Alex Trebek - Host of Game Show Jeopardy - has Died

[pherank]

RIP, Alex.

“My life has been a quest for knowledge and understanding, and I am nowhere near having achieved that,” Trebek said in a 2012 interview with The Times. “And it doesn’t bother me in the least. I will die without having come up with the answers to many things in life.”

https://www.latimes.com/obituaries/story/2020-11-08/alex-trebek-jeopardy-dead

https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2020/11/08/jeopardy-host-alex-trebek-dies-after-long-multiple-emmy-career/1885204001/

Edited November 8, 2020 by pherank

[Helene]

There's a remarkable range of people responding to Trebek's passing on Twitter.  I think journalist Tommy Tomlinson tweet was especially pertinent:

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RIP Alex Trebek, who was part of something rare anywhere and especially rare on TV: He made being smart cool.

 

[Drew]

Sad news--may he rest in peace.

[dirac]

A portion of Trebek's wardrobe was donated to a charity that helps men trying to get back on their feet dress for job interviews.

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Trebek's son, Matthew, is a supporter of The Doe Fund and suggested the donation, the release said. Matthew and "Jeopardy!" costumer Steven Zimbelman packed up the clothes. The show tweeted images of Matthew and Zimbelman looking through racks of clothing, as well as a black and white photo of Alex putting on a tie.

Any views on the guest hosts so far? I think it's nice that they're taking their time about choosing a new host - respectful to Trebek's memory as well.

 

 

[FPF]

I liked Mike Richards and Anderson Cooper the best so far and Dr. Oz and Katie Couric the least. Looking forward to seeing some of the other candidates in the upcoming weeks. 

[abatt]

The only guest host I have liked so far is Anderson Cooper.  Everyone else has come across as stiff to one degree or another.

[Barbara]

I think Anderson is the best so far too! Doubt he’d want the full time gig but you never know. Look forward to the remaining hosts esp Levar Burton, who has expressed a desire to take the job full time. 

[dirac]

I agree, Anderson Cooper is the one who was most at ease.  I understand he is interested in the job, as is Stephanopoulos, who is yet to host. Ken Jennings has obviously not been doing this all his life, but on the other hand he a ctually knows all this stuff. Richards was good too and I quite liked Aaron Rodgers, demonstrating people skills not always on display in his career.  Q&A with Rodgers on the experience here (he wants the job, too):

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Was there a trickiest part of it for you?

I think it’s more the enormity—once you get into the gameplay—of realizing how “on” you have to be. There’s no time to relax. You are literally dead-on focused. Every single time you read a response, it’s like there’s a flow chart of things that could happen. You have to understand every single scenario about how to respond and what to say: If this, then this. If they get the question right, what type of affirmative response do I want to give? If they get it wrong? What if nobody gets it right? If multiple people get it wrong and one person gets it right, how do I want to answer that person getting it right? There are a lot of different gameplay scenarios in each individual question and response. And there’s finding how to throw it to the first break, and what to say and where to look and how long to hold your gaze. [Laughs.]

 

It's interesting that he mentions this, because so far what seems most obviously challenging for the guest hosts is how to react to someone getting it wrong or those blank moments when nobody knows the answer.

[dirac]

Well, this has turned out to be quite the trainwreck. 

[pherank]

On 9/11/2021 at 9:44 PM, dirac said:

Well, this has turned out to be quite the trainwreck. 

They really should keep to a rotating host schedule. Adds an element of the unexpected.

[dirac]

I follow the initial thinking. Richards was one of the better guest hosts and as he was already working there he'd be cheaper than a lot of the starrier names. But once this more recent stuff surfaced he was toast.

I just hope Bialik doesn't get the regular gig. If Aaron Rodgers doesn't get back to form, maybe Green Bay will trade him.