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Heller & Cullen
A weekly comedy podcast about Jeopardy! from comedians Emily Heller and John Cullen.
Total 35 episodes
1
Week of November 11: Dan...Delete That
It's an up-and-down week on the show as Joey DeSena goes on a brief run before succumbing to the powers of women's tennis, Evan Dorey can't quite mount a run, and we end the week with "lovable nerd" Paul Clauson looking like a future contender. We also start a brand-new feud with Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla, Jeopardy! Fans Are Fuming about the topography of Scotland, we dive deep on the quietly sinister Sarah Polk, and Steven Czekala pulls off a rare feat...actually landing a joke on Jeopardy!.
SOURCE: Smithsonian Magazine: "How First Lady Sarah Polk Set a Model for Conservative Female Power" by Anna Diamond; Tennessee State Museum: "Sarah Polk: A Natural Politician When Women Couldn't Vote" by Peggy Burch.
Special thank you as always to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive.
This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Art by Max Wittert. Music by Nate Heller. Additional material by Chris Thayer.
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01:27:1719/11/2024
Week of November 4: Getting Nailed
Keep on Jolin, baby! Greg Jolin cements his place in the Tournament of Champions as we cement our place as a Jeopardy! podcast of note, hearing from both a past contestant about last week's episode, and a contestant who was on this week's episode, and both have some great intel for us you won't wanna miss. It's also a great week of games, as some really tight games get our blood pumping, Sammy Sanchez perhaps ushers in a new era of anecdotes, and Jeopardy! fans (and us!) are talking about this year's Second Chance Tournament contestants. Plus, we strap on a bulletproof vest and dive deep into Kevlar.
SOURCE: Inventing Modern America: "Insight: Stephanie Kwolek" by MIT.
Special thank you to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive.
This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.
01:24:3312/11/2024
Week of October 28: Remember Your Phrasing!
As Emily so aptly puts it, we have a game this week that justifies this podcast's entire existence. A wild cast of characters, a raft of missed clues, and a Daily Double mishap create the type of drama that can only be found on the J! stage. It's a great week overall with some fun new champions, a category so nasty our "Nasty Clue of the Week" becomes our Nasty Category of the Week, and Jeopardy! fans fume about one clue so vehemently it makes it all the way to the pages of People magazine. Plus, we dive deep on Berlin's famed Eldorado nightclub.
SOURCE: New Histories: "Hope Between the Horrors: The Forgotten LGBTQ+ Firsts of Weimar Germany" by Hannah McCann; Advocate: "A Peek Inside Berlin's Queer Club Scene Before Hitler Destroyed It" by Clayton J. Whisnant.
Special thank you as always to J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan.
This episode was produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert. Additional material by Chris Thayer.
01:27:4305/11/2024
Week of October 21: You Kill My Father. The Princess Bride.
It's a delirious episode of the show as we record this late on a Monday and just squeeze it in for your Tuesday morning commute, and what a week it was! We have a new 4-day champion in Will Wallace who is like the William Wallace from Braveheart, only 1000 times more chill. We are chill too as a contestant has an interesting call sign, we both reveal some decently poor singing impressions, and Jeopardy! fans are very upset that Dave Matthews was referred to as a pop star. Plus, we dive deep on one of the worst songs of all-time. It wasn't one of the ones we sung. But those were very bad too.
SOURCE: Rolling Stone: "Flashback: Band Aid Raises Millions With 'Do They Know It's Christmas?'" by Jordan Runtagh.
Special thanks as always to the J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan.
This episode was produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.
01:29:1429/10/2024
Week of October 14: Marineland Blows!
For perhaps the first time in the podcast's history, Emily and John side with the Jeopardy! fans who are fuming this week, as Ontario-born John is completely baffled that Jeopardy! clue writers used Marineland as a scientific reference for anything. We go off on that and a lot of other fun stuff this week, as we have a couple very close games, a friend of John's from the J! Discord has a great run on the show (and wears a great shirt), and it's a second consecutive week with a curling anecdote. God bless. We also dive deep on Grimace, everyone's favorite unknown species/taste bud/milkshake/embodiment of a milkshake headache/Gritty's cousin.
SOURCE: The Takeout: "Defiant McDonald's Manager Spits in the Face of Grimace Canon" by Lillian Stone; McDonald's Wiki: "Grimace"
Special thank you to the J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan.
This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Art by Max Wittert. Music by Nate Heller.
