A Jeopardy spinoff, Pop Culture Jeopardy, is coming to Amazon Prime
Jeopardy is my favorite of all the game shows — it’s just plain smart! But even I have to admit they’ve been fumbling the ball since Alex Trebek’s passing. From the whole “Who will be the next host?” psych-out only to have the executive producer take the job, to his swift downfall, to Ken Jennings and Mayim Bialik splitting hosting duties, to Mayim being let go, possibly as punishment for striking in solidarity with the writers last year. Plus a big snub to LeVar Burton along the way, big no-no! It’s been a lot. The show itself is an excellent program, it’s just its caretakers that have been sullying its good name. And so I wonder what this latest development will do for the Jeopardy brand: a new Amazon Prime spinoff has been announced that will be dedicated entirely to pop culture topics. “What is, how has this never been done before?!”
Quiz-show fans who also happen to know the name of, say, Zendaya’s longtime stylist (Who is, ‘Law Roach’?) are in luck. Jeopardy! Is getting a spinoff called Pop Culture Jeopardy! that promises to combine “the academic rigor of Jeopardy! with the excitement and unpredictability of pop culture.” What’s more, it’ll stream on Prime Video, marking the first time the series is going to air exclusively on a major streaming service.
As with traditional Jeopardy!, the spinoff will follow an “answer-and-question” format. But contestants will play in teams of three and categories will focus on pop-culture-centric topics like alternative rock, The Avengers, Broadway and, yes, Zendaya.
“Pop Culture Jeopardy! is its own cultural moment, marking the first time the iconic franchise will premiere exclusively on a streaming service,” Lauren Anderson, head of AVOD originals unscripted and targeted programming, Amazon MGM Studios, said in a press release. “With a team-based approach and pop-culture focus, our global Prime Video customers will exclusively experience this innovative spin on Jeopardy! while testing their knowledge on topics that both define and transcend generations.”
Not to be too dramatic, but I think this will be an irrevocable blight on the Jeopardy legacy and a besmirchment to all the contestants and champions who have come before and challenged themselves to be prepared for ALL manner of topics. Yes, it’s a gamble for whether you’ll be well-briefed for the categories at play or not. That’s what makes it a game!! Just give us cleverly written answers and questions, for the love of Alex’s mustache! No premiere date or host (that’ll be another fun saga) has been set for this Pop Culture abomination iteration. But I’ll say this to the producers now: don’t you dare think about passing Emily/Emma Stone off to this spinoff.
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