We’ve been catching up on episodes of “Jeopardy!” and “Jeopardy! Masters” from the last couple of weeks.
I can’t help but notice the enormous difference in knowledge bases between the players on the syndicated version and the six super-champions on the primetime edition. There have been several times where contestants on the regular show have been unable to come up with really simple answers while the Masters have pulled facts and figures out of their brains that are nothing less than stunning.
I want to ask some of the non-Masters contestants how they know the names of every British monarch going back 3 centuries, but can’t name popular movies and TV shows from as recently as the 1980s. “It was before I was born” is not an acceptable explanation when we can see you buzz in instantly with a response about the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
While I’m at it, Ken Jennings’ skill as host of the show has grown exponentially over the last year, especially in the graciously casual — and often funny — way he interacts with the contestants. Meanwhile, Mayim Bialik still sounds like she’s reading everything off a teleprompter and can’t ad lib to save her life. I also give him credit for never stumbling while using Mattea Roach’s pronoun, “they.” It’s time to dump Mayim and give Ken the podium permanently.