Season 36 Changes & Predictions

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jeopardyfan939
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Re: Season 36 Changes & Predictions

Post by jeopardyfan939 »

How would James fare in the Tournament of Champions because of the more difficult material and he's competing with contestants who won four or five games? And what are the odds of him winning it all?
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Re: Season 36 Changes & Predictions

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jeopardyfan939 wrote: Tue Jul 23, 2019 6:55 pm How would James fare in the Tournament of Champions because of the more difficult material and he's competing with contestants who won four or five games? And what are the odds of him winning it all?
Pretty good.
1 out of 15.
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Re: Season 36 Changes & Predictions

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MinnesotaMyron wrote: Tue Jul 23, 2019 8:57 pm
jeopardyfan939 wrote: Tue Jul 23, 2019 6:55 pm How would James fare in the Tournament of Champions because of the more difficult material and he's competing with contestants who won four or five games? And what are the odds of him winning it all?
Pretty good.
1 out of 15.
Not all of the contestants won four or five games. Zing!

James should be Ivory Soap certain to make it to the semis as there cannot be any scenario for things to go so wrong that he is one one the six out instead of nine moving on. Emma beat James and the same thing could happen in the semis as whoever faces James could do enough with the buzzer and Daily Doubles to eliminate him. It could easily go the other way with James making the finals in such a manner as he won 32 games.

Odds for James winning are about 3-1 to me with 14 other players in contention. Others of course would have something much worse for betting like 1-5 for James winning.

James dominates the ToC and wins it all? Of course that is possible. There is nothing wrong with considering the other outcome of the top dog falling short. That can happen also. Look at previous ToCs and how the top money winner fared demonstrates nothing is guaranteed.
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Re: Season 36 Changes & Predictions

Post by opusthepenguin »

MarkBarrett wrote: Tue Jul 23, 2019 9:13 pm James dominates the ToC and wins it all? Of course that is possible. There is nothing wrong with considering the other outcome of the top dog falling short. That can happen also. Look at previous ToCs and how the top money winner fared demonstrates nothing is guaranteed.
My money is on Brad Rutter somehow winning even though he's technically not competing.
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Re: Season 36 Changes & Predictions

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jeopardyfan939 wrote: Wed Jul 10, 2019 8:29 pm And I'll also update my list of participants in a possible 2020 UToC:

- Vijay Balse
- Ben Ingram
- Julia Collins
- Larissa Kelly
- Roger Craig
- Colby Burnett
- Dan Pawson
- Buzzy Cohen,
- Austin Rogers
- Tom Nissley
- Joon Pahk
- Jason Keller
- Arthur Chu
- David Madden
- Stefan Goodreau
- Celeste DiNucci
- Jason Zollinger
- Justin Sausville
- Alan Lin
- Michael Falk (winner of 2006 ToC)
- Aaron Schroeder
- Justin Bernbach

- James Holzhauerª
- Brad Rutterº
- Ken Jenningsº

ª — denotes a player who receives a bye to the finals
º — denotes a player who receives a bye to the semifinals
What about Matt Jackson and Alex Jacob?
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Re: Season 36 Changes & Predictions

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opusthepenguin wrote: Tue Jul 23, 2019 9:24 pm My money is on Brad Rutter somehow winning even though he's technically not competing.
A couple weeks ago, a friend of mine beat Brad Rutter at pub trivia without knowing who he was. (Not at O'Briens, at a different location.) So he's vulnerable, as long as people aren't intimidated!
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Re: Season 36 Changes & Predictions

Post by cinemaniax7 »

opusthepenguin wrote: Wed Jul 10, 2019 8:24 pm I'm not interested in another tournament full of people we've already seen. I won't be for several years. Meanwhile, if they want to have an exhibition match for charity with Rutter, Jennings, and Holzhauer, ok fine. That's the most I'm up for right now.
I agree with my feathered friend. It's much too soon for anything more than a charity head-to-head-to-head match involving the Big 3.
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Re: Season 36 Changes & Predictions

Post by AndyTheQuizzer »

MarkBarrett wrote: Tue Jul 23, 2019 9:13 pm James should be Ivory Soap certain to make it to the semis as there cannot be any scenario for things to go so wrong that he is one one the six out instead of nine moving on.
You can't win the tournament in the quarterfinal, but you can certainly lose it. James will play ultra-conservative in the quarters. His fanbase will hate it, but he'll take the variance out of play in order to ensure that he moves on. Week 2 is when things will get interesting for him, especially because everyone else in the field knows he can be beaten straight-up.
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Re: Season 36 Changes & Predictions

Post by MollyQMurphy »

jeopardyfan939 wrote: Mon Jul 22, 2019 1:55 am Taping begins tomorrow (Monday), and I wonder if anyone who attends a taping will tell us if there is new theme music or if the set gets slightly changed. I'm especially curious to what the new title card will look like for S36
I was at the taping on July 23rd. Phrasing everything I say as needed to mask results.

