Mike Richards is no longer executive producer of “Jeopardy!” and “Wheel of Fortune,” Sony Pictures Television confirmed on Tuesday.
“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,” said Suzanne Prete, EVP, Business and Strategy, “Wheel of Fortune” and “Jeopardy!”
Prete continued: “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.”
The move completes a rapid fall for Richards, who at one point was set to take over as host of the longrunning game show following the death of Alex Trebek last November. Richards stepped down as permanent host of the syndicated Sony quiz show just one day after it returned to production, following the resurfacing of a gender discrimination lawsuit from his time with “The Price is Right” and multiple misogynistic comments he made on a podcast he co-hosted last decade. Richards taped five episodes which will all air.
For now, the long-running game show will go back to the guest-host model with Mayim Bialik (who was named the host of the game show’s primetime specials and spinoffs) taping for the next three weeks worth of episodes.
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