10 people who totally kill it at this game show thing

Warning: Squealing, running and jumping ahead. So much jumping.

ByLA Blake KGO logo
Monday, June 2, 2014

Remember that time when it seemed like Ken Jennings would be a permanent fixture on Jeopardy!? Believe or not, that run started 10 years ago today.

Here are some other people whose game show drama had us holding our breath, crossing our fingers, and wondering if "It's only a game" really applies here.

Jeopardy!

Ken Jennings

Let's be real, this guy is probably the most famous game show contestant ever. The trivia genius won 74 games over the course of nearly half a year. If you were living under a rock and somehow didn't know about him, watch the dramatic ending of his 75th show and you'll get the gist of how big of a deal he became.

Brad Rutter

Answer: His run was enabled by a rule change in 2003. Who is Ken Jennings?

Before that, contestants had to "retire" after 5 straight wins. Rutter, one of these retirees, has won more money than Jennings (thanks to various tournaments), making him the biggest all-time money winner on any game show.

Julia Collins

We don't want to jinx anything, but if you want to watch a real pro in action this season, tune in tonight to join in the Julia Collins craze. On Friday she took second place behind Jennings for longest run on the show. Show 'em who's boss, Julia.

Wheel of Fortune

Michelle Loewenstein Moore and Autumn Erhard

There are worse things to be known for than being really awesome at spinning a wheel and guessing missing letter phrases. Especially when those skills can get you $1,000,000, as it did for Moore and Erhard in 2008 and 2013.

Who Wants to Be A Millionaire

Kevin Olmstead

In 2001, the show had a progressive jackpot, meaning $10,000 was added to the final question value for every time someone lost. Olmstead and Ed Toutant, who won $1.86 million, were the only two contestants to take advantage of this, making Olmstead's $2.18 million the biggest Millionaire win ever. Admit it, his mom's celebration makes you choke up at least a little.

John Carpenter

The first person to ever answer "Me!" to the show's title question, Carpenter charmed us all when he used a lifeline on his final question even though he knew the answer. Instead of asking for help, though, the world's sweetest new millionaire told his dad, "I just wanted to let you know that I'm going to win the million dollars."

The Price Is Right

Adam Rose

Watch the expression of Adam Rose and you will know what true elation looks like. Rose was just the most successful of several to win the $1,000,000 Spectacular prime-time spinoff. The result is a compilation of basically the best game show celebrations ever.

Sheree L. Heil

If you asked this woman what the right price is, she'd probably say $157,300. That's what she won in cash and prizes over the course of a few short minutes, making her the biggest winner in daytime game show history. Her reaction is simply ... priceless. (Sorry, couldn't help myself.)

Tic Tac Dough

Thom McKee

Who doesn't love a man in uniform? If you watched game shows in the '80s, you remember this US Navy officer who played 88 games of the long-running quiz show. In one of his games, he won the show's all-time biggest pot.