Ken Jennings
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- For other people named Ken Jennings, see the Ken Jennings (disambiguation) page.
"It's boring to have the same guy win. I'm actively rooting against myself." -- TV Guide 14-Nov-2004
Kenneth Wayne Jennings III (born May 23, 1974) holds the records for the longest winning streak (74 consecutive episodes) and the most money won (US$2,522,700) on the syndicated game show Jeopardy!, as well as other various game show records.
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Biography
Born at Stevens Memorial Hospital in Edmonds, Washington, Jennings grew up in Seoul, South Korea (1981–1992) and Singapore (1992–1996), where his father worked for an international law firm and then as Asia Pacific Division Counsel of Oracle Corporation. He watched Jeopardy! on Armed Forces Television while growing up.
Jennings graduated in Computer Science and English at Brigham Young University where he played on the school's quizbowl team for three years. He completed an International Baccalaureate diploma at Seoul Foreign School, and achieved "honors" at both the University of Washington and BYU.
A member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Jennings served a two year LDS mission in Madrid, Spain from 1993 to 1995.
Now resident in Murray, Utah (a suburb of Salt Lake City), Jennings identifies himself as an avid comic book and movie buff with a web site listing his top 2000 favorite movies. He also writes questions and edits the literature and mythology categories for NAQT, a quizbowl organization. He is a software engineer for CHG, a healthcare-placement firm.
He and his wife Mindy have a son named Dylan. Her parents, Myrna and Lee Boam, live in Ottawa, Ontario. Jennings claims to have learned a Canadian accent by watching The Kids of Degrassi Street.
Ken Jennings's streak on Jeopardy!
Jennings's long run began with the episode aired on Monday, June 2, 2004. The episode that aired July 23, 2004 was the 20th-season finale; all of Jennings's episodes from then were taped in February and March. Jennings returned on the first show of the 21st season, which was taped in late April, and aired on September 6, 2004. Two weeks of the 21st season were taped before the summer hiatus.
Since he did not lose before the 2004 Tournament was taped (which then aired from September 20 through October 1), he will have to wait until the 2005-06 season to compete in the Tournament of Champions. His first Tournament of Champions challenger will be Kermin Fleming, the 2004-05 season's College Tournament champion. The 2005-06 season's College Tournament champion will be the second automatic bid to the Tournament of Champions, while the other twelve positions will be determined by most wins, with most money won as the tie-breaker.
In 2003, at the start of the syndicated show's 20th season, Jeopardy! changed its rules, allowing a contestant to remain on the show for as long as he or she continued to win. Previously, contestants could not return after winning five consecutive games. After the rule change, and until Jennings's run, the record winning streak was set by Tom Walsh, who won $184,900 in seven games in January 2004.
On Tuesday, November 30, 2004, Jennings's long reign as Jeopardy! champion finally came to an end when he lost his 75th game to challenger Nancy Zerg, who initially did not appear to be a threat to the champion. Jennings proved to be his own worst enemy by missing both Double Jeopardy! Daily Double questions (on which he had placed his usual high wagers) and the Final Jeopardy! question. The Final Jeopardy! clue was: Most of this firm's 70,000 seasonal white-collar employees work only four months a year. The correct response was: "What is H&R Block?". Jennings responded with "What is FedEx?" (Third contestant David Hankins completed the Double Jeopardy! round with a negative amount and did not participate in Final Jeopardy!) Jennings's final total was US$2,522,700. His running time period totaled 182 calendar days, including his first and last appearances.
On December 1, the show broke with tradition by having Jennings make a "guest appearance" at the start of the broadcast, during which host Alex Trebek acknowledged his success and enumerated the various game show records he'd broken. Ironically, new champion Zerg's triumph as the "giant killer" (as Trebek had described her) was short-lived; she ended the competition on that show in last place with a total of only $2.
Jennings's winning streak on Jeopardy! has made him somewhat of a celebrity; he has received a good deal of American media coverage and appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman to present Letterman's "Top 10 List". He appeared again on the program on the night his final show was televised, in addition to interview segments airing that night on local 11 o'clock news programs and on Nightline. Acknowledging his impact on the American public, Barbara Walters selected Jennings as one of the Ten Most Fascinating People of 2004 for her twelfth annual ABC special, which airs on Wednesday, December 8, 2004. While on his media tour following his final game, Jennings taped a segment for a future episode of Sesame Street.
A&E aired on December 1 an episode of their popular program, Biography, dedicated to Jennings's life and the lives of other Jeopardy! notables, including Frank Spangenberg and Eddie Timanus. Jeopardy! ratings have gone up 62 percent during Jennings's run on the show (11.1 million viewers was a ten-year high); for three weeks in July 2004 and for most of the latter part of Jennings's run, it surpassed traditional leader Wheel of Fortune to become television's highest-rated syndicated program.
