Here’s today’s Final Jeopardy (in the category 20th Century Authors) for Thursday, January 28, 2021 (Season 37, Game 89):
In a 1959 article he wrote, “People began to call themselves beatniks, beats…bugniks &…I was called the ‘avatar’ of all this”
(correct response beneath the contestants)
As I said in my recent editorial, if you’re going to express an opinion about one host or another, I ask that you make thoughtful, reasoned arguments. A lot of your opinions on one host over another are going to be a matter of personal taste. Please also remember that a permanent host will not be named until the start of Season 38.
Today’s contestants:
Jill Tucker, a development director from Mulino, Oregon
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Zach Newkirk, an attorney from Alexandria, Virginia (4-day total: $85,669)
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Brian Chang, an attorney from Chicago, Illinois (7-day total: $163,904)
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Andy’s Pregame Thoughts: A number of Jeopardy! fans have been waiting for today since June. Today sees Zach Newkirk, Season 36’s final champion, finally get a chance to defend his title. Unfortunately, he’s trying for his 5th win against a 7-day champion in Brian Chang. Will Brian or Zach win the “battle of the quarter-zips”, as some have called it? (Both Brian and Zach have worn quarter-zip shirts on the show.) Or, as has often happened in these sorts of matchups, will dark-horse Jill take the spoils? (I can’t help but think back to near the end of Season 34, where Burt Westermeier took victory in a highly-hyped matchup between Dave Mattingly and Ron Freshour.)
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(Content continues below)
Correct response: Who is Jack Kerouac?
More information about Final Jeopardy: (The following write-up is original content and is copyright 2020 The Jeopardy! Fan. It may not be copied without linked attribution back to this page.)
Jack Kerouac achieved widespread fame in the late 1950s with the success of his second novel, On the Road, in 1957. Some time earlier, he had coined the phrase “beat generation” to refer to the underground and nonconforming youth in New York City of the era; this group served as an inspiration to Kerouac and other contemporaries (such as Allen Ginsberg.)
The article containing the quote in today’s Final Jeopardy! clue, “The Origins of the Beat Generation”, was published in Playboy in 1959.
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Looking to find out who won Jeopardy! today? Tonight’s results are below!
Scores going into Final:
Zach $23,600
Brian $12,600
Jill $10,600
Tonight’s results:
Jill $10,600 + $10,500 = $21,100 (Who is Jack Kerouac)
Brian $12,600 + $11,001 = $23,601 (Who is Kerouac?)
Zach $23,600 + $1,601 = $25,201 (Who is Kerouac?) (5-day total: $110,870)
Scores after the Jeopardy! Round:
Brian $7,400
Zach $5,000
Jill $3,800
Opening break taken after: 15 clues
Daily Double locations:
1) LITERATURE $800 (clue #9)
Jill 2000 +2000 (Brian 2000 Zach 2000)
2) BIOGRAPHIES $1600 (clue #4)
Zach 5800 +4000 (Brian 7400 Jill 5400)
3) THAT’S SO GORGE! $1200 (clue #13, $21600 left on board)
Zach 15000 +5000 (Brian 9000 Jill 7800)
Overall Daily Double Efficiency for this game: 202
Unplayed clues:
J! Round: None!
DJ! Round: None!
Total Left On Board: $0
Number of clues left unrevealed this season: 150 (1.69 per episode average), 2 Daily Doubles
Game Stats:
Zach $17,400 Coryat, 20 correct, 2 incorrect, 31.58% in first on buzzer (18/57), 1/2 on rebound attempts (on 5 rebound opportunities)
Brian $12,600 Coryat, 20 correct, 3 incorrect, 38.60% in first on buzzer (22/57), 1/1 on rebound attempts (on 3 rebound opportunities)
Jill $9,400 Coryat, 13 correct, 2 incorrect, 22.81% in first on buzzer (13/57), 1/1 on rebound attempts (on 4 rebound opportunities)
Combined Coryat Score: $39,400
Lach Trash: $8,200 (on 7 Triple Stumpers)
Coryat lost to incorrect responses (less double-correct responses): $6,400
Brian Chang, career statistics:
184 correct, 21 incorrect
5/6 on rebound attempts (on 29 rebound opportunities)
39.82% in first on buzzer (180/452)
8/10 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $14,500)
5/8 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $16,800
Zach Newkirk, career statistics:
97 correct, 12 incorrect
10/13 on rebound attempts (on 25 rebound opportunities)
29.67% in first on buzzer (81/273)
6/10 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $13,000)
4/5 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $16,520
Jill Tucker, career statistics:
14 correct, 2 incorrect
1/1 on rebound attempts (on 4 rebound opportunities)
22.81% in first on buzzer (13/57)
1/1 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $2,000)
1/1 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $9,400
Zach Newkirk, to win:
6 games: 58.090%
7: 33.744%
8: 19.602%
9: 11.387%
10: 6.614%
Avg. streak: 6.386 games.
Andy’s Thoughts:
- Ken announced most of this on-air, but I can confirm: Jeopardy! has decided to place its Tournament of Champions cutoff as of Alex’s death. Brian and Zach appear to be eligible for the 30th Tournament of Champions.
- In terms of “does Ken know the Triple Stumpers?” I’m pretty sure he did know the Katzenjammer Kids, as that was the subject of a major turning-point clue early in his run; Matt Ottinger was giving him a good run in Ken’s 14th game before a clue about them showed up.
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Well, congrats to Zach on his win! I hope he can expand his winning streak!
What an exceptional game, well played by all three contestants. I was so torn because I loved Zach from last season, yet was equally impressed by Brian’s successful current winning streak; Jill was no slouch, either and a strong contender. Many kudos to Brian on his great games and I look forward to (hopefully) many more games with Zach, who is such a charming person. And it had to be a bit emotional for Zach coming back to a stage without Alex standing behind the podium.