This is... Jeopardy's 35th Anniversary Tournament

I have rarely gone into detail about the series on television that I have been watching for the longest consecutive period – Jeopardy! It’s been going on for so long that, much like The Simpsons or Law & Order, it seems impossible to remember a time without. And while the sets and the remarkable ‘think music’ occasionally make incremental change, the game show is fundamentally the same almost 35 years later. By now, the idea of ‘framing your answer in the form of a question’, ‘true Daily Doubles’, and categories like ‘Potent Potables’ and ‘Before and After’ have entered the mainstream. Alex Trebek has been without his famous mustache nearly as long as he had it (though he did grow it back earlier this year. I wish he’d kept it.

But one of the things I look forward to the most as a very long time viewer, are the special tournaments that seem to come around at key points. I remember the 10^th Anniversary Tournament way back in 1993, the Million Dollar Masters in 2002,, the Ultimate Tournament of Champions, which took up nearly four months in 2005, and The Battle of The Decades, which took place in 2014. I look forward to them mainly to see some of the greatest and most memorable champions in the history of the game, some of whom you almost tend to look on as old friends after decades of watching, and also because the writers seem to go out of their way to write some of the most mind-bending questions ever for these incredibly bright champions.

And for the next two weeks, viewers like me shall be granted such a visit. In commemoration of their 35^th anniversary, another special tournament has been granted us: The Jeopardy All-Star Tournament. 18 of the most memorable champions –  the lions share from the past decade will be returning to compete in a way that not even Jeopardy has tried in all its years – Team Competition. 6 teams of the three champions will compete over the next two weeks, until one team eventually shares in a $1,000,000 payout.

Now, I’ll admit: I’m a little skeptical about the approach. I find it difficult to believe that a game show that has relied on the same format for 35 years will be able to change it successfully. I’m not even certain how it will work. But I’ll be honest: most of me really doesn’t care that much. For me, tournaments like this are the real celebrity tournaments, a chance to see some of the true legends in a series that has produced some truly incredible players in the more than a quarter of a century that I’ve been watching the series. And it’ll be fun to see some of the greatest champions of all time since the five day rule was eliminated: not just the big money winners like Brad Rutter and Ken Jennings, but some of my favorite players from recent years like Internet sensations and 13 Game Winner Austin Rogers and the 1-day record holder Roger Craig. The one I want to see the most, however, is David Madden. Just a couple of months after the Ultimate Tournament, Madden set a record of 19 consecutive wins, third all time, with just over $378,000. For reasons which were never fully explained, Madden didn’t participate in the Battle of the Decades. Part of me wants to know why, and part of me is just curious to see what he’s been up to after thirteen years.

Fans of trivia rejoice: eighteen of the smartest men and women will grace the podiums of your favorite quiz show starting today. I’ll take BEST DAY EVER for 200, Alex.

COMPETITORS

Colby Burnett: Winner of the 2012 Teachers Tournament and The Tournament

Of Champions. Winnings:$375, 000

Buzzy Cohen: 2017 Tournament of Champions Winner and one of the more colorful winners of all time. Total Winnings. $414, 603

Julia Collins: 20 Game Winner, Second Longest Streak in History. Actually added it to her introductory notes for Tournament of Champions. Winnings:454, 100.

Leonard Cooper: 2013 Teen Tournament Winner, and One of the Most Famous Final Jeopardy Response in History. Winnings: 80,000

Roger Craig: 2011 Tournament of Champions Winner and Battle of the Decades Finalist. Goes All In On Daily Doubles – to his regret. Total Winnings: 631, 200.

Jennifer Giles: 2015 Teachers Tournament Winner. $105,000

Ben Ingram: 8 Game Champion and Winner of the 2014 Tournament of Champions, Arguably Greatest Finalists in History of Jeopardy. Total Winnings: $427, 534

Matt Jackson: Currently the 4^th Highest Earning Player of all time, and Fourth in most regular season wins. Total $513,612.

Alex Jacob: 6 Game Champion. 2015 Tournament of Champion Winner, and one of the most gracious winners in all of Jeopardy. Total Winnings $401,802.

Ken Jennings: 74 Tame Champion. $3.4 Million Winnings. Hard to believe he’s only the second greatest player in history.

Larissa Kelly: First woman to win more than five games. Second Place in tournament of Champions in 2009. $330,597

Alan Lin: 6 game Champion, and runner-up in the 2018 Tournament of Champions. Total Winnings: $173,600.

David Madden: 19 Game Champion, Third longest Winning Streak of all time. $383,300.

Pam Mueller: 2000 College Champion. Semi-Finalist in Every other Tournament she’s competed in, including the Ultimate Tournament of Champions and Battle of the Decades. One of the All-Time Greats. Total Winnings: $182, 201.

Austin Rogers: 12 Game Champion with the 5^th Highest Regular Season Total. One of the most Memorable Champions ever. Total Winnings: $463, 100.

Brad Rutter/ Winner of more money that any game show contest in history. And he’s never lost a game… to a human. Total: $4.3 Million.

Monica Thieu: 2012 College Championship Winner. $105,000.

Seth Wilson: 12 Game Champion, the fifth longest of all time. Total Winnings: $267,002/