Wouldn’t it be amazing if all the great champions on “Jeopardy!” could come back for one last hurrah?
The show’s executive producer, Michael Davies, revealed something that could make this second chance a reality.
“I may have just broken the Jeopardy!-verse,” he said in a statement , going on to say that the quiz show will host a Second Chance Tournament made up of returning players “who we believe deserve a second shot.”
At least one player from this tournament will go on to compete in the next Tournament of Champions.
“I started thinking about a Second Chance Tournament almost the day I started on Jeopardy!, when Jessica Stephens beat Matt Amodio, but lost to Jonathan Fisher by just $401,” Davies wrote. ”I thought, ‘Wow, wouldn’t it be a cool idea to have a tournament where we bring excellent contestants like Jessica back?’”
Three words: Second. Chance. Tournament. https://t.co/mOlaCsGTE3
— Jeopardy! (@Jeopardy) February 9, 2022
Who is eligible?
Only players who appeared on “Jeopardy!” since the last Tournament of Champions are eligible for now, the statement said.
“I know there will be many contestants from previous years who will be howling at this point, and I do not rule out a future opportunity to compete again for some of you,” Davies added. ”We are all so excited at the prospect, and we look forward to seeing some wonderful contestants again on our stage.”
Whose idea was it?
Davies acknowledged that he isn’t the first to come up with the idea.
“Like most good ideas, it was quickly apparent that many, many other people — both inside and outside the show — had had exactly the same thought, long before me. But now we’re actually going to do it, and slot it in right before the (Tournament of Champions).”
What do the champions think?
Ken Jennings, the ultimate “Jeopardy!” champion with a 74-game winning streak, took to Twitter to share his excitement.
- “After almost two decades of people asking me about this… it’s finally happening!” he said in a tweet.
Amy Schneider, who recently ended her 40-game streak, also gave the news her stamp of approval.
- “Love love LOVE this idea!!!” she said in a tweet.
Stephens, who beat Amodio, said: “One thing that is very exciting to me about the Second Chance Tournament is knowing before the cameras even start rolling how supportive Jeopardy! fans are!” via Twitter.