Assessing the strengths of Jeopardy!’s guest hosts.
MIKE RICHARDS AND MAYIM BIALIK ARE NAMED JEOPARDY! HOSTS. BUT EMILY YAHR WONDERS: WHO WAS THE BEST OF THE GUESTS?
After auditioning 16 guest hosts, Jeopardy! has decided on two. Mike Richards, the show’s executive producer, and Mayim Bialik, The Big Bang Theory actress and neuroscientist, will split hosting duties, Sony Pictures Television has announced.
Richards, who joined the show last year after decades of working in game shows as a producer and host, will be the full-time host of the daily syndicated program. Bialik will host Jeopardy! prime-time specials and spinoffs, such as the Jeopardy! National College Championship scheduled to air on ABC in 2022. The studio plans to “extend the Jeopardy! franchise to new platforms.”
Sony stayed the course on Richards despite some blowback last week after Variety reported he was the front-runner. Many fans voiced displeasure and circulated articles about models naming him in two lawsuits when he was an executive producer on The Price Is Right. Richards said the characterization of the complaints against him “does not reflect the reality of who I am.”
But the decision comes after seven months of actors, TV personalities, broadcast journalists and one proudly nerdy NFL quarterback taking the stage as guest hosts in the search to replace the legendary Sudbury, Ont.born Alex Trebek, who died in November at age 80. We felt it important to assess them all — organized by category, of course. Before you get too enraged, do remember this is highly subjective:
CHAMPIONS
❚ Ken Jennings: For years, if anyone asked who would replace Trebek, the most common answer was (who else?) Jennings. The former Jeopardy! powerhouse (who shattered records with a 74day winning streak in 2004 and now serves as a consulting producer) was a natural choice as the debut guest host in January. At first, the reception was lukewarm. Adjusting to anyone besides Trebek was tough. But it was hard not to admire Jennings’s command of the game — and his ability to relate to the stress of playing.
❚ Buzzy Cohen: Speaking of command of the game, Cohen — who won six figures during a nine-game run in 2016 and emerged victorious in the 2017 Tournament of Champions — appeared quite comfortable as he breezed through the 2021 Tournament of Champions in May. Maybe Jeopardy! producers would have kept him going during regular season games if they realized the enormously positive reception he would receive: Viewers immediately warmed to his sunny confidence and cheerful personality.
❚ Levar Burton: “Make Levar Burton the next host of Jeopardy!,” a Change.org petition demanded earlier this year — and it worked. Weeks after Burton’s hosting stint, signatures are still streaming in. The actor, who first tweeted his desire to host the show back in 2013, had sky-high expectations set upon him — and he met them. Bursting with charisma and a voice that has soothed children and adults alike over the years on Reading Rainbow, Burton charmed the masses, even with a couple of stumbles early in the week.
❚ Katie Couric: The former CBS Evening News and Today show anchor was the first person outside of the Jeopardy! family to host, and served as proof that for those who had never stepped on the stage before, it would take a few episodes to get the rhythm. But Couric, the first woman to host the show, had an upbeat and steady demeanour that was an match for the game’s pacing.
SUITABLY SUITABLE
❚ Mike Richards: “Who?” asked most viewers. Richards initially seemed like an unexpected breakout hit — an executive producer with a knack for being in front of the camera. Sony might have been taken aback by the negative reaction when his name emerged to top the list. Though really, who wants to see the executive producer when there are so many other fun options?
❚ Mayim Bialik: The star of a CBS sitcom and a neuroscientist — how often does that happen? Bialik was an inspired choice and lots of viewers loved her, despite the social media complaints about her laughing too much between clues. Sony reportedly considered her as one of the top candidates, as she fit perfectly in the Jeopardy! world and expertly chatted with the contestants.
❚ Robin Roberts: Did any host have as much fun as the Good Morning America anchor? She fondly reminisced about how when she was at Sportscenter, they would time commercial breaks so they could watch Jeopardy! between filming. Roberts immediately launched into the Jeopardy! cadence as if she had been hosting for years.
❚ Anderson Cooper: The CNN anchor can host anything, so obviously, he was a natural. Almost too natural. As in, it was almost bland, because he’s that good at television. So he sort of cancels himself out.
❚ Bill Whitaker: Despite the longtime broadcast journalist and 60 Minutes correspondent’s apprehension about the fast pace of the game, he caught on immediately, and was one of the few hosts who didn’t try to inject too much of his personality. He handled everything so smoothly that his run also blended into the background.
FINE BUT FORGETTABLE
❚ Aaron Rodgers: Being one of the greatest NFL players of all time means you’re automatically graded on a curve. After an awkward start, the Green Bay Packers quarterback was a lot funnier and more charming than he had any right to be — including a genuinely hilarious moment when a contestant used Final Jeopardy! to troll Rodgers about the Packers’ recent playoff loss. But the gimmick would grow old if we had to watch it much longer.
❚ Savannah Guthrie: The Today anchor instantly settled into the role and was delightful onscreen, and quickly made the contestants feel comfortable. But she brought 7:30 a.m. energy to a 7:30 p.m. job.
❚ Sanjay Gupta: CNN’S chief medical correspondent appeared nervous in his early episodes, though he became visibly more comfortable as the game went on. So many of these TV people should probably stick to their regular jobs.
❚ David Faber: The CNBC Squawk on the Street cohost was also quite chatty with contestants, which served him well when Yale University PHD student Matt Amodio started an epic winning streak last month, breaking into the Top 5 alltime earners in his 13th game. Faber didn’t just stick to the script, wondering aloud if Amodio’s parents were getting tired of watching him.
THANKS FOR PLAYING
❚ Dr. Oz: Yeah — there’s no way. Not only is it confusing for the host of a fact-based quiz show to be associated with questionable medical advice, but the controversial talk-show host (whose program just happens to share a parent company with Jeopardy!) was a grating, overconfident presence.
❚ Joe Buck: Sports fans run hot or cold on Buck, whose persona hardly fits into Jeopardy!’s medium-warm vibe. Viewers can accept sports as a categorical font of clues, but the show must maintain its rep as a safe space for nerds. Buck doesn’t bring that.
❚ George Stephanopoulos: Wait, did the Good Morning America anchor actually host? He did! For one week. We forgot. He did a passable job, but you can’t be forgettable and expect to rank higher on the list.