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As news of the death of “Jeopardy!” Beloved! Game show host Alex Trebek continues to expand into the entertainment industry and the trivia community, with many asking: After nearly four decades at the helm, who could possibly replace Alex Trebek?
For one in two respondents to a Morning Consult 2019 survey, this answer is: no one. Just months after Trebek revealed his diagnosis of stage 4 pancreatic cancer, half of those polled last July said they couldn’t imagine watching “Jeopardy!” without him as a host. Sources familiar with the situation say that Sony Pictures Television, the studio behind “Jeopardy!” Had long-term internal discussions about the succession long before Trebek was diagnosed as the longtime host approaching age. retirement.
But when the series is set to resume production, a favorite has long since become fairly clear. Easy-going, quick-witted Ken Jennings who was earlier this year crowned the “Jeopardy! The “Greatest of All Time” tournament in a match between himself, James Holzhauer and Brad Rutter, is a fan favorite for the spot. He was first catapulted into the limelight in mid-August with a famous 74-game winning streak and is a (distant) second behind Trebek when it comes to being synonymous with the series.
That Sony brought Jennings on board in September as a consultant producer for “Jeopardy!” also indicates that the way has been set for Jennings to potentially succeed Trebek. And he certainly has no plans to return to the stage as a candidate – in a January interview with Variety, Jennings said he was hanging up his buzzer.
“It’s not like running backs practically have to retire at 29 because their bodies are crumbling,” he said of his decision. “But in this case, I noticed that I was slowing down – mainly [in the way of] remember, i don’t automatically remember names and facts like before. And I notice it every day; it’s like living inside ‘Flowers for Algernon’ – you feel a little dumber every day as I enter my forties. And I think there’s a reason all the great “Jeopardy!” the champions are men and women of about 30 years old. “
Jennings also said at the time that he “just wouldn’t feel good” to compete without Trebek there.
“I don’t see how I can do it,” he said in January. “The victory was great. It’s a great punctuation mark, and I really mean what I said about not wanting to play past my prime. And at some point Alex is going to retire, I guess, and it wouldn’t be fair to play with a different host. It would be like cheating on Alex. I think this is the perfect time to stand out. “
Of course, Jennings, Holzhauer, and Rutter already have prior engagements – all three have been asked to co-star on the ABC quiz show “The Chase,” which will be hosted by Sara Haines.
A number of more famous names are also being launched as potential new hosts, including CNN anchor Anderson Cooper. According to someone familiar with the matter, Cooper is not currently pursuing the post, although the prospect has been discussed in the past. Another name in the mix is George Stephanopoulos, although it is not clear that active discussions with the ABC News presenter have taken place. In May, the TV reporter told Howard Stern he thought “that would be a lot of fun, but I like what I do too.”
Sony Pictures Television has undoubtedly cast a wide net, although a spokesperson would only say that the show is not being announced as a new host just yet.
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