What Is...? A Jeopardy! Podcast

It's Liam Starnes week on Jeopardy! as the 20 year-old goes on a run for the ages, and we love every second of it, from his Jeopardy!-themed birthday party to his endearing lack of knowledge about anything pop culture. John and Emily are reunited as Emily is on the mend from surgery and John is back home, and we revel in each other's company with the usual cavalcade of dumb jokes and observations. Plus, we get a contender for Response of the Year from Liam, Jeopardy! fans are very upset with a particular category, and we dive deep on the League of Nations. Join the Patreon! For just $5/month at patreon.com/jeopardypodcast, you'll get a new bonus episode every month, access to our Discord, and MORE! This month, we had Isaac Hirsch and Juveria Zaheer join us for some pre-Masters prep with our first-ever Live Play episode. It was a total blast. We also announce on this episode that all of our Masters coverage is going behind the paywall. Can't hear it if you don't have a membership! Join today! SOURCE: The US Office of the Historian: "The League of Nations, 1920"; History Channel: "The League of Nations" Special thank you as always to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive. This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

With Emily continuing to recover from ass surgery, it's the famous "Wife of the Pod" Becca who joins the show to break down the week that was, from Andrew Hayes locking up a ToC berth to Steven Hoying wearing perhaps the brightest sweater in Jeopardy! history. Becca tells us her history with the show and how it's been woven into the fabric of her relationship with John, and John gets so distracted having to do the episode write-ups for the show, he forgets to do the Deep Dive. Oops! Meanwhile, Becca takes the reins of JFAF to review a tough Final and she relates to one of Andrew's anecdotes in a sincere and adorable way. Join the Patreon! This week, we released our latest bonus episode at patreon.com/jeopardypodcast, and it was our first Live Play edition of the show where Masters contestants Juveria Zaheer and Isaac Hirsch join us to warm up for the big tourney! John writes two boards for the occasion, and the episode is a ton of fun, as you'd expect with those two on tap. Plus, the episode is available in video so you can play along! That's available now along with our entire bonus episode back catalogue, access to our Discord, and more. Join today! SOURCE: National Geographic: "Jane Goodall" by Sarah Appleton. Special thank you as always to the J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan. This episode was produced by Producer Dan. Art by Max Wittert. Music by Nate Heller.

On a very special John-less episode, Emily is joined by a friend of the pod & true hunk connoisseur: Handsome Kevin Seccia™️! We recap an exciting week of games as we bid goodbye to Mike Dawson and say hello to Andrew Hayes. We also succumb to Anise's charms, finally find out how tall Mike is, dive deep on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and set the record for most wrestling analogies ever made on this show. Do you smell what the pod is cooking? Join the Patreon! We've got a new bonus episode coming this week that you're going to love! For $5/month, you'll get all our bonus episodes, access to the Discord to hang with John and Emily and talk J!, and lots more! Head on over to patreon.com/jeopardypodcast and support the show! Special thank you as always to J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan. This episode was produced by Producer Dan. Art by Max Wittert. Music by Nate Heller.

Look, past guest host of this show and our great friend Guy Branum was on Jeopardy! this week. In theory, some other stuff happened too, but we are mostly focused on Guy's Friday appearance, as he does battle with 4-day champion Bryce Wargin and Mike Dawson in a fantastic game. Elsewhere, Mike and Conner give us some great "bad date" anecdotes, JFAF sees the online J! community curious about Guy's bonafides, and we dive deep on Louis Braille. But mostly, Guy was on the show this week, and we just think that's neat. Join the Patreon! For just $5/month, you'll get a bonus episode every single month, access to our Discord, and way more fun stuff. This month, we have a very unique and very special bonus episode coming you won't wanna miss! Plus, your money goes directly to supporting the show and helping us to keep it going. patreon.com/jeopardypodcast today! SOURCE: Duxbury Systems: "Louis Braille and the Braille System" Special thank you as always to the J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan. This episode was produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

It's Josh Weikert week on the show, as he goes through a series of Final Jeopardy! misses but it doesn't matter, as a combination of lock games, weird wagers, and good ol' fashioned luck conspire to make him the latest entrant into the 2026 Tournament of Champions. And what a week it is, as Jeopardy! continues to get even hornier with some wild anagrams, we get two insanely nerdy anecdotes, J! fans are fuming about the Masters lineup, and we dive deep on the nicknames of North and South Korea. Join the Patreon now and support the show! It's easy! Head on over to patreon.com/jeopardypodcast, where your donation will get you access to our bonus episodes, our Discord, and more fun stuff. You simply won't believe the very cool bonus episodes we have coming your way, and as announced on the pod today, Masters content will also be exclusively behind the paywall. Help out the show and help yourself by improving your life with some sweet content now! SOURCE: "Corea: The Hermit Nation" by William Elliot Griffis; New York Times: "Exploring 'The Land of Morning Calm'" by Adam H. Graham. Special thank you as always to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive. This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Art by Max Wittert. Music by Nate Heller.

