Airing May 14-18

CULVER CITY, CALIF. (April 16, 2012) – Today, “Jeopardy!” announced the fifteen celebrity contestants selected to compete in Power Players Week.  This year’s Power Players feature some of the country’s most influential media personalities, including political figures, authors, journalists and newsmakers.  Collectively, they have earned 21 Emmys, eight Peabodys, four Pulitzer Prizes and a Grammy Award; served under three White House administrations; and include the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. 

The winner of each game will earn a minimum of $50,000 for the charity of their choice, while each of the other contestants will receive a guaranteed $10,000 for their special cause.

The following players will compete on behalf of the listed charity:

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar                     Lewis Black                             Anderson Cooper
NBA’s All-Time Leading Scorer and     Stand-up comedian                    CNN “Anderson Cooper 360°” and
Global Cultural Ambassador               52nd St. Project and                   syndicated talk show “Anderson”
Skyhook Foundation                          Cystic Fibrosis Foundation         The Trevor Project

David Faber                                    Thomas L. Friedman               Robert Gibbs
CNBC “The Faber Report” and            The New York Times                  Former White House Press Secretary
“Squawk on the Street”                      Conservation International           Pine Hills Literacy Project
New Visions for Public Schools

Katty Kay                                        Chris Matthews                       Kelly O’Donnell
“BBC World News America”               MSNBC “Hardball” and NBC       NBC News
International Women's                       “The Chris Matthews Show”        Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation
Media Foundation                              La Salle College High School

Lizzie O’Leary                                 Dr. Mehmet Oz                        Clarence Page
CNN                                                 “The Dr. Oz Show”                     Chicago Tribune
826DC                                              HealthCorps                              American Institute for Stuttering 

Dana Perino                                    Chuck Todd                          Chris Wallace
Fox News Channel “The Five”             NBC News                             “Fox News Sunday”
Pets2Vets                                        Samaritan Inns                        Hope For The Warriors

“Jeopardy! Power Players Week” will tape in front of an audience of thousands at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, April 21.  This is only the third Power Players Week in the show’s 28-year history.  For more details, please visit www.jeopardy.com/powerplayers or www.wjla.com/jeopardy.  Fans of the show can vote for which players they think will win in the “Jeopardy!” Facebook poll at www.facebook.com/jeopardy.

“Jeopardy!,” the winner of a 2012 Peabody award and 29 Emmy awards, including the 2011 Emmy for Outstanding Game/Audience Participation Program, was inducted into the Guinness Book of World Records for the most awards won by a TV Game Show. The series is the #1-rated quiz show in syndication with 25 million viewers each week.  “Jeopardy!” is produced by Sony Pictures Television, a Sony Pictures Entertainment Company. It is distributed domestically by CBS Television Distribution and internationally by CBS Television International, both units of CBS Corp.

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