# UK Jeopardy! hosted by Stephen Fry **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** reality-or-game-show\ **Created:** [January 6, 2024, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-jeopardy-hosted-by-stephen-fry/995712 "2024-01-06T21:39:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2024, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-jeopardy-hosted-by-stephen-fry/995712/1 "2024-01-06T21:39:20Z")
[Here’s a YouTube link to the first episode.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APCYNGglnU8&ab_channel=KimP) It’s a 50-minute format with 3 rounds. Much slower paced than American Jeopardy! at this point, and the monetary amounts aren’t comparable. Stephen Fry is always worth watching. StG ---
**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 6, 2024, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-jeopardy-hosted-by-stephen-fry/995712/2 "2024-01-06T21:48:13Z")
Can we trade for an American version of Countdown (or, better yet, 8 Out Of Ten Cats Does Countdown), Only Connect or Taskmaster? ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2024, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-jeopardy-hosted-by-stephen-fry/995712/3 "2024-01-06T21:52:53Z")
It sure sounds like they’re all learning (and teaching the audience) how to play the game. I suspect the pace will pick up as it gets more familiar. ---
**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 6, 2024, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-jeopardy-hosted-by-stephen-fry/995712/4 "2024-01-06T21:58:38Z")
I got that sense as well. He’s explaining the rules, such as about a daily double, as the game progresses. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2024, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-jeopardy-hosted-by-stephen-fry/995712/5 "2024-01-06T22:00:03Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > or Taskmaster They did try making an American Taskmaster. **[It’s not very good.](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/taskmaster-how-does-the-us-version-compare-to-the-uk-original/)** ---
**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 6, 2024, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-jeopardy-hosted-by-stephen-fry/995712/6 "2024-01-06T22:04:52Z")
OK, let me amend my request for a _good_ version of one of those shows. Or even QI, but again, a _good_ version. ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2024, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-jeopardy-hosted-by-stephen-fry/995712/7 "2024-01-06T22:39:27Z")
> [@InternetLegend](#): > > I suspect the pace will pick up as it gets more familiar. I doubt it - i think SF only does sedate. ---
**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:** [January 6, 2024, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-jeopardy-hosted-by-stephen-fry/995712/8 "2024-01-06T23:13:05Z")
I know what I’m watching tonight. Of course he is the host who doesn’t act like he knows the answers (questions) but actually does. That guy can do anything. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2024, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-jeopardy-hosted-by-stephen-fry/995712/9 "2024-01-06T23:17:15Z")
> [@StGermain](#): > > Stephen Fry is always worth watching. Which is a good thing, because I get the impression that, in the UK, they let him do everything. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2024, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-jeopardy-hosted-by-stephen-fry/995712/10 "2024-01-06T23:59:46Z")
Note that the same channel has all the subsequent episodes as well. And they also cover the UK Wheel of Fortune with Graham Norton that also debuted this year. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2024, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-jeopardy-hosted-by-stephen-fry/995712/11 "2024-01-07T00:23:57Z")
I just saw the second episode. I watched most of the Jeopardy! round, then I fast forwarded to Final Jeopardy! ISTM part of the reason for the UK version being slower than the US version is Fry was a bit…giggly? I’m really not sure how to describe his interaction with the contestants after each response. I get that this may be a new format for a quiz show in the UK, but, c’mon, it’s not that hard to figure out the basic premise of “answer shown, then you give a question that fits the answer shown”. Also, the money amounts seem to be a bit too low. Maybe subsequent episodes, both Fry and the contestants will up their game. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2024, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-jeopardy-hosted-by-stephen-fry/995712/12 "2024-01-07T01:03:19Z")
Note that just as the American version of _Jeopardy!_ is actually a U.S./Canada version (there are occasionally Canadian contestants and questions about Canada, not to mention a long-time host who was from Canada), the British version of it is actually a U.K./Ireland version. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2024, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-jeopardy-hosted-by-stephen-fry/995712/13 "2024-01-07T05:30:01Z")
Heh. I heard, but cannot confirm, that Alex, as a Canadian, demanded that at least one clue/response in every game had something to do with Canada. Like I said, I cannot confirm, but it seems from just watching daily that that tradition continues to this day. I liked the UK version. Yes, slower than the American version, but not so slow as to become ploddingly slow. Given Fry’s opening remarks, I got the impression that this is something brand-new to UK viewers, and he wants to take the time to make sure that they all understand the way the game works. He’s a good host; I wonder how he would have fared as one of the guest hosts of American Jeopardy a couple of years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2024, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-jeopardy-hosted-by-stephen-fry/995712/14 "2024-01-07T06:37:08Z")
Kind of interesting to see them copy so much, music, colors, etc., and do other things so differently. One thing I didn’t notice at first was that the value of the clues aren’t evenly spaced. In the first two rounds they’re 25, 50, 75, 100, and then jumps to 150. The last round doubles those values. No reason it can’t work that way, just struck me as odd. I wonder if the writers will get more experienced, or if the judges will have to deal with unexpected responses. One clue was: > [@](#): > > Depicting a scene from Genesis in the bible, one of the most famous works ever made is ‘the Creation of Adam’, by Michelangelo, a fresco painted here. I jokingly wanted to say “where is Italy?” They may hve ruled that wrong, though, but would “where is Vatican City?” have been acceptable? > [@Spoons](#): > > I liked the UK version. Yes, slower than the American version, but not so slow as to become ploddingly slow. Given Fry’s opening remarks, I got the impression that this is something brand-new to UK viewers, and he wants to take the time to make sure that they all understand the way the game works. He’s a good host; I wonder how he would have fared as one of the guest hosts of American Jeopardy a couple of years ago. I’ve seen panel shows like _QI_ with celbrities, and quizzes like _Only Connect_, but is this the first show in the UK with people competing to win actual money? (Actually, it probably isn’t. _The Weakest Link_ was a UK show, and it wouldn’t really have worked without the prize money.) Someone I always thought would have been a good host for a smart game/quiz/panel show is Bonnie Hunt. ---
**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:** [January 7, 2024, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-jeopardy-hosted-by-stephen-fry/995712/15 "2024-01-07T06:45:45Z")
I just watched episode 2, and Fry is hilarious. One contestant got a degree from some college, Fry noted he got an honorary degree there, for doing nothing. The reason that it’s slower is that there are two Jeopardy rounds, and Fry gives additional information after most questions. I got the sense that there was more time for the contestants to buzz in, so when no one did, which happened, more time was taken. I also think they play until they clear the boards, not true in the American version. (Though the PA told us during the audition that the audience likes seeing all the answers.) I also like that one of the categories used cryptic style clues - very easy ones, but Fry said they were cryptic style. Bring Fry over to host the American version, and I’d watch it again. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2024, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-jeopardy-hosted-by-stephen-fry/995712/16 "2024-01-07T08:38:02Z")
Note that this is the fourth attempt at a British version of _Jeopardy!_: > **[Jeopardy! (British game show)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeopardy!_(British_game_show))** > > Jeopardy! is a British game show based on the U.S. version of the same title. Originally aired on Channel 4 from 12 January 1983, to 2 July 1984, hosted by Derek Hobson, the show was later revived by ITV from 3 September 1990, to 9 April 1993. Initially hosted by Chris Donat in 1990, it was later presented by Steve Jones from 1991 to 1993. The show then moved to Sky One from 4 December 1995, to 7 June 1996, with Paul Ross as the host. It was revived for a third time in 2024, returning to ITV, w... ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2024, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-jeopardy-hosted-by-stephen-fry/995712/17 "2024-01-07T15:55:25Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > Given Fry’s opening remarks, I got the impression that this is something brand-new to UK viewers, and he wants to take the time to make sure that they all understand the way the game works. It reminded me of how, when you’re playing a game with people who haven’t played it before, instead of explaining everything in detail beforehand, you decide to play through a game and explain things as you go along. (In this case, my impression was that the contestants had been thoroughly briefed, but the audience had not.) ---
**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 7, 2024, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-jeopardy-hosted-by-stephen-fry/995712/18 "2024-01-07T15:56:54Z")
And some of the explanation is for the television audience. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2024, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-jeopardy-hosted-by-stephen-fry/995712/19 "2024-01-07T16:33:37Z")
> [@pjd](#): > > > [@InternetLegend](#): > > > > I suspect the pace will pick up as it gets more familiar. > > I doubt it - i think SF only does sedate I beg to differ: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/kDOGMM9IaT0/maxresdefault.jpg "Stephen Fry Passionately Argues the Catholic Church is NOT a Force for Good | Intelligence Squared") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDOGMM9IaT0) ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2024, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-jeopardy-hosted-by-stephen-fry/995712/20 "2024-01-07T18:29:02Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > I’ve seen panel shows like _QI_ with celbrities, and quizzes like _Only Connect_, but is this the first show in the UK with people competing to win actual money? > > (Actually, it probably isn’t. _The Weakest Link_ was a UK show, and it wouldn’t really have worked without the prize money.) Nor would “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire”, also from the UK. We’ve had game shows for money since the days of steam radio. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-jeopardy-hosted-by-stephen-fry/995712.md?page=2)