# Ken Jennings returns with Jeopardy on Monday (SPOILERS) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 5, 2004, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-returns-with-jeopardy-on-monday-spoilers/263270 "2004-09-05T21:57:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![NoPretentiousCodename](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/82dd89/32.png) [@NoPretentiousCodename](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoPretentiousCodename)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2004, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-returns-with-jeopardy-on-monday-spoilers/263270/21 "2004-09-07T15:11:32Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > What’s the Tic-Tac-Dough record? According to the [Wiki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Jennings#Records), 46 days (43 wins) by Thom McKee on Tic Tac Dough, 1980. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2004, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-returns-with-jeopardy-on-monday-spoilers/263270/22 "2004-09-07T18:49:17Z")
Oh, wow, Ken is in Wikipdedia! How very cool! 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2004, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-returns-with-jeopardy-on-monday-spoilers/263270/23 "2004-09-07T18:53:35Z")
> [@Ilsa\_Lund](#): > > Why would he be rusty? Wouldn’t he have been studying and practicing hard? Or is that not his thing? Apparently mastering the buzzer is half the game. ---
**Author:** ![theR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@theR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/theR)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2004, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-returns-with-jeopardy-on-monday-spoilers/263270/24 "2004-09-07T19:35:38Z")
Yes, knowing when to hit the buzzer is the key. It is supposedly very tricky, and you can clearly see it sometimes as people mash the buzzer over and over without successfully being the first to press the button after the buzzer is activated. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/47e85d/32.png) [@Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Lance_Murdoch)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2004, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-returns-with-jeopardy-on-monday-spoilers/263270/25 "2004-09-07T19:50:16Z")
Yes, the signaling button is tricky. They have lights that come on that let you know when it’s okay to ring in. It’s quite hard to listen to the “answer” and watch the lights AND be quick on the draw. Ken should be harder to beat now than he was before. He knew all through the break that he would be coming back to continue his historic run so he was able to study up the ass for it. Furthermore, he has a huge advantage over the other players due to the fact that he must be completely comfortable up there by now. His competitors will be appearing on national TV for the first time and will, naturally, be anxious about it. He also has the advantage of being famous. The other people may be going up there thinking they’ve lost before the game even starts. ---
**Author:** ![NoPretentiousCodename](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/82dd89/32.png) [@NoPretentiousCodename](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoPretentiousCodename)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2004, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-returns-with-jeopardy-on-monday-spoilers/263270/26 "2004-09-07T20:22:50Z")
Re: the signalling button I noticed that the other guy contestant was getting frustrated and raising his signal button to where we at home could see it. I just think Ken has the rythem of the button down cold. Some of the time Ken seems to buzz in too early. I noticed one time in particular when ken got a look on his face like he was waiting for the false-start lock out to end so he could buzz in and answer. I wonder if the only time sombody beats him to the buzzer is when he buzzes too early. ---
**Author:** ![ussentinel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ce7236/32.png) [@ussentinel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ussentinel)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2004, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-returns-with-jeopardy-on-monday-spoilers/263270/27 "2004-09-07T20:57:00Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > He did give the answer. I didn’t think so at first until I found [this](http://www.library.vcu.edu/jbc/speccoll/blake1.html). > > _Classic Comics_ was the name of the title. Moot point now, I know, but does anyone (comics fans especially) think _Classics Illustrated_ would’ve been accepted? I was watching the show with others last night and all turned to me when they saw the Final Jeopardy! subject come up: Comic Books. I’ve got a large collection and if I was in Jennings’ shoes, I would’ve been tempted to wager all I had. But IMO the comic book series was initially called _Classics Comics_, but was better known, and later changed to _Classics Illustrated_. More editions of the comic book series had that title. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2004, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-returns-with-jeopardy-on-monday-spoilers/263270/28 "2004-09-08T01:53:33Z")
> [@Captain Lance Murdoch](#): > > His competitors will be appearing on national TV for the first time and will, naturally, be anxious about it. I wasn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Juniper200](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@Juniper200](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Juniper200)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2004, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-returns-with-jeopardy-on-monday-spoilers/263270/29 "2004-09-08T02:00:31Z")
Bob who was on this evening is an old College Bowl teammate of mine. Mizzou represent! ---
**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2004, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-returns-with-jeopardy-on-monday-spoilers/263270/30 "2004-09-08T03:21:33Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#): > > Quite frankly, I’m a little tired of him. I mean, good for him and all, historic game show events and all that, but this over seven weeks straight of him is causing me to not care any more about my once favorite show. Seriously. I only continue to watch to keep myself sharp on the off chance that I’ll get a phone call, since I’m in the contestant pool for this season. Enough already. West Wing reruns on Bravo are more interesting than that bland face and the smug little giggle and the stupid, stupid little jokes. (Generalisimo Franco is still dead? Is it 1976? Are you Chevy Chase? If it isn’t, then shut the hell up, Ken!) A competition is only fun to watch if it’s fair. This is rapidly becoming unfair. ---
**Author:** ![Nightwatch\_Trailer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9dc877/32.png) [@Nightwatch\_Trailer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightwatch_Trailer)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2004, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-returns-with-jeopardy-on-monday-spoilers/263270/31 "2004-09-08T04:28:41Z")
Today… It looked like a real game until near the end, when Ken ran off a bunch of high-value questions. He won again, and was unbeatable going into Final Jeopardy. He bet just about all he could in order to remain in the lead if he missed it…which he did. Question: a controversial 1979 war movie was based on a 1902 book by this author. I’m proud to say I knew it was Joseph Conrad although I haven’t seen the movie. 😃 I swear Ken laughed when he answered the “lumbar puncture” question, because the answer was undoubtedly one of his favorite movies. 🙂 “I’ll take The Queen’s English, because she certainly is.” 😛 ---
