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Watch Alex Trebek Say ‘Boogaloo B’ In This Amazing ‘Jeopardy!’ Category About Rapper Names

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Is there a rapper named Corn Dogg? How about Ice Berg? On Tuesday night’s episode of Jeopardy!, those wacky and wild writers had a category about rap musicians. It was as great as you’d imagine.

One clue had Alex Trebek saying the words “Boogaloo B.” I would pay serious money to hear him say that every day for the rest of my life. In fact, you know what, that’s my new ring tone. Thanks guys.


Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s Appearance On ‘Celebrity Jeopardy’ Came Up On ‘Conan’ Last Night

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Joseph Gordon-Levitt has been acting since he was 7-years-old. Because of this, he isn’t able to hide from the unfortunate haircuts and embarrassing moments of youth like the rest of us can. His youthful sins were recorded and now those moving images rest in the poorly guarded graveyard that is the internet, waiting to be unearthed and mocked.

Footage of JGL’s Catcher in the Rye nerd-out on Celebrity Jeopardy has made the rounds before, but last night he got to relive it on national TV when Conan O’Brien brought it up during their interview as the two playfully mocked Jeopardy host Alex Trebek’s dickish dismissiveness of Levitt’s enthusiasm over his favorite book.

Gordon-Levitt even said that Trebek was drunk at the time, but while he quickly played that off as an innocent joke, I have to wonder if he was really just trying to get back at Trebek for his 17-year-old slight.

Let’s talk about the cold truth for a hot second: there isn’t a teenager alive who doesn’t worship Alex Trebek. He’s an icon, and when an icon treats you like a dumb and over-excited kid, that’s a gash to your soul that can’t be stitched up by time.

As for Conan, he has his own history with Trebek, so he has a some understanding of what JGL is going through and you can see that empathy in the margins of their movements and glances as they move on to talk about hitRECord on TV. It’s all very powerful.

Source: YouTube

Larry David: The odds are against more ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’— ‘probably 6 to 1’

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HBO

Larry David: “I guess the odds would be against” more “Curb Your Enthusiasm” – “probably 6 to 1”
Larry David tells Bill Simmons that he hasn”t given up on “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” but he says the “Seinfeld” finale “taught me a lesson that if I ever did another show, I wasn”t going to wrap it up.” When asked that it sounded like he wasn”t doing another season, David responded: “I guess the odds would be against it. I guess, right now, the odds would be against it, probably 6 to 1.” David also thinks too much time has passed since the last season. “Sometimes,” he says, “you”ve seen reunion shows on television and the actors look so much older than how you remember them in the show. And even though you can see that actor doing something else, once you put them back into that same environment with those other people, and they”ve all aged so much. It looks wrong. It seems wrong. Why are they doing this?” Still, David says he”s not ready to definitively end the series. “I”m still not prepared to say that I”m no doing it again, nor am I prepared to say that I am. So I don”t know,” he says.

Alex Trebek threatened to quit “Jeopardy!” over a whiny stage mom, hacked Sony e-mails reveal
A “visibly upset” contestant on “Jeopardy! Kids” stormed offstage when she wasn”t allowed to play Final Jeopardy,” prompting Trebek to threaten to quit. “If I”m making mistakes and saying things you don”t like, maybe it”s time for me to move on,” he wrote to producers. “It”s not a threat, but I want to let you know how I”m feeling.”

Coca-Cola dumps “American Idol”
The big Coke cups that have become a staple of “Idol” will be gone next season as Coca-Cola has decided to cut ties with the Fox reality show after 13 seasons.

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Kathie Lee Gifford: Bill Cosby tried to kiss me in the ’70s
Gifford said on “Today” she hoped the allegations weren”t true. But Gifford admitted that when she and her backup singers opened up for Cosby in the ’70s, “he did try to kiss me.” PLUS: 24-year-old accuser says she was sexually assaulted by Cosby at age 18.

Report: FX”s O.J. Simpson movie is trying to land Samuel L. Jackson and David Schwimmer
According to Roger Friedman, Schwimmer would play O.J. pal (and Kim”s dad) Robert Kardashian and Jackson would play Johnny Cochran in “American Crime Story.” If Schwimmer turns down the role, then there”s a chance that Tim Roth could play Kardashian.

