Australia will get its very own version of the international quiz show Jeopardy! with Jeopardy! Australia coming to Channel Nine and 9Now.
Jeopardy! Australia will feature Australian contestants in one of the world’s longest-running game shows, which will be hosted by English broadcaster and actor, Stephen Fry.
Comprising six prime-time specials, the local spin on the American format will be produced by Whisper North for Channel Nine. Filming will begin next month in Manchester, England.
In addition, Channel Nine will broadcast ITV’s new series of Jeopardy! UK, which Fry will also host.
Stephen Fry said: “Jeopardy! has a format that – strikingly unusual as it seems at first – just gets under the skin of an audience, and reveals more and more depths of delight. Not to mention more and more depths of knowledge amongst the population. I reckon Australia will welcome this uniquely beguiling and endlessly rewarding game and I just can’t wait to get started.”
Adrian Swift, Nine’s Head of Content, Production and Development, said: “Nine is thrilled to welcome two great institutions to the network: Jeopardy! the world’s greatest quiz show format and Stephen Fry the doyen of TV hosts. With Stephen at the helm Jeopardy! Australia will deliver the pure excitement of this beloved format to Australian viewers”.
Flipping the traditional Q&A format, Jeopardy! presents answers first in the form of short, written clues. Contestants must then respond in the form of a question that correctly identifies the clue description. This general knowledge showdown is an opportunity to amass a lucrative cash prize the longer contestants can stay in the game.
Sunil Patel, Whisper CEO, said: “It’s great to see the continuing success of Jeopardy! and to be able to play a part in its international future. It’s incredible for Whisper North to have the privilege of being able to introduce the show to a new generation of fans both in the UK and now Australia for a prime-time audience, hosted by the legendary Stephen Fry.”
Jeopardy! Australia is a Whisper North production for Channel Nine. The executive producers are Kerri Reid, Tom McLennan, and Stephen Fry.