Jeopardy!’s biggest failed changes of Season 40 from ‘ridiculous’ new rule to ‘endless’ tournaments
JEOPARDY! producers threw many new ideas into its current season, but some may have been better left on the drawing board than the clue board.
Changes include a category rule met with instant backlash, “cringe” Gen-Z clues, and that endless barrage of tournaments.
Jeopardy!Ken Jennings is hosting the last few weeks of Jeopardy!’s 40th season[/caption]
Sony Pictures EntertainmentSome changes to the game show didn’t go over well with fans[/caption]
CATEGORY CHAOS
Jeopardy!’s hallmark 40th season premiered in September and ends in late July 2024.
Between the WGA strike and the dismissal of co-host Mayim Bialik, it has been an eventful calendar year.
One change that caught viewers off guard had to do with categories.
Producers decided to require players to say the entire name of a category every time they selected a clue.
This meant players couldn’t abbreviate a category name to stay in the game’s flow but had to enunciate in full each time.
In one episode, this meant requesting “During Lou Gehrig’s Consecutive Game Streak” with every pick, leading to a seemingly rushed signoff from host Ken Jennings, “We’ll see you tomorrow on Jeopardy!”
“If you’re going to make them slog through the entire category name every time, #Jeopardy, keep it to maybe three words tops,” one fan ripped on the change.
“The producers forcing contestants to say ‘During Lou Gehrig’s Consecutive Game Streak’ every time is ridiculous,” wrote another.
A third wrote: “Same, I’m beyond sick of this rule.”
A contestant confirmed to The U.S. Sun that producers asked players to do so for the benefit of viewers.
“As part of a change to the new season, and this is for the benefit of the audience moreso – they need us, or prefer us, to say the whole category every time.
“I would imagine for new contestants it would probably trip them up, and I would be afraid it would lead to some clues being left on the board,” they said.
When tournaments ended and new contestants returned in the spring, the rule was removed.
“I don’t think we’ve made a perfect change. We had briefed the contestants to give full names of categories,” executive producer Michael Davies said on the show’s podcast.
“We’ve obviously gone back. If it’s a 12-word category, we’re not asking you to repeat all 12 words.”
Jeopardy!Contestants were required to say category names in full, which has since been walked back[/caption]
GEN-Z SLANG CLUES
Jeopardy! also seemingly tried roping in younger audiences with clues about hip slang terms – which caused groans across the board.
During Jeopardy! Masters in May, there was a category called “Internet Slang.”
It read, “Slang like ‘fanum tax’ and ‘skibidi’ baffle many; it’s associated with this generation, a name that unfittingly follows Gen Z.”
Matt Amodio got it correct with “Gen Alpha,” and could be seen with a cringey facial expression.
“Just saw skibidi toilet mentioned during Jeopardy, day ruined,” one X user wrote at the time.
“Where were you when Ken Jennings had to say Fanum tax and Skibidi live on TV In the Jeopardy masters,” wrote another.
“Lord save us Jeopardy has now had a Skibidi Toilet clue,” wrote a third.
Players were also tasked with a category called “It’s giving” this season – and not all fans thought it was giving.
Jeopardy!Jeopardy! tried roping in younger viewers with slang term clues[/caption]
Jeopardy!Matt Amodio looked deflated as he answered ‘Gen Alpha’[/caption]
TOURNAMENT FATIGUE!
The biggest change to Jeopardy!’s 40th season, of course, was the schedule.
Two-thirds of the season comprised of past-player tournaments instead of good old normal Jeopardy!
Some were shown because of the fall’s WGA strike, others because the game show producers wanted to expand into a more sports-like model.
When the season began, fans were in for a parade of Second Chances and Champions Wildcards that went on for months.
Then, Jeopardy! soldiered on with yet another Second Chance and Wildcard event, and then the 2024 Tournament of Champions.
Then came spring’s Jeopardy! Invitational Tournament, and finally, Jeopardy! Masters in primetime.
On social media, fans made their thoughts crystal clear on the confusing, unceasing tournaments.
“How many damn second chances are we giving? #jeopardy This is getting old,” one said.
“Getting?” replied a second sarcastic commenter.
“ How long is this nonsense going to go on? No gimmicks. No tricks. Just regular old Jeopardy!, ’til 26,” another complained.
“I would like to see new contestants trying to start their own new streaks,” one suggested.
“It was fun at first but now I’m annoyed. I don’t think a normal episode has aired this season,” another said.
The bewildering number of tournaments was a huge break in tradition – and while some were caused by the strike, the overall expansion was planned before then.
Producers read the room and decided to completely overhaul Season 41, which begins in September 2024.
They’ve announced that there won’t be a single tournament until 2025, so regular games of normal contestants will continue until the New Year.
“All of the remaining of 2024 of syndicated Jeopardy!, you are watching regular games,” the insiders confirmed.
In other words, all of the events like Second Chances, Wildcards, and JITs that fans were subject to in Season 40 will not take up as much time next season.
Instead, regular non-tournament Jeopardy! will continue when the new season starts and tournaments will happen in 2025.
That said, there were positive changes too – the game show upped consolation prizes to $3,000 and $2,000, making it easier to get more diverse contestants.
And they’ve allowed players to sit while competing without question.
Jeopardy! will take its annual summer hiatus in late July and return fresh-faced for Season 41 in September.
Jeopardy!Fans are still talking about the endless barrage of tournaments that took up two-thirds of the season[/caption]
Jeopardy!At least viewers were in for the rise of the iconic Juveria Zaheer[/caption]
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