This article is about the Jeopardy! champion. For other people with the same name, see Ken Jennings (disambiguation).

Kenneth Wayne Jennings III (born May 23, 1974) holds the record for the longest winning streak on the U.S. syndicated game show Jeopardy! Jennings won 74 games before he was defeated by challenger Nancy Zerg on his 75th appearance. His total earnings on Jeopardy! are US $3,022,700 ($2,520,700 in winnings, a $2,000 2nd-place prize in his 75th appearance, and $500,000 in the Jeopardy! Ultimate Tournament of Champions).^[1] Jennings held the record for most winnings on any game show ever until the end of the Ultimate Tournament of Champions (first aired on May 25, 2005), when he was displaced by Brad Rutter, who defeated Jennings in that tournament. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (788x1117, 124 KB) Author=User:mckaysalisbury File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... is the 143rd day of the year (144th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ... Edmonds is a city located in Snohomish County, Washington. ... For the capital city of the United States, see Washington, D.C.. For other uses, see Washington (disambiguation). ... Software engineering (SE) is the profession concerned with specifying, designing, developing and maintaining software applications by applying technologies and practices from computer science, project management, and other fields. ... Jeopardy redirects here. ... Ken Jennings can refer to: Ken Jennings is a famous game show contestant, who appeared in 79 episodes (78 as a contestant) of Jeopardy!. Ken Jennings is a make-up artist for stage and screen. ... is the 143rd day of the year (144th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses of terms redirecting here, see US (disambiguation), USA (disambiguation), and United States (disambiguation) Motto In God We Trust(since 1956) (From Many, One; Latin, traditional) Anthem The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City National language English (de facto)1 Demonym American... In the television industry (as in radio), syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast programs to multiple stations, without going through a broadcast network. ... Quiz show redirects here. ... Jeopardy redirects here. ... Nancy Zerg Nancy Zerg (born c. ... The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ... A partially revealed board in the final game, first round. ... is the 145th day of the year (146th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Brad Rutter is congratulated for his first place finish by Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek, at the Ultimate Tournament of Champions. ...

After winning, he began working on a book, Brainiac: Adventures in the Curious, Competitive, Compulsive World of Trivia Buffs, which explored American trivia history and culture. Ken also appeared as a member of the mob (sitting at podium #13) on the game show 1 vs. 100 in 2006, and in 2007 Jennings was the champion of the first season of the US version of Grand Slam. Book cover Brainiac is a non-fiction narrative by Ken Jennings published in 2006 (ISBN 1-400-06445-7). ... Look up trivia in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The American version of 1 vs. ... Grand Slam is a United States game show based on the British series of the same name. ...

Biography

Born in Edmonds, Washington, Jennings grew up in Seoul, South Korea (1981–1992) and Singapore (1992–1996), where his father worked for an international law firm and then as Asia Pacific Division Counsel of Oracle Corporation.^[2] He watched Jeopardy! on American Forces Network television while growing up.^[3] Edmonds is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. ... Short name Statistics Location map Map of location of Seoul. ... Providing a constitution for public international law, the United Nations was conceived during World War II International law is the term commonly used for referring to the system of implicit and explicit agreements that binds together nation-states in adherence to recognized values and standards, differing from other legal systems... Oracle Corporation (NASDAQ: ORCL) is one of the major companies developing database management systems (DBMS), tools for database development, middle-tier software, enterprise resource planning software (ERP), customer relationship management software (CRM) and supply chain management (SCM) software. ... American Forces Network (or AFN) is the brand name used by the United States Armed Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS) for its entertainment and command internal information networks worldwide. ...

Jennings graduated with a degree in Computer Science and English at Brigham Young University, where he played on the school's quizbowl team for three and a half years. He graduated from Seoul Foreign School where he completed an International Baccalaureate diploma, and achieved honors at Brigham Young.^{[citation needed]} Jennings attended the University of Washington during his freshman year.^[4] A degree is any of a wide range of status levels conferred by institutions of higher education, such as universities, normally as the result of successfully completing a program of study. ... Computer science, or computing science, is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and their implementation and application in computer systems. ... English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S., Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, the Philippines, India, South Africa, and the Middle East, among other areas), English linguistics (including English phonetics, phonology... , Brigham Young University (BYU), located in Provo, Utah, is a private coeducational school completely owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS or Mormon Church) and run under the auspices of its Church Educational System. ... Churchill College - Cambridge plays York on University Challenge, a televised quizbowl programme. ... Seoul Foreign School Located in Seoul, South Korea, the Seoul Foreign School is a K-12, IB World school, founded in 1912 that is an international school and offers a Western-style education to international students with an emphasis on Christian values. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into International Baccalaureate Organization. ... The University of Washington, founded in 1861, is a public research university in Seattle, Washington. ...

Jennings is a Mormon, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served a two-year mission in Madrid, Spain from 1993 to 1995. This article is about the history and use of the word Mormon. For information about the religious beliefs and culture of Mormons, see Mormonism. ... For other uses, see The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (disambiguation). ... It has been suggested that Senior Missionaries be merged into this article or section. ... This article is about the Spanish capital. ...

