Who is... Alex Trebek's replacement?

[ae2]

There are a lot of rumors that Alex will retire after his current contract expires. (Though from what I found, he has only said he has considered it.)

 

Reportedly, Matt Lauer is at the top of Sony's list for a new host.

 

Ken Jennings is a fan favorite. 

 

Who would be your choice to replace him?

[ottoDbusdriver]

Ken Jennings would be a good choice for host.  He's wicked smart, he's quick, he's humble with an easy going personality and has great respect for the game.  I'd like to see him audition for the job.

 

Matt Lauer would be an awful choice.

[possibilities]

Lauer is a terrible idea.

 

Ever since I saw her on Celebrity Jeopardy, I have hoped Jane Curtain would get the job.

 

I don't know why, but I get the sense Ken doesn't really want to do it.

[6 MeowMeowBeenz]

I'd like to see Ken.

 

Or Rachel Maddow. She's quick and smart and I'm sure she'd keep politics out of it. But that would never happen in a million years.

 

Kareem Abdul Jabbar did pretty well in Celebrity Jeopardy, I could see him doing it. 

 

Will Ferrell? :)

[ottoDbusdriver]

You know who did really well in Celebrity Jeopardy was Andy Richter -- he was shy of Roger Craig's single game total by a few thousand dollars.

 

He's a comedian so he's witty and fast with a snarky reply.

[Gilmel]

I would not like to see Andy Richter. I am not at all a fan of the trend of making comedians into game show hosts. I also think Matt Lauer would be terrible.

 

Ken would be my pick. He understands the game inside and out, respects it, and doesn't seem the type to shame people for getting things wrong that he know, like Alex does.

[Athena]

I'm a Ken fan too, and the job could still leave him lots of time to write which is his passion. I don't think he's too keen on L.A. though, and he has said it's unlikely he will get the job because of his lack of tv host experience.

 

I do not like Lauer. Andy Richter could work.

[Gilmel]

he has said it's unlikely he will get the job because of his lack of tv host experience.

Which irritates me. How much of that experience did Alex or Pat Sajak have before getting their iconic hosting gigs? I miss the pro game show host.

[ottoDbusdriver]

Which irritates me. How much of that experience did Alex or Pat Sajak have before getting their iconic hosting gigs? I miss the pro game show host.

 

Actually Alex Trebek had a long history of hosting game shows before this version of Jeopardy came along -- High Rollers was big in the 70s, among others.  His Wikipedia entry has a thorough list.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Trebek

Edited July 18, 2014 by ottoDbusdriver

[Gilmel]

That's true. I suppose I meant more how many hosting gigs did he have before his first one. Everyone has to start somewhere.

[alias1]

Matt Lauer is a terrible idea.  I like the idea of Ken Jennings but I don't think he would want it.  None of the other people mentioned so far seem like a good fit.  I love Rachel Maddow but she needs to be in politics.

[Bastet]

Ken Jennings was a superb contestant, but I don't see anything to indicate he has hosting skills, so I'm not keen on that idea.

 

Meredith Vieira has always been a possibility in my mind, but she's just signed to a new talk show.

[ottoDbusdriver]

Meredith Vieira has always been a possibility in my mind, but she's just signed to a new talk show.

 

But Meredith was terrible on the syndicated version of ''Who wants to be a Millionaire', so that should discount her as well.

[Sharpie66]

Alex definitely had experience. I was a big fan of High Rollers when I was a kid in the '70s, and that was his defining role for me until a few years into the Jeopardy run.

[Actionmage]

Too bad Science (in general) needs Neil DeGrasse Tyson; he'd make the show fun. I may be wrong, but he is able to make things I have trouble wrapping my head around understandable. A game show should be a walk in the park-- don't sound condescending when someone answers wrong, Person Holding The Questions/Answers.

 

Maybe one of the Clue Crew can step in?

[Gilmel]

Regardless of any other qualification, you have to have someone who's good at reading the clues. That's the most important, and it should seem obvious, but from having watched Win Ben Stein's Money and a couple different question readers on that show, it's clearly a skill not everyone has. Guest clue readers in the Jeopardy video clues also are frequently not good at it.

[Babalooie]

Sorry, Forumfish, I enjoy the snark and juvenile humor and my vote goes to the obvious, WILL FERRELL. 

[opus]

On a rel

Sorry, Forumfish, I enjoy the snark and juvenile humor and my vote goes to the obvious, WILL FERRELL.

On a related note, has there been a Celebrity Jeopardy lately?

[Maverick]

Wasn't Anderson Cooper bandied about as a possible replacement at one point?

