‘Jeopardy!’: Is This the Real Reason Mayim Bialik Was Axed?

Martin Holmes December 18, 2023, 8:36 am

Mayim Bialik in 'Jeopardy!' — Jeopardy, Inc.

Sony TV dropped Mayim Bialik as Jeopardy! host on Friday (December 15), citing “continuity” for viewers as the reason, though it appears there may have been more behind the firing.

In Puck News‘ weekly email digest, “What I’m Hearing,” entertainment journalist and long-time former editorial director of The Hollywood Reporter, Matthew Belloni, alleged that Bialik stepping away from the show in solidarity with the WGA strike this past May played a significant part in her dismissal.

Bialik, who shared hosting duties with Ken Jennings, stepped down from the final week of filming last season to support the writers’ strike, meaning Jennings had to fill in for the remaining episodes. Jennings has hosted all syndicated episodes and specials since, including the most recent season of Celebrity Jeopardy!

“While Sony insists the parting is to “maintain continuity” for viewers, Bialik’s actions during the strike were at least a contributing factor, according to three sources close to the show,” Belloni reported in the Puck News email.

He went on to say that Sony TV executive Suzanne Prete and Jeopardy‘s executive producer Michael Davies “were furious” when Bialik stepped away in May.

“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,” Belloni claimed.

He also reported, “Bialik’s reps were told that by refusing to perform, she was in breach of her contract.”

Jeopardy, Inc!

Belloni noted that Bialik “expected business as usual” once the strikes were over, but, as the Big Bang Theory alum revealed on Friday, Sony informed her her services won’t be needed next season.

“She was offered the chance to stay on for the rest of this season, but she said no thanks,” Belloni added. “Assuming the primetime Celebrity Jeopardy! and the college tournament are renewed by ABC for 2024-25 (a safe bet), she may still stay on those. But given her anger, I’ll be a bit surprised if that happens.”

You can read Belloni’s full statement below.

Remember when I speculated back in late September that the studios may not soon forget the outsize animosity on display during the Writers Guild strike? A few readers (and many on Twitter!) said I was fearmongering. Now we see Sony Pictures Television firing Mayim Bialik as host of the syndicated Jeopardy!, duties she shared since 2022 with Ken Jennings. And while Sony insists the parting is to “maintain continuity” for viewers, Bialik’s actions during the strike were at least a contributing factor, according to three sources close to the show. Sony declined to comment beyond its 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. 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. Bialik’s reps were told that by refusing to perform, she was in breach of her contract, which began with an annual salary of $4 million (that includes her primetime Jeopardy! work), and has increased by $1 million each year. Jennings, who stepped in on those final episodes, is paid the same.

Post-strikes, Bialik had expected business as usual, but Sony recently informed her that her services won’t be needed next season. She was offered the chance to stay on for the rest of this season, but she said no thanks. Assuming the primetime Celebrity Jeopardy! and the college tournament are renewed by ABC for 2024-25 (a safe bet), she may still stay on those. But given her anger, I’ll be a bit surprised if that happens.

Fans on the Jeopardy! Reddit forum speculated that a post Bialik shared on Instagram in October might have been “the straw that broke the camel’s back.” The post, which touched on the 2023 Israel–Hamas war, referenced Jeopardy!, writing in the caption, “The free world is in jeopardy, but this time it’s not a game.”

“Co-opting the Jeopardy brand for political speech isn’t a good look for a host, either,” wrote one fan.

“It may have been the final straw that broke the camel’s back,” added another commenter. “Our mod team was collectively shocked and disappointed that she would coöpt the brand for a highly charged political topic involving warfare, death, and destruction.”

The Jeopardy! firing marks a rough few months for Bialik, whose Fox sitcom Call Me Kat was canceled after three seasons back in May. She’s also been working on a reboot of Blossom, which is set to be a darker reimagining of her beloved 1990s sitcom. However, there is no official word whether a network has picked up the Blossom reboot yet.

'Jeopardy!' Fans React to Mayim Bialik's Surprise Exit as Host

If Belloni’s report is accurate and Bialik is unlikely to return to host next year’s spinoffs, that leaves the show in an interesting predicament. Will Jennings continue to oversee both the syndicated show and all the spinoffs? That would be quite a heavy schedule.

Or could we see someone new in the role? Former fan favorite contestants such as James Holzhauer or Buzzy Cohen could be options; Cohen previously hosted the May 2021 Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions following Alex Trebek’s death.

Several options from the show’s guest host era could be called upon, like self-confessed Jeopardy! superfan LeVar Burton, CNBC analyst David Farber, or former Today host Katie Couric. Or maybe the producers will finally call CNN legal analyst Laura Coates, who Trebek once suggested as his potential successor.