Congratulations go out to Monica Thieu this morning! Monica, who attends the University of North Texas, took home the Jeopardy! College Championship title last night after entering the semi-finals as a wild card.

I have to admit that I was rooting for Monica throughout the tourney (which is usually a curse for any contestant) - her enthusiasm and obvious love for the game was contagious. She was thrilled to be there and to meet Alex Trebek, and it showed. Thieu won the $100,000 prize as well as a spot in the Tournament of Champions. In second place, Goucher College student Sarah Bart walked away with $50,000 and Zack Terrill from Vanderbilt came in third with $25,000 in winnings. Congratulations to all three students, who gave us an entertaining finale to the tournament.

For those of us who love the Jeopardy! tourneys there's more good news - tonight's show kicks off the second annual Teachers Tournament, which was a big success last season. Fifteen educators who teach classes from kindergarten to grade 12 will face off to win $100,000 and a coveted TOC slot.

Photo courtesy Jeopardy! Productions, Inc.

There's been a tendency lately, based almost entirely in prime time game shows, to get contestants who have a sympathetic back-story. Quite often the game tends to suffer because of the focus on these stories, which is of course an attempt to get viewers emotionally invested in the show. Leave it to Wheel of Fortune, however, to show us how it should be done!

Last night's episode, the fourth of five during Military Spouses Week, wrapped up with a huge surprise for one of the contestants. All contestants this week are, obviously, military spouses, which is a nice thing for the show to do in and of itself. Maryanne Rigor played a great game, winning cash and prizes (including a trip to Vegas), and at the end of the game Pat Sajak mentioned that Sony was also giving out tablets for contestants this week. Short-handed by one tablet, Sajak called for another to be brought onstage... and Maryanne was reunited with her husband whom she believed to be in Afghanistan.

It was a heart-warming moment and really lovely for the audience and viewers at home to witness. What I loved most about it though was that it was emotional, but not overplayed in the least. There was no inflated drama, just a simple and touching reunion that made the game a little sweeter.

If you missed the show, you can see the reunion at the official Wheel of Fortune website - it's worth a watch.



Photos courtesy Sony, by Carol Kaelson

We've been getting hundreds of nominations in the annual About.com Readers' Choice Awards! One of the hottest categories appears to be Best Game Show Host, which isn't much of a surprise.

The usual suspects are all represented as well as some new contenders. Last year all of the finalists were from large networks or syndicated shows, but this year some of the more niche networks and shows are making some waves. It's going to be a tough race to see who takes the five finalist spots.

Remember, you can nominate more than once (there's no limit). The finalists will be selected based on the number of nominations they receive, and then it will once again be up to you to choose the winners in each category by voting in polls. Nominations will be accepted through February 15th, so make sure you get yours in soon! All ten Game Show categories, along with links to make your nominations for each, can be found here.

Good luck to all of the nominees! I can't wait to see who you all choose as your finalists.

Wheel of Fortune is kicking off a brand new theme week on Monday, February 6th - "Military Spouses Week." There are some cool things in store too that you'll want to tune in for.

First Lady Michelle Obama provides the welcome to this special week of shows, and there's a big surprise in store for one contestant who believes that her husband is serving overseas. In fact, he's in the studio and their reunion guarantees to be heartwarming and emotional. All of the 15 contestants playing this week are military spouses, and all military branches will be represented.

Host Pat Sajak says that this week is meant to pay tribute to the families who support the troops: "It's a way to honor them and to remind all of America that there are a lot of people behind this effort."

Military Spouses Week runs from February 6th through 10th - check your local listings to find out where and when the show airs in your area.

Logo courtesy Sony Entertainment