It’s 2004. Up until a year before, Jeopardy! had a rule: contestants could only win five consecutive games. After the fifth win, they had to leave. But now there was no limit, and everyone wanted to know, who would be the first contestant to go the distance? Cue: Ken Jennings, aka “The Professor.” His historic 74-game winning streak, culminating in over $2.5 million dollars in winnings, would permanently change the game by creating a new type of fandom. To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com   Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hair and makeup. Buzzer practice. Lights and cameras. Nerves. Adrenaline. Joy. Disappointment. Follow along in the life of a Jeopardy! contestant as we go behind the scenes on a typical tape day, starting on stage 10 of the Sony lot. To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com   Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There are game show hosts, and then there's Alex Trebek. In this episode, we revisit the signature stylings of Jeopardy!’s inimitable quizmaster and his transformation from public figure to icon. To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com  Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How did an eight-inch long tube of plastic — Jeopardy’s famed “signaling device” — become one of the most consequential parts of the game? Some contestants train for the buzzer like they’re training for a marathon. It’s a source of obsession, and sometimes fear — but as Fritz Holznagel says, “The buzzer is your friend.” In this episode, hear from Holznagel, a former champion who’s studied buzzing timing more than almost anyone, from Matt Amodio, whose buzzer excellence manifested itself in a 38-game streak, and from Michael Harris — the “Enabler” himself, who controls the buzzer from off stage. To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com  Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It was 1979 and Jeopardy! was going off the air… again. Merv Griffin had tried to revive it after the original run was canceled. Art Fleming was still at the helm. But daytime soaps were dominating the airwaves and the fate of the quiz show was uncertain. In 1984, however, a syndication deal brought Jeopardy! back… for a third time! And things were different. There was a new set, a new synthy-sound, and most importantly, a brand new host. In this episode, we meet the man behind the lectern at the beginning of his Jeopardy! career, Canada’s answer to Dick Clark, the one and only Alex Trebek. And we learn how he and the Jeopardy! revival found their sea legs together. To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Alex Trebek. SNL parodies. A big blue game board. These are some of the things that probably spring to mind when you think about Jeopardy! But you might not know about a grand jury investigation, a fateful airplane ride, a piano from Marlon Brando, and a little studio inside 30 Rock. In this episode, we’ll travel back to the 1960s, and learn how one of the biggest television scandals actually led to the creation of America’s favorite quiz show. To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For the last 60 years, one TV program has kept us coming back for more. How did Jeopardy! first capture the American imagination? Join host Buzzy Cohen as he peels back the curtain on the quintessential quiz show that made it cool to be smart. We'll go behind the scenes with contestants, staffers, and fans to explore the show’s history — including longtime host Alex Trebek — relive favorite moments, and uncover the magic behind the big blue gameboard. To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com   Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices