'Jeopardy' Dream Team: Move Over Anderson, Producer Wants Clintons
Move over media men, Jeopardy's producer has sights set on White House residents
April 26, 2012 -- He's booked some of the country's top journalists, actors, comedians and sports stars, but Harry Friedman, the executive producer of the hit game show "Jeopardy," is still holding out for his celebrity contestant dream team: Bill and Hillary Clinton.
"We're still working on the Clintons," Friedman told ABC News before filming a special edition of Jeopardy in Washington, D.C. last weekend. "The former president and former first lady, secretary of state, we'd love to have them as guests."
While Bill Clinton has presented clues for the game show in the past, neither he nor Hillary have ever been "Jeopardy" contestants.
After last weekend, that's a claim former White House press secretary Robert Gibbs, Fox News anchor Chris Wallace, comedian Lewis Black and a dozen other political celebrities can no longer make.
The "Jeopardy" crew made its third cross-country trek from their Los Angeles studios to Washington D.C.'s DAR Constitution Hall to tape its third Power Players series with some of the country's top political journalists and TV personalities.
But with the massive egos of politicians and pundits on the line, Friedman said the questions for this celebrity edition of America's most popular game show were "what we call 'celebrity friendly.'"
"We try to take into consideration this isn't what these folks do every day, and especially at this time of year in a very busy political season in particular," Friedman said. "They're giving up a valuable free Saturday to come check their egos at the door and play for charity."
The 15 celebrity contestants are duking it out for a $50,000 prize donation to the charity of their choice. Runners-up will score $10,000 for their respective causes.
But while many of the contestants are on-camera regulars, nerves were running high as journalists swapped their questions for quiz answers.
"Anything to do with daytime television and I'm done," MSNBC host Chris Matthews said before the show, noting that he knows nothing about the Kardashians or American Idol.
President Obama's former press secretary said he was "a lot more nervous than I've ever been walking into the Brady press briefing room."
"I'm just hoping to get one question right in two rounds," said Gibbs, who dominated in the "Jeopardy" practice round. Between practice questions, Gibbs was asked if he saw the press as "adversaries" or "associates."
"We each have very important jobs to do," the always-on-message former spokesman responded.
Friedman, sitting slightly offstage burst into laughter and Gibbs' glib response.
The Power Players edition of "Jeopardy" will air the week of May 14th.
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