Who is...Today’s Guest Host?

[Gemma Violet]

3 hours ago, Bulldog said:

Mike Richards considered the front runner, and in "advanced negotiations" to become permanent host. 

I was just coming to post this.  He was my favorite before David Faber, so I'm very pleased if this turns out to be true.

[catrice2]

44 minutes ago, Gemma Violet said:

I was just coming to post this.  He was my favorite before David Faber, so I'm very pleased if this turns out to be true.

Me too, with Mayim being third, but no one was totally horrible in my opinion given the fact that some were just doing it because it was an honor or dream, and others just needed more time to get comfortable. 

I think he would be the best choice  for a lot of reasons

[shapeshifter]

2 hours ago, pennben said:

ETA: This trial balloon may already be leaking:  Model Sues Price Is Right Producers for Sexual Harrassment.

Oh

[Irlandesa]

1 hour ago, Kyle said:

The judge presiding over that case dismissed Richards as a defendant about a month before the plaintiff settled the suit with the remaining defendants.

But it does make me wonder if he had a relationship with a model on the show like she asserts. If so, that's still not great.

[shapeshifter]

2 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

But it does make me wonder if he had a relationship with a model on the show like she asserts. If so, that's still not great.

Depends upon the situation. Workplace romance is a reality, but if there is a boss-employee relationship, it's going to be fraught on some level.

[Trey]

This news disappoints me.  I thought Mike Richards was okay but, as someone over in the main thread said, he's a little plastic and some of his remarks were just a little too glib.

[alphacat]

When I heard that it may be Mike, I was ... disappointed. I liked Mike - he did a fine job, was professional, moved the game along, had good game-show patter, etc. But choosing him just feels sort of unsatisfying. I can't really remember him, except to say that he did a good job and was a little bland. Along with Ken, he's the safest of the safe choices. Until I read his name as one of the finalists, I was ambivalent. Once I read his name, I was a bit sad that Jeopardy wouldn't take the opportunity to bring in some new talent.

I also am a little bothered by the fact that Mike is the executive producer, which affects the process of selecting a host. Yes, people move around in companies, but it is challenging for those in the selection process (been there, done that). Sometimes these things work out and everything is fine; other times there are subtle or not-so-subtle negative feelings (again, been there ...). When he initially stepped in, I thought it was great that he was able to do that and that contributed to my positive opinion of him. Now that I know he was auditioning, it makes me less enthusiastic about him.

I'm glad they are still talking with Mayim and Buzzy. I preferred both of them to Mike. They brought a new energy to the show and would be terrific.

While Mayim had a little work to do, e.g., losing the randomly placed laughing, I think if she was the permanent host she would work on that and gain confidence in hosting. Alex frequently talked about wanting a woman to host the show - I think it would be a nice tribute to him if that happened.

I don't know how Alex and Buzzy got along, but I can't help thinking Alex would have been proud of the way Buzzy stepped up to the plate. Buzzy was my favorite guest host (surprisingly) and could step in on day one.

Edited August 5, 2021 by alphacat

[Clanstarling]

29 minutes ago, alphacat said:

When I heard that it may be Mike, I was ... disappointed. I liked Mike - he did a fine job, was professional, moved the game along, had good game-show patter, etc. But choosing him just feels sort of unsatisfying. I can't really remember him, except to say that he did a good job and was a little bland. Along with Ken, he's the safest of the safe choices. Until I read his name as one of the finalists, I was ambivalent. Once I read his name, I was a bit sad that Jeopardy wouldn't take the opportunity to bring in some new talent.

I also am a little bothered by the fact that Mike is the executive producer, which affects the process of selecting a host. Yes, people move around in companies, but it is challenging for those in the selection process (been there, done that). Sometimes these things work out and everything is fine; other times there are subtle or not-so-subtle negative feelings (again, been there ...). When he initially stepped in, I thought it was great that he was able to do that and that contributed to my positive opinion of him. Now that I know he was auditioning, it makes me less enthusiastic about him.

I'm glad they are still talking with Mayim and Buzzy. I preferred both of them to Mike. They brought a new energy to the show and would be terrific.

While Mayim had a little work to do, e.g., losing the randomly placed laughing, I think if she was the permanent host she would work on that and gain confidence in hosting. Alex frequently talked about wanting a woman to host the show - I think it would be a nice tribute to him if that happened.

