WGA Strike Might Delay JEOPARDY! Season 40

Published: July 27, 2023

WGA Strike Might Delay JEOPARDY! Season 40

By Movieguide® Contributor

While JEOPARDY! season 40 might be delayed due to the ongoing Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike, the show hopes to reach a resolution.

The game show’s next season is set to premiere on September 11, but if the strike continues, that date could be pushed back.

MSN reported that one of the proposed plans to keep JEOPARDY! on track is to “use questions that have previously aired on the show during its long history.”

JEOPARDY! released a statement about the WGA strike, saying, “JEOPARDY! has a long history with and tremendous respect for the WGA and our writers. We have always been careful to honor our WGA agreements and we would never air game material not created by WGA writers.”

The statement continued, “Our current plan is to go into a holding pattern of sorts, pushing back the Season 39 postseason to first produce original episodes featuring the best of our WGA written material. Next month, we will share more news about exciting plans and enhancements to the contestant experience for this upcoming season and beyond. Everyone at JEOPARDY! hopes that the guilds and the AMPTP can reach a fair resolution quickly.”

Even if the show premieres when expected, it may not have a host. Co-host Mayim Bialik pulled out of Season 39 in light of the strike, and while co-host Ken Jennings hosted the remainder of the season, many fans have pressured him to stop appearing as well.

Former champions have weighed in on whether or not JEOPARDY! should pause during the strike.

“I’d like to break my accustomed social media avoidance and reach out to the broad JEOPARDY! community if I may,” Roy LaLonde wrote on Reddit. “There are now credible reports that the producers are making contingency plans to start filming the next season of the show with old and/or recycled material if the WGA strike remains unresolved.”

Cris Pannullo supported LaLonde, saying, “As I have already told Ray personally, though like all of us I am a huge JEOPARDY! fan, and it was a dream to appear on the show, I fully agree with his stance and will not participate in any games comprised of recycled clues while the WGA strike is in effect.”