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For a TV show that has fans answering the most unexpected questions, Jeopardy! can find itself in some unforeseen situations.

The hit quiz show is kicking off its annual Tournament of Champions event, and ahead of the quarterfinals premiere on February 23, executive producer Michael Davies revealed a surprise emergency that went down on set. On the February 12 episode of the Inside Jeopardy! podcast, he and co-host Sarah Whitcomb Foss opened up about an incident that truly shook up the ToC stage.

Sarah explained that while the producers were in the middle of reviewing audio, their Los Angeles studio experienced an earthquake.

“[We] were in the booth reviewing some audio in a moment in the game, and we came out, and everyone was looking a little stunned,” she shared. “We said, ‘What happened?’ and sure enough, a 4.7 earthquake had just struck.”

Michael added that while he wasn’t anticipating this scenario, once the producers knew what was happening, they were able to handle it.

“I thought it was just because I stepped on the stage too violently that it started shaking,” he recalled. “But I realized it was an earthquake, and we dealt with that.”

Luckily, it seems like the shakeup didn’t affect the filming of Tournament of Champions too much. Michael acknowledged the show was quickly able to get back on track, and viewers are going to be thrilled by what’s to come.

“No spoilers here whatsoever, but you’re gonna want to tune in when it happens,” he said.

As fans know, Jeopardy! announced the 2024 Tournament of Champions months after it was delayed due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Among the 27 who are set to compete, contestants include Chris Pannullo, Hannah Wilson, Ben Chan, 2023 High School Reunion Tournament winner Justin Bolsen and Celebrity Jeopardy! season 1 winner Ike Barinholtz.

Looks like we’re in for quite a ride!

Adrianna Freedman
Editorial Assistant

As the entertainment and news editorial assistant for Good Housekeeping, Adrianna (she/her) writes about everything TV, movies, music and pop culture. She graduated from Yeshiva University with a B.A. in journalism and a minor in business management. She covers shows like The Rookie, 9-1-1 and Grey’s Anatomy, though when she’s not watching the latest show on Netflix, she’s taking martial arts or drinking way too much coffee.