‘Jeopardy!’ Tournament Will Answer: Which Quiz Show Champion Is ‘The Greatest of All Time’?

What is the biggest TV event of the week now that the Golden Globes are over? Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time! The three biggest brainiacs in the U.S. — Ken Jennings, Brad Rutter, and James Holzhauer — converge tonight on ABC for a special tournament to determine whose intellect is the mightiest of them all. This trio made the cut because of their accumulated winnings on the show: Rutter bagged $4,688,436, Jennings netted $3,370,700, and Holzhauer banked $2,712,216 from their previous appearances. Jennings alone won a record-setting 72 consecutive games on the show.

For Jeopardy! newbies, the long-running quiz show hosted by Alex Trebek tests contestants on their knowledge of random factoids across vast categories that range anywhere from pop culture to literary history; what makes this game different than any other, however, is that clues are given as statements and contestants have to beat one another to the buzzer and phrase their answers as questions. (It’s not as complicated as it sounds but it sure is fun to watch.) And that theme song – talk about an earworm!

Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time will consist of one-hour shows featuring two back-to-back games. At the end of each show, the total point score will determine that match’s winner; three match wins earns the contestant the title of GOAT and a whopping $1 million. (The losers still take home $250K apiece.) The show is scheduled to air on ABC on Jan. 7, Jan. 8, and Jan. 9 at 8 p.m. EST. More shows will be added if none of the legendary players manages to snatch up three wins.

The tournament comes at a poignant time; it’s the 30th anniversary of the show and Trebek, who has been fighting pancreatic cancer, will hang up his hat (err…snazzy tie collection) when Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time wraps.

So what will you be watching on TV this week? The answer is obvious. To celebrate this epic television event, we’ve rounded up our favorite Jeopardy! GIFs.

Cover Photo: Eric McCandless / Contributor (Getty Images)

Reversal of fortune: Vanna White Unhappily Takes the Wheel

Revival: Classic Game Shows Are Making a Big Comeback (With a Modern TV Twist!)

Follow Mandatory on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.