Who is...Today’s Guest Host?

[bybrandy]

I am a great big huge no on Dr. Oz and will not watch that week/those weeks.  I love that the internet as a whole was like, "No." About Oz.  I have liked Ken more than I thought I would but I wish the rotating host spot (if they have to go that way) included a few more Jeopardy winners/fan faves.   

But no mater who it includes?   No on Dr.  Oz.  Not for charity.  Not if all the categories somehow involve reading clues about snake oil salesmen.

 

[3 is enough]

I feel for the contestants.  Imagine waiting years to be on Jeopardy!- taking the test every year, having multiple auditions, and finally getting the call only to find out that you will be appearing when Dr. Oz is guest hosting.  

I will watch for their sakes, even though I cannot stand the idea of Dr. Oz reading the clues.

There are 46 weeks in the season.  Alex was still there for 15.  There were 2 weeks of "Classic Trebek". Ken did 6.  Mike Richards did 2.  To date, we know of 8 weeks of guest hosts. That adds up to 33, which means there are 13 more weeks to fill, assuming no more Covid shut downs.

I just hope that they do make a decision about a permanent host before season 38.  I am not a fan of a revolving door of guest hosts because it takes the focus away from the contestants, which is what the show is all about.

 

[SweetSable]

On 1/25/2021 at 5:14 PM, Aunt Catfish said:

Is America really clamoring to see her hosting Jeopardy?  Let Ken Jennings stay or bring in Buzzy!

Oh, fuck no to Buzzy.  That would put me off of the show forever. 

[853fisher]

3 hours ago, 3 is enough said:

There are 46 weeks in the season.  Alex was still there for 15.  There were 2 weeks of "Classic Trebek". Ken did 6.  Mike Richards did 2.  To date, we know of 8 weeks of guest hosts. That adds up to 33, which means there are 13 more weeks to fill, assuming no more Covid shut downs.

Great breakdown.  Thanks.  My realistic(?) preference for how they might handle the remaining 13 weeks is that they will give 2-4 weeks to each of no more than 5 people under serious consideration, so they can have a bit of a chance to get their sea legs, take notes from the producers, etc.  If they must, no more than 3 or 4 more one-week guests would be fine, but I'd like them to think outside the box a little more. It strikes me that perhaps they think "TV news people" give the proceedings some kind of gravitas, but they don't seem to be able to distinguish between a 60 Minutes correspondent, a Today Show anchor, and Dr. Oz, so I'm not sure they really have a clue.

I already suggested Amanda Gorman, who has impressed me very much and has experience doing the media rounds.  How about some columnists or longform writers?  David Brooks strikes me as having charisma and a sense of humor on the PBS NewsHour, although his paper trail to alienate some on the left seems to exceed a few comments by Couric or Jennings to alienate some on the right.  Joel Stein, now a freelancer but previously of the LA Times, and Jia Tolentino, of the New Yorker, have both impressed me as thoughtful people with personality.  How about some creators or performers from the theatre world?  Lin-Manuel Miranda's works seem pretty universally popular, he's very clever, and he has a lot of charisma, although he doesn't have the typical voice any more than Jennings.  I could think of several other categories I would rather they explore than the cast of "Big Bang Theory" or snake oil pitchmen.

Edited February 3, 2021 by 853fisher
th(e)y

[kav]

3 hours ago, 3 is enough said:

 

There are 46 weeks in the season.  Alex was still there for 15.  There were 2 weeks of "Classic Trebek". Ken did 6.  Mike Richards did 2.  To date, we know of 8 weeks of guest hosts. That adds up to 33, which means there are 13 more weeks to fill, assuming no more Covid shut downs.

 

 

We know there is a tournament of Champions this season b/c Ken mentioned the returning winner from last season did not qualify for that one, so that is 2 weeks of shows.

[3 is enough]

4 hours ago, kav said:

We know there is a tournament of Champions this season b/c Ken mentioned the returning winner from last season did not qualify for that one, so that is 2 weeks of shows.