Now residing just outside Seattle, Washington, Jennings identifies himself as an avid comic book and movie buff with a website listing his top 4,000 favorite movies. He also writes questions for, edits the literature and mythology categories of questions of, and is otherwise active in the National Academic Quiz Tournaments (NAQT), a quiz bowl organization^[5]; in particular, he moderated (i.e. read questions) at the 2005 and 2006 NAQT National High School Tournaments in Chicago. Seattle redirects here. ... A comic book is a magazine or book containing the art form of comics. ... This article is about motion pictures. ... For other uses, see Literature (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Mythology (disambiguation). ... National Academic Quiz Tournaments, LLC is a question-writing and quizbowl organizing company founded by former players in 1996. ... For other uses, see Chicago (disambiguation). ...

During his Jeopardy! winning streak, Jennings was a software engineer for CHG Healthcare[2], a healthcare-placement firm in Salt Lake City, Utah. Jeopardy redirects here. ... Software engineering (SE) is the profession concerned with specifying, designing, developing and maintaining software applications by applying technologies and practices from computer science, project management, and other fields. ... The Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Salt Lake Citys top tourist draw. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ...

He and his wife Mindy (nee Boam) [3] have a son, Dylan, born in 2003, and a daughter, Caitlin, born in 2006.^[6]

Streak on Jeopardy!

Each game of Jeopardy! he played, Jennings varied the style of his display name with which he signed in. Here, a small sampling of some of the designs he used are shown.

Before 2003, Jeopardy! contestants were limited to five consecutive games. At the beginning of the show's twentieth season (in 2003), the rules were changed to allow contestants to remain on the show as long as they continued to win.^[7] After this rule change, and until Jennings's run, the record winning streak was set by Tom Walsh, who won $186,900 in eight games in January 2004.^[8] Image File history File links Ken_jennings_name001. ... Image File history File links Ken_jennings_name001. ... Tom Walsh (born August 26, 1964) is best known publicly as a contestant on the syndicated television game show Jeopardy! from January 5, 2004 through January 14, 2004. ...

Jennings had long prepared for Jeopardy! by competing on BYU's Quiz Bowl Team. Jennings also studied the book How to Get on Jeopardy! and Win by 1996 Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions winner Michael Dupee. Jennings's run began during Jeopardy!'s 20th season with the episode aired on Wednesday, June 2, 2004, and continued into Season 21. The 2004 Tournament of Champions (aired from September 20, 2004 through October 1, 2004) was taped without his participation, as he was not yet defeated. (In theory, if Jennings had remained undefeated through the 2004-2005 season, there would not have been a Tournament of Champions for that season because Jennings would have been the sole champion.) is the 153rd day of the year (154th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions is the crowning glory of the biggest winners from the past season or seasons of the TV quiz show Jeopardy! The field includes 15 of the most recent seasons past champions. ... is the 263rd day of the year (264th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 274th day of the year (275th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

On November 30, 2004, Jennings' long reign as Jeopardy! champion ended when he lost his seventy-fifth game to challenger Nancy Zerg.^[9] Heading into Final Jeopardy, the third contestant, David Hankins, had a negative score and thus was not allowed to participate. Jennings responded incorrectly to both Double Jeopardy! Daily Doubles, losing him a combined $10,400 because of his high wagers, and the Final Jeopardy! clue, which lost him an additional $5,601. The Final Jeopardy! category was Business & Industry, and the clue was "Most of this firm's 70,000 seasonal white-collar employees work only 4 months a year". The correct response was "What is H&R Block?"; Jennings responded with "What is FedEx?" is the 334th day of the year (335th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... White-collar worker is an idiom referring to a salaried professional or a person whose job is clerical in nature, as opposed to a blue-collar worker whose job is more in line with manual labor. ... H&R Block (NYSE: HRB) is the leading tax preparation company in the United States, and claims more than 22 million customers worldwide, with offices in Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom. ... Federal Express redirects here. ...

Zerg responded correctly, and she and Jennings shook hands and hugged as the audience gave him a standing ovation. Immediately after she won, Alex Trebek dubbed her a "giant-killer" for her accomplishment of finally beating the long-standing champ. Jennings's final total, along with his consolation prize for finishing in second place, was $2,522,700. Jennings' running time period totaled 182 calendar days, including his first and last appearances. George Alexander Alex Trebek (born July 22, 1940) is an Emmy Award-winning Canadian-American television personality and game show host. ...

Jennings said in an interview that the loss was "no fluke" and that Zerg was a formidable opponent.^{[citation needed]} She was defeated the following day, finishing in third place with $2.

Along the way, Jennings defeated at least three contestants who are current quiz bowl players; Matt Bruce, a fellow NAQT quiz question editor, was selected to appear on the show during Jennings's run, but, as someone with more than a casual acquaintance with Jennings, could not compete against him because of standards and practices rules.^[3]

On December 1, 2004, the show broke with tradition by having Jennings make a "guest appearance" at the start of the broadcast, during which host Alex Trebek acknowledged his success and enumerated the various game show records he had broken. is the 335th day of the year (336th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... George Alexander Alex Trebek (born July 22, 1940) is an Emmy Award-winning Canadian-American television personality and game show host. ...

