Ken Jennings Drops Big News About Next Season of ‘Jeopardy!’
Ken Jennings has shared the news that Jeopardy! is welcoming back its live audience for Season 39, and fans are wondering if he’s about to be named permanent host.
The current stand-in co-host shared a video from the official Jeopardy! Twitter account that revealed tickets are now available for fans to return to the Alex Trebek Stage for new episodes. The long-running game show has not been filmed with a live studio audience since February 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nobody would be more pleased about this than Alex himself. He was a natural showman (as anyone who ever saw a Jeopardy! taping can attest) and was never quite as happy doing the audience-less shows of the pandemic era. We’re back, Alex! 💙
— Ken Jennings (@KenJennings) July 11, 2022
“This is very exciting,” tweeted Jennings, before adding, “Nobody would be more pleased about this than Alex himself. He was a natural showman (as anyone who ever saw a Jeopardy! taping can attest) and was never quite as happy doing the audience-less shows of the pandemic era. We’re back, Alex!”
This announcement has viewers believing that news on a permanent host is imminent, especially as executive producer Michael Davies recently told Variety, “We hope to have a hosting announcement very, very soon.” And given that Jennings shared his excitement over the return of studio audiences, some fans are hoping this means the Jeopardy! G.O.A.T. has landed the spot as full-time host.
“Come on Ken, you’re such a tease. It will only be very exciting if you’re there, otherwise it’s just not,” tweeted one fan. “Praying that you do become the permanent host. You are the best fit for the role with all your years of @Jeopardy experience,” added another viewer.
Come on Ken, you’re such a tease. It will only be very exciting if you’re there, otherwise it’s just not.
— Sas ✌️🇺🇦 (@twinite) July 12, 2022
Praying that you do become the permanent host. You are the best fit for the role with all your years of @Jeopardy experience.
— Crimson Fury (@CrimsonFury006) July 12, 2022
I hope if I can make it to the stage you will be waiting for me as host. I’ll reveal my final jeopardy response and then I’ll see a smile break over you and a small mirthful laugh escape as you say “ oh ho ho…no”
— Danzo (@Twiggy_Sticks) July 11, 2022
Wow, almost feels normal again. Now, if you would please take the stage…
— RentalHousingNetwork (@RHNRentals) July 12, 2022
Jennings is currently sharing hosting duties with Call Me Kat star Mayim Bialik. Season 38 is scheduled to end on July 29 before filming begins on Season 39 on August 2 — tickets for the first batch of episodes have already been snapped up. Season 39 will premiere on September 12.
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Comments are closed on this story.
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Like many fans, I will have zero interest in Season 39 if Ken is not the sole permanent host of the daily episodes.
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I'm dreading the possibility that they will let MB host Celebrity Jeopardy. I believe she would still try to draw all of the attention toward herself. Please, Sony, get rid of her entirely.
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She does not. She’s very professional and smart!
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So smart that she HEATS lemon juice to treat COVID?
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But ......but.....she's a scientist, right? LOL!
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Off point, but I'm always struck by how much Ken reminds me of the late Tony Randall. On point, I can't wait for this to be settled. I look forward to relaxing with Jeopardy everyday and am deflated when I see that it's Mayim hosting.
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Yes, Ken is very evocative of Tony Randall. Maybe that's why he is so comforting to watch.
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Whereas Mayim evokes Margaret Hamilton and I mean in The Wizard of Oz, not the coffee commercials.
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LOL! There are lots of articles about the resemblance.
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Astute observation. Thanks for sharing. I hadn’t seen it.
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I would love it if Ken Jennings would be the new jeopardy host and Buzzy would host the celebrity and special games. They are my favorites! I haven’t been watching jeopardy because I’m so disgusted with all the confusing things that have been going on!
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Once they film with a live audience the cat is out of the bag, so the new host will be revealed. Fingers crossed the host will be Ken and Buzzy will host the Celebrity prime time and specials.
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It's already been announced that Bialik will be hosting the Celebrity specials, which makes me feel pretty certain Jennings is the next host. Thank God!
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If so, I hope the contract is for one season only rather than being stuck with her long term.
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Bialik is tanking in the ratings. People on TV get fired and shows get canceled all the time. It doesn’t matter what was already announced. Jeopardy producers would have to be out of their minds to hand the reins of primetime Celebrity Jeopardy over to Bialik.
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Bialik is horrid. She mispronounces words; is fake when interviewing the contestants; says "that's correct" way too often and pauses before saying it; and is obsessed with announcing, "That's the end of the Jeopardy round, now it's time for Double Jeopardy!" Gee, what a startling revelation. Oh, BTW, does she get her clothes at Goodwill? The woman's net worth is over $25 million, yet she always dresses like she just came from a thrift store.
