“I’ll take ‘The Host With The Most” for $500.”
And the answer is:
“Alex Trebek’s replacement.”
And the answer is:
“What is we still don’t know.'”
Somehow nine months after the passing of Trebek – easily the longest stunt in TV history – the most popular game show in America is still without a permanent host.
It started as a pretty cool idea, because after all, you don’t just replace an iconic host like Trebek the next day. In fact, many Jeopardy fans felt Trebek was irreplaceable. So, the idea was to create a process, a stunt. Book a bunch of celebrity guest hosts, gauge audience reactions from the ratings, social media, and audience research, and then make a decision.
Not a bad stunt, right? Except that it has now officially turned into a debacle for the Jeopardy team, mostly due to bad planning and poor stunt architecture.
It’s possible the show’s producers knew way back in the beginning the identity of their final choice to take over for Trebek – Mike Richards. But rather than appoint an unknown for Trebek’s gig, they milked the vacancy for all the ratings, buzz, and profits a true search would generate. Or it’s also possible they didn’t know the outcome, but reasoned Trebek’s replacement would emerge among the many wannabes, becoming obvious as fans voted.
I wrote a blog about this “In search of a new ‘Jeopardy’ host” saga back in early February – about 90 days after Trebek’s death. At the time, I conjectured that given how many major celebrities were already queued for a guest shot on Jeopardy, the stunt could go on for a long time.
But seven months?
At first, the stunt seemed smart. Trebek had a well-deserved legacy of guiding the Jeopardy mother ship, and bringing his own unique personality to the mix. But that said, the gig is not a heavy lift, it pays well, and there’s plenty of job security for the right host, as Trebek proved. Talk about job security – Trebek owned the role for 37 years. Hosting Jeopardy is a plum job, one of the few appointment-setting shows left on broadcast television. Sure, you can DVR it, but most people catch it in real time.
That explains why so many big names gave it a try, including former all-time champ, Ken Jennings, the NFL’s Aaron Rodgers, journalist/hosts Robin Roberts, George Stephanopoulos, and Anderson Cooper. During these last seven months, an astonishing 16 guest hosts stood behind Trebek’s lectern, reading all those answers, and interviewing contestants.
And in the end, it was veteran game show executive Richards who somehow bested all the better-known competitors. Mayim Bialik seemed to get the consolation prize, hosting prime time specials. Her choice seemed like a way to give a female host a secondary prize in an historical male dominated role. Richards turned out to be popular for an unknown, but some felt he might have been the heir apparent all along.
There was no shortage of drama. A groundswell of support formed for LeVar Burton – who didn’t get his guest host opportunity until July – generated lots of “socializing” online. And the question of whether a woman could be chosen clearly got people talking. Many also liked the idea of all-time Jeopardy champ, Ken Jennings, grabbing the big prize as Trebeck’s replacement.
But the drama ended earlier this month when Richards was finally given the role, with Bialik playing backup.
And that’s when all hell broke loose and the stunt fell apart. As you more than likely have heard by now, a simple search of Richards’ media activities – especially podcasts, which endure forever – revealed a series of offensive statements about women and Jews. The Randumb Show was
actually a podcast hosted by Richards, so it wasn’t a matter of being victimized during a “gotcha” moment by a nasty host.
That’s when things sped up. After seven months of searching, Richards was forced to step down after holding Trebek’s gig for one day. He will continue as Executive Producer of the still hostless Jeopardy.
But did the stunt work? It obviously kept the show and intrigue going throughout 2021 – not a bad accomplishment. But were fans engaged?
I ran a simple Google Trends report on Jeopardy – a handy tool that plots web searches over time. And for contrast, I compared what’s been going on at Jeopardy with activity over at its sister show, Wheel of Fortune, where it’s basically the same show, night after night:
Activity peaked last November when Trebek passed away. You can see interest in how it subsided, but pick up again in January when the parade of guest hosts took over. Some created genuine peaks of interest. Still, there were times when Wheel came very close to matching Jeopardy‘s level of interest, despite absolutely nothing going on with Pat Sajak, Vanna White, or the show itself.
