‘Jeopardy!’ producer Mike Richards named host, Mayim Bialik given spinoff series

Nine months after the death of beloved Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek, the quiz show has named executive producer Mike Richards the new official host.

Richards will serve as the full-time host of Jeopardy!’s daily syndicated program, as it enters Season 38.

Mayim Bialik will host Jeopardy!’s primetime and spinoff series, which includes a “National College Championship,” set to air next year.

Many people took to social media to share their disappointment that the show would choose its own executive producer to be the new host, following a lengthy period of celebrity hosts.

after all that….. the jeopardy exec producer just chose…….. himself lmaoooo

— Astead (@AsteadWH) August 11, 2021

Wow, that’s TERRIBLE. Mayim was literally one of the worst @Jeopardy guest hosts. Her head movements were very distracting. She may be smart, but she’s a terrible host. Lavar Burton and Robin Roberts were the best. RR was a surprise because I thought I’d hate her as host.

— Techno Gaijin (@technogaijin) August 11, 2021

Wait what? Spinoff series?
No.#MayimBialik#Jeopardy https://t.co/gdP5QYvE4q

— pamela ???? ???? ???? (@floralgarden) August 11, 2021

With all the people they could pick, this is what they ended up with. No longer watching Jeopardy! Other game shows had to replace hosts, they managed to find great ones. Let’s Make a deal, The Price is Right, family feud etc. What’s up with Jeopardy?

— Windyrising (@windyrising) August 11, 2021

https://twitter.com/rodharper/status/1425510325370171407

 

Ken Jennings, who is the highest-winning game show contestant of all time, including netting $4.5 million during his time on Jeopardy!, will be a consulting producer for the show.

The announcement of the new permanent hosts came after months of guest hosts, following the death of Canadian Alex Trebek, who hosted the show for 37 seasons. In March 2019, Trebek announced he had been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. He died at his home in Los Angeles in November, 2020.

Jeopardy! featured more than a dozen guest hosts, including Richards, Bialik, and Jennings. Katie Couric, Anderson Cooper, Aaron Rodgers, and LeVar Burton also hosted the show over the past months.

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“We are thrilled to begin the next chapter of America’s Favorite Quiz Show with Mike hosting our daily show and Mayim hosting new versions of Jeopardy!,” said Ravi Ahuja, chair of Global Television Studio and Corporate Development for Sony Pictures.

“We took this decision incredibly seriously. A tremendous amount of work and deliberation has gone into it, perhaps more than has ever gone into the selection of hosts for a show — deservedly so because it’s Jeopardy! and we are following the incomparable Alex Trebek. A senior group of Sony Pictures Television executives pored over footage from every episode, reviewed research from multiple panels and focus groups, and got valuable input from our key partners and Jeopardy! viewers.”