AMY Schneider responded to fan backlash over her inclusion on Jeopardy! Masters during the special’s premiere on Wednesday.
The 40-time champion was selected as the sixth and final competitor despite losing the recent Invitational and coming in last place last year.
5
5
Season 2 of Jeopardy! Masters begins tonight on ABC at 8pm ET in primetime.
Amy, 44, got candid about being a Master again in her first tournament Q&A with Ken Jennings.
In a clip shared by ABC, Amy hinted that she’s feeling imposter syndrome this time.
She mentioned finishing second to last at Masters 2023 and losing the recent Jeopardy! Invitational tournament for Victoria Groce.
Read more about Jeopardy! Masters
“It’s something more to prove,” she shared somberly.
She added that she “didn’t make it back to the Masters.”
Ken assured that she could be the “Wildcard” player, but noted that she was “one Daily Double” away from defeating Victoria in the JIT.
Ken comforted Amy that she deserved to be on this stage.
“I know you know this,” the host added.
MASTERS LINE 2024
Meanwhile, Jeopardy! Masters is back and fans are excited.
Masters pits the six best-ranked competitors from the last seasons against each other to see who is truly the best.
Each hour-long episode features two games in which contestants compete for the grand prize of $500,000 and the title of Danger! Masters champion.
The first Masters debuted in May 2023 and was won by James Holzhauer.
The contenders for Masters Season 2 are James, last year’s finalists Matt Amodio and Mattea Roach, producer’s choice Amy Schneider and newcomers Yogesh Raut and Victoria.
Victoria, champion for just one day in 2005, secured her place by winning the JIT, which featured legends from past decades. Yogesh qualified by winning the 2024 Tournament of Champions.
Fear not, show traditionalists, as the Masters will not interfere with regular play and both will air on those nights.
MASTERS SEASON 2 SCHEDULE
Here is the ABC primetime Masters Season 2 schedule:
Wednesday, May 1st
8pm-9pm – Danger! Masters: (201) (season premiere)
Monday, May 6th
8pm-9pm – Danger! Masters: (202)
Wednesday, May 8
8pm-9pm – Danger! Masters: (203)
Friday, May 10th
20:00-21:01 – Danger! Masters: (204)
Monday, May 13th
8pm-9pm – Danger! Masters: (205)
Wednesday, May 15
8pm-9pm – Danger! Masters: (206)
Friday, May 17th
20:00-21:01 – Danger! Masters: (207)
Monday, May 20th
8pm-9pm – Danger! Masters: (208)
Wednesday, May 22
8pm-9pm – Danger! Masters: (209) (season finale)
REACTION ABOUT CHOOSING AMY
The lead-up to the Masters wasn’t without drama, as fans were surprised that Amy was put back in as the producer’s choice.
Amy recently and decisively lost Jeopardy! Invitational Tournament for Groce, only for both to advance to the Masters anyway.
This also means that Masters 2024 will only have two debutants (JIT winner Groce and 2024 ToC winner Yogesh) instead of three.
Fans flooded the internet with the announcement, accusing the display of favoritism and wanting new players.
“How do you have a tournament that eliminates people from the masters, but still chooses them…” one fan reacted to the news.
“So what was the point of JIT,” asked another.
‘Ratings’
Executive producer Michael Davies discussed the choice on Inside Jeopardy Live! at Hudson Yards in New York, where he first revealed Amy as the producers’ choice.
“I have to prepare myself for the Redditors,” Davies joked to the live audience, as revealed exclusively by The US Sun. “So, first of all, it’s the producer’s choice, but it’s not just me. It’s all the producers.”
“We have to recognize that there were several worthy people. But one person stood above all others,” she added.
“I have to believe they can get up on that stage at the Masters and beat everyone. Secondly, we are a TV show. We depend on the ratings.”
Davies also said he “loves a redemption story,” pointing to Schneider’s defeat in the first Masters tournament and his second place in the recent Danger! Invitational tournament.
HOW DOES MESTRES WORK?
The Masters will begin with six quarterfinal episodes and 12 matches where no one will be eliminated.
Each game will have the winner with three points, second place with one and third place with zero.
Who advances and who is eliminated depends on who has the most points.
After the elimination of the fifth and sixth placed teams, two semi-final episodes will begin on Friday, May 17th.
After the elimination of the fourth placed team, the final will air on May 22nd.
An episode of two final matches will determine the winner based on the highest combined total.
“So what was the point of JIT,” asked another.
WHO WILL WIN?
James is the one to beat, and everyone is trying to see if he can win back-to-back Masters.
Victora got everyone excited after her big JIT win, and fans think she could even dethrone James.
The clash comes as they are top scorers on ABC’s sister show – one being The Queen and the other The High Roller – a big attraction this year.
Another big attraction is the rivalry between Yogesh and James.
The special’s “villains” grew up in the same area and Yogesh once bragged about being “better” than James at high school trivia.
On a Jeopardy-themed Reddit forum, viewers shared their picks and many chose James to beat the competition. However, newcomer Victoria may give James a run for her money.
“Victoria really impressed me with her buzzer skills when she was on Jeopardy’s Invitational Tournament,” one fan wrote.
“Victoria vs James is going to be epic, two top scorers from The Chase playing against each other!” wrote another.
“I’m predicting James, Victoria and Yogesh to be the final three. James is a slight favourite,” wrote a third.
Danger! airs at 7pm ET, while Masters will air at 8pm ET on ABC.
5
5
5
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
