Ken Jennings to temporarily host 'Jeopardy!'
Nov 24, 2020
Washington [US], November 24 : American author Ken Jennings will be the interim host of the syndicated series ''Jeopardy!' when it resumes production on November 30.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Jennings be the first in a series of guest hosts since the death of Alex Trebek on November 8. The show is holding off on naming a full-time host for the time being; other guest hosts will be announced in the coming weeks.
"Alex believed in the importance of Jeopardy! and always said that he wanted the show to go on after him. 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," said executive producer Mike Richards.
Earlier this year, Jennings won the primetime 'Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time' tournament defeating James Holzhauer and Brad Rutter in the best-of-seven format. He also holds the show's record for consecutive games won, at 74, and most winnings in regular play (USD 2,520,700).
As per The Hollywood Reporter, Jennings' first episodes as host will air the week of January 11. Trebek's last episodes of the show taped on October 29 and will air the week of January 4. Producer Sony Pictures TV opted to hold the host's final shows until after the new year so that holiday pre-emotions on local stations wouldn't deprive viewers of the chance to see his last episodes.
The Hollywood Reporter reported that during the weeks of December 21 and 28, 'Jeopardy!' will instead air 10 of Trebek's best episodes from his 36 years as host.
Jennings, meanwhile, will also be part of ABC's primetime game show 'The Chase', which premieres on January 7. Along with Holzhauer and Rutter, he will square off against teams of trivia experts in the new series.
