It has been a weird start to the 38th season of “Jeopardy!”
Many viewers tuned in this week and were baffled to see Mike Richards hosting the quiz show as dominant champion Matt Amodio continued his amazing win streak.
Um, wasn’t Richards the guy who was ousted from the job in disgrace? What’s he doing here?
He is, indeed, that guy. But Richards did manage to tape a week’s worth of programs (in one day) before he was dumped. And largely because those episodes played into the important Amodio narrative, they weren’t about to be trashed. (The LA Times referred to Richards as a “dead man walking.)
But after Friday’s episode, the brief Richards regime will be over so “Jeopardy!” today announced what the plan will be going forward — and it’s a two-pronged approach.
Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings will host shows airing through the end of the calendar year. Beginning Monday, Sept. 20, Bialik is hosting several weeks of episodes, which will air through Nov. 5.
After that, Bialik and Jennings will split hosting duties as their schedules allow. We assume the show’s producer will eventually get around to picking one permanent replacement for the late Alex Trebek (and do it right this time). But who know when that will be?
With apologies to LeVar Burton devotees, the Bialik-Jennings double team makes a lot of sense. They were fan favorites during the host-rotation rounds, topping most viewer polls. Bialik had already been picked to host primetime “Jeopardy!” specials and spinoffs at the time of Richards’ hiring, and Jennings — the all-time “Jeopardy!” GOAT — is on the game show’s staff as a consultant.
Our guess is that Bialik might have been selected to do the show on a permanent basis — or at least more episodes — if not for her other TV commitment. She is lead actress in the Fox sitcom “Call Me Kat,” which is scheduled to return at midseason.
