What is...? A Jeopardy! Podcast

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Week of April 13: The Cocaine Episode Apr 21, 2026

Show notes

We aren't on cocaine while recording this episode, but for some reason it comes up more than once, as Emily forgets to finish writing a recap joke about it, John remembers that he's seen the 2001 drug-dealer movie "Blow", and TaoTao brings a manic energy to the Alex Trebek stage. Plus, Stephanie bows out in a joyous way, Jamie Ding continues his run of dominance, and we dive deep on Helen Keller's socialist history.

If you want to help contribute to the greater whole (Emily and John continuing to do this pod), why not donate to the show? For just $5/month, you'll get a new bonus episode every month, access to our Discord, access to our entire back catalogue, and MORE! Join today at patreon.com/jeopardypodcast.

SOURCE: Jacobin: "Helen Keller Was One of the Great American Socialists" by Keith Rosenthal

Special thank you as always to the J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan.

This episode was produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

Week of April 6: Inaugural Balls Apr 15, 2026

Show notes

John is back as Jamie Ding survives a near-loss scare and then rebounds to win the rest of his games this week in a convincing fashion, etching his name into the 20-win club. We also get a Name of the Year candidate, one of the longest responses to a single J! clue ever, and Jamie is once again flexing with a wrong answer. Plus, we dive deep on Leon Trotsky.

If you want to dive as deep as a pickaxe on our show, why not support the show on Patreon? You'll get a new bonus episode every month, exclusive access to our Discord and our entire back catalogue of bonuses, and MORE! Join today at patreon.com/jeopardypodcast.

SOURCE: The National WWII Museum: "Trotsky's Struggle Against Stalin" by Jason Dawsey

Special thank you as always to The Jeopardy! Fan and the J-Archive.

This episode was produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

Week of March 30: Where is Your God Now? w/ Handsome Kevin Seccia Apr 07, 2026

Show notes

John is out covering curling this week, so we're joined by friend of the show and friend of handsomeness everywhere, Handsome Kevin Seccia! We have a great time chatting about another INCREDIBLE week of Jamie Ding, including Kevin's flawless Jeff Foxworthy impression. PLUS: we travel back in time to the first ever Jeopardy champion, and instead of going deep, we go incredibly shallow discussing Kevin's hunkiness ratings system.

If you want to feel very hunky and not shallow at all, why not donate to our Patreon? For $5/month, you'll get access to our entire catalogue of bonus episodes, a brand new episode every month, access to our Discord, and MORE! Last month, Andrew He joined us for a wonderful interview about his J! career and it was a blast you won't wanna miss! Support the show today at patreon.com/jeopardypodcast.

Special thank you as always to the J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan.

This episode was produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

Week of March 23: Mmm Mmm Mmm Mar 31, 2026

Show notes

It's another Jamie Ding week on Jeopardy! and that means another tough week for our show, as his dominance makes our jobs just that much more difficult. But we find a way, as an Emily joke turns into a complete giggle fit for John, Jamie gives a very classy incorrect response, and there's heartbreak in BFJ. Plus, we dive deep on the company history of 3M.

If you want an episode that wasn't difficult for us at all, then head on over to our Patreon as we posted a brand-new episode yesterday: an exclusive interview with Andrew He! Saying it was the most candid interview he's ever given, Andrew gets into the nitty-gritty with us from the food poisoning he suffered right before the JIT to how he's prepared for all the big tournaments over the years. It's a great way to support our show and get some great content too! Join today at patreon.com/jeopardypodcast.

SOURCE: 3M.com: "The History of 3M"; The New Yorker: "How 3M Discovered, Then Concealed, The Dangers of Forever Chemicals" by Sharon Lerner

Special thank you as always to The Jeopardy! Fan and the J-Archive.

This episode was produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

Week of March 16: Hum Dinger Mar 24, 2026

Show notes

John is BACK and not a moment too soon as he issues his "Canadian corrections" to last week's episode regarding a certain word pronunciation and Emily and Paolo not understand the importance of the Heated Rivalry fleece. Elsewhere, Jamie Ding continues his march towards superchamp status and also J! legend status as he plays one of the best Jeopardy! games of all-time. Plus, we dive deep on Anastasia.

If you want to feel like a member of a royal family, why not join our highly noble and wonderful Patreon? For just $5/month, you'll get a new bonus episode every month, immediate access to our entire back catalogue, and access to our Discord, which is full of fun J! chat with a bunch of former champions, contestants, and John and Emily. Join today at patreon.com/jeopardypodcast.

SOURCE: UAB Libraries: "Legend Over Truth: The Mystery of Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov" by Haley Wells; New York Times: "Anastasia: Grand Duchess or Grand Hoax?" by Arthur J. Olsenbonn

Special thank you as always to the J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan.

This episode was produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

Week of March 9: PUD w/ Paolo Pasco Mar 17, 2026

Show notes

John is out sick this week, so we are joined by TOC Champion and bona fide WIAJP patron Paolo Pasco! He helps us recap a fun week of games with a record breaking number of cuties + honorable mentions for response of the week. Plus, we get a deep dive on the Rainbow Coalition and we talk about Traitors and movies longer than John would ever allow on a normal episode. Some are saying he's the new John. Are they right??

