Journos, Politicos to Go Head-to-Head on “Jeopardy!”
Published at(NEW YORK) — Ever wondered how Anderson Cooper would fare against Chuck Todd in a game-show matchup? Can Chris Matthews’ knowledge of arcane trivia outdo Chris Wallace’s?
Viewers will discover the answers to these questions and more next month when top media contenders battle it out in a “Power Players” week of competition on Jeopardy!
For the third time in its history, the show is offering a star-studded cast of contestants including authors, journalists and politicos. The celebs will compete for a minimum of $50,000 per game to be donated to the charity of their choice. Contestants who don’t win will still earn $10,000 for their organizations.
The show announced its contestants Tuesday. Among the high-profile names are comedian Lewis Black, NBC’s Kelly O’Donnell and Todd, Fox News’ Dana Perino and Wallace along with CNN’s Cooper.
For Cooper, it’ll be a chance to reclaim some lost dignity. He didn’t win money two years ago on Celebrity Jeopardy! in a matchup with winner Cheech Marin of comedy duo Cheech & Chong. Matthews will also have a chance to do better than last time; he won second place, behind Charles Shaughnessy, best-known for his role as Maxwell Sheffield on The Nanny.
The “Jeopardy! Power Players” episodes will air May 14 to 18.
Here is the full list of who will play and what charities they will benefit:
Dana Perino
Fox News Channel The Five
Pets2Vets
Chuck Todd
NBC News
Samaritan Inns
Chris Wallace
Fox News Sunday
Hope for the Warriors
Clarence Page
Chicago Tribune
American Institute for Stuttering
Dr. Mehmet Oz
The Dr. Oz Show
HealthCorps
Lizzie O’Leary
CNN
826DC
Kelly O’Donnell
NBC News
Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation
Chris Matthews
MSNBC Hardball and NBC The Chris Matthews Show
La Salle College High School
Katty Kay
BBC World News America
International Women’s Media Foundation
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
NBA’s All-Time Leading Scorer and Global Cultural Ambassador
Skyhook Foundation
Lewis Black
Stand-up comedian
52nd St. Project and Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
Anderson Cooper
CNN Anderson Cooper 360° and syndicated talk show Anderson
The Trevor Project
David Faber
CNBC The Faber Report and Squawk on the Street
New Visions for Public Schools
Thomas L. Friedman
The New York Times
Conservation International
Robert Gibbs
Former White House Press Secretary
Pine Hills Literacy Project
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio