It is a collection of words with little or no meaning.
What is a word salad.
It was nice of Mr. Jennings to pay tribute to Trebek and I'm sure the kind words are more than deserved
But after reading this piece, I can't say I know what Trebek is really like more than I did before reading it.
30
Thank you Mr Jennings for your column.
Like Cronkite and Carson in their times, Alex Trebek knows his job. For Cronkite it was the news, for Carson it was the guests, and for Trebek it is to simply let the answers & questions and contestants shine.....all while teaching true facts on multiple topics.
I miss that era now that we are faced with a president who runs a reality show from one of the most famous addresses in the world.
19
Y'all need to get Mr. Jennings on your writing staff before someone scoops him up. Great article. Gifted writer.
18
Lovely. Thank you, Ken Jennings. And thank you, Alex Trebek.
19
Beautifully written Ken, and thank you.
19
A very fine gentleman and a much-needed antidote to the crass, proud-to-be-ignorant ilk so deplorably on display in our American culture.
I'm an atheist who only watches Jeopardy once in a blue moon, but I pray that Mr. Trebek makes it for a long time to come. We desperately need him.
35
I surprised myself by choking up when Alex made his announcement. It was like a family member telling you the news. Never realized the affect this awesome Canadian "friend" had on me until then, taking him for granted like so many millions of others. But as someone who has Canadian relatives and knows the "stuff" they are made of, Alex Trebek will not only finish his contract on "Jeopardy", he will stick around longer than most believe, eh? And the world will be a better place because of that.
20
Thank you so much Ken, for this characterization of one the true TV heros. It is nearly impossible to imagine Jeopardy without Alex Trebek, and like millions of others I hope I don't have to. Best wishes to both of you!
12
I would love to see Alex Trebek as a contestant sometime before his retirement (far in the future, after he beats this thing).
9
Ken, what a beautiful tribute for a beautiful man. What's not to love about Alex Trebek? I feel I know him better after reading this, even after watching him for years. He is an American (via Canada) treasure.
17
Lovely tribute. Thanks, Ken. My late mother used to call me every night from the east coast to see if I knew the
final answer. It was her favorite show and my memories of her joy in watching it always make me smile. Thanks, Alex and wishing you well.
25
JEOPARDY is one TV Show I SELDOM miss - I keep trying to solve all the clues before contestants do. The "CLUES" I have successfully solved are this: The show is marvelous, contestants are above reproach in their respect for each other, and Alex makes every episode 'time well spent'. I wish him well with the problems he must now try overcome.
15
What a sweet tribute.
11
I have been a Jeopardy watcher since Art Fleming days, growing older with Alex Trebek and coming to see him as a family member (although no other family members are with us every single evening at 7pm, California time).
When Alex announced his pancreatic cancer diagnosis I more or less came unglued, and I'm still trying to process that shocking news. I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer not quite three years ago, and I am proud to say that my response was the same as his: I'm ready for whatever comes and I will win this contest.
Having come through the gristly part a bit battered but unbowed, and I am healthy now, active, a survivor, and expect to be for more years to come. I am literally living proof that it can be done, and if anyone can do it, I know that Alex Trebek can.
To paraphrase that line in "Shane,": Stay here, Alex, we need you.
36
We were were fortunate to attend a taping of Jeopardy a few years ago. There were lots of students and their teachers in the audience. During a break, as usual, Alex asked the audience members for questions and made sure each question came from a student. We were amazed at his warmth, and his honest answers to their questions, several of which were quite personal. Thanks, Ken for writing this.
33
Canada`s greatest export to the U.S. ; and a living example of the quintessential Canadian character I could imagine. Even after decades of hosting Jeopardy. Canadians could not be more proud of the man. He represents everything that is good about how we think and relate to the world. I know that there will be many Americans jumping on the bandwagon about how he; like SO MANY Canadians became American citizens in order to further their careers. Too many to mention. But there is something so Canadian about him; nothing can ever erase that. We pray for your health Alex. And we are so PROUD of you!
21
At the age of 10, I saw the very first episode with Art Fleming in 1964. Little did I know...
Good luck Alex!
7
This article made me cry. One of my oldest and dearest friends was a dead-ringer for Alex, and passed away a couple of years ago at only sixty-six. He was as nice a guy as Alex and as a head librarian at a prestigious university, he was incredibly well-read and knowledgeable. Every time I see Alex, I fondly remember my late friend. May Alex win his battle and continue to entertain us for many years to come.
12
Back in the late 1960's, when I was still in high school, I used to race home at lunch to hear Alex Trebek play comedy records on CBC radio. I loved it. One day he played Tom Lehrer's song "The Vatican Rag" which pokes fun at Catholic ceremony. The next day his show had been replaced by symphony music. The stuffy old CBC got complaints, I assume, so Alex was gone. But at least he landed on his feet.
17
My daughter and Alex's son were on the same class in elementary school. I saw him frequently at school events, and we chatted often. Curiously, I have little memory of him because he was such a regular guy; a man who loved his kids, and a parent like the rest of us. There were no airs; there was nothing of the celebrity about him, which was not true of a few others at this private school. Mainly I remember his lovely wife, Jean, who owned a flower shop. I won one of her arrangements at a school auction. When she learned the arrangement would be for my mother, dying of cancer, she created the most elaborate and stunning creation I have ever seen, then or since. A class act, both of them. - Bill's wife, Colleen
49
Alex Trebek even appeared in an excellent episode of the X-Files as one of the Men In Black. He’s been a part of my life for a long long time. I hope he beats this.
10
Each evening begins with a glass of good red, gorgonzola on crackers, and Jeopardy! which I'd taped -- it's on at 4 PM here -- and, yes, fast forward through the commercials.
I'm 80. Spent 3+ decades with a best friend and business partner -- both of us software R&D guys-- who died of pancreatic cancer.
But I still had Trebek.
21
Of course I loved Jeopardy as a teenager, but I for one have not had Alex T in my home "every weeknight for 35 years." I certainly am not on of those you can include in "we all rely on "Jeopardy!" always being there. If that makes me anti-social, not part of the crowd, I don't mind wearing that label. Except I don't know anyone that watches t.v. either...
There is more to life than television.
Yet I did skim thru your piece. Once upon a time when I had no life outside of school I watched J, and Alex T was perfect for the job. May he have a peaceful passing.
1
When my daughter was still a toddler, my wife and I would put her car seat on the dining room table, pointing it at the living room where Jeopardy was on the television as we ate dinner. Caitie watched intently. She later went on to become a first-team, all-state Scholastic Bowl player in Illinois. Even now, as a doctoral candidate, she's still winning trivia contests. Mom and Dad had some influence on all this, of course, but through the years so did Alex Trebek.
18
Alex, after all these years I still love Jeopardy, and wish you luck in conquering your illness. It takes courage to work during your treatment. You'll be in my prayers.
8
I was on Jeopardy 25 years ago, I didn’t win. Tom Nichols did. But it was a wonderful experience, and a large part of that was getting to meet Alex Trebek. During the practice session each contestant gets a chance to stand behind their podium and use the clicker so that they can get a feel for it. During my turn, the Jeopardy board got stuck, and some technicians had to work on it. At one point Alex took off a shoe and threw it at the board, saying that’s what he did a home when his TV wasn’t working, making all of us laugh. He’s quite a guy.
23
In an age of opinion, much of it spiked, Alex is the moderating voice gently insisting on the facts. Well done, Ken Jennings.
14
I live across the street from the house that Alex Trebek designed back in the 80s and continued to live in until I think the early 2000s. It's a funny very retro hyper 80s design, glass brick and all, both great and tacky at the same time. Like him I guess. The problem now is that those annoying tourist vans stop in front of it almost every day and over the loudspeaker I've heard them say the darndest things, that everyone from Johnny Depp lives there (everyone knows where he lives in Hollywood and it's not there!) to Gwen Stefani. Those tourist vans just literally make stuff up on the fly, it's insane. The truth is that a porn producer lives there now, with his white Rolls Royce. The truth behind the house is actually interesting, a slice of the 80s well preserved, like Trebek.
5
The guy has a good enough sense of humor to walk on without his trousers — straight faced — as an April Fools joke. What’s not to love?
16
I''ll take "excellent NYT opinions for 100, please."
19
Alex will beat the cancer, Im quite sure.
7
A wonderful if toadying tribute from one who has every reason to be grateful and has received his 15 minutes of fame 75 times over, not a record that can now be repeated. It's appropriate that we speak only kindly also of the near-dying. But I once heard that someone who had been on the show considered Alex "a real jerk".
As usual, the truth is somewhere in between. I'll probably never know as Jeopardy! seems to engage in a type of lookism which requires not only smarts but photogenicality.
That and the cancellation of the Seniors Tournament which cuts both ways: yes, our reactions may be a little slower, but those of us who have stayed sharp always felt we might come in through that back door - a second chance to bite the apple, so to speak. Anyway, perhaps it's Jeopardy!'s way of not putting old folks in a special box, of not saying that we cannot compete with normal people and require special treatment. For that, we can give thanks.
I hope you beat your special cancer, Alex, finish out your contract and sign for another 35 years. The program itself is the star and your role very formulaic. Who knows, attitudes and formats may change and I may see you as a contestant in 20 years? Surely, a continuing dream of many Americans.
5
Messrs Cronkite and Trebek....
Both were America's most public hosts for 'getting it right'. For Cronkite it was reporting the news with unequivocal integrity. Wth Trebek his hosting was really at bottom publicizing a drive for knowledge. With each question he in effect opened up new worlds to every viewer who ever tuned in. Thanks to both for opening up minds.
8
I saw Alex interviewed about what attracted him to his now wife. He said he was always drawn to a beautiful face and not “knockers.” A bit surprising from a gentleman.
4
Not knocking his performance on Jeopardy, but I live in PA, and he completely screwed up our one and only governors debate that he had agreed to host or emcee.
Instead of getting in as many good questions as possible, he told jokes, talked about himself, and told stories in that goofy off camera style described in the essay. He talked much longer than the candidates. Bizarre was the common description.
He did apologize a day or two later.
