The hosting situation over at Jeopardy! is a seemingly endless source of entertainment at this point. (At least for fans, if not for the stressed-out producers wishing to make controversy-free magic happen behind the scenes.) The iconic game show's latest update revealed, in the aftermath of Mike Richards stepping down after one day as "permanent" host, that The Big Bang Theory vet and past guest host Mayim Bialik would be returning for a few more weeks of daily episodes, on top of her impending gig as host of Jeopardy!'s primetime specials. But it looks like producers are trying to figure out how to keep Bialik around perpetually.
While Jeopardy! producers apparently haven't ever been mysterious about how interested they'd be to bring in Mayim Bialik as a permanent host, the celeb does have other jobs and responsibilities that make hosting a daily game show just a tad difficult. But Sony execs apparently don't want to believe that's the case, as TMZ reports that efforts are still being made behind the scenes to accommodate Bialik's busy life.
For instance, Jeopardy! producers are reportedly considering how they can adjust the game show's traditional production schedule to slot filming for times when Mayim Bialik isn't busy recording her mental wellness podcast Bialik Breakdown, or filming the sophomore season of her Fox sitcom Call Me Kat. (I do wonder if anyone at Jeopardy! tried to get her co-stars Leslie Jordan and Swoosie Kurtz as a guest-host tag team, because that would be terrific.) While the long-running TV staple doesn't tend to shoot on weekends, it appears the game show bosses are willing to try such tactics, as well as potentially filming during the show's usual hiatus periods.
Of course, a lot of this also comes down to what Mayim Bialik herself wants, and it's reported that she definitely also has much interest in becoming the next permanent Jeopardy! host, even if it's not 100% clear how to make that happen just yet. That said, Fox execs are allegedly being open and lenient regarding Bialik's cross-studio responsibilities. And while Call Me Kat's filming schedule is more rigidly planned than Jeopardy!'s, with Season 2 aiming for a midseason debut, the comedy does have a shorter production schedule than most Fall TV entries. Plus, its multicam-ness basically means the cast and crew never have to worry about major delays and setbacks due to weather or location issues. So it's a feasibly lenient schedule to work around, as far as TV gigs go.
Of course, it may also come down, at least in part, to how fans react to the changes. Despite massive cries for Jeopardy! to promote other guest hosts such as GOAT champ Ken Jennings or Star Trek and Reading Rainbow vet LeVar Burton, the producers made the regrettable decision to promote EP Mike Richards to permanent host, despite not a ton of fanfare going into his prior hosting stint, and despite a growing backlash tied to former lawsuits, favoritism claims, sexist podcast comments, and allegedly rude treatment of Jennings and fellow former champ Buzzy Cohen.
While there's currently no telling just how the Jeopardy! hosting kerfuffle will pan out, stay tuned to see what will happen next, and let us know in the poll what you'd think about Mayim Bialik taking over full-time.
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