What is...In the Media?

[Prevailing Wind]

17 minutes ago, Doctor Whom said:

Thursday was a taping day.  What happens to those episodes?  It would be kind of awkward to air them, but on the other hand, not airing them could wreak havoc with the contestants.

Awkward or not, for contestant continuity, they will air them.

[ams1001]

15 minutes ago, Doctor Whom said:

Thursday was a taping day.  What happens to those episodes?  It would be kind of awkward to air them, but on the other hand, not airing them could wreak havoc with the contestants.

Someone posted a link in the season thread saying that they'll be aired, then they'll go back to guest hosts. They can't exactly skip games and I don't see them making the contestants play again, either. I assume whatever "yay me I'm the new host" speech he might have given will be edited out, and the intro will just say "today's guest host" like they've been doing.

[shapeshifter]

“Abrupt Exit of New ‘Jeopardy!’ Host, Mike Richards, Rattles a TV Institution” nytimes.com/2021/08/20/business/mike-richards-quits-jeopardy.html

 

[BuckeyeLou]

I just feel bad for the Contestants coming up soon....people were used to Alex's voice & cadence.  It is nerve-wracking enough to be under pressure on a Game show on TV while wondering who the Host is going to be, how they are going to read the questions, plus the 'vibes" on the set...I would imagine the crew are concerned about things too.

[Mario500]

"Why The 'Jeopardy!' Host Search Drama Outraged Fans" (article and audio)

[shapeshifter]

36 minutes ago, Mario500 said:

"Why The 'Jeopardy!' Host Search Drama Outraged Fans" (article and audio)

Quote

NPR's Michel Martin speaks with Claire McNear, a writer for The Ringer, about the controversy swirling around Jeopardy! and the saga of picking a new host after Mike Richards stepped down

At the end of the interview Claire McNear is very hopeful for the show’s future. 

[Prevailing Wind]

On 8/20/2021 at 6:23 PM, Thalia said:

I have to vehemently disagree!  I was certainly the most flabbergasted and didn't think I'd get through the TOC because of the Buzzster.  After one show he shot up to the top of my list. 

Richards should NOT have a large say in choosing the next host, at least IMHO.   I just read that he didn't let Buzzy or Ken attend yesterday's taping (Richards hosted 5 shows which are supposed to air before production was suspended.)  I read that Cohen and Jennings were asked to watch from the green room.  Reading between the lines for $1600:   Maybe there is some enmity between Richards and the other candidates for the job.  

 

(bolding is mine)  I can understand this if those two are in the running for host and ichards-ray feels threatened.  I'm just glad to read it because I'm assuming Buzzy still has a chance. (I'm still boggled by the pig latin. LOL)

[Mario500]

"This reporter upended 'Jeopardy!' and unseated Mike Richards" (article and video)

[shapeshifter]

21 minutes ago, Mario500 said:

"This reporter upended 'Jeopardy!' and unseated Mike Richards" (article and video)

Thanks, @Mario500, for posting the link to this 3 minute interview:

Quote

This reporter upended 'Jeopardy!' and unseated Mike Richards...
"Answers in the Form of Questions" author Claire McNear discusses her reporting about Mike Richards and what's next for "Jeopardy!" now that Sony needs a new permanent host.
Source: CNN

I chuckled (sorry, Alex😥) at this introductory line from the interviewer:

Quote

How did the smartest show on TV wind up making such a dumb mistake?

 

[opus]

34 minutes ago, Mario500 said:

"This reporter upended 'Jeopardy!' and unseated Mike Richards" (article and video)

Just waiting for the next plot twist where Claire McNear is named the new host of Jeopardy. 

[shapeshifter]

39 minutes ago, opus said:

1 hour ago, Mario500 said:

"This reporter upended 'Jeopardy!' and unseated Mike Richards" (article and video)

Just waiting for the next plot twist where Claire McNear is named the new host of Jeopardy. 

The irony is that she'd probably do a great job.

[Mario500]

"Claire McNear on Her ‘Jeopardy!’ Reporting. Plus, Listener Mail." (article and audio)

[dcalley]

Inside the Jeopardy! Host-Hunting Meltdown: Sony looked aside as an unknown EP crowned himself Alex Trebek’s replacement. How did this happen? by Josef Adalian, Vulture.com

There's too much I want to quote from this article!

