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Celebrity Jeopardy! is a special edition of the television game show Jeopardy!, featuring celebrities as Jeopardy! contestants who play for charitable organizations of their choosing (or, in the cases of public officials, relevant charities chosen by Jeopardy!). While exceptions exist (see full listing below), celebrity games have by tradition been broadcast annually as a weeklong event, and on occasion have been called Power Players Week (featuring personalities in politics and journalism).
Each player is guaranteed a minimum winnings amount to distribute to his or her charities, and with a higher guaranteed amount going to each game's winner.
Unlike in regular play, in which a player finishing the Double Jeopardy! Round with a zero or negative score is disqualified from playing Final Jeopardy!, any such player in a celebrity match is granted a nominal score with which to wager for Final Jeopardy!
More recent Celebrity Jeopardy! episodes feature category names that are puns on the celebrity contestants' names and/or works. In a 2006 episode featuring Curt Schilling, Jane Kaczmarek, and Doug Savant, three of the categories were SHILLING, MALCOLM X IN THE MIDDLE and SAVANTS. [1]
[edit] Origins in the Fleming era
The tradition of celebrity matches dates back to the Art Fleming days of Jeopardy! in the 1960s, with appearances by such notable names as Rod Serling, and, for the 2,000th show, Mel Brooks in character as the 2000 Year Old Man.[2] Other notables known to have played the game during the NBC era included game show hosts Bill Cullen, Art James and Peter Marshall (sometime in the early 1970s).[3]
[edit] List of participants
The following is a list of contestants and the charities they played for, arranged per season. Bold indicates the contestant won his or her game.
| Theme |
Contestant |
Charities |
| Alex Trebek Era (1984-present) |
|
| Season 9 |
|
Cheech Marin |
|
| Carol Burnett |
|
| Regis Philbin |
|
| Beau Bridges |
|
| Robert Guillaume |
|
| Ed Begley Jr. |
|
| Emma Samms |
|
| Luke Perry |
|
| Donna Mills |
|
| Rosie O'Donnell |
|
| Alan Rachins |
|
| Judith Ivey |
|
| Andrew Shue |
|
| Dean Stockwell |
|
| Steven Weber |
|
|
| Season 10 |
|
Jerry Orbach |
|
| Leslie Nielsen |
|
| Kelsey Grammer |
|
| Pat Sajak |
|
| Paula Poundstone |
|
| Teri Garr |
|
| Sinbad |
|
| Tim Daly |
|
| Ed Asner |
|
| Harry Anderson |
|
| Elayne Boosler |
|
| Dean Cain |
|
| Jerry Van Dyke |
|
| Tabitha Soren |
|
| Jay Thomas |
|
|
| Season 11 |
|
H. Norman Schwarzkopf |
|
| Stefanie Powers |
|
| Jason Alexander |
|
| Marilu Henner |
|
| Kareem Abdul-Jabbar |
|
| Alexandra Paul |
|
| David Hyde Pierce |
|
| Lou Diamond Phillips |
|
| Larry King |
|
| Markie Post |
|
| Tony Randall |
|
| Kathy Mattea |
|
| Doug Savant |
|
| Michael Sabatino |
|
| Tim Matheson |
|
|
| Season 12 |
|
David Duchovny |
Children's Defense League |
| Lynn Redgrave |
Edwin Booth's Place
Preservation Association for Tudor Hall |
| Stephen King |
Bangor Public Library |
| Jeff Foxworthy |
|
| LeVar Burton |
|
| Noah Wyle |
|
| Bill Maher |
|
| Swoosie Kurtz |
|
| Charles Shaughnessy |
|
| Melody Thomas Scott |
|
| Dan Jansen |
|
| Shawntel Smith |
|
| Thomas Haden Church |
|
| Charles Kimbrough |
|
| Yasmine Bleeth |
|
|
| Season 13 |
| Competition 1 |
Laura Innes |
|
| Isaac Mizrahi |
|
| Melissa Gilbert |
|
| Sandra Bernhard |
|
| Beverly Sills |
|
| John Mahoney |
|
| Carl Lewis |
|
| Jon Lovitz |
|
| Matthew Fox |
|
| Brett Butler |
|
| Buzz Aldrin |
|
| Eartha Kitt |
|
| Robert Loggia |
|
| Renee Taylor |
|
| Alicia Witt |
|
| Competition 2 |
Mark McEwen |
|
| Kirsten Dunst |
|
| Sam Waterston |
|
| Joseph Gordon-Levitt |
|
| Rob Schneider |
|
| Robin Quivers |
|
| Chris Hardwick |
|
| Sharon Lawrence |
|
| Patrick Duffy |
|
| Benjamin Salisbury |
|
| Carey Lowell |
|
| Benjamin Bratt |
|
| Reggie White |
|
| Donna D'Errico |
|
| Mike Piazza |
|
|
| Season 14 |
| Power Players |
Oliver Stone |
|
| Oliver North |
|
