Former Register reporter to appear on 'Jeopardy!'

SANDUSKY — Susan McMillan's version of a daily double consists of eating lunch and tuning in to the previous night's "Jeopardy!" episode on a recording. It's also a sure bet she's viewing the show alongside her husband, Jason Singer. "I've watched it since I was a child, and I feel like it's always been part of my consciousness," McMillan said. And a worldwide audience can soon see, firsthand, McMillan's passion for the iconic game show when viewers check out Friday's edition. McMillan — who, along with Singer, lived in Sandusky and reported for the Register between 2008 and 2011— will appear on America's highest-rated syndicated game show. McMillan primarily covered education, and Singer focused on local government. In Sandusky's TV market, the episode airs at 7:30 p.m. on CBS affiliates. Depending on the viewer's location, it could be Cleveland's WOIO 19 or Toledo's WTOL-TV 11. Because of a non-disclosure agreement each contestant signs, preventing spoilers from leaking out, McMillan couldn't reveal any results. Though she did share her "surreal" feelings experienced while on the famed set. "When you're at home, watching the game, you see the stage, the lectern and that big game board of monitors, and you see the contestants picking questions in categories," McMillan said. "But I was actually there, choosing where to go on the board. It was so thrilling." What is 'I caught a lucky break' for $200? Before filming her episode, recorded in early February, McMillan — who today works as a freelance Arabic translator and serves in the Army Reserves — needed to go through an extensive audition. "It starts with an online test of 50 questions, and you have 15 seconds to answer each question. There's no time to look something up," said McMillan, who resides in Portland, Maine. "I took that online test in April, almost a year ago, and then, in the fall, I got invited to take part in the next steps of auditions, which involved a timed, proctored test and then a mock game we did over Zoom," she added. "And then I got the call in early January that they wanted me there." Within a three-week period, executives required McMillan to arrive in California. "It felt a little frantic," she said. "I had to make all of my travel arrangements and had to get a COVID test and needed to cram a little bit more to study." McMillan and Singer watch "Jeopardy!" for many reasons. In no particular order, they're trivia diehards — often hosting game nights with friends during pre-pandemic days — it's a bonding activity, and they can broaden their mindsets with interesting nuggets of information. But, this past year, when McMillan stood a chance to appear on TV, they began meticulously breaking down each 30-minute episode. Beyond simply knowing answers to questions, they studied player tendencies and picked up on some little-known trends. "You learn a lot by rewatching the episodes," McMillan said. "You see certain topics come up all the time. And I noticed people tend to avoid categories that are about things like opera, ballet and classical music. I said, 'OK, let me just learn a little bit more about those topics, and I can have an advantage.'" Thousands of people each year ace the initial 50-question test, McMillan said. Only a small fraction, however, advance onward — and an even tinier portion get selected for a prestigious TV appearance. "I caught such a lucky break," McMillan said. A true legend McMillan's only regret about appearing on "Jeopardy!" is that it didn't occur a few months beforehand so she could meet the late Alex Trebek, 80, who died in November from pancreatic cancer. Trebek hosted "Jeopardy!" for 37 seasons. "That was disappointing," said McMillan's whose episode on Friday features guest host Dr. Mehmet Oz, commonly referred to as "Dr. Oz." Because of his legendary presence, Trebek's spirit still resonates across the set, as McMillan points out. "Even though I didn't get to meet Alex, the enthusiasm and graciousness that he brought to the show are still very much a part of the DNA, and you can feel it," she said. Regardless of how McMillan fares — no matter if her reign ends after just one episode or lasts long enough to dethrone Ken Jennings' record of 74 consecutive victories — she's a true winner in Singer's eyes. "Susan is brilliant, and everyone who knows her knows that she's brilliant," Singer said. "But it's nice that the whole world is going to find out how brilliant and beautiful and funny and smart she is."