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Kim Ciarletta Floyd '81, along with her children Sarah (an SCPS 3rd grader) and Jack (3), family and friends – recently enjoyed watching her husband Clark compete in three Jeopardy! shows on TV recently.By day an accountant at St. Joseph’s/Candler hospital and by night a long-time Jeopardy! enthusiast, Floyd was one of fifteen people who passed a ten-question tryout test and a 50-question exam last December to gain entry into the Jeopardy! waiting pool. Out of this pool, Floyd was one of two Savannahians to recently receive a call to travel to Sony Studios in California to be on the show.
The studio shoots all five weekly shows in one day, three in the morning with a studio audience of around two hundred, and two in the afternoon with a new audience. Floyd competed in three shows, winning two and earning both cash and the thrilling title of “Jeopardy! Champion.”
Floyd says he has watched the show for years, and sometimes thought that he might have won if he was on the show. “I tried out at the prompting of a friend,” he says, “The whole experience was such a blur. I was only in the studio for a few hours, and back in Savannah within a couple of days.”
Floyd also notes that the game includes luck as well as skill. “The hand buzzers are activated off-stage after Alex finishes reading each question,” explains Floyd. “After a light signals, you can push. But, if you push too early, your button deactivates briefly, during which time an opponent may get the edge. So, even if you know a question first, timing can make or break your opportunity to answer.”
Floyd brought two changes of clothes in case he won so it would look like he was there on different days. Two suits and three ties later, he says, “Seeing oneself on TV is both exciting and humbling. And winning is very exciting!”
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