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{{Good article}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2023}}
{{Infobox television
| image = Jeopardy (Sony Pictures Television) 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.
| creator = [[Merv Griffin]]
| director = {{Plainlist|
* Bob Hultgren
* Eleanor Tarshis
* Jeff Goldstein
* Dick Schneider
* [[Kevin McCarthy (director)|Kevin McCarthy]]
* Clay Jacobsen
* Lucinda Owens Margolis
* Russell Norman
}}
| presenter = {{Plainlist|
* [[Art Fleming]]
* [[Alex Trebek]]
* [[Mike Richards (television personality)|Mike Richards]]
* [[Mayim Bialik]]
* [[Ken Jennings]]
}}
| announcer = {{Plainlist|
* [[Don Pardo]]
* [[John Harlan (announcer)|John Harlan]]
* [[Johnny Gilbert]]
}}
| theme_music_composer = {{Plainlist|
* Julann Griffin
* Merv Griffin
* Steve Kaplan
* Chris Bell Music & Sound Design
* [[Bleeding Fingers Music]]
}}
| end_theme = "Think!"
| country = United States
| language = English
| num_seasons = 41
| num_episodes = 9,000+
| executive_producer = {{Plainlist|
* Robert Rubin
* Merv Griffin
* [[Harry Friedman]]
* [[Mike Richards (television personality)|Mike Richards]]
* [[Michael Davies (television producer)|Michael Davies]]
}}
| producer = ''[[#Production staff|see below]]''
| runtime = 22–26 minutes
| ___location = The Alex Trebek Stage (Stage 10)<br />[[Sony Pictures Studios]], [[Culver City, California|Culver City]]
| company = {{Plainlist|
* January Enterprises (1964–1975)
* Califon Enterprises (1978–1979)
* Jeopardy Productions, Inc. (1984–present)
* [[Merv Griffin Enterprises]] (1964–1975, 1978–1979, 1984–1994){{efn|name=MGP|As Merv Griffin Productions from 1964 to 1979.}}
* [[Columbia TriStar Television]] (1994–2002){{efn|name=CTDT|As Columbia TriStar Domestic Television from 2001 to 2002.}}
* [[Sony Pictures Television]]{{efn|name=SPTS|As Sony Pictures Television Studios from 2020 to 2023.|lead=yes}} (2002–present)
<!-- Do not list distributors -->
}}
| network = [[NBC]]
| first_aired = {{Start date|1964|3|30}}
| last_aired = {{End date|1975|1|3}}
| network2 = [[Broadcast syndication|Weekly syndication]]
| 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 = [[Broadcast syndication|Daily syndication]]
| first_aired4 = {{Start date|1984|9|10}}
| last_aired4 = present
| related = {{Plainlist|
* ''[[Jep!]]''
* ''[[Rock & Roll Jeopardy!]]''
* ''[[Sports Jeopardy!]]''
* ''[[Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time]]''
* ''[[Jeopardy! National College Championship]]''
* ''[[Celebrity Jeopardy! (2022 game show)|Celebrity Jeopardy!]]''
* ''[[Jeopardy! Masters]]''
* ''[[Pop Culture Jeopardy!]]''
}}
}}
'''''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.<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 original daytime version debuted on [[NBC]] on March 30, 1964, and aired until January 3, 1975. A nighttime [[Broadcast syndication|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]]{{efn|name=SPTS|lead=yes}}) 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 (announcer)|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 in November 2020, 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 [[Ken Jennings]], each hosting for a few weeks before passing the role on to someone else. Then-[[executive producer]] [[Mike Richards (television personality)|Mike Richards]] 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> [[Mayim Bialik]] 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 [[Prime time|primetime]] [[Television special|specials]] on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]], and [[Media spin-off|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,<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=[[WLS-TV|ABC 7 Chicago]]|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 [[Emmy Award]]s 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 [[Jeopardy! (franchise)#International versions|regional adaptations]] in many other countries.
==Gameplay==
{{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 "[[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?"{{Sfn|Jennings|2006|pp=XII}}
[[File:Jeopardy!_game_board_US.svg|thumb|300px|left|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.|alt=A depiction of the ''Jeopardy!'' game board]]
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>
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.<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=[[MGA Entertainment]]}}</ref> 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.<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>
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 [[Daily double|horse-racing term]].{{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"/>
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" />
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 [[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.<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 [[James Holzhauer]] 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=[[Today (American TV program)|Today]]|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}}
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 [[Braille]] 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>
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}}
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>
===Final Jeopardy!===
{{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 [[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.{{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"/>
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. In tournament play, if the game requires a winner, the standard tiebreaker will be used.
