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{{Short description|American television quiz show}}
{{redirect|Jeopardy}}
{{Redirect|Jeopardy}}

{{Good article}}
{{Infobox Television
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2023}}
| show_name = Jeopardy!
{{Infobox television
| image = ]
| caption = ''Jeopardy!'' Season 25 logo. | image = Jeopardy! logo.svg
| image_alt = The stylized ''Jeopardy!'' wordmark, used since 1986. The wordmark is based on URW Type Foundry's "Annual" font. In title cards and bumper cards, the wordmark usually appears in gold or silver against a background colored in shades of blue or red.
| genre = ]
| creator = ] | genre = ]
| director = ] | creator = ]
| director = {{Plainlist|
| creative_director =
* Bob Hultgren
| developer =
* Eleanor Tarshis
| presenter = ] (1964&ndash;1975; 1978&ndash;1979)<br>] (1984&ndash;Present)
* Jeff Goldstein
| narrated = ] (1964&ndash;1975)<br>] (1978&ndash;1979)<br>] (1984&ndash;Present)
* Dick Schneider
| composer = Steve Kaplan<br>Chris Bell Music, Inc.<br>
* ]
| country = USA
* Clay Jacobsen
| language = English
* Lucinda Owens Margolis
| num_episodes = Fleming daytime: 2,753<br>Fleming syndicated: 39<br>Fleming revival: 108<ref>{{cite web|title=Who's Afraid of the Millennium Bug? Not Game Show Network; Hosted By Game Show Great Charles Nelson Reilly, `Y2PLAY' To Air on GSN From 4 p.m. Through Midnight on Dec. 31, 1999|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_1999_Nov_23/ai_57765148|date=1999-11-22|accessdate=2008-09-28|quote="Y2PLAY", an exclusive programming block of the final episodes of select game shows, is scheduled to air exclusively on Game Show Network (GSN) for New Year's Eve, Dec. 31, 1999. Hosted by Charles Nelson Reilly, "Y2PLAY" features the classic and all-time favorite game shows of the 20th century from 4 p.m. through midnight ET. Following is the program schedule for "Y2PLAY": ... 4 p.m. "Jeopardy!"/Art Fleming No. 108 -- Episode aired in 1979 -- this is the final "Jeopardy!" to be hosted by original host Art Fleming.}}</ref><br>Trebek syndicated: 5,500 (as of November 17, 2008)<br>Total: 8,400
* Russell Norman
| executive_producer = Harry Friedman
}}
| co_exec =
| presenter = {{Plainlist|
| producer = Deb Dittmann<br>Brett Schneider
* ]
| supervising_producer = Lisa Finneran<br>Rocky Schmidt<br>Gary Johnson
* ]
| asst_producer =
* ]
| co-producer =
* ]
| editor = Billy Wisse
* ]
| location = ]
}}
| cinematography =
| announcer = {{Plainlist|
| camera = ]
* ]
| runtime = approx. 22 minutes
* ]
| company = Merv Griffin Productions (1964-1975; 1978-1979; 1983)<br>] (1984-1994)<br>] (1994-2002)<br>] (2002-Present)<br>Califon Productions (1978-1979)<br>Jeopardy! Productions (1984-Present)
* ]
| distributor = ] Producers Corporation (1974-1975)<br>] (1984-2007)<br>] (2007-Present)
}}
| network = ] (1964–1975; 1978-1979) (daytime)<br>] (1974–1975, 1984–Present)
| theme_music_composer = {{Plainlist|
| picture_format = ] (]),<br>] & ] (])<br>Color (March 30, 1964-Present)
* Julann Griffin
| audio_format = ]
* Merv Griffin
| first_aired = March 30, 1964
* Steve Kaplan
| last_aired = Present
* Chris Bell Music & Sound Design
| website = http://www.jeopardy.com/
* ]
}}
| end_theme = "Think!"
| country = United States
| language = English
| num_seasons = 41
| num_episodes = 9,000+
| executive_producer = {{hlist|Robert Rubin|Merv Griffin|]|]|]}}
| producer = '']''
| runtime = 22–26 minutes
| location = The Alex Trebek Stage (formerly Stage 10)<br />], ]
| company = {{Plainlist|
*January Enterprises (1964–1975)
*Califon Enterprises (1978–1979)
* Jeopardy Productions, Inc. (1984–present)
* ] (1964–1975, 1978–1979)
* Merv Griffin Enterprises (1984–1994)
* ] (1994–2002)
* ]{{efn|name=SPTS|As Sony Pictures Television Studios from 2020 to 2023|lead=yes}} (2002–present)
}}
| network = ]
| first_aired = {{Start date|1964|3|30}}
| last_aired = {{End date|1975|1|3}}
| network2 = ]
| first_aired2 = {{Start date|1974}}
| last_aired2 = {{End date|1975}}
| network3 = NBC
| first_aired3 = {{Start date|1978|10|2}}
| last_aired3 = {{End date|1979|3|2}}
| network4 = Daily syndication
| first_aired4 = {{Start date|1984|9|10}}
| last_aired4 = present
| related = {{Plainlist|
* '']''
* '']''
* '']''
* '']''
* '']''
* '']''
* '']''
* '']''
}}
}} }}
'''''Jeopardy!''''' is an American ] featuring ] in topics such as ], ], ] and ]. The show has a decades-long ] in the United States since its creation by ] in the early 1960s. It first ran on ] from March 30, 1964 until January 3, 1975; concurrently ran in a weekly ] version from September 9, 1974 to September 7, 1975; and subsequently ran in a revival from October 2, 1978 to March 2, 1979. Its most successful incarnation is the ]-hosted syndicated version, which has aired continuously since September 10, 1984.<ref> David Schwartz, Steve Ryan & Fred Wostbrock, ''The Encyclopedia of TV Game $hows'', Checkmark Books, 1999, pp. 112-115.</ref> It has also been ].


'''''Jeopardy!''''' is an American television ] created by ]. The show is a ] competition that reverses the traditional question-and-answer format of many quiz shows. Rather than being given questions, contestants are instead given ] clues in the form of answers and they must identify the person, place, thing, or idea that the clue describes, phrasing each response in the form of a question.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What Are... Some Questions About Jeopardy! |url=https://www.jeopardy.com/jbuzz/behind-scenes/what-are-some-questions-about-jeopardy |access-date=2024-05-28 |website=www.jeopardy.com |language=en}}</ref>
The current version has consistently placed among the top-rated shows in syndication. In January 2001, '']'' ranked it #2 among the ]. '']'' magazine readers named it their "favorite game show", and in the summer of 2006, it was also ranked #2 by ] on their list of the ]. The show holds the record for number of ] in the category of Best Game Show, with 11.<ref>{{ cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/jeopardy/showguide_showhistory.php|title=''Jeopardy!''—Did You Know...|accessdate=2008-09-16|quote=Since its 1984 syndication debut, ''Jeopardy!'' has been honored with 27 Daytime Emmy Awards, more than any other syndicated game show. Eleven Emmys have been for 'Outstanding Game Show/Audience Participation.' Alex Trebek has won four Daytime Emmy Awards for 'Outstanding Game Show Host.' }}</ref>


The original daytime version debuted on ] on March 30, 1964, and aired until January 3, 1975. A nighttime ] edition aired weekly from September 1974 to September 1975, and a revival, '']'', ran on NBC from October 1978 to March 1979 on weekdays. The syndicated show familiar to modern viewers and aired daily (currently by ]{{efn|name=SPTS|lead=yes}}) premiered on September 10, 1984.
==Gameplay==
Three ]s, one of whom is typically a defending champion (and occupies the left-most podium from the viewer's perspective), compete in three rounds: the Jeopardy! Round, the Double Jeopardy! Round and the Final Jeopardy! Round.


] served as host for all versions of the show between 1964 and 1979. ] served as ] until 1975, and ] announced for the 1978–1979 season. The daily syndicated version premiered in 1984 with ] as host and ] as announcer. Trebek hosted until his death, with his last episode airing January 8, 2021, after over 36 years in the role. Following his death, a variety of guest hosts completed the season<ref name="interim">{{cite web|url=https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/nation-world/jeopardy-resumes-ken-jennings-interim-host/507-f415b628-6b65-4b8a-b0bf-eea176803acc|title=Ken Jennings to host first 'Jeopardy!' episodes airing in January|work=WUSA-TV|date=November 23, 2020|access-date=November 23, 2020}}</ref> beginning with record-holding former contestant ], each hosting for a few weeks before passing the role on to someone else. Then-] ] initially assumed the position of permanent host in September 2021, but relinquished the role within a week.<ref name="Mike Richards steps down">{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/20/business/mike-richards-quits-jeopardy.html|title=Abrupt Exit of New ''Jeopardy!'' Host, Mike Richards, Rattles a TV Institution|work=The New York Times|last1=Grynbaum|first1=Michael|last2=Sperling|first2=Nicole|last3=Jacobs|first3=Julia|date=August 20, 2021|access-date=August 22, 2021|archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211228/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/20/business/mike-richards-quits-jeopardy.html|archive-date=December 28, 2021|url-access=limited}}{{cbignore}}</ref> ] and Jennings served as permanent rotating hosts of the syndicated series until December 2023, when Jennings became the sole syndicated host.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jeopardy! announcement. |date=December 15, 2023 |author1=missmayim |url=https://www.instagram.com/missmayim/p/C05G11gPBwg/ |access-date=2023-12-16 |website=Instagram |url-status=live |archive-url= https://archive.today/20240323223755/https://www.instagram.com/missmayim/p/C05G11gPBwg/ |archive-date= 23 March 2024 }}</ref> While Bialik was originally arranged to host additional ] ] on ], and ], the announcement of '']'' in 2023 meant these duties were shared as well. Following Bialik's withdrawal in part of supporting writers and actors due to the ], Jennings assumed hosting duties for all forms of media.
===Jeopardy! Round===
], circa 1986]]Six categories are announced, each with a column of five trivia clues (phrased in answer form), each one incrementally valued more than the previous, ostensibly by difficulty. From 1964 to 1979, only five categories were featured per round. Category names range from standard subjects such as "History," "Television" and "Headlines" to ]-laden titles and wordplay categories.


Currently in its 41st season, ''Jeopardy!'' is one of the longest-running game shows of all time. The show has consistently enjoyed a wide viewership and received many accolades from professional television critics. With over 9,000 episodes aired,<ref name="Jeopardy 8000">{{cite web|url=https://abc7chicago.com/entertainment/james-holzhauer-reaches-new-jeopardy-winnings-milestone/5315851/|title='Jeopardy!' James Holzhauer reaches new winnings milestone|date=May 24, 2019|access-date=May 25, 2019|work=]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190525014500/https://abc7chicago.com/entertainment/james-holzhauer-reaches-new-jeopardy-winnings-milestone/5315851/|archive-date=May 25, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> the daily syndicated version of ''Jeopardy!'' has won a record 45 ]s as well as a ]. In 2013, the program was ranked No. 45 on '']''{{'}}s list of the 60 greatest shows in American television history. ''Jeopardy!'' has also gained a worldwide following with ] in many other countries.
The value of each clue within categories has increased over time:
{| class="wikitable" border="1" style="text-align:center"
|-
!width="50"|1964-<br>1975
!width="50"|1978-<br>1979
!width="50"|1984-<br>2001
!width="50"|2001-<br>Present
|-
| $10
| $25
| $100
| $200
|-
| $20
| $50
| $200
| $400
|-
| $30
| $75
| $300
| $600
|-
| $40
| $100
| $400
| $800
|-
| $50
| $125
| $500
| $1,000
|}


On January 13, 2025, it was announced that ''Jeopardy!'' would suspend production due to the ] in the ] region, where the show is filmed. It is not yet known when production of the show will resume due to the severity of the wildfires.<ref>{{Cite web |last=White |first=Peter |date=2025-01-13 |title=‘Jeopardy!’ Pauses Production This Week Due To LA Wildfires |url=https://deadline.com/2025/01/jeopardy-pauses-production-la-wildfires-1236255578/ |access-date=2025-01-13 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}</ref>
]
{{TOC limit|3}}


==Gameplay==
The contestant at the left-most podium, usually the returning champion, begins the game by selecting a category and dollar value. Contestants are free to choose any unselected clue.
{{Redirect|Double Jeopardy!|other uses|Double Jeopardy (disambiguation){{!}}Double Jeopardy}}
Each game of ''Jeopardy!'' features three contestants competing in three rounds: Jeopardy!, Double Jeopardy!, and Final Jeopardy!{{Sfn|Newcomb|2004|pp=1222–1224}} In each round, contestants are presented trivia clues phrased as answers, to which they must respond in the form of a question that correctly identifies whatever the clue is describing.{{Sfn|Newcomb|2004|pp=1222–1224}} For example, instead of asking, "Who is the only U.S. President to marry in the White House?" and the answer being "]", the clue is "He is the only U.S. president to marry in the White House" and the contestant would respond by asking "Who is Grover Cleveland?"{{Sfn|Jennings|2006|pp=XII}}


]
The host then reads the clue after which any of the three contestants may ring in using a hand-held signaling device. The first contestant to successfully ring in following the host's reading of the clue must then respond generally in the form of a question (see Phrasing below).


The Jeopardy! and Double Jeopardy! rounds each feature game boards consisting of six categories with five clues each. The clues are valued by dollar amounts from lowest to highest, ostensibly by difficulty.{{Sfn|Newcomb|2004|pp=1222–1224}} The values of the clues increased over time, with those in the Double Jeopardy! round always being double the range of the Jeopardy! round.{{Sfn|Newcomb|2004|pp=1222–1224}} On the original ''Jeopardy!'' series, clue values in the first round ranged from $10 to $50 in the Jeopardy! round and $20 to $100 in Double Jeopardy!{{Sfn|Harris|2006|p=13}} On ''The All-New Jeopardy!'', they ranged from $25 to $125 and $50 to $250. The 1984 series' clue values originally ranged from $100 to $500 in Jeopardy! and $200 to $1,000 in Double Jeopardy!{{Sfn|Newcomb|2004|pp=1222–1224}} These ranges were increased to $200–$1,000 and $400–$2,000, respectively, on November 26, 2001.<ref>{{Cite episode|title=Show No. 3966 (Harold Skinner vs. Geoffrey Zimmermann vs. Kristin Lawhead)|series=Jeopardy!|network=Syndicated|air-date=November 26, 2001}}</ref>
A correct response earns the dollar value of the clue and the opportunity to select the next clue from the board. An incorrect response or a failure to respond within a 5-second time limit (shown by the red lights on the contestant's podium) deducts the dollar value of the clue from the contestant's score and gives any remaining opponent(s) the opportunity to ring in and respond. If none of the contestants give a correct response, the host reads the correct response and the contestant who has most recently given a correct response to a previous clue chooses the next clue.


Gameplay begins when the returning champion selects a clue by indicating its category and dollar value. The two (or if there is no returning champion, three) challengers participate in a random draw prior to taping to determine contestant order, and if there is no returning champion, the contestant who drew the first lectern starts. The underlying clue is revealed and read aloud by the host, after which any contestant may ring in using a ]. The first contestant to successfully ring in is prompted to respond to the clue by stating a question containing the correct answer to the clue. Any grammatically coherent question with the correct answer within it counts as a correct response.<ref name=ap-amodio>{{cite web|url=https://www.boston.com/culture/tv/2021/08/13/jeopardy-champ-matt-amodios-analytic-style-is-a-winner/|title='Jeopardy!' champ Matt Amodio's analytic style is a winner|first=Lynn|last=Elber|agency=Associated Press|date=August 13, 2021|access-date=August 13, 2021}}</ref> If the contestant responds correctly, its dollar value is added to the contestant's score, and they may select a new clue from the board. An incorrect response or failure to respond within five seconds deducts the clue's value from the contestant's score and allows the other contestants the opportunity to ring in and respond. If the response is not technically incorrect but otherwise judged too vague, the contestant is given additional time to provide a more specific response.{{Sfn|Newcomb|2004|pp=1222–1224}} Whenever none of the contestants ring in and respond correctly, the host gives the correct response, and the player who selected the previous clue chooses the next clue.<ref name="Gameplay rules">{{Cite book|title=Jeopardy! DVD Home Game System Instruction Booklet|year=2007|publisher=]}}</ref> Gameplay continues until the board is cleared or the round's time length expires, which is typically indicated by a beeping sound.
====Daily Doubles====
One clue hidden on the Jeopardy! Round game board and two clues hidden in the Double Jeopardy! round are designated a Daily Double. Only the contestant who selects a Daily Double may respond to its clue. The contestant may wager any part or all of their current score on the clue, with a minimum wager of $5. If the contestant has a negative score or their score is less than the highest-value clue in the current round, the contestant may wager up to that amount. Contestants may also indicate that they wish to make it a "true Daily Double", meaning that they are risking all the money that they have accumulated up to that point.


The contestant who has the lowest score selects the first clue to start the Double Jeopardy! round.<ref name="Gameplay rules"/> Since 2021, if there is a tie for the contestant with the lowest score, the contestant with the last correct question among the tied players selects first.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Davies |first1=Michael |last2=Foss |first2=Sarah |title=What is the Tournament of Champions? |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpGKlwIB1VI |website=Inside Jeopardy! |date=August 15, 2022 |publisher=Sony Pictures Television |access-date=August 23, 2022 |ref=InsideJeopardy!}}</ref>
Daily Doubles are occasionally designated with special tags, such as "Audio Daily Double" (in which a sound clip is played as part of the clue), "Video Daily Double" (in which a video clip is played as part of the clue), "Celebrity Daily Double" (in which a celebrity delivers the clue), etc. Such tags are displayed as soon as the Daily Double has been revealed.


A "Daily Double" clue is hidden behind one clue in the Jeopardy! round, and two in Double Jeopardy!{{Sfn|Newcomb|2004|pp=1222–1224}} The name and inspiration were taken from a ].{{Sfn|Trebek|Barsocchini|1990|pp=2–3}} Daily Double clues with a sound or video component are known as "Audio Daily Doubles" or "Video Daily Doubles", respectively. Before the clue is revealed, the contestant who has selected the Daily Double must declare a wager, from a minimum of $5 to a maximum of their entire score (known as a "true Daily Double") or the highest clue value available in the round, whichever is greater.<ref name="Gameplay rules"/><ref name="5-rules">{{cite web|title=5 Rules Every Jeopardy! Contestant Should Know|url=https://www.jeopardy.com/jbuzz/features/5-rules-every-contestant-should-know|website=Jeopardy! Official Site|publisher=Sony Pictures Digital and Jeopardy Productions|access-date=October 12, 2016|date=October 7, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161012151913/https://www.jeopardy.com/jbuzz/features/5-rules-every-contestant-should-know|archive-date=October 12, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> Only the contestant who chooses the Daily Double is allowed to answer. A correct response adds the value of the wager to the contestant's score while an incorrect response or failure to provide a response deducts the same value. Whether the contestant responds correctly or not, they choose the next clue.<ref name="Gameplay rules"/>
====Ringing in====
Contestants must wait until the host finishes reading the clue before ringing in. Lights mounted around the game board illuminate to indicate when contestants may ring in. Additionally, a tone sounds in conjunction with the illuminated lights on episodes that feature visually impaired contestants. Ringing in before this point locks the contestant out for approximately one quarter of a second.{{Fact|date=August 2008}} Prior to the 1985–1986 season, contestants were able to ring in at any time after the clue had been revealed.


During the Jeopardy! round, contestants are not penalized for forgetting to phrase their response in the form of a question, although the host will remind them to watch their phrasing in future responses. In the Double Jeopardy! round and in the Daily Double in the Jeopardy! round, the phrasing rule is followed more strictly, with a response only able to be ruled as correct if it is phrased properly in question form. A contestant who initially does not phrase a response in the form of a question must re-phrase it before the host rules against them.<ref name="5-rules" />
====Phrasing and judging====
All responses must be phrased in the form of a question. During the Jeopardy! Round, contestants are not penalized for forgetting to phrase a response in the form of a question, although the host will remind contestants to watch their phrasing on future clues. During the Double Jeopardy! Round, adherence to the phrasing rule is followed more strictly, but contestants are still permitted to correct themselves before their time runs out.


Contestants are encouraged to select the clues in order from lowest to highest value, as the clues are sometimes written in each category to flow from one to the next. Deviating from this is known as the "Forrest Bounce",{{Sfn|McNear|2022|pp=176}} a strategy in which contestants randomly pick clues to confuse opponents that was first used in 1985 by ], who won over $70,000 in his initial run as champion. Trebek expressed that this strategy not only annoyed him but also the staff, since it disrupts the rhythm that develops when revealing the clues and increases the potential for error.<ref>{{cite web|first=David|last=Marchese|url=https://www.vulture.com/2018/11/alex-trebek-jeopardy-in-conversation.html|title=In Conversation: Alex Trebek|work=Vulture.com|date=November 12, 2018|access-date=November 13, 2018|quote=What bothers me is when contestants jump all over the board even after the Daily Doubles have been dealt with. Why are they doing that? They’re doing themselves a disservice. When the show's writers construct categories they do it so that there's a flow in terms of difficulty, and if you jump to the bottom of the category you may get a clue that would be easier to understand if you’d begun at the top of the category and saw how the clues worked.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181113001332/https://www.vulture.com/2018/11/alex-trebek-jeopardy-in-conversation.html|archive-date=November 13, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Another strategy used by some contestants is to play all of the higher-valued clues first and build up a substantial lead, starting at the bottom of the board. This strategy was regularly used by ] during his winning streak between April and June 2019.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.today.com/popculture/jeopardy-winner-james-holzhauer-sets-sights-new-record-t152397|title=A Las Vegas pro gambler is rewriting the 'Jeopardy!' record book – here's how|first=Scott|last=Stump|work=]|date=April 18, 2019|access-date=April 20, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190420122141/https://www.today.com/popculture/jeopardy-winner-james-holzhauer-sets-sights-new-record-t152397|archive-date=April 20, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>{{Sfn|McNear|2022|pp=185}}
If the response itself is a question (e.g., a clue related to ] routine "]"), the contestant is permitted to omit "What/Who/Where is..." ahead of their response.{{Fact|date=March 2009}}


From the premiere of the original ''Jeopardy!'' until the end of the 1984–85 syndicated season, contestants were allowed to ring in as soon as the clue was revealed. Since September 1985, contestants are required to wait until the clue is read before ringing in. To accommodate the rule change, lights were added to the game board (unseen by home viewers) to signify when it is permissible for contestants to signal.{{Sfn|Trebek|Barsocchini|1990|pp=59–60}} Attempting to signal before the light goes on locks the contestant out for half of a second.{{Sfn|Richmond|2004|p=41}} The change was made to allow the home audience to play along more easily and to keep an extremely fast contestant from potentially dominating the game. In pre-1985 episodes, a sound accompanied a contestant ringing in. According to Trebek, the sound was eliminated because it was "distracting to the viewers" and presented a problem when contestants rang in while Trebek was still reading the clue.{{Sfn|Trebek|Barsocchini|1990|pp=59–60}} Contestants who are visually impaired or blind are given a card with the category names printed in ] before each round begins.<ref name=NYPost-Timanus>{{cite news |newspaper=New York Post |title=No Question He's a Champ – Blind Quiz-Show Whiz Buzzes His Way to Cool 70G |author=Don Kaplan |date=October 22, 1999 |access-date=June 18, 2022 |url=https://nypost.com/1999/10/22/no-question-hes-a-champ-blind-quiz-show-whiz-buzzes-his-way-to-cool-70g/ |quote=To accommodate Timanus, the show eliminated video Daily Doubles and other clues that were completely video-based. The show also provided Timanus with a Braille card that listed the categories for each round and a computer keyboard so that he could enter his wagers and responses in Final Jeopardy.}}</ref><ref name=Jwebsite-Timanus>{{cite web |url=https://www.jeopardy.com/jbuzz/news-events/vault-4-weeks-jeopardy-milestones |title=From the Vault: 4 Weeks of Jeopardy! Milestones |quote=Only minor adjustments were made to accommodate Eddie: He was given the category names printed in Braille on a card at the start of each round, and a keyboard to enter his Final Jeopardy! response. This was truly an historic event. |website=Jeopardy! official website |date=July 16, 2020 |access-date=June 18, 2022 }}</ref>
At times, the show's producers determine that an answer previously given by a contestant was wrongly ruled correct or incorrect. When this happens, the scores are adjusted at the first available opportunity. If, after a game is over, a ruling change is made that would have significantly altered the outcome of the game, the affected contestant(s) will be invited back to compete on a future show.


To ensure fairness in competition and accuracy in scores, the judges double-check their own rulings throughout each episode. If it is determined at any point that a previous response was wrongly ruled correct or incorrect during the taping of an episode, the scores are adjusted at the first available opportunity, typically either at the start of the next round/segment or immediately after a Daily Double is found, with the host providing any necessary explanation regarding the changes. If an error that may have affected the result is not discovered until after taping of an episode is completed, the affected contestants are invited back to compete on a future show complying with federal quiz show regulations.{{Sfn|Trebek|Barsocchini|1990|p=64}}
===Double Jeopardy! Round===
The second round, Double Jeopardy!, is played largely like the first round. In it, a new set of categories is revealed, and the value of each clue is doubled. In addition, Double Jeopardy! has two Daily Doubles on the board instead of one. The contestant with the lowest amount of money at the end of the Jeopardy! Round makes the first selection in Double Jeopardy! If there is a tie for second place, the contestant at the left-most podium selects first.


Contestants who finish Double Jeopardy! with zero dollars or a negative score are automatically eliminated from the game at that point and awarded a consolation prize. On at least one episode hosted by Art Fleming, all three contestants finished Double Jeopardy! with zero dollars or less, and as a result, no Final Jeopardy! round was played.{{Sfn|Fabe|1979}} This rule is still in place for the syndicated version,{{Sfn|McNear|2022|pp=142}} although staff has suggested that it is not set in stone and they may decide to display the clue for home viewers' play if such a situation were ever to occur.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.jeopardy.com/jbuzz/features/four-rare-jeopardy-scenarios |title=Breaking Down Four Rare ''Jeopardy!'' Scenarios |date=February 16, 2016 |website=Jeopardy! official website |publisher=6 Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. |access-date=October 10, 2016 |quote=In the event all three contestants have $0 (zero) or minus amounts at the end of Double Jeopardy!, no Final Jeopardy! round was played. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161007222121/https://www.jeopardy.com/jbuzz/features/four-rare-jeopardy-scenarios |archive-date=October 7, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref>
====Finishing Double Jeopardy! with $0 or less====
Contestants who finish Double Jeopardy! with a $0 or negative score are automatically eliminated from the game and not allowed to participate in the game's final round, Final Jeopardy! In this case, the contestants still receive ]s, which (since May 16, 2002<ref>Show #4089</ref>) are $1,000 for third place and $2,000 for second place.


===Final Jeopardy!===
On episodes of ], in which celebrities compete against each other for charity, contestants are granted nominal scores in order to compete in Final Jeopardy! should their score fall below $0. These episodes also feature a ''house minimum'' that will be donated to the celebrity's charity of choice, which is currently $10,000.
{{Redirect|Final Jeopardy!|other uses|Final Jeopardy (disambiguation){{!}}Final Jeopardy}}
The Final Jeopardy! round features a single clue that, according to ''Answers in the Form of Questions'', typically requires a two-step thought process to answer. At the end of the Double Jeopardy! round, the host announces the Final Jeopardy! category and a commercial break follows. Contestants who finish Double Jeopardy! with less than $1 do not participate in this round. During the break, partitions are placed between the contestant lecterns, and each contestant makes a final wager; they may wager any amount of their earnings, but may not wager certain numbers with connotations that are deemed inappropriate.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://news.yahoo.com/jeopardy-players-cant-wagers-nodding-144821770.html |title='Jeopardy' players aren't allowed to make wagers referencing sex, Nazis, or Satan |date=April 28, 2019 |access-date=May 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190501121047/https://news.yahoo.com/jeopardy-players-cant-wagers-nodding-144821770.html |archive-date=May 1, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> Contestants write their wagers using a ] on an electronic display on their lectern within a time limit of five minutes, during which they also phrase the question, which is pre-written during the wager.{{Sfn|Dutta|1999|p=xxix}} After the break, the Final Jeopardy! clue is revealed and read by the host. The contestants have 30 seconds to write their responses on the electronic display, while the show's "Think!" music plays. If either the display or the pen malfunctions, contestants can manually write their responses and wagers using an index card and marker, although the index card has the required phrasing pre-printed on each side ("Who/What"). Visually impaired or blind contestants typically type their responses and wagers with a computer keyboard.<ref name=NYPost-Timanus/><ref name=Jwebsite-Timanus/>


Contestants' responses are revealed in order of their pre-Final Jeopardy! scores from lowest to highest. Once a correct response is revealed the host confirms it. Otherwise, the host reveals the correct response if all contestants responded incorrectly. A correct response adds the amount of the contestant's wager to their score. A miss, failure to respond, insufficiently specific response, misspelling that affects the pronunciation of the answer, or failure to phrase the response as a question (even if correct) deducts it.<ref name="Gameplay rules"/>
If a returning champion finishes with a score below $0, that amount is not deducted from their previously accumulated winnings, and any cash they had previously won is theirs to keep.


