(WJW) — “Jeopardy!” won’t have only one new host — it will now have two.
Sony Pictures Television announced Wednesday that Mike Richards, the show’s executive producer, will host the program, and actress Mayim Bialik will host primetime and spin-off specials of the show, including the upcoming “Jeopardy! National College Championship.”
Alex Trebek hosted “Jeopardy!” for more than 36 years before his death in November at age 80 following a two-year battle with pancreatic cancer.
“We took this decision incredibly seriously. A tremendous amount of work and deliberation has gone into it, perhaps more than has ever gone into the selection of hosts for the show — deservedly so because it’s ‘Jeopardy!’ and we are following the incomparable Alex Trebek,” said Ravi Ahuja, chairman of Global Television Studios and Corporate Development for Sony Pictures.
Instead of immediately naming a permanent replacement, the show featured short-term guest hosts, from legendary contestant Ken Jennings to “Reading Rainbow” host LeVar Burton to Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Both Richards and Bialik did stints as guest hosts as well. And it was previously reported that Richards was in advanced negotiations to become the permanent host.
Richards’ resume includes hosting “The Pyramid” and “Beauty and the Geek,” as well as serving as executive producer of “The Price Is Right” and “Let’s Make a Deal.”
Bialik is known for her roles on “The Big Bang Theory” and “Call Me Cat.”