Question: I was caught up in the excitement of the Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time tournament. Do you see a future for Jeopardy! in prime time, or for other game-show events like this? — Brad
Matt Roush: Isn’t it great when something lives up to the hype, while earning terrific ratings to boot. I’m sure every network is spinning its wheels to try to capitalize on this frenzy. There are reports that ABC could bring these high- profile players back in another format, maybe even to test their wits in another game — although there’s truly no better quiz show than Jeopardy! — and already, ABC is planning a comeback of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire in prime time, while CBS is reviving celebrity prime-time editions of The Price Is Right after having some success over the holidays. Regarding the actual tournament, I was bowled over by how hard Jennings was playing, and winning, by large enough margins in the first game to seal the deal for each match. The combination of luck (landing on Daily Doubles and answering correctly, and keeping them away from Holzhauer) and skill was awfully impressive. And while it wouldn’t have mattered on the last night, because Holzhauer missed the Shakespeare clue (a really good one) in the second Final Jeopardy, I was floored when he didn’t bet it all in the final of the first game, which would have kept him and Jennings closer.
To submit questions to TV Critic Matt Roush, go to: tvinsider.com
