What Is...? A Jeopardy! Podcast

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.

We are back to regularly scheduled programming after last week's first-ever guest, and it's time to start JIT-ting everywhere as we cover the final QF game, all the semifinals, and Finals Game 1. Victoria Groce knocks off Sam Buttrey to ensure the possibility of a new Masters contestant, Amy gets two $400 clues correct that save her tournament life, and Andrew continues true-Daily-Doubling his way to the top, with some great anecdotes along the way. In JFAF, the Canadian fans are pissed off about a Triple Stumper on Gordon Lightfoot and we go deep on The Golden Horde. Follow us on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast and on Twitter at @jeopardypodcast. Special thanks to The Jeopardy! Fan and the J-Archive. Produced by Producer Dan, Music by Nate Heller, Art by Max Wittert.

It's our first episode with a guest and we go extra long as Alex Jacob, 2015 Tournament of Champions winner and recent JIT competitor, joins us to break down his game in detail and all of the games last week as the JIT quarterfinals near their conclusion. And if one guest wasn't enough, Laurie Kilmartin (comedian) also very quickly joins us to discuss how good it felt to be a Jeopardy! clue last week, and how she hopes it leads to good things. This episode is full of good things as Chuck Forrest returns to the Alex Trebek stage, a few Chasers return after long layoffs, and David Madden gives one of the best anecdotes in recent memory. In JFAF, Ken shows off his tie collection, and John dives deep into the wild life of Al Capone. Follow us on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast and on Twitter at @jeopardypodcast. Sources: History.com: "Al Capone - Scarface" and "8 Things You Should Know About Al Capone" by Elizabeth Nix. The Mob Museum: "Al Capone" My Al Capone Museum: "Origins of the Scars" by Mario Gomes. Special thanks to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive. Produced by Producer Dan Music by Nate Heller Art by Max Wittert

It's the tale of two tournaments this week, as we crown our Tournament of Champions winner and immediately move on to the final syndicated competition of the "Jeopardy! postseason", the Jeopardy Invitational Tournament. It's the JIT, folks. But first, we discuss Yogesh's consecutive wins that bring him the ToC crown and discuss more broadly his very impressive ToC run, before we turn our attention to the cavalcade of returning contestants in the JIT. A bunch of our faves are here, we get an early upset, and we look ahead to next week's games. In the JFAF segment, we hear from fans upset that Brad Rutter is not in the JIT, Sam Buttrey has a new occupation, and Mike Richards tries his hand at rehabbing his image through the fine folks at People Magazine. And finally, we decrypt the Rosetta Stone. Follow us on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast and on Twitter at @jeopardypodcast. Source: ARCE: "The Rosetta Stone: Unlocking the Ancient Egyptian Language" by Foy Scalf. Archaeology Magazine: "The Race to Crack the Code" by Jason Urbanus. Special thanks to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive. Produced by Producer Dan Music by Nate Heller Art by Max Wittert

The Tournament of Champions final is HERE! After remembering Monday's Semifinal 3, we jump right into what was an absolutely chaotic first week in the "best of seven" Tournament of Champions final between Yogesh Raut, Troy Meyer, and Ben Chan. Yogesh has a costly wager in Game 1, Troy rides a huge Daily Double bid to a win in Game 2, Yogesh has a great game to get on the board in Game 3, and a dollar-perfect scenario happens in Game 4, where Ben is able to come from third-place to snatch a victory and a lead heading into the final games of the series. We also love Ben's ability to come up with great anecdotes, Troy fears the Illuminati and Swifties (are they the same thing?), and Yogesh seems to have nailed the buzzer timing as the week ends, setting up a great finish. We also discuss our Triple Stumper celebrations and the UN's Peruvian Secretary General. Follow us on Instagram at @whatisajeopardypodcast and on Twitter at @jeopardypodcast. Source: The New York Times: "The U.N.'s Man in the Middle" by Jane Rosen was the feature piece, and a number of New York Times articles formed the other sourcing. Special thanks to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive. Produced by Producer Dan Music by Nate Heller Art by Max Wittert

It's another huge week in the Jeopar-verse, as Ike Barinholtz is the first Celebrity Jeopardy! contestant to be granted access into the vaunted Tournament of Champions...and wins a game! And he nearly wins another, as we recap the three quarterfinals and the two semifinals that took place this past week. Yogesh Raut and Ben Chan continue their impressive play, Troy Meyer puts together what is likely the strongest quarterfinal of any ToC player, and all your favorite segments are here as we take a look at the best responses and anecdotes of the week and Emily scours the internet for a Jeopardy! story about...pimento cheese? Follow us on Instagram: @whatisajeopardypodcast Follow us on Twitter: @jeopardypodcast Source: Vulture: "Ike Barinholtz Owes His Big Jeopardy! Victory to Eyes Wide Shut" by Devon Ivie. Colby College: "Rome's Sick: Ovid's Exile" by Various. The Jeopardy! Fan: thejeopardyfan.com Produced by Producer Dan Music by Nate Heller Art by Max Wittert

It's here! Join comedians and podcasters Emily Heller (Baby Geniuses) and John Cullen (Blocked Party) for the first episode of their new weekly comedy podcast about all things Jeopardy! The Tournament of Champions has started and we recap the first six games here, from the shocking eliminations of Cris Pannullo and Stephen Webb to a perfect game from Yogesh Raut and a dominating victory from Emily Sands...it's all here! We also reveal our favorite anecdote and response of the week, we scour the internet to find out what people are angry about, and the Final Jeopardy Deep Dive tackles the feud between Alaskan politicians Bob Bartlett and Ernest Gruening. Like, subscribe, share, and tell your friends! Follow us on Instagram: @whatisajeopardypodcast Follow us on Twitter: @jeopardypodcast Source: Anchorage Daily News. "For Alaska's First Senators, An Epic Battle of Ego Came Down to a Coinflip" by David Reamer. Produced by Producer Dan Music: Nate Heller Art: Max Wittert

Welcome to the first-ever comedy podcast about Jeopardy! Emily Heller and John Cullen are two (dumb) comedians who have one smart thing in common...they love Jeopardy! So join us every week for game recaps, our favorite anecdotes, responses, and all the other stupid and fun content you crave about America's best game show.