The second-to-last photo is what Jeopardy! fans of today are used to. Ken Jennings ’ podium is farther away from the contestants’, and is brown as silver compared to the contestants’ blue and brown.

There is a specific, electric feeling that radiates from 1980s game shows. It’s a potent cocktail of optimistic synth music, buzzing neon lights, and the raw, unscripted excitement of contestants ...