Jeopardy!is back—but it’s not exactly the same show, for a few reasons. Fans of the long-time series will notice some changes with the format and schedule, and not everyone is happy about the direction the show is heading in. Perhaps most importantly, Sony has still not found a home to stream the series outside of cable TV. Season 41 of Jeopardy! premiered last night, and will air every weeknight until July 25, 2025—here’s what viewers can expect.
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Schedule Overhaul
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Season 41 will have fewer tournaments, and they will be moved into the middle of the season. Viewers shouldn’t expect to see a single tournament until 2025 for Tournament of Champions, from January to April. Aside from ToC, there will be just three tournaments: a shorter edition of Second Chance and Champions Wildcard, and a second edition of the Jeopardy! Invitational Tournament. Regular Jeopardy will continue from April to July.
New Podcast Co-Host
Sony Pictures Television
The Inside Jeopardy! Podcast is currently hosted by producer Sarah Whitcomb Foss and former contestant and champion Buzzy Cohen—but there will be another mystery co-host added to the mix. “We’re gonna have perhaps a new special guest,” producer Foss previously teased on the show.
Jeopardy! Gets Pulled From Pluto
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Jeopardy! was streaming on Pluto, owned by Paramount, but Sony pulled the 24/7 channel—leaving fans with nowhere to watch their favorite show without cable TV. Wheel of Fortune was also pulled from the channel. One fan reached out to Pluto TV support and said they got the following answer: “Thanks for reaching out about Jeopardy channel! Our lineup is constantly evolving based on feedback from our users and content availability, so channels are added and removed, over time. This isn’t to say it won’t be back, at a later time, but it’s not in the line up for now. However, we will submit a request to have it added back to our programming lineup. Your request will be forwarded to our Content and Programming teams for future consideration.”
Jennings Forges Ahead Alone
Jeopardy! / YouTube
Ken Jennings will be hosting the show alone after Mayim Bialik stepped down from her co-host post. “It took me off guard, because I loved working with my Mayim and I’m going to miss her,” Jennings told The Hollywood Reporter. “I can’t speak to her decision-making process or her opinions about it. But on my end, I’m just a fan of Jeopardy! and I’m always delighted to host when they call upon me. I just feel extremely lucky to have even been considered for this job, as a non-broadcaster.”
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Contestant and Host
Jeopardy! / YouTube
Jennings acknowledges the unusual choice of having an ex-contestant guiding the ship. “It’s kind of a weird thing to try to bring back an ex-contestant to host, and I’ve obviously been learning as I go,” he told THR. “But I loved growing up with Jeopardy! where Alex was the host of that show for almost 38 years, and people felt like he was part of their family, and it’s impossible to fill those shoes. But it’s such an honor and, hopefully, I look forward to 37 more years of doing it, when I’ll be a very, very old man.”
Good Cop, Bad Cop
ABC
Jennings understands the audience doesn’t like too much change—and will do his best to keep a good balance, especially with Celebrity Jeopardy!. “They don’t like it when the players are too chatty. They’re like, ‘This is not the strict Jeopardy! vibe,’” he told THR. “But we know this show has a newer, more casual audience and we think that’s great. I think it really helps build the awareness that Jeopardy! is still around and doing great shows well over 200 times a year. We know it’s two audiences watching, and I let the players take the lead. We want them to have as much fun as they can humanly have in that stressful situation. And then I’m willing to be the bad guy who plays cop at some point and says, ‘All right, knock it off you two, let’s let’s get back to the board.’”