Over the years, Jeopardy! has turned many ordinary competitors into household names. As contestants continue to demonstrate their knowledge and advance higher, they become eligible to compete in grander Jeopardy tournaments. In the most recent season, contestant Sam Kavanaugh competed in the first-ever Jeopardy! Invitational Tournament, reaching the semi-finals. Kavanaugh previously went on a five-day winning streak in 2019 and won the Tournament of Champions in 2021.
While the tournaments have certainly been exciting for contestants, Kavanaugh admitted that he understands why viewers might not feel the same. In an interview with The Sun US, published Tuesday, July 30, Kavanaugh expressed that he feels one of the things people love about Jeopardy! is seeing ordinary people show off their smarts. However, he also noted that some viewers might not see themselves in the people who continuously go on to compete in the tournaments.
"That series of all the different tournaments and everything, I think a certain segment of the viewership are people who see themselves up there," Kavanaugh said. "So, when you're seeing that there aren't new people up there, I'm sure that felt discouraging for a lot of people."
He continued, saying, "There's a lot of latent talent out there; I hope that for everyone's sake, the show is able to [find that balance] and continue to grow in that direction. One of the joys of the show is, 'oh, you're a waiter,' and you watch them do well, and it's super affirming."
Elsewhere in the interview, Kavanaugh shared that he has faith in the show's new executive producer Michael Davies. And it seems like the Jeopardy crew is already applying Kavanaugh's notes.
The next Tournament of Champions and qualifying events have been pushed back to winter 2025, with Second Chances, Wildcards, and JITs set to take less time on the Jeopardy! schedule.
Jeopardy!'s 41st season will kick off on September 9.
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