Yes, this is a Jeopardy! podcast, and yes, John reminisces about the old softcore pornography show "The Red Shoe Diaries", which yes, does have an episode with Matt Leblanc in it. But enough about that, it's Alex DeFrank week on the show as the former Sports Jeopardy! champ goes on an excellent run and Ken really lets loose this week with multiple interjections including allowing Alex the joy of doing a Butt-Head impression on the Alex Trebek stage. Plus, a Joanna Newsom anecdote leads to follow-up from Mr. Joanna Newsom himself, Andy Samberg, J! fans are upset with clues about Kanye, and we dive deep on Copenhagen the Horse. Donate to the show at patreon.com/jeopardypodcast to not only support the show, but also to get our latest bonus episode: an interview with Alison Betts! One of our fave players from the last year, Alison tells us all about her initial J! run, her ToC prep, and the whole Foghorn Leghorn thing. Plus, she gets a chance to play the Redemption Game and we have a whole ton of fun. You also get access to the Discord, all previous bonus episodes, and more. Join today! SOURCE: The Pall Mall Magazine: "Copenhagen and Other Famous Battle-Horses" by Archibald Forbes. Special thank you as always to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive. This episode was produced by Producer Dan. Art by Max Wittert. Music by Nate Heller.

We are back, baby! After Emily needed a week off to deal with a butt issue, we have returned and not a moment too soon, as we have an absolutely stellar week of games to recap that had a tournament feel and some very memorable contestants. The H-Bomb looks like he's going to blow up the Jeopardy! stage before running into James Corson, who starts a little run of his own, before the third podium changes hands a few times before the end of the week. We also include some JIT coverage too, so don't fear, as we include Juveria's run-in with Cocaine Bear and Matt's attempt to be the next J! villain. Plus, the very same Jeopardy! insider is once again claiming Ken is threatened by Colin Jost and we dive deep on Twister. Donate to the show at patreon.com/jeopardypodcast! Our bonus episode for March drops soon, as Alison Betts joins us for an exclusive interview! You also get access to our Discord and we have way more fun stuff coming, so help support the show today! SOURCE: History: "How Johnny Carson Saved Twister" by Christopher Klein; Smithsonian: "When Twister Was Too Risqué for America" by Michael Waters; The Guardian: "How We Made Twister" by Nancy Waters Special thank you as always to the J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan. This episode was produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

The JIT continues as we wrap up the quarters and find our way into the first semifinal with some awesome games featuring some of our favorite sweeties! Some of John's favorite Canadians are here too (ooo OOOO) and we have a blast recapping an epic battle between Ben Chan and Shane Whitlock, a buzzer masterclass from Luigi de Guzman, and Ken really having a lot of fun with a category about fascism. Plus, J! fans aren't really fuming but we do get the first instance of a J! player blaming their tiny hands on a loss and we dive deep on Harry Houdini. Or do we? It's magic! Donate to the show and get our first-ever bonus episode the second you do, plus access to our Discord! patreon.com/jeopardypodcast! Support your favorite J! recappers! SOURCE: The New Yorker: "Harry Houdini and the Art of Escape" by David Denby; Appleton Post-Crescent: "When Harry Met Edna: 115 Years Ago, Two of Appleton's Most Famous Residents Crossed Paths" by Shane Nyman; Wisconsin Life: "Harry Houdini and His Unbreakable Chain to Appleton" by Corinne Hess; History: "What Killed Harry Houdini?" by Evan Andrews Special thank you as always to the J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan. This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

Your two favorite JIT-heads are BACK as the Jeopardy! Invitational Tournament rides once again. We have a couple of stunning upsets, the return of many of our sweeties from years' past, and we get very distracted talking about the television show Reacher on this podcast about the television show Jeopardy!. Plus, Roger Craig returns in a big way with an ode to his legendary ToC moment and some news about his love life (which Jeopardy! fans also find a way to fume about, as is their wont), we get some very nice updates about our contestants' lives (Hannah Wilson owns a yarn shop! Troy is a dad now!), and we dive deep on a very unfortunate part of America's history, the Plessy v. Ferguson case. A reminder you can now donate to support the show and get our first-ever bonus episodes for your troubles! Head on over to patreon.com/jeopardypodcast and you'll get us talking about the first two weeks of this year's Celebrity Jeopardy!, access to our Discord, and more fun stuff. See you there! SOURCE: National Archives: "Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)"; Legal Information Institute: "Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)" A special thank you as always to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive. This episode was produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

It's the Tournament of Champions FINAL week and we crown a brand-new champion! We also watch a weird exhibition game for some reason. The games feature some really great play, some real nervous energy, and without spoiling anything here in the synopsis, one of Adriana Harmeyer, Isaac Hirsch, and Neilesh Vinjamuri hoists the ToC crown, winning $250,000 and the right to compete in the J! Masters. It's also a masterful week for our show as Isaac tells an anecdote that was a story he FIRST TOLD on this here podcast, and we get a potential Bat Signal from Ken Jennings himself that maybe, just maybe, he listens to this podcast. Speaking of Ken, Jeopardy! fans are fuming about him yet again, and we dive deep on the Burghers of Calais. It's also a HUGE week for our podcast as we are OFFICIALLY launching our PATREON! It is live now and THIS THURSDAY we will drop our first-ever bonus episode, covering the first two episodes of this season of Celebrity Jeopardy! You won't wanna miss that, plus all the other goodies you'll get from being a patron like access to an exclusive Discord with us, maybe some live hangouts, and MORE! Donate now at patreon.com/jeopardypodcast and get ready for Bonus Episode 1 this Thursday, of which there is a 10-minute SNEAK PEEK on this episode! SOURCE: Parisian Fields: "The Story Behind the Sculpture"; The Met: "The Burghers of Calais" Special thank you as always to J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan. This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

