Jeopardy UK with Stephen Fry

[Blumf]

New series on ITV hosted by Stephen Fry (although, I'm sure there's been a UK version before, late-80's/90's?)

A tried and true format, but unfortunately it seems to have been sucked dry of any levity here.

Fry seems to be on Mogadon and the whole show is lifeless and empty. Even the trademark tune, when the contestants write their answers, seems to be listless. You spend more time wondering how they mucked up the format than answering questions.

Not sure if they can rescue this.

[holyzombiejesus]

I don't understand why Fry would do this. Is it just greed? He's (wrongly) perceived as some kind of intellectual, an erudite 'thinker', and then pops up nicking Stephen Mulehern's jobs on ITV. Oh, he's just a horrible cunt.

[McDead]

He's increasingly got the look of someone who's deeply ashamed of something, but trying to hide it. Don't know what it might be, but he has a sort of "smiling through the tears" mien these days. It's unsettling.

Also, I don't like him. I was quite excited about this, I've always wanted Jeopardy! to make it across the pond in some way, but then I remembered he was the host, so sacked it off. Christ, 1988 and those early series of ABOFAL suddenly seems a very long way away.

[JesusAndYourBush]

I've never liked it. Having to "answer in the form of a question" by adding "what is" is dumb as hell.  They might as well be adding "Simon says" or any other two words.

[C_Larence]

Here's how you make an episode of jeopardy

1 minute 30 seconds to say hello this is jeopardy, these are the contestants and these are the categories (skip)
3 minutes of first round
ads (pharmaceutical, legal, political) (skip)
1 minutes 30 (absolute max) for the contestants to tell the most inane anecdotes you've ever heard (skip)
3 minutes to finish first round
more ads (skip)
5-6 minutes of second round aka double jeopardy
30 seconds to sum up the scores so far and announce the final jeopardy category
last ads (skip)
2 minutes for final jeopardy (can skip the timer and get this down to 30 seconds if you want)
END

Assuming you skip, that's 15 minutes of pure efficient quizzing. You could watch 3 episodes in the time it takes to watch the ITV version (4 without ads)! They've fucked it completely, but the thing that bothers me the most is how much time is wasted on Stephen Fry pointlessly elaborating on the answers.

[famethrowa]

Is it maybe that Alex Trebek (RIP) had a weirdly brilliant stoic charisma that no-one else can replicate? The USA show would probably have been cancelled after a year if Alex's charmingly dry erudition hadn't carried it through.

[The Late Satoru Iwata]

Apparently (according to a wife of mine) Fry fell in love with the American show and lobbied to get it launched here with himself as host, so it's not just him taking a weird gig out of desperation.

And we did have a UK version before hosted by everyone's favourite celebrity brother, Paul Ross. (And, it turns out, loads of other blokes)

[C_Larence]

Is it maybe that Alex Trebek (RIP) had a weirdly brilliant stoic charisma that no-one else can replicate? The USA show would probably have been cancelled after a year if Alex's charmingly dry erudition hadn't carried it through.

According to wikipedia, Art Fleming had previously hosted a few different daytime versions of the show from 1964-79. Alex Trebek presented from 1984 onwards. Ken Jennings currently hosts in America and does ok. Some of the guest hosts during the period after Trebek's death weren't bad either, I seem to remember American Footballer Aaron Rodgers being surprisingly good.

[The Late Satoru Iwata]

Just limped through episode 1 on ITVX and boy it really is a slog. Even now I still find Fry a comforting presence but he doesn't suit this. The whole thing feels like a lockdown version of a quiz show but with audience noise peppered in. I don't know if it's a real audience but if it is, their reluctance to react vocally to things is as big a suck on the atmos as the too-long format and Fry's tortuous explanations.

However, in defence of the UK version, that tedious version of the Final Jeopardy(!) music is imported, it's exactly what the original version currently uses.

[The Late Satoru Iwata]

He's increasingly got the look of someone who's deeply ashamed of something, but trying to hide it.

He watched Hellraiser III and learned his husband is destined to become Pinhead.

[superthunderstingcar]

And we did have a UK version before hosted by everyone's favourite celebrity brother, Paul Ross.

So close to greatness! If only they'd gone for Paul Chuckle instead...

[Maureen Brontë]

I don't understand why Fry would do this. Is it just greed? He's (wrongly) perceived as some kind of intellectual, an erudite 'thinker', and then pops up nicking Stephen Mulehern's jobs on ITV.

Still doing voiceovers for Sainsbury's ads for some reason as well.

Was Jeopardy filmed before his accident in September (broken leg, pelvis, hip and ribs) or does it look more recent?

