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“Jeopardy!” has made things official, naming Michael Davies its permanent showrunner.
Davies announced in a “Jeopardy!” blog post Thursday that he accepted an offer from the show to become the permanent replacement for the ousted Mike Richards.
“Today, I am delighted to announce that I have accepted Sony’s offer to become the show’s full-time executive producer,” Davies wrote. “I am both honored and humbled by the faith the studio and the staff have put in me. Over the next few months, the scope of our plans will become clear. But, for now, I just want to thank everyone in the Jeopardy! community for your phenomenal support.”
“Jeopardy!” made it official and permanently cast Michael Davies as its showrunner. (Eric McCandless/ABC via Getty Images)
Davies, 56, has a history as an executive producer, with roles including “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” and “Talking Dead.” Davies became interim executive producer of “Jeopardy!” in August after a series of scandals that led to Richards’ termination.
MIKE RICHARDS LAWYERS UP AFTER ‘JEOPARDY!’ AND ‘WHEEL OF FORTUNE’ OUSTING
As for who will host the trivia show, Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings will continue those responsibilities for the remainder of season 38, which ends in July. Sony is expected to make a decision on a permanent full-time host at that time.
Richards, 46, was named the show’s permanent host this summer after an exhaustive search for Alex Trebek’s replacement.
Mike Richards had been serving as the show’s host after an exhaustive search for Alex Trebek’s replacement. (Daytime Emmy Awards 2021 via Getty Images)
It wasn’t long, however, until scandal arose. Comments Richards previously made during a podcast — as well as accusations of poor workplace conduct — took headlines by storm.
After a few weeks, Richards stepped down as host but was set to remain as executive producer on the show. Continued backlash forced Sony and Richards to part ways completely, and he will no longer serve as either host or executive producer.
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“Not looking forward to seeing Mike Richards host tonight’s Jeopardy,” one fan said on Twitter at the time. “But ya know what would make up for it? An announcement before the show that they hired [Buzzy Cohen as host].”
“Hate-watching the premiere of #MikeRichards as the new host of #jeopardy,” said another. “Is it just me or does Johnny Gilbert sound very underwhelmed introducing him?”
Alex Trebek hosted “Jeopardy!” for 37 seasons from its revival in 1984 until his death in 2020. (Jeopardy! via AP)
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Richards had taped five episodes of “Jeopardy!” before stepping down as host, which equates to about a day’s worth of filming, according to Today.
A rep for Sony did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment.
Source: www.foxnews.com