Jeopardy!

Jeopardy! is a popular American television game show that has since been adopted for international markets. Created by Merv Griffin, it debuted on NBC on March 30, 1964, and was originally hosted by Art Fleming until its cancellation on January 3, 1975, but was revived in first-run syndication in the U.S. with host Alex Trebek on September 10, 1984. It is played with three contestants. It has also been adapted to video games and a classroom activity. In syndication, it is paired with Wheel of Fortune (the syndicated version of which has aired since 1983); both shows are produced by Sony Pictures Television Studios (the successor-in-interest to original production company Merv Griffin Enterprises) and distributed by CBS Media Ventures (which took over those duties after absorbing original distributor King World in 2007).

The show uses a unique "answer and question" format: the host will give the contestants an answer; the contestant must respond with a question (for example, if the host gives the clue This person was the first President of the United States, the contestant must respond with Who was George Washington?). The show originally required the responses to be grammatically correct (for example, Who is or Who was are the only acceptable beginnings for a response dealing with a live person), but this was seen as a time waster, so any correct response in the form of a question could be accepted.

In the United States format, the show consists of three rounds: Jeopardy, Double Jeopardy, and Final Jeopardy. There are six categories in the first two rounds, each consisting of five questions; the final round consists of one category and one question.

In the first round, the clue values range from $200-$1,000 (in the U.S. version), questions increasing $200 in value further down the category. Clues range from pop culture and sports to history, geography, word play, science and other subjects. The contestant who was the champion from the previous show starts in the first Jeopardy! round and picks a clue. They pick the clue and category, and the host reads the clue which a certain time is given to buzz in. If a contestant buzzes in with a correct response, they earn the amount of money for that clue. If a contestant gives an incorrect response, that amount is deducted from their score, and if the amount is greater than their earnings at that point, they will end up with a negative score and must give correct responses to get back on the positive side. There is one Daily Double in the round (it should be noted that the Daily Double is never found on the top row) where the contestant who picks it is the only one allowed to respond to that clue, and must wager at least $5, and can wager up to their full winnings (making a True Daily Double). In the event a contestant's score is less than $1,000, the contestant may wager up to $1,000.

Double Jeopardy! is played the same way, but the values are doubled to $400-$2,000 and there are two Daily Doubles (again, neither Daily Double is found on the top row). A contestant with less than $2,000 may wager up to $2,000 but must bet at least $5.

Final Jeopardy! is the last round of the game. If a contestant has a zero or negative score, they cannot participate. The host gives the contestants the category, and they must write down a wager (in this round, any amount may be wagered, including $0, which a contestant may do if s/he has an insurmountable lead or doesn't feel comfortable with the category). They are then given the clue and must write down a response. If it is correct, they are given the amount they wagered added on to their score to make their final score. If it is incorrect, the amount is deducted. The contestant who has the largest earnings at the end of the game win these earnings and are a Champion. They go on to the next game. The other two contestants are given consolation prizes. In the event all three contestants end up with no winnings (which has happened on several occasions), the next game will feature three new contestants.

Prior to rule changes made on the show for the start of its 20th season in 2003, Jeopardy! contestants were limited to five consecutive wins on the show before retiring as undefeated champions. From the 20th season onward, contestants can remain on the show as long as they continue winning.

A contestant who wins five games automatically qualifies for the Tournament of Champions, while other champions may participate in a Wild Card tournament to later participate in the Tournament. A contestant who loses, but who has a good showing (such as one who has the misfortune of losing to a strong champion) may be invited for a special Second Chance tournament, who could then go to the Wild Card and Tournament. Special tournaments feature high school, college, and former champions.

Alex Trebek hosted the syndicated version of the show from its debut in 1984 until shortly before his death from pancreatic cancer on November 8, 2020, after which a rotating series of guest hosts took over for the remainder of the 2020-2021 season. Hosting of the show was then split between Ken Jennings (who became the most successful contestant in Jeopardy! history during his run as a contestant on the show following the above-noted rule change, winning $4,522,700 during a 74-game winning streak from June to November 2004) and neuroscientist and former Blossom and The Big Bang Theory star Mayim Bialik. A writer's strike caused Bialik to give up her hosting duties; in November 2023 Jennings was named permanent host (the studio where the show is taped was named the Alex Trebek Stage in August 2021).

External links

• Jeopardy! (NBC series) at IMDb
• Jeopardy! (syndicated series) at IMDb