[quote name=\'grimmte\' date=\'Mar 8 2004, 01:43 PM\'] For us idiots, what is the Malcolm Jackpot? [/quote]
You're new to our game, so it's a fair question.
"Malcolm" is a pilot that Alex Trebek did in the early 80's (no, Zach, it doesn't matter exactly when) that involved him co-hosting with a little white pear-shaped cartoon in a TV monitor, who would also help out with some game duties.
The Malcolm Jackpot is a "collection" that was taken up at ATGS a few years ago, and brought over here, and is paid out to any Jeopardy contestant, who, in the abscence of a correct question to write down for Final Jeopardy (or, hey, if you can answer AND pull it off in 30 seconds, more power to you), instead draws a picture of Malcolm. "Sufficient to make Alex lose his place" was the benchmark at the time, but I'm thinking at this point if he recognizes it as such and points it out on the broadcast, that would be enough of a reaction to cause a payout.
A correction to Mr. Foster-Gray's post: Alex must explain and clarify the drawing ON HIS OWN. Prompting from the contestant is cause for immediate disqualification.