2
Years ago, I knew a homeless guy from the local neighborhood, it was a holiday, and we asked him if he was hungry (he was) and invited him over for a holiday meal. And then Jeopardy came on. And he smoked us. He would have won that night if he had been in the studio. Very sharp guy, but had let the bottle get the best of him. Then there was my ex-wife. I don't think she ever got a question correct, and her standard statement during the show, over and over was, "What a stupid question, nobody knows that!". She's not with me any more but Jeopardy still is.
16
One of my earliest memories (3 years old) is watching Alex Trebek on “High Rollers,” and thinking, that’s the job I want. He M.C.s like no one else. I’ve been watching him all my life. Hate to lose him. Best of luck, Alex!
6
He is a master of mispronunciation. A destroyer of words. The notion that he is clever is ridiculous.
2
Thank you, Ken Jennings.
9
Poignant testament to a sturdy game show host! As our nation seems to be becoming dumb and dumber, Jeopardy stands out there as a bastion of our more cerebral inclinations! May it continue to thrive, and keep our brains functioning, and may Alex Trebek still be leading the show, like a rose that refuses to succumb to the wilderness surrounding it!!!
18
Ken wins again.
9
With all respect to Alex Trebek, if he is your generation's Cronkite, our culture is in trouble.
8
I was a contestant in 1998. In between tapings, Alex makes chit chat with the audience and answers softball questions. When he heard there was a contingent of nuns from Quebec in the audience, he came down from the set, into the bleachers, and took each of their hands, addressing them all in French.
You've never seen nuns blush and titter like teenage girls so fast.
569
Yes, Alex is an interesting guy. When I was a contestant, I was amazed how rapidly he shifts among topics when talking with the audience during the breaks. Sure, he's had years of answers and questions over a huge variety of obscure areas, but he leaps from discussing latin grammar to gardening to fun places in the world to visit. Contestants don't interact much with Alex, but he's definitely one of those people who you think "This is a guy who would make being stuck in some underdeveloped train station in the middle of nowhere a more pleasant experience"
12
Perhaps less well known is the fact that the goofy game show spoof on Second City TV was clearly modeled after a CBC show called "Reach for the Top" which Trebek hosted for at time.
4
As one of those Jeopardy contestants, I agree with everything Mr. Jennings said. Alex made me feel comfortable, even when an answer was wrong. I wish him better health and a good, long life.
12
don't think Cronkite would have rigged the news to make women look better in terms of their on-air performance.
1
TV Trivia for a $1000
A beloved institution that has the whole country wishing him the best.
6
Perfectly done Ken!
5
Ken Jennings should be Alex's successor
2
Or Frank The Transit Cop!
4
OK, but Alex ALWAYS mispronounces the name of Vladimir Nabokov (author of LOLITA). Alex says "NAH-buh-koff", but it's a Russian name and Russians say "Nah-BOK-uff" or "Nah-BAWK-uff". Nabokov himself discussed the various ways people from different countries mispronounce his name, in an interview.
He embodies the both the fun and the greatness that is America.
(Yeah, yeah, he was born in Canada, I know, but America is his home.)
1
It was time for a change at Jepoardy, would have been better without medical issues. For someone who has watched Jeopardy for 20 years, Alex can be passive aggressive. He frequently instiagates people of color or women to make aggressive double jeopardy bets, is underhanded in praising young black males when they win, and shows a clear preference for white males to win. A host should be impartial, trying not to make statements that nudge people in one direction or other, Alex failed at it.
3
@Realist Thank you. I agree with you. Have watched Jeopardy for decades but lately have had enough of Mr. Trebek. So much so that I decided to stopped watching. Love the structure of the show but dislike the gender & race pandering Alex exhibits. I think it's time for another host though I wouldn't wish this disease on anyone. I hope he recovers fully.
2
Never noticed. Perhaps you have to look really, really hard under rocks to find what you say.
6
Vivid imagination you have
6
I went to a Jeopardy taping about 30 years ago when I moved to LA. During commercial breaks, Alex would gregariously chat with staff and audience members. You knew in a nanosecond he is the real deal
6
May I recommend Alex Trebek's appearance on Hot In Cleveland? The show was broadcast live, must be one of the top funniest episodes of sitcom TV ever (if you rank such stuff like I), and Trebek is essential to the success of making it all work.
3
You almost got me up in arms, as I misread "But when the cameras stop rolling, Alex is a looser, even goofy presence.", skipping a vital "o" there in a momentary glitch of dyslexia...
I don't watch the show much, but even I was taken aback by Alex's news the other day.
There will be a lot of people pulling for you.
5
In defense of Mr. Jennings, he was six years old when Cronkite retired.
3
Bottom line Jeopardy is one of a few quality game shows on the air and of the few it is number one.
Thank you Alex and ABC for all the service and education and fun you are and still are giving us.
It is a needed vacation from all the brain dead, inane reality shows on TV that helped serve up the ego maniac pathological demagogue Trump on a platter to us.
12
Thee next category is "Comedy Signifiers."
Yes, time stops for no one. We shall all miss Alex Trebek.
For those of us who are of a certain age - here is a little walk down memory lane --
John Daly ("What's My Line?")
Jack Bailey ("Queen for a Day")
Gary Moore ("I've Got a Secret")
Hal March ("The $64,000 Question")
Bud Collier ("to Tell the Truth and "Beat the Clock")
Johnny Carson ("Truth or Consequences")
Hugh Downs "(Concentration")
Art Flemming ("Jeopardy")
Gene Rayburn ("The Match Game")
All fond memories from our childhood - being able to watch on a sick day or a snow from school --
However - for the past thirty-five years - Alex Trebek has been creating memories for two generations -- as is evidenced by the comments below pointing out that we know not to call our parents or grandparents during that thirty-minute blackout when Jeopardy is on their television set --
These are the cultural milestones by which we mark the passing of time - and how we connect as a society to one another --
Because - no matter who you are - no matter your race, religion, gender identity, political affiliation and ideals -- no matter what foods you like to eat - or what type of music you prefer -- mo matter any of those details --
Everybody watches - or has watched - Jeopardy - and everybody knows Alex Trebek --
For many of us - Alex Trebek has always been there -
Here's hoping he continues to do so - for many years to come...
10
It is possible the writer meant "eulogy," rather than "elegy," but I understand what he was trying to say. Alex Trebek seems like a very nice man, and we all wish him well.
3
@Madeline Conant, he meant elegy — a sad, sorrowful lament, typically for the dead, or events/phases that have ended.
5
Ken setting himself up for Alex’s job! Nice try Jennings
1
Don't forget - Mr. Trebek is a friend to the muskox as well. Really.
http://www.alaska.net/~moxfarm/friends.html
2
I'll take "immigrants who make this country great" for all the money we've wasted on trying to be unwelcoming, Alex.
3
Thanks , Ken . I used to think there was some animosity between you and Alex .
1
And remember. Trebek was an immigrant to America from far-off Canada.
5
Alex is a great host on jeopardy but why did Alex have to be spokesman and pitch man for death insurance....preying on the elderly and misinformed.
Colonial Penn Life needs a new needs trusted pitch man to sell death burial insurance. Maybe the great Tom Selleck or Henry Winkler will stop peddling reverse mortgages and move over to death burial insurance.
Yes, you can trust Alex Trebek....
So here is the sole commenter that mentions colonial penn life...
Can you imagine Walter Cronkite in a burial insurance ad..
Funny how the people you think you can trust...you can't.
4
Cronkite would never do an ad. He was old-school and believed that news and revenue should never mix.
Credibility is king!
3
"What is a great article Ken?"
3
Ken Jennings, for $1000:
A Perfectly-played NYT Tribute
PS
Watson, stop hitting your buzzer – nobody likes a sore winner...
Or replacing your buzzer, every time you hit it too hard...
4
Hey, when AT took over emceeing after Art
Fleming, I think I considered him an interloper!
That's how old I am.
Oh yeah, I can prove it too.
"Thank you, Don Phardo."
I think Dan Ackroyd even parodied the line on SNL.
It took me awhile to get used to AT.
The suggestion thing does not accept
Phardo, "Bardo" is suggested.
When I visited NYC, I saw the Letterman show,
Robin Williams was a guest, and tried out for
the Merv owned show, badly.
1
@Robert Cohen I'm that old, too. BTW, It's Don Pardo, one of the greats:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Pardo
Very nice piece. Well written, well crafted. Thank you.
4
Thank you.
We all are in Alex‘s Court.
A brave man.
He has given a face to pancreatic cancer.
Research is sparse
Early diagnosis tests should involve biopsy of abdominal cysts in any organ. Including biopsy of cysts in the pancreas.
This is an Endocrine attacking cancer.
Look at the expression and excretion of
CEA in pancreatic cysts as an indication of pre cancer. !!!!!!!!!
Carcinoembryonic Antigen.
Look it up and demand more research for early diagnosis.
9
Thanks Alex for your contributions to National Geographic Bee also. Here is a tribute video honoring his 25th anniversary as host. https://youtu.be/icT3DSP5v2g
2
I know that this may sound like sacrilege and that I am dating myself, but, when Ken Jennings writes:
"It’s impossible to even imagine the show with anyone else."
I think, "No, sorry." and hear that in my head with the voice of Art Flemming, the original host of Jeopardy! To me, Alex Trebek is still "The original host of High Rollers in the late 1970s."
Nonetheless, I was happy to see Jeopardy! return in 1984 albeit sans Art Fleming who, ironically, died of pancreatic cancer in April 1995 right after the Oklahoma City bombing. Still, Alex Trebek was always a class act and you could see that from his time on High Rollers so, just as happy as I was to see Jeopardy return, I was equally happy to see Alex return to a high profile job as its host. It was like a perfect marriage for me as a game show fan.
I'll have Game Show Hosts for $2000...
Alex Trebek
Who is the classiest man alive?
4
As soon as I read the comparison to Cronkite you sealed the deal concisely.
3
Thank you, Ken Jennings, for your nice tribute to an intelligent, honorable man. Live long and well, Alex Trebek.
1
Mr. Jennings was a great contestant on Jeopardy, but all you need to do to be certain that he will never, ever become that show's host is to read through his Wikipedia bio.