Quote

Sony has literally had years to get ready for this eventuality — and under one of the studio’s former leadership teams, it took the task incredibly seriously. More than a decade ago, I had lunch with Sony TV’s then-chairman, Steve Mosko, who told me he kept a list by his phone filled with the names of people who might be worthy of the gig, and regularly updated it if a new candidate crossed his radar. His plan was to make sure Jeopardy!’s exec producer at the time, the legendary Harry Friedman, would not have to start the search process from scratch. ...

But Mosko left Sony in 2016, and his institutional knowledge of the Jeopardy! business walked out with him. What happened in the next few years may very well have contributed to the mess we’ve seen over the past few weeks.

 

Quote

A half-dozen or so observers I’ve talked with in recent days think it’s a given that Richards will be sacked as EP, and that the delay is just about settling his contract.

🤞

[Prevailing Wind]

I wonder if they'll let him keep his gig at Wheel.

[Mario500]

"She Wrote the History of ‘Jeopardy!’ Then She Changed It." (article)

[Mario500]

" 'Jeopardy!' Never Considered LeVar Burton for Full-Time Host" (article)

[shapeshifter]

I posted this in the Guest Host thread, but it really belongs here.
Some of the interesting bits from an Aug. 25, 2021 NY Times article, "He’s No Longer Host. But Mike Richards Is Still Running ‘Jeopardy!’" --for those who have used up their free NYT articles for the month on all of their browsers: 

Quote

...Sony has tapped a veteran business and legal affairs executive at the studio, Suzanne Prete, to oversee Mr. Richards at the show and “take more of an active presence on the creative direction and strategy.” 

...Meredith Vieira, ...one television personality who was eager to try out as a guest host....was not offered an audition, with the studio saying it was not interested in anyone currently hosting another game show, according to three people familiar with the audition process who spoke on condition of anonymity. (Ms. Vieira hosts a syndicated show based on a board game called “25 Words or Less.”)
[But] Mr. Richards, an experienced game show host himself...

...As a relatively obscure figure, [MR] would command a smaller salary than better-known contenders like LeVar Burton or Anderson Cooper. Mr. Richards’s compensation as host and executive producer was believed to be significantly lower than Mr. Trebek’s pay.

 

And, just saw this from yesterday too from THR:
"Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Why the Host of ‘Jeopardy!’ Matters"

Edited August 26, 2021 by shapeshifter

[Marisagf]

30 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

I posted this in the Guest Host thread, but it really belongs here.
Some of the interesting bits from an Aug. 25, 2021 NY Times article, "He’s No Longer Host. But Mike Richards Is Still Running ‘Jeopardy!’" --for those who have used up their free NYT articles for the month on all of their browsers: 

 

And, just saw this from yesterday too from THR:
"Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Why the Host of ‘Jeopardy!’ Matters"

Meredith Viera won't get a shot because she hosts another game show?  That's lame!  She'd be one of the best choices.  She has the gravitas and the chops.  Ugh!

[Irlandesa]

4 hours ago, Marisagf said:

Meredith Viera won't get a shot because she hosts another game show? 

I'm not surprised by that. It's bad timing for her, to be sure, but it makes sense to me that they wouldn't want the Jeopardy! host doing another game show that could even, potentially, be up against Jeopardy! in some markets.

And I haven't read the article yet but it seems weird to me that they mention Mike Richards as a past game show host as if it's the same thing. It's not because MR is a former host of all of those.  And now, including Jeopardy!

It also makes sense that Mike Richards wouldn't earn what Alex made.  But that's the thing with this job.  He'd eventually make more if he was accepted.

[shantown]

9 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

I posted this in the Guest Host thread, but it really belongs here.
Some of the interesting bits from an Aug. 25, 2021 NY Times article, "He’s No Longer Host. But Mike Richards Is Still Running ‘Jeopardy!’" --for those who have used up their free NYT articles for the month on all of their browsers: 

Another interesting bit from the article:
"Sony has tapped a veteran business and legal affairs executive at the studio, Suzanne Prete, to oversee Mr. Richards at the show and “take more of an active presence on the creative direction and strategy.” Sony said that the new role for Ms. Prete, who will also oversee the business side of the show, was planned before last week’s uproar."