The contestant with the highest score at the end of the round is that day's winner. If there is a tie for second place, consolation prizes are awarded based on the scores going into the Final Jeopardy! round. If all three contestants finish with zero dollars, no one returns as champion for the next show, and based on scores going into the Final Jeopardy! round, the two contestants who were first and second receive the second-place prize, and the contestant in third receives the third-place prize.
On at least one Fleming-hosted episode, all three contestants finished Double Jeopardy! with $0 or less,<ref>Fabe, Maxine, "TV Game Shows," 1st ed., DoubleDay, 1979 (ISBN 038513052X)</ref> thereby disqualifying everyone from Final Jeopardy! The time normally used for the final round was filled with conversation among Fleming and the contestants. Three new contestants were featured on the following episode.{{Fact}}


Various researchers have studied Final Jeopardy! wagering strategies. If the leader's score is more than twice the second place contestant's score (a situation known as a "runaway game"), the leader can guarantee victory by making a sufficiently small wager.<ref name="gilbert-hatcher">{{cite journal|last1=Gilbert|first1=George T.|last2=Hatcher|first2=Rhonda L.|title=Wagering in Final Jeopardy!|journal=Mathematics Magazine|date=October 1, 1994|volume=67|issue=4|pages=268|doi=10.2307/2690846|jstor=2690846| issn=0025-570X}}</ref>{{rp|269}} Otherwise, according to ''Jeopardy!'' College Champion Keith Williams, the leader usually wagers an amount that would be a dollar greater than twice the second place contestant's score, guaranteeing a win with a correct response.<ref name="williams-on-wagering">{{cite web|last1=Williams|first1=Keith|title=Keith Williams on Wagering|url=https://www.jeopardy.com/jbuzz/features/wagering-keith-williams|website=Jeopardy! official website|publisher=Sony Pictures Entertainment, Inc.|access-date=July 16, 2017|date=September 1, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170625160432/https://www.jeopardy.com/jbuzz/features/wagering-keith-williams|archive-date=June 25, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Writing about ''Jeopardy!'' wagering in the 1990s, mathematicians George Gilbert and ] said that "most players wager aggressively".<ref name="gilbert-hatcher" />{{rp|269}}
===Final Jeopardy! Round===
A category is announced by the host followed by a ] break (during which the staff comes on stage and advises the contestants while barriers are placed between the contestants). During this period, the contestants write down a wager based on the category of as little as $0 or up to as much money as they have accumulated. They are also provided pencil and paper to calculate their wagers.


===Winnings===
After the final commercial break, the Final Jeopardy! clue is revealed and read by the host. The contestants have 30 seconds to write a response, again phrased in the form of a question. Since 1984, contestants use a ] to write down their Final Jeopardy! wager and response. Contestants are also provided with an actual pen and index card in the event that the light pen malfunctions. The light pen is automatically turned off at the conclusion of the 30-second period. A keyboard with ] keys is provided to visually impaired contestants.
The top scorer in each game is paid their winnings in cash and returns to play in the next match. Non-winners receive consolation prizes instead of their winnings in the game. Since May 16, 2002, consolation prizes have been awarded in cash&mdash;$2,000 for second-place contestants and $1,000 for third-place contestants.<ref>{{Cite episode|title=Show No. 4089 (Ronnie O'Rourke vs. Ben Tritle vs. Allison Owens)|series=Jeopardy!|network=Syndicated|date=May 16, 2002}}</ref> Since travel and lodging are generally not provided for contestants, cash consolation prizes offset these costs. Production covers the cost of travel for returning champions and players invited back because of errors who must make multiple trips to Los Angeles. Production also covers the cost of travel if a tournament travels (does not stay in Los Angeles) on the second week.{{Sfn|Jennings|2006|p=122}} Starting in Season 40, according to the official podcast in August 2023, as a result of inflation, consolation prizes were raised $1,000 each to $3,000 for second and $2,000 for third.


During Art Fleming's hosting run, all three contestants received their winnings in cash where applicable. This was changed at the start of Trebek's hosting run to avoid the problem of contestants who stopped participating in the game, or avoided wagering in Final Jeopardy!, rather than risk losing the money they had already won. This also allowed the increase to clue values since only one contestant's score is paid instead of three.{{Sfn|Trebek|Barsocchini|1990|p=57}} From 1984 to 2002, non-winning contestants on the Trebek version received vacation packages and merchandise, which were donated by manufacturers as promotional consideration. Since 2004, a presenting sponsor has provided cash prizes to the losing contestants.{{Sfn|Mogel|2004|p=148}}
===Cash prizes===
The top-scorer on each show keeps his or her winnings and returns on the next show. Non-winners receive consolation prizes. The current prizes are $2,000 for the second-place contestant and $1,000 for the third-place contestant. Since the show does not provide airfare or lodging for most contestants,<ref>Airfare is provided for returning champions' subsequent flights to Los Angeles. {{ cite book | last=Jennings | first=Ken | title=Brainiac: Adventures in the Curious, Competitive, Compulsive World of Trivia Buffs | isbn=1-4000-6445-7 | year=2006 | page=122 | quote=...from the contestant orientation: ...if you have to fly out more than once (for example if you keep winning), ''Jeopardy!'' at least pays for the additional plane ticket. }}</ref> these cash consolation prizes alleviate the financial burden of appearing on the show. Prior to May 16, 2002, the second-place contestant typically received a vacation package or merchandise and the third-place contestant received lesser-value merchandise. Prior to 1984, all contestants kept their winnings and contestants who finished with scores below $0 received consolation prizes.


===Returning champions=== ===Returning champions===
The winner of each episode returns to compete against two new contestants on the next episode. Originally, a contestant who won five consecutive days retired undefeated and was guaranteed a spot in the Tournament of Champions. The five-day limit was eliminated September 8, 2003.<ref>{{Cite press release|title=''Jeopardy!'' Premieres Milestone 20th Anniversary Season September 8, 2003: America's Favorite Quiz Show Launches Season 20 With Many Exciting and Historic "Firsts"|url=http://www.kingworld.com/PressRelease.aspx?pressReleaseID=126|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928190202/http://www.kingworld.com/PressRelease.aspx?pressReleaseID=126|archive-date=September 28, 2007|publisher=King World|date=September 4, 2003|access-date=November 29, 2006}}</ref>
If no contestant finishes Final Jeopardy! with a positive total, nobody wins and three new contestants appear on the following show. In such cases, the three new contestants participate in a backstage draw to determine their positions at the contestant podiums.{{Fact}} Such procedures are also used in the Teen and College tournaments to determine positions on the podia. A three-way loss has happened three times since 1984, the first occasion being on the second episode.{{Fact}}


In rare instances, contestants tie for first place. The rules related to ties have changed over time. Since November 24, 2014,<ref name="jeopardy-contestants-tie">{{cite web|title='Jeopardy!' contestants tie, forcing rare sudden death clue|url=http://wgntv.com/2018/03/02/jeopardy-contestants-tie-forcing-rare-sudden-death-clue/|publisher=WGN-TV|date=March 2, 2018|access-date=March 2, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180302183341/http://wgntv.com/2018/03/02/jeopardy-contestants-tie-forcing-rare-sudden-death-clue/|archive-date=March 2, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> ties for first place following Final Jeopardy! are broken with a tie-breaker clue, resulting in only one champion being named, keeping their winnings, and returning to compete in the next show. The tied contestants are given the category and read the single clue, and the first contestant to buzz-in must give the correct question. A contestant cannot win by default if the opponent gives an incorrect question or forgets to phrase the response as a question (even if correct). The contestant must give a correct question to win the game. If neither player gives the correct question, another clue is given.<ref>{{cite web|title=Breaking Down Four Rare ''Jeopardy!'' Scenarios|url=https://www.jeopardy.com/jbuzz/features/four-rare-jeopardy-scenarios|work=Jeopardy! Official Site|publisher=Sony Pictures Digital and Jeopardy Productions|date=February 16, 2016|access-date=February 16, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160301064513/https://www.jeopardy.com/jbuzz/features/four-rare-jeopardy-scenarios|archive-date=March 1, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> Previously, if two or all three contestants tied for first place, they were declared "co-champions", and each retained his or her winnings and (unless one was a five-time champion who retired prior to 2003) returned on the following episode. A tie occurred on the January 29, 2014, episode when ], leading at the end of Double Jeopardy!, wagered to tie challenger Carolyn Collins rather than winning. Chu followed ''Jeopardy!'' College Champion Keith Williams's advice to wager for the tie to increase the leader's chances of winning.<ref name="higgins">{{cite web|last1=Higgins|first1=Chris|title=6 Elements of Arthur Chu's Jeopardy! Strategy|url=http://mentalfloss.com/article/54823/6-elements-arthur-chus-jeopardy-strategy|website=Mental Floss|access-date=June 9, 2016|date=January 31, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160614010320/http://mentalfloss.com/article/54823/6-elements-arthur-chus-jeopardy-strategy|archive-date=June 14, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="kim">{{cite web|last1=Kim|first1=Susanna|title='Hero-Villain' Jeopardy! Contestant Returns to Game Show Feb. 24|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Business/villain-hero-jeopardy-contestants-game-theory-strategy-irks/story?id=22350281|website=ABC News|date=February 3, 2014|access-date=June 9, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160514004652/https://abcnews.go.com/Business/villain-hero-jeopardy-contestants-game-theory-strategy-irks/story?id=22350281|archive-date=May 14, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> A three-way (non-zero) tie for first place has only occurred once on the syndicated version hosted by Trebek, on March 16, 2007, when Scott Weiss, Jamey Kirby, and Anders Martinson all ended the game with $16,000.<ref>{{cite web|title=Jeopardy! History is Made with First-Ever Three-Way Tie |url=http://www.jeopardy.com/announcement_20070314_3wt.php |work=Jeopardy! Official Site |publisher=Sony Pictures Digital and Jeopardy Productions |date=March 18, 2007 |archive-date=May 9, 2008 |access-date=February 1, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509015708/http://www.jeopardy.com/announcement_20070314_3wt.php }}</ref>{{Sfn|McNear|2022|pp=141}} Until March 1, 2018,<ref name="jeopardy-contestants-tie" /><ref name="jeopardy-first-a-tiebreaker">{{cite web|title=Jeopardy! First: a Tiebreaker|url=https://www.jeopardy.com/jbuzz/features/a-jeopardy-tiebreaker|website=jeopardy.com|access-date=March 2, 2018|language=en|date=March 1, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180302225347/https://www.jeopardy.com/jbuzz/features/a-jeopardy-tiebreaker|archive-date=March 2, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> no regular game had ended in a tie-breaker.
If two or more contestants tie for first place, they are declared "co-champions". Each keeps his or her winnings and comes back on the following episode. Three contestants have each finished two consecutive games as co-champions.<ref>The three two-time co-champions were Dane Garrett in September 1985, Sara Cox in December 1990 and Dan Girard in July 1998. Richmond, Ray. ''This is Jeopardy: Celebrating America's Favorite Quiz Show''. New York: Barnes & Noble, 2004, page 47.</ref>


If no contestant finishes Final Jeopardy! with a positive total, there is no winner and three new contestants compete on the next episode. This has happened on several episodes, including the second episode hosted by Trebek.{{Sfn|McNear|2022|pp=139–140}}<ref>{{cite episode|title=Show No. 2 (Greg Hopkins vs. Lynne Crawford vs. Paul Schaffer)|series=Jeopardy!|date=September 11, 1984|network=Syndicated}}</ref><ref>{{cite episode|title=Show No. 3190 (Steve Sosnick vs. Robert Levy vs. Marion Arkin)|series=Jeopardy!|date=June 12, 1998|network=Syndicated}}</ref><ref>{{cite episode|title=Show No. 7216 (Mike Drummond vs. Claudia Corriere vs. Randi Kristensen)|series=Jeopardy!|date=January 18, 2016|network=Syndicated}}</ref> A winner unable to return as champion because of a change in personal circumstances{{snd}}for example, illness or a job offer{{snd}}may be allowed to appear as a co-champion (now a rare occurrence since the co-champion rule was disestablished in early Season 31) in a later episode.<ref>{{cite episode|title = Show No. 5611 (Michele Lee Amundsen vs. Lori Karman vs. Matt Kohlstedt)|series = Jeopardy!|date=January 19, 2009|network=Syndicated}}</ref><ref>{{cite episode|title=Show No. 5669 (Jeff Mangum vs. Priscilla Ball vs. Rick Robbins)|series=Jeopardy!|date=April 9, 2009|network=Syndicated}}</ref><ref>{{cite episode|title = Show No. 7196 (Shoshana Gordon Ginsburg vs. Jay O'Brien vs. Liz Quesnelle)|series = Jeopardy!|date=December 21, 2015|network=Syndicated}}</ref>
A three-way tie for first place has only occurred once since 1984,<ref>On the show aired March 16, 2007, all three contestants ended Final Jeopardy with $16,000. Retrieved on 2009-02-07</ref> and only one contestant in the same period has won a game with the lowest amount possible, $1.<ref>On the show aired January 19, 1993, Air Force Lt. Col. Daryl Scott won the game with only $1; he won another $13,401 the next day.</ref>


===Variations for tournament play===
Special considerations are also given for contestants who are unable to return as champion due to medical concerns. This occurred for the first time in Season 25, as three new contestants appeared on the January 19, 2009 episode due to the previous show's champion, Priscilla Ball, taking ill. At the top of the episode Alex Trebek explained that in such a case, the contestant would return at a later date as a co-champion.<ref>{{ cite web | title=J! Archive - Show #5611 - Monday, January 19, 2009 | url=http://www.j-archive.com/showgame.php?game_id=2874 | date=2009-01-19 | accessdate=2009-02-11 }}</ref> Again, on the episode in question, the three new contestants drew for position.
Throughout each season, ''Jeopardy!'' features various special tournaments for particular groups (as named in "]" below). Each year at the Tournament of Champions, the players who had won the most games and money in the previous season come back to compete against each other for a large cash prize. Tournaments generally feature 15 contestants and run for 10 consecutive episodes. They generally take place across three rounds: the quarterfinal round (five games), the semifinal round (three games), and the final round (two games).


The first five episodes, the quarterfinals, feature three new contestants each day. Other than in the Tournament of Champions, the quarterfinals are unseeded and contestants participate in a random draw to determine playing order and lectern positions over the course of the five games. The Tournament of Champions is ] based on total winnings in regular games to determine playing order and lectern positions, with the top five players occupying the champion's lectern for the quarterfinal games. Since the removal of the five-game limit in 2003, in the unlikely case of a tie in total winnings between two Tournament of Champions players, the player who won the most games receives the higher seed. If still tied, seeding is determined by comparing the tied players' previous aggregate scores.
From 1984 until 1990, champions kept all winnings, capped at $75,000. Any amount above $75,000 was donated to a charity of the champion's choice. The cap was increased to $100,000 in 1990 after Bob Blake ($82,501) and ] ($102,597) exceeded the $75,000 cap. In 1997 the cap was raised to $200,000 and then eliminated altogether in 2003. Prior to 2003, a contestant who won five consecutive days was retired undefeated, with a guaranteed spot in the next Tournament of Champions.


The winners of the five quarterfinal games and the four highest-scoring non-winners ("wild cards") advance to the semifinals, which run for three days. The semifinals are seeded with the quarterfinal winners being seeded 1–5 based on their quarterfinal scores, and the wild cards being seeded 6–9. The winners of the quarterfinal games with the three highest scores occupy the champion's lectern for the semifinals. The winners of the three semifinal games advance to play in a two-game final match, in which the scores from both games are combined to determine the overall standings. This format has been used since the first Tournament of Champions in 1985 and was devised by Trebek himself.{{Sfn|Eisenberg|1993|p=75}}
From 1997 until 2001, an undefeated champion was also awarded his or her choice of ] cars or trucks (], ], ], or two ]s). From 2001-2002, the winner won a ] X-Type. Similarly, as part of the deal with ] for the 2001-2002 season, Ford also added a ] to the Teen Tournament prize package.


To prevent later contestants from playing to beat the earlier wild card scores instead of playing to win, contestants are "completely isolated from the studio until it is their time to compete".{{Sfn|Trebek|Barsocchini|1990|p=174}}
In September 2003 the show not only dropped the winnings limit but also the number of episodes on which a champion could appear. Champions can now remain on the program indefinitely until defeated, although champions who appear on five or more consecutive episodes no longer receive an automobile.


If none of the contestants in a standard 15-player tournament format quarterfinal end with a positive score, no contestant automatically qualifies from that game, and an additional wild card contestant advances instead.<ref name="Teen Tournament Semifinal">{{Cite episode|title=Teen Tournament Semi-final Game 2 (Tori Amos vs. Joe Vertnik vs. Kelton Ellis)|series=Jeopardy!|network=Syndicated|date=February 7, 2013}}</ref> This occurred in the quarterfinals of the 1991 Seniors Tournament and the semifinals of the 2013 Teen Tournament, where the rule was in effect during the semifinals, but after that tournament the rule has changed for semifinals and finals.<ref name="Teen Tournament Semifinal"/>
==Recurring categories==
{{main|Jeopardy! recurring categories}}


As the players are not isolated during the semifinals the way they are during the quarterfinals, show officials discovered a flaw after the 2013 Teen Tournament, because the triple zero loss happened in the second semifinal that allowed the third semifinal of the 2013 Teen Tournament to be played differently from the first (which was played before the triple zero loss). Starting with the 2013 Tournament of Champions, semifinal games, like the two-game finals, must have a winner. Players who participate in Final Jeopardy! will participate in the standard tie-breaker, regardless of the score being zero or a positive score. Similarly, if all three players have a zero score at the end of a two-game match, a normal tournament finals format will proceed to a tie-breaker. In a tournament format where a player must win multiple games to win the tournament, such as the 2020 Greatest of All Time or 2022 Tournament of Champions, or in the quarterfinals of tournaments without wild cards where a player must win the game to advance (21 or 27 players), the tie-breaker will be used regardless of the score being zero or positive for players to win the game and either advance to the next round or receive the point towards winning the tournament. This was confirmed by Ken Jennings in a post-match interview posted on the show's website during the Season 40 Champions Wildcard Tournament.<ref>{{cite web |title=Go Big or Go Home! - Overheard on Set - JEOPARDY! |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wftwV06jUf8 |website=Youtube | date=November 9, 2023 |publisher=Sony Pictures Television |access-date=2023-12-18 |ref=OverheardS40CWC}}</ref>
Some categories have special rules pertaining to them. In each case, contestants and viewers are told the specific format required to get the clue correct.


In the standard tournament finals format, contestants who finish Double Jeopardy! with a zero dollars or negative score on either day do not play Final Jeopardy! that day. Their score for that leg is recorded as zero dollars.
==Other versions==
]
===1974-1975, Syndication===
Core gameplay remained similar to the NBC version of the show with slight changes. Most contestants featured on this version were previous champions from the daytime show. Also, any contestant who correctly answered all five questions in a category received a bonus prize, originally a ], later a trip to London (as opposed to a cash bonus on the daytime edition).


==Conception and development==
Originally, the winning contestant picked a number from 1-30 from the "Jeopardy Jackpot Board." Possible prizes included a new car, a luxury vacation, or bonus money, with the grand prize being $25,000 (though the latter took up two spaces, each corresponding one half, and could only be won if the contestant found the second half on an additional pick). Later in the show's one-season run, the Jackpot Board was dropped and the champion's bonus prize was based on his or her final score. It was also at this point that the aforementioned "category sweep" prize was changed from a car to a London holiday, since the Chevy Vega was now one of the bonus prizes.
]
In a 1963 ] profile released shortly before the original ''Jeopardy!'' series premiered, ] offered the following account of how he created the quiz show:
{{blockquote|My wife Julann just came up with the idea one day when we were in a plane bringing us back to New York City from ]. I was mulling over game show ideas, when she noted that there had not been a successful "question and answer" game on the air since the ]. Why not do a switch, and give the answers to the contestant and let them come up with the question? She fired a couple of answers to me: "5,280"{{emdash}}and the question of course was "How many feet in a mile?" Another was "79 Wistful Vista"; that was ] address. I loved the idea, went straight to ] with the idea, and they bought it without even looking at a pilot show.<ref name="lowry">{{cite news|last=Lowry|first=Cynthia|title=Merv Griffin: Question and Answer Man|agency=Associated Press|newspaper=]|date = March 29, 1963}}</ref><ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.si.com/vault/1989/05/01/119810/television-for-1000-the-worlds-toughest-game-show-what-is-jeopardy- |title=What Is Jeopardy!'? |last1=Lidz |first1=Franz |date=May 1, 1989 |magazine=Sports Illustrated |access-date=October 10, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160423161445/http://www.si.com/vault/1989/05/01/119810/television-for-1000-the-worlds-toughest-game-show-what-is-jeopardy- |archive-date=April 23, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref>
}}


Griffin's first conception of the game used a board comprising ten categories with ten clues each, but after finding that this board could not easily be shown on camera, he reduced it to two rounds of thirty clues each, with five clues in each of six categories.{{Sfn|Trebek|Barsocchini|1990|p=2}} He originally intended requiring grammatically correct phrasing (e.g., only accepting "Who is..." for a person), but after finding that grammatical correction slowed the game down, he decided to accept any correct response that was in question form.{{Sfn|Trebek|Barsocchini|1990|p=4}} Griffin discarded his initial title of ''What's the Question?'' when skeptical network executive Ed Vane rejected his original concept of the game, claiming, "It doesn't have enough ]."{{Sfn|Trebek|Barsocchini|1990|p=2}}{{Sfn|Griffin|Bender|2003|p=71}}
However, this version failed to catch on in the ratings, mainly due to a glut of other weekly versions of network daytime games that stations ran in their ] early-evening time slots (such as '']'' and '']''). The show was canceled after only one season. During the previous season, packagers of '']'' and '']'' had tried to keep their shows alive in syndication as well; neither of those games were successful either.


The format of giving contestants the answers and requiring the questions had previously been used by the ]-hosted program '']'', which aired from July 1941 until May 1942.{{Sfn|Abelman|1998|p=270}}
===1978-1979===
The '''''All-New Jeopardy!''''' was a short-lived series with significantly different rules than the 1964-75 versions. The lowest-scoring contestant was eliminated after the Jeopardy! Round and the contestant who was ahead at the end of the Double Jeopardy! Round became the champion.


==Personnel==
Instead of playing Final Jeopardy!, the winner then played a bonus round called Super Jeopardy! This round featured a new board of five categories with five clues in each, numbered 1{{ndash}}5 (and unlike the main game, not necessarily increasing in difficulty down the column). The object was for the contestant to provide any five correct responses in a straight line in a ]-like fashion (horizontally, vertically, or diagonally).
===Hosts===
<gallery class="center">
file: Art Fleming in 1970.png|] hosted all American versions that aired from 1964 to 1979.|alt=A black-and-white head shot of Art Fleming
file:Alex Trebek at the 71st Annual Peabody Awards (cropped).jpg|] hosted the show from 1984 until his death in 2020.|alt=A head shot of Alex Trebek
file:Mike_Richards_(Television_Personality),_Valder_Beebe_Show_(January_2017).jpg|] was the host of the show for one week in 2021.|alt=A head shot of Mike Richards
file:Mayim_Bialik,_March_2018_(4116)_(cropped).jpg|] rotated as host with Ken Jennings from 2021 to 2023.
file:Ken_Jennings_cropped_retouched.jpg|] rotated as host with Mayim Bialik from 2021 to 2023 and has been sole host since 2023.
</gallery>
] was the original host of the show throughout both NBC runs and its brief weekly syndicated run, between 1964 and 1979. ] served as host of the daily syndicated version from its premiere in 1984 until his death in 2020,{{Sfn|Harris|2006|p=14}} except when he switched places with ''Wheel of Fortune'' host ] as an ] on April 1, 1997.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://outsider.com/news/entertainment/jeopardy-asks-help-wheel-of-fortune-themed-categories-june-2-episode/ | title='Jeopardy!' Hilariously Asks for Help with 'Wheel of Fortune' Themed Categories for June 2 Episode | publisher=Outsider.com | date=June 2, 2021 | access-date=August 7, 2021}}</ref>


Trebek was still serving as host, having taped his last episode on October 29, 2020, for an intended ] broadcast, when contingency plans were made for him to miss the next taping, scheduled for November 9–10, 2020. In a '']'' magazine interview from 2022, then-consulting producer and former contestant ] noted supervising producers Lisa Broffman and Rocky Schmidt had named him interim host for that taping and remembered his last conversation with Trebek days before rehearsal was to commence.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ivie |first1=Devon |title=Ken Jennings Ascends the Podium |url=https://www.vulture.com/2022/10/interview-ken-jennings-host-jeopardy-mayim-bialik-mike-richards.html |website=New York Magazine - Vulture |date=October 13, 2022 |publisher=Vox Media |access-date=2023-08-18 |ref=Vox}}</ref> In Sony Pictures Television's official ''Jeopardy!'' podcast in 2023, Broffman noted the rehearsal for Jennings was scheduled November 8, 2020, but canceled when Schmidt gave staff the news that Trebek had died that day.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Cohen |first1=Austin |authorlink=Buzzy Cohen |title=Episode Fifteen: So Long, Everybody |url=https://www.jeopardy.com/sites/default/files/2023-08/ThisisJeopardyEp15.pdf |website=Jeopardy.com |publisher=Sony Pictures Television |access-date=2023-08-03 |ref=CohenAug23}}</ref>
Giving an incorrect or no response earned the contestant a "strike" and blocked that space on the board; three strikes ended the round. Super Jeopardy! was played for $5,000 on a champion's first attempt, with the jackpot increasing by $2,500 each day that champion successfully defended his/her title. Contestants received $100 per correct answer if they struck out.


At the time of Trebek's death, producers publicly declined to discuss any plans to introduce his successor while stating that they had enough new episodes with Trebek as host to run through Christmas Day.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.wvnstv.com/news/local-news/jeopardy-host-alex-trebek-dead-at-80-tmz-reports/|title=Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek dead at 80|access-date=November 8, 2020|date=November 8, 2020|work=]}}</ref> On November 9, 2020, the first episode to air after Trebek's death, executive producer ] paid tribute to Trebek, after a few seconds of silence where the lights on the ''Jeopardy!'' set (which had been set up for Jennings to host before Trebek's death) slowly dimmed.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2020/11/jeopardy-alex-trebek-special-message-1234611786/|title=''Jeopardy!'' Executive Producer Mike Richards Pays Tribute To Alex Trebek With Speech & Moment Of Silence Before Monday's Episode – Update|work=]|author=Alexandra Del Rosario|date=November 9, 2020|access-date=August 5, 2021}}</ref> That episode, as well as subsequent episodes that aired after Trebek's death, included a dedication screen at the end of the credits through the remainder of the season.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Mackie |first1=Johnni |title='Jeopardy!' Honors Alex Trebek With Special Message After the Longtime Host's Death |url=https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/jeopardy-honors-alex-trebek-in-1st-show-after-his-death/ |website=usmagazine.com |date=November 10, 2020 |access-date=November 12, 2020}}</ref> To compensate for concerns over pre-emptions caused by holiday week specials and sports, SPT postponed the air dates of Trebek's final week; the episodes scheduled for the week of December 21–25 were moved to January 4–8, 2021. Before Trebek's final episodes, reruns of episodes in which he recorded clues on location were shown from December 21, 2020, to January 1, 2021.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thewrap.com/jeopardy-around-world-alex-trebek-2-weeks/|title=''Jeopardy!'' Celebrates Alex Trebek: 2 Weeks of 'Around the World' Episodes Start Monday|first=Margeaux|last=Sippell|work=]|date=December 17, 2020|access-date=December 19, 2020}}</ref>
===''Rock & Roll Jeopardy!''===
{{main|Rock & Roll Jeopardy!}}
'''''Rock & Roll Jeopardy!''''' was a music-intensive version of ''Jeopardy!'' that aired on ] from 1998 to 2001. Hosted by ], this version of the show highlighted post-1950s popular music trivia. It featured largely identical play to ''Jeopardy!''. The game was played for points rather than dollars during the first two seasons, with each day's winner receiving $5,000 regardless of their score. The final season was played for cash instead of points, with champions receiving a $5,000 house minimum. Three new contestants competed on each program.


Jennings took over hosting when production resumed on November 30, 2020; his six weeks of episodes aired between January 11 and February 19, 2021.<ref>{{cite web |title=Jeopardy! Returns to Studio November 30 with Interim Host |url=https://www.jeopardy.com/jbuzz/news-events/jeopardy-returns-studio-nov-30-interim-host |website=Jeopardy.com |publisher=Sony Pictures Television Studios |access-date=November 23, 2020 |ref=InterimHost}}</ref><ref name="interim"/> The season went on to be completed by additional guest hosts, namely the aforementioned Richards; news personalities ], ], ], ], ],<ref name="guest hosts I">{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2021/01/jeopardy-mayim-bialik-bill-whitaker-lineup-guest-hosts-1234673145/|title=''Jeopardy!'': Mayim Bialik & Bill Whitaker Join Aaron Rodgers, Katie Couric To Guest Host Trivia Game|work=]|author=Alexandra Del Rosario|date=January 13, 2021|access-date=January 13, 2021}}</ref><ref name="guest hosts II">{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/jeopardy-guest-host-dr-oz-anderson-cooper-savannah-guthrie-dr-sanjay-gupta-1234898758/|title=Dr. Oz, Anderson Cooper, Savannah Guthrie and Dr. Sanjay Gupta to Guest Host ''Jeopardy!''|work=]|author=Ellise Shafer|date=February 2, 2021|access-date=February 15, 2021}}</ref> ], and ];<ref name="guest hosts III">{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2021/04/jeopardy-robin-roberts-levar-burton-george-stephanopoulous-guest-host-season-37-1234741136/|title=''Jeopardy!'': Robin Roberts, LeVar Burton & George Stephanopoulos Among Season 37's Final Guest Hosts|work=]|author=Alexandra Del Rosario|date=April 21, 2021|access-date=April 21, 2021}}</ref> athlete ]; talk show host ]; actress ];<ref name="guest hosts I"/><ref name="guest hosts II"/> former children's show host ]; business journalist ]; and sportscaster ].<ref name="guest hosts III"/> In addition, the 2021 ] was hosted by ], winner of the 2017 tournament.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2021/04/jeopardy-tournament-of-champions-buzzy-cohen-guest-host-1234734585/|title=''Jeopardy!'' Taps Buzzy Cohen As Host For 2021 Tournament Of Champions|work=]|author=Alexandra Del Rosario|date=April 14, 2021|access-date=April 15, 2021}}</ref>
===''Jep!''===
{{main|Jep!}}
'''''Jep!''''' was a children's version of ''Jeopardy!'', hosted by cartoon voice actor ]. The show aired in 1998 on ] (now GSN), and up to late 2004 on ]. Starting in 1999, just after ''Jep!'''s cancellation, ''Jeopardy!'' began a "Back-to-School Week", which has easier clues and more accessible material for the younger contestants, but is otherwise identical to the adult version.


