9 Behind-the-Scenes Secrets From Jeopardy
1. You Don’t Have to Keep the Prizes
For the first 18 seasons of Jeopardy, the second- and third-place contestant got prizes, not cash. It could vary anywhere from a set of flatware to a trip to some exotic locale. In fact, on the day I won the guy who came in second got a set of vertical blinds. On the day I finished second, the prize was a week in Hawaii. Go figure.
Everyone was offered a variety of other prizes that were little more than advertising plugs for various products such as spray starch, Pop Tarts, and Doan’s Pills. You have to pay tax on the value of the prize, so if you didn’t want it, you could check a box on a form that all contestants sign after their game. I accepted the case of Pop Tarts — we were eating the things for months — and the $250 certificate for women’s clothes from a chain store that no longer exists.
In May 2002 Jeopardy switched to cash prizes of $2,000 for second place and $1,000 for third place and completely eliminated the junk prizes.
It took almost four months for my prize check to arrive—sans taxes, of course. Because I worked in New York City, lived in New Jersey, and won the money in California, that year I had to file five tax returns: Federal, New York City, New York State, New Jersey, and California. Of my $12,600 winnings, I netted less than $10,000. (And people wonder why I’m a conservative!)
Maybe they have raised the standards on game shows. In the mid1960s, my elderly great-grandmother got on the Price is Right through a clerical error of some sort. She couldn’t hear anything and was clueless about how the show worked. In fact, the host (was it Bill Cullen?) broke out laughing at her unintended antics. But she ended up winning a house full of appliances and furniture, a trip to Hawaii for her and my great-grandad, and a Lincoln Continental, a big deal in those days. She said the only thing she could do to prepare was to pray!
“(I haven’t taken the real thing, though, because, by rule, I can’t try out again.)”
Then you haven’t got a clue about how the internet works. The test won’t know who you are unless you tell. Simply use a burner e-mail address.
If they won’t let you take the test again, it seems to me that they aren’t going to let you PLAY again either. As soon as you give them your real name – which you are bound to have to do at some point – they will probably disqualify you. Therefore, there’s no point in taking the test if you are inevitably going to be weeded out later.
The only chance you might have is if you have a different name, either by marriage or having legally changed your name. Even then, I think you’d want it to be several years since you last competed otherwise someone with a good memory might remember you and disquality you on that basis.
Actually, if I recall correctly, anyone can take the online test for fun, but the rules are very strict that you cannot be on the show a second time.
James
You’re right in a way. You can take the practice test all you like, but you cannot take the one they grade for the contestant search.
Did you miss the part where he said he’s a conservative?
That means he respects rules. For him, it’s not about what he can get away with, it’s about doing what’s right.
So because he’s a conservative that means he follows the rules?
Then what is he when admits to sending in 10 postcards instead of 1?
Really? If iit said send one and only one postcard then maybe you have a point. Otherwise you’re just trying to stir up trouble.
If he was a Democrat, he would have sent in another 10 entries with the name of a neighbor who died 20 years ago.
I also tried out for Jeopardy and the test was given at Sony Studios in Culver City. Questions put up on video monitors and they told us at that time that one needed 35 questions correct to be considered for the next round.
In my group of several hundred, three people met that criteria.
I took the test at the Four Seasons Hotel in downtown Houston here some years ago….was in a room with about 40 other people….it was a written test consisting of 50 “Final Jeopardy” answers to write the questions to…I think we had 30 minutes for the test….they admin said that the 2 people who got the most correctly would go to LA for a taping….they paased our graded tests back out to us and I got 48 out of 50 correct…thinking I was a cinch to go to LA….the admin then called the names of the 2 that he said got all 50 right and asked them to raise their hands…..they were sitting right next to each other…I never watched Jeopardy again
Nerd
Mike, If he were a Democrat he would wait for someone else to send the card in for him & then have someone else pay for the postage.
Stop it! You are having way too much fun with this!
When I tried out about 30 years ago, at the studio, in Hollywood, I was completely unprepared for the experience. I was there with about 50 others, almost all of whom were trying out for their 3rd or 4th time! (I found this out later)
We had the video test of 50 $1000 “Double Jeopardy” questions, and I got about 25 right. I was actually feeling pretty good about that. The guy next to me said he missed only one(!), and he didn’t pass! So, who knows?
There is definitely, however, a learning curve for trying out. I could have done better had I been there before, but for me this was a one-shot deal. Too far to travel at that time. I still could never have gotten a perfect score. So, hats off to everyone who makes it on the show. It is the Mt. Everest of game shows.
My grandmother and her sister, Betty Jane, was on “Who Do You Trust” with Johnny Carson, before he became a big star. They were given the categories of questions before the program started. Also, they had to rehearse some small talk they would have with Johnny. My grandmother changed what they wanted her to say as it would have embarrassed her husband. Johnny got a bit flustered, but carried on. My grandmother and her sister shared the prizes, nothing big.
This was around 1959, and Johnny had some grey hair then.
Correction: “were” not “was”
was on who wants to be a millionaire, they paid for travel and later reimbursed the taxes on the travel since it was taxable
great experience, didn’t get to hot seat
television is cool but fake, even when it is all above board. they make things look different than they really are, deceptive. kind of like the national network news broadcasts.
We had a screening here in Hawaii.. and I ended up with three others as finalists.
We were granted an audience with Alex.
I mentioned to him that I had relatives in Montreal named Trubik.. and hinted at a possible relationship.
I got a cold fish stare… and knew I was doomed!
Interesting background on “Jeopardy”. I took the computer test about 6 months ago, I think I failed as I haven’t heard from the show. Then again, tens of thousands probably took those tests! As for the tax returns, the only “extra” one would have been for California; I would guess the other 4 were already being done by the author, game-show appearance or not. And to pay “only” $2,600 on $12,600 of winnings sounds pretty good.
Great show, but Alex has been shilling for Obama lately. He had an “answer” a few weeks ago about a company that made (paraphrasing) gobs of money when Staples went public.
Question: “What is Bain Capital?”.
He’s also had Moochelle and Biden give clues recently.
“I’ll take “Obama Kool-Aid drinkers” for $2,000, Alex.”