Monday, January 10, 2005

 

Jeopardy!


Jeopardy!
Originally uploaded by Blind Orange Julius.
People often ask about my appearance on Jeopardy! In the interest of saving myself time, I'll post this here. I started writing the following the week I got called to be on Jeopardy! I wanted a perspective on my experience from the time it happened, not the foggy memories I was sure I'd have of the show.

I first tried out for Jeopardy! in June of 2002. It was something I’d wanted to do since moving to southern California in 1999, but had just never gotten around to. I had tried out for Weakest Link in 2000, passing the test and doing well in the mock game. At the time, I felt regret. I didn’t want to be on Weakest Link, I wanted to be on Jeopardy!. The point was moot as Weakest Link never called me back. Soon after, I found a phone number at the Jeopardy! Web site and immediately called. I was scheduled to take the test on an afternoon at a Culver City hotel.

When I arrived at the hotel, there was a long line of hopefuls waiting for the doors of a meeting room to open. We all waited quietly. I struck up a conversation with a woman in the line who had taken and passed the test in 1983 and again the previous year, but had never appeared on the show.

We filed in, about 150 of us and took seats in the meeting room. We were all given a legal questionnaire (SSN#, "Have you ever been on a Game show?" "Are you currently running for political office?") a "Chat Sheet" ("List 5 Interesting Experiences…..") and a sheet of paper numbered from one to fifty. We all set about filling in the first two items while watching a video about the testing process and some "Fun Facts" about the show.

The test itself was given on a projection screen, simultaneously read by Jeopardy! Announcer Johnny Gilbert. Eight seconds were provided for a response before the next clue was revealed. I found it to be more of a time management exercise. At times, I couldn’t come up with the response in the eight seconds provided. I would write myself a clue in the space provided, hoping to come back to it later. This worked a couple of times, once, I couldn’t remember the name of tennis pro Anna Kournikova, and simply wrote "Russian Chick" in the space provided. As the test wound up, I remembered Anna’s name and quickly added it to my sheet.

The Contestant Coordinators collected our tests and played us another video while they scored our tests. Most of us spent the time asking each other about the responses we couldn’t come up with or weren’t sure about.

The coordinators returned a few minutes later and were pleased to tell us that thirteen people had answered at least thirty-five questions correctly and would be asked to stay. The others would be asked to leave. I wasn’t sure how I did, but didn’t have to wait long to find out, as mine was the second name called. I’m glad I wasn’t the thirteenth name called, that would have been far too nerve-racking.

The other hopefuls left, told they could try out again in a year’s time. The lucky thirteen stayed, had our pictures taken and played a mock game. We didn’t get to play a whole game, just a portion, primarily to give the coordinators a chance to see how we would react to the pressure and the buzzer. After a few minutes, we were told that they would call us if we were to appear on the show.

I waited anxiously by the phone for a few weeks, but soon decided not to worry about it. I watched Jeopardy! daily, though, hoping to see one of the thirteen I tested with. As the season I tested for draws to a close, I have yet to see one of us on the show. There was one "possible" in the final weeks of the season, but I wasn’t sure.

In June 2003, I realized it had been a year since I had taken the test, and called to schedule another test. The second time through was much easier. The test was in the same hotel, so I didn’t have to stress about finding the location. I knew what to expect, had five interesting stories about myself ready and was determined to pass again.

It was a different test than the previous year; I would have been quite surprised to find out otherwise. I had been a bit unsure of my performance the previous year, this year, though, I was on fire, I seemed to know most answers right of the bat. While the previous year I had sweated a bit when they called names of the qualifiers, I was sure I had made it this year. I don’t even remember when my name was called; it just seemed like they were going to call it, so I shouldn’t worry about it.

This year when we played the mock game, I made a real effort to be more animated, to be the contestant they were looking for. Surprisingly, I don’t think I got many responses correct. I left with a fatalistic attitude. The previous year I wanted to get on the show so bad. This year I tried not to think about it at all. I had actually come to enjoy taking the test. If I made it on the show, that would be great. If I didn’t, I’d get to take the test again next year.

I’m not going to get to take the test again next year. At about 4pm on June 20th I got a phone call. The caller ID said "SONY PICTURES" and I wondered what they would be calling me for. I figured it out before the phone got to my ear. I was asked to attend a taping on July 23rd at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City. While this was still no guarantee of getting on the show, it was better than last year.

