History YMMV / Jeopardy

* MostWonderfulSound: The [[http://www.gameshowthemesongs.net/sounds/Jeopardy/jboardfill.mp3 board fill]] sound at the beginning of the round (retired in July 2008 and, after a season wherein the board did not make a noise, replaced with a [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M62nqysgdgw relaxing six-tone chime]] that Trebek has said that he likes). Also, the [[http://www.gameshowthemesongs.net/sounds/Jeopardy/jdaily2x.mp3 Daily Double]] trill and the simple one-note chime when the Final Jeopardy! category is revealed.

** "Kids Week" games, which not only makes the Teen Tournament feel particularly redundant, but features [[ItsEasySoItSucks questions that are so incredibly easy/soft-ball, even for that demographic]]. Still, at least one kid won over $30,000.

* TooGoodToLast: The 1978-79 version, which ran for only five months, to some fans.

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: Ken Jennings. Some see him as TheAce or a BadassNormal, who knew quite a bit about a lot of things (even drinks, despite being a teetotaler). Others see him as a BoringInvincibleHero, who proved what a bad idea it was to have unlimited wins.

** "Stay clam" [sic] is both this and helpful advice for ''Jeopardy!'' contestants. The meme originated from a misspelled post from Gracie Studdard, and since its introduction, watchers and players alike will say if they clam on giving the question to an answer if they are uncertain.

* CrowningMusicOfAwesome: [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZSW1gl8lC8 The current]] ThemeTune, which debuted on the first show of Trebek's 25th season.

* HilariousInHindsight: Even [[TheAce Ken Jennings]] can't beat the [[ZergRush Zerg]] [[StealthPun Rush]]!
** The first episode of Trebek's ''Jeopardy!'' in 1984 had these two back-to-back questions — "Two ''[[SaturdayNightLive Saturday Night]]'' alumni who tried ''TradingPlaces''", the answer being "Who are Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy?", and "He may ''Film/NeverSayNeverAgain'' when asked to be [[Film/JamesBond Bond]]", with the answer obviously being "Who is SeanConnery?". That's right — Sean Connery and ''SNL'' have been part of Trebek's ''Jeopardy!'' since the beginning.
* MemeticMutation: In the ''{{Cheers}}'' episode "What Is... Cliff Clavin?", Cliff appears on the show and, despite getting a runaway lead, wagers everything and gets Final Jeopardy! wrong. This episode has been referenced regularly on ''Jeopardy!'' — at least two contestants have copied his Final Jeopardy! response of "Who are three people that have never been in my kitchen?", and Trebek sometimes warns contestants with runaway leads not to "[[PersonAsVerb pull a Cliff Clavin]]" (i.e., wager everything and then get it wrong).
** Similarly, Cliff's entire board of "dream categories" was used [[http://www.j-archive.com/showgame.php?game_id=310 in an Ultimate Tournament Of Champions game.]]

* TheScrappy / CreatorsPet: The "Clue Crew", first introduced in 2001.

** Ken Jennings, having a bye into the ''final'' round of the 2005 "Ultimate Tournament of Champions", whereas most players had to win their way into subsequent rounds.

** The ''Jeopardy!'' fanbase has made somewhat of a meme out of Liederkranz cheese. See UnexpectedlyObscureAnswer for more details.

* FranchiseOriginalSin: The show has frequently used categories with {{Punny Name}}s, but starting in the 1997-98 season, almost every category has some sort of pun, almost to the level of ''WinBenSteinsMoney''.

* CriticalResearchFailure: June 11, 2012. Final Jeopardy! asked "Acts 1:13 says this event occurred in 'an upper room'." They were looking for [[spoiler:The Last Supper]], and initially ruled the champion's response of [[spoiler:Pentecost]] wrong, but Alex later acknowledged the latter as right in a dubbed-in clip. The truth is, there ''is'' no right answer — Acts 1:13 makes no mention of any "act" besides the disciples meeting there, and Pentecost doesn't show up until Acts 2. Furthermore, the exact location of the Last Supper is unknown.