Yes, but who will host that?  It would make more sense to have someone with more experience like Ken or Mike Richards or another ex-champ.  Certainly not a guest host with no experience

Edited February 4, 2021 by 3 is enough

[illdoc]

I would guess Mike Richards since (a) he will be guest-hosting for 2 weeks only (the length of a tournament), (b) it can be filmed independently of the current games (which Ken is hosting) and (c) you won't have an inexperienced (one-week only) guest host for such an important event. If they wait until after Ken is done, that would put the tourney at Feb 22-March 5 (which would be at the tail end of "sweeps"). If they do it earlier, they can put the remaining Ken weeks after it.

[Carey]

In terms of the TOC, I would be stunned with anyone other than Mike Richards or Ken Jennings hosted Jeopardy!  Unless Pat Sajak does it, it would make no sense to have a guest host for that week.

 

Okay. 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.

Mike Richards isn't the one making 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.

Sony is 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.

With a mention of someone with a news background: that 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.

 

Elsewhere someone questioned why Steve Harvey would ever be considered.   You can blame me for that one.  That was a joke.  OTOH it's still a fair enough prospect.  Unlike Jennings, Steve actually has the credentials.  The man won more emmys for his work than all of his predecessors combined (albeit for a more down the line gameshow).  To be fair, and unlike Harvey, Ken has the familiarity.  Ken wouldn't struggle over basic stuff like Steve does.  Struggle might be a bad choice of words, but Steve comes off as a new host on his show more often than not when, after over a decade, he shouldn't need to defer to the producers.  He has experience, but he would never work for Jeopardy!

 

Speaking of which, I brought this up with a friend.  You know Dr. Oz is a very, very, awful choice when it was said that they would take Steve Harvey on his worst day before Dr. Oz 11 times out of 10

[Prevailing Wind]

I've got Al Franken on my wish list.

[bad things are bad]

13 hours ago, Carey said:

You know Dr. Oz is a very, very, awful choice when it was said that they would take Steve Harvey on his worst day before Dr. Oz 11 times out of 10

Ouch, what a horrible choice that would be. I hate both of them

I know there's been a lot said of Oz appealing to conservative viewers, but I think of Jeopardy watchers as people who value facts and truth. Oz alienates us. 

[bankerchick]

7 hours ago, Prevailing Wind said:

I've got Al Franken on my wish list.

Of people who would be the worst options ever mentioned?

I wish I didn't think Ken Jennings was a douche in real life because he is doing a pretty good job and seems to be getting better as time goes on.

[illdoc]

On "thejeopardyfan.com" site: https://thejeopardyfan.com/2021/02/the-opposite-of-alex-trebek-dr-oz-rejected-by-fans-and-contestants-alike.html

[Totale]

I'm for Ben Bailey of "Cash Cab", myself. 

[Kromm]

Dr. Oz?

Yup.  Another "no".

In it's own subtle way Jeopardy is supposed to be about the truth.  Having a known fake/liar/scammer host seems pretty at odds with a show about facts. 

[ProudMary]

Add me to the "not Dr. Oz" chorus. I'll still watch that week because I'm there more for the content and the contestants, but I won't be happy about it.
Something about Savannah Guthrie rubs me the wrong way, so I'm not looking forward to that week either. I'm OK with Anderson Cooper and I like Sanjay Gupta. I'll be glad when we get through all the guest hosts and get into the people who are actually being considered for the permanent hosting job.

I'm content if Ken ends up being the final choice. I think he's doing a good job. But...Just curious: Do we know if Brad Rutter has expressed interest in hosting or if in fact he's turned down the opportunity to audition? I'd be very interested in seeing him try. I like his voice better than Ken's (although Ken's doesn't bug me that much.) I think Brad's a quicker wit than Ken is and he certainly is at a similar comfort level to Ken with the inner workings of Jeopardy.  

[bad things are bad]

We'll survive Oz, grudgingly.