By June, the momentum for Jeopardy began to cool. Now some of this may have been due, of course, to the COVID comeback, in full bloom at that time, or summer vacations. But the through-line measured by search activity reveals the air was out of the balloon.
That’s when the search mercifully ended last week, Richards was finally named the heir to the Trebek throne, and the taping of new shows began.
Until the whole thing blew up, of course.
Radio has had its share of stunts – brilliant ones and disasters. After thinking about this bizarre chapter where one of the most successful franchises in TV history has been gutted by a stunt gone bad, I’ve listed seven helpful stunt tips – what to do, and as importantly, what not to do when planning a stunt.
- Make sure people care – For the Jeopardy team, that was an easy box to check. Trebek was a revered host, a treasure. Fans of the show were invested in his replacement. But there was a lot on the line, and there’s only so long they will buy into a show’s cause.
- Don’t stunt too long – People may, in fact, care about the stunt and its outcome, but for seven months? Even with fascinating guest hosts, Jeopardy took too long to resolve the stunt.
- Give fans a voice – Clearly, the show’s P1s had opinions. The campaign to get Burton named (obviously futile) is still simmering on social media. But at no point did fans have the chance to vote on their favorite. Like MLB’s “All-Star Game,” they wouldn’t have to necessarily get the final say. But by including millions of fans in the mix, the Jeopardy team could have generated gobs of revenue, not to mention aggregating one of the greatest email databases ever.
- Know how it will end – This is one of the first rules of stunting. These contrivances need a beginning, a middle, and an end. And that last part – the conclusion – needs to satisfy as many stakeholders – the producers, the fans, the sponsors, and the ratings – as possible. Apparently, the Jeopardy team didn’t have that last part down, or they didn’t…
- Do the homework – With so much on the line, an immensely popular show, a long stunt, and a passionate fan base, prep needed to be done on the eventual winner – in this case, Richards. It was one thing for the eventual decider (Richards) to pick himself. But when no one bothered to vet him, it’s a dumpster fire of a stunt. BTW, he had a history of questionable dealings with women while overseeing The Price Is Right, so there were good reasons to content check Richards’s podcast.
- Visualize what could possibly go wrong – And then address it. At their essence, this is what program directors (and executive producers) are paid to do: imagine where things could go off the rails. One of my gifts as PD was reviewing every scenario – contests, stunts, events – to make sure they didn’t get anyone in trouble or hurt, or jeopardize (sorry) the station license.
- Clean it up…fast – No matter your skill set and smarts, you can’t control everything. There are acts of God – like weather or illness or outside events – that can scuttle and overshadow stunts and events. So when things turn upside-down, you’ve got to move swiftly but wisely, and make things right for everyone involved. The days keep running on, and the best Richards and his team can do is to make Mayim Bialik the “interim” host of the show. Seriously? This is the moment. Give the job to her permanently. Or see if LeVar Burton will still take it. And consider this: Mike Richards is still the EP of Jeopardy.
As always, we can learn from the examples – good, bad, and train wrecks – of others. And sadly, a show with an amazing history and a beloved host, is being dragged through the mud.
At what point will #Jeopardy Start listening to the fans about a new host? #LeVarBurton #MiamiBialik #AndersonCooper
— kimmie c (@kimbasplace) August 24, 2021
At the end of all this, will anyone really care?
Stay tuned, I guess.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
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Had anyone ever thought of Darrel Hammond to replace Trebek? (As Sean Connery. Of course).
Now THAT, I’d watch!
See – this is what happens when it takes 8 months to make a decision.
“In fact, many “Jeopardy” fans felt Trebek was replaceable.”
I believe you meant “irreplaceable”. Cool article 👍
I’ll fix – and thank you!
We’re in the midst of the “Ready, Fire, Aim” stage. Sadly we knew Alex Trebek’s days were numbered and for whatever reason (probably out of respect for Alex), they didn’t search his successor until after his death. Behind the scenes? It’s anyone’s guess but the steps you outlined here, Fred weren’t followed very well, especially “The Outcome”. Gary Burbank staged his own “murder” back in the day when he was leaving WAKY in Louisville. The “outcome”? He went to New Orleans. We had our morning host, Larry Black, “kidnapped” from his air chair in Rochester in 1974 -and the outcome? He was held “captive” in a cage in the middle of the local mall, collecting money for charity. We were just a small local radio station with a committee of about 5 putting this together. I’m sure “Jeopardy” has many more than that working on tactics for the future. You have to wonder what they’re thinking. “Jeopardy” needs to make one more call, Fred. To you!!
