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Post by usedletterboard on Feb 4, 2022 10:29:29 GMT -5
I figured that it wasn't worth bumping a thread whose last post was months ago, so let's roll with this as long as the mods are fine with it.
Anyway, Mayim Bialik returned back to host the episodes airing this week (1/31), and let's just say I have been feeling a little... underwhelmed. I didn't mind her in her guest slot, and even found her pleasantly improving upon some of her flaws when she returned after Mike Richards' premiere week. But now having seen Ken Jennings have time to hone his craft, he just feels like Alex Trebek's natural successor. He is clearly comfortable at it, keeps the game moving, understands the witticisms written into the game material, swiftly rules on responses, and doesn't use his quips to interject with superfluous information or forced jokes. It feels like Jeopardy! when he's hosting, but I unfortunately get some bad 'substitute teacher' vibes from Mayim.
No disrespect to her, but the longer the powers that be give Ken even more on-air chances, the better he will look by comparison. I don't think I'm sold on having two hosts for one version, even in the interim, even though I wouldn't mind the show sticking to the original bifurcated model for syndicated and primetime. What say you?
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Post by jjc927 on Feb 5, 2022 0:14:59 GMT -5
I agree, Ken is the better host. The show just works better with him hosting rather than Mayim. Mayim is fine, I wouldn't stop watching if she becomes the permanent host, but Ken is just more natural.
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GameShow75
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Post by GameShow75 on Feb 5, 2022 1:25:40 GMT -5
Mayim and Ken were the only two guest hosts I liked back in season 37. Mayim does have more experience in show business, but Ken knows this game inside and out, especially since he played about 100 games when he was a contestant for 15 to 16 years during the Trebek era. I will be content either way, but the GOAT himself is a natural fit to succeed Alex as the host since he can actually relate to how nerve racking it was when he first played on the show.
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mechamind
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Post by mechamind on Feb 5, 2022 9:16:54 GMT -5
I wouldn't even acknowledge Ken as a "guest". He's basically been part of the show since his 74-win run.
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Post by usedletterboard on Feb 9, 2022 16:46:48 GMT -5
I've seen a few people point out the manner in which Mayim was announced in last night's NCC premiere: "host of Primetime Jeopardy!", a subtle but notable distinction. Typically, when
there are multiple versions of a program airing at once, the producers feel the need to distinguish between roles (recall TPIR in the 70s/80s and again in '94/'95 when there were two versions). For J!, it could signal a direction in which the show moves forward with its original plan of having separate hosts.
Of course it's all conjecture at this point. It does seem like it would be a bit of a stab in the back to Ken if they let him host the bulk of this season's episodes only to drop him next year.
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Post by jjc927 on Feb 12, 2022 11:39:07 GMT -5
She's also been introduced as the "host of Jeopardy" on the daily version, while Ken is introduced with Johnny saying "hosting Jeopardy." So I don't think there's anything to take from that besides it's just a distinction for the primetime version.
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Post by usedletterboard on Feb 13, 2022 10:23:53 GMT -5
Maybe. It's really tough to tell how Sony will proceed, particularly with Ken taking three taping weeks per month compared to Mayim's one (amounting to six weeks of Ken vs. two weeks of Mayim). That sets Ken's return for tomorrow, February 14. Social media reaction to Mayim's return has been mixed. I suspected this would be the case considering that the audience had become so accustomed to Ken and his style of hosting after his six week stint concluded. Realistically, the best outcome to appease everybody at this point would be to just make good on the old plan to hire multiple hosts, which is an idea that I have seen picking up steam in different circles of the internet. Somebody even made a petition for the show to do as much: www.change.org/p/sony-pictures-television-sptv-stick-to-your-word-and-hire-two-hosts-for-jeopardy-ken-jennings-and-mayim-bialikNow I don't think a petition like this will necessarily make an impactful dent in the executives' decision calculus, but if it puts more eyes and ears on Sony's own statement that the company's plan was to split the hosting job between two people, I think that's probably a good thing. |
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Post by letschataboutpat on Feb 25, 2022 9:57:01 GMT -5
I never was an everyday watcher of the show, but I did watch somewhat regularly on and off for decades until Alex unfortunately passed. For the most part, I skipped the guest host parade after seeing a few here and there as most were not even a fraction as good as Alex was. In my market, Jeopardy airs right before primetime, which gave me an opportunity to see a Ken episode right before a Mayim-hosted College Championship episode.
I understand the fervor among Ken's fans now. Pound for pound, he's the superior host when comparing the two by most metrics. The pace of the game is smoother and it's more obvious that there are less bits added in post production in between clues. Sometimes with Mayim, these are so forced that it's obvious that the producers are trying to alter the vibe of the show by eliciting a laugh -- sometimes even using a not-so-subtle laugh track. That won't always work when you're aiming to clear the board in the 22(?) minutes of alloted time. Ken's style is more true to Alex's, while Mayim's is more lighthearted. Maybe the latter would work better for primetime, so I see why some would advocate for continuing the two-host plan, but personally I would like to see Ken in the role for both. It has nothing to do with being the GOAT of the game; being a good contestant won't necessarily translate into being a good host as some of the celebrity hosts proved.
