Television

Variety reports: Mike Richards is out as “Jeopardy!” host, just nine days after he was tapped to succeed the legendary Alex Trebek as the face of the beloved quiz show. Richards, who is also executive producer of “Jeopardy!,” saw his hold on the job undone with astonishing speed after unflattering and downright ugly details surfaced about his past conduct and …

TV Line reports: Bar Rescue host Jon Taffer is doing a renovation on his reputation after a controversial Fox News interview where he compared unemployed bar and restaurant workers to “hungry dogs.” Taffer apologized on Friday after video of his interview with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham went viral. In the interview, Taffer and Ingraham blamed COVID-era unemployment benefits for staffing …

NPR reports: After weeks of celebrity tryouts, leaks and heated speculation by game show fans, current executive producer, Mike Richards and actor Mayim Bialik have been named permanent co-hosts of Jeopardy!, marking the first time two people will host one of television’s most popular game show. Richards will host the daily syndicated program while Bialik hosts the primetime series and …

Law & Crime reports: “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” star Jennifer Shah cannot dismiss an indictment accusing her of conspiring to defraud elderly and vulnerable people out of millions in a nationwide telemarketing scheme, a federal judge ruled. On March 30, authorities arrested Shah (and her “first assistant” and accused co-conspirator Stuart Smith) in Utah. Smith is not one …

The Wrap reports: Ron Popeil, the prolific infomercial spokesman behind “as seen on TV” products like the Showtime Rotisserie and Hair in a Can, has died. He was 86. Popeil died early Wednesday morning at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center following a “severe medical emergency” on Tuesday, Popeil’s family told TMZ. Popeil was best known for the “Set it and forget it” …

The Daily Beast reports: Star Trek star William Shatner has taken to Twitter to trade blows with journalists who called him out for hosting a new show on the Kremlin’s notorious state-funded network, RT. Earlier this week, the 90-year-old Canadian actor—known for taking on the legendary role Captain James Kirk in the Star Trek saga—announced he would be hosting a …

Page Six reports: Meghan McCain is bidding farewell to “The View,” according to a new report. The conservative co-host is set to announce her resignation on Thursday morning’s show, ending her four-season run at the end of July, according to the Daily Mail. “We have tried to keep her, but she is adamant that now is the right time for …

From the Russian state media outlet RT: RT America is proud to announce the premiere of I Don’t Understand, hosted by world-famous actor and author William Shatner. I Don’t Understand will see Shatner seeking to answer fascinating and timely questions that pique the natural interest of everyone, but that the establishment media all too often hesitates to tackle. From “should …

Yahoo News reports: Sesame Street is celebrating Pride Month by going where it’s never gone before. This week, the iconic children’s show dropped a very special episode called “Family Day,” introducing two gay dads, Frank (Alex Weisman) and Dave (the brother of Nina, played by Chris Costa, who works as a bike store owner on the street), and their daughter, …

The New York Times reports: Nielsen, the 98-year-old research firm that for decades has had an effective monopoly on measuring TV ratings in the United States, has a new metric that it says allows it to make an apples-to-apples comparison, on a percentage basis, of how many people are streaming shows and films on their TVs versus how many are …

Page Six reports: Former “RHONY” star Barbara Kavovit is out of the running — for now. Kavovit, 55, dropped out of the New York City mayoral race on Thursday after a short five-month campaign, but teased that she isn’t giving up on politics. “Running for mayor has been one of the most fulfilling and rewarding experiences of my professional career,” …

The Christian Post reports: The reboot of a children’s cartoon series will feature a lesbian single mom, making it one of several modern interpretations of children’s shows making overtures to the LGBT community. “Rugrats,” a children’s cartoon which aired on Nickelodeon for more than a decade before concluding in 2004, was relaunched Thursday in the form of a new series …

Variety reports: Gavin MacLeod, a sitcom veteran who played seaman “Happy” Haines on “McHale’s Navy,” Murray on “Mary Tyler Moore” and the very different, vaguely patrician Captain Stubing on “The Love Boat,” has died. He was 90. MacLeod’s nephew, Mark See, confirmed his death to Variety. MacLeod died in the early morning on May 29. No cause of death was …

Entertainment Tonight reports: Charles Grodin, who famously starred in The Heartbreak Kid, Midnight Run, and Beethoven, died on Tuesday from bone marrow cancer, EW has confirmed. He was 86. Although Grodin was mostly known for his work on the big screen, throughout his long career he also appeared on television, dazzled on Broadway, authored multiple books, and was a political …

Variety reports: The future star of “The Bachelor” had been hiding his sexuality — from his family, his friends and himself — for his entire life. Underwood knew, at the age of six, that he was different; by his early teenage years, he knew he was attracted to men. But growing up in a religious and conservative small town, especially …

Variety reports: Colton Underwood takes a deep breath, as he tells this story for the first time. According to him, last year, while living in Los Angeles, he secretly visited a spa known for catering to gay clientele. Shortly thereafter, he received an anonymous email, which has been reviewed by Variety, from someone claiming to have taken his nude photos …

The Los Angeles Times reports: It’s the end of an era: Ellen DeGeneres will end her daytime chat show next year. “When you’re a creative person, you constantly need to be challenged — and as great as this show is, and as fun as it is, it’s just not a challenge anymore,” the comedian and host told the Hollywood Reporter. …

Deadline Hollywood reports: Billie Hayes, whose portrayal of the flamboyantly and comically wicked witch Witchiepoo on the 1969-70 Saturday morning live-action children’s classic H.R. Pufnstuf, died of natural causes April 29 at Cedar’s Hospital in Los Angeles. She was 96. A Broadway veteran by the time she reached national fame as the flute-stealing nemesis to a psychedelic dragon, Hayes had …

The Los Angeles Times reports: Oscar winner Olympia Dukakis, the theater veteran who rose to prominence late in her career with memorable turns in 1980s films such as “Moonstruck” and “Steel Magnolias,” has died at the age of 89. Dukakis, who also starred in “Look Who’s Talking” and “Mr. Holland’s Opus,” died at her home in New York City. “The …

NPR reports: NBC announced over the weekend that Elon Musk would host Saturday Night Live on May 8. The iconic sketch-comedy show is in its 46th season. Saturday Night Live doesn’t usually have business executives host its show, but as pointed out in a story by The Associated Press, Musk is far from a stuffy corporate type. While it is …