R.I.P. Alex Trebek

[Scott Bails]

I'd be fine if Ken Jennings was the new host. He seems like a natural fit. I've also seen LeVar Burton's name floated out there, too, and I think he would be excellent.

[rdclark]

next week his last 5 episodes will be aired. his final episode on Christmas Day Friday.

That’s been changed.

“Jeopardy! has changed up its schedule and will now air Alex Trebek's 10 best episodes in December ahead of his final episodes in January. Initially, producers had announced that Trebek's last episodes would air in late December, with his final one airing on Christmas Day. Now, those will be pushed to the week of Jan. 4, with a selection of Trebek's greatest episodes airing the weeks of Dec. 21 and Dec. 28.“. https://popculture.com/tv-shows/news...sodes-january/

[spellbound]

That’s been changed.

“Jeopardy! has changed up its schedule and will now air Alex Trebek's 10 best episodes in December ahead of his final episodes in January. Initially, producers had announced that Trebek's last episodes would air in late December, with his final one airing on Christmas Day. Now, those will be pushed to the week of Jan. 4, with a selection of Trebek's greatest episodes airing the weeks of Dec. 21 and Dec. 28.“. https://popculture.com/tv-shows/news...sodes-january/

Proving, once again, that TV producers are worthless cunts interested only in money. I have been watching Alex Trebek's final filmed episodes faithfully every night. To interrupt what Alex left us, needlessly inserting reruns, is sacrilege, and not likely what Alex intended. The idea of such a stunt is souring me to the idea of continued viewing of Jeopardy with a new host. Way to ruin it for the fans, ABC.

[progmatist]

Proving, once again, that TV producers are worthless cunts interested only in money. I have been watching Alex Trebek's final filmed episodes faithfully every night. To interrupt what Alex left us, needlessly inserting reruns, is sacrilege, and not likely what Alex intended. The idea of such a stunt is souring me to the idea of continued viewing of Jeopardy with a new host. Way to ruin it for the fans, ABC.

At the risk of being nit-picky: Jeopardy! is actually a Viacom/CBS production. You're local ABC affiliate bought it through syndication.

[spellbound]

At the risk of being nit-picky: Jeopardy! is actually a Viacom/CBS production. You're local ABC affiliate bought it through syndication.

If that is true, there is no way that I could know that. Which is part of the problem.

I have lived in several cities in several western states, and Jeopardy has always been on ABC in all of them. Why would I think it didn't belong there?

[Bartellb]

I think part of the reason for the change is because if his last show aired on Christmas it would be preempted in many areas because of NBA basketball games, thus denying many from seeing it on television. Also there might be college football bowl games that week which would also preempt it, though I'm not sure about the bowl TV schedule.

My number one pick for permanent host is Ken Jennings. After Alex Trebek he's the person most associated with the show. I'm not sure yet but depending on who the permanent host is I might not watch it anymore, though I'll watch all the shows with the temporary guest hosts, regardless of who they are.

[spellbound]

Also there might be college football bowl games that week which would also preempt it, though I'm not sure about the bowl TV schedule.

All college bowl games are on cable TV now. Poor folk aren't allowed to see them. When I was younger, and cared more about sports, I could get together with friends and family and watch bowl games for free on broadcast TV all day and evening on New Years Day. Those days are gone. Nothing I can do about it.

I, personally, would like to have anything worth watching on Dec. 25. I know it ain't gonna happen, though.

[Hobo Chang Ba]

I"m glad that it has changed from Christmas as I would have had to tape it.

[rdclark]

Xmas week is not a good time to debut first-run shows. Audiences are distracted, and there are many disruptions to the schedule, made worse by the fact that it's local stations who own the timeslot, not networks.

Wanting to maximize audience and exposure for Trebek's final episodes does not seem an unworthy goal to me.

Concern for what "Alex intended" seems misplaced, considering the circumstances. He probably intended to live longer. Yes, he was very involved in the production of the show, but he was not in charge, and was still, essentially, an employee.

[spellbound]

Concern for what "Alex intended" seems misplaced, considering the circumstances. He probably intended to live longer. Yes, he was very involved in the production of the show, but he was not in charge, and was still, essentially, an employee.

Forgive my concern for a mere employee who only doubled the viewership of the show he hosted. I'll go back to limiting my concern to my wealthy masters, and occasional employers, as the gods of capitalism have decreed. Phew. That was close. What was I thinking?

[rdclark]

There are a lot of people with a stake in the success of Jeopardy, whose livings are at stake. Focusing only on the star, the one making $18 million a year, seems very elitist.

[spellbound]

If I gave the impression that I was focused on one person, I did not mean to. I don't consider anyone a star on Jeopardy. Mr. Trebek was the host. I have never known nor considered his salary, nor claimed that he was alone in the production of the show. If you knew anything about my life, you'd know I could never be elitist. Equality is a goal that a society this old should already have achieved, after naming it in two of its greatest early documents, and I look forward to the day we get our shit together. You believe what you want to believe. This is not the right room for an argument.

BTW, they made no announcement about a delay in Trebek's final shows on tonight's Jeopardy, leaving it that the shows would continue as usual on Monday.

[nycsteve]

Sorry , but I think moving the final Trebeck episode off Xmas is a good idea. I'de like to see it and would probably missed it on Xmas.

[Moribund]

Delaying the final shows would make sense, imo. People don't watch a lot of TV during the holidays.

Ken Jennings is a bore. After a few weeks of tuning in for the newness of him, ratings will drop like a rock. A progressive rock, to be precise.

