Jeopardy! Timeline (syndicated version)/Season 19

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Season 19 (2002-2003)

Starting with the November 11, 2002 episode, Jeopardy!, and its sister show, Wheel of Fortune are now produced by Sony Pictures Television.

Season Changes

• Starting with this season, Alex’s wardrobe was removed from the closing credits.
• This is the first full season where Alex Trebek was clean shaven.
• This is also the first full season to feature $200 increments in the first round and the $400 increments in the Double Jeopardy! round.
• This is also the first full season to feature $2,000 for second place and $1,000 for third place as cash for the runners-up, which would remain until the end of Season 39.
• On early episodes of this season:
  • Both Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune were still produced by Columbia TriStar Domestic Television.
  • The show still used the 1996-2002 sushi bar set.
  • The large Jeopardy! logo still appeared on the set.
• At the beginning of this season, Columbia TriStar Domestic Television still owns the production of Jeopardy!, and its sister show, Wheel of Fortune until November 8, 2002, then Sony Pictures Television took over the production starting with the November 11, 2002 episode. They still use the Columbia Tristar Television jingle until November 8, 2002. On a dark blue screen, we see bars with orange inside, and the text "Sony Pictures Television" appears zooming away slowly. The music is a Christmas style tune composed by Mike Jones.
• New opening sequence: a black background with a lavender color shows the letters forming the Jeopardy! logo. Finally, the Jeopardy! logo then zooms forward, revealing the 1996-2002 sushi bar set on early episodes, and on later episodes, the 2002-2009 metallic set (SD version).
• The contestant graphics are slightly altered; the large purple folder now has part of the title screen’s background. This was the last season to not have animated graphics around the contestant, with the exception of some road shows.
• This season is both the last season to use the 1996-2002 sushi bar set, and the first season to use the 2002-2009 metallic set (SD version).
• This is also the last season to implement the five-day limit rule for returning champions.
• This is the last full season where Steven Dorfman was credited as the writer before his death from colon cancer on January 4, 2004 at the age of 48. The April 21, 2004 episode is dedicated to him after his death.
• This season is both the last season to be produced by Columbia TriStar Domestic Television, and the first season to be produced by Sony Pictures Television.
• Lisa Finneran, Rocky Schmidt, and Gary Johnson were credited as senior producers.

September 2002

• September 2, 2002: Season 19 premieres.
• September 5, 2002: Myron Meyer sets a new one-day record of $50,000. However, he was defeated by Jake Maeroff on the next game.
• September 16-20, 2002: Back to School Week is held.
  • September 18, 2002: Kunle DeMuren sets the all-time Kids Week record at the time of $49,000, just $1,000 shy of the all-time one-day record in regular games.
  • September 20, 2002: On the last game of 2002 Back to School Week, Mike Scott won the game by the tiebreaker round. Mike, who had the lead going into Final Jeopardy! with $10,800 to his nearest opponent's $9,000, wagered only $7,200, playing for a tie, rather than for the win. Lucky for him, he gave the correct response to the tiebreaker clue.

October 2002

• October 9, 2002: Mark Brown retires undefeated with $68,094 and a new Jaguar X-Type.

November 2002

• November 8, 2002: The sushi bar set was discontinued after this episode aired. Alex makes his entrance by walking down a small staircase for the last time. This was first seen on the November 11, 1996 episode during Celebrity Jeopardy! in Season 13.
• November 11-22, 2002: The College Championship was held at Ohio State University. The incandescent seven-segment displays were used for the last time.
• November 25, 2002: The metallic set was introduced after the sushi bar set was discontinued. It was the second set designed by Naomi Slodki.
  • At the beginning of the episode, a time-lapse video of the transition to the new set is shown.
  • The set consists of hanging panels with stone and metallic appearances. The large Jeopardy! logo was removed from the set, but the logo was added to the small panel behind the host. The panels also show the appropriate tournament's name during the tournament. The contestant podiums had a sepia-colored trapezoid-shaped design with silver borders.
  • The incandescent seven-segment displays were changed to LED displays; positive scores are shown in white text on a blue background, while negative scores are shown in a white text on a red background; all of these elements are incorporated on a single Sony PFM42b2 42-inch diagonal plasma monitor. The game board from the previous set was retained.
  • During the first week of the set's run, the background changed to red when the lights dim during the Final Jeopardy! segment. In the early version of the set's run, the sides on the game board have small white circles with a gray border.
  • This set remained in use until the end of Season 25.

December 2002

• December 2, 2002: The set reverts back to staying blue throughout the whole show for the first time.
• December 9, 2002: Minor changes are made to the set, the sides on the game board have 4 rectangles with a light blue border, and the podiums are brighter.
• December 9-13, 2002: Pieces from the 1996-2002 sushi bar set were placed on eBay for auction, which proceeds donated to the charities World Vision, and the Motion Picture & Television Fund. Each of the items from the dismantled 1996-2002 sushi bar set were signed by Alex Trebek.
• December 23, 2002: The metallic set was modified again. The white outlines on the podiums are removed, and the podiums became darker. Also, the closeups of the categories became computer-generated.

January 2003

• January 6-10, 2003: Holiday Kids Week is held.

February 2003

• February 3-14, 2003: The Teen Tournament airs.
• February 17, 2003: Jackie Harrison retires with $66,602 despite losing her fifth game plus $2,000 for finishing in 2nd place.
• February 24, 2003: Travis Troyer retires undefeated with $83,100 and a new Jaguar X-Type.

March 2003

• March 11, 2003: Max Levaren retires with $68,801 despite losing her fifth game plus $1,000 for finishing in 3rd place.
• March 20-21, 2003: Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune do not air due to the news coverage of the U.S. invasion in Iraq.

April 2003

• April 14, 2003: Brian Weikle sets a new one-day record of $52,000.
• April 16, 2003: Brian Weikle retires undefeated with $149,200 and a new Jaguar X-Type. He also sets the record of retired 5-day champion highest total winnings.

May 2003

• April 28-May 2, 2003: Celebrity Jeopardy! is held.
  • Julie Bowen, Hal Sparks, and Paige Davis compete on Monday.
  • Wayne Brady, Vivica A. Fox, and Ashton Kutcher compete on Tuesday.
  • Brad Paisley, Linda Park, and Will Estes compete on Wednesday.
  • Chris Matthews, Lauren Graham, and Paul McCrane compete on Thursday.
  • Jeff Probst, CCH Pounder, and Joshua Malina compete on Friday.
• May 5-16, 2003: The Tournament of Champions was held, with the champions playing for $250,000 for the first time.

June 2003

• June 10, 2003: Jim Stalley retires with $84,100, despite losing his fifth game plus $2,000 for finishing in 2nd place.
• June 19, 2003: John Beck retires undefeated with $117,099, and a new Jaguar X-Type. He becomes the last retired 5-time champion. As well, he became the last 5-time champion to retired undefeated in history, and the last to win a Jaguar X-Type.
• June 20, 2003: Three new contestants played for the last time after the prior champion retired undefeated. This wouldn't happen again until January 19, 2009, when returning champion Priscilla Ball felt ill and returned to the show on April 9, 2009.
• June 30, 2003: Seth Alcorn retires with $106,400 despite losing his fourth game plus $1,000 for finishing in 3rd place.

July 2003

• July 18, 2003: Season 19 ends.
• July 21-September 5, 2003: Summer reruns air.