Jeopardy! History Wiki
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An incomplete timeline for the network (NBC/ABC/etc.) versions of Jeopardy! that will likely never be complete, as due to practices of the era most of the original NBC version was destroyed or recorded over. Further, Game Show Network (henceforth referred to as GSN) has only shown two Fleming episodes.

As a result, this timeline will be much less detailed than the nighttime one.

1964

March 1964: (series begins March 30)

  • On March 5, a test episode is recorded. A copy is held by the Paley Center for Media.
  • On March 30, the show debuts at 11:30 AM Eastern (10:30 Central).

April 1964:

May 1964:

June 1964:

July 1964:

August 1964:

September 1964:

October 1964:

November 1964:

December 1964:

1965

January 1965:

February 1965:

March 1965:

April 1965:

May 1965:

June 1965:

July 1965:

August 1965:

September 1965:

October 1965:

November 1965:

December 1965:

  • The December 10 show is #445, taped December 13.
  • Burns Cameron plays from December 13-17 (#446-450, taped November 29-30 and December 6), becoming an undefeated champion.
  • The December 20 show (#451, taped December 6) is Lynn/Bernie/Billie.

1966

January 1966:

February 1966:

March 1966:

April 1966:

May 1966:

June 1966:

July 1966:

August 1966:

September 1966:

  • The September 7 show (Libby/Joy/Irene) is #638, taped August 25.

October 1966:

November 1966:

December 1966:

1967

January 1967:

  • Sometime this year, the show holds a National College Scholarship Contest. Three episodes from this contest (#816, 818, and 819) are held by the UCLA Film & Television Archive.

February 1967:

March 1967:

April 1967:

  • On April 17, for the only time during the original run, Don is unable to attend a taping. Fellow NBC staff announcer Wayne Howell fills in for him.

May 1967:

June 1967:

July 1967:

August 1967:

September 1967:

October 1967:

  • On October 13 (#925, taped October 3), the 1,000,000th dollar is awarded and the contestant receives a 1968 American Motors Javelin SST sports hardtop. The available records do not indicate which player (of Eric Hanson, Zelda Pullium, and Gail Menkman) pulled off the feat, however.

November 1967:

December 1967:

1968

January 1968:

February 1968:

March 1968:

April 1968:

May 1968:

  • The May 31 show is held on audio tape by Archival Television Audio, Inc.
  • On May 31, David Canary appears to plug Bonanza.

June 1968:

July 1968:

August 1968:

  • The August 6 show is held on audio tape by Archival Television Audio, Inc.
  • During a week sometime this month, Dr. Burt Sherman becomes the 48th undefeated champion.

September 1968:

October 1968:

  • On October 18 (#1185, taped October 1), Art notes that the show had to "find" undefeated champion Hutton Gibson (who relocated to Ireland) to invite him to the Tournament of Champions.

November 1968:

December 1968:

1969

January 1969:

February 1969:

March 1969:

April 1969:

May 1969:

June 1969:

July 1969:

August 1969:

September 1969:

October 1969:

November 1969:

December 1969:

1970

January 1970:

February 1970:

March 1970:

April 1970:

May 1970:

June 1970:

July 1970:

August 1970:

September 1970:

October 1970:

November 1970:

  • On November 4 (#1696, taped October 10), Mary LoSardo is a contestant, winning $60 and an encyclopedia. She later appears on the Trebek version in Season 22 and recounts this appearance.
  • November 9-13 is the seventh Tournament of Champions (#1708-1712, taped November 5-6).
    • Nine champions participate (Mary Lee Fox, Russ Poylo, Helen Mabry, Hunter Farnum, Barbara Franco, Steve Haufman, Dolores Henderson, Gene Cheatham, and M. McNeil) over a one-week period, but the available records seem to suggest an odd two-day Finals.
    • According to TV Game Shows!, Gene Cheatham wins the Tournament.
  • The November 16 show is #1699, taped October 16.

December 1970:

1971

January 1971:

February 1971:

March 1971:

  • The March 8, 16, and 24 shows are held by UCLA.

April 1971:

  • The April 1 and 9 shows are held by UCLA.

May 1971:

June 1971:

July 1971:

August 1971:

September 1971:

October 1971:

November 1971:

  • November 15-19 is the eighth Tournament of Champions (#1958-1962, taped November 10-11).
    • Nine champions participate (Peggy Rathert, Don Marms, Jan Churchwell, Karolyn Battle, Jim Shannon, Riza Gross, Michael Aronson, Rock Johnson, and Joel Tuber) over a one-week period.
    • According to TV Game Shows!, Rock Johnson wins the Tournament.

December 1971:

1972

January 1972:

February 1972:

  • February 21 is the 2,000th episode, with the three highest-scoring five-day champions (Burns Cameron, Jane Gschwend, and Elliott Shteir) returning to play for charity. On this episode:
    • Before the game, Mel Brooks appears in-character as The 2,000-Year-Old Man and talks with Art and the players.
    • Only one round is played, using the Double Jeopardy! logo and values. All clues involve a picture or some video footage (although one involves a prop stored at Art's podium), and each category has a Daily Double.
  • As of February 21, there are 90 undefeated champions: 43 men, 47 women.
  • February 21 is the earliest Jeopardy! episode, and one of only two hosted by Fleming, to be aired by GSN.