“Jane the Virgin”s” ratings rise after Golden Globes nominations
About 1.3 million tuned in for Monday”s episode. As EW points out, “While 'Jane”s' ratings haven”t been close to a hit for the network, the nominations pretty much guarantee the well-reviewed series will see a second season.”

TBS orders Broken Lizard Gang comedy “Quality Time”
The series from the guys behind “Super Troopers” will focus on four college friends who have trouble growing up despite becoming parents in their 20s.

Stephen Colbert takes one last “Colbert Report” shot at Bill O”Reilly
Colbert and his “formidable” opponent Colbert debated O”Reilly on last night”s show. “Oh, I am going to miss that good man,” said Colbert.

“Vikings” returns Feb. 19
The History channel series will be back for a 10-episode 3rd season.

FCC gets complaints over Tom Brady's F-bombs on CBS
CBS showed the Patriots QB repeatedly saying the F-word during the Nov. 30 Patriots-Packers game.

Disney Channel sets the return of “Jessie”
Watch the promo for Season 4, premiering Jan. 9.

The Lonely Island sings about hustling on “Comedy Bang! Bang”
Watch the former “SNL”-ers perform on the final episode of the year.

Stephen Colbert’s Final Sign Off Brought Everything Back Full Circle To ‘The Daily Show’

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In what may have been a preemptive strike at The Simpsons, Stephen Colbert’s final Colbert Report sign off closed with a classic Colbert toss back to Jon Stewart, who then closed the show with a nostalgic Moment of Zen.

Did The Colbert Report standalone program even happen? Was it all just one long Daily Show remote? Some questions just don’t have answers. But the answer is yes, of course it happened, because “Stephen Colbert” is immortal and said farewell from the back of Santa’s sleigh alongside Alex Trebek after an all-star singalong to close out his final show.

And in case you missed how he gained immortality, here’s the clip from earlier in the evening. For shame anyone who speculated this great American hero would die in his final show. Death never stood a chance…

Wanna Hear Alex Trebek Read The Lyrics To ‘Girls, Girls, Girls’ By Mötley Crüe?

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Two preliminary notes:

  • Jeopardy! is in the midst of its annual Teachers’ Tournament
  • One of the categories last night was Hard Rockers, and all of the clues were lyrics to popular songs by famous rock groups

This brings us to the above video, in which Alex Trebek reads the lyrics to “Girls, Girls, Girls” by Mötley Crüe. It’s … it’s kind of incredible. He gives it the full Trebek on the delivery, laying it on extra thick for the last “Girls” in the chorus. I can’t stop watching it. It’s fascinating. Especially when you remember the Trebek profile from last year where we learned that he used to “tool around Hollywood in a Bentley convertible” back in his bachelor days. Imagine Alex Trebek cruising the Sunset Strip blasting Mötley Crüe. IMAGINE IT.

One other thing: That song he’s reciting the lyrics to here? The one with the chorus that stars with “Girls, Girls, Girls”? This is the first verse:

Friday night and I need a fight
My motorcycle and a switchblade knife
Handful of grease in my hair feels right
But what I need to make me tight are…

Please get me a video of Trebek reading this part, too. I will pay handsomely.

‘Final Jeopardy’ Was Very Lonely For This Contestant

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ABC

Tonight’s episode of Jeopardy! was very bad. “How bad was it?” It was so bad that even host Alex Trebek admitted, “This was not one of our greatest days.” In fact, only Kristin in the banner image has anything to smile about after this episode, because she was the only contestant who advanced to the Final Jeopardy round. If you’re a casual viewer of the beloved game show wondering how in the brainiest of hells only one contestant advances, it’s really quite simple – the other two contestants had to finish below zero.

Amazingly, this wasn’t the first time that such a feat occurred, as the episode that aired on March 16, 2011 most recently had a contestant flying solo in Final Jeopardy. So how far below zero did the other contestants, Brad and Stephanie, finish on tonight’s episode?