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 [[Rhonda Hatcher]] said that "most players wager aggressively".<ref name="gilbert-hatcher" />{{rp|269}}
===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— originally $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,{{source needed|date=June 2025}} 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}}
===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 on 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> The record for most days with a new returning champion is 13, set in 2002 and tied in 2025.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.tvinsider.com/1200276/jeopardy-one-game-record-husband-wife-jason-singer-susan-mcmillan/|title='Jeopardy!': Did Show Tie Unwanted Record as Husband Aims to Match Wife?|last=Sims|first=Brittany|work=TV Insider|date=July 1, 2025|access-date=July 3, 2025}}</ref>
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 [[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.<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 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> If a light pen failure occurs during the Final Jeopardy! round, extra time is given, and the round could have an outcome on the game; officials have the right to declare co-champions with both affected players being paid their scores.<ref>{{cite episode|title=Show #5454 (Tom Morris vs. Paul Thomas vs. Melanie Harrington)|series=Jeopardy!\date=May 1, 2008|network=Syndicated}}</ref>
===Variations for tournament play===
Throughout each season, ''Jeopardy!'' features various special tournaments for particular groups (as named in "[[#Tournaments and other events|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 [[Seed (sports)|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.{{Sfn|Eisenberg|1993|p=75}}
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}}
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"/>
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>
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==
[[File:Original Jeopardy! Logo.png|thumb|right|300px|Logo for the original "Jeopardy!" (1964–1975)|alt=The text "Jeopardy!" in a stylized font with staggered letters]]
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:
{{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 [[Duluth, Minnesota|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 [[1950s quiz show scandals|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"{{emdash}}and the question of course was "How many feet in a mile?" Another was "79 Wistful Vista"; that was [[Fibber McGee and Molly|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.<ref name="lowry">{{cite news|last=Lowry|first=Cynthia|title=Merv Griffin: Question and Answer Man|agency=Associated Press|newspaper=[[Pasadena Star-News|Independent Star-News]]|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 [[wikt:jeopardy|jeopardies]]."{{Sfn|Trebek|Barsocchini|1990|p=2}}{{Sfn|Griffin|Bender|2003|p=71}}
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.{{Sfn|Abelman|1998|p=270}}
==
===Hosts===
<gallery class="center">
file: Art Fleming in 1970.png|[[Art Fleming]] 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|[[Alex Trebek]] 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|[[Mike Richards (television personality)|Mike Richards]] 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|[[Mayim Bialik]] rotated as host with Ken Jennings from 2021 to 2023.
file:Ken_Jennings_cropped_retouched.jpg|[[Ken Jennings]] rotated as host with Mayim Bialik from 2021 to 2023 and has been sole host since 2023.
</gallery>
[[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,{{Sfn|Harris|2006|p=14}} except when he switched places with ''Wheel of Fortune'' host [[Pat Sajak]] as an [[April Fool's joke]] 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 | work=Outsider | 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 [[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)|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.<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>
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=[[WVNS-TV]]}}</ref> On November 9, 2020, the first episode to air after Trebek's death, executive producer [[Mike Richards (television personality)|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.<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=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|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=[[TheWrap]]|date=December 17, 2020|access-date=December 19, 2020}}</ref>
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 [[Katie Couric]], [[Bill Whitaker (journalist)|Bill Whitaker]], [[Savannah Guthrie]], [[Sanjay Gupta]], [[Anderson Cooper]],<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=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|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=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|author=Ellise Shafer|date=February 2, 2021|access-date=February 15, 2021}}</ref> [[George Stephanopoulos]], and [[Robin Roberts (newscaster)|Robin Roberts]];<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=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|author=Alexandra Del Rosario|date=April 21, 2021|access-date=April 21, 2021}}</ref> athlete [[Aaron Rodgers]]; talk show host [[Mehmet Oz]]; actress [[Mayim Bialik]];<ref name="guest hosts I"/><ref name="guest hosts II"/> former children's show host [[LeVar Burton]]; business journalist [[David Faber (journalist)|David Faber]]; and sportscaster [[Joe Buck]].<ref name="guest hosts III"/> In addition, the 2021 [[Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions|Tournament of Champions]] was hosted by [[Buzzy Cohen]], 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=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|author=Alexandra Del Rosario|date=April 14, 2021|access-date=April 15, 2021}}</ref>
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=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|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=[[Sony Pictures Television]]|via=[[The Futon Critic]]|date=August 11, 2021|access-date=August 11, 2021}}</ref> On August 20, following a report from ''[[The Ringer (website)|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.<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=[[CNN]]|author=[[Brian Stelter]]|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=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|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=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|author=Nellie Andreeva|date=December 8, 2021|access-date=December 8, 2021}}</ref>
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 [[Celebrity Jeopardy! (2022 game show)|new celebrity edition of ''Jeopardy!'']], 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=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|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=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|author=Brian Steinberg|date=July 27, 2022|access-date=July 27, 2022}}</ref> However, in January 2023, ABC announced Jennings would host a ''[[Jeopardy! Masters]]'' 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 [[2023 Writers Guild of America strike]], 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=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|author=Peter White|date=May 11, 2023|access-date=May 24, 2023}}</ref> Bialik formally went [[2023 SAG-AFTRA strike|on strike]] with her union, [[SAG-AFTRA]], 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=[[New York Post]] }}</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=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|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=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|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=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|author=J. Kim Murphy|date=December 15, 2023|access-date=January 2, 2024}}</ref>
===Announcers===
[[File:Jgilbert 2008 cropped.png|200px|thumb|left|Johnny Gilbert has been the announcer of ''Jeopardy!'' since 1984.]]