** The 1997-98 season not only abandoned the legendary JeopardyThinkingMusic used since 1964 and the [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6rHqrLA7aw synthesizer]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfDUKtxi8HU theme]] used since 1991, but saw the first use of clues read by celebrities, as well as even more {{pun}}ny categories and travel shows than ever before. It also introduced the generally-maligned "sushi bar" set, which was used until late 2002.

* HeartwarmingMoments: A contestant from New Orleans played three episodes (and won two) not long after Hurricane Katrina hit. Before her three episodes, the show included a clip of Alex assuring viewers that Deborah and her family were safe.

** The 1997-98 season not only abandoned the legendary JeopardyThinkingMusic used since 1964 and the [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6rHqrLA7aw synthesizer]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfDUKtxi8HU theme]] used since 1991, but saw the first use of clues read by celebrities, as well as even more [[AWorldwidePunomenon punny]] categories and travel shows than ever before. It also introduced the generally-maligned "sushi bar" set, which was used until late 2002.

* FanNickname: The 1991-96 set is called the "grid set" by fans, while the 1996-2002 set is called the "sushi bar".

* CriticalResearchFailure: June 11, 2012. Final Jeopardy! asked "Acts 1:13 says this event occurred in 'an upper room'." They were looking for [[spoiler:The Last Supper]], and initially ruled the champion's response of [[spoiler:Pentecost]] wrong, but Alex later acknowledged the latter as right in a dubbed-in clip. The truth is, there ''is'' no right answer — Acts 1:13 makes no mention of any "act" besides the disciples meeting there, and Pentecost doesn't show up until Acts 2.

** The first episode of Trebek's ''Jeopardy!'' in 1984 had these two back-to-back questions — "Two ''[[SaturdayNightLive Saturday Night]]'' alumni who tried ''TradingPlaces''", the answer being "Who are Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy?", and "He may ''NeverSayNeverAgain'' when asked to be [[JamesBond Bond]]", with the answer obviously being "Who is SeanConnery?". That's right — Sean Connery and ''SNL'' have been part of Trebek's ''Jeopardy!'' since the beginning.

** Ken Jennings has also been accused of being a CreatorsPet, having a bye into the ''final'' round of the 2005 "Ultimate Tournament of Champions", whereas most of the other players had to win their way into subsequent rounds.

** The 1997-98 season not only abandoned the legendary JeopardyThinkingMusic used since 1964 and the [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6rHqrLA7aw synthesizer]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfDUKtxi8HU theme]] used since 1991, but saw the first use of clues read by celebrities, as well as even more [[IncrediblyLamePun punny]] categories and travel shows than ever before. It also introduced the generally-maligned "sushi bar" set, which was used until late 2002.

* GameBreaker: Until 2003, ''Jeopardy!'' champions could win up to five games before being retired. Starting in the 2003-04 season, the producers instituted a "sky's the limit" rule, where champions could go on and on winning until being defeated. Towards the season's end, Ken Jennings came along and went on a [[BeyondTheImpossible 74-game winning streak]] [[GoneHorriblyRight that lasted into the next season]]. And it's debatable whether Jennings' last game was a genuine loss, or him throwing in the towel, thinking "I've got enough, I can go home now."

** The 1997-98 season not only abandoned the legendary JeopardyThinkingMusic used since 1964 and the [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6rHqrLA7aw synthesizer]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfDUKtxi8HU theme]] used since 1991, but saw the first use of clues read by celebrities, as well as even more [[IncrediblyLamePun punny]] categories and travel shows than ever before.

** The 2001-02 season introduced the "Clue Crew", which many find to be a unnecessary addition to the show, and also the doubling of clue values, which some believe is unfair in regards to ranking all of the show's top money winners.

