Jeopardy! is seeing another change to its hosting lineup. Traditionally, it has been run jointly by Ken Jennings and Mayim Bialik, but the latter has stepped away from her post and is now not expected to return before 2024.
Jeopardy! is one of many shows affected by the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, which began back in May and has halted production for most programs. Bialik had been slated to host Celebrity Jeopardy! but refused to participate in additional recordings as an act of solidarity. Because the strike is continuing to this day with no end in sight, Bialik’s own return will likely not come this year.
A source clarifies that Mayim Bialik will not return to ‘Jeopardy!’ this year but they’ve not parted ways fully
Both syndicated Jeopardy! and Celebrity Jeopardy! are written by WGA writers. As a result, the game show has had to take a different approach with its upcoming seasons, bringing in past contestants and recycling old questions. Jennings, crossing the picket line, will continue to host through this workaround.
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Bialik stepped away from Jeopardy! ahead of its final week of filming, which took place between May 16 and May 19, and has stayed away since. In light of swirling rumors suggesting the departure was permanent, a source told The Messenger, “She wasn’t fired. She’s choosing to stand with her union, and because of that, she was told it is unlikely she will return for the rest of the year, even if the strike is resolved before then.”
How Mayim Bialik may return to ‘Jeopardy!’ and how shows may return to production
The National Code of Fair Practice for Network Television Broadcasting (NetCode), outlined by SAG-AFTRA, allows Bialik to take up her hosting position again if she crosses the picket line. But as of August 21, ABC had already moved forward with plans to produce Celebrity Jeopardy! without Bialik and released its updated schedule naming Jennings as the sole host of the themed event. Indeed, they have already started filming new episodes without her.
Earlier in August, showrunner Michael Davies said that material for season two of Celebrity Jeopardy! had already been completed before the strike began, so episodes airing this fall will be original material. That’s not the case across the board for Jeopardy! or other shows aiming to release a new season this autumn; unscripted reality TV has become a favorite fallback on multiple stations.
The strike reached 100 days on August 9. Around that time, the WGA and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) had one of their first meetings in three months, but the jury is still out for how long until an agreement is reached. A report from Deadline claims that AMPTP is ready to let the WGA “bleed out” and will refuse to yield any ground until writers “start losing their apartments.”
However, picketing screenwriter Billy Ray argues that nowadays, conditions have become so poor for so many writers, this quality of life is par for the course and they’re so used to it, they can wait out this tactic. Ray argues, “Writers were struggling so much that being on strike was not that big a step down for them. They’re already going a year between jobs, so this feels like the normal course of business.”
When do you think this will end?
The show where the ✨ shine the brightest is back for a whole new season! Celebrity Jeopardy! returns September 27 8/7c on ABC! #CelebrityJeopardy! pic.twitter.com/xfhQzow3FZ
— Celebrity Jeopardy! (@CelebJeopardy) August 29, 2023