'The Chase': Release date, plot, host, contestants and all you need to know about ABC's new quiz show

TV's trivia geniuses Ken Jennings, James Holzhauer and Brad Rutter will challenge contestants in a battle of brain power on this new series premiering on ABC in January 2021
PUBLISHED DEC 7, 2020
Ken Jennings, James Holzhauer and Brad Rutter (Getty Images)
Ken Jennings, James Holzhauer and Brad Rutter (Getty Images)

In January 2020, the late American treasure Alex Trebek hosted 'Jeopardy!'s greatest-ever contestants Ken Jennings, Brad Rutter and James Holzhauer for the primetime event series 'Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time'. ABC is bringing back all three of them for their new show 'The Chase' where they will try to stop contestants from winning big cash prizes. Here's all you need to know about the show.

Release date

ABC will air the series premiere of 'The Chase' on January 7, 2021. A new episode will air every Thursday between 9 pm to 10 pm ET. 

Plot

According to ABC's press release, the heart-racing quiz show will see three competitors banding together to pit their wits as they face off against the Chaser, a ruthless quiz genius determined to stop them from winning cash prizes. Each hour-long episode is a fast-paced battle of brainpower, where contestants are challenged to think faster than they ever thought possible to answer up to 166 questions across all topics.

Host

Sarah Haines

Sara Haines attends the Fifth Annual Hudson River Park Friends Playground Committee Luncheon at Current at Chelsea Piers on January 24, 2020, in New York City (Getty Images)

Apart from being appointed as the host for Season 1 of 'The Chase', Haines is the co-host of Season 24 of ABC's daytime talk show 'The View'. The 42-year-old returned after two years to the show that she served as a co-host between the fall of 2016 through the summer of 2018. She has also served as a lifestyle anchor for 'GMA Weekend'.

The Chasers

Ken Jennings

Ken Jennings visits SiriusXM Studios on January 06, 2020, in New York City (Getty Images)

Ken Jennings has created American game-show history by winning 74 games on 'Jeopardy!' and $2.5M cash. He's also a best-selling author after writing titles including: 'Brainiac', about the phenomenon of trivia in American culture; 'Ken Jennings's Trivia Almanac', the biggest American trivia book ever assembled; 'Maphead', about his lifelong love of geography; and 'Because I Said So!', debunking parenting cliches, according to his website

James Holzhauer

James Holzhauer attends the ABC Television's Winter Press Tour 2020at The Langham Huntington, Pasadena on January 08, 2020, in Pasadena, California (Getty Images)

To date, James Holzhauer has won consecutive games of 'Jeopardy!' making him the second all-around champion of the game show. The 32-year-old contestant is known as 'Jeopardy James' and his earnings have totaled $2,464,216 — just $58,484 short of 'Jeopardy!' champ Ken Jennings, according to Biography.com

Brad Rutter

Brad Rutter attends the ABC Television's Winter Press Tour 2020at The Langham Huntington, Pasadena on January 08, 2020, in Pasadena, California (Getty Images)

Brad Rutter is the top-grossing 'Jeopardy!' contestant, his earnings in total being $4,688,436 since his first appearance on the show which was on October 3, 2000. 

Trailer 

There's no trailer yet for the show. Check this space for fresh updates. 

If you like this, you will love these:

'Wheel of Fortune'

'Pyramid'

'Family Feud'

'The Price is Right'

'The Weakest Link'

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