Checks and Balance Tracker
A send-to-the-hosts version of the quiz archive starts with trustworthy structure.
This overview now leads with auditability instead of raw scroll length: one shared tracker model powers the scoreboard, archive, host history, QA backlog, and methodology so we can improve accuracy without the visuals drifting out of sync.
Product Direction
The tracker is now split into overview, archive, hosts, QA, and methodology views so the data can be audited like an editorial database instead of buried in one long page.
294
structured quiz rows
Across a working catalog of 338 Checks and Balance episodes.
89
decisive wins
59 ties and 146 stumpers are tracked separately.
5%
reviewed rows
0 rows are verified and 16 have evidence.
13
Jon-preserved rows
Jan 24, 2020 through May 21, 2021 now survive by name.
Scoreboard
The leaderboard is finally derived from one source of truth.
Wins, accuracy, and appearances below all come from recorded response rows. That lets the overview, hosts page, archive, and QA surface stay aligned as backfills land.
Idrees Kahloon
US Editor
47
Wins
36%
Accuracy
294
Appearances
Charlotte Howard
Executive Editor
40
Wins
34%
Accuracy
294
Appearances
John Prideaux
US Editor & Quiz Master
2
Wins
50%
Accuracy
4
Appearances
Coverage Posture
294 structured quiz rows are live.
5% of rows have any review status beyond unreviewed.
4% of rows preserve guest names.
5% of rows have attached evidence.
0 integrity issues are currently flagged.
The point is to make the confidence level legible. This page now tells you what the tracker knows, what it infers, and what still needs a rerun.
Lineup Reality
Host history is now framed as evidence-backed milestones, not fake certainty.
Because the structured quiz rows still flatten some historical panelists, the timeline below intentionally shows confirmed lineup snapshots rather than pretending we already have a perfect episode-by-episode cast database.
Launch lineup snapshot
The launch-era main show page identifies John Prideaux hosting with Charlotte Howard and Jon Fasman, alongside guests David Rennie and Shashank Joshi.
Charlotte hosts an expanded pandemic panel
An early covid-era episode page shows Charlotte Howard hosting with Jon Fasman and Adam Roberts, while David Rennie and Idrees Kahloon also join the panel.
Idrees joins the regular panel mix
By May 2021 the episode page explicitly lists John Prideaux hosting with Idrees Kahloon and Jon Fasman.
Four-person panel snapshot
The book-club episode explicitly lists John, Charlotte, Idrees, and Jon together, which makes it a strong historical checkpoint.
Modern trio clearly established
The modern main-show lineup is clearly John Prideaux with Charlotte Howard and Idrees Kahloon, joined here by Rosemarie Ward and Nicole Gelinas.
Historical Progress
13
Jon-preserved rows
5
Lineup milestones
16
Reviewed rows
3
High-severity gaps
The tracker now preserves named Jon Fasman rows from the launch era through May 2021, which makes the host-history story feel visibly more real than the old Charlotte-versus-Idrees slot map.
Backfill Queue
Priority 1
Backfill launch-era and 2021-2023 episodes where Jon Fasman appears on Acast lineups.
Priority 2
Use title-specific reruns for 2023-2024 duplicate-date Fridays so picks episodes cannot collide with the main show.
Priority 3
Keep explicit episode coverage states current so no-quiz and extraction gaps are visible instead of implicit.
Priority 4
Add transcript evidence snippets and timestamps before sending the tracker externally.
Browse Faster
The long-scroll page is now broken into focused rooms.
Each route has one job: archive exploration, host context, QA review, or maintenance documentation. That keeps the visuals intact while making it much easier to extend.
Open route
Archive explorer
Dense filters, expandable rows, and less scrolling than the old giant quiz page.
Open route
Hosts and eras
Tracked competitors, quiz-master behavior, yearly records, and historical lineup milestones.
Open route
Accuracy QA
Open issues, backfill priorities, integrity anomalies, and response-pattern audits.
Open route
Methodology
How winners are derived, how reruns should work, and what still needs evidence.
Archive Signals
Recent rows and dominant categories stay visible from the top level.
This keeps the tracker feeling alive without forcing everything onto one page.
Top categories
History
180
Culture
54
Politics
37
Economics
12
Science
8
Geography
3
Latest tracked rows
A quick scan of recent episodes with direct links into the denser archive explorer.
Which president decided that he did like the idea of a speech after all, and restarted the tradition of delivering the State of the Union as a speech?
Donald Trump readies for war, again
Who was the federal prosecutor who secured the indictment of Rostenkowski?
Why Congress just isn't any fun
The bridge, which has been under construction since 2018, connects Detroit and which city?
MAHA's first annual checkup
Which country has won the most Olympic curling medals?
All in: America bets on prediction markets
Who was the last Democrat to represent Maine in the United States Senate?
Blocks of ICE: the fallout from Trump's deportation agenda
Minnesota bills itself as the land of 10,000 lakes, but how many does it actually have?
Minnesota ICE: crackdown in the Twin Cities
Current Feed
The recent Checks and Balance catalog still has a home here.
The tracker can stay quiz-focused without losing the context of the broader show feed.
Feb 27, 2026
Donald Trump readies for war, again
Aircraft carriers near Iran, nuclear pressure, diplomatic options vs conflict preparation.
Feb 20, 2026
Why Congress just isn't any fun
Record departures from legislature. Leadership controls bill-writing, rank-and-file fundraises.
Feb 13, 2026
MAHA's first annual checkup
RFK Jr one year in. Vaccine skepticism, rising insurance premiums, scientific credibility of health agencies.
Feb 6, 2026
All in: America bets on prediction markets
Billions wagered on prediction markets after deregulation. Betting culture meets political forecasting.