‘Jeopardy!’ officially disbands the ‘Clue Crew’

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Jeopardy!” has officially announced the end of its “Clue Crew” after 21 seasons.

First introduced in 2001, the Clue Crew featured five people — Cheryl Farrell, Jimmy McGuire, Jon Cannon, Sofia Lidskog and Sarah Whitcomb Foss.

Farrell, Lidskog and Cannon left the team over the years, leaving only McGuire and Foss.

The Clue Crew served several purposes — the most prominent one being to travel around the globe to deliver on-camera videotaped clues from famous landmarks, museums and other locales.

They also helped out with show publicity and in-person events.

Combined, the Clue Crew has traveled to dozens of countries and every continent on Earth. When Alex Trebek was still alive, he would also sometimes travel with the crew or to other locales to appear on-camera reading clues as well.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, the show appeared to slowly reduced its use of Clue Crew clues, and at least some of the ones that aired throughout the pandemic were likely taped before travel became more complex and risky. Clue Crew clues did return briefly in 2022.

During Season 38, which was in the middle of the pandemic, Foss transitioned to being a producer on the show and will also become co-host of a new podcast with executive producer Michael Davies starting in the fall of 2022.

McGuire became the show’s stage manager.

Most of the Clue Crew clues were taped in either unique outdoor settings, museums or other landmarks and would often include the talent holding an artifact or item related to the clue or, at times, even dressing up in costumes or other related attire.

When the concept was launched, some viewers lamented that it took away time from the Trebek’s reading of the clues, though the on-location shots eventually become a key part of the show even as team members left.

For a brief time when Trebek was still hosting, former champ and newly-named host Ken Jennings began delivering clues in taped on-camera segments standing in front of a chroma keyed background as opposed to being on location.

That format ended, however, in the months following Trebek’s death.