Nothing wrong with being edgy and occasionally faintly nasty, as he clearly is, but totally disqualifying for consideration as Jeopardy host.
5
Alex seems like a smart and decent man, and I wish him well, and I send him loads of healing light. An icon, and who would’ve thought?
4
Alex Trebek is a National, ahem Continental, Treasure.
4
America loves Jeopardy ! , but even more so, we love Alex Trebek.
3
I confess to have not watched Jeopardy! much since I was a kid but last week had the pleasure with my 85 year old mom and 100 year old step-dad. I remember thinking that Alex was ageless and timeless and marveled how the show has brought untold comfort and cognitive engagement for millions of aging Americans. Oh, and unsurprisingly, my step-dad was the Jeopardy boss that night (and my bucket list includes beating my mom at scrabble). Godspeed, Mr. Trebek. We're rooting for you!
5
Comparing Alex Trebek to Walter Cronkite is like comp[aring apples to oranges. They only have being fruit on trees in common. That said, I wish Mr Trebek all of the best, even though I never liked game shows. He made many people happy.
2
I love to relax in the evening sitting in front of my television with my cats to watch 'Jeopardy' and allow Alex Trebek to take me on a fact-filled ride through a variety of subjects.
It is a comfort, and such an antidote to the tsunami of lies, greed and deception that have completely taken up our domestic news over the last two years.
May Mr. Trebek be rid of his cancer, and may our country be rid of the trump administration.
12
All Philosophy majors hope for the success of Alex.
4
Trebek is not always the nice guy we all see on Jeopardy.
Some time ago he was extremely rude to an airport security worker - when asked to open his on-board luggage he rudely countered "do you know who I am?
He is also a Germanophobe who never failed to put on an exaggerated German accent in mockery of the language. He never did that with French or Spanish, you can be sure.
So yes, he made a good show host was good for the show but we need to stop adulating celebities we know nothing about beyond their tv persona.
4
Someone needs to put Alex in touch with Tyme Therapeutics. They're testing a drug called SM-88 in stage 3/4 pancreatic cancer. It seems promising.
1
I feel badly for Mr. Trebek...but must criticize him as a paid spokesman (how rich do you need to be) for bogus life insurance aimed at retirees. The "3 P's" indeed...shame on him.
3
Great piece, well done.
1
To borrow a phrase, "I watched, listened to, was informed by and taught by Walter Cronkite. Mr Trebek is no Cronkite."
3
I just wish he had never done those insurance ads.
6
I, like many, hope Alex Trebek survives pancreatic cancer but not because of his game show persona. If Trebek makes it that means the treatment(s) he used will then be more available to others. If Trebeck's celebrity opens a door for others to walk through then great.
5
We love you, Alex! Thank you, Ken Jennings, love you, too!
"He takes it seriously, being ... the voice of facts in a post-fact world."
------------
Alex Trebek is the gracious, erudite, and dignified antidote to dumb TV.
Wishing him all the best.
5
Okay, I'm sorry, but "...this generation's Cronkite."? Walter Cronkite was a World War Two era print journalist, who slowly morphed onto radio, and television. He dealt with real world facts and problems, over decades of time. And when even he said "That's the way it is..." he wasn't being totally honest, but you had a much better sense of how thing were. Alex Trebek is a game show host who deals in trivia. Yes, the 'questions' are factual, but trivial. If he really is a Cronkite for today, what does that say about us?
3
As a fellow Canadian I keep hoping Alex will occasionally pronounce ‘Z’ as ‘Zed’ rather than ‘Zee’. The North is pulling for him.
6
Canadian accented? My goodness, he is a Canadian, why wouldn’t he be. Just one of very many Canadian exports.
Did you ever wonder why?
1
A very nice tribute, but there is one key Trebek tribute missing. Years before SNL caught on, SCTV in Canada did a brilliant Jeopardy takeoff - the players all would have grown up watching Alex on Canadian game shows - and loved lampooning their hometown hero. Eugene Levy nails it!
Check it out here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTDsJd1l7Aw
I remember watching Art Fleming host Jeopardy and while competent, the show was more feverish, and less wry. Alex brought a refreshing new take to an established show,
Best wishes to Alex.
6
@johhnyb Thanks for that link. Great show!
1
Nice to see what Ken Jennings is really like.
Well done.
3
Thanks, Ken- he is certainly one of a kind!
"Jeopardy" IS must-see TV; the rest are just wannabes.
3
Thank you , Mr. Jennings. Will the next host be you?
Beautifully written piece. Thanks.
Alex Trebek hosted Classic Concentration in the early 1990s. I was on the show, returned as champ for three days but never won the car. The car was the grand prize. You would think that I would carry that as a regret in life, not winning the car.
No, the one regret that I carry from that experience is that I did not follow Mr. Trebek's straight line in what would have a joke about my hockey playing as a kid. We had set it up perfectly in the commercial break. I was wearing my Chicago Blackhawks jersey during the show's taping. "So, you liked playing hockey with your brothers as a kid?" He would ask. My response should have been "No, I liked fighting with my brothers, sometimes a hockey game would break out." Instead, I looked at him like he was from another planet, I blew it.
Alex Trebek remains part of one of the favorite memories of my life. I wasn't cut out for show business but I still had a blast that day. Thanks Alex! You are a gem.
149
@Michael: Classic Concentration is now on the "BUZZR" channel, and I watch it every so often--hoping that someone will win the Yugo! Most of the prizes were pretty cheesy (his/her matching cardigan sweaters, radio alarm clocks, barbell sets), and the hostess's '90s hair and shiny outfits are hilarious. But Alex remains the same: quick-witted, kind, always in the contestant's corner.
I shall be on the lookout for the Blackhawks jersey.
25
@M.E. Thanks. I won a Satellite Dish that was twenty feet in diameter. It sat in my small apartment for months. I will check out BUZZR, if I dare. I always knew that this experience would be relived one day. Alex Trebek touches so many lives in such a positive way, it is amazing.
24
I love you Alex Trebek. You too Ken Jennings. Please be well. You and Jeopardy are an institution in our house. We watch every night. Before my husband and I met, we were both watchers. I played by the rules, he was a blurter. We continue to watch, but we are both blurters now. If you can’t beat them, join them eh?
145
@Rainy Night. My husband and I watch Jeopardy
every night as well and and we both blurt, too.
Except for final Jeopardy...no blurting!
15
My father was an eye surgeon. When he retired he religiously watched Jeopardy every night. I was a critical care nurse and when I spoke of my father's passion to other physicians and told them that is what awaited them in retirement, they looked at me in horror. But if you stop and think about it, Alex Trebek provided mental exercise and a sense of certainty to a person who faced stress and the unknown every single day. In this day and age where puzzles and coloring books are looked at as the means to avoid the ravages of age on the brain, and the news is chock full of the world's insanity, Jeopardy is exactly what we all need. And Alex Trebek is the mental band leader for the ages.
276
@walking man Great metaphor for Alex!
20
In these dark times my wife and I escape nightly for 30 minutes into a world of decency, humor, healthy competition and truthful information. Even the goofy (and they sure are goofy) interviews during the first break are a respite. And it doesn't escape notice that the contestants are, well almost, rooting for each other.
There are roughly ten million of us and we're rooting for you Alex, each and every one.
418
@A Boston
Beautifully said, thank you.
30
@A Boston "a world of decency, humor, healthy competition and truthful information" - a lovely description -- and true!
32
Our family knows not to call my mother-in-law between 7:30 and 8PM, when Jeopardy is on.
When Jeopardy filmed in Pittsburgh a few years ago, we got tickets so my mother-in-law could see the show (and, of course, Alex) in person. There were a lot of technical issues that delayed the filming and Alex spent the time walking through the audience, talking and answering questions. He was lovely to everyone.
Best wishes to him to beat this horrible disease.
357
Jeopardy is on between 7:00 and 7:30. Your mother-in-law must be a good sport.
7
@Warren
In Syracuse (and other places), Wheel of Fortune is on at 7 and Jeopardy at 7:30.
25
Well here in Patterson,NY it's on at 7pm but less than 3 hours away it's on at 7:30pm in Binghamton,NY
8
Alex made "Jeopardy" the classic it is. His job isn't easy, either.
Mr. Trebek has to be on his toes through every game, refereeing everything from whose turn it is to pick the next clue, to responding to an unexpected answer (er, question).
And he can't come on too strongly, either. Alex allows the contestants' own personalities to shine through, revealing just enough of himself for them to do so. And for viewers at home, Alex takes us into the game, never displaying either esoteric knowledge or any ignorance; we can't tell if Alex the person knows more or less than we do, only what the answers are. Mr. Trebek's neutrality gives us the chance to participate.
It is devastating to think of Alex Trebek as being too ill to continue as host, or certainly to know he is suffering. Here's wishing him a miracle. May his uncanny gifts extend to his recovery from this horrific diagnosis.
564
@NM Art Fleming was no slouch.
10
@NM As commented elsewhere,
I'll take miracles for a $1,000, Alex.
26
The same summer Ken Jennings made his extraordinary run on "Jeopardy," I was recovering from my own cancer surgery. The nightly half-hour with Alex, Ken, and several score unsuccessful challengers took my mind away from my condition and it is a rare night when I miss the show now, 15 years later.
Jennings hits on exactly the tonic Trebek dispenses: he is the "voice of facts in a post-fact world."
797
@Eisteddfod15
Well said, no "false" facts on Jeopardy.
14
@Eisteddfod15,
"voice of facts in a post-fact world."
I like that.
23
A humble sturdy soul with a lot of class. Thank you Ken !
