James Holzhauer Blasts ‘Jeopardy!’ Bosses After Big Season 40 News

Jeopardy! Inc.

Jeopardy! legend James Holzhauer has taken aim at the show’s producers after it was officially revealed on Monday (August 7) that Season 40 will go ahead with recycled questions and players from previous seasons.

The long-running game show has been at the center of controversy over the past few weeks due to the ongoing WGA strike and whether or not Jeopardy! would shut down production in solidarity with the strikers.

On Monday’s episode of the Inside Jeopardy! podcast, executive producer and showrunner Michael Davies confirmed that Season 40 will move ahead but with some necessary changes in light of the strikes.

Taking to Twitter, Holzhauer took a shot at Davies’ comments, tweeting, “If you don’t have time to listen [to the podcast], here’s the executive summary of today’s announcement: 1:00-2:00: Jeopardy’s writers are invaluable and we couldn’t produce the show without them. 2:00-15:00: Here is how we will produce the upcoming season without them.”

If you don’t have time to listen, here’s the executive summary of today’s announcement:

1:00-2:00: Jeopardy’s writers are invaluable and we couldn’t produce the show without them
2:00-15:00: Here is how we will produce the upcoming season without themhttps://t.co/w6XzbTXutV

— James Holzhauer (@James_Holzhauer) August 7, 2023

Davies announced that Season 40 would begin with a Second Chance tournament featuring contestants from Season 37. The winners of the Second Chance tournament will then go on to face Season 38 winners in a Champions Wild Card competition. These shows will use “non-original material and material that was written pre-strike.”

“I believe, principally, that it would not be fair to have new contestants making their first appearance on the Alex Trebek stage, doing it with non-original material or as we’ll talk about a combination of non-original material and material that was written pre-strike,” Davies shared.

“And so we decided that really we needed to invite back and give a second chance in general to players who probably thought that their chance to come back and play on the Alex Trebek stage had gone forever,” he continued.

Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

Davies added that once the strike is over, “we’ll head into our Season 39 post-season,” which would include the 2023 Tournament of Champions.

Previously, several Season 39 champions, including Ray LaLonde, Cris Pannullo, and Hannah Wilson, said they would not compete in the TOC until the strike was resolved.

It seems many Jeopardy! viewers agreed with Holzhauer’s snarky tweet, with one fan calling it an “accurate summary” before adding that they’re “Disappointed, big time.”

“At the very least they’re not putting new contestants on the show, but if you want to see old contestants answer old clues, that’s what reruns were for,” said another fan.

“There’s absolutely no reason for Jeopardy to not just air reruns during the strike like every other show. Do Ken’s run! Or yours!” wrote one Twitter user.

“That’s how I will stop watching Jeopardy. (Really, just show encores of Tournaments of Champions. When the strike ends, start production again.) Think of the second-rate experience those “scab” contestants will have. Recycled clues. Asterisks next to victories,” said another.

This is an accurate summary. Disappointed, big time, @Jeopardy. https://t.co/RCNn8XDws4

— Mrs. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🦞 (@wontBfound) August 7, 2023

At the very least they’re not putting new contestants on the show, but if you want to see old contestants answer old clues, that’s what reruns were for.

With respect to Mr. Davies, “Well, Alex Trebek was a scab during the Patric Verrone strike” isn’t the defense you think it is. https://t.co/gNNpIU7hPq

— Ryan W. Mead (@rwmead) August 8, 2023

There’s absolutely no reason for Jeopardy to not just air reruns during the strike like every other show. Do Ken’s run! Or yours!

— i hate it here (@mancinithekid) August 8, 2023

That’s how I will stop watching Jeopardy.

(Really, just show encores of Tournaments of Champions. When the strike ends, start production again.)

Think of the second-rate experience those “scab” contestants will have. Recycled clues. Asterisks next to victories.

— Louisville Dad 🔜 Gen Con (@LouisvilleDad) August 8, 2023

Jeopardy! is currently airing reruns of last year’s Tournament of Champions, which was won by Amy Schneider. This will be followed by two weeks of Producers’ Picks before Season 40 is scheduled to begin on Monday, September 11.

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