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Spoiler Alert: I used to be a contestant on Jeopardy! on Wednesday, October 6, 2021. On this publish, I’m going to share extra about what that have was like, and can embody specifics concerning the present. So… in the event you haven’t watched but, and it’s in your DVR or one thing, then bookmark this web page and are available again after! (When you missed it and don’t have it on a DVR, um… I don’t know of a method you may watch it. Sorry.)
Earlier than I neglect, a pair information articles got here out earlier than my episode aired. The one in the Detroit Free Press was written from details about me that Jeopardy! had offered, however I used to be truly interviewed for the MLive article, which was a enjoyable little bonus.
Anyway. In my final publish, I took you thru the audition course of, and the steps that got here after I used to be provided the prospect to be on the present. That publish ended after I informed the story of how this all got here collectively. Now, it’s time for…
Tape Day!
Jeopardy! tapes 5 episodes in a day. I needed to be there at 7:15am. As a result of there’s all the time a returning champion, they want ten contestants for these episodes, and so they additionally guide standbys, in case one thing occurs and somebody can’t present up. I believe there have been 11 of us that arrived this present day. (Earlier than committing to take part, I requested Lauri, one of many producers, if there was any likelihood I'd fly in from Michigan, solely to seek out out I used to be a standby. She assured me that I'd be a contestant.)
There’s a variety of ready round, and due to social distancing necessities, we first waited round on the second degree of a parking storage that had been become a holding space. Then we moved into the Wheel of Fortune studio, the place we unfold out all through their studio viewers space. This was our house base for the day. I’m an enormous fan of that present, in order that was a weird and enjoyable a part of this expertise. The make-up chairs had been only some ft away from the wheel, which was lined with an enormous tarp. We had been informed to not contact something on the Wheel set.
We had been every given black baggage that had a travel-size bottle of hand sanitizer and anti-bacterial wipes in them, and an n95 masks to put on (versus no matter masks we had arrived with). One after the other, we went down and confirmed our garments choices to the wardrobe workforce, who picked what they wished us to put on. We additionally had about an hour of briefings: all of the official guidelines, suggestions, COVID protocols, authorized necessities, and extra.
I used to be seated in direction of one finish of the Wheel of Fortune viewers, and shortly earlier than the briefings began, Matt Amodio confirmed up and took a seat on the different finish. Matt was on an enormous streak, and what I knew on the time was that he had received the ultimate 18 days of the final season, racking up a whole bunch of 1000's of {dollars} in winnings (extra stats on him later). He’s an unbelievable participant, and his arrival meant that he was nonetheless the returning champion. Holy crap. My coronary heart sank a bit bit. He’d be laborious to beat.
You may’t go wherever unescorted on a studio lot. Since we couldn’t take our masks off indoors, we had been often escorted out to an alley between two buildings, the place we may area out and eat and drink snacks. The one time I took off my masks indoors was after I had make-up utilized (and guidelines dictated that I couldn't discuss throughout that course of), and after I stepped onto the precise Jeopardy! stage.
Ultimately we had been all taken over to the stage, and rehearsals started. Every contestant had two roughly five-minute rehearsals to check out the buzzer, get used to being on stage, and play a mock recreation. We introduced our black baggage, and had been instructed to make use of our hand sanitizer each time we stepped on or off the stage. We additionally had been given powder puffs by the make-up artists, and as soon as we had been behind the podiums, they’d inform us the place to use the powder on our faces (in order that they didn’t must get near us), that means that, in essence, I did my very own make-up touch-ups.
Being on that stage was each acquainted and surreal. I used to be so aware of it, from watching the present all my life, however now I used to be seeing it from a special vantage level – seeing how the cameras had been arrange, watching the crew doing their jobs, getting a peek backstage.
We practiced ringing in. Residence viewers don’t see that there are rows of lights on both facet of the sport board that gentle up when the host finishes studying the reply, and you'll’t ring in till they activate. Being fast on the buzzer is vital. A producer was monitoring our buzzing makes an attempt and through rehearsals (and industrial breaks throughout tapings), she would advise contestants whether or not they had been leaping the gun and ringing in early (which locks the contestant out for 1/2 a second), or habitually ringing in late. I used to be impressed with the manufacturing’s want to see everybody succeed.