01:24:1322/10/2024
Week of October 7: Dammit, Bobby
We have another Tournament of Champions entrant and perhaps the final ToC entrant of Season 40 (despite this being Season 41), as games taped from last season wrap with Mark Fitzpatrick picking up his 5th win and then subsequently having a great time through his "tired game" that has plagued so many past champions. It was a great week full of curling, nasty clues including a couple tough FJs, and a category that doesn't help Jeopardy! duck the horny allegations. Plus, Jeopardy Fans are Fuming over Ryan Seacrest's performance as the host of Wheel of Fortune and we go deep on the Coca-Cola logo's inception.
SOURCE: ThoughtCo: "The History of Coca-Cola" by Mary Bellis; CITMA: "The Evolution of the Coca-Cola Logo" by Laura Morrish
Special thank you as always to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive.
This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert. Additional material by Chris Thayer.
01:21:4815/10/2024
Week of September 30: Hornier and Hornier
Jeopardy! continues its slow descent into horny madness and we can't help but follow them there with the absolutely ridiculous category, "An Ocean of Lotion". There's an ocean of great content on this episode too as John records at 1 am in Charlottetown, PEI and we get delirious. It's a slow week for anecdotes and JFAF, but the horniness comes to save us all. Plus, John visits a legendary literary locale, Emily celebrates her birthday, and we dive deep on the inspiration for Robinson Crusoe, Alexander Selkirk.
SOURCE: Smithsonian Magazine: "The Real Robinson Crusoe" by Bruce Selcraig.
Special thanks to the J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan.
This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Art by Max Wittert. Music by Nate Heller.
01:21:0508/10/2024
Week of September 23: [three woman symbol emojis]
It's a delightful week on Jeopardy! as we meet one of the most likeable contestants in recent memory and surefire Second Chancer Drew Goins. And this is not to mention a very sharp 3-game run from surefire Champions Wildcarder (or maybe direct-berth TOCer) David Erb, who also reveals he's led a very interesting life from being an astrophysicist and making key discoveries to his wife being the author of the revered "Lessons in Chemistry". Plus, Jeopardy! fans point out a "rare occurrence" that actually isn't rare at all in JFAF, John turns even more Canadian, and we dive deep on the life and times of Mae West.
SOURCE: Criterion Collection: "The Self-Created Immortality of Mae West" by Farran Smith Nehme.
Special thanks as always to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive.
This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Art by Max Wittert. Music by Nate Heller.
01:20:3001/10/2024
Week of September 16: Oh Cool. Awesome.
It is a cool and awesome week on the show as we rue the fact that we got two candidates for Anecdote of the Year last week and then a whole lotta duds this week. But that's ok! We have a ton of fun with Aiden's three appearances on the show, we beg for a Second Chance for Will, and Jeopardy! gets its own "Hot Priest". Plus, we continue our investigation into Jeopardy's increasing horniness, we go deep on Fantasia, and Emily claims the ultimate triumph: a successful Blind Final Jeopardy guess at home.
Please follow the show on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast and on Twitter at @jeopardypodcast for more news and updates about the show.
SOURCE: Los Angeles Times: "Fantastic 'Fantasia': Disney Channel Takes a Look at Walt's Great Experiment in Animation" by Charles Solomon.
Special thank you to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive.
This episode was produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.
01:24:1524/09/2024
Week of September 9: Fruit in the Toilet w/ Tawny Newsome
We're back, baby! It's Season 41 of Jeopardy! and Season 2 of our little show about the smartest show on television. Of course, all your favorite segments are here and as good as ever. It's a wild week that accurately mimics the start of a new season, with some nervous energy from a lot of contestants, some weird buzzer form, and two anecdotes that will almost surely be in contention for Anecdote of the Year in the 2025 Jeoppys. Plus, J! fans (and us) are rightfully upset about a particular figure showing up as a J! clue, we go deep on Ringo Starr, and Tawny Newsome joins us to give us her insight into being a Jeopardy! clue for the first time.
Please follow the show on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast and on Twitter at @jeopardypodcast.
SOURCE: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: "Ringo Starr: The Hall of Fame Essay" by Parke Puterbaugh.
Special thank you to the J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan.
This episode was produced by Producer Dan. Art by Max Wittert. Music by Nate Heller.
