New Details Leak Over Mayim Bialik's Firing From Jeopardy!
Mayim Bialik reportedly "wasn't loved" on the set of Jeopardy!
Mayim Bialik is no longer one of the two hosts behind Jeopardy!, with the Big Bang Theory alumnus sharing she's been let go from the position as of this week. Though Bialik's introductory social media post was light on exact details, new reports suggest the host "wasn't loved on set." The latest information comes from Puck's Matt Belloni, who suggests Sony TV let Bialik go for a variety of reasons not outlined in the studio's initial statement.
"Sony TV executive Suzanne Prete and executive producer Michael Davies were furious when Bialik said in May that she would step away from the final week of filming last season in solidarity with the show's striking writers," Beloni wrote in his latest edition of What I'm Hearing. "After all, Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune are well-oiled machines, requiring precise timing to make the show's five-episodes-a-day schedule. Plus, Bialik wasn't loved on set, and Sony had switched up shooting that season to accommodate her Fox sitcom, Call Me Kat."
Though Bialik was candid in her thoughts on the show during the writers' strike earlier this year, her first statement after the firing remainded cordial.
"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."
How was Jeopardy! affected by the strike?
"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 onset of the WGA strike. "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."
Jeopardy! is in the midst of its 40th season.
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