‘Jeopardy!’: When Will Mayim Bialik Return?
Fans of Jeopardy! know Mayim Bialik well. The actor and author, who’s now known for hosting the beloved game show, began permanent hosting duties alongside Ken Jennings in July 2022 after a long stint of guest hosting. Unfortunately, Bialik is stepping away from the show due to the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike. So, when will Bialik return? Here’s what we think.
When will Mayim Bialik return to ‘Jeopardy!’ for more filming?
Mayim Bialik officially stepped away from hosting Jeopardy! in May 2023 to stand in solidarity with the Writers Guild of America strike. The strike has union members from the guild demanding fair pay from Hollywood, and it’s the first writers’ walkout in 15 years. Several shows went dark immediately, like Saturday Night Live and other late-night talk shows. Production has also halted on fan-favorite series like Stranger Things and Yellowjackets.
As for Jeopardy! Season 39, the show will go on. But Bialik won’t be hosting. With only one week of hosting the series left, Bialik chose to take a step away in solidarity with the striking writers, meaning the trivia series will move forward with just Ken Jennings as the host. Before the strike, Bialik was expected to continue hosting the series until the summer hiatus, as she and Jennings typically split their hosting duties.
“Our words are on the screen every night,” Jeopardy! writer Michele Loud told Variety. “There is no Jeopardy without writers. Without us, it’s just an empty blue screen.”
So, when will Bialik return? Jeopardy! Season 40 is slated to air on Sept. 11, 2023. The last writers’ strike lasted 100 days, and the longest one in history lasted 153 days. If the strike lasts 100 days and Bialik continues to step away from hosting for the duration of the strike, this means fans might still see her step back into hosting for the 40th season. But if the strike lasts for nearly five months, fans might not see her back in hosting mode until October 2023.
Mayim Bialik once said she’d ‘give up her first child to host ‘Jeopardy!’ forever
While Mayim Bialik is supporting the writers’ strike by stepping away from hosting Jeopardy!, she’ll likely return. She adores the series and jokingly told Newsweek in September 2021 that she’d give up her first child to host the series.
“I feel very honored to have been given the responsibility and the opportunity to step up into this hosting position,” she wrote. “It’s been as dreamy as it was for the two days that I guest hosted. I work very long days, but they fly by. We shoot five episodes a day and I get to meet fascinating people from all walks of life.”
“Obviously, I bring my personality to the stage, but for me, this really is an opportunity to ensure that the focus is not on me,” she continued. “As an actor that’s hard; as a recovering narcissist, that’s hard! But I know that for Jeopardy! fans, the show is best when you’re not thinking about the host as much. To be part of such an iconic experience is completely astounding.”
Ken Jennings is receiving criticism for stepping in to host
Mayim Bialik has a lot of supporters when it comes to stepping away from Jeopardy! hosting. And Ken Jennings is receiving plenty of criticism.
“Last week I had the pleasure of picketing with a group of Jeopardy! writers at Sony,” writer Sarah Watson tweeted. “I’m disappointed that @KenJennings has chosen to cross the picket line and disrespect the hard working people who wrote the questions that made him famous.”
“#WGA solidarity with the Jeopardy! writers who are on strike,” writer and executive producer Joy Blake commented on the tweet. “And thank you to Mayim for honoring that strike. Big thumbs down to Ken Jennings who has decided to continue filming the finale without writers next week at Sony in Culver City on the 16th and 19th.”
It’s unclear what Jennings will do — if anything — in response.
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