On Both Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune?

[okstater04]

Hey all!

As I announced earlier in the "Boardies" thread, you can see me on Jeopardy! on January 13th. I was going to wait and ask this after it's all said and done, but because someone asked me over Christmas, my curiosity is peaked and I thought I'd ask now.

I was on Wheel of Fortune in 2005. I'm curious to find out if anyone knows how many other people have been on both Wheel and Jeopardy!? I know many have been on both Jeopardy! and WWTBAM, but because both Wheel and J! are Sony-based shows, I think it's not something as many have done. And, because I know some diehard J! fans like to rag on Wheel just a little , maybe some J! contestants never try out.

I know a guy named Jason Block has done both. But that's all I've ever heard. Do anyone know of any others?

[alietr]

I don't know the answer, but I will point out that curiosity gets piqued, not peaked.

[NoWhammies10]

Cory Anotado, the man behind Pacdude Games, was on Wheel in a Best Friends Week in (IIRC) 2008. He appeared on Jep! in '97 or '98.

/Jep! is close enough, right?
//Just couldn't wait for Kids' Weeks to be implemented on the regular show
///I have yet to see Chad Mosher on Wheel

[cheezguyty]

Andy Kravis has appeared on J!, Wheel, and WWTBAM, all by the age of 22!

[Tehshigelisok]

//Just couldn't wait for Kids' Weeks to be implemented on the regular show

Approve

[heelsrule1988]

If anyone has been on Wheel of Fortune and regular Jeopardy, I will cry tears because of the shame of our country.

[okstater04]

If anyone has been on Wheel of Fortune and regular Jeopardy, I will cry tears because of the shame of our country.

Well, get ready to grab some tissues on January 13th.

P.S. - a general answer I received from someone who once asked the question of Friedman was "about a couple dozen."

[heelsrule1988]

Hey... I hope you retroactively owned on the show and shut me up.

Then again, the fact that you got on the show period is impressive enough for me. I'd love to see your Wheel appearance... maybe you were a diamond in the rough? If it's on YouTube or something, you should link me.

Personally, I'd love to run rampant on Wheel... but I'd get rejected because Sony Pictures wouldn't want to be out $85,000.

[barandall800]

If anyone has been on Wheel of Fortune and regular Jeopardy, I will cry tears because of the shame of our country.

Oh, for Pete's sake... (I speak from the viewpoint of someone who has aspirations of being on both...though certainly my main goal is to be on Jeopardy!, and I'm not even touching the former show until that happens. WoF would just be a fun side note if I tried out way down the road, and was ever picked.) Now, if any Jeopardy! contestant has been on some irredeemably trashy reality show like "The Bachelorette"* or something...then we can definitely talk about tears being shed.

(*Which I totally didn't watch most of the last season of...**)


(**OK, I did. And I greatly regret it, for many, MANY reasons.)

[dhkendall]

If anyone has been on Wheel of Fortune and regular Jeopardy, I will cry tears because of the shame of our country.

Oh, for Pete's sake... (I speak from the viewpoint of someone who has aspirations of being on both...though certainly my main goal is to be on Jeopardy!, and I'm not even touching the former show until that happens. WoF would just be a fun side note if I tried out way down the road, and was ever picked.) Now, if any Jeopardy! contestant has been on some irredeemably trashy reality show like "The Bachelorette"* or something...then we can definitely talk about tears being shed.

Indeed, J! and Wheel just cater to different kinds of people is all. While I can usually hold my own with J! contestants while playing along at home, I'm usually pwned by Wheel contestants - more than likely because they've been watching the show longer than I have, and, while I'm studying US presidents and operas and Super Bowl winners and wagering strategy, they're studying letter combinations and frequency and word lengths and spin strategy - the two skills are definitely not mutually beneficial. (Or, to put it another way, perhaps my status should be "Definitely Not Wheel Material") Yes, we like to bug Wheel fans and rag on the show, but I think it's a friendly rivalry, much like how Bomber fans here rag on Saskatchewan and bug Rider fans [substitute your local sports rivalry here].

[Woof]

Indeed, J! and Wheel just cater to different kinds of people is all. While I can usually hold my own with J! contestants while playing along at home, I'm usually pwned by Wheel contestants - more than likely because they've been watching the show longer than I have, and, while I'm studying US presidents and operas and Super Bowl winners and wagering strategy, they're studying letter combinations and frequency and word lengths and spin strategy - the two skills are definitely not mutually beneficial.

No, I think that it's more basic than that: not all J! aspirants are adept at wordplay, though many definitely are (Joon, are your ears burning?) I do fine on those occasions that I watch Wheel, though it's mostly as a learning exercise for my 7 year old son. Trivia can be studied, whereas wordplay is more innate, or so it seems to me.