On August 11, 2021, it was announced that Richards would succeed Trebek as host of the daily show and Bialik would host ''Jeopardy!'' primetime specials and spin-offs.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2021/08/jeopardy-mike-richards-mayim-bialik-host-syndicated-spinoffs-1234812840/|title=''Jeopardy!'': Mike Richards To Host Syndicated Show, Mayim Bialik To Host Primetime & Spinoff Series|work=]|author=Nellie Andreeva|date=August 11, 2021|access-date=August 11, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release|url=http://thefutoncritic.com/news/2021/08/11/sony-pictures-television-names-mayim-bialik-and-mike-richards-as-jeopardy-hosts-750114/20210811spt01/|title=Sony Pictures Television Names Mayim Bialik and Mike Richards as ''Jeopardy!'' Hosts|publisher=]|via=]|date=August 11, 2021|access-date=August 11, 2021}}</ref> On August 20, following a report from '']'' exposing controversial remarks made on his podcast in the past, resurfaced controversies from Richards's time on '']'', and accusations of ] regarding his executive producer position, Richards stepped down as host after taping only one week of episodes. Richards's five episodes as host aired in September 2021.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/20/media/jeopardy-mike-richards-steps-down/index.html|title=Mike Richards has stepped down as the host of ''Jeopardy!''|work=]|author=]|date=August 20, 2021|access-date=August 20, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/mike-richards-jeopardy-host-out-1234999713/|title=Mike Richards Out as ''Jeopardy!'' Host After Podcast Comments|work=]|author=James Hibberd|date=August 20, 2021|access-date=August 20, 2021}}</ref> Bialik and Jennings then alternated hosting the show through the 2021–2022 season. Bialik also hosted the season's various tournaments and primetime specials.<ref name="BialikJennings 2022">{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2021/12/jeopardy-mayim-bialik-ken-jennings-continue-hosts-season-38-1234887182/|title=''Jeopardy!'': Mayim Bialik & Ken Jennings To Continue As Hosts Of Syndicated Game Show Through End Of Season|work=]|author=Nellie Andreeva|date=December 8, 2021|access-date=December 8, 2021}}</ref>
==Tournaments==
===Tournament of Champions===
{{main|Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions}}
Starting in 1985, a Tournament of Champions has been held more or less annually, featuring the top fifteen champions and other biggest winners who have appeared on the show since the last tournament. The tournament format was devised by Alex Trebek,<ref>{{ cite book | last=Eisenberg | first=Harry | title=Inside "Jeopardy!": What Really Goes on at TV's Top Quiz Show | page=75 | quote=Alex put together the 2-week, 15-player format used on the current show. We had 15 undefeated 5-time champions the first season. In subsequent seasons we never had as many as 15 five-game winners so we added those four-game winners with the highest scores until we had the requisite 15 contestants for the Tournament. | year=1993 | publisher=Northwest Publishing Inc. | location=Salt Lake City, Utah | isbn=1-56901-177-X }}</ref> and plays as follows:


In July 2022, it was announced that Bialik and Jennings would return as co-hosts of the syndicated version. Jennings would host the Tournament of Champions and the new Second Chance Tournament, while Bialik would again host the primetime specials and spinoffs, including a ], which premiered in September 2022.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2022/07/jeopardy-mayim-bialik-ken-jennings-deals-season-39-hosting-schedule-celebrity-jeopardy-abc-1235079138/|title=''Jeopardy!'': Mayim Bialik & Ken Jennings Close Deals To Return, Season 39 Hosting Schedule Revealed|work=]|author=Nellie Andreeva|date=July 27, 2022|access-date=July 27, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/mayim-bialik-ken-jennings-jeopardy-1235327403/|title=Mayim Bialik, Ken Jennings to Host Expanded ''Jeopardy'' Franchise|work=]|author=Brian Steinberg|date=July 27, 2022|access-date=July 27, 2022}}</ref> However, in January 2023, ABC announced Jennings would host a '']'' spinoff, indicating a change of arrangement.<ref>{{cite web |last=Ausiello |first=Michael |title=Jeopardy! Masters Spinoff Picked Up at ABC — Which Champs Made the Cut? |url=https://tvline.com/2023/01/11/jeopardy-masters-spinoff-series-abc-date-cast/ |website=TVLine |date=January 11, 2023|access-date=January 11, 2023}}</ref> In May 2023, Bialik opted not to host the final episodes of the season in support of writers during the ], with Jennings stepping in to host the remaining episodes.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2023/05/writers-strike-jeopardy-mayim-bialik-1235359858/|title=''Jeopardy!'': Mayim Bialik Leaves Final Week Of Filming In Solidarity With Writers But Production Continues|work=]|author=Peter White|date=May 11, 2023|access-date=May 24, 2023}}</ref> Bialik formally went ] with her union, ], shortly thereafter.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Herz |first=Jane |date=2023-08-30 |title=Mayim Bialik 'unlikely' to return to 'Jeopardy!' this year: report |url=https://nypost.com/2023/08/30/mayim-bialik-unlikely-to-return-to-jeopardy-this-year-report/ |access-date=2023-09-01 |work=] }}</ref> It was later announced that Jennings would host the second season of the new celebrity edition.<ref>{{cite web|title=Ken Jennings To Host 'Celebrity Jeopardy!' As ABC Sets Premiere Dates For Gameshows, 'Shark Tank' & 'AFV'|url=https://deadline.com/2023/08/ken-jennings-to-host-celebrity-jeopardy-abc-premiere-date-1235524032/|website=]|last=White|first=Peter|date=May 16, 2023|access-date=August 29, 2023}}</ref> In December 2023, after the strike was resolved, Sony announced that Jennings would remain the sole host of the syndicated series permanently, noting that it was still open to having Bialik host the prime time specials.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2023/12/mayim-bialik-exits-jeopardy-1235669885/|title=Mayim Bialik Out As ''Jeopardy!'' Host|work=]|author=Peter White|date=December 15, 2023|access-date=January 2, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/mayim-bialik-leaving-jeopardy-1235841706/|title=Mayim Bialik Won't Return as ''Jeopardy!'' Host|work=]|author=J. Kim Murphy|date=December 15, 2023|access-date=January 2, 2024}}</ref>
''Quarterfinals'' (shows 1-5): Three new participants compete each day. The winner from each of the five programs advances to the semifinals and the four top-scorers among non-winners advance as ]s, with ties broken by their scores after the Double Jeopardy! Round.


===Announcers===
If two contestants tie for first place at the end of either a quarterfinal or semifinal match, a special Tie Breaking round is played between those tied contestants. A category is presented followed by a clue. The contestant who rings in and provides the correct question wins the tie breaker and advances in the tournament.
] held the role of announcer on the NBC version and weekly syndicated version,{{Sfn|Harris|2006|p=13}} while ] replaced him for ''The All-New Jeopardy!''{{Sfn|Terrace|1985|p=214}} In the daily syndicated version's first pilot, from 1983, ] served as the announcer, but ] took over the role at Trebek's recommendation when that version was picked up as a series.<ref name="NYTGilbert">{{cite news|title=On Alex Trebek's Final 'Jeopardy!,' a Last Introduction From a Friend |work=] |date=January 7, 2021 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/07/arts/television/alex-trebek-jeopardy-johnny-gilbert.html |access-date=January 8, 2021 }}</ref>


===Clue Crew===
''Semifinals'' (shows 6-8): The five quarterfinal winners and four wild cards compete in a ], with three contestants competing each day. The winner of each of the semifinal games advances to the finals.
The ''Jeopardy!'' Clue Crew, introduced on September 24, 2001, was a team of roving correspondents who appeared in videos, recorded around the world, to narrate some clues.<ref name="Clue Crew">{{cite press release |publisher= King World |title=''Jeopardy!'' Names Clue Crew Members – Team of Roving Correspondents Debuts September 24 |url= http://www.kingworld.com/pr-jeopardy-cluecrew.htm |date=September 24, 2001 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020804055143/http://kingworld.com/pr-jeopardy-cluecrew.htm |archive-date= August 4, 2002 |access-date= March 28, 2007}}</ref> Explaining why the Clue Crew was added, executive producer ] said, "TV is a visual medium, and the more visual we can make our clues, the more we think it will enhance the experience for the viewer."<ref name="Clue Crew Auditions"/>


Following the initial announcement of auditions for the team, over 5,000 people applied for Clue Crew posts.<ref name="Clue Crew Auditions">{{cite news |title=Trebeks in Training ''Jeopardy!'' Auditions Roving Reps |work=]|location=New York |date=June 4, 2001 |last=Petrozzello |first=Donna}}</ref> The original Clue Crew members were Cheryl Farrell, Jimmy McGuire, Sofia Lidskog, and Sarah Whitcomb Foss.<ref name="Clue Crew"/> Lidskog left the Clue Crew in 2004, and Jon Cannon and Kelly Miyahara took over her position in 2005.<ref>{{cite episode |title=Show 4826 (David Madden vs. Catie Camille vs. Willy Jay) |series=Jeopardy! |date=September 12, 2005 |network=Syndicated}}</ref> Farrell recorded clues until October 2008,<ref>{{cite episode |title=Show 5540 (Hannah Lynch vs. Luciano D'Orazio vs. Jim Davis) |series=Jeopardy! |date=October 10, 2008 |network= Syndicated}}</ref> and Cannon until July 2009.<ref>{{cite episode |title=Show 5735 (Kathleen O'Day vs. Peter Wiscombe vs. Alyssa McRae) |series= Jeopardy! |date=July 10, 2009 |network= Syndicated}}</ref> Miyahara, who also served as announcer for the '']'' spin-off series, left in 2019.<ref name="uproxx"/><ref>{{cite web|title=Jeopardy Cast and Crew Bios|url=http://www.jeopardy.com/thecluecrew/aboutthecluecrew/meetthecluecrew/kellymiyahara/|website=Jeopardy! Official Site|publisher=Sony|access-date=May 18, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150517043913/http://www.jeopardy.com/thecluecrew/aboutthecluecrew/meetthecluecrew/kellymiyahara/|archive-date=May 17, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>
''Finals'' (shows 9 & 10): All three semifinal winners compete both days, with their total score from both days added together to determine their final score. The contestants start with $0 at the beginning of each game; the score from the first finals game is not added to their second game score until after that episode's Final Jeopardy!


The Clue Crew was eliminated beginning with the 39th season in September 2022; Foss became a producer for the show and McGuire a ].<ref name="uproxx">{{cite web|url=https://uproxx.com/tv/jeopardy-clue-crew-gone-season-39/|title=The New ''Jeopardy!'' Season Will Have One Major Missing Feature|work=]|author=Ryan Nagelhout|date=August 9, 2022|access-date=August 10, 2022}}</ref> Foss also serves as in-studio announcer when Johnny Gilbert is unable to attend a taping. In such cases, her voice is replaced with Gilbert's in post-production.{{Sfn|Harris|2006|p=14}}<ref>{{cite web |last1=Podplesky |first1=Azaria |title=Nine Mile Falls' Staci Huffman to appear on 'Jeopardy!' on Friday |url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2018/dec/06/nine-mile-falls-staci-huffman-to-appear-on-jeopard/ |website=(Spokane, WA) Spokesman-Review |publisher=Spokesman-Review |access-date=January 10, 2020 |ref=Spokane}}</ref>
The winner of the tournament receives a grand prize, currently $250,000. The two runners-up are also guaranteed a minimum cash prize ($100,000 for the second place contestant and $50,000 for third place), however if their two-day final score exceeds this cash amount they receive the additional money.


The Clue Crew traveled to over 300 cities worldwide, spanning all 50 of the United States and 46 other countries. Occasionally, they visited schools to showcase the educational game '']''<ref>{{cite web |title= Meet the "Jeopardy!" Clue Crew |url= https://www.jeopardy.com/about/clue-crew |publisher= Sony Pictures Digital and Jeopardy Productions |access-date= September 28, 2018 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180929080048/https://www.jeopardy.com/about/clue-crew |archive-date= September 29, 2018 |url-status= live }}</ref>
===Teen Tournament===
{{main|Jeopardy! Teen Tournament}}
First aired in 1987, the '''Jeopardy! Teen Tournament''' features competition between high school students, with the winner receiving $75,000 and, in some years, a new car. Until 2001, the winner was also invited to participate in the Tournament of Champions.


===College Championship=== ===Production staff===
{{multiple image
{{main|Jeopardy! College Championship}}
| width1 = 165
Beginning in 1989, the '''College Championship''' features college students competing for a $100,000 prize. The tournament pits 15 full-time undergraduate students from colleges and universities in the U.S. against each other in a two-week tournament, identical in format to the Tournament of Champions. Since 1997, the College Championship has been taped on location at college campuses.
| image1 = Merv_Griffin.jpg
| caption1 = ] created the show and was executive producer from 1984 to 2000.
| alt1 = A head shot of Merv Griffin
| width2 = 110
| image2 = Harry Friedman holding Peabody Award 2012.jpg
| caption2 = ] was executive producer from 1999 to 2020.
| alt2 = A waist-up shot of Harry Friedman holding an award
}}


Robert Rubin served as the producer of the original ''Jeopardy!'' series for most of its run and later became its executive producer.<ref name="Old Credits">Credits from various ''Jeopardy!'' episodes.</ref> Following Rubin's promotion, the line producer was Lynette Williams.<ref name="Old Credits"/>
The winner earns $100,000, a trophy and a spot in the next Tournament of Champions.


Griffin was the daily syndicated version's executive producer until his retirement in 2000.{{Sfn|Richmond|2004|p=239}} Trebek served as producer as well as host until 1987, when he began hosting NBC's '']'' for the next four years.{{Sfn|Richmond|2004|p=239}} At that time, he handed producer duties to George Vosburgh, who had formerly produced ''The All-New Jeopardy!'' In 1997, ], Lisa Finneran (now known as Lisa Broffman), and Rocky Schmidt succeeded Vosburgh as producers of the show. Beginning in 1999, Friedman became executive producer,<ref>{{cite web|title=This is JEOPARDY! – Show Guide – Bios – Harry Friedman|url=https://www.jeopardy.com/about/cast/harry-friedman|publisher=] and Jeopardy Productions|access-date=September 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180929080205/https://www.jeopardy.com/about/cast/harry-friedman|archive-date=September 29, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> and Gary Johnson became the third producer. In 2006, Deb Dittmann and Brett Schneider became producers, while Finneran, Schmidt, and Johnson were promoted to supervising producers. Johnson left the show in 2011, while the other producers remained until Sarah Whitcomb Foss took over all producer duties following the Clue Crew's 2022 disbanding.<ref name="Old Credits"/>
===Seniors Tournament (1987-1995)===
Ten ]s were held between 1987 and 1995 featuring contestants over the age of 50. This tournament was discontinued after December 1995.


The original ''Jeopardy!'' series was directed at different times by Bob Hultgren, Eleanor Tarshis, and Jeff Goldstein.<ref name="Old Credits"/> Dick Schneider, who directed episodes of ''The All-New Jeopardy!'', returned as director from 1984 to 1992. He was then succeeded by his associate director, ],{{Sfn|Richmond|2004|p=239}} who served until his retirement in 2018. After McCarthy's departure, he was succeeded by Clay Jacobsen,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.jeopardy.com/Assets/jeopardy/presskits/new_director.pdf |title=Clay Jacobsen named director of JEOPARDY! |publisher=Sony Pictures Television |date=June 26, 2018 |access-date=August 22, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180825110320/https://www.jeopardy.com/Assets/jeopardy/presskits/new_director.pdf |archive-date=August 25, 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref> who served through 2021 and was later replaced by Russell Norman.<ref name="Production Credits"/>
===Other special tournaments===
There have been a number of special tournaments featuring the greatest contestants during the history of ''Jeopardy!''


As of 2022, ''Jeopardy!'' employs seven full-time writers and seven researchers to create and assemble the categories and clues.{{Sfn|McNear|2022|pp=8}}{{efn|This number has varied over the years, with writers ranging in number from five to ten and researchers from four to seven.<ref name="Old Credits"/>|lead=yes}} Billy Wisse is the editorial producer and Michele Loud is the editorial supervisor.<ref name="Production Credits">{{cite web|title=Production Credits|url=http://www.jeopardy.com/showguide/abouttheshow/productioncredits/|work=Jeopardy! Official Site|access-date=December 20, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110522015628/http://www.jeopardy.com/showguide/abouttheshow/productioncredits/|archive-date=May 22, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> Previous writing and editorial supervisors have included Jules Minton, Terrence McDonnell, Harry Eisenberg, and Gary Johnson.<ref name="Old Credits"/> Trebek himself also contributed to writing clues and categories.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Carson|first=Emily|date=March 12, 2020|title='Jeopardy!' host Alex Trebek did another football category, and it went slightly better this time|url=https://www.sportingnews.com/us/other-sports/news/jeopardy-host-alex-trebek-football-category/1hr8b519foxoy1e9cxelfwibnx|access-date=August 16, 2021|website=www.sportingnews.com|language=en}}</ref>
===''Super Jeopardy!''===
{{main|Super Jeopardy!}}
The first of these "all-time best" tournaments, ''Super Jeopardy!,'' aired in the summer of 1990 on ABC. It featured 37 top contestants who had competed on the program from 1984-1990, plus one notable champion from the original 1964-1975 version.


Naomi Slodki is the ] for the program.<ref name="Production Credits"/> Previous art directors have included Henry Lickel, Dennis Roof,{{Sfn|Schwartz|Ryan|Wostbrock|1999}} Bob Rang,<ref name="Old Credits"/> and ] (who also designed sets for other game shows such as '']'', '']'', and ''Wheel of Fortune'').<ref>{{cite news|first=Mike|last=Barnes|title=Ed Flesh, Designer of the Wheel on ''Wheel of Fortune'', Dies at 79|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ed-flesh-designer-wheel-wheel-213098|work=]|date=July 19, 2011|access-date=August 12, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723001712/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ed-flesh-designer-wheel-wheel-213098|archive-date=July 23, 2011|url-status=live}}</ref>
This tournament featured a number of gameplay changes, including featuring four contestants in each of the Jeopardy! round of each of the quarterfinal games. Points were scored instead of dollars, with the following values used in each of the two rounds:
{| class="wikitable" border="1" style="text-align:center"
|-
!width="50"|Jeopardy!
!width="50"|Double Jeopardy!
|-
| 200
| 500
|-
| 400
| 1,000
|-
| 600
| 1,500
|-
| 800
| 2,000
|-
| 1,000
| 2,500
|}


On August 1, 2019, SPT announced that Friedman would retire as executive producer of both ''Jeopardy!'' and '']'' at the end of the 2019–20 season;<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nexttv.com/news/harry-friedman-ep-of-wheel-of-fortune-and-jeopardy-to-step-down-in-2020|title=Harry Friedman, EP of ''Wheel of Fortune'' and ''Jeopardy!'', to Step Down in 2020|work=]|author=Paige Albiniak|date=August 1, 2019|access-date=August 8, 2021}}</ref> ] replaced Friedman in 2020.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2019/08/mike-richards-executive-produce-jeopardy-wheel-of-fortune-harry-friedman-exit-next-year-1202707378/|title=Mike Richards To Executive Produce ''Jeopardy!'' & ''Wheel Of Fortune'' When Harry Friedman Exits Next Year|work=]|author=Denise Petski|date=August 29, 2019|access-date=October 31, 2019}}</ref> On August 31, 2021, after Richards had resigned as host earlier in the month, SPT fired him from his executive producer position at both ''Jeopardy!'' and ''Wheel'', citing continued internal turmoil that Richards's resignation as host had failed to quell as they had hoped. ] from ], which produces the 2021 revival of the U.S. version of '']''{{efn|The ''Millionaire'' franchise was purchased by SPT with its owners, ], in 2008. However, at the time of the purchase, the U.S. version was distributed by SPT's rival ].|lead=yes}}, became interim executive producer<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/mike-richards-fired-executive-producer-jeopardy-wheel-of-fortune-1235052887/|title=Mike Richards Fired as Executive Producer of ''Jeopardy!'' and ''Wheel of Fortune''|work=]|author=Michael Schneider|date=August 31, 2021|access-date=August 31, 2021}}</ref> through the 2021–22 season,<ref name="BialikJennings 2022" /> then permanent executive producer on April 14, 2022.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/jeopardy-taps-michael-davies-as-permanent-showrunner-1235130349/|title=''Jeopardy'' Taps Michael Davies as Permanent Showrunner|work=]|author=Lesley Goldberg|date=April 14, 2022|access-date=April 14, 2022}}</ref>
Bruce Seymour won the tournament and the top prize of $250,000.


==Production==
===Tenth Anniversary Tournament===
The daily syndicated version of ''Jeopardy!'' is produced by ] (previously known as ], the successor company to original producer ]).<ref name="TVWeek2007">{{cite journal|date=August 19, 2007|journal=TelevisionWeek|title=''Wheel of Fortune,'' ''Jeopardy!'': Merv Griffin's True TV Legacy|url=http://www.tvweek.com/news/2007/08/merv_griffin_jeopardy_wheel_of.php|last=Gilbert|first=Tom|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070725204208/http://www.tvweek.com/news/2007/08/merv_griffin_jeopardy_wheel_of.php|archive-date=July 25, 2007}}</ref> The copyright holder is Jeopardy Productions, which, like SPT, operates as a subsidiary of ].<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Company Overview of Jeopardy Productions, Inc|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=6699051|magazine=]|access-date=January 27, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306104453/http://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=6699051|archive-date=March 6, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> The rights to distribute the program worldwide are owned by ],{{efn|As CBS Television Distribution before 2021|lead=yes}} which absorbed original distributor ] in 2007.<ref>{{cite web|title=Pat, Vanna and Alex Play On!|url=http://www.wheeloffortune.com/news-and-events?news=pat-vanna-and-alex-play-on|publisher=Sony Pictures Television|access-date=July 24, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107112954/https://www.wheeloffortune.com/news-and-events?news=pat-vanna-and-alex-play-on|archive-date=November 7, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>
{{main|Jeopardy! Tenth Anniversary Tournament}}


The original ''Jeopardy!'' series was taped in Studio 6A at ] at ] in New York City,<ref name="master books">NBC daily broadcast log, Master Books microfilm. ] Motion Picture and Television Reading Room.</ref> and ''The All-New Jeopardy!'' was taped in Studio 3 at NBC's ] at 3000 West Alameda Avenue in ].{{Sfn|Schwartz|Ryan|Wostbrock|1999|pp=112–115}} The Trebek version was initially taped at ] Stage 7, ], on ] in Hollywood,{{Sfn|Schwartz|Ryan|Wostbrock|1999|pp=112–115}} but moved its production facilities to ]' Stage 1 in 1985. In 1994 the ''Jeopardy!'' production facilities moved to ]' Stage 10 on ] in ],{{Sfn|Schwartz|Ryan|Wostbrock|1999|pp=112–115}} where production has remained since. Stage 10 was dedicated in Trebek's honor when episodes for the 38th season began taping in August 2021, with the stage being renamed to "The Alex Trebek Stage", with help from the Trebek family (Alex's wife, Jean, son, Matthew, and daughters, Emily and Nicky).<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/culture/story/jeopardy-stage-dedicated-alex-trebek-79994716|title=Jeopardy!' stage dedicated to Alex Trebek|last=Iervolino|first=Stephen|work=]|date=September 13, 2021|access-date=September 13, 2021}}</ref>
The Tenth Anniversary Tournament was a five-day tournament aired in 1993 following the conclusion of the regular Tournament of Champions. The winner of that tournament, Tom Nosek, received a ] into the Tenth Anniversary Tournament; the other eight spots were awarded by lottery from among Tournament of Champions finalists and semifinalists of the previous decade (one chosen from each of the eight years the tournament was played). ] won the tournament with a two-game score of $16,800 plus a $25,000 bonus for a total of $41,800.


Five episodes are taped each day, with two days of taping every other week.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://communityvoices.post-gazette.com/arts-entertainment-living/tuned-in/item/41512-tv-q-a-chicago-fire-hallmark-channel-christmas-movies-jeopardy|title=TV Q&A: 'Chicago Fire,' Hallmark Channel Christmas movies, 'Jeopardy!'|last=Owen|first=Rob|work=]|date=November 15, 2018|access-date=November 15, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181115221911/http://communityvoices.post-gazette.com/arts-entertainment-living/tuned-in/item/41512-tv-q-a-chicago-fire-hallmark-channel-christmas-movies-jeopardy|archive-date=November 15, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> However, taping slowed after Alex Trebek's health issues in 2019 until his last taping day on October 29, 2020. Some weeks had three episodes taped within a single day, while some had two episodes taped within a single day.<ref>{{cite news |last1=DeLetter |first1=Emily |title=Purdue grad was last 'Jeopardy!' contestant under host Alex Trebek, first under Ken Jennings |url=https://www.jconline.com/story/news/2021/01/15/purdue-graduate-last-contestant-jeopardy-host-alex-trebek-ken-jennings/4151418001/ |access-date=March 23, 2023 |work=Lafayette (IN) Journal & Courier |issue=January 15, 2021 |publisher=Lafayette Journal & Courier |date=January 15, 2021 |ref=PurdueChamp}}</ref>
===Teen Reunion Tournament===
{{main|Jeopardy! Teen Reunion Tournament}}


===Set===
In November 1998, contestants from the 1987, 1988, and 1989 Teen Tournaments (including the champions) were invited to Boston to play in a special Teen Reunion Tournament. 1989 Teen Tournament winner Eric Newhouse won the tournament.
]
Various technological and aesthetic changes have been made to the ''Jeopardy!'' set over the years. The original game board was exposed from behind a curtain and featured clues printed on cardboard pull cards which were revealed as contestants selected them.{{Sfn|Harris|2006|p=13}} ''The All-New Jeopardy!''{{-'}}s game board was exposed from behind double-slide panels and featured pull cards with the dollar amount in front and the clue behind it. When the Trebek version premiered in 1984, the game board used individual television monitors for each clue within categories. The original monitors were replaced with larger and sleeker ones in 1991.{{Sfn|Richmond|2004|p=100}} In 2006, these monitors were discarded in favor of a nearly seamless projection video wall,<ref name="officialannouncement"/> which was replaced in 2009 with 36 high-definition flat-panel monitors manufactured by ].<ref name="2009 Set"/> The game board was finally refurbished for season 41 in 2024, replacing the individual monitors board with a singular electronic screen, similar to the upgraded '']'' puzzle board introduced in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cheyenne |first=Angelica |date=October 8, 2024 |title=Jeopardy! overhauls its game board with high-tech updates as show copies Wheel of Fortune's lead |url=https://www.themirror.com/entertainment/jeopardy-overhauls-game-board-high-738419 |website=The Mirror US}}</ref>


From 1985 to 1997, the sets were designed to have a background color of blue for the Jeopardy! round and red for the Double Jeopardy! and Final Jeopardy! rounds. In 1991, the show introduced a brand new set that resembled a grid.{{Sfn|Richmond|2004|p=100}} On the episode aired November 11, 1996, ''Jeopardy!'' introduced the first of several sets designed by Naomi Slodki, who intended the set to resemble "the foyer of a very contemporary library, with wood and sandblasted glass and blue granite".{{Sfn|Richmond|2004|p=150}}
===Million Dollar Masters===
{{main|Jeopardy! Million Dollar Masters}}
In May 2002, to commemorate the Trebek version's 4,000th episode, the show invited fifteen champions to play for a $1 million bonus, under the standard 2-week tournament format. Tapings took place at ]. The tournament was won by ].