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She dresses like that because she won't accept help from the professionals. That has already been documented. I mean has she EVER watched a tape of the show when Alex was hosting? He dressed impeccably (with help from the professionals, I'm sure). The fact that MB thinks a satin blouse with a high color and ruffles should be paired with a plaid jacket and notched collar should be enough for anyone to see that she thinks she IS the "smartest person in the room!"
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Enough is Enough! It's been almost 2 years and Ken Jennings should have got to be the successor of Alex in the first place. That's what Alex wanted. Just let him do the show.
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Alex Trebek passed away in November 2020. The show still does not have a host in July 2022. Ignorance, hubris and incompetence at its finest.
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Bialik is NOT a fit for Jeopardy! Don’t know what this is all about , but I’m growing weary of her and about to stop watching! Tired of the game of whatever!
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I already stopped watching when Bialik hosts. She is an embarrassment and dishonors a much-loved, iconic game show.
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I will NEVER watch Jeopardy again if Jennings is the host!
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Family Feud is on for hours everyday. Buh-bye
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True life-long fans of this beloved show know Ken should be the chosen one, and will continue watching when he gets the tap on the shoulder - just as super champions Amy Schneider and Mattea Roach have attested to. I'm sure there is another mediocre game show that's just waiting for a new fan. Good luck!
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I avoid watching any Jeopardy shows hosted by MB. If she's selected as the permanent host that's the end of watching the show for me!
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I hope it's Ken on days and Buzzy on prime time. I have no use for Ms. B.
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Ken for regular Jeopardy, including tournaments. Buzzy for Celebrity Jeopardy. Mayim is offered a lifetime pass to be in the audience, but is never allowed to take the stage again.
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She'd have no interest in a seat where she wouldn't be in the spotlight. She never watched the show until the job opened up.
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Ken has the personality of a TURNIP! He does not interact with the contestants well at all. He is all about himself and NOT a "people" person.
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We must not have been watching the same show Ken is quick witted and has loads of personality😉
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Mayim Bialik's personality resides in a TelePrompTer.
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Mayim is obstreperous. Get someone to explain it to you.
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What the heck? Are you kidding? Your description of Ken fits MB to a tee! She is soooo fake when she interacts with the contestants, just reading her little cards and waiting until she can talk again. And MB's attempt to insert so called humorous comments during the Q/A sections, is just another "look at me" attempt, slows the game down, and sometimes results in leaving unanswered answers on the the board. I loved MB in Big Bang Theory, but let's just face it, she is NOT cut out to be a game show host . . . no matter HOW hard she tries!
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I also like Buzzy
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I just read on another site that MB wants $18 million per year to host Jeopardy. If they paid her what she's worth, she'd owe them money.
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If those reports are correct, that would be nearly double Alex's salary to do half as much work.
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What ever you do, get rid of Bialik.......
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So Ken came back to host last night, and it was night and day from Mayim. Good pacing, no interruptions, no pauses, no irrelevant comments between clues, context added when necessary, all sprinkled in with a little humor. Make Ken the permanent host like Alex wanted!
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Are you ready for this kids? Mayim, the terrible, wants $18 million per season to host Jeopardy; nearly DOUBLE what Alex was paid! Talk about delusions of adequacy; the ratings tank every episode she hosts. So glad Ken will be back Monday.
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That's $4 million more than Pat Sajak makes for Wheel of Fortune; who does she think she is?
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I DO BELIEVE THAT KEN JENNINGS IS THE BEST HOST ON JEOPARDY AND HE
SHOULD BE THE HOST , ALEX WOULD PICK KEN JENNINGS, AND I THINK
ALEX DAUGHTER WHO WORK THERE
SHOULD PICK THE HOST , BESIDES
SONY PICTURES
S
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When will TV Insider post the poll results that had Ken favored by 92% of the respondents? Mayim only had 2 or 3% of the vote!
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Likely by Friday July 29. They are beginning to shoot the next season in front of a live audience, so word will get out. I'm pretty sure they'll announce before that happens.
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I THINK THAT KEN JENNINGS SHOULD BE THE NEW HOST OF JEOPARDY, HE
MAKES A BETTER HOST THAN MAYIM,
I DON'T THINK SHE WILL DO GOOD
KEN HAS THE RIGHT CLASS TO BEING
TO THE SHOW, SHE DOESN'T
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I agree Ken Jennings should be the permanent host on Jeopardy.
May I’m is an embarrassment to Jeopardy and it’s fans. Please let Ken be the permanent host. It like night and day last night. What an honey to see Ken hosting again. Jeopardy willl lose a lot of fans if Mayan becomes permanent host.
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To me Ken is the perfect fit, only watch when he is there.
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I’m sick of hearing about it pick one and keep it moving
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So glad Ken Jennings is back
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Ken Jennings, welcome back! Please get rid of MB for good so I can continue enjoying Jeopardy. If she continues as host I can no longer watch.
