'Jeopardy!' producer Richards named host; role for Bialik

LOS ANGELES – Eight months aft the decease of beloved “Jeopardy!” big Alex Trebek, the regular syndicated quiz amusement chose its enforcement producer, Mike Richards, arsenic Trebek’s successor implicit a tract of personage candidates.

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

In different motion to “Jeopardy!” devotees, longtime 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.”

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In his guest-host appearances, 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, 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 Andrews) making inroads successful caller years.

Richards has a agelong 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.

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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.

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 handing the modulation gracefully: The amusement respectfully and 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.

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

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

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