Posted on 09/02/2021 8:09:27 PM PDT by TBP
Last week, Jeopardy! executive producer Mike Richards, who was slated to succeed Alex Trebek as the show’s new permanent host, stepped down from the on-camera role after offensive comments he made on a 2014 podcast about women, Jewish people and other minority groups came to light. After his resignation, the show announced it would resume using guest hosts for the time being while it continues its search for a permanent host. But could that search be a relatively quick one?
According to several reports, former contestant Ken Jennings is the new frontrunner for the job. As former Hollywood Reporter editorial director Matthew Belloni writes in his newsletter What I’m Hearing, “I’m told by two show insiders that it’s now Jennings’ job to lose.”
“[Jennings has] been a good soldier for the show this week, giving interviews lamenting the ‘backstage drama’ but not overtly criticizing anyone,” Belloni points out. “Plus, he already consults for the show, and producers were planning to incorporate more of him into the game.”
“Twitter wants LeVar Burton, but I still don’t see Jeopardy! bringing in someone with a big outside persona,” he adds.
Belloni isn’t the only one reporting that Jennings is the clear favorite. CNN’s Brian Stelter reports that “most of the sources” he spoke with “said Ken Jennings is now the hands-down favorite,” noting that one TV agent told CNN, “They have to give it to him now, don’t they?” Significantly, Stelter also reports that Jennings was “said to be a finalist the first time around.”
Still, we’ll have to wait and see if it’s Jennings who will take up the mantle. Jeopardy! officials have not yet commented publicly on who the new permanent host might be.
(Excerpt) Read more at yahoo.com ...
Aaron’s 37. Mayim Bialik is 45. Buzzy Cohen is 36.
I liked Mike Richards, terribly sorry he didn’t last.
Levar Burton was the worst. KenJen? Not altogether horrible, but not really personable either. And probably intimidating to contestants. Aaron Rogers was perfect IMHO and I’m not a football fan. Smart and quite pleasant with contestants.
Will the game go down the tubes? Will I keep watching? Remains to be seen.
jennings aside from being an uber leftist has as much savoir-faire as a tree stump.
I didn’t watch most of this season with all the leftist hosts disney/abc thinks I want to watch.
They should interview a few thousand walk ins and pick the best one.
I skipped most of Jeopardy this season. I could give it up forever like I did with the nfl over 10 years ago.
Pencil neck and pencil neck?
Bill Whitaker from 60 minutes was the best of them all I thought. Jennings was OK, he did improve, so that’s always good.
Not sure what politics has to do with it. It’s basically reading questions. Aaron is a huge lefty as well. Probably every person reading the questions is. Ken would be the best of the rotten bunch.
That's what they told Cam Newton, too....
My choices.
David Faber
Buzzy Cohen
WHO would watch that TWIT???? He is annoying as hell.
So...Ken Jennings gets sloppy seconds.
People tend to compare the guest hosts to Alex Trebek.
Remember, Alex wasn’t this good when he started in 1984. People were comparing him unfavorably to Art Fleming. Alex put his own stamp on the show; the new person will too.
But as Alex always said, the contestants are the stars. I think Ken and Buzzy understood that in a way most of the other hosts didn’t.
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