I forgot about the Gary Burbank story. It’s amazing how otherwise smart teams of entertainers get themselves wrapped around a bad promotion. As for your last comment, I’m afraid I might fail the background check, but that’s another story for another day!
IIRC, Dr. Bialik’s sitcom “Call Me Kat” was renewed for a second season by Fox after her turn as guest host on “Jeopardy!” so she might have had time management issues doing both. (Much less difficult to fit the occasional prime-time special in, though.)
My take on LeVar Burton (correcting the capitalization of his name from your post, Fred) is that he underestimated the difficulty of hosting the show and came off somewhat worse than I think he could have. I’d like to see him get a second try-out now that there is going to be another round of guest hosts. But, as you rightly point out, there needs to be an endpoint and I hope this time the process doesn’t drag on to the point where we would accept ANYONE just to make it stop. That is, I think another factor in how Mike ended up with this (I refuse to call him by his last name lest anyone mistakenly think we are related).
I would add, under your sixth bullet point, to remember what happened to Entercom in Sacramento back in 2007. They ended up surrendering a license to settle matters … a license they could have sold off otherwise in the merger with CBS.
BTW, nice hidden “Star Trek” remark about Burton, Fred.
Thanks for the spell check, K.M. And yes, another round of “guest hosts” will be numbing. Either make it a viewer vote (and anoint the winner), just pick one, but as you say, MAKE IT STOP.
Anyone else think of “Hold Your Wee for a Wii” while reading this?
One of radio’s most difficult moments. It is much easier for me to talk about television debacles.
That was what I was obliquely referring to near the end of my comment, David.
Jeopardy may have gotten lucky in a way.
It is tough to follow a legend. Almost all of the people that replaced Howard Stern were blown out within a year.
Opie and Anthony had a semi successful run not because they replaced Stern but because they replaced the unlistenable and incredibly dated David Lee Roth.
If you are replacing a legend, you need a palate cleanser. Could this guy, who I never heard of before he was picked to host the show, be it for Jeopardy?
Whoever ends up behind the podium better hope so.
Mike, I thought about that. It is highly challenging to replace a legend. But it’s worked in Boston at WROR, and here in Detroit at WRIF.
That said, a buffer – or as you put it, a palate cleanser – might make sense. It just seems like “Jeopardy” is back to Square One. Thanks for commenting.
Your piece offers wise and sagely advice.
Picking up where Mike N left off; how many times and over how many years did Mel warn us to have a back-up plan for Howard?
When that day came, the folks had a plan. It became a dumpster fire. The lesson to never be the guy to replace the guy was not lost on me.
I learned to plan the end before starting before becoming a PD. One of the most brilliant stunts I’ve ever witnessed was at WQFM Milwaukee. Tim the “Rock & Roll Animal,” went out on the ledge of the building 21 stories above the street (there was a wall that prevented him from rolling off). The stunt was to persuade The Who to play Milwaukee (where they had never played) but there was no planned ending and the stunt dragged on. Thankfully for all, it eventually did come true, and Tim came in from the ledge victorious.
I remember when Bob Rivers stayed on the air on 98Rock in Baltimore until the Orioles won their first game. It took longer than anyone thought the team would start the season 0-19. But the stunt had “an end” before it was launched. As for the Howard backup plan, history speaks for itself. Thanks, Andy.
Nice! I’ve been thinking about Bob’s stunt a lot recently, for obvious reasons. (Btw, they somehow lost their first 21 games in 1988!) I wrote about it at R&R, of course. The kicker was that — pretty sure I’m remembering this correctly — Rivers’ ratings went DOWN in that Spring book.
Not surprised given the old diary system. But it made his career during those early stages.
Thank you for your continued contributions aimed at bringing order and wisdom to an industry where order and wisdom have been in short supply lately. The industry deserves the kind of experience you bring to the table, Fred.