Jeopardy! to Air 4-Week Retrospective Series — Including Alex Trebek's 'Very First' Show!

The special will include the Jeopardy! season premiere, which aired on Sept. 10, 1984

Published on July 16, 2020 06:42 PM

ALEX TREBEK — Alex Trebek. Photo: Eric McCandless/ABC

Get excited Jeopardy! fans — the beloved game show series is taking you back in time!

On Thursday, Jeopardy! announced that it will be opening its vault for a four-week retrospective series starting on July 20, which will air some of the best moments in the show's 36-year history.

Included in the special will be the series premiere, which originally aired on Sept. 10, 1984.

Jeopardy! producers went through nearly 8,000 episodes and chose 20 of the most "compelling" ones — many of which have not been since since their first airing, according to a press release.

For the week of July 20-24, five of the best and most exciting shows from the 1980s will air along with the series premiere and the first "super-champion," as well as the first record-setting contestant.

The following week will explore five of the best celebrity Jeopardy! games.

For the weeks of Aug. 3-7 and Aug. 10-14, Jeopardy! will air its first-ever million-dollar competition, where 15 of the best contestants from the first 18 seasons of the show competed in a two-week contest taped at Radio City Music Hall in New York.

"What is incredible about Jeopardy! is that it has historical importance while remaining culturally relevant," Executive Producer Mike Richards said.

"I know our fans will love the nostalgia while still enjoying the gameplay. A lot has changed over the years — the set, the pace of the game ... the mustache! — but the ability to play along is timeless," Richards added.

Host Alex Trebek also spoke of the upcoming special in a recently released video on YouTube.

"I hope you're all doing well during these difficult times. As many of you know, whenever there's a break in our Jeopardy! tape schedule, I often take that opportunity to grow some facial hair," Trebek, who is currently seeking treatment for pancreatic cancer, joked while gesturing towards his beard.

"In the meantime, I'm at home recording show openings for some very special Jeopardy! episodes that will be coming up in July," Trebek, 79, continued.

"For the first time ever we're going to open the Jeopardy! vaults and take another look at some of our favorite episodes, including the very first Jeopardy! show I ever hosted, mustache and all," he said.

Towards the end of the video, Trebek, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in March 2019, also gave viewers an update on his health.

"I'm doing well, I've been continuing my treatment and it is paying off, though it does fatigue me a great deal. My numbers are good, I'm feeling great," he shared.

The Jeopardy! four-week retrospective series begins July 20.