01:40:4017/09/2024
The 2024 Jeoppys
It's time to celebrate! Season 40 of Jeopardy! and Season 1 of our podcast is in the books, and while it was a strange season full of tournaments and this podcast didn't start until halfway through it, we are still giving out awards! It's a look back at the wildest anecdotes, responses, and headlines of the year as we crown our first-ever Jeoppy award winners. And yes, we are going to make physical trophies and give them out to the winners.
Follow us on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast and on Twitter at @jeopardypodcast.
Produced by Producer Dan. Art by Max Wittert. Music by Nate Heller.
01:14:0129/08/2024
The 2024 WIAJP Player of the Year: Isaac Hirsch
Jeopardy! is off for the summer, but we aren't! At least not yet, as we crown our first-ever Player of the Year, Isaac Hirsch, and sit down for a lengthy chat with the 9-game champion. We ask about everything you've been dying to know, including his Tournament of Champions preparation, his bad math that cost him his 10th win, and how it felt when Ken said he had sex appeal. Plus, we commiserate about our comedy careers and IBS, discuss some of Isaac's more memorable anecdotes, and finally get the answer to the question everyone has been dying to know: how did it feel to become a gay icon? And lastly, everyone's favorite WIAJP game returns: do you remember the questions you got wrong on Jeopardy!?
We will be back at some point in the next few weeks with our Season 40 Awards, and then the show won't return until regular play resumes in the fall. So stay tuned for that and in the meantime, follow the damn show! We are on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast and on Twitter at @jeopardypodcast.
01:32:0206/08/2024
Week of July 22: The Leftovers
It's the final week of Season 40 and everyone has Senioritis, including your hosts! It's a strange week of games that sees a couple runs end just when they looked like they were heating up, some weird clues have us a bit confounded, and Ken gets just a little bit horny. It is brat summer, after all. Plus, we discuss WikiFeet, Jeopardy! fans are upset about a Carol Burnett Show Triple Stumper, and we go deep (no pun intended) on the life and times of the Unsinkable One, Molly Brown.
Please follow the show on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast and on Twitter at @jeopardypodcast.
SOURCE: Molly Brown House Museum: "The Many Myths of Molly Brown" by Heather Pressman, National Endowment for the Humanities: "Beyond Unsinkable" by Laura Harbold, and Kansas City Times: "Deeds of Heroism Seemed the Natural Action of 'The Unsinkable Mrs. Brown'" by Gene Fowler.
Special thank you to the J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan.
This episode was produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.
01:34:3030/07/2024
Week of July 15: The Tournament of Sweeties
We don't have too many good ideas on this show, but we may have stumbled upon one this time around, as we demand the J! producers bring back all the contestants we think are the nicest and gentlest to play their own, quiet version of the game without being pestered by all the brash trivia mavens that grace the Alex Trebek Stage. Make it happen, Davies! Plus, Micah Had F, we say goodbye to Isaac Hirsch, J! fans are upset about math, and we dive deep–like way deep, man–on the life and times of Timothy Leary.
Please follow the show on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast and on Twitter at @jeopardypodcast.
SOURCE: Vice: "Timothy Leary Turns 100: America's LSD Messiah, Remembered by Those Who Knew Him" by Ed Prideaux, and Wired: "Timothy Leary's Transformation From Scientist to Psychedelic Celebrity" by Greg Miller.
Special thank you to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive.
This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.
01:26:5723/07/2024
Week of July 8: Three Kinds of Joshes
Which kind of Josh are you? It's the question on everyone's mind this week as John records in a foreign land (his parents' basement) and we see another man added to the Tournament of Champions invite list as Isaac Hirsch punches his ticket with another delightful week of play. Isaac also continues his great run of anecdotes and we get a surprise contender for "Anecdote of the Season" when Stephanie describes her unfortunate run-in with glow sticks. Plus, Emily has a unique week ahead at work due to being close to an adult toy trade show, we dive deep on the tales of Sinbad the Sailor, and Jeopardy! has a major scoring correction moment that leaves John and Emily dizzy with excitement.
Please follow the show on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast and on Twitter at @jeopardypodcast.
SOURCE: Britannica: "Sindbad the Sailor", and Library of Congress: "The Seven Voyages of Sindbad the Sailor" by Anchi Hoh.
Special thank you to J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan.
This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.
