Jeopardy! plans big changes to shake up next season with new set pieces and ‘unpopular’ category decision

JEOPARDY! plans to make big changes to shake up next season with new set pieces – along with a very ‘unpopular’ category decision, the U.S. Sun can exclusively reveal.

The famous trivia show is gearing up for season 42, and while some major shifts are in store for fans, the game will also be keeping some things the same – including a controversial part of the show.

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Ken Jennings hosts the Jeopardy! spinoffs, including Celebrity Jeopardy!Credit: Getty

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Ken Jennings hosts the quarterfinals of the Jeopardy! Masters tournamentCredit: Getty
In late July, season 41 of Jeopardy! concluded with a bang after Scott Riccardi had his 16-game winning streak crushed by Jonathan Hugendubler in a shocking finale.

The end of the season marks the rare occasion where new Jeopardy! episodes are on hiatus from airing.

While production of season 42 is set to begin next week, new episodes won’t air until the end of September.

In the meantime, the show is getting ready for its best season yet as the 200+ crew members are working hard on season 42’s pre-production.

A series insider told The U.S. Sun: “The show has some changes in the works to jazz up season 42.

“No one is jumping the shark, the format and all that, the heart of the show, will be the same.

“But there will be new set pieces and, unfortunately for the fans, there will be some, perhaps even an increase, in sponsored categories.

“Producers know that’s not popular with fans, and quite frankly, a lot of the production team doesn’t like it either.

“But it’s part of the game. It helps with revenue and cross promotion so it is what it is.”

In recent Jeopardy! seasons, sponsored categories have sporadically popped up within the game.

These sponsored categories are often videos of celebrities reading off the clue, instead of the typical process of host Ken Jennings saying them.

Oftentimes, the celebrity is promoting a new movie, and the category ties into the film to advertise it in some way.
Jeopardy! superchamp Scott Riccardi’s 16-day winning streak ends after shocking upset from newcomer on season 41 finale
However, many fans feel the sponsored content is “forced” and “takes away” from the strategic gameplay.

In addition to changes during the season, some off-season changes will be happening too.

The airing schedule is getting a shake-up to include the season 41 finale – which is not typically the case.

Jeopardy! usually uses its annual hiatus to re-air its various tournaments that were from the previous season.

However, in a rare move, the final episode that re-airs before season 42 airs will be the season 41 finale.

Jeopardy! Set Secrets

Jeopardy! fans don’t see everything behind the scenes from watching on TV. These hidden set features make the show run smoothly:

Each podium has a hidden riser so that all contestants appear to be the same height.
After each clue is read, signal lights go off around the game board, indicating players can buzz in and respond.
Buzz in too early, and you’re locked out for .25 seconds.
The podiums have a small white light in the lower left corner, which tells Ken Jennings who goes next.
Contrary to popular belief, the player with control doesn’t have a buzzer advantage on the next clue.
To the game board’s left is a scoreboard so the players can see their opponents’ scores.
All contestants must bring three outfits to the studio, but only the host and returning champion change for the next episode.
There are wardrobe rules, including restrictions on busy patterns, solid white, purple (like the background), and logos.
Five episodes are taped in a single day, and sometimes more.
The categories, players (aside from the returning champion), and Final Jeopardy! for a tape day are all drawn randomly to ensure fairness.
Female contestants are asked not to wear makeup, which is applied backstage, and don’t wear mascara because of sweat.
Contestants fill out a questionnaire, and producers select five Q&A topics for the host.
Host Ken isn’t allowed to interact with the contestants until after the game.
Players can request to sit in a chair while competing without question.

Fans will remember the jaw-dropping episode where Scott finally lost his reign to Jonathan in a stunning upset during Final Jeopardy!

The shocker marked the end of Scott’s impressive 16-game run, which landed him in the Jeopardy! history books.

Being the champion of 16 games is the most consecutive games won by a contestant since 2022.

It also ties for 10th place in overall longest winning streaks ever in Jeopardy! history, alongside Ryan Long, who played in 2022.

That same year also saw Cris Pannullo win 21 games, Mattea Roach dominating 23 games, and Amy Schneider with an impressive 40-game winning streak – the second longest ever.

The player who holds the title for most consecutive games won is host and TV icon Ken, who went on an unbeatable 74-game streak back in 2004.

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Scott Riccardi crushed the competition during a 16-day winning streakCredit: Jeopardy!

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Ken Jennings hosts Jeopardy! masters with contestants Victoria Groce, Juveria Zaheer, and Isaac HirschCredit: Getty

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Ken Jennings on set of Jeopardy! season 41Credit: Getty