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ABC

Their faces really say it all. It’s worth pointing out that Brad would have advanced if he’d just left his clicker alone, and Stephanie could have dug herself out of this hole by correctly answering two $2,000 questions. Unfortunately…

So for emphasis, let’s examine her facial expression again…

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ABC

The only thing missing was Kristin pulling a Cliff Clavin and blowing it all when she had it in the bag. But even Cliff had company in Final Jeopardy. Poor, poor Stephanie. This was certainly not one of her greatest days. For us it was fantastic, but not her.

Two Sports Anchors Have Emerged As Possible Replacements For ‘Jeopardy’s Alex Trebek

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Alex Trebek replacements

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Alex Trebek is Jeopardy. The man has been the host of the quiz show for 31 seasons dating all the way back to 1984. But he’s getting up there in age. At 74, his best years are likely behind him, and retirement might come as soon as 2018 when his contract expires.

Sony Pictures has thought about this and secretly assembled a list of possible replacements.

Executives have a mental, if not official, short list of potential successors. The list includes sports radio and television host Dan Patrick; CNN anchor Anderson Cooper; NBC’s “Today” show co-host Matt Lauer; and NBC Sports anchor Josh Elliott.

Dan Patrick makes a lot of sense. He is the host of Sports Jeopardy, a once-a-week show that airs on the Crackle Network. His resume is pretty darn good; he’s done the Olympics for NBC, he’s been an ESPN anchor, and he has his own popular radio show. He’d be a good fit.

So too would Josh Elliott, a lesser-known name that’s been quite versatile in his career as both a sports and news anchor. As Awful Announcing notes, Elliott is much younger than other names on the list, so he could “hold the role for years.”

There are other names floating out there. Trebek himself has mentioned Ken Jennings as a possible successor, but my money’s on Patrick. Just seems like a natural progression.

10 Stories You Might Have Missed: Dakota Johnson’s ’50 Shades’ followup takes shape

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This week in 10 Stories You Might Have Missed: Things are moving forward for “Fifty Shades of Grey” star Dakota Johnson”s next book-to-screen project. Her film adaptation of 2013 novel “Forever, Interrupted” has found a screenwriter in “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” scribe Tricia McAlpin.

Plus: Alex Trebek and Vanna White aren”t going anywhere anytime soon, Johnny Depp was injured on the set of the fifth “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie (are they really on #5 already?!), Josh Gad a.k.a. Olaf has signed on to another Disney movie, FOX”s “Luther” reboot has stalled now that they've realized Idris Elba is irreplaceable, summer premieres are set for FOX and May finales are set for the CW, Muse unveiled some new music, and more.


A ‘Jeopardy!’ Contestant Used Her Intro Time To Invite Alex Trebek To Watch Her DJ

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Unless you’re a genius on the level of Ken Jennings or that really lonely contestant, chances are you’ll never end up on Jeopardy!. If you do get to test your intelligence on America’s second-favorite game show, you have to make the best of your time in one of three ways: win, lose spectacularly, or do something that might go viral. Otherwise, you’re just some poor schlub who wasn’t smart enough, and nobody ever remembers those losers. Brooklynite Jill Locascio qualifies for two of those three categories after her appearance on last night’s Jeopardy!, but because she seems cool and admitted that she blew her two-round lead over a basic brain fart, we’ll focus on the third one.

When it came time to introduce herself to Alex Trebek and the world, the academic librarian Locascio plugged her side gig as a DJ in the Williamsburg duo Jack & Jill. She even invited Trebek to come to one of their shows, and his response was… remember that Dave Chappelle bit when he talked about saying, “Peace!” to his white show business lawyers? It was basically that.

Watch Alex Trebek Pull Off A Tremendous ‘Discount Double Check’ For Aaron Rodgers

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Alex Trebek

Sony Pictures

Sure, we could talk about Aaron Rodgers dominating Celebrity Jeopardy Tuesday night. We could also mention how he won $50,000 for the MACC Fund (a great charity by the way). But no, let’s instead talk about Alex Trebek doing the Discount Double Check. Because yes, that actually happened and yes, it was hilariously awkward.

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Sony Pictures

That’s a Top 10 Jeopardy moment right there.

