Jeopardy: From JoBlo Staff to Potential Contestant

For the last decade, I have tried in vain to make it on to Jeopardy. Ever since I was a nerdy kid, I had a gift for retaining useless trivia that guaranteed no one would play Trivial Pursuit with me. Ask me how to make pancakes without following a recipe, and I am screwed. Ask me a vague question about early 20th century novelists, and I likely have multiple facts to share with you. I constantly read about everything ranging from useless facts to the history of salt. I am a repository of nonsense, and the only place it seems to benefit me is watching new episodes of Jeopardy! Each night, I watch the latest episode of the seminal quiz show, and odds are, I know the answers to most of the questions asked. Sure, I have entire episodes that go by where I would likely have not made it out of Double Jeopardy, but I usually do. I tend to forget to phrase it in the form of a question, but I am working on it.

Since the Jeopardy test was made available online (try it here), I have undertaken the first round of trivia questions time and again. Each time, I have felt confident in my answers, but I have never gotten a follow-up. I have watched contestants like Ken Jennings, and James Holzhauer set records and blow people away with their knowledge. I have also seen so many contestants succumb to nerves or have a bad day and end up on the wrong end of the final round. I have known so many people who have met me and said I should be on the show. Alas, it has never turned out to be anything but a lingering bucket list item.

I took the test earlier this year, primarily out of habit. I sat myself down and answered the dozens of questions and felt good about my answers but never expected it to be any more significant than the dozens of times I play the mobile version of Jeopardy on my phone or watching the show each day. With the passing of Alex Trebek last year, I was sure I would be one of those who would dream of one day being on the show but still be resigned to it never coming to fruition. 

I have been lucky enough to have worked for JoBlo.com and have visited film sets, attended studio events, San Diego Comic-Con, and even interviewed some of my favorite filmmakers. If that was my brush with fame, it was more than enough for me. You have no idea my surprise recently when I received notification that, for the first time, I made it through the first round of Jeopardy‘s contestant search, and I am set for round two! While I am far from a lock to appear on Jeopardy this season, if at all, I am one step closer than I have ever been. Maybe this is finally the year where I get the opportunity to join the select population of people who have made it onto the iconic Jeopardy stage. If I do, you better believe you will hear about it here on JoBlo.com.

I just need to remember to phrase it in the form of a question. 

This person is one step closer to being a Jeopardy contestant. Who is Yours Truly?

Source: JoBlo.com

About the Author

5971 Articles Published

Alex Maidy has been a JoBlo.com editor, columnist, and critic since 2012. A Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic and a member of Chicago Indie Critics, Alex has been JoBlo.com's primary TV critic and ran columns including Top Ten and The UnPopular Opinion. When not riling up fans with his hot takes, Alex is an avid reader and aspiring novelist.