[Bastet]

Regarding recent discussion about whether Ken Jennings's new role on the show may pave the way for him to take over as host when Alex steps down:

I do not find Ken anywhere near as amusing as he finds himself, but sometimes his off the cuff remarks in a game crack me up.  I have no idea if he has any hosting experience; I've only ever seen him as a J! contestant.  So I'm certainly not rooting for him as host (I don't have anyone I'm hoping for), but I highly doubt he'd wind up turning me away from the show if he did get the job; Alex does a lot of things that annoy me, too, but I still watch.

[bankerchick]

Interesting to come here for the first time and see Matt Lauer's name as a suggested replacement.  Quite shocking until I noticed the comments were from 2014.  Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

I have watched Jeopardy pretty much daily since the beginning and watched quite a few episodes of Art Fleming.  Yes, I'm old.  I will stop watching if Ken Jennings is made host, as I find him rude and smug on his Twitter feed, and I agree with Bastet that he is not nearly as amusing as he thinks he is.

[illdoc]

https://tvline.com/2020/09/14/jeopardy-season-37-ken-jennings-consultant-new-host-rumor/

[MoreCoffeePlease]

I would much rather have Brad Rutter as the host (one day in the far future) than Ken. 

[Carey]

On 9/12/2020 at 12:32 PM, bankerchick said:

Interesting to come here for the first time and see Matt Lauer's name as a suggested replacement.  Quite shocking until I noticed the comments were from 2014.  Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

I have watched Jeopardy pretty much daily since the beginning and watched quite a few episodes of Art Fleming.  Yes, I'm old.  I will stop watching if Ken Jennings is made host, as I find him rude and smug on his Twitter feed, and I agree with Bastet that he is not nearly as amusing as he thinks he is.

I probably would've said it was a bad idea for Lauer if I commented on that in 2014!

I don't have a problem with Ken Jennings; however I totally get how he can turn people off.  I think I will definitely be passing on Jeopardy as well if Ken succeeds Trebek.  However, the bigger reason for me is not due to the person; I would skip if anyone succeeded Alex.  That's going to happen but it isn't easy to tune into a show after the face of the show that's been that for over 30 years exits, and then right away we're dealing with somebody new.  Personally it was the same situation for The Price is Right.

 

While I said I wouldn't watch post Alex Trebek, like with TPIR, that's subject to change given time and the success of a show after a legend departs.  I'm with MoreCoffeePlease in that Brad Rutter would be a better fit than Jennings

[seasons]

Conan O'Brien? 

Will Ferrell?

 

I'll show myself out.

Edited November 9, 2020 by seasons

[BW Manilowe]

On 7/19/2014 at 9:49 PM, ottoDbusdriver said:

 

But Meredith was terrible on the syndicated version of ''Who wants to be a Millionaire', so that should discount her as well.

She may have been terrible at it, but she won Daytime Emmys for hosting it, in 2005 & 2009. At any rate, she’s currently hosting another syndicated game show, 25 Words or Less (celebrities & contestants try to guess other words in 25 words or less) which is in its second season. And she’s hosting via video from New York this season because of the pandemic (the celebs & contestants are in the usual LA studio). She may have stayed in New York because her husband’s in at least 2 COVID-19 risk groups, because of his age & because he’s had Multiple Sclerosis for a number of years; he’s also legally blind.

Edited November 9, 2020 by BW Manilowe
To add a parenthesis, a comment, and a period.

[3 is enough]

I'm pretty sure the producers have someone waiting in the wings.  As much as they all loved Alex, they knew this was coming, and they had to be prepared. 

Out of respect they will wait a bit to make an announcement, but I assume filming will have to resume shortly.  

There is always the possibility that someone will take over as an interim host, but my guess is that the producers would prefer to put the replacement host in place from day one.

[UYI]

If there is to be a replacement for Alex, I'm Team Brad all the way. For one thing, he has hosting experience in his background; for another, he's a quiet, calming presence, something that Ken...isn't always. 

But I'm honestly leaning towards it ending altogether. It will truly never be the same without Alex.

 

[Prevailing Wind]

Alex said he wanted Betty White to replace him.  Bwaahahahahaha.

Hey, a former game show host will be out of a job come Jan 21...  Nah, I don't think he could actually READ the clues.

Seriously, I much prefer Rutter over Jennings if they want to go with a former contestant.  I fear they will go with some partially-obscure LA person.

[3 is enough]

26 minutes ago, UYI said:

27 minutes ago, UYI said:

But I'm honestly leaning towards it ending altogether. It will truly never be the same without Alex.

