| Jeopardy! | |
|---|---|
_logo.svg){kind=logo} Jeopardy! logo used since 1984 | |
| Created by | Merv Griffin |
| Original work | Jeopardy! |
| Owners | Sony Pictures Television Jeopardy Productions, Inc. |
| Years | 1964–present |
| Print publications | |
| Book(s) |
|
| Films and television | |
| Film(s) | White Men Can't Jump (1992)† |
| Television series |
|
| Games | |
| Traditional | SeeBoard games section |
| Video game(s) | SeeVideo games section |
| Audio | |
| Original music | "Think!" (theme music) |
| Miscellaneous | |
| Theme park attraction(s) | Ellen's Energy Adventure (1996–2017)† |
| Educational system | Classroom Jeopardy! (2002–present) |
| Genre | Game show |
| Official website | |
| Official website | |
| †Jeopardy! and its elements (such as its set and hostAlex Trebek) were licensed for use in this work. | |
Jeopardy! is an Americanmedia franchise that began witha television quiz show created byMerv Griffin, in which contestants are presented with clues in the form of answers, and must phrase their responses in the form of a question. Over the years, the show has expanded its brand beyond television and been licensed into products of various formats.
Jeopardy! originated as an American television series on March 30, 1964. In its originaldaytime format, it ran until 1975 onNBC, then was revived by the same network for a 21-week run (with a slightly different format) from 1978 to 1979.Art Fleming hosted the program during its entire run on NBC. The current version ofJeopardy! debuted in first-runsyndication in September 1984 withAlex Trebek as the second host, and officially as of December 15, 2023,Ken Jennings as the show's fifth host. It followed the same basic format as the NBC version, with larger prize money and a futuristic set.
With the exception of a 39-episode block of weekly shows placed into syndication near the end of the first NBC run in 1974 and 1975,Jeopardy! has aired its first-run episodes five days a week throughout its existence.
Variousinternational versions have been produced for countries other than the United States. With the exception of the Australian,British, Italian, and Japanese versions, all of these began during the current syndicated run in the U.S.
In 1990, hostAlex Trebek co-authoredThe Jeopardy! Book along with Peter Barsocchini, which included boards from some of their past tournament games as well as boards specializing in some of the show's various categories. Also included are behind-the-scenes photos of how the show is produced, including writing the game material. (Trebek also voiced the audiobook, which featured the "behind the scenes" material on tape one, and audio versions of select games from the book on tape two.) Its sequelThe Jeopardy! Challenge, also co-authored by Trebek, along with Griffin, included boards from their past tournament games, and was published in 1992.
In 2000, the show's writers released 4 volumes of quiz books titledJeopardy!: What is Quiz Book 1–4?, each featuring more than 300 pages worth of Jeopardy! boards from Seasons 14–17.
In 2004,Barnes & Noble publishedThis is Jeopardy!: Celebrating America's Favorite Quiz Show, in honor of the show's 20th anniversary. Written by Ray Richmond, it featured selected Final Jeopardy! answers and questions from each of the show's first 20 seasons, plus trivia and other notable facts about the show. The book was released prior toKen Jennings' run on the show.
The Jeopardy! Book of Answers was released in 2018 in honor of the show's 35th anniversary. Written by executive producerHarry Friedman, it highlighted the show's premiere (September 10, 1984), Ken Jennings' first and last games (June 2, 2004 and November 30, 2004, respectively), the 2009–2010 Million Dollar Celebrity Invitational finals (May 6–7, 2010), the IBM Challenge (February 14–16, 2011), theBattle of the Decades finals (May 15–16, 2014), the Season 33 College Championship finals (February 23–24, 2017), the Season 33 Teachers Tournament finals (May 18–19, 2017), and the Season 34 Tournament of Champions finals (November 16–17, 2017).
