How Did Mayim Bialik Do as Host?

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Rate Mayim Bialik on a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 is best

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1
1%
2
1
1%
3
2
2%
4
4
5%
5
5
6%
6
6
7%
7
9
10%
8
24
27%
9
22
25%
10
14
16%
 
Total votes: 88

davey
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Re: How Did Mayim Bialik Do as Host?

Post by davey »

alietr wrote: Sat Jun 12, 2021 6:22 pm
Golf wrote: Sat Jun 12, 2021 6:15 pm

I don’t give a damn about gender or attractiveness or previous work or commercials, pick the best person for the job.


Hear, hear.
Sure, whatever that means.
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Re: How Did Mayim Bialik Do as Host?

Post by TenPoundHammer »

Perfect 10. I didn't have even the vaguest of issues with her.
silverpie
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Re: How Did Mayim Bialik Do as Host?

Post by silverpie »

Mostly, around here, the ads on Jeopardy have been not the one Mayim endorsed, but for a product competing with it (the one ORIGINALLY DISCOVERED IN JELLYFISH). Anyway, my tier rankings so far are
A: Bialik, Jennings
B: Cooper, Richards, Rodgers
C: Cohen, Whitaker
D: Couric
F: Oz

(Phone keeps trying to autocorrect Bialik to Billikens...)
cthulhu
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Re: How Did Mayim Bialik Do as Host?

Post by cthulhu »

To me, she started off promising but seemed to get worse as her tenure went on - the incessant sotto voce chuckling, excessive adding of additional information, clumsy contestant interviews, and just a general “I’m not a game show host, I’m a celebrity!” attitude brought her way down in my estimation. Maybe these deficiencies wouldn’t be quite as glaring to me if she hadn’t followed Buzzy, who remains (and, given the rest of the guest host schedule, is likely to remain) my top pick and someone I thought really served the game wonderfully.

I’m sure she could learn to fix these issues, but why go to the trouble? Just pick Buzzy (or Aaron, or Ken, my number 2 and 3) and be done with it.

All IMHO, YMMV, etc. And I’m not one of TPTB, or a Sony suit, so my likes and dislikes are just, like, my opinion, man :lol:
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Lefty
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Re: How Did Mayim Bialik Do as Host?

Post by Lefty »

Woof wrote: Sat Jun 12, 2021 11:33 am The only thing that was at all offputting was her reminding us repeatedly that she’s a PhD neuroscientist.
By saying so explicitly?
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seaborgium
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Re: How Did Mayim Bialik Do as Host?

Post by seaborgium »

Lefty wrote: Sat Jun 12, 2021 11:45 pm
Woof wrote: Sat Jun 12, 2021 11:33 am The only thing that was at all offputting was her reminding us repeatedly that she’s a PhD neuroscientist.
By saying so explicitly?
I think her commercial is affecting people's memory. Otherwise I wonder if one or other of us was watching a different show.
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trainman
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Re: How Did Mayim Bialik Do as Host?

Post by trainman »

jeff6286 wrote: Sat Jun 12, 2021 2:33 pm While there are some local ads during Jeopardy, many of the ads definitely come packaged with the show...
Most of the commercials that air during J! are local -- the one block of ads that comes packaged with the show runs between the end of Double Jeopardy! and the bumper within that commercial break. (There are also the sponsorship ads, e.g., the GEICO ad with Johnny Gilbert's voiceover that runs going into Final Jeopardy!)

Of course, it's also plausible that some advertiser could buy local advertising time during J! broadcasts on multiple stations.

I always watch via DVR and fast-forward through the commercials, so I'm only vaguely aware of the ads in which Mayim Bialik pitches a brain supplement, much less when they ran during J! these past two weeks.
Caboom
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Re: How Did Mayim Bialik Do as Host?

Post by Caboom »

seaborgium wrote: Sun Jun 13, 2021 12:27 am
Lefty wrote: Sat Jun 12, 2021 11:45 pm
Woof wrote: Sat Jun 12, 2021 11:33 am The only thing that was at all offputting was her reminding us repeatedly that she’s a PhD neuroscientist.
By saying so explicitly?
I think her commercial is affecting people's memory. Otherwise I wonder if one or other of us was watching a different show.
She said she's a neuroscientist at her intro on her first episode, and again in her last episode. I suppose that counts as "repeatedly". Couldn't find any other instances of her repeating it, at least not in the intros.
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Re: How Did Mayim Bialik Do as Host?

