Jeopardy! executive producer Michael Davies has heard a lot of complaints over the past few months in regard to tournament fatigue and seeing the same people face off against each other over and over again. So just as it seemed he might be able to turn the corner with the resumption of regular Jeopardy! episodes in syndication, he had viewers (including myself) issuing a collective groan of frustration by seemingly ignoring all of the fan feedback and announcing that Amy Schneider was chosen as the sixth contestant for Season 2 of the upcoming primetime event Jeopardy! Masters.
I was ready to let go of all of my quasi-rage over the onslaught of Jeopardy! tournaments, because let’s be real, it was kind of jarring to jump back into regular episodes. Gone is the snarky banter between the contestants and host Ken Jennings, or the high-stakes True Daily Doubles. However, Michael Davies’ refusal to read the room makes it a little harder for me to forgive and forget. Davies announced Amy Schneider as the Producers’ Pick for Jeopardy! Masters at the Inside Jeopardy! Live on Tour event April 12 in New York, explaining on the podcast that followed:
Understand that we get a lot of data, and we’ve talked before about how we share the buzzer data, how we see the players. We’re also evaluating constantly how people are playing against a certain level of material, which is another very important thing. Plus, this being — and I make no apologies for it — Jeopardy! is an entertainment television program. We do have to look at and work with the network on social media reach and popularity, and the number of people across the media who will follow the story, plus the balance of contestants who we’ve already got there. And our unanimous pick is Amy Schneider.
At the Friday event, the EP made a similar speech (per The Sun), crediting not only Amy Schneider’s performance in the Jeopardy! Invitational Tournament (I hate calling it the JIT) but also her strong social media following and the chance to redeem herself after what she has admitted was a disappointing performance in last year’s Jeopardy! Masters.
The fans’ issue is that now, four of the six contestants in Masters are repeats from last year, as she joins top three finishers James Holzhauer, Mattea Roach and Matt Amodio; Tournament of Champions winner Yogesh Raut; and Jeopardy! Invitational Tournament winner Victoria Groce.
This is what fans don’t want. They spoke out when Jeopardy! Masters Season 1 was basically a rematch of the 2022 Tournament of Champions and then again when the JIT finals were very nearly a repeat of Masters Season 1. Now Season 2 features a nearly identical roster.
I say all this with no intended disrespect to Amy Schneider, because she very much deserves the spot. She is one of Jeopardy!’s biggest winners and one of my personal favorites of all time. Watching her and Victoria Groce battle in the JIT was as thrilling as any sporting event. However, I don’t feel like it would have been as exciting if we’d have known then that both women were going to move forward either way.
Some fans seem to agree, per a discussion on Reddit, as one wrote:
I love Amy, and she is obviously an extremely strong player, but she didn’t win the JIT and we’ve already seen her on Masters. I don’t want Masters to just be the same people every time.
It’s a tough situation either way, with Jeopardy! Masters only (supposedly) accepting one JIT player from a pool where several contestants would have been worthy. Another wrote:
Honestly not a fan of this decision. we just saw her in JIT. What’s the point if she can lose that and just move on anyways? To be clear I’m a fan of hers just not a fan of this decision.
For all that I was ready to dip back into the regular Jeopardy! season, however, I can't exactly claim to be blown away by the the return to slower pacing, the paltry Daily Double wagers, and unanswered clues. The different between these games and tournament play is like the difference between day and night. But all night and no day makes Jeopardy! a dull boy, since this game show is all about variety.
Like it or not, what’s done is done, and if last year’s Masters is any indication, Season 2 is going to be a great competition. (You know, because it’s pretty much the same people.) Maybe Michael Davies will adjust his thinking next time around, but after this decision, I’m not so sure. Jeopardy! Masters Season 2 will premiere at 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 1, on ABC.
