COLIN Jost has been tapped to buzz on over to Jeopardy! as the official host of the show’s new Pop Culture spinoff on Amazon Prime.
The Saturday Night Live star will host the first version of the iconic quiz show to ever be exclusively on streaming.
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Colin was announced as the host of Pop Culture Jeopardy!, Deadline confirmed on Wednesday.
The series has been in the works for some time. It was announced in May and will begin production in August.
Jost, currently in Tahiti covering the Olympics for NBC, will helm the tournament-style series, which is separate from syndicated nightly Jeopardy!.
He gave a simple statement upon the news: “What is: I’m excited.”
Ken Jennings is the main franchise’s sole host following Mayim Bialik’s firing last December.
The spinoff does not yet have a premiere date but is said to be premiering in early fall.
FANS REACT TO JEOPARDY! JOST
Fans were left divided over the news, and many were disappointed that the game show didn’t choose someone more diverse.
“My thoughts: Fine, sure, whatever. Was Bowen Yang unavailable?” one X user wrote.
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“So much for Mayim…” wrote another.
A third person wrote on Reddit, “Might as well mic up a loaf of wonder bread and shove it behind a podium.”
“Ugh, I’m not at all a fan. Hopefully, he’ll at least stay out of the game’s way,” wrote a fourth.
“Provided he gets out of Tahiti alive,” joked a fifth.
“I was hoping for Buzzy but Jost should be interesting!” wrote a sixth.
“Was hoping for Katie Nolan but Colin will be fine,” wrote one more.
‘WE’RE THRILLED’
The announcement came with a statement from Sony Pictures Television – the spinoff is executive produced by Jeopardy!’s showrunner Michael Davies.
“Colin’s sharp wit and intelligence epitomize Pop Culture Jeopardy!,” said Suzanne Prete, president of game shows at Sony.
“He’s smart and quick, like our contestants, and we know he’ll be able to keep up with them while making this new series his own. We could not be happier that he is joining us for this new journey.”
“We’re thrilled to welcome the multi-talented Colin Jost as the host of Pop Culture Jeopardy!,” added Lauren Anderson, head of brand and content innovation at Amazon MGM Studios.
“Colin’s wry affability and pop culture fluency make him uniquely qualified as the perfect host for this new iteration of the beloved franchise.”
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WHAT IS: POP CULTURE JEOPARDY?
Amazon Prime Video picked up a fresh take on Jeopardy! that will stream exclusively on the platform.
The spinoff will be called Pop Culture Jeopardy! and will feature three big changes to the format.
Instead of answering general knowledge questions like the players on the standard edition of the game show, contestants will answer questions about pop culture subjects like music, movies, sports, TV, and more.
In addition, the show will only be streaming instead of broadcasting on TV, like the nightly show.
Finally, there won’t be three individual contestants competing against each other. Instead, there will be three three-person teams facing off.
Jeopardy.com describes it as follows: “Contestants, playing in teams of three, will need to be experts in categories from Alternative Rock to The Avengers, Broadway to MMA, Gen Z to Zendaya.
“They compete in a tournament-style event for the grand prize and ultimate bragging rights.”
But the initial announcement never mentioned Ken or Mayim, leaving an unanswered question: who would host?
The U.S. Sun previously reported that Katie Nolan of Celebrity Jeopardy! hinted she was in talks for the role, which fans largely supported.
Other names fans were floating included former champs Buzzy Cohen and Sam Buttrey, two of viewers’ favorites.
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