If you want more of the OLD John, why not head on over to our Patreon to donate? You'll get immediate access to our entire back catalogue of bonus episodes, you'll get access to our amazing Discord, and you'll get the knowledge that you helped John and Emily and warmed our hearts. And speaking of John and Emily, last week, they reviewed the pilot of Cop Rock! How could you miss that? Join today at patreon.com/jeopardypodcast.

SOURCE: New York Times: "Jackson's Rainbow PUSH Coalition Was a Powerful Advocate For His Politics" by Lyndsey Chutel; Teaching American History: "The Rainbow Coalition, Speech To the Democratic National Convention" edited by Peter C. Myers

Special thank you as always to the J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan.

This episode was produced by Producer Dan. Art by Max Wittert. Music by Nate Heller.

Week of March 2: No. Mar 10, 2026

Show notes

A Jeopardy! contestant answers a common question on the show with such speed that it becomes a Response of the Year contender as we get a bit of an up-and-down week on the show that features a little 3-game run for Quentian (as Emily spelled it in our show document) and a whole lot of gunslinging. Plus, J! fans want to see a celebrity join the show after Ken goes to a play, John gets a little punchy, and we dive deep on Rosebud and the world of movie prop auctions.

If you want to see a lot of horrible TV prop work in action, why not join our Patreon? You can help support the show AND get access to our latest episode, where John and Emily review the pilot of "Cop Rock", the much-maligned, oft-forgotten police procedural/musical written by Steven Bochco back in 1990. It is one wild experience, and you won't wanna miss it. You'll also get immediate access to our entire back catalogue, access to our very fun Discord, and MORE! Join today at patreon.com/jeopardypodcast.

SOURCE: Hollywood Reporter: "Rosebud, Iconic Sled From 'Citizen Kane', Sells for $14.75 Million at Auction" by Mike Barnes; artnet: "Box Office Gold: Why Film Memorabilia is Now Commanding Millions" by Min Chen

Special thank you as always to the J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan.

This episode was produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

Week of February 23: The First Time in History That Has Been Called That Mar 03, 2026

Show notes

Regular play Jeopardy! is BACK and once we get over the initial whiplash, we get some great games with some huge final scores, some massive DD wagers that turn out both good and bad, and we get back to our regular dose of actual funny responses of the week, including one this week about synchronized hippos. Plus, J! fans are asking questions about Andrew He's hair and we dive deep on the Sears catalogue.

If you want to purchase some items from our catalogue, why not head over to our Patreon? For just $5/month, you'll get a brand-new bonus episode every month, access to our Discord, our entire back catalogue, and MORE! It's a ton of fun, so join today at patreon.com/jeopardypodcast.

SOURCE: New York Times: "How Sears Helped Oppose Jim Crow" by Louis Hyman; History: "When the Sears Catalog Sold Everything from Houses to Hubcaps" by Sarah Pruitt

Special thank you as always to the J-Archive and The Jeopardy! Fan.

This episode was produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

Week of February 16: The Final Jeopardy! Ever Feb 24, 2026

Show notes

The 2026 Jeopardy Invitational Tournament is in the bag, and with it, the conclusion to the extensive–and this year, very difficult–Jeopardy! postseason. And what a way to go out, as Andrew He claims victory for his first major Jeopardy! tournament win in a slugfest three-game final against Long Nguyen and Roger Craig. We get Roger delivering a correct response in the strangest way possible, TV Insider hits us with some straight-up false headlines, and we dive deep on Davos and the World Economic Forum.

If you want to help our show economically, you can do so by donating to our Patreon! For just $5/month, you'll get access to a new bonus episode every month, plus our entire back catalogue and our wonderful Discord. Check it out at patreon.com/jeopardypodcast!

SOURCE: WEForum.org: "The World Economic Forum: The First 40 Years" by Klaus Schwab

Special thank you as always to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive.

This episode was produced by Producer Dan. Music by Nate Heller. Art by Max Wittert.

Week of February 9: Alison's Gambit Feb 17, 2026

Show notes

Jeopardy! crosses over into the true mainstream as Alison Betts' Final Jeopardy! joke actually pays off in another week of Jeopardy! Invitational Tournament action. We debate whether the boards have simply gotten too hard, actually, as contestants sputter all over the place. But we get some great anecdotes, we see some wonderful contestants from years past, and we get Andrew He's glorious new hairstyle. Plus, we dive deep on Black History Month.

If you want to feel as glorious as Andrew, why not donate to the show's Patreon? For just $5/month you'll get a brand-new bonus episode every month, access to our Discord, immediate access to our entire back catalogue, and MORE! We have a new episode coming up next week and all the bonuses are a ton of fun, so join today at ⁠patreon.com/jeopardypodcast⁠.

SOURCE: ASALH.org: "⁠The Origins of Black History Month⁠" by Daryl Michael Scott; Smithsonian Magazine: "⁠A White Historian Claimed That Black People 'Had No History.' This Trailblazing Scholar Dedicated His Life to Proving Otherwise⁠" by Meilan Solly

Special thank you as always to The Jeopardy! Fan and J-Archive.

This episode was produced by Producer Dan. Art by Max Wittert. Music by Nate Heller.

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