Jeopardy! facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jeopardy! |
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|---|---|
| Genre | Game show |
| Created by | Merv Griffin |
| Directed by | Bob Hultgren (1960s) Eleanor Tarshis (early 1970s) Jeff Goldstein (mid-1970s) Dick Schneider (1978–79, 1984–92) Kevin McCarthy (1992–present) |
| Presented by | Art Fleming (1964–75, 1978–79) Alex Trebek (1984–present) |
| Narrated by | Don Pardo (1964–75) John Harlan (1978–79) Johnny Gilbert (1984–present) |
| Theme music composer | Julann Griffin (1964–75) Merv Griffin (1978–79, 1984–present) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of episodes | NBC (1964–75): 2,753 Syndication (1974–75): 39 NBC (1978–79): 108 Syndicated (1984–present): 7,000 (as of May 20, 2015) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Robert Rubin (1970s) Merv Griffin (1984–2000) Harry Friedman (1999–present) |
| Producer(s) | see below |
| Running time | approx. 22–26 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Merv Griffin Productions (1964–75, 1978–79) Merv Griffin Enterprises (1984–94) Columbia TriStar Television (1994–2002) Sony Pictures Television (2002–present) Jeopardy Productions, Inc. |
| Distributor | Metromedia (1974–75)< King World Productions (1984–2007) CBS Television Distribution (2007–present; US only) |
| Release | |
| Original network | NBC (1964–75, 1978–79) Syndicated (1974–75, 1984–present) |
| Picture format | 480i (SDTV) (1975–2006) 1080i (HDTV; downgraded to 720p locally in some markets) (2006–present) |
| Audio format | Stereo |
| Original release | NBC Daytime: March 30, 1964 – January 3, 1975 Weekly syndication: September 1974 – September 1975 NBC Daytime: October 2, 1978 – March 2, 1979 Daily syndication: September 10, 1984 – present |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | Jep! Rock & Roll Jeopardy! Sports Jeopardy! |
Jeopardy! is a popular American television game show. It was created by Merv Griffin. The show first aired on NBC in 1964.
Art Fleming hosted the show from 1964 to 1975, and again from 1978 to 1979. Since 1984, the show has been shown on many different TV channels across the country. Alex Trebek hosted this version for a very long time. Versions of Jeopardy! have also been made in many other countries.
The syndicated version of Jeopardy! has won many Emmy Awards. In 2001, TV Guide magazine called it one of the best game shows ever.
Contents
How to Play Jeopardy!
Jeopardy! is different from other trivia games. Instead of getting a question and giving an answer, players get an answer (called a "clue"). Then, they have to give the question that fits the clue. For example, if the clue is "This Founding Father was our first president," the correct answer would be "Who is George Washington?".
The game has three main parts:
- The Jeopardy! round
- The Double Jeopardy! round
- The Final Jeopardy! round
The Jeopardy! Round
In the first round, there are six topics or categories. Each category has five clues. The clues are worth different amounts of money, from $200 to $1000. Players choose a category and a money value. The host reads the clue, and the player must give the correct question.
The Double Jeopardy! Round
This round is similar to the first, but the clues are worth twice as much money. This means players can earn more money or lose more if they answer incorrectly.
The Final Jeopardy! Round
Only players who have more than $0 after the Double Jeopardy! round can play in Final Jeopardy! This round has only one category and one clue.
Before the clue is shown, players decide how much money they want to bet. They write down their bet based on how confident they feel about the category. After a short break, the host reads the clue. Players then have 30 seconds to write their answer, which must also be in the form of a question. During this time, the lights dim, and the famous "Think!" theme music plays.
The player with the most money at the end of the game wins and gets to come back for the next show. The player in second place wins $2000, and the player in third place wins $1000.
Jeopardy! Theme Music
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The music of Jeopardy! has changed over the years. Most of the show's music was composed by Merv Griffin. The most famous song is "Think!". This song has been used as the countdown music for the Final Jeopardy! round since 1964.
From 1964 to 1975, a jazz song called "Take Ten" was the main theme. When the show returned in 1978, different songs were used for the main and opening themes.
When the Alex Trebek-hosted version started in 1984, a new version of "Think!" became the main theme. It used saxophones and synthesizers. A "swooshing" sound was added to the show's introduction.
Over the years, the theme music has been updated several times. In 1992, a bongo drum track was added. In 1997, a new version with a more piano-driven, orchestral sound was introduced. This version was updated again in 2001 to be faster. In 2009, a completely new arrangement of "Think!" was created for the show's 25th season.
The Jeopardy! Set
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Just like the music, the Jeopardy! set has changed over time. The gameboard, where the clues are displayed, has seen many updates.
In the early days, clues were printed on cards. These cards were shown when a player picked a clue. In 1978, the cards were replaced with flipping panels. These panels had the dollar value on one side and the clue on the other.
When the show returned in 1984, the gameboard changed again. It was made of 30 television screens, one for each clue. These screens were updated to larger ones in 1991. In 2006, the screens became a projection video wall. Then, in 2009, the video wall was replaced with 36 high-definition flat-panel screens.
Other parts of the set have also changed. From 1985 to 1997, the set had a blue background for the Jeopardy! round and a red background for the Double Jeopardy! and Final Jeopardy! rounds. Since 2005, the background color changes to red when the lights dim during Final Jeopardy!
New sets were introduced in 1996 and 2002. The 2002 set was slightly changed in 2006 when Jeopardy! started airing in high-definition. A new set was used for special tournaments in 2009 and then became the main set. This set was replaced with another new design in 2013.
Images for kids
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Logo for the original "Jeopardy!" (1964–1975).
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Original host Art Fleming, who held the post on versions that aired from 1964 to 1979.
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Alex Trebek hosted the show from 1984 until his death in 2020.
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Mike Richards was officially the host of the show for one week in 2021 before resigning the position amid controversy.
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Mayim Bialik has hosted prime-time versions and split hosting duties on the syndicated version since 2021.
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Ken Jennings has shared hosting duties on the syndicated version since 2021.
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See also
In Spanish: Jeopardy! para niños
