Jim Parsons and Mayim Bialik will appear in the Young Sheldon series finale, reprising their roles from The Big Bang Theory. The finale happens on CBS May 16. 

Parsons played Sheldon Cooper and Bialik played Amy Farrah Fowler on Big Bang Theory, which concluded in 2019. Spinoff Young Sheldon started in 2017. 

Another spinoff, about Sheldon’s brother Georgie, his girlfriend Mandy and their baby, is in the works. 

Parsons is an executive producer on Young Sheldon, and provides voiceovers. Bialik has taken part in voiceovers in two episodes.  

Created by Chuck Lorre and Steven Molaro, Young Sheldon centers on Sheldon Cooper, a child of extraordinary intelligence, “which isn’t always helpful in a land where church and football are king,” according to CBS. “And while the vulnerable, gifted and somewhat naïve Sheldon deals with the world, his very normal family must find a way to deal with him.”

Iain Armitage plays Sheldon. Zoe Perry, Lance Barber, Annie Potts, Montana Jordan, Raegan Revord and Emily Osment are also in the cast. 

Parsons, Lorre, Molaro, Steve Holland, Nick Bakay and Todd Spiewak executive produce Young Sheldon. The show is produced by Chuck Lorre Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television.

Season seven began February 15. 

Ken Jennings makes a cameo in the season three starter of comedy Call Me Kat on Fox Sept. 29. Mayim Bialik plays Kat, who runs a cat-friendly cafe in Louisville. She travels the world for a few months, returns, and finds a few changes at the cafe.

On a flight during those travels, Bialik is seated next to Ken Jennings, who won 74 straight Jeopardy! games in 2004, and now hosts the game show along with Bialik.

“We were trying to think of some really fun way to start season three,” said Bialik in a press event.

She was asked by show “higher ups than me,” Bialik said, about Jennings. “I think it’d be amazing,” she responded. “I don’t think he’ll do it though, he’s very busy.”

Jennings made time for Call Me Kat. “He showed up on set so thrilled. He’d never been on a set like that before,” said Bialik. We had a great time with him.”

Bialik noted Jennings’ “great sense of humor about us teasing him.”

She called the episode a “really fun, tongue in cheek crossover” and concluded, “He’s a big deal and we’re happy to have him.”

Asked about balancing Kat and Jeopardy!, Bialik told B+C she’s learned to do a better job of pacing herself so she has the energy required for both. She added that she’s “very relieved” to wear sneakers on the Kat set. “On Jeopardy! I always have to wear heels,” said Bialik.

Swoosie Kurtz, Cheyenne Jackson, Kyla Pratt and Leslie Jordan are also in the Kat cast. Bialik is the star and an executive producer.

On the call, Kurtz, who plays Kat’s mother, saluted Bialik as an actress and a producer. “She’s a great comedian and great actor, a great born producer and thank God we have her as a producer,” said Kurtz. “She always has her eyes on everything, she does not miss a thing.”

Kurtz said Bialik has “360 eyes and a huge heart that’s 360 as well.” ■

Jeopardy! will officially be co-hosted by the tag team of Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings, executive producer Michael Davies confirmed Wednesday (July 27).

That the move was in progress was reported earlier this week but had not been officially confirmed by Davies, the show or producer Sony Pictures Television until now.

“I write today with the exciting news that we have closed and signed deals with Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings to be the hosts of Jeopardy! moving forward,” Davies wrote in a blog post on Jeopardy.com.

“The fact is, we have so much Jeopardy! to make, and so many plans for the future, that we always knew we would need multiple hosts for the franchise and we are just so grateful that Mayim and Ken stepped in and stepped up to put the show in a position to succeed. And succeed it has. With Mayim and Ken hosting, the show is considerably up in viewership year over year, with more than 27 [million] viewers tuning in each week this season. When you consider that almost every other show in broadcast television and syndication is declining, this has been a quite remarkable season: we’re the most-watched entertainment show on all of television. Yes, all of television.”

Jeopardy! had been looking for a new permanent host since the death of Alex Trebek in November 2020. Jennings and Bialik have been co-hosting the show on a temporary basis since last fall.

Beyond sharing hosting duties on the syndicated strip, Bialik and Jennings will also host special events and primetime specials.

Jennings, who is Jeopardy!’s winningest contestant ever and a consulting producer on the show, will kick off the show’s 39th season in September as well as the inaugural Second Chance competition and the popular Tournament of Champions, which this season will feature such players as Amy Schneider, Matt Amodio, Mattea Roach, Ryan Long and more. Jennings will host through December. 

In January, Bialik, who also stars in and executive produces Fox sitcom Call Me Kat, will take the reins. During her run, Bialik will also host “a couple of new tournaments,” according to Davies, as well as the Jeopardy! National College Championship.

