Y&R Report (September 24, 2022). The Latest on The Young and the Restless

Hey Y&R fans, every second Saturday TV Banter discusses the latest happenings and provides commentary on your favourite daytime drama. Note to U.S. readers - SPOILER ALERT: Here in Canada, I watch the show on Global TV which is one episode ahead of CBS.  I will inevitably refer to incidents you haven't seen yet.  Read at your own risk.  If you are the curious type, though, you may prefer to discover some things in advance.

Hi fans,

I'm back from my summer break and it's time to discuss our favourite soap again.  The Young and the Restless is entering its 50th season on television.  It first went on the air on March 26, 1973,and it has been the number one daytime drama for 35 consecutive years,

On Friday, September 30th on CBS (Thursday, September 29 on Global TV), the show will celebrate its 50th anniversary and will premiere with a brand new logo to mark the occasion.  So, don't forget to set your PVR.  There will be surprises and exciting days ahead.

The Diane-Phyllis feud continues.  I am not a big fan of Phyllis, but I think Diane is far more devious.  Phyllis has no self-control or discipline, especially when Diane is around.  She just loses control.  She can't help herself.  Phyllis wears her heart out on her sleeve.  Diane, on the other hand, is more manipulative.  She can fake remorse and pretend she is really doing her best to change.  She constantly claims that all she want to do is establish a good relationship with her son Kyle and her grandson Harrison.  We all know that her real goal is to get her hooks into Jack Abbott and the Abbott fortune.  Despite Phyllis' mistakes and shortcomings, I really think she cares about Jack.  

Well, well, well!  Hasn't the former good Dr. Nate suddenly become quite ruthless and opportunistic.  He's even made a deal with Princess Victoria Newman, who is becoming more like Daddy Victor every day.  I never thought Nate would betray his own family.  Is he so weak-willed that he can't say "no" to Imani?  Once again, there is the need for conflict.  That's why Nate and Elena are doomed and Nate will eventually fall into Imani's waiting arms.

By sharing insider information with Victoria, Nate has committed a crime.  Victoria was gleefully happy that Nate informed her that Chancellor-Winters is going public.  Victoria can't wait to get control of the company..  She has no scruples about committing such fraud.

Nate  was much better as a doctor than as a businessman.  Thanks to a punch from cousin Devon, he is unable to perform surgery anymore.  Devon should have been charged with assault.  He robbed Nate of being a surgeon, something that meant so much to him.  

Sharon is very much in the background right now.  She hasn't had much of a storyline since Rey died.  I was expecting that she would rekindle a romance with Nick Newman.  Instead, Nick has become involved with Sally Spectra in order to create more conflict.  This will greatly upset  Adam because I really think he loves Sally in his own way.  Sally's relationship with Nick seems purely physical.  She would much rather be with Adam, but Adam has hurt her deeply and wounded her pride.  Nick, to his discredit, has taken advantage of Sally's vulnerability.  He has also used Sally as a means of attacking Adam.

Nick's affair with Sally will prove to be a disaster and it will cause severe repercussions within the Newman family.  It will be quite explosive.  I expect that Princess Victoria, with the approval of Daddy Victor, will fire Sally and install Nate as CEO of Newman Media.  This will cause a great deal of uproar because Nick will defend Sally and oppose the move.  Adam will be angry with Victor and Victoria.  

Over at Chancellor-Winters, there will be another uproar when Nate's disloyalty to his family is discovered.  He will be looked upon as a traitor. Jill will be livid.

VIEWER FORUM

If you have any comments on Y&R, please email them to me with "Viewer Forum" in the subject line. I will be happy to publish your comments and reply to them  You do not have to use your real name. 

My email address:  jmadden16@yahoo.ca

Here are some comments I received from longtime Y&R fan, CC in Etobicoke:

Hi Joanne,

One thing that has crossed my mind recently is how repetitious in content some of the scenes have been recently, especially the front and centre storylines. 

Dialogue from Diane is constantly trying to hit us over the head with her insistence that her only reason for returning to GC was to try to reconnect with Kyle and rebuild a mother son bond.

We know there is far more to it than that. It is so tiresome to hear her singing her own praises over and over.

And then Phyllis never misses the opportunity to counter her claims by reminding us of her terrible deeds of the past.

Three wedding celebrations for Kyle and Summer?  Overkill!

All that to create a setting for discord between families.

