Arts & Entertainment
'Jeopardy!' Stage Dedicated To Late Host Alex Trebek
"Jeopardy!" dedicated its production stage during the show that aired Monday, renaming it after late host Alex Trebek.
CULVER CITY, CA — "Jeopardy!" Monday dedicated its stage in Culver City to Alex Trebek, the late host who died from pancreatic cancer in November 2020.
The stage was renamed the Alex Trebek Stage at Sony Pictures studios during the show's taping in August, which aired Monday. Trebek's widow, Jean Trebek, and children also attended the dedication.
The quiz show's new season started this week with five episodes hosted by Mike Richards, the former executive producer of "Jeopardy!" and "Wheel of Fortune." Richards had filmed the episodes before he stepped down as host, then days later was cut from the shows. It happened after inappropriate comments he made on podcasts years ago surfaced. Production for both shows has continued.
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Trebek was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer in 2019. He was the host of Jeopardy! from 1984 until his death, winning several Emmy Awards for his role on the show.
The Canadian-born game show icon began his career in 1961, with his pre-Jeopardy! stops including gigs as the host of "The Wizard of Odds" and "High Rollers." He had a brief stint as a fill-in host for Chuck Woolery on "Wheel of Fortune," according to TMZ.
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An outpouring of grief from former contestants and the wider public quickly followed news of his death.
"Alex wasn't just the best ever at what he did. He was also a lovely and deeply decent man, and I'm grateful for every minute I got to spend with him," tweeted "Jeopardy!" champion Ken Jennings. "Thinking today about his family and his Jeopardy! family — which, in a way, included millions of us."
"Jeopardy!" bills itself as "America's favorite quiz show" and captivated the public with a unique format in which contestants were told the answers and had to provide the questions on a variety of subjects, including movies, politics, history and popular culture.
Mayim Bialik — who was previously tapped to host prime-time and spinoff specials of "Jeopardy!" — will fill in as interim host.
She was among a rotating cast of guests hosts who kept the show going as producers tried to fill the role held by the late Alex Trebek since its syndicated revival began in 1984.
"Happy to be of service to my Jeopardy! family. There's no place I'd rather be!" Bialik tweeted.
The "Big Bang Theory" actress and neuroscientist is scheduled to film 15 episodes as host of the game show for the next three weeks. Additional guest hosts will also join the show to help kick off the 38th season, which begins airing this week.
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