By Dallin Lykins
A: The BYU alumnus who made the most incredible run in game show history.
Q: Who is Ken Jennings?
After winning $2.5 million on his 74-game winning streak on ?Jeopardy!? last year, the software engineer may now have his own game show.
Comedy Central is developing a show using the game show phenomenon as its central figure.
?The format will be unique, but we hope the show appeals to the variety of viewers that watch our shows,? said Steve Albani, vice president of corporate communications for Comedy Central.
The comedy powerhouse has big hopes for its new show. Michael Davies, the producer of hit shows like ?Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,? ?Whose Line Is It Anyway?? and ?Win Ben Stein?s Money? is behind the production.
Davies and Jennings pitched the idea to Comedy Central?s executives, and are now running with it, Albani said. He could not provide any details about the show, however.
?We are going to move forward and iron out the details,? he said.
Jennings said he was looking forward to this opportunity.
'I''ve been in love with game shows as far back as I can remember,' he said in a press release Monday. 'So the chance to do this show is like a dream come true for me.'
?We?re hoping that he does as well as he?s done in the past,? Lauren Corrao, chief of development at Comedy Central, said in a press release Monday.
The next step for the show is to run test programs and screen the show in focus groups. Executives hope Jennings? personality and humor will appeal to viewers.
?He is one of the smartest guys out there,? Albani said. ?And he is pretty funny ? he has great wit.?
Jennings displayed that sharp wit during the three-day champions match on ?Jeopardy!? On Wednesday, the final night of the competition, Jennings wrote ?Go Brad? as part of his final answer, referring to man who defeated him.
Comedy Central producers are confident comedic abilities will be great for the show, Albani said.
?The format of the show will make it funny, and Ken is perfect for the role,? he said.
If all goes as planned, producers hope to air the show in the early part of 2006.
Along with the new game show, Jennings is writing a book about his run on the hit game show and is developing a trivia game on CD called ?Quizzology.?
For those who want to go head to head themselves with the ?Jeopardy!? guru, Major Games is also producing a board game called ?Can You Beat Ken?,? which will soon hit store shelves.