Ratings impact

According to the Nielsen TV National People Meter, Jeopardy!'s ratings were 22% higher during Jennings's run than they were during the same period the previous year. For several weeks of the winnings streak, Jeopardy! was ranked as TV's highest-rated syndicated program.^[10] By the end of Jeopardy!'s 20th season several weeks later, the show had surpassed Wheel of Fortune in the ratings (the first time any show had displaced Wheel as the highest rated syndicated television show since 1984^{[citation needed]}), but Wheel, which is usually paired with Jeopardy! in programming, also benefited from Jennings's streak.^[11] This article is about the current, syndicated nighttime edition of the U.S. game show, which began in 1983. ...

Other media appearances

Jennings has received a good deal of American media coverage. After his 31st win on Jeopardy!, during the summer break between tapings, Jennings made a guest appearance on Live with Regis and Kelly. There Jennings revealed that he had failed to qualify for Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, once hosted by Regis Philbin. During that guest appearance, Jennings said, "Jeopardy! is a man's game... it's not like Millionaire."^[12] Live with Regis and Kelly is a syndicated American television talk show, hosted by Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa. ... In the United States, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (also known simply as Millionaire) is a television game show which offers a maximum prize of $1,000,000 (originally lump sum; now annuitized) for correctly answering 15 successive multiple-choice questions of increasing difficulty. ... Regis Francis Xavier Philbin (born August 25, 1931) is an Emmy Award-winning American television personality and occasional actor known for his roles as a talk show host, game show host, and presenter at various events. ...

Jennings appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman to present Letterman's "Top Ten List." He appeared again on the program on the night his final show was televised, in addition to interview segments airing that night on local 11 p.m. news programming and on Nightline. Barbara Walters selected Jennings as one of the "Ten Most Fascinating People of 2004" for her twelfth annual ABC News special, which aired on December 8, 2004. While on his media tour following his final game, Jennings taped a segment for a future episode of Sesame Street. TV Guide featured a segment of "The Top Ten TV Moments of 2004", in which Ken Jennings' loss placed third. Late Show with David Letterman is an hour-long weeknight comedy and talk show broadcast by CBS from the Ed Sullivan Theater on Broadway in New York City. ... David Michael Letterman (born April 12, 1947, in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.) is an Emmy Award-winning American television host and comedian. ... Nightline is a late-night hard and soft news program broadcast by ABC in the United States, and has a franchised formula to other networks and stations elsewhere in the world. ... Barbara Jill Walters[2] (born September 25, 1929) is an American journalist, writer, and media personality who has been a regular fixture on morning television shows (Today and The View), an evening news magazine (20/20), and on The ABC Evening News as the first female evening news anchor. ... ABC News logo ABC News Special Report ident, circa 2006 ABC News is a division of American television and radio network ABC, owned by The Walt Disney Company. ... is the 342nd day of the year (343rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Sesame Street is an American educational childrens television series for preschoolers and is a pioneer of the contemporary educational television standard, combining both education and entertainment. ... TV Guide is the name of two North American weekly magazines about television programming, one in the United States and one in Canada. ...

A&E aired on December 1, 2004 an episode of the Biography television program on Jennings and other Jeopardy! notables, including Frank Spangenberg and Eddie Timanus. Biography is one of A&Es longest-running and most popular programs. ... is the 335th day of the year (336th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Biography is a documentary television program. ... Frank Spangenberg (born July 26, 1957) is an American police officer who garnered a modicum of fame in 1990 when he set the five-day record on the game show Jeopardy! Spangenberg, at the time a member of the New York City Transit Police Department (which is now the Transit... Eddie Timanus is a Jeopardy! champion and USA Today sportswriter who graduated from Wake Forest University. ...

He also appeared twice on NPR's Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me program. In his Feb. 25, 2006 appearance he answered all three questions correctly leading him to say "This is, this is the proudest moment of my game show life."[4] NPR logo For other meanings of NPR see NPR (disambiguation) National Public Radio (NPR) is a private, not-for-profit corporation that sells programming to member radio stations; together they are a loosely organized public radio network in the United States. ... Wait Wait. ...

In 2006, Jennings was a celebrity member of the Mob on 1 vs. 100, beginning with its October 13 premiere. He was eliminated on October 20 when he missed a question about roulette, leaving with winnings of $741.29 (part of a $35,000 prize shared among 49 Mob members). He made another appearance on February 9, 2007 on a special episode that brought back a number of notable mob members for a winner-take-all showdown; there, he was eliminated from the final five on a question about which celebrity had had the most marriages. If he had won this tournament, his $100,000 prize for winning Grand Slam would have returned Ken to first place in the game show winnings world. The American version of 1 vs. ... is the 286th day of the year (287th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 293rd day of the year (294th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 40th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ...

Jennings is the champion of the 2007 US version of Grand Slam, a single elimination tournament among top quiz show contestants. Grand Slam is a United States game show based on the British series of the same name. ...

After Jeopardy!

