I'm not really sure if there's anything else to say about this clip from GSN's upcoming 2009 Game Show Awards (this Saturday at 8). It's 70s pop culture icon Charo presenting at the ceremony as well as taking on Jeopardy champ Ken Jennings in a trivia contest that is obviously tilted in her favor.
Jeopardy-related stories
It's Charo vs. Ken Jennings at GSN's Game Show Awards
IBM building computer designed to take over Jeopardy!, then possibly the world
Oh my God. Maybe the Unabomber was right, about how technology could weaken humanity and destroy us all. Not about sending bombs in the mail. That was and always will be a big no-no. IBM is developing a new computer system that can compete on TV's Jeopardy! by digesting the show's questions, buzzing in and answering in the famous question format.
The system is being developed in the same vein as "Deep Blue," the computer that defeated chess champion Gary Kasparov. The Jeopardy! system nicknamed "Watson" is part of IBM's ongoing attempt to overtake humanity by whooping humanity's ass at their own games. An IBM spokesman estimated humanity's spirit will finally be broken when they perfect a computer system that can beat the world's greatest Chutes and Ladders player.
Continue reading IBM building computer designed to take over Jeopardy!, then possibly the world
Will you watch the Game Show Awards?
If you go by all of the various stories in the media, it would seem that TV viewers just aren't into award shows anymore. The ratings are often down year to year, and if people are tuning in it seems to be more for the fashions, the red carpet, and maybe to see a particular category/performance by someone on the show.So it's interesting that there are so many new genre award shows popping up. TV Land has had their own awards (The TV Land Awards) for a number of years now (the latest airs next week with Neil Patrick Harris hosting), and Bravo has The A-List Awards, whatever they are (it aired earlier this week). Now GSN is getting into the game (no pun intended) with The Game Show Awards, a show dedicated to giving awards to game shows, game show hosts, even game show sponsors!
Continue reading Will you watch the Game Show Awards?
Alex Trebek says politicans are scared of him, and they should be - VIDEO
There are some forces in the universe that should never be messed with: the sun, black holes and Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek. Take it from someone who knows. The man has the unholy ability to make ANYONE look stupid on national television. He can make an Ivy League PhD appear as though he went to city college. He can turn a Midwestern elementary school teacher into someone no parent would entrust their child with for eight hours a day. His trademark "Oh, sorry" alone can make a world renowned neurosurgeon look like a jabbering mental patient who doesn't know the name of the bone that houses the human brain.
So it's no wonder that politicians are scared to be seen in the same camera shot with the man.
Continue reading Alex Trebek says politicans are scared of him, and they should be - VIDEO
Trebek, I must break you: Taking on the Jeopardy! test
The hours of preparation have been grueling. The amount of studying has been tedious and boring. The sacrifice required to reach this moment has been great and punishing. I didn't shower for two days and the smell almost set off the fire alarm in some of the smaller rooms.
Now the only weapons I have at my disposal are my nimble fingers, my rapid comprehension and my ability to remember everything I've read in the span of four days. We're about to go head-to-head with the razor-toothed man eater that is the Jeopardy! contestant test.
We're gonna need a bigger brain.
Continue reading Trebek, I must break you: Taking on the Jeopardy! test
Ken Jennings thinks Lost is making a mistake this season
I'm a sucker for time travel shows. I loved it when Star Trek did it (all of the Star Trek shows did it, several times) and Back to the Future is one of my favorite films. So I'm really enjoying Lost this season, with it's time-tripping and skipping. But I have some problems with it, and so does Jeopardy champion Ken Jennings.Jennings mentions on his blog that he thinks the writers have actually answered too many questions, which isn't a complaint that you hear from Lost fans too often. He thinks if they had left more plot questions, some of the things that happened in previous seasons "could now be explained as the actions of Future Juliet or Future Sawyer or somebody."
Jennings thinks it's smart that the show has the rule that you can't change what happened, because if something happens a certain way it will always happen that way. But I think the show is breaking that rule here and there.
Continue reading Ken Jennings thinks Lost is making a mistake this season
Danny hits the books for his Jeopardy! test, and the books hit back...hard
Studying was never my strong-suit. I always got by in college on my looks; that would explain why I was a C-student. Come to think of it, planning isn't either. Neither is getting enough REM sleep, keeping a clean house or (as you can see by my picture) sticking to a regular skin care regime.
So when it came to preparing for my Jeopardy! test, the same substandard habits applied. I could have started cracking the books at least a month ago when I first heard the website was holding online contestant tests at the Jeopardy! website. It just seemed like a huge mountain of knowledge to tame in one sitting. Plus, I had about 15 Tales from the Darkside episodes that my TiVo had taped and were about to go to waste.
So when it came time to crack the books and cram in as much information as my brain could hold, I not only had to make up for lost time.
Continue reading Danny hits the books for his Jeopardy! test, and the books hit back...hard
Jeopardy! champion Bob Harris gives a lowly blogger some advice
Every apprentice who aims to journey on a quest fraught with peril and self-realization must seek someone with experience in facing it. He must consult with a man who not only has walked that road many times before, but has beaten it into submission until he emerged triumphant. Hercules had to consult the Delphi Oracle if he wanted to avenge his family's death.
Rocky had to learn to trust Mickey if he wanted to defeat Apollo Creed.
Luke Skywalker had to find Yoda if he wanted to become a Jedi.
So if I wanted to achieve victory over the daunting behemoth of knowledge that is the Jeopardy! contestant test, I, too, would have to find an equally experienced and successful "Yoda" from the game show shire.
In short, Ken Jennings wasn't available but the Mace Windu of the Jeopardy! Council was.
