As Jeopardy! fans have watched champion Matt Amodio quickly rise up the ranks to become one of the highest-earning winners in the show's history, his celebration-worthy success has been dwarfed by the game show's behind-the-scene struggles with finding a permanent replacement for the late, great Alex Trebek. This past week brought the news that Jeopardy! will welcome not only executive producer Mike Richards to the full-time hosting party, but also Big Bang Theory vet and previous guest host Mayim Bialik. And now it's being reported that Bialik could have had the job all to herself if her schedule wasn't already so booked up.
That's right, it appears Mayim Bialik's own successful career post-Big Bang Theory, which no doubt played a part in her being chosen as a guest host, is the main reason why she isn't able to devote more time and effort into making Jeopardy! her main squeeze. According to TMZ, Sony Pictures Entertainment were looking at Bialik as a promising front-runner after her guest-hosting stint was filmed in March, and those feelings were bolstered by the warm and largely positive responses audiences had for her episodes that aired in June. Not to mention she also allegedly tested the highest with focus groups, and the crew was said to have loved working with her.
But for all the positives listed above, Jeopardy!'s producers were indeed still aware that Mayim Bialik wasn't exactly sitting on her butt at home when she wasn't on the game show's iconic set. For one, she's both the star and executive producer of the multi-camera Fox comedy Call Me Kat, which she helped bring to life with her former Big Bang Theory hubby Jim Parsons. Fox officially renewed Call Me Kat for Season 2 back in May, and it's set to return to the network in the midseason break after Fox is done with NFL Football. Obviously, that show takes a lot of time and effort to put together throughout the week.
Call Me Kat isn't her only professional commitment these days, either. She's also the host and founder of the popular podcast Mayim Bialik's Breakdown, which brings in celebrity guests to talk about all aspects of mental health, and how the entertainment industry impacts such things. Just imagine if her goal to revive Blossom was successful. She might not even have time to watch Jeopardy! anymore.
Of course, for all that some fans are pumped about Mayim Bialik's inclusion, those who wished to see others take over the host role(s) have taken to sharing controversial stories from the actress' past - as well as from Mike Richards' own past - to paint them in negative lights. We've yet to see if anything will actually change on that front, but for now, expect to see Bialik next for the upcoming National College Championship, with the annual tournament being ported to primetime for 2022. And also expect former champ James Holzhauer to keep firing hilarious shots.
While Big Bang Theory fans would no doubt love to see Mayim Bialik on TV as often as they did when the CBS sitcom was the medium's most-watched series, her sporadic returns to Jeopardy! will have to suffice for now. While exact dates for the new Jeopardy! regime haven't been revealed yet, stay tuned, and be sure to watch the rest of the guest-hosted episodes airing daily in syndication.