01:29:0216/07/2024
Week of July 1: Turns Out, Karma Isn't Real
Isaac Hirsch tempted fate with a Wednesday anecdote about his Jeopardy!-losing father, but it mattered not, as he rattled off three straight wins and has the look of a potential ToC entrant, leisure suit and all. It was a fun week on the show as Emily wonders if Canada Day is real and John is furious when the contestants treat a Canadian category like it isn't. We also get one of the responses of the year in a French slang category, Parade Magazine enters the fray in the J! Fans Are Fuming segment, and we dive deep on the "Most Beautiful Woman Slayer", Beulah Annan.
Please follow the show on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast and on Twitter at @jeopardypodcast.
SOURCE: Chicago History Museum: "True Crime in the '20s: The Beulah Annan Story" by Jojo Galvin, and Chicago History Magazine: "Jailhouse Makeovers" by Douglas Perry.
Special thank you to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive.
This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert. Additional content by Chris Thayer.
01:26:3109/07/2024
Week of June 24: Not Just the Name of a Cake
It's a full week of Drew Basile on the podcast, as he wins his way into the Tournament of Champions, finds himself exhausted on Friday and his streak ends at 7 days. But what a week it was, and we run it all down here, from Jeopardy! clue writers picking a hilarious category name to John learning that Duncan Hines was a guy who did some other stuff also. Plus, J! fans are upset and just a little bit pedantic about a clue, we hear a perfect Jeopardy! anecdote, and we dive deep on the legend of Colonel Harland Sanders.
Please follow the show on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast and on Twitter at @jeopardypodcast. And if you like the show...tell a friend!
SOURCE: The New Yorker: "Kentucky-Fried" by William Whitworth.
Special thank you to the J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan.
This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.
01:18:5202/07/2024
Week of June 17: John Meets Fred Durst
John is BACK from his European vacation where he gets revenge on Katie and Emily making fun of him by actually meeting Limp Bizkit's lead singer Fred Durst, and having a lovely time seeing them in Belfast. We go super long on this one as the week has so much to offer, from the end of Adriana Harmeyer's run to a potential new streak as Drew Basile stacks up three wins. One of those wins? It's in a TIEBREAKER, folks. What a week! Plus, John finds some commonality with one of Drew's anecdotes, Emily finds some more J! fans FUMING over the use of new slang, and we go deep on Wagner's Ring Cycle.
Please follow the show on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast and on Twitter at @jeopardypodcast.
SOURCE: Music History Monday: "The Miracle at Bayreuth" by Robert Greenberg.
Special thank you to The Jeopardy! Fan and the J-Archive.
This episode is produced by Rob Pera. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.
01:49:5625/06/2024
Week of June 10: TMI? w/ Louis Peitzman
Surprise! In more ways than one. With John still away on vacation, writer, editor, Jeopardy! fan, Ken Jennings twitter mutual, and friend of the pod Louis Peitzman is formally invited to guest co-host the show. We recap another week of Harmeyer dominance, only slightly overshadowed by the best anecdote of the season. All my IBS girlies, rise up! Plus, famous fingers and nipples get discussed. And we were so busy incepting ourselves into the JFAF segment that we didn’t even notice a huge change to our favorite show!
Special thanks to J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan for the data.
This episode is produced by Producer Rob. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.
01:18:3918/06/2024
Week of June 3: Kippers on a Limp Bizkit w/ Katie Nolan
While John’s away for not at all embarrassing reasons, Celebrity Jeopardy! finalist Katie Nolan steps in to fill his shoes. We hear some juicy BTS gossip about her time on the Alex Trebek stage, before celebrating the (so far) unstoppable force that is Adriana Harmeyer. Some absolute cuties got fed into the Adriana wood chipper this week, and we try to give them their due. Emily did some killing this week, and not in the comedy way. And did you know you can negotiate with your dentist? Katie tells you how! Plus: what *is* chili? And where *is* Detroit? Special Hot Dog Correspondent Jamie Loftus helps us out via text to set the Jeopardy! fans at ease.
Special thanks to the J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan.
This episode is produced by Producer Rob. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.
01:09:1111/06/2024
Week of May 27: It's Awesome to Have a Potato
We're back to our regularly scheduled programming with our weekly recaps and the season of the just-shy-of-five-day champions continues, as we wave goodbye to 4-day champ Amar Kakirde and say hello to current 3-day champion Adriana Harmeyer. It's a very fun week on the show as Emily forgets to provide an anecdote so John gets to freelance, Jeopardy fans (and John!) are fuming about the attribution of a song, and we learn a bunch about Magellan's death at the hands of Lapulapu.
