A tweet quoted in "Who is Mike Richards? Meet Alex Trebek’s reported ‘Jeopardy!’ host successor" (NY Post).
Richards has been the executive producer of the show for the last year, and he has lots of experience with game shows and, specifically, with Trebek. When he subbed as host, he displayed a "command of the fast-paced game and easy on-air manner." The choice seems to be to have someone who blends into the show.
Some people wanted Ken Jennings and some wanted LeVar Burton. There are, unfortunately, some people crying racism over the failure to pick Burton. The NY Post quotes this tweet: "YALL COULD HAVE A WHOLE ICONIC LEVAR BURTON BUT YOU PICKING CHAD MCWHITERSON FOR… WHAT???"
I think a problem with Jennings is that he's indulged in some partisan politics on Twitter and displayed contempt for people. I can see how that goes with his persona as a smart guy but it can't be good for a big TV quiz show where I think the idea is to radiate generic love for everyone who watches.
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11 comments:
Michael On The Road writes:
As decades long fans of Jeopardy, we had a lot of fun analyzing the guest hosts. The Packers QB really surprised with his comfortable style. Conversely, after all that build up Levar Burton really disappointed. For what it's worth, our house came to these final rankings.
*****Outstanding
Aaron Rodgers
Mike Richards
Mayim Bialik
****Really Good
Ken Jennings
Sanjay Gupta
***So-so
Bill Whitaker
Buzzy Cohen
Anderson Cooper
Katie Couric
Lavar Burton
**Sub-par
Robin Roberts
George Stephanopoulos
*Nope
Dr. Mehmet Oz
Savannah Guthrie
gpm writes:
"Well, OK, I've been a fan since the Art Fleming/Don Pardo days: "And now it's time for Double Jeopardy/When everything doubles and the scores can really change!"
"Rumor has it that Mike Richards has the leg up. Which is fine with me. I thought he was quite good. And they don't need to reward any of the fame whores seeking the role. Why were so many of the guest hosts TV news people?
"I won't go through the whole list, but Dr. Oz was truly awful. Setting aside his particular issues, Ken Jennings has always rubbed me the wrong way (as does the current champion, with his robot-like demeanor, his annoying way of saying "what is" for every response, and his starting from the bottom up every time, which to me ruins the game; I wish they'd go back to the five-day limit for champions). Aaron Rodgers was kind of a snooze. Levar Burton was too chirpy. I would be OK with Mayim Bialik. But no way to Anderson Cooper, Stephanopoulos, and several others. Some of those would quite possibly move me to stop watching after decades."
Blake writes:
"Also, LaVarr Burton simply wasn't that good. His energy was all wrong and he made a ton of mistakes during his week.
"I thought Ken was easily the best but I personally dislike because of just what you say -- he's a political activist and has expressed online hate for anyone who doesn't agree with him. That makes him untenable. I personally would not continue to watch if he were made the permanent host.
"I've been watching Jeopardy for a little less than 30 years and I think Richards was easily the second best (and probably the cheapest too - which is probably not nothing as Jeopardy has been matching charity donations throughout the guest host thing)."
Looks like Mike may have run into a girl problem with some Price is Right models....https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9866827/Who-Mike-Richards-Jeopardy-fans-OUTRAGED-executive-producer-shows-new-host.html
Think the in-house choice is smart, wendybar's link notwithstanding. He worked with Alex, understands the Trebek™ restrained demeanor and can ass-kick the backroom staff, as needed, to come up with great questions.
I really think they should have given Brooke Burns a go.
Who is she? She's an actress in a few soaps... but more importantly, she's been the host of at least two trivia shows on Game Show Network: the Chase and also, right now, Masterminds. On Masterminds she deals with Ken Jennings all the time. On the Chase she introduced James Holzhaurer to the game show world.
Both of those shows require actual talent from their host. Burns is very good at reading questions fast, with clear diction, and processing answers fast from the contestants. She's also easy on the eyes, but her ability to run a show is good. I notice, for instance, that NBC's primetime "The Chase" has a host that is, again, easy on the eyes... but isn't a good reader. So skill matters in a host for some of these shows, and Jeopardy is the king of trivia shows. Burns would be good at it.
I think she would be better than any of the "Guest hosts" and I'd bet Jennings and Holzhaurer, the "Big names" along with Rutter, would be quite satisfied with her.
But alas, they never gave her the chance.
Mike Richards is the best candidate to be the future host. He has a very likable, and unassuming way. Also, easy on the eyes. Jeopardy will not be about the the host but will continue to be about the answers/questions and the contestants. And that’s the way Alex would want it to be. He might not be the politically correct choice, but right about now, I’m ready to see a white man get a break! Screw the haters and their “white privilege” B.S.
Mary Ann
I suggested Nancy Pimental (ex-Ben Steiner) when Trebek died, and since then I have only peeked in at some final j questions. Missed almost all the guest hosts, a lot of whom are people I can't look at anyway, at some of whom I've never heard of.
Not sure it'll ever be a semi-habit again, as it was for the last few of Trebek's years.
"YALL COULD HAVE A WHOLE ICONIC LEVAR BURTON BUT YOU PICKING CHAD MCWHITERSON FOR… WHAT???"
For being better. Nice to know that still matters to some people.
They just reminded me that next week's guest host will be Joe Buck. I really need to figure out how to turn on closed captioning so at least I don't need to listen to the drive that's sure to come.
--gpm
They won't pick Mike Richards some busybody on social media will confuse him with Comedian Michael 'Cosmo Kramer' Richards who was deplatformed for responding to hecklers with a n word laced diatribe.
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