In the final six weeks of summer, Jeopardy!, like most syndicated shows, airs repeats. This year, Davies said he and his fellow producers have “handpicked six weeks of some of our favorite episodes of the season, featuring our closest games, super-champions, and some of the people who will be announced as part of our inaugural Second Chance competition.”

Beyond the host announcement, Davies also made some news about what’s coming up for the long-running game show.

Starting Monday, Jeopardy! will release a daily three-minute highlight reel of the day’s episode on its website, across its social media and with its partner TV station affiliates. 

Finally, the show is launching a new weekly podcast titled, “Inside Jeopardy!”  that will be hosted by Davies and Jeopardy!’s producing team. Davies is an experienced podcaster, having co-hosted the soccer-focused “Men in Blazers” podcast since 2014. “Inside Jeopardy!” will kick off with an announcement of the returning players who will face off in the show’s inaugural Second Chance tournament. Davies will also “share my vision for Jeopardy!’s future, including new developments in the areas of pop culture and sports, plans for a Jeopardy! Honors awards show and my biggest and most passionately held idea: a Jeopardy! Masters league in primetime or on a streaming platform,” he wrote.

“Mayim and Ken are both extraordinarily talented and simply lovely humans. They support the staff and each other,” wrote Davies. “They love and respect this institution of a television program. In return, the staff and I are honored to work alongside them.” ■

Jeopardy!’s latest champion, Amy Schneider, on Monday surpassed Yale Ph.D. candidate Matt Amodio to win 39 straight games and become second on the show’s all-time consecutive wins list. The engineering manager from Oakland, Calif.’s winnings now total $1,319,800. 

Only one contestant has won more games than Schneider – Ken Jennings, who has held the top spot with 74 since setting the record in 2004. Jennings has been hosting Jeopardy! throughout Schneider’s run. 

Jennings, who officially became Jeopardy!’s greatest player of all time when he won ABC’s primetime Jeopardy! tournament against James Holzhauer and Brad Rutter in January 2020, is now a consulting producer and ongoing guest host of Jeopardy! Jennings and Mayim Bialik are sharing guest-hosting duties in the wake of the death of longtime host Alex Trebek in November 2020 and the subsequent naming and then ouster of executive producer Mike Richards in August 2021. 

A new second-place record had just been set earlier this season by Amodio, who won 38 consecutive games. Amodio and Schneider will face off in this year’s Tournament of Champions.

“It’s going to be an honor playing against you, and it’s going to be a tight competition,” Schneider said in a message to Amodio.

Schneider’s run has helped propel Jeopardy! to the top of both the syndication and overall TV ratings charts. In the week ended January 9, Jeopardy! led all of syndication with a 6.6 live plus same day national household rating, according to Nielsen Media Research. Season to date through the week ended January 2, Jeopardy! was the most-viewed non-sports entertainment program on television, averaging 9.2 million daily viewers, also according to Nielsen.

Jeopardy! is produced by Sony Pictures Television and distributed by CBS Media Ventures. Michael Davies is executive producing. ■

Jeopardy! will continue to be hosted by Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings  through this season, the show’s 38th, Sony Pictures Television said Wednesday. Michael Davies, former executive producer of Who Wants to be a Millionaire, will remain interim executive producer. 

In September, Bialik and Jennings were named 's alternating guest hosts through 2021. After the death of Alex Trebek in November 2020, Jeopardy! was hosted by a series of guest hosts, including Bialik, Jennings and Mike Richards, who at the time was also executive producer. 

In August, Richards was named permanent host but backlash grew quickly after reports surfaced that he had been included in discrimination lawsuits, that were later settled, while serving as the executive producer of CBS’ daytime game The Price is Right. Website The Ringer also published a long story that uncovered derogatory comments Richards had made about women in a podcast he did in 2013. Jeopardy! producer Sony Pictures Television fired Richards as host and executive producer of Jeopardy! and as executive producer of Wheel of Fortune, roles he had assumed in September 2020 after the retirement of longtime executive producer Harry Friedman.

Bialik, who stars on Fox’s Call Me Kat and played Amy Farrah Fowler on CBS’ The Big Bang Theory, also will host the Jeopardy! National College Tournament on ABC primetime starting Feb. 8. At the time Richards was briefly named permanent host, Bialik was concurrently named host of all Jeopardy! primetime specials. 

Jennings, who has won the most money and the most consecutive Jeopardy! games in regular play, was the show’s first guest host after Trebek’s death and is also a consulting producer. 

Jeopardy! and its companion game, Wheel of Fortune, air in syndication on TV stations all over the country and on ABC-owned stations in top markets. It's distributed in syndication by CBS Media Ventures.

Ken Jennings re-took the podium as guest host of CBS Media Ventures’ Jeopardy! in the week ended Nov. 14, and kept the show in syndication’s top spot with a steady 5.6 live plus same national household rating, according to Nielsen Media Research. Ken Jennings and Mayim Bialik are sharing guest-hosting duties through the end of the year.

Debmar-Mercury’s Family Feud leapfrogged over CBS’ Wheel of Fortune into second place with a 4% gain to a 5.4, while Wheel skidded 4% to a 5.1.

Fox’s 25 Words or Less improved 14% to a new season-high 0.8 after eight weeks at a 0.7. Fox’s rookie You Bet Your Life, starring Jay Leno, stayed at a 0.7 for the seventh straight week.

Entertainment Studios’ Funny You Should Ask remained at a 0.4 for the third week in a row. 

Disney’s internet video show RightThisMinute mustered a 0.6 for a 13th consecutive week.

CBS Media Ventures’ Dr. Phil hit a new season high and held on to sole possession of first place in talk for a second straight week with a 6% spike to a 1.9, the show’s best rating since the week ended Feb. 28. Dr. Phil has now been first or tied for first for the past nine weeks. 

Disney’s Live with Kelly and Ryan, which has topped talk 22 times in the past 27 weeks, including five ties with Dr. Phil, rose 6% to a second place 1.7.

Among daytime’s key demographic of women 25-54, Live led with a 0.7, followed by Phil at a 0.6.

Back in households, Warner Bros.’ Ellen DeGeneres in its 19th and final season had the biggest percentage improvement in talk, elevating 11% to a 1.0 and matching its season high. Over the past three months, Ellen has advanced 150%, jumping from eighth place, set during NBC’s airing of the Tokyo Summer Olympics, to third.

National ratings for Ellen’s Nov. 18 exclusive interview with Meghan Markle will not be available until next week, however, the Duchess of Sussex boosted Ellen’s overnights in the nation’s two biggest markets, taking them up 50% in New York and 133% in Los Angeles compared to the prior Thursday.

NBCUniversal’s Kelly Clarkson held its ground at a season-best 0.9.

NBCU’s conflict talker Maury maintained a 0.8 for a third straight week. Debmar-Mercury’s Wendy Williams fell back 22% to a new season-low 0.7 with guest host Michael Rapaport, tying CBS’ steady Rachael Ray.

Also: Sherri Shepherd Returns to Guest Host ‘Wendy Williams’

Disney’s Tamron Hall, NBCU’s Steve Wilkos and Sony Pictures Television’s Dr. Oz all were steady at a 0.6. 

CBS’ sophomore Drew Barrymore stayed put at a 0.5, while Fox’s rookie Nick Cannon fell back 20% to a 0.4.

NBCU’s out-of-production Jerry Springer stayed at a 0.3 for the ninth straight week, tying Warner Bros.’ The Real, which registered a 0.3 for the ninth time in ten weeks. 

Trailing the field was CBS’ The Doctors, which stalled at a 0.2 for the 37th straight week. 

In repeats, CBS’ out-of-production Judge Judy jumped for the third consecutive week, adding 2% to a new season-high 4.9, the show’s strongest rating since the week ended July 18. 

CBS’ Hot Bench, Warner Bros.’ People’s Court, Warner Bros.’ Judge Mathis and Fox’s Divorce Court all stayed at a 1.5, 0.8, 0.6 and 0.5, respectively. NBCU’s Judge Jerry stayed at a series- low 0.4 for a ninth straight week.

Wrigley Media’s rookie Relative Justice remained at a 0.3 for a second week.

CBS’ Inside Edition and Entertainment Tonight, NBCU’s Access Hollywood, Fox’s TMZ, Warner Bros.’ Extra, which lost its primary run in the top seven markets due to Thursday Night Football on Nov. 11, and CBS’ DailyMailTV all were on par with the prior week’s 2.3, 2.1, 0.8, 0.7, 0.6 and 0.5, respectively. Fox’s Dish Nation slipped 33% to a 0.2.

Warner Bros.’ The Big Bang Theory held at a 2.0 to lead the off-network sitcoms. Disney’s Last Man Standing stumbled 8% to a 1.2. SPT’s The Goldbergs and Warner Bros.’ rookie Young Sheldon both rose 13% to a 0.9, a new season-high for Sheldon. Warner Bros.’ Two and a Half Men and Disney’s Modern Family each forged ahead 14% to a 0.8. Disney’s Family Guy garnered a 0.7 for the third time in four weeks, tying SPT’s Seinfeld, which held steady for a seventh straight week. Warner Bros.’ 2 Broke Girls appreciated 20% to a 0.6 and Disney’s Black-ish broke even at a 0.5 for the fifth straight week. 

Jeopardy! will host its first-ever professors tournament starting Monday, Dec. 6 and running through Friday, Dec. 17, with Mayim Bialik hosting. 

Instructors from 15 colleges and universities will face off on the quiz show, produced by Sony Pictures Television and distributed by CBS Media Ventures, until a champion finally emerges on Dec. 17. 

“It was an unbelievable thrill to see so many brilliant professors from all kinds of schools and backgrounds come together on the Jeopardy! stage,” said Bialik in a statement. “There was a sense of kinship and academic camaraderie among the group, along with a healthy dose of competitiveness. That energy made this inaugural Professors Tournament incredibly special.”

The following educators will compete for a $100,000 grand prize and a spot in Jeopardy!’s upcoming Tournament of Champions: 

— J.P. Allen, professor of business, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, Calif.

— Hester Blum, professor of English, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pa.

— Sam Buttrey, professor of operations research, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif.

— Marti Canipe, professor of elementary science, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Ariz.

— Lisa Dresner, associate professor of writing, Hofstra University, Hempstead, N.Y.

— Ramón Guerra, professor of English, literature and Latino studies, University of Nebraska-Omaha in Omaha, Neb.

— Gautam Hans, associate clinical professor of law, Vanderbilt Law School, Nashville, Tenn.

— John Harkless, associate professor of chemistry, Howard University, Washington, D.C.

— Ed Hashima, professor of history, American River College, Sacramento, Calif.

— Gary Hollis, professor of chemistry, Roanoke College, Salem, Va.

— Alisa Hove, professor of botany, Warren Wilson College, Asheville, N.C.

— Ashleigh Lawrence-Sanders, assistant professor of U.S. and African-American history, University of Colorado-Boulder in Boulder, Colo.

— Katie Reed, associate professor of musicology, California State University Fullerton in Fullerton, Calif.

— Deborah Steinberger, professor of French literature, University of Delaware in Newark, Del.

— Julia Williams, professor of English, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Ind.

Bialik was named host of Jeopardy! primetime specials in August. The Call Me Kat and Big Bang Theory actress moved into a guest-hosting position, along with Greatest of All Time player and consulting producer Ken Jennings, for Jeopardy!’s syndicated version after executive oroducer Mike Richards had to exit the show. Richards was briefly named the show’s permanent host but departed due to fan outcry when reports surfaced of him making offensive comments towards women in a podcast and being named in discrimination lawsuits, that were ultimately settled, when he was the executive producer of CBS’s The Price is Right. 

Also: Mike Richards Out as EP of 'Jeopardy!,' 'Wheel of Fortune'

Jeopardy! has been without a permanent host since Alex Trebek died of pancreatic cancer in November 2020.

Also: Remembering 'Jeopardy!' Host Alex Trebek

Jeopardy! returned to the syndication lead in the week ended Sept. 26 as superstar contestant Matt Amodio continued his dominant run. Jeopardy! jumped 6% to a 5.4 live plus same day national household rating, according to Nielsen Media Research. 

That tied Debmar-Mercury’s Family Feud to end up in the syndication lead for the first time since the week ended April 18, 2021, when CBS Media Ventures’ Jeopardy! was guest-hosted by Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Feud, which will debut its new season Oct. 11, was in repeats all week and inched up 2%.

The week was hosted by sitcom star Mayim Bialik, who replaced ousted executive producer and host Mike Richards and is expected to host until Nov. 5, when Jeopardy! top player and consulting producer Ken Jennings will take over through the end of the year.

Also Read: Mayim Bialik, Ken Jennings to Share 'Jeopardy!' Hosting Duties

Amodio, a Yale Ph.D. candidate, had won more than $1 million as of Sept. 26, making him the third-highest regular season money winner. He’s in second place, behind only Jennings with 74, for most consecutive wins with 34 thus far.

CBS’ Wheel of Fortune rolled ahead 4% to a 5.0. 

Fox’s rookie You Bet Your Life, starring Jay Leno, added 14% to a 0.8. Fox’s 25 Words or Less, hosted by Meredith Vieira, and Entertainment Studios’ Funny You Should Ask stayed put with a 0.7 and 0.4, respectively.

Disney’s internet video show RightThisMinute remained at a 0.6 for the seventh straight week.

Magazines were all steady to higher for a second straight week, with a week that included next-day coverage of the 73rd Primetime Emmys.

