When November 12th's episode began, Jennings unveiled the first round of categories, including "Rhyme Time". Fans vented their frustration online, with responses ranging from expressing frustration over the category showing up again to the more direct plea to "kill it with fire". The biggest complaint was that "Rhyme Time" can often require precise phrasing for the answer, which led to confusion during the July 1st episode. "Rhyme Time" was one of the categories, and a clue about a "kayak inspection." Contestants Zoe Strassfield, Matt Brooks, and Cat Pisacano were left stumped until Jennings said it was "a canoe review." This once again led fans to decry the "Rhyme Time" category, blaming Jeopardy's fact-checkers for missing the simple fact that kayaks and canoes are two different types of boats.
The 'Rhyme Time' Category Caused an Outpour of Frustration From ‘Jeopardy!’ Fans
It's not the first time that phrasing has left fans perplexed (or angered), but a lot of people feel that "Rhyme Time" has grown exponentially difficult. There's also the fact that the category was constantly recurring last year due to the Writers' Guild of America strike, which led to a repetition of contestants as well. The WGA eventually managed to hammer out a deal, but the combination of repetition & having to have the precise answer might have contributed to fans feeling more than frustrated. But not every fan reacted with volcanic anger to "Rhyme Time" showing up repeatedly. One person offered a change that could actually prove to be beneficial to Jeopardy! in the long run.
One contestant said that "Rhyme Time" should be replaced with the classic "Before and Answer" category, as they felt it would be a better choice. Not only this is a more resonable request than "kill it with fire", but it'll also bring back an element that Jeopardy! has been missing: actually testing its contestants' knowledge. What makes Jeopardy! fun is featuring focus on a wide variety of topics, and future seasons have slowly been narrowing down that pool of knowledge. Bringing back "Before and After" is a way to actually diversify the clues, while also making sure Jeopardy! isn't just a game of "slam the buzzer at the right time".
Fans Feel That ‘Jeopardy!’ Should Bring Back Some Classic Categories
Poetry also seems to not be Jeopardy!'s strong suit. Take the October 28 episode, which had a “Complete The Rhyming Phrase” segment for Final Jeopardy! Contestant Will Wallace guessed that the correct answer to “Men seldom make passes at… was "Girls who wear glasses?" This didn't fly over with fans or contestants: Wallace looked uncomfortable as he said it, since his fellow contestant Heather Ryan was wearing glasses, and Jennings apologized to her, saying that the clue was "a little problematic." That's putting it mildly, especially since Jeopardy! and fellow game show Wheel of Fortune are embroiled in a discrimination lawsuit.
Jeopardy! is actually slated to make some major changes for 2025, with tournaments beginning in January and lasting towards April before resuming normal play. While that's probably a relief, the producers should include bringing back classic clues. It's clear that "Rhyme Time" isn't really clicking with fans, and has introduced an unwanted level of difficulty for contestants whenever it comes up. Plus, bringing back "Before and Answer" or another category like "Potent Potables" could tap into a nostalgia factor, winning back some older viewers - and also tap into the beneficial brain boost that viewers get from answering a question right. Jeopardy! is available to stream in the U.S. on YouTube TV.
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Release Date
September 10, 1984
Cast
Johnny Gilbert
, Alex Trebek
, Ken Jennings
, Mayim Bialik
, Brad Rutter
, Mike Richards
, Mehmet Oz
, Aaron Rodgers
, anderson cooper
, Katie Couric
, Bill Whitaker
, Savannah Guthrie
, Sanjay Gupta
, Buzzy Cohen
, Iain Armitage
Main Genre
Game Show
Creator(s)
Merv Griffin
WATCH ON YOUTUBE TV
Image via ABC/CBS Media Ventures
English (US) ·