alextrebek

To me, Jeopardy! is the quintessential game show. At the end of a game, I walk away with a sense of awe that those three people could truly have the brains to retain such an amazing amount of information, then be put in front of millions of people to blurt pieces of it out on demand and faster than two other people -- in the form of a question, to boot. I'd often wonder how one could possibly prepare to be faced with that kind of pressure and what kind of unfathomable studying one would have to do to qualify for that show, never mind actually win. Several times.

Jane Espenson, who as some of you know has been extremely courteous enough to give her insights into her recent writings for Battlestar Galactica, sent me a copy of a book that opened my mind to the world of one very successful contestant on the greatest game show in the world, Bob Harris. That book is Prisoner of Trebekistan.

The answer is: this website offers all of the 63,000 clues given out to Jeopardy contestants during its 22-year run.

What is J! Archive?

Of course I was going to do something like this to talk about the largest collection of Jeopardy clues on the Internet. I'm a hack writer, aren't I? Actually, there's a bit more than just clues on this fan created site. J! Archive also features contestant bios, prizes won during the tournaments, and winning totals per episode. The answers to each clue are also given. Just another decrease of work productivity courtesy of the World Wide Web.

By the way, if you really are looking for clues from season six, episode 1302 of the game show click right here.

[Thanks to tip by Luis via Bunch of Nerds]

Answer: What is the internet?

Correct! For a limited time only, Jeopardy! is seeking out fans over this crazy thing we call the internet. From March 28-30 on its website, Jeopardy! will offer a 50-question, general knowledge quiz that potential contestants can take. Each day is designated for a specific time zone. The idea is for this test to reach out to people all over the United States, not just in the cities where Jeopardy! holds auditions. If you pass the test, you may be selected for an interview, an audition, and another test, and then you could be on the show!

If you get on, I dare you to do Darrell Hammond's Sean Connery. I DARE YOU.

One of the hazards of being home from work is the minefield that is daytime TV. It's pretty scary when you think about it; ads for denture cream, diabetes testers, and insurance to take care of your "final expenses" abound, mainly because a major component of the audience that time of the day is retirees. However, for an almost-middle-aged person like myself, seeing those commercials is a scary harbinger of what is to come, especially if I don't take care of myself like, say, Wilford Brimley.

But there is also a sad component to the daytime fascination with mortality: the disappointment you feel when you see your favorite TV legend selling Medicare supplemental insurance or life insurance on TV.