I won’t deny that I feel
that, while the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes are noble battles that need to be
fought, the owners will end up winning anyway because they always do and when
it comes to entertainment, the public’s patience when their pleasures are being
delayed is always minimal. That doesn’t mean that, even when it comes to the
immediate effect on some of my great joys as a TV watcher, I’m still not
completely and fully on the side of the
writers. I make no exception even when it comes to Jeopardy!
When the last writers’
strike took place in 2007-2008 I have no memory if this had any effect on Jeopardy
at the time. There was never a disruption in new episodes and even if the
show was using recycled clues, it never seemed obvious. Such will not be the
case when it comes to Season 40 and it is clear the producers are scrambling.
To be clear, this is
because of a box they choice to put themselves in. They made the decision early
last year to put all of the ‘postseason’ to open Season 40. That included the
Tournament of Champions. They made this bed. They really should have had a
backup plan.
And to be perfectly
clear, I fully support the fact that most of the participants in the next
Tournament have made it well-known that they will not participate until the
strike is resolved. Much of this was made public by Ray Lalonde, who won
thirteen games and just under $400,000 during December of 2022 and the first
days of 2023.
Ray’s job was a factor in
his decision. He is a scenic artist who has worked on many television series
and films. He has decided to support the unions who are vital to his own
livelihood. The stoppage has no doubt hurt his job, so his principled stand
even more meaningful.
At this point, most of
the participants in the upcoming Tournament have agreed with Ray’s stand. This
costs them less than his as most of them don’t work in the entertainment
industry and can wait as long as they want. Still they are standing with the
writers of the show that brought them acclaim, and that has to count for
something with them.
I thought the decision to
have the Tournament at the beginning of the next season was not particular a
wise one and will honestly not be bothered if it postponed. Jeopardy
Tournaments have not had a hard and fast scheduling for the past forty years;
it won’t kill anybody for it to not happen in October and November. And
honestly, I can live in Season 40 itself takes a while to begin. Jeopardy decided
to terminate play in 2020 because of Covid, deal with the passing of Alex
Trebek in November of that year, dealing with the restrictions of travel and
illnesses as a result of lockdowns, survive the passing of Alex Trebek, a
constant stream of guest hosts, everything that happened with Mike Richards and
playing to basically empty studios for two years. It has survived all that. If
it really thinks that the writers of the show didn’t have something to
do with its success and even thriving in the post-Trebek era – well, they are
as thick as the studio heads who think they can make their movies and TV shows
without writers and actors.
On a separate note, Mayim
Bialik’s decision to stop hosting the show in the final month of the season was
the only one she could make. She is, after all, an actress first and a game
show host second. It was the right decision.
Ken Jennings is a more
problematic one. Jennings is not an actor and one doesn’t think that a game
show host is truly a performer. It was probably bad optics for him to cross the
picket line after SAG went on strike, but it is one that is at least
explainable. So Wil Wheaton, you shouldn’t yell at him for that. You can,
however, justifiably berate him for choosing to cross the WGA’s picket
line.
And really Ken this was a
real blunder on your part. I’ve spent a lot of time praising your work over the
last two years, and you have deserved much of it. This decision, however, was really
tone-deaf. How many books have you published since you’re streak on Jeopardy
ended? Do you really think you would have gotten any of them published if
you hadn’t been successful on Jeopardy?
Yes I know, you write
books not screenplays or teleplays. Don’t try to thread that needle with me: a
writer is a writer. Throw in the fact you were briefly writing clues for
Jeopardy before Alex died and you look like the biggest of hypocrites
here. When this is over, you are going to get some ugly looks backstage, and
you will have completely earned them.
As to the decision
of Jeopardy to keep shooting
episodes while the strike was going on, I will let that slide as that
apparently happened during the last strike. But it will be bad optics for the
show if they choose to try and begin Season 40 in whatever form before the
strike is resolved. Considering how much controversy has been surrounding the
show over the last couple of years, this is really something I think they
should stay away from for their own good. (I’d actually argue given the nature
of the last few weeks they should have stayed away altogether, but I’ll save
that for my final thoughts on the season at the end of the week.) This is going
to be a messy situation for everybody; the last thing the show needs is to be
considered as part of the work of scabs.
And on a personal note:
when you do get around to having the Tournament of Champions, maybe have
Bialik do it this time. I’m not entirely sure some of the participants will be
able to keep up the happy face if they have to see Jennings this time. Just a
thought.
Enough unpleasantness.
I’ll do a final season assessment later
this month.
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