3
today, dozens of people in North America will be diagnosed with cancer. their chances of receiving outpourings of best wishes from the media will be next to nil. why? perhaps because their face hasn't been being projected on television screens for many years -this becomes an automatic ticket to over-attention by the media, and in this case being a fellow very well paid for just doing a job which if he left tomorrow would and will be immediately filled by another. I don't know Mr. trebek personally, neither, likely do you. I wish him well in his struggle against this insidious disease. but - I must admit, he has never been my personal favourite tv personality. On those infrequent occasions that I watched "his" program, I had an uncomfortable sense that I was watching the home ground of the ultimate narcissist. every question he had the answer to - before hand. I sensed that the program gave him a high - psychologically, he could never be wrong, only the inept contestant to whom he would answer "no" to the "incorrect response"; and another little internal smirk when the responder was "as smart as him", almost, but was likely to trip himself up before the program was over. Yes, Mr. trebek would always be the ultimate star, ever ready with the "correct response". responses to mr trebek's bad news have been laudatory. My view is alternate, and my own. I will not be reading the responses of potential "haters".
3
Most importantly, he's trustworthy. He's the media personality we trust the most because it's about the facts and the game, and not about him. I'm trying not to find the metaphor in his illness. Fighting for you in spirit, Alex!
5
My one program I watch while not doing a dozen different things. And being out of school and the workforce for years enjoy testing my memory on many topics. Proud of getting final jeopardy when such knowledgeable contestants do not. Alex Trebek has been the right person for the job. For us. Take care and my prayers go with you.
6
My father in law was on jeopardy in the old art Fleming days. I have been a fan since the original show and remain so today. I hope Alex beats this thing. He is a class act.
4
Very well said. Ken you and Alex are class acts. His medical situation makes me sad but he will fight it as best he can with dignity. I grew up with Art Fleming but Alex Tribek is the face of Jeopardy
3
Thank you for that tribute Ken. I hope many people read this piece and think not only about how fortunate we are to have an icon like Alex Trebek to welcome into our living rooms , but also about what a gifted writer you are.
I have read both Brainiac and Maphead and found them to be charming and interesting, and I am looking forward to your new book as well.
7
Lovely tribute. I can do without most telly shows, but NOT Jeopardy and can't imagine any host but Alex.
8
There couldn’t be a finer, better written tribute to Alex Trebek than one written by Jeopardy’s most successful winner. The show attracts and celebrates excellence in its host and participants, at a time when it seems the world is often led by the lowest common denominator.
8
Thank you for the warm tribute and I hope that Alex does finish his contract. But the names Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter come to mind as great successors.
5
ON "Jeopardy" the facts are verified facts, and everyone agrees they are facts and accepts them as facts.
We're losing that everywhere else these days.
35
A lovely piece. i hope the answer to "Which popular game show host beat Stage 4 pancreatic cancer?" will be "Alex Trebek."
30
@SK Oh, sorry! The correct answer is "Who is Alex Trebek?" Your answer must be in the form of a question.
1
Alex just wreaks of class and dignity. My thanks to Ken Jennings for confirming this.
13
Very nicely done, Mr. Jennings. Very nicely done.
12
What a great article about a great man by a great man! Just watched tournament of champions. One man on Kens team went to the same high school as my kids!
7
Nice tribute, Ken. Stage Four has a nasty finality about it but I hope his fight is as successful as feasible and possible. I have been there on a far less dangerous cancer scare/cure and he has a lot before him.
I wish him success and God's Peace.
9
Mr. Trebek is a lovely fine man. The world could use many more like him. Good answer Ken, he is our generation’s Cronkite.
12
This is a beautifully written article by Mr. Jennings. Yet I have to differ that it indeed sounds like an elegy of Alex Trebek's life and has been written a bit prematurely.
4
@Sarah Only if you read it that way.
1
Thanks so much, Ken. Both you and Alex are class acts. Initially I was skeptical of Alex as host, having grown up with Art Fleming, but now I can't imagine Jeopardy without him. And ever since I learned that he drives a pickup and is an avid gardener, I've been secretly in love with him.
"Fighting" cancer is a term that bothers me, but everyone approaches challenges in their own way. My local Cancer Society thrift shop has a handwritten sign that reads, "You can be a victim of cancer, or a survivor. It's all in your mindset." People who die of cancer--including my father and my brother--did not have anything wrong with their "mindset." They didn't have a lack of will or of character or of grace. They had an incurable disease. Unlike Jeopardy, this isn't about winners or losers.
All best wishes to Alex and his family.
24
I was surprised one day when Mr. Trebek sat down next to me in an airport boarding area. We ended up chatting, and I was struck by his absolute normalcy, which came across during our conversation.
He had been visiting his son, helping him move into a new apartment, where he spent several days doing renovation projects that many of us might not have wanted to do, or would not have been able to. I asked why, given that he could have easily afforded to hire contractors to do the work. His response conveyed his normalcy and decency.
"He's my son, and it gave us time to be together. When I'm not on set, in my free time I do work around the house, gardening, odd jobs and the like, anything I can do myself, just like any one else."
Now, just like anyone else, Mr. Trebek has been saddled with a terrible illness, placing his life in jeopardy. We can only hope that his can do philosophy will, once again, allow him many more years with his son, many more successful projects, first among them being what is now the most important challenge of his life and, oh yes, many more Daily Doubles.
37
MY mom watched Jeopardy every night back in the 80's and further. back.....now an oldster I watch it some times. I like it as a kinda sane, not gimmicky quiz show...and Alex seems like a great guy...
5
Alex Trebek’s number one fan, and incidentally my wife of 52 years, was told by a sympathetic doctor that she had stage IV Pancreatic Cancer. She smiled and gently told him, “It’s OK. I’m not afraid to die. We are all going to die, but I am not going to prepare to die, I am going to prepare to live."
Sixty wonderful days later, resting comfortably at home, she smiled, said she was tired and closed her eyes.
Alex Trebek just told the world he is going to prepare to live.
Peggy would be very proud!
22
Well I'm definitely someone who "plans my evening around Jeopardy". It is difficult to think of anyone who could replace Trebek. He is irreplaceable unlike any other game show host or television personality. I like to think that I can tell when Trebek doesn't like a contestant but he always seems to prove me wrong. Maybe Jennings could be the guy to take over when the inevitable comes? All I know is that if Alex Trebek could run for president (he can't) he would get elected in a landslide. That's no slight to our current crime boss, I mean president.
6
@David
Since Ken Jennings' era (2004) the shift in contestant searching has gone online and unlike the pre-internet days when luck played the biggest factor in whether an aspirant would actually get to take the test, now the cream rises to the top in a very quantifiable way. I think the personalities of the contestants have changed as well: there's a far greater concentration of serious trivia nerds than there used to be, people whose basic social skills seems a little wanting. I find myself getting irritated by contestants quite regularly now, but like you I am always surprised to be proven wrong when I assume that Alex is on my side. He always seems to have such genuine affection for the contestants, especially the more extreme ones. It's a good lesson for me, not to be so judgmental.
And because I've been dreading Alex's retirement for years now, I have given some thought to who I'd like to see replace him and Ken Jennings is the one who comes to mind the most. He's only 44- around the same age Alex was when he took over- so he would have a lot of time to age into the role over many decades. He has proven himself to be of a high calibre of knowledge, so he wouldn't ever seem to be a puppet just reading out answers. And he's a modest, self-effacing but confident guy who really loves the game.
I hope it's many years away, but I think he'd be an honourable successor to the master.
7
@David
Well, David, He'd get my vote! But unfortunately, as a Canadian born person, he is constitutionally ineligible.
Does the truth matter? Do facts matter? If they do, then consider this one. There is currently no treatment for stage four adenocarcinoma of the pancreas. None. Zilch. Zero.
You don't 'fight' cancer. You treat if — if you can. Numerous studies have shown that the attitude and mindset of the patient has no bearing on the outcome. All that matters is the efficacy of the treatment.
Because currently there is no effective treatment for stage four adenocarcinoma of the pancreas, it's absurd, misleading and dishonest for anyone who knows this to say they're going to 'fight' the disease.
No, they're not. They're going to succumb to it just as my father did, just as almost everyone does who is diagnosed with stage four adenocarcinoma of the pancreas. Furthermore, they're almost certainly going to die within a year of the diagnosis.
Don't like it? Then lobby your legislators. Ask them to ensure that even a tiny fraction of the money that goes to breast cancer research goes instead to research into an effective treatment for late stage pancreatic cancer.
37
@Colenso
Indeed, my father knew that he couldn't fight his stage four pancreatic cancer. He died two month after the diagnosis at home, because he didn't want to die in a hospital surrounded by strangers and machines.
10
@Colenso
How about diverting some of the $700 billion we put into war mongering every year instead? At least breast cancer research does something positive. Our "war on terror" seems only to make us more new enemies.
13
@Colenso I'm sorry for the loss of your dad but I respectfully disagree about attitude affecting the outcome of disease. Maybe those in the 3% that survive late-stage pancreatic cancer have an acceptance and gratitude for the magic of life as it now exists for them that miraculously turns one day into the next and the next and so on. There are also studies which show that remote prayer can have a statistically significant effect on healing. Regardless, we're all terminal and as a late stage colon cancer survivor (19 yrs) I suspect that Mr. Trebeks days, however many, will be marked by even more grace and wit.
3
Thank you for this amazing piece of writing. What a wonderful tribute to a man as reliable as a clock and loved universally. Yes, I too, take it for granted he'll always be with us. I hope I'm right.
5
My daughter won on Jeopardy years ago, and she described Alex exactly as Ken Jennings does. She was impressed by his extensive knowledge revealed during the taping, and she loved his casual interactions with the contestants during commercial breaks as a means of settling their nerves. We in her family came to watch the taping and were awed by his skill.
She remembers the entire experience with great fondness and recommends that everyone try out.
22
The question is what handsome and erudite stranger do I allow into my home everybody weekday evening? The answer, of course, is Alext Trebek. My son grew up with competing against me in our daily jousts on Jeopardy, and though he’s always faster at ringing in, I have had the advantage of a greater knowledge base from experience. All that is changing now, but he’s still pleased that I can compete competently with him in my retirement.
Watching Ken, Brad, Colby and their teams compete against one another with Alex at the top of his game was climactic. I look forward to Alext hosting many more games to keep me intellectually challenged. Alex, you’re our favorite host and friend. Thank you for your outstanding work.