Watch The Most Fabulous Response In ‘Jeopardy!’ History

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYkB5f1X-yM

Louis Virtel is a writer, comedian, and Alex Trebek super-fan who achieved a life-long dream when he appeared on Jeopardy! last week. The wait was worth it. He didn’t win Final Jeopardy, but he did become one of the more memorable contestants in recent history after snapping the snappiest snap you’ve ever seen snapped. In a word, it was fabulous.

Virtel does have one regret, though:

As a kid growing up in the suburbs who venerated everything about Jeopardy!, I would’ve loved seeing an expressive gay contestant own his homosexuality as well as the buzzer. I’ll never get that chance again, but I take some comfort in having exhibited my sexual orientation through a few glaring clues. It just annoys me to settle for illustration when the correct response to heteronormativity is blatant acknowledgment of my own reality. (Via)

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ABC

He did, however, get a chance to shut down one homophobe on Twitter.

And for more of what you may have missed on the web today…

That Time Alex Trebek Ate Hash Brownies And Stayed In Bed All Weekend

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Alex Trebek Visits FOX News' "The Five"

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When he’s not too busy showing Aaron Rodgers his sweet dance moves on Jeopardy!, television game show host Alex Trebek sometimes does time as a guest on other shows. The Canadian-American media personality stopped by the Howard Stern Show on Monday to chat with the renowned shock jock. As you can imagine, the conversation took a wild turn when Stern prodded Trebek about his wild side — or at least whether or not he has one.

Turns out he does, since High Times was quick to note Trebek’s story about the first and only time he ever ate hash brownies and spent the entire weekend at a stranger’s house as a result.

“I went to this party at a home in Malibu and I didn’t know the people who were hosting the party and they had hash brownies,” Trebek said. “I love chocolate, and I ate four or five hash brownies. The party was on a Friday night… I didn’t leave their home until Monday morning.”

Trebek also mentioned the one and only time he tried cocaine, which a former accountant of his suggested he give a shot at a party in the ’80s. (Of course it was his accountant that used cocaine in the ’80s.) Despite the admissions, however, Trebek quickly swept away the possibility of his ever trying recreational drugs again.

After assuring Stern that the story was no exaggeration, the iconic game show host went on a strange diatribe against drug use, calling drugs “highly overrated” and wondering why people would choose to do them.

So does this mean “Edibles” will be a category on an episode of Jeopardy! next week? A “Daily Double,” perhaps? I’d bet good money Ken Jennings wouldn’t get any of the category’s questions right.

Check out the full clip from the Howard Stern Show below:

 

(Via High Times)

Nintendo vs. Sega! Transformers vs. GoBots! These Rivalries Defined The ’80s And ’90s.

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Shutterstock

When it comes to pop culture rivalries, nothing is more fun than rooting for a person, product, or company that you feel is far superior to its most direct competition.

I could go on and on with examples: iOS vs. Android, LeBron vs. Durant, Wolf of Wall Street vs. American Hustle, and the Coke vs. Pepsi rivalry, which, for most of us, has lasted decades. Other rivalries, however, have faded away over time, either because we stopped caring or because the products became obsolete. But that doesn’t mean we can’t reminisce.

Here are the 10 best rivalries that meant the most to us as kids:

10. Transformers vs. GoBots

We start our countdown with a beatdown. You may not be familiar with GoBots because, well, GoBots sucked. Introduced by Tonka in 1983, they were supposed to compete with Hasbro’s Transformers in the robot toy space, but they fizzled out after a few years. Transformers, on the other hand, eventually became a billion dollar movie franchise starring Megan Fox.

Huge advantage: Transformers.

9. Kool-Aid vs. Wyler’s

Most people, when referring to flavor aid, simply refer to it as Kool-Aid. But for kids whose moms couldn’t afford Kool-Aid’s extravagant $.25 per package pricing to Wyler’s $.10, well, we also called it Kool-Aid, but we also knew better. We didn’t mention to our friends when they came over that they weren’t drinking the popular brand out of fear of being made fun of, but looking back, Mom made the right choice. The two brands tasted the same, and with the savings made by going with Wyler’s, she could maybe buy us something at the checkout line.

