The opening sequence is the same as Season 38, but this time with clips from the previous season. On most episodes, the camera pans away from the studio audience to reveal the set, and Johnny introduces the contestants.
This is the first full season to have Russell Norman as the director. Lucinda Owens Margolis was taking over on the director on September 19, 2022 episode.
Michael Davies was still credited as the executive producer.
This is the second and last season where Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings are both co-hosts. Bialik left the show on December 15, 2023, and Ken Jennings became the sole host in Season 40.
On episodes with a full closing credit roll, the split-screen backdrop has changed to a blue sky background, with the Jeopardy! title shows up before Johnny Gilbert announces the people playing for next episode.
Starting this season, Jeopardy! and sister show Wheel of Fortune returns in front of a live studio audience. However, unlike before, the audience seats are darkened.[1]
After a four-year hiatus, the Audio Daily Double returned.
This is the last season where the cash for runners-up was $2,000 for 2nd place and $1,000 for 3rd place.
In the next season, $2,000 was moved from 2nd place to 3rd place with $1,000 retired and $3,000 introduced, resulting in 3rd place doubled and 2nd place increased by the retired amount.
In this season, Jeopardy! did Celebrity Jeopardy! Primetime special on ABC, the High School Reunion Tournament hosted by Mayim Bialik, and the Masters Tournament hosted by Ken Jennings in Primetime.
The Tournament of Champions is reformatted; however, it is currently unknown if this will be the the case for future seasons.
Beginning with the October 31, 2022 episode, CBS Media Ventures has the Paramount Global Company byline, replacing the ViacomCBS byline. This also happens on sister show Wheel of Fortune.
Also, from the November 21, 2022 episode to the end of this season, the Sony Pictures Television Studios has changed to a new transition. This also happens on sister show Wheel of Fortune.
On early episodes of this season, the CBS Media Ventures logo still had the ViacomCBS byline.
On later episodes of this season, the CBS Media Ventures logo has the Paramount Company byline.
Beginning with the May 15, 2023 episode, the light columns on the set were changed.
On May 2, 2023, the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike began. On July 14, 2023, after the production of this season ended, the 2023 Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists strike began. In the next season, the Hollywood double strike ended where the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike ended on September 27, 2023 and the 2023 Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists strike ended on November 9, 2023.
September 2022[]
September 12, 2022: Season 39 begins.
September 12, 2022-February 17, 2023: Ken Jennings hosted and was also referred to as "The host of Jeopardy!" for the first time by Johnny Gilbert.
September 16, 2022: Luigi de Guzman finished with a 5-day total of $140,700.
September 19, 2022: The Audio Daily Double returns after it was dropped at the end of Season 35, however, Lucinda Owens Margolis took over in the credits in the director.
September 25, 2022: Celebrity Jeopardy! Primetime Special premieres hosted by Mayim Bialik.
September 29, 2022: This episode had the least amount wagered in a 3-player Final Jeopardy! in regular play ($2). The previous record was $80, set on December 19, 2007.
September 30, 2022: David Sibley finishes with a 4-day total of $78,098 and Cris Pannullo makes his Jeopardy! debut.
October 2022[]
October 17-28, 2022: The Second Chance Tournament is held, sponsoring by Moderna.[2]Jessica Stephens won the first week, and Rowan Ward won the second week.
October 28, 2022: CBS Media Ventures has the ViacomCBS byline for the last time.
October 31, 2022: CBS Media Ventures has the Paramount Company byline for the first time.
November 2022[]
October 31-November 21, 2022: The Tournament of Champions is held.[3] It now has a different format from past seasons.
There are six quarterfinal matches instead of the usual five, and there are no wild card spots.
Instead of a two-point total affair, the finals is now a best-of-seven match, as was the case with Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time in 2020.
The first to win three matches wins the tournament.
If the two runners-up in the final have the same number of wins, the second place is decided in the order of the most money, and if it is also the same, the ranking is determined by the total score.
November 8, 2022: A warm-up game for the above automatic semi-finalists is played.
A category "REMEMBERING ALEX TREBEK" is played in the Jeopardy! Round to honor the 2-year anniversary of the late host's death.
After the correct response is given to the $400 clue in the category "NUMBER, PLEASE", Ken accidentally spoils the correct response to the $200 clue in the same category. He realizes a few seconds later that the clue had not yet been revealed, then exclaims an obscenity that is "bleeped" for broadcast before everyone laughs.
