or


[11/30/04 - 12:00 AM]
Jeopardy!' Streak Over

[via press release from King World]

"JEOPARDY!" STREAK OVER

Ken Jennings Loses in 75th Game, Takes Home a Record-Setting $2,520,700

Culver City, CA, November 30, 2004 - Television's longest winning streak in game show history came to an end today when Ken Jennings lost on Jeopardy! After appearing on 75 shows, and winning over $2.5 million, Jennings finally met his match in Nancy Zerg, a realtor from Ventura, California.

Since his first Jeopardy! appearance on June 2, Jennings, a software engineer from Salt Lake City, Utah, has become the buzz of water coolers across the nation. With 74 consecutive wins and $2,520,700 in total cash winnings, Jennings, 30, now holds the records for most money ever won on a television game show, as well as the most victories.

Zerg, a former actress who bypassed college for a life of theatre, music and travel, did what 150 people could not...defeat master player Jennings. And she did it the old-fashioned way: she earned it. Going into the Final Jeopardy! round of the show, Zerg trailed Jennings $14,400 to $10,000, and it all came down to this question:

Final Jeopardy! Category: Business and Industry

Clue: Most of this firm's 70,000 seasonal white-collar employees work only four months a year

Zerg's response of "What is H & R Block?" was correct, and brought her total to $14,401. Jennings, who incorrectly responded, "What is Fed Ex?", dropped to second place with $8799.

"Nancy was great...her timing was just right on," said Jennings. "It was not a fluke. She knew things I didn't know," he continued. "I thought, Nancy, good for you, you totally deserve this."

"It hasn't sunk in. Ken is just so good!" said new champion Zerg. "I think we both played well, but I got lucky with categories that I knew and he just happened to hit a couple of Daily Double clues that he didn't know." Zerg, a wife and mother, continued, "It took a good 15 minutes before I even realized that those points on the board were actually money!".

In his string of Jeopardy! appearances, Jennings gave over 2700 correct responses on subjects from Shakespeare to Hip-Hop. He became an audience and media favorite. He has been featured on the front page of USA Today, presented the "Top Ten List" on the Late Show with David Letterman, shared the couch with Jay Leno on the Tonight Show, and was named Person of the Week by ABC World News Tonight.

This week, the media continues to line up to acknowledge Jennings' accomplishments. The Tuesday, Nov. 30 episode of Nightline is devoted to Jennings and Jeopardy! Wednesday, Dec. 1, A&E's Biography spotlights Jennings and other Jeopardy! champions. Jennings appears on the Late Show with David Letterman (Tues.), Good Morning America (Wed.) and Live with Regis and Kelly (Wed.). Jennings has also been selected by Barbara Walters for inclusion in her yearly special as one of the Ten Most Fascinating People of 2004 (air date Dec. 8).

Jeopardy! Host Alex Trebek shared a few comments about the show's most famous winning streak, "Ken is an amazing player and his record speaks for itself," said Trebek. "I very much doubt that we will ever see an accomplishment like this again. Ken's one of a kind."

What is the best thing Jennings will take away from this whole experience? "During my life, I think I made a lot of safe and practical choices," Jennings states. "I never took a chance or did something that for me would be a dream. And being on Jeopardy! has been that dream," continued Jennings. "You are much happier, I think, when you go for the long shot and play to your strengths instead of always doing the safe easy thing. I'm very grateful to this experience, if nothing else, for having taught me that."

A look back at the highlights and the milestones Ken Jennings has achieved:

JUNE 2: Makes his first appearance on Jeopardy!, winning $37,201

JULY 13: Breaks the $1,000,000 mark in cash winnings

SEPTEMBER 15: Breaks record for the longest winning streak on any game show in television history (43 shows)

NOVEMBER 3: Makes history as the All-Time Top Game Show Cash Winner, amassing winnings of $2,197,000

NOVEMBER 30: Jennings is defeated by California Realtor Nancy Zerg. His final grand total is $2,520,700.

During the period Jennings appeared on Jeopardy!, ratings for the quiz show were up 22% over the same period the preceding year, and for several weeks of the winnings streak, Jeopardy! was ranked as TV's highest-rated syndicated program. (Source: Nielsen TV National People Meter)

A Jeopardy! rule change introduced in 2003 allows contestants to continue playing as long as they keep winning. Previously, champions had been limited to five wins. Jeopardy!, a winner of 24 Emmy awards since its debut in 1984, is produced by Sony Pictures Television, a Sony Pictures Entertainment Company, and is distributed domestically by King World Productions, Inc. The series is distributed internationally by CBS Paramount International Television.





