'Jeopardy!' champions boycott tournament amid writers' strike

A panoramic view of the studio where "Jeopardy!" is taped.

July 25, 2023 5:23 PM PT

Several “Jeopardy!” winners have refused to participate in this year’s Tournament of Champions in solidarity with TV writers who are on strike.

Contestant Ray Lalonde, currently the No. 2 seed heading into the Tournament of Champions, was the first to take a stand. The scenic artist from Toronto announced via Reddit that he would not compete in the tournament “if the strike remains unresolved,” adding that he had already told the show’s producers as much.

Although “Jeopardy!” is an unscripted game show, it relies on clues that are crafted by members of the Writers Guild of America.

“There are now credible reports that the producers are making contingency plans to start filming the next season of the show with old and/or recycled material if the WGA strike remains unresolved,” Lalonde wrote.

“I am a lifelong devoted fan of Jeopardy! I am and will always be grateful for the experience I had on the show and the opportunity to participate in the TOC is beyond a dream come true for me. That being said, I believe that the show’s writers are a vital part of the show and they are justified in taking their job action to secure a fair contract for themselves and their fellow WGA members.”

A spokesperson for “Jeopardy!” disputed Lalonde’s remarks in a statement claiming that the show “never had any intention of producing a Tournament of Champions for Season 39 until the strike is resolved.”

“Further, no contestants from Season 39 have been contacted regarding their availability for any postseason tournaments, including the ToC,” the spokesperson told The Times.

“The Jeopardy! postseason represents the pinnacle of our competition, and it should feature our strongest players playing our toughest original material.”

Identifying himself as a “supporter of the trade union movement, a union member’s son and a proud union member” himself, Lalonde declared that he would “not cross a picket line” to partake in the tournament if it happens during the strike.

“My hope in saying this publicly now is to perhaps influence some future decision to proceed without the writers and to encourage any others in the community who feel the same way to speak out as well,” he added.

“A few small voices may not change any minds but we can try.”

The rest of the top “Jeopardy!” champions eligible for the tournament — Cris Pannullo, Ben Chan and Hannah Wilson — swiftly followed Lalonde’s lead and voiced their support in the Reddit thread.

“Ray, thank you for taking this stand,” No. 3 seed Chan said. “If you are out, I am out.”

“I’ll stand with you, Ray!,” echoed No. 4 seed Wilson. “A TOC with all recycled clues doesn’t sound like much fun to play in, anyway.”

The No. 1 seed heading into the tournament, Pannullo, answered the call as well, commenting, “I fully agree with [Lalonde’s] stance and will not participate in any games comprised of recycled clues while the WGA strike is in effect.”

No. 6 seed Troy Meyer also chimed in, writing, “I stand with Ray,” while No. 9 seed Ben Goldstein tweeted that he “would not compete in any tournament where all the best players weren’t participating.” No. 7 seed Suresh Krishnan also vowed to “sit this one out in solidarity with the writers.”

Among the latest to join the boycott was No. 8 seed Luigi de Guzman, who exalted the “Jeopardy!” writers and thanked Lalonde for being “brave enough to stand first.”

“The writers make the clues; the clues make the show,” De Guzman wrote on Reddit.

“The clues in the Tournament of Champions have typically been some of the best of the best clues the show has had to offer. They are at once challenging and creative. As Hannah said, a tournament with recycled clues won’t be much fun for us players — and it would probably not meet the high standard that fans at home have come to expect.”

Also likely to withdraw from the tournament if the strike persists and “Jeopardy!” moves forward is writer and actor Ike Barinholtz, this year’s “Celebrity Jeopardy!” champion.

Representatives for Barinholtz did not immediately respond Tuesday to The Times’ request for comment.

“Jeopardy! has a long history with and tremendous respect for the WGA and our writers,” a spokesperson for “Jeopardy!” said in a statement provided to The Times.

“We have always been careful to honor our WGA agreements and we would never air game material not created by WGA writers. However, just as we did, led by Alex Trebek, during the 2007-2008 strike, we will deliver first-run episodes again this fall to more than 200 affiliate stations nationwide.”

Last year, the Tournament of Champions aired in November — but episodes are often taped well in advance of their air dates. The writers’ strike started in May and has been projected to continue for at least three months.

A spokesperson for “Jeopardy!” told The Times that the show is positioned to “go into a holding pattern of sorts,” delaying postseason events — such as the Tournament of Champions — and prioritizing “original episodes featuring the best of our WGA written material.”

The rep added that “Celebrity Jeopardy!” is scheduled to return to ABC in the fall “with original material written by WGA writers before the strike.”

“Everyone at Jeopardy! hopes that the guilds and the AMPTP can reach a fair resolution quickly,” the spokesperson said.