Let’s say that the two shows have each made apolicy change making each more like the other.
In JEOPARDY’S case, it’s that you get to eat what you kill; that is, if you come in second or third, you get whatever your final score was, subject to the $2000 minimum for coming in second and $1000 for coming in third. But otherwise everything’s the same: winners come back the next game to defend their championship, and may keep at it as logn as they keep winning (or don’t get tired of lthe whole thing and just go home).
in WHEEL’s case, the change is that winners are also champions as on JEOPARDY, returning in successive games to defend their titles until they lose or get sick of looking at Pat’s comb-over. Nothing else changes. You still get to keep whatever cash and prizes you’ve won in a round even if you lose the overall game.
Given ghese conditions, and assuming you have the chance to go on either game, but not both, which do you choose?
I’ve always wanted to go on* Jeopardy!* FWIW, the contestants on that show used to keep whatever they earned; this changed sometime between 1991 and 2006, when I was unable to watch it.
Jeopardy. Whenever I walk past a TV with WoF on it, they all look like a bunch of freakin’ idiots.
Granted, the people who lose at Jeopardy (which would be me) don’t look that good, either, but at least they tend not to hop up and down and squeal while they lose.
I was on Jeopardy in 1989 (though it was 1990 by the time my show aired). I tied for 2nd place, but I did not get to keep my “earnings,” but instead received some lovely parting gifts. I still have the wet-dry vac that was one of my prizes.
When I Lost Ben Steins Money, I received a telescope as my lovely parting gift.
Apparently lovely parting gifts are a thing of the past.
Wheel of Fortune. Seems like a lot less pressure than Jeopardy! and I think I have a higher likelihood of winning, given the level of competition I normally see on that show.
Definitely Jeopardy. I mean, I’m half-decent at playing Wheel of Fortune, but then, so is half the rest of the population. I’m definitely in a fairly high percentile when it comes to trivia, though. Now, granted, so are the rest of the contestants on the show, so I’ll be up against tough competition, but I still prefer to bank on what I’m good at than what I’m mediocre at.
I think I could practice and get really good at Wheel of Fortune. My ability to collect trivia, on the other hand, has gone downhill. I did great in quiz bowl in school, but I’ve lost a lot of it, and the types of topics aren’t the same anyways. I don’t think I could relearn well enough to play.
With Wheel of Fortune, just finding their puzzles and playing them over and over would work. I have the advantage in this hypothetical of knowing I will play, so it doesn’t seem as wasteful to get good at it–which is why I suspect most players aren’t all that good.
I’ve never really watched it, but I think Jeopardy looks like a horrible game. So I guess I’d pick Wheel Of Fortune. Though the only game shows I watch are Pointless and Only Connect.
I think, right now, Jeopardy only lets you keep what you win if you win, second place gets $2,000, and last gets $1,000. Whereas Wheel of Fortune lets everyone keeps what they win.