When asked what he intended to do with his winnings, Jennings said that he intended to tithe ten percent to his church, donate to public television and National Public Radio, go on a trip to Europe, and invest the rest for his family.^{[citation needed]} Jeopardy! contestants typically receive their winnings approximately 120 days after their last game airs in the form of a check.^{[citation needed]} Taking advantage of its notoriety from the crucial clue, H&R Block offered Jennings free financial services for the rest of his life.^[13] H&R Block senior vice president David Byers estimated that Jennings would owe approximately $1.04 million in taxes on his winnings. Combined with a ten percent tithe, this would leave him approximately $1,230,430 to use for other purposes. A tithe (from Old English teogoþa tenth) is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a (usually) voluntary contribution or as a tax or levy, usually to support a Jewish or Christian religious organization. ... For other uses, see The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (disambiguation). ... Public broadcasting (also known as public service broadcasting or PSB) is the dominant form of broadcasting around the world, where radio, television, and potentially other electronic media outlets receive funding from the public. ... NPR redirects here. ...

According to Variety.com, Jennings and television producer Michael Davies teamed up as executive producers on a new game show format for Comedy Central. According to Comedy Central execs, it was planned that Jennings would co-host and participate.^[14] The series was planned to air in late 2005 or the first quarter of 2006, but as of April 2006, development had stalled, and the show's future remains uncertain. Jennings explained on his website that "Stephen Colbert's show was doing so well in its post-Daily Show spot that Comedy Central decided they weren't in the market for a quiz show anymore." However, he is still shopping for a network for a potential game show titled, "Ken Jennings vs. the Rest of the World."^[15] Variety is a daily newspaper for the entertainment industry. ... Michael Davies is a British producer of television game shows in the United States. ... Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel in the United States. ... The Colbert Report (—the Ts are silent in Colbert and Report) is an American satirical television program that airs from 11:30 p. ... The Daily Show is a Peabody and Emmy Award-winning American satirical television program produced by and airing on Comedy Central. ...

Jennings later appeared as a guest on The Colbert Report in September 2006.

Jennings has written two books, both published by the Villard imprint of Random House. The first, Brainiac: Adventures in the Curious, Competitive, Compulsive World of Trivia Buffs (2006, ISBN 1-4000-6445-7, trade paperback ISBN 0-8129-7499-9) details his experiences on Jeopardy! and his research into trivia culture conducted after the completion of his run.^[3] The second, Ken Jennings's Trivia Almanac: 8,888 Questions in 365 Days (released in January 2008, ISBN 0-345-59997-2), is a compilation of trivia questions. Villard is a publishing imprint of Random House. ... // Random House is a publishing house based in New York City. ... Book cover Brainiac is a non-fiction narrative by Ken Jennings published in 2006 (ISBN 1-400-06445-7). ...

Jennings also has a column in Mental Floss magazine, in which readers give him two wildly different things and he has to connect them in exactly six moves, much in the same vein as the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon.^[16] A mental_floss cover mental_floss is a bi-monthly American magazine that presents facts and trivia in a humorous way. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Bacon number. ...

Ken Jennings also appeared on the NBC game show 1 vs. 100 on October 13, 2006 as a mob member. Ken was a mob member until he lost on the second episode. The question Ken Jennings answered incorrectly was "What color is the number 1 space on a standard roulette wheel?" While the correct answer is red, Jennings answered black.^[17] Jennings also appeared in a special "Last Man Standing" episode of the show on February 9, 2007. He was eliminated on the final question, where he was asked who of a selection of three people were married the most times. He answered King Henry VIII, while the correct answer was Larry King. This episode was the first time Jennings had a chance at a rematch against rival Brad Rutter. After waiting three years, Jennings finally beat Rutter by making it to the final 5, whereas Rutter only lasted to top 25. The American version of 1 vs. ... is the 286th day of the year (287th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 40th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... Henry VIII King of England and Ireland by Hans Holbein the Younger His Grace King Henry VIII (28 June 1491–28 January 1547) was King of England and Lord of Ireland (later King of Ireland) from 22 April 1509 until his death. ... This article is about the television show host. ... Brad Rutter is congratulated for his first place finish by Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek, at the Ultimate Tournament of Champions. ...

In Summer 2007 Jennings appeared as a contestant on the game show Grand Slam hosted by Dennis Miller and Amanda Byram. The show debuted on GSN on August 4, 2007, and featured sixteen former game-show winners in a single-elimination tournament. Jennings, the second seed in the 16-player tournament, won the competition and became the 2007 Grand Slam Champion after defeating Ogi Ogas in the finals. (Ogas had defeated Rutter in an earlier round.) Grand Slam is a United States game show based on the British series of the same name. ... Dennis Miller (born November 3, 1953) is an American stand-up comedian, political/sports commentator, and television/radio personality. ... Amanda Byram, host of The Swan Amanda Byram (born 14 December 1973, in Dublin, Ireland) is an Irish television personality. ... The Game Show Network (GSN) is an American cable television and direct broadcast satellite channel dedicated to game shows and interactive television games. ... is the 216th day of the year (217th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... Ogi Ogas is one of the United States first Homeland Security Fellows, involved in an educational program designed to prepare technologists for work in Americas anti-terrorism effort. ...

