Jeopardy! Timeline (syndicated version)/Season 28

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Season 28 (2011-2012)

Title card for Season 28.

Starting with this season, Alex Trebek sat at his podium, when the Final Jeopardy! category is revealed on the monitor, rather than standing in front of a game board in seasons 1-27.

On early episodes of this season, Alex Trebek stood at his podium, when the Final Jeopardy category is revealed on the monitor, and there was no chair.

Season changes:

• The opening credits have changed to two golden doors opening diagonally to reveal a yellow and purple background, and a bird's eye view of the Jeopardy! logo coming from the top of the letters. Then, there are flying grid and purple and red panels as the background changes its color to red and purple. The camera zooms out to reveal the Jeopardy! logo, with the timer lights going in reverse direction. Finally, the Jeopardy! logo then zooms forward, revealing the 2009-2013 set through the "A" like in Season 27.
• Alex Trebek walked onto the set from directly behind the game board, rather than the sliding doors, due to recovering from his injury on his right foot. He began sitting at his podium throughout the whole show, and revealed the Final Jeopardy! category.
• Starting with this season, Alex Trebek sat at his podium, when the Final Jeopardy! category is revealed on the monitor, rather than standing in front of a game board in seasons 1-27. On early episodes of this season, Alex Trebek stood at his podium, when the Final Jeopardy! category is revealed on the monitor, and there was no chair.
• On the October 24, 2011 episode, Alex Trebek introduced the newly unveiled Jeopardy! Hall of Fame backstage.
• Beginning with the December 12, 2011 episode, Alex Trebek walked away from his podium on the Jeopardy! set to begin interviewing contestants, and when the Final Jeopardy! "Think!" music plays.
• Aleve sponsors the consolation prizes beginning the second week of this season; however, it is only seen on regular play.
• The closing credits have changed again to a different font, which would be in use until Season 33.
• On the December 14, 2011 episode, 84-year-old Tampa native Shirley Smallwood attends the taping, thanks to Jeremy Bloom's Wish of a Lifetime Foundation.
• On the December 15, 2011 episode, Alex Trebek's wife Jean Trebek, 91-year-old mother Lucille Trebek, and cousin Dolores Trebek from Florida were featured in the audience.
• The closed captioning sponsor is announced right after the first commercial break, right before the Double Jeopardy! round, and right after the second commercial break.
• On episodes with a full closing credit roll, the split-screen backdrop is light blue with glitters.
• The copyright date gained a purple color scheme.

This season:

