The Secret of Jeopardy's Success

[Drake Tungsten]

Nebraskans!

Each time "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek reads a clue that mentions Nebraska -- and it's fairly often -- he teases some staffers after the show.

"Come on. There are only so many questions you can ask about Nebraska," said Trebek, laughing during a telephone interview from his office in Culver City, California.

Clues about the sparsely populated farm state frequently pop up, sometimes stumping those contestants who haven't boned up on Cornhusker trivia.

Why Nebraska? Because four of the show's top producers and writers are from the state.

"They keep trying to slip in Nebraska clues that nobody else knows anything about," Trebek said, "like: 'Where did Henry Fonda and Marlon Brando's mother go to school?"'

Alex, what is Omaha Central High School?

That's the school executive producer Harry Friedman and senior producer Gary Johnson attended in the 1960s. Johnson also is the head writer -- and mostly to blame for all the Nebraska clues.

Also from the state: associate segment producer Stewart Hoke and longtime writer Steve Tamerius.

http://www.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/TV/01/28/jeopardy.writers.ap/index.html

I can't say I'm suprised; Nebraskans are the world's smartest people...

[Boris Godunov]

Everyone knows the show's popularity hinges on the two tympani strikes at the end of the music that they play while the contestants are writing their final answers. That's the money moment.

[Winston]

About the only thing I know about Nebraska is that it's the only state to retain the electric chair as its sole means of executing the condemned.

Capital Lincoln.

That, and it's the title of an early 1980's Bruce Springsteen album.

And wasn't President Ford from Omaha?

[Charlemagne120]

I love the kids jeopardys.....i can honestly say i sweep every category

[Dis]

The kids jeapordy is the only one I do good at

I can do so-so on the college jeapordy. A little better with the high school students.

[Flatlander Fox]

Re: The Secret of Jeopardy's Success

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
I can't say I'm suprised; Nebraskans are the world's smartest people...

Indeed, it's a widely known fact that people from Nebraska are very intelligent. Much more intelligent than others from the U.S.

[Drake Tungsten]

About the only thing I know about Nebraska is that it's the only state to retain the electric chair as its sole means of executing the condemned.

True. The governor (Mike Johanns) tried to change to lethal injection this year, but the special session was held up by an anti-death penalty senator (Ernie Chambers) and the change was never made. I'm sure you'll see a question about this on Jeopardy soon, so remember the names...

And wasn't President Ford from Omaha?

He was born there, but was raised elsewhere.

[Dauphin]

Nebraska bored me to tears when I was there. The highlight of the drive through the state was Carhenge, near Alliance.

Maybe the Eastern part is more interesting as it actually has people and a city?

[Dis]

are there any mountains there? I dislike states with no mountains . I just imagine that state is a completely flat state filled with corn.

[Drake Tungsten]

Maybe the Eastern part is more interesting as it actually has people and a city?

Duh. Western Nebraska and Eastern Nebraska are like completely different states.

Not that Eastern Nebraska is particularly interesting either. Omaha's nice, but that's about it.

[Drake Tungsten]

Originally posted by Dissident
are there any mountains there? I dislike states with no mountains . I just imagine that state is a completely flat state filled with corn.

A detailed map of Nebraska...

[Boris Godunov]

My God, that's the most depressing thing I've seen in ages.

[Sheik]

About the only thing I know about Nebraska is that it's the only state to retain the electric chair as its sole means of executing the condemned.

The only thing I know about Nebraska is that Henry Fonda and Marlon Brando's mother went to school there.

[Charlemagne120]

How brilliant of you? came up with that on your own eh?

[Asher]

Is Nebraska really so sad as to brag about having producers for JEOPARDY being from that state?