Jeopardy: An Inside Look (DVD)
APPROX. 120 MINS. - PROD. YEAR: 0 - MPA RATING: NR
" Jeopardy! lovers will be happy with the extras, but many will lament that there isn't more variety in the episodes that were chosen for this disc, ones which better span the show's 21 years.
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How popular is "Jeopardy!"?
After an amazing run from 1964-1975 with host Art Fleming and legendary daytime announcer Don Pardo, the show was revived 20 years later and continues to be a phenomenal success. With some 17 million viewers daily, "Jeopardy!" has been the second-highest rated series in syndication for 79 consecutive Nielsen sweeps periods. Only "Wheel of Fortune" has fared better with contemporary viewers. Since 1984, "Jeopardy!" has picked up 25 Daytime Emmy Awards, including 10 for Best Game Show, while subtly sarcastic host Alex Trebek has walked off with three of the statuettes.
Fans will want to pick up this DVD because of the extras, which offer a nice behind-the-scenes look and a condensed history of the show that Merv Griffin created way back when Lyndon Johnson was still settling into the Oval Office.
Chances are, if you've flicked on the TV at all during the daytime, you've run across at least one episode of the show that, like "Columbo," gives you the answers up front and expects you to come up with the right questions. Three trivia buffs line up to choose from five hidden answers on a board in six categories through three rounds of play. The first round is Single Jeopardy, with cash windows hiding such answers as "After the Mississippi, the longest river in the United States" in categories like "Rivers and Lakes." And one buzzer-happy contestant will chime, "What is the Missouri?" and keep playing. During round two, or Double Jeopardy, the cash values are doubled and the answers and questions get tougher. And for round three, or Final Jeopardy, only one answer appears while each contestant writes their answer in secret and wagers as much of their winnings as they imagine will enable them to come out on top. And, of course, during the first two rounds there's the Daily Double square hidden somewhere, which means a chance at extra cash for some lucky guesser. Make that fact memorizer. The guessers were at home, and part of the show's appeal was that Fleming, and then Trebek, invited viewers at home to play along in order to test their own quiz-show mettle, while contestants were encouraged to apply from all walks of life.
Over the years, people with disabilities were encouraged to apply, and international, teen, college, celebrity, and specialized player versions appeared. Then, of course, there was the home game version, which brought millions of families together around the table to test their trivia skills, perhaps imagining announcer Johnny Gilbert shouting out which prizes they've won.
While fans will be happy to have anything on DVD, many will wish for a broader representation of episodes. Five are included on this single disc: The first episode hosted by Trebek in 1984, 74-time winner Ken Jennings' losing episode, and three Ultimate Jeopardy! showdown episodes featuring Jennings' and the two other top champions, Brad Rutter and Jerome Vered, who, with $2 million, was the biggest money-winner in television game-show history.