I didn’t wonder about what to study or what to wear, my first thought was whom I should tell. People have been telling me for years that I should be on Jeopardy!, in fact, being on the show is one of the few goals in my life. I told my roommate who was in the room when I took the call. I called an old co-worker, to ask if she wanted to attend the taping. Eventually I called my girlfriend. She had been talking about coming to visit me in California over the summer, so I tried to get her to come during that week without telling her why. As she resisted, I finally told her why I wanted her here during that particular week. She was sworn to secrecy, and we scoured the Internet, looking for cheap flights to LA.

How do you study for Jeopardy!? It’s general knowledge; categories can come up based on any conceivable subject. I worked on a few things I felt were deficiencies, like Shakespeare, and worked on some things that come up a lot; Academy Award winning Best Pictures and US Presidents. Other than that, I figured there wasn’t much I could do. I decided to be sure to watch the show daily (I even practiced ringing in with a length of dowel). I also searched the Internet for experiences of other contestants, figuring that the fewer surprises I have to deal with, the better.

Having my girlfriend visit the week of the show turned out to be a good move. I spent most of the time leading up to the taping day worrying about her and finding things for us to do together. I hardly thought about the show at all, which kept me at ease. If I would have been thinking about it I would have been nervous. As it was, I knew the taping was going to happen, but it was third or fourth priority at any given time.

June 23rd arrived and I got up early (I’m not an early riser, so this was a bit of a hardship) showered, had coffee, checked the traffic on the Internet and headed off to Culver City. The traffic was bad, but I had allowed plenty of time for it and arrived early at the Sony. About 12 other people were waiting in the parking garage when I arrived, and we all go on a bus and headed off to our studio.

It was a classic case of hurry up and wait. We had been told to arrive at the studio at 9am, but taping didn’t begin until 11:30. We filled out forms, were told the rules we were to abide by and enjoyed coffee, doughnuts and fresh fruit in the green room. We also worked on our "Hometown Howdies" which are short announcements that are to air in the local market the contestant is from. Since I was from Long Beach, CA, I figured mine would never air.

At about 10:30 we all went out to the studio and as the crew went though their rehearsal, we went through ours. We got to practice selecting categories and responding just as if it were a real show, stopping every few minutes to allow other contestants to take a turn. This done, we were herded back to the green room to wait for the taping.

Jeopardy! tapes 5 shows a day on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Three shows are done before lunch, and then two more are done after lunch. The show is taped in real time as much as possible, meaning that tape is not stopped during commercial breaks. The one standard exception to this is that in the commercial break before Final Jeopardy!, tape is stopped and the contestants are given as much time as necessary to figure out their wagers. Additionally, tape can be stopped if there is a gameboard malfunction, if Alex stumbles over a clue or if an unexpected correct response is given. This all means that a Jeopardy show is taped in roughly 30 minutes, with a 15 to 20 minute turn around between shows.

Contestant selection is random with a few exceptions. Champions get to return (obviously) and southern California contestants are saved toward the end of the taping schedule on Wednesdays (the last taping day of the week). Basically, the out-of towners are all given a chance to play first. So what seemed to be a pretty good chance that I would get to play that Wednesday turned into a 1 in 3 chance as there were two other local contestants.

Luck was not on my side, and I was not selected to play in the final show of that day’s taping. I stayed and watched a Rhode Islander named Chuck win that show. I was asked if I wanted to come back the next Tuesday or Wednesday and that I would get on the show whichever day I chose. I chose Tuesday.

My girlfriend was unable to stay the additional day, so it would just be my roommate in the audience when I finally made it on the show. Traffic was heavier that Tuesday then it had been the previous Wednesday, and I barely made it to the bus as it headed to our studio. It was a different feel for me that morning as it wasn’t and "if" I would get on a show. It was definite, I would be on the first show. Against Chuck.

Everything was the same as the previous Wednesday. I didn’t have to fill out the forms as I had already done that. One change was that since I was moving back to Rapid City, I would need to change my "Hometown Howdy" since the show would air after my move. At noon, I was on the set for my taping.

Everybody says that being on the show is a blur, that you’ll remember very few details of your show. I never believed this. How could this possibly happen to me? Being on Jeopardy! is the only goal I’ve ever had in my life, how could a person who seemingly remembers everything forget the minute details of such an occasion?

The people are right. I remember some things, but as a whole, it was a blur. Here’s a few of the things I do remember:

• Alex made eye contact with me during the open of the show.

• I didn’t like a single category in the first round.

• I finished tied for second with Leslie going into the commercial break before Double Jeopardy!, but that her response of "Typhoon" would be ruled correct and I would be in third when we came back and I would select first.

