Though I really didn't care for either of these guest hosts, I suspect that either Mayim Bialik or LeVar Burton will be the next permanent host of Jeopardy! One's race or gender should not be a factor, but Sony has long been facing heavy pressure to hire a woman or person of color for this role, pressure of which has only intensified in light of Mike Richards' deplorable comments. (Before I continue, I want to make clear that I abhor white identity politics every much as the politics of the "woke.") It is also possible that Laura Coates, whom Alex Trebek actually mentioned as a preferred potential successor, may be given the hosting job. At the very least, she should have an opportunity to guest host. Another person Alex specifically mentioned--Alex Faust (a white male)--also deserves to serve as guest host.
It's possible that Burton was never truly considered to be one of the small handful of true finalists due to his age. But at 64, he could still host Jeopardy! for 15+ years (given that both Trebek and Bob Barker stopped hosting their game shows in their early-80s). Many people have also mentioned that he was awful as host. To be honest, I didn't see his episodes, though I don't think he is the best fit for the show. But to be fair to Burton, who knows how much Richards was able to edit or otherwise sabotage Burton's episodes to make him look bad. And while Burton's shows performed terribly in the Nielsen ratings, those episodes had the misfortune of airing during the Olympics.
I would love for David Faber to be named permanent host, but him being a white male who lives on the East Coast are all factors going against his selection. I've already elaborated upon my opinion that it is feasible for Jeopardy! to hire someone whose permanent residence is 3,000 miles from Los Angeles. I also think that Faber hosting is feasible from CNBC's point of view as well. (Obviously, there may be something in his contract with CNBC that forbids that, but none of us knows the details of his contract.) Faber would undoubtedly have to be (on average) away from his job as co-host of Squawk on the Street one week each month. But CNBC has a very deep bench of people who could fill that void, and Faber's presence on set isn't as critical for that show as it its for other news programs. In the cases of Savannah Guthrie, Anderson Cooper, George Stephanopoulos, Robin Roberts, Joe Buck, and Aaron Rodgers, their presence is simply too critical for them to be away from their show(s) or otherwise primary employment. The fact that all these people were guest hosts, of course, only strengthens my belief that this process was largely a sham, especially given what we now know about Richards' machinations.
As I've indicated previously, Ken Jennings is a close second in my choice for Jeopardy! host. I do not think he will get it, partly because he is a white male. But I think that Jennings is also hurt by the fact that he is a remnant of the Trebek era. No Sony executive would ever say this publicly, but the company most likely wants to take Jeopardy! in a "new direction" to appeal to a new generation of viewers. (For that matter, Faber also has this strike against him, since his hosting style is so much like that of Trebek.) Now, I personally am strongly opposed to taking "new directions" for television properties that have been successful for decades. But this is exactly what the powers that be did with TPIR after Bob Barker retired. If memory serves me correctly, Roger Dobkowitz thought that Mark Walberg was a perfect replacement for Barker because he had so many of Barker's great qualities. But those in charge saw in Drew Carey a celebrity who could help them take the show in a new direction, so they hired him. I can see a very similar type of thinking going on among Sony executives when it comes to hiring Bialik (and the fact that she's a woman is a bonus), so that's why I suspect she will be named permanent host.
Of course, I don't expect to watch Jeopardy! on a regular basis if Bialik is named host (though I will certainly give her a chance). For that matter, I no longer watch TPIR due to my distaste for Carey's hosting and my loathing for the changes Richards made.
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