I do understand your feelings, but I don't think Alex would have wanted that to happen.  It will never be the same without him, but it is still the best game show of them all. He was proud of the fact that people actually learned something from watching Jeopardy!

 

[Trey]

I really do hope Ken Jennings is not the new host.

I don't have anyone in mind that I would like to see as host but I am just not seeing Ken Jennings in that position.

[j5cochran]

I'm on Team Brad, too. As I commented on a different blog, we've been watching Brad on television for literally decades. At first, he was at nearly Steve Kornacki levels of freneticness, but of late - in the last decade or so, he's calmed down to a nice level of self-deprecation.

[seasons]

NOT ELLEN.

NOT RYAN SEACREST.

HELL NO.

I guess i just like the idea of someone with a connection to the show or to Alex. instead of an outsider.

Those are some big shoes to fill.

Edited November 9, 2020 by seasons

[Carey]

I thought I was the only person on Planet Earth to even think of Steve Harvey as a replacement.  That was early on, but then I did a search and I guess I don't need to disclose those results!

 

Of course, if they go the route gameshows have done while replacing an icon, or having to replace one due to one's health/death (Password & The Joker's Wild come to mind), maybe Mike Richards gets the OK to hire Steve Harvey.  As much as I'm the only one here to mention that, I actually would watch the show with him on.  Probably no more than 5 episodes though!

 

Ken Jennings as the host is total chalk.  As mentioned, nothing against him; I'd go with Brooke Burns.  That depends on her schedule, but she is more qualified than Ken.

 

Someone mentioned elsewhere that Savannah Guthrie would be a nice fit, and in addition, I mentioned Jimmy Kimmel.  Guthrie has the personality, I believe, and Kimmel has hosting experience.  The issue is her schedule.  I don't know if she'd be willing to step down from the Today Show, which might be required unless Jeopardy can relocate to 30 Rockerfeller Plaza or close by.  Same with Kimmel though I think his location is more manageable

[Prevailing Wind]

3 hours ago, seasons said:

NOT ELLEN.

NOT RYAN SEACREST.

HELL NO.

I guess i just like the idea of someone with a connection to the show or to Alex. instead of an outsider.

Those are some big shoes to fill.

Oh, no. Not Jane Lynch, either. I used to like her, but she's gotten way too full of herself lately.  What's David Duchovny doing? He need a job? He's smart, he's droll...

[Carey]

4 hours ago, seasons said:

NOT ELLEN.

NOT RYAN SEACREST.

HELL NO.

I guess i just like the idea of someone with a connection to the show or to Alex. instead of an outsider.

Those are some big shoes to fill.

In all seriousness, while the eventual replacement will not surpass Alex but could be respected enough to be his replacement, outside of that group, I think the best choice would be Pat Sajak.  Despite the total, he literally has hosted the show before.  At least most aren't as close to Trebek as Pat.  No one said it had to be long-term, but I think Sajak would be the only person I'd truly be okay with over anyone else (including Ken and Brad)

[Browncoat]

Well, in theory, they could go with Alex's suggestion of Betty White.  She's not too busy, is she?

[opus]

George Stephanopoulos  potentially in this article ( the free part of the article cuts off, but the gist is there). Which would suck because I could never spell that name without cutting and pasting.

 

https://www.thewrap.com/george-stephanopoulos-pushing-next-host-jeopardy-alex-trebek-abc-news/

[Phebemarie]

I feel disloyal joining this discussion. 

If it's not Brad or Ken, it could be someone employed by ABC..  What about the anchor of the mid-day show who interviewed Alex earlier this year, T.J. Holmes?

https://www.facebook.com/tjholmescnn/photos/10150245109846564

Edited November 10, 2020 by Phebemarie

[Prevailing Wind]

Why ABC? J! is owned by Sony and syndicated. I see it on my NBC affiliate.

[Phebemarie]

https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/wheel-of-fortune-jeopardy-abc-fox-cbs-1203019794/

It's a little complicated.  I see Jeopardy on my CBS affiliate.  

Edited November 10, 2020 by Phebemarie

[Tabasco Cat]

13 hours ago, 3 is enough said:

I'm pretty sure the producers have someone waiting in the wings.  As much as they all loved Alex, they knew this was coming, and they had to be prepared. 

Out of respect they will wait a bit to make an announcement, but I assume filming will have to resume shortly.  

There is always the possibility that someone will take over as an interim host, but my guess is that the producers would prefer to put the replacement host in place from day one.

