Jennings, not Naperville's 'Jeopardy James,' is game show's GOAT
He'll always be "Jeopardy James" Holzhauer, but he's not the game show's Greatest of All Time.
That title went to Ken Jennings Tuesday in the fourth and final episode of "Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time" on ABC.
Jennings' Shakespeare knowledge edged him past Holzhauer, who could have won the match and tied the overall standings at two matches apiece if he'd known the character who has the most speeches of any nontitle character in a Shakespeare tragedy.
Holzhauer guessed Horatio, but by the time his answer was revealed as wrong, audiences everywhere during the prime-time show already knew Jennings had gotten it right. The answer was Iago.
It has been 15 years since Jennings' famous "Jeopardy" run, host Alex Trebek said, and Tuesday, Jennings was able to prove he "is as good as he appeared to be."
Rutter, Holzhauer and Jennings made it to the "Greatest of All Time" feature by earning the three highest amounts in show history - Rutter with $4.6 million, Jennings with $3.3 million and Holzhauer with $2.7 million. All three added to their earnings in the show that aired Tuesday, with Jennings gaining $1 million and the runners-up getting $250,000 each.
Holzhauer's run on the show also resulted in roughly $2,000 in charitable donations by viewers at downtown Naperville watch parties, hosted in the town where the famed contestant grew up and graduated from high school.
Donors gave to the Lustgarten Foundation for pancreatic cancer research, in honor both of Trebek's battle against the disease and Holzhauer's past support of the cause, as well as to DuPage PADS.
As quickly as Jennings was crowned champion, the hourlong show was over. It faded to credits atop a shot of Holzhauer and Rutter holding up Jennings, who himself hoisted his "Greatest of All Time" trophy.
Rutter answered the Final Jeopardy question with "You're the best, Alex," and Trebek thanked him for it.
"So long, everybody," Trebek said to close the show.