Sony Pictures, producer of Jeopardy! confirmed the news today. “We are thrilled to begin the next chapter of America’s Favorite Quiz Show with Mike hosting our daily show and Mayim hosting new versions of Jeopardy!,” said Ravi Ahuja, Chairman of Global Television Studios and Corporate Development for Sony Pictures, said in a statement. “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 a show – deservedly so because it’s Jeopardy! and we are following the incomparable Alex Trebek. A senior group of Sony Pictures Television executives pored over footage from every episode, reviewed research from multiple panels and focus groups, and got valuable input from our key partners and Jeopardy! viewers.” For our part, we agree with Sony brass and Jeopardy! fans that Richards will be an excellent choice to fill the role Alex Trebek held for 37 years. Richards showed an easy on-air manner and humble appreciation for the show, the contestants and gameplay. “It has been the honor of my life,” Richards told Parade.com about guest hosting Jeopardy!. “I felt even closer to the contestants than usual. I am always pulling for the contestants to succeed, but as host I was living and dying on their responses, especially on the Daily Doubles.” Richards, who has produced over 4,000 hours of game show television, joined an impressive roster of Jeopardy! guest hosts including Dr. Mehmet Oz, Anderson Cooper, Savannah Guthrie, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Katie Couric, Aaron Rodgers, Bill Whitaker, Levar Burton and Mayim Bialik. During his first week hosting, Richards, a three-time Daytime Emmy Award winner and 17-time nominee explained that because of the pandemic some guest hosts were reluctant to tape the show just yet. So in the interest of Jeopardy!, he stepped in at the last minute. “I’m hosting today and for the next two weeks to keep the greatest quiz show in the world going. We have some amazing guest hosts coming, that I can’t wait for you to see. But with the COVID outbreak here in LA, folks were understandably a little reticent to shoot,” said Richards, who also has spent a respectable amount of time in front of the camera. “Ken Jennings did a great job, but he’s unavailable due to obligations with his show, The Chase, so as the producer my job is to quite literally live the mantra: the show must go on.” In his new position as host, Richards will remain executive producer on Jeopardy! and Wheel Of Fortune. Here’s everything we know so far about the next host of Jeopardy!.
Who is Mike Richards?
A stand-up comedian right out of college, Richards was a host for several pilots. He hosted the WB’s High School Reunion and the reality sensation Beauty and the Geek for the CW. He was on the movie news show Dailies and hosted the 2012 revival of The Pyramid and Divided on the Game Show Network. He has also been a fan of Jeopardy! since he was 10 years old and even tried to read the entire Encyclopedia Britannica to prep for the show. With Richards at the lectern, the show is not just going on, but thriving. He is a certified hit with Jeopardy! fans around the world. The Twittersphere is aglow with reviews like “He is perfect for the job.” And “I love Mike Richards. Be still my heart!” And “No one will replace Alex, but Mike is the next best thing.” And he continues to wow us with his graciousness. “Alex was a legend, revered by all of us,” announced Richards during his Jeopardy! hosting stint. “I want to thank our guest hosts, who will not only help all of us celebrate his great legacy, but also bring their own touch to the show.” Get to know Mike Richards better. The interim host and executive producer gave us the lowdown. What do you miss most about Alex Trebek? I miss so many things it is hard to describe. I miss his calm reassuring nature. I miss his stories. I miss his humor and trying to make him laugh. I miss seeing him walk out at the top of the show and take command. SO many things! Can you talk about your first day working at Jeopardy!? My first day as executive producer was in the middle of the shutdown due to the pandemic, so everything was already upside down and this incredible staff never missed a beat. They were doing everything they could do to get back into production. Even Alex was calling me saying that he wanted to be the first show back in the studio and, as it turns out, we were close to that. What qualities did Alex have that you adored? Alex had a lot of qualities I adored. The one I admired most was his humility. He was a huge TV star, larger than life. He never acted like it. He said the contestants are the stars of the show and he meant it. There is a sweet story that once you said you wanted to be on Jeopardy! your mother got a subscription to The Wall Street Journal. What do you remember about watching the show when you were a boy? As a kid I remember Alex and the mustache. His voice was so good and familiar. My emotions towards the show haven’t changed. I am still as blown away by the contestants as I was then. It made me have that craving