Jeopardy! Australia is an Australian quiz show based on Jeopardy!. The show is broadcast on the Nine Network, produced jointly by Sony Pictures Television (through Whisper North) and Network 10 (through Paramount Global Content Distribution), premiering on 20 April 2024, featuring contestants who are Australian expatriates in the United Kingdom and Europe. Stephen Fry is the show's presenter.
| Jeopardy! Australia | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Quiz show |
| Created by | Merv Griffin |
| Based on | Jeopardy! |
| Presented by | Stephen Fry |
| Theme music composer | Bleeding Fingers Music Chris Bell Music & Sound Design Original theme composed by Merv Griffin |
| Ending theme | "Think!" |
| Country of origin | Australia |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 6[1] |
| Production | |
| Production locations | Dock10 in Manchester, England |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Production companies | Whisper North Sony Pictures Television Network 10 Paramount Global Content Distribution |
| Original release | |
| Network | Nine Network |
| Release | 20 April 2024 – present |
Production
editThe show's contestants are Australian, though filming takes place in Manchester in the United Kingdom.[2][3] Stephen Fry presents the show.[2]
Gameplay
editSix categories are announced, each with a column of five trivia clues (phrased in answer form), each one incrementally valued more than the previous, ostensibly by difficulty. The subjects range from standard topics including history and current events, the sciences, the arts, popular culture, literature and languages, to pun-laden titles (many of which refer to the standard subjects) and wordplay categories.
The host then reads the clue, some of which are accompanied by an audio or visual clue after which any of the three contestants will ring in using a hand-held signalling device. The first contestant to ring in successfully, following the host's reading of the clue, then had to respond in the form of a question.[4]
A correct response earns the dollar value of the clue and the opportunity to select the next clue from the board. The Double Jeopardy! round requires players to give responses in the form of a question, or it will be considered incorrect. An incorrect response or a failure to respond within the 5-second time limit deducts the dollar value of the clue from the contestant's score and gives any remaining opponent(s) the opportunity to ring in and respond. If none of the contestants can give a correct response, the host reads the correct response and the last contestant to have given a correct answer chooses the next clue.
Reception
editBen Pobjie of The Sydney Morning Herald in comparing presenter Stephen Fry's performances on the American and Australian versions wrote that he has "a lot more witty asides and spontaneous outpourings" in the latter.[5] The Sun-Herald's JMangan said Fry "brings a warm humour to the role".[6]
In a positive review, The Age said, "Contestants appear to be among the most cerebral and sensible in the land, doing Australia proud, rapidly unscrambling tricky anagrams and cryptic clues."[7] James Wigney of the Herald Sun stated, "Fans of the original (1993 version on Network Ten, which is listed as a producer of this format through its format ownership following its 2017 acquisition by CBS, which is the successor company to King World, which distributes the format) can rest assured that all the familiar elements are still in play and Fry is very much in his element".[8]
References
edit- ^ "Watch Jeopardy! Australia Season 1, Catch Up TV". www.9now.com.au. Retrieved Sep 17, 2024.
- ^ a b Douglas, Nicole (2024-04-19). "Jeopardy! Australia host Stephen Fry recalls his best memories Down Under ahead of the hit international quiz show's Aussie launch". Nine.com.au. Archived from the original on 2024-09-17. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
- ^ Ryan, Aine (2023-09-06). "Jeopardy! Australia will air in 2024 on Channel 9 with Stephen Fry as host". Nine.com.au. Archived from the original on 2024-09-17. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
- ^ Murray, Therese (2024-05-12). "It's jeopardy - literally - as funnyman Stephen Fry hosts game show". The Senior. Archived from the original on 2024-09-17. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
- ^ Pobjie, Ben (2024-04-24). "How Stephen Fry ended up hosting the Australian version of Jeopardy!". The Sydney Morning Herald. ProQuest 3047499044. Archived from the original on 2024-09-17. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
- ^ JMangan (2024-04-21). "Critic's Choice". The Sun-Herald. ProQuest 3041837416. Archived from the original on 2024-09-17. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
- ^ "TV Saturday 4/5". The Age. 2024-04-28. ProQuest 3047193509. Archived from the original on 2024-09-17. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
- ^ Wigney, James (2024-04-17). "Top TV shows to watch, stream this week". Herald Sun. ProQuest 3039602355. Archived from the original on 2024-09-17. Retrieved 2024-09-17.