‘Jeopardy’ and ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Will Film Without Live Audience
Threats of the coronavirus’ spread in the United States have continued to grow, and every day, more serious precautions are taking place. According to The Hollywood Reporter, both Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune will be recorded in mid-April without a live studio audience to prevent the spread of the virus. The decision was made following concerns for Jeopardy host Alex Trebek, who is currently battling stage 4 pancreatic cancer.
A lot of audience members for these game shows fly in from out of state (tickets are often handed out as giveaway prizes). This could cause an issue, especially if someone is traveling from a place where the virus’ numbers are higher. In addition, the average audience member for Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy is over 60 years of age. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that those in that age demographic are at higher risk of contracting the respiratory illness. Said the CDC: “older adults [and] people who have serious chronic medical conditions … avoid crowds [and] during a COVID-19 outbreak in your community, stay home as much as possible.”
Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune join the growing list of programs and events affected by the coronavirus. The newest James Bond film No Time To Die has delayed its release date to November. Film and music festival SXSW has been officially cancelled, and many speculate that Coachella will be postponed until the fall.
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