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'Theater History' Question Ends NY Teacher's Jeopardy! Run

A New York high school teacher’s run on Jeopardy! has sadly come to an end.

Syosset High School teacher Dan Wohl (right), pictured with host Ken Jennings, appeared on two episodes of Jeopardy!

Syosset High School teacher Dan Wohl (right), pictured with host Ken Jennings, appeared on two episodes of Jeopardy!

Photo Credit: Jeopardy Productions, Inc.

Dan Wohl, who teaches history at Long Island’s Syosset High School, fell short during the Final Jeopardy! round on the episode airing Thursday night, Feb. 9.

The clue, from the “theater history” category, was: “In 1904, wearing a harness, actress Nina Boucicault became the first to play this character onstage.” 

The answer: “Who is Peter Pan?”

Unfortunately, Wohl wrote down “Pygmalion,” losing the $9,101 he had wagered.

It wasn’t all bad, though, as the Stanford grad, who lives with his wife in Forest Hills, Queens, still walked away from the show with a combined two-day haul of $29,798.

Asked about his experience taping the iconic quiz show, Wohl told Daily Voice it was “amazing, thrilling all around, so adrenaline-producing that I feel like I barely remember it.”

He advised future contestants to remember that it’s all about the buzzer.

“Most contestants know most of the answers. It’s making sure you time the buzzer right that makes the most difference I think,” he said.

“Also, unless it’s a category you are extremely uneasy about, be bold on Daily Double wagers! There’s a reason that analytically minded players are always ‘hunting’ for the Daily Doubles. They make or break the game more often than not.”

Wohl’s appearance on Jeopardy! came as no surprise to his students. During his first year of teaching at Syosset High School in 2022, seniors voted him “most likely to win Jeopardy!,” according to a Facebook post shared by his mother, Danielle Wohl.

Now in its 39th season, Jeopardy! is the top-rated quiz show with a weekly audience of over 20 million viewers. Hosting duties are split between Ken Jennings and actress Mayim Bialik.

Jeopardy! airs weeknights at 7 p.m. on WABC. 

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