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You love those Before and After categories?
Or how Daily Doubles fall on the board?
I was very happily a researcher for about two and a half years.
I have to say that I couldnt have asked for a nicer, more supportive cohead writerthan Billy.
We were having trouble with it in research.
But our days are generally very fluid.
I need help here!
My other way is coming across a list of something in common.
One way or another, you get into your category that way.
If you just cant find it, then unfortunately a great fact has to go away.
Sometimes things are too good to be true.
You have to be skeptical of things.
As for the toughness factor, it comes from experience.
Were not out to stump the contestants and the people at home.
Thats not an interesting show.
Theres always something better that it’s possible for you to write about.
Im the backup scorekeeper.
Were all, of course, attentively listening to the contestants responses.
Sometimes they slur responses or you cant hear what theyre saying clearly.
We can all easily communicate with our phones if any issues with answers or pronunciations arise.
Commercial breaks are a real blessing.
We just want to do whats right factually and whats fair.
How does Alex ebb and flow with the writers room?
Does he have any involvement with the creation stage when hes not hosting?At this point he doesnt.
He was a producer on the show in the very early days.
He thinks the shorter thing should always be at the front.
And at 7:30 hes given the set of five games were taping that day.
If he cant find it, he asks us to help him.
But he knows a lot.
Hes very sharp, he does his homework, and hes self-sustaining.
Occasionally hell ask for a clue to be rewritten slightly because it sounds a little awkward to him.
But he typically doesnt have too many notes for us.
He personally loves categories about geography, movies, or movies about geography.
He really makes his job look so easy that I think sometimes people dont appreciate how good he is.
Hosting this show is much, much harder than you think.
James Holzhauer was a one-in-a-million player.
Unfortunately, not everyone is that kind of a player.
But, personally, Im with Alex.
Have you thought, even just to yourself, about potential replacements?I truly dont think beyond Alex.
Thats an honest answer; I really dont have a replacement in mind.
