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a14 people & arts
Tuesday 10 May 2022
'Jeopardy' savors run of super champions after host stumbles

By DAVID BAUDER in an era most shows are
AP Media Writer shrinking, Davies said. The
NEW YORK (AP) — As Mat- game averaged 9.4 million
tea Roach, Amy Schneider viewers a night during the
and Matt Amodio can at- third week in April, more
test, it's cool to be smart than any program that
again. week on prime-time televi-
"Jeopardy!" is on an un- sion, the Nielsen company
usual run of super champs. said.
In the past seven months, "The people that win are
each of those contestants the people who make the
has landed in the television most attempts, the ones
game show's historical list who are able to unscram-
of top five winning streaks. ble what it is that they're
Roach's run of victories asking faster than anybody
ended on her 24th game else," Davies said.
Friday. Schneider and Roach were
The timing couldn't be bet- notable for their impressive
ter for "Jeopardy!" — and breadth of knowledge, and
the show's fans know all they were rarely wrong.
about timing. Amodio was particularly
The show had been reeling adept at harder questions
last summer after it bun- with a big monetary value
gled the process of replac- This combination of two separate photos shows contestants Amy Schneider, left, and Mattea and he sought them out
ing late host Alex Trebek. Roach on "Jeopardy!" first, pinning hopes on a
Mike Richards was fired as Associated Press "shock and awe" strategy
both host and executive that demoralized oppo-
producer of the show after ber. He soon gave way to 2019, in the "Jeopardy!" top The "price" for such long nents.
insensitive statements he Schneider, the engineer- five. runs can be a string of dull Since he's been producer,
had made on a podcast ing manager from Oak- The show, which has games because the play- Davies said "Jeopardy!"
surfaced. land who was a fixture on aired regularly since 1984, ers are so dominant. Yet has been trying broaden
"It has really let people fall in TV over the holidays be- changed its rules in 2003 the winning streaks create out the subject matter that
love with 'Jeopardy!' again fore her streak ended at to allow people to stay on strong characters in ways contestants face.
and forget about what 40. Roach, a 23-year-old until they lose. Prior to that, that are unusual for game "We're trying to test excel-
happened to focus on all tutor from Toronto, was winners were capped at shows. People tune in to lence," said Davies, who
of these amazing contes- the show's youngest major five games. root for or against them like was producer of "Who
tants," said Andy Saunders, champion. Ask Michael Davies, the they do for sports teams, Wants to Be a Millionaire"
who runs thejeopardyfan. They joined Ken Jennings, show's executive producer, said Saunders, who has during Regis Philbin's hey-
com website. whose 74-game streak in why the sudden run of big worked in game show pro- day. "We're trying to test
Amodio, a doctoral candi- 2004 has never seriously winners, and you get a ver- duction. people on how much they
date at Yale University, ran been challenged and bal shrug. That's reflected in the rat- really know. We don't want
off 38 straight wins before high-stakes gambler James "I don't have a simple an- ings. The "Jeopardy!" audi- it to be for people who
he was beaten last Octo- Holzhauer, who won 32 in swer," he said. ence is up 400,000 this year know trivia. q

New 'Doctor Who' star is 'Sex Education' actor Ncuti Gatwa

awe and thank my lucky Whittaker became the so much to so many
stars," returning showrun- 13th Doctor — and the first around the world, includ-
ner Russell T Davies said in woman to play the central ing myself, and each one
the broadcaster's release. galaxy-hopping, extrater- of my incredibly talented
"Ncuti dazzled us, seized restrial Time Lord who re- predecessors has handled
hold of the Doctor and generates into new bodies that unique responsibility
owned those TARDIS keys in — in 2017, when she took and privilege with the ut-
seconds." over from Peter Capaldi. most care. I will endeavor
Gatwa, whose first name Her last episode of "Doc- my utmost to do the same,"
is pronounced 'SHOO-tee, tor Who" is expected to air the release quoted Gatwa
currently stars in Netflix's later this year. — who described his emo-
high school comedy-dra- The original run of "Doc- tions as "a mix of deeply
ma "Sex Education" as the tor Who" spanned 1963 to honored, beyond excited
effervescent Eric Effiong, 1989. Since the show was and of course a little bit
who is openly gay but from revived in 2005, the Doctor scared" — as saying.
a highly religious family. has been played by Chris- In addition to seeing the
Ncuti Gatwa poses for photographers upon arrival for the British
Academy Television Awards in London, June 6, 2021. The Rwanda-born, Scot- topher Eccleston, David start of Gatwa's tenure,
Associated Press land-raised Gatwa, 29, will Tennant and Matt Smith, next year also marks Davies'
be the first Black actor to in addition to Capaldi and return to "Doctor Who" after
LONDON (AP) — Ncuti Time Lord's next regenera- helm the quintessential Brit- Whittaker. Other stars, like more than a decade's ab-
Gatwa will take the mantle tion. ish sci-fi show, but he won't Karen Gillan and Billie Pip- sence. "Russell T Davies is al-
from Jodie Whittaker on "Sometimes talent walks be the first Black Doctor — er, have made their names most as iconic as the Doc-
"Doctor Who," the BBC an- through the door and it's Jo Martin has played "Fugi- on the show as the Doctor's tor himself and being able
nounced Sunday, ending so bright and bold and bril- tive Doctor" in several epi- "companion." to work with him is a dream
speculation over the iconic liant, I just stand back in sodes. "This role and show means come true," Gatwa said.q