I don't know if it's better or worse that they were already planning on having someone oversee him at work? At what point do they just hire someone actual qualified and appropriate for the job, versus keeping this guy around and paying for a babysitter too?

[shapeshifter]

37 minutes ago, shantown said:

Another interesting bit from the article:
"Sony has tapped a veteran business and legal affairs executive at the studio, Suzanne Prete, to oversee Mr. Richards at the show and “take more of an active presence on the creative direction and strategy.” Sony said that the new role for Ms. Prete, who will also oversee the business side of the show, was planned before last week’s uproar."

I don't know if it's better or worse that they were already planning on having someone oversee him at work? At what point do they just hire someone actual qualified and appropriate for the job, versus keeping this guy around and paying for a babysitter too?

Maybe a buy-out to make him go away would be too costly, so this is a way around that?

[possibilities]

 

[pennben]

I simply do not understand the cost benefit of propping up this jackass who basically has put Jeopardy in a bad light throughout this process, compromised the host search process & will continue to do so as long as he’s there .  Honestly, the buyout can’t be that expensive for a conglomerate.  This make zero sense.  

[shapeshifter]

10 minutes ago, pennben said:

I simply do not understand the cost benefit of propping up this jackass who basically has put Jeopardy in a bad light throughout this process, compromised the host search process & will continue to do so as long as he’s there .  Honestly, the buyout can’t be that expensive for a conglomerate.  This make zero sense.  

I dunno. If he has a lawyer who could sue Sony for breach of contract, that could be, what? --millions?

[pennben]

At this level, a few million is a drop in the bucket compared to risking the franchise.  But I guess Sony is gonna do Sony.  

[Phebemarie]

Arthur Chu has an interesting opinion piece in the Washington Post.  I’d link it, but It’s behind a pay wall.  He writes a bit about being a Jeopardy villain and ends with a quote from a little boy who approached him during his run.  “Why can’t you do something else and leave Jeopardy alone?”  Chu would like Sony to do the same.

[Prevailing Wind]

In case you still have some "Free" articles left this month or a subscription: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/08/26/mike-richards-jeopardy-host-guest-arthur-chu/

Good article.

[shapeshifter]

6 hours ago, Phebemarie said:

Arthur Chu has an interesting opinion piece in the Washington Post.  I’d link it, but It’s behind a pay wall.  He writes a bit about being a Jeopardy villain and ends with a quote from a little boy who approached him during his run.  “Why can’t you do something else and leave Jeopardy alone?”  Chu would like Sony to do the same.

5 hours ago, Prevailing Wind said:

In case you still have some "Free" articles left this month or a subscription: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/08/26/mike-richards-jeopardy-host-guest-arthur-chu/

Good article.

Beautifully written.
Former Jeopardy! champ Arthur Chu eloquently and concisely boils down the situation:

Quote

...Trebek told us that if he were ever to retire, his one piece of advice to his successor would be, “Stay out of the way, and let the contestants be the stars.” (One of his go-to jokes was that his favorite color was “gray, like my personality.”)...

Instead, “Jeopardy!” trampled over Trebek’s directive. The hunt for the new host became a public circus of “on-the-job tryouts” featuring a glamorous roster of A-listers, and the star of the show became the week’s celebrity guest host. Each episode, their followers tuned in to root for them, not the actual contestants.

...Today, Matt Amodio is an 18-day champion and the third-winningest regular-season contestant in “Jeopardy!” history, but his story has taken a backseat to the drama on the host’s side of the stage.

At the end: a little chill, and even my dry eyes watered a bit.

Quote

Spoiler

After the last year we’ve had — after the past five years we’ve had — is it too much to ask that just one beloved American institution not be sabotaged by shortsightedness and ego?

 

 

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Edited August 27, 2021 by shapeshifter

[Moose135]

16 hours ago, shantown said:

I don't know if it's better or worse that they were already planning on having someone oversee him at work?

It could be that they felt that hosting the show while remaining EP would take up too much of his time, and they wanted someone else in there to share the load.

[shapeshifter]

27 minutes ago, Moose135 said:

It could be that they felt that hosting the show while remaining EP would take up too much of his time, and they wanted someone else in there to share the load.