The set is absolutely awe-inspiring, when you first step on stage. I am not an expert in the details of the set/sound/etc. last season vs. this, so perhaps my observations are of no use, but the set is not tired in any respect. It gleams, with beautiful multicolor glows that fade from one to the next. There are chase lights that surround the top border, which is probably 40 feet high, that I think the tv audience only sees when the travel cam does the swoop-in shots of the whole set.

There is a translucent screen center-left that is softly backlit, and you see Alex Trebek's shadow for a moment before he steps onstage. He's the only one who enters or exits there; the contestants use 3 apron-wide steps from the front right of the audience, as do the production crew. There don't appear to be any wing entrances.

They have square hydraulic lifts behind each contestant podium, glossy black like the rest of the floor tiles, but with a white outline. I am almost 6 ft tall, and (I think) taller than both the (wo)men I played my first game against, so I think they raised both of them to get the look they wanted for the panel shots. It might be interesting to compare shots from multi-day appearances like James to see where the podium top hits him each day - whether they match or stage the relative heights while playing different contenders.

The privacy shields and casing for the red lights that indicate when you're the one who can answer are both made of thick, slightly smoked plexiglass. The privacy shields are also hydraulic. I had thought they would be manual swing-up hinged, but they rise up and lock in a slightly complicated way (not just straight up, they have a horizontal movement as well).

The intro music and all interludes seemed to be the same as previous seasons. However, Sarah from the clue crew was reading all the Johnny Gilbert lines, and it's possible that when they re-record with him they will use something else. But I would think it will be the same.

Alex Trebek has a podium where he sits. It has a large area where he spreads out his clue sheets, masked by a lit bumper that matches the set design and coordinates with the contestant podium. I always thought he stood during the J! and DJ! rounds, but it's very possible he's used it for a long time and I just haven't known it. It did occur to me at the time, that it might be a seated podium now to conserve his energy during a long taping day. But with camera angles, and the shot sequences during those rounds, they can make it look however they want. I'm guessing there will be no shot of him seated, and he was on his feet at several points anyway.

I will say, he seemed to be quite himself, despite the treatments. He visited with the audience, standing center stage and taking questions in the breaks, and did not have any trouble moving around the set or doing his job. I was busy in the breaks, though, and didn't pay that much attention to what he was saying.

At the audition, the buzz-in lights were represented by sets of 3 white lights top, bottom and both sides. But the actual set has two columns of maybe 50 small chase lights strung one on each side of the game board instead.

The scores are in large amber tote LCD displays, near the ceiling and to the left of the game board, directly above the camera used for panel shots. They were easy to read. The surprise to me was how much (in retrospect) I depend on watching scores during the show, because playing, you really only look at them during a DD pause or end of segment. It moves FAST up there.

I would guess it was 25-35 feet from the panel to the clue board, in a trapezoidal arrangement. I had some concern whether I could read the clues from the podium, (glasses on old eyes) and wondered whether they would zoom the entire board each time (they didn't) but the board clues were viewable (just).

I think there was a monitor that would show the shot of each clue close-up in a larger view, but it was a lot to ask of myself in the moment to find it. Perhaps if I make it to a Julia Collins level of games, I will have figured out where best to look in rhythm with the games. That monitor was where they showed any video or photo clues, but I didn't look at it otherwise.

The audience is seated in a severe rake so everyone can see really well. The contestants are seated in the audience, to one side, during tapings, so it's possible to get some ideas about what might work before your game if you don't have to go first. I had thought we would be isolated in the green room awaiting our first game, but we got to watch those who went before us.

