thrilled and honored to have participated in the tournament, but the experience was different from what I expected. I was excited for my students to get a chance to do a shout-out on TV.

I think part of what changed was definitely having seen how the sausage was made. I think another part is just  burnout. I've ate, drunk, and slept Jeopardy since early January when I found out I was auditioning. Now I'm playing my PS4 and just turning off my brain when I get home from work.

Edited April 15, 2019 by teebax