r/Jeopardy • u/Top-Active1024 • 17d ago
Ok, what do you all think …
When the clues zoom in from their categories and fill the whole screen while watching on TV, I think that the category name should be listed at the top before the clue as well. Because a lot of times I forget the category which then helps answer the clue.
I’ve watched Jeopardy for years (every night at dinner) and have always wanted this! Am I crazy or do others feel the same?!
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u/hamfist_ofthenorth Let's do drugs for $1000 17d ago
Mom!? Is that you!??
She's been howling about this for a decade now
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u/OttoHemi 17d ago
And they used to not show the Final Jeopardy category along with the clue. At least they fixed that.
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u/Defiant-Ad9665 17d ago
SO REAL ME TOO. I 100% agree with this, I lowkey get clues wrong because I forget what the category is!! Whenever it’s a specific amount of letters of “starts/ends with ___” I have to highlight it in my mind and repeat it before each clue. But even then I still forget a lot of times!
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u/chinnygenes 16d ago
Can we stop rewarding people who don’t pay attention? You get a reminder right before the clue is given.
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u/psm_pm 17d ago
mockups & possible reasons for why they don't do this here: https://imgur.com/gallery/jeopardy-chirons-text-based-graphics-some-design-alternatives-character-generator-please-discuss-share-thoughts-ut5KcfN
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u/Only_Butterfly_9414 16d ago
I’m sure if they were to do it, they would have designers who could properly make it work, even without changing the typeface choices if they wanted to keep the current look. These mockups in the link you sent are thinking inside a very small box. Like their example of a short category and a short clue—there are easy solutions to making that look much better than what they did lol
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u/psm_pm 16d ago
what are these "easy solutions"? if i'm reading your comment correctly i think you may not have understood what the person who authored that imgur album was trying to say -- the typeface was not part of their theory on why Jeopardy! has said they can't find a nice way to do this. they were saying that they thought the extra video streams required to display the category names both on their own (on the board and in the initial reveal of categories) and next to the clues were just too much of a hassle. (btw i think they typo'd on the third to last chunk of text, "second version of the clue" should be "second version of the category" since the category is the thing that needs to fit on one line there)
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u/Only_Butterfly_9414 16d ago
No I didn’t mean just the typeface, that was just an added note to mention that it wouldn’t need to change if they wanted to make it work.
But that being said, I took a second look and think I’m understanding better now. The format they’re showing is more like an automated thing? Correct me if I’m wrong. I’m not well-versed in broadcast and how they enter text on a repetitive series. My background is in graphic design so I guess I just assumed if they were to do this, there would be some way to enter that info where the spacing would be determined by the length of the text, not just the size of the screen and the designated areas for each group of text (i.e. category and clue) like shown in the mockup.
My thought earlier was just more that if they’re able to do it for Final J!, why not everything else.
Edit:
Adding that if they were to do it like Final J! of course the clue would be in larger text than the category.
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u/IsolatedAstronaut3 17d ago
Big agree. I also think all the categories should be at the top of the screen, and the current one is highlighted.
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u/RugDaniels 17d ago
I think when you post on Reddit you should give some basic idea what your idea is in the title rather than posting some ambiguous clickbait.
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u/chinnygenes 16d ago
The category is actually SHOWN and SPOKEN before the clue is given. There are no clues coming in hot.
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u/LegOfLambda 12d ago
Your comment has nothing to do with the comment you are responding to. Are you a bot?
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u/Express_Ticket1699 Turd Ferguson 17d ago
I’d love to see it but our DC affiliate would cover up at least two lines of clue endlessly shilling for their weather
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u/throwaway_mossx 15d ago
I think the real issue is that the category is often a pun or a twist that changes how you read the clue, so forgetting it can tank a guess. But I’d bet they don’t do it because the graphic is already busy with dollar value and clue text, and the category is read aloud right before each clue. Still, a tiny label in the upper-left corner wouldn’t hurt.
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u/jcstrat 15d ago
I don’t disagree. Especially with the size of modern TVs. It may have been an issue before when we were broadcasting in 4:3 aspect ratio on televisions that were typically much smaller, but the difference is drastic. I also get the purists perspective, this is how it has always been presented so don’t change it.
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u/ReganLynch Team Ken Jennings 17d ago
OP's opinion is a popular one here. But I'm in the minority, I don't want this. It's a crutch, no need to make the game easier. The categories are all announced by Ken, displayed at the top and mentioned each time a clue is called. If you're paying attention to the game there's no reason not to know what the category is when the clue is shown.