[[Don Pardo]] held the role of announcer on the NBC version and weekly syndicated version,{{Sfn|Harris|2006|p=13}} while [[John Harlan (announcer)|John Harlan]] replaced him for ''The All-New Jeopardy!''{{Sfn|Terrace|1985|p=214}} 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.<ref name="NYTGilbert">{{cite news|title=On Alex Trebek's Final 'Jeopardy!,' a Last Introduction From a Friend |work=[[The New York Times]] |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===
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 [[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."<ref name="Clue Crew Auditions"/>
[[File:Kelly Miyahara.jpg|thumb|Kelly Miyahara, a member of the ''Jeopardy!'' Clue Crew, on set in 2009]]
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=[[Daily News (New York)|Daily News]]|___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 ''[[Sports Jeopardy!]]'' 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>
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]].<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=[[Uproxx]]|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 |date=December 6, 2018 |publisher=Spokesman-Review |access-date=January 10, 2020 |ref=Spokane}}</ref>
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 ''[[Merchandise based on Jeopardy!#Classroom Jeopardy!|Classroom Jeopardy!]]''<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>
===Production staff===
{{multiple image
| width1 = 165
| image1 = Merv_Griffin.jpg
| caption1 = [[Merv Griffin]] 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 = [[Harry Friedman]] 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"/>
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 ''[[Concentration (game show)#Classic Concentration (1987–1991)|Classic Concentration]]'' 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, [[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,<ref>{{cite web|title=This is JEOPARDY! – Show Guide – Bios – Harry Friedman|url=https://www.jeopardy.com/about/cast/harry-friedman|publisher=[[Sony Pictures Digital]] 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"/>
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, [[Kevin McCarthy (director)|Kevin McCarthy]],{{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 2022. Jacobsen was then succeeded by Russell Norman near the end of Season 38, though some episodes beginning in Season 39 are directed by Lucinda Owens Margolis instead.<ref name="Production Credits"/>
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>
Naomi Slodki is the [[production designer]] 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 [[Ed Flesh]] (who also designed sets for other game shows such as ''[[Pyramid (game show)|The $25,000 Pyramid]]'', ''[[Name That Tune]]'', 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=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|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>
On August 1, 2019, SPT announced that Friedman would retire as executive producer of both ''Jeopardy!'' and ''[[Wheel of Fortune (American game show)|Wheel of Fortune]]'' 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=[[Broadcasting & Cable]]|author=Paige Albiniak|date=August 1, 2019|access-date=August 8, 2021}}</ref> [[Mike Richards (television personality)|Mike Richards]] 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=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|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. [[Michael Davies (television producer)|Michael Davies]] from [[Embassy Row (production company)|Embassy Row]], which produces the 2021 revival of the American version of another Sony game show, ''[[Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (American game show)|Who Wants to Be a Millionaire]]'',{{efn|Sony acquired ''Millionaire'' owner [[2waytraffic]] in 2008. However, at the time of the purchase, the American version was distributed by distributor Paramount's rival [[Disney–ABC Domestic Television]].|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=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|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=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|author=Lesley Goldberg|date=April 14, 2022|access-date=April 14, 2022}}</ref>
==Production==
The daily syndicated version of ''Jeopardy!'' is produced by [[Sony Pictures Television]]{{efn|name=SPTS|lead=yes}} (previously known as [[Columbia TriStar Television]], the successor company to original producer [[Merv Griffin Enterprises]]).<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 [[Sony Pictures Entertainment]].<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Company Overview of Jeopardy Productions, Inc|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=6699051|magazine=[[Bloomberg Businessweek]]|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 [[CBS Media Ventures]],{{efn|name=CTD|As CBS Television Distribution from 2007 to 2021.|lead=yes}} which absorbed original distributor [[King World Productions]] 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> However, in November 2024, CBS was sued by Sony, alleging that the company was engaging in preferential treatment of CBS-owned programming that prevented it from meeting its obligations to maximize the value of ''Wheel'' and ''Jeopardy!'' on the syndication market. The company cited the bundling of lower-rated CBS shows with ''Wheel'' and ''Jeopardy!'' (such as ''[[The Drew Barrymore Show]]'' and ''[[Hot Bench]]''), prioritizing the clearance of its wholly owned shows (such as ''[[Entertainment Tonight]]'') on the highest-rated stations in markets at the expense of the game shows, and laying off their dedicated marketing teams during layoffs associated with the CBS/[[Viacom (2005–2019)|Viacom]] merger. Furthermore, a secondary charge was that CBS had given preferential treatment to their [[Network 10|Australian network]] in offering a new Australian revival of ''Wheel'' to their own network. Sony argued that the cutbacks had "kneecapped its ability to meet its contractual obligations".