Who is Margaret Dunlap from Jeopardy?

Margaret Dunlap enters Jeopardy with a career built on creativity, collaboration, and genre-spanning imagination. Based in Burbank, California, she has made her mark across television, online series, and written fiction, calling herself a writer for the “small and smaller screens.” Her work ranges from science fiction to fantasy to horror, and she has contributed to some of the most inventive genre projects of the last two decades. Her television résumé includes The Middleman on ABC Family, the fan-favorite Eureka, and Netflix’s The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, where she brought her voice to a beloved fantasy world. She also played a key role in shaping The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, the Emmy-winning digital adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, along with its companion pieces Welcome to Sanditon and Domino: Gigi Darcy.

Her work in these spaces reflects both traditional writers room experience and a talent for pushing narrative boundaries in emerging media formats. Whether in broadcast TV, genre streaming series, or online storytelling ecosystems, she has demonstrated the ability to blend emotional depth, humor, and conceptual world-building. Her career also encompasses consulting producer and co-executive producer roles, giving her a hand in shaping projects well beyond the script stage. The breadth of her credits shows a strong command of both the creative and structural sides of modern storytelling.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKIhmP-SfB4

A Fiction Writer with a Distinct Voice in Speculative Literature

Alongside her television and digital media work, Margaret is a prolific fiction author whose writing appears in respected magazines and serialized formats. Her stories can be found in Uncanny Magazine, The Deadlands, Shimmer, and Serial Box Publishing. Much of her fiction balances dark atmospheric elements with humor, vulnerability, and a strong sense of character. She gravitates toward science fiction, fantasy, and horror, often infusing these genres with emotional nuance and introspective themes.

Her catalogue includes short stories, flash fiction, and collaborative serialized work, showing her adaptability across formats. Her contributions to Serial Box’s Bookburners series highlight her strength in crafting episodic fantastical narratives. As a longtime Goodreads Author, she maintains an active reading life, with hundreds of books logged and frequent participation in reading challenges. Her engagement with literature feeds back into her writing and helps her stay connected to the wider speculative community.

A Public Creative Life Filled with Humor, Personality, and Community

Margaret’s online presence reflects a blend of professionalism, charm, and playful self-awareness. Her Twitter username “@spyscribe” and her personal website offer a window into her writing life, while her newsletter—“Margaret’s Nearly Monthly News”—shares updates on film, books, writing processes, and humorous entries about her running joke known as the “Duolingo Dystopia.” She regularly interacts with readers, fellow authors, and industry colleagues, building a wide circle of creative community ties.

She often jokes about sending weather updates to the Bookburners team and waiting for the hypothetical earthquake that will turn Burbank into beachfront property. In announcing her Jeopardy appearance, she described herself as an Anglo woman in her forties with dark purple hair and a space-themed dress, revealing the personal flare she brings to both her style and her public creative identity.

Margaret also maintains a strong collaborative reputation. Writers rooms, co-authored fiction projects, online creative spaces, and community book discussions all shape the rhythm of her work. Her online interactions reflect both professional engagement and the casual warmth of someone deeply embedded in genre fandom and creative friendships.

A Jeopardy Dream Finally Coming True

For Margaret, appearing on Jeopardy marks a major life milestone. Announced in November 2025, her episode airs on December fifth, and the excitement surrounding it reflects years of trying to qualify. Her participation is the culmination of a long-standing love for trivia and an appreciation for the show’s mix of breadth, challenge, and intellectual playfulness.

Her background positions her well for the Jeopardy board. With deep roots in speculative fiction, television storytelling, mythology, science fiction history, film, classic literature, and pop culture, she brings a wide-ranging knowledge base. Her years of reading challenges, research for genre projects, and work across media all contribute to a strong foundation for buzzing in with confidence. Beyond preparedness, she approaches her Jeopardy moment with humor and gratitude, embodying the enthusiasm that has defined her creative journey.

Profile Summary and Full Background Table