Names and faces
■ Mike Richards is out as executive producer of “Jeopardy!”, days after he exited as the quiz show’s newly appointed host because of past misogynistic and other comments. Richards is also no longer executive producer of “Wheel of Fortune,” according to a memo to staff that was confirmed by Sony Pictures Television, which produces both of the shows. “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,” Suzanne Prete, an executive with the game shows, said in the memo. The lag between Richards’ Aug. 20 decision to step down as host and Sony’s announcement Tuesday was filled with speculation about why the studio was keeping him on. “Jeopardy!” fans called him unsuitable for the venerated show, and there were reports of dissatisfaction by staff members. Anointing Richards as successor to the admired Alex Trebek was a questionable choice to some, especially since the studio had conducted a splashy search with guest hosts that included actors, sports figures, journalists — and Richards, who had signed an overall development deal with Sony in 2019, and was announced as executive producer of “Jeopardy!” and “Wheel of Fortune” in May 2020. He quickly became controversial when he went from behind-the-scenes to Sony’s pick for host of “Jeopardy!” — even before his 2013-14 podcast comments demeaning women and making stereotypical remarks about Asian, Jews and others surfaced. The episodes that Richards taped during his short tenure as host are scheduled to air when the show returns for its 38th season starting Sept. 13.
■ Jon Stewart is coming back to TV. The New York funnyman will launch his new show, “The Problem With Jon Stewart,” on Sept. 30, along with the companion podcast, Apple TV+ announced Monday. The show, part of Stewart’s overall deal with Apple, is his first official return to TV since signing off from “The Daily Show” in 2015 after 16 years in the anchor’s chair. Apple called the show, which will premiere new episodes each week, “a multiple-season, single-issue series, taking a deep-dive on the most important topics that are currently part of the national conversation.” Apple said Stewart will be in discussion with the people who are affected by the issue — as well as those who have a hand in creating the impact. “Together, they will discuss tangible steps that can lead to a [solution],” the log line reads. It says that the companion podcast “will extend the conversation from each episode, including interviews with activists in the space, the facts on the issue, and yes, lots of jokes.”