Ken Jennings Reveals Big Format Change for ‘Jeopardy! Masters’

Jeopardy! producers are using the show’s big primetime spotlight to test out some major changes. When the special Jeopardy! Masters tournament started on May 8, viewers at home were shown where the Daily Doubles are on the big board for the first time. Host Ken Jennings said they hope this will add a little bit more suspense for viewers because they can see just how close contestants are to a chance to increase their winnings.

“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,” Jennings said while promoting the show on Milwaukee’s ABC affiliate WISN, via TV Insider. “Sometimes they veer away at the wrong time. It’s a little bit like a big game of Battleship.” Jennings told viewers they can “avert” their eyes if they want to be as surprised when Daily Doubles pop up as the contestants.

The change is only in effect during the Jeopardy! Masters tournament, which airs at 8 p.m. ET each day this week on ABC. Jennings is not sure if producers plan to try it out on the regular syndicated version. However, it’s an idea Jennings loves.

“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,’” Jennings told WISN. “You can really get a sense of how the match is changing and how the odds are changing in real-time.”

The special Jeopardy! Masters tournament features fan-favorite champions Amy Schneider, Matt Amodio, Mattea Roach, Sam Butterey, Andrew He, and James Holzhauer. The winner will take home $500,000 and the Trebek Trophy, named after Jeopardy!‘s beloved late host Alex Trebek.

“We talked a lot about what the prize should be, if this is a masters tournament, is there a blue jacket like a golf tournament?” Jennings told WABC. “And we finally decided that we couldn’t do better than naming our cup after Alex Trebek. The stage is now named for Alex and it’s like he’s still there when we’re taping.”

If you miss the show on ABC, episodes are streaming on Hulu the next day. The tournament runs through Wednesday, May 24, with two games airing each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday.