'Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time': Release date, host, contestants, and everything you need to know about the Alex Trebek event
'Jeopardy!' is undoubtedly one of the best American television game shows and gave us the national treasure that is Alex Trebek. Earlier this year, Trebek was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, but the erstwhile host has said he will continue hosting the game show as long as he can.
With its many variants, 'Jeopardy!' has had many winners over the years, but come January 2020, the ultimate 'Jeopardy!' champion will be dubbed "the greatest of all time" in a special three- to seven- day primetime event.
Read on to know more details about 'Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time'.
Release date
The special prime-time event will begin airing on January 7, 2020, on ABC at 8/7c and will continue on consecutive weeknights until one of the three contestants emerge victorious — which could take up to seven games.
Plot
The three most successful players in the history of 'Jeopardy' will compete on consecutive nights for up to seven games until one is declared the winner. The winner will walk away with $1 million, while the runners-up will earn $250,000.
The three players, Ken Jennings, Brad Rutter, and James Holzhauer, have combined winnings of over $10 million, and the special prime time event will help declare a "best of the best". Though the event could end with three games, the host, Alex Trebek told ABC News that he hopes it will last for seven games, promising that it will be "the best of television."
Host
Alex Trebek
Alex Trebek has been the host of 'Jeopardy' since its revival in 1984. He has hosted over the show for over 35 seasons and though he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer earlier this year, he has said he will continue to host as long as he is able to and is currently seeking treatment. Trebek will also host 'The Greatest of All Time' event.
Contestants
Ken Jennings
Ken Jennings is the second-highest-earning contestant in TV game show history, earning $2,520,700 over a 74-game run on 'Jeopardy!'. He holds the record for the highest average correct responses per game in 'Jeopardy!' history (for those contestants with at least 300 correct responses). His total earnings on 'Jeopardy!' are $3,522,700 and he became the first human to best Brad Rutter.
Brad Rutter
Brad Rutter is a game show contestant, TV host, producer, and actor. He is the highest-earning American game show contestant of all time and the highest-earning contestant on 'Jeopardy!'. Rutter has total earnings of over $4.8 million from his wins on 'Jeopardy!'.
James Holzhauer
James Holzhauer is a game show contestant and professional sports gambler. He is the third-highest-earning American game show contestant of all time and is best known for his 32-game winning streak as champion on the quiz show Jeopardy! from April to June 2019, during which he set multiple single-game records for winnings.
Creator
Merv Griffin
'Jeopardy!' was created by television host and media mogul Merv Griffin. The iconic theme of the show was written by Griffin. Griffin also created 'Wheel of Fortune'.
Trailer
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