It's a whiplash week of Jeopardy! as we go all the way from the Tournament of Champions quarterfinals to the finals, ending up with a three-way clash for the belt between Adriana Harmeyer, Isaac Hirsch, and Neilesh Vinjamuri. But we have to get their first as Drew gets a few more good bits in, Jeopardy! once again FAILS to beat the horny allegations in their most serious tournament of the year, and we dive deep on the French monarchy. Plus, we discuss the just-announced lineup for this year's JIT and Jeopardy! fans once again point out an Isaac wagering mistake. SOURCE: Biography.com: "Louis XVI"; History Channel: "This Day in History: Louis XVI Executed" Special thanks as always to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive. This episode was produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert. Follow the show on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast.

After weeks of Second Chance and Champions Wild Card play, the long-awaited Tournament of Champions is finally HERE! And it immediately breaks our hearts, as some of our faves go home early and we are treated to one of the harshest Final Jeopardy! judges' rulings in recent memory as CWC champion Mehal Shah bows out. We also see one of the strongest games of the season so far from Neilesh, and Amy escapes a wild game with a W, thanks in part to one of the toughest FJs we've ever seen. Plus, Jeopardy! fans fume about the games being too "modern" (they must hate our show) and we dive deep on the annis horribilis speech of 1992 (which is how Mehal will probably describe his 2025 moving forward). SOURCE: History.com: "'Annus Horribilis': Why Queen Elizabeth II Called 1992 a Horrible Year" by Jessica Pearce Rotondi. Special thank you as always to the J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan. This episode was produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

John was away for work this week and got sick so this is his "Flu Game", as we recap the final week of the Champions Wild Card, and what a week it was. The week featured one of the games of the year, a wonderful two-game final between three of our favorite competitors in the tournament, and another beautifully connected anecdote and response from Drew. Plus, a successfully pulled-off Arrested Development gag, Jay Fisher cementing his place as one of the best anecdotalists in the show's recent history, and we dive deep on the USS Nautilus–how appropriate. SOURCE: Naval History and Heritage Command: "Nautilus (SSN-571)" Special thank you as always to the J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan. This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

The Second Chance Tournament is over and now it's time to revisit some of our favorite champs from the past with the Champions Wildcard Tournament, and much like the Second Chance, it does not disappoint. Both Second Chance winners Will and Drew make a good impression, John and Emily imagine what their dream Jeopardy! response would be if they were ever on the show, and Adam Hersh has the most "What is You Doing, Baby?" moment of the season so far. Plus, Emily is fuming at Drew's Instagram (though we still love Drew), Final Jeopardy! clues get tough, and we dive deep on "Silent Spring". SOURCE: NRDC: "The Story of Silent Spring". Special thanks as always to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive. This episode was produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

It was a tough week for the world and California especially, but it was a great week for Jeopardy! fans as we were treated to a fantastic second week of Second Chance play. A bunch of our faves are back and we have a host of good anecdotes including a rare triple crown day where all 3 were actually good, we dive deep on rhesus monkeys in space, and Drew makes up with the Swifties in a Response of the Year candidate. SOURCE: Space.com: "Monkeys in Space: A Brief Spaceflight History" by Mike Wall Thanks as always to the Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive. This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

The Second Chance Tournament is BACK and with it comes a whole host of our favorites from Season 40, including our man Will Yancey, who we were pulling for back in his first appearance on the show and we pull for him this week as he makes it to the finals. Can he hold off Kaitlin Tarr and Colleen Matthews? We find out here as Kaitlin has a potential harbinger of doom for an anecdote, Colleen becomes a master of wrong answer adlibs, and we learn that David Madden isn't the only Jeopardy! contestant to own several parrots. Plus, J! fans are fuming about the Jeopardy! calendar and we dive deep on Ulysses S. Grant's prolific smoking habit. SOURCE: Grant Cottage: "Champion of the Weed: A Study of the 'Legendary' Smoking Habit of Ulysses S. Grant"; Oral Cancer Foundation: "Political Figures: Ulysses S. Grant" Thanks as always to the J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan. This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert. Instagram: @whatisajeopardypodcast Bluesky: @jeopardypodcast

We got to celebrate Christmas with our listeners, and now it's time to celebrate New Year's, with this NYE episode that has us feeling great about 2025! And it must have Laura Faddah feeling great too, as she retires for a few months a 7-day champ with a little bit of luck and some very timely responses carrying her to a ToC berth as we head into the J! post-season. It was a fun week all around as John vibes with a Québécois contestant, Emily vibes with a particular Daily Double response, and we dive deep on Smokey Bear (not Smokey THE Bear, as you'll learn). Plus, Emily herself fumes as this week sees a near-record number of unread clues. SOURCE: Alta Journal: "Smokey Bear: More Than an Icon" by Joshua Wheeler; Smokeybear.com: "About the Campaign". Special thank you as always to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive. This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Art by Max Wittert. Music by Nate Heller.

