Any Former Jeopardy! Contestants?

[BillQ]

Didn't know where to put this thread so started it in the most likely place.

Friday, I passed the test to get on Jeopardy! for next season. While I know that passing the test doesn't mean you will get on, I want to get ready for it just the same.

I figure that there has to be at least one former contestant who is on BS so I need some advice on how to prepare and what to expect when I go there.

Any help is appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[otterulz]

I wanted to try out for Jeopardy! Kids Week, but apparently you have to be 12, not 21. Too bad, I would've kicked those kids asses. Well, maybe.

[BillQ]

I wanted to try out for Jeopardy! Kids Week, but apparently you have to be 12, not 21. Too bad, I would've kicked those kids asses. Well, maybe.

They had tryouts for the kids show right after our tryouts ended on Friday. Lots of stage mothers about.

[otterulz]

Are the stage mothers crazy and have a "YOU MUST WIN OR NO DINNER!" attitude? I know how crazy some parents can get.

Congrats on passing the test, even if you don't get on. So how does it all work? You just take a test and have to pass it? And then do they have further tests or just screen a bunch of people who they think would be good on camera?

My friends were on Wheel Of Fortune's "Best Friends Week". It was weird seeing them on tv, and they made it all the way to the final round but lost. Could've won a pair of Ford Thunderbirds. Oh well, at least Pat Sajak groped one of my friends. How many people can say that?

[DevilDave]

I went to L.A. for a regional tryout for the College Tournament years ago and sat in the studio where the show is taped. Alex Trebek was not around, however and the set looks a lot smaller in person than you picture it on TV. Unfortunately, I didn't get on.

I tried again for the regular show when the "Jeopardy! Brain Bus" came to the Sacramento area a few years ago, and unfortunately on the pre-test I came up one answer short of making it to the qualifying round.

[nicodemus]

My dad passed the test to get on, but never made it on the show. He actually scored the highest in the trial group he was in.

I think he made one critical error though that prevented him from getting on the show:

When asked what he would do if he won the hundreds of thousands of dollars awarded to the winner on the Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions, he replied:

"Upgrade to a younger, skinnier girlfriend."

For all of his intelligence, his sense of humor got in the way on this one probably :D

[Dan Loney]

I was on - ten years ago this month - but I got my ass kicked. I think they only let me on because at the time, I lived something like three blocks from the studio, and they didn't have to put me up in a hotel.

Here's how badly the pressure got to me. So the show is broadcast something like six months after I lose, and I'm watching the show with the rest of my friends acting as a suicide watch. Anyway, Alex reads a question, and I say to my friends, "Man. I was so out of it that day, I still don't know the answer to that question" just in time to watch. Myself. Ring in. And answer the question.

Correctly.

Alex, by the way, isn't as smart as his reputation. One of the questions was something like "This quadruped has a long nose and eats ants." The guy who ended up winning rings in, says "What's an aardvark?" Alex says, no, I'm sorry. The entire studio audience, the writers, the cameramen, let alone the poor contestant - they all have the same look as in "Ten Commandments" when Moses' snake eats the Pharaoh's.

I'm about five laps behind at this point, so I decide to try, "What's an anteater?"

Yes, for four hundred.

Audible grumblings from the senior citizens, let alone the other contestants' families and friends. My friends are sort of looking at each other like, "We don't have to admit we know him, right?" And I'm all, "Yeah! Cheat to win!"

During what to the viewer was a two minute commercial break, but in reality took at least fifteen minutes, the scores were corrected and justice was served. I will take the cold, hateful looks from the retirement community outing that day to my grave.

[Ghost]

I know a guy who is/was supposed to be on Jeopardy! He was my ex-girlfriend's subsequent boyfriend. I won't say anything too bad beyond that I have no idea how he did and I could care less.

The other story that's similar but a little off -topic. In the mid-90s, when i was in college, a hometown friend of two of my roommates was selected to be, yes, a presenter on the People's Choice Awards.Since they were the people's choice award, apparently somehow the show's producers decided that awarding film awards to Contact, or whatever, would seem more legitimate if an actual human being was doing it. So this guy somehow survived the ut. And there he was, getting stroked up by Annie Potts of Designing Women notoriety.

I can't decide if doing that is really something you would want on film or not.