| Al Franken |
|
| Tim Russert |
|
| Jack Ford |
|
| Catherine Crier |
|
| Dee Dee Myers |
|
| Andrea Mitchell |
|
| Tom Clancy |
|
| Arianna Huffington |
|
| Robert F. Kennedy Jr. |
|
| Jesse Jackson Jr. |
|
| Wolf Blitzer |
|
| Bill Maher |
|
| Patricia Schroeder |
|
| Celebrity Sportscasters Night |
Greg Gumbel |
March of Dimes |
| Jim Lampley |
|
| Al Michaels |
|
| Celebrity Ladies Night |
Jane Curtin |
|
| Naomi Judd |
|
| Teri Garr |
|
| Celebrity Invitational |
Regis Philbin |
|
| Jerry Orbach |
|
| Cheech Marin |
|
| Jason Alexander |
|
| Mark McEwen |
|
| Robin Quivers |
|
| Sinbad |
|
| Stephen King |
|
| Jack Ford |
|
| Carol Burnett |
|
| Jeri Ryan |
|
| Dan Cortese |
|
| Fred Savage |
|
| Melissa Joan Hart |
|
| Alicia Witt |
|
|
| Season 15 |
| Leading Men Night |
Thomas Gibson |
|
| Stephen Collins |
|
| David James Elliott |
|
| Legends in Sports Night |
Reggie Jackson |
The Mr. October Foundation for Kids |
| Martina Navratilova |
PETA
Kidstuff Foundation |
| Kareem Abdul-Jabbar |
Athletes & Entertainers for Kids |
| Celebrity Sportscasters Night |
Bob Costas |
|
| Robin Roberts |
|
| Keith Olbermann |
|
| Sitcom Stars Night |
Wallace Langham |
|
| Kathy Kinney |
|
| Dave Foley |
|
| Celebrity Night 1 |
Scott Hamilton |
|
| Greg Germann |
|
| Jodi Applegate |
|
| Celebrity Night 2 |
Star Jones |
|
| Jeff Greenfield |
|
| Al Franken |
|
| Celebrity competition |
Graham Nash |
|
| Jane Seymour |
|
| Shannon Sharpe |
|
| Kari Wuhrer |
|
| Gil Bellows |
|
| Alyssa Milano |
|
| Holly Robinson Peete |
|
| Catherine Bell |
|
| Michael McKean |
|
| Camryn Manheim |
|
| Richard Kind |
|
| Mike Farrell |
|
| Wendie Malick |
|
| Steve Harris |
|
| Garry Marshall |
|
|
| Season 16, at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City |
|
Andy Richter |
|
| Nathan Lane |
|
| Brian Dennehy |
|
| James McDaniel |
|
| Meredith Vieira |
|
| Sandy Duncan |
|
| Jon Stewart |
|
| Shawn Colvin |
|
| Rosie O'Donnell |
|
| Carol Burnett |
|
| Peter Krause |
|
| S. Epatha Merkerson |
|
| Noah Wyle |
|
| Michael Boatman |
|
| Andrea McArdle |
|
|
| Season 17, at the Las Vegas Hilton in Las Vegas, Nevada |
|
Eric Idle |
|
| Martha Stewart |
|
| Jeff Probst |
|
| Charles Barkley |
|
| Jodie Foster |
|
| Nathan Lane |
|
| Harry Connick, Jr. |
|
| Wayne Brady |
|
| Dana Delany |
|
| Mike Piazza |
|
| Jane Krakowski |
|
| Kevin Sorbo |
|
| Steven Page |
|
| Brandi Chastain |
|
| Seth Green |
|
|
| Season 19 |
|
Wayne Brady |
|
| Ashton Kutcher |
|
| Hal Sparks |
|
| CCH Pounder |
|
| Julie Bowen |
|
| Chris Matthews |
|
| Paul McCrane |
|
| Vivica A. Fox |
|
| Linda Park |
|
| Brad Paisley |
|
| Will Estes |
New Leash on Life Animal Rescue And C.A.R.E. |
| Lauren Graham |
|
| Jeff Probst |
|
| Joshua Malina |
|
| Paige Davis |
|
|
| Season 20 (May 10-14, 2004): Power Players Week, in Washington, D.C. |
|
Ashleigh Banfield |
Child Abuse Prevention Center of Dallas |
| Maria Bartiromo |
National Italian American Foundation
Columbus Citizen’s Foundation |
| Aaron Brown |
Make-A-Wish Foundation |
| Gretchen Carlson |
MacPhail Center for the Arts
American Cancer Society’s Taking A Step |
| Tucker Carlson |
American Camping Association
Wawenock Scholarships |
| Anderson Cooper |
American Heart Association |
| Ari Fleischer |
March of Dimes |
| Al Franken |
Congressional Hunger Center |
| Kweisi Mfume |
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Maryland |
| Peggy Noonan |
The Sisters of Life |
| Keith Olbermann |
Ed Randall's Bat for a Cure |
| Tim Russert |
Boys & Girls Club of Greater Washington, D.C. |
| Tavis Smiley |
Tavis Smiley Foundation |
| Christine Todd Whitman |
Upper Raritan Watershed Association
Far Hills Country Day School |
| Bob Woodward |
Sidwell Friends School |
|
Season 23 (November 8-21, 2006), at Radio City Music Hall in New York City
(taped October 5, 7, and 8, 2006) |
|
Mario Cantone |
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS |
| Dana Delany |
Scleroderma Research Foundation |
| James Denton |
