# Jeopardy - what's so great about answering in a question form? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 17, 2012, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-whats-so-great-about-answering-in-a-question-form/613148 "2012-02-17T16:41:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2015, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-whats-so-great-about-answering-in-a-question-form/613148/61 "2015-12-30T09:12:20Z")
It am most popular game show on Bizarro World. 😃 I’ve been watching it for 50 years, ever since its run with Art Fleming and Don Pardo. The format never bothered me. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2015, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-whats-so-great-about-answering-in-a-question-form/613148/62 "2015-12-30T10:09:06Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > I’m sorry but “Thomas Jefferson” is not a valid answer to the question “Who was George Washington”. To my thinking the correct response should have been “Who was George Washington’s Secretary of State”. The category should frame your response. If the title of the category is not enough by itself, Alex will take a few seconds to tell you what’s wanted. I have no doubt the contestants were told to identify the president before starting the round. I don’t know what the category for “5,280” was (or would be), but I sure as hell wouldn’t have responded with anything other than “What is the number of feet in a mile?” Absolutely nothing else comes to mind in this case. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2015, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-whats-so-great-about-answering-in-a-question-form/613148/63 "2015-12-30T15:48:28Z")
The answers are specifically designed so that there can only be one correct question. Turning them in reverse is just pointless nitpicking; the show would not work if an answer could be the answer to multiple questions. But as I said originally, the show’s success has nothing to do with the format. It has to do with consistently providing answers/questions that challenge the audience. The show wouldn’t have lasted six months if the quality of the clues wasn’t so high; it was one of the few shows of its time (and even today), where knowledge is king. Complaints that the questions aren’t real questions is completely missing the point of the show. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2015, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-whats-so-great-about-answering-in-a-question-form/613148/64 "2015-12-30T15:57:00Z")
“I’ll take **Duplicates!** for $500, Alec” “A mindless, brain-eating undead person and a 3 year old thread” “What is a zombie?” ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2015, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-whats-so-great-about-answering-in-a-question-form/613148/65 "2015-12-30T16:22:37Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > The answers are specifically designed so that there can only be one correct question. On rare occasions, a contestant will give a response that’s not the one they’re expecting, but could be considered correct anyway. When that happens, the judges review the videotape during the break and give their ruling. If they decide to accept the response (which they usually do), Alex will announce a change in scoring when they come back. If in the end they don’t accept it, Alex will take a few seconds to explain why. This week, they’ve invited back a contestant because the FJ answer was worded poorly and she misunderstood\* it. That’s the first time I’ve ever seen this happen! \*Better to say she didn’t consider all the possibilities because of the way it was worded. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2015, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-whats-so-great-about-answering-in-a-question-form/613148/66 "2015-12-30T16:28:19Z")
> [@standingwave](#): > > Of course, Cliff Clavin (Cheers) had the canonical example of the smart-ass Jeopardy response: > > Final Jeopardy answer is: “_Archibald Leach, Bernard Schwarz, and Lucille LeSueur."_ > Cliff writes, _“Who are three people who have never been in my kitchen?”_ I forget; what was the category? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2015, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-whats-so-great-about-answering-in-a-question-form/613148/67 "2015-12-30T17:06:41Z")
Why does Wheel of Fortune need a giant wheel Why not just have a computer randomly give a contestant a number value or bankrupt ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2015, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-whats-so-great-about-answering-in-a-question-form/613148/68 "2015-12-30T17:16:50Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > I forget; what was the category? 😕 The category was “Movies”. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2015, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-whats-so-great-about-answering-in-a-question-form/613148/69 "2015-12-30T17:33:27Z")
> [@ronenfe](#): > > Why can’t they just answer questions and receive answers? “What is: A Hook to get people to watch and participate in a trivia game show’s challenges during dinner?” “Sorry. Sorry. We were looking for… What Is: The point of your post.” 😃 _\<\>Sound Effect\<\>_ "That signal means that we are out of time. When we come back our Final Jeopardy catagory will be… _\<\>Sound Effect\<\>_ “George Romero Movies” ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2015, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-whats-so-great-about-answering-in-a-question-form/613148/70 "2015-12-30T17:41:46Z")
Steve Allen frequently did a bit on his shows called The Question Man, which used as the basis of the joke that, given an answer, lots of different questions can be made to fit, hopefully funny ones. The bits were pretty awful at first, with dumb, obvious questions, but they got better over time as the writers learned what worked. Johnny Carson ripped the bit off in toto for Carnac the Magnificent. He did that first in 1964, but I don’t know the date. Jeopardy began on March 30, 1964, also on NBC. I’d be surprised if one didn’t influence the other. ---
**Author:** ![standingwave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@standingwave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standingwave)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2015, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-whats-so-great-about-answering-in-a-question-form/613148/71 "2015-12-30T19:28:19Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > I forget; what was the category? 😕 It was MOVIES. And so long as he didn’t wager everything, he was still going to win given his dream board: CIVIL SERVANTS, STAMPS FROM AROUND THE WORLD, MOTHERS AND SONS, BEER, BAR TRIVIA and CELIBACY. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Cartoonacy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/848f3c/32.png) [@Cartoonacy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartoonacy)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2016, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-whats-so-great-about-answering-in-a-question-form/613148/72 "2016-05-16T21:19:14Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Johnny Carson ripped the bit off in toto for Carnac the Magnificent. From which my all-time favorite was: “Zis-boom-bah.” “What is the sound made by an exploding sheep?” ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2016, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-whats-so-great-about-answering-in-a-question-form/613148/73 "2016-05-16T21:53:42Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > On rare occasions, a contestant will give a response that’s not the one they’re expecting, but could be considered correct anyway. When that happens, the judges review the videotape during the break and give their ruling. If they decide to accept the response (which they usually do), Alex will announce a change in scoring when they come back. If in the end they don’t accept it, Alex will take a few seconds to explain why. > > This week, they’ve invited back a contestant because the FJ answer was worded poorly and she misunderstood\* it. That’s the first time I’ve ever seen this happen! > > \*Better to say she didn’t consider all the possibilities because of the way it was worded. When I was in the audience before I went on, the judges counted one answer wrong that was really correct, and they quietly adjusted the scores. No announcement, and when I watched that episode when it aired it was impossible to tell. Alex also re-records names and words that he flubbed after each show, so they can dub it in. They made a lot more of the format back during the Fleming days. And I was on 6 years before my first response to this thread, not 15. I think I missed the edit window. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2016, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-whats-so-great-about-answering-in-a-question-form/613148/74 "2016-05-16T21:55:19Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Johnny Carson ripped the bit off in toto for Carnac the Magnificent. He did that first in 1964, but I don’t know the date. Jeopardy began on March 30, 1964, also on NBC. I’d be surprised if one didn’t influence the other. I was wondering about those dates. And I’m betting that Carson was the one “influenced” - he stole lots of material, which I guess is what happens when you have to do five bits a week. ---
**Author:** ![Backwater\_Under\_Duck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ba8739/32.png) [@Backwater\_Under\_Duck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Backwater_Under_Duck)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-whats-so-great-about-answering-in-a-question-form/613148/75 "2016-05-17T01:34:25Z")
Just to throw this in. My only _Jeopardy_ connection. I worked in a motion picture advertising agency, and we had some very professional proof readers who drove artists crazy because they were so precise. This one woman, with a Sad Sack demeanor, was the toughest of them all. I loved her because she was so good. Got the word that she was leaving, and I asked if she was going for something better. She had gotten a job as a _Jeopardy_ fact checker. Sometimes things just work out well. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-whats-so-great-about-answering-in-a-question-form/613148.md?page=3)