# The Jeopardy thread \[was James Holzhauer\]\[contains spoilers\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** reality-or-game-show\ **Created:** [April 17, 2019, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696 "2019-04-17T21:53:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 89
**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:** [January 26, 2021, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1761 "2021-01-26T18:09:39Z")
I think he’s doing a great job, particularly with the interview section, where he seems to spend a little more time with the players, and connects with them better than Alex did. In the game play he’s pretty much the same as Alex. Perhaps even too much the same. I still think, as I mentioned above, that his voice is his weak spot. Apart from that, I think he’s practically as good as Alex. But I suspect it’s enough to deny him the permanent spot. ---
**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:** [January 26, 2021, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1762 "2021-01-26T18:32:12Z")
I like Ken just fine. He’s doing a great job for someone who’s kind of wandered into television. (I doubt he’d considered it as a career in his pre-_ **Jeopardy!** _ days.) It’s inevitable that he would start out being “too much like Alex,” since Alex pretty much set the standard. It will take time to develop another template for the show, but it will happen slowly over time. Right now, it’s too soon for it to be anything else. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2021, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1763 "2021-01-26T18:54:25Z")
I’m sure there are people out there who would be better hosts, even if they don’t have the history with the show that Ken does. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2021, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1764 "2021-01-26T22:03:01Z")
Minority opinion here but Mrs. C and I have always felt that Jeopardy was good _despite_ Trebek’s presence, and Ken has proven us right. We think he’s terrific, voice and all, and that Jeopardy is now FAR better than before. He keeps it moving, relates to the contestants as equals without the mock humility, and doesn’t hog the camera hamming it up. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2021, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1765 "2021-01-26T23:03:04Z")
Alex was great, Socially awkward at moments, sure, but he was great. I am really enjoying Ken for reasons I stated earlier, and other reasons mentioned upthread. (ETA, @TreacherousCretin, agree very much with your comments) Yes they can always find another personality who’s smoother as a host, but nobody, absolutely nobody (okay, maybe very few?) people have the Jeopardy Cred that Ken has. ---
**Author:** ![OttoDaFe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ottodafe/32/356_2.png) [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1766 "2021-01-27T00:42:37Z")
Regarding Ken talking too fast, he does seem to have slowed down somewhat as he’s gotten more comfortable. And when they aired the first shows from the current syndication a while back, Alex himself sounded like a county fair “Little Wonder Slice ‘n’ Dice” huckster. ---
**Author:** ![mtnmatt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a3d4f5/32.png) [@mtnmatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mtnmatt)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1767 "2021-01-27T05:44:22Z")
Overall I’ve enjoyed Ken and feel he’s doing well, but tonight I noticed he stumbled slightly when describing that Brian, the current champ, had said something “last week,” as if he had to think about it. I remember reading that Alex had gotten really used to living on multiple calendars simultaneously - the actual date, and the air date (of which there were several each day). ---
**Author:** ![BigDfromLA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@BigDfromLA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigDfromLA)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1768 "2021-01-27T07:27:01Z")
I like Ken, who I think is doing a good job and is improving. I can tell that he can relate to the players, as a successful player himself. I would be fine with him as a permanent host. None of the others who have been mentioned as future guest hosts really interest me, though I am looking forward to watching Aaron Rodgers. I think that Alec Baldwin would be great as the new host. He is cutting back on his acting and this would be a great gig for someone like him who is raising small children. He has a great voice and is very smart. He also has a good sense of humor. He is a little over the top hosting Match Game, but that game calls for it. I think he would tone it down on Jeopardy, like he does for his interviewing podcast, Here’s The Thing, which is excellent. ---
**Author:** ![gregorio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/fbc32d/32.png) [@gregorio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gregorio)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1769 "2021-01-27T15:13:36Z")
> [@OttoDaFe](#): > > . . . Alex himself sounded like a county fair “Little Wonder Slice ‘n’ Dice” huckster. At our house we call early Alex Trebek “Cocaine Alex”. I’m liking Ken just fine. I thought his voice was a little high pitched at the start but don’t really notice it now. It probably helps that I listened to him read one of his audio books on a road trip one summer. He has mad a few gaffes during the interview portion that made me roll my eyes but so did Alex. I’m sure Ken will continue to improve, as he has been these past two weeks. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2021, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1770 "2021-01-29T06:50:00Z")
Well, Brian Chang had a good run. ---
**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:** [January 30, 2021, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1771 "2021-01-30T01:05:17Z")
Did anybody think today’s FJ was easy? I’m surprised none of the three contestants picked up on the “dual name” aspect of the clue. I knew the correct response from having read Bernadette Devlin’s _ **Playboy** _ interview back in the '70s. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2021, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1772 "2021-01-30T01:11:24Z")
I knew it, but I did have a map of Ireland on my wall at one time. Brian ---
**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:** [January 30, 2021, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1773 "2021-01-30T01:24:48Z")
I was surprised nobody got it. I thought the whole Derry/Londonderry thing was well known. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2021, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1774 "2021-01-30T01:35:21Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > I knew the correct response from having read Bernadette Devlin’s _ **Playboy** _ interview back in the '70s. I knew it from reading _Trinity_ by Leon Uris about 40 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2021, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1775 "2021-01-30T04:06:16Z")
I thought it was super easy but that’s only because of the show _Derry Girls._ ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2021, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1776 "2021-01-30T04:08:51Z")
Nope, missed it, and never would have gotten it. Not stealth bragging? ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2021, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1777 "2021-01-30T04:23:15Z")
I guessed Belfast too so I didn’t feel that bad about missing it. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2021, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1778 "2021-01-30T04:54:07Z")
I got it; don’t know how. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2021, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1779 "2021-01-30T12:22:01Z")
I did not get Derry/Londonderry. Never would have guessed that in a million years. I’m becoming a bigger and bigger fan of Ken. I don’t know if he _wants_ to be the next host. Maybe he’s doing it now out of respect for Alex Trebek, but he’d be great at it. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2021, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1780 "2021-01-30T14:26:02Z")
I like Ken a lot more than I thought I would. But I’m reserving judgment till I see some others, especially Mayim Bialik. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696.md?page=88) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696.md?page=90)