[DrGreggles]

Aaron Rodgers isn't busy.

[Norton Canes]

Feel like pure shit just want Tipping Point

[Alberon]

Stumbled onto an episode of this the other day and had to watch the slow-motion car crash for about ten minutes. As others have said, there's no atmosphere. The canned audience noises only emphasise the soulless void the studio seems to occupy. As a host Fry is nothing short of terrible, but even the mighty Steven Mulhern couldn't save this shit.

Jeopardy is an institution in the States so I can't think the rights to a UK version would have been that cheap. Why this version is an hour though, I don't understand. Just to fit in the slot The Chase fills?

[The Late Satoru Iwata]

According to an article I found, Fry is also hosting an Australian version, being filmed at the same time. Does this mean they're flying a constant stream of Aussie contestants to Salford for filming? No fucking clue and I've lost the will to research it.

[The Late Satoru Iwata]

Really weird that the buzzers are silent. It's consistent with the American version, but it doesn't help the vacuum vibe. At least edit straight to someone pressing one to keep the pace up.

[Theoretical Dentist]

According to an article I found, Fry is also hosting an Australian version, being filmed at the same time. Does this mean they're flying a constant stream of Aussie contestants to Salford for filming? No fucking clue and I've lost the will to research it.

I just found out the same thing, and according to this article it's being filmed in Manchester with Australian contestants, which sounds good for the planet and the Australian TV industry.

I've never seen any version of Jeopardy! but it really is an American institution, as witnessed by the number of Jeopardy!-related Wikipedia articles including one about strategies and skills of champions which seems improbably long for what looks like a pretty simple format.

[Mr Trumpet]

He's increasingly got the look of someone who's deeply ashamed of something, but trying to hide it. Don't know what it might be, but he has a sort of "smiling through the tears" mien these days. It's unsettling.

He pushed in front of me at a buffet once and took ALL the ham (there was loads). So it's probably that.

Jeopardy looks daft to me. Nobody answers simple questions in that weird convoluted way.

[jobotic]

My partner watched this and said Fry had to keep explaining to the contestants how it worked. "No, you say "what is?", do you see?".

Is this correct or is she lying to me and putting our relationship in...hehe.. jeopardy?

[Terry Torpid]

The whole thing feels like a lockdown version of a quiz show but with audience noise peppered in.

I think Mitchell would be a decent quiz host. He could get some tips from his wife.

[Gulftastic]

Feel like pure shit just want Tipping Point

Me too. I miss those thick twats and there amazing inability to adjust their timing to avoid riders.

[Norton Canes]

Plus getting to hear Ben say 'hard on'

[Bently Sheds]

Yeah, this version of Jeopardy can't replace the tension that Magnet Man creates on Tipping Point.

[Indomitable Spirit]

According to an article I found, Fry is also hosting an Australian version, being filmed at the same time. Does this mean they're flying a constant stream of Aussie contestants to Salford for filming? No fucking clue and I've lost the will to research it.

Might be able to help here as I went to a taping of the all new Wheel of Fortune hosted by Graham Norton about a month ago which I'm assuming was made by the same production company. Similarly, the episode I saw was filmed for the Australian market with contestants they said they'd shipped in from down under (though I read an article afterwards saying that they might have actually been ex-pats living in the UK which makes more sense.)

Like Jeopardy, the show had a strangely dead and cheap atmosphere despite the fact it was hosted by one of the biggest names on UK TV. They'd replaced the game board where you manually spin the letters around with a big, soulless video board. No glamourous co-host for Graham to bounce off. No kitschy prize VTs for him to take the piss out of. Graham desperately tried to extract humour from the contestants to mild titters from the audience. However, they did record the audience cheering and laughing in cod Australian accents before the show, so I imagine they'll make it sound like we were all having a whale of a time once the show's broadcast.

I will add that Graham was a a genuine GBOL who had fun with audience between takes and showed no diva-ish behaviour at all, but the whole thing felt like a waste of time and Norton's talents. A big camp piss take of an old gameshow could have been a lot of fun.

[Phoenix Lazarus]

He pushed in front of me at a buffet once and took ALL the ham

He's perhaps related to that brat in the thread about kids.

[Phoenix Lazarus]

And I don't mean touchingcloth.

[Blumf]

They'd replaced the game board where you manually spin the letters around with a big, soulless video board.

The fuck!? What is the point of watching it without the big wheel to spin?

[Indomitable Spirit]

Sorry, I wasn't clear. The actual Wheel Of Fortune is still used. The board below with the answers on is now a big video board sans glamourous co-host.

[Blumf]

Ah, well that's almost just as shit. So fuck 'em!