A number of unauthorized books have been published aboutJeopardy!, written by people with ties to the show.Inside Jeopardy!: What Really Goes on at TV's Top Quiz Show (1993), written by formerJeopardy! writer and producer Harry Eisenberg, was reissued in 1995 asJeopardy!: A Revealing Look Inside TV's Top Quiz Show with several allegations of scandal removed. Eisenberg's books contained numerous factual errors and unsubstantiated claims.[1]Secrets of the Jeopardy! Champions (1992), written by Tournament of Champions winnersChuck Forrest andMark Lowenthal, andHow to Get on Jeopardy! and Win! (1998), written by Tournament of Champions winner Michael Dupée, serve as preparation aids for theJeopardy! contestant hopeful; andBrainiac: Adventures in the Curious, Competitive, Compulsive World of Trivia Buffs (2006), by 74-game winner and later hostKen Jennings andPrisoner of Trebekistan: A Decade in Jeopardy! (2006), written by comedian and former contestantBob Harris, provide the insights of the extensiveJeopardy! experiences of two other notable champions who subsequently became authors of several books each.
Trebek's autobiographyThe Answer Is... features the show prominently and draws its name from the show's catchphrase.[2]
The earliestboard games based onJeopardy! were produced byMilton Bradley, which produced thirteen such games throughout the course of the original Fleming version's run (issued annually from 1964 through 1976); these games were numbered 1–12 and 14,skipping 13.
The Trebek version has also seen various board game adaptations of its own.Pressman Toy Corporation first marketed several versions in the mid-to-late 1980s, including a version with electric signal devices and scoring consoles released in 1987, a "junior" edition (with questions for children ages 8–12) and a "25th Anniversary Edition" to mark the anniversary of the originalArt Fleming version debut; the latter had special games featuring questions relating to the 1960s (although mistakenly stating that the original version debuted in 1965 rather than in 1964), in addition to new questions. Later versions were produced in the early 2000s, including a standard version, a version themed afterThe Simpsons, and most recently, anESPN-branded sports version (in both standard and "travel folio" variants) which, like the 1987 version before it, features an electronic buzz-in console.Tyco Toys andParker Brothers have also manufactured their own board game adaptations of the Trebek version ofJeopardy![3]
In both the Milton Bradley and Pressman versions, each game (a full Jeopardy! and Double Jeopardy! round) had five categories each; the host designated one of the Double Jeopardy! questions as "Final Jeopardy." The game played identically to the show otherwise.
Jeopardy! has been adapted into a number ofvideo games released on various consoles and handhelds spanning multiplehardware generations.[4] MostJeopardy! games released prior to 1998 were published byGameTek, which filed forChapter 11 bankruptcy protection that year.
AnAtari 2600 adaptation ofJeopardy! was planned by The Great Game Co. in 1983, but that game ended up beingcancelled during development.[7] This would have been the only video game based on the Fleming version if it were released.
Then, from 1987 to 1990,Rare developed a series of threeJeopardy! games for theNintendo Entertainment System. The first features general knowledge questions,[8] the second is a "Junior Edition" featuring easier questions and child contestants,[9] and the third is an "Anniversary Edition" honoring the 25th anniversary of the originalArt Fleming version's debut.[10] TheSuper Jeopardy! specials were given a video game adaptation for the NES, titledTalking Super Jeopardy! because of its periodic use of voice synthesis.[11]Entertainment Weekly gave the game a C.[12]
In 1992, GameTek releasedJeopardy! video games for theSuper NES[13] and theGenesis.[14] These two games were followed up by "Deluxe Editions"[15][16] and "Sports Editions"[17][18][19] in 1993 and 1994 respectively. Of the "Sports Editions" in particular,Computer Gaming World said that despite their "many flaws", they "[exude] a certain degree of charm" in emulating the positive and negative aspects of the television show.[17] Later in 1994,Sony Imagesoft created a game based on the show for theSega CD (with a subsequent PC version released in 1995),[20][21] whilePhilips Interactive Media released a version onCD-i the following year, with clues being read byWheel of Fortune announcerCharlie O'Donnell instead of Alex Trebek.[22] GameTek's lastJeopardy! video game was completed and released after its bankruptcy,[23] being published in 1998 for theNintendo 64. It received negative reviews which criticized its graphics (particularly the absence of animation on the contestants) and the frequent recycling of questions.[24][25] According to Gametek, the latter issue results from the fact that the game loses track of which questions have already been used every time the Nintendo 64 is powered off.[25]
Hasbro Interactive produced twoJeopardy! video game adaptations of its own forSony Computer Entertainment'sPlayStation console in 1998 and 2000 (with subsequent PC versions released in the same years as the PlayStation versions); both versions feature clues that are read by announcerJohnny Gilbert instead of hostAlex Trebek, while the latter appears in FMV sequences;[26] while the second edition features behind-the-scenes interviews, an all-access backstage video, and a qualifying exam for contestants.[27] Afterwards, Hasbro Interactive's successorAtari Interactive released aPlayStation 2 edition in October 2003 (with a PC version released the previous year).[28] Then in 2008,Sony Online Entertainment created aJeopardy! game for thePlayStation 3 through thePlayStation Network, using theGamebryo engine.[29]
On November 2, 2010,THQ releasedJeopardy! video games for theWii[30] andNintendo DS platforms.[31] The company followed those up in 2012 by releasing games based on the show as a reworked version of the Wii version for the PlayStation 3, theWii U, andMicrosoft'sXbox 360.[32]
On November 6, 2017,Ubisoft releasedJeopardy! forPlayStation 4, andXbox One, using theUnity engine. It would later be released on theNintendo Switch a year later. However, the generic female host takes over Alex Trebek (before his death in 2020), while Johnny Gilbert still remains as announcer on the title screen, following the show's opening titles.
