Linda Lin appeared on Jeopardy on November 22, 2001. These are some of the most commonly asked questions about the Jeopardy experience in general.

How do you get to be on Jeopardy?
Can you take the test more than once?
What was the call like?
Do they give you the questions in advance? Did you study?
Do you have to be wicked smart?
When did the show tape?
What is taping like?
What is Alex Trebek like?
Random trivia fact
Were you nervous?
Was the buzzer hard to use?
When did the show air?
Best small world story
Second best small world story
How did I do?
Can you be on the show again?
Would I do it again if I could?

How do you get to be on Jeopardy?

The first step is always the contestant search. At the end of broadcast episodes, you will often hear the announcer say, "If you live in the ____ area and would like to be a contestant, send a postcard or log into our website at..." Similar announcements can also be found on the Jeopardy website at www.jeopardy.com. In many ways this is the toughest step. They do not have enough seats to accommodate all interested test-takers, so there is actually a lottery of some kind to determine who gets to take the contestant search test. I registered twice for Boston before receiving a letter telling me where to go and when. If you will be in the Los Angeles area, I believe that they offer the test at their studios on an ongoing basis.

On the appointed day and time, I arrived at the Copley Plaza Hotel in Boston. There were about 80 of us in attendance, and there were probably 3-6 sessions total for that week's contestant search. After we arrived, we were each provided a sheet on which to write in the answers to the test questions (it was NOT multiple choice, though misspellings were ignored). The questions were displayed on a television monitor and read aloud, and we were given a limited time to respond to each question. There were 50 questions total, covering many of the common topics from the show (e.g., Presidents, Potent Potables, Crossword Clues). Guessing is allowed, and encouraged (as it is on the show). As I recall, they were talking about moving to computer-based testing, but I don't know if that ever happened or not.

At the end of the written test, the Jeopardy staff collected and scored the tests, while the nervous test-takers traded stories and worked on writing up five "factoids" to submit with our applications (to be used for the mini-interviews on the show). Those of us who correctly answered at least 35 out of the 50 questions were asked to remain behind for a pseudo-"screen" test. I would guess maybe 10-15 "passed" in my section. On my way home from the session, I was able to jot down about 45 of the questions from the test. After looking up a few that I was not sure of, I determined that I probably just squeaked in, since I answered at least 12 or 13 wrong that I could remember.

The Jeopardy staff took Polaroids, and then had us stand up at the front, three at a time. They then had us play a mock round, using flip card questions, fake buzzers, and by calling on the "contestants" to ensure each got a fair chance to be aggressive and to try responding. This was followed by a brief mini-interview.

I saw roughly 8-10 of the mock screen tests. From them, I recall one contestant being extremely, extremely nervous. I remember one guy who really stood out - he kicked everyone else's behinds - he was poised, he was articulate, he was aggressive...and I think he was one of the other contestants on my episode!

At the end of our tests, we were told that our names would go into the contestant pool for a year, and that they would call us when they needed us. I recall being haunted by a really lame answer I gave during the mock sessions, thinking, "oh well, it was worth a try."

Can you take the test more than once?

During one of the breaks in filming, one of the audience members asked a similar question. I believe you are allowed to retake the test indefinitely, although there may be some sort of mandatory waiting period. The official response mentioned someone who took the test several (maybe 5) times before making it on the show, and that the guy ended up being a multi-show winner.

What was the call like?

The call for me was a very pleasant surprise. It was the weekend of both my daughter's and my birthday in mid-July 2001. By the time I hung up the phone, I felt like Rosie Perez in White Men Can't Jump - "Jeopardy called!"

Do they give you the questions in advance? Did you study?

Emphatically, no, they do NOT give you the questions in advance. Or even any hints about what will be on the shows. However, if you watch the show often enough, you will see patterns in topics that seem to come up over and over again.

So, that being said, I knew my weaknesses and did some brush-up. Mostly, I went to the library and reviewed "Opera for Dummies," "Shakespeare for Dummies," the "Idiot's Guide to American Presidents," and the like. After all, Jeopardy rewards a very superficial knowledge of a very broad range of topics.

Do you have to be wicked smart?

No, but you do have to have an interest in a broad range of topics. Jeopardy! rewards those with a superficial interest in as wide a variety of fields as possible.

When did the show tape?

The show taped in August of 2001. They tape five shows a day, on Tuesdays and Wednedays only.

What is taping like?

As a general rule, they start running the tape and they do not stop. During "commercial breaks," the cameras continue to roll for the appropriate amount of time to minimize any post-editing. During the breaks, the contestants are given encouragement, water, and make-up retouches by the Jeopardy! staff.

There are a few exceptions to the "always rolling" rule though, and we got to see a few examples. The first is when there is a technical difficulty - sure enough, the Board does get "stuck." When that happens, they stop the tape, have the contestants turn their backs to the Board, and then reset it.

The other exception is on a judge's call. During my show, I took a wild guess at a $500 question. Alex actually called it right and prompted me to "pick again" before the judges held up the show. Taping stopped, while the judges and their research staff reviewed the answer. In my case, the judges actually reversed Alex's call, and so taping picked up with Alex saying, "Oooh, I'm sorry..." My husband tells me the audience nearly rioted!

What is Alex Trebek like?

Entertaining. He looks just like he does on TV. Exactly. During breaks he and the announcer took questions from the audience. He clearly tries to keep himself entertained as well as the audience. Periodically, throughout the day, he'd sing a line or two from the Beatles' "Hello Goodbye," promising that he'd have the audience singing it before the day's end.

Random trivia fact: Alex Trebek and I share a birthday.

Were you nervous?

Terrified! However, the best piece of advice the organizers gave was to "play your game." As any die-hard home-Jeopardy! player can tell you, once you get going, you really want to get in as many answers as you can.

Was the buzzer hard to use?

Definitely. Learning to master the buzzer is definitely a trick (and an advantage to the returning champion).

When did the show air?

Thanksgiving 2001 (November 22). It was easy to remember and to publicize, but hard to watch due to a variety of pre-emptions.

Best small world story: Because the show aired on Thanksgiving, it was easy to tell our friends and family when to catch the show. A few weeks prior to the show, a friend's wife emailed me to ask if one of the other contestants on my episode worked for Merriam Webster. I knew one of my competitors worked for the Pentagon, and the other was a lexicographer, so it was a pretty good shot that this was the same person. Turns out, someone else had told her to watch Jeopardy! on Thanksgiving.

Second best small world story?

Although we tried to let everyone know about my appearance, we didn't quite reach everyone we had hoped to reach. Nevertheless, one of our friends was channel-surfing at his parents' house, in a post-football daze, when they paused on Jeopardy!

"Hey, that's Linda," he exclaimed. "Are you trying to convince us you know someone on the show?" his family asked disbelievingly. "Know her? I was best man in her wedding!" he replied.

How did I do?

Alas, not as well as I had hoped. I had a so-so first round, and a great Double Jeopardy round, including both Daily Doubles. But unfortunately, I missed the Final Jeopardy question (and neither of my opponents missed). As it turns out, the guy I lost to won all five shows taped that day (we were show number 4) and so went on to the Tournament of Champions.

Can you be on the show again?

No, the official line, as of right now, is that no one who has appeared during the "Alex Trebek era" of the show can reappear during his tenure. He had been hosting for about 17-18 years as of 2001.

Would I do it again if I could?

In a heartbeat!