tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post8316409215704628158..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: The most fun show on TVBy Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-74707518580107050892019-04-24T14:41:39.911-07:002019-04-24T14:41:39.911-07:00I don't know if people were REQUIRED to go fro...I don't know if people were REQUIRED to go from top to bottom in the Fleming days but they were more compliant people, I gather. The clues in “Jeopardy!” are placed in order of difficulty. So contestants were certainly encouraged to make their way down each category from top to bottom. <br /><br />And occasionally, the clues would be written so that you needed to know the $200 answer to answer the $400 question, et al. <br /><br />According to the Wikipedia [piece on Chuck Forrest: "Host Alex Trebek has expressed aggravation with people who use the Forrest Bounce, noting that the show's writers purposely set up the clues in each category to flow when picked sequentially."Roger Owen Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05298172138307632062noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-70161573895169238692019-04-24T04:09:26.305-07:002019-04-24T04:09:26.305-07:00I like Jeopardy, but I rarely actually watch it. I...I like Jeopardy, but I rarely actually watch it. I'm recording it again, probably the first time since the Watson matches and then Ken Jennings before.<br /><br />I think that he will be able to control the game for a while because the other contestants have no idea what they are up against. If the streak extends until next season he will probably have a bit more competition since he will be a known commodity then. I don't know if the other players get to watch the matches of the day, meaning that game #1 is cold for all and by game #5 the players have seen the previous four.<br /><br />I've noticed that he saves some board time by interrupting Alex after a correct response. This is probably most notable in the first half of round one. I think they are getting an extra question or two in before the break.<br /><br />His strategy of higher values also takes away the daily doubles from the other players early, as long as he is in control, preventing them from a quick catch-up. Though he has gotten burned by picking it before having more than $1000 in his bank. <br /><br />Picking the higher value questions first doesn't give his opponents time to get comfortable under the pressure of a real game.<br /><br />I enjoy watching people who are really good at something. James Holzhauer is really good.Rich Shealerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06349316644704593604noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-20006809706544736602019-04-23T18:21:49.880-07:002019-04-23T18:21:49.880-07:00Sorry. Just not fun to watch a human buzz-saw tak...Sorry. Just not fun to watch a human buzz-saw take the excitement out of a Jeopardy show. Felt the same way about Ken and Austin. It's not really a game when one contestant has triple the winnings of the others going into Double Jeopardy and they have no chance of catching him in Final Jeopardy. In a couple of games it looked like the other contestants were ready to give up, and that's not entertaining, just sad. I won't be watching until James is gone.Don Rnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-68770259639553110202019-04-23T17:01:58.604-07:002019-04-23T17:01:58.604-07:00Maybe a long time fan can answer this one for me:
...Maybe a long time fan can answer this one for me:<br /><br />In OG Jeopardy! hosted by Art Fleming, were contestants allowed to jump around categories or were they required to work top to bottom?Douglas Trapassohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18348522207945522495noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-11650921953346003052019-04-23T07:47:01.767-07:002019-04-23T07:47:01.767-07:00I was so proud last night. I knew "ashram&qu...I was so proud last night. I knew "ashram" and James didn't. Small victory.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-25261212388495948192019-04-23T06:57:01.012-07:002019-04-23T06:57:01.012-07:00I think GE College Bowl would be a great reboot. ...I think GE College Bowl would be a great reboot. Colleges and Universities competing at what the purpose of attending the institution was in the first place. Mike Barerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14447874605833321732noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-92175455830189242952019-04-23T02:47:01.218-07:002019-04-23T02:47:01.218-07:00Not only does this guy have a remarkable memory fo...Not only does this guy have a remarkable memory for trivia he really knows how to play the game. Does not waste a second and has quick reflexes. Also know how to