Jeopardy! celebrated its 59th anniversary in March, and the fact that very little has changed about the quiz show in nearly six decades speaks to how strong its format is. While there have been some updates — an increase in the dollar amount the clues are worth and doing away with the five-day limit, for example — Jeopardy! remains comfortably predictable. But a recent champion’s admission that she was “thrilled” to lose because she didn’t have to do any more contestant interviews has opened the floor for debate on whether or not that part of the show remains relevant.
Two-day champion Lisa Sriken became an instant fan favorite for her enthusiasm and fun facial expressions, but she took some fans by surprise when she expressed relief that she did not have to return following a loss in her third game on Jeopardy!, calling the anecdotal portion of the program “excruciating.” Longtime producer Sarah Whitcomb Foss and former Jeopardy! champion Buzzy Cohen each shared their views on contestant interviews on the Inside Jeopardy! podcast, with the veteran player saying that also isn’t his favorite part of the show. He continued:
