Jeopardy! fans demand Mayim Bialik & Ken Jennings be fired & beg for new host
FANS have demanded that Jeopardy! creators fire both Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings and bring on a third host as a permanent replacement.
Viewers have slammed both stars for months as they struggle to find a long-term substitution for the late Alex Trebek.
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Now fans have asked that executives cut both Mayim, 46, and Ken, 48, from the roster, and instead cast LeVar Burton as the official host.
“I missed when LeVar Burton did it but how did he fare? Was he good at it? He was my first choice,” one wrote on Reddit.
“Neither. Lavar Burton is the best choice here,” a second agreed.
A third remarked: “Only way I would ever watch that show, LeVar,” while a fourth said: “I’m still solidly on team LeVar.”
JEOPARDY! HOST SHOWDOWN
Mayim and Ken have been battling over the role as official Jeopardy! host for months among a slew of other potential contenders.
Earlier this week, fans spotted the previous show contestant’s return date after an eight-week hiatus.
The TV star has been listed to return to Jeopardy! on Monday, July 18th.
A fan shared a Twitter screenshot of their upcoming TV recordings, which showed Ken’s name for that date.
“Ken’s coming back to host Jeopardy! for the final two weeks of season 38,” they wrote alongside the image.
“Thank GOD,” one user replied, loving the confirmation he’ll be back, and soon, concluding the season.
Mayim has been hosting after Ken’s earlier stretch and his announcement he’d be out for “months.”
Indeed, he wasn’t exaggerating as the actress has been on-screen for eight weeks straight.
MAYIM’S BACKLASH
Between them, fans largely prefer Ken after a season of split hosting and some controversial games under her including stilted games, repeated misjudged clues and questionable rulings.
When Mayim opened the currently airing pre-taped week, one Twitter user fumed: “Why is Mayim STILL hosting? I don’t get it.
“I thought she and Ken were trading off? She has had WAY more weeks than he has.”
The permanent hosting decision is still on the board and is said to be sealed by the end of Season 38 this month.
CALLING FOR KEN
Ken famously won the most games ever in 2004, 74 straight, and to many seems like the natural successor to Alex Trebek having bonded with the late legend and handling his games with gusto.
The show alum hosted through the earlier part of this season, though it’s been a while since fans have seen him.
But given the evidence that Ken will be coming back to finish it out, some are thinking this is categorically good news.
FUTURE OF JEOPARDY!
One possibility that has been implied by execs is that the actress could simply host spinoffs soon, perhaps with Buzzy Cohen.
Executive producer Mike Davies told Variety on June 25: “We hope to have a hosting announcement very, very soon.”
“But with all of our plans for Jeopardy!—which is more Jeopardy!, not less, more versions — we’re going to need multiple hosts to represent the entire audience.
“To represent the entire country, in order to take this franchise forward.”
Another clue that Ken has been slated for the main gig was that he accepted a 2022 Daytime Emmy award in June alone without Mayim, who also wasn’t in its montage, and she has her sitcom renewed for fall.
SHOW RATINGS
The show’s ratings nearly doubled to 9.7M viewers when Ken made his first appearance.
When Mayim took over her hosting duties the headcount dropped to 5.9 million viewers during a college championship and she hasn’t bested Ken’s ratings since during Season 38.
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