# Merv Griffin announces that something "amazing" is going to happen... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 18, 2004, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842 "2004-05-18T20:42:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2004, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/141 "2004-06-16T15:34:59Z")
> [@USCDiver](#): > > If he’s not on already, we should take up a collection to make him a paid Member. Something tells me he won’t have a problem affording it himself. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2004, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/142 "2004-06-16T15:43:03Z")
News flash: June 16, 2006. Culver City, CA. Alex Trebek retired today from _The Ken Jennings Show_, after hosting it (and its predecessor, _Jeopardy!_, for twenty years. He wished Jennings, the 500-time winner whose cash winnings now exceed $15 million, good luck. Taking over as host next week will be Paris Hilton. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2004, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/143 "2004-06-16T19:06:07Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > Last night, they talked about his French toast eating contest in college. He ate nothing but French toast for a week in some sort of fraternity rite. Nah, it was a bet he had going with his college roommate. **USCDiver** , for your second option, they could bring in a super-human challenger played by Dolph Lundgren. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2004, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/144 "2004-06-16T21:30:36Z")
If he continues for much longer, they could start bringing in former long-time jeapordy winners to try and topple him. That would be a good ratings hit. ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2004, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/145 "2004-06-16T23:23:29Z")
Not really a spoiler: The charade category today was the hardest one I’ve ever seen. I was just staring at the screen in incomprehension while they answered. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2004, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/146 "2004-06-16T23:35:19Z")
I demand x-rays. This guy has at least two extra brains hidden somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2004, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/147 "2004-06-16T23:50:30Z")
BTW, if you want a behind the scenes look, Ken’s been posting on the [Jeopardy topic](http://forums.televisionwithoutpity.com/index.php?showtopic=2580621&view=getnewpost) over at TWoP. They also have a show staffer posting, which is neat. ---
**Author:** ![randomlyblanks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71c47a/32.png) [@randomlyblanks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randomlyblanks)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2004, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/148 "2004-06-17T00:01:46Z")
I would hereby like to point out that I have a Jennings number of 2. I do college quiz bowl and I have played against a team with a guy (much older than I) who was good friends with and competed against Ken Jennings. I lost. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2004, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/149 "2004-06-17T00:07:05Z")
Wow, Smack, that’s cool. Thanks! Final Jeopardy was hillarious. The clue was, “First designed as a surgical disinfectant, in 1895 it was available to dentists and by 1914 was sold over the counter.” Patricia, the first respondent wrote, “What is same as Ken’s answer?” 😃 The audience howled, and so did I! ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2004, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/150 "2004-06-17T00:13:41Z")
So did I. That was just brilliant. Ken held to tradition, too. I’m waiting for Alex to flip on him one of these days. ‘TAKE A CHANCE, MAN! WE COULD HAVE SET A DOZEN RECORDS BY NOW!!!’ ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2004, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/151 "2004-06-17T00:20:30Z")
I noticed over on the board where Ken is posting that he said they don’t know their scores during the course of play. It surprised me to learn that. If someone is registered over there, could you please invite him here? ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2004, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/152 "2004-06-17T05:49:20Z")
They don’t know their scores during play? That’s odd; when I was a contestant in 1996, we each had a score display on the wall opposite us, to the left of the game board, that kept a running total identical to what was displayed on the front of our lecterns. I just checked the official _Jeopardy!_ website, and although they don’t currently have the 360-degree photo of the studio set that they used to have, they do have a 360-degree photo of the college _Jeopardy!_ set at [Ohio State](http://jeopardy.com/tour.pjw?cat=fs). If you’ll pan to the left in that photo, you can see a rack holding up three score displays (above and behind a monitor), each which has “0” dollars on it. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2004, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/153 "2004-06-17T06:46:33Z")
Not knowing your score would also really screw up the wagering portions of the show - the DD’s and FJ. You’d think there’d be a lot more over-wagering as well as underwagering like Ken’s been doing - which would be OK in a DD, but wagering more than you’ve earned would seriously mess up a FJ. I think either Ken misspoke, or someone misinterpretted his comment. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2004, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/154 "2004-06-17T07:09:02Z")
Reading the thread, I think I’ve found the post from Ken Lib’s talking about. ([This one](http://forums.televisionwithoutpity.com/index.php?showtopic=2580621&st=855&#entry1540117).) Ken seems to be saying when the game is going full tilt - when you need to ring in - it’s hard - if not impossible - to keep the score in your head. But when it comes to a DD or FJ, the game stops, so you have a chance to read the scores. Ken’s just betting conservatively, and hoping his math holds out so he can hit a round number with his total (he mentions this part a few pages later.). ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2004, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/155 "2004-06-17T07:41:30Z")
Why hasn’t one of the hundred or so audience members who witnessed Ken’s final game come forward with the news? Sure, Ken’s contestant contract forbids him to reveal that info, but nothing is keeping an audience member from giving us the straight dope. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2004, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/156 "2004-06-17T07:44:29Z")
Not everybody loves spoilers like we do. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2004, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/157 "2004-06-17T07:45:54Z")
Then again, if we find a new Doper with the handle **I Beat Ken** , maybe we’ll learn the details. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2004, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/158 "2004-06-17T11:58:04Z")
Do we know that he’s already had a final game? ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2004, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/159 "2004-06-17T17:24:36Z")
An article on Ken Jennings in Salt Lake’s [Deseret News](http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,595070708,00.html) doesn’t let the cat out of the bag. ---
**Author:** ![Neidhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Neidhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neidhart)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2004, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/160 "2004-06-17T23:18:53Z")
Someone on the [rec.arts.tv](http://rec.arts.tv) newsgroup claims that “when and if Jennings ever goes down the five-win rule will be reinstated.” I can see that happening – they don’t want to bust the budget for the show, after all. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842.md?page=9)