The Effects Coronavirus Has on 'Wheel of Fortune' and 'Jeopardy!'

Things are changing around the world since the spread of the coronavirus, also known as COVID-19. Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! on ABC are beginning to do away with live audiences as a protective measure against the spread of coronavirus.

Don't think this information is false when you watch the nightly shows and you still see audiences on both shows. That's because the game shows are taped weeks in advance before they are aired. As of Tuesday, March 10, 2020, the shows will begin filming without live audiences. Hopefully, by the time those shows air, the virus will be contained.

Protection for Elderly Hosts and Audiences

There are reasons for the temporary audience ban. One reason is to protect the two elderly hosts of the popular game shows pictured above. Pat Sajak is the 73-year-old host of Wheel of Fortune. He underwent emergency intestinal surgery to remove a blockage on November 8, 2019. He was away from the show for several weeks and returned to work on December 5. The first week, ABC aired a rerun. Co-host Vanna White hosted in his place the other weeks while he recovered.

Alex Trebek is the 79-year-old host of Jeopardy! He announced a year ago on March 6, 2019 that he had been diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer. His age and his existing medical condition put him at a high risk.

Both game shows tend to have audiences of elderly people who travel from out of town to attend the filmings. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a warning that people are at a high risk for the virus if they are over 60 years old and have some existing medical conditions.

Do You Remember?

Do you remember when Richard Dawson hosted Family Feud and he kissed every female contestant and shook hands with every male contestant? He wouldn't be able to do it these days. He hosted the game show from 1976-1985 and from 1994-1995.

Dawson's kissing trademark on Family Feud caused people to nickname him "The Kissing Bandit." Executives insisted that he stop the practice, but he never did. On Dawson's last day of the game show, he explained that he kissed contestants for love and luck.

Coronavirus Is Affecting the Entertainment World

The entertainment industry is being seriously impacted by COVID-19. Hollywood executives are canceling or postponing large public gatherings.

Movies

China and Italy, two countries with the highest numbers of cases, have temporarily closed all movie theaters. Some movie premiere dates in the United States have been postponed until later.

Production

Season 33 of The Amazing Race was stopped by CBS after it was in production for a couple of weeks with three episodes already filmed. Season 32 has been completely filmed without a premiere date.

Paramount Pictures delayed plans for a three-week shoot of Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible 7 in Venice, Italy. ABC's producers of The Bachelorette have canceled the upcoming season’s trip to Italy.

Music Festivals And Concert Tours

Coachella that was set to take place April 10-12 and April 17-19 will not take place. Stagecoach was planned for April 24-26, but it has been canceled.

Miami’s annual Winter Music Conference (WMC) was scheduled for March 16-19. That event is canceled and will not be rescheduled, according to organizers.

Singers and Musicians

Ciara, who is pregnant, is following her doctor's advice and has postponed her March 19 concert in Texas. She was advised to limit her traveling and meeting in large gatherings because of coronavirus.

Mariah Carey rescheduled her March 10 concert in Hawaii because of international travel restrictions. The Honolulu concert is set for November 28.

Industry Events, Markets and Festivals

RuPaul’s 2020 DragCon in Los Angeles has been canceled. DragCon L.A. will return in 2021 and will issue refunds over the next few days.

The American Film Institute has postponed its Life Achievement Award gala set to honor actress Julie Andrews. It was scheduled to take place on April 25 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles but has been rescheduled to take place sometimes in early summer.

The three-day Miami’s Ultra Music Festival that was scheduled for March 20-22 has been canceled. It has never been canceled before in 21 years.

Many other entertainment events have been either canceled or postponed. Make sure you check to find out the status of the events you have planned to attend in the future.