He’ll take ‘game-show champs’ for $1.3 million

“Jeopardy!” returns from its summer break with original shows today. That means returning champion Ken Jennings will have to come up with the 39th way to write his name (he signs in differently each show), host Alex Trebek will have to find something new to ask Jennings during the interview segment, and chances are two more otherwise intelligent players will go home losers.

Jennings, a Salt Lake City-based software engineer, has benefited from a rule change instituted early last season that sets no limit on how many times a champion can return. In previous years, winners could stay for a maximum of five shows. In the 38 shows on which Jennings has prevailed, he has amassed a “Jeopardy!”-record $1,321,660.

The show, seen locally weekdays at 7 p.m. on KABC-TV Channel 7, has been airing summer reruns since its 20th season ended July 23.

Despite his success, Jennings hasn’t set the game show longevity record, and he’s only No. 5 on the list of all-time money-winners. In 1980, Thom McKee had a 43-game winning streak on the syndicated “Tic-Tac-Dough.” He won $312,700 plus prizes, including eight Buicks. The all-time money-winner was Kevin Olmstead, who won $2,180,000 on ABC’s “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” on April 10, 2001.

Others in Jennings’ sights: Ed Toutant, who won $1.86 million on “Millionaire” in 2001; David Legler, who earned $1.76 million on NBC’s revival of “Twenty One” in 2000; and Curtis Warren, with the $1.41 million he earned on Fox’s “Greed” in 1999 and 2000.

After Jennings’ streak ends, he’ll be eligible to compete in the show’s Tournament of Champions, going against others who’ve won five or more times. But he might pass: After all, the prize is only $250,000.

-- Jonathan Taylor