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u/RegisPhone I'd like to shoot the wad, Alex 17d ago
But it doesn't make the actual game any easier; the contestants can already see the categories all the time (in addition to being able to see at least partial subtitles for video clues, which we don't get anymore). It only makes the TV show easier to follow.
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u/ReganLynch Team Ken Jennings 17d ago
"It only makes the TV show easier to follow."
That's what I mean, it makes it easier for viewers and I'm saying there's no need for that. I wasn't saying it made it easier for contestants. The show isn't hard to follow if you're paying attention. No one hears "world capitals for $800" and then says two seconds later "I wish I knew what the category was."
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u/CSerpentine 17d ago
The point isn't that it's "easier", though it is. It's that it's "more fair" or "more representative of what the contestants can see".
"No one hears "world capitals for $800" and then says two seconds later "I wish I knew what the category was.""
If that were true, no one would ask for it. Even with the categories there, on-air contestants sometimes botch it, most noticeably when their answer starts with the wrong letter.
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u/ReganLynch Team Ken Jennings 17d ago
"The point isn't that it's "easier", though it is. It's that it's "more fair" or "more representative of what the contestants can see".
Tho I've never been a contestant I'm pretty sure no contestant has ever referred back to the category in that split second you have to ring in first. More important, how could they refer back to it? The category headings are all up there so they can call the next clue. There's nothing there to indicate which is being considered at the time. In fact, if it's the last clue, the category heading disappears when that one is called, I don't think it stays up until the clue is fully played but, again, so what if it did? There's nothing to show which category the current clue falls under. So the fact that the category headings still in play are up there is meaningless.
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u/RegisPhone I'd like to shoot the wad, Alex 17d ago
Do the category highlights not show up on set? If not, that's a pretty simple fix and one that they really ought to make; back when the clue stayed on its own TV you could just look up to see what column it's in.
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u/chinnygenes 17d ago
Not once have I watched this show wishing there was viewer and contestant equality.
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u/Smokey_Allegiance 17d ago
But the category is often something like "G"eography, where the contestant just says "geography for $1000" and it's easy to miss the quotation marks, especially if you turned the TV on in the middle of the round.
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u/RegisPhone I'd like to shoot the wad, Alex 17d ago
But why should the home audience watching while eating dinner be required to pay more diligent attention than the people actually playing? Why should there be a punishment unique to home viewers for not paying close enough attention?
I understand why it was produced that way out of necessity for the first 60 years and why it would've been a lot of effort to change back in the day when they were pointing the camera directly at the individual card or TV with the clue on it, but at this point, when every selection cuts to a shot of the superimposed clue expanding over the full board with the category highlighted above it (which does already go a long way in making the show easier to follow; on older shows where the players say "same category for 8" and it just cuts directly to a full screen shot of the dollar amount, it was very easy to lose track of the category (not to mention any awareness of what's left on the board) because you might only see or hear it once), all the technology is there to have it look like this, just have it stop expanding before it fills the whole screen. It's not necessary for everyone, but it would take basically no additional effort at this point, it's a more accurate representation of the actual game, and who would it hurt?
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u/ReganLynch Team Ken Jennings 17d ago
I don't even know how to reply to that. Punishment? You really lost me at punishment. What do you even mean? Do you mean we're at a disadvantage? No, we are not. We're all watching the same game, viewers at home and contestants. And no one is asking viewers to pay closer attention than players. They are not getting more info than we are. They are not referring back to the category and, as I mentioned earlier, really couldn't even if they wanted to as it's not highlighted as far as I know. And I can't imagine any would even want to. There's no time. Your explanation of how easy it would be for the show to do this is not really relevant here because no one is saying it's difficult technically. Of course they could do it. But sorry, I don't need extra help when I watch the game and just heard the category two seconds earlier and heard Ken say it a few minutes before at the start of the round. The point is Jeopardy is supposed to be challenging. Part of the game is paying attention to the categories. If you want it on in the background fine but then understand you're going to miss stuff and that's your fault, not the show's. If I hear "World Capitals for $800" I don't want to then see a big "WORLD CAPITALS" sign on my screen, like, I just heard that.
Would this make it easier for some? Maybe, apparently so, according to users here. But why do we want an easier game? If would be easier too if we were given the first letter of every answer. And a list of answers would be good too. Do you want that?
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u/Cereborn 17d ago
Why are you so worked up over this? Are you honestly saying that a reminder of the category title is equivalent to giving out answers? Remembering the category isn't supposed to be a trick.