12
My partner and I have been enjoying the show together since we first met in 2001. And I was watching it when it returned in 1984. We always record it so that, in case we are away, on vacation, etc., we can watch the episodes on our return home. The contestants have come and gone, some returning, but there's the constant Alex, who hasn't outwardly changed much in 35 years. I hope I look that good when I am 78. Thanks for sharing, Ken. I have your book "Maphead" and enjoy going back to it often. Best wishes to Alex as he fights to beat another of life's hurdles.
5
I was lucky enough to be a contestant on Jeopardy! 20 years ago. I did not win. My biggest fear was that the experience would make me never want to watch the show again. I was wrong. It was a fabulous day. Alex was as nice as could be with all the contestants and the studio audience. I still watch as often as possible.
Best wishes to him as he fights this disease.
19
I have a friend who, when she and her husband get the Final Jeopardy answer correct, get up and do a little Jeopardy dance. I think that's so much fun that now I do it, too.
12
@mawoodham1 My husband and I used to watch with an old friend - now sadly deceased - and he made up a song and a dance to be sung by the winning home viewer in our living room. Then the losers had to bring the winner snacks, etc.
6
So pleased to read Ken Jennings article. I've been rooting for him for so long. Alex Trebek is the best. I record Jeopardy to never miss a show. Great article Ken. Alex, keep going.
13
Friends and family know not to call me when Jeopardy is on. I will not answer the phone during that half hour! I even watch the reruns on Saturdays that are aired by my local station, I agree with Mr. Jennings that the show is about the quality of the format as opposed the being about Alex, but I can't imagine anyone else in that role. Our prayers are with you that you can beat the odds,, my friend!
16
Thank you for this tribute to Alex Trebek and for providing a little peak behind the cameras what it's like to be on Jeapordy!
Alex Trebek is a true gentleman and a scholar. I think that is what I admire most about him. He understands how to both lead and empower others to shine at the same time. His intelligence is abundently apparent but he doesn't show off or gloat or make contestants feel less than him. I am praying for Alex Trebek to beat the disease and keep hosting for years to come.
13
Thank you Ken
You, like Alex, are a class act
Before my mom died, her evening pleasure was counting up your wins!
I miss her
I miss your winning nightly
I will miss Alex dearly, but hopefully not for a long time!
and mostly? I miss being a citizen of a country in which class (as in behavior and dignity, not birth) matter
BR
33
Wow. Great article. Ken Jennings! You nailed it.
Thanks.
Mary Koepke Fields
long time Jeopardy (and Alex) fan
11
I like Jeopardy for the same reasons I read the Times: both are intelligent and engaging. They cover a vast range of subjects. They challenge us to know.
Jeopardy is a success because in the vast wasteland that is American television it is the sole game show that celebrates intelligence, knowledge and being well-read. Alex Trebek is all of those things too and that is why he is well loved.
He is not just some avuncular guy we let in our room--he is smart and curious, and therefore values what Jeopardy lovers do--knowing the correct answer, i.e. facts (yes, Mr. President they really do exist).
And he never needed a model in an evening gown or a bathing suit to reveal the answer. Good luck to him, indeed. I would miss him tremendously.
36
I am another person who walked home from school for lunch and watched the original Jeopardy with Art Fleming and announcer Don Pardo. My grandmother and I watched on a small black-and-white portable TV while I ate soup and crackers before returning to Benjamin Stoddert Elementary in Washington DC.
17
If I recall correctly, the Art Fleming-hosted Jeopardy used to air during the late morning on weekdays in the NYC area in the 1960s and I remember watching the show during school vacations/snow days, etc. I was always fascinated by the concept, fast paced and challenging. I also watched a few game shows hosted by a "young" Alex Trebek...most were silly and eventually faded away, as sadly did the original Jeopardy.
I think it took awhile for the renewed Trebek-hosted Jeopardy to gain its footing, but the show really took off when the five-win rule was abolished, allowing for the likes of Messr. Jennings to captivate the audience by his incredible run, along with the vastly increased dollar amounts that made the show more compelling as a vehicle to earn significant money. My sons, my wife and I were diligent viewers as they grew up and we still watch nightly, engrossed in the show as I was as a child in the 1960s.
Hopefully Alex will beat the odds and pull through.
7
Thank you, Ken Jennings, for saying so well what so many others believe to be true. Well said. I am praying that Alex will beat the odds.
11
as someone who had Cronkite deliver the news on 11-22-63, I winced at the title and the comparison. however, it was a well written essay and I enjoyed it. I have also enjoyed the show and Mr Trebek.....[may I call him Alex?]. I wish him the very best.
11
I'd walk home from school for lunch, way back in the day, eat my tuna fish sandwich and chocolate pudding, and watch Jeopardy. Now, my daughter follows Jeopardy on her phone at college, and when she comes home for breaks, it's the only show we watch as a family, on the couch, with the dog, wagging her tail, as we shout out answers, mostly wrong, and that's part of the fun. Mr.Trebek truly feels like a family member, and we wish him the very best.
28
Perhaps to the point Mr. Jennings made about Alex Trebek's gift for not making the show about him, and instead about the game itself and the contestants who play it, I could not help but notice the timing of his announcement of his own health situation.
It followed the conclusion of the two-week Jeopardy All-Star Tournament, which had been hyped on the show for months prior to its airing. Jeopardy is not broadcast live, of course. I presume therefore that Alex Trebek knew of his cancer diagnosis prior to the All-Star Tournament episodes being aired - thus guaranteeing that nothing about him or his health took any attention at all away from the Tournament or its All-Star contestants.
Keeping a good thought for Alex Trebek, those he loves most of all, and those who love him most of all. Here is to him not simply working for the duration of his current contract to host Jeopardy but through at least one renewal thereafter.
13
@Adam Kenny There was a strained air about these All-Star Shows. I concluded it was the stress of putting on so much extra hoopla and drama. I used to think one of these star players would make a good host, but then all their skill at giving correct questions would be subsumed. Buzzy and Austin are indeed unique and entertaining characters (you probably love or hate!)
6
This Canadian American holds a degree in Philosophy, in 1996 run the Olympic torch and he has been a beloved evening friend for so many years.
Who is Alex Trebek!
24
I don't even own a television but I have to like Alex Trebek; I feel so sorry for him and anyone else who suffers this terrible disease. His earliest comments on his diagnosis showed more concern for his wife than himself. That's a real gentleman for you. Good luck Alex.
27
In an unlikely irony, Art Fleming, host of the earlier version of Jeopardy, died of pancreatic cancer. Let us hope Alex Trebek conquers the illness!
15
Oddly fascinating comparison and fine trivia question.
3
Alex Trebek is one of those guys who has just Always Existed for me: before I was forming memories, I was seeing him on Jeopardy. It's a small thing, but he serves as a very good role model, on TV every night demonstrating curiosity about and interest in facts. He does good every time he imbues a comment with a "Huh, that's interesting" tone, or when he's clearly impressed with a contestant's knowledge. I'll always be grateful for his influence on me, there.
15
I think Mr.Trebek has become and institution himself synonymous with the show, by putting his heart and soul into it and no less helped by his natural charm. Great to see a nicely written article by Mr.Ken Jennings about him. I hope Mr.Trebek will conquer his ailment with his wit and equanimity.
19
I had the once in a lifetime chance to audition for Jeopardy! last October. Still have a year to find out if I'm selected. Hope it's Trebek when I'm at the podium.
28
Alex Trebek is fine. But I've never understood how Walter Cronkite became so lionized, America's grandfather, or how so much of the American public felt it needed to become Cronkite's "grandchildren." Cronkite was part of what was then called the Establishment. He was ensconced socially, professionally and politically with the people he covered, the privileged class and political insiders. With his monetary compensation, he became part of them. He came to disagree with the Vietnam War only after he read the winds of society, and after he originally supported it. Making his bones as a war correspondent in World War II, he dipped from that well until Vietnam became so heinously unacceptable. Sure, he did an OK job, but people who get fuzzy in shallow nostalgia vis a vis Cronkite are, themselves, shallow.
6
@RobertJohnson-Cronkite turned Americans against the VN war by declaring the Tet offensive a defeat or the USA while in fact it was an overwhelming victory (look it up). He went on to declare the war lost and from then on on a weekly basis convinced his vast audience the USA lost the war and should acknowledge defeat and pull out.
The pure fact is American troops were victorious in every single major engagement with the North Vietnamese troops.
You could look that up as well.
1
@Joseph Vance
Two months after the Tet offensive General William Westmoreland told President Lyndon Johnson he would need an additional 200,000 troops to subdue the Vietcong, an acknowledgement that despite the massive disparity in casualties, the Vietcong and North Vietnamese Army were hardly "overwhelmed" during the Tet Offensive. History is replete with examples of combatants that lost the majority of battles but nonetheless won their wars (the American Revolutionary War, for example. Look it up).
10
I love it when people who have never accomplished anything of note feel the need to bring down actually accomplished human beings in order to make themselves feel better about a boring existence.
5
My Dear Mr. Trebek....Thanks for reminding us what a good, decent, hard working, caring man should be in these days full of dark and dangerous role models. I can’t even begin to tell you how much we need your shining example and how greatly appreciative of you we all are. Best of luck to you...I wish you could live forever.
53
Very well written, Mr Jennings. Thank you. I can't think of anyone who, right now, is being rooted for and sent more well wishes than Alex Trebek.
55
"Jeopardy" was a favorite for teaching English at my Korean university. We were probably breaking copyright laws, creating it in Powerpoint. I swear, the hardest thing was to figure out how to get back to the board after each answer! Great memories...
13
@eoregon
No laws broken, educational use is "Fair Use."
5
Definitely one of the best people to stay on television, and I really hope he beats his cancer diagnosis. But, I had to laugh at Mr. Jennings calling him his generation's Cronkite. That says so much about Mr. Jennings and his generation.
15
@KCF
What was funny about the comparison? Alex Trebek is not a journalist, but I don't know if many Americans could even name all three evening news anchors now, let alone vote them the most trusted person in America.
In terms of longevity- one of the reasons why Americans trusted news anchors so implicitly: they were given time to develop a relationship with them- there are few figures on TV who have maintained their cultural relevance for 35 years. The only person who comes to mind is Pat Sajak.
