Longtime Jeopardy! fans know that part of the fun of the show is following along in real-time with the players. Jeopardy! Masters Host Ken Jennings revealed in an interview that fans are in for an intriguing twist in the show’s format, but they have the option to look away if they don’t want to spoil the surprise.
Here’s the surprise: for the first time in the show’s history, fans will be shown where the Daily Doubles are — if they choose to look.
“This is something we’re trying out with [Jeopardy!] Masters,” Jennings said. “We noticed it’s very fun in the studio that we know where the Daily Doubles are because we can see the contestants get close; sometimes they veer away at the wrong time; it’s a bit like a big game of Battleship.”
That’s how the idea of revealing the Daily Double locations came about.
“So, for the first time, we’re going to give viewers at home a sneak preview of where the Daily Doubles are on the board. And if at home you prefer to remain unspoiled, you can avert your eyes.”
At the moment, the new format will only apply to Jeopardy! Masters. “I don’t know if we’ll try it on the syndicated show,” Jennings continued. “But I really like it because the host always knows where the Daily Doubles are in advance, so I get to watch a contestant who really needs the Daily Double kind of advance towards it, ‘Oh, is she gonna get it? Oh no, she’s switched categories’”
While some fans may enjoy the surprise of watching contestants hunt for the Daily Doubles, being able to see how where they’re located could yield a new appreciation for the strategy involved in playing the game.
“You can really get a sense of how the match is changing and how the odds are changing in real time,” Jennings added.
Jeopardy! Masters kicks off on May 8 at 8 pm ET/PT on ABC. The tournament will play out across three weeks for a total of 10 hour-long episodes. The all-star roster of competitors features the six highest-ranked players of all time, including Amy Schneider, Matt Amodio, Mattea Roach, Andrew He, Sam Buttrey and James Holzhauer.
