S4·E53 Show #738, 1987 Tournament of Champions semifinal game 3.

Episode recap

The broadcast listed as season 4, episode 53 of the American quiz program Jeopardy! (show number 738) aired in 1987 as the third semifinal game of that year’s Tournament of Champions. The episode’s contestant lineup consisted of three returning players: Eric Berman, Bob Verini and John Ryan. As a regular installment of the series, the program followed the established Jeopardy! format in which participants are presented with general‑knowledge clues phrased as answers and must respond in the form of a question. The competition proceeded through the three traditional rounds—Jeopardy!, Double Jeopardy! and Final Jeopardy!—with each contestant selecting clues from a board organized by category and monetary value, wagering on Daily Doubles, and ultimately writing a single response for the final clue.

The Tournament of Champions is a special series in which high‑scoring contestants from the regular season return to compete for advancement toward a championship match. In the 1987 edition, the semifinal stage comprised multiple games; the third of these featured Berman, Verini and Ryan battling for a place in the final round. Throughout the episode, each player demonstrated knowledge across a broad range of subjects, as is typical for the series, while adhering to the requirement that all responses be phrased as questions. The host guided the contestants through the board, announced the correct responses after each clue, and oversaw the wagering process for the Final Jeopardy! round.

Although the specific scores and outcomes of the game are not detailed in the available sources, the episode’s structure conformed to the standard Jeopardy! tournament framework, culminating in the determination of which of the three competitors would move on to the championship match. The broadcast contributed to the overall narrative of the 1987 Tournament of Champions, showcasing the competitive spirit and breadth of knowledge that characterize the long‑running series.