‘Jeopardy!’: Have You Caught Reused Clues Amid Writers’ Strike Episodes?

Kelli Boyle September 27, 2023, 8:06 pm

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Ken Jennings on 'Jeopardy!' — ABC/Eric McCandless

(Credit: ABC/Eric McCandless)

[Warning: The following contains MAJOR spoilers for the September 27, 2023 episode of Jeopardy.]

Jeopardy! found a workaround that allowed it to return to filming amid the WGA writers’ strike, which came to an end at 12:01 a.m. ET on Wednesday, September 27. To return to set, the game show would reuse old clues from past games. But the plan didn’t please host Mayim Bialik, who opted to refrain from hosting while the writers’ and actors’ strikes were ongoing. Ken Jennings took her place, and the show returned with its strike format in September.

Now that a handful of episodes have passed, have you recognized any of the recycled clues? One Jeopardy! fan on Reddit noticed one during the game on Wednesday, September 27, which was a face-off between Allison Pistorius, an actor & assistant professor from Houston, Texas; Mark Lucas, a strategist from Redondo Beach, California; and Barb Fecteau, a high school librarian from Beverly, Massachusetts.

“This is the first time I’ve caught a reused category since the show came back,” one user wrote on the Jeopardy! Reddit discussion board. “The LET’S PARTY! category originates from a May 2003 game. (Note: it’s in my study flashcards, I don’t just randomly remember 2003 episodes of Jeopardy on a whim lmao).” As one user replied, “And the contestants went a collective 1/5 in it. Oof.”

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When Jeopardy! Season 40 premiered on Monday, September 11, fans kept an eye out for recycled clues but couldn’t find any. As one fan asked, “Was clue recycling supposed to be started in this game, or some time later? I checked some clues, but didn’t find them in j-archive.”

Their consensus was that the clues and categories for that game may have been written before the strike began. Now, viewers are recognizing older clues right as the writers’ strike preventing new ones from being made is ending. Before the writers return to the show (and eventually Bialik, presumably once the SAG-AFTRA strike is over) and new categories/clues become the norm once more, let us know if you’ve recognized any clues in the comments below.

As for tonight’s game, it was a low-score event. The three players were all below $10k heading into Final Jeopardy, with Barb pulling out the win with $12,801. Allison finished second with $6,400, and Mark was last with $4,202.

Jeopardy!, Weekdays, check local listings