Peyton Manning's PeyBack Foundation
Mothers Against Cancer benefiting the Texas Children's Cancer Center |
| Kathryn Erbe |
JusticeWorks Community
Planned Parenthood Federation of America |
| Miguel Ferrer |
Los Angeles Police Memorial Foundation |
| Joely Fisher |
Dream Foundation |
| Nancy Grace |
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children |
| Hill Harper |
MANifest Your Destiny Foundation |
| Neil Patrick Harris |
Food On Foot |
| Jane Kaczmarek |
Clothes Off Our Back |
| Carson Kressley |
The Trevor Project |
| Drew Lachey |
American Cancer Society |
| Susan Lucci |
Little Flower Children
Family Services of New York |
| Michael McKean |
National Multiple Sclerosis Society
International Myeloma Foundation |
| Christopher Meloni |
Big Apple Circus Clown Care Program
Montefiore Advocacy Center |
| Brian Stokes Mitchell |
The Actors’ Fund of America |
| Isaac Mizrahi |
ASPCA |
| Bebe Neuwirth |
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS |
| Soledad O'Brien |
Christ Church on Quaker Hill
Hearts of Gold |
| Regis Philbin |
Cardinal Hayes High School in New York City |
| Doug Savant |
Desi Geestman Foundation |
| Curt Schilling |
Curt's Pitch for ALS
SHADE Foundation of America |
| Steve Schirripa |
Poly Prep Country Day School September 11 Memorial Scholarship Fund |
| Paul Shaffer |
The Breast Cancer Research Foundation |
| Harry Shearer |
Tipitina’s Foundation |
| Martin Short |
DeBartolo Performing Arts Center at the University of Notre Dame |
| Harry Smith |
The Harlem School of the Arts |
| The Honorable Margaret Spellings |
ProLiteracy Worldwide |
| Scott Turow |
Literacy Chicago
Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago |
| Sam Waterston |
Refugees International
Oceana |
[edit] Season 23 notes
Alex Trebek announced Julie Bowen as a contestant in a KABC 7 news report aired August 12, 2006, but she did not appear on the press release of confirmed contestants. Cookbook author Rachael Ray, host of Rachael Ray, did appear on the press release, but did not play; Harry Smith took her place.
The winner's charity is guaranteed at least $50,000, while the charities for the non-winners will be guaranteed at least $25,000. $1,000,000 has been given to the charities of the 30 celebrity participants.
[edit] Parodies
Celebrity Jeopardy! has been spoofed numerous times in Saturday Night Live sketches, with Will Ferrell appearing as Trebek, and Darrell Hammond usually playing Sean Connery, who acts as Trebek's nemesis. The skits poke fun at the ineptitude of the starring celebrities at answering even the extra-easy sorts of questions that appear on the real Celebrity Jeopardy!, along with their ineptitude at answering questions in general. In 2001, Jeopardy! acknowledged the spoof by selecting a set of references to the skit, including THERAPISTS (which Connery interpreted as "the rapists") and THINGS YOU SHOULDN'T PUT IN YOUR MOUTH as Double Jeopardy! categories. Will Ferrell's final episode as an SNL cast member featured a Celebrity Jeopardy! sketch in which Trebek himself appeared. Ferrell would portray Trebek once more in 2005, when he hosted SNL.
Celebrity Jeopardy! has also been a regular skit on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. These bits usually include President George W. Bush as a contestant. The answers usually came from current events, and, unlike the SNL version, the celebrities usually knew what the realistic question is. However, these questions were actually wrong, with the correct question being a joke about another celebrity.
[edit] References
- ^ J! Archive - Show #5099, aired 2006-11-09. J! Archive. Retrieved on 2006-11-21.
- ^ Fleming, Art; Richard Chapin and George Vosburgh (1979). Art Fleming's TV Game Show Fact Book. Salt Lake City, Utah: Osmond Publishing Co., 4-6. ISBN 0-89888-005-X.
- ^ Schwartz, David; Steve Ryan and Fred Wostbrock (1999). The Encyclopedia of TV Game Shows, 3rd ed.. New York, New York: Checkmark Books, 112. ISBN 0-8160-3847-3.
[edit] External links
