Jeopardy! will soon be back with another season, and the producers are sharing changes for Season 43, from set designs to tournament rules, and more. They also shared updates about the spinoffs, ESPN Jeopardy! and Jeopardy! Masters.
With Season 43 kicking off on September 14, there are only a few more weeks without new episodes. Executive producers Michael Davies and Sarah Whitcomb-Foss shared the changes on the September 3 episode of the Inside Jeopardy! Podcast.
Obviously, Ken Jennings will be back as host. The same question-and-answer format will remain the same, but a new set and tournament rule changes may shake up the game.
“Some very big announcements are coming up in the next month and a half in the world of Jeopardy!” Davies said.
Here are all of the changes coming to Jeopardy!.
Set Changes
“I don’t know if everyone has noticed at home, but we’ve had a few upgrades,” Whitcomb-Foss said. “Our lighting team has been hard at work. New columns. New lighting colors. It’s like a glow-up.”
Davies shared that watchers wouldn’t notice the changes if they weren’t watching very closely. The columns now have vertical lines in them. “We’re going for a richer lighting look, and I think we achieved that,” he said.
A Live Version
Davies teased that not only are more live events coming up, but he has also been desperate to do a live version of the show since he signed on. “Live is terrifying for a quiz show producer,” he said. “But I think we’ve got to go live. We need to have a version of Jeopardy! that is live. That is something we will be talking about in the next few months.”
New Jeopardy! Writer
They received over 1,300 applications for the new writer position after Jim Ryan retired. Many former contestants, writers for other shows, and everyday people have applied. They narrowed it down to the final four and are still picking.
Non-Used Clues
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The game show hit a record with only 11 clues that weren’t read. They said that was intentional. Jennings’ pacing, as well as editing, played a role in that. They intend to beat that record in Season 43.
A Theme for the Season
The theme is “Knowledge Wins.” “I think this is very, very true about our program,” Davies said. “Facts matter. Knowledge wins.”
Post-Season Change
The qualification period for the post-season has ended. It won’t go into the next season as usual. They are starting fresh in Season 43. No more rolling qualification weeks. At the end of the season, fans will know who is in the postseason.
“This was the season to do it because we’ve got enough people who have qualified,” Davies said.
Jeopardy!, Season 43, weekdays, beginning September 14, check local listings
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