Please follow the show on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast and on Twitter at @jeopardypodcast.
SOURCE: History Extra: "Dire Straits: The Story of Ferdinand Magellan's Fatal Voyage of Discovery" by Pat Kinsella.
Special thank you to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive.
This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.
01:15:4504/06/2024
BONUS: The 2024 Masters w/ Juveria Zaheer
As promised, we recap the entire 2024 Masters tournament in one episode with none other than Second Chance and Champions Wildcard winner (and ToC quarterfinalist!) Juveria Zaheer! While we do discuss the Masters and Victoria proving she is truly the Queen of Quiz, this episode is so much more than that as we dig into Juveria's Jeopardy! journey, what J! fame can mean and how to deal with it, game theory, and Juveria wildly impresses us with a game we invented just for her. It's an episode you absolutely do NOT want to miss!
01:45:2103/06/2024
Week of May 20: Ham Kinison
The 3-day curse is broken, but Grant DeYoung runs into the dreaded 4-day curse, falling one win short of a guaranteed TOC invite. But that's ok, as Amar Kakirde is here to pick up the slack and starts a 3-day run of his own, to be continued this week. The games barely matter this week as we are enthralled by Ellen Klages' "Scary Ham" story, one we liked so much that we break the "Final Jeopardy! Deep Dive" to go deep on that instead. Plus, it's a new entry in the "Response of the Year" category as all 3 players can't remember who fronted Van Halen, we learn Ken Jennings and Drew Carey share a birthday, and John finally gets to watch a Calgarian play the game.
And a quick programming note: our Masters recap will be coming out early next week with a VERY special guest. Get excited!
Source: Reactor Magazine: "The Scary Ham" by Ellen Klages.
Virginia Living: "The Ham Man" by Richard Ernsberger Jr.
Special thanks to the J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan.
This episode was produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.
01:16:5528/05/2024
Week of May 13: The Three Game-y Problem
We are back to start the week with our friend Will Stewart, who succumbs to the same problem that has befallen many a champion to start this Season 40: winning the fourth game. He falls just shy, and passes the torch to a new three-gamer, Grant DeYoung. Will he have what it takes to...break the fourth wall? Plus, it's the mini-return of Emily's Garden Show, we zero in on Will's anecdote where he is forced to do stand-up comedy as a punishment, and we learn about Canada's finest beverage export: Canada Dry Ginger Ale.
Source: Mashed: "The Untold Truth of Canada Dry" by Brian Boone.
The Canadian Encyclopedia: "John J. McLaughlin" by Jamie Bradburn.
Special thanks to J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan.
This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Art by Max Wittert. Music by Nate Heller.
01:19:0021/05/2024
Week of May 6: Cabbage Patch Kidding
It's a week of almosts on Jeopardy!, as Weckiai Rannila and Alison Gross both have impressive 3-day runs, but ultimately fall short of the automatic entry to the Tournament of Champions. But it's ok, because we love the vibe of Friday's game and we love our new champion Will, who learned everything there is to know from The Simpsons. Emily also learned something brand new about her parents this week, and John got a taste of Alberta living. Plus, we found out that Jeopardy! fans were very upset with a Final Jeopardy clue, and the Cabbage Patch Kids made some people an awful lot of money. Oh, and that Emily looked like one when she was a baby.
Source: TIME: "The Strange Cabbage Patch Craze" by Otto Friedrich.
Associated Press: "Cleveland's Cabbage Patch Kids Turn 25".
Special thanks to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive.
This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.
01:16:3514/05/2024
Week of April 29: The One Percentie
Are you rich and got even richer by winning on Jeopardy!? Give us a call! It's a great showing and a sure Second Chance invite for Ferdinand Percentie as Amy Hummel gets the 3rd TOC invite of the season–the second from regular play–and Weckiai Rannila starts a streak of her own after knowing how to dance the Macarena and some poor FJ! wagering from her opponent. We learn a LOT about the Macarena this week including the insane Canadian history of the song, Jeopardy! fans are fuming about a Triple Stumper, and we make a lot of Occupy Wall Street jokes on a podcast in 2024. We get it.
Special note this week: we will be covering the ongoing Jeopardy! Masters, but all at once, when it's over, with a special guest. So stay tuned for that.
Source: Stereogum: "The Number Ones: 'Macarena' by Los Del Rio" by Tom Breihan.
