According to Merv Griffin, the idea for the show came from his wife Julann during a plane ride from Duluth to New York City, when she suggested giving contestants answers and having them supply the question, using examples like '5,280' for 'How many feet in a mile?'

Griffin originally titled the show 'What's the Question?' but discarded it after network executive Ed Vane rejected the concept, complaining that 'it doesn't have enough jeopardies.'

Griffin's initial board design had ten categories with ten clues each, but he reduced it to six categories with five clues per round after finding the larger board didn't work well on camera.

Griffin originally required grammatically correct question phrasing matching the clue type (e.g., only accepting 'Who is...' for a person), but dropped this rule because it slowed down gameplay.

The reverse question-and-answer format had previously been used by the Gil Fates-hosted program CBS Television Quiz, which aired from July 1941 to May 1942.

Alex Trebek and Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak swapped shows as an April Fool's joke on April 1, 1997.

After Alex Trebek's death, a series of guest hosts filled in, including former contestant Ken Jennings, journalists Katie Couric and Anderson Cooper, athlete Aaron Rodgers, and actors Mayim Bialik and LeVar Burton, before Mike Richards briefly became permanent host and stepped down within a week following controversy over past remarks.

Johnny Gilbert became the show's announcer in 1984 at Alex Trebek's recommendation, replacing Jay Stewart who had announced the 1983 pilot.

The 'Daily Double' name and concept were borrowed from horse-racing terminology.

The 'Forrest Bounce' strategy of jumping between clues out of order to confuse opponents was first used in 1985 by champion Chuck Forrest, and Alex Trebek admitted it annoyed both him and the staff.

Sony Pictures Studios' Stage 10, where Jeopardy! has been taped since 1994, was renamed 'The Alex Trebek Stage' in his honor when Season 38 began taping in August 2021, with participation from his family.

Production was suspended in January 2025 due to the Southern California wildfires and resumed once the fires were extinguished.

The syndicated daily version of Jeopardy! has won a record 45 Emmy Awards and a Peabody Award, and was ranked No. 45 on TV Guide's 2013 list of the 60 greatest American television shows ever.

Over 5,000 people applied for spots on the Jeopardy! Clue Crew when auditions were first announced in 2001.