© 2024 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY · WNPR
WPKT · WRLI-FM · WEDW-FM · Public Files Contact
ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

'Jeopardy!' Crowns Its Greatest Champion Of All Time

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Oh, man. This week "Jeopardy!" crowned its greatest contestant of all time.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "JEOPARDY!")

ALEX TREBEK: Ken Jennings...

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: Congrats, Ken. That's the best...

TREBEK: ...You are the champion.

(APPLAUSE)

MARTIN: Over four nights, the game show's top money-winners faced off. Ken Jennings was first to win three games against James Holzhauer and Brad Rutter.

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

Now, you might remember Jennings from his 74-game winning streak back in 2004. That's a record that still stands today. Yet, when the show asked him to compete in this latest tournament, Jennings didn't think he had a chance.

KEN JENNINGS: I felt like I was a little old, no longer as young and sharp as the new guy - James Holzhauer.

MARTIN: Still, he thought it'd be fun to compete.

JENNINGS: Just get to see Alex one more time, say goodbye to everybody. And luckily, it turned out very well for me. I got some breaks and had a very good week.

GREENE: Yeah, pretty good. He left with a million dollars, in part by imitating one of his rivals. James Holzhauer, a professional gambler, is known for taking these big risks.

JENNINGS: The other two players, Brad and I, both realized really the only way to to beat James would be to do a very good James impression. You know, you got to play his game.

MARTIN: So Jennings did. But for Final Jeopardy...

JENNINGS: I wagered zero.

GREENE: The category was Shakespeare's tragedies.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "JEOPARDY!")

TREBEK: He has 272 speeches, the most of any non-titled character in a Shakespeare tragedy. You have 30 seconds. Good luck.

MARTIN: Holzhauer missed, and Jennings got it. The answer is Iago, by the way. Now some people wonder if Jennings could return one day to the "Jeopardy!" stage as host.

JENNINGS: Answering that question would involve considering a world in which Alex Trebek is not the host of "Jeopardy!".

GREENE: And that, Ken Jennings cannot do.

(SOUNDBITE OF MERV GRIFFIN'S "THINK!") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

Stand up for civility

This news story is funded in large part by Connecticut Public’s Members — listeners, viewers, and readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information.

We hope their support inspires you to donate so that we can continue telling stories that inform, educate, and inspire you and your neighbors. As a community-supported public media service, Connecticut Public has relied on donor support for more than 50 years.

Your donation today will allow us to continue this work on your behalf. Give today at any amount and join the 50,000 members who are building a better—and more civil—Connecticut to live, work, and play.