'Jeopardy!' To Resume Production With New Temporary Hosts

Nov 25, 2020

According to an official statement, the popular American game show Jeopardy! will resume production on November 30 with a series of interim hosts, the first of which will be former contestant Ken Jennings. The announcement comes after the show’s host, Alex Trebek, died on November 8 after a battle with stage IV pancreatic cancer.

"Alex believed in the importance of Jeopardy! and always said that he wanted the show to go on after him," Executive Producer Mike Richards said in a statement, according to CBS News. "We will honor Alex's legacy by continuing to produce the game he loved with smart contestants and challenging clues. By bringing in familiar guest hosts for the foreseeable future, our goal is to create a sense of community and continuity for our viewers."

Since Trebek’s death in early November, Jeopardy! fans have wondered for weeks who might take over his role. Names that have been floated included ABC News chief anchor George Stephanopoulos, Reading Rainbow host LeVar Burton, and former contestant Jennings, according to CBS.

Jennings is best known for his title as the contestant to have made the highest winnings on the show during a regular season, as well as to have won the most consecutive games. His latest appearance was earlier this year in January as a contestant on Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time tournament. Jennings won the tournament, making him among the best players the show has ever seen.

Following the show’s announcement, Jennings took to Twitter to write: "There will only ever be one Alex Trebek, but I'm honored to be helping Jeopardy! out with this in January.”

The cherished game show host, who made his way into America's heart with his nightly appearances hosting Jeopardy! for over 35 years, passed away on Sunday, November 8 at 80. He had been battling stage IV pancreatic cancer since 2019.

In response to the tragic news announced by the show's Twitter account, many have taken to social media to pay tribute to the TV legend, including Canada's prime minister, Justin Trudeau.

"We have lost an icon," Trudeau wrote in his tweet. "Almost every night for more than three decades, Alex Trebek entertained and educated millions around the world, instilling in so many of us a love for trivia. My deepest condolences to his family, friends, and all who are mourning this tremendous loss."

Trebek first announced his diagnosis on the Jeopardy! YouTube channel in March 2019, keeping with his "long-time policy of being open and transparent." The host told fans he had been diagnosed that same week with stage IV pancreatic cancer, an illness that "50,000 other people in the United States" are diagnosed with each year. 

In true Alex Trebek fashion, he told fans he did not plan on stepping down as the host of Jeopardy! — and he remained true to his word until the very end. According to People, his last day in the studio was October 29 — just ten days before he died. His final episode is set to air on Christmas day this year.

"It was one of the great privileges of my life to spend time with this courageous man while he fought the battle of his life," James Holzhauer, a former Jeopardy! contestant and pro gambler, wrote in his tribute on Twitter. "You will never be replaced in our hearts, Alex."

“Alex was so much more than a host,” Holzhauer continued. “He was an impartial arbiter of truth and facts in a world that needs exactly that. He was someone you could count on to entertain you every weekday, even when his health barely allowed it.”

Despite his heartbreaking diagnosis, Trebek remained positive through and through. Jennifer Tomazic, a journalist at WPXI News who interviewed the late show host this February, spoke of his unwavering positivity in an article she wrote that same month. 

"You wouldn't know he's in a fight for his life by watching Alex Trebek at work," Tomazic wrote. "Many close to him say he's the first one in the office, at 6 a.m. some days, reading through all the questions and answers and meeting with producers."

Alex Trebek was born in Ontario, Canada, on July 22, 1940. He first started his career in television in the '60s at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, before moving to the United States in 1973 to work as a game show host. In 1984, Trebek joined Jeopardy! and had hosted the show ever since.

Jeopardy! has yet to announce a permanent replacement for Trebek.

While no one will ever be able to fill Alex Trebek's shoes, what do you think about this announcement? How do you think Jeopardy! should continue? Let us know, and pass this story on.