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I regret deleting the first two episodes of Jeopardy this week thinking Bialik was still hosting. With Ken back where he belongs I can finally start watching and enjoy Jeopardy once again.
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Ken needs to take a major dump on Mayim Bialik & assume full time hosting durites.
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Wouldn't that be carrying coals to Newcastle?
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Buzzy is/was my first choice from the get go. I'd still favor him for the specials, TOC, and prime time Celebrity Jeopardy even if Ken gets the daily syndicated spot.
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I will be very happy when Ken is the permanent host,and about time its done once and for all.. Very relaxing watching 30 min... If its M B finish jeopardi for good...
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Thank you!
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Am not happy seeing Mayin Baylic
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Has anyone noticed that at the start of the show Johnny says "the host of Jeopardy MB" but when Ken is on Johnny says "hosting Jeopardy is KJ". This makes me think that MB will get the job.
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wait.. there are fans of Mayim for the permanent position? who?
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A small group of minions paid to be fans.
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I miss MB
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I vividly remember in the 80s when Wheel Of Fortune was at the peak of its popularity and people would tune in every night to see what Vanna would wear. When it returned to TV, Jeopardy was its more cerebral, no nonsense counterpart - strictly answers and questions. Now it seems that many people want to tune into Jeopardy to see what Mayim wears. This isn't necessarily a criticism, but it interesting to see how the times have changed.
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I don’t know who the “many people” are, but times have not changed and Mayim Bialik’s odd style choices are not the problem. They do not disqualify her. Her distracting incompetence is destroying a much-loved, iconic game show. THAT is the problem.
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I could careless who the host is. They don't compete.
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I love watching the show but will not watch if Ken Jennings gets the permanent host position.
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I think these people are obsessed with the “Who will host” and they want to make the pick. Let’s just concentrate on the game people!
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One more time: It is IMPOSSIBLE to concentrate on the game with the giggling, swaying, incompetent, attention-starved Mayim Bialik providing a constant distraction. Are you able to concentrate on a movie when people in the theater are talking loudly and kicking your seat?
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Ok so in all honesty some like MB the rest like KJ but everyone can agree Alex was best. Shared honor could be a way to handle the issue at this time. So please let them do the job.
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This isn’t preschool where everyone needs to learn to share. I miss Alex Trebek, but he very much wanted Jeopardy to go on without him and actively participated in discussions about his replacement. He created the template, but there is no reason for the next host to live in his shadow and be forever second best. But let’s at least have someone who understands the job and knows how to do it. Mayim Bialik is not that person. She is an embarrassment and a distraction.
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It's absolutely criminal when innocent children are killed when they go to school. Being considered for a game show host job doesn't even make the list of "absolutely criminal" things, so let's get some perspective and stop being so delicate.
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Come on dude, you know what they meant. No need to go stand on your moral high ground because somebody decided to be a little bombastic with their comment.
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It's a figure of speech, don't over react. This isn't the forum for your soapbox oratory.
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Mayim should be the host ! Why is it taking so long so ridiculous that it’s taking so long the waiting is getting old!
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The million+ viewers who don't watch when she hosts disagree with you. Sony loses a lot of money every time she takes the stage, and it is ,after all, a business.
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I want Mayim!!!!!
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I don't know why so many people are obsessed with the idea that a contestant should be the host. Especially an entitled creep and mean tweeter like Ken Jennings. (And it certainly gets awkward when another contestant goes on a long run. Alex could say "are we seeing another Ken Jennings?" but what can Ken say?)
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It's not the fans are necessarily enamored with the idea that a contestant should be the host. It just turned out that a couple of the show's contestants have performed the job to a top level.
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TV Insider won't let me paste external links, so I will just repost somebody else's excellent comment earlier responding to the absurd belief that "mean tweets" disqualify Ken for the job:
"I never realized that moral relativism was the defining issue, but let's say it is. Are you really going to compare the character of a person with a few misguided tweets to a figure with a history of anti-vaccine statements, endorsement of non-clinically-tested brain supplements (whose manufacturer is in legal trouble for false advertising), financial support of the Israeli military despite being an American citizen, entertaining the discussion of C-section births being against "survival of the fittest" and apology of Weinstein and Weinstein-esque abusers as provoked by women who dress provocatively? Surely that's not the best ambassador of knowledge, around which this job should be primarily centered."
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And I'll add someone's reply. "Not to mention the subway incident and her son's "art piece"."
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Silly. Ken shouldn’t be host because he can’t say exactly the same thing Alex Trebek said? Very silly.
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23,000 people support Mayim! It is the most active group on Facebook. There isn't even a fan group for Ken that comes close!
Mayim For Jeopardy!
