With Savannah Guthrie stepping into the spotlight this week, “Jeopardy!” now has had 10 guest hosts since this intriguing conga line began back in January.
Ten. That’s a nice round number. So have you seen enough? Are you ready to pick a “winner” yet?
Yes, we still have more drop-ins coming our way, including CNN medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta, as well as George Stephanopoulos and Robin Roberts from ABC’s “Good Morning America,” actor LeVar Burton, CNBC personality David Faber and sportscaster Joe Buck.
But it’s time to take a stand and declare a leader of the pack so far.
Our favorite? This might surprise some, but it’s Mayim Bialik.
The former cast member of “The Big Bang Theory” instantly won us over with her charm and genuine enthusiasm for the game. During her two-week stint on “Jeopardy!,” she was passionate and energetic without being over the top. And though Bialik is obviously super brainy (she’s a neuroscientist, for crying out loud), she comes across as very down-to-earth.
We also enjoyed how Bialik playfully (and gently) chided the contestants at times, getting on them when they flubbed what she considered a relatively easy answer. She simply brought a different dynamic to the venerable quiz show.
But then there’s Aaron Rodgers. Maybe our Northern California bias — and love for UC Berkeley — is a factor here, but the reigning NFL MVP was surprisingly engaging during his turn at the podium. He was calm and sure of himself (like he is in the pocket), and, to use an overused sports-scouting term, the guy from Chico has a lot of upside.
Right up there with Bialik and Rodgers (for us) is Buzzy Cohen. We missed seeing the former Tournament of Champions winner during his playing days, so we had no idea what to expect from the guy Alex Trebek dubbed “Mr. Personality.”
While ushering contestants through this year’s “TOC,” Cohen handled things extremely smoothly, exuding confidence and a fun sense of humor. One other thing he has going for him is his youth. At 36, he’s the youngest guest host, meaning he could handle the job for a long time if he wants it.
The worst guest host so far? Dr. Oz. Ugh. No contest and enough said.
