Mike Teavee from 'Willy Wonka' Was on 'Jeopardy!' - But Alex Trebek Didn't Mention It

If you caught Wednesday's episode of "Jeopardy!" and thought one of the contestants looked vaguely familiar, you weren't wrong: None other than Mike Teavee -- a.k.a. actor Paris Themmen -- from the classic flick "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" appeared on the program.

Unfortunately for viewers, though, if you didn't already know that fact offhand, you didn't hear host Alex Trebek mention it. During the contestant interview portion of the show -- which almost always tends to be boring and awkward, but occasionally contains some cool personal trivia -- contestants discuss an anecdote about themselves with the host, and Themmen said he had provided "Jeopardy!" with three fun facts, including his "Willy Wonka" connection.

For whatever reason, though, Trebek ignored that unique tale in favor of talking about Themmen's love of backpacking. It was an oversight that fans immediately pointed out on social media.

WBZ interrupted the opening of Jeopardy! so I didn't get his name until Alex Trebek repeated it - it's @ParisThemmen, Mike Teevee from Willy Wonka! pic.twitter.com/NNPUQ09hV0

— Tim Colby (@timjcolby) March 13, 2018

On Tuesday, Paris Themmen (who played Mike Teevee in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory) finally made it onto TV. I love that he was introduced as an entrepreneur and avid backpacker who revealed he's traveled to 61 countries and never mentioned his role in the movie #jeopardy pic.twitter.com/1gMuTjHQQF

— Scott Marks (@bizarchive) March 15, 2018

I was making dinner in the kitchen, listening to Jeopardy when Alex Trebek started introducing contestants at the break. He said @ParisThemmen and I ran out saying MIKE TEEVEE !!! My wife thought I was nuts. Great job Paris!

— Wildbill (@wildbill77) March 13, 2018

SO ARE WE JUST GUNNA ACT LIKE THAT ISNT MIKE TV FROM WILLY WONKA ON #JEOPARDY RIGHT NOW?!

— Meg Den (@MegDen) March 13, 2018

Wait, did @Jeopardy not mention that contestant @ParisThemmen was in "Willy Wonka," or did I miss it? It's not every day that Mike Teevee is on TV! #Jeopardy

— Jonathan Padget (@dcjpad) March 14, 2018

So it turns out @ParisThemmen (aka Mike Teevee) DID list his Willy Wonka role as one of his 'fun facts' when he went on Jeopardy, but Trebek didn't choose it. Has Alex Trebek never seen Willy Wonka?! https://t.co/ik0OPCtl38

— Anna Menta (@annalikestweets) March 15, 2018

On Twitter, Themmen surmised that Trebek probably chose to chat about backpacking because the host is "a fellow traveller." Had he had the chance, the contestant "would have discussed Wonka happily," he said.

The card in Alex's hand had three fun facts on it. As a fellow traveller, he asked me about that. I would have discussed Wonka happily. I appear at Comic-cons, I have a website: https://t.co/y5o7Sm94Kq, I was focusing on the game and so psyched to be there!

— Paris Themmen (@ParisThemmen) March 15, 2018

But Themmen added another curious aspect to the story in an interview with TMZ: His wife had appeared on "Jeopardy!" several years ago, and mentioned in her three facts that she was married to Mike Teavee. She ended up winning twice, and it was only on her third appearance on the program that Trebek was forced to talk about Themmen and "Willy Wonka," since it was her last remaining fact.

As one of the above Twitter users surmised, maybe Trebek just hasn't seen "Willy Wonka." Whatever the reason, it's pretty awesome that Mike Teavee made it onto TV.

[via: Paris Themmen/Twitter, TMZ, USA Today]

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