“Jeopardy!” has been looking for a permanent host and it appears they have found their master of cermonies.
And the answer is… Ken Jennings and Mayim Bialik.
That’s right. After nearly two years of guest host competitions, resulting in Jennings and Bialik named as temporary co-hosts, the show has decided to stick with the duo going forward, according to Variety and Deadline.
The outlets both reported that the iconic show’s production company, Sony Pictures Entertainment, has entered into long-term deals with Bialik and Jennings to continue to split duties on the popular syndicated game show. Bialik will host the primetime editions of the show as well as the new “Celebrity Jeopardy!” show that is expected to start up at ABC, per Variety.
Since longtime host Alex Trebek passed away in November 2020, excitement was high on what surprise might happen as far as the naming of a permanent host.
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Admittedly, “Jeopardy!” executive producer Michael Davies hinted at the outcome when speaking with Variety earlier this summer: “With all of our plans for ‘Jeopardy!’ — which is more ‘Jeopardy!,’ not less, more versions — we’re going to need multiple hosts to represent the entire audience, to represent the entire country, in order to take this franchise forward.”
In the interim, producers initially relied on a round robin of celebrity guest hosts that ranged from Katie Couric to LeVar Burton before settling on Jennings and Bialik as temporary co-hosts in late 2021.
So those fans thinking maybe the show could get popular guest host Aaron Rodgers to quit the Green Bay Packers shouldn’t be too surprised.
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One particularly interesting reveal is that -- while Bialik describes the studious upbringing that led her to becoming a perfect person to host "Jeopardy!" -- she admits she was not very aware of the legendary game show while growing up.
Meanwhile, Bialik -- who made her name on the early '90s sitcom "Blossom"-- recently had her new FOX sitcom, “Call Me Kat," picked up for a third season. So she will be plenty busy, as she recently discussed in a brand new episode of the podcast, "Life is Short with Justin Long."
LISTEN NOW: Mayim Bialik on 'Life is Short with Justin Long'
“I can’t lie – I was not raised watching ‘Jeopardy!’" she said. "I was raised in a household where we didn’t really watch a lot of television… We didn’t do that as a family. I obviously knew what ‘Jeopardy!’ was. Alex Trebek was actually on an episode of “Blossom” – how do you like that for a crossover?”
“Obviously I know much about ‘Jeopardy!’ as an adult," she confirmed. "I know I was a clue a couple times.”
Bialik drops a lot of surprises in the podcast interview, including the fact that Blossom was originally envisioned as a male character.
Check out the intriguing talk here.
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