Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! will resume filming for new seasons with redesigned wheel and podium

The gameshows Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune previously removed their studio audiences as a precautionary measure to the coronavirus prevention in March.

Nearly five months later, the stalwart television shows, which both suspended production out of concern for the ‘well-being’ of staff, contestants and crew, will reportedly resume filming next week, according to Deadline. 

‘The productions have protocols in place in accordance with current government guidelines to protect contestants, staff, crew and talent from the spread of COVID-19,’ a studio spokeswoman told the outlet.   

She added: ‘While some things may have changed behind-the-scenes and on the set to keep everyone safe, fans can expect to see the same Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! they have come to love when the season starts.’  

The adjustments to the longest-running game shows’ set will provide proper social distancing between contestants. 

For Wheel of Fortune, this meant resigning its signature wheel, while Jeopardy! fans can expect the contestants’ podiums to be further apart from each other and beloved host, Alex Trebek. 

As they return to production in Culver City, California, other health and safety precautions, such as wearing personal protective equipment, testing contestants for coronavirus and limiting staff, will be enforced.  

Earlier this month, Trebek spoke more of the logistics on how filming was going to happen on the show. 

‘We’ve redesigned our set to separate the contestants and myself a little bit more from them,’ he explained to Good Morning America. ‘So we are taking all kinds of precautions. Our testing procedure now is done online.’ 

He continued: ‘We’ll do three and take a short break, and then do the last two. And we’ll see how that goes, and if it’s too much for me, we can always cut back a little bit, maybe do four a day.’ 

The TV vet also expressed, like the fans, he was missing the show and looking forward to returning to work. 

‘It’s the best kind of reality television I feel. And people watch it, and if they come up with one or two correct responses in that half hour, they feel pretty good about themselves,’ he said. ‘And that’s great.’