Tonight marks the long-awaited return of “Celebrity Jeopardy!” as ABC unleashes its most ambitious season yet. The All-Stars tournament kicks off Friday, March 13, at 8/7c with sports media personality Katie Nolan facing “Saturday Night Live” veteran Rachel Dratch and actor-writer Mark Duplass in a quarterfinal showdown that promises to deliver from the first clue.
This fourth season brings together 21 fan favorites from the show’s first three seasons, creating a bracket-style competition that pits returning champions against the celebrities who nearly dethroned them. The tournament spans 10 episodes featuring six quarterfinals, three semifinals, and a winner-take-all finale, with $1 million on the line for the champion’s chosen charity.
Host Ken Jennings returns to guide the All-Stars competition from the legendary Alex Trebek Stage. In a teaser for the season, Jennings declared, “Jeopardy! goes Hollywood. Our brightest stars are all back.”
The tournament structure gives a significant advantage to the show’s three reigning champions. Season 1 winner Ike Barinholtz, Season 2 champion Lisa Ann Walter, and Season 3 victor W. Kamau Bell have all been seeded directly into the semifinals, bypassing the six-game quarterfinal gauntlet entirely. The remaining 18 celebrities must battle through those preliminary rounds for a shot at facing the defending titleholders.
The challenger lineup reads like a who’s who of television and comedy royalty: Macaulay Culkin, Cynthia Nixon, Ray Romano, Andy Richter, Margaret Cho, Patton Oswalt, and Mina Kimes will all compete for advancement. Rounding out the field are “Gilmore Girls” star Sean Gunn, comedian Roy Wood Jr., Robin Thede, Mo Rocca, Mira Sorvino, Tim Simons, Jackie Tohn, and Steven Weber. Notably, all three finalists from Season 2—Walter, Nolan, and Rocca—will have another chance to compete against each other in this All-Stars edition.
The returning champions bring serious competitive credentials. Barinholtz, 49, made history as the first celebrity champion to compete in the regular Tournament of Champions, where he won his quarterfinal match before falling in the semifinals. The actor and comedian most recently starred in the critically acclaimed Apple TV+ series “The Studio.”
Walter, the “Abbott Elementary” star who captured the Season 2 crown, has made clear how much her victory means. The actress has previously joked about being buried with her “Jeopardy!” trophy, calling it “my urn” and insisting it’s written into her will.
Bell enters the All-Stars as the most recent champion, having claimed the Season 3 title when the finale aired on April 23, 2025. The comedian and filmmaker won $1 million for DonorsChoose, a nonprofit that funds classroom projects for public school teachers across the country. Bell used a portion of his winnings to fully fund every outstanding project in Oakland’s public schools and in Mobile, Alabama, where his father lives.
The All-Stars tournament was originally scheduled for February 27, but ABC pushed the premiere back two weeks to the March 13 date. The network first announced the season’s renewal in May 2025, generating immediate buzz among fans eager to see former contestants get another shot at trivia glory.
For viewers wondering whether celebrities get an easier ride than regular contestants, Jennings recently addressed that question head-on. During a March 5 appearance on “Live with Kelly and Mark,” host Kelly Ripa asked if questions are made easier for celebrities. “That’s a nice way to say that. You didn’t say ‘dumbed down,'” Jennings replied with a laugh. He then confirmed that “Celebrity Jeopardy! is for real Jeopardy! Our brand is ‘smart people knowing smart stuff,’ and that’s true even if it’s the celebrity version.”
Jennings also offered a theory about why comedians have dominated the celebrity competition—Barinholtz, Walter, and Bell all have comedy backgrounds. He suggested that their experience performing live makes them faster on the buzzer and less afraid of embarrassment, qualities that translate well to the high-pressure game show format.
Tonight’s premiere features Quarterfinal #1, pitting Dratch, Duplass, and Nolan against each other. Future quarterfinals include Culkin facing Steven Weber and Jackie Tohn on March 20, followed by Sean Gunn, Cynthia Nixon, and Roy Wood Jr. on March 27. The semifinals and finale are scheduled for May, with the competition’s conclusion expected on May 14.
Contestants who don’t make it past the quarterfinals still earn $30,000 for their chosen charities, while semifinalists who fall short take home $50,000. The two runners-up in the finale each receive $175,000—a change from earlier seasons when second and third place received different amounts.
Fans can catch tonight’s premiere on ABC, with episodes becoming available for streaming on Hulu the following day. The tournament format ensures weeks of competition as celebrities demonstrate their knowledge across diverse categories while raising money for charitable causes close to their hearts.