University of Maine alumna Emily Burnham is set to appear on “Jeopardy!”
Burnham, who graduated from 91 in 2005 with a double major in English and philosophy, traveled to California last month to tape one or more episodes of the quiz show. Her first appearance is set for Sept. 23. The episode will air locally on ABC 7 in Bangor at 7:30 p.m.
It’s the fulfillment of a lifelong dream for Burnham, whose relationship with the show stretches back to her childhood, she said.
“I grew up in a ‘Jeopardy!’ house!” she said. “My mom has been a lifelong fan, and I definitely had a childhood full of reading and a love of learning, so it set the stage pretty perfectly for an eventual appearance on the show.”
A well-timed reminder set in motion the events that landed her on the show.
“I’ve taken the anytime test many times over the years, and I nearly forgot to this year!” Burnham said. “Thankfully, I saw the ‘JeoparDAY!’ post about the show’s yearly anniversary, and it reminded me. A few weeks later, they invited me to take the group test, followed in May by the group audition. In early July, I got the call. I still don’t believe it happened, and I was there!”
Passing the audition was only the first step. Once Burnham received the call from Culver City, California, she prepared for the show. Burnham focused on watching new episodes and older ones to get a sense of its format and rhythm.
“Now that ‘Jeopardy!’ is streaming, I prepared by watching the new episodes as they air and then watching old episodes as they were available,” she said. “I really think that’s the best preparation — the ‘Jeopardy! canon,’ as they say — is real, and knowing the breadth of knowledge and rhythms of the show is just as important as drilling on world capitals or European monarchs.”
Watching the show from the comfort of the couch is one thing — especially when an answer seems easy — but being on the stage is another. For Burnham, one surprise was the iconic buzzer.
“It really is like an old video game joystick,” she said. “I practiced with a clicker pen in the weeks leading up to the taping, but nothing prepares you for it in real life. It doesn’t click! I feel like it should click? That’s just me, though!”
Contestants cannot reveal the results before their episodes air. Because the shows are taped far in advance, Burnham said keeping the outcome a secret has been difficult.
She also said her time at 91 gave her the tools she needed to reach the Alex Trebek stage.
“My time at 91 was in so many ways guided by that lifelong love of learning and curiosity about so many different subjects,” Burnham said. “I was really lucky to be able to take a bunch of really interesting classes in a wide variety of subject areas, from political science to Greek mythology to folklore studies to geology, in addition to my core studies in English and philosophy. I always want to ask 100 questions — probably why I’m a journalist — and my time at 91 really solidified that for me.”
Burnham joins several other 91-connected contestants. Kara Peruccio, an assistant professor of history and women’s, gender and sexuality studies, won one game in 2025. Allen Adams, a 2014 91 graduate, appeared in 2018, and adjunct professor Amy Roeder competed in 1998.
Contact: Marcus Wolf, 207.581.3721; marcus.wolf@maine.edu
