When does Jeopardy come back?: Release date and changes due to the writers strike

Jeopardy is coming back this fall, after all, amid the various strikes hitting Hollywood. However, there are going to be a few changes in store, so what’s going to shake up the classic game show?

Season 40 of Jeopardy was set to be a huge one with the annual Tournament of Champions. However, the ongoing Writers Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild strikes have been affecting the show, making it uncertain when or even if it could air.

Speaking to the Inside Jeopardy podcast, showrunner Michael Davies announced the show will return this September. To handle the writers on strike, the show will go to recycling old questions and even bringing back past contestants to handle the absence of the writers.

"“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. 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. So we’re gonna open the season with a second chance tournament for players from Season 37 who lost their initial game, and winners from that will advance to a Season 37 and Season 38 Champions Wild Card.”"

Davies has not said just who these past contestants will be but clarified that once the writer’s strike ends, they will “head into our Season 39 post-season, which will culminate with the [Tournament of Champions]. So episodes at the beginning of the season for the Season 37 and Season 38 contestants, the material that we’re gonna be using is a combination of material that our WGA writers wrote before the strike, which is still in the database, and material that is being redeployed from multiple, multiple seasons of the show.”

This strategy allows the series to continue providing fresh episodes without newer questions and still allows past contestants a shot at some cash.

What other changes are coming to Jeopardy?

Another big change is that for the first time in more than two decades, the show will be increasing the second and third-prize amounts by a thousand dollars, moving up to $3000 and $2000, respectively. This comes after years of complaints among contestants that the runner-up cash doesn’t make up for the cost of travel to Los Angeles to compete in the show.

Davies stated, “This is something that we’ve been working on ever since I really took the reins of the show. It’s something that obviously is discussed widely within our social communities and with the community of our contestants. We understand that post-COVID, uh, travel costs have increased. We understand how complicated sort of funding a trip to Jeopardy is for, you know, many contestants within our community.”

Who will host Jeopardy season 40?

Another major question is who will be behind the podium. Co-host Mayim Balik bailed out of the last episodes of Season 39 in solidarity with the striking writers, with Ken Jennings filling in. Jennings has been under pressure to also step back, but it’s unclear if he’ll do so.

That leaves a big gap in the hosting gig, but so far, the series hasn’t confirmed one way or another if Jennings is gone and if a replacement host is needed. Expect confirmation of that in the following weeks, depending on the status of the strikes.

When will Jeopardy season 40 premiere?

Season 40 is set to kick off Monday, September 11. A major hope by all is that the strikes may be settled by then, making this a temporary situation until the writers can provide fresh material. There’s no word on who competes or who even hosts, but it will be a different look for this iconic show.

Jeopardy season 40 premieres in syndication Monday, Sept.11.