When asked what he intended to do with his winnings, Jennings said that he intends to tithe to his church, donate to public television and National Public Radio, go on a trip to Europe, and invest the rest for his family. Jeopardy! contestants typically receive their winnings approximately 120 days after their last game airs in the form of a check. Taking advantage of its fame over the crucial clue, H&R Block offered Jennings free tax and financial services for the rest of his life. H&R Block senior vice president David Byers estimated that Jennings would owe approximately $1.04 million in taxes on his winnings. Combined with a ten percent tithe (which Jennings told Sunstone magazine he would pay on his gross winnings, rather than the after-tax amount), this would leave him approximately $1,230,430 to use for other purposes.
Along the way, Jennings defeated at least three contestants who are current quizbowl players; in fact, according to a Washington Post article, at least one fellow NAQT employee was selected to appear on the show during Jennings's run (but, as someone with more than a casual acquaintance with Jennings, could not compete against him because of standards and practices rules).
Trivia and Trademarks
During his Jeopardy! appearances, Jennings became known for several quirky behaviors:
- Each day he wrote his name in a different way, with styles ranging from simple (such as cursive script or block letters) to artistic (such as dots or a bas-relief outline).
- He kept a plush "Totoro" toy, from the movie My Neighbor Totoro in his pocket, as a good luck charm.
- He often pronounced foreign words, phrases, or locations with an accent.
- On Final Jeopardy! and the Daily Doubles he almost always wagered an amount that could bring his total to a multiple of $5,000, or at the least a multiple of $1,000. Host Alex Trebek commented on this several times, and he even occasionally "guessed" what wager Jennings would make.
- Prior to his 30th game, Jennings did not want to beat the $52,000 single-day record of former five-day champion Brian Weikle just "for the sake of beating it" (from the Jeopardy! forums). He intentionally tied his record three times. However, in his 38th game, Jennings entered Final Jeopardy! with a total only $600 shy of the record (and, in fact, had exceeded the record in the Double Jeopardy! round before missing a question at the end), and beat it with a final total of $75,000. On his 71st game, he broke the record a second time with a win of $55,099. Jennings has only made two other attempts to break Weikle's $52,000 record (in his 30th and 65th games), but incorrect Final Jeopardy! responses prevented him from succeeding.
- He often shook his head in disbelief when his total cash winnings were announced at the start of each episode/game.
- According to his Letterman appearance, he dislikes country music.
Records
During his streak, Jennings broke the following records:
| Description | Current Record | Previous Record |
|---|---|---|
| Most consecutive appearances on Jeopardy! | 75 episodes (74 wins, 1 loss) | 8 episodes (7 wins, 1 loss) by Tom Walsh, January 5–14, 2004 |
| Most total appearances on Jeopardy!, including tournaments | 16 episodes by Bob Verini, 1986–2002 (regular season-5x, Tournament of Champions-4x, Super Jeopardy!-3x, Masters Tournament-4x) | |
| Most consecutive appearances on a syndicated game show | 46 episodes (43 wins) by Thom McKee on Tic Tac Dough, 1980 | |
| Highest total winnings on Jeopardy! in non-tournament play | US$2,522,700 | US$184,900 by Tom Walsh, January 5–13, 2004
US$102,597 (adjusted to $205,194) by Frank Spangenberg, January 9–15, 1990 (prior to increase in clue value) |
| Highest total winnings on Jeopardy! including tournaments | US$1,155,102 by Brad Rutter, 2001–2002 | |
| Highest total winnings on a syndicated game show | US$1,155,102 by Brad Rutter on Jeopardy!, 2001–2002 | |
| Highest total winnings on a game show | US$2,180,000 by Kevin Olmstead on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, 2001 | |
| Highest total winnings in one day on Jeopardy! | US$75,000 (game 38) | US$52,000 by Brian Weikle, April 14, 2003 (Jennings tied this record three times before he broke it)
US$34,000 (adjusted to $68,000) by Jerome Vered, May 21, 1992 (prior to increase in clue value) |
| Highest 5-game total on Jeopardy!, consecutive | US$221,200 (games 34–38) | US$154,200 by Tom Walsh (games 3–7), January 7–13, 2004 |
| Highest 5-game total on Jeopardy!, best 5 games | US$286,099 (games 28, 29, 37, 38, and 71) | US$102,597 (adjusted to $205,194) by Frank Spangenberg, January 9–15, 1990 (prior to increase in clue value) |
He also tied the following record:
| Description | Current Record |
|---|---|
| Most consecutive appearances on a game show | 75 episodes by Ian Lygo on 100%, 1998* |
Four game show records remained that Jennings did not tie or break, only one of which he could possibly break in the future should he be invited to a Tournament of Champions:
| Description | Current Record |
|---|---|
| Most wins on a single game show | 75 times by Ian Lygo on 100%, 1998* |
| Most consecutive wins on a game show | 75 times by Ian Lygo on 100%, 1998* |
| Most opponents defeated on a game show | 150 by Ian Lygo on 100%, 1998** |
| Most opponents defeated consecutively on a game show | 150 by Ian Lygo on 100%, 1998** |
* Lygo was forced to retire by producers RTL Group.