It is taking too long for them to confirm the connection between Deacon and Diane, and for them to reveal whatever shenanigans she has been up to over the past 20 years.

A burning question we have had since she arrived as the new Summer... Does Allison Lanier have, or did she have, a health problem that has affected her appearance specifically around her abdomen?

Have you noticed the mishape to which I am referring?

Others online have asked this question but no one ever posts a response.

Perhaps some of your readers can offer an explanation.

Or maybe you can be the one who cracks this mystery!

- CC from Etobicoke.

Thanks for your input, CC.  I have also noticed how repetitious some of the scenes have been, especially with regard to Diane and Phyllis.  However, I think we are finally getting close to learning about the connection between Diane and Deacon.  Diane did not lead such a quiet, uneventful life in Los Angeles.  Phyllis and Nikki are right about that.

The celebrations for Summer and Kyle are definitely a setting for discord between families.  However, soaps need to create conflict.  Without conflict, viewers would lose interest.  That's why fans expect some disruption at parties and events.  There has to be trouble.

I must say that Michael Mealor, who plays Kyle Abbott, and Allison Lanier (Summer), make a good couple.  They have much better chemistry than Michael and Hunter King, the previous Summer.  As often happens when a new actor takes over a role, Allison Lanier has put her own mark on the character of Summer.  She is much sweeter and less like her mother, Phyllis.  Summer is not a "Snowflake" anymore.  She even gets along with Mariah now.  Mariah can't even call her the old nickname.  It doesn't suit her.

As for Allison's physical appearance, I strongly doubt that the answer can be found on the internet.  If she has a medical condition, the public will never know unless Allison herself chooses to reveal it.  Otherwise, her medical records are private. 

CAST NEWS

Michael Graziadei returning as Daniel Romalotti

Soap Opera Digest has reported that Michael Graziadei will be returning to his role as Phyllis' son, Daniel Romalotti, this fall.  Phyllis will really need him to help her with all her problems.  After all, she can't depend on Jack or Nick or even Summer to bail her out.  

Daniel has a daughter, Lucy, who is Phyllis' granddaughter.  It is not known whether Lucy will come to Genoa City with her father.   

It is also unclear whether Michael is returning to stay, but his character has interesting history on the show. Remember that Daniel and Lily were once a couple and that they ran off together.   Remember also that Cassie met her death in a car crash that was sparked by her crush on Daniel.

Some trivia: Michael was born on September 22, 1979.  He is only 14 years younger than his TV mother, Michelle Stafford, who plays Phyllis.  Michael is the proud father of twin boys.

Zuleyka Silver plays new character on Y&R

The Young and the Restless has cast Mexican-American actress Zuleyka Silver in the role of Audra Charles, a powerful executive.  She arrived in Genoa City at the urging of  prominent GC businesswoman Jill Abbott.

Audra will certainly stir things up.  I'm looking forward watching her in the days to come.  I wonder if she will go after Billy or Nate or Devon.  Billy already has Lily, and Chelsea also wants him.  

CAST NOTE

* Y&R has aged Johnny Abbott. Johnny has been played by twins Holden and Ryan Hare since his birth back in April of 2012.  Earlier this month, the role has been taken over by Paxton Mishkind.

Paxton Mishkind

Y&R REPORT READERS' POLL

Courtney Hope (Sally Spectra

        

Sally Spectra refused to forgive Adam and now she's carrying on with his brother, Nick.  Is she making a huge mistake?  Should she have taken Adam back?  Fans, what do you think of Sally's decisions?  Respond to the poll below and let me know.

Do you think that Sally should have forgiven Adam?

Yes, he really loves her and she should give him another chance.

No. Adam is incapable of changing. He treated Sally horribly. He doesn't deserve another chance.

Yes. She made a worse mistake by getting involved with Nick.

I don't know.

Other

 

pollcode.com free polls

That's all for now.  Don't forget that the next edition of Y&R Report will appear in this space on Saturday, October 8, 2022.

Take care,

Joanne

Jeopardy! Begins A New Season

         
My favourite game show, Jeopardy! is about to launch its 39th season.  The new season of the venerable quiz show will begin airing fresh episodes on Monday, September 12th, with Ken Jennings as host of the syndicated format until December 30th, after which Mayim Byalik will have her turn.  Fans, including myself, are looking forward to Jeopardy!'s return.

