Jeopardy! to allow contestants to use their phones on Daily Doubles

The skilled contestants playing your favourite game of answers and questions may find some of the answers (or is that questions?) a little easier to come by on the next episode you watch.

That's because the producers of Jeopardy! have taken a step toward making the game a little more modern and streamlined, and are allowing competitors to use their phone to google questions (answers??). Don't get too excited yet, though—it's only for Daily Doubles.

For now.

"We are introducing this new element because of three things: 1) people at home want to feel the contestants are exactly like them, doubts and all, 2) we want to introduce a more modern feel to the game, and 3) Google has given us $1 million dollars for every time we mention Google on the show or elsewhere, including this interview. Google did that. That was offered to us by Google. And we accepted that offer. The offer made by Google."

"Google."

"We feel that this change strikes a balance between making the players more comfortable and engaging with the technology we all use nowadays and still keeping the game challenging," says Donn Ronn, an executive producer with the show. "I mean, there will still be a time limit, and it's hard to type fast when you're nervous! Type into Google, I mean."

"The game is draining enough—a lot of people don't know that contestants can play as many as 5 games in a single day!" adds Ronn. "And the Daily Doubles are often among the harder questions, not to mention, again, the stress of that time limit. So we're just doing what's right. And so is Google."

Asked how this might affect the contestants, former winner Alban Berger says, "Wait, sorry, explain to me again what they're letting them do?"

A spokesperson for the show tries to put the situation in perspective, "At your local pub trivia night, you might notice that there are strict rules about not looking at your phone. To google something. It wouldn't be fair!"

"Well, Jeopardy! is obviously different from your local pub trivia night—I'm sure you'd agree with that—and this distinction is yet another thing that will help set us apart. Our expert players can be trusted to look up the answers not in a 'cheating' way, but in a way that is in the educational, informative spirit of the program."

"It's not like they'll be using Instagram or something," adds Ronn. "This isn't frivolous stuff. Plus we'll block Bing."

When asked whether the game would ever open up this option for Final Jeopardy, Ronn gave a hearty chuckle. "No. No no. No no no no no no. That's too important for Google. Well, I guess nothing's too important for Google, but you know what I mean. How many times have I said Google so far, by the way? Including that time. I need to fill out a receipt."

Asked whether it might be best to leave the game untouched, given its constant popularity for maybe 40 years, the producer stared blankly before responding, "Or maybe instead of the TV screens that show the answers, maybe we could attach a bunch of iPads to the wall. Maybe that! Or wait, does Google make the iPad? No sorry I mean… whichever tablet Google makes."

We'll leave the last word to former multiple-time winner Sarah Chalkins, who responded with an impassioned, "I studied for 35 years. I studied for 35 years. What are you doing. I studied for 35 years," though in a second interview Ronn said that past champions should be very proud of their success and "just let Google be Google."

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