Special thanks to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive.
This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Art by Max Wittert. Music by Nate Heller.
01:25:3107/05/2024
Week of April 22: "Oh, the Humanity!"
It's the week of Amy Hummel! We have a new 3-game champion and we also have one of our favorite responses of the week...EVER. We also learn a lot about our contestants' musical pursuits, Ken has a new Final Jeopardy! tic we are enjoying, and we wildly screw up once again in our new closing segment of the show, "Final Final Jeopardy!" Plus, you'll find out why Jeopardy! fans are apparently imagining Alex Trebek rolling over in his grave and we learn a lot about the luxurious and disastrous Hindenburg.
You can follow the show on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast and on Twitter at @jeopardypodcast. And if you like the show, please rate it 5 stars wherever you're listening to it, and tell a friend!
Source: Airships.net: "LZ-129 Hindenburg: A Detailed History" by Dan Grossman.
Special Thanks to The Jeopardy! Fan and the J-Archive.
This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.
01:06:4130/04/2024
Week of April 15: Foghorn Leghorn
We have our first entrant into the Season 40 Tournament of Champions, and it's Alison Betts! After a few runaways and one close game, Alison wins her fifth game and punches her ticket to the ToC, but she is dethroned by another strong player, Marko Saric. We break down all the games as usual, plus Emily reveals her history with The Lonely Island, curling gets mentioned on the show, J! fans are Joker-fied after the Harley Quinn FJ! clue, and we conclude it all with a little parley at the Summit.
You can follow us on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast and on Twitter at @jeopardypodcast.
Source: International Churchill Society: "Churchill and the 'German Question'" by Klaus Larres.
Special Thanks to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive.
This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.
01:17:1423/04/2024
Week of April 8: Back to Life, Back to Regular Jeopardy!
It's baaaaaaacckkkkk! Regular games have returned after the completion of the JIT...but the first game back leaves us wondering if maybe the tournaments should come back, actually. We cover Victoria's triumphant victory at the JIT, the emergence of our first great player of the new season, and some hilarities that could only ensue on a regular-play game of J! We also dig into the controversy surrounding the Producer's Pick for the Masters, and we learn about Xolo dogs.
You can follow us on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast and on Twitter at @jeopardypodcast.
Source: American Kennel Club: Xoloitzcuintli Dog Breed Information.
Special thanks to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive.
Produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.
01:20:0416/04/2024
Week of April 1: Two JIT-Heads
We are back to regularly scheduled programming after last week's first-ever guest, and it's time to start JIT-ting everywhere as we cover the final QF game, all the semifinals, and Finals Game 1. Victoria Groce knocks off Sam Buttrey to ensure the possibility of a new Masters contestant, Amy gets two $400 clues correct that save her tournament life, and Andrew continues true-Daily-Doubling his way to the top, with some great anecdotes along the way. In JFAF, the Canadian fans are pissed off about a Triple Stumper on Gordon Lightfoot and we go deep on The Golden Horde.
Follow us on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast and on Twitter at @jeopardypodcast.
Special thanks to The Jeopardy! Fan and the J-Archive.
Produced by Producer Dan, Music by Nate Heller, Art by Max Wittert.
01:19:2609/04/2024
Week of March 25: Game Show Activism w/ Alex Jacob & Laurie Kilmartin
It's our first episode with a guest and we go extra long as Alex Jacob, 2015 Tournament of Champions winner and recent JIT competitor, joins us to break down his game in detail and all of the games last week as the JIT quarterfinals near their conclusion. And if one guest wasn't enough, Laurie Kilmartin (comedian) also very quickly joins us to discuss how good it felt to be a Jeopardy! clue last week, and how she hopes it leads to good things. This episode is full of good things as Chuck Forrest returns to the Alex Trebek stage, a few Chasers return after long layoffs, and David Madden gives one of the best anecdotes in recent memory. In JFAF, Ken shows off his tie collection, and John dives deep into the wild life of Al Capone.
Follow us on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast and on Twitter at @jeopardypodcast.
Sources: History.com: "Al Capone - Scarface" and "8 Things You Should Know About Al Capone" by Elizabeth Nix.
The Mob Museum: "Al Capone"
My Al Capone Museum: "Origins of the Scars" by Mario Gomes.
Special thanks to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive.