An episode of your favorite Jeopardy! podcast on Christmas Eve?! What a gift! Emily and John share some memories of Christmas past as we also share some memories of this week of games which see Ashley Chan fall just short of the ToC threshold, but as Ken says: we'll see her again. We also get another couple of NASTY Final Jeopardy! clues that leave J! fans FUMING about the writers maybe being on VACATION (but still writing the clues while doing so apparently), we get some strange wagers from the contestants, and John helps Emily avoid jail time by diving deep on the RICO Act. SOURCE: Federal Criminal Appeals Law Firm: "What is the RICO Act?"; TIME: "Law: Showdown at Gucci" by Alain L. Sanders and Priscilla Painton Thanks to the Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive. This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

Look, sometimes we get things wrong. Ok, we get things wrong all the time. But we were very surprised Dave Bond didn't go deeper, as we say goodbye to him on Monday and hello to Bill McKinley and Ashley Chan, who both have a nice week. And we have a nice week too, as John coordinates a Jeopardy! surprise for his Blocked Party cohost Stefan Heck, J! continues their run of Final Jeopardy clues that swing wildly from quite difficult to dead easy, and Emily is really, really committed to getting out of PE. Plus, we dive deep on "I Dream of Jeannie" and its creator, Sidney Sheldon. SOURCE: Forbes: "'I Dream of Jeannie' Home, A Jim Beam Whiskey Bottle, Expected to Fetch $100,000 At Auction" by Roberta Naas; New York Times: "Sidney Sheldon, Author of Steamy Novels, Dies at 89" by Margalit Fox Special thank you as always to the J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan. This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

John is back and we have an absolutely fantastic of week of games, as we fall in love with Evan Jones and then fall in love all over again once Stevie Ruiz is introduced. And by the end of the week, it's Bond, Dave Bond, who runs roughshod over the competition and looks like a potential ToC contender while giving us another contender for Response of the Year. Plus, we get an anecdote that makes us feel stupider than some of the clues do, Jeopardy! fans can't believe a clue uses the word boob, and we dive deep on the Pied Piper of Hamelin, who apparently might have been a real guy (???). SOURCE: BBC Magazine: "On the Trail of the Real Pied Piper" by Lizz Pearson; Medievalists: "The Pied Piper of Hamelin: A Medieval Mass Abduction?" Thanks, as always, to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive. This episode was produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

With John away this week, Emily is joined by comedian, writer, and current Jeopardy contestant-pool member Guy Branum! They break down: the rise and fall of Episcopal priest Kevin Laskowski, the best movies to watch with your family during the holidays, and how to communicate through your Jeopardy! anecdote that you have lived a LIFE. Also discussed: Chuck E. Cheese, and the fortunes made and lost in bringing him to life. SOURCE: New York Times: "Farewell, Chuck E. Cheese Animatronic Band" by Jesus Jiménez; IEEE.org: "Chuck E. Cheese's Animatronic Band Bows Out" by Allison Marsh. Special thank you as always to The J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan. This episode was produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

It's a Daily Double double this week as Mehal Shah pushes all-in twice in a row to give us one of the season's marquee moments. He also gives one of the responses of the year in FJ, prompting Ken to ask a very pertinent question. We say goodbye to Paul Clauson, who seemed poised to go deeper than he did, and we end the week with a new champion in Adam Hersh, who thankfully didn't throw up. Plus, Jeopardy! fans have finally had enough of video categories (and so have we!), we go deep on Carrie Nation, and we find out who will be in the Champions Wildcard and Tournament of Champions fields, which provokes some...thoughts. SOURCE: Kansas Historical Society: "Carry A. Nation, Parts 2-8". Special thank you as always to the Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive. This episode was produced by Producer Dan. Art is by Max Wittert. Music is by Nate Heller.

It's an up-and-down week on the show as Joey DeSena goes on a brief run before succumbing to the powers of women's tennis, Evan Dorey can't quite mount a run, and we end the week with "lovable nerd" Paul Clauson looking like a future contender. We also start a brand-new feud with Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla, Jeopardy! Fans Are Fuming about the topography of Scotland, we dive deep on the quietly sinister Sarah Polk, and Steven Czekala pulls off a rare feat...actually landing a joke on Jeopardy!. SOURCE: Smithsonian Magazine: "How First Lady Sarah Polk Set a Model for Conservative Female Power" by Anna Diamond; Tennessee State Museum: "Sarah Polk: A Natural Politician When Women Couldn't Vote" by Peggy Burch. Special thank you as always to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive. This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Art by Max Wittert. Music by Nate Heller. Additional material by Chris Thayer. Follow us on Bluesky!