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Maddaus |first=Gene |date=2024-10-31 |title=Sony Sues CBS for Self-Dealing on 'Wheel of Fortune' and 'Jeopardy!' |url=https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/wheel-of-fortune-jeopardy-sony-sues-cbs-lawsuit-1236196675/ |access-date=2024-11-05 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref> A California judge initially ruled in favor of Sony, allowing the studio to assume distribution rights. However, that ruling was temporarily paused on appeal, leaving ''Wheel'' and ''Jeopardy!'' with CBS in the interim.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Littleton|first=Cynthia |date=2025-04-16 |title= CBS Temporarily Regains 'Wheel of Fortune' and 'Jeopardy' Distribution Rights From Sony Pictures TV on Appeal |url= https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/cbs-regains-wheel-of-fortune-jeopardy-rights-1236371145/ |access-date=2025-05-22 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref>
The original ''Jeopardy!'' series was taped in Studio 6A at [[NBC Studios (New York City)|NBC Studios]] at [[30 Rockefeller Plaza]] in New York City,<ref name="master books">NBC daily broadcast log, Master Books microfilm. [[Library of Congress]] Motion Picture and Television Reading Room.</ref> and ''The All-New Jeopardy!'' was taped in Studio 3 at NBC's [[The Burbank Studios|Burbank Studios]] at 3000 West Alameda Avenue in [[Burbank, California]].{{Sfn|Schwartz|Ryan|Wostbrock|1999|pp=112–115}} The Trebek version was initially taped at [[Metromedia Square|Metromedia]] Stage 7, [[KTTV]], on [[Sunset Boulevard]] in Hollywood,{{Sfn|Schwartz|Ryan|Wostbrock|1999|pp=112–115}} but moved its production facilities to [[Sunset Las Palmas Studios|Hollywood Center Studios]]' Stage 1 in 1985. In 1994 the ''Jeopardy!'' production facilities moved to [[Sony Pictures Studios]]' Stage 10 on [[Washington Boulevard (Los Angeles)|Washington Boulevard]] in [[Culver City, California]],{{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=[[Good Morning America]]|date=September 13, 2021|access-date=September 13, 2021}}</ref>
On January 13, 2025, it was announced that ''Jeopardy!'' would suspend production due to the [[January 2025 Southern California wildfires]] in the [[Southern California]] region, where the show is filmed. Taping resumed shortly thereafter once the fires were extinguished.<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>
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=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]|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 began in March 2019; during that time, some weeks had three episodes taped within a single day, while some had two episodes taped within a single day. This altered schedule lasted until Trebek's last taping day on October 29, 2020 (he died ten days later on November 8, 2020, prior to the next scheduled taping).<ref>{{cite news |last1=DeLetter |first1=Emily |date=January 15, 2021 |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 |publisher=Lafayette Journal & Courier |issue=January 15, 2021 |ref=PurdueChamp}}</ref>
===
[[File:Jeopardy! set evolution (daily syndication).jpg|250px|right|thumb|Various sets used by the syndicated version over the years. From top to bottom: 1984–85, 1985–91, 1991–96, 1996–2002, 2002–09, and 2009–13.|alt=Various screen shots of the ''Jeopardy!'' set]]
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 [[Sony Electronics]].<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 ''[[Wheel of Fortune (American game show)|Wheel of Fortune]]'' 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}}
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 [[high-definition television|high-definition broadcasts]] in 2006.<ref name="officialannouncement"/> During this time, [[virtual tour]]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 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 [[standard-definition television]] broadcasts, episodes continue displaying with an [[Aspect ratio (image)|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, Nevada|Winchester]] ([[Las Vegas Valley]]), [[Nevada]], 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>
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=[[Toronto Star]]|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 [[Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on television in the United States|COVID-19 pandemic ended the 2020 season early]].<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>
===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>
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", ''[[Boston Globe]]'', 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 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=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|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 [[Broadcast Music, Inc.]] (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=[[Los Angeles Times]]|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 [[Bleeding Fingers Music]] and has been used since 2021.<ref>{{Cite episode|series=Jeopardy!|date=September 14, 2021|season=38|number=2}}</ref>
===Audition process===
{{Main|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.{{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 [[Winnebago Industries|Winnebago]] 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>
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.'"<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=[[Newsweek]]|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> Contestants are remunerated, however, if they are returning champions, invited back because of a production infraction, or taping of tournaments for returning players. These situations apply when there is a break between taping sessions, Tournament of Champions, and related special tournaments. 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/>
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!''<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=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]|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>