* AdaptationDisplacement: The current version has far outlasted the Art Fleming era, but the show clearly hasn't forgotten its roots; clues about the Art Fleming era appear now and then, and some contestants have appeared on both versions.
* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: Ken Jennings. Some see him as TheAce or a BadassNormal, who knew quite a bit about a lot of things (even drinks, despite being a Mormon). Others see him as a BoringInvincibleHero, who proved what a bad idea it was to have unlimited wins.
* CrowningMusicOfAwesome: [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZSW1gl8lC8 The current]] ThemeTune, which debuted on the first show of Trebek's 25th season.
** The think music is iconic in itself, but [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dk9azI0osmA the current version]] with a small orchestra taking over the second half of the song from the pianos is awesome, particularly when it cues up and the made-for-HD backdrop turns from blue to red.
* EarWorm: [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXGhvoekY44 The "Think!" theme.]]
* FanNickname: The 1991-96 set is called the "grid set" by fans, while the 1996-2002 set is called the "sushi bar".
* GameBreaker: Until 2003, ''Jeopardy!'' champions could win up to five games before being retired. Starting in the 2003-04 season, the producers instituted a "sky's the limit" rule, where champions could go on and on winning until being defeated. Towards the season's end, Ken Jennings came along and went on a [[BeyondTheImpossible 74-game winning streak]] [[GoneHorriblyRight that lasted into the next season]]. And it's debatable whether Jennings' last game was a genuine loss, or him throwing in the towel, thinking "I've got enough, I can go home now."
* HeartwarmingMoments: A contestant from New Orleans played three episodes (and won two) not long after Hurricane Katrina hit. Before her three episodes, the show included a clip of Alex assuring viewers that Deborah and her family were safe.
* HilariousInHindsight: Even [[TheAce Ken Jennings]] can't beat the [[ZergRush Zerg]] [[StealthPun Rush]]!
** The first episode of Trebek's ''Jeopardy!'' in 1984 had these two back-to-back questions — "Two ''[[SaturdayNightLive Saturday Night]]'' alumni who tried ''TradingPlaces''", the answer being "Who are Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy?", and "He may ''NeverSayNeverAgain'' when asked to be [[JamesBond Bond]]", with the answer obviously being "Who is SeanConnery?". That's right — Sean Connery and ''SNL'' have been part of Trebek's ''Jeopardy!'' since the beginning.
* MemeticMutation: In the ''{{Cheers}}'' episode "What Is... Cliff Clavin?", Cliff appears on the show and, despite getting a runaway lead, wagers everything and gets Final Jeopardy! wrong. This episode has been referenced regularly on ''Jeopardy!'' — at least two contestants have copied his Final Jeopardy! response of "Who are three people that have never been in my kitchen?", and Trebek sometimes warns contestants with runaway leads not to "[[PersonAsVerb pull a Cliff Clavin]]" (i.e., wager everything and then get it wrong).
** Similarly, Cliff's entire board of "dream categories" was used [[http://www.j-archive.com/showgame.php?game_id=310 in an Ultimate Tournament Of Champions game.]]
** There have been countless references to ''Saturday Night Live''[='s=] "Celebrity Jeopardy!" sketches, which almost always featured Sean Connery (Darrell Hammond) as a contestant. Both the show itself and many of its contestants have made constant references to these sketches — the writers through category names ("Months That Begin with 'Feb'"), and the contestants through Sean Connery impersonations.
** "Who is [[FamilyGuy Kebert Xela]]?" was used by a contestant in Final Jeopardy!
** And going the opposite direction, the "answering with a question" format had so wormed its way into the brain of American audiences (even in the Fleming era!) that practically any other game show that asks trivia will see multiple contestants answer with a question; that show's host may then remind them "this isn't Jeopardy!" with varying degrees of humor or irritation (most notably ''WinBenSteinsMoney'', where offending contestants were forced to wear a dunce cap). This happens even in high school academic quiz bowls, especially since, like ''Jeopardy!'', contestants have to buzz in.
* MostWonderfulSound: The [[http://www.gameshowthemesongs.net/sounds/Jeopardy/jboardfill.mp3 board fill]] sound at the beginning of the round (retired in July 2008 and, after a season wherein the board did not make a noise, replaced with a [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M62nqysgdgw relaxing six-tone chime]] that Trebek has said that he likes). Also, the [[http://www.gameshowthemesongs.net/sounds/Jeopardy/jdaily2x.mp3 Daily Double]] trill and the simple one-note chime when the Final Jeopardy! category is revealed.
* TheScrappy / CreatorsPet: The "Clue Crew", first introduced in 2001.
** Any clue read by a celebrity, as well as ''whole categories'' with clues read by a celebrity. Almost all of them tend to involve very long clues read '''very''' slowly (OprahWinfrey being a particular offender).
** "Kids Week" games, which not only makes the Teen Tournament feel particularly redundant, but features [[ItsEasySoItSucks questions that are so incredibly easy/soft-ball, even for that demographic]]. Still, at least one kid won over $30,000.
** Ken Jennings has also been accused of being a CreatorsPet, having a bye into the ''final'' round of the 2005 "Ultimate Tournament of Champions", whereas most of the other players had to win their way into subsequent rounds.