Post by Ironhorse »

She was not repetitive in her intros. The only host who struck me as such was Bill Whitaker, who seemed to repeatedly open with some variation of "I love Jeopardy because it's about knowledge".
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Re: How Did Mayim Bialik Do as Host?

Post by jpr281 »

Here' s my list so far: Cohen, Couric, Rodgers, Bialik, Cooper, Richards, Jennings, Oz, Whitaker

I gave her a 7.

As others have said MB had too many juvenile adlibs and reminders telling us she's been places (could you imagine if Alex piped in every time he'd been to a clue's response? except maybe the Galapagos). I also seem to remember some here boycotting or muting Dr. Oz's appearance because of the miracle cures he touted on his show and elsewhere. Did they do the same for Dr. Bialik's appearance?

That being said, she has great enthusiasm, great stage presence, a love for the game, and perhaps a little nerves. She did well above most other guest hosts.
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Robert K S
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Re: How Did Mayim Bialik Do as Host?

Post by Robert K S »

Caboom wrote: Sun Jun 13, 2021 8:48 am She said she's a neuroscientist at her intro on her first episode, and again in her last episode. I suppose that counts as "repeatedly". Couldn't find any other instances of her repeating it, at least not in the intros.
Several of the promo clips.

I don't mind her touting the doctorate during her trial period. She may be singular as a TV actress with a Ph.D. in the hard sciences and that is something that uniquely qualifies her as host. Most of the general audience does not know that about her and there is no other way for her to wear that label other than to bring it up every now and then.

A few people are bothered by the Neuriva hawking, but I didn't see any talk of boycotts. More like, "Hey, we were hard on Dr. Oz, in all fairness shouldn't we be just as hard on Mayim?"
davey
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Re: How Did Mayim Bialik Do as Host?

Post by davey »

Robert K S wrote: Sun Jun 13, 2021 1:00 pm

I don't mind her touting the doctorate during her trial period. She may be singular as a TV actress with a Ph.D. in the hard sciences and that is something that uniquely qualifies her as host. Most of the general audience does not know that about her and there is no other way for her to wear that label other than to bring it up every now and then.
Wasn't her last sitcom one of the most popular in TV history? Didn't her casting in that role have something to do with her background? I knew about her and i never watched any of her shows. I suppose it uniquely qualifies her to hawk patent medicines (maybe even mattresses, which she's sold in the past), but not necessarily to host a general-interest game show. Though I'm sure she'd vet any neuroscience clues... :roll:
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Robert K S
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Re: How Did Mayim Bialik Do as Host?

Post by Robert K S »

davey wrote: Sun Jun 13, 2021 1:23 pm Wasn't her last sitcom one of the most popular in TV history? Didn't her casting in that role have something to do with her background?
She told a story on a late-night show, Conan, I think, that led me to understand that she was cast on BBT without Chuck Lorre knowing/realizing that she was a Ph.D. in neuroscience. Later when he saw it on the bottom of her headshot resume he asked if it was real, and she persuaded him to modify the character to match her real-life credential.

There's a big difference in audience perception of one's smarts bona fides between merely having played geniuses and actually having done the coursework.
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Re: How Did Mayim Bialik Do as Host?

Post by Bamaman »

I gave her an 8. Hard for me to rank them as they are starting to run together.
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Greenfan
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Re: How Did Mayim Bialik Do as Host?

Post by Greenfan »

cthulhu wrote: Sat Jun 12, 2021 11:38 pm To me, she started off promising but seemed to get worse as her tenure went on - the incessant sotto voce chuckling, excessive adding of additional information, clumsy contestant interviews, and just a general “I’m not a game show host, I’m a celebrity!” attitude brought her way down in my estimation. Maybe these deficiencies wouldn’t be quite as glaring to me if she hadn’t followed Buzzy, who remains (and, given the rest of the guest host schedule, is likely to remain) my top pick and someone I thought really served the game wonderfully.

I’m sure she could learn to fix these issues, but why go to the trouble? Just pick Buzzy (or Aaron, or Ken, my number 2 and 3) and be done with it.

All IMHO, YMMV, etc. And I’m not one of TPTB, or a Sony suit, so my likes and dislikes are just, like, my opinion, man :lol:
I agree with these points on Mayim Bialik, after the first show I thought she was great, and she did an excellent job reading the answers when she was not laughing.