CBS’ Inside Edition and Entertainment Tonight both moved ahead, with Inside Edition adding 10% to a 2.3 and Entertainment Tonight advancing 5% to a 2.2. NBCUniversal’s Access Hollywood and Warner Bros.’ TMZ retained a 0.8 and 0.7, respectively. Warner Bros.’ Extra held its ground at a 0.6, tying CBS’ DailyMailTV, which improved 20%. Fox’s Dish Nation held at a 0.3 for the 54th time in the past 56 weeks. 

In daytime, some shows ran into preemptions for coverage of President Joe Biden’s remarks in front of the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 21.

CBS’ Dr. Phil reclaimed the talk lead after debuting its 20th season in the prior week, increasing 6% for the week and 29% for the prior two weeks to a 19-week-high 1.8.

Among daytime’s key demographic of women 25-54, Dr. Phil tied Disney’s Live with Kelly and Ryan with a 0.6, followed by Warner Bros.’ Ellen DeGeneres and NBCU’s Kelly Clarkson, both  of which were at a 0.4. 

Live, which has been first or tied for first 48 times in the past 55 weeks, gave back 6% to a 1.6 in households. 

Ellen Degeneres preserved a third-place 1.0 and remained at a 14-week high. Over the past two weeks in which the show’s final season debuted, Ellen’s ratings have improved 25%.

Kelly Clarkson, which premiered its third season, clocked a 0.9 for a second week, tying NBCU’s Maury, which rebounded 13%. 

CBS’ Rachael Ray realized a 0.7 for a seventh straight week. Disney’s Tamron Hall and Debmar-Mercury’s Wendy Williams both gave back 14% to a 0.6, tying Sony’s Dr. Oz, which was stable.

Also Read: Quiana Burns Replaces Candi Carter on 'Tamron Hall'

CBS’ Drew Barrymore, early in its sophomore season, stayed at a 0.5, tying NBCU’s Steve Wilkos, which weakened 17% to a new series low.

NBCU’s out-of-production syndicated version of Jerry Springer stayed at a 0.3, tying Warner Bros.’ The Real, which held steady for the 19th straight week.

CBS’ The Doctors stayed at a 0.2 for the 31st consecutive week.

CBS’ Judge Judy, in repeats, jumped 4% to a nine-week-high 4.5, leading all of daytime and ranking as syndication’s fourth-highest series.

CBS’ Hot Bench sustained a 1.6 for a second week. Warner Bros.’ People’s Court and Judge Mathis managed an unchanged 0.8 and 0.6, respectively. Fox’s Divorce Court climbed 25% to a 0.5. NBCU’s Judge Jerry stayed at its series-low 0.4 for a second week.

Warner Bros.’ The Big Bang Theory led the off-network sitcoms with a 9% gain to a 2.4. Disney’s Last Man Standing stepped up 7% to a 1.5. Disney’s Modern Family forged ahead 13% to a 0.9, tying Warner Bros.’ Two and a Half Men, which held steady for a third week. Sony’s Seinfeld, which debuts on Netflix on Oct. 11 TKTK, recovered 13% to a 0.8, tying Sony’s The Goldbergs, which was flat for a second week. Disney’s Family Guy fell 13% to a 0.7. Warner Bros.’ Two Broke Girls earned a 0.6 for the third week in a row. Warner Bros.’ Mom stood pat at a 0.5, tying Warner Bros.’ Mike & Molly and Disney’s Black-ish, both of which backtracked 17% to new series lows.

Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings will split hosting duties on access game show Jeopardy! through the end of the year, producer Sony Pictures Television said Thursday. 

Bialik’s run will start Monday, Sept. 20 and run through Nov. 5. After that, Bialik and Jennings will split hosting duties as their schedules allow, Sony said. Bialik, who stars on Fox’s Call Me Kat and played Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler on CBS’ top-rated The Big Bang Theory, also has been tapped by Sony to host all Jeopardy! primetime specials and spinoffs. Jennings, who won 74 consecutive games of Jeopardy! and won $2.5 million in 2004, was named the greatest Jeopardy! player of all time in January 2020 after he won ABC’s Greatest of All Time (GOAT) tournament against Brad Rutter and James Holzhauer. Jennings serves as a consulting producer on the show.

Guest hosts began emceeing the iconic game show after the death of Alex Trebek in November 2020 of pancreatic cancer. Jennings was the first of these, followed by executive producer Mike Richards. 

Over the summer, Richards emerged as the leading candidate for the permanent host job, which he was then given in August. Backlash against the selection grew quickly after reports surfaced that Richards had been included in discrimination lawsuits, that were later settled, while serving as the executive producer of CBS’ daytime game The Price is Right. Website The Ringer also published a long story that uncovered derogatory comments Richards had made about women in a podcast he did in 2013. 

Richards stepped back from the hosting job earlier this month, and Sony ultimately fired him as executive producer of both Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune. He had assumed those roles in September 2020 after longtime executive producer Harry Friedman retired. 