I don't know how Alex and Buzzy got along, but I can't help thinking Alex would have been proud of the way Buzzy stepped up to the plate. Buzzy was my favorite guest host (surprisingly) and could step in on day one.

Yeah, Buzzy was on the top of my list. Richards wasn't even on it, but he's competent enough. Though that story is a little disturbing. I haven't time to read it right now, but I will be reading it and see what I think.

[j5cochran]

6 hours ago, Clanstarling said:

Yeah, Buzzy was on the top of my list. Richards wasn't even on it, but he's competent enough. Though that story is a little disturbing. I haven't time to read it right now, but I will be reading it and see what I think.

I think competent is the right word for Mike Richards. But this is Jeopardy! We eat competent for breakfast!

[DXD526]

I may be in the minority, but I found Richards to be a generic-looking white guy with virtually no personality. Except for Dr. Oz, he's my least favorite guest host so far. It's not like I'd stop watching J!, but he'd be a huge downgrade for me. 

[StaceyNotStacie]

I prefer Buzzy over Mike Richards. I wonder if Ken wasn’t available because of The Chase. 
 

Could it be possible that this is a short-term thing, maybe season to season if the person they really wanted wasn’t available or that nobody really stood out as a possible permanent host and that they’ll bring someone else in at another point if they find a “better” option?

[secnarf]

I didn't mind Mike Richards doing a stint, and thought he did a decent job, but I had a surprisingly strong negative reaction to the news of him being front runner. I think it is for reasons others have already mentioned - too glib and plastic-like, but I do also remember finding him a bit too exuberant. However, I think my negative reaction is more because of his current role - He has to be one of the key people making the decision as to who will be the new host, and he picks himself? It just rubs me the wrong way. And the allegations in that article didn't help, as I am inclined to believe the complainant.

If they are going to go with another white guy, I think Buzzy did a phenomenal job, and I didn't particularly like him as a contestant. Personally I would prefer Brad Rutter, but doesn't look like he was ever in the running, and didn't end up guest hosting. I would also be happy with Ken Jennings, though it didn't seem like hosting came as naturally to him as the others.

I also didn't love Mayim Bialik as host, although I do like her generally. She also was a bit too exuberant for me.

I had been hopeful that I wouldn't be too disappointed in their choice, but it looks like that won't be the case.

 

Edited to add this link: https://thejeopardyfan.com/2021/08/prediction-mike-richards-will-ruin-jeopardy.html

Raises some interesting points.

Edited August 5, 2021 by secnarf

[heatherchandler]

I thought it was going to be Ken for sure.  I don't like this Mike Richards news.

[stonehaven]

I am a bit bummed at the Richards news. He was good but not great. David Faber is great. Mayim Bialik, over time, could have been great. Levar Burton may have been great too,eventually.

My thinking is that with Richards, it was an easy choice for Sony and the show. Pick someone that is already familiar with the crew and the beats of the show, the process, the contestants and the clues.  That way there's no awkward, long intro for the behind the scenes staff. Also, pick someone without a huge pedigree so they won't become a diva. Pick someone who will commit to the entirety of the show and not just show up when the camera rolls. 

I think Richards was an easy, safe choice...and no matter WHO they picked, it wouldn't be Alex. Besides, one lady they never asked but should have was Bonnie Hunt. That woman is a monster talent and I would do anything to see her on my TV every night.

Maybe I'll see a show with both David Faber and Bonnie Hunt someday....I can dream...

[shapeshifter]

11 hours ago, stonehaven said:

"I think Richards was an easy, safe choice"

I agree with your entire post above except this^.
The internet is exploding over sexual harassment allegations --which I didn't see when he was hosting --maybe I missed them? --but I'm guessing TPTB forgot about them too.

 

Today David Faber referred to his "day job." I wished that meant he was going to keep doing both.

 

Edited August 6, 2021 by shapeshifter

[Gemma Violet]

6 hours ago, secnarf said:

He has to be one of the key people making the decision as to who will be the new host, and he picks himself? 

 

As Stonehaven mentioned, Sony picked him.  That coincides with a couple of the articles I've read.

Edited August 6, 2021 by Gemma Violet

[Egg McMuffin]

Yep. The articles I’ve read said that Sony Pictures Entertainment CEO Tony Vinciquerra made the selection. Richards is the showrunner of Jeopardy but that’s basically middle management. It’s not the same as being the showrunner of something like The Sopranos, where you are the creative power and have a great deal of clout.