Advantage: Wyler’s

8. Trapper Keeper vs. Tabs

Mead’s Trapper Keeper was way ahead of its time. With its heavy-duty material, you could pretty much do anything you wanted to it, and it wouldn’t break. Everyone wanted one, and pretty much everyone got one, which made it one of those rare fads that actually matched the hype. Tabs is known mostly for its jingle, which went, “Whatcha’ keepin’ tabs on? [Whatcha’ keepin’ tabs on?]” I can’t find it anywhere on YouTube for some reason, which means I may be making it up in my own head. Is this a fuzzy memory, or did it actually exist? Go to work, commenters. Find me that commercial.

Advantage: Trapper Keeper

7. Topps vs. Fleer

Roger Clemens

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Throughout the 1980s, there were three major trading card companies: Topps, Fleer, and Donruss. By the late 1980s and early 1990s, a few smaller companies like Score and Upper Deck joined the market, and by the mid-1990s, there were so many companies making trading cards that the entire market crashed and everyone’s collectibles became practically worthless. But for a short time, collecting baseball cards was a lot of fun, and for most of us, we were glad we were there before capitalism came and ruined it. Thanks a lot, adults. In my opinion, Topps will always be the gold standard for trading cards, so…

Advantage: Topps

6. JanSport vs. Eastpak

Most people gravitated towards JanSport backpacks due to their popularity, but if comfort and superior styling was what you wished for, you’d go with Eastpak. Of course, the argument became moot about a decade ago after the two companies merged when Eastpak was bought by the same company that owned JanSport, but for 10 solid years in the late 1980s and early 1990s, these two brands made for one heck of a rivalry. I think I owned a couple of each back in the day, so this one gets a push.

Advantage: None

5. Nike vs. Reebok

For those of us with moms who bought most of our shoes from Payless, No. 5 on this list could just as easily have been XJ900 vs. Pro Wings. But for the purposes of this exercise, we’ll go with the two top dogs. Nike had Michael Jordan and Mars Blackmon, Reebok had Shaq and John Wooden. Nike had air, Reebok had the pump. Nike had the swoosh, Reebok had… whatever it is that logo is called. Because we don’t know for sure, this one’s easy.

Advantage: Nike

4. Classic Concentration vs. The Price Is Right

Summer mornings or sick days off from school always meant the same thing, watching game shows. For me, the best of the bunch were Classic Concentration and The Price Is Right. Being that both shows had legends as hosts in Alex Trebek and Bob Barker, you knew you weren’t simply wasting away your morning. I think I enjoyed Concentration more, but because TPIR is still going strong, I’m giving it the nod.

Slight Advantage: The Price Is Right

3. Gatorade vs. Powerade

I debated putting Sunny “D” vs. Purple Stuff here, but because that rivalry never made it very far, we’re going with Gatorade vs. Powerade. To me, this was really the Nike vs. Reebok of sports drinks (and All-Sport was Fila?). I remember when Powerade first came on the market in the late 1980s, and people were confident that it would be Coke’s answer to Gatorade in the sports drink space. Some of my friends even claimed to like it. I think they were just being nice. This one’s my easiest choice so far; I want to be like Mike.

Advantage: Gatorade

2. Hot Wheels vs. Micro Machines

Hot Wheels had the market share, but Micro Machines had the fast-talking pitch man. Hot Wheels had the cool accessories, but Micro Machines had the fast-talking pitch man. Hot Wheels were more fun to play with, but Micro Machines had the fast-talking pitch man.

Advantage: Hot Wheels in every discernible way, except, well, that pitch man

1. Nintendo vs. Sega

The No. 1 rivalry is in the top spot because it spawned a number of sub-categories within the cartridge gaming space. For instance, once NES vs. Sega Master System got underway, it eventually led to Game Boy vs. Game Gear, Mario vs. Sonic, Nintendo Power vs. Sega Power, and the Nintendo 64 vs. Sega Dreamcast. This was truly the iOS vs. Android of its day, with Nintendo getting the market share like iOS, but Sega getting the street cred like Android. It was a back-and-forth rivalry that lasted for more than a decade, probably until Sony came out with its original PlayStation and blew them both out of the water. But damn if it wasn’t fun while it lasted.

Advantage: Nintendo

Honorable mention: MTV vs. VH1, which didn’t make the cut because they weren’t technically rivals, although we treated them as such; and Betamax vs. VHS, but only because Betamax has been through enough. R.I.P., Old Friends.

