Jeopardy!

Jeopardy is arguably the best game show around today. Tougher and more competitive than Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, it is at once entertaining and educational. Alex Trebek is a classic game show host, whose mere presence adds to the show.

Whereas Millionaire has one set of questions that the player must go through one by one, Jeopardy adds an element of choice to the game, as players have to pick the category and prize level of their question. This element requires strategy on the part of the competitors, particularly when confronted with Daily Doubles where one can bet all one's winnings.

The questions (or answers as the case may be) are also crafted well. Whereas other quiz shows rely heavily on trivia for the most part, Jeopardy requires an expansive knowledge of obscure topics, with heavy doses of literary obscurities and arcane history. It is one of the few shows on today that should be required viewing for school children.

The show has slipped somewhat in recent years. The addition of the "Clue Crew" was a definite misstep, while the extensive use of video clues seems to be something of a distraction. Luckily, the producers seem to have gotten the message, and have cut down on the Crew considerably. (Although one could argue that having Trebek do video clues in costume only detracts from his dignity, which is part of the show's appeal.) Still, Jeopardy remains one of the truly great game shows.

I guess that the reason that "Jeopardy!" is so great is that it really challenges you to think, and I've learned so many interesting facts from it. I hope to be a contestant one day. Obviously, Ken Jennings's winning streak was beyond impressive, and the "Celebrity Jeopardy!" spoofs on "Saturday Night Live" are priceless. But it all dates back to this show's premise of forming the answer as a question. It must be really fun coming up with the answers.

I will say that the Clue Crew is unnecessary. But either way, I still say that this is the best game show ever. Alex Trebek is one heckuva host. There will never be another show like this.

So which category to take now?

Some of the best memories with my late dad are sitting around the TV and watching Jeopardy. Alex's wit and smooth talk make him an excellent host and it is somehow fun AND very educational, I regret that I stopped watching it for the past few months. All in all a fantastic program

As a kid I watched Jeopardy in its first incarnation with Art Fleming, and it was always first on my list of game shows. It was disappointing to see it disappear, but exciting when it came back in 1984.

The 'new' Jeopardy was just as good as the first version, and Alex Tribek has always delivered a touch of class as the host. Somehow he manages to give the impression that he knows all this stuff, though of course that is patently impossible. Or maybe by this time he's seen all the material enough times that he DOES know it! LOL When it comes to the high concept game show, Jeopardy is pure. The only luck involved is how well a set of categories happens to match the individual knowledge of the contestants, and with 12 categories per game, that mostly averages out.

Measure your own success against the question at the BOTTOM of the board. If you can get 7 of those 12 questions and two thirds of the Final Jeopardies correct consistently, you should test to become a contestant.

What is Jeopardy!?

Yes, this particular version of this long-running quiz show with a twist has been on for over 40 years, with many champions crowned, Daily Doubles and big bets galore!

Oh, and superchampion Ken Jennings.

The late, great Alex Trebek was the host of this version from the beginning up until his death from stage IV pancreatic cancer in November 2020. He manages to get the game moving while also cracking some jokes in-between as well.

He will solely be missed.

After Trebek's death, the show went through guest hosts like the infamous former executive producer Mike Richards, Anderson Cooper, Katie Couric, Dr. Mehmet Oz, Aaron Rodgers, Bill Whitaker, Buzzy Cohen, Savannah Guthrie, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, George Stephanopoulos, Robin Roberts, LeVar Burton, David Faber and Joe Buck. In August 2021, Richards was originally announced as the host, but stepped down after taping a week of shows, and was later fired from his executive producer position. He was replaced by Jennings and Mayim Bialik, who originally shared the hosting duties until Bialik was relieved of her hosting duties due to the writers and actors strikes, making Jennings the sole host of most of the Jeopardy! Projects.

In conclusion, congratulations to Jeopardy and here's to at least another 40 years!