Mike Richards, the ‘Jeopardy!’ Host, Lasted Just One Day of Filming

At the taping Thursday in Culver City, Mr. Richards was joined by Anthony Vinciquerra, Sony Pictures Entertainment’s chief executive, and Ravi Ahuja, its TV chairman. Two other contenders for Mr. Trebek’s job, Mr. Jennings and Buzzy Cohen, another former contestant, also came, expecting to attend Mr. Richards’s debut taping.

Instead, Mr. Cohen and Mr. Jennings were escorted from the soundstage to a nearby green room, where they watched the taping over a closed feed. They were told that Mr. Richards was too nervous to have them in the studio, according to three people familiar with the incident, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

One of the people likened it to inviting Joe DiMaggio back to Yankee Stadium and then not letting him in the dugout.

Sony said access to the taping was restricted because of pandemic protocols limiting the number of people in the studio; Mr. Vinciquerra was not on the soundstage, either.

The search to replace Mr. Trebek, who hosted the show for 37 years, included a parade of guest hosts like Anderson Cooper, Aaron Rodgers, Joe Buck and others. One contender was virtually unknown to the audience: Mr. Richards, who started as executive producer of “Jeopardy!” and “Wheel of Fortune” last year.

Initially, Mr. Richards spoke dispassionately about the search, telling The New York Times in January that he wanted the show’s audience to weigh in on the selection and that the new host should not be merely doing an “impression of Alex.” He did not mention that he might also be in the running.

“I believe there will be pressure and stress on whoever that person is,” he said of the prospective new host.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/20/business/mike-richards-quits-jeopardy.html