AGame Boy version ofJeopardy! was released by GameTek in 1991,[33] and went on to spawn a "Sports Edition."[34] Both versions were ported to the Game Boy'sSega rival, theGame Gear.[35][36] The gameplay in theSports Edition is identical to the Super NES and Genesis versions, though the portable versions lack thedigitized voice and image of Alex Trebek and support only two players (where the console versions support three).[37]Tiger Electronics also released severalJeopardy! electronic games of its own, including a version for itsGame.com system.[38] In 2004, Majesco Entertainment planned a port ofJeopardy! for Game Boy Color,[39] but those plans failed to materialize because the handheld had been discontinued by then.
In 2010,Sony Pictures Television, the show's production company, released an adaptation for theiPhone,iPod Touch, andiPad.[40] The system was updated in 2012 with a number of online and local multiplayer modes.[40]
In May 18, 2017,Sony Pictures Television once again released another adaptation, this time called as theJeopardy! World Tour, for free on iOS and Android devices.[41]
There have been many adaptations forpersonal computers. The first was released in 1987 by ShareData, which also released versions for theApple II and theCommodore 64.[42] Sony Imagesoft later released an MS-DOS version in 1994, along with the Sega CD version.[43] In 1998, shortly after GameTek's closure, Hasbro Interactive created a Windows edition ofJeopardy!,[44] which was followed up by aMac version developed byMacSoft in 2000,[45] and later by an updated version published by Infogrames in 2003.[46] The show's latest Windows adaptation was a "Super Deluxe" edition released byEncore, Inc. in 2008.[47]
In April 2011, GSN's interactive division teamed up withSony Pictures Consumer Products to develop aJeopardy! online game forFacebook,[48] but that game has since been taken down. As of March 2013, video game adaptations ofJeopardy! also exist onTwitter,Android, and theRoku Channel Store.[49]
In 2002, in response to educators praising the longevity of the show's popularity and their students creating their own versions of the game to encourage student participation in class, educational toy company Educational Insights (which markets theGeoSafari system) releasedClassroom Jeopardy!, a self-contained, programmable game system based onJeopardy! designed for use in schools.[50] With this system, the teacher plays the role of host, while students can play the game on a normal classroom television set or an interactive whiteboard. Teachers are permitted to either use standardized games created for the grade levels of their classes, or write customized games of their own covering material that they are teaching at the moment.[51] Originally, the game used a cartridge-based system for the categories and wireless remotes for the players and the host, with the unit itself acting as the scoreboard. There was also a small laptop-style keyboard that connected to the game unit and allowed for programming the cartridges via a small LCD screen on the unit. The uprated version of the system replaced the LCD screen and keyboard with a USB-connected device known as the "Classroom Jeopardy! Link," which allowed programming of the cartridges (and storage of unused games) via a PC or Macintosh (which included "Classroom Jeopardy! Editor" software).
