After a lineup of 16 “Jeopardy!” guest hosts, there’s less than a minute left for season 37, and it’s time for the “Final Jeopardy!” round.
You’re dealing with “Permanent Hosts” as the category. Take note of the plural noun there, and make your wagers.
Here’s the clue:
And the seat at the lectern goes to not one but two — an inside man and an actress who starred on a sitcom with an out-of-this-world name.
Wrap up writing those responses, the “Jeopardy!” theme song is coming to an end.
If you wrote down, “Who are Mike Richards and Mayim Bialik?” total up your winnings.
That’s right. The gameshow decided to make it a true daily double, choosing two hosts for its seasons moving forward.
“Jeopardy!’s” own executive producer Mike Richards will step out from behind the scenes to the podium permanently this time.
Richards served as the second “Jeopardy!” guest host, with episodes running from Feb. 22-March 5. He was relatively well-received by audiences.
His previous hosting experiences on reality T.V. and game shows, like “The Pyramid”, and his front-seat vantage point to “Jeopardy!,” contributed to an at ease presence on screen.
Several publications had been circulating rumors that Richards would be chosen. Sony Pictures Television made the official announcement Wednesday.
Richards will be the new syndicated host of “Jeopardy!” He will serve as the everyday face, hosting the daily trivia program that fans know and love.
Actress and neuroscientist Mayim Bialik will host the “Jeopardy!” primetime and spin-off series, including the new tournament “Jeopardy! National College Championship.”
Bialik was another fan-favorite guest host. Her first stint at the lectern ran from May 31-June 11.
But her “Jeopardy!” journey began when her 15-year-old son saw some posts online that said something along the lines of “Mayim Bialik should be the host of ‘Jeopardy!’” He agreed and Bialik took his advice, calling her agent to talk about making it a reality.
Bialik said she was thrilled to join the “Jeopardy!” family, taking to all of her social media accounts to express her excitement.
“It’s true!” she tweeted and quickly rose to No. 1 trending on Twitter.
Bialik went live on her Instagram shortly after, commenting more on her “Jeopardy!” journey and what the opportunity means to her as a second-generation American woman.
The decision to divide the hosting position was made early on, according to Ravi Ahuja, chairman of Global Television Studios and corporate development for Sony Pictures.
An article on the Latest J!Buzz reported that a group of Sony senior executives made the final decision after reviewing guest host episode footage and conducting research from panels and focus groups.
The game show has been searching for a new host since long-time host Alex Trebek passed away at the age of 80 on Nov. 8, 2020, following a battle with pancreatic cancer.
Trebek’s last episode aired two months later on Jan. 8.
Many individuals took their turn as guest hosts, starting with Ken Jennings, progressing through Aaron Rodgers, Buzzy Cohen and LeVar Burton, among others, and closing with Joe Buck.
“Jeopardy!” donated close to $3 million between all the guest hosts’ chosen charities this past season.
Richards will continue serving as executive producer of “Jeopardy!” as he undertakes full-time hosting, and Bialik will continue starring in and producing her Fox series “Call Me Kat” between her “Jeopardy!” hosting gigs.
Season 38 of “Jeopardy!” will kick off on Sept. 13.
