Jeopardy! Host Mayim Bialik Not Returning to Series
Bialik announced that she will not return to the long-running quiz show.
It's officially the end of an era for Jeopardy!. On Friday, Mayim Bialik announced via Instagram that she will not be returning to her role as host of the iconic game show. Bialik previously served as one of the interim hosts of Jeopardy! following the passing of Alex Trebek in 2020, eventually becoming one of the two permanent hosts alongside series champion Ken Jennings after series producer Mike Richards stepped down due to controversy. Earlier this year, Bialik walked away from hosting the final week of episodes for Season 39, in order to stand in solidarity with the Writers Guild of America strike. Jennings stepped in to host her remaining episodes.
"As the holiday break begins in Hollywood, I have some Jeopardy! rules," Bialik's statement reads. "Sony has informed me that I will no longer be hosting the syndicated version of Jeopardy! I am incredibly honored to have been nominated for a primetime Emmy for hosting this year and I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of the Jeopardy! family. For all of you who have supported me through this incredible journey and to the fans, contestants, writers, staff and crew of America's Favorite Quiz Show, thank you."
Was Jeopardy! Affected by the Writers' Strike?
Bialik's decision to step away from the show during the WGA strike raised questions about the show's material, since it is technically classified as a WGA production. As executive producer Michael Davies revealed in August, Season 40 of Jeopardy! was briefly able to use a "combination of material that our WGA writers wrote before the strike, which is still in the database, and material that has been re-deployed from multiple seasons of the show." The show also announced a Second Chance Tournament, which would allow returning players to answer those recycled questions, and confirmed plays to delay the Season 39 Tournament of Champions.
"Jeopardy! never had any intention of producing a Tournament of Champions for season 39 until the strike is resolved," a statement from the company read at the time. "Further, no contestants from season 39 have been contacted regarding their availability for any postseason tournaments, including the TOC. The Jeopardy! postseason represents the pinnacle of our competition, and it should feature our strongest players playing our toughest original material. Jeopardy! has a long history with and tremendous respect for the WGA and our writers. We have always been careful to honor our WGA agreements and we would never air game material not created by WGA writers. However, just as we did, led by Alex Trebek, during the 2007-2008 strike, we will deliver first-run episodes again this fall to more than 200 affiliate stations nationwide. Our current plan is to go into a holding pattern of sorts, pushing back the season 39 postseason to first produce original episodes featuring the best of our WGA written material. Everyone at Jeopardy! hopes that the guilds and the AMPTP can reach a fair resolution quickly. Celebrity Jeopardy! will return on ABC this fall with original material written by WGA writers before the strike. Jeopardy! and Celebrity Jeopardy! are covered under the SAG-AFTRA Network Code, which remains in effect."
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