In regards to the earlier appearance comment, that was my only concern with Aaron Rodgers. He kind of looked like a homeless guy they brought into the studio, slicked his hair down and put him in a suit that was a little too small.
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Re: How Did Mayim Bialik Do as Host?

Post by QuizGeek75 »

When I first saw her name on the list as guest host, I knew she was going to do well and ever since day one, she really impressed me. If the show wants to reach out to new fans and have a female host, Mayim is the perfect candidate for it. She and Ken are currently tied for best guest host in my book.
Just a person who loves game shows.
Charming
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Re: How Did Mayim Bialik Do as Host?

Post by Charming »

So many forget that early Alex Trebek probably would not have made the cut. He was much more the "game show host" persona back then. Whoever they choose to try to fill his shows will hopefully grow into the role. Trebek had his moments of being somewhat condescending and I will never hear the name of French Philosopher, Albert Camus, without thinking about Alex's over pronunciation of the name.

I like Bialik, Buzzy needs to dial it back a bit, and Jennings did well, I think he has had an opportunity to work on his stage craft some on other programs. The love for Richards and Rogers baffles me.

Richards sounds like the typical game show host. There was no there, there. He was there to bridge the gap. Rogers' voice annoys me. That is not something that can be corrected with coaching.

I was surprised at how uninteresting Anderson Cooper seemed. He has a wealth of on camera experience I expected a bit more animation.

I had high hopes for Couric, oh well. The rest of the pack seem to blend together.
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Re: How Did Mayim Bialik Do as Host?

Post by Bamaman »

Caboom wrote: Sun Jun 13, 2021 8:48 am
seaborgium wrote: Sun Jun 13, 2021 12:27 am
Lefty wrote: Sat Jun 12, 2021 11:45 pm
Woof wrote: Sat Jun 12, 2021 11:33 am The only thing that was at all offputting was her reminding us repeatedly that she’s a PhD neuroscientist.
By saying so explicitly?
I think her commercial is affecting people's memory. Otherwise I wonder if one or other of us was watching a different show.
She said she's a neuroscientist at her intro on her first episode, and again in her last episode. I suppose that counts as "repeatedly". Couldn't find any other instances of her repeating it, at least not in the intros.
Dr. Oz mentioned he was a heart surgeon (which was much more widely known than Dr. Bailik), did anyone have a problem with that?

I don’t recall seeing any of her ads and am unaware of them outside of this forum. But if I owned a company and used a celebrity as a pitchperson in my ads, I would certainly want to buy time during a TV show that person stars in. What better way to reach that person’s fans?
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Re: How Did Mayim Bialik Do as Host?

Post by Bamaman »

alietr wrote: Sat Jun 12, 2021 6:22 pm
Golf wrote: Sat Jun 12, 2021 6:15 pm
Johnblue wrote: Sat Jun 12, 2021 10:59 am & she is not attractive.
I don’t do FB or Twitter, so how the hell did this post sneak into my feed?

After all, that’s why we all watch Jeopardy, for the hot babes. Perhaps we need a swimsuit week? Wear a bikini and receive an extra clue to the FJ answer. And don’t forget how cold it is in studio, this could draw in all sorts of new demographics.

I don’t give a damn about gender or attractiveness or previous work or commercials, pick the best person for the job.
Hear, hear.
I agree, but you know they are going to hire someone that is pleasant to look at. While I wouldn’t describe Bailik as a “hot babe”, I certainly don’t think she is ugly. Same goes for the other female guest hosts.
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Re: How Did Mayim Bialik Do as Host?

Post by mahatma »

Bamaman wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 9:06 am
alietr wrote: Sat Jun 12, 2021 6:22 pm
Golf wrote: Sat Jun 12, 2021 6:15 pm
Johnblue wrote: Sat Jun 12, 2021 10:59 am & she is not attractive.
I don’t do FB or Twitter, so how the hell did this post sneak into my feed?

After all, that’s why we all watch Jeopardy, for the hot babes. Perhaps we need a swimsuit week? Wear a bikini and receive an extra clue to the FJ answer. And don’t forget how cold it is in studio, this could draw in all sorts of new demographics.

I don’t give a damn about gender or attractiveness or previous work or commercials, pick the best person for the job.
Hear, hear.
I agree, but you know they are going to hire someone that is pleasant to look at. While I wouldn’t describe Bailik as a “hot babe”, I certainly don’t think she is ugly. Same goes for the other female guest hosts.
Mr Trebek, on the other hand. Hubba hubba!
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