JEOPARDY! fans were stunned after host Mayim Bialik & the show SNUBBED its resident living legend.
Thursday's game had a wildly satisfying final round, though many were left furious over the forgotten milestone.
Tonight’s installment of Jeopardy! saw returning champ Emily Fiasco, a middle school band director from St. Louis, Missouri, face off against Anjali Bhat and Mark Primiano.
But before gameplay had even started, a problem emerged on the board.
Mayim, 46, who shares hosting duties with former champion Ken Jennings, 48 – along with the show itself sadly forgot a birthday.
Johnny Gilbert, announcer going strong since 1984 alongside the late Alex Trebek – turned 94 on July 13th.
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ICON SNUBBED
The iconic voice behind the "This is Jeopardy!" intro for decades did not get a tribute.
Albeit the show was pre-taped months in advance, Jeopardy! hasn't posted online about the special event either.
One Facebook user voiced their disapointemnt, "I was a little surprised there was not a Happy Birthday shoutout to Johnny Gilbert.
"He has such a strong voice, especially for being 94 years young. I believe he has been with Jeopardy 38 years."
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"Happy Birthday, Johnny, and thanks for all the memories."
Another user replied, "Shame on them for not wishing him a happy birthday. Happy birthday sir."
A third wrote, "There should have been a mention of Johnny."
Johnny earned a Guinness World Records title in 2017 for the longest career as a game show announcer for the same show.
He joined the lineup when Alex did in 1984 and together comprised what many consider its modern iteration.
TENSE GAME
Champ Emily (whose one-day total was $28,000) scored quite the impressive move tonight, all said.
Emily led at $14,000 to Anjali’s $12,600 and Mark’s $8,000 going into Final Jeopardy.
It read: "Maybe surprisingly, in 1918 this new leader was the first to recognize the independence of Finland."
Things got tense for the sweet-seeming returning champ, who shared her husband set her up with a pseudo-Jeopardy! practice board at home.
Mark revealed first that he got the clue correct with “Who is Lenin?”
Wagering $7500 he then had $15,500, and was in the lead – but it was time for Emily to reveal her response and wager.
She wagered a massive $11,201 and had the correct response as well, with 25,201 and a 2-day total of an impressive $53,201.
After Tuesday’s game which many fans called “stupid” given a player's Final Jeopardy wager, her strong move (had she under-wagered she could have lost) was a satisfying sight.
On Tuesday, the player in second place got FJ correct while the then-champ didn’t – but the runner-up wagered so low he still lost.
It was indeed refreshing to see Emily defend her title with a solid wager and she'll go for win three tomorrow night.
TRE-BACK IN ACTION
Legacies are important to Jeopardy!, however – after Alex Trebek's tragic 2020 death, its creators have found a way to honor his memory.
In a new video clip shared on Twitter, the show has officially announced its return to a live studio audience.
The promo included footage of the brand new stage named after the late host, with the room filled with chairs for fan attendance.
Words then appeared on the screen, reading: "It's not the same without you.
"Welcome back. Season 39 tickets now available at Jeopardy.com."
The game show captioned their post: "Welcome back to the Alex Trebek Stage! For the first time in two years, tickets for our studio audience are now available!"
HOST LIKELY?
After Alex's tragic passing, interim hosts Ken and Mayim have battled over the permanent role as show host, as feverish fans are well-aware.
From telltale ratings to "cryptic hints," fans have collected clues that the former champion will be chosen over the actress.
Ken shocked his supporters when he announced in May that he'd be out for "months."
However, he is seemingly returning on Monday per TV listings to close out the season.
Though his hiatus shocked Ken supporters, the permanent hosting slot is undecided with Season 38 ending on July 31st, 2022.
Internet sleuths have indeed spotted many clues that Ken is preparing to film all of Season 39 solo and be passed the treasured Trebek torch.
For one, the former contestant sent his fans into meltdown when he bowed out of the new season of The Chase.
Another was that Ken accepted a 2022 Daytime Emmy award in June alone without Mayim, who also wasn't in its montage – and she has had her Fox sitcom renewed rendering her busier than him.
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“Please tell me this is because you are taking the full-time Jeopardy hosting job,” one fan tweeted, as hundreds of others thought he was freeing up his schedule after he left The Chase.
Fans have not been pleased with Mayim's stage presence, slamming her for errors and mishaps quite regularly.
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