Iron Mountain librarian competes on ‘Jeopardy!’
IRON MOUNTAIN — The third time did prove to be the charm for Amanda Griggs’ dream of being on “Jeopardy!”
The 30-year-old Dickinson County librarian competed on the popular game show Oct. 31, with the episode set to air in the Iron Mountain area at 7 p.m. today on FOX UP.
Griggs, a longtime “Jeopardy” fan who handles cataloging at the library, twice before had been called to audition for the game show after scoring well on an online test.
She was able to make the earlier Chicago session but had to pass on the Boston tryout as too far away, Griggs said.
Then “Jeopardy” called again in May for a mock competition in Minneapolis in September.
This time, Griggs was invited to come to the Los Angeles area for the actual show.
Griggs, by contract, can’t reveal how she did on the show until after it airs.
But she described the experience and “Jeopardy” staff as “incredibly lovely and kind.”
Host Alex Trebek, in particular, kept joking with the players to help keep them calm. During commercial breaks, he would answer questions from the audience, Griggs said.
Her mother, Dawn Griggs, accompanied her both to Minneapolis and Los Angeles for the show. She had done the same when her daughter took part in High School Bowl quiz competitions while at Iron Mountain High School.
Mom also, conveniently, is a travel agent. “I said, ‘Mom, they want me.’ She said, ‘I got it.’ She took care of everything,” Griggs said.
They got to see Sony Pictures Studios, where the show is taped, but otherwise stayed around Culver City, California, to avoid battling L.A. traffic. That was enough excitement for the both of them, Griggs said.
“Mom loved it. She had just as much fun as I did … it was a crazy experience to be a part of,” Griggs said.
When the show airs, she plans to have a small viewing party, then go out for dinner “and crack open a bottle of wine.”
She recommends those who share her interest in trivia and “learning new things” consider taking the online quiz for the show, as she did to qualify.
“It was a once-in-a-lifetime type of experience,” she said.
Betsy Bloom can be reached at 906-774-2772, ext. 40, or bbloom@ironmountaindailynews.com.