ANSWERS IN THE FORM OF QUESTIONS

 5 stars out of 5

Category: Entertainment

Clue: A trip down memory lane 

Answer: What is a book about Jeopardy!, my all-time favorite TV game show? 

Fact is, my husband and I rarely miss it (for the record - and the benefit of various friends and family who might wonder what happened to us from 7:30 to 8 on a weeknight - if the phone rings when we're watching we refuse to answer).

You see, we go all the way back to the 1964 debut of the show with Art Fleming as the host and Don Pardo as the announcer. The current version is far more popular with viewers, with host Alex Trebek bounding on stage at the exuberant introduction of announcer Johnny Gilbert. Neither is exactly a spring chicken; Gilbert is well into his 90s (and still, IMHO, doing a bang-up job).

Despite being ecstatic over getting the chance, thanks to the publisher, to read and review a pre-release copy of this book, I figured I would already know most of what's in it. To some extent, I was right. But truth is, I learned a lot - most notably about such things as the importance of mastering buzzer ring-in timing, the process of becoming a contestant (don't for one second think it comes easy, or cheap) and what really happens behind the scenes. On top of that come insights from former champions - almost all of whom are familiar to those of us who watch religiously. From handlebar-mustached New York cop Frank Spangenberg to quirky bartender Austin Rogers to somewhat more conventional  Brad Rutter and Ken Jennings and the phenomenal James Holzhauer, they're all in here - offering tidbits about their strategies and experiences. There's even a chapter on the show's very active Alumni Chapter and how Weird Al Yankovic influenced the show's revival (say what)?

I wish I could reveal some of the details, but doing so would spoil it for others so I'll keep them to myself, recommend that you read the book for yourself and end with this: 

Category: Adjectives

Clue: Word that best describes this book

Answer: What is delightful? 

Answers in the Form of Questions: A Definitive History and Insider's Guide to Jeopardy! by Clair McNear (Twelve, November 2020); 272 pp.