Here Are The Great TV Mustaches That Colin Farrell’s ‘True Detective’‘Stache Is Up Against

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Season 2 of HBO’s True Detective premieres on Sunday. The second iteration of Nick Pizzolatto’s serial drama focuses on a string of murders connected to the vast transportation system in the Los Angeles area. It stars Colin Farrell, Taylor Kitsch, Rachel McAdams, Vince Vaughn, and Colin Farrell’s mustache.

That little critter hugging Farrell’s upper lip is nothing short of mesmerizing. It stole our attention when the trailer dropped, and it’s sure to steal every scene it’s in during the show’s forthcoming eight-episode run. If there aren’t at least three scenes where Farrell’s got donut crumbs stuck in that thing, there’s no way True Detective should qualify for awards consideration.

What about the #FarrellStache, though? Will it qualify, when all is said and done, for inclusion among the most iconic mustaches in television history? Time will tell, but here’s a look at the great ones that Farrell is unwittingly up against.

Nick Offerman

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NBC

Of all the mustaches in the TV history, Offerman’s is the most likely to smell like bacon. His flavor saver not only fit his Parks and Recreation character like a glove, but it propelled Offerman’s career into a different plane of existence as he became an authority figure on masculinity.

Alex Trebek

High Rollers

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The most distinguished of all the mustaches to grace our televisions is without a doubt the lip broom of longtime Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek. It gets bonus points for longevity and for evolving over time. What started out as a full-on porn mustache morphed into something you’d expect to see on your sommelier.

Dennis Franz

1999 Dennis Franz star in year 6 of the tv series "NYPD Blue."

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I’m pretty sure the whole point of Franz’s mustache was to give other actors something to focus on during Andy Sipowicz’s classic tirades on NYPD Blue. Plus, this lip sweater looked particularly magnificent in juxtaposition to the baby faces of David Caruso and Zack Morris.

Ned Flanders

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Fox

No one does dadcore harder than Homer’s Bible-thumpin’ next door neighbor. Of all the mustaches in the history of television, one could argue that Flanders’ caterpillar is the fullest and most consistent. We probably wouldn’t recognize him without it.

Gabe Kaplan

Gabe Kaplan In 'Welcome Back Kotter'

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Everyone knows that you can’t mentor Sweathogs unless you prove that you can grow a conversation piece on your upper lip. Especially if you’re going to open with a Groucho Marx impersonation on your first day. Next to young John Travolta’s flippant expressions and Farrah Fawcett hair, Kaplan’s ‘stache is the most important fixture on Welcome Back, Kotter.

Sherman Hemsley

The Jeffersons

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What is there to say about Helmsley’s mustache that hasn’t already been said about George Jefferson’s attitude? It’s animated, it’s memorable and it was a fixture on CBS for more than a decade.

Tom Selleck

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Selleck’s porn ‘stache in Magnum P.I. is so iconic that an introduction seems gratuitous. His mouth brow became a sex symbol in and of itself, so much so that it probably should have been listed in the show’s opening credits. They simply don’t make mustaches like his nowadays.

Dr. Phil

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I’m embarrassed to admit it, but there’s just something comforting about the broom growing on Dr. Phil’s upper lip. There’s never really a non-creepy way to talk about tweens getting plastic surgery, but if he’s dispensing life advice and teaching people how to deal with their cheating spouses, the ‘stache helps infinitely.

John Ratzenberger

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NBC

Every bar needs at least one mustachioed gentleman downing domestics on the regular. Cliff was that guy on Cheers, and that was especially fitting because he was also a mailman, and mustaches just look like they belong on mailmen. You can’t argue with science, people.

Bryan Cranston

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AMC

Heisenberg is most fondly remembered for his bald head and goatee combo, but his transformation “from Mr. Chips to Scarface” wouldn’t have been possible without the quivering whiskers on Cranston’s lip in the show’s early goings.

Honorable Mentions

Steve Harvey

John Slattery on Mad Men

Longtime Philadelphia news anchor Jim Gardner

Ted Lange on The Loveboat

‘Jeopardy’ Fans Are Obsessed With This Bearded Contestant Straight Out Of A Wes Anderson Movie

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Imagine if Zach Galifianakis was kicking butt on Jeopardy.

