‘Jeopardy!’: ‘Extreme’ Lengths Contestants Go to for Preparation
Many Jeopardy! contestants feel that they need a preparation routine to make sure that they are ready for national television. There are certainly some aspects worth preparing for, but some of them go to “extreme” lengths to ensure that they feel as comfortable as humanly possible on the stage and don’t perform badly. Previous Jeopardy! contestants once shared their most over-the-top preparation processes.
How early do ‘Jeopardy!’ contestants receive the call?
Before Jeopardy! contestants can start their preparation, they first need to receive the call to confirm that they’ll be on the show at all. According to Claire McNear’s Answers in the Form of Questions, they typically receive the call inviting them onto the game show between four and six weeks ahead of their tape day. However, there’s no telling how long it will take to hear from the production after an audition.
These numbers are moving targets, as there are some unexpected cases where a contestant won’t hear anything for many months. Nevertheless, Jeopardy! is a household name that any trivia genius would love to be a part of. The experience surely comes with its own stresses, but it offers a big reward in both money, title, and prestige of having the opportunity to be good enough to be on the show.
‘Jeopardy!’ contestants do ‘extreme’ preparation for the show
McNear wrote about some of the “extreme” lengths that Jeopardy! contestants will go to in their preparation for the show. In some instances, they will create their own stage in their own homes, including a heavily air-conditioned living room and all.
Some Jeopardy! contestants will align their sleeping and eating schedules to what they will be in Los Angeles. Additionally, they binge episodes and begin utilizing study tools, such as digital flashcards. They wisely utilize clues from previous episodes and simulators created online to try and recreate the experience the best that they can.
Others begin their Jeopardy! preparation with studying works created by previous champions. The show asks contestants to stand on boxes to maintain the same height, so they recreate that in their own homes. Many of them find mock games helpful to simulate the experience of responding to answers. Meanwhile, Contestant Kris Sunderic “weaned” himself off coffee to allow the caffeine to hit extra hard on gameday.
Lynn Yu didn’t wait for the call and started her Jeopardy! preparation right away. She started a 365-day regimen where the name of the game was all about practicing, studying media she was unfamiliar with, and even changing her diet. It became like a full-time job.
“I’m treating Jeopardy! like it’s a sport,” Yu said. “Like it’s something I need to physically train for.”
The buzzer and subject matter are the 2 most important areas
According to McNear, some Jeopardy! contestants don’t do any form of preparation. There’s an extensive process that contestants have to get on the show. So, they already had to be fairly impressive to get to that point to begin with.
McNear referred to the buzzer and subject matter as the two most important areas of Jeopardy! preparation. The device used is very particular and having the correct timing is critical. Additionally, there is a wide variety of categories, and it’s important to have a diverse range of knowledge going on the trivia show.