• I didn’t like a single category in the Double Jeopardy! round with the possible exception of "Russian Geography."

• The "Foreign Languages" category was confusing. We didn’t really understand that correct responses were what languages are called in other languages.

• I got the first Daily Double of the round in "Foreign Languages," wagered enough to move me into first place and gave the correct response, "German."

• "Russian Geography" didn’t treat me very good.

• I was in third place going into Final Jeopardy! with $8800. Leslie was in second with $9600. For the life of me I can’t remember how much money Chuck had, but he could be caught.

Time slowed back to normal when we hit the commercial break. I considered my wager. I’m horrible at math and arrived at my wager through a number of factors, primarily figuring if Chuck bet just enough to beat Leslie if she bet everything and was wrong, that a wager of $4801 and a correct response by me would make me the champion. I wrote my wager, but it was illegible. The contestant coordinators gave me a couple more chances. Finally somebody, I have no idea who, wrote in my $4801 for, confirmed that was what I wanted and we went on to the final.

The category was "Awards." The answer: "This award, created to be the broadcasting equivalent of the Pulitzer, was named for a Georgia philanthropist."

I worked in broadcasting for 13 years. I wrote down "Peabody" immediately, 99% sure it was correct. I had spent the previous Wednesday with Chuck. I knew he was good with movies, but didn’t know how much he knew about TV and Radio. I knew nothing about Leslie, having just met her a few hours earlier. My chances were good.

"Peabody" was correct, I finished with $13601. Leslie responded "Turner" and would end up in third. Now it was Chuck. He showed no indication one way or the other. "Peabody" was revealed on his screen, I would finish in second, which was good for $2000 and satisfaction that I didn’t make a fool of myself.

We were hustled out to the front of the set for the closing shots of the show. Chuck was puzzled by my wager then realized I had wagered enough to beat him by $2 if he had responded incorrectly. He seemed shocked.

So how does it feel? It’s tough. As I sat through 5 shows the previous week, I figured I would have won at least two or three of them. On my show, the categories didn’t agree with me. I am in no way bitter about this, I had always said that I could win on the show if the categories were in my favor, and wouldn’t if they weren’t. Throw in the competition factor, Chuck was a great player and Leslie was no slouch, and I’m extremely proud of second place. My dream was always to be on Jeopardy!, if I won, that would be a bonus. I didn’t want to make a fool of myself. I wanted to compete in Final Jeopardy!. I accomplished those three goals.

As I write this, the shows have not aired yet. My family and friends still do not know that I was on Jeopardy! I’ll send out emails a couple of weeks before the show. As for me, I’m looking forward to the start of the new season. I want to see how Chuck did, I’d take some pride in losing to a 5 time (or more) champion. I’ve met about 26 people who’ve been on Jeopardy! I can’t wait to see how they do……



My show aired yesterday. I watched it with my folks, sister and one of my nieces. My biggest fear about watching the taping was that after going over the show in my mind, I began to believe that I had made a mistake in my wager, that I could have won if I’d have bet all of my money. That turned out not to be true. Chuck had finished Double Jeopardy! with $16,900 and wagered enough that even if I had bet everything I couldn’t catch him. He played it right, but I would have got him if he was wrong. That was the only way for me to play it, but it just didn’t work out.

Watching the show, I noticed a couple of things I could have done differently. Notably, I should have bet more on my Daily Double, though it was in a category that we didn’t really understand. I wagered enough to get the lead, but if I’d have wagered more, I would have been in a better position at the end. How cool would it have been to say "Let’s make it a true Daily Double, Alex."?

I also got one response incorrect. It’s the only time during the show that I guessed, though it was an educated guess. I responded "1985" to the clue about Chernobyl disaster. The correct response was "1986." It was a $1600 clue, meaning that not answering would have allowed me to finish Double Jeopardy in second place. Of course, answering correctly would have given me $3200 more than I finished with. It was a bit of a "Hail Mary" so late in the game. On the other hand, since Chuck and I both got the Final correct, it still wouldn’t have mattered.


So how would you have done in my game? A few months ago I found a website maintained by a former Jeopardy! champion. She has created a log of the last couple of years' shows, showing all the clues and correct responses. It also shows what contestants answered and shows number of correct and incorrect responses by each player. A fun site even if you haven't been on the show. I've provided a link to my game on the left side of this page entitled "My Jeopardy! Game". If you want to see something really scary, check out some of Ken Jennings' shows. That guy was amazing!

"Who is BOJ?"

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