'Jeopardy!' EP Says Ken Jennings & Mayim Bialik Will Host Season 39

Earlier this week, "Jeopardy!" fans were thrown for a loop when they heard reports that Ken Jennings and Mayim Bialik were going to be the new hosts of "Jeopardy!" for season 39.

"The Big Bang Theory" had initially been hired to take over special tournaments and primetime specials; however, she ended up hosting regular gameplay after executive producer Mike Richards was fired shortly after naming himself as the new host of the trivia game show.

Mayim still had commitments to her Fox sitcom "Call Me Kat," which led to "Jeopardy!" Greatest of All Time tournament winner Ken Jennings, who still holds the game's longest win streak, filled in while she was out.  However, in a new note from new executive producer Michael Davies, both Ken and Mayim are expected to be the new hosts of "Jeopardy!".

Michael Davies noted that "Jeopardy!" viewership has increased since late host Alex Trebek passed away of pancreatic cancer in November 2020, and producers seem to attribute at least some of the viewership increase due to the combined talents of Ken and Mayim.

In his letter, Davies also confirmed that Mayim will host the "Celebrity Jeopardy!" spin-off show, which will air on Sundays on ABC starting this September.

Not only did Davies announce that the two will continue to tag-team the season, but he revealed that Ken will be the first person to host season 39, which starts taping next week. Fans can tune in to watch Ken host when "Jeopardy!" comes back in September and keep watching him through December. In January, Mayim will start hosting in January.

“We have so much Jeopardy! to make, and so many plans for the future, that we always knew we would need multiple hosts for the franchise and we are just so grateful that Mayim and Ken stepped in and stepped up to put the show in a position to succeed,” Davies wrote in his letter.

However, fans will be delighted to learn that Ken will host the first-ever Second Chance competition and the Tournament of Champions, which will feature the return of Super Champions Amy Schneider, Matt Amodio, Mattea Roach, Ryan Long, and more.

Mayim will continue to host other tournaments, like the National College Championship, as she continues to balance her commitments to "Call Me Kat."

In addition to the spin-off show, Davies also announced that there will be a new podcast called "Inside Jeopardy!". More details about the podcast will follow shortly.

Deadline shared the email from "Jeopardy!" EP Michael Davies himself, which can be read in full below.

A Note from JEOPARDY! EP Michael Davies: New Hosts and New Initiatives

I write today with the exciting news that we have closed and signed deals with Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings to be the hosts of Jeopardy! moving forward.

The fact is, we have so much Jeopardy! to make, and so many plans for the future, that we always knew we would need multiple hosts for the franchise and we are just so grateful that Mayim and Ken stepped in and stepped up to put the show in a position to succeed. And succeed it has. With Mayim and Ken hosting, the show is considerably up in viewership year over year, with more than 27M viewers tuning in each week this season. When you consider that almost every other show in broadcast television and syndication is declining, this has been a quite remarkable season: we’re the most-watched entertainment show on all of television. Yes, all of television.

In Mayim and Ken, we have two outstanding hosts at the beginning of their Jeopardy! hosting careers who connect with their own unique fanbases, new fans, and the traditional Jeopardy! viewer. Ken will kick off the season in September, host the inaugural Second Chance competition and the heavily anticipated Tournament of Champions featuring Amy Schneider, Matt Amodio, Mattea Roach, Ryan Long, and many, many more. His initial hosting run will take us through December. In the meantime, Mayim will host Celebrity Jeopardy! on ABC in primetime. When she takes over from Ken in January, the current plan is to have her host a couple of new tournaments as well as the Jeopardy! National College Championship and as many weeks as she can manage with her other primetime commitment to Call Me Kat. We know you value consistency, so we will not flip flop the hosts constantly and will keep you informed about the hosting schedule.

Mayim and Ken are both extraordinarily talented and simply lovely humans. They support the staff and each other. They love and respect this institution of a television program. In return, the staff and I are honored to work alongside them.

….

So, I mentioned our plans for the future…

Well, the future will start this Monday as we launch three new initiatives on a single day:

1. Repeat season is upon us. But instead of repeating our tournaments as we have in the past, this year, my fellow producers and I have handpicked six weeks of some of our favorite episodes of the season, featuring our closest games, super-champions, and some of the people who will be announced as part of our inaugural Second Chance competition.
2. Jeopardy! Highlights. Starting Monday, we will be releasing a daily three minute highlight recap of the day’s Jeopardy! episode on our website, across all of our social, and with our partner affiliates. Now, for the first time, you can catch up with the key moments of each and every game.
3. “Inside Jeopardy!” Podcast. Because all of the above gives us so much to talk about, and because there is always so much to talk about on Jeopardy! (it’s a sport, remember?) we will be launching a topical weekly podcast wherever you listen to your podcasts. Hosted by the Jeopardy! producers, including me, “Inside Jeopardy!” will give you all an inside look into everything going on behind the scenes at America’s Favorite Quiz Show: everything from gameplay analysis and behind-the-scenes stories, to official announcements, and special interviews. Please subscribe now to “Inside Jeopardy!” on Spotify, Apple or wherever you listen to podcasts.

On Monday’s podcast, we will announce all of the contestants who will be returning for a Second Chance to become a Jeopardy! champion. And I will share my vision for Jeopardy!’s future, including new developments in the areas of pop culture and sports, plans for a Jeopardy! Honors awards show and my biggest and most passionately held idea: a Jeopardy! Masters league in primetime or on a streaming platform.

…..

To conclude, I want to congratulate both Mayim and Ken. They have both been a joy to work with. They have my commitment, my producer oath, that I will focus on nothing but improving the show around them so that they can do their best work and approach every day in the studio with excitement and energy. And speaking of, we’re back in the Alex Trebek Stage on Monday. I simply can’t wait.

Courage,

Michael Davies

Executive Producer, Jeopardy!