Like I said, my frame of reference is very limited, so probably a lot of this was known to many of you, but hopefully some find it useful, if long.
Last edited by MollyQMurphy on Thu Jul 25, 2019 4:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Season 36 Changes & Predictions

Post by opusthepenguin »

Thanks for the details, Molly! I'd ask when your game airs, but that could accidentally give me knowledge about the game previous to yours. :D
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Re: Season 36 Changes & Predictions

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opusthepenguin wrote: Thu Jul 25, 2019 4:08 pm Thanks for the details, Molly! I'd ask when your game airs, but that could accidentally give me knowledge about the game previous to yours. :D
Molly posted she was taping July 23 for an airing the Sept. 16-20 week. If she did not see Johnny then that narrows it to Sept. 16-18. If she did not play in the first game as the post kind of hints at then 17 or 18. Molly's opponents were both men, so already a spoiler if there is a woman champ on Sept. 13 as we can reasonably expect that same person will not be the champ on Sept. 18th.

...the men I played my first game against

That kind of statement can always go two ways as:
Molly played more than one game.
Molly played just one game while wanting to leave it open she played at least another

Perhaps if I make it to a Julia Collins level of games...

Another remark of not limiting the playing time to one game.

It moves FAST up there.

It does.

********
Thank you MQM for the taste of your experience and we look forward to more about it in September.

I'm sure there are some amateur sleuths/psychiatrists that could do even more reading between the lines of Molly's post to make guesses about what happened.
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Re: Season 36 Changes & Predictions

Post by LucarioSnooperVixey »

MarkBarrett wrote: Thu Jul 25, 2019 4:29 pm ...the men I played my first game against

That kind of statement can always go two ways as:
Molly played more than one game.
Molly played just one game while wanting to leave it open she played at least another
They do have rehearsal games don't they? Isn't that Glenn Kagan's job?
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Re: Season 36 Changes & Predictions

Post by MollyQMurphy »

MarkBarrett wrote: Thu Jul 25, 2019 4:29 pm
opusthepenguin wrote: Thu Jul 25, 2019 4:08 pm Thanks for the details, Molly! I'd ask when your game airs, but that could accidentally give me knowledge about the game previous to yours. :D
Molly posted she was taping July 23 for an airing the Sept. 16-20 week. If she did not see Johnny then that narrows it to Sept. 16-18. If she did not play in the first game as the post kind of hints at then 17 or 18. Molly's opponents were both men, so already a spoiler if there is a woman champ on Sept. 13 as we can reasonably expect that same person will not be the champ on Sept. 18th.

...the men I played my first game against

That kind of statement can always go two ways as:
Molly played more than one game.
Molly played just one game while wanting to leave it open she played at least another

Perhaps if I make it to a Julia Collins level of games...

Another remark of not limiting the playing time to one game.

It moves FAST up there.

It does.

********
Thank you MQM for the taste of your experience and we look forward to more about it in September.

I'm sure there are some amateur sleuths/psychiatrists that could do even more reading between the lines of Molly's post to make guesses about what happened.
Dang! I had that as (wo)men and the spellchecker edited it, and I missed it. I've put it back in. So, though you sleuthed very well, please show that as gender-neutral about my opponents.

Yes, it's the old spell-checker excuse. True, though.
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Re: Season 36 Changes & Predictions

Post by MollyQMurphy »

LucarioSnooperVixey wrote: Thu Jul 25, 2019 4:39 pm
MarkBarrett wrote: Thu Jul 25, 2019 4:29 pm ...the men I played my first game against

That kind of statement can always go two ways as:
Molly played more than one game.
Molly played just one game while wanting to leave it open she played at least another
They do have rehearsal games don't they? Isn't that Glenn Kagan's job?
We did have a rehearsal game where everyone was cycled through twice - you had a few questions, then they would bring you out in a rotation, mix you with different people.

Glenn Kagan was in the control booth for everything. He was The Call for me, and I really enjoyed him, but he told me ahead of taping day he would be in the control booth and not able to meet in person. So, I saw a picture of him in the green room, and I don't think I met him or saw him with other contestants. He may have been one of the people working with Alex on recues, but it was usually dark onstage when they were doing them. I don't think he came down.

Maggie and Corina were calling the rehearsal. Jimmy played Alex. Mitch did the mics. Laurie and Ryan were also involved moving people thru it.
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Re: Season 36 Changes & Predictions

Post by opusthepenguin »

MarkBarrett wrote: Thu Jul 25, 2019 4:29 pm Molly posted she was taping July 23 for an airing the Sept. 16-20 week. If she did not see Johnny then that narrows it to Sept. 16-18. If she did not play in the first game as the post kind of hints at then 17 or 18. Molly's opponents were both men, so already a spoiler if there is a woman champ on Sept. 13 as we can reasonably expect that same person will not be the champ on Sept. 18th.
Spoiler
And if we know Molly's game date, we know that on the previous date a woman (whether champ or challenger) will not win the game.
But that doesn't tell me much of anything as long as Molly doesn't reveal her actual game day until she can do so in the thread for the previous game. Then I won't know her game is coming up until I already know the outcome of the one before it.

