Transcript 01/13/2010 - Jamie Harcos

[BBTranscriptTeam]

Jamie Harcos
San Francisco, CA
firefighter

Jamie almost got himself arrested last night in NY; while sitting in a noisy restaurant his phone rang and he saw it was from Millionaire. So he jumped up and ran out of the restaurant. He was followed closely by the waiter, who thought he was trying to skip out on the check!

Today's expert is CNN coanchor Kiran Chetry.

Question Topics:
Just Married
1964
Shakespeare
The Civil War
Poetry
The Human Body
Tom Hanks
U.S. History
Science Books
Pop Singers
2009 Movies
Cocktails
Wal-Mart
National Sports
Riddles

$500 - Riddles
An old riddle asks, "If a tree falls in the woods and no one is around to hear it, does it" what?
A: Make a sound B: Stay there forever
C: Replenish the soil D: Bankrupt the Keebler elves

Spoiler

A: Make a sound (5)

$1000 - National Sports
In 1994, which of these countries declared ice hockey to be its national winter sport?
A: United Kingdom B: Canada
C: Italy D: Japan

Spoiler

B: Canada (9)

$2000 - Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart raised some eyebrows in 2009 when it began selling knockoffs of Thin Mints and Tagalongs, two kinds of what?
A: Mobile phones B: Stuffed animals
C: Designer shoes D: Girl Scout cookies

Spoiler

D: Girl Scout cookies (6)

$3,000 - Cocktails
As its name implies, the cocktail known as a "fuzzy navel" combines peach schnapps with what kind of juice?
A: Apple B: Cranberry
C: Orange D: Tomato

Spoiler

C: Orange (8)

$5,000 - 2009 Movies
What 2009 movie's release prompted an Austrian state official to quip, "I hope the lederhosen industry gets a boost"?
A: Brüno B: Paul Blart: Mall Cop
C: The Hangover D: Year One

Spoiler

A: Brüno (7)

$7,500 - Pop Singers
Sasha Fierce is the name of the extroverted alter ego of what chart-topping singer?
A: Beyoncé B: Ciara
C: Rihanna D: Fergie


With 18 seconds remaining, Jamie decides to Ask the Audience.

ATA results

ATA: A: 68% B: 7% C: 6% D: 19%

Jamie decides to answer

Spoiler

A

Spoiler

A: Beyoncé (13)

$10,000 - Science Books
In 2005, what science author's "A Briefer History of Time" was released as an updated version of his best-selling 1988 work?
A: Stephen Jay Gould B: Edward O. Wilson
C: Stephen Hawking D: Oliver Sacks

With 14 seconds remaining, Jamie decides to Ask The Expert.

ATE discussion

Kiran asks Jamie if he has managed to eliminate any choices? (which he had not) Kiran says she is leaning toward C, but it's a guess, the "only one that rings a bell."

With 13 seconds remaining, Jamie decides to Double Dip.

His first answer is

Spoiler

C

, and it is correct.

Spoiler

C: Stephen Hawking (13)

-- Commercial Break --

$12,500 - U.S. History
Before he was president, who negotiated and signed the treaty acquiring the Louisiana Purchase territory?
A: James Madison B: James Monroe
C: John Quincy Adams D: Andrew Jackson

Jamie just doesn't have an idea, so he chooses to walk away with $10,000.

Spoiler

B: James Monroe ( )

[silverscreenselect]

Today's expert is CNN coanchor Kiran Chetry.


With 14 seconds remaining, Jamie decides to Ask The Expert.

Kiran asks Jamie if he has managed to eliminate any choices? (which he had not) Kiran says she is leaning toward C, but it's a guess, the "only one that rings a bell."

1) Somehow, I doubt if people like Walter Cronkite and David Brinkley would have missed questions like this. But then again, we have "news anchors" who still believe in Obama and Santa Claus.

2) I predict that we'll be able to count the number of six-digit winners the remainder of this season on the fingers of one hand and have a finger or two left over.

[rgcviper]

2) I predict that we'll be able to count the number of six-digit winners the remainder of this season on the fingers of one hand and have a finger or two left over.

Sadly, you're probably right.

What's the deal? People in primetime won big regularly, and even in the first season of syndication, we had two millionaires.

Why have the results gone downhill so drastically since then?

[MarleysGh0st]

2) I predict that we'll be able to count the number of six-digit winners the remainder of this season on the fingers of one hand and have a finger or two left over.

Sadly, you're probably right.

What's the deal? People in primetime won big regularly, and even in the first season of syndication, we had two millionaires.

Why have the results gone downhill so drastically since then?

1. The syndicated budget is smaller than primetime's, so the questions have become tougher.

2. TPTB have become more interested in contestants' stories than their game play.

[Phil Ken Sebbin]

2) I predict that we'll be able to count the number of six-digit winners the remainder of this season on the fingers of one hand and have a finger or two left over.

Sadly, you're probably right.

What's the deal? People in primetime won big regularly, and even in the first season of syndication, we had two millionaires.

Why have the results gone downhill so drastically since then?

I'm predicting I will be able to count the 6 digit winners through the remainder of the season on my arms (read: one or two.)

