Mayim Bialik expresses her excitement to be returning to Jeopardy! as a temporary guest host while the search begins anew for a permanent host. After initially premiering on NBC in 1964, the quiz show found its true popularity in 1984 as a daily syndicated production got underway with Alex Trebek leading as the host of the show. The world was rocked when it was announced last year that Trebek lost his battle to stage IV pancreatic cancer and a new host would have to be found for the series.
While the search began, Jeopardy! continued with a variety of guest hosts filling in, some of whom included Bialik, Super Bowl champion Aaron Rodgers, Today show host Savannah Guthrie and former champion Ken Jennings. Fans began campaigning for guest host and Reading Rainbow alum LeVar Burton to take over as the permanent host following his run on the series. These hopes would initially be squashed as executive producer Mike Richards was announced to take over the position with Bialik set to host primetime specials on ABC and potential spin-offs, though fan efforts have been renewed following Richards' departure due to offensive comments made on a deleted podcast resurfacing.
A day after it was announced that she would fill in for the position, Bialik took to Instagram to share her excitement over returning to Jeopardy! as a temporary guest host. The Big Bang Theory alum is currently set to host at least 15 episodes of the series with future guest hosts expected to be announced soon while the search continues for a permanent lead. Check out Bialik's post below:
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The decision to take Richards out of the hosting position came with a lot of praise from fans and while Burton is still the favored by said group, Bialik is also a plenty worthwhile candidate to take the reins permanently moving forward should she have the availability. As evidenced in her previous guest hosting episodes, she clearly has a love for the series and its fanbase and the fact she holds a Ph.D in neuroscience shows she has just as much intelligence for the quiz show as a sense of humor. With Trebek himself having even stated in a past interview with 92nd Street Y that he felt his successor should be a woman with such characteristics, it would be rewarding to see her return for more than a guest position.
In the meantime, however, fans of Jeopardy! have a lot to look forward to from the series with Bialik at the helm for the time being. Additionally, while Burton may be the ones many are campaigning to take over, Jennings is still very well-liked by audiences and would bring a nice sense of legacy as the new permanent host. Only time will tell who lands the coveted position as the permanent host of Jeopardy!.
Source: Mayim Bialik/Instagram
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