Always a possibility but I have to think they're just not going to hand out a 37-year contract to someone and say, "You're it!" They're probably open to being flexible, if necessary.

Another possible candidate I only realized tonight after watching another game show: Jane Lynch. Gravitas when needed but capbable of humor as well.

[Prevailing Wind]

I will stop watching if they choose Jane Lynch and her swelled head.

[BW Manilowe]

14 hours ago, Carey said:

I thought I was the only person on Planet Earth to even think of Steve Harvey as a replacement.  That was early on, but then I did a search and I guess I don't need to disclose those results!

 

Of course, if they go the route gameshows have done while replacing an icon, or having to replace one due to one's health/death (Password & The Joker's Wild come to mind), maybe Mike Richards gets the OK to hire Steve Harvey.  As much as I'm the only one here to mention that, I actually would watch the show with him on.  Probably no more than 5 episodes though!

 

Ken Jennings as the host is total chalk.  As mentioned, nothing against him; I'd go with Brooke Burns.  That depends on her schedule, but she is more qualified than Ken.

 

Someone mentioned elsewhere that Savannah Guthrie would be a nice fit, and in addition, I mentioned Jimmy Kimmel.  Guthrie has the personality, I believe, and Kimmel has hosting experience.  The issue is her schedule.  I don't know if she'd be willing to step down from the Today Show, which might be required unless Jeopardy can relocate to 30 Rockerfeller Plaza or close by.  Same with Kimmel though I think his location is more manageable

As far as I know, Steve Harvey still has the hosting gig at Family Feud for a number of years (at 1 point I also read he had secured the rights to do the show in multiple countries in Africa, but I don’t know what the pandemic might’ve done to that deal).

Savannah Guthrie wouldn’t necessarily have to leave Today (nor George Stephanopolous GMA). Wikipedia says five episodes are taped each day, with two days of taping every other week. And I think those taping days are usually on the weekends. Plus, in the current pandemic environment, Savannah (or anyone not based in LA who gets the hosting gig) wouldn’t necessarily have to be on the same set as the contestants to read the clues, etc. As I said in 1 of the topics yesterday, Meredith Vieira has hosted a syndicated game show both last season & this season, 25 Words or Less (celebrities & their non-celebrity partners try to describe words on a list using only 25 words or less); this season she’s doing her hosting gig from a studio in New York, because of the pandemic, & is seen in the LA studio on a screen. I don’t know when last season stopped taping, in relation to the beginning of the pandemic, because she did all the shows that aired last season from LA. But at least part of the reason she may have stayed in New York this season is so as not to get/get exposed to COVID either on a plane, in an airport, or in the taping studio. Her husband’s in at least 2 risk groups for the virus: his age & his longtime status as a Multiple Sclerosis patient. He’s also legally blind. If Meredith could do her part on her show via a video remote hookup, so could anyone else based in New York who they might get to temporarily/permanently replace Alex.

[BW Manilowe]

14 hours ago, Prevailing Wind said:

Oh, no. Not Jane Lynch, either. I used to like her, but she's gotten way too full of herself lately.  What's David Duchovny doing? He need a job? He's smart, he's droll...

Jane Lynch is currently doing NBC’s The Weakest Link reboot. She was also doing Hollywood Game Night for them, but it shows up on the schedule so infrequently now that I don’t know if it’s been canceled or not. Just when I think it got canceled, it shows up on air again.

[seasons]

Please God not Meredith Vierra. So boring.

Jimmy Kimmel does a nice job on "Millionaire". He has the love and respect for tv, like his projects with Norman Lear. i vote for him.

 

[Browncoat]

Please, god (or whoever high atop the thing), not Steve Harvey.  He'd ruin the show for sure.

[Swenson]

Ok.....I have one.....of course Ken immediately comes to mind and my first choice would be him.   So how about Richard Quest.....not only does he have a great game show host name.....but he had game experience hosting ABC's "500 Questions" a few years back..  I was quite put off when Dan Harris replaced him for season two.....the season Ken Jennings appeared....and didn't exactly kill it.

[3 is enough]

I just don't think anyone with a comedy background would be a good fit.  Jeopardy! is fairly serious as game shows go.  There is simply no time for wisecracking by the host if the boards are to be cleared.  They need someone intelligent who will not fumble the clues.  

[MrAtoz]

I have seen multiple online petitions suggesting LeVar Burton as the new host.  I hadn't thought of that before, but it strikes me as a good idea.  He's likeable, popular, already associated with knowledge and learning thanks to Reading Rainbow, and has a warm and pleasant on-camera persona.