The new host of Jeopardy! … Who is executive producer Mike Richards?
Correct!
However, Richards isn’t the only correct answer and winner on Wednesday. Mayim Bialik, former star of CBS’ The Big Bang Theory, has been tapped to host a series of Jeopardy! primetime specials on ABC and potential spinoff series for Jeopardy!, including the upcoming all-new Jeopardy! National College Championship set to air on ABC next year, as the studio looks to extend the Jeopardy! franchise to new platforms.
“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!,” Sony Pictures’ Global Television Studios and Corporate Development chairman Ravi Ahuja said in a statement. “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.”
While naming an executive producer to be the show’s host might raise some eyebrows, Richards isn’t your typical ep. He’s an experienced host in his own right, having hosted five series including Beauty and the Geek, Game Show Network’s 2016–17 version of Divided and the 2012 revival of The Pyramid.
Variety reported back in August that Richards, who joined the iconic syndicated quiz show in 2020 as executive producer, impressed Sony Pictures Television executives with his command of the fast-paced game and easy on-air manner.
While many praised Richards’ job as guest-host, he has also faced criticism for his involvement in past employment discrimination lawsuits involving women who worked for The Price Is Right during his 11-year tenure as that show’s ep.
Richards and Bialik were chosen over a number of worthy host candidates, including iconic Jeopardy! champion Ken Jennings, and a number of TV newsers including Katie Couric, Anderson Cooper, George Stephanopoulos, Savannah Guthrie, Bill Whitaker, David Faber, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, and Robin Roberts. Other guest hosts included LeVar Burton, Aaron Rodgers, Dr. Mehmet Oz, Joe Buck, and Buzzy Cohen. As part of each host’s appearance, a donation was made to a charity of their choice, with the amount donated equaling the cumulative winnings of the contestants that competed during the weeks they served as guest host. In total, Jeopardy! donated nearly $3 million to various charities this past season.
Richards (and Bialik) replace the late longtime host Alex Trebek, who passed away from pancreatic cancer last November at the age of 80. Trebek was named host of Jeopardy! in 1984, and hosted more than 8,200 episodes of the program over nearly 37 seasons. Trebek set a Guinness World Record for hosting the most episodes of a single game show. He also received 7 Daytime Emmys.
One of the longest-running and highest-rated game shows in syndication, Jeopardy! will begin production on Season 38 in mid-August, with new episodes launching on September 13.