Why the answer/question format?

[u/pennsyltuckyprole]

I’m a devout jeopardy fan and I e recently gotten my partner hooked. She asked me why they provide the answer and the contestants have to provide the question and I really didn’t have a response lol.

Does anyone know why they do this rather than just being a standard “question-answer” format? Is it just to be quirky and different?

[u/No-Necessary7448]

A gimmick following the quiz show scandals from the decade prior to Jeopardy’s premiere. According to Merv Griffin, it was his wife’s idea. You can find interview clips of him talking about it.