Jeopardy!, which is entering its 38th season in syndication, averaged a 4.1 live plus same day household rating, according to Nielsen Media Research, in the week ended Sept. 5. It tied CBS’ Judge Judy to come in second overall for the season at a 5.2 live plus same day season to date household rating. 

Jeopardy! and its companion game, Wheel of Fortune, air in syndication on TV stations all over the country and on ABC-owned stations in top markets. It's distributed in domestic syndication by CBS Media Ventures.

CBS Media Ventures's Jeopardy! has had a string of guest hosts this year since the death of Alex Trebek in November.

The show’s ratings started out on top at 6.2 when Ken Jennings began his six-week guest hosting stint in the week ended Jan. 17. But since Jennings’ start the long-running game show has had a bumpy ride, bottoming out at a 4.4 with LeVar Burton at the podium in the week ended Aug. 1. Burton's stint, though, was heavily impacted by the Tokyo Olympics, which pounded most syndies in the frame.

Jeopardy! has since rebounded: first with CNBC's David Faber earning a 4.5 in the week ended Aug. 8, and then second with Fox Sports' Joe Buck nabbing a 5.2 in the week ended Aug. 15. Buck's rating marked a 13-week high for the game show and a 16% jump over the previous week.

Before Burton and Faber, the game show's lowest rating came in at a 4.7 with Savannah Guthrie, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, and Robin Roberts each earning that number during their respective turns at the podium.

Find out how the guest hosts (so far) stack up below. The most recent ratings are for the week ended Aug. 15 and are based on live plus same day national household ratings from Nielsen Media Research. It's also important to note that ratings are affected by more than the guest host. Preemptions, the Tokyo Olympics, and the slow summer season, for example, all have an impact.

Also Read: New 'Jeopardy!' Host Mike Richards Steps Down After Just 9 Days

Mayim Bialik will fill in as host of Sony Pictures Television’s Jeopardy! for the first three weeks of season 38, the company said Monday. Bialik, star of Fox’s Call Me Kat and CBS’ The Big Bang Theory, was recently announced as host of all upcoming Jeopardy! primetime specials and spin-offs, including a college tournament on ABC next year.

Bialik is stepping in to shoot 15 episodes -- or three weeks of new shows -- after Sony confirmed Friday that executive producer Mike Richards was stepping down from the permanent hosting position. Richards, who joined the show in September 2020 and guest-hosted last February, became the subject of intense social-media scrutiny after reports surfaced of employee complaints and discrimination lawsuits against him while he was executive producer of CBS’ network daytime game show The Price is Right.

Also Read: New 'Jeopardy!' Host Mike Richards Steps Down After Just 9 Days

In a memo to the show's staff on Friday, Richards said the controversy that had emerged since his appointment had become “too much of a distraction for our fans and not the right move for the show.” 

Going forward, Sony plans to go back to using guest hosts until a new permanent host is determined. Richards remains executive producer of both Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune. Prior to joining those shows, he executive produced The Price is Right and Let's Make a Deal, both of which are produced by Fremantle for CBS' network daytime. Richards also previously hosted game shows on Sony's Game Show Network.

Jeopardy! began being hosted by guest hosts last January after the death of the show’s longtime host, Alex Trebek, in November 2020. Guest hosts over the past year have included Ken Jennings, Jeopardy!’s greatest player of all time and a consulting producer on the show, as well as Bialik, Richards, Katie Couric, Savannah Guthrie, Anderson Cooper, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, LeVar Burton and many more. 

Jeopardy! is produced by Sony Pictures Television and distributed to TV stations by CBS Television Distribution.

Mike Richards officially has been named host of the day-to-day syndicated version of Sony Pictures Television’s Jeopardy! with Mayim Bialik taking on primetime and spinoff series, including the upcoming Jeopardy! National College Championship that will air in primetime on ABC next year. While serving as host, Richards will also continue to executive produce both Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune.

Ken Jennings, who was the show’s first guest host after Alex Trebek died in November 2020, will remain with Jeopardy! as consulting producer. 

“We are thrilled to begin the next chapter of America’s Favorite Quiz Show with Mike hosting our daily show and Mayim hosting new versions of Jeopardy!,” said Ravi Ahuja, chairman of global television studios and corporate development for Sony Pictures, in a statement. “We took this decision incredibly seriously. A tremendous amount of work and deliberation has gone into it, perhaps more than has ever gone into the selection of hosts for a show — deservedly so because it’s Jeopardy! and we are following the incomparable Alex Trebek. A senior group of Sony Pictures Television executives pored over footage from every episode, reviewed research from multiple panels and focus groups, and got valuable input from our key partners and Jeopardy! viewers.”