Continue reading Jeopardy! champion Bob Harris gives a lowly blogger some advice
This could be you next to Alex, but first you'll have to get through me
If you've ever wanted to be a contestant on the legendary Jeopardy!, then get in line. It starts behind me. I already called dibs and stamped it.
Jeopardy! will conduct national online contestant tests this week on their official website. The tests will take place by timezone: Tuesday at 8 p.m. Eastern for people on the East Coast, Wednesday at 8 p.m. Central and 7 p.m. Mountain for residents in those time zones and Thursday at 8 p.m. for Pacific Coast, Alaska and Hawaii viewers.
As part of this annual game show tradition, I, your humble (not-so-much) TVSquad blogger Danny Gallagher, will also be one of the many, many people trying out for the most hallowed game show in the history of American broadcasting. And as always, you get to come along for the ride. Please keep all hands and arms inside the vehicle until my ego comes to a complete stop.
Continue reading This could be you next to Alex, but first you'll have to get through me
I hate the new Final Jeopardy music
It's always frustrating when a game show or variety show updates something on the show. Sure, there are many parts of a TV show that have to be updated, especially if that show has lasted 10, 20, or 40 years: the set, the logo, maybe even the theme music. But sometimes those changes go too far.Case in point: the new "Final Jeopardy" music on Jeopardy! I'm not talking about the update they made to the music a while back, I'm talking about the new rockin' theme music that debuted a few weeks ago (or, at least, I only heard it for the first time a few weeks ago). It's the same melody, but they've changed it to an irritating faster rock version, and by rock I mean that lame, generic rock music you sometimes hear in the background of sitcoms and dramas. It's THIS close to Muzak, and it's really, really terrible.
Continue reading I hate the new Final Jeopardy music
Wow, these are awesome nominees for the People's Choice Awards!
Sometimes it's hard to denote sarcasm in a post headline, but please note: sarcasm!The People's Choice Award nominees have been announced, and the list is the very definition of unexciting. The nominees for Best Drama are Grey's Anatomy, CSI, and House. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz. No Mad Men, Dexter, or Lost? The nominees for Favorite Comedy are Two and a Half Men, Samantha Who?, and Ugly Betty. No 30 Rock? No Office? Sally Field and Mariska Hargitay are up for Favorite Female TV Star (really?). In the Favorite Game Show category, Jeopardy! is up against Deal Or No Deal and Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader and I know it's not going to win.
Continue reading Wow, these are awesome nominees for the People's Choice Awards!
Five other TV shows where Sarah Palin should appear
Since emerging on the national stage about six weeks ago, Alaska Governor and Republican Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin has become a superstar. Like her or loathe her, she is a celebrity. It's ironic, really, that McCain's so psyched about her high-powered appeal, because that's what his campaign was knocking Obama for just this past summer. Still, the crowds have showed that Palin's appeal to the Republican base, at least, is fervent.On the other hand, thanks to Palin's poor performance in interview segments with CBS anchor Katie Couric, and Tina Fey's spot-on impression of her on Saturday Night Live, the Governor's image has taken a hit. There have been questions about how smart she is, as well as how qualified she is to be a heartbeat away from the presidency.
Continue reading Five other TV shows where Sarah Palin should appear
Five reasons I prefer classic Jeopardy - VIDEO
When I read AOL's Top 20 Best Game Shows of All Time, I pretty much agreed with all the choices. I might have moved Password up a bit, and dropped Who Wants to Be A Millionaire to a lower slot, but the one selection that really made me glower was The Price Is Right as number one. No, no, not to me. For me, the only choice for numero uno is Jeopardy. It's not a game of chance or luck or random spins of a wheel. It's all about brains and thinking on your feet. And maybe having really fast thumbs. Merv Grifffin's creation remains the best gameshow ever in my book.
As I was thinking about Jeopardy, I realized that for me, the best Jeopardy is not today's Alex Trebek version. I mean, it's great -- don't misunderstand me. It's the one I still prefer to watch today, but my favorite Jeopardy remains the pre-syndication edition, the one that played on NBC daytime from 1964-1975. No, I'm not nuts. I have five very good reasons why I prefer the original, classic Jeopardy.
Continue reading Five reasons I prefer classic Jeopardy - VIDEO
Finally! Crazy cat ladies get their own game show
Chuck Woolery is coming back to television. While he will be hosting a game show, this time around it has nothing to do with love or its connections. Woolery is set to host The Meow Mix Game Show on GSN. Meow Mix is said to be a cat-centric competition in which cats and their owners compete for up to $1 million for themselves and $100,000 for their favorite feline charity.The show itself is supposed to "put a twist" on classic game shows like Jeopardy and ... The Newlywed Game. I'm sorry, but The Newlywed Game? What in the hell are we dealing with here? The person who dreamed this up must have been chasing the dragon when they thought it was a good idea to compare their cat show to a program in which seemingly every question involved the phrase, "making whoopie."
Continue reading Finally! Crazy cat ladies get their own game show
Shockingly racist moments of TV - VIDEO
Liquid Generation has put together the 10 Most Racist Moments in TV. While the moments were extremely racist, I was expecting some more clips from primetime television, cartoons, and soaps. Most of the moments were just evidence of how some people are idiots (idiotic to think the way they do and idiotic to think that they should say something like that on television). I had other choice words in place of "idiot," but it will have to suffice -- trying to keep it clean. My favorite moment from the video is from Jeopardy. Alex Trebek tells the Indian-American contestant, "Yeah, it hurts to miss that one" after he missed New Dehli as an answer. Got to love the Trebek.
Check out the video below and let me know what you think. Also, they play M.I.A.'s "Paper Planes" throughout the video which is a little distracting. I'd rather just hear audio from the clips.
[via Digg]
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