What Is… CELEBRITY JEOPARDY!?

It’s no great secret that the material for Celebrity Jeopardy! is easier than in regular games. Many celebrities who appear on the show are not die-hard fans. I’m often asked if celebrities have to take a test to appear on the show. Yes. They have to be able to spell their name correctly. Our aim is to make it easier for celebrities to appear on the show, not harder. It isn’t easy getting them to come on. They don’t want to embarrass themselves. They don’t want to screw up an answer to a seemingly easy clue and seem dumb in front of millions of viewers. So we do as much as we can to entice them, like offering the chance to win large amounts of money that will be donated to their favorite charity and holding it in an exciting venue like Radio City Music Hall.

That said, there have been some contestants who might’ve held their own in regular games. Usually they come from the news media. Those folks have a good grasp of current events. The actors Michael McKean and Jodie Foster are two other fierce competitors who come to mind. However, not all actors have an easy time on the show. They are always playing a role, so it’s difficult for them to be themselves. Other celebrities who I feel could definitely compete on the regular version of Jeopardy! would have to include Aaron Rodgers, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Anderson Cooper, Andy Richter, and Joshua Malina.

Bob Woodward, Peggy Noonan, and Tucker Carlson on a 2004 Power Players episode taped in Washington, D.C.

One of my favorite Celebrity Jeopardy! moments was in 2004 when Bob Woodward, Peggy Noonan, and Tucker Carlson appeared in one of our Power Players shows from Washington, D.C. The writers had come up with a clue that had some potential to play well, but of course we had no idea which contestant, if any, might ring in and give the correct response. The clue read:

HE’S THE SHADOWY WATERGATE SOURCE

Peggy Noonan rang in first to say, “Who is Deep Throat?”

I then turned to Watergate investigative reporter Bob Woodward.

“Bob,” I said, “we’ve been waiting over thirty years for this. Who is Deep Throat?”

“How much do I get if I answer that?” he responded.

It got a huge laugh from the savvy crowd at Constitution Hall, but no answer. It was one of the funniest moments in all my years of hosting the show.