Mike Richards
Richards in 2017
Born (1975-07-05) July 5, 1975
Burbank, California, U.S.
Alma materPepperdine University
Occupations
  • Television personality
  • Producer
Years active1997–present
TelevisionExecutive producer of Let's Make a Deal and The Price Is Right (2009–2019)
Executive producer of Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! (2020–2021)
SpouseStephanie Richards
Children2

Michael Richards (born July 5, 1975[1]) is an American television producer, game show host, and television personality. He was the executive producer of the American television game shows Let's Make a Deal and The Price Is Right from 2009 to 2019, and of Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune from 2020 to 2021.

He has hosted other television series including High School Reunion, Beauty and the Geek, Pyramid, and Divided, and was executive producer of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire in 2020.

In August 2021, Richards briefly succeeded Alex Trebek as host of the daily syndicated version of Jeopardy! after Trebek's death in 2020. He resigned as host later that month due to criticism over offensive comments that he made on The Randumb Show podcast, as well as wrongful termination and sexual harassment lawsuits from models during his time as the executive producer of The Price Is Right. He hosted only a week's worth of episodes, which aired in September 2021 as part of the show's 38th season.[2][3]

Early life

Richards was born in Burbank, California, and attended Pepperdine University.[1]

Career

Early career

Richards began his career in college where he created, wrote, produced, and hosted a weekly late-night comedy talk show called The Randumb Show at Pepperdine University. The show featured celebrity guests including Kim Fields, Casey Kasem and Anson Williams.[1] He went on to intern for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Between 1996 and 2003, he regularly performed stand-up comedy in Los Angeles.[4]

Richards was the second host of Beauty and the Geek and produced numerous game shows, including Weakest Link.[5] He later hosted seasons of High School Reunion on The WB.[6]

During his early career, Richards was vice president of development and current programs for Dick Clark Productions.[1] He hosted the daily movie news show Dailies for three years and served as a correspondent for the American Music Awards and the 2005 Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve.[7]

CBS: The Price Is Right and Let's Make a Deal

From 2009 to 2019, Richards was the executive producer of The Price Is Right and Let's Make a Deal.[8] He was also a candidate to host The Price Is Right in 2007 before Drew Carey was chosen.[9] In interviews of those two shows, Richards was described as "exclusionary and dismissive of longtime show employees"; he fired announcer Rich Fields and held on-air auditions, similar to the ones he later used on Jeopardy!, to hire George Gray as Fields's replacement. He also dismissed longtime producer, and longtime friend of Bob Barker, Roger Dobkowitz.[10] Richards often neglected Deal and was frequently absent from day-to-day operations. A post-producer was fired after sarcastically making an introduction that drew attention to Richards's absences.[4]

Beginning in 2013, Richards hosted a podcast, The Randumb Show, which was promoted as a look at the production of Price. The Ringer reported that Richards, "repeatedly used offensive language and disparaged women's bodies".[4] In 2021, the Anti-Defamation League criticized his disparaging stereotyping of women, Jews, Asians, and the disabled on the podcast and called for an investigation,[11] after which Richards apologized for the material and took the podcast offline.[4][12]

Richards was the subject of two wrongful termination lawsuits from models on The Price Is Right; one lawsuit was by Brandi Cochran, who alleged that CBS and FremantleMedia discriminated against her by firing her after she became pregnant with twins,[13] and another was by Lanisha Cole, who claimed that Richards and fellow producer Adam Sandler (not to be confused with actor and comedian Adam Sandler) berated her in front of her peers and wrongfully terminated her.[3][14] The Hollywood Reporter stated that Richards made a disparaging comment about Cochran's pregnancy at a 2008 party,[13] and that Richards claimed she was fired because he thought that she "would not take us to great."[2]

GSN: The Pyramid and Divided

Richards hosted GSN's 2012 revival of The Pyramid[15] and the network's American version of Divided, which aired on the network from 2017 to 2018.[16]

Sony Pictures Television: Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!

Richards left both Price and Deal in 2019 and joined Sony Pictures Television,[17] where he was assigned to the ABC primetime return of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire as an executive producer alongside host Jimmy Kimmel and Michael Davies for the nine-episode first season of the show during the 2019–20 season.[18] Richards also served as the executive producer for the 2021 GSN revival series of Chain Reaction.[19][20] For the 2020–21 season, Richards succeeded Harry Friedman as executive producer of Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy![21]

After Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek died on November 8, 2020, Richards appeared at the start of the November 9 episode to pay tribute to him.[22] Richards later filled in for two weeks as a guest host of the show, with his first episode airing on February 22, 2021.[23] On August 4, it was reported that Richards had entered "advanced negotiations" to become the permanent host, though with other candidates still in contention.[24][25] After that announcement, a lawsuit filed against Richards and others during his tenure as the executive producer of The Price Is Right resurfaced, causing controversy.[25][26][27] On August 11, it was announced that Richards would succeed Trebek as host of the daily show, with Jeopardy! guest host Mayim Bialik hosting future prime-time specials and spinoffs.[28][29] However, on August 20, it was announced that Richards would step down after offensive comments he had made in the past emerged.[30][4] The five episodes Richards filmed the previous day, the show's first day of production on the new season,[31] aired in September to kick off the show's 38th season.[32]

Richards initially remained executive producer of Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! after resigning as host, with the backing of Sony Pictures and the head of its television division, Ravi Ahuja.[33] However, on August 31, 2021, a week and a half after Richards resigned as permanent host, he was fired as executive producer of both shows. Michael Davies from Embassy Row served as interim executive producer for Jeopardy! following Richards's departure,[34][nb 1] and on April 14, 2022, was announced to be taking the role full-time.[36] On March 23, 2022, it was announced that Bellamie Blackstone would take over the executive producer role for Wheel of Fortune.[35] Bialik and Ken Jennings were eventually chosen as co-hosts for the syndicated version of Jeopardy! on July 27, 2022.[37]

Personal life

Richards is married to Stephanie Richards and has two sons.[1]

Awards and nominations

Year Award Work Result
2022 Writers Guild of America Award for Quiz and Audience Participation Jeopardy! Won

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
2003The Other HalfHimself1 episode
2004Primetime New Year's Rockin' Eve 2005Correspondent
New Year's Rockin' Eve 2005 Correspondent
2006–2008Beauty and the GeekHost31 episodes
DalliesHost23 episodes
2008High School ReunionHost4 episodes
2009–2013The Bold and the BeautifulThad/Interviewer2 episodes
2012The PyramidHost40 episodes
2013The 40th Annual Daytime Emmy AwardsHimself
2016The 43rd Annual Daytime Emmy AwardsHimself
2017WGN Morning NewsHimself1 episode
The TalkHimself1 episode
Hollywood Today LiveHimself1 episode
DividedHost105 episodes
Home & FamilyHimself2 episodes
2018The 45th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards Red Carpet LiveHimself
The 45th Annual Daytime Emmy AwardsHimself
Cover StoryHimself1 episode
Unsung HollywoodHimself1 episode
2020–2021Jeopardy!Host15 episodes, also executive producer
Entertainment TonightHimself2 episodes
TodayHimself2 episodes
2021GMA3: What You Need To KnowHimself1 episode