In 2002, another new set was introduced,{{Sfn|Richmond|2004|p=210}} which was given slight modifications when ''Jeopardy!'' and sister show ''Wheel of Fortune'' transitioned to ] in 2006.<ref name="officialannouncement"/> During this time, ]s of the set began to be featured on the official web site.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/jeopardy/mini_sites/archive_header/index.html?/tv/shows/jeopardy/mini_sites/jeopardy_set_03/ |title=2003 ''Jeopardy!'' set official web page |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080213025724/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/jeopardy/mini_sites/archive_header/index.html?%2Ftv%2Fshows%2Fjeopardy%2Fmini_sites%2Fjeopardy_set_03%2F |archive-date=February 13, 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The various HD improvements for ''Jeopardy!'' and ''Wheel'' represented a combined investment of approximately $4&nbsp;million, 5,000 hours of labor, and {{convert|6|mi|km}} of cable.<ref name="officialannouncement">{{cite web|title=Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune go hi def!|date=September 7, 2006|publisher=Sony Pictures Television|url=http://www.jeopardy.com/announcement_20060907HD.php|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061019012632/http://www.jeopardy.com/announcement_20060907HD.php|archive-date=October 19, 2006|access-date=August 20, 2021}}</ref> Both programs had been shot using HD cameras for several years before beginning to broadcast in HD. On ] broadcasts, episodes continue displaying with an ] of 4:3.
===Ultimate Tournament of Champions===
{{main|Jeopardy! Ultimate Tournament of Champions}}
''Jeopardy!'' televised the ] in 2005. This tournament, which was the largest (and longest) in ''Jeopardy!'''s history, pitted 144 former ''Jeopardy!'' champions against each other, with two winners moving on to face ] in a 3-game final.


In 2009, ''Jeopardy!'' updated its set once again. The new set debuted with special episodes taped at the 42nd annual ] technology trade show, hosted at the ] in ] (]), ], and became the primary set for ''Jeopardy!'' when the 2009–2010 season began.<ref name="2009 Set">{{cite web |url=http://www.jeopardy.com/showguide/virtualsettour/ |title=This is Jeopardy!—Show Guide—Virtual Set Tour |access-date=January 11, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100108064427/http://www.jeopardy.com/showguide/virtualsettour/ |archive-date=January 8, 2010 }}</ref>
The final winner was ] ($62,000 for the tournament final), winning $2 million, the second-largest single-game prize in game show history. Jennings placed second (with $34,599) and took home $500,000. ] finished third ($20,600), collecting $250,000. As a result, Rutter is the all-time ''Jeopardy!'' winner with $3,270,102 (plus two Camaros), with Jennings a close second at $3,022,700. Rutter's win also made him the highest total winner in American game show history, a distinction he held until Jennings surpassed him in October 2008 with a $500,000 win on '']


In 2013, ''Jeopardy!'' introduced another new set.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/television/2013/07/19/alex_trebek_talks_30_seasons_of_jeopardy.html|title=Alex Trebek Talks 30 Seasons of Jeopardy!|last=Wong|first=Tony|newspaper=]|date=July 19, 2013|access-date=July 21, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130725062220/http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/television/2013/07/19/alex_trebek_talks_30_seasons_of_jeopardy.html|archive-date=July 25, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> This set underwent several modifications in 2020, with a wider studio without any studio audience (the last episodes of the 2019–2020 season were also taped without an audience), and new lecterns for contestants and the host. The lecterns are spaced considerably apart to comply with California state regulations imposed when filming resumed after the ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Jeopardy! Season 37 Premieres with All-New Episodes Monday, September 14 |url=https://www.jeopardy.com/sites/default/files/files/press-release/2020-09/09-03-20_J_S37_Premiere_Release_Final.pdf |website=jeopardy.com |publisher=Sony |access-date=September 7, 2020 |ref=J!S37 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200927123619/https://www.jeopardy.com/sites/default/files/files/press-release/2020-09/09-03-20_J_S37_Premiere_Release_Final.pdf |archive-date=September 27, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> Although the modified COVID-era set from the previous two seasons was kept, the live studio audience fully returned for season 39, which began airing on September 12, 2022.<ref>{{cite tweet|number=1546620347125944321|title=Welcome back to the Alex Trebek Stage! For the first time in two years, tickets for our studio audience are now available|user=Jeopardy|author=Jeopardy!|date=July 11, 2022|access-date=September 22, 2022}}</ref>
===Kids Week Reunion===
{{main|Jeopardy! Kids Week }}
''Jeopardy!'' celebrated its landmark 25th anniversary season by holding a special ] tournament featuring 15 former ] alumni from the 1999 and 2000 Kids Weeks competing against each other. The format was the same as the Kids Week tournament, with the winners keeping whatever they win with a minimum guarantee of $25,000. The cash prizes for second and third place have also increased to $5,000 for second place and $2,500 for third place.


==Audition process== ===Theme music===
Since the debut of ''Jeopardy!'' in 1964, several songs and arrangements have been used as the theme music, most of which were composed by Griffin. The main theme for the original ''Jeopardy!'' series was "Take Ten",<ref>{{Cite web|title=Classic Game Shows: Jeopardy! (Original Series)|url=http://www.tvparty.com/games-jeopardy.html|publisher=tv.party.com|access-date=July 1, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130814051240/http://www.tvparty.com/games-jeopardy.html|archive-date=August 14, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> composed by Griffin's wife Julann.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Barnes|first=Lindsay|title=NEWS: Genesis of ''Jeopardy!'': Who is Julann Griffin?|date=August 16, 2007|publisher=Readthehook.com}}</ref> ''The All-New Jeopardy!'' opened with "January, February, March" and closed with "Frisco Disco", both of which were composed by Griffin himself.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Merv Griffin soundtrack|url=http://ringostrack.com/en/artist/merv-griffin/9291|publisher=ringostrack.com|access-date=June 20, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130922134049/http://ringostrack.com/en/artist/merv-griffin/9291|archive-date=September 22, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>
{{main article|Jeopardy! audition process}}
Unlike the audition process for many game shows, the ''Jeopardy!'' contestant audition process is in part merit-based, with 50-question contestant tests administered at local audition sites and, as of 2006, over the ].


The best-known theme song on ''Jeopardy!'' is "Think!", originally composed by Griffin under the title "A Time for Tony", as a lullaby for his son.<ref>Bickelhaupt, Susan (September 5, 1989). "Placing himself in ''Jeopardy!'' tonight", '']'', p. 54.</ref> "Think!" has always been used for the 30-second period in Final Jeopardy! when the contestants write down their responses, and since the syndicated version debuted in 1984, a rendition of that tune has been used as the main theme song.{{Sfn|Trebek|Barsocchini|1990|p=10}} "Think!" has become so popular that it has been used in many different contexts, from sporting events to weddings;{{Sfn|Harris|2006|p=17}} "its 30-second countdown has become synonymous with any deadline pressure".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/08/arts/television/alex-trebek-dead.html |title=Alex Trebek, Longtime Host of 'Jeopardy!,' Dies at 80 |first= Katharine Q. |last=Seelye |newspaper=The New York Times |date=November 8, 2020 |access-date=November 9, 2020}}</ref> Griffin estimated that the use of "Think!" had earned him royalties of over $70&nbsp;million throughout his lifetime.<ref>{{cite magazine|author=Richard Natale|title=Hollywood legend Merv Griffin dies: Media mogul known for game shows, talk show|magazine=]|url=https://variety.com/2007/scene/news/hollywood-legend-merv-griffin-dies-1117970093/|date=August 12, 2007|access-date=July 16, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141225002153/http://variety.com/2007/scene/news/hollywood-legend-merv-griffin-dies-1117970093/|archive-date=December 25, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> "Think!" led Griffin to win the ] (BMI) President's Award in 2003,<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/233747|title = For Merv Griffin, 14 Seconds Can Last a Lifetime|publisher = bmi.com|date = June 17, 2003|access-date = October 18, 2010|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111007141601/http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/233747|archive-date = October 7, 2011|url-status = live}}</ref> and during GSN's ''2009 Game Show Awards'' special, it was named "Best Game Show Theme Song".<ref>{{Cite AV media |type=TV production | title = Game Show Awards | publisher = GSN |year = 2009}}</ref> In 1997, the main theme (later rearranged in 2001) and Final Jeopardy! "Think!" cue were rearranged by Steve Kaplan, who served as music director until his December 2003 death.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/422033337|title=Pilot Killed in Crash Was TV, Film Composer; Steve Kaplan, who died when his plane crashed into a Claremont home, had written music for 'Jeopardy!' and 'Wheel of Fortune.'|last=Morin|first=Monte|date=December 17, 2003|work=]|access-date=May 24, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140726004254/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/doc/422033337.html|archive-date=July 26, 2014|id={{ProQuest|422033337}} |url-status=live}}</ref> Then in 2008, the ''Jeopardy!'' music package was rearranged again, this time by Chris Bell Music & Sound Design.<ref>{{cite web|title=Jeopardy!|url=http://www.chrisbellmusicandsounddesign.com/id78.html|work=Chris Bell Music and Sound Design|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708150055/http://www.chrisbellmusicandsounddesign.com/id78.html|archive-date=July 8, 2011|access-date=January 4, 2012}}</ref> A fully-synthesized version of the main theme, which is based on the 2008 arrangement, was composed by ] and has been used since 2021.<ref>{{Cite episode|series=Jeopardy!|date=September 14, 2021|season=38|number=2}}</ref>
==Theme music==
{{main|Jeopardy! theme music}}
Since the debut of Jeopardy! in 1964, there have been many different iterations of the theme music for the show, a majority of which has been composed by Merv Griffin.


===Audition process===
==Set==
{{Main|Jeopardy! audition process}}
Like the theme music, the ''Jeopardy!'' set has also changed over the years. The original version of the show, hosted by ], and debuting on ] on ], ], was taped in Studio 6A at ] at ] in ].<ref name="masterbooks">NBC daily broadcast log, Master Books microfilm. ] Motion Picture and Television Reading Room.</ref> No electronic sound effects were used; a ] was rung to signify a round's conclusion, and when a Daily Double was revealed, a ] was rung quickly several times to alert Fleming and the selecting contestant.<ref name="masterbooks"/> In addition to Studio 6A, Studio 8G was also frequently used to record the show.<ref name="masterbooks" /><ref name="schwartz">{{ cite book|last=Schwartz|first=David|coauthors=Steve Ryan, Fred Wostbrock|title=The Encyclopedia of TV Game Shows|publisher=Checkmark Books|edition=3rd edition|month=January|year=1999|isbn=0816038473 }}</ref>
For the original ''Jeopardy!'' series, prospective contestants contacted the production office in New York to arrange an appointment and to preliminarily determine eligibility. They were briefed and auditioned together in groups of ten to thirty individuals, participating in both a written test and mock games. Individuals who were successful at the audition were invited to appear on the program within approximately six weeks.{{Sfn|Fleming|1979|pp=14–15}}


Since 1984, prospective contestants begin with a written exam comprising 50 questions.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://better.net/arts-events/movies-tv/jeopardy-heres-actually-happens-behind-scenes/|title=I Was on 'Jeopardy!' Here's What Actually Happens Behind the Scenes|first=Shannan|last=Younger|work=Better|date=August 17, 2018|access-date=April 21, 2021}}</ref> This exam is administered online periodically, as well as being offered at regional contestant search events. Since 1998, a ] recreational vehicle dubbed the "Jeopardy! Brain Bus" travels to conduct regional events throughout the United States and Canada.{{Sfn|Richmond|2004|p=170}} Participants who correctly answer at least 35 out of 50 questions advance in the audition process and are invited to attend in-person group auditions throughout the country. At these auditions, a second written exam is administered, followed by a mock game and interviews. Those who are approved are notified at a later time and invited to appear as contestants.<ref name=OfficialFAQ>{{Cite web|url=https://www.jeopardy.com/be-on-j/faqs|title=Jeopardy! – FAQs|website=jeopardy.com|language=en|access-date=January 24, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190125073316/https://www.jeopardy.com/be-on-j/faqs|archive-date=January 25, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>
The 1978 revival version of the show, ''The All-New Jeopardy!'', was taped from NBC Studio 3 in ], with set design by Henry Lickel and Dennis Root.<ref name="schwartz" />


Contestants are required to travel to the production location (], since 1994), making travel and lodging arrangements at their own expense when doing so. According to Andy Saunders, creator of The Jeopardy! Fan website, "This has been a longstanding ''Jeopardy!'' policy and has generally been presented as an issue of fairness by the show. A 1994 '']'' article quotes then–contestant coordinator Kelley Carpenter as saying, 'Because we have both out-of-towners and locals appearing on the show, if we were to pay for an airfare and a hotel, we would have technically given away money to some contestants coming from the East Coast, which wouldn't be fair to someone who only lives 20 minutes away.'"<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newsweek.com/jeopardy-contestant-hotel-lashes-out-travel-hotels-1808963|title='Jeopardy!' Contestant Lashes Out at Show for Not Paying for Travel, Hotels|magazine=]|author=Power, Shannon|language=en-US|url-status=live|date=June 26, 2023|archive-date=June 26, 2023|archive-url=https://archive.today/20230626182939/https://www.newsweek.com/jeopardy-contestant-hotel-lashes-out-travel-hotels-1808963}}</ref> Eligibility is limited to people who have not previously appeared as contestants, and have not been to an in-person audition for at least 18 months.<ref name=OfficialFAQ/>
When the syndicated ''Jeopardy!'' premiered in 1984, it was taped at ] Stage 7, ]-TV, on ] in Hollywood.<ref name="schwartz" /> (This studio was torn down in 2003 to make room for a public high school.<ref name="wayne">{{ cite web|last=Wayne|first=Gary|title=The Former Fox Television Center/KTTV Studios|publisher=Seeing Stars in Hollywood|year=2006|url=http://www.seeing-stars.com/TVstudios/FoxKTTV.shtml|accessdate=2007-01-24 }}</ref>)


Many of the contestants who appear on the series, including many Teen Tournament and College Championship contestants, participated in ] competitions during their time in high school. The ] has been described by ] as a ''de facto'' "minor league" for game shows such as ''Jeopardy!''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://slate.com/culture/2019/04/jeopardy-quiz-bowl-connection-ken-jennings.html|title=The Jeopardy! Minor Leagues|first=Ken|last=Jennings|author-link=Ken Jennings|work=]|date=April 9, 2019|access-date=April 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190409205432/https://slate.com/culture/2019/04/jeopardy-quiz-bowl-connection-ken-jennings.html|archive-date=April 9, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>
From 1985-1994, ''Jeopardy!'' was taped at ]' Stage 9.


==Broadcast history==
In the syndicated TV show hosted by ], the set included a large "JEOPARDY!" logo until 2002. The logo was first shown in red neon, then changed to white the following season, and finally to yellow which remained until 1991. From 1991-1996, the Jeopardy! logo alternated colors with flashing red-to-white neon in the "Jeopardy!" round with a blue background and flashing blue-to-white neon with a red background for the "Double Jeopardy!" round.
{{Main|Broadcast of Jeopardy!}}
The original ''Jeopardy!'' series premiered on ] on March 30, 1964,{{Sfn|Schwartz|Ryan|Wostbrock|1999|pp=112–115}} and by the end of the 1960s was the second-highest-rated daytime game show, behind only '']''.{{Sfn|Fabe|1979|p=95}} The program was successful until 1974, when ], then NBC's Vice President of Daytime Programming, moved the show out of the noontime slot where it had been located for most of its run, as part of her effort to boost ratings among the 18–34 female demographic.{{Sfn|Griffin|Bender|2003|p=8}} After 2,753 episodes, the original ''Jeopardy!'' series ended on January 3, 1975. To compensate Griffin for its cancellation, NBC purchased ''Wheel of Fortune'', another show that he had created, and premiered it the following Monday.{{Sfn|Griffin|Bender|2003|p=100}} A syndicated edition of ''Jeopardy!'', distributed by ] and featuring many contestants who were previously champions on the original series, aired in primetime from 1974 to 1975.{{Sfn|Brooks|Marsh|2009|p=696}} The NBC daytime series was later revived as ''The All-New Jeopardy!'', which premiered on October 2, 1978,<ref>{{cite news|title='' Jeopardy!'' with Art Fleming (Introduction of Super Jeopardy! Board)|publisher=Paley Center for Media}}</ref> and aired 108 episodes, ending on March 2, 1979.<ref name="Y2PLAY">{{cite news|title=Hosted By Game Show Great Charles Nelson Reilly, "Y2PLAY" To Air on GSN From 4:00&nbsp; pm Through Midnight on Dec. 31, 1999 |work=]|date=November 22, 1999}}</ref> This revival featured significant rule changes, including progressive elimination of contestants over the course of the main game, and a Super Jeopardy! bonus round (based loosely on ]) instead of Final Jeopardy!{{Sfn|Newcomb|2004|pp=1222–1224}}


The daily syndicated version debuted on September 10, 1984,{{Sfn|Richmond|2004|pp=12, 15, 33}} and was launched in response to the success of the syndicated version of ''Wheel''{{Sfn|Griffin|Bender|2003|p=106}} and the installation of electronic trivia games in pubs and bars.{{Sfn|Jennings|2006|pp=215, 220}} This version of the program has outlived 300 other game shows and has become the second most popular game show in syndication (behind ''Wheel''), averaging 25 million viewers per week. The most recent renewal, in January 2023, extends it through the 2027–28 season.<ref>{{cite web |last1=White |first1=Peter |title='Wheel Of Fortune' & 'Jeopardy!' Renewed For 5 Years With Big Increase At ABC Stations |url=https://deadline.com/2023/01/wheel-of-fortune-jeopardy-renewed-at-abc-1235216648/ |website=Deadline |access-date=January 11, 2023 |date=January 11, 2023}}</ref>
TV executive Bob Boden received the "J" logo sign from the 1986-1991 version of the set after it was retired.<ref name="boden">{{ cite web|last=Jennings|first=Ken|authorlink=Ken Jennings|title=J and Silent Bob (and Silent Ken)|date=2006-06-19|url=http://ken-jennings.com/blog/?p=16|accessdate=2007-01-26 }}</ref>


]
After the final shows of Season 10 were taped on ], ], the set was disassembled and reconstructed at ]' Stage 10 on Washington Boulevard in ],<ref name="schwartz" /> where the first shows of Season 11 were taped on ], ].
''Jeopardy!'' has spawned versions in many foreign countries throughout the world, including Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, Russia, Denmark, Israel, and Australia.{{Sfn|Harris|2006|p=16}} The American syndicated version of ''Jeopardy!'' is also broadcast throughout the world, with international distribution rights handled by ].<ref name="CBS Press Express">{{Cite web|title=CBS Press Express: Jeopardy!|url=http://www.cbspressexpress.com/cbs-television-distribution/shows/jeopardy/about|publisher=CBS Television Distribution|access-date=January 15, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120611003356/http://cbspressexpress.com/cbs-television-distribution/shows/jeopardy/about|archive-date=June 11, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref>


Four spin-off versions of ''Jeopardy!'' have been created. '']'' debuted on ] in 1998{{Sfn|Austen|2005|p=210}} and ran until 2001. The format centered around post-1950s popular music trivia and was hosted by ].{{Sfn|Newcomb|2004|pp=1222–1224}} '']'', which aired on ] during the 1998–1999 season, was a special children's version hosted by ] and featured various rule changes from the original version.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Schwartz|first1=David|last2=Ryan|first2=Steve|last3=Wostbrock|first3=Fred|title=The Encyclopedia of TV Game Shows|url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaoftv0000schw|url-access=limited|edition=3|year=1997|publisher=Facts on File, Inc.|isbn=0-8160-3846-5|page=}}</ref> '']'', a sports-themed version hosted by ], premiered in 2014 on the ] digital service and eventually moved to the cable sports network ] in 2016.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sony Making a Sports Version of ''Jeopardy!''|url=http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SPORTS_JEOPARDY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT|agency=]|date=April 30, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140502032506/http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SPORTS_JEOPARDY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT|archive-date=May 2, 2014|access-date=June 11, 2014}}</ref> In 2024, '']'' premiered as an exclusive show on ]. Hosted by ], it featured three teams of three participating in a single-elimination tournament where the winning team earned a $300,000 grand prize. Categories were geared more toward "pub trivia"-style knowledge.
On the episode aired ], ], two months after the start of Season 13, ''Jeopardy!'' introduced an entirely new set by production designer Naomi Slodki, which was also constructed on Stage 10 on the Sony lot. While Slodki intended the set to resemble "the foyer of a very contemporary library",<ref>{{ cite book | last=Richmond | first=Ray | title=This is Jeopardy!: Celebrating America's Favorite Quiz Show | isbn=0-7607-5374-1 | publisher=Barnes & Noble Books | location=New York | page=150 | year=2004 }}</ref> its purple-backlit gridded walls and wooden accents earned it the nickname of the "sushi bar" set amongst fans.<ref name="soria">{{ cite newsgroup|title=GAME SHOWS 1996: THE YEAR IN REVIEW|author=Jeremy Soria|date=1996-12-30|newsgroup=alt.tv.game-shows|url=http://groups.google.com/group/alt.tv.game-shows/browse_thread/thread/6e37410ac932f036/69a4b33edfd33984?lnk=st&rnum=1#69a4b33edfd33984|accessdate=2007-01-23 }}</ref>


In March 2020, taping halted as a result of the ]. Originally, the production team taped episodes without an audience, until production was shut down altogether. In May 2020, Sony announced new episodes would air until June 12, 2020, including the Teachers Tournament.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pennlive.com/entertainment/2020/05/new-episodes-of-jeopardy-will-return-this-month-sony-pictures-announces.html|title=New episodes of 'Jeopardy!' will return this month, Sony Pictures announces|date=May 12, 2020|website=pennlive}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/2020/05/jeopardy-new-episodes-return-date.html|title=Praise You, Trebek: Jeopardy! Is Returning With New Episodes on May 18|first=Devon|last=Ivie|date=May 12, 2020|website=Vulture}}</ref> In July 2020, ''Jeopardy!'' began rerunning a package of 20 classic episodes, including the first two from the syndicated run.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/jeopardy-air-most-iconic-episodes-171040467.html|title=Jeopardy! Will Re-Air Its Most Iconic Episodes—Including a Very Special Appearance by Martha Stewart|first=Kelly|last=Vaughn|publisher=Yahoo!|date=July 20, 2020|access-date=July 21, 2020}}</ref>
On the episode aired ], ] during the 18th season, Alex shaved off his trademark ].<ref>{{cite web|title=J! Archive - Show #3920 - Friday, September 21, 2001|url=http://www.j-archive.com/showgame.php?game_id=446|accessdate=2007-09-05 }}</ref> Beginning on ] ], the clue values were increased to $200-$1,000 in the Jeopardy! Round and $400-$2,000 on the Double Jeopardy! Round.<ref>{{cite web|title=J! Archive - Show #3966 - Monday, November 26, 2001|url=http://www.j-archive.com/showgame.php?game_id=1062|accessdate=2007-09-05 }}</ref>


Production resumed in August 2020 with new safety measures in place following government guidelines to protect contestants, staff, crew and talent. New expanded lecterns, designed to allow social distancing during gameplay, are spaced apart from one another.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Nemetz|first=Dave|date=July 29, 2020|title=Jeopardy!, Wheel of Fortune to Resume Production With New Precautions|url=https://tvline.com/2020/07/28/jeopardy-back-new-episodes-filming-coronavirus-alex-trebek/|access-date=August 14, 2020|website=TVLine|language=en}}</ref> In seasons 37–38, only essential staff and crew were allowed on stage. Personal protective equipment is provided for everyone behind the scenes and all staff and crew are tested regularly, while contestants are also tested before they step onto the set. Social distancing measures are also enforced off-stage.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://deadline.com/2020/07/wheel-of-fortune-jeopardy-head-back-to-studio-1202997931/|title='Wheel Of Fortune' & 'Jeopardy!' Head Back To The Studio With Redesigned Wheel & Podium|last=White|first=Peter|date=July 28, 2020|work=]}}</ref> ] joined production in an on-air role in 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Morona|first=Joey|date=November 23, 2020|title='Jeopardy!' returning to production with Ken Jennings as guest host|url=https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2020/11/jeopardy-returning-to-production-with-ken-jennings-as-guest-host.html|access-date=August 16, 2021|website=cleveland.com|language=en}}</ref>
Shortly after the start of the 19th Season in 2002, Jeopardy once again changed its set. In 2006, the set was changed slightly when ''Jeopardy!'' and its sister show ''Wheel Of Fortune'' became the first game shows to air in the HDTV format (further explanation to follow).


Following Trebek's death, an announcement noted that the pre-taped episodes were to air posthumously until December 25, 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Trolio|first=Jen|date=November 8, 2020|title=Alex Trebek's last episode of Jeopardy will air on Christmas Day|url=https://www.vox.com/21555364/alex-trebek-last-episode-jeopardy-december-25|website=Vox|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=November 9, 2020|title=Alex Trebek's Final 'Jeopardy!' Episode to Air on Christmas Day|url=https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/alex-trebeks-final-jeopardy-episode-to-air-on-christmas-day/|website=Us Weekly|language=en-US}}</ref> Owing to concerns after a late start to tapings caused by the pandemic and the cancellation of November tapings, officials added a two-week lineup of classic episodes to avoid ], ], or local Christmas programming preemptions that moved Trebek's final episode to January 8, 2021. The first episode with an interim host aired January 11, 2021.
After the previous set was dismantled in 2002, portions of it were placed on ] by Sony Pictures between ], ] and ], ], with auction proceeds donated to charities ] and the ].<ref name="ebay">{{ cite press release|title=FAMED JEOPARDY! SET TO BE OFFERED AS UNIQUE HOLIDAY GIFT ON EBAY THIS SEASON|publisher=King World International Productions|date=2002-12-09|url=http://www.kingworld.com/pr-Jeopardy-EBAY.htm|accessdate=2007-01-26 }}</ref> Some past contestants participated in the auction, including Bob Fleenor, who used some of his ''Jeopardy!'' winnings to buy a piece of the set.<ref>{{ cite web|title=J! Archive contestant page for Bob Fleenor|year=2005|url=http://www.j-archive.com/showplayer.php?player_id=545|accessdate=2007-01-26|quote=Some was used to buy a piece of the old ''Jeopardy!'' set in an eBay auction to benefit World Vision and The Motion Picture & Television Fund. }}</ref> ] Pam Mueller bought the rightmost podium.<ref>{{ cite web|publisher=Sony Pictures Message Boards|title=Game Recap for Show #4729, 2005-03-10--Thursday, March 10, 2005 Game Recap and Discussion (SPOILERS)|url=http://boards.sonypictures.com/boards/showthread.php?t=14622|accessdate=2007-01-26|quote=It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and a once-in-a-lifetime memento... It's at my mom's until I settle down. My old roommates, though, wanted to turn it into a wet bar. }}</ref> ] winner ] was outbid for the leftmost (champion's) podium.<ref>{{ cite web|publisher=Sony Pictures Message Boards|last=Stacy|first=Mark|title=MAKIN' A TOP 10 LIST (CHECKIN' IT TWICE) - TOP 10 JEOPARDY! MOMENTS OF 2002|url=http://boards.sonypictures.com/boards/showthread.php?t=8625|accessdate=2007-01-26 }}</ref>


===Archived episodes===
Several ]s placed on the official ''Jeopardy!'' web site in 2003 were based on the 2002–2006 set.<ref>{{ cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/jeopardy/mini_sites/archive_header/index.html?/tv/shows/jeopardy/mini_sites/jeopardy_set_03/|title=2003 ''Jeopardy!'' set official web page }}</ref>
Only a small number of episodes survive from Fleming's run as host of ''Jeopardy!''. From the original NBC daytime version, archived episodes mostly consist of black-and-white ]s of the original color ]s.{{Sfn|Eisenberg|1993|p=240}} Various episodes from 1967, 1971, 1973, and 1974 are listed among the holdings of the ].<ref name="UCLA Archives">{{cite web|url=http://cinema.library.ucla.edu/vwebv/search?searchArg=jeopardy&searchCode=FTIT&limitTo=none&recCount=50&searchType=1&page.search.search.button=Search|title=UCLA Library Catalog – ''Jeopardy!''|publisher=]|access-date=January 31, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181116024907/https://cinema.library.ucla.edu/vwebv/search?searchArg=jeopardy&searchCode=FTIT&limitTo=none&recCount=50&searchType=1&page.search.search.button=Search|archive-date=November 16, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> The 1964 "test episode", Episode No. 2,000 (from February 21, 1972, in color), and a June 1975 episode of the weekly syndicated edition exist at the ].<ref name="paley center">{{cite web|url=http://www.paleycenter.org/collection/?q=Jeopardy%21&search.x=16&search.y=10|title=''Jeopardy!'' at the Paley Center for Media|date=July 2008|access-date=January 7, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141103212130/http://www.paleycenter.org/collection/?q=Jeopardy%21&search.x=16&search.y=10|archive-date=November 3, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> The test episode, of which only a few limited clips had been released, was released to the public in full on the ''Jeopardy!'' ] account March 30, 2022, and an audiotape containing approximately five minutes (including introductions and Final Jeopardy!) from the first aired episode was also released to the public; both episodes were released to celebrate the 58th anniversary of the show's debut.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.jeopardy.com/jbuzz/news-events/watch-unaired-pilot-jeopardy-1964|title=Watch the Unaired Pilot of Jeopardy! from 1964|website=J!Buzz &#124; Jeopardy.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.jeopardy.com/jbuzz/contestants/meet-first-jeopardy-champion |title=Meet the First-Ever Jeopardy! Champion From 1964|website=J!Buzz &#124; Jeopardy.com}}</ref> The 1975 series finale, also in color and containing two short clips from the 1967 "College Scholarship Tournament" and ]'s appearance on an early version of ''Celebrity Jeopardy!'' also exists in its entirety. Incomplete paper records of the NBC-era games exist on ] at the ]. ] holds ''The All-New Jeopardy!''{{-'}}s premiere and finale in broadcast quality, and aired the latter on December 31, 1999, as part of its "Y2Play" marathon.<ref name="Y2PLAY"/> The UCLA Archive holds a copy of a pilot taped for CBS in 1977,<ref name="UCLA Archives"/> and the premiere exists among the Paley Center's holdings.<ref name="paley center"/>


GSN, which, like ''Jeopardy!,'' is an affiliate of Sony Pictures Television, has rerun episodes since the channel's launch in 1994. Copies of 43 Trebek-hosted syndicated ''Jeopardy!'' episodes aired between 1989 and 2004 have been collected by the UCLA Archive,<ref name="UCLA Archives"/> and the premiere and various other episodes are included in the Paley Center's collection.<ref name="paley center"/> In July 2022, '']'' reported that vintage episodes of the daily syndicated version would air on a dedicated channel on ] (owned by distributor ]) beginning in August.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/2022/08/pluto-tv-streaming-jeopardy-wheel-of-fortune-24-7.html|title=You'll Soon Be Able to Get a 24/7 Stream of ''Jeopardy!'' and ''Wheel of Fortune''|work=]|author=Josef Adalian|date=August 1, 2022|access-date=August 6, 2022}}</ref> The channel, named ''Jeopardy! Hosted by Alex Trebek'', launched on August 1<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tvinsider.com/1054501/jeopardy-wheel-of-fortune-channels-pluto-tv/|title=Pluto TV Launches ''Jeopardy!'' & ''Wheel of Fortune'' Channels With Classic Episodes|work=]|author=Kelli Boyle|date=August 1, 2022|access-date=August 6, 2022}}</ref> and ended on July 31, 2024 after a two-year run.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Holmes |first=Martin |date=2024-08-02 |title='Jeopardy!' & 'Wheel of Fortune' Axed From Pluto – Fans Are Fuming |url=https://www.tvinsider.com/1146445/jeopardy-wheel-of-fortune-pluto-price-is-right/ |access-date=2024-08-31 |website=TV Insider |language=en-US}}</ref>
The 2002 set received slight modifications for the 2006-07 season, when ''Jeopardy!'' and its sister show '']'' became the first game shows to air in ]. The ''Jeopardy!'' game board, which had appeared as a wall of individual video monitors since 1984 and had not been updated since 1991, was replaced with a nearly seamless projection video wall. New HD-friendly podia were added, but the basic set was still unchanged.<ref name="hibberd">{{ cite web|last=Hibberd|first=James|title='Jeopardy!,' 'Wheel' Get HD Makeover|publisher=TV Week|date=2006-08-10|url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-18441525_ITM|accessdate=2008-11-10 }}</ref> Between ''Jeopardy!'' and ], the various HD improvements represented an investment of about $4 million, 5,000 labor hours, and 6 miles of cable.<ref name="officialannouncement">{{ cite web|title=JEOPARDY! AND WHEEL OF FORTUNE GO HI DEF!|date=2006-09-07|publisher=Sony Pictures Television|url=http://www.jeopardy.com/announcement_20060907HD.php|accessdate=2007-01-23 }}</ref> Both shows had been shot using HD cameras for several years prior to the production, post-production, and distribution upgrade. On ] broadcasts, the show continues to be displayed full-screen (i.e., not ]ed).


