Jeopardy! (1984– )

A quiz show with a twist: contestants are provided with the answers. But what are the right questions?

Creator:

Merv Griffin

Stars:

Alex Trebek, Johnny Gilbert, Jimmy McGuire

30 wins & 71 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Alex Trebek	...	Himself - Host (4495 episodes, 1984-2013)
Johnny Gilbert	...	Himself - Announcer (4488 episodes, 1984-2013)

Storyline

On the heels of the syndicated success of "Wheel of Fortune, " producer Merv Griffin decided to return his classic quiz show-with-a-twist, "Jeopardy!" to the airwaves in 1984. It, too, was a huge success, and also marked a return to the game's tried-and-true formula of answers and questions (after a slightly-modified remake six years earlier failed to catch on). Three contestants, including a returning champion, competed. Six categories are announced (e.g., Art World, Cooking, 20th Century Republicans, "Friends" (the TV series), Muscle Men and College Girls Wearing White T-shirts), each having five answers ostensibly graded by difficulty, from $100 to $500. The champion chose a category and dollar amount (e.g., "College Girls Wearing White T-shirts for $100"), to which host Trebek reads the answer ("Inspector 12 must give her seal of approval before a college girl can wear one of these plain white T-shirts"). Contestants had to respond in question form ("What is Hanes?") ; if correct,...

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Plot Keywords:

quiz show | non fiction

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Genres:

Game-Show

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Certificate:

TV-G

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Filming Locations:

Sony Pictures Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia TriStar Television, Jeopardy Productions, Merv Griffin Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In 1984, when Jeopardy! returned on to television, the main theme track was altered from that of the 1984 pilot to become more electronic. The original version of "Think!" was used for Final Jeopardy!. The main theme was remixed with a bongo track for the 1991-1992 tournament games. The remixed version was used full time starting in the 1992-93 season. In 1997, an all-new arrangement for both the main theme and the Final Jeopardy! Round "Think!" music made, with jazzy orchestral arrangements by Steve Kaplan. The main theme was updated again in 2001, with arrangements similar to the previous version. In 2008, an all-new arrangement of both the main theme and "Think!" music was created for the 25th season by Chris Bell Music, Inc. The theme has gone through some slight re-orchestrations since the beginning of the 25th season. Starting October 13, 2008, Jeopardy! began using a different track (from the same package) of the "Think!" music from time to time until it eventually replaced the previous version. The newer version used a piano lead.

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Quotes

Johnny Gilbert: [introducing Alex Trebek] And now, here is the host of "Jeopardy!"... Alex Trebek!

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Connections

Referenced in Terriers: Dog and Pony (2010)

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Soundtracks

"Think!"
2008 Edition Version 2 (2008- )
Written by Merv Griffin
Composed by Chris Bell Music

User Reviews

Jeopardy! not as good as it used to be

I remember when I was young and Art Fleming hosted a program that truly tested the smartness and savvy of viewers and contestants, with a serious challenge of their knowledge about useful and practical information. Science, History, Geography, Politics, these were the kind of categories that would come up to test the minds of the contestants. The new program has become all-too-much a test of how much pop junk info you've got in your head, what celebrity married whom, which Shakespeare play has a redheaded man who wears black shoes and brown socks, which sports team did such and such or which athlete lost or won what contest. I was talking to one of my brothers the other day, and he summed it up that today's society has got to place too high a value on useless information, and become too little concerned about teaching young people things that will benefit them throughout their lives. If it would be of absolutely ZERO value to you if you were marooned on a desert island, you might be less brilliant, and more of the other kind of "maroon" à la Bugs Bunny, to know the latest about the Kardashians, Jessica Simpson and Britney Spears; who killed Roger Rabbit?, and which country won the most medals for synchronized swimming at the 2004 Olympics (were there Olympics in 2004?); than if you know the significance 3.14159, that there are 2.2 pounds in a kilogram, 5,280 feet in a mile, that -40C = -40F, that the USA is a Constitutional Republic and not a Democracy, what the Federal Reserve System is, or other actually useful information. Shame on those who have taken a great and classic game show, and dumbed it down. I've also noticed that, historically, men were much, MUCH more likely to win the game than women; and have heard recently that there are or were allegations that Jeopardy! altered the clues in some way to favor female contestants. I don't know if they did, or didn't, but there have been an increasing number of women winning on Jeopardy, with certain characteristics in common. Finally, I also have a problem with the change that allows a winner to keep being a winner, for days, weeks, even longer if he/she is "good" enough. Think what it would be like, you've waited two and a half years for your chance to get on the show. You've paid for your airfare out to Los Angeles, you're in a hotel, you've got your good clothes all dry-cleaned, and it isn't even until the fourth day you've reported to the studio that you get your chance, and you go out onto the set only to find yourself facing a champion who has been on the show for three weeks and has got the method of buzzing in down pat. You don't stand much of a chance. You wind up in third place, and get $1,000.00 for your appearance. Alas, you spent a lot more than that getting out there and staying in your hotel, but hey, you get to say that you were on Jeopardy!