In addition to the syndicated version of the show, Celebrity Jeopardy! will premiere on September 25th at 8 p.m. on the ABC network.  Celebrity Jeopardy! will be hosted by Mayim Byalik,  ABC has announced that the celebrities will include Simu Liu, Michael Cera, BJ Novak, Ilza Schlesinger, Ray Romano, Constance Wu,, Aisha Tyler and Patton Oswalt. 

In an interview with TV Guide, Jeopardy! executive producer Michael Davies displayed enthusiasm about the "somewhat new format" of the 13-week celebrity tournament, which will feature hour-long shows rather than the usual 30-minute standard of the syndicated version of the show.  I have to say that I prefer the half hour format.  Jeopardy! is a thinking game and the mind grows weary after an hour of intense concentration.  

In July, it was announced that Mayim Byalik and Ken Jennings would continue to split the schedule for the 2022-23 season.  Jeopardy! fans are passionate about their show and they have strongly expressed their opinion about the performance of both hosts.  On the Inside Jeopardy! podcast, Byalik and Jennings discussed the split hosting situation and fan reaction   Jennings opined that the two-host situation helps to satisfy a larger swath of the viewing audience.  

Byalik has taken her share of criticism. For example, she was castigated for using the term "Single Jeopardy!" for the game's first round of play.  She said she tries to listen to the fanbase without taking the criticism too personally.  She also joked that she prefers Jennings as Jeopardy! host.  This prompted Jennings to laugh and humbly declare, "Aww, likewise!"

Ken Jennings will host the upcoming Second Chance Tournament and The Tournament of Champions, which should be very competitive.

- Joanne 

Benjamin Evan Ainsworth is the Son of a Critch

Benjamin Evan Ainsworth

The CBC has renewed Son of a Critch for a second season.  I viewed the first season and enjoyed it immensely.  Son of a Critch is an original comedy based on comedian Mark Critch's award-winning, best-selling memoir Son of a Critch: A Childish Newfoundland Mermoir.  The TV series was created by Critch, along with Tim McAuliffe, a Montreal-born comedy writer and television producer.       

Critch, a native of St. John's Newfoundland, is known as a co-host of CBC's 22 Minutes, which features political and social satire as well as comedy sketches.  In Son of a Critch, he serves as narrator and portrays his own father, Mike.  The cast also includes child actor Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, who portrays Mark as a boy,  P.E.I. actress Claire Rankinplays as his mother, Mary Critch, veteran actor Malcolm McDowell as his grandfather, Patrick "Pop." Critch and Colton Gobbo as his older brother, Mike Jr. 

Below is a photo of the cast:  From left to right - Claire Rankinplays, Mark Critch,  Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, Colton Gobbo and Malcolm McDowell.

I've been particularly struck by Benjamin Evan Ainsworth's performance as the young Mark Critch.  After watching his portrayal of Mark as a schoolboy in the Newfoundland of the 1980s, you'd never guess that Benjamin is really a Yorkshire lad who prefers rugby to hockey. and Liverpool FC tickets for life to free concert ticket.  On Son of a Critch, you don't hear a trace of the English accent he displays off the show.

Benjamin was born in Nottingham, East Midlands, England on September 25, 2008.  He is being raised in Yorkshire and he attended the Northern Lights Theatre Drama School in Hull.  For one so young (he is about a month shy of his 14th birthday), Benjamin has an impressive list of acting accomplishments to his credit.  In 2018, when he was ten years old,  Hw made his first appearance on British television, on the ITV soap opera Emmerdale.  That same year, he appeared in a production of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert on board the Norwegian Epic cruise liner and has portrayed major characters in professional and musical stage productions.

Benjamin played Jacob in the award-winning short film The Recycling Man (2020).  He starred in the the limited Netflix series, The Haunting Of Bly Manor (2020) as the deeply troubled orphan, Miles Wingrave, for which he earned critical acclaim.  He also voiced the lead character in the 2021 Disney live action remake of Pinocchio, opposite Tom Hanks.  His first film credit  was the 2021 Disney+ film Flora & Ulysses. 

Son of a Critch is a coming-of-age comedy.  It chronicles young Mark's experiences as he attends a Catholic school St. John's.  The boy is faced with many challenges, including a somewhat dysfunctional family.  He also has to deal with being bullied by members of the red-headed Fox family.  However, he has the companionship and support of his best friend, Ritchie Perez (Mark Ezkziel Rivera), the son of of an immigrant Filipino family.

