HARRY SHEARER WINS $50,000 FOR CHARITY DURING THE QUARTERFINALS OF
THE "JEOPARDY!" MILLION DOLLAR CELEBRITY INVITATIONAL

"A great experience. Thrills, chills and spills!"
- Harry Shearer

Watch the exclusive post-game interview here!

Culver City, CA (December 17, 2009) – Actor, comedian and radio host Harry Shearer (“The Simpsons,” “This is Spinal Tap,” National Public Radio’s  “Le Show”), prevailed in this week’s quarterfinals of the Jeopardy! Million Dollar Celebrity Invitational Tournament. As a result of his win, his charity, Common Ground Relief, Inc. will receive $50,000 and Shearer will advance to the next round of the tournament.

Shearer defeated actor Christopher Meloni (NBC’s “Law & Order: SVU”), who won $25,000 on behalf of The Smile Train, and actor Joshua Malina (USA Network’s “In Plain Sight”), who earned $25,000 for The Archer School for Girls.

Commenting on his win, Shearer said, “This was a very competitive game.  Anyone of us could have won it.  I had my eye on the score the whole way through; it’s not only playing the game, it’s about strategy.”

 “All I was thinking was win, lose or draw, I want to make the most money for my charity,” added Shearer.

An enthusiastic Shearer will join previous winners Andy Richter, Michael McKean and Jane Kaczmarek in advancing to this spring’s semifinals and a chance to play for the $1 million grand prize. “I’m getting set right now, I’m getting psyched,” Shearer stated.

The Jeopardy! Million DollarCelebrity Invitationalis playing host to 27 popular TV stars, newsmakers and pop culture icons competing in a series of nine quarterfinal games. These special episodes will be broadcast on the third Thursday of every month through May 2010, with a guaranteed cash prize of $1 million going to the winning star’s favorite charity. A total of over $2.5 million will be donated throughout the season.

Jeopardy!, the winner of 28 Emmy awards since its debut in 1984, was inducted into the Guinness Book of World Records for the most awards won by a TV Game Show. The series is the #1-rated quiz show in syndication with nearly 9 million daily viewers. Jeopardy! is produced by Sony Pictures Television, a Sony Pictures Entertainment Company. It is distributed domestically by CBS Television Distribution and internationally by CBS Television International, both units of CBS Corp.