"Jeopardy!" Fans Hold Their Breath as Season 40 Hangs in the Balance
Fans are concerned about the future of the show.
Jeopardy! has been one of the most popular gameshows in the world for several decades. The first episode aired in 1964 and while the show has taken a few hiatuses, the current rendition has been going for 39 seasons strong. However, over the past few years, there have been a few hiccups. Obviously, the most devastating was the loss of longtime host, Alex Trebek. Now, the future of the show lingers in the unknown due to the Hollywood Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFRTA strikes, which have shut down Hollywood, and fans are not happy about it.
The 39th season of Jeopardy! will conclude July 28th. While all episodes from this season were written pre-strike, there is no new material for the next season, so the fate of the show remains unclear. The show usually films episodes two months ahead of when they air.
"We have no idea when the show will be back, either in syndication or on ABC," one Reddit user said regarding the show's fate. This could mean that the September Tournament of Champions could be postponed.
Some fans are concerned the show may never return. "If the strike continues into the fall TV season, there won't be any Jeopardy! at all," another fan wrote in the Reddit spread.
"They aren't going to recycle questions verbatim from the archives. I know "Jeopardy!" recycles a lot of questions, but they always change something, and that involves writers, and they can't just have producers do that work."
There is another major issue. The SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) have now gone on strike along with the WGA. Ken Jennings and Mayim Bialik, who have been hosting the show since the death of Trebek, wouldn't be able to work. "Where are they going to get hosts, with Ken and Mayim likely going on strike on Wednesday?" other fans wrote on Reddit. "If the strike continues into the fall and they try to find a way to continue the show without the writers, I don't think they'll have Ken or Mayim."
