Levar Burton to be the next host of Jeopardy?

Discussion in 'TV & Media' started by TheMadCloner, Nov 15, 2020.

  1. KennyB

    KennyB I have spoken............ Moderator

    Joined:
    Jul 19, 2001
    Location:
    Tokyo Japan
    I did not think it would get a 2nd season. It's a horrid remake of "Miranda" from the UK.....so maybe I am biased by knowing what it was supposed to be like.
     
  2. Skywalker

    Skywalker Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Feb 24, 2005
    It's really tough to judge Burton's run because all of those episodes were taped in a single day. I didn't get to see all of his run but it sounds like he got better as he went. If they're going back to guest hosts for now, I hope they give him a proper two-week run this time before they make any final judgments.
     
  3. Marc

    Marc Fleet Admiral Premium Member

    Joined:
    Nov 14, 2003
    Location:
    Shinning Waters
    Steve can be entertaining and funny but a suitable Jeopardy Host he's not.
     
  4. Owain Taggart

    Owain Taggart Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Nov 30, 2009
    Location:
    Northern Ontario, Canada
    Yeah, I agree. He had a number of different things going against him: First, the entirety of his episodes were all filmed on a single day. So, if he was having a bad day of it, poof! That's it! That's all he got. Secondly, having that champion to deal with, not only for one or two episodes, but his entire run, must have been a nightmare scenario for anybody. Alex probably had methods of dealing with contestants of his type, but throw in someone completely unused to the whole rythmn, it's no wonder he looked like he was thrown off balance.Thirdly, his run unfortunately coincided with the Olympics, which would have cratered his ratings due to preemption and postponement, and it's actually amazing he did as well as he did with the ratings. But those ratings shouldn't be indicative of his performance when compared to other guest hosts.

    And well, who hasn't been nervous when taking on their dream job?
     
  5. The Nth Doctor

    The Nth Doctor Infinite Possibilities... Premium Member

    Joined:
    Jul 20, 2000
    Location:
    Lost in a temporal and spatial anomaly
    100% nailed it, as has been said repeatedly in this thread, but it's good to see it all summed up in one thought here.

    But it turns out he also had two other things going against him: Richards was directing the process for the guest hosts and Richards was the one who chose the clips to be viewed by the focus group. Not that any of that mattered in the end, but it's pretty damn evident how much the process was stacked against Burton.
     
    Last edited: Aug 21, 2021
    Masiral and cardinal biggles like this.
  6. valkyrie013

    valkyrie013 Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Jun 15, 2009
    Now calls for the other pick Mayim to be kicked to the curb... Ugh Twitter people just love cancelling.. Oh how do I hate them..
    This is why we can't have nice things..
     
  7. Owain Taggart

    Owain Taggart Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Nov 30, 2009
    Location:
    Northern Ontario, Canada
    Yeah, I'd forgotten that bit. Thanks for bringing it up. And knowing he was behind the process and also a contender makes me wonder if he didn't deliberately mislead some of the guest-hosts into looking bad. It wasn't just stacked against him, but when you put the video clips into question, I think it stacks against the other contenders as well. This is why the entire process feels like a joke, and I feel the show's integrity has been hurt in the process.

    Knowing what's now come out about him, I have my doubts on how long he's going to last as Producer, because with that out there, It will likely be uncomfortable for the crew to work with him.
     
    Last edited: Aug 21, 2021
  8. The Nth Doctor

    The Nth Doctor Infinite Possibilities... Premium Member

    Joined:
    Jul 20, 2000
    Location:
    Lost in a temporal and spatial anomaly
    I feel the same way.

    This closing paragraph from The Ringer article comes to mind:

    “I think that one reason why Jeopardy! was aspirational for many of its contestants was its sense of integrity,” says [Kristin] Sausville, the 2015 champion. “There was something intrinsic to the show and Alex Trebek’s hosting of it that elevated it above other game shows. The baggage Mike Richards has brought from his previous experience as an executive producer, as well as the optics of what comes across as his self-selection as host, have tarnished that. I think there’s a real danger of Jeopardy! becoming just another syndicated game show, and that makes me concerned for its longevity and standing.”​

    And yet Sony didn't seem to have a problem with keeping him on, so I'm skeptical if he's going anywhere anytime soon.

    But then I've already been wrong on this matter, so maybe I'll be wrong here, too.
     
  9. Owain Taggart

    Owain Taggart Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Nov 30, 2009
    Location:
    Northern Ontario, Canada

    Yep, glad to know it's not just me feeling this way. Jeopardy was always seen as a classy show, no doubt due in part to Alex and his influence. What Richards has done was awful.