I think that as a seven-year old Ken Jennings was already pretty attuned to the world around him and he must have absorbed a lot of the attention paid to Walter Cronkite's retirement and what that meant for generations of Americans. Having grown up in a world where those lodestars were in decline, Alex Trebek played that very beneficial role.
1
@KCF. There probably is no "This generation's Cronkite". That is not to say that Trebek is not a calming influence and purveyor of good old fashioned facts.
1
Funny, but I was just YouTubing Paul Lynde a couple of nights ago, the wisecracking mainstay of The Hollywood Squares, when images of Peter Marshall kept appearing. Interesting how these game show hosts become such an integral part of our television viewing lives.
13
Alex Trebek comes across as a nice, funny and knowledgable man that loves every second of his job. I wish him well as he fights a battle for his life.
36
There is no generation that has a Walter Cronkite. Mr. Trebek may be wonderful and I wish him well, but as the country continues to be pulled apart, we need to acknowledge that "Uncle Walter" is no longer here to neatly inform a disparate people of a no longer united "United States".
9
Uh...yeah...obviously. There will never again be only three channels people can engage with on their little TV boxes.
1
God bless, Alex, you're in the prayers of a family who make it home to the US two weeks a year and never miss an episode of Jeopardy when we're there.
.
We are all pulling for you.
28
What an amazing individual. A consistent and wonderful presence in a rough world.
Prayers are with you in your fight— to cure!
23
I love Jeopardy and it was usually on in the background as I made dinner. I would stop and watch if I was really on a roll, answering faster than contestants. My friend across the street noted that she did the same thing and placed her baby in a swing in front of the television when she cooked. One night she called excitedly to announce he had uttered his first word...that word, 'yepardy'. She was convinced he was Einstein.
79
What a beautifully penned tribute to an American icon. There are few faces on TV more familiar and comforting than Alex Trebek. No wonder Ken Jennings won so many consecutive Jeopardy contests!
Let's see more of his guest contributor articles in the NYT, I'm sure his voice has much to say on a range of topics.
51
Our children growing up were not allowed to watch TV during the school week except for Jeopardy as my husband and I thought it was educational for our sons. We even took them to the taping of Celebrity Jeopardy at Radio City skipping school! Our whole family is sad to hear about Alex Trebek’s diagnosis and hope for a successful outcome.
41
As a long-time fan of Jeopardy! and Alex Trebek, I want to add my thanks to Ken Jennings for his very warm essay and my sincere good wishes to Alex during this trying period.
I was a contestant on the Seniors Tournament of 1993, appearing four times and getting to the finals. I can attest to the amiability, professionalism and comfort that he offered to fifteen nervous seniors during the taping of the ten shows in two dizzying days.
It is no accident that Alex has maintained such a record of excellence over some 7,000 shows.
Good luck, Alex. We're all praying for you.
87
Dear Alex
I have been hooked on Jeopardy for more than the 35 years you hosted the show. Jeopardy became a nightly educational routine - a great show watched with my kids. I’ve spent more time with you than with most of my friends and while we have never met you are a part of my dear memories.
Best wishes to you for a successful recovery.
54
I think Ken Jennings would be a good choice Alex’s replacement when that time come!!
37
@Ervin Cross
I could not agree more! In fact, Ken Jennings is the only choice...he has the right personality, credentials, and history, plus he is adored by millions of Jeopardy fans. However, I hope he takes over the show because Alex has retired at the end of his contract.
10
@Ervin Cross
Ken Jennings has written a lovely tribute to Alex Trebek. Bravo! However, I cannot imagine anyone I would dislike watching as a host more than Ken. Dear God, PLEASE, no!
@MJ
I completely agree with you. If that happened, it would be the of watching “Jeopardy” for me.
1
Jeopardy w Alex Trebek binds households in a most gratifying and engaging manner.
29
Like Ken Jennings mastery of the game, that was perfect. Thanks for sharing.
33
As a former Jeopardy! contestant (alas, not a champion), the news about Mr. Trebek was disconcerting and so so sad. I thought he was the complete professional at our taping and also warm and friendly. God speed to him and I hope he beats the odds...which are very long indeed.
35
Alex Trebek is a witty, intelligent, decent persona who adds much to our lives. Godspeed Mr. Trebek.
And great article Mr. Jennings. We need more of both of you in this world.
75
Hope and prayers go out to Alex Trebek! A true iconic figure who has truly made millions of Americans understand Jeopardy and could not even fanthom anybody else doing Jeopardy!
19
I first discovered Alex Trebek (with hostess Ruta Lee) in the
summer of 1974 on the daytime version of High Rollers. He was a
groovy sight, with his curly hair and moustache!
How fortunate that he gravitated to Jeopardy; it's been a perfect
match. That beloved show continues to educate and entertain millions of appreciative fans.
I wish Mr. Trebek well as he fights the good fight.
19
My piano technician, Peter Crosby, the person I relied on most in my performance career was a total Jeopardy! junkie. He shared his final moments with Alex. Thank you both.
14
Yes, Alex is the perfect host for 'Jeopardy!' I was startled and saddened to hear that he has such a dreadful diagnosis. Somehow, for me, he comes across as smart, educated, and as an easy going, regular guy (despite the rigors and rules of the show).
Here in Chicago, 'Jeopardy!' is not on in the evening, but rather at 3:30 PM making it difficult for many folks to watch. I've no idea why that is, but it's a shame.
16
@Anne-Marie Hislop 'Jeopardy!' can always be recorded and watched later
9
@Anne-Marie Hislop I always watched it right after getting off the bus while having my after school snack.
7
Alex is a gentleman — the epitome of class.
There are few like him in public view.
He probably has no idea what an enormous legion of admirers he has.
Alex: be the outlier we need you to be. Win your battle.
61
As with a number of commenters, my father and I would sit in front of the TV together yelling out the questions to the Jeopardy! answers. Great fun and great memories!
It's very disconcerting to read of Alex Trebek's diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. I can't help but wish him the best in his fight. And, how very disturbing to remember that his predecessor Art Flemming (Fazzin) passed away from pancreatic cancer in April 1995.
26
You hit the nail on the head with this one, Ken:
He takes it seriously, being the face of “Jeopardy!,” the voice of facts in a post-fact world.
I enjoyed seeing you again in the recent playoffs.
24
Alex Trebek is Jeopardy. Can’t imagine anyone else. He’s always come across as a gentleman. Glad to know he’s so off camera as well
22
One of the best things I saw Alex Trebeck do was the tribute on TCM to Robert Osborne before a theater full of people. He displayed professionalism, timing, humor, and just the right tone. I wish him the best.
While Alex is receiving treatment, Chris Berman of Brown University might be an appropriate pinch hitter.
3
@Wordsworth from Wadsworth or Ken Jennings
My good friend Allen is a limo driver here in DC. Every time Alex Trebek comes to DC he requests Allen to drive him. For years Allen has kept me apprised of his conversations with Mr. Trebek, all good!
29
There will never be another Alex Trebek. He is perfection personified.
22
I remember when the dollar values started at $10. That’s how old I am.
29
I grew up with both Jeopardy and Alex Trebek. The former was a staple from elementary school with Art Fleming as host and the latter hosted a high school quiz show I was once privileged to be on. When I first heard Jeopardy was returning in 1984 with none other than Alex Trebek, I knew the game would be in excellent hands. Alex had hosted a number of network game shows since leaving Canada and he was a natural right from the beginning. Obviously, the audience agreed and 35 years later he's still going. It's so hard to imagine the show without him so I won't. I'd just like to thank him for being the one person who has staved off the total dumbing down of America and given us countless nights of great competition between family members. I wish him all the strength to handle this next battle and can't think of a better person to write this than the amazing Ken Jennings.
62
Extraordinarily well written essay on an extraordinary man! I am a fan of Jeopardy and enjoyed watching you win Ken. Thank you for giving us a peek at the man behind the screen! All wish him well.
34
Alex represents a life well led. In all those years, not one scandal. And he devoted his life to something extremely worth while - the education of the millions of people that watch his show with something that's become so rare these day - actual facts. I wish him the very best. And I pray he is successful in his current battle with very unfortunate disease.
Kudos Alex!
58
I, too, ate my lunch on front of the TV to Art Fleming - during school vacations and only if I finished my assigned chores on time. And the announcer? "Don Pardo Speaking..." who later spent many years as the SNL announcer.
Fast forward to the "Alex Era" of Jeopardy. With so many years under his belt as host, I dare say I took him for granted, feeling he'd always be there, whether or not I watched every night.
Well, what a wake up call. Alex, this longtime member of Jeopardy Nation hopes you will indeed complete your current contract.
24
In an era of anti-intellectual populism, hardened cynicism, and admiration of the unschooled, Alex Trebek always respects the intelligence of Jeopardy players and assumes without irony or arrogance that we at home do too. The middle America of brilliant yet unassuming teachers, thoughtful bartenders, well read cops, ordinary people with a firm commitment to lifelong learning is too rarely seen on TV. Alex Trebek makes no pretense of wanting to be your great friend. He’s a consummate professional, who as it turns out, also seems to be a very generous man. Thanks Alex!
140
@PeterKa Thank you for writing this -- it's an excellent rejoinder to Ken Jennings' column.
10
Alex Trebek = famous & great!
We've watched for decades and always enjoyed Jeopardy, a huge part of our family and we all love Alex Trebek!
My father and I always watched together and competed against the contestants and the answers. My father usually averaged high-20 to mid-30 number of questions answered correctly (they didn't count if the contestants answered first, so, you had to be FAST.)
No matter how hard I tried, my father almost always beat me. Unless his winning streak was for 10-days / 2-weeks in a row, in which case he'd 'throw' me a game.
Always fun and exciting.
Thank you to my father, Alex Trebek and Jeopardy all those years and all those years ago -- still fun & exciting memories.
Strength, hope and prayers to Mr. Trebek in his battle, but luckily for us all, Mr. Trebek's legacy was cast-in-gold decades ago and has only shined brighter every year since.
