Jeopardy! (Host: Art Fleming)
For more than 50 years, Jeopardy! has not only been "America's Favorite Quiz Show" but it has been a television institution, challenging millions of viewers every day to put on their thinking caps and play along with the in-studio contestants. Everybody knows the current version of Jeopardy! with host Alex Trebek, which will air its 35th season beginning this September, and many know that Jeopardy! actually started in the 60s with host Art Flemming. However, in 1978, Art Flemming returned to host The All-New Jeopardy!. This version certainly was all-new as it was a completely different format than the previous version and the version to come.
Created by Merv Griffin, the original Jeopardy! aired nearly 3,000 episodes during the daytime NBC block from 1964 to 1975. It was a mega-successful show that was taped in the studio where Late Night with Seth Meyers is currently occupying. In 1978, NBC revived Jeopardy!, officially calling it The All-New Jeopardy!, and once again the always well-spoken Art Fleming stood behind the podium reminding contestants to always phrase their responses in the form of a question.
Besides the dollar figures getting a much-needed upgrade, the game featured some significant changes. The first big difference was that after the "Jeopardy! Round," the player out of the three with the lowest money score would be eliminated from the game. The remaining two players would then go on to face each other head-to-head during the "Double Jeopardy! Round."
The second big difference was that the player with the most money after "Double Jeopardy!" would win the game right then and there as no "Final Jeopardy!" was played on this version. Instead, the winner played a bonus round called "Super Jeopardy!," which had no relation to the 1990 summer tournament of the same name, and was basically a combination of Jeopardy! and Bingo. If a contestant could give five correct questions to form a lineup and down, across or diagonal on the board with getting three strikes, meaning they gave three incorrect responses, they would win an additional cash prize. The bonus money starts at $5,000 and increases by an additional $2,500 each day the contestant returns as Jeopardy! champion.
The All New Jeopardy! lasted only 108 episodes and aired from October of 1978 to March of 1979. One of the biggest problems was that so many concepts were being squeezed into one episode, including the elimination of a player and a big money bonus game. Both of these elements were not needed at all. Americans loved seeing all three players match wits with each other through the whole game and with so much going on, the entire game felt super rushed.
The bonus game was most likely added to compete with many other game shows of the time that were offering contestants opportunities to earn thousands of dollars via a bonus round, including Match Game's "Super Match" and Card Shark's "Money Cards." In addition, with the elimination of most viewer's favorite part of the game, "Final Jeopardy!," the element of wagering strategy was removed, as well as the chance to hear the world famous Jeopardy! think music for 30 seconds.
Despite the format's negativity, Art Fleming was a superb host and it was great to see him host Jeopardy! once again, but it's no surprise that this version failed to capture the magic of the original version. Thankfully, the current version we all know and love redeemed the Jeopardy! name.
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