15 Times TV Quiz Show Writers Got the Answer Wrong
Producers technically have the final say on what’s deemed correct.
In 2018, Jeopardy! contestant Ryan Fenster was brought back after being told his question, “What is the Great Schism?” was incorrect for the clue, “St. Thomas Aquinas died traveling to Lyon, France while attempting to heal this rift between the Latin & Greek churches.” The producers didn’t realize his answer was actually correct until a former writer saw the episode and contacted the head writer, according to Jeopardy.com. Getty Images
On TV quiz shows like Jeopardy! and Million Dollar Money Drop, contestants put their knowledge to the test so they can win big. Whether they’re fighting for thousands of dollars or a trip to Hawaii, millions of viewers watch to see the guests give it their all—either to come out victorious or fall short. Sometimes, however, the writers don’t actually have all the right answers. Keep reading to see which TV quiz shows got it wrong on national television. Getty Images 
In January 2020, a controversial Jeopardy! answer was the focus of international media speculation. The precise location of the Church of the Nativity, the site in Bethlehem believed by Christians to be the birthplace of Jesus, was up for debate, according to the Intercept. One contestant’s response, “Palestine” was denied and “Jerusalem” was treated as the correct answer, despite Bethlehem technically being a Palestinian-administered city in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. After a commercial break, the losing contestant gained the money she was penalized for, while the winning contestant kept the money he was originally awarded. Getty Images 
In a 2008 episode of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, contestant Patrick Pugh used a lifeline to correctly answer the $25,000 question, “Derived from an old Italian word meaning ‘coloring,’ the technical term ‘coloratura’ is used in what field?” Because one of the keywords in the question was apparently misspelled, he was given the option to come back to the show with all four of his lifelines and his original $16,000, or to leave with the $25,000 for the correctly answered question. He chose to return, according to IMDb Getty Images 
In a 2001 episode of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, contestant Richard Rosner gave the wrong answer for the question: “What is the capital city located at the highest altitude above sea level?” with “Katmandu.” The other answers provided, Mexico City, Quito and Bogota, were all technically incorrect—La Paz, Bolivia was the correct answer. Richard was never compensated, as he had signed a disclaimer giving producers final say on answers, according to the Guardian. Getty Images 
In 2001, a contestant on The Weakest Link said the former Formula One world champion Mika Hakkinen was German, but host Anne Robinson said he was Italian, according to the Guardian. Mika is actually Finnish. Getty Images 
In 1999, contestant David Honea on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? said that Lake Huron was the Great Lake with the largest area apart from Lake Superior. The host corrected him and said the answer was Lake Michigan. Producers later admitted the host was wrong and that Honea had answered the $64,000 questions correctly, according to the Guardian. Getty Images 
A couple on a 2010 episode of Million Dollar Money Drop lost out on $80,000 when they were told they incorrectly answered “Which of these were sold in stores first: Macintosh computer, Sony Walkman or Post-It Notes?” They bet the majority of their money on Post-It Notes, and put some money on the Sony Walkman, according to Daily Mail. Producers named Sony Walkman as the correct answer, but internet bloggers’ research showed that Post-It Notes were sold in test markets two years before Sony Walkmans debuted. The couple was never compensated for their correct answer. Getty Images
In a 2018 round of Double Jeopardy, a botched reading by Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek caused contestant Vincent Valenzuela to lose out. For the contestants, the first letter was cut off in the question “This slang term for an environmentalist is literally true of groups that used passive resistance vs. deforestation, as in India in 1973.” Vincent responded with a person (Carl Sagan) rather than a slang term (tree hugger), according to the Chicago Tribune, because he read the first word as “his.” He was invited back to the show after the mix-up. Getty Images 
In 2018, Jeopardy! contestant Ryan Fenster was brought back after being told his question, “What is the Great Schism?” was incorrect for the clue, “St. Thomas Aquinas died traveling to Lyon, France while attempting to heal this rift between the Latin & Greek churches.” The producers didn’t realize his answer was actually correct until a former writer saw the episode and contacted the head writer, according to Jeopardy.com. Getty Images 
In a 2007 episode of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, contestant Anne Boyd’s answer to the question “Which of these U.S. bodies of water is also known as the ‘Sea of Cortés’?” was void because the question was deemed inaccurate. She was invited back to the show, according to IMDb. Getty Images 
In 2003, contestant Father Mike Sciumbato answered “Sierra” to the $8,000 question, “Which of these ecological regions often has dense thickets of evergreen trees and shrubs?” The correct answer was “Chapparal,” despite both answers being correct, according to DeseretNews. Mike was brought back a year later. Getty Images
In 2004, contestant Rod Townsend answered “Mississippi” to the question “What is the longest river in the U.S.?” The host said “Missouri” was the correct answer, but the Mississippi River is technically seven miles longer. Rod was invited back, but his return segment never aired, according to IMDb. Getty Images 
Julianna Suchard, a 2004 contestant on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, said that the jury deliberated for about 1 to 1.5 hours before they reached a verdict in the O.J. Simpson criminal trial. The show gave “four hours” as the correct answer for the $64,000 question, but later deemed her answer to be correct and invited her back to the show, according to IMDb. Getty Images 
In 2001, contestant Ed Toutant answered “tomato” to the following $16,000 question on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?: “Scientists in England recently genetically altered what vegetable so it glows when it needs water?” He was told “Potato” was the correct answer, according to Insider. After going home and doing some research, he found that the experiment was actually done in Scotland rather than England and in another experiment, an Oxford professor had been doing the same with a tomato. The producers decided to bring him back. Getty Images 
In August of 1999, contestant Doug Van Gundy was asked what “iron horse” was used to describe. After he answered “locomotive,” using an “Ask the Audience” lifeline, he was told the correct answer was “motorcycle,” according to the Guardian. Producers later decided “iron horse” could be used to describe both. Maria Melin 
Andrew and Patricia Murray, contestants on a 2010 episode of Million Dollar Money Drop, sued the show after answering the question “According to the data security firm IMPERVA, what is the most common computer password?” with “password.” They announced the correct answer to be “123456”, which the couple then researched and found to be incorrect, according to HuffPost. Getty Images
