‘Jeopardy!’ Bosses Considering Big Rule Change

Martin Holmes September 21, 2022, 7:27 am

Jeopardy!‘s executive producer Mike Davies is toying with an interesting format change to help shake up the long-running game show, but not everybody is on board with the idea.

Speaking on the Inside Jeopardy! podcast on Monday, September 19, Davies brought up the concept of offering cash bonuses to contestants who correctly answer an entire column of clues under one topic. The producer, who took over from the ousted Mike Richards in 2021, first touched on the idea last week but went into more detail on this week’s podcast.

“I have been thinking about trying out, perhaps in one of our other tournaments this season, experimenting with giving out a cash bonus for contestants who run a category,” Davies said in conversation on the podcast with show producer Sarah Foss and Jeopardy! alum Buzzy Cohen. “It’s a moment in the studio; it’s a great thing.”

Cohen, however, seemed apprehensive, sharing that “Twitter exploded with pros and cons” when the idea was first mentioned. The 2017 Tournament of Champions winner had one important question on his mind: “Is this a bonus that is going to affect your game score?”

Davies promised that it would be a “separate bonus” and wouldn’t change who wins, while fellow producer Foss added that it would mean “Going home with an extra prize from Jeopardy!, with or without a win.”

The producers also noted that the bonus would only be given out if a contestant ran an entire category straight through, not jumping around the board. But it was this point that caused Cohen some concern, thinking that it might significantly alter the overall game.

“It’s going to affect gameplay strategy, and I don’t know if that’s something you’re interested in doing,” Cohen said. However, Davies countered that argument by saying, “It might also give incentive to people who are trailing to go into a category and get something from the game beyond their second or third place prize.”