Usually, Jeopardy! will devote just one week's worth of programming to Celebrity Jeopardy!, wherein bumbling celebrities answer questions (or question answers?) about very basic science and pop culture, but this year, the program is spreading its celebrity programming over the course of the year as part of a million-dollar charity tournament. In honor of the new format, let Movieline introduce you to our six favorite Celebrity Jeopardy! losers, starting with last Friday's winner of the $1,000 Final Jeopardy pity gift, Wolf Blitzer.
Guest: Wolf Blitzer
Competition: Dana Delany, Andy Richter
Year: 2009
Summary: Blitzer sailed through the first round, winning about $1,400, but former winner Richter wound up earning $39,000. In the second round, Blitzer biffed several questions in a row, leaving him with a wildly low -$4,600. Trebek was then forced to hand Blitzer free money to compete in Final Jeopardy (which he still lost).
Winnings Going Into Final Jeopardy: -$4,600
Best Incorrect Response: Q. "King David and Jesus both hailed from this town." A. "What is Jerusalem?"
Name: Camryn Manheim
Competition: Michael McKean, Richard Kind
Year: 1999
Summary: A classic case of unwieldy signaling device skills, Manheim spent almost the entire first round at $0 before nearly ending Double Jeopardy at -$200. After Alex Trebek commanded Kind and McKean to put down their buzzers (and Manheim was aided by a quick whispering session with Kind), she wound up on the plus side before Final Jeopardy.
Winnings Going Into Final Jeopardy: $800
Best Incorrect Response: Q. "At this 2-word command at the start of a fencing match, raise your sword toward the opponent." A. "I have no idea. I'm just so happy my thing worked."
Name: Martin Short
Competition: Joely Fisher, Mario Cantone
Year: 2006
Summary: The worst part of Celebrity Jeopardy! is when one comedian hogs screen-time, hinders game flow, and isn't funny. Short's incorrect response below says it all.
Winnings Going Into Final Jeopardy: -$1,600
Best Incorrect Response: Q. "Vantile Mack, the 257-pound 'Giant Baby' and 628-pound Jane Campbell were seen at this showman's American Museum." A. "Hi. Umm, I would say, umm, uh, uh. Ms. Oh, 'Do you wanna shoot the swans?' Who's that guy?"
Name: Rob Schneider
Competition: Mark McEwen, Robin Quivers
Year: 1997
Summary: This Morning anchor Mark McEwen is a two-time Celebrity Jeopardy! champion -- against him, Schneider's ho-hum buzzer skills and penchant for dropping humorous, incorrect answers didn't stand a chance.
Winnings Going Into Final Jeopardy: $700
Best Incorrect Response: Q. "In this Charlotte Bronte novel, Edward Rochester is the moody master of Thornfield Hall." A. "Who is my friend Kent Osborne?"
Name: Vivica A. Fox
Competition: Wayne Brady, Ashton Kutcher
Year: 2003
Summary: As Brady finished Double Jeopardy with $19,000 and Kutcher nipped at his heels with $11,000. Fox was left to grin widely and ring in when she could, leading to a full day's work of three correct responses and seven incorrect responses.
Winnings Going Into Final Jeopardy: -$3,200
Best Incorrect Response(s): Q. "Napoleon's brother Jerome and his Baltimore-bred bride honeymooned at this upstate NY site." A. "What are the Hamptons?"
Name: Kirsten Dunst
Competition: "Joey" Gordon-Levitt, Benjamin Salisbury
Year: 1997
Summary: Dunst had a tough time with the signaling device throughout the first round, and in Double Jeopardy, she only rang in for two correct and two incorrect responses. To be fair, though, her fellow kid competition was equally weak: Gordon-Levitt ended the game with nothing, and The Nanny's Salisbury won with only $1.
Winnings Going Into Final Jeopardy: -$700
Best Incorrect Response: Q. "Of Venus, Mars, or Saturn, the planet whose mean distance from the sun is 67,230,000 miles." A. "What is Pluto?"
All information courtesy of the phenomenal J! Archive.