I'll watch because I like the game. Hopefully the overwhelming amount of displeasure being expressed registers on TPTB

[deemac]

I don't watch Jeopardy in real time.  Too many distractions (dogs barking, cats stepping on the remote etc) and I haven't finished with Alex's shows but I will NOT watch Dr Oz.  Since I'm behind I don't come here often but will start if someone lets me know when he's hosting so I can take it off my dvr temporarily.  Best way I know to express my displeasure just in case they keep track of who's dvring it.

[ams1001]

1 hour ago, deemac said:

I don't watch Jeopardy in real time.  Too many distractions (dogs barking, cats stepping on the remote etc) and I haven't finished with Alex's shows but I will NOT watch Dr Oz.  Since I'm behind I don't come here often but will start if someone lets me know when he's hosting so I can take it off my dvr temporarily.  Best way I know to express my displeasure just in case they keep track of who's dvring it.

I was looking for a schedule of who's hosting when but couldn't find anything.

I have mixed feelings about watching; I don't like Oz but I watch mostly for the game and to some extent the players.

[secnarf]

If ever there was a guest host that I would refuse to watch, it would be Dr Oz.

However, I enjoy the game itself too much that I will try to soldier through it.

[Kromm]

4 hours ago, secnarf said:

If ever there was a guest host that I would refuse to watch, it would be Dr Oz.

It occurred to me that another fraud, "Dr." Phil might be just as bad. 

[zoey1996]

On 1/17/2021 at 5:24 PM, drkshades said:

I had a thought as to who might be a good host, Willie Geist. He has the personality and smarts to pull it off!  In the meantime Ken Jennings is doing a great job!

Never heard of Willie Geist.

On 2/2/2021 at 8:33 PM, rubaco said:

I love both Anderson Cooper and Dr. Gupta, so I'll be excited for their stints. I am, however, totally sold on Ken by this point. He seems to have won over a lot of viewers who didn't think they were going to like him.

I too am looking forward to Cooper and Dr. Gupta.

On 2/2/2021 at 9:43 PM, secnarf said:

I'm also not very excited about a number of the guest hosts, but the worst would have to be Dr Oz. I really don't know what they are trying to accomplish with all of these different random hosts.

Yeah, Oz, seriously?  What were they thinking? Though I'll watch for the game and the contestants, grudgingly.

On 2/3/2021 at 6:06 AM, Prevailing Wind said:

Oz is a quack; Gupta is a noted, working neurosurgeon. I don't know Cooper that well and Guthrie strikes me as being a bit vacuous, but with more gravitas than Couric. I will not be watching during Oz's episodes.

I would really love to see Al Franken take a stab at it.  I though it was heinous that he got thrown under the bus for a damn JOKE that the so-called victim was in on.

Al Franken intrigues me.  I agree, don't get me started on that subject.

On 2/4/2021 at 5:01 AM, Prevailing Wind said:

I've got Al Franken on my wish list.

Yep!

[mjc570]

What about Jonathan Corbblah?  

He's one of the Master Minds on the GSN version.  Very pleasant, funny, knowledgeable.  

[Kromm]

Looking at the WHOLE list (my fist time) I have various thoughts: https://www.jeopardy.com/jbuzz/news-events/additional-guest-hosts-join-jeopardy

I already commented on Dr. Mehmet Oz.  Unlike Dr. Phil, he's at least an actual licensed Doctor, but he's a charlatan and a shill. It's shocking to me that New York-Presbyterian Hospital, one of the best hospitals in the world, and Columbia University keep him around, but... they do. 

I don't always agree with Anderson Cooper, but he's certainly a smart enough man to front this show.

Savannah Guthrie is... okay.  I don't consider her very impressive, but I suppose "harmless" is okay for a week or two.  Mind you she's no dummy. She's a lawyer who switched over to journalism, but I've never seen her work as such as more than adequate.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta is the opposite of Dr. Oz.  True, like Oz, he probably doesn't spend much time actually practicing medicine anymore, but he's firmly on the side of facts, science, and the Hippocratic Oath.

