> You could allow contestants to buzz in as soon as possible, but have the system wait until Alex has finished reading the answer
I think one of the reasons Jeopardy! is so popular is that it makes the audience feel smart. I'm not amazing at trivia, but I know most of the Jeopardy! answers and having the contestants wait to buzz in creates the illusion that I'm doing as well / better than they are. Even though I'm intellectual aware of the importance of buzzer timing, it still feels good to watch and give the answers before the contestants have a chance to demonstrate they know. Compare that to a trivia show like University Challenge in the UK, where not only are the questions remarkably hard, the contestants buzz in before I've had a chance to parse, let alone answer, the questions.
I think allowing contestants to buzz in early, even if Alex finished reading the question before they could answer, would make Jeopardy! a better trivia game but a worse TV show.
This is spot on. Jeopardy is 100% a TV show. I also have to agree with you about University Challenge - you are doing well if you can answer a 1/4 of the questions. I have always wondered who is the audience for this show as it is more like a sporting event than a quiz show.
I think one of the reasons Jeopardy! is so popular is that it makes the audience feel smart. I'm not amazing at trivia, but I know most of the Jeopardy! answers and having the contestants wait to buzz in creates the illusion that I'm doing as well / better than they are. Even though I'm intellectual aware of the importance of buzzer timing, it still feels good to watch and give the answers before the contestants have a chance to demonstrate they know. Compare that to a trivia show like University Challenge in the UK, where not only are the questions remarkably hard, the contestants buzz in before I've had a chance to parse, let alone answer, the questions.
I think allowing contestants to buzz in early, even if Alex finished reading the question before they could answer, would make Jeopardy! a better trivia game but a worse TV show.