Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings will continue sharing Jeopardy! hosting duties through summer 2022
Who will be the next permanent Jeopardy! host? It looks like that question will drag on well into 2022.
Jeopardy! announced Wednesday that Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings will continue to share hosting duties for the rest of the current season, which runs through July 29, 2022. The quiz show previously tapped Bialik and Jennings to host through the end of 2021. At the time, there was some speculation a permanent daily host could be in place by the start of 2022, but it appears that decision has been put off a bit longer.
After the death of longtime host Alex Trebek, Jeopardy! brought in a rotating series of guest hosts, including Jennings and Bialik. By August, Sony made the surprise announcement that the show's own executive producer, Mike Richards, would be the new daily host, while Bialik was hired to host primetime and spinoff series. But Richards quickly stepped down amid controversy over resurfaced offensive podcast comments and discrimination lawsuits.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Since then, Bialik and Jennings have been rotating Jeopardy! hosting duties, but no permanent plan has been announced. Fans have speculated the show could potentially either have Bialik and Jennings share hosting duties permanently, the same way Bialik would have shared hosting duties with Richards, or hire Bialik full time. In August, in fact, TMZ reported Sony was originally interested in Bialik for the permanent job, but she was too busy, including with her Fox sitcom Call Me Kat.
Jennings has been another fan favorite to get the permanent hosting job, though The Wall Street Journal has reported he wasn't selected during the initial job search because of his offensive old tweets. Bialik, meanwhile, has expressed interest in the permanent gig. If the hope is to eventually have a single daily host, though, don't expect that to happen until at least the start of the show's next season, which typically begins in September.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Bormio: 'a great Alpine getaway'
The Week Recommends From snowy slopes and hot-spring spas, to high-end food and wine, this Italian town has something to offer everyone
By Asya Likhtman Published
-
Crossword: March 28, 2024
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sudoku medium: March 28, 2024
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
Kevin Hart awarded Mark Twain Prize
Speed Read He is the 25th recipient of the prestigious comedy prize
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Is Downton Abbey set to return for a final film?
Speed Read Imelda Staunton reveals that a third movie may be in the pipeline
By Adrienne Wyper, The Week UK Published
-
'Oppenheimer' sweeps Oscars with 7 wins
speed read The film won best picture, best director (Christopher Nolan) and best actor (Cillian Murphy)
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
'Rust' armorer convicted of manslaughter
speed read The film's cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot and killed by actor Alec Baldwin during rehearsal
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The Beatles are getting 4 intersecting biopics
Speed Read Director Sam Mendes is making four separate movies, each told from the perspective of one band member
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Taylor Swift to Miley Cyrus: female artists dominate 2024 Grammys
Speed Read SZA, Phoebe Bridgers and Lainey Wilson were also among the winners at LA gala
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
South Korea passes law banning sale and production of dog meat
Speed Read Rare bipartisan support 'highlights changing attitudes' as young people shun centuries-old tradition
By The Week UK Published
-
Out of touch: Daryl Hall obtains restraining order against bandmate John Oates
Speed Read Lawsuit reveals unharmonious relationship between most commercially successful duo in pop history
By Jamie Timson, The Week UK Published