Unlike Wheel, much of Jeopardy's success is rooted in the little change it has instituted over the years, whether it's the music, the rules, the set, and obviously the host. But Ken is the best option they have now to continue in the tradition of the show without altering it and alienating fans who prefer the product not to change significantly.
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Post by usedletterboard on Mar 15, 2022 11:57:38 GMT -5
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Post by usedletterboard on Apr 17, 2022 8:22:23 GMT -5
theweek.com/briefing/daily-gossip/1012589/the-daily-gossip-thursdayI know the anti-Mayim train has a lot of passengers on the internet who can be ruthless, many with valid criticisms and others without, but this seems petty of her. Disqualifying? Of course not. But if frivolous opportunism was a consideration the last time, then it has to be confronted for the sake of fairness in the process.
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SmashWhammy
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Post by SmashWhammy on Apr 17, 2022 14:36:29 GMT -5
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Post by usedletterboard on Apr 17, 2022 16:37:04 GMT -5
Yes, unfortunately for her, she was the victim of one of these fake news scams. I think she/her PR team did a good job getting ahead of it, though.
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Post by usedletterboard on Apr 18, 2022 19:36:05 GMT -5
Deadline writers are speculating that Call Me Kat is on track to be renewed on Fox for season 3, potentially paving the way for Ken to take up full-time duties on the syndicated version. It had been reported earlier that he won't be on new episodes of The Chase and is expected to be an outgoing expert on GSN's Master Minds (allowing fellow ex-Chaser Mark Labbett to take his place).
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Post by MarioGS on Apr 18, 2022 20:16:07 GMT -5
Do we know exactly how much J! has to skew its taping schedule to accommodate Mayim? I know at least one week of shows either this season or last taped on a Sunday.
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Post by gameshowfandanny on Apr 18, 2022 20:24:20 GMT -5
^ These are all of Mayim's taping dates so far (all of them are courtesy of J! Archive, which now adds taping dates when known):
Season 37:
March 15 and 16 (Monday/Tuesday)
Season 38:
August 24, 25, and 27 (Tuesday/Wednesday/Friday; Friday tapings were added to make up for the cancelled August 20 tapings due to Mike Richards' resignation as host.)
September 9 and 10 (Thursday/Friday, likely due to Rosh Hashanah.)
September 23 and 24 (Thursday/Friday)
October 25 and 26 (Monday/Tuesday; Professors Tournament)
November 21-23 (Sunday/Monday/Tuesday; National College Championship)
November 29 and 30 (Monday/Tuesday)
January 26 and 27 (Wednesday/Thursday)
February 28 and March 1 (Monday/Tuesday)
March 31 and April 1 (Thursday/Friday)
April 19 and 20 (Tuesday/Wednesday)
April 28 and 29 (Thursday/Friday)
May 5 and 6 (Thursday/Friday)
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Post by usedletterboard on Apr 19, 2022 13:06:02 GMT -5
It looks like J!'s and/or Ken's PR machine is working overtime, with him getting a cover story in the upcoming edition of TV Guide Magazine and endorsements from two senior television critics, Matt Roush and Damian Holbrook. Article screenshots below, spoilerized to save space: My guess would be that any official news won't come until around May 6 at the earliest (the final production day of the season), and much more likely well after that. It seems that between Ken's departure from The Chase, his reduced role writing material for NAQT quiz bowl tournaments, speculation of his departure from Master Minds, his decades-long association with now-permanent EP Michael Davies, and some TV insiders' belief that Call Me Kat will be renewed for an upcoming season that TPTB will announce Ken as at least one of the hosts starting in the fall (more likely split between the main show and primetime specials). Plus, this is aligned with Sony's initial press statements that the company had been looking to hire two hosts to share the role. |
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Post by usedletterboard on May 5, 2022 14:56:18 GMT -5
Not that contestant opinions are known to have any sway in the process, but the current reigning superchampion Mattea Roach stated very clearly that her preference is Ken Jennings. This puts her in good company with fellow season 38 champ Amy Schneider, and is somewhat noteworthy as Mattea has played games with both Ken and Mayim. www.vulture.com/article/jeopardy-champion-mattea-roach-interview.html |
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Post by jjc927 on May 7, 2022 22:12:27 GMT -5
Ken posted on Twitter that Mayim would be hosting for "a few months" but he would be returning before the season ends. |
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Post by usedletterboard on May 13, 2022 20:38:49 GMT -5
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Post by letschataboutpat on May 16, 2022 11:10:10 GMT -5
It looks like all the pieces are falling in place for Ken to get the permanent nod this fall. I'd hate for Sony to try and split the job between he and Mayim for the daily episodes next season, especially with Ken going out of his way to free himself from previous commitments. From what I've seen, she is no more of a ratings draw than he is, which was purportedly one of the reasons the studio wanted her on board in the first place.
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