==Reception and legacy==
A new set debuted with the Celebrity Jeopardy! and Tournament of Champions episodes taped in 2009 at the ] in Las Vegas. This set will be moved to the Sony Pictures Studios and used as the show's primary set beginning in September 2009.
]


By 1994, the press called ''Jeopardy!'' "an American icon".<ref name="cgw199405">{{Cite magazine
<gallery widths="150px">
|date=May 1994
Image:1984-09-10Season1Set1.jpg|Season 1
|title=Taking A Peek
Image:1987-04-21Jeopardy!Set1.jpg|Season 3
|url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1994&pub=2&id=118
Image:1992-05-18Jeopardy!Season8Set1.jpg|Season 8
|magazine=Computer Gaming World
Image:2002-06-21Jeopardy!Set1.jpg|Season 18<!--Please do not edit these numbers. This picture is from a Season 18 game. -->
|pages=174–180
Image:2006-07-28Season22Set1.jpg|Season 22<!--Please do not edit these numbers. This picture is from a Season 22 game. -->
|access-date=November 11, 2017
Image:2006-11-07Season23Set1.jpg|Season 23
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140703000430/http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1994&pub=2&id=118
</gallery>
|archive-date=July 3, 2014
|url-status=live
}}</ref> It has won a record 44 ]s.<ref>{{cite web|title=Awards|url=https://www.jeopardy.com/about/awards|website=Jeopardy!|access-date=May 23, 2024}}</ref> The program holds the record for the ], with nineteen awards won in that category.<ref name="Jeopardy! history">{{Cite web|title=This is JEOPARDY! – Show Guide – About the Show – Show History|url=http://www.jeopardy.com/showguide/abouttheshow/showhistory/|publisher=Sony Pictures Digital and Jeopardy Productions|access-date=December 20, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130616033014/http://www.jeopardy.com/showguide/abouttheshow/showhistory/|archive-date=June 16, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> Trebek won eight awards for ].<ref name="Jeopardy! history"/> Twelve other awards were won by the show's directors and writers in the categories of Outstanding Direction for a Game/Audience Participation Show and Outstanding Special Class Writing before these categories were removed in 2006. On June 17, 2011, Trebek shared the Lifetime Achievement Award with Sajak at the 38th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards ceremony.<ref>{{cite web|title=The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Announces the 38th Annual Daytime Emmy Award for Lifetime Achievement to Be Presented to Pat Sajak and Alex Trebek|publisher=]|date=June 26, 2011|url=http://www.wheeloffortune.com/newsandevents/announcements/lifetime_emmy.php|access-date=April 9, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110326101026/http://www.wheeloffortune.com/newsandevents/announcements/lifetime_emmy.php|archive-date=March 26, 2011}}</ref> The following year, the program was honored with a ] for its role in encouraging, celebrating, and rewarding knowledge.<ref>{{cite web|title=Complete List of Recipients of the 71st Annual Peabody Awards|publisher=The Peabody Awards: An International Competition for Electronic Media, honoring achievement in Television, Radio, Cable, and the Web, administered by the University of Georgia's Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication|date=April 4, 2012|url=http://www.peabody.uga.edu/71stwinners.php|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120601004713/http://www.peabody.uga.edu/71stwinners.php|archive-date=June 1, 2012|access-date=April 27, 2012}}</ref>


In its April 17–23, 1993, issue, '']'' named ''Jeopardy!'' the best game show of the 1970s as part of a celebration of the magazine's 40th anniversary.<ref>{{cite book|title=''TV Guide'' April 17–23, 1993|year=1993|page=84}}</ref> In January 2001, the magazine ranked the program number 2 on its "50 Greatest Game Shows" list—second only to '']''.<ref>{{cite news|title=none|newspaper=TV Guide|date=February 2, 2001}}</ref> It later ranked ''Jeopardy!'' number 45 on its list of the 60 Best TV Series of All Time, calling it "habit-forming" and saying that the program "always makes feel smarter".<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Fretts|first1=Bruce|last2=Roush|first2=Matt|title=TV Guide Magazine's 60 Best Series of All Time|work=TV Guide|date=December 23, 2013}}</ref> Also in 2013, the program ranked number 1 on ''TV Guide''{{'}}s list of the 60 Greatest Game Shows.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Fretts|first=Bruce|date=June 17, 2013|title=Eyes on the Prize|work=TV Guide|pages=14 and 15}}</ref> In the summer of 2006, the program was ranked number 2 on GSN's list of the 50 Greatest Game Shows of All Time, second only to '']''.<ref>{{Cite AV media|type=TV production|title=The 50 Greatest Game Shows of All Time|publisher=GSN|date=August 31, 2006}}</ref>
==International adaptations==
]
{{main|Jeopardy! around the world}}


A hall of fame honoring ''Jeopardy!'' was added to the Sony Pictures Studios tour on September 20, 2011. It features the show's Emmy Awards as well as retired set pieces, classic merchandise, video clips, photographs, and other memorabilia related to ''Jeopardy!''{{'}}s history.<ref>{{cite web|title=''Jeopardy!'' Unveils New Hall of Fame Featuring Its Most Historic TV Moments |publisher=Sony Pictures Television |url=http://www.jeopardy.com/news/halloffame.php |access-date=October 8, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020034748/http://www.jeopardy.com/news/halloffame.php |archive-date=October 20, 2012 }}</ref>
Since the early days of ''Jeopardy!'', versions of the show have been produced in foreign countries worldwide.


In 1989, Fleming expressed dissatisfaction with the daily syndicated ''Jeopardy!'' series in an essay published in '']''. He confessed that he only watched the Trebek version infrequently—only for a handful of questions—and criticized this iteration mainly for its Hollywood setting. Fleming believed that in contrast to New Yorkers who Fleming considered being more intelligent and authentic, moving the show to Hollywood brought both an unrealistic glamour and a dumbing-down of the program that he disdained. He also disliked the decision to not award losing contestants their cash earnings (believing the parting gifts offered instead were cheap) and expressed surprise that what he considered a parlor game had transformed into such a national phenomenon under Trebek.<ref name="autogenerated89">{{Cite magazine |title=What is Jeopardy!? |url=https://www.si.com/vault/1989/05/01/119810/television-for-1000-the-worlds-toughest-game-show-what-is-jeopardy- |date=May 1, 1989 |magazine=Sports Illustrated|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170827165803/https://www.si.com/vault/1989/05/01/119810/television-for-1000-the-worlds-toughest-game-show-what-is-jeopardy- |archive-date=August 27, 2017 }}</ref> In television interviews, Fleming expressed similar sentiments while also noting that he approved of Trebek's approach to hosting, that Fleming and Trebek were personal friends and that, despite the modern show's flaws, it was still one of the best television shows.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5G6UKm2adEI |title=Perception with Don Johnson, interview with Art Fleming, 1987|website=] |date=April 30, 2015 }}</ref>
==Episode status==
===Art Fleming===
====1964-1975, NBC====
It is believed that only a small number of the 2,753 episodes from the original NBC Daytime version of ''Jeopardy!'' survive, mostly as ] ]s of the original ] ]. In all likelihood, the original tapes were ] as they were recorded over by NBC with new programming in an era when videotape was an expensive commodity.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.geocities.com/artflemingjeopardy/faq.html|title=The Art Fleming Years FAQ|quote=most of the episodes from the original NBC run (1964-75) are probably no longer in existence. Prior to the late 1970s, the three networks did not routinely archive recordings of shows that were only shown once and never intended to be reran (such as game shows, soap operas, and newscasts). Video tape was much more expensive then than it is today. In addition, the large open-reels of two-inch wide tape are much larger than the videocassettes the general public is familiar with. In the pre-cable era, it was cheaper to reuse old tapes than to buy new ones and store the recordings of old programs.}}</ref>


''Jeopardy!''{{'}}s answer-and-question format has become widely entrenched: Fleming observed that other game shows had contestants phrasing their answers in question form, leading hosts to remind them that they are not competing on ''Jeopardy!''{{Sfn|Trebek|Barsocchini|1990|p=188}}
Some episodes from 1967, 1971, and 1973-1974 exist in the ] while various episodes are in the Paley Center for Media (including the 1964 "test" episode) and incomplete paper records of the NBC-era games exist on ] at the ].


==Tournaments and other events==
After the original series ended, several NBC stations continued airing repeat episodes of Jeopardy! for a few months in 1975, including NBC owned KNBC, according to TV Guide listings from that time.
{{Main|List of Jeopardy! tournaments and events}}


===Regular events===
Episodes #2,000 (from February 21, 1972) and #2,753 (the 1975 Finale), along with a few others, are held by ] and have been rerun.
Throughout all forms of the show, it has held an annual ] featuring the top champions who have appeared on the show since the last tournament. During Fleming's hosting run, tournament prizes were awarded in the same manner as regular play, with the only bonuses being a trophy or a non-cash prize;<ref name=1969tourney>. ''Fort Lauderdale News'' (October 12, 1969).</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://media.swarthmore.edu/bulletin/?p=1243 | access-date=2014-08-18 |date=December 1967| title=A garbage-can Memory Produces a CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS|work=Swarthmore College Bulletin}}</ref> when the series returned in 1984, the top prize awarded to the winner was originally valued at $100,000,{{Sfn|Harris|2006|p=16}} and increased to $250,000 in 2003.<ref>{{cite episode|title=Show 4320 (Brian Weikle vs. Eric Floyd vs. Mark Dawson)|series=Jeopardy!|date=May 16, 2003|network =Syndicated}}</ref> Other regular tournaments include the ], with a $100,000 top prize;<ref name="CBS Press Express"/> the ], in which undergraduate students from American colleges and universities compete for a $100,000 top prize; and the ], where educators compete for a $100,000 top prize.<ref name="6000th Episode">{{cite web|title='Jeopardy!' to Mark 6,000th Episode Milestone During Season 27|publisher=TheFutonCritic.com|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2010/09/10/jeopardy-to-mark-6000th-episode-milestone-during-season-27-37360/20100910cbs01/|date=September 10, 2010|access-date=February 21, 2011}}</ref> Each tournament runs for ten consecutive episodes in a format devised by Trebek himself, consisting of five quarter-final games, three semi-finals, and a final consisting of two games with the scores totaled.{{Sfn|Eisenberg|1993|p=75}} Winners of the College Championship and Teachers Tournament are invited to participate in the Tournament of Champions.


Non-tournament events held regularly on the show include ], in which celebrities and other notable individuals compete for charitable organizations of their choice,{{Sfn|Richmond|2004|p=110}} and ], a special competition for school-age children aged 10 through 12.<ref>{{cite web|title=''Jeopardy!'' Hosts Its First-Ever Back to School Week for Kids|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/jeopardy/jeopardy/backtoschool/events_current.html|publisher=]|date=September 6, 1999|access-date=January 7, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071221024833/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/jeopardy/jeopardy/backtoschool/events_current.html|archive-date=December 21, 2007}}</ref>
====1974-1975, Syndicated====
The status of this version is unknown; The opening of one episode is held in audio form by several private collectors.


====1978-1979, NBC==== ===Special events===
{{See also|Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time}}
This show's status is also unknown. The Premiere and Finale are known to exist in broadcast quality, and have been broadcast on ]. Additionally, UCLA has a copy of the 1977 pilot, which featured a "sub-Round 1", in which each contestant "played solo" for 30 seconds and an incorrect question was not deducted from their score.
Three ], held in 1996, 1997, and 2001, featured one-week competitions among champions from each of the ] Each of the countries that aired their own version of the show in those years could nominate a contestant. The format was identical to the semi-finals and finals of other ''Jeopardy!'' tournaments.{{Sfn|Richmond|2004|p=150}}{{Sfn|Harris|2006|p=16}} The top prize was $25,000 in 1996 and 1997, and $50,000 in 2001. The 1997 tournament was recorded in ] on the set of the Swedish version of ''Jeopardy!''―the first time a week of ''Jeopardy!'' episodes was taped in a foreign country―{{Sfn|Richmond|2004|p=150}} and its first episode was introduced by that version's then-host, ].


There have been several special tournaments featuring the greatest contestants in ''Jeopardy!'' history. The first was '']'', aired in 1990 on ], where 35 top contestants from the previous seasons of the Trebek version and ] competed for a top prize of $250,000.{{Sfn|Brooks|Marsh|2009|p=696}} This was followed in later years by the ] in 1993;{{Sfn|Richmond|2004|p=120}} the ] tournament (taking place at ]) in 2002;{{Sfn|Richmond|2004|p=200}} the 15-week ] (featuring 145 former champions competing against each other, followed by a three-game final between two winners and Ken Jennings for $2,000,000) in 2005;{{Sfn|Brooks|Marsh|2009|p=696}} and the 30th-anniversary ] tournament in 2014.<ref>{{Cite news |title=People and places: Let's try '80s champions' for $1M, Alex |url=http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/article/20140131/NEWS/140139722/1064/people-and-places%26template%3DfairfaxTimes |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140131182911/http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/article/20140131/NEWS/140139722/1064/people-and-places&template=fairfaxTimes |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 31, 2014 |work=] |date=January 31, 2014 |access-date=January 31, 2014 }}</ref> In 2020, ''Jeopardy!'' returned to ABC primetime for the ] where Jennings, ], and ] competed in four two-game matches for a $1,000,000 prize,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2019/11/18/jeopardy-james-holzhauer-ken-jennings-brad-rutter-duel-abc/4201669002/|title=Exclusive: Three top 'Jeopardy!' champs face off in ABC's Greatest of All Time tournament|last=Levin|first=Gary|website=USA Today|language=en-US|date=November 18, 2019|access-date=November 19, 2019}}</ref> with Jennings as the victor.<ref name="Match4">{{Cite web |url=https://ftw.usatoday.com/2020/01/here-are-the-results-from-day-4-of-jeopardy-greatest-of-all-time |title=Here are the results from Day 4 of 'Jeopardy!' Greatest of All Time |last=Curtis |first=Charles |date=January 14, 2020 |website=] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200115023749/https://ftw.usatoday.com/2020/01/here-are-the-results-from-day-4-of-jeopardy-greatest-of-all-time |archive-date=January 15, 2020 |access-date=January 15, 2020}}</ref>
===Alex Trebek===
====1984-Present, Syndicated====
]
]
The Trebek version is completely intact, including the pilot (a 1983 pilot, featuring a set more akin to the 1978 series, also exists). GSN&mdash;which like ''Jeopardy!'' is an affiliate of Sony Pictures Television&mdash;has rerun 9 seasons to date. Since July 28, 2008, GSN is airing the 2003-2004 and 2004-2005 seasons (Season 20 and Season 21), including all of ]' original games.


The ] aired in February 2011 and featured ]'s ] computer facing off against Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter in a two-game match played over three shows.<ref name="Smartest Machine on Earth">{{cite web|title=Smartest Machine on Earth Episode 1|url=http://documentarystorm.com/science-tech/smartest-machine-on-earth/|publisher=DocumentaryStorm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110217030016/http://documentarystorm.com/science-tech/smartest-machine-on-earth/|archive-date=February 17, 2011|access-date=February 1, 2012}}</ref> This was the first man-vs.-machine competition in ''Jeopardy!''{{-'}}s history.<ref>{{cite web |title=IBM's "Watson" Computing System to Challenge All Time Greatest Jeopardy! Champions |url=http://www.jeopardy.com/news/watson1x7ap4.php |date=December 14, 2010 |access-date=December 15, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101217005939/http://www.jeopardy.com/news/watson1x7ap4.php|archive-date=December 17, 2010}}</ref> Watson won both the first game and the overall match to win the grand prize of $1&nbsp;million, which IBM divided between two charities (] and ]).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.worldcommunitygrid.org/about_us/viewNewsArticle.do?articleId=148|title=World Community Grid to benefit from Jeopardy! competition|publisher=]|date=February 4, 2011|access-date=February 19, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120114010952/http://www.worldcommunitygrid.org/about_us/viewNewsArticle.do?articleId=148|archive-date=January 14, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> Jennings, who won $300,000 for second place, and Rutter, who won the $200,000 third-place prize, both pledged to donate half of their winnings to charity.<ref>{{cite web|last=Griggs|first=Brandon|title=So far, it's elementary for Watson|url=http://www.cnn.com/2011/TECH/innovation/02/15/jeopardy.watson/index.html?hpt=T2|publisher=]|date=February 15, 2011|access-date=February 15, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121109104734/http://www.cnn.com/2011/TECH/innovation/02/15/jeopardy.watson/index.html?hpt=T2|archive-date=November 9, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> The competition brought the show its highest ratings since the Ultimate Tournament of Champions.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Albiniak|first=Paige|title=IBM's Watson: 'Jeopardy!' Champ, Ratings Winner: Three days of Watson-based episodes drives 'Jeopardy!' to six-year highs|url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/tv-ratings/ibms-watson-jeopardy-champ-ratings-winner/63195|magazine=Broadcasting & Cable|date=February 17, 2011|access-date=February 21, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140601002542/http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/tv-ratings/ibms-watson-jeopardy-champ-ratings-winner/63195|archive-date=June 1, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>
There is a 66 game disparity between the show numbers assigned new ''Jeopardy!'' episodes and the actual number of Trebek-era games played. To assist subscribing affiliate stations in airing episodes in the correct order, a show number is read by announcer Johnny Gilbert just prior to the taping of each game; this number is audible on the episodes as received by the affiliates and visible on the slate attached to them, however this slate is trimmed from the show prior to broadcast.


In 2019, The All-Star Games had six teams with three former champions each. Each team member played one of the three rounds in each game played; Rutter, ] and ] won the tournament.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.greensboro.com/go_triad/film_tv/had-he-said-pulp-fiction-a-greensboro-man-and-his/article_aa88b491-53d2-5035-8576-d61152b290f4.html|title=Had he said 'Pulp Fiction,' a Greensboro man and his All-Star team would still be on 'Jeopardy!'|last=Westcott|first=Jay|work=]|date=March 1, 2019|access-date=March 2, 2019}}</ref>
Each new episode receives an integer show number 1 greater than the previous episode. However, all 65 reruns in Season 1 (1984-1985) were given new show numbers despite not being new games, and a retrospective clip show that aired May 15, 2002 was also given a show number (#4088). As such, the game with show number #5000 aired on May 12, 2006, but the 5,000th ''game'' hosted by Alex Trebek did not air until September 25.


==Record holders==
Two episodes (] games taped at ]) are available in ] format on ].
''Jeopardy!''{{-'}}s record for the longest winning streak is held by ], who competed on the show from June 2 through November 30, 2004, winning 74 matches before being defeated by Nancy Zerg in his 75th appearance.{{Sfn|McNear|2022|pp=53}} He amassed $2,522,700 over his 75 episodes, for an average of $33,636 per episode. At the time, he held the record as the ]. His winning streak increased the show's ratings and popularity to the point where it became TV's highest-rated syndicated program<ref>{{Cite press release|title=''Jeopardy!'' Streak Over: Ken Jennings Loses in 75th Game, Takes Home a Record-Setting $2,520,700 |url=http://www.kingworld.com/release/jennings_113004.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928190251/http://www.kingworld.com/release/jennings_113004.html |archive-date=September 28, 2007 |publisher=King World |date=November 30, 2004 |access-date=March 7, 2007}}</ref> and second highest-rated overall program, behind only ].{{Sfn|McNear|2022|pp=53}} In addition to these winnings on the daily ''Jeopardy!'' series, Jennings returned for a number of ], taking home the following: the second-place prize of $500,000 in the 2005 ], the $300,000-second-place prize in the 2011 ], the $123,600-second-place prize in the 2014 ], a $100,000 prize (one-third of the $300,000-second-place prize to his three-player team) in the 2019 ],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://tvline.com/2019/03/05/jeopardy-all-star-games-winner-team-brad-rutter-wins/ |title=Jeopardy! Crowns a Winning Team in the First-Ever 'All-Star Games' |first=Andy |last=Swift |work=] |date=March 19, 2019 |access-date=April 22, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190417155714/https://tvline.com/2019/03/05/jeopardy-all-star-games-winner-team-brad-rutter-wins/ |archive-date=April 17, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> and the $1,000,000 first-place prize in the 2020 '']'' tournament.


The record holder for lifetime ''Jeopardy!''-related winnings is ], who has won nearly $5.2&nbsp;million in cash and prizes across his original five episodes of the regular series and seven subsequent tournaments and events (five of which he won).<ref name="Jeopardy Show History">{{cite web |title='Jeopardy!' Battle of the Decades Tournament winner Brad Rutter wins $1&nbsp;million grand prize |url=http://zap2it.com/blog-post/jeopardy-battle-of-the-decades-tournament-winner-brad-rutter-wins-1-million-grand-prize/ |publisher=Zap2it |access-date=January 27, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160204062255/http://zap2it.com/blog-post/jeopardy-battle-of-the-decades-tournament-winner-brad-rutter-wins-1-million-grand-prize/ |archive-date=February 4, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref> Counting all prizes that Rutter has won, he has achieved a cumulative total of $5,129,036 in winnings, which included: the $55,102 prize over five regular episodes in 2000 (also including the value of two cars won, worth $45,000), the $100,000 first-place prize in the 2001 ],<ref>{{cite news|last=Stauffer|first=Cindy|title=Manheim Twp. man back in 'Jeopardy!' in Million Dollar Masters Tournament|publisher = ]|date=May 1, 2002}}</ref> the $1,000,000 first-place prize in 2002's ], the $2,000,000 first-place prize (plus $115,000 in preliminary rounds) in the Ultimate Tournament of Champions,<ref>{{cite news|title=A: He beat the best. Q: Who is Brad Rutter?|newspaper=]|date=May 27, 2005}}</ref> the $200,000 third-place prize in the IBM Challenge, the $1,030,600 first-place prize in the Battle of the Decades, $333,334 (one-third of the $1,000,000 first-place prize, shared with his three-player team) in the All-Star Games, and a $250,000 prize in the ''Greatest of All Time'' tournament.
====1990, ABC====
'']'' is completely intact. However, all episodes except the Finale have not been re-run since their original broadcast. GSN has rerun the Finale as part of a special in the past.


The holder of the all-time record for single-day winnings on ''Jeopardy!'' is ]. Holzhauer first surpassed the record of $77,000, held since 2010<ref>{{cite web |title=JAMES HOLZHAUER BEATS ROGER CRAIG'S 1-DAY RECORD! |url=https://www.jeopardy.com/jbuzz/streaker-updates/james-holzhauer-beats-roger-craigs-1-day-record |website=jeopardy.com |publisher=2Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. |access-date=February 25, 2020}}</ref> by ], when he earned $110,914 on the episode that aired on April 9, 2019.<ref>{{Cite episode |series=Jeopardy! |network=Syndicated |date=April 9, 2019 |season=35 |number=7967 |language=en}}</ref> Holzhauer pushed his own single-day record to $131,127 on the episode that aired April 17, 2019,<ref>{{Cite episode |series=Jeopardy! |network=Syndicated |date=April 17, 2019 |season=35 |number=7973 |language=en}}</ref> by amassing $71,114 over the episode's first two rounds, then successfully wagering an additional $60,013 in Final Jeopardy! Holzhauer's total of 32 consecutive games won was second place of all time in regular game play at the time and remains fourth overall after ] and ] surpassed Holzhauer in 2021 and 2022, respectively.<ref name="Jeopardy! HoF">{{cite web|url=https://www.jeopardy.com/contestant-zone/hall-of-fame|title=Hall of Fame|website=jeopardy.com|access-date=May 7, 2022}}</ref> When he departed the show, he held the top 16 spots for highest single-day regular-game winnings and is the only player to win more than $100,000 in a single episode in regular play (achieved six times).<ref>{{Cite episode |series=Jeopardy! |network=Syndication |date=May 27, 2019 |season=35 |number=7991 |language=en}}</ref> On April 15, 2019, Holzhauer moved into second place for regular play winnings (behind Jennings) and third place for all ''Jeopardy!''-related winnings (behind Rutter and Jennings). On April 23, 2019, Holzhauer joined Rutter and Jennings as the third ''Jeopardy!''-made millionaire (Amodio eventually became the fourth). The next day, Holzhauer moved onto the ] at No. 10, joining Rutter (#1) and Jennings (#2) on that list. Holzhauer was defeated on the June 3, 2019, episode, finishing in second place.<ref name="Jacobs">{{cite news |last1=Jacobs |first1=Julia |title=James Holzhauer's 'Jeopardy!' Streak Ends Just Shy of a Record |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/03/arts/television/james-holzhauer-jeopardy.html |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=June 4, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190604175406/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/03/arts/television/james-holzhauer-jeopardy.html |archive-date=June 4, 2019 |url-status=live |date=June 3, 2019 }}</ref> His winnings on ''Jeopardy!'' totaled $2,464,216,<ref name="Bauder">{{cite web |title=32 games and $2.4M later, James Holzhauer's 'Jeopardy!' winning streak comes to an end |url=https://kutv.com/news/entertainment/james-holzhauer-ends-jeopardy-streak |publisher=KUTV |date=June 3, 2019 |access-date=June 4, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190604120915/https://kutv.com/news/entertainment/james-holzhauer-ends-jeopardy-streak |archive-date=June 4, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> $58,484 behind Jennings' record.<ref name="Jacobs" /> Including over $58,000 from a 2014 appearance on '']'',<ref name="Starr">{{cite web |last1=Starr |first1=Michael |title='Jeopardy!' isn't James Holzhauer's first game show win: vintage video |url=https://nypost.com/2019/05/01/jeopardy-isnt-james-holzhauers-first-game-show-win-vintage-video/ |website=The New York Post |access-date=June 4, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190513092042/https://nypost.com/2019/05/01/jeopardy-isnt-james-holzhauers-first-game-show-win-vintage-video/ |archive-date=May 13, 2019 |url-status=live |date=May 2019 }}</ref> with Holzhauer's $2.96&nbsp;million from ''Jeopardy!'' (including his Tournament of Champions and The Greatest of All Time prizes), he is #3 on the list of all-time American game show winnings.
==In popular culture==
{{unreferenced-section|date=March 2009}}
The show has been portrayed or parodied in numerous television shows, films, and works of literature over the years, frequently with one or more characters participating as contestants, or as a television show the character(s) watch and play along with. A few cultural references stand out among the most popular, having been referenced, in turn, in categories, clues, or interview segments on ''Jeopardy!'' itself.