Keep on Jolin, baby! Greg Jolin cements his place in the Tournament of Champions as we cement our place as a Jeopardy! podcast of note, hearing from both a past contestant about last week's episode, and a contestant who was on this week's episode, and both have some great intel for us you won't wanna miss. It's also a great week of games, as some really tight games get our blood pumping, Sammy Sanchez perhaps ushers in a new era of anecdotes, and Jeopardy! fans (and us!) are talking about this year's Second Chance Tournament contestants. Plus, we strap on a bulletproof vest and dive deep into Kevlar. SOURCE: Inventing Modern America: "Insight: Stephanie Kwolek" by MIT. Special thank you to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive. This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

As Emily so aptly puts it, we have a game this week that justifies this podcast's entire existence. A wild cast of characters, a raft of missed clues, and a Daily Double mishap create the type of drama that can only be found on the J! stage. It's a great week overall with some fun new champions, a category so nasty our "Nasty Clue of the Week" becomes our Nasty Category of the Week, and Jeopardy! fans fume about one clue so vehemently it makes it all the way to the pages of People magazine. Plus, we dive deep on Berlin's famed Eldorado nightclub. SOURCE: New Histories: "Hope Between the Horrors: The Forgotten LGBTQ+ Firsts of Weimar Germany" by Hannah McCann; Advocate: "A Peek Inside Berlin's Queer Club Scene Before Hitler Destroyed It" by Clayton J. Whisnant. Special thank you as always to J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan. This episode was produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert. Additional material by Chris Thayer.

It's a delirious episode of the show as we record this late on a Monday and just squeeze it in for your Tuesday morning commute, and what a week it was! We have a new 4-day champion in Will Wallace who is like the William Wallace from Braveheart, only 1000 times more chill. We are chill too as a contestant has an interesting call sign, we both reveal some decently poor singing impressions, and Jeopardy! fans are very upset that Dave Matthews was referred to as a pop star. Plus, we dive deep on one of the worst songs of all-time. It wasn't one of the ones we sung. But those were very bad too. SOURCE: Rolling Stone: "Flashback: Band Aid Raises Millions With 'Do They Know It's Christmas?'" by Jordan Runtagh. Special thanks as always to the J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan. This episode was produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

For perhaps the first time in the podcast's history, Emily and John side with the Jeopardy! fans who are fuming this week, as Ontario-born John is completely baffled that Jeopardy! clue writers used Marineland as a scientific reference for anything. We go off on that and a lot of other fun stuff this week, as we have a couple very close games, a friend of John's from the J! Discord has a great run on the show (and wears a great shirt), and it's a second consecutive week with a curling anecdote. God bless. We also dive deep on Grimace, everyone's favorite unknown species/taste bud/milkshake/embodiment of a milkshake headache/Gritty's cousin. SOURCE: The Takeout: "Defiant McDonald's Manager Spits in the Face of Grimace Canon" by Lillian Stone; McDonald's Wiki: "Grimace" Special thank you to the J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan. This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Art by Max Wittert. Music by Nate Heller.

We have another Tournament of Champions entrant and perhaps the final ToC entrant of Season 40 (despite this being Season 41), as games taped from last season wrap with Mark Fitzpatrick picking up his 5th win and then subsequently having a great time through his "tired game" that has plagued so many past champions. It was a great week full of curling, nasty clues including a couple tough FJs, and a category that doesn't help Jeopardy! duck the horny allegations. Plus, Jeopardy Fans are Fuming over Ryan Seacrest's performance as the host of Wheel of Fortune and we go deep on the Coca-Cola logo's inception. SOURCE: ThoughtCo: "The History of Coca-Cola" by Mary Bellis; CITMA: "The Evolution of the Coca-Cola Logo" by Laura Morrish Special thank you as always to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive. This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert. Additional material by Chris Thayer.

Jeopardy! continues its slow descent into horny madness and we can't help but follow them there with the absolutely ridiculous category, "An Ocean of Lotion". There's an ocean of great content on this episode too as John records at 1 am in Charlottetown, PEI and we get delirious. It's a slow week for anecdotes and JFAF, but the horniness comes to save us all. Plus, John visits a legendary literary locale, Emily celebrates her birthday, and we dive deep on the inspiration for Robinson Crusoe, Alexander Selkirk. SOURCE: Smithsonian Magazine: "The Real Robinson Crusoe" by Bruce Selcraig. Special thanks to the J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan. This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Art by Max Wittert. Music by Nate Heller.

It's a delightful week on Jeopardy! as we meet one of the most likeable contestants in recent memory and surefire Second Chancer Drew Goins. And this is not to mention a very sharp 3-game run from surefire Champions Wildcarder (or maybe direct-berth TOCer) David Erb, who also reveals he's led a very interesting life from being an astrophysicist and making key discoveries to his wife being the author of the revered "Lessons in Chemistry". Plus, Jeopardy! fans point out a "rare occurrence" that actually isn't rare at all in JFAF, John turns even more Canadian, and we dive deep on the life and times of Mae West. SOURCE: Criterion Collection: "The Self-Created Immortality of Mae West" by Farran Smith Nehme. Special thanks as always to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive. This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Art by Max Wittert. Music by Nate Heller.

