Jeopardy! had quite the champion on its hands with Amy Schneider taking her 40th “W” and slipping into the number 2 spots of number of consecutive wins (behind current host Ken Jennings at 74 phenomenal wins)
While a winning streak seems to draw in viewers like flies with honey, some are beginning to wonder if it’s fair on the new competitors coming in.
The five-time champion of the quiz show Tom Nichols has said that it’s not all about a knowledge base once a contestant has been on for multiple shows. In fact, Nichols believes repeat winners can (and do) “slaughter” new players.
Jeopardy! Winning Streaks – Are They Fair To New Players?
“After about two or three wins, I think you’ve got such an advantage,” Nichols explained. “You’ve been using the buzzer — which is much more important than people realize — you’re a lot more comfortable in the studio; you understand the rhythm of the game.”
This has led to several people wondering why ABC doesn’t go back to its old formula of champs being required to “retire” after 5 consecutive wins.
This rule was itself retired in 2003 and since there have been a dozen contestants who have held on to win 10 or more games in a row. Six of those impressive streaks have occurred in the past five years, while three of those six have happened in this season alone!
While there may always be debate as to the fairness of having a contestant like current champ Amy steamroll the competition with her smarts and her comfort with the buzzer, cameras, host, and all the other factors that feel like home for her by now, it’s unlikely the previous 5-day rule will ever be put back in place.
It is during the high-profile streaks that viewership for the long-running game show soars. During Amy’s 40 night run, Jeopardy was seeing an average of around 9.7 million viewers per episode, up to half a million from before Amy took up camp behind the winner’s podium.
Back in 2019, when James Holzhauer clocked his (now fourth-longest of all time) streak, ratings were at a 14-year high. “High Roller” Holzhauer’s final episode saw 14.5 million viewers tune in.
So, is it fair? Maybe not. Does ABC care? Maybe not!
Watch Jeopardy! weeknights on ABC.
For any other soap opera and entertainment news, please visit again Daily Soap Dish. Don’t forget to visit The Go To Family for all of the latest travel news!.