That’s a solid premise for an SNL sketch (it actually sort of happened already, with “Game of Game of Thrones”), and now it’s happening in real life. Austin Rodgers is taking the game show community by storm, because a) he’s really good at Jeopardy, having won for six straight days, b) he has a lush beard, and c) he’s very sassy. Or cocky. Or enigmatic. Whatever word you want to use for “imagine if Father John Misty excelled at Trivial Pursuit,” he’s that.

Rodgers is a New York-based bartender, obviously, and over the course of his impressive streak, he’s racked up $257,700 in winnings, including $65,600 during Monday night’s episode alone — that’s less than $12,000 short of the one-day record set by Roger Craig in 2010. But lest you think Rodgers is a wallflower with his sensible brown blazer and tie, he’s actually more Royal Tenenbaum than Richie Tenenbaum; he exudes arrogance, and has the prize money to back it up. No wonder he’s become a sensation on social media.

Of course, even after having won a quarter of a million bucks, Rodgers still has a long way to go before he can think about breaking Ken Jennings’ all-time record of $2,520,700. Think how many old fashioneds he could buy with that kind of dough, though.


A Jeopardy Contestant Lost Over $3K For Not Keeping It ‘Gangsta’ In A Coolio Answer

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Jeopardy! is starting off the year more exacting and cruel than ever. Last night, the game show contestants were asked to merge two related titles, utilizing the clue “A song by Coolio from Dangerous Minds goes back in time to become a 1667 John Milton Classic.” Bespeckled contestant Nick raced to the buzzer, chiming in with “Gangster’s Paradise Lost.” What a quick-witted guy!

Or so he thought up until host Alex Trebek rescinded his answer at hefty $3,200 cost, dropping him into second place. In typical Trebek fashion — blunt and swift, with no time for recovery — the host explained that the Jeopardy! team of brutal judges had spoken: Nick marked his fate when he mistitled the rapper’s 1995 single as “Gangster’s Paradise” and not “Gangsta’s Paradise.” The rules of Jeopardy! are binding and unyielding.

The Daily Show‘s Roy Wood Jr. posted the emotional roller coaster to Twitter, along with some sage advice. “Let Nick’s mistake be a lesson to us all,” he wrote. “In 2018, you gotta keep it gangsta at all times. Never Gangster.” Watch Nick reach new levels of chagrin above.

‘Jeopardy!’ Is On Hiatus While Alex Trebek Recovers From Brain Surgery

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There are few television institutions as comforting as Jeopardy!. A perfect showcase for modern-day folk heroes and the occasional hilarious burn, Jeopardy! has found that sweet spot of nostalgia mixed with meme-ability that keeps people insanely invested in a longrunning game show. However, fans will have to wait for new episodes for a while, as the show has gone on a temporary hiatus while host Alex Trebek recovers from brain surgery.

Back in December of 2017, Trebek was diagnosed with a subdural hematoma (blood clots) after suffering a fall and had surgery to correct the condition on December 16th. Luckily, it doesn’t seem to be as serious as it sounds, with Sony Pictures Entertainment releasing a statement saying that “he is expected to make a full and complete recovery. Alex spent Christmas at home with his family, and he will return to the Jeopardy! studio for taping in mid-January.”

Trebek himself echoed those sentiments in a video filmed in his home, calling the incident a “slight medical problem” and assuring fans that he would be back in the studio soon.

Because Jeopardy! is filmed months in advance of airing, this unfortunate medical situation put a slight hold on things. However, Trebek’s swift recovery is paramount, and he seems to be on the mend. I’ll take Good News for 500, Alex.

(Via NBC News)

‘Jeopardy!’ Host Alex Trebek Will Moderate An Upcoming Gubernatorial Debate In Pennsylvania

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Although the United States Supreme Court refused to hear a recent case concerning Pennsylvania’s redrawing of gerrymandered districts, which was initially refused by the state’s largely Republican senate, that doesn’t mean its worst politics of 2018 are already out of the way. The fast-approaching midterms will also include a gubernatorial race in Pennsylvania, pitting Democratic incumbent Tom Wolf against GOP primary contenders Laura Ellsworth, Paul Mango, and Scott Wagner, as well as Libertarian candidate Ken Krawchuk. But that’s okay, because Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek is going to moderate one of their debates.

