A quiz competition in which contestants are presented with general knowledge clues in the form of answers and must phrase their responses in the form of questions.A quiz competition in which contestants are presented with general knowledge clues in the form of answers and must phrase their responses in the form of questions.A quiz competition in which contestants are presented with general knowledge clues in the form of answers and must phrase their responses in the form of questions.
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7.6/10
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- Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy
- 1 win & 5 nominations total
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The classic game show with a twist; the answers are revealed, but it's up to the contestants to supply the questions. Three contestants, including a returning champion, competed. Six categories are announced (e.g., Pro Football, Presidents, Science and Nature, Famous Bobs, Automobiles and Words), each having five answers ostensibly graded by difficulty, from $10 to $50. The champion chose a category and dollar amount (e.g., "Presidents for $10"), to which host Fleming reads the answer ("The Father of our country; he really didn't chop down a cherry tree"). Contestants had to respond in question form ("Who was George Washington?") ; if correct, they won the value of the question; if he/she was incorrect, failed to answer in time or phrase in the form of a question, that amount was deducted (hence, the dollar amount was "always in jeopardy") and his/her opponents could answer; having enough incorrect answers often led to negative scores. Thereafter, the contestant providing the last correct question selected next, and the process repeated. Hidden behind one of the answers was a "Daily Double" space, with the contestant selecting that space able to wager up to all his/her current winnings (or up to $50 if he/she had less) on the answer. After all 30 answers have been revealed (or sometimes, an undefined time limit expired), the game moved into "Double Jeopardy!" Gameplay was the same in "Double Jeopardy!" except six new categories were announced and the answers had values of $20 to $100 and two "Daily Double" spaces were hidden (with contestants able to wager up to $100 if they had less). At the end of the "Double Jeopardy!" round, all contestants with at least $1 were eligible to play "Final Jeopardy!"; however, anyone with $0 or a negative score was eliminated and given consolation prizes. Fleming announced a category, and the contestants (before seeing the answer) wagered up to everything they had on their ability to answer. Contestants had 30 seconds to write what they believed was the correct question. Those who were correct had the amount they wagered added to their winnings; however, any incorrect questions or failing to phrase properly lost what they wagered. Everyone kept their winnings and the contestant with the most cash (usually not more than $1,000) was champion and got to return the next day. Champions competed until they won five shows (at which point they retired undefeated) or until they were defeated. The highest-scoring contestants and all five-time champions over a period of time participated in a Tournament of Champions, the winner earning an additional $25,000; there were also college tournaments and celebrity shows conducted. —Brian Rathjen <briguy_52732@yahoo.com>
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- TriviaMost episodes of this series are lost.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The 25th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (1973)
Top review
One of the finest, thanks to the great Art Fleming.
The original Jeopardy was a warm, kindly show about knowledge, instead of cut-throat competition and money. The questions were every bit as difficult, but all the contestants came away looking smart if they got even one answer correct. I remember being impressed with my mom for knowing a few answers ... and my mom really was never that smart!
When Art Fleming informed a contestant that an answer was wrong with his "No ... sorry," you believed he was truly sorry. Art never pretended that he knew all the answers before his writers provided them to him. What a lovely guy. One thousand times better and nicer than that *current* host.
Even the theme music sounded friendlier back then. The whole show was a little less polished and a little more natural than today's version. But that's the way of the world, I guess.
When Art Fleming informed a contestant that an answer was wrong with his "No ... sorry," you believed he was truly sorry. Art never pretended that he knew all the answers before his writers provided them to him. What a lovely guy. One thousand times better and nicer than that *current* host.
Even the theme music sounded friendlier back then. The whole show was a little less polished and a little more natural than today's version. But that's the way of the world, I guess.
helpful•142
- paullester
- Nov 24, 2015
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