Okay Jeopardy! fans you are not going to believe this. In a recent episode something totally unexpected happened during Final Jeopardy . Get ready because it involves a "classic TV show" and a major brain freeze moment for all three contestants.

Triple Stumper Alert! 'Cheers' Clue Leaves Jeopardy! Contestants Utterly Stumped

Seriously folks this was a " triple stumper " in Final Jeopardy and the category was "Classic TV Shows." Sounds pretty broad right? Well the clue was this: "Posted over the door of this show’s setting was a notice reading ‘Maximum Room Capacity 75 Persons.’"

Think about it for a sec. Classic TV show... capacity sign... Any ideas?

Apparently for the three contestants Lily St. Laurent David DeBacker and returning champ Alex DeFrank it was a total head-scratcher. Lily from California guessed "What is a TV show I don't know" which is honestly pretty funny in a defeated way. David from Michigan went with "What is MASH" which host Ken Jennings gently corrected. And Alex from New York also went with "MASH". Yep all three completely missed it.

Ken Jennings then revealed the answer with a bit of playful alarm "I’m very alarmed to learn that the '80s shows of my childhood are now classic TV — What is ‘Cheers.’ The bar in ‘Cheers.’" "Cheers"! The iconic bar sitcom! Crazy right?

Fan Reactions Range from "Flabbergasted" to "Too Obvious" - Was This Clue a Miss?

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The internet as you can imagine exploded with reactions. Jeopardy! fans online were well... flabbergasted. Reddit and social media were full of comments like "Flabbergasted that FJ was a triple stumper!" and "Never seen an episode in my life and I got it instantly then thought it was too obvious."

Some viewers were genuinely surprised that such a well-known show clue stumped everyone. "Cheers" is a cultural touchstone it ran for years it's still in syndication. The whole show takes place in a bar. The capacity sign clue really does point pretty directly to "Cheers."

However some fans also pointed out that MASH was also a reasonable guess as both shows were on in the early 80s. But the "capacity" part really should have steered them towards a public place like a bar not a military hospital.

From Celine Dion to Classic TV: Jeopardy! and Those Tricky Pop Culture Clues

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This "Cheers" stumper is not the first time Jeopardy! contestants have been baffled by what some might consider "obvious" pop culture questions. Remember earlier this year when a contestant totally blanked on a Celine Dion clue? Yep even walked off stage for a moment of disbelief! It happens to the best of us.

Jeopardy! is known for mixing high-brow trivia with pop culture references and sometimes those pop culture clues can be surprisingly tough or maybe just cause contestants to overthink. In the Celine Dion case it was about her song "The Power of Love." This "Cheers" clue just shows that sometimes even "classic" TV knowledge can escape you under pressure.

Contestant's Hilarious Apology and a Three-Day Champ is Crowned Anyway

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Despite the triple stumper Alex DeFrank actually won the game! Even though he missed Final Jeopardy his previous winnings were enough to secure him the title of three-day champion with a total of $75600. Congrats to Alex!

And in a funny twist contestant Lily St. Laurent even chimed in online after the episode. She jokingly apologized to Ted Danson Shelley Long and "most importantly Cliff Clavin" for not knowing the "Cheers" answer. It's all in good fun right?

Key Takeaways from the Great Jeopardy! "Cheers" Stumper of 2025

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  1. The Clue: "Posted over the door of this show’s setting was a notice reading ‘Maximum Room Capacity 75 Persons.’"
  2. The Category: Classic TV Shows
  3. The Correct Answer: What is "Cheers?"
  4. Contestant Guesses: "What is a TV show I don't know" and "What is MASH?" (Twice)
  5. Result: Triple Stumper - No contestant answered correctly.
  6. Winner: Alex DeFrank became a three-day champion despite missing Final Jeopardy.
  7. Fan Reaction: Shock disbelief amusement and debate online about the clue's difficulty.

So Was It a Hard Clue or Just a Brain Freeze? The Jeopardy! Mystery Continues

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Ultimately the Jeopardy! "Cheers" stumper is just a funny reminder that even smart people have blank moments especially under game show pressure. Was the clue too easy? Too obscure? Maybe it was just that perfect storm of a question that landed right outside the contestants' knowledge zone that day. Either way it gave Jeopardy! fans something to talk about and proves that even after all these years the show can still deliver some truly surprising moments. And hey at least we all know the answer now right? Cheers to that!