In a Vibe Check YouTube video, Benjamin answers some rapid fire questions.  When asked to describe his Son of a Critch character in three words, Benjamin replies "Heartfelt, witty. ..  and old."  He says that young Mark is "11 going on 60" and "is older than his years."  

In the video, Benjamin reveals that his favourite movie is Forrest Gump and that he prefers tea to pop.  He says  that his favourite subject in school is Latin.  He jokes that although it's been called a dead language, "it's still Roman around."

Benjamin also has some advice for young actors: "You know, just keep at it, and if you really like it,  and you really enjoy it , and you want to keep doing it, then just show that bravery and courage until you find your lucky break."

Benjamin  Evan Ainsworth is a busy young actor  In addition to his Son of a Critch role, he portrays Alex Burgess in David S. Goyer's epic Netflix fantasy, The Sandman.  In his spare time, Benjamin plays rugby and hockey, and he is a devoted Liverpool FC fan.  He also enjoys singing, songwriting and playing the drums.  Benjamin will soon be celebrating his 14th birthday - on September 25th.  After watching his work, all I can say is that this kid is going places.  He appears to have a bright future ahead of him

- Joanne

Keeping Up with Johnny Gilbert of Jeopardy!

"Nobody keeps an audience engaged like Jeopardy!’s resident entertainer, Johnny Gilbert. Over the span of his career, Johnny has done it all, from performing in nightclubs and as a recording artist, to entertaining movie and television audiences. So much more than the voice of Jeopardy!, Johnny’s a true Hollywood showman."

- From the Jeopardy! website

I've been a fan of Jeopardy! for a while now, but I have to admit that I didn't know much about the show's announcer, the affable Johnny Gilbert - until recently.  I was somewhat surprised to discover that Johnny is a nonagenarian.  He is 94 years of age but his voice sounds much younger.  It is extremely clear and resonant. Nobody can say "This is Jeopardy!" the way Johnny does.  As Mike Richards, former executive producer of the show put it, "If you just listen to the way Johnny articulates each name, each word, he has a voice and even more importantly, delivery, unlike anyone else."

John Lewis Gilbert III cam into the world on July 13, 1928.  He was born and raised in the coastal city of Newport News, on the banks of the Hampton Roads harbour, a short distance from Virginia Beach and the Atlantic Ocean.  Johnny's grandmother was a church singer and Johnny followed in her footsteps.  He sang in the choir of a Lutheran church in his hometown.  While a student, at Morrison High School in Newport News, Johnny studied opera and tried to launch a career as a professional singer.  He performed vocals with Shelley Harmon and His Orchestra, a dance band that toured around Virginia.

A few years after graduating from Morrison High,, Johnny spent some time working in a Jacksonville, Florida nightclub as an emcee, a comedian and a singer.  It was there that he learned the art of public speaking and storytelling.  Before his first emcee gig, Johnny didn't really know what being a Master of Ceremonies entailed.  A local manager, however, didn't seem to mind Johnny's lack of experience.  He helped him hone his skills and showed him the ropes.  "He taught me how to introduce people on the stage and take them off the stage," Johnny told Outsider in 2021.

In those early days of his career, Johnny toured the U.S. as a singer/emcee and he also joined a group of young actors called the Dead End Kids.  The group organized a revue which played the southwestern United States for over a year.  

In the 1950s, Johnny also travelled trough Western Europe, entertaining soldiers and civilians alike, as a member of the United States Army's Special Services.  After leaving the service, he continued hosting and performing.  He eventually agreed to emcee and sing on a radio station in New Orleans.

In the late 1950s, Johnny moved to New York City and signed with the William Morris Agency in order to pursue a career as a game show host.  In 1958, he became the host of ABC-TV's Music Bingo.  It was his first exposure on national television.  He then went on to host a local Lost Angeles game show called Words and Music.

In the 1960s, Avco Broadcasting gave Johnny the opportunity to hist his own 90-minute talk/variety show, The Johnny Gilbert Show, which aired on WLWD-TV (now WDTN)  in Dayton, Ohio and on three other Avco stations in Ohio and Indiana.  The show had a 60-person studio audience and celebrity guests.  After two years, however, Johnny returned to New York to become the host of a game show called Fast Draw.  It is interesting to note that Johnny was replaced on the Dayton show by an up and coming WLWD-TV news reporter named Phil Donahue.

