Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings (Photos: ABC/Casey Durkin and Jeopardy!/Youtube)
After Variety reported that Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings will continue to share Jeopardy! hosting duties long-term, fans of the game show couldn’t help but sound off on the somewhat controversial decision.
According to a source familiar with the matter, Sony Pictures Entertainment, the studio behind Jeopardy!, has entered into long-term deals with both Bialik and Jennings to host the syndicated show. In addition, Variety reports Bialik will continue to host primetime editions of the quiz show, as well as ABC’s new Celebrity Jeopardy!.
Sony has yet to confirm the news or issue a statement about who will be behind the Jeopardy! podium in the months ahead.
While some fans are happy with the split, the pro-Bialik and pro-Jennings camps appear frustrated by the show’s indecision.
One satisfied Twitter user wrote, “The two current Jeopardy hosts are very fun, we enjoy them. They’re both great! So why not keep them! Ken Jennings is super laid-back and kind of born for the job, but Mayim is super charming, quirky-smart, and stylish!”
The two current @Jeopardy hosts are very fun, we enjoy them. They’re both great! So why not keep them! Ken Jennings is super laid-back and kind of born for the job, but Mayim is super charming, quiriky-smart, and stylish!@KenJennings #MayimBialik
#Jeopardy—Scar (@goolander91) July 26, 2022
I’m actually really pleased to hear that Mayim and Ken will continue to both be the hosts of JEOPARDY! for the upcoming season. They’re both excellent in the role and it would sadden me to have to choose. (For the record, though, I’d choose Bialik if it came down to it.)
— em dash framed by quotation marks (@fingzxd) July 26, 2022
Good for them & the show. They both do perfectly fine jobs & have their own strengths. Still upset at the show for A) making it feel like the guest host thing was a try out; and B) the debacle of Richards. But the show is about the game & contestants, not host. Trebek knew that. https://t.co/cCptEMDoDQ
— Daniel A. Guzman (@DGQuoVadimus) July 25, 2022
On the other end of the spectrum, though, are the angry fans. One Twitter user cut right to the chase, writing, “Jeopardy should fire their administrative staff and hire managers capable of making a decision. This level of dumbness is vexing.”
wrong decision @jeopardy. Jennings was the only choice! Idiots! https://t.co/iae7IJL0lA
— acardnal (@acardnal) July 26, 2022
@Jeopardy should fire their administrative staff and hire managers capable of making a decision. This level of dumbness is vexing.https://t.co/f1M8oHuBRB
— BJo (@BJo51592328) July 26, 2022
@Jeopardy this is stupid, no one wants Mayim as the host, Ken is more accustomed to the game & has history on the show that Mayim could never have bad move guys. https://t.co/lGILgUiIkC
— Rene Tarantino (@bigrendawg313) July 26, 2022
this is a bummer and also just kind of inexplicable. mayim’s (various!!) questionable past comments aside, she’s just not a great host & doesn’t seem to be getting better with time. ken’s presence is just a night-and-day difference. just a weird, weird choice. https://t.co/d1L3PdItHo
— Taylor Maple (@taymaple) July 25, 2022
@Jeopardy : Will settle for this as long as @missmayim is part of the weekend syndicated show. Would prefer Jennings gone. https://t.co/vysQRIUOrb
— LagerHead (@LagerHeadDE) July 25, 2022
As a whole, viewers seem to prefer Jennings over Bialik. TV Insider even conducted a survey earlier this month which found that 82% of voters preferred Jennings as the show’s permanent host, and only 6% wanted Bialik as the permanent host. Just 5% liked the idea of alternating hosts.
I don’t understand something, all the surveys conducted said people wanted only Ken Jennings as host of @Jeopardy so now they hire him AND Mayim Bialik. Why do all those surveys? I guess the PTB don’t care what people want.🤔
— Susan Ockene (@bluejayseh) July 26, 2022
Thought some viewers have lamented the fact that Jeopardy! is producing too many shows, creating “burnout” among the fanbase, Variety’s source claims two hosts are necessary, for now, given Sony’s plans to create more versions of the program.
Primetimer has reached out to Sony Pictures Entertainment for comment but did not hear back by the time of publication.
Jeopardy! airs weeknights in syndication, with new episodes airing through Friday, July 29.
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Deena ElGenaidi’s writing has been featured in Nylon, MTV News, Insider, The AV Club, and more. You can follow her on Twitter @deenaelg.