“Jeopardy!”producer Mike Richards named host; role for Mayim Bialik

LOS ANGELES — After weeks of impermanent hosts connected “Jeopardy!” that included celebrities from TV, sports and journalism, the regular syndicated quiz amusement chose its enforcement producer, Mike Richards, arsenic the successor to beloved big Alex Trebek.

But aft instrumentality backlash to a enactment process that precocious turned messy, shaper Sony divided the pastry by naming different impermanent host, histrion Mayim Bialik, arsenic emcee for “Jeopardy!” prime-time and spinoff series, including a caller assemblage championship.

In a motion to “Jeopardy!” devotees, longest winning-streak champion Ken Jennings volition instrumentality arsenic a consulting producer.

Richards volition clasp enforcement producing duties for “Jeopardy!” and “Wheel of Fortune,” Sony Pictures Television said successful a connection Wednesday. The workplace besides appeared to deflect the thought that it was bowing to the dismay that immoderate fans expressed erstwhile connection leaked past week that Richards would beryllium the pick.

“We knew aboriginal connected that we wanted to disagreement the hosting responsibilities and it became precise wide that Mike and Mayim were the undeniable choices. They were some astatine the apical of our probe and analysis,” said Ravi Ahuja, Chairman of Global Television Studios for Sony Pictures. “We took this determination incredibly seriously.”

As a impermanent host, Ahuja said Richards was “at easiness down the podium and a treble menace arsenic shaper and host. Mayim has a fantastic energy, an innate consciousness of the game, and an authentic curiosity that people represents the ‘Jeopardy!’ brand.”

Richards was the 2nd of the temp hosts who filled the void near by Trebek’s death, with “Jeopardy!” champs Jennings and Buzzy Cohen, actors Bialik and LeVar Burton, NFL subordinate Aaron Rodgers and TV journalists among the others.

The workplace didn’t interruption the game-show mold by choosing Richards. White antheral hosts person agelong been the convention, with a fewer women (among them Meredith Vieira, Jane Lynch, Leslie Jones) and a larger contingent of Black men (Wayne Brady, Steve Harvey, Anthony Anderson) making inroads successful caller years.

While Richards proved an fantabulous host, a “fantastic accidental for extremist alteration has been lost,” said Deepak Sarma, a Case Western Reserve University prof and Netflix taste consultant. For the marginalized, Sony’s determination confirms suspicions that “penetrating immoderate privileged worlds is impossible,” Sarma said.

Richards has an extensive, Emmy Award-winning crippled amusement resume. He was the enforcement shaper of “The Price is Right” and “Let’s Make a Deal” for much than a decennary and produced the 2020 revival of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.” His on-camera acquisition includes hosting “The Pyramid” and “Beauty and the Geek,” a world show.

He joined “Jeopardy!” arsenic the replacement for retiring enforcement shaper Harry Friedman starting with the 2020-21 season, and was successful the occupation for lone a fewer months erstwhile Trebek, 80, died past November of pancreatic cancer. Trebek was big for 37 seasons.

“No substance who they picked immoderate of the viewers were going to beryllium unhappy, due to the fact that it wasn’t Alex Trebek,” said media advisor Bill Carroll.

Jennings, who holds the grounds for astir regular-game winnings with $2.52 cardinal and the longest winning-streak, 74 games, had been considered a frontrunner, on with Cohen and Bialik (“The Big Bang Theory”). Burton had his ain chorus of supporters, including the petitioners whom helium credits with getting him connected the amusement past month.

Sony had been handling the modulation gracefully: The amusement regularly saluted Trebek’s legacy, made charitable donations successful his representation and framed the succession of impermanent hosts arsenic a accidental for viewers to accommodate to alteration and, conscionable maybe, person a manus successful the choice.

In interviews, Richards portrayed himself arsenic a comparative bystander successful the process, 1 who had stepped successful arsenic impermanent big lone erstwhile needed.

When Variety reported past week that helium was adjacent to signing a deal, fans and observers questioned whether the expected audition and enactment process was a stunt, with the decision foregone. They besides expressed uncertainty that Richards was close for the job.

There were different candidates with the gravitas and resume that “Jeopardy!” and its viewers deserve, said Andy Saunders, a longtime spectator and head for The Jeopardy! Fan website.

Richards volition person to gain the respect already accorded to others who tried out, Saunders said. He’ll inactive ticker the amusement arsenic the site’s operator, but said, “I would surely not begrudge immoderate different spectator who would take to tune out.”

Filling the host’s occupation was ne'er easy. Affection for the Canadian-born Trebek made uncovering a replacement some a motion of respect for him arsenic good arsenic a concern decision. Viewership shifted nether the impermanent hosts, but “Jeopardy!” remains among the top-ranked syndicated programs.

When Richards spoke to The Associated Press successful May, helium asked that viewers springiness the caller big a just shot.

“My anticipation is that whoever is chosen volition beryllium fixed a accidental to beryllium wherefore they were chosen, without excessively overmuch static,” helium said. “Ultimately, we are trying to enactment retired the champion merchandise for our fans.”

“Jeopardy!” returns for its 38th play connected Sept. 13, with taping acceptable to statesman this month.

In a connection Wednesday, Richards said helium was honored to beryllium chosen for the occupation and promised to adhere to Trebek’s content that “the crippled itself and the contestants are the astir important aspects of the show.”

If Richards holds to that attack and “doesn’t get successful the mode of the absorption of the show,” advisor Carroll said, viewership is apt to stay strong.

Bialik, who played a idiosyncratic connected “The Big Bang Theory” sitcom and is 1 successful existent life, was among the instrumentality favorites to win Trebek.

“What started retired with my 15-year-old repeating a rumor from Instagram that I should impermanent big the amusement has turned into 1 of the astir breathtaking and surreal opportunities of my life!” she said successful a statement.

She’ll beryllium big of “Jeopardy! National College Championship,” which Sony announced Wednesday. The prime-time ABC amusement volition diagnostic 15 colleges from crossed the state competing implicit 2 weeks.