However alas, it’s a recreation, and never everybody will succeed. The truth is, two out of the three gamers on each present lose. And now it was time to begin taping the day’s exhibits. They didn’t announce the contestants for every present till proper earlier than it begins taping, so I sat holding my breath once they known as the primary two contestants. I didn’t need to go first. I wished another person to go, and beat Matt Amodio. My identify wasn’t known as, and I exhaled in reduction.
The taping started for the primary present (which aired on Monday), and Matt’s staggering accomplishments had been revealed when he was launched:
- This was his thirty fourth present, and by that time he had received $1,267,801. Wowsa!
- He had received 33 consecutive video games to this point, and had simply surpassed James Holzhauer’s 32-game streak to change into second-highest of all time on that record, after Ken Jennings (who received 74 video games in a row).
- Matt was the third-highest cash winner in common recreation play (which excludes tournaments), after Ken and James. (Ken received roughly $2.5 million. James received roughly $2.4 million, that means his common day by day winnings had been considerably larger than Matt’s, though I’d guess Matt isn’t complaining about his $1.2 million.)
I sat in that viewers seat and watched Matt dominate that first recreation, and obliterate his opponents. He received $83,000 – his highest one-day complete. He was spectacular to observe, and it was completely intimidating.
The identical factor occurred within the second taping of the day, with Matt profitable $50,000 extra, bringing his complete to $1,400,801. We had been lambs being led to our slaughter.
Then they introduced the contestants for the third recreation, and I used to be up.
After 19 Years of Auditioning… It Was My Second To Play Jeopardy! on Nationwide Tv!
I took my spot behind the rostrum, touched up my make-up, and did a buzzer take a look at. And earlier than I knew it, the theme music was taking part in, the announcer was saying us, and Mayim Bialik (whom I really like) was strolling onstage. [Fun Fact: Johnny Gilbert, who is 93 years old and has worked in television since the 1950s (!), records the intros at another time. During the taping, Sarah, from the Clue Crew, fills in.]
I’m not going to say a lot concerning the precise recreation, because it aired on TV. I used to be making an attempt to buzz in an terrible lot, however Matt was so fast on that buzzer that it was laborious to compete. This wasn’t a shock, as he had 35 exhibits beneath his belt. I used to be informed within the first industrial break that I used to be anticipating the lights a bit an excessive amount of and ringing in early, so I attempted to regulate, however primarily based on my efficiency on the remainder of the present, I don’t assume I acquired the cling of it. I knew so most of the responses, however Matt saved beating me to the punch.
The judges’ ruling about my flower-cutting response got here after about 10 minutes of analysis and session throughout the first industrial break. The judges, which got here from a third-party firm whose sole goal was to make sure truthful play, are thorough and energetic contestant advocates. They stopped manufacturing twice throughout my taping to analysis and make sure responses, and so they did the identical throughout the different tapings I noticed, too.
The taping flew by. Within the blink of an eye fixed it was time for Closing Jeopardy, and I used to be squarely in distant third place. Matt couldn’t be caught, and I wouldn’t even have the ability to catch Casey to get second place. So I wagered nothing. Regardless of specific instructions, given a number of occasions all through the day, to incorporate a greenback signal when writing your wager, I forgot, and so they cleared my display screen and made me write that zero once more, with a greenback check in entrance of it.
All three of us acquired Closing Jeopardy mistaken. It was a tricky class and query. Matt nonetheless received the sport, profitable $16,600 and bringing his complete to $1,417,401. Casey received $2,000 for getting second place, and I received $1,000 for my third place – which, after I pay taxes, principally covers my bills for this journey. In addition they gave me, afterwards, a Jeopardy! tote and a Jeopardy! hat (which is just too small for my big head).