[Deuteriumoxide]

I'll take Ape tits for 500.

[Iceblink]

"Upgrade to a younger, skinnier girlfriend."

For all of his intelligence, his sense of humor got in the way on this one probably :D

Whoa. This is good advice. Bill, whatever you do, do not mention that penile implant you asked Santa for.

[yossarian]

I was on - ten years ago this month - but I got my ass kicked. I think they only let me on because at the time, I lived something like three blocks from the studio, and they didn't have to put me up in a hotel.

Here's how badly the pressure got to me. So the show is broadcast something like six months after I lose, and I'm watching the show with the rest of my friends acting as a suicide watch. Anyway, Alex reads a question, and I say to my friends, "Man. I was so out of it that day, I still don't know the answer to that question" just in time to watch. Myself. Ring in. And answer the question.

Correctly.

Alex, by the way, isn't as smart as his reputation. One of the questions was something like "This quadruped has a long nose and eats ants." The guy who ended up winning rings in, says "What's an aardvark?" Alex says, no, I'm sorry. The entire studio audience, the writers, the cameramen, let alone the poor contestant - they all have the same look as in "Ten Commandments" when Moses' snake eats the Pharaoh's.

I'm about five laps behind at this point, so I decide to try, "What's an anteater?"

Yes, for four hundred.

Audible grumblings from the senior citizens, let alone the other contestants' families and friends. My friends are sort of looking at each other like, "We don't have to admit we know him, right?" And I'm all, "Yeah! Cheat to win!"

During what to the viewer was a two minute commercial break, but in reality took at least fifteen minutes, the scores were corrected and justice was served. I will take the cold, hateful looks from the retirement community outing that day to my grave.

Great story, Dan. A friend of mine was on Jeopardy about 3 years ago. He was a 5 time champion and eventually came in 2nd during the tournament of champions.

[afgrijselijkheid]

passed the tests, drilled the others in the fake game, never got on

[KDdidit]

I was on - ten years ago this month - but I got my ass kicked. I think they only let me on because at the time, I lived something like three blocks from the studio, and they didn't have to put me up in a hotel.

What were your lovely parting gifts?

[Zak]

I was on. Was losing to a girl that weighed about 150 lbs, got so fustrated that I called her a fat cow and demanded that she get some cardio in. They had to call the show because she had a nervous breakdown.

[BillQ]

Congrats on passing the test, even if you don't get on. So how does it all work? You just take a test and have to pass it? And then do they have further tests or just screen a bunch of people who they think would be good on camera?

About 60 people were in with me in the room that afternoon. A contestant coordinator warmed up the crowd and ran through some of the types of questions we could expect on the test.

After a short tape by Alex Trebeck and the Clew Crew, the test began. It was 50 questions, no repeat catagories, with each question on the screen for eight seconds. Some were pretty easy, others left me with no choice but taking guesses.

After the test ended, the coordinators gathered up the test sheets to grade them. Meanwhile, one of the Clue Crew came out to talk about the show and ask questions about the show. Questions ran to how Trebeck was like to how much tax was taken out of the prize money.

After about 20 mintues, they came up to announce those who had passed. I was the next to the last one who was announced, which shocked me because I thought I had no more than 30 right (you need 35 to pass). 12 people went through altogether.

After the also-rans are swept out of the room, everyone got some paperwork to fill out and had a pic taken. Then, three at a time came up to play a mock game, mostly to see if we can use the buzzer, are energetic, can speak clearly and loudly and know the game. A quick interview followed before we were let go.

We were told last year they had a player pool of about 600 and 400 were used. So, I like my chances.

After the test was over,

[FearM9]

The Penis Mightier!

[Dan Loney]

What were your lovely parting gifts?Second place contestants at the time usually got a vacation to Aruba or Hawaii. I got a pair of videophones.

This was back before every house in America had them. Oh, wait.

Moral: don't lose.

[Revolt]

About 60 people were in with me in the room that afternoon. A contestant coordinator warmed up the crowd
A puffer

[Iceblink]

A puffer

Better than a fluffer.... or worse... hmmm....

[whirlwind]

One of my art profs at U of M back in, oh, '86 was on. She finished dead last.

I was convinced then, and still am today, that I was smarter than she and would have done better.