Katie Couric is a better alternative than Savannah Guthrie.  She may have fronted the same TV program at a different point, and may not have the law degree, but I think she's shown her mettle in countless good interviews over the decades.

I'm ambivalent about Aaron Rodgers. He'd have to majorly surprise me for me to be more than just bored.

Bill Whitaker? Er.  Okay.

Mayim Bialik though?  See that's genius.  She has the acting background to do good question reading, but her intelligence is no act.  She's quirky and entirely different than Alex Trebek, which is a good thing, not bad, since you can't really replace him (temporarily, but still...)

 

[30 Helens]

I like Ken Jennings generally, but so far I’m not loving him as host. He’s doing fine, I guess, but comes off a little too stiff and formal, like he’s hosting Jeopardy on NPR.

Speaking of which, Peter Sagal! He may not corner the youth market, but he’d be great. Or maybe John Hodgman? Most of all, I’m holding out hope for Brad Rutter. 

Anderson Cooper would actually be a great choice long term, but I’m sure he wouldn’t be interested. Smart, personable, and has a game show background! (The Mole) I like Savannah Guthrie and think she’ll do fine. I find Katie Couric a little fakey, so not looking forward to her week. And like others, I plan to Just Say No to Dr. Oz. 

I assume all the other guest hosts are just there to make it seem like Ken isn’t being forced upon a grieving fan base, and he will return when all is said and done. Which is fine. I’m sure he’ll loosen up over time. But, still, producers: .....Brad?

[3 is enough]

This is Ken’s last week.  According to the Jeopardy! website Mike Richards is up next for 2 weeks and then Katie Couric for 2 weeks.  The other guest hosts are listed but their air dates are TBA.

Edited February 16, 2021 by 3 is enough

[bankerchick]

I wish we knew whether Brad had been offered at least a guest week.  I would much prefer him to Ken Jennings and I won't even weigh in on such luminaries as Dr Oz and Katie Couric.

[Maverick]

 Ken is fine ( nothing more nothing less)..... except for the way he says "no".  It's driving me batty.  It's like noooo with an implied "why would you think that?" attached to it. 

 Dr. Oz can be suffered through for a week.  Dr. Phil?   Not so much so be thankful it's not him  

 Did LeVar Burton turn down a chance to host or was it not offered?  I thought he was interested. 

[Bastet]

1 hour ago, Maverick said:

 Did LeVar Burton turn down a chance to host or was it not offered?  I thought he was interested. 

He may be among those being talked with behind the scenes as a candidate for the permanent job (and I hope so!); other than Ken Jennings, I don't think any of these guest host gigs are on-air auditions for the role, just celebrity appearances for charity (plus the executive producer as a filler between Ken's run and when the celebrity hosts they'd lined up could start) while this massive decision process among professional hosts goes on outside our view as it generally does.

[Egg McMuffin]

Levar Burton, at 64, is too old to get the permanent gig. The producers don’t want to go through this again in another 10-15 years. They’re going to go a bit younger than that.

Ken is doing better than I expected. But I find him difficult to watch. He just doesn’t have that broadcaster’s polish or voice of authority. That said, it’s his gig to lose, I think. Most of the other guest hosts aren’t really contenders for the job. It doesn’t seem like they’re bringing in other people to seriously try out.

[3 is enough]

LeVar Burton is 64?  For some reason he seems a lot younger to me.  When I stop to think about it it makes sense, since Roots came out in 1977.

A lot of the guest hosts are older- Katie Couric is also 64, Bill Whittaker is 69, Dr Oz is 60.  

I really hope they don't let age rule out a really good fit for the new host.

[Kromm]

I'm skeptical they're thinking in terms of someone meant to last decades.  Lightning doesn't really strike twice, and I can't see why they'd think that's likely.

I think they probably know that the show is going to be on a slow decline and hope they'll get as many years as possible before it becomes untenable.  This is as much about the current nature of broadcast TV as it is about the unlikeliness of finding another Alex Trebek.

