S2·E351 1986-01-13

Episode recap

The episode that aired on January 13, 1986 is catalogued as season 2, episode 351 of the American television quiz program Jeopardy!. In this installment three contestants—Steve Willis, Nancy Smith and Gardner Stern—took their places at the contestant podiums to compete under the familiar rules of the series. As a long‑running reality‑style game show, Jeopardy! presents general‑knowledge clues in the form of answers; participants must respond in the form of a question to earn money. The broadcast follows the standard structure of a single Jeopardy! round, a Double Jeopardy! round, and a concluding Final Jeopardy! round, each offering increasing monetary values and the opportunity for contestants to wager their accumulated totals.

The episode was hosted by Alex Trebek, whose role as the series’ long‑time moderator is a defining element of the program’s format. Announcer Johnny Gilbert provided the opening theme and read the category titles, as is customary for the show. Throughout the first two rounds, Willis, Smith and Stern selected clues from the board, buzzing in to supply the correct interrogative phrasing. Correct responses added the clue’s dollar value to a contestant’s score, while incorrect answers deducted the same amount and gave the remaining players a chance to respond. The Double Jeopardy! round featured higher‑value clues and two Daily Doubles, allowing each contestant the option to wager any portion of their current total on a single clue.

After the Double Jeopardy! board was cleared, the three competitors entered the Final Jeopardy! segment. Each wrote a wager based on their standing, listened to a single clue, and then composed a response in the form of a question. The final scores, determined by the sum of the contestants’ earnings after the wager, identified the episode’s champion. The broadcast concluded with Trebek announcing the winner’s name and the amount won, while the other two contestants received consolation prizes in accordance with the show’s standard payout structure.

The episode exemplifies the classic Jeopardy! format that has defined the series since its 1984 revival, showcasing the quick‑thinking required of contestants and the steady presence of Trebek and Gilbert that have become hallmarks of the program.