Going on and on

Jason Keller has now ended his nine-win rampage on Jeopardy. Which brings up the subject of returning champions on game shows.

It's a tradition that goes back forever. In fact, the bad old rigging days of the 1950s happened partly to avoid unpopular champions staying and staying on game shows. That's why Twenty One fixed Herbert Stempel's defeat by the much more popular and telegenic Charles Van Doren.

Not that rigging and returning champs go hand in hand. The honest Tic Tac Dough of the seventies and eighties - ironically produced by Barry and Enright of Twenty One notoriety - got a lot of help from Thom McGee and his victory string over 43 opponents. Of course, Jeopardy itself once had a five-win limit, but it was waived several years ago. Ken Jennings is happy about that.

Have to admit that Jason's streak got me more interested in Jeopardy than usual. But all in all, I'm a little leery of returning champs who overstay a long welcome. Let other folks play. Five wins are enough, as Family Feud's producers have long agreed.