Jep!
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Jep! was a children's version of the classic popular quiz show Jeopardy! hosted by actor and cartoon voice artist Bob Bergen. It aired for one season on Game Show Network (now called GSN) beginning on January 30, 1998.
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[edit] Gameplay
Three child contestants competed. For the first two rounds they were seated in futuristic chairs (explanation later). As on the adult version of the show, the kid contestants had to buzz-in and respond in the form of a question. Unlike in the adult version however, the host always warned the contestants at the beginning of every show that responses must be in the form of a question or they cannot be accepted (even if the response itself would've been correct).
[edit] Differences to the show
There are a few differences to this version & the adult version:
- Colored Podiums - Each contestant's podium had a different color, similar to that of Wheel of Fortune & its child counterpart Wheel 2000. However, the blue and red podiums were switched, therefore, the blue was on the left, and the red on the right.
- Scoring - Contestants played for points & not dollars, however, as in the adult version, correct responses added points, while incorrect answers deducted points (and in the first two rounds earned an In Jeopardy light, as explained later).
- The JEP! board - There were five categories with four clues each (scaled down by the traditional six categories with five clues on the adult version) on the board. Rather than the player calling out an amount for the clue, a randomizer was used to select point value.
- The Red Buttons - These replaced the infamous hand buzzers in the adult version. They were used to stop the randomizer to select amounts, and, of course, to buzz in. Each contestant has two buzzers.
- Buzzer sounds - When a player buzzed in, a certain sound was played simply to add pizazz to the show. Note: The adult shows did have a buzzer sound from 1964-1985; since 1985 the current version does not have a buzzer sound.
- The "In Jeopardy!" lights - On the adult version of the show, a horizontal panel of nine lights on the player's podium above the player's score is used to indicate how much time a player who has rung-in has left to respond. However, in Jep, these timer lights were used not for time to respond, but rather as In Jeopardy lights. Instead of nine lights as on the regular version, three were used. If a person answered a question incorrectly during the first two rounds, not only would they have points deducted, but one of the three lights would light up in red. Getting one red light meant that a "vat" above the player's head would "cook" up something, usually styrofoam peanuts or packaging items. Two lights meant the "vat" would open up, spilling its contents on the player's head. Three lights meant that a player would have to be sent behind a wall (from where they came through at the start), where they would not be able to answer for one clue. After that one clue, the player would return, and their lights would reset. The reason why the futuristic chairs are used is to slide the player (on a mechanic belt) behind the wall.
[edit] The Jep! Round
Point values range from 100 to 500 points.
[edit] Hyper Jep!
Similar to Double Jeopardy! on the adult version of the program. Point values are doubled meaning that they range from 200 to 1000
[edit] Daily Double
The Daily Double clues work the same way as on the adult version of the program. The contestant who picks that clue wagers any or all of his/her current score (up to the maximum value of the clue in that round if he/she had anything less than that). A correct response adds the wager but an incorrect response deducts the wager.
[edit] Special Clues
In addition to the Daily Doubles, there are two special clues in each of the first two rounds. They are:
- The JEP! Squad - this is where a kid from anywhere in America gives a clue. This is a forerunner to the regular version's Clue Crew.
- JEP! Prize - in addition to the points, the player whom answers correctly also wins a prize (originally given by host Bergen, later delivered from up above).
[edit] Super Jep!
This is exactly the same as Final Jeopardy! except that no one gets eliminated, for all three players play this round. If anyone ends the Hyper Jep! round with zero or fewer points, his/her score gets turned into 500 points, and the other players get their scores increased to match. For example, if one contestant has -100, the other two contestants' scores are increased by 600 to match. This is different from the regular adult version, where contestants with a zero or less score are disqualified from Final Jeopardy. The Super Jep! category is revealed in the center monitor, then during the break the contestants make wagers based on how strong they feel about the category. When the break is over, the Super Jep! clue is revealed; then the players have 30 seconds to write down their question. When the time is up, the answers are checked one at a time starting with the third place player's, and ending with the first place player. The player with the most points wins the game.
[edit] The Prize Choices
At the end of the game, all three contestants get a choice of two prizes. The third place finisher goes first & getting a choice of two third place prizes (typically a pair of watches or a Discman). The second place finisher is next, he/she gets a choice of two second place prizes (typically a pair of Rollerblades or a stereo). The day's winner is last, that player gets a choice of two grand prizes (typically a week's worth of limo rides or an entertainment center package including a TV and Sony Playstation). Most contestants chose the second of the two indicated choices.
[edit] Notes
- The Jep! Theme was not like the current Jeopardy! Theme. The theme was jazzed up with alto sax and electric guitars.
- Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek was the show's consultant. He also gave some of the clues via the middle monitor on three shows.
- On one show to celebrate the special TV Tuned in to Kids & Family Week, all three rounds had a category devoted to cable television.
[edit] Gameplay
- Contestant Announcer - Host Bob Bergen introduced the contestants as well as prize plugs, but when came time to introduce Bergen, one of the contestants (usually the one at the blue podium) did the honor.
- JepTV.com - On a few shows, there was a category called JepTV.com named after the show's website. There was a survey on that site and some of the questions were about that survey; most of the others were about the Internet itself.
- Triple Dump - On three shows where all three contestants give only one incorrect question or no incorrect questions at all after the first two rounds all three vats would open anyway.
- Videowriter - The contestants on the show not only wrote down their answer on the videowriter during Super Jep!, they also wrote down their answer for certain clues during the main game, saying "What is..." and completing their written answer.