Blog entry misinterpreted as critical of Jeopardy!

Jennings made the news in July 2006 when a news article^[18] was published claiming that he was critical of Jeopardy! on his blog.^[19] Citing statements that he wrote there, the article focuses on his "criticism" of the show and host Alex Trebek.

"Nobody knows he died in that fiery truck crash a few years back and was immediately replaced with the Trebektron 4000 (I see your engineers still can't get the mustache right, by the way)."

"You're like the Dorian Gray of syndication. You seem to think 'change' means replacing a blue polyethylene backdrop with a slightly different shade of blue polyethylene backdrop every presidential election or so."^[20]

However, the article failed to quote obviously satirical sections of Ken's blog post, such as the following: This article or section needs copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone and/or spelling. ...

Fourth, why are there no physical challenges? It doesn’t have to be Nickelodeon déclassé, buckets of green ooze falling from the ceiling. It could be tasteful and restrained. Like, if you know the answer, you have to run from your podium to the game board, jump up to touch the clue in question, and give the answer. “What is an Arby-Q?” Then you run back to your podium to select again. Some of these contestants, frankly, could use the exercise. Oh, also, there are angry bees.^[19]

Jennings responded on his blog saying, This article refers to the childrens game show. ... This article is about the TV channel. ... You Cant Do That on Television (YCDTOTV) is a Canadian childrens television program, created by Roger Price and produced from 1979 until 1990. ...

"...there’s no way I was genuinely calling for angry bees and ventriloquist’s dummies to be added to the Jeopardy! format. It’s a humor piece, and one which gets its laughs from the outrageous non sequiturs it proposes, not the ripeness of its target for criticism."^[21]

Jennings had already posted a more serious comment on Trebek that remains on his website:

"The first thing you notice is that the seriousness-to-the-point-of-pomposity thing that he does on air is mostly a put-on. In person, he's a lot looser, prone to little jokes, accents, snippets of song and even soft-shoe. Like Alex or dislike him, you have to admit that he has one of the toughest jobs in show business—reading 61 clues flawlessly while running a fast-paced game show is an amazingly difficult task—yet he's made it look easy, every weekday for the last two decades. So ease up on the Trebek-hatin', y'all."^[22]

Jennings also appeared on The Colbert Report on September 14, 2006. During the interview, Colbert discussed Jennings' book, Brainiac and mocked him not knowing how many pages the book contained. After Colbert coined a word to describe intellectual nerdiness, poindexterity. Jennings stated that after winning on Jeopardy!, he ceased to be a "poindexter". Jennings noted, as he had done earlier that day on NPR's Talk of the Nation that since his streak, people "seem to have an extra-hard trivia question" in case they run into him. In keeping with his hyper-American TV personality, Colbert asked how Jennings could stand Alex Trebek, a Canadian. Jennings jokingly responded that "Trebek did not smell of" his native country.^{[citation needed]} The Colbert Report (—the Ts are silent in Colbert and Report) is an American satirical television program that airs from 11:30 p. ... is the 257th day of the year (258th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Dr. Stephen T. Colbert, D.F.A. (pronounced ) is the fictional persona of political satirist Stephen Colbert, portrayed most notably on The Colbert Report. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... NPR redirects here. ... Talk of the Nation is a talk radio program based in the United States, produced by National Public Radio, and is broadcasted nationally on weekday afternoons (Eastern Standard Time). ...

American Crossword Puzzle Tournament

Jennings also won the rookie division of the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament (ACPT) in 2006.^[23] In his first time competing, Jennings placed 37th overall. The Rookie: Norman Rockwells cover for The Saturday Evening Post Rookie is a term for a person who is in their first year of play of their sport and has little or no professional experience. ... The American Crossword Puzzle Tournament is an annual crossword-solving tournament held every March in Stamford, Connecticut. ...

Ultimate Tournament of Champions

On December 28, 2004, Sony announced a 15-week, 75-show Jeopardy! Ultimate Tournament of Champions. It featured Tournament of Champions, College Championship, and Teen Tournament winners from the show's 21-year run, as well as over 100 five-time champions. Jeopardy!'s executive producer, Harry Friedman, explained: is the 362nd day of the year (363rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A partially revealed board in the final game, first round. ...

"The 2003 rule change, which allows Jeopardy! players to keep playing until they're defeated, raised the question about how other five-time champions might have played under this rule. This tournament is an opportunity to give those past champions another chance to shine."

The field totaled 145 players, including Jennings, who unlike the other competitors, was automatically placed in the finals. The Ultimate Tournament of Champions offered a substantial purse, with a grand prize of $2,000,000 to the winner, $500,000 for the first runner-up, and $250,000 for the second runner-up. Guaranteed prize money was offered to all contestants.

In the final round of the Ultimate Tournament, Brad Rutter decisively defeated Jennings and Jerome Vered, with respective final scores of $62,000, $34,599, and $20,600. Jennings won the $500,000 prize for second place, but as a result of the Ultimate Tournament, Rutter displaced him as the highest overall winner of money on a game show. Jennings has said he is still happy with his second-place finish. Brad Rutter is congratulated for his first place finish by Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek, at the Ultimate Tournament of Champions. ... Jerome Vered in the second game of the fifth round of the Ultimate Tournament of Champions. ...