After a year with Fast Draw, Johnny was invited by Bing Crosby Productions to host a game show called Beat the Odds, which was produced in Los Angeles.  It ran from 1961 to 1963, after which Johnny moved on to host a weekday version of Dialing for Dollars on a local Los Angeles station.

In 1963, TV producer Mark Goodson chose Johnny to replace Don Pardo as the announcer and audience host for the original version of The Price is Right on ABC, which was hosted by Bill Cullen.  Johnny also served as announcer and audience host for Dinah Shore's syndicated daytime talk show, Dinah!, from 1974 to 1980.

Johnny Gilbert as announcer on Price is Right

In 1984, Merv Griffin's quiz show Jeopardy! was reintroduced as a syndicated daily program hosted by Alex Trebek.  Alex, who had met Johnny at a Hollywood dinner party in the early 1980s, was impressed with Johnny's voice and recommended that Merv hire him as the show's announcer.  In his memoir, published in the summer of 2020, Alex wrote: " How could you forget a voice like that?"  The two developed a friendship that involved mutual respect and some good natured banter in dressing rooms and in front of the studio audience.  Alex would tease Johnny about his age, joking that he had been the announcer for Abraham Lincoln.    

Following the death of Alex Trebek in November of 2020, Johnny considered retirement but decided to continue with the show.  The duo worked together for 37 years and Johnny told People magazine that "Everyone's walking around in a fog, shaken from the whole thing.  Part of me left here when Alex left."  

At the time of Alex's passing, Johnny had not been working at the Sony Pictures studio in Culver City, California, where Jeopardy! is filmed.  Due to the COVID -19 pandemic, he had been recording his announcements from his home in Venice Beach.  In a January 2021 interview for The New York Times, Johnny stated that when Alex passed away, he considered his future on Jeopardy!  "I thought, 'Gee, can I go on doing this?  Can I still do what the show needs?  And I decided, yes, I would go on.  I would go on because Alex wanted the show to go on""

Johnny (R) with Alex Trebek

Johnny has been very private about his personal life.  In 1984, he married his wife Sheree but it has not been confirmed that the couple has any children.

Johnny and Sheree

END NOTES

* Johnny Gilbert had an uncredited role as Johnny Spring the 1961 film Gidget Goes Hawaiian, starring Deborah Walley and James Darren.

* Aside from Jeopardy! and The Price is Right, Johnny's best know announcing duties include The Joker's Wild (1972), The $25,000 Pyramid (1982), Supermarket Sweep (1990).  He has also served an an announcer for numerous television awards shows, Dick Clark specials and Circus of the Stars specials.

* Johnny recorded two albums in the 1960s.  

* In the 1990s, Johnny filled in as guest announcer on Jeopardy!s sister show, Wheel of Fortune.

* In 2017, Guinness World Records paid tribute to Johnny for having the longest career as a game show announcer for a single show - 32 years with Jeopardy!

SOURCES: Jeopardy! website, Johnny Gilbert's biography; Outsider, "'Jeopardy!' Legendary Announcer Johnny Gilbert's Winding Road to Working with Alex Trebek," by Chris Haney, June 4, 2021; The New York Times, "On Alex Trebek's Final 'Jeopardy!," a Last Introduction From a Friend," by Julia Jacobs; January 7, 2021  Wikipedia;; Internet Move Database (IMDb)

- Joanne

Jeopardy! finally decides on who will host

Hands on the buzzer!

THE CANTEGORY IS . . . QUIZ SHOWS

THE TWO HOSTS OF JEOPARDY!

WHO ARE MAYIM BIALIK AND KEN JENNINGS?

"I write today with the exciting news that we have closed and signed deals with Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings to be the hosts of Jeopardy! moving forward. In Mayim and Ken, we have two outstanding hosts at the beginning of their Jeopardy! hosting careers who connect with their own unique fanbases, new fans, and the traditional Jeopardy! viewer."

- Jeopardy! executive producer Michael Davies in a statement on the show's website, July 27, 2022

It has taken some time, but Jeopardy! has finally decided to appoint Ken Jennings as one of the hosts of the show.  Jennings will share the hosting duties with former Big Bang Theory star Mayim Bialik.  The decision should satisfy most fans, including myself.  For months now, we have become accustomed to the duo sharing the hosting duties, although it was never made official until now.