Yes. But now I wonder when Prete's new role was instituted in relation to the earlier flap about The Price Is Right?  

Quote

Sony said that the new role for Ms. Prete, who will also oversee the business side of the show, was planned before last week’s uproar (nytimes.com/2021/08/25/business/media/jeopardy-mike-richards-executive-producer.html).

"Last week's uproar" (referring to the RanDumb tapes) would be Aug. 15-21, 2021, whereas The Price Is Right lawsuits came to recent light August 4, 2021 (variety.com/2021/tv/news/mike-richards-jeopardy-price-is-right-brandi-cochran-1235035652/).
That is, perhaps someone(s) at Sony thought being able to point to woman in a position above MR would be sufficient to silence concerns about old lawsuits that he was arguably(?) not directly involved in?

Sigh. Anyone remember when research into Sony was just about its TVs or flip phones?
 

Edited August 27, 2021 by shapeshifter
citing clearly and correctly and completely

[Prevailing Wind]

55 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

Sigh. Anyone remember when research into Sony was just about its TVs or flip phones?

Remember, this is the genius company that came up with Betamax.

[3 is enough]

I cannot believe how badly the whole process was handled.  Not trying to be morbid, but Sony knew since March 2019 that their host had terminal cancer.  Of course they wanted him to beat the odds, but they also had plenty of time to line up a replacement in the event that he did not. They also had more insight into how Alex was holding up, and knew of surgeries, treatment schedules, etc. So even if the viewers were not aware of a decline the people behind the scenes were.

This could have been done quietly and discreetly with the understanding that the new host would only start if and when Alex either passed or was no longer able to continue. Alex himself had spoken of possible replacements and while he didn’t give up, he also was aware of the odds he was facing and, I think, accepting of the inevitable.

I’m sure the pandemic didn’t help, but I can’t help but think Alex would be appalled at how this whole fiasco unfolded.

[shapeshifter]

21 minutes ago, 3 is enough said:

I cannot believe how badly the whole process was handled.  Not trying to be morbid, but Sony knew since March 2019 that their host had terminal cancer.  Of course they wanted him to beat the odds, but they also had plenty of time to line up a replacement in the event that he did not. They also had more insight into how Alex was holding up, and knew of surgeries, treatment schedules, etc. So even if the viewers were not aware of a decline the people behind the scenes were.

This could have been done quietly and discreetly with the understanding that the new host would only start if and when Alex either passed or was no longer able to continue. Alex himself had spoken of possible replacements and while he didn’t give up, he also was aware of the odds he was facing and, I think, accepting of the inevitable.

I’m sure the pandemic didn’t help, but I can’t help but think Alex would be appalled at how this whole fiasco unfolded.

Kind of like RBG redux, right? My elderly parents botched preparing for their end-of-life care too. I guess it's typical.
Still. So sad.

 

22 minutes ago, Prevailing Wind said:

Remember, this is the genius company that came up with Betamax.

So the category is "X" TWICE, the clue is "Sony's botched hand-off could be called this," and the correct response is:
What is Betamax redux?

Edited August 27, 2021 by shapeshifter

[Moose135]

1 hour ago, shapeshifter said:

Yes. But now I wonder when Prete's new role was instituted in relation to the earlier flap about The Price Is Right?  

True, that could have played a part in why they gave her that role.

 

25 minutes ago, Prevailing Wind said:

Remember, this is the genius company that came up with Betamax.

Betamax actually had better quality than VHS, but VHS won out on price and recording length.

[ams1001]

8 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

Note: If you've used up your free articles for the month for WaPo, NY Times, etc., a different browser (e.g., Edge if you're on a PC, Safari if you're using Chrome on a Mac) will set your count back to zero without having to clear your cache and history. If you still use up all the free articles, consider subscribing.

Incognito window can work, too (not always, though). I have access to the NYT through my library but then I don't get images or comments (which sometimes I like to read).

3 hours ago, 3 is enough said:

This could have been done quietly and discreetly with the understanding that the new host would only start if and when Alex either passed or was no longer able to continue. Alex himself had spoken of possible replacements and while he didn’t give up, he also was aware of the odds he was facing and, I think, accepting of the inevitable.

Exactly. I can't believe they weren't better prepared for this inevitability.