Records

During his streak, Jennings broke the following records:

He also tied the following records: Jeopardy redirects here. ...

Five game show records remained that Jennings did not tie or break: Ian Lygo is the former sole holder of the record for the most consecutive appearances by a contestant on a television game show, having made 75 appearances on the UK game show 100% in late 1998, with the 75th appearance occurring on 14 December of that year. ... 100% is the name of a television game show which ran in the United Kingdom from the day after the inception of its host television channel, Channel 5 (31 March 1997, now more correctly known as Five) until July 2001. ... Ian Lygo is the former sole holder of the record for the most consecutive appearances by a contestant on a television game show, having made 75 appearances on the UK game show 100% in late 1998, with the 75th appearance occurring on 14 December of that year. ... 100% is the name of a television game show which ran in the United Kingdom from the day after the inception of its host television channel, Channel 5 (31 March 1997, now more correctly known as Five) until July 2001. ...

* Lygo was forced to retire by producer RTL Group. Ian Lygo is the former sole holder of the record for the most consecutive appearances by a contestant on a television game show, having made 75 appearances on the UK game show 100% in late 1998, with the 75th appearance occurring on 14 December of that year. ... 100% is the name of a television game show which ran in the United Kingdom from the day after the inception of its host television channel, Channel 5 (31 March 1997, now more correctly known as Five) until July 2001. ... Ian Lygo is the former sole holder of the record for the most consecutive appearances by a contestant on a television game show, having made 75 appearances on the UK game show 100% in late 1998, with the 75th appearance occurring on 14 December of that year. ... 100% is the name of a television game show which ran in the United Kingdom from the day after the inception of its host television channel, Channel 5 (31 March 1997, now more correctly known as Five) until July 2001. ... Ian Lygo is the former sole holder of the record for the most consecutive appearances by a contestant on a television game show, having made 75 appearances on the UK game show 100% in late 1998, with the 75th appearance occurring on 14 December of that year. ... 100% is the name of a television game show which ran in the United Kingdom from the day after the inception of its host television channel, Channel 5 (31 March 1997, now more correctly known as Five) until July 2001. ... Thom McKee was a officer in the United States Navy who was a contestant on the television game show Tic Tac Dough in 1980. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Jeopardy redirects here. ... is the 9th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

** In 100%, Lygo faced two opponents per game. Jennings bested 149 opponents during his tenure, and a 150th opponent -- Jerome Vered -- in tournament play. 100% is the name of a television game show which ran in the United Kingdom from the day after the inception of its host television channel, Channel 5 (31 March 1997, now more correctly known as Five) until July 2001. ...

The following records, having been set by Ken Jennings, have now been broken by others:

Jennings was not eligible for the 2006 Tournament of Champions. By accepting a bye into the Ultimate Tournament of Champions, Jennings was guaranteed $250,000. This bye also required that he give up his right to play in the 2006 Tournament of Champions.^{[citation needed]} Rutter's total of $3,255,102 includes $55,102 in his five days and $3,000,000 in special tournament play, but does not include his two Chevrolet Camaros he won on the game. Jeopardy redirects here. ... Brad Rutter is congratulated for his first place finish by Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek, at the Ultimate Tournament of Champions. ... is the 145th day of the year (146th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jeopardy redirects here. ... is the 146th day of the year (147th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 293rd day of the year (294th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Chevrolet Camaro is a pony car made in North America by the Chevrolet Motor Division of General Motors. ...

Jennings now has defeated more opponents on game shows than any opponent; he defeated 150 Jeopardy! contestants, defeated a player on 1 vs. 100 as a member of the Mob, and defeated four opponents on Grand Slam, for a total of 155 players defeated on game shows by Jennings.

Game summaries

Comprehensive game summaries for each day of Ken Jennings' streak have been compiled here. The following are comprehensive summaries for each day of Ken Jenningss streak on the syndicated game show Jeopardy!. Italicized episode numbers indicate games in which Ken was not a player. ...

Loss on Jeopardy! and final statistics

In a rumor disclosed on Wednesday, September 8, 2004, two sources who were at the taping on September 7, 2004 reported that Jennings had lost on his 75th episode, taped the day before, with total winnings at around $2.5 million.^[25] (Jeopardy! tapes five shows per day.) This incident was reported by TV Week and the Associated Press, appearing in hundreds of newspapers across the United States. A few days later, another rumor spread giving out an incorrect first name of the contestant who had beaten him. Despite this, Jeopardy! refused to comment. Look up rumour in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... is the 251st day of the year (252nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 250th day of the year (251st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Associated Press, or AP, is an American news agency, the worlds largest such organization. ... Motto: (traditional) In God We Trust (official, 1956–present) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City Official language(s) None at the federal level; English de facto Government Federal Republic  - President George W. Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence - Declared - Recognized...