** In 100%, Lygo faced two opponents per game. Jennings bested 149 opponents during his tenure.
Game summaries
Comprehensive game summaries for each day of Ken Jennings's streak have been compiled here.
Jennings and previous Jeopardy! champions
Jennings won US$156,000 in his first five days on Jeopardy!, so if the five-day rule had not been eliminated, he would still be the all-time non-tournament winner in Jeopardy! history. The previous record holder, Tom Walsh, won $184,900 in seven days, but only $118,100 of that came in the first five days. No other Jeopardy! contestant has won more than $150,000 in non-tournament play in the first five days.
If winnings are further adjusted to make them comparable to the seasons before the clue values were doubled, Jennings's adjusted total of $78,000 would place him 11th in the Trebek era of Jeopardy!, behind Frank Spangenberg ($102,597) and nine others.
Jennings now also holds most of the top spots in the list of highest single day winnings on Jeopardy!. Prior to Jennings's run, the $50,000 mark had only been reached twice before. Myron Meyer won $50,000 on September 5, 2002, and Brian Weikle won $52,000 on April 14, 2003. Jennings has reached the $50,000 mark eleven times, with wins of $75,000, $55,099, $52,000 (three times), and $50,000 (six times).
Jennings's top score of $75,000 is the highest ever, even if it is adjusted for the seasons before the clue values were doubled. Four contestants finished with scores of $30,000 or higher in the pre-doubling era, led by Jerome Vered's score of $34,000. Jennings's adjusted total of $37,500 puts him ahead of that mark.
Ken Jennings's loss on Jeopardy! and Final Statistics
In a rumor disclosed on Wednesday, September 8, 2004, two sources who were at the taping on September 7, 2004 reported that Jennings had lost on his 75th episode, taped the day before, with total winnings at around $2.5 million. (Jeopardy tapes five shows per day.)
This incident was reported by TV Week and the Associated Press, appearing in hundreds of newspapers across the United States.
Later on, it was determined that Ken Jennings did indeed lose with the failing episode shown in most cities across North America on Tuesday, November 30, 2004. In an interesting turn of events, the 75th episode was aired early in the Macon, GA area (on WMAZ-TV, see here) on Friday, November 26, 2004. The reasoning behind the early airing was reportedly due to a technician running the wrong tape.
To make it more difficult for viewers to keep track of Ken's progress towards his final episode, in early September 2004 the show's announcer, Johnny Gilbert, ceased mentioning the number of games that Jennings had won, as had been the show's custom. However, some people in the studio audience reported that he was still announcing them, possibly meaning those parts had been edited out of the airing. Oddly, however, during the 74th game, which aired on Monday, November 29, Gilbert resumed announcing the number of games.
Final Jeopardy! category: Business and Industry
Final Jeopardy! clue: Most of this firm's 70,000 seasonal white-collar employees work only four months a year. (See here)
The correct question was: What is H&R Block? This was the answer given by Nancy Zerg. Jennings's other opponent, David Hankins, could not participate in Final Jeopardy!, as he did not have a positive score at the end of the Double Jeopardy! round. Ken Jennings's answer was: What is FedEx? Nancy wagered $4,401, which brought her total up to $14,401. Ken Jennings wagered $5,601, which caused him to lose with a total of $8,799. (Nancy Zerg only lasted one day, being defeated in her second game by another contestant -- she ended the game with $2.)
Therefore, Jennings ties Ian Lygo's record of 75 appearances, but not Lygo's record of 75 wins (Lygo won his 75th game and was retired by the show's producers). Although Jennings will almost certainly return for the Tournament of Champions next year, he will not be able to beat the two remaining records, because they were for consecutive appearances and wins, and the Tournament wins are not consecutive, but overall wins. A win in a Tournament opening round would only tie, and a semifinal win would break, the record for most overall appearances and wins.
Another record Jennings will be able to attack will be Lygo's record of defeating 150 opponents during his run. The opponents he faces in the first round of the Tournament of Champions will be the 150th and 151st people to lose to him, if he is victorious. Still, he will not be able to break Lygo's record of consecutively defeating 150 opponents.