Produced by Producer Dan
Music by Nate Heller
Art by Max Wittert
01:43:5202/04/2024
Week of March 18: Up in This Duncery
It's the tale of two tournaments this week, as we crown our Tournament of Champions winner and immediately move on to the final syndicated competition of the "Jeopardy! postseason", the Jeopardy Invitational Tournament. It's the JIT, folks. But first, we discuss Yogesh's consecutive wins that bring him the ToC crown and discuss more broadly his very impressive ToC run, before we turn our attention to the cavalcade of returning contestants in the JIT. A bunch of our faves are here, we get an early upset, and we look ahead to next week's games. In the JFAF segment, we hear from fans upset that Brad Rutter is not in the JIT, Sam Buttrey has a new occupation, and Mike Richards tries his hand at rehabbing his image through the fine folks at People Magazine. And finally, we decrypt the Rosetta Stone.
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Source: ARCE: "The Rosetta Stone: Unlocking the Ancient Egyptian Language" by Foy Scalf.
Archaeology Magazine: "The Race to Crack the Code" by Jason Urbanus.
Special thanks to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive.
Produced by Producer Dan
Music by Nate Heller
Art by Max Wittert
01:11:2526/03/2024
Week of March 11: Troy Boys and Ben Friends
The Tournament of Champions final is HERE! After remembering Monday's Semifinal 3, we jump right into what was an absolutely chaotic first week in the "best of seven" Tournament of Champions final between Yogesh Raut, Troy Meyer, and Ben Chan. Yogesh has a costly wager in Game 1, Troy rides a huge Daily Double bid to a win in Game 2, Yogesh has a great game to get on the board in Game 3, and a dollar-perfect scenario happens in Game 4, where Ben is able to come from third-place to snatch a victory and a lead heading into the final games of the series. We also love Ben's ability to come up with great anecdotes, Troy fears the Illuminati and Swifties (are they the same thing?), and Yogesh seems to have nailed the buzzer timing as the week ends, setting up a great finish. We also discuss our Triple Stumper celebrations and the UN's Peruvian Secretary General.
Follow us on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast and on Twitter at @jeopardypodcast.
Source: The New York Times: "The U.N.'s Man in the Middle" by Jane Rosen was the feature piece, and a number of New York Times articles formed the other sourcing.
Special thanks to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive.
Produced by Producer Dan
Music by Nate Heller
Art by Max Wittert
01:17:3919/03/2024
Week of March 4: Ike is Low-Key Goated
It's another huge week in the Jeopar-verse, as Ike Barinholtz is the first Celebrity Jeopardy! contestant to be granted access into the vaunted Tournament of Champions...and wins a game! And he nearly wins another, as we recap the three quarterfinals and the two semifinals that took place this past week. Yogesh Raut and Ben Chan continue their impressive play, Troy Meyer puts together what is likely the strongest quarterfinal of any ToC player, and all your favorite segments are here as we take a look at the best responses and anecdotes of the week and Emily scours the internet for a Jeopardy! story about...pimento cheese?
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Source: Vulture: "Ike Barinholtz Owes His Big Jeopardy! Victory to Eyes Wide Shut" by Devon Ivie.
Colby College: "Rome's Sick: Ovid's Exile" by Various.
The Jeopardy! Fan: thejeopardyfan.com
Produced by Producer Dan
Music by Nate Heller
Art by Max Wittert
01:13:0212/03/2024
Week of February 26: Tournament of Chaos
It's here! Join comedians and podcasters Emily Heller (Baby Geniuses) and John Cullen (Blocked Party) for the first episode of their new weekly comedy podcast about all things Jeopardy! The Tournament of Champions has started and we recap the first six games here, from the shocking eliminations of Cris Pannullo and Stephen Webb to a perfect game from Yogesh Raut and a dominating victory from Emily Sands...it's all here! We also reveal our favorite anecdote and response of the week, we scour the internet to find out what people are angry about, and the Final Jeopardy Deep Dive tackles the feud between Alaskan politicians Bob Bartlett and Ernest Gruening. Like, subscribe, share, and tell your friends!
Follow us on Instagram: @whatisajeopardypodcast
Follow us on Twitter: @jeopardypodcast
Source: Anchorage Daily News. "For Alaska's First Senators, An Epic Battle of Ego Came Down to a Coinflip" by David Reamer.
Produced by Producer Dan
Music: Nate Heller
Art: Max Wittert
01:16:1405/03/2024