==Broadcast history==
{{Main|Broadcast of Jeopardy!}}
The original ''Jeopardy!'' series premiered on [[NBC]] 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 ''[[Hollywood Squares|The Hollywood Squares]]''.{{Sfn|Fabe|1979|p=95}} 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.{{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 [[Metromedia]] 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 pm Through Midnight on Dec. 31, 1999 |work=[[Business Wire]]|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 [[bingo (U.S.)|bingo]]) 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>
[[File:Jeopardy World Locations.svg|thumb|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 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 [[CBS Studios International]].<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. ''[[Rock & Roll Jeopardy!]]'' debuted on [[VH1]] in 1998{{Sfn|Austen|2005|p=210}} and ran until 2001. The format centered around post-1950s popular music trivia and was hosted by [[Jeff Probst]].{{Sfn|Newcomb|2004|pp=1222–1224}} ''[[Jep!]]'', which aired on [[Game Show Network|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.<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=[https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaoftv0000schw/page/115 115]}}</ref> ''[[Sports Jeopardy!]]'', a sports-themed version hosted by [[Dan Patrick (sportscaster)|Dan Patrick]], premiered in 2014 on the [[Crackle (service)|Crackle]] digital service and eventually moved to the cable sports network [[NBCSN]] 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=[[Associated Press]]|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, ''[[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 [[Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on television in the United States|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.<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>
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=[[Deadline Hollywood]]}}</ref> [[Ken Jennings]] 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>
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 [[National Football League|NFL]], [[National Basketball Association|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.
==
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 [[kinescope]]s of the original color [[videotape]]s.{{Sfn|Eisenberg|1993|p=240}} Various episodes from 1967, 1971, 1973, and 1974 are listed among the holdings of the [[UCLA Film and Television Archive]].<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=[[UCLA Film and Television Archive]]|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 [[Paley Center for Media]].<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!'' [[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.<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 | 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 | Jeopardy.com}}</ref> 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 [[Microform|microfilm]] at the [[Library of Congress]]. [[Game Show Network|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.<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, ''[[Vulture.com|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.<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=[[Vulture.com|Vulture]]|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=[[TV Insider]]|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>
==
[[File:Alex Trebek (7269139314).jpg|thumb|Alex Trebek with the Peabody Award, 2012|alt=A shot of Alex Trebek holding an award]]
By 1994, the press called ''Jeopardy!'' "an American icon".<ref name="cgw199405">{{Cite magazine
|date=May 1994
|title=Taking A Peek
|url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1994&pub=2&id=118
|magazine=Computer Gaming World
|pages=174–180
|access-date=November 11, 2017
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140703000430/http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1994&pub=2&id=118
|archive-date=July 3, 2014
|url-status=live
}}</ref> It has won a record 45 [[Daytime Emmy Award]]s.<ref>{{cite web|title=Awards|url=https://www.jeopardy.com/about/awards|website=Jeopardy!|access-date=May 8, 2025}}</ref> The program holds the record for the [[Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game/Audience Participation Show]], 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 [[Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host|Outstanding Game Show Host]].<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=[[Sony Pictures Entertainment]]|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 [[Peabody Award]] 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, ''[[TV Guide]]'' 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 ''[[The Price Is Right]]''.<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 [its viewers] 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 ''[[Match Game]]''.<ref>{{Cite AV media|type=TV production|title=The 50 Greatest Game Shows of All Time|publisher=GSN|date=August 31, 2006}}</ref>
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>
In 1989, original host Art 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.<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=[[YouTube]] |date=April 30, 2015 }}</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}}
==Tournaments and other events==
{{Main|List of Jeopardy! tournaments and events}}
===Regular events===
