Champions is as Champions does (CREDIT: Jeopardy!)
Tournament of Champions Season is upon us! Jeopardy! has invited its super-dupe-rest recent victors to duke it out for our enjoyment. The format is a little different this time, with 21 contestants instead of the usual 15, and the top 3 (Amy Schneider, Matt Amodio, Mattea Roach) getting automatic byes into the semifinals. (Check out all the details here.)
In my years of prognosticatingpastToCs, I’ve discovered that the champions who are on another level often do as well as you expect them to, but that there’s also plenty of room for surprises. With the revamped format, it’s even more in favor of the top seeds, but nobody should be counted out. So here are some cheerleader-y thoughts about each contestant:
Every week, I list all the upcoming (or recently released) movies, TV shows, albums, podcasts, etc. that I believe are worth checking out.
Movies
–Armageddon Time (Theaters)
–Prey for the Devil (Theaters) – New frights for Halloween.
–The Wonder (November 2 in Theaters, November 16 on Netflix) – It stars Florence Pugh.
TV
–Big Mouth Season 6 (October 28 on Netflix)
–Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions (Begins October 31, check local listings) – A new format this year.
–Blockbuster Season 1 (November 3 on Netflix) – Randall Park and Melissa Fumero work at a video rental store.
Music
-Babyface, Girls’ Night Out
-King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Changes
Sports
-World Series (Begins October 28 on FOX) – Phils vs. ‘stros.
Every week, I list all the upcoming (or recently released) movies, TV shows, albums, podcasts, etc. that I believe are worth checking out.
Movies
–Decision to Leave (Theaters) – The latest from Park Chan-wook!
–Halloween Ends (Theaters and Peacock)
–Till (Theaters)
TV
–High School Series Premiere (October 14 on Freevee) – Based on the lives of Tegan and Sara!
–Whose Line is it Anyway? Season 19 Premiere (October 14 on The CW)
–Jeopardy! Second Chance Tournament (October 17-October 28, check local listings) – The inaugural edition of a new tourney!
–Documentary Now! Season 4 Premiere (October 19 on IFC) – AKA Season 53.
–Inside Amy Schumer Season 5 Premiere (October 20 on Paramount+)
Music
-Brian Eno, ForeverAndEverNoMore
-M.I.A., Mata
-The 1975, Being Funny in a Foreign Language
-Red Hot Chili Peppers, Return of the Dream Canteen
-Tove Lo, Dirt Femme
TV
–College Bowl Season Premiere (September 9 on NBC) – The dynamic Manning duo are back.
-Creative Arts Emmy Awards (September 10 on FXX)
–Jeopardy! Season 39 Premiere (September 12, check local listings)
-Primetime Emmy Awards (September 12 on NBC)
–The Handmaid’s Tale Season 5 Premiere (September 14 on Hulu)
–Atlanta Season 4 Premiere (September 15 on FX) – Final Season Alert!
Music
-Ozzy Osbourne, Patient Number 9
-Santigold, Spirituals
TV
–Suspicion Series Premiere (February 4 on Apple TV+) – I’m mostly watching this for Elizabeth Henstridge.
–Jeopardy! National College Championship Premiere (February 8-22 on ABC)
–Disenchantment Part 4 (February 9 on Netflix)
Music
-Animal Collective, Time Skiffs
-Korn, Requiem
-Mitski, Laurel Hell
Sports
-2022 Winter Olympics (February 2-20 on NBC, USA, CNBC, and Peacock) – The opening ceremony is on February 4, but some events start before that.
CREDIT (Clockwise from Top Left): Screenshot, Netflix, Screenshot, Screenshot
For the Year of Our Screens 2021, my list includes all the shows that I would recommend to my fellow viewers as “worth watching.” So that’s 77 shows! There’s a lot of TV nowadays, and a lot of it’s also pretty good.
I utilized a self-imposed rule in which I had to watch at least 50% of a show’s 2021 output for it to be eligible. However, there were some noteworthy shows that I watched less than 50% of, so I’ve spotlighted those in an honorable mention section:
Every week, I list all the upcoming (or recently released) movies, TV shows, albums, podcasts, etc. that I believe are worth checking out.
Movies
–Benedetta (Theaters) – Paul Verhoeven’s lesbian nun movie.
–Flee (Theaters)
–Wolf (Theaters)
TV
–PEN15 Season 2, Part 2 (December 3 on Hulu) – This is reportedly the end.
–Jeopardy! Professors Tournament (December 6-17, check local listings)
–Abbott Elementary Series Premiere (December 7 on ABC) – Starring Miracle Workers‘ Quinta Brunson.
–Live in Front of a Studio Audience: “The Facts of Life” and “Diff’rent Strokes” (December 7 on ABC)
–Welcome to Earth Series Premiere (December 8 on Disney+) – The World According to Will Smith
Every week, I list all the upcoming (or recently released) movies, TV shows, albums, podcasts, etc. that I believe are worth checking out.
Movies
–The Card Counter (Theaters) – Oscar Isaac, Tiffany Haddish, and Paul Schrader, oh my!
–Malignant (Theaters and HBO Max) – Another horrific directorial effort from James Wan.
TV
-2021 MTV Video Music Awards (September 12 on MTV)
–Ultra City Smiths Linear TV Premiere (September 13 on AMC) – Wild-sounding stop-motion show that previously aired on AMC+.
–Jeopardy! Season 38 Premiere (Check local listings)
–Y: The Last Man Series Premiere (September 13 on Hulu) – Finally!
Music
-Andrew W.K., God is Partying
-Kacey Musgraves, Star-Crossed
-Sleigh Bells, Texis
Jeff welcomes veteran Jeopardy! contestants Steven Grade, Sarah Jett Rayburn, and his dad Bob Malone to discuss the recent run of guest hosts on the classic answer-and-question game show. Also discussed: vacations, and other important matters related to Jeopardy!
This week’s mini-episode is an edition of “That’s Dad-ertainment,” as Bob Malone joins his son Jeff to discuss their favorite moments from the 2021 Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions.
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