[cambridgeguy]

12 hours ago, stonehaven said:

I think Richards was an easy, safe choice...and no matter WHO they picked, it wouldn't be Alex

The conspiracy theorists would say they know no matter how good the next person is, they'll always look bad for not being Alex.  You don't want to succeed the legend, you want to succeed the legend's successor.  Therefore, burn a couple of years on someone who's very vanilla, then replace them with the actual preferred choice (insert joke about how Aaron Rodgers will be retired by then). 

[Egg McMuffin]

There’s always the common wisdom that you don’t want to replace a popular person in a job. You want to replace the person who replaced the popular person. Remember Deborah Norville on Today?

If Richards get the job and the ratings tank, he’ll be replaced quickly. The show is too valuable a franchise to let it sink, and there’s a great deal of people who can do the job competently.

[HelenBaby]

I don’t really care that they picked Richards because he was one of the better substitutes. I thought of the women who hosted, Savannah Guthrie was the best but she’s not leaving NYC or a high profile Today show gig for this (at least I don’t think she would.) Robin Roberts was good too. I didn’t really think Mayim was very good and I had high hopes for her. The producers didn’t even give my guy, Ben Mankiewicz, a chance. 

[Clanstarling]

13 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

I agree with your entire post above except this^.
The internet is exploding over sexual harassment allegations --which I didn't see when he was hosting --maybe I missed them? --but I'm guessing TPTB forgot about them too.

These things don't stay hidden for long these days. It might have some impact on the decision.

This is the article I read.

Quote

https://www.thedailybeast.com/jeopardy-host-frontrunner-mike-richards-alleged-history-of-harassment-discrimination

 

[Irlandesa]

On 8/5/2021 at 5:14 PM, heatherchandler said:

I thought it was going to be Ken for sure.  I don't like this Mike Richards news.

I read a Twitter thread that I thought was interesting.  The tweeter didn't have insider knowledge but speculated this was a bit of the plan all along, ever since he was brought in as EP.  And everything else was just a distraction.  Even giving Ken seven weeks was meant to paint him as a front runner even though he wasn't; he was just the guy to directly follow Alex.

11 hours ago, Kyle said:

Yep. The articles I’ve read said that Sony Pictures Entertainment CEO Tony Vinciquerra made the selection. Richards is the showrunner of Jeopardy but that’s basically middle management. It’s not the same as being the showrunner of something like The Sopranos, where you are the creative power and have a great deal of clout.

Maybe but all the articles I've read about the process indicated that he got to weigh in.  And he had some power as the show runner, I'd imagine. 

He was the one, as the article suggests, who turned a minor scheduling conflict into an excuse for him to "heroically step in" and host the show for two weeks.  Ken was the "guy after Alex" with his seven week run.  Michael was the "guy after the guy".  He got to make sure he got an audition.

They were also clear that they wanted to have a host whose sole focus would be this job.  And then most of the scheduled guest hosts had other jobs whether it was in sports, acting, or news.  That's one way to narrow down the competition.

We also don't know what kind of feedback he was providing about each of the potential hosts.  Ratings?  Do ratings dip in the summer normally?  It's a good place to put some popular competition. 

 

 

 

Edited August 6, 2021 by Irlandesa

[deemac]

On 8/2/2021 at 6:44 PM, Bliss said:

It's only been a few minutes, and David Faber may be my fave guest host. Maybe.

I catch up with Jeopardy on DVR when I have half an hour free.  My first look at David Faber, shame on me, was that he.....especially his hair....looks like a generic Ken doll I had as a kid.  As long as they don't show him or I don't look up at the TV he's great.  I feel terrible and weird but I can't get that image out of my head.

[Egg McMuffin]

Yep - ratings dip during the summer and even spring once daylight savings comes. So you can’t really compare the ratings for the later hosts to those for the earlier hosts. The pre-daylight savings hosts had an advantage.

I think you’re spot on with your theory. Richards was always intended to be Trebek’s successor (or even Sajak’s) and he was brought in a producer so they could get him working in the organization and see what he would be like to work with.

 

[Prevailing Wind]

Well, then, let him go host Wheel and harass Vanna. We don't want that smarm on our Jeopardy!

[pennben]

He may not ‘be suited’ for Jeopardy, but I have no idea how it’s funny to suggest he go on a different show to harass another woman. Honestly....to suggest that makes me think far, far less of Jeopardy ‘fanatics’.

