Thoughts on Jeopardy! Season 37

I think the spinoff will be a different format than the College Championship we've been used to seeing on regular series – 15 undergrad college students competing for $100,000 and the format being the same as the ToC.  The National College Championship will probably be teams competing with one another, more or less like the All-Star games in Season 35.

Besides, I don't think the Teen Tournament or Teachers Tournament will get spun off.

It was a tough season as a loyal fan and I'm sure the same can be said of the show's crew. However, I think Mike did a respectable job of easing the transition. As tiresome as the guest host phase could be at times, it would have been incredibly difficult as a viewer to get accustomed to a new permanent host on the Monday after Alex's final episode. Proceeding in this manner was respectful of his legacy, celebrated him, allowed America due time to grieve, and gave viewers the opportunity to see what a post-Trebek Jeopardy! would look like.

I can't really speak to the process of choosing Alex's replacement for next season as I don't really know the ins-and-outs of what went on in those Sony boardrooms, but I hope Mike settles into the role as best he can as he hosts the daily version. He may not have been a lot of people's first choice, but he is among the last TV personalities who is a bona fide host (as opposed to a comedian-turned-host, actor-turned-host, newscaster-turned-host, etc.). From a television executive perspective, that's a major plus in his column and one that I think has been overlooked through the fog of the viewer reaction this week. I am sure Mayim will similarly ease into the role for the primetime edition(s).

Beyond that, I do wonder what changes the show will make during the transition from a production standpoint, both in front of and behind the camera. At the time Drew became the host of TPIR, that show underwent several drastic cosmetic changes and even refreshed the music. Will Mike take a page from CBS' book and do the same thing? Regardless of such changes being considered overdue in many fans' eyes, I think it could be a very good scheme for the show as it symbolizes the passing of the torch from one era to the next. I am pretty sure that the show ended production for Season 37 back in either April or May, giving the team plenty of time to consider and implement new a brand new set design and/or commission a new music package. Even though the previous set underwent slight changes to account for distancing requirements set in accordance with California law, it would make sense to undertake a complete overhaul at this point rather than down the road as an afterthought. With production set to resume shortly, I am sure that changes that had been considered - if any - have already been implemented.

In the end, the show is not about the host him/herself, but celebrating contestants and knowledge for being the bright spots of our society. I hope that people don't forget that as some mindless platitude, but rather the keystone of the success of this show. The format is too advantageous to tamper with, and that alone will truly allow it to proceed from strength-to-strength.