[shapeshifter]

TV TATTLE:
"Sony reportedly expected to name Ken Jennings Jeopardy! host before his controversy over offensive old tweets," posted by Norman Weiss, Friday, 8/27/21 at 12:38PM EDT, primetimer.com/item/Sony-reportedly-expected-to-name-Ken-Jennings-Jeopardy-host-before-his-controversy-over-offensive-old-tweets-NXSB81

[Irlandesa]

There are just so many confusing "insiders."  

Those tweets are old.  So is the controversy.  They still gave him six weeks. And does it really take a focus group to know that people aren't going to think highly of some tweets KJ thought were worth apologizing for?

Heck, I generally like him but I would  still not like some of the tweets he chose to make.

In what world are a few bad tweets comparable to being involved in two discrimination lawsuits?  I get that his name was dropped but the behavior was detailed in the suits.  But I would think,  if tweets nixed Ken, then the lawsuits should have made them stay away from MR.  

It feels like all this is driven by perception and Sony still doesn't understand what they are doing.

19 hours ago, pennben said:

Honestly, the buyout can’t be that expensive for a conglomerate.  This make zero sense.  

Yeah.  I can't imagine he is that expensive.   What he probably does have in his favor is the things he did were before Sony hired him for Jeopardy. 

Edited August 27, 2021 by Irlandesa

[possibilities]

My guess is that the people in charge as as bad as Richards, and really don't want to set a precedent that what he did is disqualifying. So they're trying to fudge the process in hopes it will blow over.

[Prevailing Wind]

Then they should have another think. Do we need to play the music for them while they figure it out?

 

[shapeshifter]

4 hours ago, Prevailing Wind said:

Then they should have another think. Do we need to play the music for them while they figure it out?

Haha. I don’t think there’s enough music for them to reach any logical conclusions, so I’ll say it: Sorry, Sony, time’s up. Anyone else? 

[possibilities]

If the Jennings tweets were enough to disqualify him, then Sony should have vetted Richards before offering him the position. It doesn't add up. Maybe they're just utterly incompetent.

[secnarf]

4 minutes ago, possibilities said:

If the Jennings tweets were enough to disqualify him, then Sony should have vetted Richards before offering him the position. It doesn't add up. Maybe they're just utterly incompetent.

I think it would make more sense the other way around - after the Richards debacle, Sony decided they couldn't hire Jennings based on his past tweets.

Not sure what the actual order of events was, though.

[Fellaway]

Has Brad Rutter ever been considered for host? I think he'd be perfect.

[shoregirl]

   Mike Richards out as executive producer.

 

https://ew.com/tv/mike-richards-exits-jeopardy-executive-producer/

[mtlchick]

How to win one job and then lose 3 in a month (he also got bounced as EP of Wheel of Fortune.)

I feel bad for the employees who have been through all the emotions since Alex passed and more since this blew up.  

[Carey]

I'm not one to jump for joy over one's exit.  Certain cases could have me doing that, but this is not one of them.  That being said, it's relieving that he's gone.  He did okay as host, and he was great with TPIR prior to his tenure at Sony.  However, Sony had to fire him.  Based on the atmosphere, it is what needed to be done.  Probably a little later than they should have, but what's done is done

[shapeshifter]

12 minutes ago, Carey said:

I'm not one to jump for joy over one's exit.  Certain cases could have me doing that, but this is not one of them.  That being said, it's relieving that he's gone.  He did okay as host, and he was great with TPIR prior to his tenure at Sony.  However, Sony had to fire him.  Based on the atmosphere, it is what needed to be done.  Probably a little later than they should have, but what's done is done

Billy Bush made a come back. Maybe MR can too if he gives it enough time --and thought.

[shantown]

Nothing about the situation has been joyous, but I think this is ultimately the correct outcome.

[Black Knight]

They really couldn't keep him as EP after everything that came out about how he put his thumb on the scale in regards to the host selection and possibly even sabotaged multiple candidates. How could Sony trust that he'd now choose the best host, or any host hired trust that Richards wouldn't sabotage them?

He put his own ambitions ahead of what was best for the show and acted in a shady and unethical manner. Bye bye.

[Good Queen Jane]

29 minutes ago, Carey said:

I'm not one to jump for joy over one's exit. 

Apparently James Holzhauer is.