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Jeopardy averages 9.7 million viewers per day. 23,000 is only .2% of that. A Facebook fan group is hardly representative. Your numbers are meaningless.
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Mayim single-handedly brought the ratings down by nearly 20% in a matter of two months. No Facebook group can make up for that.
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Jeopardy loses a million viewers a day when Mayim hosts. Advertisers don't like that. You do the math.
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I had no idea a person could have that many facebook accounts!!
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Jeopardy viewers make better use of their time than hanging out on social media.
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The fact you made this post just reveals you are not able to do meaningful math - which tells us you probably aren't a regular watcher of this beloved show. Jeopardy was around LONG BEFORE "The Facebook" was even an idea in the "Winklevi" heads! So kudos for your 23K fan base . . . maybe you all can transfer it over to Call Me Kat when Ken takes the reins! 🤣🤣
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I’m satisfied if it’s either Ken or Mayim as the permanent host. I don’t have the backlash towards Mayim as a lot if a fans do. Plus Sony saw something in her last year that wanted to have her be the permanent host but couldn’t because of Call me Kat…..Now, what makes most sense is give Ken the regular show, Mayim can do the the prime time shows that she signed a contract to do (plus her show got renewed for a full season 3) and if any of the Buzzy rumors are true, give him the Celebrity Jeopardy.
There is one scenario that no one has mentioned. Why couldn’t the people at Sony tested potential host behind the scenes and someone unexpected is your new host of the regular Jeopardy.
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Why can hosting not be a shared responsibility between Ken and Mayim? As they both are involved in much more than just Jeopardy, Co-hosting may be the answer.
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While the executives may find this preferable as a means of appeasing the divided audience (a problem which they themselves more or less created), this actually provides an obstacle to the contestants. They have to get themselves accustomed to the host's rhythm, cadence and timing. They had 36 years and change to become acquainted with Alex and his style. It shows why there were so few superchampions during the season he passed away--Matt Amodio being the exception--and why few of the current superchampions have streaks that bleed into the other host's stint.
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The answer to what? Viewers overwhelming favor Ken. Giving a plum job to an incompetent, giggling joke like Mayim Bialik makes no sense at all.
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...i love Mayim Bialik, she a terrific host, glad that Sony has chosen her. While i miss Alex, i do look forward and enjoy Ms Mayim .
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I don’t know what you’re talking about. The announcement hasn’t been made yet. The producers have said it will be made soon.
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I don't want Ken Jennings to host, he is not good at it. I don't watch when he is hosting.
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Love Mayim, her cheerfulness, respect for the players and the game, not to mention her professionalism, makes her my choice for host - KJ has an annoying voice and presence, as the GOAT he often seems to be lording it over the contestants. Not to mention his history of belittling the disabled.
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Respect for the game? By her own admission she NEVER watched Jeopardy until they announced a search for a new host. She is condescending, arch and frivolous.
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You sound like we’re playing the Opposite Game where the goal is to say the opposite of what is true.
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I never realized that moral relativism was the defining issue, but let's say it is. Are you really going to compare the character of a person with a few misguided tweets to a figure with a history of anti-vaccine statements, endorsement of non-clinically-tested brain supplements (whose manufacturer is in legal trouble for false advertising), financial support of the Israeli military despite being an American citizen, entertaining the discussion of C-section births being against "survival of the fittest" and apology of Weinstein and Weinstein-esque abusers as provoked by women who dress provocatively? Surely that's not the best ambassador of knowledge, around which this job should be primarily centered.
Beyond that, in terms of finesse, Ken happens to be the better host, by far. Mayim Bialik has been a disgrace to Jeopardy as a brand, and certainly the legacy left by Alex Trebek.
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Ouch. I never preferred her as a host to Ken but I never knew of these controversies either. Despicable and absolutely disqualifying by any fair process!
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Don't forget the subway incident and her son's "art piece". Shudder.
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I agree that Mayim is excellent. Very sorry to hear from so many who are not fans. We are overdue to have more women hosts especially ones as good as she is.
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These criticisms are not an indictment on women. Mayim is not a good host. In fact, her hiring is especially unfair because of the many talented women who hosted last season or were denied the opportunity!
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Shall we consider ...... Rozzane Barr
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At this point I'd take Tickle Me Elmo over Mayim Bialik.
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If you want Mayim to become the new host simply because she is a woman, that is sexist. If you want to play that game don't forget that it's a two way street.
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Mayim Bialik does a cartoonish impression of a gameshow host. She has no understanding of the responsibilities and challenges of BEING a gameshow host. Sara Haines, Jane Lynch, Meredith Vieira (to name a few) are knocking it out of the park. It is preposterous to put Mayim Bialik in the same league as them.
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Totally agree
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Doc Silvia, you make some tremendous points and I am in full agreement.
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