★★★★★ 0/5

Jeopardy! producer fired in USA

Mike Richards was supposed to succeed Alex Trebek, but stood down as host, then fired as exec producer.

2
Leave a comment

US producer Mike Richards has been fired as the executive producer of Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune, just weeks after he was being toasted as the new Jeopardy! replacement.

Last week he was forced to step down as host, nine days after being announced as successor to Alex Trebek. That happened when statements that he had made on an eight-year-old podcast resurfaced and attracted negative headlines. There were also suggestions he had steered the casting process, while former discrimination lawsuits by Price Is Right models also resurfaced.

“We had hoped that when Mike stepped down from the host position at Jeopardy! it would have minimized the disruption and internal difficulties we have all experienced these last few weeks,” Suzanne Prete, Sony’s executive vice president, business and strategy said. “That clearly has not happened.”

Ex-Big Bang star Mayim Bialik will guest host Jeopardy! until a replacement is announced, while Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? executive producer Michael Davies will take over production duties.

Jeopardy! screens in Australia on SBS VICELAND and FOX Classics.

Source: Variety

2 Responses

  2. I mean, it was suspicious from the start, middle, and end of the whole process. “I have been tasked with finding a replacement for this beloved host and giving them a lucrative multi-year contract, who will be chosen I wonder, oh turns out that it’s me.” Yeah, right. I’m glad they ferreted out the main root of the problem.

Leave a Reply