The sometimes barely remembered anymore outside of a Weird Al video Art Fleming hosted the show for 11 years.  I'm sure they'd be overjoyed to find a way to keep the show around that much longer.  So I don't think they need to plan for decades.

The viewing audience for the show skews older. It was sense to me that they may be favoring older hosts because of that.  Jennings was almost a young whippersnapper to that crowd.  

These days it's become standard to cast comedians as Game Show hosts. I'm actually fascinated that this hasn't really been part of this, at least so far.  I actually thought it might be funny to have the ultimate Meta Guest Host and ask Weird Al Yankovic to Guest Host.  I am amazed this hasn't been done.  He's literally an architect from California Polytechnic, so he's no dummy.

Conan O'Brien is another one. He'd never do it permanently, but as a temp guest?  He's a Harvard Grad too.

Yale graduate John Hodgman was mentioned upthread wasn't he?  Or was I misremembering? Or another comedian Yale grad is Lewis Black.

If there was no Coronavirus and people were flying on the regular, I'd have loved to see Stephen Fry.  An experienced Quiz show host, and Cambridge graduate.  He's another who'd never do it permanently, but the joy of just seeing him do it for a few weeks...

Of all of those people, admittedly Hodgman is probably the only one who'd do it permanently.

 

 

 

[MrAtoz]

On 2/15/2021 at 12:54 PM, bankerchick said:

I wish we knew whether Brad had been offered at least a guest week.  I would much prefer him to Ken Jennings and I won't even weigh in on such luminaries as Dr Oz and Katie Couric.

Sadly enough, I think that Brad is just not well-known enough outside of Jeopardy! fan circles.  I base this on when they did the GOAT Tournament last year.  I had a lot of people saying to me, "I know Ken, and I know James, but who is this Brad Rutter guy?  What's he doing there?"  Part of it is that Brad's particular accomplishment is more diffuse.  He's still the highest-earning Jeopardy champ ever, but almost all of those earnings came from various tournaments over the years.  He didn't have a big, long-lasting, publicity-generating run like Ken and James did.  Even when you explain what he did, it's not as easy to grasp how significant an accomplishment that was.

The other part of it is that his personality isn't as "big," for want of a better word, as some other champs.  He seems like a fairly quiet, mild-mannered guy who doesn't draw a lot of attention to himself.  I think that's another reason that he's not as well-known to the general public as "the Jeopardy guy" the way that Ken is.

It surprises me to be saying this, but Ken may end up getting the job after all.  The thing is, as I've started to realize, there aren't really "game show hosts" these days the way there once were.  As @Kromm notes, the trend nowadays is to get someone who's well-known for something else, usually an actor, to host.  See Anthony Anderson doing To Tell the Truth, Alec Baldwin doing Match Game, Elizabeth Banks doing Press Your Luck, and Jane Lynch doing The Weakest Link.  Sara Haines of The Chase isn't really an actor, but even she fits into the "known-for-something else" category.  We don't really have people whose job is hosting game shows, and nothing else, anymore.  So there isn't a go-to group of potential replacements for Alex, the way there would have been twenty or thirty years ago.

[mjc570]

i have to admit that I love Ken as host, but the, I've always liked him.  I think his experience as a contestant as well as his obvious respect for Alex really helps him here.  I think given the expectations on him, he's done well.  

I am one of those people pretty resistant to change, so Ken is the closest thing to having Alex.  I recognize that this isn't necessarily good, there probably are other people out there who could do a great job. But sometimes changing hosts really does affect my enjoyment (I'm looking at you, the Chase).

About the professional game show idea - Brooke Burns hosts various GSN shows (master Minds, the Chase) and she is wonderful.  She's be great hosting anything.  

Edited February 19, 2021 by mjc570
additional thoughts

[Prevailing Wind]

I watched the end of The Chase last night and it struck me that Brad Rutter is looking a bit frail. Is he healthy? 