If Jennings had won his final game, he would have broken every single game show record in history except for two (most wins and most consecutive wins) which he would have tied. If he had won his final game plus one more, he would have broken every record.
As of this time, Kermin Fleming, the 2004 Jeopardy! College Championship winner, is the only known opponent to Mr. Jennings, but as other players start winning consecutive games, they will line up behind Fleming and Jennings for pecking order. Jennings is almost assured of being the #1 seed for the Tournament of Champions.
Order
- Kermin Fleming (2004 College Championship Winner)
- Ken Jennings (74 consecutive wins)
- 2005 College Championship Winner
The 12 players in the 2004-05 and 2005-06 season who have the most wins will participate in the next Tournament of Champions, which should be scheduled in the spring of 2006.
Potential lawsuits
An audio recording of Final Jeopardy! for Ken Jennings's 75th appearance was posted online on the same weblog, kottke.org, where the initial rumor appeared, but it was removed at the request of lawyers representing Sony. The audio recording removed by Jason Kottke may either have been obtained from the unintentional public airing described above or from a source at a television station who received the program before its broadcast. In addition, Sony lawyers also requested that the summary of the audio recording be removed from the weblog. As of Thursday, December 2, 2004, Kottke is facing a potential lawsuit from Sony due to his posting of the recording, and he may decide to stop updating his weblog due to the whole ordeal.
Endorsements
Jennings's success has resulted in him being a popular individual amongst corporations looking for public endorsers.
H&R Block, the firm named in the answer he missed, announced in a press release that they were offering him a deal for free tax preparation and financial services for the rest of his life. According to HRB statements, Jennings could pay over $1.045 million alone in taxes, more than any quiz show contestant. Jennings accepted the offer.
Jennings has also agreed to a deal with Microsoft to promote their Encarta encyclopedia software, and has signed a deal with Bertelsmann AG for a book to be published through one of their book divisions in 2005. He is also engaged in speaking deals.
See also
As Jennings has captured the imagination of pundits across America, he naturally invites comparisons to characters in pop culture.
- The 1991 French sketches-movie "Les Secrets professionnels du Dr. Apfelglück" featured a contestant, Émile Leberc, played by fr:Roland Giraud, who, better than Jennings, answers every single question at a game show. Trebek's equivalent in the movie, Gérard Martinez, played by fr:Alain Chabat, cannot stand the increasing rudeness and haughtiness of the contestant and tries to get rid of him, using more and more devious ways.
- David Foster Wallace wrote a fictional short story called "Little Expressionless Animals" well before Jennings first appeared on Jeopardy! in which the protagonist is a woman who wins on the show every day for a year. She is eventually defeated by her autistic brother, who has a photographic memory about anything related to animals; knowing this, the producers purposely loaded the board with zoological questions to unseat the uncharismatic woman.
- The movie Quiz Show chronicles the winning streak of Charles Van Doren, who captured the attention of the nation, but was later found out to be a fraud.
There have also been parodies of Jennings's streak:
- On an episode of the FOX sketch comedy Mad TV, Jennings makes an appearance on Jeopardy! Fed up with Jennings's win streak, Alex Trebek shoots the champ in anger, but is horrified when he finds out Jennings is a robot. Before that, Trebek encourages Jennings's opponents to buzz in before the champ can. Jennings's most memorable line: "Must...win...it...all...We don't like Jeopardy!. We prefer the down-home style of Wheel of Fortune." Jennings and Trebek are portrayed by cast members of Mad TV.
External links
- Jeopardy! web site
- Ken Jennings Watch
- JEOPARCHIVE!: Full recaps of all 20th season episodes
- Statistics from Jennings's run on Jeopardy! (updated daily)
- Ken's Top 2000 Favorite Movies Page
- tvgameshows.net
- The Cult of Ken Jennings
- Daily Ken Jennings updates
- Ken Jennings Fansite
- Ken Jennings Fansite
- Syntax of Things: "This Is Ken!"
- This Is... Jennings!
- Ken Jennings at the Internet Movie Database
Groups and forums
- Yahoo! Groups: Ken Jennings
- Official Jeopardy! message boards
- Television Without Pity Forum — Jeopardy!
News
- "O.K., Alex, Smart Nerds for $1 Million", The New York Times, July 13, 2004
- Jeopardy!'s Jennings sets record, CNN.com, November 4, 2004
- "Ken Jennings's Jeopardy! Streak Ends", USA Today, November 30, 2004
- "Jennings hits Jeopardy! milestone", CNN.com, November 30, 2004
- "Jeopardy! Whiz Jennings Loses", Fox News
