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Posts moved from the Alex Trebek obit.

AbrahamJSimpson said:
A stopgap measure can’t be extrapolated to a full season and a half. The circumstances are different for multiple reasons. Anyone at Sony advocating for that approach shouldn’t be in their job. Nostalgia and sentimentality only goes so far. And roughly 22 months is far too much.
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But it wouldn't be for a season and a half. The current season #37 is already set to air through the complete season with Trebek hosting. Next production schedule should start in about three months. It's already common to have best-of episodes inter-dispersed through a regular season anyway. They would just be stretching that run a little longer, especially during the upcoming Holidays.

Assuming they understandably push that production date out, they could run a mixture of best-of's and first-runs through Winter. That would give them at enough time to select a replacement host and start ramping up production in time for Up Front's and release next Fall.
 
Kelly A said:
But it wouldn't be for a season and a half. The current season #37 is already set to air through the complete season with Trebek hosting. Next production schedule should start in about three months. It's already common to have best-of episodes inter-dispersed through a regular season anyway. They would just be stretching that run a little longer, especially during the upcoming Holidays.

Assuming they understandably push that production date out, they could run a mixture of best-of's and first-runs through Winter. That would give them at enough time to select a replacement host and start ramping up production in time for Up Front's and release next Fall.
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They only have episodes recorded through Christmas. For a show that does first run into summer, with no encores (except one-offs here and there when widespread preemptions are common) until summer repeats, that's minimally six months of aired shows, plus next season. 18 months give or take, depending on the following season premiere date won't work. (The past season had reruns built in due to covid, pushing back scheduled shows to pad...that doesn't happen under normal conditions.)
 
In my opinion, Trebek was such a well-known and long-lasting presence and was so familiar to so many for so many years (I remember even back in the 80's, my grandmother was insistent on having dinner at the kitchen table when we visited her, but dinner had to be over in time for Jeopardy), that whomever comes immediately after him will have a difficult time being accepted and will likely fail. That in mind, perhaps they should come up with a decent host, but at that same time (and I don't mean this to sound bad, but it's realistic), consider them most likely a 'sacrificial lamb'. Then come in with someone with a demeanor, personality and delivery more like Trebek's to be the more likely permanent host.

I'm inclined to agree with those going in the direction of a news-type person or someone with a more serious delivery. This is not a job for a young and hip personality or a comedian IMO. One thought was Tom Bergeron since he has national news experience and has hosted network television including Hollywood Squares and Dancing with the Stars, but I can't see even him in this role.
 
Mikey Radio said:
In my opinion, Trebek was such a well-known and long-lasting presence and was so familiar to so many for so many years (I remember even back in the 80's, my grandmother was insistent on having dinner at the kitchen table when we visited her, but dinner had to be over in time for Jeopardy), that whomever comes immediately after him will have a difficult time being accepted and will likely fail.
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The BBC has (or had) a long-running radio game show called "Just A Minute," which debuted in 1967 and ended in late 2019 after its host, Nicholas Parsons, 96, fell ill. Parsons, who had been the show's host since its inception and had missed just a handful of episodes, all in the last two years of its run, died this past January. There was plenty of talk of possible successors, but as of this month, the BBC has yet to produce new shows or even name a new host. Maybe it will return with someone else at the helm after the COVID-19 pandemic is subdued and audiences can attend recording sessions; however, the Beeb's other long-running radio game show, "Brain of Britain," soldiered on this year with its regular host, Russell Davies, but minus a studio audience.

Replacing Parsons will be particularly difficult, IMO, because the game was played for laughs and Parsons had been a celebrated "straight man" in stand-up, films and TV for some time before taking the "Just A Minute" job. I can't even name a similar American talent. Comedy duos are rare here and in most TV and film comedies, actors just take turns bouncing one-liners off each other. Not sure what the situation is in Britain, but it could be that any new host trying to replace a national institution would never catch on and the show might just be gone for good.
 
seatownmedia said:
Hadn’t thought of him but the more I think about it he would actually be perfect. Intelligent, low key, and polite. No brainer actually.
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Bob Costas would also be a nice fit for the role. One thing that surprised me when I looked up info on Patrick and Costas is that Dan is only four years younger (64) than Bob (68). Are the producers looking for a much younger host to try to get the average viewer age down or would they be OK with a replacement less than 20 years younger than the 80-year-old he'd be replacing? Of course, if they're dead set on hiring a woman and/or person of color, than any discussion of these two is moot.
 
vchimpanzee said:
What's wrong with Alec Baldwin? He's a great host. For that show.
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I watched the Baldwin version exactly once. I'd never heard of any of the celebrities, they were supposed to be funny but weren't, none of the questions had a clear match, naughty or otherwise and the show dragged on. They asked the first person to match and they got nothing. The second person also got nothing. They had round two and again, the first person got nothing. Finally, the second person managed one match! After the bonus round(which the contestant won), I realized the show was only half over(a full hour)and I couldn't take it anymore! The 70s version was hysterical and kept right on moving but it was a different time and they had the good sense to make it only a half hour show! To give you an idea of how bad I thought this was, I liked the original 60s version better and it consisted of two panels matching among themselves, against the other panel with one celebrity on each panel and no real attempt at humor.
 
Let's be honest, Brett Sommers and Charles Nelson Reilly were known for being on Match Game to many people. They weren't household names. Whether one is in touch enough with today's culture to know who the current panelists are is really no different.
 
AbrahamJSimpson said:
Let's be honest, Brett Sommers and Charles Nelson Reilly were known for being on Match Game to many people. They weren't household names. Whether one is in touch enough with today's culture to know who the current panelists are is really no different.
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Humor has changed as well, as it does every generation, and even within generations.
 
Wife and I were talking about this thread last evening. She's a big fan of Jeopardy, and brought up a good point: Not only would a new host need the right balance of charisma and intellect, but from a demographic-appeal and stability standpoint, probably should be close to a Millennial in age. She thinks it would be a mistake to replace an aging host with another host already mid-to-late in their career.

I know, I know the 50+ crowd would consider this opinion as sacrilege, but I agree that Sony needs to look toward long term stability with the show equal-to what they had with Trebek. If you want another 30 years with a recognizable host, better not hire someone who's already 50.
 
semoochie said:
I watched the Baldwin version exactly once. I'd never heard of any of the celebrities, they were supposed to be funny but weren't, none of the questions had a clear match, naughty or otherwise and the show dragged on. They asked the first person to match and they got nothing. The second person also got nothing. They had round two and again, the first person got nothing. Finally, the second person managed one match! After the bonus round(which the contestant won), I realized the show was only half over(a full hour)and I couldn't take it anymore! The 70s version was hysterical and kept right on moving but it was a different time and they had the good sense to make it only a half hour show! To give you an idea of how bad I thought this was, I liked the original 60s version better and it consisted of two panels matching among themselves, against the other panel with one celebrity on each panel and no real attempt at humor.
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I think today's version is hilarious but it does rely heavily on being naughty. What I don't like is that I've never heard of half the celebrities. Caroline Rhea is on a lot and I know her from "Sabrina".
 
Kelly A said:
If you want another 30 years with a recognizable host, better not hire someone who's already 50.
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Interesting point. Trebek was only 44 when he began hosting the current iteration of Jeopardy. Pat Sajak was 35 when he began hosting Wheel of Fortune and at 74 years old, he's still at it as well.
 
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