take a chance.Barry Traylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14134880916215990198noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-87933546730954546362019-04-23T02:18:40.234-07:002019-04-23T02:18:40.234-07:00Also, Ken and other folk might be interested in th...Also, Ken and other folk might be interested in this article from the latest Los Angeles Magazine on the Santa Monica pub quiz where lots of past J! players and champs go. Written by Jackie Fuchs, who you may recall as relatively recent multi-day J! champ (and early member of the Runaways), it's a nice piece that relates the camaraderie among former J! players and other trivia buffs. I've had the pleasure of playing there twice when visiting LA (in fact, once on the same team as Jackie) and very much enjoyed both the experience and the people. https://buff.ly/2XBvz5r Tom Gallowaynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-40312852053559183382019-04-23T02:12:06.477-07:002019-04-23T02:12:06.477-07:00Here's the bit about him. His professional spo...Here's the bit about him. His professional sports gambler mindset is what sets him apart from other great J! players (btw, pre-Ken, the record was either 5 or just a few over 5 wins. Second place since is Julia Collins with 20. Ken himself is surprised no one's gotten closer in the last decade plus). He's looking at it as wagering, say, 50,000 units, not as 50,000 dollars which Ken and other past uber-champs have thought of it. He also understands basic wagering game theory and what a strong player can do against weaker (in some sense of the word; read on) players with respect to falling behind in Single J! due to a missed DD and recovering after.<br /><br />Otherwise, he's your basic very strong player. He's definitely up there for knowledge; there's an annual trivia convention in Vegas that attracts a fair number of strong J! players (last summer, for example, I had the experience of losing in quiz bowl to a team with both Brad Rutter and Pam Mueller on it). I've not met him there that I recall, but he has won the "This is basically Jeopardy! but we can't call it that" event in two years.<br /><br />And like other strong players, he prepped seriously for it. In addition to studying, he focused on getting his buzzer timing down and being fast on it, including using a book a former ToC champ friend of mine wrote on the topic. He's also using the known in trivia circles strategies the best players over the years have used.<br /><br />As mentioned, his strategy is risky. It's optimized for winning large amounts and having confidence that your buzzer skills exceed the other players. When he has a bad DD day against a player who knows to bet like he's been doing, there's a decent chance it'll be his last day. But his buzzer skills also have a decent chance of pulling out a more normal win for him.<br /><br />Btw, if he played Watson under the same rules and setup as Brad and Ken (who I've the pleasure of meeting several times and think is a nice, funny, and sharp guy), he'd lose. That's because as set up, Watson was effectively cheating. Since it couldn't hear or see, it received an electronic signal when its buzzer unlocked at the end of a clue and it could trigger its mechanical button pusher. This meant that unlike a human, it would *never* buzz in early, and if it thought it knew the correct response, it'd instantly and correctly hit its buzzer. Unlike humans. A fair game would've had random lags used as obtained from Ken and Brad's average response times and their variance.Tom Gallowaynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-55249261119289108422019-04-22T22:04:45.002-07:002019-04-22T22:04:45.002-07:00@Tom: While they never have a clue that absolutely...@Tom: While they never have a clue that absolutely requires knowledge of a previous clue, there are lots of categories with deliberately vague or pun-filled names where the joke is made clear only in the first clue. And every once in a while, two succeeding clues are related.<br /><br />If it really bothered the producers of the show that much, they could just change the rules and allow contestants to choose the category only, automatically going to the least valuable clue in that category. But I guess it doesn't bother them too much.Andy Rosenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-77939353329400527032019-04-22T18:46:39.677-07:002019-04-22T18:46:39.677-07:00Dan Patrick hosts Sports Jeopardy on CRACKLE.Dan Patrick hosts Sports Jeopardy on CRACKLE.MikeNnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-54102098121156101192019-04-22T17:14:31.477-07:002019-04-22T17:14:31.477-07:00Look up Trebek and REACH FOR THE TOP.He has been o...Look up Trebek and REACH FOR THE TOP.He has been on telly asking questions since I was in short