Jeopardy! Timeline (syndicated version)/Season 17

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Season 17 (2000-2001)

Season changes:

• This is both the last season with the 1997-2001 theme, and the first season with the 2001-2008 theme.
• This is the last full season to be produced by Columbia TriStar Television, who had produced Jeopardy! since Season 11.
• This is the last full season where consolation prizes feature merchandise and vacation packages.
• The opening credits have changed to a blue background with sliding squares; the silver Jeopardy! logo is formed inside a yellow rectangle. Finally, the Jeopardy! logo then zooms forward, revealing the 1996-2002 set.
• This is the last season where the closing credits appear over different angles of the set, as well as shots of Alex and the contestants.
• The glass backdrop's color consisted of a very pale lavender, which would be used for the rest of the set's run.
• On early episodes of this season, the Jeopardy! and Double Jeopardy! categories flip over. On later episodes, they simply fade in.
• The first five seconds have been truncated from the 1997-2001 theme, and a wind blowing sound effect is heard at the top of the show.
• "From the Sony Pictures Studios" was dropped, so Johnny's opening catchphrase changed back to "This is Jeopardy!".
• The studio audience is no longer shown on camera.
• The contestants stood at their podiums before Alex's entrance, rather than walking onto the set. As a result, Johnny began rotating between five opening catchphrases:
  • Monday: Let's meet today's contestants
  • Tuesday: Introducing today's contestants
  • Wednesday: Here are today's contestants
  • Thursday: Please welcome today's contestants
  • Friday: Today's contestants are
• When the returning champion is introduced, his/her number of games won thus far are now shown onscreen.
• For this season only, the segment where Johnny announces the consolation prizes for the 2nd and 3rd place contestants is moved from the end of Double Jeopardy! to before the contestant interviews right after the first commercial break.
• Lisa Finneran, Rocky Schmidt, and Gary Johnson became producers.
• The copyright notice had changed to a trademark notice, which remains intact to this day.
• This is the first season not to have any Tournament of Champions.

This season:

• Season 17 of Jeopardy! kicks off on September 4, 2000.
• From October 2-6, 2000, Back to School Week is held.
• From October 30-November 3, 2000, Brad Rutter became a five-time undefeated champion, accumulating $55,102 in five games.
• The College Championship was held at the University of Washington from November 8-21, 2000.
• From December 25-29, 2000, Holiday Kids Week is held.
• From January 9-15, 2001 episodes, Michael Armon amasses $54,499 in five games.
• On February 5, 2001, a Celebrity Jeopardy! episode airs, featuring Harry Connick, Jr., Nathan Lane, and Jodie Foster. This is the only celebrity game this week taped in Culver City.
• From February 6-16, 2001, four of five Celebrity Jeopardy! matches and the International Tournament are held at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.
  • During these episodes, an updated version of the 1997 theme debuts. This arrangement is at a faster tempo and now includes a middle section featuring saxophone and electric guitar improvs before the main verses are repeated.
• On the February 26, 2001 episode, due to the financial dispute with Sony, Microsoft dropped its WebTV interactive elements from Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune.
• On the April 20, 2001 episode, the 1997-2001 theme was used for the last time. However, it would continue to be used in subsequent Jeopardy! video games until 2004, and was very briefly heard in the Jeopardy! 4,000th episode (aired May 15, 2002).
• On the April 23, 2001 episode, the updated main theme is put into full-time use, and lasts until the end of Season 24.
• From April 30, 2001-May 11, 2001, the Teen Tournament is held in Philadelphia.
• Season 17 of Jeopardy! wraps up on July 20, 2001.
• Summer repeats air from July 23 to August 31, 2001 with replacement fee plugs. Repeats later air on weekends from 2001-2002.