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‘Jeopardy!’: How, When to Watch Mayim Bialik Making Guest Hosting Debut

Hit game show “Jeopardy!” will be getting a brand new guest host as actress Mayim Bialik will take the reigns starting today.

Bialik will be making her “Jeopardy!” hosting debut today (Monday, May 31) and will remain as host for the next two weeks. Her first episode will premiere this evening at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

Bialik will be the eighth “Jeopardy!” guest host since the passing of longtime host Alex Trebek. The late host died in November of last year after a lengthy battle with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Since his passing, “Jeopardy!” producers are utilizing celebrities to fill in as guest hosts until a permanent host can be found. The actress is mostly known for her roles on television shows “Blossom” and “Big Bang Theory” but has appeared in several other shows and films. Bialik is also a professional neuroscientist, having obtained a Ph.D. in the field from UCLA in 2007. In a recent interview with People, the actress says she cherishes the opportunity.

“I’ve been saying it’s really one of the most iconic things I think that I’m ever going to do in my career,” Bialik says. “It’s going to feel like ‘Forrest Gump,’ like I’ve been inserted into the ‘Jeopardy!’ set.”

Bialik is going to have a tough act to follow as former “Jeopardy!” contestant Buzzy Cohen did quite well. As the most recent guest host, Cohen oversaw the annual “Jeopardy!” Tournament of Champions. The former Tournament of Champions winner drew positive reviews for his performance the last two weeks. He also seems to be gathering fan support for consideration of the permanent gig. As Cohen did, Bialik will try to impress during her two-week stint as “Jeopardy!” host. Bialik says some people assume she is good at quiz shows, like “Jeopardy!”, due to her advanced education.

“Most people assume that because I’m a neuroscientist, I’m good at ‘Jeopardy!” she tells Insider. “I actually would have trouble remembering to frame the answer as a question so I’d probably lose because of that. I have a very specific set of knowledge about very specific categories. If there’s anything on like biblical history or neuroscience, I got it.”

Bialik is following in the footsteps of several other celebrities who have already taken turns as “Jeopardy!” hosts. Former contestant Ken Jennings, NFL star Aaron Rodgers and journalist Anderson Cooper are just a few of the names who have already completed their “Jeopardy!” tenures. Journalist Savannah Guthrie is up next once Bialik completes her run.