[quote name=\'Don Howard\' date=\'Jan 6 2005, 03:00 PM\'] And now, a survey: How many of the people you know who aren't big time fans of the genre like us but did follow the Ken Jennings Juggernaut last year are looking forward to this Tournament Of Tournaments?[/quote]
I may not be the most unbiased person to answer this question, and I also may not be answering quite the question you're asking. But in my work, I have tons of acquaintances who like to talk to me about my Jeopardy experience. A lot of those folks, most of whom I'm guesing aren't huge fans, have been asking me about this tournament. So the awareness is there. Whether that translates to an appreciable ratings uptick remains to be seen.
I frankly doubt it. Their Million Dollar Masters was essentially the same thing, but with a core group of supposedly familiar faces in a much smaller time window. My understanding was that the M$M didn't set Nielsen on fire. Spread out over months, and with Ken's participation limited to the end, I don't think this stunt will make much of a difference either.
Still, as a fan, I'm geeked!