The success ofClassroom Jeopardy! led to the production of a home version, calledHost Your Own Jeopardy!, which was released in 2004. Except for the names and included question content, this version was identical to theClassroom version. TheClassroom edition featured one cartridge with 5 pre-programmed school-subject-based games; while theHost Your Own edition included four cartridges featuring 20 games used on the show, ranging fromKids Week level toTournament Of Champions level. Educational Insights also produced additional scoreboards and controller units that could be connected to the main system and allow for more players per game (a maximum of nine additional scoreboards could be added, making for a maximum of 30 players/teams per game, although only the six highest-scoring players/teams could participate in Final Jeopardy!).
In 2011, Educational Insights released an updated version of theClassroom Jeopardy! system. The updated system featured a restyling of the console and remotes, dry-erase Final Jeopardy! boards, and a host remote with LCD "correct response" display. Additional functions included the ability to enter players' names into the console, and more varied wagers for Daily Doubles and Final Jeopardy! Additionally, this system used USB Flash Drives in place of the cartridges to program the console (the system included a 512K Flash Drive, but other larger Flash Drives could also be used). This also makes the updated system capable of using audiovisual clues (such as audio and video clips, music cues, and still images), properly-formatted math equation clues, and foreign "romance language" characters. The new system is not backward-compatible with the older cartridges and accessories, but games written with the older system's software can be easily converted via the new system's "Clue Studio" program. The entirety of the new system also fits into an included storage suitcase, allowing for easier transport of the unit. Both editions of the game were available after the release of the newer model, but since then, both have been discontinued. The websites for purchase have since gone down.[52][53]
A DVD titledJeopardy!: An Inside Look at America's Favorite Quiz Show was released on November 8, 2005, bySony Pictures Home Entertainment. It features five of the most memorable episodes of the Trebek version: the very first Trebek episode in 1984, Episode #4657 (Ken Jennings' losing episode), and Episodes #4781, #4782, and #4783 (the three-game finals of theUltimate Tournament of Champions, the last of which can be viewed through multiple camera angles),[54] and there are also three featurettes:21 Years of Answers and Questions, which discusses the show's history; andJeopardy!: Behind the Answers andWhat Does It Take to Get a Clue?, both of which discuss the show's question selection process.[55] The DVD also features some funny moments from the show, including Trebek presenting the beginning of the first show of the Ultimate Tournament of Champions Finals without trousers, and Johnny Gilbert mistaking Trebek for contestant coordinator Glenn Kagan, who rehearses as him; both of these areEaster eggs displayed as the show's trademark "Daily Doubles". The DVD's menu is displayed as the show's trademark game board, with the menu options as "categories"; picking one of these causes the board to load up, complete with sound effect, similar to the show.[56]
In 2007,MGA Entertainment released theJeopardy! DVD Home Game System, which allows groups of players to play the game ofJeopardy! from home with a similar experience to appearing on the actual show.[57]
For the show's 15th anniversary season in 1998–99, a collectible watch was released. It plays the show's theme song, "Think!", with a push of a button, and includes 25 game cards with the answer-question format. Despite poor sales, several watches are currently being auctioned and sold oneBay as of today.
Every year, Day-to-Day Calendars' subsidiary Andrews McMeel Publishing releases a daily desktop Jeopardy! calendar, featuring 52 games for every week of the year, all of which have 1 clue per day (with the correct response on the back of each day's sheet). Entries for Monday through Wednesday are Jeopardy! Round Clues, those for Thursday through Saturday are Double Jeopardy! Round clues, and Sunday's entry is a Final Jeopardy! clue which allows the owner to "wager" all or part of their "total weekly winnings."
The brand has also been licensed into various slot machine games for casinos and the Internet.
On June 21, 2024, hostKen Jennings announced during the game aJeopardy!-themed postage stamp to be released onAlex Trebek's birthday on July 22.[58]
The popularity ofJeopardy! in the United States has led the show's format to launch in many foreign countries throughout the world. This has led the American version to conduct "International Tournaments" in which champions from the show's foreign adaptations competed in a one-week tournament identical to the semifinals and finals of the American version's "Tournament of Champions".[59][60]
Most versions are faithful to the American version's format, but some use unique formats of their own; for example, the Czech, Slovak and Italian adaptations eschew the show's trademark "answer and question" format in favor of a simple, standard quiz format, where clues are presented as questions or tasks and the contestants simply answer the questions or perform the tasks indicated, rather than providing responses phrased in the form of a question.