Notes

  1. ↑ Despite claims that Michael Davies would serve as an interim executive producer of Wheel of Fortune after Mike Richards' departure, he never actually assumed that role, with the show's senior producer Steve Schwartz serving as an uncredited interim executive producer for the rest of the show's 39th season before settling with Bellamie Blackstone in the 40th season.[35]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Jeryl Brunner (August 18, 2021). "Everything You Need to Know About Mike Richards, the Next Jeopardy! Host". Parade. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  2. 1 2 Eriq Gardner (November 21, 2012). "Price Is Right Model Wins Discrimination Lawsuit". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  3. 1 2 Edecio Martinez (September 8, 2011). "Model sues Price is Right producers for sexual harassment". CBS News. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Claire McNear (August 18, 2021). ""A Smile With Sharp Teeth": Mike Richards's Rise to Jeopardy! Host Sparks Questions About His Past". The Ringer. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  5. ↑ Jenny Desborough (August 5, 2021). "Jeopardy! Host: Everything To Know About Frontrunner Mike Richards". Newsweek. Retrieved March 17, 2022.
  6. ↑ Chris Murphy (August 5, 2021). "Who Is Mike Richards? Apparently, the Frontrunner to Permanently Host Jeopardy". Vanity Fair. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  7. ↑ "GSN Inks Deal With Mike Richards To Host Pyramid". Deadline Hollywood. June 15, 2012. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  8. ↑ Cristina Kinon (August 4, 2009). "Inner Tube: Wayne Brady will host new version of Let's Make a Deal on CBS this fall". New York Daily News. Retrieved August 6, 2009.
  9. ↑ Stuart Levine (August 3, 2008). "Price names executive producer". Variety. Retrieved August 9, 2008.
  10. ↑ Lesley Goldberg (August 31, 2021). "Before Jeopardy, Mike Richards Left Tumultuous Legacy at Price Is Right". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
  11. ↑ James Hibberd (August 19, 2021). "Mike Richards Starts Filming Jeopardy! as ADL Calls for Investigation". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  12. ↑ Bruce Haring (August 19, 2021). "Anti-Defamation League Calls For Investigation Of Jeopardy! Host Mike Richards' Comments". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  13. 1 2 Savannah Walsh (August 9, 2021). "Jeopardy! Front-Runner Mike Richards: Past Lawsuits Don't Reflect Who I Am". Vanity Fair. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  14. ↑ Ryan Smith (September 1, 2021). "Model Who Sued Mike Richards Posts About 'Justice' After His Jeopardy! Ousting". Newsweek. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  15. ↑ "GSN Announces Premiere of The Pyramid on Monday, September 3" (Press release). GSN Corporate. July 12, 2012. Archived from the original on October 14, 2013. Retrieved July 12, 2012.
  16. ↑ "GSN Debuts New Original Game Show Series Divided with Season 4 Premiere of Idiotest on Thursday, January 19" (Press release). GSN. December 12, 2016. Retrieved August 5, 2021 – via The Futon Critic.
  17. ↑ Joe Otterson (June 26, 2019). "Price Is Right, Let's Make a Deal Executive Producer Mike Richards to Exit for Overall Deal at Sony (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
  18. ↑ "Emmy(R) Award-Winning Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Returns to ABC Prime Time, Hosted by Emmy Award-Winning Jimmy Kimmel" (Press release). ABC. January 8, 2020. Retrieved August 5, 2021 – via The Futon Critic.
  19. ↑ "Game Show Network Greenlights New Edition of Classic Word Association Game Show Chain Reaction" (Press release). GSN. November 2, 2020. Retrieved November 10, 2021 – via The Futon Critic.
  20. ↑ Erik Pedersen (November 2, 2020). "Chain Reaction Revival Set At Game Show Network With Returning Host Dylan Lane; Mike Richards Set As EP". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
  21. ↑ Denise Petski (August 29, 2019). "Mike Richards To Executive Produce Jeopardy! & Wheel Of Fortune When Harry Friedman Exits Next Year". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  22. ↑ Alexandra Del Rosario (November 9, 2020). "Jeopardy! Executive Producer Mike Richards Pays Tribute To Alex Trebek With Speech & Moment Of Silence Before Monday's Episode – Update". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
  23. ↑ "Jeopardy! announces executive producer Mike Richards as new guest host". WDJT-TV. February 22, 2021. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  24. ↑ Cynthia Littleton (August 4, 2021). "Mike Richards in Advanced Negotiations to Become Permanent Host of Jeopardy! (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
  25. 1 2 Nellie Andreeva (August 9, 2021). "Mike Richards Addresses Allegations In Price Is Right Lawsuit As He Eyes Jeopardy! Hosting Job". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  26. ↑ Tyler Aquilina (August 6, 2021). "Past discrimination allegations against reported Jeopardy host frontrunner Mike Richards resurface". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  27. ↑ Cynthia Littleton (August 9, 2021). "Mike Richards Says Price Is Right Lawsuit Claims Don't 'Reflect the Reality of Who I Am'". Variety. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  28. ↑ Nellie Andreeva (August 11, 2021). "Jeopardy!: Mike Richards To Host Syndicated Show, Mayim Bialik To Host Primetime & Spinoff Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  29. ↑ "Sony Pictures Television Names Mayim Bialik and Mike Richards as Jeopardy! Hosts" (Press release). Sony Pictures Television. August 11, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2021 – via The Futon Critic.
  30. ↑ James Hibberd (August 20, 2021). "Mike Richards Out as Jeopardy! Host After Podcast Comments". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  31. ↑ Bruce Haring (August 18, 2021). "New Jeopardy! Host Mike Richards Apologizes For Sexist Podcast Comments On Eve Of New Season Taping". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  32. ↑ Tony Maglio; Tim Baysinger (August 20, 2021). "Jeopardy! Will Air New Episodes Already Shot With Short-Lived Host Mike Richards". TheWrap. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  33. ↑ Michael M. Grynbaum; Nicole Sperling; Julia Jacobs (August 25, 2021). "He's No Longer Host. But Mike Richards Is Still Running Jeopardy!". The New York Times. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
  34. ↑ Michael Schneider (August 31, 2021). "Mike Richards Fired as Executive Producer of Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune". Variety. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
  35. 1 2 Peter White (March 23, 2022). "Wheel Of Fortune: Bellamie Blackstone Named Exec Producer Following Mike Richards Departure". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  36. ↑ Lesley Goldberg (April 14, 2022). "Jeopardy Taps Michael Davies as Permanent Showrunner". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
  37. ↑ Lesley Goldberg (July 27, 2022). "Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings Officially Set as Permanent Jeopardy! Hosts". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
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