  [november 2004]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
 


· SHOWATCH
(series past and present)
· DEVWATCH
(series in development)
· MOVIEWATCH
(tv movies and mini-series)





[11/26/24 - 03:01 PM]
Video: New Games, New Stakes - "Squid Game" Season 2 Main Trailer and Key Art "Round and Round" Unveiled
With its premiere just around the corner on December 26, the trailer delivers an electrifying glimpse into the deadly games and gripping character dynamics that await fans worldwide.

[11/26/24 - 02:34 PM]
Video: Paramount+ with Showtime Debuts Official Trailer for Showtime's "Dexter: Original Sin"
The series premieres Friday, December 13 on streaming and on demand for Paramount+ subscribers with the Paramount+ with Showtime plan, before making its on-air US debut on Sunday, December 15 at 10pm ET/PT.

[11/26/24 - 01:15 PM]
ABC News' "Nightline" Ranks No. 1 in Total Viewers, Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49 vs. CBS' "After Midnight" and NBC's "Late Night with Seth Meyers"
"Nightline" posted double-digit gains week to week across the board, hitting a 6-week high in overall viewers and 7-week highs in both key Adult demos.

[11/26/24 - 12:03 PM]
Netflix Top 10 Week of Nov. 18: "The Merry Gentlemen" and "A Man on the Inside" Take the Top Spots
Season 2 of the animated series "Arcane" laid siege to #2 (6.4M views), while Season 1 took #5 with 2.2M views.

[11/26/24 - 11:44 AM]
TNT Sports to Debut "Evolve and Flex" with Lance Fresh Friday, Dec. 6, on truTV and Max
The show is hosted by sports-lifestyle expert Lance Fresh and features candid conversations with guests to discuss how life's events have contributed to their sense of style.

[11/26/24 - 11:19 AM]
MGM+ Announces 2025 Premiere Date for "NFL Icons" Season Four
In the upcoming fourth season, the docuseries will feature Pro Football Hall of Famers Joe Montana, DeMarcus Ware, Kurt Warner and Gale Sayers.

[11/26/24 - 10:24 AM]
Video: "Rogue Heroes" (MGM+ 2025 Series) Season 2 Tease
"Rogue Heroes" is a dramatized account of how the world's greatest Special Forces unit, the SAS, was formed under extraordinary circumstances in the darkest days of World War Two.

[11/26/24 - 10:09 AM]
Video: Acorn TV Releases Official Trailer for Second Season of Hit Australian Drama, "Darby and Joan"
The new season debuts with a two-episode premiere, exclusively on Acorn TV, on December 30, followed by weekly episodes through January 27.

[11/26/24 - 10:01 AM]
ABC News Studios Announces Fourth Season of Hit True-Crime Series "Wild Crime," Streaming Dec. 5 Only on Hulu
"Wild Crime: Eleven Skulls" delves into the haunting 2012 disappearance of Samantha Koenig, an 18-year-old Anchorage barista last seen leaving her place of work with an unknown man on a dark winter night.

[11/26/24 - 08:32 AM]
Bravo Greenlights "Vanderpump Rules" Season 12 with a New Group of SUR-vers
In addition, "Vanderpump Rules" will celebrate the past decade of heartbreaks, friendship rifts and scandals with a retrospective special highlighting the past 11 seasons.

[11/26/24 - 08:30 AM]
Video: Paramount+ and Nickelodeon Reveal Teaser, First-Look Images and Premiere Date for "Henry Danger The Movie"
"Henry Danger The Movie" will be available to stream in the U.S. on Paramount+ Friday, January 17, and premiere on Nickelodeon that same day at 7 p.m. (ET/PT).

[11/26/24 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "Makayla's Voice: A Letter to the World" - Official Teaser - Netflix
Makayla is a teenage girl who has spent her life grappling with a rare form of autism that rendered her essentially nonverbal until her parents, filled with unwavering belief in their daughter's potential, embarked on a transformative journey to discover the true depth of Makayla's inner world.

[11/26/24 - 08:01 AM]
HBO Announces Ian Bonhote & Peter Ettedgui's Award-Winning "Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story," Debuting December 7 on HBO and Max
The critically acclaimed film had its world premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and recently won six Critics Choice Documentary Awards.

[11/26/24 - 08:00 AM]
HGTV Greenlights Gutsy Las Vegas Renovation Series "Sin City Rehab" (wt) Starring Indomitable Designer Alison Victoria
The eight-episode series will document Alison, best known for her Emmy-nominated series "Windy City Rehab," taking the biggest gamble of her career as she expands her successful design business out West.

[11/26/24 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "The Manny" Season 2 - Release Date Announcement - Netflix
A busy executive hires a cowboy to care for her kids in a moment of panic. Little does she know he'll challenge her views of gender roles - and of love.