Mike Richards Steps Down As ‘Jeopardy!’ Host Amid Scrutiny

Richards said Sony Pictures Television, which produces the show, will now "resume the search for a permanent syndicated host." In the meantime, he said, the show will continue to feature guest hosts. NBC News' Joe Fryer and Vulture's Jen Chaney join by phone with more details.

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Mike Richards Steps Down As 'Jeopardy!' Host Amid Scrutiny

83 comments

    1. @Priest Fulton J Wingba JR Give Mike time he’ll be doing the religious network circuit before you know it.

    2. David Faber is the obvious choice. I love Levar Burton as a person but he lacks the speaking style and stage presence to be the next host.

    3. @Priest Fulton J Wingba JR Can you tell me why there are so many racist white Christians? If they are real Christians, they shouldn’t be racist, right? That’s the way I was raised. Jesus taught us to love ALL of His creations. It’s a sin to hate anyone.

    1. Oba, etc.: It doesn’t have to be the same. It can’t be the same. Drew Carey is not Bob Barker. Tom Kennedy and Bert Convy were not Allen Ludden. And so what? We’ve had six or seven James Bonds. None of them have killed off the James Bond franchise because he isn’t Sean Connery. But if it isn’t the same, then what can it be? It can still be good, just like Christopher Plummer and James Earl Jones can both play King Lear, not be the same, and still be good. After excluding the people who obviously have full-time day jobs that they get paid a lot of money to do and would not be able to juggle to fit around the Jeopardy! taping schedule, there are still a number of choices who would know how to play a role (and this is a role, a logistically difficult one to pull off successfully), and who are not executives associated with the show who really really really wanted to be a game show host somewhere along the line before they retire. Mayim would be fine, and pick someone else to do the specials, or have her do both, or pick one of the other candidates for the daily show and keep her for the specials. As Alex said over and over again, it’s about the game, not about the host, as important as he/she is to be precise and to maintain the right pace to let the contestants shine.

    2. @Gadget Carpenter Trumpers love attention. That’s their “thing”. Being problematic for attention. So, you had the right IDEA, but the wrong population. Don’t believe the right wing propaganda, it’s dividing our great nation. Plus, you don’t want to be a traitor like those on the right, do you?

    1. @Juditube the problem I have with it is that since Levar was the fan favorite before he hosted, he didn’t even need to host before people started championing him as the new host. When he hosted with that pressure, it was nearly impossible to live up to. There’s no doubt in my mind he’s able, like any of the guest hosts, and he’s been VERY vocal about being willing, but frankly it’s gotta be tough for the Jeopardy PRODUCERS, yes they have many, to find someone who is not only able, but will keep the Jeopardy audience while attracting new viewers.

    2. @madduxno331
      I didn’t like Trebek. I don’t really need Jeopardy… I went to college & i read…a lot. I watched every once in a while. I would watch if LeVar was the host bc i grew up with him & like his personality.

    1. Just give it to Levar and Rodgers. If anything you can legit split the two between football season and off-season. Everybody’s happy

    2. I’m not sure what was “wrong” about LeVar Burton. (From the comments here, I’m guessing the negativity is just racism from people who don’t actually watch the show…). Is their demographic white, relatively wealthy, intelligent racists?
      I find two things interesting. He did it to himself. If he had just said “I’m hosting.” no contest, might have had some controversy but manageable.
      But no, had to go for the publicity.
      The second thing? I’d like to know what happened at the meeting(s) where staff, the syndication and network guys were told. I find it hard to believe that somebody, ANYBODY didn’t point out that “This won’t end well…”.

    3. Such a good news story for funny snarky comments. As entertainment news the comments are more entertaining than the story.

    4. @BadPanda15
      Good play on words there, BP…say goodbye in the same clipped manner she did…
      Lol

    1. I’m only watching if it’s Aaron Rodgers. Miss me with these other corny white boy’s yall keep recycling

    2. Side note: Apparently, the easiest test to reliably determine if someone is a narcissist is just to ask them if they’re a narcissist. Apparently, they don’t view it as a flaw and will just cop to it.

    3. @Clarence Hatfield Like Oprah naming a magazine and tv network after herself? Liberals have zero self awareness.

  1. This was a shady move. The idea that you are looking for a host and have all these guest hosts to then turn around and hire yourself? Incredible! Glad it didn’t work out.

    1. Just give it to Levar and Rodgers. If anything you can legit split the two between football season and off-season. Everybody’s happy

    2. The majority of guest hosts they had caused the ratings to drop. Too political and from the wrong side. There were only a handful they had guest host that was worthy and he did a great job hosting.

    3. Looking back I wish Alex would have stepped down as host before he died so he could give his input on who should replace him.

  2. OMG we can’t even honour Alex with a smooth transition and let the People have a moments escape from all the chaos in the friggin world. How hard can it be to find a NON controversial host that is even slightly intelligent!!!!

    1. I agree don’t want Burton, he talked like he deserved the job for some reason!!! I won’t get into that reason!!!!!!

    2. jimlovesgina I really really bigly don’t think the Dems are choosing the new host!!!! We definitely KNOW it’s NOT the retrumplicans, they tooooo stuuupid, still bowing to the orange thing, who we ALL know doesn’t watch jeopardy because he’s tooo dumb and his daddy isn’t around to give him the answers!!!!!!

    3. @Nick Hill Why would we want that bland, no-name white guy, though? That’s been done. Have Levar Burton host and keep Mayim Bialik.

    1. Just give it to Levar and Rodgers. If anything you can legit split the two between football season and off-season. Everybody’s happy plus you get viewership ratings

    2. Never liked him, even as a fill in. Seemed like a glad-handing White guy. So happy he never even started. Alex Trebek is rolling in his grave.

    3. @Ernie Johnson why “give it to lavar” ? Cause he’s black. Give it time, you’ll cancel him too

    4. @Elizabeth Clem that’s you. Cancel queen. And black people don’t want you as a friend, you’re just getting in the way.

    1. So he’s bad news enough to NOT be the host (or co-host) but not so bad news as to be completely jettisoned!?

    2. @o kap mein kap haha. No, I mow suburban white people’s lawns. Lazy Americas pay top dollar for that!

    1. Just give it to Levar and Rodgers. If anything you can legit split the two between football season and off-season. Everybody’s happy plus you get viewership ratings

    2. I like it when they have guest host. They just need to do a BETTER job with their picks. Can you imagine if Larry David was a guest host 🙂

    3. @mark D’Agostino Seriously what does Levar have thats so magical? His hosting was rough and awful, explain it to me??

    4. You mean like getting hired because of your race? Every position awarded to a person of color is now suspect. We will never know when people are chosen simply on merit.

    5. @jimlovesgina
      I never mentioned race nor a specific person I would prefer to see as host. Mike Richards does not live up the Jeopardy! standards set by long time host Alex Trebek. The internet has a long memory!

  3. Early executive meeting, on host for Jeopardy! at SONY: “I’ve got it, let’s have long unending auditions for a new host. The public will fall in line; After it is done we’ll have a champion for years. What can got wrong?”

  4. Why does he get to keep his old job? When you fail a Daily Double, you’re supposed to lose the money you wager.

    1. @Steven : Big oof, bud. let me guess, you’re a Trumper? You people don’t exactly use logic or reason.

  5. Just think, Mike had all of these so called try outs knowing her was gonna take the job. The guess hosts should be furious. I will take Ken Jennings for $ 2000 please

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