Throughout all forms of the show, it has held an annual [[Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions|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;<ref name=1969tourney>[https://www.newspapers.com/image/?clipping_id=11779855&fcfToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJmcmVlLXZpZXctaWQiOjI3Mjk2OTI4NCwiaWF0IjoxNTU2NTg3NTQ0LCJleHAiOjE1NTY2NzM5NDR9.Q-i5yDVjpxd-2WhopFo8Z12DfxDvMkRRw55azxNfWSE Jeopardy! champs begin tournament]. ''Fort Lauderdale News'' (October 12, 1969).</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://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 [[Jeopardy! Teen Tournament|Teen Tournament]], with a $100,000 top prize;<ref name="CBS Press Express"/> the [[Jeopardy! College Championship|College Championship]], in which undergraduate students from American colleges and universities compete for a $100,000 top prize; and the [[List of Jeopardy! tournaments and events#Teachers Tournament|Teachers Tournament]], 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 [[List of Jeopardy! tournaments and events#Celebrity Jeopardy!|Celebrity ''Jeopardy!'']], in which celebrities and other notable individuals compete for charitable organizations of their choice,{{Sfn|Richmond|2004|p=110}} and [[List of Jeopardy! tournaments and events#Kids Week|Kids Week]], 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=[[Sony Pictures Digital|Columbia TriStar Interactive]]|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>
===Special events===
{{See also|Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time}}
Three [[List of Jeopardy! tournaments and events#International Tournaments|International Tournaments]], held in 1996, 1997, and 2001, featured one-week competitions among champions from each of the [[International versions of Jeopardy!|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.{{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 [[Stockholm]] 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, [[Magnus Härenstam]].
There have been several special tournaments featuring the greatest contestants in ''Jeopardy!'' history. The first was ''[[List of Jeopardy! tournaments and events#Other all-time best tournaments|Super Jeopardy!]]'', aired in 1990 on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]], where 35 top contestants from the previous seasons of the Trebek version and [[Burns Cameron|one champion from the original ''Jeopardy!'' series]] competed for a top prize of $250,000.{{Sfn|Brooks|Marsh|2009|p=696}} This was followed in later years by the [[List of Jeopardy! tournaments and events#Other all-time best tournaments|Tenth Anniversary Tournament]] in 1993;{{Sfn|Richmond|2004|p=120}} the [[List of Jeopardy! tournaments and events#Other all-time best tournaments|Million Dollar Masters]] tournament (taking place at [[Radio City Music Hall]]) in 2002;{{Sfn|Richmond|2004|p=200}} the 15-week [[Jeopardy! Ultimate Tournament of Champions|Ultimate Tournament of Champions]] (featuring 145 former champions competing against one another, 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 [[Jeopardy! Battle of the Decades|Battle of the Decades]] 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=[[Fairfax Times]] |date=January 31, 2014 |access-date=January 31, 2014 }}</ref> In 2020, ''Jeopardy!'' returned to ABC primetime for the [[Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time|''Greatest of All Time'' tournament]] where Jennings, [[Brad Rutter]], and [[James Holzhauer]] 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=[[USA Today]] |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>
The [[List of Jeopardy! tournaments and events#IBM Challenge|IBM Challenge]] aired in February 2011 and featured [[IBM]]'s [[Watson (computer)|Watson]] 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 million, which IBM divided between two charities ([[World Vision International]] and [[World Community Grid]]).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.worldcommunitygrid.org/about_us/viewNewsArticle.do?articleId=148|title=World Community Grid to benefit from Jeopardy! competition|publisher=[[World Community Grid]]|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=[[CNN]]|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>
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 (Jeopardy! contestant)|David Madden]] and [[Larissa Kelly]] 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=[[News and Record]]|date=March 1, 2019|access-date=March 2, 2019}}</ref>
==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.{{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 [[American game show winnings records#All-time top 25 winnings list|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<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 [[CSI: Crime Scene Investigation|''CSI'']].{{Sfn|McNear|2022|pp=53}} In addition to these winnings on the daily ''Jeopardy!'' series, Jennings returned for a number of [[List of Jeopardy! tournaments and events|special tournaments]], taking home the following: the second-place prize of $500,000 in the 2005 [[Jeopardy! Ultimate Tournament of Champions|Ultimate Tournament of Champions]], the $300,000-second-place prize in the 2011 [[List of Jeopardy! tournaments and events#IBM Challenge|IBM Challenge]], the $123,600-second-place prize in the 2014 [[Jeopardy! Battle of the Decades|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 [[List of Jeopardy! tournaments and events#Other all-time best tournaments|All-Star Games]],<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=[[TVLine]] |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 ''[[Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time|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).<ref name="Jeopardy Show History">{{cite web |title='Jeopardy!' Battle of the Decades Tournament winner Brad Rutter wins $1 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=dead }}</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 [[Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions|Tournament of Champions]],<ref>{{cite news|last=Stauffer|first=Cindy|title=Manheim Twp. man back in 'Jeopardy!' in Million Dollar Masters Tournament|publisher = [[Lancaster New Era]]|date=May 1, 2002}}</ref> the $1 million first-place prize in 2002's [[List of Jeopardy! tournaments and events#Other all-time best tournaments|Million Dollar Masters Tournament]], the $2 million 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=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]|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.
