DANGER! contestants told what happens when the show’s host, Ken Jennings, gets a line wrong.
On Thursday, former players and members of the public provided insight into what goes on behind the scenes at Jeopardy!
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In an online forum dedicated to the long-running game show, a fan asked what happens when Ken Jennings, 50, “gets his words wrong?”
The writer explained, “Of course they had him re-record and edit for broadcast TV. I’m more curious to know how/if [affects] live game.
“I’m sure a little glitch or stutter is no big deal and they just carry on,” they reasoned before adding, “But I’m sure sometimes the words come out wrong enough to interrupt the flow, the clue doesn’t read well. the right flow/tone, and even if he reads and rehearses beforehand, the human brain is still flawed.”
“I’m sure this happened to Alex a few times too,” they continued.
The Redditor questioned: “Do they just pause the tape for a minute or two and then pick up where they left off? Is it better or worse for a competitor to take a short break or does it disrupt brain flow and/or timing of the bell?”
In the post’s comment thread, a former Jeopardy! Audience member responded, “The host re-records ‘pick-ups’ during commercial breaks.
“They just keep going, without pausing, keeping the game in real time.”
“The same as in the Alex era, which I saw live and in person”, they boasted.
A second fan asked: “Do contestants really get a break during commercial breaks?”
Former contestant Nam Nguyen responded, “Yes! The first break is Ken answering questions from the audience, the second break is photos of the 2 new contestants with Ken, and of course the third is betting on the final.”
“You stand on the podium and get water while the production team does everything they need to do,” said another former player.
They revealed: “This includes tips, photos of the contestants, Ken answering questions from the audience or other things. Typically, they can last 2 to 5 minutes before the next segment begins.
“What is Clue Gathering?” asked a fan.
“Re-record the audio of clue readings that weren’t read perfectly the first time,” the contestant responded.
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Later, the same player explained: “Contestants are explicitly instructed not to follow what is said, but rather what is written, because our answer will be judged solely based on the written clue.
“In my experience, any failure that Ken or Mayim ever made in reading clues basically amounted to pausing momentarily and then repeating the failed word, which was then re-recorded during the breaks.
“I can’t speak for everyone, but I have rarely, if ever, listened to the presenter read clues for help analyzing clues, so I don’t think a reading error would basically be so egregious as to cause an outage.
“I can also say that interruptions are not something I always wanted as a player. They are much more disturbing than a mispronounced or stuttered word,” they concluded.
SECOND CHANCE
Ken was not initially chosen to replace Alex Trebek on Jeopardy! because he didn’t have the skills of a natural TV presenter, a studio member told The US Sun.
The former champion was named sole host in December 2023 after actress Mayim Bialik, 48, was dropped from the series.
Prior to that, Ken was one of several guest hosts who auditioned when Alex died of pancreatic cancer in November 2020.
Ken’s trivia skills have never been questioned, as he holds the record for the longest winning streak on Jeopardy! history with 74 victories in 2004.
But there have been questions about his on-screen charisma as he transitions from celebrity champion to the face of the franchise.
Ken never had another major TV role to his name.
But he’s not letting that stop him as he develops his role long-term.
RECOGNIZED WEAKNESS
A source told The US Sun that Ken’s ease on screen is something he’s working to resolve, which is why he wasn’t an immediate option to replace Alex.
“The long-term goal with his hosting has been to bring more of his relaxed, pleasant side to his on-air interactions with contestants,” the source said.
“This is much easier said than done because the recording of the episodes is highly technical and there is not much room for maneuver in this format.
“To his credit, Ken is self-aware and knows that his issues will always be how his personality will be read on camera.
“And not your proven experience with trivia or the game Jeopardy! itself.
“Ken knows this, Sony knows this and everyone knows this is the reason he was never the first choice to replace Alex Trebek,” they stated.
“He got this job because the other candidates didn’t work out, and Ken is at peace with that.”
BALANCING ACT
Ken’s hosting role now requires much more than just appearing in court with three contestants and an audience of millions every night of the week.
Although he only records twice a week, five games a day, the TV personality’s work is expanding along with the increasingly modernized show.
Danger! Host timeline
Danger! has had a tumultuous history regarding hosts following the death of the iconic Alex Trebek in 2020. Here are every host since the game show’s inception in 1964.
Art Fleming – from 1964 to 1975, he was the original host of the daytime version of Jeopardy! on NBC.
Alex Trebek – From 1984 to 2020, the late, great Alex hosted the modern iteration of Jeopardy! for 36 years until his death from pancreatic cancer.
Guest Hosts – 2020 to 2021, Jeopardy! tested a series of guest hosts for one- or two-week stints, including Anderson Cooper, LaVar Burton and Aaron Rodgers.
Mike Richards – 2021, he was named host for a week before resigning amid controversy. He was the show’s executive producer at the time.
Mayim Bialik – 2021 to 2023, when Mike was announced as the show’s new host, Mayim was chosen to host tournaments and primetime specials.
Mayim and Ken Jennings – 2022 to 2023, 74-time champion Ken (the winningest contestant of all time) joined Mayim as guest host and they shared hosting duties.
Ken Jennings – 2023 to present. Last December, Mayim announced on Instagram that she would “no longer” host Jeopardy! after a long hiatus, having defended the writers’ strike, and Ken was named sole host.
Ken now runs all editions of Jeopardy! including Celebrity Jeopardy!, the late night show and other primetime specials such as Masters.
“Being the face of Jeopardy! It seems like an easy task with just a few shooting dates per month, but there’s a little more to it than that,” the source added.
“Ken also appears to give pep talks at audience recruiting events across the country, and as the franchise has moved away from the Alex era, Ken has had to set aside time.
He is now embarking on “various merchandising and spinoffs of the show, which are very important to maintaining the profitability of the entire enterprise.”
Ken made a surprise appearance on Inside Jeopardy! Live on Tour in New York in April, where he spoke at length and presented a pseudo-game to 150 people.
“It’s a high-stakes balancing act that Ken has had to grow into, and his Emmy nomination last year was a huge vote of confidence that the TV industry, or at least a healthy part of it, is rooting for Ken make this work and have a long run like Alex did.”
The source added that getting Ken over Mayim, a decades-old sitcom actress, may have seemed like a gamble, but it’s paying off.
“Even the transition from Mayim Bialik and Ken sharing hosting duties to just Ken having the work made Sony nervous.
“But Ken has shown he can do the job himself, and the ratings bear that out.
“As long as the ratings hold up and he doesn’t make major public gaffes, Sony will stick with him, haters be damned.”
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
