"Jeopardy" and "Wheel of Fortune" - A True American Tradition!

I don't know about you, but I have been exposed to ABC's Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune since I was a child. I vividly remember the days when my family and I used to sit at the dinner table and watch these two shows like it was our job.

As I got older and more knowledgeable of history, current events, and random facts, I was able to answer more and more questions, and the time I was spending with my family became even more fun. Even when I was young, I never viewed these shows as boring or too hard, because although I did not know many of the answers, I always viewed it as a learning experience and treated the shows as a team effort. Each time any of my family members would answer correctly, we would all get excited and "slap five."

No matter if it was a "good" night or a "bad" night for my family, either way, we always had fun with the games. Sometimes, we would take it a step further and break out paper and pens to keep an actual score. It was always interesting to see how our scores compared with each other and with the show's contestants. It was a great feeling when I could beat the contestants on the television, but this has only happened on Wheel of Fortune for me. Jeopardy's contestants are extremely informed, and I have yet to surpass them! One day, one day!

I am now a college student and still find myself sitting down each night with my sister, who is also my roommate, boyfriend, and my other roommate to watch these shows. Just like it was a tradition with my family, it has now become a tradition with my college family. Sure, we may miss a couple episodes now and then, but we try to catch them as much as possible. Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune have been around forever, and I hope they stay around long enough for my own children to experience the tradition!

I am from New Jersey and the lineup has always been Jeopardy followed by Wheel of Fortune, but since I have started going to college in Pennsylvania, I have come to realize that in this state, people watch the two in the reverse order. It may seem silly, but I was shocked by this! I cannot imagine switching the sequence. To me, Jeopardy is like the entrée (more serious and full of nutrients for the brain) and Wheel of Fortune is like dessert (exciting soulfood for the brain). I have nothing against Alex, but I personally like to end my game shows with a little Pat and Vanna! Wheel of fortunately (pun intended), both shows are played simultaneously each night on different channels, so even though people from Pennsylvania may choose to watch Wheel of Fortune first, I always have the opportunity to watch Jeopardy first like New Jersey tradition!

No matter what order you choose to watch these two American classics in, you are guaranteed an hour of learning, excitement, and maybe even some bonding if you choose to watch with others. So after a day of hard work and labor, treat yourself to a nice dose of ABC's best!