EARLY LIFE & CAREER
Long before the concept of student internships was created, Omaha native Harry Friedman began
hanging around the city’s television stations, learning by watching and doing whatever
management permitted.
In 1971, Friedman arrived in Los Angeles and, without contacts, gave himself six months to find a
job. With less than 24 hours remaining on his self-imposed deadline, he landed a part-time
question-writer spot on “The Hollywood Squares,” marking the beginning of his long, valued
relationship with Heatter-Quigley Productions. Over the following 11 years, Friedman wrote and
produced thousands of episodes of the popular series and was also actively involved in the
development of several other game shows. He first joined Wheel of Fortune as producer in
1995, adding producer duties for JEOPARDY! in 1997. In 1999, he was elevated to executive
producer for both series.
Friedman’s other writing and producing credits range from network primetime specials, such as
“American Yearbook” for CBS, to documentaries and home video. He also has worked with such
companies as FOX, Dick Clark Productions, Stephen J. Cannell Productions, Buena Vista
Television/ABC, Orion Television, The Playboy Channel, Laurel Entertainment, Vin Di Bona
Productions, A&E Network, Krofft Productions, Rosner Television and Four Star Productions.
JEOPARDY!
Under Friedman’s direction, JEOPARDY!, America’s Favorite Quiz Show®, has become the
most honored syndicated game show in television history. JEOPARDY! has won a total of 35
Emmy Awards; in 2019, N.A.T.A.S. honored Alex Trebek with the Emmy for Outstanding Game
Show Host. In 2011, Friedman guided JEOPARDY! to win its first-ever Peabody Award. The
awards panel credited the show for its role in “encouraging, celebrating and rewarding
knowledge.”
Friedman has continued to broaden the show’s scope with an expanded list of challenging
categories and clues that reflect popular culture and a variety of special tournaments. For
JEOPARDY!’s 35
th
season (2018-2019), Friedman created the JEOPARDY! All-Star Games, a
brand-new tournament in which fans had the chance to see their favorite players join forces and
play JEOPARDY! as it had never been played before: in teams. The All-Star Games also included
JEOPARDY!’s first-ever live draft, which streamed in real time on Facebook Live.
In 2003, Friedman lifted JEOPARDY!’s five-day limit rule for contestants, allowing returning
champions to continue amassing winnings as long as they remain victorious. This rule change led
the way for the memorable 74-consecutive-day run of Utah software engineer Ken Jennings,
during which he won a record $2.5 million. Series viewership increased an impressive 30 percent
during the streak, at times outperforming primetime programs while making it one of the most
talked-about shows in the country. In 2019, Las Vegas sports bettor James Holzhauer’s record-
breaking streak also created a viral sensation and became a ratings juggernaut.
In 2011, Friedman oversaw “JEOPARDY! The IBM Challenge,” a historic exhibition match that
pitted two of the show’s most successful and celebrated contestants – Jennings and Brad Rutter
– against an IBM computer named Watson. Thanks to this unique partnership, JEOPARDY!
served as a vital testing ground for the next generation of artificial intelligence. The three-day
exhibition scored the series’ highest ratings in five years, surging 30 percent from the previous
year, making Watson a pop culture icon and a part of the American lexicon. The advanced