[ronmac]

^^ Do people really watch Jeopardy for the host? Or do they watch it for the challenge?

Alex Trebek was a great guy, and a class act in so many ways, but I honestly don't think he was the draw.

[Progatron]

There's less excuse nowadays for missing programming with how common PVRs now are. But it is still probably a good idea to move the final episode to a slower time when people will be parked in front of their TVs, as many will not be in 'Jeopardy mode' during the busy holidays.

I agree that Jennings is a bore. He was great at the game, but that doesn't make him hostworthy. But I'm just glad it's not going to be James Holzhauer (the 'second best' contestant), who I simply couldn't watch when he played, as I found him irretrievably pompous.

I'd like to see them take the opportunity to shake up the game a bit. Some of the categories get pretty stale after a while, and I could do without the constant fixation on things like vice presidents from the 1800s, personally (I know, it's an American program, I get it). I'm usually interested in learning about categories I know little about, but that stuff just goes in one ear and out the other.

[spellbound]

^^ Do people really watch Jeopardy for the host? Or do they watch it for the challenge?

Alex Trebek was a great guy, and a class act in so many ways, but I honestly don't think he was the draw.

I watch for the challenge. It is one of very few game shows that ask difficult questions. But for most of the years I've been watching, Alex Trebek has been the host. He is familiar and likeable. The amount of time he spent talking on the show was minimal, outside of reading the clues. I'll miss him when he's no longer hosting the show. But I won't stop watching Jeopardy unless the production somehow screws the pooch (changes the format, makes the clues too easy, starts breaking for commercials between the clue and the answer, etc).

[Progatron]

I can also do without the 'meeting the contestants' segment after the first commercial break. I just fast-forward right through it.

One other thing I'd like to see is way less of these video clues with the Jeopardy 'team' on location, reciting some huge, long question that eats up too much time. I hate when they miss a bunch of questions at the end because time runs out.

[progmatist]

If that is true, there is no way that I could know that. Which is part of the problem.

I have lived in several cities in several western states, and Jeopardy has always been on ABC in all of them. Why would I think it didn't belong there?

I'll give you that. But here in the Phoenix market, it's as plain as the nose on one's face. Jeopardy! has bounced from channel to channel many times over the years. When it started in 84, it was on the CBS affiliate. Then in the early 90s there was a major shakeup in network affiliations, sparked by Rupert Murdock's News Corp buying the CBS affiliate, and decreeing it was going to be the Fox affiliate. Soon after, ABC decided sever ties with their long time affiliate, and give it to the now former Fox affiliate. Jeopardy! ended up on the former ABC affiliate, now an independent station. A couple of decades later, it moved to the new ABC affiliate, then back to that former ABC affiliate/independent station.

[ronmac]

Jeopardy! is on an NBC affiliate in Pittsburgh.

[Hobo Chang Ba]

I can also do without the 'meeting the contestants' segment after the first commercial break. I just fast-forward right through it.

One other thing I'd like to see is way less of these video clues with the Jeopardy 'team' on location, reciting some huge, long question that eats up too much time. I hate when they miss a bunch of questions at the end because time runs out.

I disagree with your earlier post, but this I agree with. I don't know why they can't get all the clues in...one or two left over ok, but sometimes there is a whole category leftover. But the weird thing is, on the recent GOAT tourney they didn't leave one stone unturned. The good news is americans ain't travelling, at least aboard, for quite some time so I suspect those will be much fewer for the near future.

[progmatist]

I disagree with your earlier post, but this I agree with. I don't know why they can't get all the clues in...one or two left over ok, but sometimes there is a whole category leftover. But the weird thing is, on the recent GOAT tourney they didn't leave one stone unturned. The good news is americans ain't travelling, at least aboard, for quite some time so I suspect those will be much fewer for the near future.

Whether they clear the board depends on how good the contestants are. There are dual criteria for when the first commercial break occurs. Either when half the board is cleared, or half the time has expired. If half the board was cleared, it's a pretty good bet the board will be cleared at the end of the round. If half the time expired, many wrong responses were given, and/or many clues were unanswered. There will likely be a few clues remaining.

[Progatron]

Whether they clear the board depends on how good the contestants are. There are dual criteria for when the first commercial break occurs. Either when half the board is cleared, or half the time has expired. If half the board was cleared, it's a pretty good bet the board will be cleared at the end of the round. If half the time expired, many wrong responses were given, and/or many clues were unanswered. There will likely be a few clues remaining.

Or, like I said, they spend too much time reciting these long, rambling clues like we're watching a documentary instead of clear, concise questions. It's even more frustrating when it's a super easy $200 clue that everyone knows three seconds into reading it for themselves, but we have to wait for the entire thing to be said out loud.

[progmatist]

Or, like I said, they spend too much time reciting these long, rambling clues like we're watching a documentary instead of clear, concise questions. It's even more frustrating when it's a super easy $200 clue that everyone knows three seconds into reading it for themselves, but we have to wait for the entire thing to be said out loud.

That is such a hard and fast rule, the buttons are disabled until the entire clue is read. Many contestants have locked themselves out by pressing the button too soon, then repeatedly pressing it when it doesn't respond.

EDIT: I don't know if you recall when due to the pandemic, they ran out of new episodes to air. They started re-airing historically significant episodes. The first couple were from the first season, when contestants were indeed able to ring in before the answer was fully read. Those episodes were noticeably more chaotic. They found that chaos to be the thing audiences disliked the most, so the instituted that rule starting with the second season.

[nycsteve]

Bring back Wink Martindale as the new host!