Anyway, even if I accidentally get semi-spoiled, I'm still looking forward to seeing Molly play and will be cheering for her.
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Re: Season 36 Changes & Predictions

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MollyQMurphy wrote: Thu Jul 25, 2019 3:41 pm
The intro music and all interludes seemed to be the same as previous seasons. However, Sarah from the clue crew was reading all the Johnny Gilbert lines, and it's possible that when they re-record with him they will use something else. But I would think it will be the same.
Sounds like the current theme and think music are here to stay. I had a good feeling they wouldn't update the music package because there isn't a new set. How come sister show Wheel of Fortune updated its music package at the beginning of 2017 but Jeopardy! is continuing to use the 2008 theme and think music through 2020 possibly (if not I hope TPTB hires John Hoke to refresh the music package for the episode airing January 6, 2020).
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Re: Season 36 Changes & Predictions

Post by Caboom »

opusthepenguin wrote: Tue Jul 23, 2019 9:24 pm My money is on Brad Rutter somehow winning even though he's technically not competing.
In a way Brad wins if James wins, as it makes a super tournament happening soon a tiny bit more likely, and then Brad can grab another mil.
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Re: Season 36 Changes & Predictions

Post by threearruda »

jeopardyfan939 wrote: Thu Jul 25, 2019 6:24 pm
Sounds like the current theme and think music are here to stay. I had a good feeling they wouldn't update the music package because there isn't a new set. How come sister show Wheel of Fortune updated its music package at the beginning of 2017 but Jeopardy! is continuing to use the 2008 theme and think music through 2020 possibly (if not I hope TPTB hires John Hoke to refresh the music package for the episode airing January 6, 2020).
I read an opinion awhile back (maybe here?) that aesthetic things like the set/theme music are unlikely to change until Trebek leaves. Makes sense, as then you can give the show a fresh coat of paint coinciding with the show's new host, whenever that may be.

I must say, though, that I really like the purple-ish graphics on the J! board in that Twitter post.
Caboom wrote: Thu Jul 25, 2019 7:01 pm
opusthepenguin wrote: Tue Jul 23, 2019 9:24 pm My money is on Brad Rutter somehow winning even though he's technically not competing.
In a way Brad wins if James wins, as it makes a super tournament happening soon a tiny bit more likely, and then Brad can grab another mil.
And then we can forever end any and all debate about Brad being the Jeopardy GOAT, right?!?! :lol:
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Re: Season 36 Changes & Predictions

Post by hbomb1947 »

Caboom wrote: Thu Jul 25, 2019 7:01 pm
opusthepenguin wrote: Tue Jul 23, 2019 9:24 pm My money is on Brad Rutter somehow winning even though he's technically not competing.
In a way Brad wins if James wins, as it makes a super tournament happening soon a tiny bit more likely, and then Brad can grab another mil.
I think Brad v. Ken v. James (a matchup of the only 3 legitimate candidates for GOAT) is likely to happen relatively soon after the TOC, and doesn't necessitate or need to be watered-down by a super-tournament. Plus, no one wants to see most of the same players who were in the All-Star tournament again so soon.
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Re: Season 36 Changes & Predictions

Post by jeopardyfan939 »

James dominates the ToC and wins it all? Of course that is possible. There is nothing wrong with considering the other outcome of the top dog falling short. That can happen also. Look at previous ToCs and how the top money winner fared demonstrates nothing is guaranteed.
Take the Season 25 ToC for example. Larissa Kelly was the biggest money winner of Season 24; but Dan Pawson, who held the longest winning streak from S24 (nine games), won it all. And go back to other previous ToCs; most of the biggest winners at least made it to the finals but were the runner-up. Austin Rogers was a finalist in the 2017 ToC, but Buzzy Cohen won it all. However, the most recent ToC in which the biggest money-winner from a prior season won the tournament was the 2014 ToC. The finals featured Ben Ingram (biggest winner from S29) vs. Arthur Chu vs. Julia Collins (biggest winner from S30); and Ben Ingram won it all.
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