"Jeopardy!" has several big things on the horizon. This fall will see the return of "Celebrity Jeopardy!" and the greatly anticipated "Tournament of Champions" - featuring mega-champions like Amy Schneider, Matt Amodio and Mattea Roach.
But the show also has a special plan in place for Election Day on Nov. 8 - which happens to fall on the second anniversary of Alex Trebek's death.
"We are planning something really tremendous for Election Day," "Jeopardy!" executive producer Michael Davies revealed in a recent episode of the podcast "Inside Jeopardy!" "I believe it may well break the internet as well. That's all I'm going to say at this point."
"Jeopardy!" producer Sarah Whitcomb Foss noted that the special episode will pay tribute to Trebek, who was the face of the beloved quiz show for 36 years and hosted right up until his death on Nov. 8, 2020.
"Overall we owe him a fantastic episode of 'Jeopardy!' on that day," Davies said.
Popular shows that typically air on Tuesdays sometimes don't air on election night as election coverage dominates the major networks. Two years ago, "Jeopardy!" was preempted in several areas due to the election, the Deseret News reported.
In 2020, the episode on election night featured contestant Devin Rossiter, a longtime "Jeopardy!" fan from Bakersfield, California, who loved the show so much that he used to have his parents pretend to be contestants while he played host, according to The Ringer.
"A lot of people who live locally are asking, 'I know you can't say how you did, but is there a way I can see you on the show?'" Rossiter told The Ringer. "The only thing I've been able to tell people is, well, you can watch on Nov. 4. And if I'm still there, you'll know." (He did in fact win the game on election night, and won the following game as well).
With Davies' recent announcement, it appears there's a chance "Jeopardy!" may break up the regular gameplay to have a special tribute or episode honoring Trebek.
The show previously paid tribute to Trebek about a month after his death, interrupting its regular programming to air two weeks worth of episodes that featured the late host delivering clues from special locations around the world, per the Deseret News. The show then proceeded to air Trebek's final five episodes at the start of 2021.
Jim Gilligan was the final "Jeopardy!" champion under Trebek - and the first returning champion under Ken Jennings, who was the show's first guest host following Trebek's death.
"There's never going to be another Alex Trebek," Gilligan previously told the Deseret News. "To say that he's iconic is kind of an understatement, and I am just incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to appear on the show while he was still hosting. It was the thrill of a lifetime, and It's definitely going to be something that I want mentioned in my obituary."