Jeopardy! Post-Alex Discussion Post

[JayC]

Anderson Cooper is a good enough choice, but the others... not so much. Especially Dr. Oz.

[Trevor Tuominen]

I agree with everyone that Dr. Oz is one of, if not the worst, hosting choices they could provide. I hope Mike Richards was extremely reluctant to choose him. Ratings will go down because of him. Especially since they more than likely haven’t even had LeVar Burton on the list yet. A name fans truly want. He’s universally beloved, has class and dignity, which is necessary to stand behind Alex’s old lectern, and (if the producers want) checks a diversity box. Oz has none of them.

[gamesurf]

Guest Host #2 will be none other than Mike Richards himself. Mayim Bialik and 60 Minutes correspondent Bill Whitaker are two other names listed on Jeopardy's website.

Jeopardy!’s Greatest of All Time and consulting producer Ken Jennings is currently acting as host. His run will be followed by Executive Producer Mike Richards stepping behind the podium. Katie Couric, Aaron Rodgers, Bill Whitaker and Mayim Bialik will also serve as guest hosts for charity throughout the season.

Dr. Oz is a bad pick.

But my dream pick is still Mina Kimes.

[therealcu2010]

I hope Mike Richards was extremely reluctant to choose him.

It's entirely possible Mr. Richards had little, if anything, to do with the selection. Hell, I'm curious to know just how much input he actually has in the host search process...

[Trevor Tuominen]

It’s led by Barry Nugent, the former head of talent development at GSN:

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2021-01-06/alex-trebek-jeopardy-host-replacement-ken-jennings-katie-couric?_amp=true

I at least hope Mike was forced to go along with it, because Oz (I don’t think he deserves the “Dr.” title) is a known fraud and a cheat.

[imhomerjay]

There’s no way I believe all of the candidates, this Oz issue aside for a moment, are candidates. Some are just what the title implies, guest hosts. No more, no less. And I get the rock and a hard place bind they’re in. There is no pleasing everyone. But there is displeasing large swaths of the viewership, and that’s where this Oz issue seems to be landing.

I agree with the proposition that someone with a news background could possess the right skill set for Jeopardy (not a commentary on any one individual, but the broad category). Alex’s background before game shows certainly was broad and included some news work. It made him a great fit. Finding exactly that again isn’t going to happen, so the search needs to be realistic for this era. It’s a different overall skill set than they’ll need to replace Sajak. Or that they needed to replace Barker. Or to do revivals.

[SeaBreeze341]

Yeah, I'll pass on Dr. Oz as well.  I wouldn't be doing myself any favors wasting time watching a show with him hosting when there are hundreds (of thousands) of things to do in life during that period.

As mentioned, several of the people hosting are just doing it as guests.  No way several of them are legitimate candidates.  That was one reason why I originally wasn't livid about Dr. Oz.  I guess he's "done well" over the years, but the fact is that no one's forcing me to watch the show when he's on.  Same with everybody else, but definitely Dr. Oz.  It is helpful that they warn us about who's coming up.

I never considered Mike Richards as being the one to make the calls on who would guest host.  I'm willing to bet that he didn't even ask to guest host himself, but he has some experience, and possibly enough.

I agree they're not going to get the "perfect" person for the role.  Ken Jennings would be the "definitive" choice, but not the perfect choice.  I'd love to see LeVar Burton as well, but even he wouldn't be the perfect hire.  I don't know if he passed on the chance, especially if he wasn't looked at as a valuable replacement.

The news background is pretty important.  Especially if you combine that with someone that's been a part of news and entertainment or news and sports.  James Brown would actually be a nice choice.  Wouldn't bet on it, but at the end of the day, there were better options than Dr. Oz regardless of whether Dr. Oz had zero chance at succeeding Alex Trebek

[Ccook]

Ken Jennings' final show will be February 19. Richard's takes over the following Monday.

[rick420buzz]

I'd give Ryan Seacrest a week before giving "Dr." Oz a nanosecond.

[EaglesWings4500]

Ken Jennings' final show will be February 19. Richard's takes over the following Monday.

1) If they ask him to temp host again (Until the find a replacement)  do you think he will?

2) How come he is not hosting more shows? Is it because of his other show the Chase?  Did at one Time Steve Harvey had about three shows he was doing at one time.

3) I know at the end he will say Thank You Alex but I wonder if he will say something that today (Feb 19) is my last day and his feelings  on hosting Jeop

[JayC]

I'm guessing Ken is their choice, it's just like with any other job available they (whether its more the show's producers or Sony calling the shots) are looking at some other options as well rather than just giving it to him.

[jude_este]

An update about a certain tv 'doctor' guest-hosting: In an interview with WCBS-FM, he has revealed he's has taped two weeks of shows that will air in March.
https://www.radio.com/wcbsfm/latest/dr-oz-on-hosting-jeopardy-more-black-doctors-webinar

[PatrickRox80]

They went through with it. I didn't think it was possible for one show to destroy its own legacy so quickly.

[TPIRfan#9821]

Steve Harvey hosting WWTBAM for a week didn't really change anything in the long run. Dr. Oz hosting Jeopardy! for two weeks probably will have the same effect of nothing happening except for decreased viewership for those two weeks.

[therealcu2010]

They went through with it. I didn't think it was possible for one show to destroy its own legacy so quickly.

It's two weeks. It'll probably just wind up being an anomaly that people will eventually forget about.

Let's also not forget that these guest hosts are having donations made to charity by the show... so its entirely possible that most of these are just doing it for charity and have no serious interest in the job. You also need an "awful" candidate who makes the "right" one look that much better!

Price had Jenny McCarthy and her controversial views on the show. It survived. Hell, they survived three years of basically making every attempt to destroy the integrity of the show, and it ended up fine. This will be the same.