Jeopardy! viewers have been sharing mixed feelings about a new change being featured in the new season of the iconic game show.

Since the Season 40 premiere on September 11, the show's cameras have been cutting over to show interactions with the audience during the interview segment.

The inclusion of family members in the audience was previously a rare occurrence and viewers were quick to notice the fact it was happening more often since the show returned this month.

Taking in Twitter, one fan asked: 'Is this the first time #Jeopardy has panned to an audience member?'

Jeopardy! viewers have been sharing mixed feelings about a noticeable change in the new season of the iconic game show; host Ken Jennings pictured

Since the Season 40 premiere on September 11, the show's cameras have been cutting over to show interactions with the audience

'Many audience shots lately #jeopardy,' another noted while one fan simply commented: '@Jeopardy Like the audience shots!'

Soon the topic made its way over to Reddit as one user kicked off a thread by stating: 'Did they used to NOT show audience members? This is the first year I remember seeing it happen. It seems like they do it once every show.'

A fellow fan stated: 'Except for the pan of the audience at the very beginning, traditionally it's been quite rare to show audience members.'

Another added: 'Sometimes a contestant would say so and so came with me and is in the audience but they would never show the person.'

'It’s interesting that they’ve started that this season,' one viewer commented while another mused: 'I think they are excited to show a full audience not wearing masks.' 

Another fan stated: 'It’s been incredibly rare. Maybe once or twice a season at most.'

For some viewers, the involvement of the audience is a welcome change as one wrote: 'I like them showing the family members in the audience when the contestants mention them during the interview segment. 

'Makes that part a little more visually interesting than just the Ken and contestant shots.'

On September 19's episode, winner Pam Sung revealed her parents were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary 

Soon the topic made its way over to Reddit as one user kicked off a thread and viewers shared their feelings about it

However, others aren't quite as taken with the new approach as one viewer stated: 'I was telling my mother yesterday how I hate it! It feels too cutesy!' 

Longtime producer Sarah Whitcomb Foss appeared to hint at some of the reasoning for the change during a recent appearance on the Inside Jeopardy! podcast.

She explained how social distancing measures on place during Covid-19 pandemic meant that the current contestants in the special season hadn't be able to have family attend, or even interact with fellow players in the green room.

Clearly, the show's producer were happy that this was no longer the issue as the former Clue Crew stated: 'These are players, you know, their first time, Jeopardy! was a little different. There was Covid. There were guest hosts, there was no audience.

'Just seeing them come together in the contestant green room together, it's Jeopardy! joy.'

One viewer stated: '[It] makes that part a little more visually interesting than just the Ken and contestant shots'

The current season of the show is different in other ways amid the ongoing SAG-AFTRA AND WGA strike action.

Ken Jennings is currently hosting solo, after co-host and The Big Bang Theory star Mayim Bialik chose to step back in solidarity with striking writers.

Elsewhere, the game show is reusing questions from previous seasons as well as content that had been written pre-strike action.

Bialik is not expected to make a return to her hosting duties on Jeopardy! until at least 2024, while there is still no sign of when the strikes will come to an end.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pa3IpbCmmZmhe6S7ja6iaKymqLWww8GisWiZoqm2pLjEZmhrbWVlgHF9joOcqKiRp7G6ecWapaxlpKS%2Fr3nCoZinn5Viu6bDjKycmqufo3qiwcOinKeblWO1tbnL