pants.therealshellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05598639173652882797noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-7675406948283534392019-04-22T17:04:45.183-07:002019-04-22T17:04:45.183-07:00It may be a good strategy for winning a lot of mon...It may be a good strategy for winning a lot of money, but jumping around makes for an unpleasant TV watching experience, at least for me. Viewers haven't memorized the categories, so when the contestant just barks out something like "Lakes, Four!" the question has been asked and answered before we at home can even remember the categories. I'd love to see the faces on contestants if the show did questions like "The president who followed the one in the previous answer." Or "the state just to the south of the previous answer." And scatter Daily Doubles more widely, like in the first or second spaces, to give players more incentive to start at the top.Tomnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-74934022871399084182019-04-22T14:39:58.862-07:002019-04-22T14:39:58.862-07:00Well, Yekimi, you don't want cable, fine. But ...Well, Yekimi, you don't want cable, fine. But why bitch at us? You have your rant. I have <i>Jeopardy</i> and <i>Game of Thrones</i> and lots of great classic TV to watch, because I'm fine with my cable line-up. And when I want to modify it, Spectrum it does while I'm on the phone with them, no problem. I get my phone and my internet from them also.D McEwannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-78638927166237172112019-04-22T14:20:27.346-07:002019-04-22T14:20:27.346-07:00Am I the only one who thinks this guy looks like E...Am I the only one who thinks this guy looks like Ed Grimley's brother? <br /><br />BTW, I knew the Grant/Curtis/Crawford answers, too. Cap'n Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11783977137812876489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-32077836402768028802019-04-22T14:05:00.293-07:002019-04-22T14:05:00.293-07:00Off subject but...
I read that law suits and legal...Off subject but...<br />I read that law suits and legal apers are flying in the WGA's attempt to get justice for it's members.<br />Any new updates as to where "we" are on this?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-35535186819610264232019-04-22T12:39:18.296-07:002019-04-22T12:39:18.296-07:00As a one-day champ myself, I agree with your guest...As a <a href="http://www.j-archive.com/showplayer.php?player_id=1781" rel="nofollow">one-day champ</a> myself, I agree with your guests that I actively root against EVERYONE after their 5th win. Roger Owen Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05298172138307632062noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-70489274940283181802019-04-22T12:29:33.752-07:002019-04-22T12:29:33.752-07:00Warning: RANT! Used to watch Jeopardy every day u...Warning: RANT! Used to watch Jeopardy every day until, #1, digital TV became a reality, #2, it switched to a channel that I can no longer pick up over the air. Again, I don't have cable and will not have cable until I am able to pick the channels I want. When Rectum cable tells me I have to pay for literally a lineup of channels that are religious and infomercials [and last time I checked it was about 8 of those channels], no thanks. When digital began the channel that Jeopardy moved to couldn't even be picked up in the city I lived at the time OTA and when they added a repeater antenna, which was three miles from my house, I still couldn't get them. So for now I just have to read about the exploits of Jeopardy online and I've watched Jeopardy since the days of Art Fleming.YEKIMIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01921751875397071034noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-2541626436542451472019-04-22T12:02:35.001-07:002019-04-22T12:02:35.001-07:00Sure, he's good on "Jeopardy," but h...Sure, he's good on "Jeopardy," but how would he do on "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?" But seriously, maybe it's time to bring back WATSON to shut down this guy. <br />Finally, I knew you were old, Ken. But I didn't realize you were "JEOPARDY" old. Do you watch "Wheel" too?