It is a cool and awesome week on the show as we rue the fact that we got two candidates for Anecdote of the Year last week and then a whole lotta duds this week. But that's ok! We have a ton of fun with Aiden's three appearances on the show, we beg for a Second Chance for Will, and Jeopardy! gets its own "Hot Priest". Plus, we continue our investigation into Jeopardy's increasing horniness, we go deep on Fantasia, and Emily claims the ultimate triumph: a successful Blind Final Jeopardy guess at home. Please follow the show on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast and on Twitter at @jeopardypodcast for more news and updates about the show. SOURCE: Los Angeles Times: "Fantastic 'Fantasia': Disney Channel Takes a Look at Walt's Great Experiment in Animation" by Charles Solomon. Special thank you to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive. This episode was produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

We're back, baby! It's Season 41 of Jeopardy! and Season 2 of our little show about the smartest show on television. Of course, all your favorite segments are here and as good as ever. It's a wild week that accurately mimics the start of a new season, with some nervous energy from a lot of contestants, some weird buzzer form, and two anecdotes that will almost surely be in contention for Anecdote of the Year in the 2025 Jeoppys. Plus, J! fans (and us) are rightfully upset about a particular figure showing up as a J! clue, we go deep on Ringo Starr, and Tawny Newsome joins us to give us her insight into being a Jeopardy! clue for the first time. Please follow the show on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast and on Twitter at @jeopardypodcast. SOURCE: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: "Ringo Starr: The Hall of Fame Essay" by Parke Puterbaugh. Special thank you to the J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan. This episode was produced by Producer Dan. Art by Max Wittert. Music by Nate Heller.

It's time to celebrate! Season 40 of Jeopardy! and Season 1 of our podcast is in the books, and while it was a strange season full of tournaments and this podcast didn't start until halfway through it, we are still giving out awards! It's a look back at the wildest anecdotes, responses, and headlines of the year as we crown our first-ever Jeoppy award winners. And yes, we are going to make physical trophies and give them out to the winners. Follow us on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast and on Twitter at @jeopardypodcast. Produced by Producer Dan. Art by Max Wittert. Music by Nate Heller.

Jeopardy! is off for the summer, but we aren't! At least not yet, as we crown our first-ever Player of the Year, Isaac Hirsch, and sit down for a lengthy chat with the 9-game champion. We ask about everything you've been dying to know, including his Tournament of Champions preparation, his bad math that cost him his 10th win, and how it felt when Ken said he had sex appeal. Plus, we commiserate about our comedy careers and IBS, discuss some of Isaac's more memorable anecdotes, and finally get the answer to the question everyone has been dying to know: how did it feel to become a gay icon? And lastly, everyone's favorite WIAJP game returns: do you remember the questions you got wrong on Jeopardy!? We will be back at some point in the next few weeks with our Season 40 Awards, and then the show won't return until regular play resumes in the fall. So stay tuned for that and in the meantime, follow the damn show! We are on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast and on Twitter at @jeopardypodcast.

It's the final week of Season 40 and everyone has Senioritis, including your hosts! It's a strange week of games that sees a couple runs end just when they looked like they were heating up, some weird clues have us a bit confounded, and Ken gets just a little bit horny. It is brat summer, after all. Plus, we discuss WikiFeet, Jeopardy! fans are upset about a Carol Burnett Show Triple Stumper, and we go deep (no pun intended) on the life and times of the Unsinkable One, Molly Brown. Please follow the show on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast and on Twitter at @jeopardypodcast. SOURCE: Molly Brown House Museum: "The Many Myths of Molly Brown" by Heather Pressman, National Endowment for the Humanities: "Beyond Unsinkable" by Laura Harbold, and Kansas City Times: "Deeds of Heroism Seemed the Natural Action of 'The Unsinkable Mrs. Brown'" by Gene Fowler. Special thank you to the J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan. This episode was produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

We don't have too many good ideas on this show, but we may have stumbled upon one this time around, as we demand the J! producers bring back all the contestants we think are the nicest and gentlest to play their own, quiet version of the game without being pestered by all the brash trivia mavens that grace the Alex Trebek Stage. Make it happen, Davies! Plus, Micah Had F, we say goodbye to Isaac Hirsch, J! fans are upset about math, and we dive deep–like way deep, man–on the life and times of Timothy Leary. Please follow the show on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast and on Twitter at @jeopardypodcast. SOURCE: Vice: "Timothy Leary Turns 100: America's LSD Messiah, Remembered by Those Who Knew Him" by Ed Prideaux, and Wired: "Timothy Leary's Transformation From Scientist to Psychedelic Celebrity" by Greg Miller. Special thank you to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive. This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

Which kind of Josh are you? It's the question on everyone's mind this week as John records in a foreign land (his parents' basement) and we see another man added to the Tournament of Champions invite list as Isaac Hirsch punches his ticket with another delightful week of play. Isaac also continues his great run of anecdotes and we get a surprise contender for "Anecdote of the Season" when Stephanie describes her unfortunate run-in with glow sticks. Plus, Emily has a unique week ahead at work due to being close to an adult toy trade show, we dive deep on the tales of Sinbad the Sailor, and Jeopardy! has a major scoring correction moment that leaves John and Emily dizzy with excitement. Please follow the show on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast and on Twitter at @jeopardypodcast. SOURCE: Britannica: "Sindbad the Sailor", and Library of Congress: "The Seven Voyages of Sindbad the Sailor" by Anchi Hoh. Special thank you to J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan. This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