In the regular season thread, there's a new discussion of how awful Vanna White was when she took over for Sajak and someone mentioned finding Sajak intolerably smug. I agree with that and would add Jane Lynch and Ellen DeG. to the list of intolerably smug people that I do NOT want to see hosting J!, stunt or otherwise.

I'm also a bit leery of the exec producer hosting two weeks' worth of shows. Would Friedman have done such a thing?

[HelenBaby]

38 minutes ago, Prevailing Wind said:

I watched the end of The Chase last night and it struck me that Brad Rutter is looking a bit frail. Is he healthy? 

In the regular season thread, there's a new discussion of how awful Vanna White was when she took over for Sajak and someone mentioned finding Sajak intolerably smug. I agree with that and would add Jane Lynch and Ellen DeG. to the list of intolerably smug people that I do NOT want to see hosting J!, stunt or otherwise.

I'm also a bit leery of the exec producer hosting two weeks' worth of shows. Would Friedman have done such a thing?

I’m okay with Mike Richards hosting for a couple of weeks. The few times I’ve seen him since Alex died he seems okay on camera and apparently he’s hosted other things. It can’t be easy for the guest hosts to just jump in without getting onboard with the pace of the show. 

[ABay]

1 hour ago, Prevailing Wind said:

I watched the end of The Chase last night and it struck me that Brad Rutter is looking a bit frail. Is he healthy? 

 

That was my reaction as well. He's so gaunt.

[shapeshifter]

Guest host schedule posted last Monday, February 15, 2021: https://www.jeopardy.com/jbuzz/news-events/jeopardy-guest-host-schedule

I noticed that only through the next 2 (Mike Richards, Executive Producer, Jeopardy! & Wheel of Fortune, and Katie Couric, Journalist & New York Times Best-Selling Author) are actual dates set, and only those 3 (Ken Jennings, Mike Richards, and Katie Couric) have a "message to contestants" posted. 
I wonder if the other "guest hosts" are not really contenders or would only do part time? Sanjay Gupta and Anderson Cooper seem too busy to commit to full-time Jeopardy hosting. But I'm just speculating.

Quote

Ken Jennings, Jeopardy! GOAT & Consulting Producer
Show Air Dates: January 4, 2021 - February 19, 2021

In 2004, Ken Jennings set the record for longest winning streak in Jeopardy! history after 74 consecutive wins, earning a total of $2.52 million. Since then, Jennings has competed in multiple Jeopardy tournaments including, the Ultimate Tournament of Champions in 2005, the Jeopardy!: IBM Challenge in 2011, Battle of the Decades in 2014, and the Jeopardy! All-Star Games in 2019. In 2020, Jennings went on to earn his coveted GOAT title after winning the Greatest of All Time tournament. Later that same year, he officially joined the Jeopardy! family as segment producer.

On his message to contestants: “I hope they feel that I have a sense of solidarity with them, you know, that I’m rooting for them.”

******************************************

Mike Richards on Jeopardy! Set
Mike Richards, Executive Producer, Jeopardy! & Wheel of Fortune
Show Air Dates: February 22, 2021- March 05, 2021

Mike Richards is the executive producer of Jeopardy! and “Wheel of Fortune.” Prior to his time on Jeopardy! and Wheel, Richards was the executive producer of “The Price Is Right” and “Let’s Make A Deal” for over a decade. During his tenure, Richards earned 17 Daytime Emmy nominations and was awarded three. Richards also served as executive producer of the 2020 revival of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.” In addition to his producing, Richards has hosted 5 series: two reality shows most notably Beauty and the Geek, a news program, and two game shows including Game Show Network’s Pyramid.

On guest hosting the show: “I was very fortunate to have a front row seat to watch and study Alex. Stepping in as a guest host was incredibly humbling, emotional and a lot of fun. It will forever be the honor of my life.”