Amy Schneider, Andrew He, and Sam Buttrey made it to the finals, with Schneider winning the tournament and the $250,000 prize.
November 28, 2022: Lucinda Owens Margolis was taking over in the credits in the director for the second time this season.
December 2022[]
December 6, 2022: Cris Pannullo is defeated by Andy Tirrell, finishing with a 21-day total of $748,286 in cash winnings, plus $1,000 for finishing in third place.
December 15, 2022: Ray Lalonde makes his Jeopardy! debut.
January 2023[]
January 3, 2023: Ray Lalonde finished with 13-day total of $386,400.
January 11, 2023: The long credit roll has returned after a one-year hiatus.
January 12, 2023: For only fourth time, all clues were responded to correctly since the February 25, 1998 episode.
January 27, 2023: Troy Meyer finished with 6-day total of $214,802.
February 2023[]
February 2, 2023: Ike Barinholtz won $1,000,000 grand prize for charity on Celebrity Jeopardy!. Patton Oswalt will received $250,000 for his charity and Wil Wheaton received $100,000 for his charity.
February 8, 2023: Matthew Marcus finished with a 4-day total of $114,200.
February 20-March 9, 2023: The High School Reunion Tournament is held, hosted by Mayim Bialik.[4][5]
The format is nine quarterfinal matches, followed by three semifinals, and a two-day total point affair final.
The winner receives $100,000 and an automatic spot in the Tournament of Champions.
Jackson Jones, Maya Wright and Justin Bolsen made it to the finals, with Bolsen winning the tournament and the $100,000 prize.
February 21, 2023: Marcus Brown was credited as the writer for the first time.
March 2023[]
March 10-April 28, 2023: Ken Jennings resumed hosting.[6]
March 17, 2023: Stephen Webb finished with an 8-day total with $184,881.
April 2023[]
April 12, 2023: Ben Chan makes his first Jeopardy! appearance.
April 17, 2023: There are three new contestants on the Alex Trebek Stage, first time as long as Ken Jennings hosted and since the Season 37 premiere on September 14, 2020. Ben Chan, a philosophy professor from Green Bay, Wisconsin who did not appear due to an illness between tapings, returned as a co-champion as on May 15, 2023.
May 2023[]
May 1-June 30, 2023: Mayim Bialik begins hosting on regular Jeopardy!, and also the last season where Mayim Bialik is hosting on syndicated version where she's no longer hosting on syndicated version as Jeopardy! confirmed on Friday, December 15, 2023.
May 3, 2023: Hannah Wilson makes her Jeopardy! debut.
May 8, 2023: The Jeopardy! Masters Tournament is held in primetime, hosted by Ken Jennings.
Bari Jean Dorman was credited as the producer for the first time during Primetime Jeopardy!
Rocky Schmidt retired as Supervising Producer, and it was also the last time the Jeopardy! Supervising producer was credited.
May 15, 2023: Ben Chan returned as a co-champion as he was unable to play on April 17, 2023. It was the fourth instance to feature returning co-champions as a rare occurrence only applying to champions previously unable to return, and the third time after the co-champion rule was disestablished early in Season 31.
Hannah Wilson finished with an 8-day total of $229,801 plus $2,000 for finishing in second place.
On the same episode, the light columns on the set were changed.
May 22, 2023: Lucinda Owens Margolis was taking over in the credits in the director for the third time this season.
May 23, 2023: Ben Chan finished with a 9-day total with $252,600.
May 24, 2023: James Holzhauer won $500,000 and the title of Jeopardy! Masters Champion.
June 2023[]
June 5, 2023: Lucinda Owens Margolis was taking over in the credits in the director for the fourth time this season.
June 14, 2023: Suresh Krishnan finished with a 6-day total with $96,595.
June 23, 2023: Ben Goldstein finished with a 5-day total with $49,298.
June 30, 2023: Mayim Bialik hosts her last show of syndicated version of Jeopardy!.
July 2023[]
July 3-28, 2023: Due to the 2023 Writers of Guild of America strike, Ken Jennings takes over as host to wrap up the season.
July 3, 2023: Due to the 2023 Writers of Guild of America strike, the writers were removed in the closing credits. Laura Miller was credited as line producer.
July 11, 2023: The Audio Daily Double is used for the second time this season.
