‘Jeopardy’ Fesses Up To Making A “Rare Mistake” After The Show Was Called Out By A ‘Simpsons’ Writer

By Radhamely De Leon
Published March 15, 2024, 5:05 p.m. ET

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Jeopardy recently owned up to making a “rare mistake” on the show when a recent clue included the incorrect spelling of an iconic Simpsons character’s name.

Wednesday’s (Mar. 13) episode included the clue, “Robert Underdunk Terwilliger is the real name of this vengeful Simpsons character.” A contestant managed to correctly guess the answer – “Who is Sideshow Bob?” – despite the fact that the character’s name was mispelled in the clue itself. It’s spelled Onderdonk, not Underdunk.

The game show was swiftly called out on social media by Simpsons writer Bill Oakley after a Jeopardy viewer brought the error to his attention.

“Yes @Jeopardy you made a rare mistake. It’s ‘Onderdonk’. And @Joshstrangehill and I are certain cause we wrote that script. Cc:@KenJennings,” Oakley wrote on X.

The official Jeopardy X account issued a hilarious, and equally rare, response.

The show responded with a GIF of Sideshow Bob stepping on a rake and getting hit in the face by the handle.

However, multiple people came to Jeopardy‘s defense in the replies of Oakley’s post, noting that Sideshow Bob’s last name is misspelled in multiple places on the internet as well as in the closed captions of the show.

Others responded by referencing another joke from The Simpsons, writing, “Boy, I really hope somebody got fired for that blunder.”

This isn’t the first time the show has been called out for an alleged mistake, but Jeopardy does not often respond to claims such as these. The game show is regularly called out by fans for the sometimes controversial way it words clues, or the particular style in which answers must be given.

Jeopardy viewers recently bashed a puzzle about presidential elections, claiming it used “bad, hazy wording.” Only one contestant was able to correctly guess the answer to this puzzle: “He’s the most recent presidential candidate to have officially declared his opponent in that campaign the victor.”

Though the win helped contestant Jesse Matheny advance to the Champions Wildcard finals, fans on the show’s Reddit page noted that the clue likely stumped the other contestants because of its “really tricky” wording.

Jeopardy! airs on weeknights at 7/6c. Check out their website for your local listings.