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<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 [[Roger Craig (Jeopardy! contestant)|Roger Craig]], 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 [[Matt Amodio]] and [[Amy Schneider]] 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 [[American game show winnings records|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.<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 ''[[The Chase (American game show)|The Chase]]'',<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 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]],<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=[[The New York Times]]|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=[[The New York Times]]|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=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|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=[[TVLine]]|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=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|author=Greg Evans|date=January 24, 2022|access-date=January 25, 2022}}</ref><ref name="Jeopardy! HoF" /> [[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.<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=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|author=Bruce Haring|date=May 6, 2022|access-date=May 7, 2022}}</ref><ref name="Jeopardy! HoF" />
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]].<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>
Four contestants on the Trebek version share the record for winning a game with the lowest amount possible, at $1. The first was [[United States Air Force|U.S. Air Force]] 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 [[Benjamin Salisbury]], 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 [[Brandi Chastain]], 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 [[United States Navy|U.S. Navy]] Lieutenant Manny Abell, on the episode that aired October 17, 2017.<ref name="One Dollar 2017"/>{{Sfn|McNear|2022|pp=140}}
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 [[LeVar Burton]], 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>
===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 25, 2025.<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|[[Ken Jennings]]}}
|74
|2004
|-
!2
|{{Nowrap|[[Amy Schneider]]}}
|40
|2022
|-
!3
|{{Nowrap|[[Matt Amodio]]}}
|38
|2021
|-
!4
|{{Nowrap|[[James Holzhauer]]}}
|32
|2019
|-
!5
|{{Nowrap|[[Mattea Roach]]}}
|23
|2022
|-
!6
|{{Nowrap|[[Cris Pannullo]]}}
|21
|2022
|-
!7
|{{Nowrap|[[Julia Collins (gameshow contestant)|Julia Collins]]}}
|20
|2014
|-
!8
|{{Nowrap|[[Jason Zuffranieri]]}}
|19
|2019
|-
!8
|{{Nowrap|[[David Madden (Jeopardy! contestant)|David Madden]]}}
|19
|2005
|-
!10
|{{Nowrap|[[Ryan Long (Jeopardy! contestant)|Ryan Long]]}}
|16
|2022
|-
!10
|Scott Riccardi
|16
|2025
|}
{{Col-2-of-4}}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!rowspan=2|
!colspan=2|Regular-season winnings
|-
!Contestant
!Amount
|-
!1
|{{Nowrap|[[Ken Jennings]]}}
|$2,520,700
|-
!2
|{{Nowrap|[[James Holzhauer]]}}
|$2,462,216
|-
!3
|{{Nowrap|[[Matt Amodio]]}}
|$1,518,601
|-
!4
|{{Nowrap|[[Amy Schneider]]}}
|$1,382,800
|-
!5
|{{Nowrap|[[Cris Pannullo]]}}
|$748,286
|-
!6
|{{Nowrap|[[Mattea Roach]]}}
|$560,983
|-
!7
|{{Nowrap|[[Jason Zuffranieri]]}}
|$532,496
|-
!8
|Scott Riccardi
|$455,000
|-
!9
| {{Nowrap|[[David Madden (Jeopardy! contestant)|David Madden]]}}
|$430,400
|-
!10
|{{Nowrap|[[Julia Collins (gameshow contestant)|Julia Collins]]}}
|$428,100
|}
{{Col-3-of-4}}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!rowspan=2|
!colspan=3|Single-game winnings
|-
!Contestant
!Amount
!Date
|-
!1
|{{Nowrap|[[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
|}
{{Col-4-of-4}}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!rowspan=2|
!colspan=3|All-time winnings
|-
!Contestant
!Amount
|-
!1
|{{Nowrap|[[Brad Rutter]]}}
|$4,938,436
|-
!2
|{{Nowrap|[[Ken Jennings]]}}
|$4,370,700
|-
!3
|{{Nowrap|[[James Holzhauer]]}}
|$3,612,216
|-
!4
|{{Nowrap|[[Amy Schneider]]}}
|$1,682,800
|-
!5
|{{Nowrap|[[Matt Amodio]]}}
|$1,668,601
|-
!6
|{{Nowrap|[[Mattea Roach]]}}
|$810,983
|-
!7
|{{Nowrap|[[David Madden (Jeopardy! contestant)|David Madden]]}}
|$763,733
|-
!8
|{{Nowrap|[[Cris Pannullo]]}}
|$748,286
|-
!9
|{{Nowrap|[[Larissa Kelly]]}}
|$655,930
|-
!10
|{{Nowrap|[[Victoria Groce]]}}
