Mayim Bialik will not be hosting Season 2 of “Celebrity Jeopardy!” as she continues to support the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, Variety has learned from sources.
On Monday, ABC issued a press release with changes to their fall schedule, noting that Ken Jennings will host the new season of “Celebrity Jeopardy!,” which premieres Sept. 27 at 8 p.m. ET.
ABC did not respond to Variety’s request for comment.
“Jeopardy!” showrunner Michael Davies revealed earlier this month that material for the star-studded spinoff series’ second season was completed before the WGA went on strike, so the upcoming season will feature completely original material. While Bialik and Jennings split hosting duties on “Jeopardy!,” the former was the sole host for Season 1 of “Celebrity Jeopardy!,” featuring such guests as Simu Liu, Andy Richter, Aisha Tyler, Michael Cera and more.
Back in May, Variety spoke to “Jeopardy!” writers Michele Loud, Jim Rhine and Billy Wisse on the picket line during the fourth day of the WGA strike.
“Our words are on the screen every night,” Loud said. “There is no ‘Jeopardy’ without writers. Without us it’s just an empty blue screen.”
Davies explained on the “Jeopardy!” podcast “Inside Jeopardy!” how the trivia series would proceed with its next season amid the WGA strike.
“We’re going to open the season with a second chance tournament for players from Season 37 who lost their initial game. Winners from that will advance to a Season 37 and Season 38 Champions Wildcard,” he said, adding that questions on these second chance episodes would be “a combination of material that our WGA writers wrote before the strike, which is still in the database, and material that has been re-deployed from multiple multiple seasons of the show.”
*Scab Jennings
Technically not, https://www.dlapiper.com/en-US/insights/publications/2023/07/sag-aftra-strike-the-strike-rules-and-the-exceptions
“Work is permitted if covered by the terms of other SAG-AFTRA agreements, including (but not limited to): … Network Television Code, which covers … Variety programming (including reality shows and game shows …”
I would also prefer no one host the show while the strike is on, but it is allowed per existing rules.
Also, is he even in the union?
Honest question, does jeopardy have writers or actors?
I would be extremely impressed if Alex Trebek had just pulled all of the questions out of his butt for all of those years.
They’re literally quoted in the body of the post.
Someone has to make those words on that blue screen.
Someone comes up with the answer/question combinations. This would be similar to a late night host doing a show (imo). Ken must not be a SAG member.