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You may have heard about some epic Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time contest, but you don’t really know what that means or what’s happening — and you want to. That’s OK; we’re here to help.
Three of the best and winningest Jeopardy! contestants ever, James Holzhauer, Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter, will face off in a special series to determine which player is the Jeopardy! GOAT. The debate over this was reignited in 2019 when Holzhauer, a professional sports gambler, went on a 32-game win streak, dominating his competition in a way fans and competitors had never seen before.
ABC reality programming chief Rob Mills told USA TODAY that after Holzhauer’s incredible run, the network “had to make this happen” and called it his “dream project”.
So this special Jeopardy! tournament is to determine, once and for all (or until someone new comes along), who the GOAT is.
What is Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time?
What is…Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time? Only the most epic showdown ever! #JeopardyGOAT pic.twitter.com/TioOFq4gxz
— Jeopardy! (@Jeopardy) January 4, 2020
As we said, it’s a special tournament for three players: James Holzhauer, Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter. Unlike the Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions where several winners from the previous season (or seasons) compete and are eliminated, this competition will feature only these three players.
While 35-year-old Holzhauer’s 32-game win streak (No. 2 all time) aired this past spring, Jennings, 41, won 74 consecutive games (No. 1 all time) in 2004. Rutter, 45, first appeared on the show in 2000 when contestants were limited to five-game win streaks, but he has earned the most prize money of all time with about $4.7 million thanks to tournaments
“When James had his run last year, a lot of people were wondering, well how would he do against Ken Jennings? How would he do against Brad Rutter? (They’re) our two most successful players in “Jeopardy!” history,” host Alex Trebek said in an interview with USA TODAY. “These three players have won close to $10 million in ‘Jeopardy!’ prize money and over 100 games among them, so it was logical.”
If you need a refresher about who these guys are, our Charles Curtis broke down each player’s stats and history on Jeopardy! and what makes them qualified to be in a GOAT contest.
When is Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time?
This special tournament taped in December. The first show will air Tuesday, January 7 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC, and there will be at least two more on Wednesday and Thursday at the same time. Each show is an hour long with the tournament’s unique format, but more on that later.
Is it replacing regular daily Jeopardy! programming?
No, regularly scheduled Jeopardy! episodes will still air this week at their typical times on their usual channels. The Greatest of All Time series is separate.
Is the Jeopardy! GOAT series played in the same format as the traditional show?
Yes and no. The game itself will be the same as always, but determining the winner of the whole tournament is totally different.
Each one-hour show consists of two complete Jeopardy! games, which normally stand alone to fill 30-minute TV slots. Those two games equal a match, and the player with the most winnings from the two combined games wins the match. The first player to win three matches will be named the Jeopardy! GOAT.
For example, if Holzhauer, Jennings and Rutter each win one of the first three matches this week, there will be at least two more matches.
Because of the format, the tournament could be as short as three days or as long as seven, and the shows will air on consecutive weeknights, except Monday, until someone wins three matches.
What does the winner get?
Aside from lifetime bragging rights — there’s been plenty of trash talk leading up to this competition — the winner of the Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time tournament will receive $1 million, while the two runners-up will get $250,000 each.
What is the Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time TV schedule?
The GOAT tournament will air:
Tuesday, January 7, 8-9 p.m. ET
Wednesday, January 8, 8-9 p.m. ET
Thursday, January 9, 8-9 p.m. ET
Friday, January 10, 8-9 p.m. ET*
Tuesday, January 14, 8-9 p.m. ET*
Wednesday, January 15, 8-9 p.m. ET*
Thursday, January 16, 8-9 p.m. ET*
*If necessary.
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