Isaac Hirsch tempted fate with a Wednesday anecdote about his Jeopardy!-losing father, but it mattered not, as he rattled off three straight wins and has the look of a potential ToC entrant, leisure suit and all. It was a fun week on the show as Emily wonders if Canada Day is real and John is furious when the contestants treat a Canadian category like it isn't. We also get one of the responses of the year in a French slang category, Parade Magazine enters the fray in the J! Fans Are Fuming segment, and we dive deep on the "Most Beautiful Woman Slayer", Beulah Annan. Please follow the show on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast and on Twitter at @jeopardypodcast. SOURCE: Chicago History Museum: "True Crime in the '20s: The Beulah Annan Story" by Jojo Galvin, and Chicago History Magazine: "Jailhouse Makeovers" by Douglas Perry. Special thank you to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive. This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert. Additional content by Chris Thayer.

It's a full week of Drew Basile on the podcast, as he wins his way into the Tournament of Champions, finds himself exhausted on Friday and his streak ends at 7 days. But what a week it was, and we run it all down here, from Jeopardy! clue writers picking a hilarious category name to John learning that Duncan Hines was a guy who did some other stuff also. Plus, J! fans are upset and just a little bit pedantic about a clue, we hear a perfect Jeopardy! anecdote, and we dive deep on the legend of Colonel Harland Sanders. Please follow the show on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast and on Twitter at @jeopardypodcast. And if you like the show...tell a friend! SOURCE: The New Yorker: "Kentucky-Fried" by William Whitworth. Special thank you to the J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan. This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

John is BACK from his European vacation where he gets revenge on Katie and Emily making fun of him by actually meeting Limp Bizkit's lead singer Fred Durst, and having a lovely time seeing them in Belfast. We go super long on this one as the week has so much to offer, from the end of Adriana Harmeyer's run to a potential new streak as Drew Basile stacks up three wins. One of those wins? It's in a TIEBREAKER, folks. What a week! Plus, John finds some commonality with one of Drew's anecdotes, Emily finds some more J! fans FUMING over the use of new slang, and we go deep on Wagner's Ring Cycle. Please follow the show on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast and on Twitter at @jeopardypodcast. SOURCE: Music History Monday: "The Miracle at Bayreuth" by Robert Greenberg. Special thank you to The Jeopardy! Fan and the J-Archive. This episode is produced by Rob Pera. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

Surprise! In more ways than one. With John still away on vacation, writer, editor, Jeopardy! fan, Ken Jennings twitter mutual, and friend of the pod Louis Peitzman is formally invited to guest co-host the show. We recap another week of Harmeyer dominance, only slightly overshadowed by the best anecdote of the season. All my IBS girlies, rise up! Plus, famous fingers and nipples get discussed. And we were so busy incepting ourselves into the JFAF segment that we didn't even notice a huge change to our favorite show! Special thanks to J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan for the data. This episode is produced by Producer Rob. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

While John's away for not at all embarrassing reasons, Celebrity Jeopardy! finalist Katie Nolan steps in to fill his shoes. We hear some juicy BTS gossip about her time on the Alex Trebek stage, before celebrating the (so far) unstoppable force that is Adriana Harmeyer. Some absolute cuties got fed into the Adriana wood chipper this week, and we try to give them their due. Emily did some killing this week, and not in the comedy way. And did you know you can negotiate with your dentist? Katie tells you how! Plus: what *is* chili? And where *is* Detroit? Special Hot Dog Correspondent Jamie Loftus helps us out via text to set the Jeopardy! fans at ease. Special thanks to the J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan. This episode is produced by Producer Rob. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

We're back to our regularly scheduled programming with our weekly recaps and the season of the just-shy-of-five-day champions continues, as we wave goodbye to 4-day champ Amar Kakirde and say hello to current 3-day champion Adriana Harmeyer. It's a very fun week on the show as Emily forgets to provide an anecdote so John gets to freelance, Jeopardy fans (and John!) are fuming about the attribution of a song, and we learn a bunch about Magellan's death at the hands of Lapulapu. Please follow the show on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast and on Twitter at @jeopardypodcast. SOURCE: History Extra: "Dire Straits: The Story of Ferdinand Magellan's Fatal Voyage of Discovery" by Pat Kinsella. Special thank you to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive. This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

As promised, we recap the entire 2024 Masters tournament in one episode with none other than Second Chance and Champions Wildcard winner (and ToC quarterfinalist!) Juveria Zaheer! While we do discuss the Masters and Victoria proving she is truly the Queen of Quiz, this episode is so much more than that as we dig into Juveria's Jeopardy! journey, what J! fame can mean and how to deal with it, game theory, and Juveria wildly impresses us with a game we invented just for her. It's an episode you absolutely do NOT want to miss!