** The 1997-98 season not only abandoned the legendary JeopardyThinkingMusic used since 1964 and the [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6rHqrLA7aw synthesizer]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfDUKtxi8HU theme]] used since 1991, but saw the first use of clues read by celebrities, as well as even more [[IncrediblyLamePun punny]] categories and travel shows than ever before.
** The 2001-02 season introduced the "Clue Crew", which many find to be a unnecessary addition to the show, and also the doubling of clue values, which some believe is unfair in regards to ranking all of the show's top money winners.
** The 2003-04 season removed the 5-game limit for winners, which led to Ken Jennings' 74-game winning streak lasting into the next season.
** Later seasons have also seen more celebrity games, with a celebrity ''tournament'' that went on throughout the 2009-10 season. While the celebrity games in the 2000s were scenery-chewing, laid-back nightmares that led to less than half the board even being played, the 2009-10 season's celeb tournament at least had a decent roster of celebs who treated their games with respect.
** Some also complain that the show has gotten easier over time, thus overlapping with ItsEasySoItSucks. To be fair, this one is very much a JustifiedTrope; anyone who's watched the show for a long period of time is pretty much guaranteed to find it gradually easier to play along, because they'll constantly be learning from it.
* SurprisinglyImprovedSequel: The 1984 version was a major leap from Art Fleming's three versions, which used a much simpler set and pull-cards for the clues instead of the large, electronic set and wall of monitors.
* ThatOneLevel: Opera, ballet, or spelling categories, which are almost always saved for last.
** ''Jep!'' as a whole may qualify — despite the subject matter, contestant ages, and format changes, its policy on phrasing responses was the '''''strictest''''' of all seven versions!
* TooGoodToLast: The 1978-79 version, which ran for only five months, to some fans.

* TheScrappy / TheWesley: The "Clue Crew", first introduced in 2001.

** Ken Jennings has also been accused of being a Wesley, having a bye into the ''final'' round of the 2005 "Ultimate Tournament of Champions", whereas most of the other players had to win their way into subsequent rounds.

* MemeticMutation: In the ''{{Cheers}}'' episode "What Is... Cliff Clavin?", Cliff appears on the show and, despite getting a runaway lead, wagers everything and gets Final Jeopardy! wrong. This episode has been referenced regularly on ''Jeopardy!'' — at least two contestants have copied his Final Jeopardy! response of "Who are three people that have never been in my kitchen?", and Trebek sometimes warns contestants with runaway leads not to "[[IPulledAWeirdAl pull a Cliff Clavin]]" (i.e., wager everything and then get it wrong).