The Jennings Juggernaut Rumorama

[ClockGameJohn]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'Sep 9 2004, 09:23 AM\'] By the way, the folks at Jeopardy are extremely upset and annoyed that the word got out as quickly as it did.  They absolutely did not want that to happen, regardless of what some people are saying. [/quote]
 And with all due respect to that fine production staff, who are they kidding?

[CaseyAbell]

If the Jeopardy folks were really concerned about keeping The Big Secret, couldn't they have moved the tapings up closer to air time? Jeopardy can't require that much post-production. From what I've heard tapings usually go very smoothly.

Did they really expect news of a loss by Ken to stay buried for six to eight weeks? Then why did they bring in a studio audience? The show has little leverage over the spectators, and the producers had to know that SOMEBODY would make a phone call sooner or later. So why not at least cut down the time-window?

[Robair]

The ones who are really going to run with this, as a new season starts, are those TV stations that don't run Jeopardy. Channel 5 in NYC this afternoon was fairly gushing at the news that Ken is going to lose. Why? That the ratings will start to subside with word of the end o'Ken, and that Channel 5 has "Malcolm in the Middle" or some other fledgling syndicated property in the 7PM slot.

Their rationale: "Rosebud is a sled. You don't need to watch the thing. Watch Frankie Muniz and his squeaky voice on Channel 5 instead!" which should give them momentum going into the November sweeps.

And the J! staff has every right to be worried. Are we to the point now where game show audiences have to sign confidentiality affidavits just like the audience of the final episode of "Friends" did?

[parliboy]

For those who want to play along and say "I coulda beat Ken", the alleged Final Jeopardy clue of the game in question is posted over at kottke.org.

(No links, no copying, spoil it for yourself only)

[aaron sica]

I'm surprised Da Perf hasn't been all over this yet; I can't help wondering what he thinks/what he'll say.

[CaseyAbell]

And the J! staff has every right to be worried. Are we to the point now where game show audiences have to sign confidentiality affidavits just like the audience of the final episode of "Friends" did?

Have to wonder if those affidavits would be legally enforceable, assuming that the show's producers could ever identify the audience member(s) who ratted out. I guess the lawyers could argue that the show suffered a loss in value as a result of the leaks. That might form the basis for a lawsuit.

I'm not a lawyer and I don't play one on TV and I don't usually watch actors playing lawyers on TV, but has there ever been an actual case involving an audience member who blabbed after signing a confidentiality agreement? I have to think the odds would be WAY against TV producers convincing a jury to extract damages from some poor schmoe in the audience.

For those who want to play along and say "I coulda beat Ken", the alleged Final Jeopardy clue of the game in question is posted over at kottke.org.

I'll give the guy credit for breaking the story...if the story is true. But he's also responsible for one of the lamer attempts at humor perpetrated about Ken's run. Life really isn't fair. By the way, I couldn't have beaten Ken on the alleged FJ answer. My guess turned out to be wrong, if the company's web site is to be believed.

[starcade]

I was thinking it was going to be in November when he breaks the Olmstead record myself -- and then in addition the rumor would have him losing shortly thereafter.

[adamjk]

[quote name=\'aaron sica\' date=\'Sep 9 2004, 01:17 PM\'] I'm surprised Da Perf hasn't been all over this yet; I can't help wondering what he thinks/what he'll say. [/quote]
 Well if you check the main page over there,  you can read his position regarding this.

[CaseyAbell]

Sounds like the Prof knows the story is true, or at least he hasn't been able to prove it false.

[Steve McClellan]

[quote name=\'CaseyAbell\' date=\'Sep 9 2004, 03:29 PM\'] at least he hasn't been able to prove it false. [/quote]
Well, that's not saying a whole lot, now is it?

[aaron sica]

[quote name=\'adamjk\' date=\'Sep 9 2004, 06:23 PM\'] [quote name=\'aaron sica\' date=\'Sep 9 2004, 01:17 PM\'] I'm surprised Da Perf hasn't been all over this yet; I can't help wondering what he thinks/what he'll say. [/quote]
Well if you check the main page over there,  you can read his position regarding this. [/quote]
 Thanks, Adam. Wasn't there before when I checked, but thanks for letting me know he put something up.

[adamjk]

anytime Aaron

[zachhoran]

[quote name=\'starcade\' date=\'Sep 9 2004, 04:17 PM\'] I was thinking it was going to be in November when he breaks the Olmstead record myself -- and then in addition the rumor would have him losing shortly thereafter. [/quote]
 If Jennings does indeed hit the $2.5 million mark before going bye-bye, one wonders if a return of Super Millionaire(if it does return in November sweeps) would have at least one contestant's set of questions dumbed down a tad to try to force a question 13 or 14 win. It would seem Ken's loss episode will coincide with sweeps.

[parliboy]

While I appreciate the attempted tone of Perf's announcement about his posting policies, anyone who reads that is gonna know something big is up; so what he posted is essentially its own spoiler, regardless of whatever he's saying.

As much as some people don't like the way he occasionally seems to ostrich into the ground, he really would have been smarter there to shut the heck up, or at least be more general in his wording.

[aaron sica]

I'm just surprised he hasn't taken it upon himself to take credit for the story.....