Jeopardy's Golden Anniversary in 2014

[MikeK]

Folks, this is all fascinating stuff indeed but can we please turn back to my original question?

Oooooh, you haven't been here very long.  Get used to it.

[DrBear]

The first six categories:
The 60s
Famous Answers
Griffins
Take Ten
Art
Flemish (all answers are in a Dutch dialect)

[DrBear]

Folks, this is all fascinating stuff indeed but can we please turn back to my original question?

Oooooh, you haven't been here very long.  Get used to it.

The Game Show Forum: We go off the track more than Amtrak.

[That Don Guy]

Folks, this is all fascinating stuff indeed but can we please turn back to my original question? What would you like to see the producers of Jeopardy! do to mark the show's fiftieth anniversary in 2014?

For a whole bunch of people here what they'd like Jeopardy to do and what they're going to do are probably very different things.

New graphics package, maybe some wacky clips coming in and out of breaks. That's about it. They're probably not going to do a tournament of classic champions and they're almost certainly not going to go to the trouble and expense to build a set for a week of shows. Be happy if we get a mention at all.

"Build" a new set just for a week?  Of course not.

Change the rules (even for one day) to allow players to ring in when the answer is exposed?  Doubtful.  (Was this the rule in the first Trebek season?)

Here's an idea they might consider: for one round, have the monitors emulate the original board (a "virtual" blue curtain reveals the dollar values in the 1960s-era typeface), with the original music.  There can even be one category dedicated to the show (more or less - here's a possible answer: "From 1978 to 1982, Art Fleming hosted the national championships of this university-based quiz show; by then, G.E. no longer sponsored it").
If Don Pardo is still alive at the time, they could even get him to introduce the contestants.

However, I have a feeling any NBC Jeopardy! anniversary will get about as much mention on the current version as NBC's Wheel of Fortune did on that show's current version.

[BrandonFG]

Change the rules (even for one day) to allow players to ring in when the answer is exposed?  Doubtful.  (Was this the rule in the first Trebek season?)

First season, yes. And I'm glad they changed it...I'm not a fan of allowing premature buzz-ins.

However, I have a feeling any NBC Jeopardy! anniversary will get about as much mention on the current version as NBC's Wheel of Fortune did on that show's current version.

Pretty much, though subtle nods like the ones you referred to would be nice. Then again, both shows give a nod to their roots during their milestone episodes. I just doubt they'll do much to acknowledge the big anniversary of the initial premieres. Honestly, I loved the fact that they even bother to show the Trebek premiere for the 25th season.

[Tim L]

Folks, this is all fascinating stuff indeed but can we please turn back to my original question?

Oooooh, you haven't been here very long.  Get used to it.

The Game Show Forum: We go off the track more than Amtrak.

That is funny..(and true)

[davidhammett]

When it comes to celebrating anniversaries, I only remember shows sticking to their current versions.  WoF doesn't like to reference before 1983, the beginning of the syndicated version.  In November, 2006, we didn't see TPIR celebrating its 50th anniversary going back to the Cullen era.  And so far J! has been marking its time from 1984.  I'd love to see some sort of homage as much as the rest of you, but I'm not holding my breath.

[WarioBarker]

WoF doesn't like to reference before 1983 December 28, 1981

FTFY, minus the Susan. And even that doesn't count the fact they've mentioned and shown clips of a 1974 pilot on #3,000. They also showed an open from 1978 on #3,000 and #4,000, but somehow managed to date it "1983" on the latter milestone show.

I'd love to see some sort of homage as much as the rest of you, but I'm not holding my breath.

Jeopardy! is far more likely than, say, Wheel.

[clemon79]

Jeopardy! is far more likely than, say, Wheel.

Based on what evidence aside from your own mental excretions?

[Jeremy Nelson]

Jeopardy! is far more likely than, say, Wheel.

Based on what evidence aside from your own mental excretions?

On the 4000th episode clip show, they showed a clip or two of the Fleming version, and as a whole, I think more people are aware of Jeopardy's longevity than Wheel's.

[WarioBarker]

Jeopardy! is far more likely than, say, Wheel.

Based on what evidence aside from your own mental excretions?

What Jeremy and I mentioned, plus the fact that Jeopardy! has shown pictures and clips of the Fleming era while Wheel basically ignores everything between Byrnes and Sajak (including Stafford). Further, Jeopardy! says "You've been on a non-Trebek version? Come on back! " while Wheel goes "You've been on a non-Sajak version (even the cheap-ass Wheel 2000), or his daytime run? Tough shit. >"

There's also the fact that the only times the full (or near-full) history of Wheel has been discussed, it was never on Wheel itself: namely, Peter Tomarken's history "essay"-thing on GSN's first day, the showing of a 1976 episode by GSN after Merv passed away in 2007, and (most notably) the show's E! True Hollywood Story in 2005.

If Wheel has done any homage to its true longevity, it's been very rare and certainly not on any January 6 show I'm aware of. I know Chuck's been mentioned a few times, but that's about it; there was a 2001 discussion about that on ATGS, although the one mentioned by "Streaming Wizard" is quite bizarre (and, you know, saying "Hey, we keep Woolery and Stafford locked up in the dungeon! >" sounds mean-spirited given that their contributions are almost always ignored).

(tl;dr -- Wheel has barely recognized anything pre-Sajak despite being on continuously since 1975, while Jeopardy! has a long association with the Fleming era despite going off the air twice before Trebek began. I don't see any reason why this would change anytime soon.)

[J.R.]

Are you going to stage a protest or something outside Sony? Is the fact they only recognize Syndicated Wheel this big of a friggin' tragedy for you? Are you seriously crying and shaking your fist over this injustice?

You are too good to be true.

/#occupywheel

[davidhammett]

WoF doesn't like to reference before 1983 December 28, 1981

FTFY, minus the Susan.

My statement still stands, Dan.  Yes, they may have mentioned Pat's joining the show on 12/28/81, and they may have used clips from prior to that.  However, they have always measured the duration of the current show from its nighttime inception in 1983; references before that are few and far between.

[Dbacksfan12]

Further, Jeopardy! says "You've been on a non-Trebek version? Come on back! " while Wheel goes "You've been on a non-Sajak version (even the cheap-ass Wheel 2000), or his daytime run? Tough shit. >"

And the problem with this is what?

[BrandonFG]

If Wheel has done any homage to its true longevity, it's been very rare and certainly not on any January 6 show I'm aware of. I know Chuck's been mentioned a few times, but that's about it; there was a 2001 discussion about that on ATGS, although the one mentioned by "Streaming Wizard" seems way too mean-spirited to be true.

That was hardly a mean-spirited comment, and if it was a Halloween episode, it fits the context perfectly. Pat joked that he and Vanna got the job by locking their predecessors in a dungeon. Oh the humanity!

Both shows make nods to their roots, and I honestly don't see a reason to go all out in celebrating the original premieres. Mention it in passing, sure, but that's prolly about it, esp. since both have done retrospective eps. during the anniversary seasons of their current runs. I'm more bothered that the current run of Feud never mentioned its 10th season back in 2008. I barely expect them to mention Louie* or Richard Karn, let alone Dawson or Combs...

/RIP Zinkin
*//Not that they would after that scandal