Harry Friedman will step down as executive producer of Sony TV game shows “Wheel of Fortune” and “Jeopardy” when his contract expires next May, ending a 25-year run at the studio.
“I think all of you know how much I love these shows, and that I deeply respect how hard you’ve worked to make them so successful,” Friedman said when he addressed his team. “We’ve celebrated a lot of milestones together, and now with my own personal 25th anniversary milestone just a few months away, it felt like this was the right time for me to step away. Please join me in making this the best season yet.”
Friedman has produced more than 6,270 hours of game shows for American television audiences, most of that tied to “Wheel of Fortune” and “Jeopardy.”
“Jeopardy” host Alex Trebek, whose own contract runs until 2022, revealed earlier this year that he had been diagnosed by doctors with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. In May he said it was in “near remission.”
The show itself saw strong ratings thanks to James Holzhauer’s 31-game winning streak. His streak-busting episode was the show’s highest-rated in 14 years.
For “Wheel of Fortune,” both Vanna White’s and Pat Sajak’s current contracts are expiring in 2022.
Both shows are produced by Sony Pictures Television and distributed by CBS Television Distribution.