Will There Be a ‘Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time’ Rematch?
Even though Ken Jennings was crowned the ultimate champ of Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time by host Alex Trebek last month, ABC can uncategorically claim its own win in the numbers game.
The primetime showdown, which saw Jennings best fellow memory masters James Holzhauer and Brad Rutter over the course of four nights, drew the network a Daily Double’s worth of ratings rarely seen on unscripted broadcast television. The opening match premiered with 14.4 million viewers, with the next three nights bringing in 14.9, 15.6 and finally 13.6 million.
They were ABC’s best stats of 2020 for primetime. The closest competitor on the network for the week the finale aired? The Bachelor, at 5.4 million fans.
Now other game shows are looking to score big in primetime. ABC will mark the 20th anniversary of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire with a celebrity tournament in April, and CBS is planning the last in a trio of star-studded The Price Is Right specials.
Normally, one would now bet big on more Jeopardy! events, but given Trebek’s battle with stage 4 pancreatic cancer and Jennings’ decision to hang up his buzzer, no Greatest rematch has been planned, and the network will make it Trebek’s call.
“We will do anything Alex is up for,” ABC Entertainment president Karey Burke told reporters at the Television Critics Association winter press tour in January following the premiere’s extraordinary success.
“He is our great partner, and we love the collaboration.” Of course, if it ever did happen, such an event would be another win-win.
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