    Well, we all thought he wouldn't possibly step down anytime soon. Maybe he's been pressured by Sony in the end, after realizing one of their top shows was being tarnished. I would think anything's possible at this point. Although one thing, according to the Ringer article, they mentioned being low on staff due to Covid or some such, limiting their possibilities for Producer. I might be wrong there, but I think that might be a limiting factor in their decision. Don't think they want to search for a new Producer as well as host, as that would put them in a bind.
     
    The Nth Doctor likes this.
  10. KennyB

    KennyB I have spoken............ Moderator

    Joined:
    Jul 19, 2001
    Location:
    Tokyo Japan
    Why?
     
  11. cardinal biggles

    cardinal biggles A GODDAMN DELIGHT Moderator

    Joined:
    Sep 7, 2001
    Location:
    potrzebie
    There tend to be three big objections to Bialik:
    • Statements she's made that are blatantly anti-vaxx, which she's then walked back with statements that are murky (at best) support for vaccinations.
    • An op-ed she wrote for The New York Times in the wake of #MeToo where she engaged in victim blaming by claiming she made it through Hollywood unscathed because she dressed conservatively and didn't flirt with men.
    • Her participation in a TV commercial for Neuriva, a purported brain enhancer that's been debunked by Psychology Today as modern-day snake oil; its key ingredients are coffee extract and phosphatidylserine, a supplement that supposedly improves brain function, but years of study have shown any effect to be negligible. She specifically touts her credentials as a neuroscientist in this ad.
     
    The Nth Doctor likes this.
  12. KennyB

    KennyB I have spoken............ Moderator

    Joined:
    Jul 19, 2001
    Location:
    Tokyo Japan
    Anti-Vaxx pre 2020 and now are completely different things.......a quick google brought up articles from 2015 where she stated her kids were vaccinated and from early this year where she says her and her kids have received the COVID-19 vaccine. I don't have a dog i this hunt and have not watched any game show in 20 years, just find it interesting how people weaponize EVERYTHING these days.
     
    Gepard likes this.
  13. cardinal biggles

    cardinal biggles A GODDAMN DELIGHT Moderator

    Joined:
    Sep 7, 2001
    Location:
    potrzebie
    ^Yes, and the NYT article is from 2017. Only the Neuriva ad is really current.

    And compared to the truly awful stuff dredged up about Mike Richards, this seems like small potatoes.
     
    Gepard likes this.
  14. Dar70

    Dar70 Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Jul 12, 2001
    Location:
    Dar70
    Why dont they just hire an actual game show host??? Someone who made it their career...
     
    Last edited: Aug 22, 2021
    XCV330 likes this.
  15. Owain Taggart

    Owain Taggart Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Nov 30, 2009
    Location:
    Northern Ontario, Canada

    The good thing is that whatever previous stance she had, she's seen the need with Covid. I can only hope that others who've held similar beliefs follow in her wake. I only see good things from this. Afterall, a person isn't static. They're allowed to change.
     
    KennyB likes this.
  16. The Nth Doctor

    The Nth Doctor Infinite Possibilities... Premium Member

    Joined:
    Jul 20, 2000
    Location:
    Lost in a temporal and spatial anomaly
    Certainly.

    But the victim blaming op-ed piece still feels gross.

    Yes, I agree her issues pale in comparison to Richards. However, how hard is it to find someone who doesn't have gross baggage that would be found with proper vetting (or even a quick Google search)?
     
  17. Timby

    Timby o yea just like that Administrator

    Joined:
    May 28, 2001
    This feels like incredible projection. I mean, the outcry for Burton to get a guest-host spot on Jeopardy was already incredibly astroturfed, and, beyond that, he has never said that it's his dream job or anything of the sort, merely that he'd be interested if asked.
     
  18. The Nth Doctor

    The Nth Doctor Infinite Possibilities... Premium Member

    Joined:
    Jul 20, 2000
    Location:
    Lost in a temporal and spatial anomaly
    That's not true. Go watch and/or read some of his recent interviews. He all but says exactly that.
     
  19. valkyrie013

    valkyrie013 Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Jun 15, 2009
    Which she has since apologized for, and not recently, shortly after the whole thing blew up years ago, she apologized and even had an event to talk about it. So to me that problem is water under the bridge.

    People ( Not you, just a generalization of most of twitter and the like) mention the problems, but don't read further and see if they have already apologized or taken other corrective actions. Or those who totally ignore that they have apologized and still attack them. Feels like my EX wife that constantly brought up old arguments seemingly every day. Discuss it, and move on.
    People make mistakes and change.
     
    KennyB likes this.
  20. Oddish

    Oddish Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Sep 7, 2020
    Location:
    Kanto, Poké-World
    For some reason, that makes me think about Richard Dawson in "The Running Man"... the movie got mixed reviews, but his performance as an evil game show host was considered a standout.