| Country | Title | Network(s) | Host(s) | Dates aired |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Arab World | المحك Al Mahak (Touchstone) | MBC 1 | Ibrahim Abou Jawdeh | 2011 |
 Argentina | Jeopardy! | Canal 13 | Fernando Bravo | 2006 |
 Australia[61] | Jeopardy! | Seven Network | Bob Sanders Mal Walden Graham Webb Andrew Harwood | 1970–1978 |
| Network Ten[b] | Tony Barber | 1993 | ||
| Jeopardy! Australia[c] | Nine Network | Stephen Fry | 2024–present | |
 Azerbaijan[63] | 61! | AzTV (2015–2018) İctimai Television (2018–present) | Leyla Quliyeva DJ Fateh Narmin Knyaz | 2015–present |
 Belgium(  Flanders) | Waagstuk! (Dare!) | VTM | Luc Appermont | 1990–1997 |
 Canada(  Quebec) | Jeopardy! | TVA | Réal Giguère | 1991–1993 |
 China | 这是什么 Zhe Shì shénme? (What's This?) | Webcast | Hao Tao | 2016 |
 Colombia | Los Mejores (The Best) | Cadena Uno (Producciones JES) | Marco Aurelio Álvarez | 1987–1988 |
 Croatia[64] | Izazov! (Dare!) | HRT 1 | Dražen Sirišćević Joško Lokas | 1998–2000 |
 Czech Republic[65] | Riskuj! (Risk!) | Nova | Pavel Svoboda Ivan Vyskočil Jan Krasl Petr Svoboda Jan Rosák | 1994–2006 |
 Denmark[66] | Jeopardy! | TV2 | Søren Kaster | 1995–2000 |
| Lasse Rimmer | 2000–2003 | |||
| Lars Daneskov | 2003–2005 | |||
| TV3 | Adam Duvå Hall | 2014–2015 | ||
 Estonia[67] | Kuldvillak (Golden Fleece) | TV3 Kanal 2 | Mart Mardisalu Teet Margna Eeva Esse | 1998–2004 2012–present |
 Finland[68][69] | Jeopardy! | Nelonen | Ismo Apell | 2007–2008 |
| Jeopardy! Suomi | TV5 | Kalle Lamberg | 2024 | |
 France[70] | Jeopardy! | TF1 | Philippe Risoli | 1989–1992 |
 Germany[71][72] | Riskant! (Risky!) | RTL | Hans-Jürgen Bäumler | 1990–1993 |
| Jeopardy! | Frank Elstner | 1994–1998 | ||
| tm3 | Gerriet Danz | 1998–2000 | ||
| RTLplus | Joachim Llambi | 2016–2017 | ||
| Sat.1 | Ruth Moschner | 2023 | ||
 Greece | Κορώνα γράμματα Korona grammata (Crown letters) | ERT | Dimitris Papamichael Elena Akrita | 1985–1986 |
 Hungary[73] | Mindent vagy Semmit! (All or Nothing!) | MTV1 (1993–1997) TV2 (1997–1999) | István Vágó | 1993–1999 |
 Israel | מלך הטריוויה Melekh Ha Trivia (King of Trivia) | Channel 3 | Eli Israeli | 1997–2000 |
 Italy[74] | Rischiatutto (Risk all) | Secondo Programma Programma Nazionale[d] | Mike Bongiorno | 1970–1974 |
| Rai 1[e] Rai 3[f] | Fabio Fazio | 2016 | ||
| Rischiatutto 70 | Rai 1 | Carlo Conti | 2024 | |
 Japan | クイズグランプリ (Quiz Grand Prix) | Fuji Television | Hiroshi Koizumi | 1970–1980 |
 Latvia[75] | Risks! | TV3 | Jānis Romanovskis | 2014–2015 |
 Mexico | ¡Jeopardy! | TV Azteca | Omar Fierro | 1998–2000 |
 Netherlands | Waagstuk! (Dare!) | SBS6 | Albert Verlinde | 1995–1996 |
| Dayzers Donderdag (Dayzers Thursday) | RTL 4 | Manuela Kemp | 2002–2004 | |
 New Zealand | Jeopardy! | TVNZ | Mark Leishman | 1992–1993 |
 Norway | Jeopardy! | TV 2 | Jens Brun-Pedersen (1994–1996) Nils Gunnar Lie (1996–1997) Trygve Rønningen (1997–2000) | 1994–2000 |
| TV Norge | H.C. Andersen | 2004 | ||
 Poland | Va banque (All in) | TVP2 | Kazimierz Kaczor | 1996–2003 |
| Przemysław Babiarz | 2020–2024 | |||
| Radosław Kotarski | 2024–present | |||