to be smart. Of course, I tried to figure out the clues, but as a kid, it is really tough. I love watching my kids get one or two right in an episode that directly relates to something they learned in school. It validates their hard work. What advice can you offer people who would like to be contestants? The best way to do well on Jeopardy! is to read and read and read and then watch a lot of episodes. I also think flash cards are a good way to work on particular subjects you know you need work on. It speeds up your recall. And take the Anytime Test. There are so many people out there that have what it takes to be a contestant, but we don’t know because they haven’t taken that first step. I love how you have paid tribute and honored Alex in such beautiful ways like working with his son to donate his wardrobe to help those looking for a job. What do you remember about the last times you saw or talked to Alex? I can remember where I was exactly when we spoke. We were talking about the show and he transitioned to talking about the impact of COVID-19. He called it a challenge to humanity. He wanted to know how not getting to go to school was affecting my children. He genuinely cared about my kids but also all children. Keep in mind he was very close to the end of his life. Amazing. It’s inspiring that you have produced over 4,000 hours of game show television. What was your first job in television? Thank you! I was an intern at The Tonight Show with Jay Leno right out of college. That turned into a production assistant job on the show. It was such a great first experience. How cool that you wrote, produced and hosted a weekly late-night comedy talk show called The Randumb Show in college. What would you like people to know about the show? The Randumb Show was a late night talk show for my college. I created it so that we could have campus “stars” on and interview them. Eventually we had on Kim Fields, (Facts of Life), Anson Williams (Happy Days) and Casey Kasem. Kim Fields was so kind and complimentary of all of the kids working on the show. Anson, who is an incredible director, told me to write. He said if you write, you will always have work. And Casey said you can be successful in this business being kind or not. He chose kindness. I did the show for two years and produced 44 episodes. It was the beginning of my love affair with television. I often slept at the TV station so I could work all hours on the show. I hung the lights, built the sets—all because I just loved it! Are you tired of people asking if there’s a chance that you could take over as permanent host? And how would you feel about being the permanent host? Right now, I’m just happy that people are watching. And I’m excited to see how they react to the upcoming guest hosts. After we chatted with Mike Richards, we still had questions. Here are more facts about the Jeopardy! producer:
How many awards has Mike Richards won?
Mike Richards has a boatload of Emmy nominations. The winner of three Daytime Emmy awards, Richards is a 17-time Emmy nominee.
What shows is Mike Richards producing right now?
Mike Richards is executive producer of two of the most successful game shows of all time: Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! In his new role, he will remain producer of both shows.
When did Mike Richards join Jeopardy!?
Mike Richards joined Jeopardy! in 2020—in the middle of the pandemic—after producing over 4,000 hours of game show programming.
What shows did Mike Richards produce before joining Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune?
For more than a decade, Richards was executive producer of The Price Is Right and Let’s Make a Deal. He joined The Price Is Right as co-executive producer in 2008 and a year later, became executive producer. In 2009, Richards helped sell the show franchise Let’s Make A Deal to CBS. Under his leadership, The Price Is Right brought home the award for Outstanding Game Show at the 2013, 2016 and 2018 ceremonies. Richards was also executive producer of the 2020 celebrity-driven revival of Who Wants to be a Millionaire?
What other television production experience does Mike Richards have?
Richards has experience producing talk shows, dating shows, celebrity shows, reality shows, clips shows, game shows and cable news. Early in his career, he worked for television legend Dick Clark as his Vice President of Development and Current Programs. During Richards’ time with Clark, he produced several awards shows and primetime shows and was a correspondent on The American Music Awards and Primetime New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.
Where did Mike Richards go to school?
Mike Richards graduated from Pepperdine University.
When and where was Mike Richards born?
Mike Richards was in Burbank, California, and he grew up in La Canada, California.
How old is Mike Richards?
He was born July 5, 1975. That makes him 46.
Is Mike Richards married?
Mike Richards is married to Stephanie Richards. He has two sons. Next, See the Full List of Jeopardy! Guest Hosts