It was later determined that Jennings had indeed lost as initially reported, with the failing episode shown in most North American cities on Tuesday, November 30, 2004. is the 334th day of the year (335th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

To make it more difficult for viewers to keep track of Ken's progress towards his final episode, in early September 2004 the show's announcer, Johnny Gilbert, ceased mentioning the number of games that Jennings had won, as had been the show's custom. However, some people in the studio audience reported that he was still announcing them, possibly meaning those parts had been edited out of the airing. In any case, during the 74th game, which aired on Monday, November 29, Gilbert resumed announcing the number of games. Johnny Gilbert (born July 13, 1924 in Newport News, Virginia) is a prolific American television game show announcer, best known for his over 20-year association with TVs Jeopardy!. His other credits include Sports Challenge, Camouflage, Chain Reaction, Go, Blackout, Card Sharks, Family Feud, The $25,000 Pyramid, and... is the 333rd day of the year (334th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Jennings broke almost every game show record in his run. Ian Lygo appeared on the British game show 100% 75 consecutive times and won every game until he was forced to retire by the show's producers. After Jennings' 75th show, he tied Lygo's record of 75 consecutive appearances and, with 74 wins, he almost reached Lygo's record of 75 consecutive game show wins. Ian Lygo is the former sole holder of the record for the most consecutive appearances by a contestant on a television game show, having made 75 appearances on the UK game show 100% in late 1998, with the 75th appearance occurring on 14 December of that year. ... 100% is the name of a television game show which ran in the United Kingdom from the day after the inception of its host television channel, Channel 5 (31 March 1997, now more correctly known as Five) until July 2001. ...

Endorsements

Jennings’ success has resulted in him being a popular individual amongst corporations looking for public endorsers.

H&R Block, the firm named in the answer he missed, announced in a press release^[26] that they were offering him a deal for free tax preparation and financial services for the rest of his life. According to H&R Block, Jennings could pay over $1.045 million alone in taxes,^[13][27] more than any quiz show contestant. H&R Block (NYSE: HRB) is the leading tax preparation company in the United States, and claims more than 22 million customers worldwide, with offices in Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom. ...

Jennings has also agreed to a deal with Microsoft to promote their Encarta encyclopedia software. Microsoft Corporation, (NASDAQ: MSFT, HKSE: 4338) is a multinational computer technology corporation with global annual revenue of US$44. ... Encarta is a digital multimedia encyclopedia published by Microsoft Corporation. ...

He is also engaged in speaking deals through the Massachusetts-based speakers agency, American Program Bureau.

University Games produced a Can You Beat Ken? board game, in which players vie against each other and Jennings in an attempt to earn $2.6 million first. Each question in the game was asked to Jennings, and his answers are recorded on the cards.

The-then SBC Communications and BellSouth cellular telecommunications joint venture Cingular Wireless (now owned by AT&T) signed Jennings to appear in commercials. The first of these commercials, portraying Jennings as having lots of "friends and family" (coming out of the woodwork, because he is now "stinking rich") started airing in February, 2005. BellSouth Corporation was an American telecommunications holding company based in Atlanta, Georgia. ... “AT&T Wireless” redirects here. ... This article is about the current AT&T. For the 1885-2005 company, see American Telephone & Telegraph. ...

Ken Jennings also appeared on commercials for Allstate Insurance. Also starring Dennis Haysbert, the advertisements parody a typical Final Jeopardy! situation, and parody Ken's usual style of guessing at answers by having him answer the question in a humorous, over-the-top inquisitive fashion. The Allstate Corporation NYSE: ALL is the largest publicly held personal lines insurer in the United States. ... Dennis Dexter Haysbert (born June 2, 1954) is an American film and television actor. ...

Comedy Central had announced that they had inked a deal for Ken to host a new game show on their network, likely to begin sometime in 2006. According to Ken Jennings' website, the proposed program was to follow The Daily Show, but due to the success of The Colbert Report, Comedy Central decided against doing a quiz show. Jennings hopes that the show, "...modestly titled Ken Jennings vs. the Rest of the World", will be produced for some other network.^[28] Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel in the United States. ... The Daily Show is a Peabody and Emmy Award-winning American satirical television program produced by and airing on Comedy Central. ... The Colbert Report (—the Ts are silent in Colbert and Report) is an American satirical television program that airs from 11:30 p. ...

Ken Jennings in pop culture

• On an episode of the FOX sketch comedy Mad TV, Alex Trebek, played by Ike Barinholtz, urges the other contestants to buzz in before Jennings, played by Ron Pederson. Trebek is so fed up with Jennings' winning streak that he shoots the champ, who turns out to be a robot.

FOX redirects here. ... Sketch Show redirects here. ... For other uses, see Mad TV (disambiguation). ... George Alexander Alex Trebek (born July 22, 1940) is an Emmy Award-winning Canadian-American television personality and game show host. ...