I think the "improvements" have partially lead to the decrease in Millionaires. TDC, removal of PAF, quality of experts, double dip have all had their effect. I also believe the overall downturn in the economy and TPTB's tendency to pick hardluck stories also are keeping people from risking medium amounts for the chance of big winnings. When you are unemployed, the difference between $15k and $5k is pretty large.

[silverscreenselect]

2. TPTB have become more interested in contestants' stories than their game play.

Looking at it in a different way, however, how much money does Jeopardy usually give out a day? My guess would be about 20-25K (a lot depends on just how close the contestants are to each other at the end of the regular game). I don't follow Wheel of Fortune, but they are probably in the same range. If you have two contestants a day on Syndie BAM who wind up with 10-25K apiece, the show is still giving out about the same amounts as its competition.

A 50K day on Jeopardy, while not unheard of, is a much rarer occurrence than a 50K Millionaire winner regardless of the rules they play under.

[MarleysGh0st]

2. TPTB have become more interested in contestants' stories than their game play.

Looking at it in a different way, however, how much money does Jeopardy usually give out a day? My guess would be about 20-25K (a lot depends on just how close the contestants are to each other at the end of the regular game). I don't follow Wheel of Fortune, but they are probably in the same range. If you have two contestants a day on Syndie BAM who wind up with 10-25K apiece, the show is still giving out about the same amounts as its competition.

A 50K day on Jeopardy, while not unheard of, is a much rarer occurrence than a 50K Millionaire winner regardless of the rules they play under.

Yes, but that's my point #1: the budget.

Point #2 has an effect on game play, and particularly on risk-taking, which compounds the effect of the tougher stacks.

[Phil Ken Sebbin]

2. TPTB have become more interested in contestants' stories than their game play.

Looking at it in a different way, however, how much money does Jeopardy usually give out a day? My guess would be about 20-25K (a lot depends on just how close the contestants are to each other at the end of the regular game). I don't follow Wheel of Fortune, but they are probably in the same range. If you have two contestants a day on Syndie BAM who wind up with 10-25K apiece, the show is still giving out about the same amounts as its competition.

A 50K day on Jeopardy, while not unheard of, is a much rarer occurrence than a 50K Millionaire winner regardless of the rules they play under.

All very true, SSS. But it seems as though Millionaire is trying to find ways to reduce contestants winnings over the last few years while Wheel and J! seem to be increasing them. I guess Millionaire just set the bar too high.

But who am I to complain, I'm one of the fortunate who did get a chance to play, new rules or not. But without complaining, the bored would be pretty boring.

[MarleysGh0st]

But who am I to complain, I'm one of the fortunate who did get a chance to play, new rules or not. But without complaining, the bored would be pretty boring.

You're supposed to leave the complaining to us frustrated wannabes. Those of you who've been given the chance should have nothing but good things to say about TPTB and all of their decisions!

[MarleysGh0st]

2. TPTB have become more interested in contestants' stories than their game play.

Looking at it in a different way, however, how much money does Jeopardy usually give out a day? My guess would be about 20-25K (a lot depends on just how close the contestants are to each other at the end of the regular game). I don't follow Wheel of Fortune, but they are probably in the same range. If you have two contestants a day on Syndie BAM who wind up with 10-25K apiece, the show is still giving out about the same amounts as its competition.

A 50K day on Jeopardy, while not unheard of, is a much rarer occurrence than a 50K Millionaire winner regardless of the rules they play under.

Yes, but that's my point #1: the budget.

Point #2 has an effect on game play, and particularly on risk-taking, which compounds the effect of the tougher stacks.

While talking about the budget, we also have to consider the effect of TPTB bumping up the $1K prize level to $5K (and, to a lesser extent, bumping $2K, $4K and $8K to $7.5K, $10K and $12.5K). According to the statistics on 15QA'a site, between a quarter to a third of SyndieBAM contestants used to leave with $1K. The new generosity to them will mean about a $400K hit to their prize budget (out of an annual total of $6 million, in recent years). TPTB will probably try to compensate for that by making the upper tier even more unobtainable than it has been.

[NellyLunatic1980]

Jamie Harcos
San Francisco, CA
firefighter

Not to pick nits, but his name is spelled "Jaimie". Two Is.

$10,000 - Science Books
In 2005, what science author's "A Briefer History of Time" was released as an updated version of his best-selling 1988 work?
A: Stephen Jay Gould B: Edward O. Wilson
C: Stephen Hawking D: Oliver Sacks

I knew it was one of the Stephens, but I couldn't remember which. ATA.

$12,500 - U.S. History
Before he was president, who negotiated and signed the treaty acquiring the Louisiana Purchase territory?
A: James Madison B: James Monroe
C: John Quincy Adams D: Andrew Jackson

No clue on this one, although I think I could eliminate C and D while in the Hot Seat. Double Dip on A and B.

Is it me or has this show been asking an unusually high number of questions with J.Q. Adams and Andrew Jackson as choices lately?

[Estonut]

Is it me or has this show been asking an unusually high number of questions with J.Q. Adams and Andrew Jackson as choices lately?

I think you have been...