Edited August 7, 2021 by pennben

[Prevailing Wind]

26 minutes ago, pennben said:

He may not ‘be suited’ for Jeopardy, but I have no idea how it’s funny to suggest he go on a different show to harass another woman. Honestly....to suggest that makes me think far, far less of Jeopardy ‘fanatics’.

We need a "sarcasm" font.

[pennben]

For future:   “/s”.

Until ‘we’ have font. 

[Mario500]

10 hours ago, pennben said:

For future:   “/s”.

Until ‘we’ have font. 

(does not understand this message)

[Clanstarling]

15 hours ago, deemac said:

I catch up with Jeopardy on DVR when I have half an hour free.  My first look at David Faber, shame on me, was that he.....especially his hair....looks like a generic Ken doll I had as a kid.  As long as they don't show him or I don't look up at the TV he's great.  I feel terrible and weird but I can't get that image out of my head.

That's funny - because that's exactly the reaction I had to Mike Richards. You might be right that Faber is closer to the actual look, but because Richards has filled that spot in my brain, I didn't think it with Faber.

15 hours ago, Kyle said:

I think you’re spot on with your theory. Richards was always intended to be Trebek’s successor (or even Sajak’s) and he was brought in a producer so they could get him working in the organization and see what he would be like to work with.

I'm not much of a conspiracy person, but I have to admit the theory does sound very plausible. It's not what I would expect of Jeopardy, but who knows. 

[Bastet]

17 hours ago, pennben said:

For future:   “/s”.

Until ‘we’ have font. 

 

6 hours ago, Mario500 said:

(does not understand this message)

Given the context of the conversation about the need for a font to indicate sarcasm, I assume this refers to a shorthand for [/sarcasm] -- a notation at the end of a sentence, paragraph, post, etc. indicating that the preceding text was "said" sarcastically.

[Trey]

If you are familiar with html you will understand what the post meant.

[shapeshifter]

13 minutes ago, Trey said:

If you are familiar with html you will understand what the post meant.

<sarcasm>huh?</sarcasm>

[shapeshifter]

From the season thread:

1 hour ago, ams1001 said:

I feel like they shouldn't have given people the idea that the guest hosts (or some of them, at least) were auditioning for the permanent gig. Just made it something like "we'll raise money for charity while we get things sorted out and start the new host with the new season" and not get people speculating on which celebs (if any) might be in the running. I would have assumed they'd have a plan in place well before Alex passed. I mean, even if he wasn't sick, he was 80 years old. Even if he didn't want to retire, there was always the possibility some other age-related health issues could force him to.

I am thinking it was impossible to avoid the appearance of the guest host positions being auditions given that the guest hosts were all people who felt "honored" to get to do the job under any circumstances.

[30 Helens]

What I have read about the decision process suggests that they are looking for someone who is 1) young enough to stay in the job for a long time, potentially decades; 2) doesn’t already have a visible job; and 3) is relatively unknown so as not to overshadow the contestants, because the show wants the contestants to be the “stars”.

These criteria eliminate most of the guest hosts, and would seem to indicate that Ken was never seriously under consideration. LeVar would be out on all three counts.

Mike Richards, who was probably the front runner all along and we just didn’t know it, is a good fit for those criteria. But I can’t help but think those 2 harassment lawsuits are going to make Sony reconsider their decision. They can’t be eager to start a new era of the show with that kind of controversy. There’s also a third incident that has surfaced: a contestant coordinator sued (and won) for age discrimination after being fired right after Richards took over as producer.

This all may bode well for Buzzy, who is known among Jeopardy fans but hasn’t reached the same level of celebrity as Ken, so probably fits the criteria. 

Personally, I’m still holding out unrealistic hopes for Brad Rutter. 

[ams1001]

30 minutes ago, 30 Helens said:

Mike Richards, who was probably the front runner all along and we just didn’t know it, is a good fit for those criteria. But I can’t help but think those 2 harassment lawsuits are going to make Sony reconsider their decision. They can’t be eager to start a new era of the show with that kind of controversy. There’s also a third incident that has surfaced: a contestant coordinator sued (and won) for age discrimination after being fired right after Richards took over as producer.

This all may bode well for Buzzy, who is known among Jeopardy fans but hasn’t reached the same level of celebrity as Ken, so probably fits the criteria. 

