People: Mike Richards speaks about J! experience, firing

[colonial]

https://people.com/jeopardy-producer-mike-richards-opens-up-being-fired-after-1-day-exclusive-8611125

Among Richards's claims ...

-- He suggests Alex Trebek would have formally retired from the show following the 2020-21 season given his health.
-- There was talk about bringing in guest hosts if Trebek was too sick to host.
-- There was never a discussion about who would replace Trebek until his passing.
-- Richards said he wanted to see a new host chosen soon after Trebek's passing, but the decision was made to do guest hosts the rest of the season given 'how hard it was on everyone.'
-- "A company that specialized in focus groups" was brought in to help decide the next host.
-- He said "the company" asked him to audition as host and "tested well."
-- He insisted he did not choose himself as the permanent host and had nothing to do with the selection process.
-- Said that "everything written about him" was full of half-truths and out of context.
-- Thinks Ken Jennings is a great host and "always thought he was the guy."


JD

[BrandonFG]

I’m just curious as to why this story is dropping nearly three years after everyone has moved on. The show is still standing and people have grown to like Ken. Feels like a puff piece planted by Mike, similar to the articles that dropped claiming the viewers found him so charming and debonair.

A few of Mike’s quotes got a “Sure, Jan” outta me.

/We dodged a bullet by not getting A-A-Ron

[MSTieScott]

Because this is a subject that involves a lot of claims by all sides that the general public has no way of confirming, let's be sure we're not compounding the problem by misreporting statements.

-- He suggests Alex Trebek would have formally retired from the show following the 2020-21 season given his health.

I do not see this claim anywhere in the article.

-- He said "the company" asked him to audition as host and "tested well."

The article says "he says he was thrown into the mix of guests hosts." It does not say who threw him there.

-- Said that "everything written about him" was full of half-truths and out of context.

The line from the article (written by the author, not Richards) is "a lot of what was written about him." Let's not respond to a claim of taking things out of context by taking something out of context.

[DoItRockapella]

Just read the article - it states at one point that Mr. Richards hosted "Million Dollar Pyramid" on GSN.

Uh, no. I think that alone proves this article is not worth our time.

[steveleb]

I can't speak to the authenticity or the accuracy of the writer, but I will say that Mike's story and my experience of him pretty much match up.  Especially the stuff about the testing. 

So sorry, folks, he actually IS speaking more truths than you might want to believe.

Not to beat a dead horse, but perhaps he actually wants to get on with his life and doesn't think what he did deserves to have him permanently condemned. 

Keep this in mind: Brian Robbins and Dan Schneider were and are friends, and even after this documentary aired Brian is still running what's left oif Paramount.

Maybe Claire McNear should find a more deserving target to dig into?

[clemon79]

Not to beat a dead horse,

Maybe Claire McNear should find a more deserving target to dig into?

Too late.

[BrandonFG]

Not to beat a dead horse, but perhaps he actually wants to get on with his life and doesn't think what he did deserves to have him permanently condemned.

So what's the point of the article? I hardly believe someone at People Magazine said "Hey...remember that guy who hosted the show for like two weeks? Let's see where he is now!"

To reiterate my own point, this is the same man who tried to convince the world that tons of viewers found him so charming and handsome compared to the other dozen or so people who auditioned. The media ran with it because it gets clicks and it's a numbers game. Fine. Whatever. But in addition to all the controversy, he's also got a tendency to create buzz that no one asked for. At the risk of sounding like a fanboy, J! is not the type of show that requires the kind of publicity he brought to the show. It just feels...sleazy? I dunno if that's the right word but it brings down a show known for being intellectual, esp. given the dignified feel Alex brought to the show.

[Nick]

So what's the point of the article?

For Mike Richards to let you know he's a good guy, not as bad as they say he is, and that he would really like to produce a game show.

in addition to all the controversy, he's also got a tendency to create buzz that no one asked for. At the risk of sounding like a fanboy, J! is not the type of show that requires the kind of publicity he brought to the show. It just feels...sleazy? I dunno if that's the right word but it brings down a show known for being intellectual, esp. given the dignified feel Alex brought to the show.

I think you've hit the nail on the head with sleazy.

