Alex Trebek/Jeopardy Tribute Thread

And lest we forget: Baseball reporter is killing it on Jeopardy!

 

Now, I love Alex Trebek, but Bill Cullen's game-show legacy is second to none.

WIKI: William Lawrence Francis Cullen (February 18, 1920 – July 7, 1990) was an American radio and television personality whose career spanned five decades. His biggest claim to fame was as a game show host; over the course of his career, he hosted 23 shows, and earned the nickname "Dean of Game Show Hosts".Aside from his hosting duties, he appeared as a panelist/celebrity guest on many other game shows, including regular appearances on I've Got a Secret and To Tell the Truth. ...

Cullen contracted polio in August 1921, when he was 18 months old. The long-term sequelae of that illness, combined with injuries sustained in a serious motor vehicle accident in 1937 requiring a nine-month hospitalization, made it difficult for him to walk or stand for an extended period of time. Directors on his game shows took great care to limit the extent that Cullen was shown walking on camera. Each show's set was designed to accommodate Cullen's limited range of motion; the podiums, game boards, props, and any physical movements by contestants were arranged so that Cullen could, for the most part, remain stationary.

 

Yes, Alex went to Wrestlemania VII and had an up close and personal encounter with Jake Roberts’ snake.

 

Still gutted, especially after reading further posts.

Ken Jennings will be the new host and continue the legacy, no? He's the only one I'd even consider.

 

He would be an excellent steward of the show.

Deep love of the game
Respected / vouched for by Trebek
Credibility with the fans
Knows the game is the main attraction

 

That last line is the key.

Trebek became so beloved because he WASN’T the show. He took the game seriously but didn’t seem to take himself more seriously than he needed to.

Part of being a game-show host is the personality. You need it.

I never considered Jeopardy! a “game show”. I thought of it as a competition of high-level knowledge. In that, content is king.

 

Like scrotum right there it is in a nutshell.

 

But the greatest NAME was "Wink Martindale"; that's got to be made up.

 

The only hesitation I would have regarding Ken Jennings is that this is a high-level, beloved TV job... and he's not a TV guy. Doesn't mean he couldn't learn, but Alex Trebek made it look effortless in part because Alex Trebek did TV for a few decades before getting the gig.

It absolutely needs to be someone who won't try to upstage the show and who is knowledgeable enough to give the answers with authority. You always believed Alex knew the answer and wasn't just reading it off a card.

Bottom line, in terms of qualifications it's closer to a news anchor gig than a game show hosting gig. Anderson Cooper would be great at it.

 

I just know that KJ is now a producer for the show, and he obviously has a love for what Jeopardy stands for. They had to have been grooming someone behind the scenes, considering Alex's condition. But I get your point, PC, too. Will be interesting to see what happens.