‘JEOPARDY!- champ Ken Jennings might be on summer hiatus – but he continues to affect the veteran game show in his absence.
Ratings for the week of July 12, in which Jennings broke the $1 million mark and set a new “Jeopardy!- record, were the show’s best numbers in nearly five years.
During that week, Jeopardy!- averaged 15.4 million viewers – nearly double what it averaged six weeks earlier, when Jennings began his 38-and-counting consecutive- game streak.
In fact, if “Jeopardy!- aired in prime time the week of July 12, it would’ve been the week’s top-rated show – eclipsing baseball’s All-Star Game (14 million viewers).
During his streak, which began June 2, Jennings won $1.32 million, smashing the single-day “Jeopardy!- record by winning $75,000 in the show’s season finale July 23.
Jennings, 30, is a software developer from Salt Lake City who’s married with a young son.
“Jeopardy!- begins taping its 21st season Aug. 9 and returns Sept. 6 (7 p.m./Ch. 7).