Trivia and trademarks

• During game 53 of his streak, Jennings was given the clue "This term for a long-handled gardening tool can also mean an immoral pleasure seeker." Without missing a beat, Jennings replied, "What's a ho(e)?" Trebek replied "No", caught the audience's laughter, and said, "Whoa, whoa, whoa! They teach you that in school in Utah, huh?" (The correct response was "What is a rake?")
• On ESPN's Pardon the Interruption, Jennings was often referred to by panelists Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon as "Ken Jeopardy", and his success was noted on the show at milestone points, such as when he reached 50 straight wins and $1 million. Also, on ESPN's SportsCenter, Several of his early wins were recorded in the show's daily "Top 10" plays segment.
• He kept a plush "Totoro" toy from the movie My Neighbor Totoro in his pocket as a good luck charm.
• During his college speaking tour, he admitted that the strangest fan gift he ever received was Popo, a stuffed pillow.

During his Jeopardy! appearances, Jennings became known for several quirky behaviors: The Tavern Scene from A Rakes Progress by William Hogarth. ... ESPN, formerly an acronym for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, is an American cable television network dedicated to broadcasting and producing sports-related programming 24 hours a day. ... Pardon the Interruption (abbreviated PTI) is a sports television show that airs weekdays on various ESPN TV channels, TSN, NASN, XM, and Sirius satellite radio services, and as a downloadable podcast. ... Anthony Irwin Kornheiser (born July 13, 1948) is an American sportswriter and columnist for The Washington Post, as well as a radio and television talk show host. ... Michael R. Wilbon (born November 19, 1958) is an American sportswriter and columnist. ... This article is about the American ESPN show. ... My Neighbor Totoro ), or My Neighbour Totoro on UK DVD box titles, is a 1988 film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli. ...

• He often pronounced foreign words, phrases, or locations with an accent.
• He frequently would give answers in clever ways. Examples include "What are the munchies, man?" when given a clue about midnight food cravings, and "What be Ebonics?" On his final episode, his response to "A Category about Nothing" in Spanish was, "¿Qué es nada?"
• On Final Jeopardy and the Daily Doubles he almost always wagered an amount that could bring his total to an even multiple of $5,000 (an even multiple of $10,000 if he wanted to risk that much or that little money). Alex commented on this several times, and he even occasionally guessed what wager Jennings would make.
• Prior to his 30th game, Jennings did not want to beat the $52,000 single-day record of former five-day champion Brian Weikle just "for the sake of beating it" (from the Jeopardy! forums). Jennings intentionally tied Weikle's record three times. However, in his 38th game, Jennings entered Final Jeopardy with a total only $600 shy of the record (and, in fact, had exceeded the record in the Double Jeopardy! round before missing a question at the end), and beat it with a final total of $75,000. On his 71st game, he surpassed the former record a second time with a win of $55,099. On three other occasions (in his 30th, 39th, and 67th games), Jennings bet enough on Final Jeopardy that a correct response would have given him a total of more than $52,000, but he provided an incorrect response.

Look up pronunciation in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Note: This page or section contains IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. ...

See also

• American game show winnings records
• Tom Walsh, the record holder previous to Jennings
• David Madden, currently holds the greatest winning streak since Jennings
• Jennings' book, Brainiac: Adventures in the Curious, Competitive, Compulsive World of Trivia Buffs

American game shows through the years have had their fair share of high money winning contestants. ... Tom Walsh (born August 26, 1964) is best known publicly as a contestant on the syndicated television game show Jeopardy! from January 5, 2004 through January 14, 2004. ... Book cover Brainiac is a non-fiction narrative by Ken Jennings published in 2006 (ISBN 1-400-06445-7). ...

References

// Random House is a publishing house based in New York City. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 196th day of the year (197th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 318th day of the year (319th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 247th day of the year (248th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For information on Wikipedia press releases, see Wikipedia:Press releases. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 333rd day of the year (334th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 334th day of the year (335th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For information on Wikipedia press releases, see Wikipedia:Press releases. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 66th day of the year (67th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 333rd day of the year (334th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 334th day of the year (335th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 188th day of the year (189th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 144th day of the year (145th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 333rd day of the year (334th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 180th day of the year (181st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... PDF is an abbreviation with several meanings: Portable Document Format Post-doctoral fellowship Probability density function There also is an electronic design automation company named PDF Solutions. ... For information on Wikipedia press releases, see Wikipedia:Press releases. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 201st day of the year (202nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 206th day of the year (207th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 206th day of the year (207th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 200th day of the year (201st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 206th day of the year (207th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 206th day of the year (207th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 206th day of the year (207th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 206th day of the year (207th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 206th day of the year (207th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 206th day of the year (207th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 43rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 205th day of the year (206th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 284th day of the year (285th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 252nd day of the year (253rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 20th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 334th day of the year (335th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For information on Wikipedia press releases, see Wikipedia:Press releases. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 188th day of the year (189th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 335th day of the year (336th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 188th day of the year (189th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 222nd day of the year (223rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

Ken Jennings

• Ken Jennings official web site
• Jeopardy! web site
• Ken's Top 2000 Favorite Movies Page
• Ken Jennings at the Internet Movie Database
• This Is... Jennings!
• 2006 IMNO Interview with Ken Jennings

Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Wikiquote is one of a family of wiki-based projects run by the Wikimedia Foundation, running on MediaWiki software. ... For the in-memory database management system, see In-memory database. ...

News

• "Jeopardy!Whiz Jennings Loses", Fox News
• "'Jeopardy!' to hold 'Super Tournament'", Fox News