The 3-day curse is broken, but Grant DeYoung runs into the dreaded 4-day curse, falling one win short of a guaranteed TOC invite. But that's ok, as Amar Kakirde is here to pick up the slack and starts a 3-day run of his own, to be continued this week. The games barely matter this week as we are enthralled by Ellen Klages' "Scary Ham" story, one we liked so much that we break the "Final Jeopardy! Deep Dive" to go deep on that instead. Plus, it's a new entry in the "Response of the Year" category as all 3 players can't remember who fronted Van Halen, we learn Ken Jennings and Drew Carey share a birthday, and John finally gets to watch a Calgarian play the game. And a quick programming note: our Masters recap will be coming out early next week with a VERY special guest. Get excited! Source: Reactor Magazine: "The Scary Ham" by Ellen Klages. Virginia Living: "The Ham Man" by Richard Ernsberger Jr. Special thanks to the J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan. This episode was produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

We are back to start the week with our friend Will Stewart, who succumbs to the same problem that has befallen many a champion to start this Season 40: winning the fourth game. He falls just shy, and passes the torch to a new three-gamer, Grant DeYoung. Will he have what it takes to...break the fourth wall? Plus, it's the mini-return of Emily's Garden Show, we zero in on Will's anecdote where he is forced to do stand-up comedy as a punishment, and we learn about Canada's finest beverage export: Canada Dry Ginger Ale. Source: Mashed: "The Untold Truth of Canada Dry" by Brian Boone. The Canadian Encyclopedia: "John J. McLaughlin" by Jamie Bradburn. Special thanks to J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan. This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Art by Max Wittert. Music by Nate Heller.

It's a week of almosts on Jeopardy!, as Weckiai Rannila and Alison Gross both have impressive 3-day runs, but ultimately fall short of the automatic entry to the Tournament of Champions. But it's ok, because we love the vibe of Friday's game and we love our new champion Will, who learned everything there is to know from The Simpsons. Emily also learned something brand new about her parents this week, and John got a taste of Alberta living. Plus, we found out that Jeopardy! fans were very upset with a Final Jeopardy clue, and the Cabbage Patch Kids made some people an awful lot of money. Oh, and that Emily looked like one when she was a baby. Source: TIME: "The Strange Cabbage Patch Craze" by Otto Friedrich. Associated Press: "Cleveland's Cabbage Patch Kids Turn 25". Special thanks to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive. This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

Are you rich and got even richer by winning on Jeopardy!? Give us a call! It's a great showing and a sure Second Chance invite for Ferdinand Percentie as Amy Hummel gets the 3rd TOC invite of the season–the second from regular play–and Weckiai Rannila starts a streak of her own after knowing how to dance the Macarena and some poor FJ! wagering from her opponent. We learn a LOT about the Macarena this week including the insane Canadian history of the song, Jeopardy! fans are fuming about a Triple Stumper, and we make a lot of Occupy Wall Street jokes on a podcast in 2024. We get it. Special note this week: we will be covering the ongoing Jeopardy! Masters, but all at once, when it's over, with a special guest. So stay tuned for that. Source: Stereogum: "The Number Ones: 'Macarena' by Los Del Rio" by Tom Breihan. Special thanks to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive. This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Art by Max Wittert. Music by Nate Heller.

It's the week of Amy Hummel! We have a new 3-game champion and we also have one of our favorite responses of the week...EVER. We also learn a lot about our contestants' musical pursuits, Ken has a new Final Jeopardy! tic we are enjoying, and we wildly screw up once again in our new closing segment of the show, "Final Final Jeopardy!" Plus, you'll find out why Jeopardy! fans are apparently imagining Alex Trebek rolling over in his grave and we learn a lot about the luxurious and disastrous Hindenburg. You can follow the show on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast and on Twitter at @jeopardypodcast. And if you like the show, please rate it 5 stars wherever you're listening to it, and tell a friend! Source: Airships.net: "LZ-129 Hindenburg: A Detailed History" by Dan Grossman. Special Thanks to The Jeopardy! Fan and the J-Archive. This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

We have our first entrant into the Season 40 Tournament of Champions, and it's Alison Betts! After a few runaways and one close game, Alison wins her fifth game and punches her ticket to the ToC, but she is dethroned by another strong player, Marko Saric. We break down all the games as usual, plus Emily reveals her history with The Lonely Island, curling gets mentioned on the show, J! fans are Joker-fied after the Harley Quinn FJ! clue, and we conclude it all with a little parley at the Summit. You can follow us on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast and on Twitter at @jeopardypodcast. Source: International Churchill Society: "Churchill and the 'German Question'" by Klaus Larres. Special Thanks to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive. This episode is produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

It's baaaaaaacckkkkk! Regular games have returned after the completion of the JIT...but the first game back leaves us wondering if maybe the tournaments should come back, actually. We cover Victoria's triumphant victory at the JIT, the emergence of our first great player of the new season, and some hilarities that could only ensue on a regular-play game of J! We also dig into the controversy surrounding the Producer's Pick for the Masters, and we learn about Xolo dogs. You can follow us on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast and on Twitter at @jeopardypodcast. Source: American Kennel Club: Xoloitzcuintli Dog Breed Information. Special thanks to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive. Produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.