Despite Mike Richards stepping down as the new host of Jeopardy! after a scandal-laden selection process revealed how little attention Sony paid to his background, the classic TV game’s show reputation is still in danger of being further tarnished. With Richards still serving as executive producer, former champs are speaking out with worries that the show’s reputation is in serious, well, jeopardy.
“It’s like looking at yourself in the mirror and shooting yourself in the face,” 11-time champ Arthur Chu told The Daily Beast. “You couldn’t intentionally sabotage the show worse than this.”
Chu, along with five-time champ Kristin Sausville, voiced their grave concerns with the direction that Jeopardy! is heading after the Richards’ debacle. Not only was his actual influence over the selection process downplayed, but the champs were stunned at how Sony was unaware of his podcast where he repeatedly made problematic comments about women’s bodies and borderline bigoted remarks. Via The Daily Beast:
Some of Sausville’s trivia friends, meanwhile, have said they’re no longer interested in auditioning for the show. She wonders “how women and Jewish people can feel safe on the set as contestants, as staff.”
Soon after we hung up, Sausville sent a written follow-up message: “J! has always been known for its integrity, which is critical for a show about facts,” she wrote. “It’s sacrificing that integrity by keeping Mike Richards as EP, and runs a real risk of long-term damage to its reputation and perception.”
While Sausville feels removing Richards will be a step in the right direction, Chu is less optimistic and feels that the Richards fiasco demonstrates Sony’s current view of Jeopardy!, which once maintained a sterling reputation for facts and knowledge.
“I think the really worrying thing about it is, what I sense from them is that they don’t have respect for that,” Chu said. “They kind of see Jeopardy! as a cash cow… When Alex died, they saw an opportunity to juice more ratings on top of that. And that’s a very tough thing to get over.”
(Via The Daily Beast)