'Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time': Release date, host, contestants, and everything you need to know about the Alex Trebek event

The January 2020 special event will decide who is, once and for all, among Ken Jennings, Brad Rutter, and James Holzhauer, the ultimate 'Jeopardy!' champion
PUBLISHED DEC 12, 2019

'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 accepts the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host onstage during the 46th annual Daytime Emmy Awards at Pasadena Civic Center on May 05, 2019, in Pasadena, California (Getty Images)

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 poses in this undated handout photo.  (Getty Images)

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

Contestant Brad Rutter attends a press conference to discuss the upcoming Man V. Machine "Jeopardy!" competition at the IBM T.J. Watson Research Center on January 13, 2011, in Yorktown Heights, New York (Getty Images)

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

Professional sports gambler and "Jeopardy!" champion James Holzhauer presents the Frank J. Selke Trophy during the 2019 NHL Awards at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on June 19, 2019, in Las Vegas, Nevada (Getty Images)

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

Merv Griffin attends the 49th annual "Command Performance" benefit gala held on November 21, 2003, in Beverly Hills, California (Getty Images)

'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



 

If you like this, you will love these:

'Wheel of Fortune'

'Pyramid'

'Family Feud'

'The Price is Right'

'The Weakest Link'

RELATED TOPICS NEW MOVIE RELEASES JEOPARDY!

GET THE BIGGEST ENTERTAINMENT STORIES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

The 'Stranger Things' series finale is set to drop on New Year's Eve and will be two hours and eight minutes in duration
11 hours ago
Although ‘Heated Rivalry’ was renewed early for season 2, creator Jacob Tierney says fans shouldn’t expect new episodes anytime soon.
12 hours ago
As ‘Stranger Things’ nears its finale with Season 5, a chilling fan theory may finally explain what the Upside Down truly is.
12 hours ago
'Stranger Things' Season 5 Volume 2 will premiere on Netflix on Thursday, December 25
20 hours ago
Set to premiere in 2027, the show is officially a full reboot of J.K. Rowling's beloved novels
20 hours ago
The zombie apocalypse series centers on a group of students who find themselves trapped inside their school, fighting to survive the deadly outbreak
22 hours ago
While 'Bridgerton' Season 4 is set to premiere on Thursday, January 29, 2026, fans can watch the first episode on Wednesday, January 14
22 hours ago
‘Stranger Things’ Season 5 drops it's penultimate set of episodes on Netflix on Christmas Day
1 day ago
Rhea Seehorn explains what Carol’s choice means and how it changes the story moving forward to Season 2
1 day ago
Netflix has secured a new MGM deal to stream all 10 seasons of 'Stargate SG-1', bringing the iconic sci-fi series back into orbit
1 day ago