New York Daily News: MANHATTAN, NY – Legendary “Jeopardy!” champion Ken Jennings has been tapped to guest host new episodes of the show following the death of longtime host Alex Trebek.
“Jeopardy!” announced shortly after Trebek’s death that new episodes with the host were banked until after the holidays, with his final episodes airing the week of January 4, 2021.
Sony Pictures Television announced Monday that Jennings, who recently won the show’s “Greatest of All Time” tournament against fellow mega-champs Brad Rutter and James Holzhauer, would be the first in a series of guest hosts when the show resumes production on November 30.
Trebek, who died November 8 nearly two years after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, hosted the quiz show from 1984 until this year. His last day in the studio was October 29.
The first episodes with Jennings as host will begin airing January 11.
“Alex believed in the importance of ‘Jeopardy!’! and always said that he wanted the show to go on after him,” “Jeopardy!” executive producer Mike Richards told Variety. “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.”
Jennings, who was also recently named a consulting producer on the show, has long been a favorite to eventually replace Trebek, but Sony Pictures Television has not said when a permanent new host of the show will be named.
The studio has not said how many episodes Jennings will guest host or who else will guest host the program.
- Top Feature Photo: Jeopardy host Alex Trebek poses with contestant Ken Jennings after his earnings from his record breaking streak on the gameshow surpassed 1 million dollars July 14, 2004 in Culver City, California – Getty Images
