My parents have not missed an episode of Jeopardy since 1984 unless they were sick or had a major meeting to go to..I mean major. Only the end of the world could make them miss one episode. They play the game at home and answer every question so often they must think Alex Trebeck can hear each one and keep score for them. My dad invented saying "pat" each time one of us is correct. One pat is for half right and two pats is for completely right. I personally can't stand the game so fans of it needn't read further. I ignored it all throughout high school and junior college for as long as my stereo would rock in my bedroom without wearing out. The show itself is a failure on several fronts. It fails to reward creative thinking and convinces us mechanical memorization is most socially acceptable. Alex tends to view the men as superior and tease the female contestants more often, especially if they are at rare times not ugly. Except for after the issue was raised here, women were more often losing with plural form answers than men. Celebrity tournament players always had grade school level questions.

We are devoted viewers of Jeopardy & rarely miss an episode. However, tonight's show was an insult to Women. I found it a very "macho" show, designed to eliminate Larissa & the other female contender. Fine - if you are going to include football items, then a equally female subject should also be included. This would at least even the odds.Larissa was a strong contender and to lose in such a manner was definitely unfair. How disappointing.B Siegrist PS .... and my husband went to school with Alex!

"JEOPARDY" had been a very good TV Quiz Show program 1964-75. Pleasant and properly "High Brow" Art Fleming, an Actor by trade, was the Host/Emcee for the length of the show's run. The show was slotted as part of NBC's Daytime Line-Up. It was abruptly canceled in 1975. After all of its success, it got the ax, anyway.Well, wouldn't you know it, but after this 9 year hiatus, "JEOPARDY" was back. It seems that the American Televiewing Audience was ready for ready for a Round 2 in this bout. And after a slow start, it sure looks like this may well be a Championship Bout, with a return bout or two.This time around, we had the mustachioed Mr. Alex Trebek, installed in the all-important Host/M.C. position. Amiable, knowledgeable (Hell, He's got the Answer Cards!) and possessing a commanding Stage Presence, the Canadian-born Mr. Trebek had gotten his earlier broadcast experience with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation as a Newsman. Then he did some Game Shows on the CBC before coming south across the World's Longest unfortified border to the U.S. of A. and the National Broadcasting Company for a gig on a forgotten game show called "THE WIZARD OF ODDS".(1973-74) This got Alex's then long haired and Kaiser Wilhelm mustached countenance out in front, where his talents and abilities took over, keeping him continually in the public spotlight (a prime requisite in this Network Game Show Host Racket).So, by that Orwellian Watershed year of 1984, Alex was ready to get in front of the camera as well as doing a share of the Producer chores on the retooled "JEOPARDY" This time the show would not have to put the decision of its life or death into the hands, and at the whim of any Network "Suits". Creator Merv Griffin, Columbia-Tri Star TV (later known as Sony Pictures Television) and Alex all gambled on putting all their eggs into the 'Basket' called Syndication. The risk seems to have been a big one, but one that sure paid dividends as it all worked out.That it was highly successful is now strictly academic! The proof is most definitely in the pudding. And this pudding has been around now for some 23 broadcast seasons in syndication and counting. So now they've more than doubled the run of the original series' run and they continue to add to their own record! You see now just what the international co-operation of these 2 North American Giants can accomplish! Canada, represented by Mr. Alex Trebek, and the United States, represented by the Late Mr. Merv Griffin, can both stand tall, brave and free; even they are both definitely in "JEOPARDY!"

When Merv Griffin, or should I say his wife, created "Jeopardy", it was never conceived to reach the heights of intellectual standards it has achieved today. What separates "Jeopardy " from other game shows, are its tough rules which allows limited chances for success and repeat winners. Over the years , this game show has pinnacled many contestants, from all walks of life, some very knowledgeable and some jacks of limited trades. Every week , people would come from out of the darkness to test their skill in the arena of television, against two other unknown combatants. With much success "Jeopardy" provided its viewers with fresh challenges, to joust our minds and prod us to reach new levels within ourselves. There were good players, very good, and then there was "Ken Jennings." An unassuming software engineer from Salt Lake City, Utah. His reign started in June of 2004, it ended on Nov 30th , 2004. For 75 episodes he dazzled us with a staggering display of intellectual prowess, often signaling in, before the answer appeared to register. Often he would make the challengers play catch up, but in one episode, when he was dead last going into Double Jeopardy, like the champion he is, he roared back to take a commanding lead, and left the others in the dust, scratching their heads, and wondering what happened. There will be other champions, they will come and they will go, but when you think of Ken Jennings, you will say ," there he goes , the best there is , the BEST there ever was....""Jeopardy", will never be the same, and neither will we.......