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Mayim Bialik will not be hosting Season 2 of “Celebrity Jeopardy!” as she continues to support the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, Variety has learned from sources.

On Monday, ABC issued a press release with changes to their fall schedule, noting that Ken Jennings will host the new season of “Celebrity Jeopardy!,” which premieres Sept. 27 at 8 p.m. ET.

ABC did not respond to Variety’s request for comment.

“Jeopardy!” showrunner Michael Davies revealed earlier this month that material for the star-studded spinoff series’ second season was completed before the WGA went on strike, so the upcoming season will feature completely original material. While Bialik and Jennings split hosting duties on “Jeopardy!,” the former was the sole host for Season 1 of “Celebrity Jeopardy!,” featuring such guests as Simu Liu, Andy Richter, Aisha Tyler, Michael Cera and more.

Back in May, Variety spoke to “Jeopardy!” writers Michele Loud, Jim Rhine and Billy Wisse on the picket line during the fourth day of the WGA strike.

“Our words are on the screen every night,” Loud said. “There is no ‘Jeopardy’ without writers. Without us it’s just an empty blue screen.”

Davies explained on the “Jeopardy!” podcast “Inside Jeopardy!” how the trivia series would proceed with its next season amid the WGA strike.

“We’re going to open the season with a second chance tournament for players from Season 37 who lost their initial game. Winners from that will advance to a Season 37 and Season 38 Champions Wildcard,” he said, adding that questions on these second chance episodes would be “a combination of material that our WGA writers wrote before the strike, which is still in the database, and material that has been re-deployed from multiple multiple seasons of the show.”

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[-] citycat@lemm.ee 24 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)
[-] AngrilyEatingMuffins@kbin.social 39 points 1 year ago

He’s not an actor and he’d already had this job. It would’ve been cool if he joined the strike but it’s not something to hold against him, either

[-] AnonTwo@kbin.social 4 points 1 year ago

Is it really nothing to hold against him though, when the person he's replacing did join the strike?

[-] AngrilyEatingMuffins@kbin.social 26 points 1 year ago

The person he’s replacing is a member of SAG AFTRA (and maybe also WGA?) and he’d already been hired as her replacement. She’s not going on sympathy strike.

[-] AnonTwo@kbin.social -4 points 1 year ago

I...don't see how that changes anything I said. It still sounds like Jennings is replacing someone who is striking.

[-] AngrilyEatingMuffins@kbin.social 25 points 1 year ago

A scab is hired to replace someone who is striking. He had previously (as in years) been hired to replace Bialik when she was unavailable. Due to her commitments to the strike, she is unavailable. He, not being a member of the WGA or SAG, has no commitments to the strike, but does have commitments to his contract, which states he is to replace Bialik when she is unavailable. Does that make sense?

[-] AnonTwo@kbin.social -3 points 1 year ago

So Jennings had a clause to replace Bialiik, and it's being used to make them scab?

Sounds very scummy on the network's part.

[-] moody@lemmings.world 15 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

It's not scabbing if it's already your job. He's not being hired to replace her, he already works for them.

Edit: Yes, it's still scummy on the network's part, but that's no surprise.

[-] CeruleanRuin@lemmings.world 10 points 1 year ago

She's literally an actor and thus a member of the union that is striking. He is neither.

[-] gowan@reddthat.com 5 points 1 year ago

She is part of SAG. SAG is striking so she needs to in order to remain in the union. Jennings is NOT part of SAG and there's no reason for him to join the strike as that would harm all the other staff on the show who would be out of work.

[-] Bitrot@lemmy.sdf.org 10 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

The important part is that he is already an employee there who does this job already, while not being union. If he wasn’t and he was hired to do the job because he’s not union he would be a scab.

[-] ryathal@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 year ago

Why is Jennings not part of SAG? I find it hard to believe the union is cool with a host not being a member unless they don't care about game show hosts in general, which is on them.

[-] gowan@reddthat.com 2 points 1 year ago

He is not an actor. SAG- Screen Actors Guild

[-] Overzeetop@beehaw.org 2 points 1 year ago

If an accountant leaves his profession to become a commercial pilot, does he get a pass to fly when the rest of the pilots go on strike?

[-] MimicJar@lemmy.world 22 points 1 year ago

Technically not, https://www.dlapiper.com/en-US/insights/publications/2023/07/sag-aftra-strike-the-strike-rules-and-the-exceptions

"Work is permitted if covered by the terms of other SAG-AFTRA agreements, including (but not limited to): ... Network Television Code, which covers ... Variety programming (including reality shows and game shows ..."

I would also prefer no one host the show while the strike is on, but it is allowed per existing rules.

[-] rifugee@lemmy.world 9 points 1 year ago

Also, is he even in the union?

[-] Taco2112@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago

Honest question, does jeopardy have writers or actors?

[-] citycat@lemm.ee 17 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I would be extremely impressed if Alex Trebek had just pulled all of the questions out of his butt for all of those years.

[-] ech@lemm.ee 5 points 1 year ago

Does Jeopardy have writers

They're literally quoted in the body of the post.

Someone has to make those words on that blue screen.

this post was submitted on 22 Aug 2023
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