Sports are canceled, and most TV shows have paused filming, but Jeopardy! continues. The long-running, nightly trivia show tapes episodes roughly three months in advance, and filming was halted in mid-March, so we could keep getting new episodes through mid-June. Most recently, it wrapped up a two-week-long college student tournament, filmed a couple months before the participating students realized they wouldn't be able to return to school. Except for the one contestant from Liberty University. I hope she's OK.
Jeopardy! is especially comforting now because of its familiarity. It's remained mostly unchanged over the years, with the same format, same dated graphics, and same host. Viewers had a renewed fondness for the condescending, stilted, but still loveable Alex Trebek after he revealed last year that he was diagnosed with Stage IV pancreatic cancer. (What is, “Do not leave your house, Alex”?)
Turning on Jeopardy! Every night at 7 p.m. (on NBC) feels like sinking into a well-worn armchair. It has competitive energy if you miss watching sports and brain exercises if you feel your mind turning to sludge.
Eventually, the new episodes will run out, and it's unclear when this or any other show will resume filming, but luckily, reruns are available to stream on Hulu and Netflix