**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2004, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-returns-with-jeopardy-on-monday-spoilers/263270/32 "2004-09-08T04:55:20Z")
Is it just me, or are there a lot of movie questions? I know Ken is a self-proclaimed (and proven) movie buff, so is this the writers trying really hard to keep him there? ---
**Author:** ![Ilsa\_Lund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a6a055/32.png) [@Ilsa\_Lund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ilsa_Lund)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2004, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-returns-with-jeopardy-on-monday-spoilers/263270/33 "2004-09-08T06:04:43Z")
What did Ken say? How could you possibly miss that, knowing anything about _Apocalypse Now!_? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2004, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-returns-with-jeopardy-on-monday-spoilers/263270/34 "2004-09-08T06:33:50Z")
I read that his answer was “Heller.” Either he got his Josephs confused or he was thinking of _Catch-22_. ---
**Author:** ![kath94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/67e7ee/32.png) [@kath94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kath94)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2004, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-returns-with-jeopardy-on-monday-spoilers/263270/35 "2004-09-08T18:08:08Z")
> [@TeaElle](#): > > I only continue to watch to keep myself sharp on the off chance that I’ll get a phone call, since I’m in the contestant pool for this season. Hey **TeaElle,** I have an appointment for my initial Jeopardy try-out in Los Angeles this Saturday. I guess if all goes well, I’ll be in that contestant pool, too. Any pointers for a novice? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2004, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-returns-with-jeopardy-on-monday-spoilers/263270/36 "2004-09-08T18:49:36Z")
> [@kath94](#): > > Hey **TeaElle,** > I have an appointment for my initial Jeopardy try-out in Los Angeles this Saturday. I guess if all goes well, I’ll be in that contestant pool, too. Any pointers for a novice? When you’re in the green room before the show, try to “accidentally” hit Ken with a fire extinguisher. ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_Factotum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sean\_Factotum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_Factotum)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2004, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-returns-with-jeopardy-on-monday-spoilers/263270/37 "2004-09-08T20:48:05Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#): > > Nothing against you personally, Ken. Just give us back our _Jeopardy_. Exactly. It’s an abomination that anyone can go past five days. I will never forgive Merv for this. ---
**Author:** ![beagledave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@beagledave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beagledave)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2004, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-returns-with-jeopardy-on-monday-spoilers/263270/38 "2004-09-09T01:01:31Z")
Major spoiler rumors about how much longer Jennings will win. Spoiler at below link or behind spoiler cut. > **[Some Ken Jennings news](https://kottke.org/04/09/some-ken-jennings-news)** > > Warning: spoilers. I received a tip about Ken Jennings this morning which I have pasted below in black-on-black text. If you don't From “I was at the taping today of Jeopardy. He lost during his 75th game and eventually won 74 games. He ended up with 2.5M. He got a standing ovation by the crowd. I asked the studio if this was supposed to be a secret but they said we could spread the news. Spread the news. The show should air around the end of October.” Take it for what it’s worth. ---
**Author:** ![Strainger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/strainger/32/244_2.png) [@Strainger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strainger)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2004, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-returns-with-jeopardy-on-monday-spoilers/263270/39 "2004-09-09T02:23:48Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#): > > Quite frankly, I’m a little tired of him. I mean, good for him and all, historic game show events and all that, but this over seven weeks straight of him is causing me to not care any more about my once favorite show. > > I wouldn’t be surprised to see the producers pull some really oddball subjects out of their asses to try to stump him. > > Nothing against you personally, Ken. Just give us back our _Jeopardy_. I can understand getting tired of him, but personally (speaking as a general purpose geek) it’s quite refreshing to see someone achieving national recognition for being _smart_, as opposed to a spoiled millionaire athlete or overrated pop star. Maybe I’m still bitter from being the last person chosen every time teams were picked in my PE classes. That being said, as someone who is also in the contestant pool this season, I really hope he’s gone when and if I get called up. As far as entertainment value, you could do away with the contestants and Alex–just display a clue followed a few seconds later by the answer (or “question,” I should say)–and I’d still enjoy the show. ---
**Author:** ![Nightwatch\_Trailer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9dc877/32.png) [@Nightwatch\_Trailer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightwatch_Trailer)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2004, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-returns-with-jeopardy-on-monday-spoilers/263270/40 "2004-09-09T04:38:53Z")
> [@Strainger](#): > > I can understand getting tired of him, but personally (speaking as a general purpose geek) it’s quite refreshing to see someone achieving national recognition for being _smart_, as opposed to a spoiled millionaire athlete or overrated pop star. Or someone who wins a cool mil by answering only, oh, fifteen questions or so. Yeah, _Who Wants To Be A Millionaire_, I’m looking at you. At least Ken has had to work a while for his money. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-returns-with-jeopardy-on-monday-spoilers/263270.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-returns-with-jeopardy-on-monday-spoilers/263270.md?page=3)