Jeopardy! to Re-Air GOAT Tournament, Old Ken Jennings Episodes Amid Coronavirus Shutdown

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a ripple effect on quite a lot of movies and television shows, as production schedules and release dates have been forced to shut down due to social distancing requirements. Even game shows have been particularly affected by the pandemic — and it looks like Jeopardy! will be getting creative as a result of that. This week, the iconic game show announced that it will be re-airing its Jeopardy: The Greatest of All Time tournament, which previously kicked off earlier this year and pitted three of the franchise’s best players against each other. The event will be bookended by reruns of Ken Jennings‘ first and last episodes from his record-breaking 74-game streak in 2004.

Given the fact that Jennings’ earliest episodes haven’t aired in over fifteen years this will provide an interesting way for fans to relive (or experience for the first time) his iconic run. Jennings holds the record for being the highest-earning American game show contestant of all time, with over $5 million in earnings from Jeopardy! and other shows.

Jeopardy!‘s Twitter account also confirmed that more new episodes will air after the Greatest of All Time, including the 2020 Teachers Tournament.

Given the structure of game shows – which often tape episodes weeks or months in advance – dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic has been an interesting conundrum. Both Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune opted to film without live audiences in early March, as the virus began to spread in the United States. Less than a week later, both series ended up shutting down production. While Jeopardy! has been able to air new episodes in the time since then, it’s clear that the rerun of the Greatest of All Time tournament will help pad out that hiatus.

The Greatest of All Time pitted Jennings against Brad Rutter and James Holzhauer, two of the most noteworthy players to hit the show in its history. Rutter first made his appearance on the show in 2000, and soon won the 2001 Tournament of Champions and the 2002 Million Dollar Masters Tournament. Holzhauer gained media attention from his run in the show earlier this year, during which he set multiple records for single-day winnings on the show. He initially had a winning streak of 33 appearances and previously won the Tournament of Champions.

What do you think of Jeopardy! re-running some iconic episodes? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

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