Friday, September 17, 2021

Like putting a band-aid on a too large wound. Why can't Jeopardy! commit to a full-time MC yet?

 As embattled, outgoing executive producer Mike Richards finishes his tour of duty on Jeopardy! tonight, Sony is still non-committal to a full-time host.


On Monday, Call me Kat star Mayim Bialik returns to begin what had been originally reported as a three week stint as guest host. One of the show's greatest champions, Ken Jennings, currently rotating with fellow eggheads James Holzhauer & Brad Rutter on The Chase, will take over once Bialik's stint is over, and it seems the two will alternate until the end of 2021, depending on Kat's shooting schedule.

But it doesn't solve the continuing problem of finding a full-time host.

Sony, it seems, remains non-committal, largely because they're afraid of picking someone that will offend the fan base, as the sordid details surrounding Richards taught us. LeVar Burton has taken his name out of consideration for a return gig. Somehow, Sony has passed, to this point anyway, Will Ferrell, who has impersonated the late Alex Trebek on Saturday Night Live, and Capital One pitchman Eugene Levy, who was SCTV's go-to game show host (as Alex Trebel) back in the day, the fear being that neither would be taken seriously because of their having done parodies.

Levy, I'd guess, would be more honored than anything to stand in for fellow Canadian Trebek, and, if you've seen him in movies (i.e. "American Pie"), Schitt's Creek, or in that Capital One ad with his daughter, he looks more like the distinguished type these days.

ABC late night host Jimmy Kimmel might need a hall pass from Disney if he were asked, but he cut his teeth on quizzes (Win Ben Stein's Money), and is helming Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, now that Disney put it back on ABC on a seasonal schedule, thinking Kimmel would be the heir to Regis Philbin's throne.

If Sony doesn't make a full commitment, this season might be the last for Jeopardy!, which would mark the 3rd time the series had been cancelled, having been cancelled twice by NBC (1974, 1979) when Art Fleming was the show's original host.

The clock is ticking.

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