27
I LOVE Jeopardy! Alex is an outstanding host and I have let him and his show into my home more times that I can remember. It is hard at this time to watch him go through this. I hope that people leave him his peace and not dig too deep. Everyone has their good and secret sides. With the #metoo movement and attacks and revocation of accomplishments by celebrity heroes (some telling truth and some maybe not) it is all too easy to erase the love we have for our celebrities that we think we know.
I have lost family to the same disease that Alex Trebek has. I wish him a speedy recovery and that people don't try to take him now or later. He seems like such a great person.
12
Thanks, Ken, for your insight into Alex's off-camera persona. I got to visit the show in 1971 on my high school senior trip to NYC, and was able to meet Art Fleming. I have always wanted to do the same since Alex took over, and never got the chance, at least not yet. I hope he has many more years of leading us seamlessly through the answers and questions.
12
Been trying to get on to Jeopardy for years. I'd love to get on while Alex is hosting.
A daily watcher and player,
13
@trblmkr Keep trying. I know people who have tried repeatedly before finally being selected as contestants so don't give up.
3
OK, he's an institution, beloved by Jeopardy fans, a great guy. But please don't compare him with Cronkite. There's still (I hope) a significant difference between a great game show host and one of the most venerated TV journalists in America, ever.
20
He may not be "your" generation's Cronkite, but for people under 50 he may be one of the best we have.
4
@Mary
I think the reference is really about who is invited into your home via the TV on a nightly basis and who has become a trusted presence.
3
@Mary Ann-please, Cronkite was a proven liar re his reporting on the war in Viet Nam. His lies about the Tet Offensive caused support for our troops there to turn and eventually cost us that war.
Well written. I have argued for some time now that the only natural replacement to Alex, whether that comes sooner or later, should be Ken Jennings.
35
@George Jennings
Any relation?
Jeopardy! is a truly iconic game show. I remember the first iteration of that venerable show, when Art Fleming hosted it. Then came Alex Trebek, who made that show iconic and continues to do so to this day. Let's all hope that the Final Jeopardy! clue, will not be the final Jeopardy! clue for a long time to come under Alex Trebek.
9
Trebek: Erudite, worldly, sophisticated. Based on his flawless pronunciations of foreign phrases, it feels like he knows 10 languages! Great piece, Ken.
26
I grew up watching Art Fleming host "Jeopardy". It was the very first show I watched when i came home from school. My mother frowned up television before any homework was completed but I convinced her that "Jeopardy" was a learning and educational tool. She rolled her eyes but then realized that I was onto something and she soon began watching it with me.
I never thought Mr. Fleming could ever be replaced but wow - Alex Trebek was a smash and a different kind of host - he was fresh and funny and could roll with the punches. It was as if "Jeopardy" was made for his unique brand of humor and hosting talents.
If ever a human being had nine lives like a cat I think that person is Mr. Trebek. He has bounced back before and I think he could truly be in that small percent of individuals who will actually beat this hideous and cruel illness. A dear friend of mine fought and battled the same illness and survived for 5 years. She was tough but I think Mr. Trebek is tougher in a different way. He has millions of fans pulling and hoping and praying for him. Even if one is not of the religious persuasion, my mother always said, "never underestimate the power of prayer".
I'll take "Fighters" for $500 and the answer is "Alex Trekbek".
I am rooting for you sir. The very best of luck.
114
Alex Trebek encapsulates the average Americans perception of the average Canadian : polite, courteous, smart and self aware. That’s always been my impression, right or wrong. I wish Him and his Family my very best. And, I’ll take “ Great Canadians “ for a thousand, Alex.
89
I was a contestant in 1993 and one thing I remember was how funny Alex Trebek was when the cameras weren't on. I wish him all the best.
28
Wonderful game show host and I wish him the best. But comparing him to Walter Cronkite makes me wonder how Mr. Jennings won so many games!
4
Walter Cronkite was a journalist, so well respected, that when he came back from Vietnam and said the U.S. should end the war as quickly as possible, LBJ actually said, "If I've lost Cronkite, I've lost the people."
Alex Trebek is a game show host.
Your generation's Cronkite.
Good grief, I hope not.
21
While I agree with you, still, Alex Trebek has dignity, and that's rare on television nowadays. In that he is very much like Walter Cronkite, and very unlike today's clowns who pretend to be newscasters.
Many years ago, on a rainy afternoon in the country, my cousin and I watched a "Jeopardy" that was going to be repeated later that evening. (Not sure how that came to be. Long Island. Long ago.)
During the repeat, which we watched with our parents in the big kitchen, my cousin and I of course got all the answers right. "Good heavens!" our mothers exclaimed. "See, it paid to send them to college."
37
@Panthiest
I agree. While I love and admire Mr. Trebek and the fight his is up for and willing to take head on, I can't imagine a worst comparison. It's like comparing Ernest Hemingway to Nicholas Sparks - sure both men are/were authors and millions bought their books and are/were entertained but that's where the comparison ends.
6
@Panthiest I think that you misunderstand what Jennings is saying about Cronkite and Trebek. Please see what Fast/Furious wroth below:
"Walter Cronkite was famous for being a mensch.
Alex Trebek is famous for being a mensch."
1
Alex Trebek has been a familiar comfort for the vast majority of my life. I wish him the best of luck.
30
The Answer is:
He is the host and master of the classic game show Jeopardy, beloved by millions of viewers over many years...
Who is Alex Trebek?
34
Well said Mr. Jennings - good to see your name again. Brings back good memories.
21
Ever since the non-stop news coverage of Donald Trump I have gone back to watching Jeopardy for relief from my daily angst and for a dose of real facts. Thank you Alex for imparting truth through knowledge.
166
In 1995, a 25 yr old friend visited me from Spain. We were staying with my old girlfriend in Soho.
My young Spanish friend and I were walking near 53rd and 5th Avenue. I told him "While we're walking around this neighborhood we're going to see some famous. Wait for it."
Two minutes later, Walter Cronkite was walking toward us along 53rd Street. I said to Mr. Cronkite "So nice to see you, sir." Cronkite said to me enthusiastically "Good morning and thank you!" My friend, having no idea who Cronkite was, said to me "Do you know that guy?"
I said "everybody in America knows that guy."
When we got back to my old friend's apartment in Soho I told her "We saw Walter Cronkite on 53rd Street." She said "WOW! Walter Cronkite!" The Spanish guy said "What is that guy famous for?"
Walter Cronkite was famous for being a mensch.
Alex Trebek is famous for being a mensch.
My best wishes to Mr. Trebek.
141
@fast/furious
"...Alex Trebek is famous for being a mensch...."
Not many of those around these days...
12
"When the syndicated modern “Jeopardy!” began in 1984, he was perhaps an odd choice to replace the show’s original host, the dignified Art Fleming: He was young, sexily mustached, fresh from dopey daytime game shows like “Battlestars.” "
I go back to the Art Fleming days, and I was one who thought Alex a strange choice to replace him - I remembered Alex from "The Wizard of Odds" and didn't care much for him. Over 35 years Alex has grown on me. I watched my mother-in-law battle pancreatic cancer and it wasn't good. I hope and pray for a miracle for Alex.
24
Well said. And exactly how I feel about him: a reassuring presence. He's going to beat the odds.
12
I've watched Jeopardy since long before Alex, yet for me, they are now one in the same. I can't imagine I will watch it after he retires in three years. All I can send are sincere best wishes and thanks for a lifetime of wonderful memories.
18
My late first wife and I were regular Jeopardy viewers almost every night starting in our 20's. Ironically, we watched every episode of Ken Jennings' win streak shortly after she was diagnosed with stage 3 lung cancer (she did not smoke). The show perked her up every evening and for a few minutes, she forgot she was sick. What I am still struck by was the mutual respect between Alex and Ken that could not be overlooked.
Chris did not win at cancer. Here's hoping Alex does.
199
Jeffrey, I’m so sorry for your loss. The little things matter. Like a half-hour a day of a simple, challenging, respectful game show.
43
What a beautifully written tribute to a true tv icon. What would weekday evenings be like without Alex Trebek? That's a question nobody wants to answer. I wish him all the best.
43
Ken Jennings, I missed your original run in 2004, but I watched you on the All Stars last week. You look exactly the same as the photo accompanying this article. So does Alex Trebek. Alex Trebek reminds me of a school principal with whom one has to be on their best behavior. I learned how to correctly pronounce "literature" and "lieutenant" from watching him. I hope he is around long after his current Jeopardy contract.
27
When visiting dear old Mom, dinner was invariably served with Jeopardy, this, of course, not being meant as a critique the Assisted Living's food service.
Jeopardy became part of my parents' ritual in their retirement years, my dad usually drifting off as he was an early riser, my mom being fully engaged, she being the night owl. We, my brothers and families, shared in with that during our visits.
I have to give thanks and credit to Jeopardy and Mr. Trebek for my mom's quality of life. She looked forward to it every evening, Even in her last months, as she approached 93, she was pretty sharp, getting a good number of the questions / answers. I wonder if the nature of this game show helped her maintain her sharpness. Quite possible.
Thanks again, Mr. Trebek. And thank you too, Mr. Jennings for this beautifully written tribute.
62
@Bill in Vermont My Mom loved Jeopardy too, well into here 90s and even when dementia meant she really didn't know ALL the answers (or the questions for that matter) but her love of Jeopardy and Alex Trebeck was passed on to her kids and when visiting Grammy, we all watched together. Including the grandsons, who loved Jeopardy as much as Mom. I'm sure there's many others who have the same story to tell.
30
We have watched "Jeopardy!" for many years, and one of us even went to a taping - and enjoyed that very much. One of my favorite shows was when, one April first, Pat Sajak and Alex Trebek switched places and each hosted the other's show. As a survivor, I wish Alex well in his battle with cancer. I'm sure every "Jeopardy!" watcher does, as well.
27
There was a time when Americans adored intelligent, thoughtful, polite people. I feel more comfort knowing that there are humans who know everything. Then we have now.