Personally, I’m still holding out unrealistic hopes for Brad Rutter. 

I would have thought the powers that be would have known these things about MR before now...they can't possibly have thought they wouldn't get out if he was announced as the front runner.

I would love Buzzy as host. I thought he did a great job.

I was hoping Brad would get a guest spot, too. He's an obvious choice if they were looking at former players. I wonder if he didn't want it.

[Egg McMuffin]

3 hours ago, 30 Helens said:

There’s also a third incident that has surfaced: a contestant coordinator sued (and won) for age discrimination after being fired right after Richards took over as producer.

 

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-report/former-jeopardy-employee-sues-sony-alleging-age-discrimination

“His duties were slowly taken away from him beginning in 2016 when a younger employee in his 20s was hired, he alleges.”

So that alleged discrimination started four years before Richards joined the Jeopardy staff.

 

 

Edited August 8, 2021 by Kyle

[j5cochran]

6 minutes ago, Kyle said:

 

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-report/former-jeopardy-employee-sues-sony-alleging-age-discrimination

“His duties were slowly taken away from him beginning in 2016 when a younger employee in his 20s was hired, he alleges.”

So that alleged discrimination started four years before Richards joined the Jeopardy staff.

 

 

He was still in charge when I was a contestant in late 2018. He was the one who called to inform me that I was a contestant.

I didn't see anything of him during the recording day. There were a pair of 40/50-something folks who prepared us for the day. No 20-somethings hanging around at all.

[Bastet]

3 hours ago, 30 Helens said:

But I can’t help but think those 2 harassment lawsuits are going to make Sony reconsider their decision.

Those lawsuits, filed and settled long before Sony hired him as an executive producer two years ago, didn't stop them hiring him in the first place.  Will the extra attention the leak of him being the front-runner for the J! hosting job brought to this history point them in another direction?  We'll see, but I doubt it to any meaningful extent; these men traditionally skate through.  If they install someone else as host, Sony will claim "The 'Mike Richards is our guy' story was false, [Host] was already our pick when that was written" - and keep Richards on as EP.

[30 Helens]

6 hours ago, Kyle said:

So that alleged discrimination started four years before Richards joined the Jeopardy staff.

Yes, but the firing happened shortly after Richards got the job, which is why he was involved in the suit.

I’m not saying he did anything wrong, it’s just another thing that adds to the controversy.

[illdoc]

Mike Richards' memo addressing concerns: https://tvline.com/2021/08/09/mike-richards-jeopardy-host-letter-memo-staff-controversy/

[DXD526]

I'm SO SICK of hearing people explain that something they did or said "doesn't reflect who I am", which is apparently the tactic Richards has chosen in regards to those nasty old allegations. So he behaved out of character one time and got in trouble for it, is that what he's saying? Talk about some bad luck. 

[opus]

With all the Mike Richards stuff in the forefront, it feels like Joe Buck is going to be able to fly under the radar this week.

[PaulaO]

I gotta say that Richards would be mid-list for me.  I'm Team Buzzy, then Team Anderson Cooper.  My interest in this show is waning with each successive guest host. 

[ProudMary]

2 hours ago, opus said:

With all the Mike Richards stuff in the forefront, it feels like Joe Buck is going to be able to fly under the radar this week.

I don't know about that. I think there are enough sports fans who fall into the "I cannot stand Joe Buck" camp to keep the boat afloat. 😅

A couple of weeks back, I saw a tweet from a random tweeter that pretty much summed up my feelings to a tee.
 

Spot on!

[Prevailing Wind]

I thought he was adequate today. I don't know him; I can't judge based on his day job, but, jeez, he was a lot better than Burton.

[biakbiak]

 

[Ohiopirate02]

5 hours ago, opus said:

With all the Mike Richards stuff in the forefront, it feels like Joe Buck is going to be able to fly under the radar this week.

Well Joe Buck is currently trending on Twitter, so he's not going to get off easily.   I just attempted to watch tonight's episode, and Joe was as bad as I expected.  Joe does not have an inside voice.

[opus]

33 minutes ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

Well Joe Buck is currently trending on Twitter, so he's not going to get off easily.   I just attempted to watch tonight's episode, and Joe was as bad as I expected.  Joe does not have an inside voice.

I should never underestimate Twitter hate.

[biakbiak]

19 minutes ago, opus said:

I should never underestimate Twitter hate.

Or the Joe Buck hate.