 Romania[76][77][78] | Riști și câștigi! (Risk and Win) | PRO TV | Constantin Cotimanis Cristi Iacob | 1996–1998 |
 Russia | Своя игра Svoya igra (Own game) | RTR (1994–1997) NTV (1997–1999; 2001–present) TV-6 (2000) | Pyotr Kuleshov | 1994–present |
 Slovakia[79] | Pokušenie! (Temptation) | Markíza | Michal Duriš Jozef Dúbravský | 1996–2006 |
| Riskuj! (Risk!) | TV JOJ | Štefan Bučko Dušan Ambróš | 2002–2007 2022–present | |
 South Korea | 장학퀴즈 (Scholarship Quiz) | MBC | Cha In-tae | 1973–2024 |
 Spain[80] | Jeopardy! | Antena 3 | Carlos Sobera | 2007 |
| Jeopardy | La 2[81] | Paco de Benito | 2025 | |
 Sweden[82] | Jeopardy! | TV4 | Magnus Härenstam | 1991–2005 |
| Adam Alsing | 2006–2007 | |||
| TV8 | Pontus Gårdinger | 2014–2015 | ||
| Kanal 5 | Mikael Tornving | 2023–present | ||
 Turkey[83] | Riziko! (Risk!) | TRT 1 (1994–1996) Kanal 7 (1998–2000) | Serhat Hacıpaşalıoğlu | 1994–2000 |
| Büyük Risk (Big Risk) | Star TV | Selçuk Yöntem | 2012–present | |
 United Kingdom | Jeopardy! | Channel 4 | Derek Hobson | 1983–1984 |
| ITV | Chris Donat Steve Jones | 1990 1991–1993 | ||
| Sky One | Paul Ross | 1995–1996 | ||
| ITV | Stephen Fry | 2024–present | ||
 Uzbekistan | Antiqa Mantiq (Unusual Utterance) | Toshkent | Ganisher Rakhmatullaev | 2010–2014 |
Even though the program has spawned many foreign adaptations, the American syndicated version ofJeopardy! is itself broadcast across the world, with international distribution rights held byParamount Global Content Distribution.
In Canada,Jeopardy! had aired largely on local stations since its debut. Like most American game shows that air in Canada, Canadians are eligible to appear as contestants on the American version, with notable examples including 1990 Tournament of Champions winner Bob Blake and 1997 InternationalJeopardy! Tournament winner Michael Daunt. Before 2008,Jeopardy! aired across Canada mostly onCTV stations, although theVancouver CTV stationCIVT-TV has never aired the show (the show has aired before on localGlobal stationCHAN-TV).
From 2008 to 2012, the show was broadcast by all affiliates ofCBC Television except forCBET-DT inWindsor, Ontario (due to broadcast rights in that region being held byWDIV-TV inDetroit).[84] Funding decreases to CBC led to the network declining to renewJeopardy! andWheel for the 2012–13 season.[85]
As of 2018,Yes TV currently serves as Canada's syndicator forJeopardy! episodes.NTV, aNewfoundland-based semi-independent television station, has carried the show through its run on CTV and Yes TV.
In French Canada, just asWheel of Fortune once had its own French-Canadian version, there was also a French-Canadian version ofJeopardy! that aired for a few seasons inQuebec, onTVA, from 1991 to 1993.
Like any burgeoning empire,Jeopardy! has also swept across distant lands, with local versions in Canada, England, Germany, Sweden, Russia, Denmark, Israel, and Australia. This led eventually to the International Tournament of 1997, which was won by Michael Daunt, a mild-mannered accountant from Canada with a kindly demeanor and a killer instinct that emerges about every twelve seconds.
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