******************************************

Katie Couric, Journalist & New York Times Best-Selling Author
Show Air Dates: March 8, 2021- March 19, 2021

Katie Couric is an award-winning journalist, presenter, author and the first woman to guest host Jeopardy!. She is the founder of Katie Couric Media (KCM), a multimedia news and production company, which produces documentaries, digital series and podcasts centered on social and cultural issues. Throughout her career, Couric has held multiple hosting positions at ABC, CBS and NBC. She also served as Yahoo’s Global News Anchor from 2013-2017.

On guest hosting Jeopardy!: “It is such a thrill to be here guest hosting a show I've watched for years, and a real honor to help as we recover after Alex.”

******************************************

Dr. Mehmet Oz, Host of “The Doctor Oz Show”
Show Air Dates: TBD

Dr. Oz has won ten Daytime Emmy Awards for “The Dr. Oz Show” and is an attending physician at NY Presbyterian-Columbia Medical Center. He has authored over 400 original publications, book chapters, and medical books, has received numerous patents, and still performs heart surgery. He also authors a syndicated newspaper column in 175 markets internationally and has a quarterly bookazine with Hearst titled, “The Good Life.” Dr. Oz is also the proud author of eight New York Times Best Selling books including his most recent, “Food Can Fix It.”

Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers Quarterback
Show Air Dates: TBD

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is a Super Bowl MVP and 9-time NFL Pro Bowl selection. Over the course of his career Rodgers has established himself as one of the NFL’s leading quarterbacks. He is also a Celebrity JEOPARDY! champion, after competing on the program in 2015.

Savannah Guthrie, NBC News' TODAY Co-Anchor
Show Air Dates: TBD

Co-anchor of NBC News’ Emmy Award-winning morning show, TODAY, Savannah Guthrie is also the chief legal correspondent for NBC News. She has served as primary anchor for the network’s major breaking news events and has conducted a wide range of exclusive interviews with newsmakers from presidents to celebrities and other notable figures. In 2018, Guthrie was appointed ambassador of the Elizabeth Dole Foundation’s Hidden Heroes campaign. Guthrie is also a New York Times bestselling author for her book “Princesses Wear Pants” and the sequel “Princesses Save the World.”

Anchor Anderson Cooper, “Anderson Cooper 360°” Anchor
Show Air Dates: TBD

Frequent competitor in Jeopardy!’s Power Players Tournament, Anderson Cooper, is the multi-award-winning anchor of CNN's “Anderson Cooper 360°” and host of “Anderson Cooper Full Circle,” a streaming show which airs on CNN's digital properties. He has worked in more than forty countries and has covered nearly all-major news events around the world, often reporting from the scene. In addition to his shows on CNN, Cooper is also a regular correspondent for CBS's “60 Minutes” and an author who has topped the New York Times Best-Sellers List.

Mayim Bialik, Actress and Neuroscientist
Show Air Dates: TBD

Acclaimed actress, author, host and neuroscientist Mayim Bialik is most recently known for her award-winning role as Amy Farrah Fowler on the hit CBS comedy, “The Big Bang Theory.” Currently, Bialik is starring in “Call Me Kat” on Fox which she also executive produces. Outside of the realm of television, she also recently launched her podcast on mental health titled “Mayim Bialik’s Breakdown.”

Bill Whitaker, “60 Minutes” Correspondent
Show Air Dates: TBD

Bill Whitaker has been a correspondent for “60 Minutes” since March of 2014. In four decades as a journalist he has covered major news stories domestically and across the globe for CBS News. He is the 2018 winner of the RTDNA's highest honor, the Paul White Award for career achievement.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN Chief Medical Correspondent
Show Air Dates: TBD

Dr. Sanjay Gupta is the chief medical correspondent for CNN, an associate professor of neurosurgery at Emory University and an associate chief of neurosurgery at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta. He has won multiple Emmy-awards covering some of the most important health stories in the United States and around the world. In addition to his work for CNN, Gupta contributes to the CBS newsmagazine "60 Minutes" and serves as an executive producer for the HBO Documentary Unit.

