A familiar face is waiting in the wings to help “Jeopardy!” fans reclaim their quiz show mojo, following the recent death of the game show’s longtime host Alex Trebek.
The show’s producers have tapped serial “Jeopardy!” champion Ken Jennings as the first of several interim guest hosts, with production slated to resume Nov. 30.
We will resume production on 11/30 with a series of interim guest hosts from the Jeopardy! family – starting with Ken Jennings. Additional guest hosts to be announced. pic.twitter.com/0MdGqnzp3R
— Jeopardy! (@Jeopardy) November 23, 2020
Executive Producer Mike Richards said in a prepared statement that resuming production is exactly what Trebek would have wanted.
“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,” Richards stated, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
Trebek, 80, who had hosted the long-running trivia show since 1984, died Nov. 8, following a lengthy and public battle with pancreatic cancer.
According to the Sun-Times, Jennings first competed on “Jeopardy!” in 2004, won its “Greatest of All Time” tournament in January – defeating both James Holzhauer and Brad Rutter – and holds the all-time records for most consecutive games won, at 74, and highest regular-season winnings, with more than $2.5 million.
Additional guest hosts will be announced later.
Prior to his death, Trebek recorded enough shows to air through Christmas Day, though his final episodes are now slated to air the week of Jan. 4.
Jennings’ episodes will begin airing Jan. 11.
Cox Media Group