The record-holder among women on ''Jeopardy!'' for regular series winnings is ],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/30/arts/television/amy-schneider-jeopardy.html|title=Amy Schneider Wins the Most Consecutive ''Jeopardy!'' Games of Any Female Contestant|work=]|author1=Maria Cramer|author2=Jenny Gross|date=December 30, 2021|access-date=December 31, 2021}}</ref> with a total of $1,382,800 earned in 40 episodes between 2021 and 2022.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/26/arts/television/jeopardy-amy-schneider.html|title=Amy Schneider's ''Jeopardy!'' Reign Ends|work=]|author=Julia Jacobs|date=January 26, 2022|access-date=January 26, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2022/01/amy-schneider-jeopardy-streak-ends-40-games-1-4-million-1234920198/|title=Amy Schneider ''Jeopardy!'' Streak Ends After 40 Games And $1.4 Million|work=]|author=Greg Evans|date=January 26, 2022|access-date=January 26, 2022}}</ref><ref name="Jeopardy! HoF" /> Schneider is currently ranked second all-time in consecutive games won, behind only Jennings (74).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tvline.com/2022/01/24/jeopardy-amy-schneider-second-place-rank-streak/|title=''Jeopardy!'' Champ Amy Schneider Climbs to No. 2 on All-Time Wins List, Behind Reigning MVP Ken Jennings|work=]|author=Michael Ausiello|date=January 24, 2022|access-date=January 25, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2022/01/amy-schneider-jeopardy-winning-streak-1234918569/|title=Amy Schneider Continues ''Jeopardy!'' Victory Streak To Become Second Winningest Contestant Ever|work=]|author=Greg Evans|date=January 24, 2022|access-date=January 25, 2022}}</ref><ref name="Jeopardy! HoF" /> ], whose winning streak earned $560,983 over 23 games in April and May 2022, has been the most successful ] contestant to have competed on the program, ranking fifth for consecutive games won and sixth for regular play ''Jeopardy!'' winnings.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2022/05/jeopardy-mattea-roach-loses-by-single-dollar-1235018357/|title=''Jeopardy!'' Champion Mattea Roach's Bid For 24th Consecutive Win Comes Down To $1|work=]|author=Bruce Haring|date=May 6, 2022|access-date=May 7, 2022}}</ref><ref name="Jeopardy! HoF" />
*In an episode of the series '']'' entitled "]", trivia buff ] (]) appeared as a contestant on ''Jeopardy!'' Clavin reached the Final Jeopardy! Round assured to win, but lost after giving a ridiculous response.
*'']'' has ], frequently with a parody of ] as a contestant and ] portraying Trebek.
*] wrote a parody of ]'s song "]" called "]", set in the original ] version of the game show.


The highest single-day winnings in a ''Celebrity Jeopardy!'' tournament was achieved by comedian ] during a first-round game of the 2009–10 "Million Dollar Celebrity Invitational", in which he finished with $68,000 for his selected charity, the ].<ref>{{Cite episode|title=Million Dollar Celebrity Invitational, Game 1 (Andy Richter vs. Dana Delany vs. Wolf Blitzer)|series=Jeopardy!|network=Syndicated|date=September 17, 2009}}</ref>
<!-- STOP. BEFORE YOU THINK OF EXPANDING THIS SECTION WITH ADDITIONAL REFERENCES, discuss them on the talk page first. This article is already too long; it suffices to mention only the most significant Jeopardy! references. -->


Four contestants on the Trebek version share the record for winning a game with the lowest amount possible, at $1. The first was ] Lieutenant Colonel Darryl Scott, on the episode that aired January 19, 1993.<ref>{{cite episode|title=Show No. 1932 (Nancy Melucci vs. Darryl Scott vs. Kate Marciniak)|series = Jeopardy!|date=January 19, 1993|network=Syndicated}}</ref><ref name="One Dollar 2017">{{cite web|url=https://www.jeopardy.com/jbuzz/highlights/$1-winners|title=Jeopardy! Archive: $1 Winners|work=Jeopardy.com|publisher=Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc.|date=October 17, 2017|access-date=October 17, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171018134040/https://www.jeopardy.com/jbuzz/highlights/$1-winners|archive-date=October 18, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>{{Sfn|McNear|2022|pp=140}} The second was ], on a ''Celebrity Jeopardy!'' episode that aired April 30, 1997.<ref>{{cite episode|title=Show No. 2928 (Joey Gordon-Levitt vs. Kirsten Dunst vs. Benjamin Salisbury)|series = Jeopardy!|date=April 30, 1997|network=Syndicated}}</ref> The third was ], on the ''Celebrity Jeopardy!'' episode that aired February 9, 2001.<ref>{{cite episode|title=Show No. 3790 (Seth Green vs. Brandi Chastain vs. Steven Page)|series = Jeopardy!|date=February 9, 2001|network=Syndicated}}</ref> The fourth was ] Lieutenant Manny Abell, on the episode that aired October 17, 2017.<ref name="One Dollar 2017"/>{{Sfn|McNear|2022|pp=140}}
==Awards and honors==
''Jeopardy!'' has won a record 28 ] since 1984. 11 of these have been for ]. Another 5 awards have been won by host Alex Trebek for ]. The remainder of the Emmy Awards have been won by the show's directors and writers in separate categories until 2006, when the Emmy Awards for Outstanding Direction for a Game/Audience Participation Show (for the directors) and Outstanding Special Class Writing (which the show's writers competed for and won the award perennially) were merged into the Outstanding Game/Audience Participation show category.


The record lowest ''Jeopardy!'' score was set in 1985 by Joan Kantor, a contestant from 1985, with a score of -$5,100 (net -$10,200 after the Season 18 rule change regarding clue values on November 26, 2001) during Season 1.<ref name="Mark 2021"/> During the interregnum, in a July 28, 2021 episode hosted by ], Patrick Pierce finished with a total of -$7,400.<ref name="Mark 2021">{{cite news | last=Mark | first=Julian | title=A 'Jeopardy!' contestant was the show's biggest loser. He still says appearing with LeVar Burton was an honor. | newspaper=Washington Post | date=2021-07-29 | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/07/29/levar-burton-jeopardy-debut/ | access-date=2023-12-12}}</ref>{{Sfn|McNear|2022|pp=18}} The lowest score in the Jennings era is -$7,200, set by Erin Buker in 2024,<ref name="v154">{{cite web | last=Wang | first=Jessica | title='Jeopardy' contestant with second-lowest score ever speaks out | website=EW.com | date=2024-06-27 | url=https://ew.com/jeopardy-contestant-erin-buker-responds-second-lowest-score-game-history-8670651 | access-date=2024-07-11}}</ref> and the fourth lowest was -$6,800, set by Stephanie Hull in 2015.<ref name="Westenfeld 2021">{{cite web | last=Westenfeld | first=Adrienne | title=The Worst Jeopardy! Score Was Achieved on LaVar Burton's First Night as Guest Host | website=Esquire | date=2021-07-27 | url=https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a37143089/worst-jeopardy-score-lavar-burton-guest-host/ | access-date=2023-12-12}}</ref> Hull's episode was also notable for featuring a rare Final Jeopardy with one contestant.<ref name="Kois 2020">{{cite web | last=Kois | first=Dan | title=The Lowest-Scoring Jeopardy! Contestant of All Time on How It All Went Wrong | website=Slate Magazine | date=2020-01-15 | url=https://slate.com/culture/2020/01/jeopardy-goat-worst-score-ever-stephanie-hull-interview.html | access-date=2023-12-12}}</ref>''Jeopardy!'' writer Harry Eisenberg recalled an early season contestant who had persuaded the contestant coordinators to let him on the show despite their misgivings; he won -$3,400, the equivalent of -$6,800 today.<ref>{{harvnb|Eisenberg|1995|p=33}}: "I recall one case in which a man had passed the written test, but Greg concluded his performance against other players was totally inadequate. The would-be contestant called Alex to complain, arguing that inasmuch as he had passed the written test he ought to have a chance to be on the show. He claimed that Greg had exercised poor judgment. Alex, being a merciful sort, let him come on the program. He ended the Double Jeopardy round with a score of minus $3,400."</ref>
==Merchandising==
{{Expand-section|date=January 2009}}
{{main|Jeopardy! in merchandising}}
The ''Jeopardy!'' brand has been used on products in several other formats.


==See also== ===Record tables===
''Jeopardy!'' keeps track of four records: most consecutive games won, highest regular-season winnings, highest single-game winnings, and highest all-time winnings (including tournaments). The below tables are accurate as of July 14, 2024.<ref name="p667">{{cite web | title=Leaderboard of Legends | website=Jeopardy.com | date=2018-12-03 | url=https://www.jeopardy.com/track/leaderboard-of-legends | access-date=2024-07-14 | archive-date=2024-07-14 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240714142028/https://www.jeopardy.com/track/leaderboard-of-legends }}</ref>
* ]
{{Col-begin|width=100%}}
* ]
{{Col-1-of-4}}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!rowspan=2|
!colspan=3|Consecutive wins
|-
!Contestant
!Games
!Year
|-
!1
|{{Nowrap|]}}
|74
|2004
|-
!2
|{{Nowrap|]}}
|40
|2022
|-
!3
|{{Nowrap|]}}
|38
|2021
|-
!4
|{{Nowrap|]}}
|32
|2019
|-
!5
|{{Nowrap|]}}
|23
|2022
|-
!6
|{{Nowrap|]}}
|21
|2022
|-
!7
|{{Nowrap|]}}
|20
|2014
|-
!8
|{{Nowrap|]}}
|19
|2019
|-
!8
|{{Nowrap|]}}
|19
|2005
|-
!10
|{{Nowrap|]}}
|16
|2022
|}


{{Col-2-of-4}}
==Notes and references==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
{{reflist|2}}
|-
!rowspan=2|
!colspan=2|Regular-season winnings
|-
!Contestant
!Amount
|-
!1
|{{Nowrap|]}}
|$2,520,700
|-
!2
|{{Nowrap|]}}
|$2,462,216
|-
!3
|{{Nowrap|]}}
|$1,518,601
|-
!4
|{{Nowrap|]}}
|$1,382,800
|-
!5
|{{Nowrap|]}}
|$748,286
|-
!6
|{{Nowrap|]}}
|$560,983
|-
!7
|{{Nowrap|]}}
|$532,496
|-
!8
|{{Nowrap|]}}
|$430,400
|-
!9
|{{Nowrap|]}}
|$428,100
|-
!10
|{{Nowrap|]}}
|$411,612
|}


{{Col-3-of-4}}
==External links==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
{{wikiquote}}
|-
* {{official|http://www.jeopardy.com}}
!rowspan=2|
* on ]
!colspan=3|Single-game winnings
*
|-
*{{imdb title|id=0159881|title=Jeopardy!}}
!Contestant
* {{tv.com|5409|Jeopardy!}}
!Amount
* - results of over 2,000 games from 1983 to present
!Date
|-
!1
|{{Nowrap|]}}
|$131,127
|2019-04-17
|-
!2
|James Holzhauer
|$130,022
|2019-05-27
|-
!3
|James Holzhauer
|$118,816
|2019-04-23
|-
!4
|James Holzhauer
|$110,914
|2019-04-09
|-
!5
|James Holzhauer
|$106,181
|2019-04-16
|-
!6
|James Holzhauer
|$101,682
|2019-05-01
|-
!7
|James Holzhauer
|$96,726
|2019-04-30
|-
!8
|James Holzhauer
|$90,812
|2019-04-25
|-
!8
|James Holzhauer
|$90,812
|2019-04-22
|-
!10
|James Holzhauer
|$89,229
|2019-05-20
|}


{{start box}} {{Col-4-of-4}}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
{{succession box|before = ]|title = ] for Outstanding Game Show|years = 1990 &ndash; 1995|after = ]}}
|-
{{succession box|before = ]|title = ] for Outstanding Game Show|years = 1998|after = ]}}
!rowspan=2|
{{succession box|before = ] (US version)|title = ] for Outstanding Game Show|years = 2002 &ndash; 2003|after = ]}}
!colspan=3|All-time winnings
{{succession box|before = ]|title = ] for Outstanding Game Show|years = 2005 &ndash; 2006|after = ]}}
|-
{{end box}}
!Contestant
!Amount
|-
!1
|{{Nowrap|]}}
|$4,938,436
|-
!2
|{{Nowrap|]}}
|$4,370,700
|-
!3
|{{Nowrap|]}}
|$3,612,216
|-
!4
|{{Nowrap|]}}
|$1,682,800
|-
!5
|{{Nowrap|]}}
|$1,668,601
|-
!6
|{{Nowrap|]}}
|$810,983
|-
!7
|{{Nowrap|]}}
|$763,733
|-
!8
|{{Nowrap|]}}
|$748,286
|-
!9
|{{Nowrap|]}}
|$655,930
|-
!10
|{{Nowrap|]}}
|$622,801
|}
{{col-end}}

==Other media==
===Portrayals and parodies===
''Jeopardy!'' has been featured in numerous films, television shows, and books over the years, mostly with one or more characters participating as contestants, or viewing and interacting with the game show from their own homes. During Trebek's lifetime, several television series featured primary characters participating in fictionalized versions of the show, including '']'' (in the episode "]"),{{Sfn|Bjorklund|1997|p=231}} '']'',<ref>{{cite episode |title=Questions and Answers |series=The Golden Girls |network=NBC |air-date=February 1992}}</ref> '']'',<ref>{{Cite episode |title=Mama on Jeopardy! |series=Mama's Family |network=Syndication |date=February 3, 1988 |season=4 |number=23}}</ref> '']'',<ref name="MacFarlane">{{cite video | people=MacFarlane, Seth|year=2005|title=Family Guy season 4 DVD commentary for the episode 'I Take Thee Quagmire'| medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> and '']'',<ref name="bbc-miracle">{{cite web|title=Miracle on Evergreen Terrace|publisher=]|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/simpsons/episodeguide/season9/page10.shtml|date=September 2005|access-date=May 1, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061220170354/http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/simpsons/episodeguide/season9/page10.shtml|archive-date=December 20, 2006|url-status=live}}</ref> among others. Wherever Trebek appeared on those fictionalized versions, he would always play himself or provide his own voice.

From 1996 to 2002, then on special occasions until 2015, '']'' featured ] in which Trebek, portrayed by ], has to deal with the exasperating ineptitude of the show's celebrity guests and the constant taunts of antagonists ] (played by ]) and ] (]).{{Sfn|McNear|2022|pp=164–165}}<ref name="ign">{{cite web|last1=Collura|first1=Scott|last2=Pirrello|first2=Phil|title=Top 15 Will Ferrell Characters|url=http://stars.ign.com/articles/855/855738p6.html|website=]|date=February 28, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081014232901/http://stars.ign.com/articles/855/855738p6.html|archive-date=October 14, 2008}}</ref> Beginning in 2014, ''SNL'' parodied ''Jeopardy!'' by way of another recurring sketch, '']'',{{Sfn|McNear|2022|pp=166–167}} in which the host and two of the three contestants are stereotypical black Americans, with the third contestant providing a contrast to the others, and the categories and clues likewise reflect black American culture.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/09/entertainment/black-jeopardy-snl-show/index.html|title='Black Jeopardy' and other shows we wish were real|first=Lisa|last=Respers-France|publisher=CNN|date=April 9, 2018|access-date=April 9, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180409195427/https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/09/entertainment/black-jeopardy-snl-show/index.html|archive-date=April 9, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

The 1992 film '']'' features a subplot in which the character Gloria Clemente (]) passes the auditions and competes on the program.{{Sfn|Jennings|2006|pp=16–17}} In the ] short story "]", first published in '']'' and later reprinted in Wallace's collection '']'', a character competes and wins on 700 consecutive ''Jeopardy!'' programs in three years,{{Sfn|Boswell|2003|p=70}} and then uses her winnings to pay for the care of her brother, who has ].<ref>Reprinting of "Little Expressionless Animals" in ''Girl with Curious Hair'', pp. 3–42, published by ], 1996, {{ISBN|978-0-393-31396-3}}.</ref> American musician ] satirized the 1960s incarnation of the show with his 1984 single "]", a parody of ]'s 1983 hit song "]".{{Sfn|McNear|2022|pp=145–146}} Released months before the Trebek version, the song's accompanying ] featured a re-creation of the set of the era, along with cameos from Fleming, Pardo and, at the end of the video, Kihn himself.<ref>{{cite web|title="Weird Al" Yankovic: The Ultimate Video Collection|url=http://movie.guygordon.com/index.php?action=show&mediaid=828765372794|publisher=GuyGordon.com|access-date=June 7, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130922135514/http://movie.guygordon.com/index.php?action=show&mediaid=828765372794|archive-date=September 22, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>

{{Anchor|Hacker Jeopardy}}At the ] hacker conference in ], a variant called '] Jeopardy' has been organized.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hautala |first=Laura |title=Hacker Jeopardy: When manhood is the question at Defcon |url=https://www.cnet.com/culture/defcon-hacker-jeopardy-what-do-dicks-dildos-women-stripping-have-to-do-with-cybersecurity/ |access-date=July 4, 2022 |website=CNET |language=en}}</ref> In 2004, it was won by ].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Schell |first=Bernadette H. |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/67840235 |title=Webster's new world hacker dictionary |date=2006 |publisher=Wiley Pub |others=Clemens Martin |isbn=0-470-04752-6 |location=Indianapolis, IN |oclc=67840235}}</ref>

===Merchandise===
{{Main|1=Jeopardy! (franchise)|l1=''Jeopardy!'' (franchise)}}
Over the years, the ''Jeopardy!'' brand has been licensed for various products. From 1964 through 1976, with one release in 1982, ] issued annual board games based on the original Fleming version. The Trebek version has been adapted into board games released by ], ], and ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2766/jeopardy|title=''Jeopardy!'' board games|work=Board Game Geek|access-date=June 11, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120520222833/http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2766/jeopardy|archive-date=May 20, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> In addition, ''Jeopardy!'' has been adapted into a number of video games released on various consoles and handhelds spanning multiple ], starting with a ] game released in 1987.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Best Educational Video Games of All Time|url=http://certificationmap.com/the-top-seven-educational-video-games-of-all-time/|publisher=Certification Map|date=July 28, 2009|access-date=May 21, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130430195055/http://certificationmap.com/the-top-seven-educational-video-games-of-all-time/|archive-date=April 30, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> The show has also been adapted for ]s (starting in 1987 with ], ], and ] versions<ref>{{cite web |title=Jeopardy! – PC – IGN |url=http://www.ign.com/games/jeopardy-1987/pc-765468 |website=] |access-date=September 8, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160921131001/http://www.ign.com/games/jeopardy-1987/pc-765468 |archive-date=September 21, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref>), Facebook,<ref>{{cite web|title="Jeopardy!" Facebook Game Now Available from GSN Digital and Sony Pictures Consumer Products Inc.|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2011/04/25/jeopardy-facebook-game-now-available-from-gsn-digital-and-sony-pictures-consumer-products-inc-804013/20110425sony01/|website=The Futon Critic|date=April 25, 2011}}</ref> Twitter, ], and the ] Channel Store.<ref>{{cite web|title=This is JEOPARDY! – Games & Mobile|url=http://www.jeopardy.com/gamesandmobile/allgames/|publisher=Sony Pictures Digital and Jeopardy Productions|access-date=March 19, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130320021607/http://www.jeopardy.com/gamesandmobile/allgames/|archive-date=March 20, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>

A DVD titled ''Jeopardy!: An Inside Look at America's Favorite Quiz Show'', released by ] on November 8, 2005, features five curated episodes of the Trebek version (the 1984 premiere, Jennings' final game, and the three-game finals of the Ultimate Tournament of Champions)<ref>{{cite web|title=Synopsis of ''Jeopardy!: An Inside Look at America's Favorite Quiz Show'' |publisher=Sony Pictures Home Entertainment |year=2005 |url=http://sonypictures.com/homevideo/jeopardy-aninsidelookatamericasfavoritequizshow!/title-navigation-2.html |access-date=December 10, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071017063819/http://sonypictures.com/homevideo/jeopardy-aninsidelookatamericasfavoritequizshow%21/title-navigation-2.html |archive-date=October 17, 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and three featurettes discussing the show's history and question selection process.<ref>{{cite web|title=Special Features Listing for ''Jeopardy!: An Inside Look at America's Favorite Quiz Show'' |publisher=Sony Pictures Home Entertainment |year=2005 |url=http://sonypictures.com/homevideo/jeopardy-aninsidelookatamericasfavoritequizshow!/title-navigation-5.html |access-date=December 10, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071017063819/http://sonypictures.com/homevideo/jeopardy-aninsidelookatamericasfavoritequizshow%21/title-navigation-5.html |archive-date=October 17, 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Other products featuring the ''Jeopardy!'' brand include a collectible watch, a series of daily desktop calendars, and various slot machine games for casinos and the Internet.

On July 22, 2024, Jean Trebek and Ken Jennings officially unveiled an Alex Trebek stamp based on the show, officially licensed by the program.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2024/06/25/alex-trebek-forever-stamp/74203326007/|title=Who is... Alex Trebek? Former 'Jeopardy!' host to be honored with USPS Forever stamp|work=USA Today|last=DeLetter|first=Emily|date=June 25, 2024|access-date=October 22, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tvinsider.com/1144949/jeopardy-alex-trebek-stamps-wife-jean-ken-jennings/|title=Alex Trebek's Wife Jean & Ken Jennings Open Up as Late 'Jeopardy!' Host Is Honored with Postage Stamp|work=TV Insider|last=Holmes|first=Martin|date=July 23, 2024|access-date=October 22, 2024}}</ref>

===Internet===
''Jeopardy!''{{'}}s official website, active as early as 1998,<ref>{{cite web|title=Earliest known archive of Jeopardy.com|url=http://jeopardy.com/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980514235738/http://jeopardy.com/|archive-date=May 14, 1998|access-date=January 28, 2014}}</ref> receives over 400,000 monthly visitors.{{Sfn|Young|2013|p=xvi}} The website features videos, photographs, and other information related to each week's contestants, as well as mini-sites promoting remote tapings and special tournaments. The ''Jeopardy!'' website is regularly updated to align with producers' priorities for the show.<ref>{{cite web|title=Jeopardy!|url=http://www.sonypicturesinteractive.com/jeopardy.php|publisher=Sony Pictures Interactive|access-date=January 28, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140108180043/http://www.sonypicturesinteractive.com/jeopardy.php|archive-date=January 8, 2014}}</ref> In its 2012 "Readers Choice Awards", ] praised the official ''Jeopardy!'' website for featuring "everything need to know about the show, as well as some fun interactive elements", and for having a humorous ].<ref>{{cite web|title=2012 Readers' Choice Awards Game Show Winners|last=Grosvenor|first=Carrie|url=http://gameshows.about.com/od/readerschoice/tp/2012-Readers-Choice-Awards-Game-Show-Winners.htm|publisher=About.com|access-date=January 28, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202185014/http://gameshows.about.com/od/readerschoice/tp/2012-Readers-Choice-Awards-Game-Show-Winners.htm|archive-date=February 2, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>

In November 2009, ''Jeopardy!'' launched a viewer loyalty program called the "Jeopardy! Premier Club", which allowed home viewers to identify Final Jeopardy! categories from episodes for a chance to earn points, and play a weekly ''Jeopardy!'' game featuring categories and clues from the previous week's episodes. Every three months, contestants were selected randomly to advance to one of three quarterly online tournaments; after these tournaments were played, the three highest-scoring contestants would play one final online tournament for the chance to win $5,000 and a trip to Los Angeles to attend a taping of ''Jeopardy!''<ref>{{cite news|title=The New Jeopardy! Premier Club|last=Grosvenor|first=Carrie|url=http://gameshows.about.com/b/2009/11/01/new-jeopardy-premier-club.htm|publisher=About.com|date=November 1, 2009|access-date=January 28, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202184012/http://gameshows.about.com/b/2009/11/01/new-jeopardy-premier-club.htm|archive-date=February 2, 2014}}</ref> The Premier Club was discontinued by July 2011.<ref>{{cite web|title=Jeopardy – Sony Rewards|url=http://www.sonyrewards.com/en/clubs/jeopardy/|publisher=]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716111517/http://www.sonyrewards.com/en/clubs/jeopardy/|archive-date=July 16, 2011|access-date=January 28, 2014}}</ref>

== See also ==
* ]
* ]

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
'''Citations'''
{{Reflist}}

'''Bibliography'''
{{Refbegin}}
* {{cite book|last=Abelman|first=Robert|title=Reaching a Critical Mass: A Critical Analysis of Television Entertainment|year=1998|publisher=L. Erlbaum Associates|isbn=978-0-8058-2199-4|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781622492886}}
* {{cite book|last=Austen|first=Jake|title=TV A-Go-Go: Rock on TV, from ''American Bandstand'' to ''American Idol''|publisher=Chicago Review Press|year=2005|isbn=978-1-56976-241-7}}
* {{cite book|last=Bjorklund|first=Dennis A.|title=Toasting Cheers: An Episode Guide to the 1982–1993 Comedy Series with Cast Biographies and Character Profiles|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZZxkAAAAMAAJ |publisher=Praetorian Publishing|year=1997|isbn=978-0-89950-962-4}}
* {{cite book|last=Boswell|first=Marshall|title=Understanding David Foster Wallace|publisher=]|year=2003|isbn=978-1-57003-517-3}}
* {{cite book|last1=Brooks|first1=Tim|last2=Marsh|first2=Earle|title=The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946–present|publisher=]|year=2009|isbn=978-0-307-48320-1}}
* {{cite book|last=Dutta|first=Prajit K.|title=Strategies and Games: Theory and Practice|year=1999|publisher=MIT Press|isbn=978-0-262-04169-0|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=m1apPLqiIEkC&q=jeopardy+%22game+theory%22&pg=PR29}}
* {{cite book|last=Eisenberg|first=Harry|edition=first|title=Inside "Jeopardy!": What Really Goes On at TV's Top Quiz Show|publisher=Northwest Publishing|location=Salt Lake City, Utah|isbn=978-1-56901-177-5|year=1993}}
* {{cite book|last=Eisenberg|first=Harry|edition=first|title=Jeopardy!: A Revealing Look Inside TV's Top Quiz Show|publisher=Frederick Fell Publishers, Inc.|location=Hollywood, Florida|isbn=978-0-81190-806-1|year=1995}}
* {{cite book|last=Fabe|first=Maxene|title=TV Game Shows|publisher=]|location=Garden City, New York|year=1979|isbn=978-0-385-13052-3}}
* {{cite book|last=Fleming|first=Art|title=Art Fleming's TV Game Show Fact Book|publisher=Osmond Publishing Company|location=Salt Lake City, Utah|year=1979|isbn=978-0-89888-005-2|url=https://archive.org/details/artflemingstvgam00artf}}
* {{cite book|last1=Griffin|first1=Merv|last2=Bender|first2=David|title=Merv: Making the Good Life Last|url=https://archive.org/details/mervmakinggoodli00grif|url-access=registration|year=2003|publisher=]|isbn=978-0-7434-5696-8}}
* {{cite book|last=Harris|first=Bob|title=Prisoner of Trebekistan: A Decade in Jeopardy!|publisher=] Digital|isbn=978-0-307-33956-0|year=2006|url=https://archive.org/details/prisoneroftrebek00bobh}}
* {{cite book|last=Jennings|first=Ken|title=Brainiac: Adventures in the Curious, Competitive, Compulsive World of Trivia Buffs|publisher=Random House Digital|isbn=978-1-4000-6445-8|year=2006|url=https://archive.org/details/brainiac00kenj}}
* {{Cite book |last=McNear |first=Claire |year=2022 |title=Answers in the Form of Questions: A Definitive History and Insider's Guide to Jeopardy! |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HL1WzgEACAAJ |location=New York |publisher=Twelve |isbn=9781538702307 |oclc=1274200873}}
* {{cite book|last=Mogel|first=Leonard|title=This Business of Broadcasting: A Practical Guide to Jobs & Job Opportunities in the Broadcasting Industry|publisher=Leonard Mogel|isbn=978-0-8230-7730-4|year=2004|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/thisbusinessofbr0000moge}}
* {{cite book|last=Newcomb|first=Horace|title=Encyclopedia of Television|edition=2nd|publisher=]|year=2004|pages=1222–1224|isbn=978-1-57958-411-5}}
* {{cite book|last=Richmond|first=Ray|title=This is Jeopardy!: Celebrating America's Favorite Quiz Show|publisher=] Books|isbn=978-0-7607-5374-3|year=2004|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/thisisjeopardyce0000rich}}
* {{cite book|last1=Schwartz|first1=David|last2=Ryan|first2=Steve|last3=Wostbrock|first3=Fred|title=The Encyclopedia of TV Game $hows|edition=3rd|publisher=Checkmark Books|isbn=978-0-8160-3846-6|year=1999}}
* {{cite book|last=Terrace|first=Vincent|title=The Encyclopedia of Television: Series, Pilots, and Specials 1974–1984|publisher=VNR AG|year=1985|isbn=978-0-918432-61-2}}
* {{cite book|last=Terrace|first=Vincent|title=Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 Through 2010|publisher=]|year=2011|isbn=978-0-7864-8641-0}}
* {{cite book|last1=Trebek|first1=Alex|last2=Barsocchini|first2=Peter|title=The Jeopardy! Book: The Answers, the Questions, the Facts, and the Stories of the Greatest Game Show in History|publisher=]|isbn=978-0-06-096511-2|year=1990|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/jeopardybookansw00treb}}
* {{cite book|last=Young|first=Shaun P.|title=Jeopardy! and Philosophy: What is Knowledge in the Form of a Question?|series=Popular Culture and philosophy|volume=72|publisher=Open Court Publishing|year=2013|isbn=978-0-8126-9804-6}}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{Spoken Misplaced Pages|date=December 28, 2021|En-Jeopardy!-article.ogg}}
{{Wikiquote}}
{{Wiktionary|Jeopardy}}
{{Commons category|Jeopardy!}}
* {{Official website|https://www.jeopardy.com/}}
* {{IMDb title|id=0057758|title=Jeopardy!|description=(original series)}}
* {{IMDb title|id=0159881|title=Jeopardy!|description=(1984–present series)}}
* {{IMDb title|id=0159845|title=The All-New Jeopardy!}}
* {{EmmyTVLegends title|jeopardy|Jeopardy!}}
* , fan-maintained ''Jeopardy!'' archive site


{{Jeopardy!}} {{Jeopardy!}}
{{Daytime Emmy Award Outstanding Game/Audience Participation Show}}
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Latest revision as of 07:41, 22 January 2025

American television quiz show "Jeopardy" redirects here. For other uses, see Jeopardy (disambiguation).

