When Jeopardy! returns with new episodes for its daily syndicated run, the beloved game show will be handling things a bit differently from what fans are used to. From having to use recycled clues to the decision to hold off on inviting any brand new contestants, Season 40 will likely stand out quite a bit from other seasons, thanks in large part to the ongoing WGA writers strike. And with production starting up this week for new episodes, it’s looking more and more like co-host Mayim Bialik will be absent for longer than previously expected, with Ken Jennings set to be at the wheel for much of the foreseeable future.
One factor that will be keeping the Call Me Kat vet away from the Jeopardy! lectern is the aforementioned writers strike. As regular viewers will recall, Bialik stepped down from her position near the end of Season 39 as a sign of unity with the show’s talented writing staff. Jennings took some flak for holding the fort in her stead, despite also sharing the love for the clue creators that make the game so fun.
According to the Jeopardy! Reddit forum, Season 40 began filming on its latest Second Chance tournament, which will see past Season 37 hopefuls returning to duke it out. There, it was reported that Ken Jennings was indeed on board to head things up without Bialik around to share the duties. Given how recent discussions between the WGA and the AMPTP haven’t gone very favorably, she will almost definitely remain absent until those disputes have concluded, and even then, there may be further complications with bringing her back.
Because even though her Fox sitcom Call Me Kat was canceled earlier in 2023, Mayim Bialik hasn’t just been resting on her Jeopardy!-assisted laurels. For one, she hosts a successful weekly podcast devoted to humorous conversations about mental health — Mayim Bialik’s Breakdown — and has other pop culture projects coming down the pipeline that have also been delayed due to strikes.
As such, if and when the WGA strike and SAG-AFTRA strike reach their respective resolutions, the actress may still be unable to take over Jeopardy!-hosting responsibilities due to acting commitments. As it was revealed in past months, Bialik and others have reportedly been successful at getting a Blossom revival off of the ground floor, with a pilot script being written, and cast members unofficially signing on to return.
Should NBC, Peacock or some other platform step in to order Blossom to series, it may cause further scheduling conflicts for Bialik as far as bouncing between projects goes. She was able to work things out so that she could successfully split her time and attention with Call Me Kat, but there are no guarantees that the same would happen with a newer series. Especially if everyone in the industry goes into post-strike overdrive in trying to get as much creative turnover as possible to make up for lost time. It’s possible she just won’t have any room in her schedule to get her Jeopardy! game face on.
Of course, things may fall into place in a way where Blossom doesn’t move forward, and where Bialik’s other gigs are spaced out so that she can tag in for Ken Jennings at some point during Season 40’s run. It’s impossible to predict how things will turn out in Hollywood. But for now, Jennings’ biggest naysayers will just have to settle in for the long haul.
Jeopardy! will return with new episodes on Monday, September 11. Check your local listings to see when and where it airs in your area, and head to our 2023 TV schedule to see how primetime has been shaken up by all the industry delays.
