Pop Culture WI: Jeopardy! is Zerg Rushed?

krinsbez

As you may or may not remember, in 2004 a fellow named Ken Jennings had a 74-game winning streak on the syndicated quiz show Jeopardy!, earning the show national attention for a time and making Jennings a minor celebrity.

Jennings' streak was ended by a lady named Nancy Zerg, who was promptly defeated the next day. But, what if she hadn't been? What if, she too had managed a lengthy winning streak?
 

Pellegrino

krinsbez said:
As you may or may not remember, in 2004 a fellow named Ken Jennings had a 74-game winning streak on the syndicated quiz show Jeopardy!, earning the show national attention for a time and making Jennings a minor celebrity.

Jennings' streak was ended by a lady named Nancy Zerg, who was promptly defeated the next day. But, what if she hadn't been? What if, she too had managed a lengthy winning streak?
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I think Jennings was the right guy at the right time to be a star. with him gone the magic would be gone as well. Unless she broke the 74-game record I expect she would have been an * to the Adam Jennings story regardless.
 

krinsbez

Pellegrino Shots said:
I think Jennings was the right guy at the right time to be a star. with him gone the magic would be gone as well. Unless she broke the 74-game record I expect she would have been an * to the Adam Jennings story regardless.
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Ken Jennings.

Anyways, let's say she does manage it.
 

Pellegrino

krinsbez said:
Ken Jennings.

Anyways, let's say she does manage it.
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Doh! Adam Jennings was a third string backup Wide Receiver for the Detroit Lions who played one season for the Lions when they went 0-16. I always get those two mixed up :p

I still think Ken Jennings coming first will make him a bigger star, but I think it changes the public perception of the show from one of "anyone can win on any given day" to "who is the next Jennings or Zerg"
 

krinsbez

Pellegrino Shots said:
I still think Ken Jennings coming first will make him a bigger star,
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Probably.

but I think it changes the public perception of the show from one of "anyone can win on any given day" to "who is the next Jennings or Zerg"
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What I'm wondering is if it will have further effects.

Would two such streaks in a row cause Jeopardy!'s temporary bump in rating and pop cultural awareness to be less temporary? Could this have knock-on effects (am I using the word correctly?) that have a greater impact on pop culture? And so on.

mowque said:
Why? Most people only win a day or so.
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Wouldn't be much of a thread otherwise.:p

Mike Stearns said:
Yeah, if you manage to stay on for a week, you're doing really well.
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Oh, aye, it's highly unlikely; 's why Ken Jennings got so much attention in the first place, which is why I think lightning striking twice in a row might have some impact.

I don't think it's necessarily impossible, though.
 

Willmatron

Banned
Other gameshows try to follow suit with people staying on longer than usual and some ultimate winner gameshow is created that lasts one season.
 

RySenkari

Nancy Zerg got quite lucky IIRC, Jennings missed both Daily Doubles and the Final Jeopardy question. Anyone good enough to win 74 games would have stomped Jennings into the ground on that particular game that he lost.

I'd love to ISOT Larissa Kelly into Nancy Zerg's seat in that game, she could probably win 74 given the right sequence of events.
 
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