[PPatters]

I can't speak to the authenticity or the accuracy of the writer, but I will say that Mike's story and my experience of him pretty much match up.  Especially the stuff about the testing. 

So sorry, folks, he actually IS speaking more truths than you might want to believe.

Not to beat a dead horse, but perhaps he actually wants to get on with his life and doesn't think what he did deserves to have him permanently condemned. 

Keep this in mind: Brian Robbins and Dan Schneider were and are friends, and even after this documentary aired Brian is still running what's left oif Paramount.

Maybe Claire McNear should find a more deserving target to dig into?

K

[jjman920]

Not to beat a dead horse, but perhaps he actually wants to get on with his life and doesn't think what he did deserves to have him permanently condemned. 

Please explain to me what "permanently condemned" means? Because he still received an EP credit on Chain Reaction (which I understand could be in name only), but he continues to pitch formats to this day. So, clearly *someone* is letting this man in the door. Is it EP/host of a beloved game show franchise? No. Is it blacklisted for life in a dark corner? Doesn't look like it to me.

Also, I am sick and tired about hearing about testing. Is it important to use to guide a decision? Absolutely, but there are *so* many things that test positively that are completely the wrong decision. I am so sorry that Sony executives could only see dollar signs and numbers and not see through the trees at the optics of installing Mike Richards as host.

Keep this in mind: Brian Robbins and Dan Schneider were and are friends, and even after this documentary aired Brian is still running what's left oif Paramount.

Maybe Claire McNear should find a more deserving target to dig into?

Keep this in mind: Just because you cover one subject doesn't mean you are obligated to cover every subject. Brian Robbins and Dan Schneider have nothing to do with Jeopardy and there are *plenty* of people covering them. Imagine going to a dentist and telling them "hey, I think my teeth are fine, why don't you focus on my heart?" And just like you want to make false equivalencies about Schneider and how what he did was worse, what Mike did clearly wasn't as bad as that and the precise reason he'll be back in his industry.

A gratuitous piece of work to soften his image and make it easier to get back into some high profile positions. Honestly, I think he's probably in a position where he's got a job or sold a format and this is just to make him palatable to the public at large when news of his next job drops. Which I guarantee the public probably doesn't care about as much as he or is press agent thinks they do.

[Otm Shank]

To answer why this is coming out now ... well, he's probably got a publicist that arranged the exclusive because he wants to get back to work.

Fairly or not -- in a town where the answer more often is "not" -- the situation was not survivable to stay on Jeopardy. But there is no reason for this to be a career death penalty. A good softball piece in a genial space is what he needed. Such an opportunity was not going to come while the temperature was as hot as it was, nor was there any way he could have pushed back.

But this is a reset, and I would assume that he has some things in the hopper and ready for a comeback. From a pure outsider perspective, I'm sure that the experience will make him a better producer and a better human being.

Barry and Enright survived despite being pilloried in the public square. I think a redemption is in order.

[steveleb]

Ohm, at least someone here is logical. 

For others—I sure hope you never have to endure the kind of emotional turmoil that an unforgiving public can inflict.  Anyone who thinks money and a token title can make up for that has never been through it. 

A reset is in order for everyone.  I really hope it’s possible for those who continue to believe the man should not work.

[jjman920]

A reset is in order for everyone.  I really hope it’s possible for those who continue to believe the man should not work.

I don't know where you get this idea that so many people think he should not work. I certainly don't. I would have no problem seeing him pertain another job in the industry. I think he has already or will very shortly in the future.

I really don't think the public will be so unforgiving because I just think they don't care anymore. I think he'll be free to work wherever he wants as long as it isn't Jeopardy.

[snowpeck]

Nobody is saying Mike Richards shouldn't be working. Or even working in or hosting game shows. Just that the Jeopardy gig went off the rails and that firing him was probably the right decision. The entertainment industry is fickle. People get hired and fired all the time as I'm sure you're aware. I have no doubt that he will bounce back or has bounced back just fine.

[inturnaround]

J! is doing just fine without him. In the end, what should have happened in the first place became the reality. Ken is host and it's being EPed by someone who is actively interested in growing things with the franchise in ways that seem exciting to me.