'Jeopardy!' Fans Declare They "Won't Watch" After Upsetting Tournament of Champions News
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Jeopardy!’s most notable players from the latest season are going dark for the foreseeable future.
After news broke that seven contestants who qualified for the 2023 Tournament of Champions would not participate amid the ongoing writers’ strike, the quiz show announced that the special is officially on hold until further notice.
The strike movement, led by the Writers Guild of America (WGA), has impacted dozens of scripted shows and movies across Hollywood. But the effect has also been felt on certain shows that rely on writers to develop lines, including Jeopardy!’s clues and answers.
Though ToC favorites like Ray LaLonde, Cris Pannullo, Ben Chan and Hannah Wilson won’t be returning to the stage this August to compete for a grand prize of $250,000, there will be new episodes of Jeopardy! when season 40 premieres on September 11 — but with a twist. According to a statement obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, Jeopardy! “never had any intention of producing” the coveted match. A spokesperson expressed the show’s “tremendous respect” for the WGA and writers, but while negotiations are ongoing, they landed on a workaround by revisiting material previously written for past seasons.
'Jeopardy! Masters'
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“Just as we did, led by Alex Trebek, during the 2007-2008 strike, we will deliver first-run episodes again this fall to more than 200 affiliate stations nationwide,” the statement read. “Our current plan is to go into a holding pattern of sorts, pushing back the season 39 postseason to first produce original episodes featuring the best of our WGA-written material.”
What’s more, before Jeopardy! revealed that the 2023 ToC wouldn’t be happening, the quiz show posted its annual rerun schedule online. It includes the Second Chance Tournament, 2022 ToC and Masters Tournament. Despite the series airing repeats like it does every summer, many fans took this as an opportunity to voice their thoughts on the matter.
“No writers, no viewers. I won't watch the reruns,” one follower wrote on Twitter. “No more Jeopardy until after the writers strike. I fully support a HUGE pay increase for all involved,” another added. “Not interested in re-watching these episodes. I have better things to do. Looking forward to the new season if and when it returns. Have a nice summer!” someone else chimed in.
While Jeopardy! episodes will look different, we wonder if co-hosts Ken Jennings and Mayim Bialik will clue us in about their comeback plans soon...
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