|$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 ''[[Cheers]]'' (in the episode "[[What Is... Cliff Clavin?]]"),{{Sfn|Bjorklund|1997|p=231}} ''[[The Golden Girls]]'',<ref>{{cite episode |title=Questions and Answers |series=The Golden Girls |network=NBC |air-date=February 1992}}</ref> ''[[Mama's Family]]'',<ref>{{Cite episode |title=Mama on Jeopardy! |series=Mama's Family |network=Syndication |date=February 3, 1988 |season=4 |number=23}}</ref> ''[[Family Guy]]'',<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 ''[[The Simpsons]]'',<ref name="bbc-miracle">{{cite web|title=Miracle on Evergreen Terrace|publisher=[[BBC]]|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, ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' featured [[Celebrity Jeopardy! (Saturday Night Live)|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]]).{{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=[[IGN]]|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, ''[[Recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches introduced 2013–2014#Black Jeopardy!|Black Jeopardy!]]'',{{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 ''[[White Men Can't Jump]]'' features a subplot in which the character Gloria Clemente ([[Rosie Perez]]) passes the auditions and competes on the program.{{Sfn|Jennings|2006|pp=16–17}} 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,{{Sfn|Boswell|2003|p=70}} and then uses her winnings to pay for the care of her brother, who has [[autism]].<ref>Reprinting of "Little Expressionless Animals" in ''Girl with Curious Hair'', pp. 3–42, published by [[W. W. Norton & Company]], 1996, {{ISBN|978-0-393-31396-3}}.</ref> 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 (song)|Jeopardy]]".{{Sfn|McNear|2022|pp=145–146}} Released months before the Trebek version premiered, 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.<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 [[DEF CON]] hacker conference in [[Las Vegas]], a variant called '[[Hacker]] 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 [[Kevin Mitnick]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Schell |first=Bernadette H. |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, [[Milton Bradley Company|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]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://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 [[History of video games|hardware generations]], starting with a [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] 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 [[personal computer]]s (starting in 1987 with [[Apple II]], [[Commodore 64]], and [[MS-DOS]] versions<ref>{{cite web |title=Jeopardy! [1987] – PC – IGN |url=http://www.ign.com/games/jeopardy-1987/pc-765468 |website=[[IGN]] |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, [[Android (operating system)|Android]], and the [[Roku]] 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 [[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)<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", [[About.com]] praised the official ''Jeopardy!'' website for featuring "everything [visitors] need to know about the show, as well as some fun interactive elements", and for having a humorous [[HTTP 404|error page]].<ref>{{cite web|title=2012 Readers' Choice Awards Game Show Winners|last=Grosvenor|first=Carrie|work=About.com Entertainment |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=[[Sony Corporation of America]]|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 ==
* [[List of Jeopardy! contestants|List of ''Jeopardy!'' contestants]]
* [[Strategies and skills of Jeopardy! champions|Strategies and skills of ''Jeopardy!'' champions]]
== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}
==
'''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=[[University of South Carolina Press]]|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=[[Random House]]|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=[[Doubleday (publisher)|Doubleday]]|___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=[[Simon & Schuster]]|isbn=978-0-7434-5696-8}}
* {{cite book|last=Harris|first=Bob|title=Prisoner of Trebekistan: A Decade in Jeopardy!|publisher=[[Random House]] 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=[[CRC Press]]|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=[[Barnes & Noble]] 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=[[McFarland & Company]]|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=[[Harper Perennial]]|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 Wikipedia|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=(1964-1975)}}
* {{IMDb title|id=0159881|title=Jeopardy!|description=(1984–present)}}
* {{IMDb title|id=0159845|title=The All-New Jeopardy!|description=(1978-79)}}
* {{
* [http://
{{Jeopardy!}}
{{Daytime Emmy Award Outstanding Game/Audience Participation Show}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jeopardy!}}
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