Jeopardy has settled on its new host(s).
Producer Mike Richards gets the regular nightly gig, augmented by Mayim Bialik, who'll do the tournaments and any special, standalone type events.
I'm okay with this. His guest stint went very well and what little I saw of hers was smooth and watchable. Neither seemed interested in doing shtick or making it about them, which was my only hope in all this. Just get someone sedate, pleasant, low-key and who didn't feel the need to crack wise at every opportunity. That wears thin quickly.
They're both young so the gig can be theirs for many years if they want it.
I'm guessing Ken Jennings didn't want the gig because I was sure he was a lock. But maybe that made
too much sense, or was too lazy/predictable a choice? He did a good job as host too.
But I'm totally fine with Richards and Bialik doing the tag-team (err...) thing. Something different. Tweak the format a smidge if they think it'll bring something new to the show. Just don't monkey with the actual gameplay/pacing/scoring...it's perfect as is. It doesn't need applause after every answer, people saying "you got this!"/fist-bumping and taking seven minutes to decide which (useless) "lifeline" to use.
Jeopardy is the only game show that doesn't make me want to throw a frying pan at my TV. By definition/design, dumbasses aren't allowed on, so you don't get the
Price Is Right,
Deal or No Deal and
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? contestants just getting by on pure, blind dumb luck/random chance "decision-making" that could go any way, having no control over their outcome (and acting like blockheads in the process, since they're not really required to know anything beyond their own name). Those kinds of game shows have never appealed to me...why would I want to watch strangers blindly roll dice (metaphorically) and "guess" for 30 minutes? Hell,
I can do that. Yes, you may get the occasional lip-smacker, smart ass or vocal fry artisan on Jeopardy, but that's a small price to pay for people who actually
know some legit, staggering shit (and earn some good money as a result).
But hey...my nightmare host, Wanda Sykes (or Andy Dick), didn't land the gig. That's all I need to be relieved.
They could've hired anyone other than those two and I would've been okay with it.