 

Edited February 20, 2021 by shapeshifter

[PBnJay]

I really enjoyed Ken Jennings' stint as guest host, I thought he did an excellent job and made the show fun during a difficult time. I'm looking forward to seeing Mike Richards. It will be a sideways move for him in the industry, and I hope he does well. Actually, I hope all the guest hosts do well, I'm rooting for them all! I'll support any host who is selected as permanent for next season.

[illdoc]

https://tvline.com/2021/02/22/jeopardy-ken-jennings-last-day-guest-host/

[HelenBaby]

Mike is doing a good job but that doesn’t surprise me. He loves this show. 

[BuckeyeLou]

5 hours ago, HelenBaby said:

Mike is doing a good job but that doesn’t surprise me. He loves this show. 

I thought Mike was very polished & had a nice announcer's voice.

[Bastet]

7 minutes ago, BuckeyeLou said:

I thought Mike was very polished & had a nice announcer's voice.

Same here.  As I mentioned in the season thread, I didn't realize until reading this forum that he had hosting experience; to me, he was "just" the executive producer, and I wondered how he'd do in filling their two-week gap between guest hosts (producing and hosting being two very different skills).  It quickly became clear I need not have worried; him having the basic qualities of a professional host plus a love of this particular game added up to a seamless transition for me - I never got distracted by having a new person behind the podium.

[Egg McMuffin]

On 2/19/2021 at 12:40 AM, Kromm said:

I'm skeptical they're thinking in terms of someone meant to last decades.  Lightning doesn't really strike twice, and I can't see why they'd think that's likely.

 

 

 

 

Sure they are. It’s one of the top rated shows in syndication and has been for years. Drew Carey is now in his 14th year as Price is Right host, following a 35 year run with Bob Barker. Sony isn’t just going to give up and say, “oh, the show is going to slowly decline now, so age doesn’t matter.” It’s a big moneymaker for them.

[Trey]

I thought Mike Richards did an excellent job.  He's smoother and more sophisticated than KJ but I still wouldn't mind if Ken get the permanent gig.

[jaybird2]

6 hours ago, Trey said:

I thought Mike Richards did an excellent job.  He's smoother and more sophisticated than KJ but I still wouldn't mind if Ken get the permanent gig.

totally agree!

[secnarf]

I thought MR did fine, but I preferred KJ. MR was a bit too...exuberant, maybe? But he is fine as a sub.

If he filled in last minute because of scheduling changes with the ToC, I wonder who was initially scheduled to host the ToC?

[HelenBaby]

17 minutes ago, secnarf said:

I thought MR did fine, but I preferred KJ. MR was a bit too...exuberant, maybe? But he is fine as a sub.

If he filled in last minute because of scheduling changes with the ToC, I wonder who was initially scheduled to host the ToC?

I haven’t read anything so I’m just speculating but I’m assuming that a new host will be in place by the time the next season starts and whoever they get for the host will host the TOC. 

[bad things are bad]

Quote

 Or another comedian Yale grad is Lewis Black.

Oh.my.GOD. Would be terrible but freaking hilarious:

"NOOO...what is WRONG with you?? That is an UNBELIEVABLY STUPID answer! Did you take DRUGS??"

[illdoc]

https://www.primetimer.com/item/Each-celebrity-Jeopardy-guest-host-will-serve-a-two-week-stint-QwSGEq

[Ailianna]

20 hours ago, secnarf said:

I thought MR did fine, but I preferred KJ. MR was a bit too...exuberant, maybe? But he is fine as a sub.

If he filled in last minute because of scheduling changes with the ToC, I wonder who was initially scheduled to host the ToC?

I like Mike ok but I agree. Part of what made Alex good was that he could almost disappear into the game, a few random intersections notwithstanding. But I just felt like MR was too present, if you get me. I noticed him just a little more than I like. But what I noticed was nice, if that makes any sense, but I'd prefer not to notice the host too much.

And apparently I'm really not sure anyone will understand me!