<br />M.B.Mike Bloodworthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04755626259169126800noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-50587354762842797692019-04-22T11:44:10.559-07:002019-04-22T11:44:10.559-07:00The questions/answers seem to be easier than they ...The questions/answers seem to be easier than they used to be, not that it takes anything away from him, but I can usually answer most of the questions quickly, as well, which doesn't make me a genius, it just means I've accumulated lots of superficial information. His skill seems to be more in the timing of using the buzzer, and his cutthroat approach to finding daily doubles, which are also usually obvious answers.Wayne Cnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-52648729326742712782019-04-22T11:32:13.395-07:002019-04-22T11:32:13.395-07:00Yeah, I've gotten caught up watching this guy,...Yeah, I've gotten caught up watching this guy, but I tune in each day with "Hopefully this is the day we're rid of this guy." Frankly, I find him a bit creepy. I find that that recessive smirk he always wears makes my skin crawl. "Professional Gambler" is not exactly a "Profession" I respect. That's like "Professional Adrenalin Junkie." What does it do to help other people? What service does he provide or product of benefit to people does his "Professional Gambling" produce? Guys who seem like modern day versions of Damon Runyon characters may be good in a story, but not in real life. Every time he says things like "Now the bookies won't take my action," I'm all "Ew." <br /><br />I am so not a gambler. Never placed a bet in my life. Never play poker (or any card games). Never bought a lottery ticket. Never been to the track. Never set foot in a casino. I avoid Vegas like the plague. (The last time I was in Vegas, it was for 45 minutes, a quarter of a century ago, to change planes, and I still resented Vegas befouling a trip that had included London, Paris, Nice, Cannes and Monaco, a group Vegas was not worthy to join. Drove by the casino in Monte Carlo, did not go in.) Life is more than enough of a gamble as it is.<br /><br />Holzhauer's strategy of going for all the big cash questions first, working the board horizontally instead of the traditional vertically, is brilliant. Wonder why it took so many decades for someone to use it.<br /><br />And Matt, yes, he'd get the correct question for “Archibald Leach, Bernard Schwartz, Lucille LaSueur." He constantly knows incredibly obscure stuff, so something that is as easy as that one, a bit of movie trivia as widely known to all classic movie fans as that one would be zero challenge to him.D McEwannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-20781381768768316862019-04-22T09:53:46.427-07:002019-04-22T09:53:46.427-07:00For me, the show will forever be Alex Trebeck with...For me, the show will forever be Alex Trebeck with a mustache and a grey suit, with the blaring blue background on the screen. And there's SNL's "Celebrity Jeopardy" and the more recent "Black Jeopardy", which to be honest I'll probably remember just as well.<br /><br />I've heard interviews with Ken Jennings, notably on the Savage Lovecast, and he's insightful and funny. Maybe this guy will get the same kind of fame.<br /><br />Frank Beansnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-89040953424233474432019-04-22T09:48:16.871-07:002019-04-22T09:48:16.871-07:00At least he understands that he's there to win...At least he understands that he's there to win money. It drives me crazy when contestants stumble across a Daily Double and fail to take advantage of it. How many times a month does Alex tell them that if they make it a true Daily Double they can tie for the lead or at least get back in the game only to have them make some meaningless $1000 bet? Don't they realize he's trying to give them good advice? Instead, they're so afraid they won't be around for Final Jeopardy that they don't take the necessary risks required to have a shot at winning.<br /><br />My only problem with him is that he's beaten several interesting players who would probably have won against almost anyone else. I wish they would take the top scoring non-winners every season and have a tournament with them. It would be much more interesting than that silly Kid's Tournament.<br /><br />ODJenningsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-39160435043864337562019-04-22T09:27:18.449-07:002019-04-22T09:27:18.449-07:00"Who are Cary Grant, Tony Curtis and Joan Cra..."Who are Cary Grant, Tony Curtis and Joan Crawford?"<br /><br />He's very good, but I wish he'd stop adding cute messages to his Final Jeopardy answers. There used to be an FCC rule against using the airwaves for private communications, but I guess it has gone the way of the Fairness Doctrine.Buttermilk Skyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07430011403223875192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-70857762098094176862019-04-22T09:16:20.493-07:002019-04-22T09:16:20.493-07:00I'm with Y.Knott. While I enjoy the IDEA of t...I'm with Y.Knott. While I enjoy the IDEA of this guy and the way he manipulates the game, I find him very off-putting and not charming in the least. Stephen Sondheim wrote a song called "Can That Boy Foxtrot" which was cut from FOLLIES. Replace the word "foxtrot" with the words "play Jeopardy" and you've got this guy. Reptilian about sums it up. Chrisnoreply@blogger.com