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1964: 'Jeopardy!' Makes its Debut
March 30, 2021  | By David Bianculli  | 9 comments
 
The category is "game shows for $100." The answer is "the smartest, best, most entertaining game show of all time." The question, of course, is "What is Jeopardy!?" No contest.

Just think of what this cerebral contest — which debuted today in 1964 — has given us over the years. There's Don Pardo, whose chores as announcer on Jeopardy! led directly to his similar duties on Saturday Night Live. There's the unforgettable "think music" played during the Final Jeopardy round — music written by Merv Griffin, who also created the series. There are those harsh buzzer sounds for wrong answers (a sound used by many other game shows as well, but driven by Jeopardy! into the common vernacular). And, of course, there are those twin towers of Jeopardy! hosts, Art Fleming (for the NBC years) and Alex Trebek (for the still-popular syndicated version).

I love the esoteric nature of the show, which is the only game show on television where contestants are expected to display expertise in such categories as "Those Darned Etruscans." Speaking of esoteric: It may or may not come as a surprise that Griffin concocted Jeopardy! in direct response to concerns over the quiz-show scandals (by giving the contestants the answers right up front, and making them guess the questions instead).

Similarly, it may be relatively common knowledge that NBC nearly passed on the Jeopardy! concept as too tough for TV, until an assistant programmer urged his boss to buy the show. But here's the surprising part: that assistant, in the standard Jeopardy! form of a question, can be identified by the phrase, "Who is Grant Tinker?"

It may have been Tinker's first major lesson that quality, intelligent TV could reap big big dividends — a lesson he would later apply to everything from The Mary Tyler Moore Show (the first sitcom from his MTM Productions) to St. Elsewhere and Cheers (shows he nurtured patiently once he became president of NBC).

—Excerpted from Dictionary of Teleliteracy: Television's 500 Biggest Hits, Misses and Events



 
 
 
 
 
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9 Comments
 
 
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Jeopardy is without a doubt one of my all-time favourite shows! Alex Trebek was a living legend. I enjoyed the energy he brought to the show! I recall playing the Sega Genesis game after school on occasion!
Feb 6, 2023   |  Reply
 
 
Jeopardy is without a doubt one of my all-time favourite shows! Alex Trebek was a living legend. I enjoyed the energy he brought to the show! I recall playing the Sega Genesis game after school on occasion!
Feb 6, 2023   |  Reply
 
 
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Jeopardy is hands down one of my favorite shows of all time! Alex Trebek was a legend. Loved the energy that he brought to the show! I still remember the Sega Genesis game which I occasionally used to play after school!
Dec 5, 2022   |  Reply
 
 
Howard Luloff
One of the best game shows in TV history and my current favorite, Jeopardy is a show everyone can play along with. I'll always remember Art Fleming's line for Final Jeopardy "You'll have 30 seconds to write down the Final Jeopardy question. Please be sure it is in that form." A true classic.
May 28, 2020   |  Reply
 
 
 
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