Long-running game show Jeopardy! officially has two new permanent hosts in Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the two will stagger their start dates, with Jennings starting in September and Bialik starting in January after she finishes working on the new season of her sitcom Call Me Kat. "We always knew we would need multiple hosts for the franchise," said showrunner/executive producer Michael Davies in a new blog post. "And we are just so grateful that Mayim and Ken stepped in and stepped up to put the show in a position to succeed."
Davies added that Bialik and Jennings are perfect for the job, explaining that since they started hosting, the show's viewership soared to "27M viewers tuning in each week this season." He added, "We're the most-watched entertainment show on all of television. Yes, all of television."
Former The Big Bang Theory star Bialik, who previously hosted primetime specials only, temporarily took over for former host Mike Richards in August 2021. This came shortly after Richards was offered the position but resigned after unsavory comments of his came to light in which he made fun of a woman's appearance and referred to her as a "booth slut."
Richards remained on the show as an executive producer for a while but left that post shortly after, too. Upon his exit, EVP of Business Strategy Suzanne Prete wrote to the cast and crew, "We had hoped that when Mike stepped down from the host position at Jeopardy! it would have minimizes the disruption and internal difficulties we have all experienced these last few weeks. That clearly has not happened."
Jennings is a long-time Jeopardy! favorite. In 2004, he had won a record-breaking 74 games and went on to host the show's first episode after Alex Trebek's death. After Richards' ousting, Jennings was reportedly Sony Pictures Television's top choice to replace him.
For those feeling Trebek's absence on Jeopardy!, Davies assured audiences that they are in good hands, calling Bialik and Jennings "extraordinarily talented and simply lovely humans" who "love and respect this institution of a television program." He ended his statement by sending a special message to the duo, calling them a "joy to work with" and congratulating them on their permanent spots. "They have my commitment, my producer oath, that I will focus on nothing but improving the show around them so they can do their best and approach every day in the studio with excitement and energy."
Source: THR