Variety first reported that Richards, who joined the program in September 2020, was in advanced talks to host the show. 

Also Read: Mike Richards, 'Jeopardy!' EP, Might be Show's Next Host

After that story broke, stories surfaced on social media that Richards had been named in pregnancy discrimination lawsuits filed while he was executive producing Fremantle’s The Price Is Right, which airs in daytime on CBS. On Monday, Richards addressed those issues in a memo to staff.

“I want to address the complicated employment issues raised in the press during my time at The Price Is Right 10 years ago,” he wrote. “These were allegations made in employment disputes against the show. I want you all to know that the way in which my comments and actions have been characterized in these complaints does not reflect the reality of who I am or how we worked together on The Price Is Right. I know firsthand how special it is to be a parent. It is the most important thing in the world to me. I would not say anything to disrespect anyone’s pregnancy and have always supported my colleagues on their parenting journeys.”

Also Read: Mike Richards, ‘Jeopardy!’ EP, Addresses Host Conversations, Discrimination Lawsuits

In an interview with B&C in May, Richards said the decision on who would become the permanent host would be made by higher-ups at Sony and that while he had input into the decision, the final choice was not his.

“We knew early on that we wanted to divide the hosting responsibilities and it became very clear that Mike and Mayim were the undeniable choices. They were both at the top of our research and analysis,” Ahuja said. “Mike is a unique talent, at ease behind the podium and a double threat as producer and host. Mayim has a wonderful energy, an innate sense of the game, and an authentic curiosity that naturally represents the Jeopardy! brand. We are excited to get to work with them both and are confident that they will carry on the legacy of this iconic show.” 

“I am deeply honored to have the opportunity to host the syndicated version of Jeopardy!,” said Richards in a statement. “Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined being chosen to step into a role of this magnitude. I am incredibly humbled to step behind the lectern and will work tirelessly to make sure our brilliant contestants shine in each and every episode. Alex believed the game itself and the contestants are the most important aspects of the show. I was fortunate to witness his professionalism, intensity and kindness up close and that will serve as the ultimate blueprint as we continue to produce the show we love. I am thrilled that Mayim is joining the Jeopardy! team. Her academic track record and enthusiasm for the game made her a terrific guest host. It will be a privilege to produce the primetime series with her as host.” 

Bialik’s role is a new one for the show, which is looking to expand its brand on to new platforms, including ABC primetime where it had success with its Greatest of All Time tournament that was ultimately won by Jennings. The National College Championship is an all-new Jeopardy! Tournament that features players from 15 colleges going head-to-head across two weeks of competition. 

Also Read: ABC Picks Up 'Jeopardy!' National College Championship Hosted by Mayim Bialik

“I couldn’t be more thrilled to join the Jeopardy! family,” Bialik said, also in a statement. Bialik is the star of such TV shows as Blossom, The Big Bang Theory and Call Me Kat. “What started out with my 15-year-old repeating a rumor from Instagram that I should guest host the show has turned into one of the most exciting and surreal opportunities of my life! I’m so grateful and excited to continue to work with Mike Richards, and I’m just over the moon to join forces with him and Sony. After all the conversations we’ve had about this partnership, I am just so ready to get started!”

Besides Richards, Bialik and Jennings, a series of guest hosts have taken turns at the Jeopardy! podium in 2021, including Katie Couric, Aaron Rodgers, Bill Whitaker, Anderson Cooper, Savannah Guthrie, Sanjay Gupta, LeVar Burton, George Stephanopoulos, Robin Roberts, Joe Buck, Dr. Mehmet Oz, Buzzy Cohen and David Faber. Richards’ guest hosting appearances aired February 22-March 5 and Bialik served as guest host from May 31- June 11.

As part of each host’s appearance, a donation was made to a charity of their choice, with the amount donated equaling the cumulative winnings of the contestants that competed during the weeks they served as guest host. In total, Jeopardy! donated nearly $3 million to various charities this past season.  

Prior to joining Sony Pictures in 2019, Richards executive produced CBS's The Price Is Right for 11 years. He also served as executive producer of CBS's Let’s Make a Deal. He’s also hosted five series, including Beauty and the Geek, Game Show Network's 2016–17 version of Divided and the 2012 revival of The Pyramid. Game Show Network is owned by Sony Pictures.

Besides starring on TV shows, Bialik is a neuroscientist who hosts mental health podcast, “Mayim Bialik’s Breakdown.” She also recently wrote and directed her first feature film, As Sick As They Made Us, starring Dustin Hoffman and Candice Bergen.   

Richards takes the podium permanently when Jeopardy! returns for season 38 on Sept. 13.

ABC said it has picked up the Jeopardy National College Championship, which will be hosted by Mayim Bialik.

