July 26 (UPI) — Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions will be delayed amid the ongoing writers strike.
Deadline reported Tuesday that Sony Pictures Television has postponed the tournament due to the Writers Guild of America strike.
Ray Lalonde, Hannah Wilson and other former Jeopardy! winners have pushed back against holding the tournament during the strike.
“I believe that the show’s writers are a vital part of the show and they are justified in taking their job action to secure a fair contract for themselves and their fellow WGA members,” Lalonde wrote on Reddit. “I will not cross a picket line to play in the tournament of champions.”
Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions usually films in late August and September but will be moved until after the strike, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed.
Sony Pictures Television, which produces Jeopardy!, said Tuesday that it “never had any intention of producing a Tournament of Champions for Season 39 until the strike is resolved.”
“Our current plan is to go into a holding pattern of sorts, pushing back the Season 39 postseason to first producing original episodes featuring the best of our WGA written material. Next month, we will share more news about exciting plans and enhancements to the contestant experience for this upcoming season and beyond,” the company added.
Jeopardy! spinoff Celebrity Jeopardy! will return on ABC in the fall with original material created by WGA writers before the strike.
