‘Jeopardy!’: Fans Want These Changes in Season 42

Season 41 of Jeopardy! is coming to a close, and fans are already making a wishlist for changes they are hoping for next season. The last episode of the season will air on Friday, July 25, and then resume with Season 42 in September.

“There were changes to the set a month into the season. No, the show did not receive an entirely new set; it’s still the same one that we’ve had since Season 30, but with more modifications. The single biggest change was the game board becoming one large screen. Other changes included a new monitor for Final Jeopardy, and the golden arches on the stage floor were replaced with circle outlines. Last but not least, a physical Jeopardy! logo was added on top of the set when the postseason tournaments began,” a Reddit user said.

The original poster went on to say that they hope for a new title card and graphics package, which others agreed with. They also want new theme and think music. The current music has been the same since Season 25.

As for set changes, fans hope to see the Jeopardy! logo behind host Ken Jennings‘ head moved to a different spot, making the lecterns look more modern, and new LED fixtures added behind the backdrop.

One issue that a lot of fans agreed on is increasing the value of the clues. Aside from Daily Double wagers, the highest clue value is $2,000. “It’s the 25th anniversary of increasing the clue values. They need to be increased again, it’s way overdue,” a Reddit user said. Many agreed with the comments, with some saying the values should be “retroactive.”

 

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One big change that almost all of the fans agreed on is the tournaments. Some think there are too many, others think they should be spaced out. One fan thinks that since Jeopardy! Masters and Celebrity! Jeopardy received low ratings, and they should be canceled, but Celebrity Jeopardy! was already renewed for a fourth season.

“Space out the tournaments more evenly instead of holding them back-to-back. For example, hold Second Chance in November, Champions Wild Card in February, and then ToC in May,” one fan said. “Scrap Second Chance and Champions Wild Card altogether, and bring back the other annual tournaments that are currently on hiatus, such as the Teen Tournament and College Championship.”

“Don’t make Jeopardy Invitational an annual thing because after two years, viewers are beginning to get fatigued from that one. Instead, hold it once every few or so years, like during a milestone season/event. Also, JIT doesn’t need to be held right after ToC; there can be several weeks of regular play, and then do JIT.”

Others want the tournaments to go back to the old format, meaning the two-week, 15-player format from the Alex Trebek era.

“Hoping the tournament of champions can go back to the old format, but it seemed impossible. Any tournament using the standard 15-person lineup is pretty good already. And I think it’s hard for people with only 4 wins or more advancing. In season 41 TOC, there was a need since there were insufficient spaces for 15. The old tournaments like Teen, College, and Teachers Tournament are OK to revive!” said another.

“My view is that while I like and appreciate the tournament structure, it really needs to be clearly set out for fans what it’s going to be and it can’t be changed on a whim when most of the people that watch this program are not online all the time. You need to really spell it out for folks. I would also like to see an explainer about why these players need a second chance or got into champions wild card for people that might not remember who they are,” one last fan said.

What changes do you hope are made in Season 42? Do you agree that there are too many tournaments? Let us know in the comments.