After Mayim ended the present we needed to banter for a few minute, so that they had sufficient footage to roll beneath the credit, and all of us, together with Mayim, commiserated concerning the obscurity of that Closing Jeopardy query. Matt began speaking about how, after the right reply was revealed, he ought to have recognized it, and rattled off all this further data about that interval in French historical past. I stated, “Gee Matt, it’s too bad that these aren’t essay questions!” and that made everybody chortle, together with Matt, Mayim, and the crew.
Mayim, by the way in which, was a heat and pleasant presence on the set. She was calm and assured, and genuinely cared concerning the contestants, joking round with us throughout industrial breaks. She put me comfortable – and I wanted it, as a result of I don’t assume I’ve talked about but that I used to be very nervous, up till the beginning of the present. When the theme music began taking part in, I used to be turned laser-focused on taking part in the sport.
I additionally don't have anything unhealthy to say about Matt. He kicked my butt, similar to he kicked the butts of 71 different contestants (and counting). We talked a pair occasions all through the day, and he was type, pleasant, curious, and humble. There was no ego or cockiness, and when he appears, on the present, to be stunned by his personal success, I imagine it to be real. I requested him, after our present, if that is getting simpler for him. “It’s getting harder,” he responded. “The pressure just builds and builds.” I couldn’t beat him, however I'll proceed to root for him.
My time on Jeopardy! was over. I signed some after-show paperwork, and caught round for the ultimate two tapings, which I can’t speak about, since they haven’t aired.
I’d be mendacity if I stated I wasn’t upset on the consequence. It wasn’t the efficiency I hoped for, and I’d wish to assume I'd’ve carried out higher if I hadn’t performed towards one of many biggest gamers that present has ever seen. However I’ll by no means know. This was my shot, and I did as greatest as I may.
I thought of, as I left the studio, not telling anybody about any of this. Only a few folks knew that I used to be taping the present, and I may maintain it that method. Why promote a recreation present look the place I did so poorly?
I shortly dismissed the thought. I knew I needed to personal each single second of this expertise. I wished this so badly, for thus lengthy, and I had made that recognized over time. I’m so fortunate to have so many family and friends, from all components of my life, that might be excited to observe the present and cheer me on, irrespective of the consequence. Being chosen to be a contestant is a serious accomplishment in and of itself, and I’m pleased with that. Attempting to mitigate my embarrassment by not letting others in my life know concerning the present would’ve been egocentric and hurtful. Plus, it wouldn’t work. Jeopardy! is a massively fashionable present. Associates watch it. They might see me. I’d have to clarify all the things after the very fact, which might be terrible.
I’m completely satisfied to be part of historical past, though it’s not the story I'd’ve written. Matt Amodio has already change into a Jeopardy! legend, and it’s a pleasant comfort prize (nicer than an ill-fitting hat) to play a really minor half in his story, as one of many opponents he vanquished alongside the way in which. Plus, I used to be there just a few days earlier than one other massive Jeopardy! information story broke: that Mike Richards was fired from producing the present. It turned out that my day on set was the ultimate tape day that Mike Richards was part of. (For the file, whereas Mike was simply offstage the entire day, monitoring the motion, I didn’t meet him.)
I’m scripting this earlier than the present airs, and I believe that watching myself on TV may fire up among the disappointment I felt leaving Sony Studios that day. However simply the truth that I’m on this present signifies that I made a longtime dream come true. It’s a reminder to maintain going after the issues I would like, and to maintain difficult myself with new experiences. I’d relatively have the chance to play and bomb with hundreds of thousands and hundreds of thousands watching than sit at house kicking myself for not making an attempt.
Most of all, as cliche as this sounds, this expertise speaks to the ability of goals, and the satisfaction, pleasure, and satisfaction that’s felt once they come true. This dream took 19 years of auditioning and rejection earlier than I had the prospect to get clobbered on nationwide tv, however I’m so proud I used to be capable of make it a actuality. I’m proud to have been a Jeopardy! contestant. I’m proud so as to add this chapter to the story of my life.
And now that it’s behind me, I can deal with my subsequent recreation present aim: to be a contestant on Wheel of Fortune.
Stick with it, David!
PS: My episode of Jeopardy! ended up airing on what would have been my grandmother’s one centesimal birthday. I miss you a lot, Grandma Millie!
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