Jeopardy!
[REDACTED]
GenreGame show
Created byMerv Griffin
Directed by
  • Bob Hultgren
  • Eleanor Tarshis
  • Jeff Goldstein
  • Dick Schneider
  • Kevin McCarthy
  • Clay Jacobsen
  • Lucinda Owens Margolis
  • Russell Norman
Presented by
Announcer
Theme music composer
Ending theme"Think!"
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons41
No. of episodes9,000+
Production
Executive producers
Producersee below
Production locationsThe Alex Trebek Stage (formerly Stage 10)
Sony Pictures Studios, Culver City
Running time22–26 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkNBC
ReleaseMarch 30, 1964 (1964-03-30) –
January 3, 1975 (1975-01-03)
NetworkWeekly syndication
Release1974 (1974) –
1975 (1975)
NetworkNBC
ReleaseOctober 2, 1978 (1978-10-02) –
March 2, 1979 (1979-03-02)
NetworkDaily syndication
ReleaseSeptember 10, 1984 (1984-09-10) –
present
Related

Jeopardy! is an American television game show created by Merv Griffin. The show is a quiz competition that reverses the traditional question-and-answer format of many quiz shows. Rather than being given questions, contestants are instead given general knowledge clues in the form of answers and they must identify the person, place, thing, or idea that the clue describes, phrasing each response in the form of a question.

The original daytime version debuted on NBC on March 30, 1964, and aired until January 3, 1975. A nighttime syndicated edition aired weekly from September 1974 to September 1975, and a revival, The All-New Jeopardy!, ran on NBC from October 1978 to March 1979 on weekdays. The syndicated show familiar to modern viewers and aired daily (currently by Sony Pictures Television) premiered on September 10, 1984.

Art Fleming served as host for all versions of the show between 1964 and 1979. Don Pardo served as announcer until 1975, and John Harlan announced for the 1978–1979 season. The daily syndicated version premiered in 1984 with Alex Trebek as host and Johnny Gilbert as announcer. Trebek hosted until his death, with his last episode airing January 8, 2021, after over 36 years in the role. Following his death, a variety of guest hosts completed the season beginning with record-holding former contestant Ken Jennings, each hosting for a few weeks before passing the role on to someone else. Then-executive producer Mike Richards initially assumed the position of permanent host in September 2021, but relinquished the role within a week. Mayim Bialik and Jennings served as permanent rotating hosts of the syndicated series until December 2023, when Jennings became the sole syndicated host. While Bialik was originally arranged to host additional primetime specials on ABC, and spin-offs, the announcement of Jeopardy! Masters in 2023 meant these duties were shared as well. Following Bialik's withdrawal in part of supporting writers and actors due to the 2023 Hollywood labor disputes, Jennings assumed hosting duties for all forms of media.

Currently in its 41st season, Jeopardy! is one of the longest-running game shows of all time. The show has consistently enjoyed a wide viewership and received many accolades from professional television critics. With over 9,000 episodes aired, the daily syndicated version of Jeopardy! has won a record 45 Emmy Awards as well as a Peabody Award. In 2013, the program was ranked No. 45 on TV Guide's list of the 60 greatest shows in American television history. Jeopardy! has also gained a worldwide following with regional adaptations in many other countries.

On January 13, 2025, it was announced that Jeopardy! would suspend production due to the ongoing wildfires in the Southern California region, where the show is filmed. It is not yet known when production of the show will resume due to the severity of the wildfires.

Gameplay

"Double Jeopardy!" redirects here. For other uses, see Double Jeopardy.

Each game of Jeopardy! features three contestants competing in three rounds: Jeopardy!, Double Jeopardy!, and Final Jeopardy! In each round, contestants are presented trivia clues phrased as answers, to which they must respond in the form of a question that correctly identifies whatever the clue is describing. For example, instead of asking, "Who is the only U.S. President to marry in the White House?" and the answer being "Grover Cleveland", the clue is "He is the only U.S. president to marry in the White House" and the contestant would respond by asking "Who is Grover Cleveland?"

A depiction of the Jeopardy! game board
The layout of the Jeopardy! game board since November 26, 2001, showing the dollar values used in the first round (in the second round, the values are doubled). Categories at the top of the board vary between each round and episode.

The Jeopardy! and Double Jeopardy! rounds each feature game boards consisting of six categories with five clues each. The clues are valued by dollar amounts from lowest to highest, ostensibly by difficulty. The values of the clues increased over time, with those in the Double Jeopardy! round always being double the range of the Jeopardy! round. On the original Jeopardy! series, clue values in the first round ranged from $10 to $50 in the Jeopardy! round and $20 to $100 in Double Jeopardy! On The All-New Jeopardy!, they ranged from $25 to $125 and $50 to $250. The 1984 series' clue values originally ranged from $100 to $500 in Jeopardy! and $200 to $1,000 in Double Jeopardy! These ranges were increased to $200–$1,000 and $400–$2,000, respectively, on November 26, 2001.

Gameplay begins when the returning champion selects a clue by indicating its category and dollar value. The two (or if there is no returning champion, three) challengers participate in a random draw prior to taping to determine contestant order, and if there is no returning champion, the contestant who drew the first lectern starts. The underlying clue is revealed and read aloud by the host, after which any contestant may ring in using a lock-out device. The first contestant to successfully ring in is prompted to respond to the clue by stating a question containing the correct answer to the clue. Any grammatically coherent question with the correct answer within it counts as a correct response. If the contestant responds correctly, its dollar value is added to the contestant's score, and they may select a new clue from the board. An incorrect response or failure to respond within five seconds deducts the clue's value from the contestant's score and allows the other contestants the opportunity to ring in and respond. If the response is not technically incorrect but otherwise judged too vague, the contestant is given additional time to provide a more specific response. Whenever none of the contestants ring in and respond correctly, the host gives the correct response, and the player who selected the previous clue chooses the next clue. Gameplay continues until the board is cleared or the round's time length expires, which is typically indicated by a beeping sound.

The contestant who has the lowest score selects the first clue to start the Double Jeopardy! round. Since 2021, if there is a tie for the contestant with the lowest score, the contestant with the last correct question among the tied players selects first.

A "Daily Double" clue is hidden behind one clue in the Jeopardy! round, and two in Double Jeopardy! The name and inspiration were taken from a horse-racing term. Daily Double clues with a sound or video component are known as "Audio Daily Doubles" or "Video Daily Doubles", respectively. Before the clue is revealed, the contestant who has selected the Daily Double must declare a wager, from a minimum of $5 to a maximum of their entire score (known as a "true Daily Double") or the highest clue value available in the round, whichever is greater. Only the contestant who chooses the Daily Double is allowed to answer. A correct response adds the value of the wager to the contestant's score while an incorrect response or failure to provide a response deducts the same value. Whether the contestant responds correctly or not, they choose the next clue.

During the Jeopardy! round, contestants are not penalized for forgetting to phrase their response in the form of a question, although the host will remind them to watch their phrasing in future responses. In the Double Jeopardy! round and in the Daily Double in the Jeopardy! round, the phrasing rule is followed more strictly, with a response only able to be ruled as correct if it is phrased properly in question form. A contestant who initially does not phrase a response in the form of a question must re-phrase it before the host rules against them.

Contestants are encouraged to select the clues in order from lowest to highest value, as the clues are sometimes written in each category to flow from one to the next. Deviating from this is known as the "Forrest Bounce", a strategy in which contestants randomly pick clues to confuse opponents that was first used in 1985 by Chuck Forrest, who won over $70,000 in his initial run as champion. Trebek expressed that this strategy not only annoyed him but also the staff, since it disrupts the rhythm that develops when revealing the clues and increases the potential for error. Another strategy used by some contestants is to play all of the higher-valued clues first and build up a substantial lead, starting at the bottom of the board. This strategy was regularly used by James Holzhauer during his winning streak between April and June 2019.

From the premiere of the original Jeopardy! until the end of the 1984–85 syndicated season, contestants were allowed to ring in as soon as the clue was revealed. Since September 1985, contestants are required to wait until the clue is read before ringing in. To accommodate the rule change, lights were added to the game board (unseen by home viewers) to signify when it is permissible for contestants to signal. Attempting to signal before the light goes on locks the contestant out for half of a second. The change was made to allow the home audience to play along more easily and to keep an extremely fast contestant from potentially dominating the game. In pre-1985 episodes, a sound accompanied a contestant ringing in. According to Trebek, the sound was eliminated because it was "distracting to the viewers" and presented a problem when contestants rang in while Trebek was still reading the clue. Contestants who are visually impaired or blind are given a card with the category names printed in Braille before each round begins.

To ensure fairness in competition and accuracy in scores, the judges double-check their own rulings throughout each episode. If it is determined at any point that a previous response was wrongly ruled correct or incorrect during the taping of an episode, the scores are adjusted at the first available opportunity, typically either at the start of the next round/segment or immediately after a Daily Double is found, with the host providing any necessary explanation regarding the changes. If an error that may have affected the result is not discovered until after taping of an episode is completed, the affected contestants are invited back to compete on a future show complying with federal quiz show regulations.

Contestants who finish Double Jeopardy! with zero dollars or a negative score are automatically eliminated from the game at that point and awarded a consolation prize. On at least one episode hosted by Art Fleming, all three contestants finished Double Jeopardy! with zero dollars or less, and as a result, no Final Jeopardy! round was played. This rule is still in place for the syndicated version, although staff has suggested that it is not set in stone and they may decide to display the clue for home viewers' play if such a situation were ever to occur.

Final Jeopardy!

"Final Jeopardy!" redirects here. For other uses, see Final Jeopardy.

The Final Jeopardy! round features a single clue that, according to Answers in the Form of Questions, typically requires a two-step thought process to answer. At the end of the Double Jeopardy! round, the host announces the Final Jeopardy! category and a commercial break follows. Contestants who finish Double Jeopardy! with less than $1 do not participate in this round. During the break, partitions are placed between the contestant lecterns, and each contestant makes a final wager; they may wager any amount of their earnings, but may not wager certain numbers with connotations that are deemed inappropriate. Contestants write their wagers using a light pen on an electronic display on their lectern within a time limit of five minutes, during which they also phrase the question, which is pre-written during the wager. After the break, the Final Jeopardy! clue is revealed and read by the host. The contestants have 30 seconds to write their responses on the electronic display, while the show's "Think!" music plays. If either the display or the pen malfunctions, contestants can manually write their responses and wagers using an index card and marker, although the index card has the required phrasing pre-printed on each side ("Who/What"). Visually impaired or blind contestants typically type their responses and wagers with a computer keyboard.

Contestants' responses are revealed in order of their pre-Final Jeopardy! scores from lowest to highest. Once a correct response is revealed the host confirms it. Otherwise, the host reveals the correct response if all contestants responded incorrectly. A correct response adds the amount of the contestant's wager to their score. A miss, failure to respond, insufficiently specific response, misspelling that affects the pronunciation of the answer, or failure to phrase the response as a question (even if correct) deducts it.

The contestant with the highest score at the end of the round is that day's winner. If there is a tie for second place, consolation prizes are awarded based on the scores going into the Final Jeopardy! round. If all three contestants finish with zero dollars, no one returns as champion for the next show, and based on scores going into the Final Jeopardy! round, the two contestants who were first and second receive the second-place prize, and the contestant in third receives the third-place prize.

Various researchers have studied Final Jeopardy! wagering strategies. If the leader's score is more than twice the second place contestant's score (a situation known as a "runaway game"), the leader can guarantee victory by making a sufficiently small wager. Otherwise, according to Jeopardy! College Champion Keith Williams, the leader usually wagers an amount that would be a dollar greater than twice the second place contestant's score, guaranteeing a win with a correct response. Writing about Jeopardy! wagering in the 1990s, mathematicians George Gilbert and Rhonda Hatcher said that "most players wager aggressively".

Winnings

The top scorer in each game is paid their winnings in cash and returns to play in the next match. Non-winners receive consolation prizes instead of their winnings in the game. Since May 16, 2002, consolation prizes have been awarded in cash—$2,000 for second-place contestants and $1,000 for third-place contestants. Since travel and lodging are generally not provided for contestants, cash consolation prizes offset these costs. Production covers the cost of travel for returning champions and players invited back because of errors who must make multiple trips to Los Angeles. Production also covers the cost of travel if a tournament travels (does not stay in Los Angeles) on the second week. Starting in Season 40, according to the official podcast in August 2023, as a result of inflation, consolation prizes were raised $1,000 each to $3,000 for second and $2,000 for third.

During Art Fleming's hosting run, all three contestants received their winnings in cash where applicable. This was changed at the start of Trebek's hosting run to avoid the problem of contestants who stopped participating in the game, or avoided wagering in Final Jeopardy!, rather than risk losing the money they had already won. This also allowed the increase to clue values since only one contestant's score is paid instead of three. From 1984 to 2002, non-winning contestants on the Trebek version received vacation packages and merchandise, which were donated by manufacturers as promotional consideration. Since 2004, a presenting sponsor has provided cash prizes to the losing contestants.

Returning champions

The winner of each episode returns to compete against two new contestants on the next episode. Originally, a contestant who won five consecutive days retired undefeated and was guaranteed a spot in the Tournament of Champions. The five-day limit was eliminated September 8, 2003.

In rare instances, contestants tie for first place. The rules related to ties have changed over time. Since November 24, 2014, ties for first place following Final Jeopardy! are broken with a tie-breaker clue, resulting in only one champion being named, keeping their winnings, and returning to compete in the next show. The tied contestants are given the category and read the single clue, and the first contestant to buzz-in must give the correct question. A contestant cannot win by default if the opponent gives an incorrect question or forgets to phrase the response as a question (even if correct). The contestant must give a correct question to win the game. If neither player gives the correct question, another clue is given. Previously, if two or all three contestants tied for first place, they were declared "co-champions", and each retained his or her winnings and (unless one was a five-time champion who retired prior to 2003) returned on the following episode. A tie occurred on the January 29, 2014, episode when Arthur Chu, leading at the end of Double Jeopardy!, wagered to tie challenger Carolyn Collins rather than winning. Chu followed Jeopardy! College Champion Keith Williams's advice to wager for the tie to increase the leader's chances of winning. A three-way (non-zero) tie for first place has only occurred once on the syndicated version hosted by Trebek, on March 16, 2007, when Scott Weiss, Jamey Kirby, and Anders Martinson all ended the game with $16,000. Until March 1, 2018, no regular game had ended in a tie-breaker.

If no contestant finishes Final Jeopardy! with a positive total, there is no winner and three new contestants compete on the next episode. This has happened on several episodes, including the second episode hosted by Trebek. A winner unable to return as champion because of a change in personal circumstances – for example, illness or a job offer – may be allowed to appear as a co-champion (now a rare occurrence since the co-champion rule was disestablished in early Season 31) in a later episode.

Variations for tournament play

Throughout each season, Jeopardy! features various special tournaments for particular groups (as named in "Tournaments and other events" below). Each year at the Tournament of Champions, the players who had won the most games and money in the previous season come back to compete against each other for a large cash prize. Tournaments generally feature 15 contestants and run for 10 consecutive episodes. They generally take place across three rounds: the quarterfinal round (five games), the semifinal round (three games), and the final round (two games).

The first five episodes, the quarterfinals, feature three new contestants each day. Other than in the Tournament of Champions, the quarterfinals are unseeded and contestants participate in a random draw to determine playing order and lectern positions over the course of the five games. The Tournament of Champions is seeded based on total winnings in regular games to determine playing order and lectern positions, with the top five players occupying the champion's lectern for the quarterfinal games. Since the removal of the five-game limit in 2003, in the unlikely case of a tie in total winnings between two Tournament of Champions players, the player who won the most games receives the higher seed. If still tied, seeding is determined by comparing the tied players' previous aggregate scores.

The winners of the five quarterfinal games and the four highest-scoring non-winners ("wild cards") advance to the semifinals, which run for three days. The semifinals are seeded with the quarterfinal winners being seeded 1–5 based on their quarterfinal scores, and the wild cards being seeded 6–9. The winners of the quarterfinal games with the three highest scores occupy the champion's lectern for the semifinals. The winners of the three semifinal games advance to play in a two-game final match, in which the scores from both games are combined to determine the overall standings. This format has been used since the first Tournament of Champions in 1985 and was devised by Trebek himself.

To prevent later contestants from playing to beat the earlier wild card scores instead of playing to win, contestants are "completely isolated from the studio until it is their time to compete".

If none of the contestants in a standard 15-player tournament format quarterfinal end with a positive score, no contestant automatically qualifies from that game, and an additional wild card contestant advances instead. This occurred in the quarterfinals of the 1991 Seniors Tournament and the semifinals of the 2013 Teen Tournament, where the rule was in effect during the semifinals, but after that tournament the rule has changed for semifinals and finals.

As the players are not isolated during the semifinals the way they are during the quarterfinals, show officials discovered a flaw after the 2013 Teen Tournament, because the triple zero loss happened in the second semifinal that allowed the third semifinal of the 2013 Teen Tournament to be played differently from the first (which was played before the triple zero loss). Starting with the 2013 Tournament of Champions, semifinal games, like the two-game finals, must have a winner. Players who participate in Final Jeopardy! will participate in the standard tie-breaker, regardless of the score being zero or a positive score. Similarly, if all three players have a zero score at the end of a two-game match, a normal tournament finals format will proceed to a tie-breaker. In a tournament format where a player must win multiple games to win the tournament, such as the 2020 Greatest of All Time or 2022 Tournament of Champions, or in the quarterfinals of tournaments without wild cards where a player must win the game to advance (21 or 27 players), the tie-breaker will be used regardless of the score being zero or positive for players to win the game and either advance to the next round or receive the point towards winning the tournament. This was confirmed by Ken Jennings in a post-match interview posted on the show's website during the Season 40 Champions Wildcard Tournament.

In the standard tournament finals format, contestants who finish Double Jeopardy! with a zero dollars or negative score on either day do not play Final Jeopardy! that day. Their score for that leg is recorded as zero dollars.

Conception and development

The text "Jeopardy!" in a stylized font with staggered letters
Logo for the original "Jeopardy!" (1964–1975)

In a 1963 Associated Press profile released shortly before the original Jeopardy! series premiered, Merv Griffin offered the following account of how he created the quiz show:

My wife Julann just came up with the idea one day when we were in a plane bringing us back to New York City from Duluth. I was mulling over game show ideas, when she noted that there had not been a successful "question and answer" game on the air since the quiz show scandals. Why not do a switch, and give the answers to the contestant and let them come up with the question? She fired a couple of answers to me: "5,280"—and the question of course was "How many feet in a mile?" Another was "79 Wistful Vista"; that was Fibber and Mollie McGee's address. I loved the idea, went straight to NBC with the idea, and they bought it without even looking at a pilot show.

Griffin's first conception of the game used a board comprising ten categories with ten clues each, but after finding that this board could not easily be shown on camera, he reduced it to two rounds of thirty clues each, with five clues in each of six categories. He originally intended requiring grammatically correct phrasing (e.g., only accepting "Who is..." for a person), but after finding that grammatical correction slowed the game down, he decided to accept any correct response that was in question form. Griffin discarded his initial title of What's the Question? when skeptical network executive Ed Vane rejected his original concept of the game, claiming, "It doesn't have enough jeopardies."

The format of giving contestants the answers and requiring the questions had previously been used by the Gil Fates-hosted program CBS Television Quiz, which aired from July 1941 until May 1942.

Personnel

Hosts

  • A black-and-white head shot of Art Fleming Art Fleming hosted all American versions that aired from 1964 to 1979.
  • A head shot of Alex Trebek Alex Trebek hosted the show from 1984 until his death in 2020.
  • A head shot of Mike Richards Mike Richards was the host of the show for one week in 2021.
  • Mayim Bialik rotated as host with Ken Jennings from 2021 to 2023. Mayim Bialik rotated as host with Ken Jennings from 2021 to 2023.
  • Ken Jennings rotated as host with Mayim Bialik from 2021 to 2023 and has been sole host since 2023. Ken Jennings rotated as host with Mayim Bialik from 2021 to 2023 and has been sole host since 2023.

Art Fleming was the original host of the show throughout both NBC runs and its brief weekly syndicated run, between 1964 and 1979. Alex Trebek served as host of the daily syndicated version from its premiere in 1984 until his death in 2020, except when he switched places with Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak as an April Fool's joke on April 1, 1997.

Trebek was still serving as host, having taped his last episode on October 29, 2020, for an intended Christmas Day broadcast, when contingency plans were made for him to miss the next taping, scheduled for November 9–10, 2020. In a New York magazine interview from 2022, then-consulting producer and former contestant Ken Jennings noted supervising producers Lisa Broffman and Rocky Schmidt had named him interim host for that taping and remembered his last conversation with Trebek days before rehearsal was to commence. In Sony Pictures Television's official Jeopardy! podcast in 2023, Broffman noted the rehearsal for Jennings was scheduled November 8, 2020, but canceled when Schmidt gave staff the news that Trebek had died that day.

At the time of Trebek's death, producers publicly declined to discuss any plans to introduce his successor while stating that they had enough new episodes with Trebek as host to run through Christmas Day. On November 9, 2020, the first episode to air after Trebek's death, executive producer Mike Richards paid tribute to Trebek, after a few seconds of silence where the lights on the Jeopardy! set (which had been set up for Jennings to host before Trebek's death) slowly dimmed. That episode, as well as subsequent episodes that aired after Trebek's death, included a dedication screen at the end of the credits through the remainder of the season. To compensate for concerns over pre-emptions caused by holiday week specials and sports, SPT postponed the air dates of Trebek's final week; the episodes scheduled for the week of December 21–25 were moved to January 4–8, 2021. Before Trebek's final episodes, reruns of episodes in which he recorded clues on location were shown from December 21, 2020, to January 1, 2021.

Jennings took over hosting when production resumed on November 30, 2020; his six weeks of episodes aired between January 11 and February 19, 2021. The season went on to be completed by additional guest hosts, namely the aforementioned Richards; news personalities Katie Couric, Bill Whitaker, Savannah Guthrie, Sanjay Gupta, Anderson Cooper, George Stephanopoulos, and Robin Roberts; athlete Aaron Rodgers; talk show host Mehmet Oz; actress Mayim Bialik; former children's show host LeVar Burton; business journalist David Faber; and sportscaster Joe Buck. In addition, the 2021 Tournament of Champions was hosted by Buzzy Cohen, winner of the 2017 tournament.

On August 11, 2021, it was announced that Richards would succeed Trebek as host of the daily show and Bialik would host Jeopardy! primetime specials and spin-offs. On August 20, following a report from The Ringer exposing controversial remarks made on his podcast in the past, resurfaced controversies from Richards's time on The Price Is Right, and accusations of self-dealing regarding his executive producer position, Richards stepped down as host after taping only one week of episodes. Richards's five episodes as host aired in September 2021. Bialik and Jennings then alternated hosting the show through the 2021–2022 season. Bialik also hosted the season's various tournaments and primetime specials.

In July 2022, it was announced that Bialik and Jennings would return as co-hosts of the syndicated version. Jennings would host the Tournament of Champions and the new Second Chance Tournament, while Bialik would again host the primetime specials and spinoffs, including a new celebrity edition of Jeopardy!, which premiered in September 2022. However, in January 2023, ABC announced Jennings would host a Jeopardy! Masters spinoff, indicating a change of arrangement. In May 2023, Bialik opted not to host the final episodes of the season in support of writers during the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike, with Jennings stepping in to host the remaining episodes. Bialik formally went on strike with her union, SAG-AFTRA, shortly thereafter. It was later announced that Jennings would host the second season of the new celebrity edition. In December 2023, after the strike was resolved, Sony announced that Jennings would remain the sole host of the syndicated series permanently, noting that it was still open to having Bialik host the prime time specials.

Announcers

Don Pardo held the role of announcer on the NBC version and weekly syndicated version, while John Harlan replaced him for The All-New Jeopardy! In the daily syndicated version's first pilot, from 1983, Jay Stewart served as the announcer, but Johnny Gilbert took over the role at Trebek's recommendation when that version was picked up as a series.

Clue Crew

The Jeopardy! Clue Crew, introduced on September 24, 2001, was a team of roving correspondents who appeared in videos, recorded around the world, to narrate some clues. Explaining why the Clue Crew was added, executive producer Harry Friedman said, "TV is a visual medium, and the more visual we can make our clues, the more we think it will enhance the experience for the viewer."

Following the initial announcement of auditions for the team, over 5,000 people applied for Clue Crew posts. The original Clue Crew members were Cheryl Farrell, Jimmy McGuire, Sofia Lidskog, and Sarah Whitcomb Foss. Lidskog left the Clue Crew in 2004, and Jon Cannon and Kelly Miyahara took over her position in 2005. Farrell recorded clues until October 2008, and Cannon until July 2009. Miyahara, who also served as announcer for the Sports Jeopardy! spin-off series, left in 2019.

The Clue Crew was eliminated beginning with the 39th season in September 2022; Foss became a producer for the show and McGuire a stage manager. Foss also serves as in-studio announcer when Johnny Gilbert is unable to attend a taping. In such cases, her voice is replaced with Gilbert's in post-production.

The Clue Crew traveled to over 300 cities worldwide, spanning all 50 of the United States and 46 other countries. Occasionally, they visited schools to showcase the educational game Classroom Jeopardy!

Production staff

A head shot of Merv GriffinMerv Griffin created the show and was executive producer from 1984 to 2000.A waist-up shot of Harry Friedman holding an awardHarry Friedman was executive producer from 1999 to 2020.

Robert Rubin served as the producer of the original Jeopardy! series for most of its run and later became its executive producer. Following Rubin's promotion, the line producer was Lynette Williams.

Griffin was the daily syndicated version's executive producer until his retirement in 2000. Trebek served as producer as well as host until 1987, when he began hosting NBC's Classic Concentration for the next four years. At that time, he handed producer duties to George Vosburgh, who had formerly produced The All-New Jeopardy! In 1997, Harry Friedman, Lisa Finneran (now known as Lisa Broffman), and Rocky Schmidt succeeded Vosburgh as producers of the show. Beginning in 1999, Friedman became executive producer, and Gary Johnson became the third producer. In 2006, Deb Dittmann and Brett Schneider became producers, while Finneran, Schmidt, and Johnson were promoted to supervising producers. Johnson left the show in 2011, while the other producers remained until Sarah Whitcomb Foss took over all producer duties following the Clue Crew's 2022 disbanding.

The original Jeopardy! series was directed at different times by Bob Hultgren, Eleanor Tarshis, and Jeff Goldstein. Dick Schneider, who directed episodes of The All-New Jeopardy!, returned as director from 1984 to 1992. He was then succeeded by his associate director, Kevin McCarthy, who served until his retirement in 2018. After McCarthy's departure, he was succeeded by Clay Jacobsen, who served through 2021 and was later replaced by Russell Norman.

As of 2022, Jeopardy! employs seven full-time writers and seven researchers to create and assemble the categories and clues. Billy Wisse is the editorial producer and Michele Loud is the editorial supervisor. Previous writing and editorial supervisors have included Jules Minton, Terrence McDonnell, Harry Eisenberg, and Gary Johnson. Trebek himself also contributed to writing clues and categories.

Naomi Slodki is the production designer for the program. Previous art directors have included Henry Lickel, Dennis Roof, Bob Rang, and Ed Flesh (who also designed sets for other game shows such as The $25,000 Pyramid, Name That Tune, and Wheel of Fortune).

On August 1, 2019, SPT announced that Friedman would retire as executive producer of both Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune at the end of the 2019–20 season; Mike Richards replaced Friedman in 2020. On August 31, 2021, after Richards had resigned as host earlier in the month, SPT fired him from his executive producer position at both Jeopardy! and Wheel, citing continued internal turmoil that Richards's resignation as host had failed to quell as they had hoped. Michael Davies from Embassy Row, which produces the 2021 revival of the U.S. version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, became interim executive producer through the 2021–22 season, then permanent executive producer on April 14, 2022.

Production

The daily syndicated version of Jeopardy! is produced by Sony Pictures Television (previously known as Columbia TriStar Television, the successor company to original producer Merv Griffin Enterprises). The copyright holder is Jeopardy Productions, which, like SPT, operates as a subsidiary of Sony Pictures Entertainment. The rights to distribute the program worldwide are owned by CBS Media Ventures, which absorbed original distributor King World Productions in 2007.

The original Jeopardy! series was taped in Studio 6A at NBC Studios at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City, and The All-New Jeopardy! was taped in Studio 3 at NBC's Burbank Studios at 3000 West Alameda Avenue in Burbank, California. The Trebek version was initially taped at Metromedia Stage 7, KTTV, on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, but moved its production facilities to Hollywood Center Studios' Stage 1 in 1985. In 1994 the Jeopardy! production facilities moved to Sony Pictures Studios' Stage 10 on Washington Boulevard in Culver City, California, where production has remained since. Stage 10 was dedicated in Trebek's honor when episodes for the 38th season began taping in August 2021, with the stage being renamed to "The Alex Trebek Stage", with help from the Trebek family (Alex's wife, Jean, son, Matthew, and daughters, Emily and Nicky).

