Shraman Mitra
Created by Merv Griffin, ‘Jeopardy’ is an exciting game show that deals with general trivia but does away with the usual question-and-answer format. Instead, each participant is provided with a set of clues or explanations that can lead to only one specific idea, person, thing, or place. Armed with the clues, the participants must keep asking the host questions until they can figure out the entity or thing being talked about. Besides, since ‘Jeopardy’ has no definite barrier and can provide clues from any field or subject, it generally leads to a lot of chaos among the participants., until the answer is revealed.
While such a unique approach to the quiz format has made viewers question the show’s authenticity from its very premiere, fans have also been curious to know if the results of the game show are pre-determined before filming. On the other hand, apart from there being rumors about contestants getting the answers beforehand, people have also questioned if the host’s interesting jibes and jokes are pre-written. Well, let’s investigate and find out if ‘Jeopardy’ is scripted or real, shall we?
Is Jeopardy Scripted?
While ‘Jeopardy’ has always been presented as an unscripted and authentic game show, there are some parts that are pre-planned and arguably scripted. Interestingly, if a show is to be completely authentic, it has to do away with all kinds of pre-written scrips, while an action cannot be rehearsed beforehand and enacted in front of the camera. Also, producers are expected not to influence the narrative, as most of what we see is spontaneous and genuine.
Even though a game show cannot tick off all these boxes, as there are several factors that are bound to be pre-determined, the participants are still given free rein to be themselves in front of the camera. For starters, we are happy to report that the gameplay in ‘Jeopardy’ is entirely unscripted, and none of the results are determined beforehand. Moreover, the contestants have absolutely no idea about the questions they are going to face, as the show doesn’t even provide them with a study guide or the topics and categories to go through.
Instead, one must depend completely on their trivia knowledge and intelligence in order to survive the rounds. Interestingly, during the audition process, each contestant who passes the initial test is invited to the studio for a test round. Apart from introducing each participant to the game mechanics, the test round also acts as a screener through which the production team gets an idea of how each person will feel on television. However, people who have auditioned for ‘Jeopardy’ previously claim that the test rounds are organized in controlled environments and aren’t as nerve-wracking as the main event.
That being said, there are several factors of the show that are pre-determined, starting with the participants who get to appear in front of the cameras. While each contestant is thoroughly screened before being invited onto the show, the production team also asks them to submit a list of the most exciting events in their lives. These lists are further shortened before being handed to the host in order to give him topics for conversation during filming.
On the other hand, while some of the quips and jokes made by the host are written by a team of writers, the expressions and reactions are all spontaneous and genuine. Furthermore, in order for a smooth operation, the list of questions and answers is also prepared beforehand, although it is kept secret from the contestants. Interestingly, there have been several rumors about ‘Jeopardy’ allegedly putting up average opponents against brilliant contests, and some have accused the show of trying to rig the results.
Nevertheless, we advise readers to take such assumptions with a grain of salt as nothing is officially proven. That being said, reality shows are made for profit, and producers have the right to make the show much more enjoyable through minor edits during post-processing. Still, this doesn’t affect the authenticity of a game show like ‘Jeopardy,’ which is as unscripted as possible.
Read More: Where is Jeopardy! Masters Filmed?
