Quick Takes: A big bet on ‘Jeopardy’

Big bet on ‘Jeopardy!’

A University of Delaware graduate student who made a bold bet has become the biggest one-day winner in the history of the television game show “Jeopardy!”

Roger Craig earned $77,000 on Tuesday’s telecast. He beat the $75,000 standard set more than six years ago by legendary “Jeopardy!” champ Ken Jennings.

Craig finished the regular part of the game with $47,000 and bet $30,000 on the category “Literary and Movie Title Objects.” The clue was: “The inspiration for this title object in a novel and a 1957 movie actually spanned the Mae Khlung River.”

The 33-year-old correctly replied, “What is ‘The Bridge on the River Kwai’?”

After two days on the show, Craig has earned $114,000. He’s 72 games short of Jennings’ record of 74 wins in a row.

—Associated Press

Aussies foot ‘Oprah’ bill

Oprah Winfrey might have surprised her talk show audience Monday by giving them all a free, eight-day trip to Australia but the trip also surprised Australians — with a huge bill.

Tourism Minister Martin Ferguson said the federal and state New South Wales governments would spend more than $3 million helping to bring “The Oprah Winfrey Show” to Australia as a way to boost tourism.

He said it was money well spent as it would put Australia in the spotlight with the popular TV show watched by 40 million Americans and screened in 145 countries.

“Oprah is a household name, and her star power has the potential to lift Australia’s profile as a premier tourist destination,” Ferguson said Tuesday.

—Reuters

Boston awaits conductor

James Levine is expected to be back leading the Boston Symphony Orchestra when it begins its fall season next month.

The conductor had back surgery in the spring and missed the orchestra’s summer series at Tanglewood.

The orchestra said in a statement Tuesday that Levine is scheduled to return for the season-opening gala on Oct. 2 and for the first full week of the season starting Oct. 7.

—Associated Press

Pop star gets jail time, fine

George Michael was sentenced to eight weeks in jail and lost his license for five years Tuesday for driving under the influence of drugs.

A British judge told the wayward star his addiction to marijuana put him and the public at risk.

The former Wham! singer pleaded guilty last month to driving under the influence and possession of cannabis after a July 4 incident in which he crashed his car into a London photo shop.

District Judge John Perkins sentenced Michael to the prison time and a $1,930 fine. The judge said Michael would have to serve four weeks of the sentence in prison and the rest on parole.

Michael, 47, arrived at court in a chauffeur-driven car, surrounded by four security guards. He left with court guards who led him from the courtroom toward the cells, as one person in the public gallery sobbed.

—Associated Press

Label snaps up Brit choir girl

It’s “girl power” in Britain all over again but this time via cassocks and choir music instead of sequins and pop songs.

Isabel Suckling, 12, has broken an almost exclusively male singing tradition to become the first choir girl to be signed by Decca, whose parent company is also home to Lady Gaga, the Rolling Stones and Amy Winehouse.

The blond, angelic-looking Isabel was discovered at the York Minster choir in northern England, where she had sung since 2006. She caught the attention of Aled Jones, who took the pop charts by storm as a choir boy in the ‘80s with the song “Walking on Air.”

Her first album will be released in Britain in November, with a U.S. date to follow.

—Associated Press

Person of the Year: Domingo

Plácido Domingo has been named the Latin Grammys Person of the Year.

The Latin Recording Academy said Tuesday that the Spanish tenor, chosen for his professional and philanthropic achievements, will be honored in an all-star ceremony Nov. 10 in Las Vegas, the eve of the Latin Grammys.

—Associated Press