If you’re a regular Jeopardy watcher, you’ve noticed by now that this fall’s season has been one tournament flowing into the next without any episodes featuring new contestants. This was the show’s workaround to the WGA strike: tournaments somehow allowed them to use previously written but unaired categories. For those of you growing weary of the endless tournaments, I regret to inform you that they’re likely to continue until April 2024. Again, the delay is due to the writers being on strike from May to October. Writers matter! Mayim Bialik walked away from hosting duties to strike in solidarity with the writers, leaving co-host and former champion Ken Jennings to man all episodes himself. As discussed here last week, Bialik and the show just officially confirmed her permanent departure. Jeopardy executive producers claimed “continuity for viewers” was behind their decision to stick with Jennings as the sole host, but new reporting from Matthew Belloni at Puck News suggests that Bialik’s actions during the strike may have been the driving force:
Bialik striking in solidarity upset Sony executives: “Bialik’s actions during the strike were at least a contributing factor, according to three sources close to the show.” Mayim hadn’t been on-screen since last May, walking out of all things Jeopardy! when the WGA went on strike, later citing solidarity for her union. The report continued: “Sony TV executive Suzanne Prete and [Jeopardy!] 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.”
But Sony had other reasons, too: First, Bialik’s reception on set was less than favorable, and second, Sony had adjusted shooting schedules last season to accommodate her since-canceled Fox sitcom Call Me Cat. “Bialik wasn’t loved on set,” Puck News claimed, but did not specify further. “And Sony had switched up shooting that [previous] season to accommodate her sitcom.”
Egads! These hosting salaries: According to Puck News, the Big Bang Theory alum was pulling in an annual salary of $4 million. Bialik’s compensation was allegedly set to increase by $1 million each year that she remained with the franchise. Puck News also noted that Ken is also making $4 million a year, although that number is expected to increase now. The late Alex Trebek reportedly made $10M a year as host.
Meanwhile, Jennings was giving some interviews to hype new episodes of Celebrity Jeopardy, and The Hollywood Reporter squeezed in a question to him about Bialik’s firing. His answer was very diplomatic, if somewhat milquetoast:
“It took me off guard, because I loved working with my Mayim and I’m gonna miss her. I can’t speak to her decision-making process or her opinions about it.
But on my end, I’m just a fan of Jeopardy! and I’m always delighted to host when they call upon me. I just feel extremely lucky to have even been considered for this job as a non-broadcaster.
It’s kind of a weird thing to try to bring back an ex-contestant to host, and I’ve obviously been learning as I go. But I loved growing up with Jeopardy! where Alex was the host of that show for almost 38 years, and people just kind of felt like he was part of their family, and it’s impossible to fill those shoes. But it’s such an honor and hopefully I look forward to 37 more years of doing it, when I’ll be a very, very old man.”
So Jennings says a sentence or two about Bialik, but then deftly pivots to broad comments on hosting in general. The show’s PR team must love him! Honestly, I feel like no one comes out of this story looking good. Jennings mainly dodges the question, the least offensive action here. But then again Sony stuck with him in the first place because he worked through the strikes. Bialik did the noble thing by showing solidarity with the writers, but I’m not surprised, either, that Sony was fed up with continually having to reschedule her filming dates. Still, I think Sony earns the most stink of all because the main headline is that they fired Bialik for standing by striking workers. And all these people are being paid millions of dollars a year.
Here’s the kicker for me: the current tournament airing right now is “Second Chance,” wherein previous contestants who didn’t win get… a second chance. Something Sony producers declined to extend to Bialik. I’ll take Potentially Hypocritical Actions for $400, please!
Photos credit: Avalon.red, Cover Images and via Instagram/Jeopardy
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