Five episodes are taped each day, with two days of taping every other week. However, taping slowed after Alex Trebek's health issues in 2019 until his last taping day on October 29, 2020. Some weeks had three episodes taped within a single day, while some had two episodes taped within a single day.

Set

Various screen shots of the Jeopardy! set
Various sets used by the syndicated version over the years. From top to bottom: 1984–85, 1985–91, 1991–96, 1996–2002, 2002–06, and 2009–13.

Various technological and aesthetic changes have been made to the Jeopardy! set over the years. The original game board was exposed from behind a curtain and featured clues printed on cardboard pull cards which were revealed as contestants selected them. The All-New Jeopardy!'s game board was exposed from behind double-slide panels and featured pull cards with the dollar amount in front and the clue behind it. When the Trebek version premiered in 1984, the game board used individual television monitors for each clue within categories. The original monitors were replaced with larger and sleeker ones in 1991. In 2006, these monitors were discarded in favor of a nearly seamless projection video wall, which was replaced in 2009 with 36 high-definition flat-panel monitors manufactured by Sony Electronics. The game board was finally refurbished for season 41 in 2024, replacing the individual monitors board with a singular electronic screen, similar to the upgraded Wheel of Fortune puzzle board introduced in 2022.

From 1985 to 1997, the sets were designed to have a background color of blue for the Jeopardy! round and red for the Double Jeopardy! and Final Jeopardy! rounds. In 1991, the show introduced a brand new set that resembled a grid. On the episode aired November 11, 1996, Jeopardy! introduced the first of several sets designed by Naomi Slodki, who intended the set to resemble "the foyer of a very contemporary library, with wood and sandblasted glass and blue granite".

In 2002, another new set was introduced, which was given slight modifications when Jeopardy! and sister show Wheel of Fortune transitioned to high-definition broadcasts in 2006. During this time, virtual tours of the set began to be featured on the official web site. The various HD improvements for Jeopardy! and Wheel represented a combined investment of approximately $4 million, 5,000 hours of labor, and 6 miles (9.7 km) of cable. Both programs had been shot using HD cameras for several years before beginning to broadcast in HD. On standard-definition television broadcasts, episodes continue displaying with an aspect ratio of 4:3.

In 2009, Jeopardy! updated its set once again. The new set debuted with special episodes taped at the 42nd annual International CES technology trade show, hosted at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Winchester (Las Vegas Valley), Nevada, and became the primary set for Jeopardy! when the 2009–2010 season began.

In 2013, Jeopardy! introduced another new set. This set underwent several modifications in 2020, with a wider studio without any studio audience (the last episodes of the 2019–2020 season were also taped without an audience), and new lecterns for contestants and the host. The lecterns are spaced considerably apart to comply with California state regulations imposed when filming resumed after the COVID-19 pandemic ended the 2020 season early. Although the modified COVID-era set from the previous two seasons was kept, the live studio audience fully returned for season 39, which began airing on September 12, 2022.

Theme music

Since the debut of Jeopardy! in 1964, several songs and arrangements have been used as the theme music, most of which were composed by Griffin. The main theme for the original Jeopardy! series was "Take Ten", composed by Griffin's wife Julann. The All-New Jeopardy! opened with "January, February, March" and closed with "Frisco Disco", both of which were composed by Griffin himself.

The best-known theme song on Jeopardy! is "Think!", originally composed by Griffin under the title "A Time for Tony", as a lullaby for his son. "Think!" has always been used for the 30-second period in Final Jeopardy! when the contestants write down their responses, and since the syndicated version debuted in 1984, a rendition of that tune has been used as the main theme song. "Think!" has become so popular that it has been used in many different contexts, from sporting events to weddings; "its 30-second countdown has become synonymous with any deadline pressure". Griffin estimated that the use of "Think!" had earned him royalties of over $70 million throughout his lifetime. "Think!" led Griffin to win the Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) President's Award in 2003, and during GSN's 2009 Game Show Awards special, it was named "Best Game Show Theme Song". In 1997, the main theme (later rearranged in 2001) and Final Jeopardy! "Think!" cue were rearranged by Steve Kaplan, who served as music director until his December 2003 death. Then in 2008, the Jeopardy! music package was rearranged again, this time by Chris Bell Music & Sound Design. A fully-synthesized version of the main theme, which is based on the 2008 arrangement, was composed by Bleeding Fingers Music and has been used since 2021.

Audition process

Main article: Jeopardy! audition process

For the original Jeopardy! series, prospective contestants contacted the production office in New York to arrange an appointment and to preliminarily determine eligibility. They were briefed and auditioned together in groups of ten to thirty individuals, participating in both a written test and mock games. Individuals who were successful at the audition were invited to appear on the program within approximately six weeks.

Since 1984, prospective contestants begin with a written exam comprising 50 questions. This exam is administered online periodically, as well as being offered at regional contestant search events. Since 1998, a Winnebago recreational vehicle dubbed the "Jeopardy! Brain Bus" travels to conduct regional events throughout the United States and Canada. Participants who correctly answer at least 35 out of 50 questions advance in the audition process and are invited to attend in-person group auditions throughout the country. At these auditions, a second written exam is administered, followed by a mock game and interviews. Those who are approved are notified at a later time and invited to appear as contestants.

Contestants are required to travel to the production location (Culver City, California, since 1994), making travel and lodging arrangements at their own expense when doing so. According to Andy Saunders, creator of The Jeopardy! Fan website, "This has been a longstanding Jeopardy! policy and has generally been presented as an issue of fairness by the show. A 1994 Oakland Tribune article quotes then–contestant coordinator Kelley Carpenter as saying, 'Because we have both out-of-towners and locals appearing on the show, if we were to pay for an airfare and a hotel, we would have technically given away money to some contestants coming from the East Coast, which wouldn't be fair to someone who only lives 20 minutes away.'" Eligibility is limited to people who have not previously appeared as contestants, and have not been to an in-person audition for at least 18 months.

Many of the contestants who appear on the series, including many Teen Tournament and College Championship contestants, participated in quiz bowl competitions during their time in high school. The National Academic Quiz Tournaments has been described by Ken Jennings as a de facto "minor league" for game shows such as Jeopardy!

Broadcast history

Main article: Broadcast of Jeopardy!

The original Jeopardy! series premiered on NBC on March 30, 1964, and by the end of the 1960s was the second-highest-rated daytime game show, behind only The Hollywood Squares. The program was successful until 1974, when Lin Bolen, then NBC's Vice President of Daytime Programming, moved the show out of the noontime slot where it had been located for most of its run, as part of her effort to boost ratings among the 18–34 female demographic. After 2,753 episodes, the original Jeopardy! series ended on January 3, 1975. To compensate Griffin for its cancellation, NBC purchased Wheel of Fortune, another show that he had created, and premiered it the following Monday. A syndicated edition of Jeopardy!, distributed by Metromedia and featuring many contestants who were previously champions on the original series, aired in primetime from 1974 to 1975. The NBC daytime series was later revived as The All-New Jeopardy!, which premiered on October 2, 1978, and aired 108 episodes, ending on March 2, 1979. This revival featured significant rule changes, including progressive elimination of contestants over the course of the main game, and a Super Jeopardy! bonus round (based loosely on bingo) instead of Final Jeopardy!

The daily syndicated version debuted on September 10, 1984, and was launched in response to the success of the syndicated version of Wheel and the installation of electronic trivia games in pubs and bars. This version of the program has outlived 300 other game shows and has become the second most popular game show in syndication (behind Wheel), averaging 25 million viewers per week. The most recent renewal, in January 2023, extends it through the 2027–28 season.

Countries with versions of Jeopardy! listed in yellow (and the common Arabic-language version in bright yellow)

Jeopardy! has spawned versions in many foreign countries throughout the world, including Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, Russia, Denmark, Israel, and Australia. The American syndicated version of Jeopardy! is also broadcast throughout the world, with international distribution rights handled by CBS Studios International.

Four spin-off versions of Jeopardy! have been created. Rock & Roll Jeopardy! debuted on VH1 in 1998 and ran until 2001. The format centered around post-1950s popular music trivia and was hosted by Jeff Probst. Jep!, which aired on GSN during the 1998–1999 season, was a special children's version hosted by Bob Bergen and featured various rule changes from the original version. Sports Jeopardy!, a sports-themed version hosted by Dan Patrick, premiered in 2014 on the Crackle digital service and eventually moved to the cable sports network NBCSN in 2016. In 2024, Pop Culture Jeopardy! premiered as an exclusive show on Amazon Prime Video. Hosted by Colin Jost, it featured three teams of three participating in a single-elimination tournament where the winning team earned a $300,000 grand prize. Categories were geared more toward "pub trivia"-style knowledge.

In March 2020, taping halted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally, the production team taped episodes without an audience, until production was shut down altogether. In May 2020, Sony announced new episodes would air until June 12, 2020, including the Teachers Tournament. In July 2020, Jeopardy! began rerunning a package of 20 classic episodes, including the first two from the syndicated run.

Production resumed in August 2020 with new safety measures in place following government guidelines to protect contestants, staff, crew and talent. New expanded lecterns, designed to allow social distancing during gameplay, are spaced apart from one another. In seasons 37–38, only essential staff and crew were allowed on stage. Personal protective equipment is provided for everyone behind the scenes and all staff and crew are tested regularly, while contestants are also tested before they step onto the set. Social distancing measures are also enforced off-stage. Ken Jennings joined production in an on-air role in 2020.

Following Trebek's death, an announcement noted that the pre-taped episodes were to air posthumously until December 25, 2020. Owing to concerns after a late start to tapings caused by the pandemic and the cancellation of November tapings, officials added a two-week lineup of classic episodes to avoid NFL, NBA, or local Christmas programming preemptions that moved Trebek's final episode to January 8, 2021. The first episode with an interim host aired January 11, 2021.

Archived episodes

Only a small number of episodes survive from Fleming's run as host of Jeopardy!. From the original NBC daytime version, archived episodes mostly consist of black-and-white kinescopes of the original color videotapes. Various episodes from 1967, 1971, 1973, and 1974 are listed among the holdings of the UCLA Film and Television Archive. The 1964 "test episode", Episode No. 2,000 (from February 21, 1972, in color), and a June 1975 episode of the weekly syndicated edition exist at the Paley Center for Media. The test episode, of which only a few limited clips had been released, was released to the public in full on the Jeopardy! YouTube account March 30, 2022, and an audiotape containing approximately five minutes (including introductions and Final Jeopardy!) from the first aired episode was also released to the public; both episodes were released to celebrate the 58th anniversary of the show's debut. The 1975 series finale, also in color and containing two short clips from the 1967 "College Scholarship Tournament" and Gene Shalit's appearance on an early version of Celebrity Jeopardy! also exists in its entirety. Incomplete paper records of the NBC-era games exist on microfilm at the Library of Congress. GSN holds The All-New Jeopardy!'s premiere and finale in broadcast quality, and aired the latter on December 31, 1999, as part of its "Y2Play" marathon. The UCLA Archive holds a copy of a pilot taped for CBS in 1977, and the premiere exists among the Paley Center's holdings.

GSN, which, like Jeopardy!, is an affiliate of Sony Pictures Television, has rerun episodes since the channel's launch in 1994. Copies of 43 Trebek-hosted syndicated Jeopardy! episodes aired between 1989 and 2004 have been collected by the UCLA Archive, and the premiere and various other episodes are included in the Paley Center's collection. In July 2022, Vulture reported that vintage episodes of the daily syndicated version would air on a dedicated channel on Pluto TV (owned by distributor Paramount Global) beginning in August. The channel, named Jeopardy! Hosted by Alex Trebek, launched on August 1 and ended on July 31, 2024 after a two-year run.

Reception and legacy

A shot of Alex Trebek holding an award
Alex Trebek with the Peabody Award, 2012

By 1994, the press called Jeopardy! "an American icon". It has won a record 44 Daytime Emmy Awards. The program holds the record for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game/Audience Participation Show, with nineteen awards won in that category. Trebek won eight awards for Outstanding Game Show Host. Twelve other awards were won by the show's directors and writers in the categories of Outstanding Direction for a Game/Audience Participation Show and Outstanding Special Class Writing before these categories were removed in 2006. On June 17, 2011, Trebek shared the Lifetime Achievement Award with Sajak at the 38th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards ceremony. The following year, the program was honored with a Peabody Award for its role in encouraging, celebrating, and rewarding knowledge.

In its April 17–23, 1993, issue, TV Guide named Jeopardy! the best game show of the 1970s as part of a celebration of the magazine's 40th anniversary. In January 2001, the magazine ranked the program number 2 on its "50 Greatest Game Shows" list—second only to The Price Is Right. It later ranked Jeopardy! number 45 on its list of the 60 Best TV Series of All Time, calling it "habit-forming" and saying that the program "always makes feel smarter". Also in 2013, the program ranked number 1 on TV Guide's list of the 60 Greatest Game Shows. In the summer of 2006, the program was ranked number 2 on GSN's list of the 50 Greatest Game Shows of All Time, second only to Match Game.

A hall of fame honoring Jeopardy! was added to the Sony Pictures Studios tour on September 20, 2011. It features the show's Emmy Awards as well as retired set pieces, classic merchandise, video clips, photographs, and other memorabilia related to Jeopardy!'s history.

In 1989, Fleming expressed dissatisfaction with the daily syndicated Jeopardy! series in an essay published in Sports Illustrated. He confessed that he only watched the Trebek version infrequently—only for a handful of questions—and criticized this iteration mainly for its Hollywood setting. Fleming believed that in contrast to New Yorkers who Fleming considered being more intelligent and authentic, moving the show to Hollywood brought both an unrealistic glamour and a dumbing-down of the program that he disdained. He also disliked the decision to not award losing contestants their cash earnings (believing the parting gifts offered instead were cheap) and expressed surprise that what he considered a parlor game had transformed into such a national phenomenon under Trebek. In television interviews, Fleming expressed similar sentiments while also noting that he approved of Trebek's approach to hosting, that Fleming and Trebek were personal friends and that, despite the modern show's flaws, it was still one of the best television shows.

Jeopardy!'s answer-and-question format has become widely entrenched: Fleming observed that other game shows had contestants phrasing their answers in question form, leading hosts to remind them that they are not competing on Jeopardy!

Tournaments and other events

Main article: List of Jeopardy! tournaments and events

Regular events

Throughout all forms of the show, it has held an annual Tournament of Champions featuring the top champions who have appeared on the show since the last tournament. During Fleming's hosting run, tournament prizes were awarded in the same manner as regular play, with the only bonuses being a trophy or a non-cash prize; when the series returned in 1984, the top prize awarded to the winner was originally valued at $100,000, and increased to $250,000 in 2003. Other regular tournaments include the Teen Tournament, with a $100,000 top prize; the College Championship, in which undergraduate students from American colleges and universities compete for a $100,000 top prize; and the Teachers Tournament, where educators compete for a $100,000 top prize. Each tournament runs for ten consecutive episodes in a format devised by Trebek himself, consisting of five quarter-final games, three semi-finals, and a final consisting of two games with the scores totaled. Winners of the College Championship and Teachers Tournament are invited to participate in the Tournament of Champions.

Non-tournament events held regularly on the show include Celebrity Jeopardy!, in which celebrities and other notable individuals compete for charitable organizations of their choice, and Kids Week, a special competition for school-age children aged 10 through 12.

Special events

See also: Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time

Three International Tournaments, held in 1996, 1997, and 2001, featured one-week competitions among champions from each of the international versions of Jeopardy! Each of the countries that aired their own version of the show in those years could nominate a contestant. The format was identical to the semi-finals and finals of other Jeopardy! tournaments. The top prize was $25,000 in 1996 and 1997, and $50,000 in 2001. The 1997 tournament was recorded in Stockholm on the set of the Swedish version of Jeopardy!―the first time a week of Jeopardy! episodes was taped in a foreign country― and its first episode was introduced by that version's then-host, Magnus Härenstam.

There have been several special tournaments featuring the greatest contestants in Jeopardy! history. The first was Super Jeopardy!, aired in 1990 on ABC, where 35 top contestants from the previous seasons of the Trebek version and one champion from the original Jeopardy! series competed for a top prize of $250,000. This was followed in later years by the Tenth Anniversary Tournament in 1993; the Million Dollar Masters tournament (taking place at Radio City Music Hall) in 2002; the 15-week Ultimate Tournament of Champions (featuring 145 former champions competing against each other, followed by a three-game final between two winners and Ken Jennings for $2,000,000) in 2005; and the 30th-anniversary Battle of the Decades tournament in 2014. In 2020, Jeopardy! returned to ABC primetime for the Greatest of All Time tournament where Jennings, Brad Rutter, and James Holzhauer competed in four two-game matches for a $1,000,000 prize, with Jennings as the victor.

The IBM Challenge aired in February 2011 and featured IBM's Watson computer facing off against Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter in a two-game match played over three shows. This was the first man-vs.-machine competition in Jeopardy!'s history. Watson won both the first game and the overall match to win the grand prize of $1 million, which IBM divided between two charities (World Vision International and World Community Grid). Jennings, who won $300,000 for second place, and Rutter, who won the $200,000 third-place prize, both pledged to donate half of their winnings to charity. The competition brought the show its highest ratings since the Ultimate Tournament of Champions.

In 2019, The All-Star Games had six teams with three former champions each. Each team member played one of the three rounds in each game played; Rutter, David Madden and Larissa Kelly won the tournament.

Record holders

Jeopardy!'s record for the longest winning streak is held by Ken Jennings, who competed on the show from June 2 through November 30, 2004, winning 74 matches before being defeated by Nancy Zerg in his 75th appearance. He amassed $2,522,700 over his 75 episodes, for an average of $33,636 per episode. At the time, he held the record as the highest money-winner ever on American game shows. His winning streak increased the show's ratings and popularity to the point where it became TV's highest-rated syndicated program and second highest-rated overall program, behind only CSI. In addition to these winnings on the daily Jeopardy! series, Jennings returned for a number of special tournaments, taking home the following: the second-place prize of $500,000 in the 2005 Ultimate Tournament of Champions, the $300,000-second-place prize in the 2011 IBM Challenge, the $123,600-second-place prize in the 2014 Battle of the Decades, a $100,000 prize (one-third of the $300,000-second-place prize to his three-player team) in the 2019 All-Star Games, and the $1,000,000 first-place prize in the 2020 Greatest of All Time tournament.

The record holder for lifetime Jeopardy!-related winnings is Brad Rutter, who has won nearly $5.2 million in cash and prizes across his original five episodes of the regular series and seven subsequent tournaments and events (five of which he won). Counting all prizes that Rutter has won, he has achieved a cumulative total of $5,129,036 in winnings, which included: the $55,102 prize over five regular episodes in 2000 (also including the value of two cars won, worth $45,000), the $100,000 first-place prize in the 2001 Tournament of Champions, the $1,000,000 first-place prize in 2002's Million Dollar Masters Tournament, the $2,000,000 first-place prize (plus $115,000 in preliminary rounds) in the Ultimate Tournament of Champions, the $200,000 third-place prize in the IBM Challenge, the $1,030,600 first-place prize in the Battle of the Decades, $333,334 (one-third of the $1,000,000 first-place prize, shared with his three-player team) in the All-Star Games, and a $250,000 prize in the Greatest of All Time tournament.

The holder of the all-time record for single-day winnings on Jeopardy! is James Holzhauer. Holzhauer first surpassed the record of $77,000, held since 2010 by Roger Craig, when he earned $110,914 on the episode that aired on April 9, 2019. Holzhauer pushed his own single-day record to $131,127 on the episode that aired April 17, 2019, by amassing $71,114 over the episode's first two rounds, then successfully wagering an additional $60,013 in Final Jeopardy! Holzhauer's total of 32 consecutive games won was second place of all time in regular game play at the time and remains fourth overall after Matt Amodio and Amy Schneider surpassed Holzhauer in 2021 and 2022, respectively. When he departed the show, he held the top 16 spots for highest single-day regular-game winnings and is the only player to win more than $100,000 in a single episode in regular play (achieved six times). On April 15, 2019, Holzhauer moved into second place for regular play winnings (behind Jennings) and third place for all Jeopardy!-related winnings (behind Rutter and Jennings). On April 23, 2019, Holzhauer joined Rutter and Jennings as the third Jeopardy!-made millionaire (Amodio eventually became the fourth). The next day, Holzhauer moved onto the top ten list for all-time American game show winnings at No. 10, joining Rutter (#1) and Jennings (#2) on that list. Holzhauer was defeated on the June 3, 2019, episode, finishing in second place. His winnings on Jeopardy! totaled $2,464,216, $58,484 behind Jennings' record. Including over $58,000 from a 2014 appearance on The Chase, with Holzhauer's $2.96 million from Jeopardy! (including his Tournament of Champions and The Greatest of All Time prizes), he is #3 on the list of all-time American game show winnings.

The record-holder among women on Jeopardy! for regular series winnings is Amy Schneider, with a total of $1,382,800 earned in 40 episodes between 2021 and 2022. Schneider is currently ranked second all-time in consecutive games won, behind only Jennings (74). Mattea Roach, whose winning streak earned $560,983 over 23 games in April and May 2022, has been the most successful Canadian contestant to have competed on the program, ranking fifth for consecutive games won and sixth for regular play Jeopardy! winnings.

The highest single-day winnings in a Celebrity Jeopardy! tournament was achieved by comedian Andy Richter during a first-round game of the 2009–10 "Million Dollar Celebrity Invitational", in which he finished with $68,000 for his selected charity, the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Four contestants on the Trebek version share the record for winning a game with the lowest amount possible, at $1. The first was U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Darryl Scott, on the episode that aired January 19, 1993. The second was Benjamin Salisbury, on a Celebrity Jeopardy! episode that aired April 30, 1997. The third was Brandi Chastain, on the Celebrity Jeopardy! episode that aired February 9, 2001. The fourth was U.S. Navy Lieutenant Manny Abell, on the episode that aired October 17, 2017.

The record lowest Jeopardy! score was set in 1985 by Joan Kantor, a contestant from 1985, with a score of -$5,100 (net -$10,200 after the Season 18 rule change regarding clue values on November 26, 2001) during Season 1. During the interregnum, in a July 28, 2021 episode hosted by Levar Burton, Patrick Pierce finished with a total of -$7,400. The lowest score in the Jennings era is -$7,200, set by Erin Buker in 2024, and the fourth lowest was -$6,800, set by Stephanie Hull in 2015. Hull's episode was also notable for featuring a rare Final Jeopardy with one contestant.Jeopardy! writer Harry Eisenberg recalled an early season contestant who had persuaded the contestant coordinators to let him on the show despite their misgivings; he won -$3,400, the equivalent of -$6,800 today.

Record tables

Jeopardy! keeps track of four records: most consecutive games won, highest regular-season winnings, highest single-game winnings, and highest all-time winnings (including tournaments). The below tables are accurate as of July 14, 2024.

Consecutive wins
Contestant Games Year
1 Ken Jennings 74 2004
2 Amy Schneider 40 2022
3 Matt Amodio 38 2021
4 James Holzhauer 32 2019
5 Mattea Roach 23 2022
6 Cris Pannullo 21 2022
7 Julia Collins 20 2014
8 Jason Zuffranieri 19 2019
8 David Madden 19 2005
10 Ryan Long 16 2022


Regular-season winnings
Contestant Amount
1 Ken Jennings $2,520,700
2 James Holzhauer $2,462,216
3 Matt Amodio $1,518,601
4 Amy Schneider $1,382,800
5 Cris Pannullo $748,286
6 Mattea Roach $560,983
7 Jason Zuffranieri $532,496
8 David Madden $430,400
9 Julia Collins $428,100
10 Matt Jackson $411,612


Single-game winnings
Contestant Amount Date
1 James Holzhauer $131,127 2019-04-17
2 James Holzhauer $130,022 2019-05-27
3 James Holzhauer $118,816 2019-04-23
4 James Holzhauer $110,914 2019-04-09
5 James Holzhauer $106,181 2019-04-16
6 James Holzhauer $101,682 2019-05-01
7 James Holzhauer $96,726 2019-04-30
8 James Holzhauer $90,812 2019-04-25
8 James Holzhauer $90,812 2019-04-22
10 James Holzhauer $89,229 2019-05-20


All-time winnings
Contestant Amount
1 Brad Rutter $4,938,436
2 Ken Jennings $4,370,700
3 James Holzhauer $3,612,216
4 Amy Schneider $1,682,800
5 Matt Amodio $1,668,601
6 Mattea Roach $810,983
7 David Madden $763,733
8 Cris Pannullo $748,286
9 Larissa Kelly $655,930
10 Victoria Groce $622,801

Other media

Portrayals and parodies

Jeopardy! has been featured in numerous films, television shows, and books over the years, mostly with one or more characters participating as contestants, or viewing and interacting with the game show from their own homes. During Trebek's lifetime, several television series featured primary characters participating in fictionalized versions of the show, including Cheers (in the episode "What Is... Cliff Clavin?"), The Golden Girls, Mama's Family, Family Guy, and The Simpsons, among others. Wherever Trebek appeared on those fictionalized versions, he would always play himself or provide his own voice.

From 1996 to 2002, then on special occasions until 2015, Saturday Night Live featured a recurring Celebrity Jeopardy! sketch in which Trebek, portrayed by Will Ferrell, has to deal with the exasperating ineptitude of the show's celebrity guests and the constant taunts of antagonists Sean Connery (played by Darrell Hammond) and Burt Reynolds (Norm Macdonald). Beginning in 2014, SNL parodied Jeopardy! by way of another recurring sketch, Black Jeopardy!, in which the host and two of the three contestants are stereotypical black Americans, with the third contestant providing a contrast to the others, and the categories and clues likewise reflect black American culture.

The 1992 film White Men Can't Jump features a subplot in which the character Gloria Clemente (Rosie Perez) passes the auditions and competes on the program. In the David Foster Wallace short story "Little Expressionless Animals", first published in The Paris Review and later reprinted in Wallace's collection Girl with Curious Hair, a character competes and wins on 700 consecutive Jeopardy! programs in three years, and then uses her winnings to pay for the care of her brother, who has autism. American musician "Weird Al" Yankovic satirized the 1960s incarnation of the show with his 1984 single "I Lost on Jeopardy", a parody of Greg Kihn's 1983 hit song "Jeopardy". Released months before the Trebek version, the song's accompanying music video featured a re-creation of the set of the era, along with cameos from Fleming, Pardo and, at the end of the video, Kihn himself.

At the DEF CON hacker conference in Las Vegas, a variant called 'Hacker Jeopardy' has been organized. In 2004, it was won by Kevin Mitnick.

Merchandise

Main article: Jeopardy! (franchise)

Over the years, the Jeopardy! brand has been licensed for various products. From 1964 through 1976, with one release in 1982, Milton Bradley issued annual board games based on the original Fleming version. The Trebek version has been adapted into board games released by Pressman Toy Corporation, Tyco Toys, and Parker Brothers. In addition, Jeopardy! has been adapted into a number of video games released on various consoles and handhelds spanning multiple hardware generations, starting with a Nintendo Entertainment System game released in 1987. The show has also been adapted for personal computers (starting in 1987 with Apple II, Commodore 64, and MS-DOS versions), Facebook, Twitter, Android, and the Roku Channel Store.

A DVD titled Jeopardy!: An Inside Look at America's Favorite Quiz Show, released by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment on November 8, 2005, features five curated episodes of the Trebek version (the 1984 premiere, Jennings' final game, and the three-game finals of the Ultimate Tournament of Champions) and three featurettes discussing the show's history and question selection process. Other products featuring the Jeopardy! brand include a collectible watch, a series of daily desktop calendars, and various slot machine games for casinos and the Internet.

On July 22, 2024, Jean Trebek and Ken Jennings officially unveiled an Alex Trebek stamp based on the show, officially licensed by the program.

Internet

Jeopardy!'s official website, active as early as 1998, receives over 400,000 monthly visitors. The website features videos, photographs, and other information related to each week's contestants, as well as mini-sites promoting remote tapings and special tournaments. The Jeopardy! website is regularly updated to align with producers' priorities for the show. In its 2012 "Readers Choice Awards", About.com praised the official Jeopardy! website for featuring "everything need to know about the show, as well as some fun interactive elements", and for having a humorous error page.

In November 2009, Jeopardy! launched a viewer loyalty program called the "Jeopardy! Premier Club", which allowed home viewers to identify Final Jeopardy! categories from episodes for a chance to earn points, and play a weekly Jeopardy! game featuring categories and clues from the previous week's episodes. Every three months, contestants were selected randomly to advance to one of three quarterly online tournaments; after these tournaments were played, the three highest-scoring contestants would play one final online tournament for the chance to win $5,000 and a trip to Los Angeles to attend a taping of Jeopardy! The Premier Club was discontinued by July 2011.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ As Sony Pictures Television Studios from 2020 to 2023
  2. This number has varied over the years, with writers ranging in number from five to ten and researchers from four to seven.
  3. The Millionaire franchise was purchased by SPT with its owners, 2waytraffic, in 2008. However, at the time of the purchase, the U.S. version was distributed by SPT's rival Disney-ABC Domestic Television.
  4. As CBS Television Distribution before 2021

References

Citations

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