Bialik was one of the people who tried out on air to replace Alex Trebek as the host of the syndicated Jeopardy! 

Jeopardy! executive Producer Mike Richards has reportedly been named the permanent host of the syndicated answer-and-question show.

Also Read: Mike Richards, 'Jeopardy!' EP, Addresses Host Conversations, Discrimination Lawsuits

ABC said the Jeopardy! College tournament will air in prime time in 2022.

The competition will feature 15 colleagues and universities from across the country. The will compete over two week, and each of the students on the winning team will earn a grand prize of $100,000.

Jeopardy! National College Championship is produced by Sony Pictures Television. Mike Richards will executive produce. 

Jeopardy!’s next round of guest hosts include Katie Couric, Aaron Rodgers, Bill Whitaker and Mayim Bialik after the game’s Greatest of All Time Ken Jennings took the first tour of duty January 11-15.  A donation will be made to the charity of each guest host’s choice, equaling the cumulative winnings of the contestants that compete during the weeks they host.

In total, Jennings taped 30 episodes so he’s expected to host the show over the course of six weeks. 

Also Read: Final Trebek Episodes of Jeopardy! to Air Jan. 4-8

“Sharing this stage with Alex Trebek was one of the greatest honors of my life," Jennings said on Monday’s episode after he was introduced by the show’s long-time announcer Johnny Gilbert. "Not many things in life are perfect, but Alex did this job pretty much perfectly for more than 36 years. And it was even better up close. We were dazzled by his intelligence, his charm, his grace – really, there's no other word for it."

After Jennings’ run, executive producer Mike Richards will host the show for two weeks before the next round of guest hosts take their turns. Jeopardy!, which is produced by Sony Pictures Television and distributed by CBS Media Ventures, aired the final five episodes of original host Alex Trebek’s run Jan. 4-8 after Trebek passed away on Nov. 8 at 80 of pancreatic cancer.

Couric will be Jeopardy!’s first-ever female host. Besides being the former anchor of NBC’s Today and CBS Evening News, Couric also is the founder of Katie Couric Media, which creates the daily Wake-Up Call newsletter as well as documentaries, digital and series and podcasts.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Rodgers is a Super Bowl MVP and nine-time NFL Pro Bowl selection. He’s also a Celebrity Jeopardy! champion, after competing on the program in 2015.

60 Minutes’ correspondent Bill Whitaker has worked as a journalist for CBS News for four decades. In 2018, he was awarded the RTNDA’s Paul White Award for career achievement.

Mayim Bialik is currently starring on and executive producing Fox’s Call Me Kat after a long run as Amy Farrah Fowler on CBS’ The Big Bang Theory. She also hosts her own podcast on mental health titled, “Mayim Bialik’s Breakdown.”

Additional guest hosts will be announced later in the season.

TBS said it will launch Celebrity Show-Off, a talent competition series hosted by Mayim Bialik, on June 23 at 10 p.m.

The series is based on a Korean show My Little Television. Each week celebrities produce videos from their homes that appear online on TBS’s YouTube Channel. The videos that attract the biggest audience stay on the air and avoid going dark. On TBS, the celebrities appear in a virtual studio to screen the shows and see who has been eliminated. The eliminated contestant is replaced by a new celebrity.

The longer a celebrity stays on the show, the more money they earn for a designated charity. The last star on the air earns an extra donation.

Talent confirmed for the showcase so far are Diplo, Ja Rule, Action Bronson, Gabi Butler, Dwight Howard, Travis Kelce, Nene Leakes, Jason Mraz, Kevin Smith, Tori Spelling, Bella Thorne, Rumer, Scout, and Tallulah Willis.

“Wait until you see what this cast has pulled off,” said Corie Henson executive VP and head of unscripted programming for TBS, TNT and truTV. “From sharing never-before-seen talents, to performing crazy stunts or even bringing on special guests, the celebs’ shows are creatively ambitious with DIY charm – since our cast are all working with the limitations of what they’ve got available at home.”

Celebrity Show-Off is being produced by Craig Pletsis of The Masked Singer.

“After discovering The Masked Singer and bringing it to American audiences, I have been on the lookout for interesting and innovative Korean formats. Celebrity Show-Off is exactly that - a fresh, fun series unlike anything else on television,” said Plestis. “It’s a cutting edge take on celebrity competition that will allow viewers to see their favorite stars in completely new ways, and put a smile on their faces in these trying times.”

Celebrity Show-Off is based on the Korean format from Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation and executive produced by Craig Plestis for Smart Dog Media. The series is produced by Critical Content with Tom Forman executive producing alongside Jenny Daly and Jon Beyer and Aliyah Silverstein serving as executive producer and showrunner.