[alietr]

Personally, I'd love to run rampant on Wheel... but I'd get rejected because Sony Pictures wouldn't want to be out $85,000.

I don't understand why people say this. They *want* to give away big prizes. That's what helps keep people interested in the show and watching. The prize money is a very small component of their total expenses. Do you think Sony was unhappy writing a huge check to Ken? No, because it was very profitable for them to do so.

[Bamaman]

I wouldn't mind being on WOF and would be roud to say it on here if I was. You get to be on national TV and a chance to win a bunch of money. Yes, you probably need to do well at word games in general and be able to see letter patterns, but luck is also a huge factor.

One show I would never go on is The Price is Right. Very little skill involved and you are stuck having to pay taxes on a bunch of crap you may not need or want or a trip to some place you don't want to go. Yes, you could sell it, but that would be a big hassle. Just cut me a check from Sony and I'll buy my own prizes.

If you went on Wheel, how long would you be banned from Jeopardy?

[HugoZ]

I think watching Jeopardy! champions competing on Fear Factor would be much more interesting that watching Fear Factor champions competing on Jeopardy!

Then again, substitute Wipeout for Fear Factor, and you probably have a much more entertaining show either way.

[econgator]

Personally, I'd love to run rampant on Wheel... but I'd get rejected because Sony Pictures wouldn't want to be out $85,000.

I don't understand why people say this. They *want* to give away big prizes. That's what helps keep people interested in the show and watching. The prize money is a very small component of their total expenses. Do you think Sony was unhappy writing a huge check to Ken? No, because it was very profitable for them to do so.

*nod* I'd suspect $85,000 is about half the cost of a single commercial spot on that show.

[lisa0012]

I would love to be on WOF because I know I have the wordplay skills to do very well (wordplay categories are also a strength on J!). The money's just a perk, as would be any winnings on J!. Unfortunately, while I'm plenty outgoing in the J! crowd, I'm not quite sure I'm, um, exuberant enough to stand out at a WOF audition...

[joepozz]

If you went on Wheel, how long would you be banned from Jeopardy?

One year after you appear on Wheel - the show's air date, not the taping date.

[Tehshigelisok]

I'm still watching my phone optimistically for the call from Wheel. I believe that I will get on. And I WILL win something with a lot of zeroes and commas.

(Hey, "when you dream, dream big." 500 bonus points for anyone who can identify either song lyric that I used.)

My concern with J! isn't so much the vast gaps in my knowledge as it is buzzer skill. I'm very herky jerky and clumsy, so I would probably be God-awful on the buzzer. At least on Wheel I only have to use it for the Toss-Ups, and I can still do finely even if I have to call a mulligan on one of those.

Also, I never get FJ! right. That can kinda bring a J! player down.

[jpahk]

Not all J! aspirants are adept at wordplay, though many definitely are (Joon, are your ears burning?) I do fine on those occasions that I watch Wheel, though it's mostly as a learning exercise for my 7 year old son. Trivia can be studied, whereas wordplay is more innate, or so it seems to me.

i can confess here that i'm too much of a game show snob to watch wheel, but yes, if you gave the opportunity to play hangman for thousands of dollars against two other players who (as far as i can tell—no offense preston) are chosen more for their personality than their ability, i am in.

also, wordplay can definitely be studied. love of wordplay may be innate, but anybody who does lots of crosswords will become much better at crosswords. playing around with anagramming, cryptics, acrostics, puns, etc... all that stuff helps for jeopardy. buy games magazine and do the pencil pointers. listen to will shortz's weekly puzzlemaster bit on NPR's weekend edition and play along at home. buy books like this one (a christmas present i've been enjoying).

[Tehshigelisok]

i can confess here that i'm too much of a game show snob to watch wheel, but yes, if you gave the opportunity to play hangman for thousands of dollars against two other players who (as far as i can tell—no offense preston) are chosen more for their personality than their ability, i am in.

Sometimes I fear that Jeopardy! goes too far in the OTHER direction. Some J! contestants have been really, really bland and uninteresting. There was someone on recently who had these rambling, pointless and boring interview stories. I forget who it was. Anyone?

We've also had some really unattractive contestants of late, but I won't name names.

As far as Wheel skill, I think a good portion of it just comes to me by way of watching the show almost daily since 2002 (and before that, from 1992-1995 with great frequency). I also do crosswords and play Scrabble against myself a lot.

It also helps that Wheel tends to recycle puzzles a great deal. (Protip: The Prize Puzzle is always some variant of "going to the beach".)