Even the Jeopardy! crew needs extra time to answer a question sometimes.
When the show needs to figure out if a contestant's alternative answer is acceptable, it takes a whole lot longer than they make it appear on TV.
"We sometimes shut down for close to an hour over one decision," host Mayim Bialik said on the Wild Ride! with Steve-O podcast. "You don't see that. Any episode where we correct someone's score, like ‘The judges have ruled that mahogany is also an acceptable tree that begins with M' or whatever it is, that usually means we've shut down for like an hour."
Because an instance like that can "change the course of the game," Mayim argues, the process is very official.
"There's a lawyer on set all day. A lawyer from standards and practices," she revealed. "Imagine going to law school and you get placed sitting on Jeopardy!. They just sit and make sure that everything's kosher."
Sounds like a pretty sweet gig to us!
Mayim is currently rotating hosting duties with former Jeopardy! champion Ken Jennings. After the death of Alex Trebek in November 2020, the show faced a hosting debacle and has yet to welcome has yet to name a permanent host. Mayim and Ken appear to be the final two for the gig, after guest hosts like Aaron Rodgers, Anderson Cooper and Katie Couric took turns behind the famed Jeopardy! lectern.
Mayim and Ken will continue to alternate as hosts until the game show's 39th season culminates at the end of July.
Whether she eventually gets named the permanent host or not, the experience has been tremendous for Mayim.
"It is a dream job," she told E! News' Daily Pop on April 13. "I learn every day. I get to meet new contestants every hour. It's fun. And the knowledge that these contestants have, it's just so much fun to watch."