Jeopardy's Golden Anniversary in 2014

[Kevin Prather]

One thing to consider about versions previous to the current incarnations of Jeopardy, WoF and TPiR is they all got cancelled. Syndie WoF and Jeopardy are going on 30 years without ever being cancelled. TPiR is going on 40 years. Although we can discuss at length how important and good the predecessors are, the current incarnations are doing what their predecessors didn't: stay on the air.

[Jimmy Owen]

That would be in direct contrast to the ABC special "What's My Line at 25."  The focus was not on the then current version (there were but a handful of syndie WML clips) but the CBS network version which only lasted 17 years or so but counted the hiatus and syndie version to get to 25.

[TLEberle]

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?

Not that I want to queue up behind Dan more than I absolutely have to, but it does seem awfully capricious.

I remember reading on a FAQ about Wheel that one of the reasons against returning champions was "We want to give as many people as possible a chance to spin the wheel." I guess they weren't kidding.

[Bryce L.]

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?

Not that I want to queue up behind Dan more than I absolutely have to, but it does seem awfully capricious.

I remember reading on a FAQ about Wheel that one of the reasons against returning champions was "We want to give as many people as possible a chance to spin the wheel." I guess they weren't kidding.

I agree with you, Travis. The restriction of "Once in a lifetime" is silly. And they say they want everyone to have a chance, eh? How many people would be getting screwed out of that chance in a season assuming only 2 new players appeared on any given episode instead of 3? Can't be THAT many...

[TLEberle]

I agree with you, Travis. The restriction of "Once in a lifetime" is silly. And they say they want everyone to have a chance, eh? How many people would be getting screwed out of that chance in a season assuming only 2 new players appeared on any given episode instead of 3? Can't be THAT many...

Depends on your definition of many: assuming that you always have a carryover champion that means 200 people aren't getting to play the game.

[Bryce L.]

I agree with you, Travis. The restriction of "Once in a lifetime" is silly. And they say they want everyone to have a chance, eh? How many people would be getting screwed out of that chance in a season assuming only 2 new players appeared on any given episode instead of 3? Can't be THAT many...

Depends on your definition of many: assuming that you always have a carryover champion that means 200 people aren't getting to play the game.

I'm not sure just how many contestant applications they receive in a season, but I'm guessing it's quite a few. So 200 would probably be a drop in the bucket versus the sheer number of applications they receive (the way they make it out to be, at least).

[Kevin Prather]

I agree with you, Travis. The restriction of "Once in a lifetime" is silly. And they say they want everyone to have a chance, eh? How many people would be getting screwed out of that chance in a season assuming only 2 new players appeared on any given episode instead of 3? Can't be THAT many...

Depends on your definition of many: assuming that you always have a carryover champion that means 200 people aren't getting to play the game.

Times that by about 15 (about how many years it's been since we've had returning champs), and that's 3000 more people who have gotten to play.

[TLEberle]

I'm not sure just how many contestant applications they receive in a season, but I'm guessing it's quite a few.

Show FAQ says over a million.

[Mr. Armadillo]

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...

Hell, they don't even like to acknowledge that they were on the air yesterday...unless the defending champs are playing for the car, they barely even mention the fact that the show has returning champions at all.  (And even that is usually "If the Jingleheimerschmidt family wins today, they drive off in that brand new car!" without mentioning why they win it.)

[PYLdude]

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...

Hell, they don't even like to acknowledge that they were on the air yesterday...unless the defending champs are playing for the car, they barely even mention the fact that the show has returning champions at all.  (And even that is usually "If the Jingleheimerschmidt family wins today, they drive off in that brand new car!" without mentioning why they win it.)

That. It is quite odd how Feud went to that trouble of bringing returning champs back in '02 but barely seemed to point it out other than when necessary- and that was even back then!

[JakeT]

 (And even that is usually "If the Jingleheimerschmidt family wins today, they drive off in that brand new car!" without mentioning why they win it.)

WOW!  Their name is my name, too!  BA-DA-DA-DA-DA-DA-DA-DA (or something like that)

JacobT Jingleheimerschmidt

[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?

Not that I want to queue up behind Dan more than I absolutely have to, but it does seem awfully capricious.

I remember reading on a FAQ about Wheel that one of the reasons against returning champions was "We want to give as many people as possible a chance to spin the wheel." I guess they weren't kidding.

I agree with you, Travis. The restriction of "Once in a lifetime" is silly. And they say they want everyone to have a chance, eh? How many people would be getting screwed out of that chance in a season assuming only 2 new players appeared on any given episode instead of 3? Can't be THAT many...

OK, put yourself in a potential contestants shoes.  The contestant coordinator can pick between two people:  You, or a contestant who was on the show in 1989 and won $25,000 in loot.  They pick the contestant who already had his day in the sun.  You get the WoF pin and never hear from them again.

[TLEberle]

OK, put yourself in a potential contestants shoes.  The contestant coordinator can pick between two people:  You, or a contestant who was on the show in 1989 and won $25,000 in loot.  They pick the contestant who already had his day in the sun.  You get the WoF pin and never hear from them again.

But that doesn't make any sense. "If you've been on the show before, you don't get to be on again" is SOP. It makes less sense to do that for a kid who won a game.com and limo rides to school for a week. The fact that TPIR does that makes them an outlier, not the norm.

[golden-road]

 (And even that is usually "If the Jingleheimerschmidt family wins today, they drive off in that brand new car!" without mentioning why they win it.)

WOW!  Their name is my name, too!  BA-DA-DA-DA-DA-DA-DA-DA (or something like that)

JacobT Jingleheimerschmidt

1 Intarnets for you.