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Trebek “will moderate a 45-minute debate among Pennsylvania’s 2018 gubernatorial candidates as part of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry’s annual dinner Oct. 1 at the Hershey Lodge in Dauphin County.” The game show host is originally from Canada, of course, but he became a naturalized American citizen in 1998. And according to comments made during previous election cycles, moderating a major debate is one of his dreams. “Unlike some of the other moderators — I’m not going to disparage them — but I have a different approach,” he said in 2013.

Aside from serving as moderator, Trebek will also deliver the dinner’s keynote address. As for which of the gubernatorial candidates will attend the dinner and debate, the Inquirer notes, “Invitations will be extended to all the major candidates.” However, it remains “unclear” as to whether or not Krawchuk will receive an invitation to the event. Either way, those who show up to go toe-to-toe with Trebek had better not forget to give their responses in the form of a question.

(Via Philadelphia Inquirer)

‘Jeopardy!’ History Was Made With A Sudden-Death ‘Final Jeopardy’ Tiebreaker

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In 2016, Jeopardy! made it official that if a game ends in a tie, the contestants will no longer be considered “co-champions,” but instead face off in a sudden-death, winner-takes-all tiebreaker. “If there are two or three players tied for first place after each contestant unveils their Final Jeopardy! response,” the official rules read, host Alex Trebek “will present one more category and read the clue. The first contestant to buzz in and respond correctly is declared the winner.”

The tiebreaker was first introduced in tournaments. The judges felt that a tiebreaker yielding one winner kept the gameplay brisk and competitive. In the years following the lift of the five-game maximum (the rule that contestants could only win up to five regular games), the judges concluded that it was fitting to bring that same level of competition to the regular games. (Via)

This has long been the case in tournament play, where someone eventually has to win, but it never factored into a “normal” game. Until last night’s episode.

Laura and Sarah both finished Final Jeopardy! with $6,799 (this situation, like most situations, could have been avoided with better math). Forever unfazed, Trebek jumped right into the category, “Way Back in 2017,” and clue: “Her April decision to call a snap parliamentary election proved less than brilliant on June 8.” Laura was quicker to the buzzer and got the answer right (“Theresa May”).

Meanwhile, Scott, with his five bucks, was very confused.

JEOPARDY

It’s a good thing the clue had nothing to do with Kendrick Lamar. Otherwise, they might still be playing the game.

(Via Jeopardy!)

Alex Trebek Says He’s Likely Leaving ‘Jeopardy!’ In 2020

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Alex Trebek‘s Jeopardy! contract is up in 2020 and it sounds like he’s ready to move on from a life of demanding answers in the form of a question. The longtime host of the syndicated game show was asked in an interview with TMZ if he’s done after his contract ends in 2020, and he didn’t shy away from imagining a world without Jeopardy! in it.

When Jeopardy!<>/em clips get viral attention, it’s often his reaction to the moments that adds to the weirdness. That’s his job, after all, and it will be strange to consider the show without him.

But according to his interview with TMZ, there’s a good chance he’s done. Asked the odds that he stays after 2020, Trebek said it’s “50/50 and a little less.”

Trebek said he does have a suggestion for his replacement, and it’s actually someone from the sports broadcasting world.

“I mentioned to our producer not too long ago that a fella who does play-by-play for the Los Angeles Kings,” Trebek said. “They should consider him.”

That’s Alex Faust, a 29-year-old broadcaster who replaced the legendary Jim Miller on Kings games in 2017. That would be a bit of a darkhorse pick given how high-profile the postion of Jeopardy! host has become under Trebek’s control, but is recommendation probably merits some attention.

Trebek was asked about a female host, and he suggested CNN contributor and lawyer Laura Coates. Trebek has hosted Jeopardy! since 1984 and had brain surgery early in the year, which put production of the show on hiatus. But it doesn’t seem like there’s any particular reason Trebek might leave, it just might time to go.

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