The Jennings Juggernaut Rumorama

[zachhoran]

[quote name=\'OntarioQuizzer\' date=\'Sep 10 2004, 10:34 AM\']JRaygor,

By my calculations, Jeopardy has a TOC, a Kids Week, and a College Championship coming up. That means his 75th episode is scheduled to air on November 30th.[/quote]
November 30th would push the Jennings loss episode out of Sweeps IIRC(Sweeps ends on Thu or Fri of Thanksgiving week I believe). I'd bet on J! moving the kids week to Xmas or Feb sweeps to air the Jennings loss during Sweeps.

[MSTieScott]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'Sep 9 2004, 08:23 AM\'] By the way, the folks at Jeopardy are extremely upset and annoyed that the word got out as quickly as it did. [/quote]
 I can imagine. Anyone want to predict how far the ratings will drop until November?

In hindsight: Assuming this story broke at least in part because an audience member blabbed, would it have been difficult to just not have an audience for a while? They take shots of the audience so rarely, I know I would't have noticed if they quit.

I hate people that take pleasure in ruining the outcomes of things for everybody else. Makes me want to build a time machine and spoil the results of the World Series right now.

--
Scott Robinson

[tvwxman]

[quote name=\'OntarioQuizzer\' date=\'Sep 10 2004, 10:34 AM\']
By my calculations, Jeopardy has a TOC, a Kids Week, and a College Championship coming up. That means his 75th episode is scheduled to air on November 30th. [/quote]
 And, if they have not scheduled the extra tourneys yet, you can be damn sure they will.

Why? Because November is a BIG ratings period, and the longer the Kenstreak goes into sweeps, the more money affiliates can make on Jep. If he goes out early in the month, the averaged ratings for the 20 weeknights for Jeopardy will no doubt suffer...

Let me put this in perspective for you. For my large tv market (Hartford/New Haven), Jeopardy was the highest rated show yesterday. Better than Prime time, better than daytime, better than the news. NOTHING came close. Back in July, CSI was a distant second.

Adding tourneys in there to get Ken to stay for the duration of November is brilliant...

[Robair]

[quote name=\'JRaygor\' date=\'Sep 10 2004, 09:15 AM\'] By my calculations, the alleged 75th episode for Ken will occur on Tuesday, November 2nd ! Which means, this could be the headline in the papers: "Bush and Kerry both lose in 0-0 tie. America would rather watch Ken Jennings. Ralph Nader elected president with 3 votes": )

-Joe R. [/quote]
 But if the networks have Election Night extended coverage, the show might well not air in a lot of places -- except very late!

So we'll have two real big losers that night -- only one has $2.5m to his name. (The other could be richer by billions if the right people die -- or not.)

And Scott, I finally caught your act yesterday. It's comforting that anyone wants to marry Barker, they gotta go through you first.

[SRIV94]

[quote name=\'Robair\' date=\'Sep 10 2004, 11:53 AM\'] But if the networks have Election Night extended coverage, the show might well not air in a lot of places -- except very late! [/quote]
 According to this page, only 11 states will have closed their polls before 8PM ET, so there's not a lot of point to the broadcast nets going on before then (the cable nets are another story).  That site also suggests that 8PM ET is the earliest time a projected winner could be named (and that's assuming a lot, given how close this election could wind up being).

OTOH, West Coasters could have a problem (if the broadcast nets go live there at 5PM PT).

And Robair also stole my thunder regarding Scott's TPiR on-camera.  I had seen it when I was in L.A. on its original airdate (6/16/04--I had gone to the 6/15 taping, which airs two weeks from yesterday).  Nice job of watching Bob's back, Scott!

Doug

[MYosua]

[quote name=\'CaseyAbell\' date=\'Sep 10 2004, 08:41 AM\'] A Washington Post story today adds some fuel to the KJ fire.

All the conspiracy theories only add to the fun, of course. [/quote]
Here's sort of a conspiracy theory.  Notice the amount on Ken's podium on the promotional picture from the Washington Post article.  Ken is rumored to have lost after winning 75 consectutive games - meaning that the show he loses on is his 76th appearance... So in this picture, they might have just made every game "worth" $100, hence the meaning of $7,600 on the display.  Maybe, maybe not, but interesting nonetheless.

[CaseyAbell]

Makes me want to build a time machine and spoil the results of the World Series right now.

Already did that. The Red Sox played the Cubs, and they both lost. They couldn't stand to break either of the curses.

So in this picture, they might have just made every game "worth" $100, hence the meaning of $7,600 on the display.

That theory was already floated when the Prof ran the picture.

[adamjk]

[quote name=\'MYosua\' date=\'Sep 10 2004, 01:13 PM\'] [quote name=\'CaseyAbell\' date=\'Sep 10 2004, 08:41 AM\'] A Washington Post story today adds some fuel to the KJ fire.

All the conspiracy theories only add to the fun, of course. [/quote]
Here's sort of a conspiracy theory.  Notice the amount on Ken's podium on the promotional picture from the Washington Post article.  Ken is rumored to have lost after winning 75 consectutive games - meaning that the show he loses on is his 76th appearance... So in this picture, they might have just made every game "worth" $100, hence the meaning of $7,600 on the display.  Maybe, maybe not, but interesting nonetheless. [/quote]
 I thought it was said he lost in his 75th game, after winning 74. Anyway, I have a different explanation for this. Over at that blog where this whole mess got started, it was said that Ken had less then $10,000 after he had been beaten. I know this sounds far-fetched, but could it be that the said picture was taken after the defeat? Just a thought.

[MYosua]

[quote name=\'adamjk\' date=\'Sep 10 2004, 03:06 PM\'] I thought it was said he lost in his 75th game, after winning 74. Anyway, I have a different explanation for this. Over at that blog where this whole mess got started, it was said that Ken had less then $10,000 after he had been beaten. I know this sounds far-fetched, but could it be that the said picture was taken after the defeat? Just a thought. [/quote]
I didn't realize that the picture was already commented on.  But anyway, the Post article says he lost after his 75th win, and I don't think the $7,600 would be a coincidence.  Seeing as it was a promotional picture instead of a picture taken during a game, it was most likely set-up.

[Don Howard]

[quote name=\'adamjk\' date=\'Sep 10 2004, 02:06 PM\'] Over at that blog where this whole mess got started, it was said that Ken had less then $10,000 after he had been beaten. I know this sounds far-fetched, but could it be that the said picture was taken after the defeat? [/quote]
 Said picture appeared on Stosh's site on Monday. Said defeat happened during one of the said shows which were taped on said Tuesday. And that takes care of said conjecture.

[SplitSecond]

What was Ken's score going into the first commercial break on his first show?  What was it going into Double Jeopardy?  What was Ken wearing on his first day?

Ken's certainly a special case, but often shows with returning champions take photos of contestants with the host during their first show - after all, there may not be a second.

[DYosua]

I doubt this is from his first appearance - look at the way he wrote his name.  I think he wrote it out normally on his first appearance.

[Steve McClellan]

And his score was $8,000 at the end of the J! round, when the photos are taken.

[davemackey]

BTW, Channel 7 in New York - which carries "Jeopardy!" - did a news tease on the Jennings thing during its football game last night.

[adamjk]

Here's a story I found at yahoo on this:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...pagesix/nokendo

Not a whole lot of new info here, though one thing I found interesting, and pretty much sells me that this is true, is that in the article Steve Beverly mentions he received 183 emails all confirming he did indeed lose. If that doesn't sell people who don't buy this, then nothing will.