I Lost on Jeopardy

7" single

1. "I Lost on Jeopardy" – 3:26
2. "I'll Be Mellow When I'm Dead" – 3:37

12" promo single

1. "I Lost on Jeopardy" – 5:31 (Extended Mix).
2. "Mr. Popeil" – 4:40

Production

The video was directed by Francis Delia ^[4] and filmed on May 24 and 25, 1984.^[5] The video takes place on a re-creation of the original set from the 1964-75 version of the quiz show Jeopardy! (for some reason, the exclamation point used in the show's original logo was missing). The video also depicted a "behind-the-scenes" look at the show, and featured cameo appearances by original Jeopardy! host Art Fleming and announcer Don Pardo, Yankovic's mentor, Dr. Demento, members of Yankovic's band, his real-life parents and a brief cameo by Greg Kihn at the end.

Synopsis

As the video begins, a nervous Yankovic finds himself pitted against a plumber and an architect, both of whom have a Ph.D that they show to him on stage. After host Art Fleming enters, he reveals the game board and its categories: "T.V. Themes", "Nuclear Physics", "World Geography", "Food", "Potpourri", and "Famous Accordion Players", all of which contain a series of befuddling and nearly-impossible clues. Although the other two contestants effortlessly give many correct responses, Yankovic cannot and eventually gives up.

Announcer Don Pardo proceeds to tell Yankovic what he did not win: a set of encyclopedias, a case of Turtle Wax, and a year's supply of Rice-A-Roni. Pardo then tells Yankovic that he has disgraced himself to the audience and his family. Yankovic's podium begins to break down as his score continues to plummet in the negative column, while Pardo announces that he will not come back the next day, nor receive "a lousy copy of our home game", and that he is a "complete loser" as the camera zooms in on the game board, with the money cards replaced with cards reading "complete loser". Fleming raspberries and gives two thumbs down to Yankovic, who rips a piece of wood off his podium as two stagehands forcibly grab him and literally throw him out from the studio. At the end of the video, Yankovic lands in the back seat of an Alfa Romeo Spider convertible driven by Greg Kihn himself, with the license plate reading "LOSER".

References to the original "Jeopardy" video

• As the stagehands grab him to throw him out, Yankovic tears off a piece of wood off from his podium. In the original "Jeopardy" video, Kihn tears up a piece of wood from one of the pews, where the monster pulled him into the center of the church.
• Yankovic lands in the back seat of an Alfa Romeo Spyder convertible driven by Kihn himself, with the license plate reading "LOSER". In the original "Jeopardy" video, Kihn drives away with a female bride in an MG MGB convertible, with the license plate reading "LIPS". According to Kihn, he described his car as "a vintage sports car to approximate the one I drove in the original 'Jeopardy' video".^[6] The bride in Kihn's car "would shortly become a major rock star in an all-girls L.A. band", but who must remain nameless.^[7]