• Season 28 of Jeopardy! kicks off on September 19, 2011.
• During the Tournament of Champions, in November 2011, in the first of the two-day finals, Roger Craig uncovers both Daily Doubles in the Double Jeopardy! round, wagers all of his winnings on both, and gives correct responses.
• This was the first time that there were two tournaments in one month. This includes the College Championship, followed by the Teachers Tournament.
• The weeks of May 7, 2012 and May 14, 2012, are taped at the DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. May 7, 2012 to May 11, 2012 is the semi-final and final matches of the Teen Tournament and May 14, 2012 to May 18, 2012 is Power Players Week.
• On the May 4, 2012 episode, during the last quarterfinal game in the 2012 Teen Tournament, in Double Jeopardy! leader Gabriela Gonzales wagered $8,000 instead of the minimum necessary $7,001 to cover second-place player Evan Eschliman, who apparently wagered $1,200. So as to have had an even $15,000 had he gotten the correct response in Final Jeopardy!, but ended up with $12,600 after his miss.
• To her misfortune, Gabriela's score was coincidentally the same after her miss and over wager.
• Evan buzzed in first with the correct response to advance to the semifinals, whereas Gabriela's score was insufficient to earn her a wildcard spot.
• On the Teen Tournament Finals Part 2 which aired on the May 11, 2012 episode, Teen Tournament Winner Elyse Mancuso sets the record of $79,600.
• This is also the first time the winner has won more than $75,000 in the Teen Tournament.
• As a matter of fact, all three finalists surpass their respective minimum guarantees.
• On the September 20, 2011 episode, three males play for the eleventh time this season [Justin, Alex and Ken].
• On the October 4, 2011 episode, there are two female contestants and one male contestant [Joon, Elaine and Megan].
• On the October 7, 2011 episode, three males play for the first time this season [Joon, Brett and Adam], this is the first all-male game since July 21, 2011.
• On the October 12, 2011 episode, there are two female contestants and one male contestant [Joon, Katie and Megan].
• On the October 17, 2011 episode, three males play for the second time this season [Unless if Lanny is a male].
• On the November 17, 2011 episode, there are two male contestants and one female contestant [Ellen, Matt and Glenn].
• On the November 18, 2011 episode, there are two female contestants and one male contestant [Unless if Morgan is a female].
• On the November 30, 2011 episode, three males play for the third time this season [Kiran, Jan and Tim].
• On the December 2, 2011 episode, there are two female contestants and one male contestant [Jan, Bhibha and Suzanne].
• On the December 5, 2011 episode, there are two male contestants and one female contestant [Bhibha, Scott and Brendan].
• On the December 8, 2011 episode, three males play for the fourth time this season [Tony, William and Dan].
• On the December 22, 2011 episode, three males play for the fifth time this season [Jason, Niall and Isaac].
• On the December 23, 2011 episode, there are two female contestants and one male contestant [Jason, Sara and Erin].
• On the December 27, 2011 episode, three males play for the sixth time this season [Jason, Bill and Andrew].
• On the January 4, 2012 episode, three males play for the seventh time this season [Dave, Nicholas and Jladhar].
• On the January 20, 2012 episode, there are two male contestants and one female contestant [Lynn, Russell and Bob].
• On the March 12, 2012 episode, there are two male contestants and one female contestant [Jessamine, Richard and Reid].
• On the March 16, 2012 episode, there are two female contestants and one male contestant [John, Sharla and Hannah].
• On the March 19, 2012 episode, there are two male contestants and one female contestant [Unless if Alex is a male].
• On the March 27, 2012 episode, there are two male contestants and one female contestant [Margie, Beau and Chuck].
• On the March 28 and 30, 2012 episodes, there are two female contestants and one male contestant, this is the first time this season that a male champion plays against two female challengers twice in a row [Beau, Catie, Jeanie, Sarah and Ruth].
• On the March 29, 2012 episode, three males play for the eighth time this season [Beau, Jay-Ben and Richie].
• On the April 4, 2012 episode, three males play for the ninth time this season [Joey, Jesse and Michael].
• On the April 12, 2012 episode, there are two female contestants and one male contestant [Sean, Judy and Megan].
• On the May 17, 2012 episode during Power Players Week, three male power players play, this is also the tenth time this season that three males play [Chuck, Clarence and Lewis].
• On the May 23 and 24, 2012 episodes, there are two female contestants and one male contestant [Unless if Jody is a female, Joel, Ursula and Julie], this is the second time this season that a male champion plays against two female challengers twice in a row.
• On the June 14, 2012 episode, there are two male contestants and one female contestant [Kathy, Stu and David].
• On the June 22, 2012 episode, three females play for the first time this season [Margaret, Bridget and Ayana], this is also the first all-female game since May 27, 2011.
• On the June 26, 2012 episode, there are two male contestants and one female contestant [Margaret, Jon and Jim].
• On the June 28, 2012 episode, three females play for the second time this season [Annalise, Amy and Lindsey].
• On the July 9, 2012 episode, three females play for the third time this season [Stephanie, Christy and Kelly].
• On the July 12, 2012 episode, there are two female contestants and one male contestant [A.J., Laura and Tracey].
• On the July 18, 2012 episode, there are two female contestants and one male contestant [Dan, Elissa and Julie].
• On the July 23 and 27, 2012 episodes, there are two female contestants and one male contestant [Andy, Kate, Liz, Leo, Jenny and Allison], this is the second time this season that a male champion plays against two female challengers twice in a row.
• On the August 3, 2012 episode during Kids Week, two middle-aged girls and one middle-aged boy play [Greg, Neha and Hallie].
• Season 28 of Jeopardy! wraps up on August 3, 2012.
• Summer reruns air from August 6-September 14, 2012, with reruns later airing on weekends from 2012-2013.