It feels like there’s more consistency from contestants than hosts for Jeopardy!. In the last year, five contestants have won over ten games:
Matt Amodio, Jonathan Fisher, Amy Schneider, Mattea Roach, and now Ryan Long. While the hosting desk has seen guest hosts:
Mike Richards and finally Ken Jennings and Mayim Bialik, these remarkable streaks have kept the show glued together.
A former contestant and Twitter user points out what’s made the last year of Jeopardy! so special.
“There have been just 14 people in the history of Jeopardy! to win 10+ games, and FIVE of them have been in the last year.”
To add even more perspective, just look at the consecutive games won ranking. Ken Jennings sits far out of reach with 74 wins, but four of the next nine are all from the last year. This is not normal.
Statistics like this can be a bit misleading. While Jeopardy! has existed since 1964, contestants weren’t always free to go on lengthy streaks.