Mayim Bialik

Ken Jennings

Jennings will host the show when the new season begins in September.  He will also preside over the Second Chance competition.  Bialik, who currently plays the title role on  Fox's Call Me Kat, is scheduled to host Celebrity Jeopardy! in prime time on ABC, as well as the Jeopardy! National College Championship.  In addition, she will host the main show for a period of time beginning in January.  

- Joanne

Is Netflix in trouble?

Netflix is often referred to as a "giant streaming service."  For years, it has dominated the world of internet streaming like a colossus.  However, the landscape has changed dramatically since the company launched its service back in 2007.  That's why the July 19th report of its second quarter earnings is not really surprising.  

For the first time in a decade, Neflix reported a loss of an additional 970,000 subscribers.  Obviously, that is not a positive trend.  Yet it is actually better than the company had anticipated.  Netflix had projected a second quarter loss of two million subscribers.  That's why its stock price increased by more than six per cent.in after-hours trading upon news of its second quarter results.

Tom Fitzgerald, in a July 19th article in Forbes magazine is cautiously optimistic about the future of Netflix.  He writes that "Netflix predicted it would return to black among subscribers in the third quarter, projecting it will add one million.  Last year during the same period, it added 4.4 million, so while recovery is significant, the company is still nowhere near returning to its peak boom period."

Netflix will probably always play a significant role in the streaming world.  It's doubtful, however, that the company will ever return to the prosperity it enjoyed during its peak boom period.  It has lost its monopoly and it faces stiff competition.  New streaming services are popping up like weeds in a field.  There are far more choices than when the company began streaming in 2007.  It is  no longer the only kid in town.  It has to share the market with Amazonn Prime, Disney Plus and others.

Greater competition is not the only challenge facing Netflix.  There are also other factors involved in the decline of the company's subscribers.  For example, it removed itself from the Russian market when the war in Ukraine broke out.  Furthermore, Netflix has increased its prices and cancelled shows.

A Netflix monthly subscription currently costs $9.99 for the Basic Plan, $15.99 for Standard, and $19.99 for Premium.  In April, the company announced that it would introduce a new lower priced subscription plan for consumers.  In addition to the ad-free Basic, Standard and Premium plans, Netflix decided to team up with Microsoft as a global advertising technology and sales partner.

The powers-that-be at Netflix are clearly concerned.  The second quarter results came a day after the service announced that it would start testing a new system which would enable it to crack down on pas account sharing, which it has blamed for some of its woes.  It's certainly no secret that users share their passwords outside their households.

Netflix boasts approximately 220.67 million paid subscribers worldwide and it remains a formidable streaming service.  It will not be easily toppled like a house of cards.  It owes it success to its content, including the return of popular shows such as Stranger Things.  Yet, the company faces enormous challenges.  It's future depends on how well it deals with those challenges.

- Joanne

It's time to make Ken Jennings host of Jeopardy!

Ken Jennings has been appearing on our screens this week as host of Jeopardy! for the first time since May.  The question is: Why hasn't Ken been appointed a permanent host yet?  What, pray tell, is the reason for the delay?  Is it because the powers-that-be want to be perfectly certain that there are no scandals in his past or any inappropriate remarks on Twitter or on a podcast?  

That's understandable given the fiasco over Mike Richards and his eventual firing.  However, there has been ample time to check Ken out and to make sure he's been properly vetted.  So what's the the reason for the long wait?  Is Ken himself uncertain about taking on the job?  If he doesn't want to be permanent host, why doesn't he make his position clear?  If he hasn't made up his mind yet, it's time for him to do so.  Perhaps the producers are waiting for his decision before giving him a green light.  There may also be another reason that has not been disclosed to the public.  We have no idea what's been going on behind the scenes.  Whatever the reason for the delay,  a decision should be made soon.

Ken and Mayim Bialik have each been criticized by Jeopardy! fans for various reasons.  The show's viewers are incredibly loyal and opinionated.  Yet it's no easy task to host the fast-paced game show.  Ken and Mayim will never please everyone and it is impossible to find a host who is absolutely perfect and never errs.  I think they have both been doing a good job and I would like to see them continue sharing the hosting duties.

It's time for Ken Jennings to be named an official host of Jeopardy!  Alex Trebek died in November of 2020 and the show needs the stability of a permanent host.  Ken is a master of trivia.  He is genial and he knows the game inside out.  If he doesn't want the job, he should let it be known so that alternative  arrangements can be looked into as soon as possible.

- Joanne