March 1972:

  • On March 30, a special game is held between Bill Cullen, Peter Marshall, and Art James to celebrate the show's 8th Anniversary.

April 1972:

May 1972:

June 1972:

July 1972:

August 1972:

September 1972:

October 1972:

November 1972:

  • November 13-17 is the ninth Tournament of Champions (#2214-2218, taped November 9-10).
    • Nine champions participate (Susan Smith, Paul Wilson, Lorraine Gorman, Donna Angle, Anne Marie Sutton, Luanne Keller, Sheila November, Jay Delehanty, and Robin Phillips) over a one-week period.
    • According to TV Game Shows!, Anne Marie Sutton wins the Tournament.

December 1972:

1973

January 1973:

February 1973:

March 1973:

  • The March 12, 20, and 28 shows are held by UCLA.

April 1973:

  • The April 5 and 13 shows are held by UCLA.

May 1973:

June 1973:

July 1973:

August 1973:

September 1973:

October 1973:

November 1973:

  • November 12-16 is the tenth Tournament of Champions (#2476-2480, taped November 8-9).
    • Nine champions participate (Carol Reeve, Reid Williamson, Adeline Shulman, Connie Christensen, Phil Price, Paula Ogren, Louise Windgrad, Dan Donohue, and Rosemary Travis) over a one-week period.
    • According to TV Game Shows!, Paula Ogren wins the Tournament.

December 1973:

1974-75

January 1974:

  • On January 7, the show moves to 10:30 AM Eastern (9:30 Central).

February 1974:

March 1974:

April 1974:

  • The April 24 show (Ann/Larry/Norma) is #2574, taped April 2.
  • For a brief period around this time (known to be present on April 24), the show uses a "Run-the-Category Bonus" where anyone who gives all five correct questions in a single category receives $500 in addition to their end-of-game winnings.

May 1974:

June 1974:

  • The June 27 show is Karen/Kent/Kim.

July 1974:

  • On July 1, the show moves to 1:30 PM Eastern (12:30 Central), replacing Three on a Match.

August 1974:

September 1974:

October 1974:

  • The October 16 show is held on audio tape by Archival Television Audio, Inc.

November 1974:

  • The November 18 show is #2721, taped October 31.
  • At least November 19-22 are the eleventh Tournament of Champions (#2735-2737, taped November 13-14).
    • It is believed that nine champions participate (including Pete Staley, Kathleen Lang, Art Newell, Dave Hilliard, Andy Miller, Faye Ringel, and Denny Golden) over a one-week period, but the available records are too sparse to accurately determine this.
    • According to TV Game Shows!, Denny Golden wins the Tournament.

December 1974:

January 1975: (series ends January 3)

  • On January 3 (John/Robin/Debbie), the contestants are not introduced by Don. Rather, there is a shot of the audience as he says "Ladies and gentlemen, it is with great admiration that I present for the 2,753rd time the star of Jeopardy!: Art Fleming!"

The All-New Jeopardy! (1978-79)

According to a Sony-affiliated poster at the official Sony forums, a pilot was taped in 1976 with Bob Hilton as host. This mention was edited out a few hours later, with the entire thread disappearing when the forum was shut down due to a well-known hacking incident.

March 1977:

  • On March 6, a pilot (Joan/Stan/Debbie) is taped for CBS at Television City, with several differences from the eventual revival:
    • Charlie O'Donnell announces.
    • Round 1 begins with each contestant getting 30 seconds to pick off as many clues as s/he wishes, with no penalty for an incorrect response.
    • At the start of Round 2, the game board turns around.
    • Super Jeopardy! uses a 90-second time limit, rather than playing until getting three Strikes.
  • The above pilot is held by UCLA.

October 1978: (series begins October 2)

  • On October 2 (Emily/Richard/Jim):
    • After the contestant intros, new announcer John Harlan says "And now, entering the studio for the 2,754th time is the host of Jeopardy!, Art Fleming!"
    • Strangely, a shot of the audience after Art's entrance shows Richard, despite being onstage.
  • While GSN holds a copy of the October 2 show, they have not aired it.
  • As of October 3 (Richard/Harriet/Todd), the Strikes on the Super Jeopardy! board still have a red background.

November 1978:

  • The November 13 show (#0031) is Karen/Brian/Vi.

December 1978:

January 1979:

  • On January 1 (Beth/Dave/Mike), and likely for the entire week, Art plugs the upcoming timeslot change.
  • On January 8, the show moves to 12:00 PM Eastern.
  • The January 16 show is Clarence/Nina/Bill, taped in November 1978.

February 1979:

  • Likely during this month, a Tournament of Champions is held. It is known that the final game (taped December 1978) is Stuart/Todd/Philip, with Todd having previously played during at least the first week of this version.
  • By the end of the above Tournament, the Strikes on the Super Jeopardy! board are changed to a larger (and more curved) "STRIKE" on a black background.

March 1979: (series ends March 2)

  • On March 2 (Charlie/Susan/Doug, taped in January), the revival ends after 108 episodes.
  • The March 2 show is one of only two Fleming episodes aired by GSN. In this case, the episode aired on December 31, 1999 during a "Y2Play" marathon of game show finales.

Super Jeopardy! (1990)

June 1990: (series begins June 16)

July 1990:

August 1990:

September 1990: (series ends September 8)

  • The September 8 episode is the only one of this series to be aired by GSN.
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