‘Jeopardy!’: Here’s why contestants didn’t buzz during clues

What’s… up with “Jeopardy?”

A recent “Jeopardy!” episode with fewer buzzer hits than usual prompted producers to move quickly.

The show’s producer Sarah Foss and former champion Buzzy Cohen appeared on the “Inside Jeopardy!” podcast last week to discuss the episode, in which all three contestants failed to find 23 different clues. Contestants Collette Lee, Kristine Rembach and returning champion Suresh Krishnan stood stunned throughout the categories.

Foss said it’s not something producers like to see.

“One thing that wasn’t great about this game, in this game – this has to be a record – 23 triple stumpers. And it’s something we never like to see,” she said.

Cohen added that the silence was “not good”, and blamed the lack of answers on contestants’ moods.

“You know, it’s the last game before lunch,” Cohen said of the episode’s filming. “Maybe everyone is a little hungry or sleepy.”

Five “Danger!” episodes are shot in just one day, Cohen explained, saying of that particular show, “We’ll forget it ever happened.”

Krishnan was crowned two-day champion, with a total winnings of $21,099.

The record for the total number of missed clues per episode was set in 2005 with a total of 24.

This week, three contestants also failed to answer a question on Tuesday’s episode, which asked them to complete a line of the “Lord’s Prayer.” The clue read, “Matthew 6:9 says, ‘Our Father which art in heaven,’ this ‘be thy name.'”

Krishnan, along with Laura Blyler and Joe Seibert, were stunned until host Mayim Bialik revealed the answer: “Hallowed.”