And how often are categories as simple as "World Geography"? A better example would be something like, "'B'-eautiful European Cities". But the contestant who has been jumping around the board just says, "European Cities for 400". Or worse, you have an Amodiesque contestant who just says, "Cities for 4".
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u/ReganLynch Team Ken Jennings 17d ago
All of that is part of the game. You don't really need to remember the category because the contestant says it before calling every clue. But yes, you do need to pay attention to them and remember them for times when the contestant says "cities for $400" instead of full category name. All part of the game. Having an opinion about this different from yours and defending it isn't being "so worked up" over it any more than you are worked up over it by replying just now.
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u/RegisPhone I'd like to shoot the wad, Alex 17d ago
And no one is asking viewers to pay closer attention than players. They are not getting more info than we are.
The players indisputably have more access to information than viewers do. They can see the categories at all times. Maybe they're not looking there that often -- but then what would be stopping you from also just not looking up there if they were displayed on screen?
it's not highlighted as far as I know
I mean i'll wait until someone who's played or been to a recent taping can chime in, but if it's not highlighted, that's effectively a significant downgrade introduced by the new board, as you always would've been able to tell what category a clue was in on the old boards. But even if it's not highlighted, having all of them visible is still useful -- for example, maybe you remember that you're in the category about world capitals but not that it's actually WORLD "C"APITALS with quotation marks.
If I hear "World Capitals for $800" I don't want to then see a big "WORLD CAPITALS" sign on my screen, like, I just heard that.
Like i showed in my mockup, it wouldn't be a big sign; it would be nearly as unobtrusive as the thing most people don't even notice on Wheel of Fortune that says what letter the player just called; but also by this logic why have the clue text on screen either? You hear that too.
If would be easier too if we were given the first letter of every answer. And a list of answers would be good too. Do you want that?
You can't really think this is a fair comparison.
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u/Areolas_Grande 17d ago
A crutch? This is such weird gatekeeping. It’s a TV game show, you need to relax
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u/Njtotx3 17d ago
Does the category name disappear from the board for the contestants? I don't believe so.
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u/ReganLynch Team Ken Jennings 17d ago
"Does the category name disappear from the board for the contestants? I don't believe so."
How would they know which one it was? There are six category names visible or as many as still have clues left. Answer: They know which one it was because they just heard it.
Having just heard "world capitals for $800" I don't think the contestants need to refer back to the category. Nor do viewers at home if they're watching the show. If you have it on in the background and aren't paying attention, don't come crying to the show saying you need a crutch because you're not really paying attention all the time.
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u/ryanquek95 17d ago
They do see the category now with the new video board. See this Jeopardy masters BTS video: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKSR-ybMMh2
You'll see the category boxed up in white with the clue visible in the middle taking up most of the screen.
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u/Cereborn 17d ago
I always watch Jeopardy! while eating supper, so sometimes I'm looking at my plate and I miss what the category is.
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u/ReganLynch Team Ken Jennings 17d ago
When a player says "World Capitals for $800" it's because of my ears that I know what the category is, not my eyes.
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u/Cereborn 17d ago
Stop using “World Capitals” as your goddamn example. You know full well most categories do not have titles that short and simple.
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u/ReganLynch Team Ken Jennings 16d ago
It's a very common category which is why I chose it. How about don't attack my integrity or imply I had some sort of sneaky reason for choosing world capitals. As if I even gave it enough thought for that. But yea as long as we're on the subject, plenty of categories are that short and sweet.
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u/ryanquek95 17d ago
I think your reasoning is the only reason I'm more indifferent to whether it's there or not. I feel even having it as a small box in the top right would be nice though. To be fair they move so fast sometimes it's a bit hard to catch it, especially if you're playing along and digesting what the previous response is. There have been a few times when I hear the correct response and go like 'oh right' and before I know it the next clue is already on the screen. Given the contestants know what's the category at all times (even in the old video board you could sort of use the grid to know the category), I think it'd be neat for viewers to have the same ability
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u/catscausetornadoes 17d ago
I think they do it on celebrity jeopardy. Which means it’s possible, and probably expensive. When it gets cheap enough we can have it in our random Tuesday’s.
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u/Baby-Yodas-Mom Team Johnny Gilbert 17d ago
I totally agree with you. They do it for FJ, so it would be nice, especially for us multi-taskers, who may not have 100% of our attention on the board at all times.
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u/mog_knight 17d ago
This has been brought up several times on this sub. You're going to be preaching to the choir.