This just in-
it would appear that Mike Richards, highly problematic Executive Producer of “Jeopardy!” and “Wheel of Fortune,” has been fired.
This comes after Richards tapped himself to take over the highly coveted role of host of celebrated gameshow “Jeopardy!” following the passing of Alex Trebek.
Many things about Richards came to light during this rise to the podium, and public outcries for Sony to hold him (and the production) accountable have been heard.
Michael Davies (“Who Wants to Be A Millionaire“) will take over production duties in the interim.
Per Variety, the following memo was sent by Executive Vice President, Business and Strategy for “Wheel of Fortune” and “Jeopardy,” Suzanne Prete, to all staff on the shows:
“I’m writing to let you know that Mike will no longer be serving as EP of Wheel and Jeopardy! effective immediately. We had hoped that when Mike stepped down from the host position at Jeopardy! it would have minimized the disruption and internal difficulties we have all experienced these last few weeks. That clearly has not happened.
Michael Davies from Embassy Row has agreed to help with production on an interim basis until further notice. Michael and I will work together with all of you in the weeks ahead to ensure that production remains on schedule and we do not miss a beat as we head into the new season.
I know this has been a challenging time for the entire team, and I want to thank you all for your cooperation and professionalism over these last few weeks. As Ravi mentioned last week, I will be more involved in the day-to-day on our shows moving forward and I am looking forward to working closely with all of you. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need anything.
Sincerely,
Suzanne“
It was reported that Richards had already filmed 5 episodes as host of the series, but it is unclear now if those episodes will ever see the light of day. Mayim Bialik is currently scheduled to take over guest hosting duties until a new host is chosen.
This story is developing….