48
Alex and Jeopardy! have been a constant in my life for it seems like forever. I measure my intelligence based on my ability to formulate questions faster than the contestants. It's nice to hear Ken give us a little insight into the real Alex and I'm sure someone will write a book about him at the appropriate time. I was genuinely sad the other night when I heard the news. I truly hope that he is able to fulfill the remainder of his contract and ride off into the sunset whole and happy.
24
A very nice and thoughtful tribute from Ken for Alex Trebek, acknowledging his generous and considerate qualities, affirming what we all hoped and believed.
31
Wonderful take on Alex.
I'm also asked "What's Alex like?" even though my run on the show was FAR briefer than Ken's. Nonetheless, when one thinks of the term "consummate professional", Alex always comes to mind.
As another famous Canadian would say "long may you run"
73
Jeopardy! has been my favorite TV show for many years. Best wishes to Mr. Trebek. May he make a full recovery and go on to host many more episodes.
22
It's hard to imagine loving someone you don't know. But I love Alex Trebek. Every day he does something endearing and warm and human. And I've never heard him mispronounce a word or err in an accent for a foreign word. There is literally no way not to love him.
42
I am a nurse who used to work the 3-11 pm shift at a local hospital. Many of the patients had their tv's tuned to Jeopardy each evening. People love the show.
37
@Dee Dee When I stay at a Homewood Suites, Jeopardy is the show on the big screen over the fireplace in the reception area that gets the guests' who are traveling solo talking to each other. People do love Jeopardy.
15
Nice tribute to the man. Mr. Trebek is very generous. He gave 2.5mil to the University of Ottawa. He made a point of giving as many French enterviews as English ones on that occasion. He is literally a Franco (i.e. Franco-Ontarian). His mother tongue was as French as his mother Madame Lagacé was. It is always a bit disturbing at first to hear English familiar voices (Trebek, Bill Shatner, John Kerry, etc) speaking very good French.
54
My heart was broken when
I heard the news . He has always been must see TV I feel a little bit smarter when I can answer at least three questions .
I know Alex because he has been in our home for years and I never heard a whiff of scandal about him.
Now there is a sense of urgency that our friend is in need.
Alex we are all pulling for you and realize that we all love you. We hope your realize that your tv viewing audience is cheering you on.
44
As a huge Jeopardy fan who is currently in stage 4 stomach cancer, this recent news of Alex's illness hit close to home.
I truly appreciated your writing here Mr. Jennings, so well said, thank you for sharing.
As the late, great Warron Zevon said, 'Enjoy every sandwich.'
144
Please, somebody consider asking Mr. Jennings to be the next host of Jeopardy. As long into the future from now as Mr. Trebek would like.
46
@Me My husband and I think Brad Rutter would be a good host, too.
3
@Me How about having a woman host "Jeopardy" for a change?
2
We hope and pray that this will not be Alex Trebek’s Final Jeopardy. He has hosted 7,000 shows, and May he host another 7,000. Thanks for the appreciation
27
Thank you, Ken, for your wonderful take on our Alex Trebek. Growing up in Ottawa, Canada during the ‘60’s and 70’s, I saw a lot of Mr. Trebek. Our financially-strained broadcasting system long relied on cheap and cheerful game shows to fulfill Canadian content obligations (“and our big winner tonight takes home $50 and a KTel waffle iron”) and an surprising number of these shows were hosted by the pride of Sudbury. The most beloved of these was a quiz show for high school students called “Reach for the Top” and at its peek virtually every secondary school in the country entered a team. By the time I was old enough to compete Mr. Trebek had already decamped to the US, but there’s no question that his professionalism and clear enthusiasm for knowledge inspired an entire generation of Canadians. We are very proud that he has touched so many Americans in the same way.
Oh, and Canadians don’t have an accent — that would be you hosers, eh!
164
I grew up watching Jeopardy with Art Fleming with my grandmother. Alex Trebek hosted a show called The Wizard of Odds and he was so much more likable (and handsome) than Wink Martindale, Bob Barker, Monty Hall, or Gene Rayburn who were all hosting some of the silly game shows.
Trebek has absolutely stood the test of time being one of the few game show hosts who didn't stoop to ridiculous antics, double entendres, or making himself the focus of the show.
No, he is not Walter Cronkite, but I think Ken means that his calm, reassuring presence has been a constant in many of our homes just as Cronkite once was. I do not watch Jeopardy daily, but some days as the news gets more and more alarming, Jeopardy can be one of the few bright spots on TV.
Thank you, Alex. We wish you well.
68
Apparently older than Ken Jennings, I remember the earlier iteration of Jeopardy, and that Art Fleming was introduced each day not as "the host", but as "The Star of Jeopardy".
But 35 years is most of my life, too, and Alex is an institution.
18
I am always impressed with the inflection Alex Trebek gives while reading each Jeopardy category. Like John Sterling, the long-term Yankees announcer, he has a well-worn template but it's comforting and easy to follow. His face is expressive and he often shows off his sense of humor. Even when contestants cut off his asides to move through the questions faster, he is polite and deferential. I hope that Alex's doctors find a new scientific technology to keep his cancer at bay and that one day he will announce the category "Survivors" and his name will be one of the Jeopardy questions. We're all with you, Alex Trebek!
66
Do I really have to know about this?
I feel bad for the guy, but we just went through all this stuff with R Kelly on TV.
Every other story on local TV is about some kid with a horrible disease.
Every network news show has to have the medical miracle story and the inspirational underdog story.
When TV stations and networks increase their ratings and make more money on tales of human tragedies, I believe they should be required to contribute the extra profits to charity.
The TV station helicopters hover over every scene of an accidental death like vultures.
How many more Sandy Hooks are we going to have because of wall to wall TV coverage.
Please let this poor man deal with this terrible situation with his family in private.
7
I had never heard of R. Kelly, but I listened to him speak on 1010-WINS the other day. I thought to myself, Do I have to know this? All those noises. Sounds like a grunt guy.
Alex Trebek, on the other hand, sounds like someone who is civilized. Articulate. Measured. You know, how people used to be, or at least the ones we heard on radio.
29
@Coureur des Bois
There is certainly the best US president. And there must necessarily be a worst US president.
There will be the best comment on this story.... It may already have been posted.
3
@Coureur des Bois-The story barely mentions Alex's cancer. Ken is describing the man Alex is. He's been an icon at 7.30pm for decades and not just any other "gameshow" host. Funny you're tired of reading ths type of news but you read the story anyway.
1
Thanks, Ken Jennings! I almost don't want to think about what Mr.Trebek is really like, because I don't want to think of him as a real person, who can break a leg (he did) make mistakes (he has done so) or get cancer. Most of all, I don't want to think who else could host Jeopardy. Not yet.
61
Beautiful tribute; thank you.
80
Wishing Alex a full and speedy recovery. Medical miracles happen, but let's not overlook the miracle of having Alex and Jeopardy! to enjoy and challenge us for all these years.
37
Lovely tribute to a quiz show living legend from a truly great champion.
Thanks for sharing.
“What is Spock’s Vulcan greeting from all us fans to Alex Trebek for $1000?”
56
What a wonderful piece, and who else but Ken Jennings could so eloquently write it?
"Whether we watch it regularly or not, we all rely on “Jeopardy!” always being there. It’s no longer an entertainment property; it’s an institution."
-- So true. I paused last week to think how whether we watch it or not, we know "Jeopardy!" is on every weeknight at 7, and we know "Alex" is there. Both he and the show have effectively been permanent features of two generations of lives and it will be hard indeed to imagine Jeopardy in a world without Alex.
I think I speak for all of us when I say I wish Alex all the best in fighting, beating, and recovering from pancreatic cancer.
65
This is a fantastic ode to Alex Trebek. Having grown up watching him and the Jennings run, this piece resonated deeply. Thank you, Ken!
33
I lost a lot of respect for him when he came out in favor of English-only laws.
I'll never forget the magazine ad that showed the Pledge of Allegiance being said in numerous languages besides English. I thought it must be an ad for diversity, because this is a beautiful notion.
But when I turned the page, there was Trebek, cautioning that this could be our fate if we don't support English-only laws - an official language for the United States.
Learning later that he's Canadian, I recalled the ad with even more distaste.
Perhaps this is the same cultural gap we experience in so many instances: The old guard, stabilizing presence is loved by many, but when you look a little deeper is really no longer an appropriate or helpful representative of mainstream values. One person's stabilizing influence is another person's dated status quo.
9
I didn't know that about Mr. Trebek.
In the other hand, while I think that the reciting of our Pledge of Allegiance in many languages is a moving way to express the diversity of America, the fact is that our laws, our medical research, our science and, for that matter, our training pamphlets are written in English. If immigrants want to enter society and move into professions, they will need a command of English.
Perhaps they will never be proficient enough to do so. That's okay: If they want their children to enter professions -- and isn't that what they came here for -- a better life for their kids? -- then they need to do what my grandparents did: learn English and speak English at home with their children. My grandfather opened clams in Sheepshead Bay, but Dad attended Brooklyn Tech and became an engineer.
Were I to move to France, I would not expect the French to adapt to me. I'd bone up in my French pronto.
Alex Trebek wasn't wrong.
16
@Johnny No doubt, the Pledge of Allegiance should be in English. That's unity, not only in speech but in meaning, cadence, connection and inflection. Otherwise, it's babel.
1
@B.
English is the INTERNATIONAL Language. Planes and ships rely on English to communicate.
Wishing Alex all the best. He is so very refined. Something lacking today is all facets of our life.
4
Not only can Ken Jennings win at Jeopardy, the guy can also write! This is very good. I wouldn’t call it comforting, because the game will never be the same without Alex Trebek, but reading it is like being in a familiar place where the experience of his presence in our lives all these years feels so real.
40
I loved this piece, being a fan of Jeopardy forever, even trying out for it when I was younger and faster. Sadly, it’s a lot harder to do then shouting answers at my television. Now it’s like comfort food to me, my decompression time, a way to exercise a memory that isn’t what it used to be. I still do the “answer air gab” when it is right there in front of me and I can’t quite get it, grasping in the air at floating soap bubble answers. Jeopardy is so engrained in my mind, after waking up from anesthesia I asked what time it was, was told it was 7:30, and I started humming the Jeopardy theme song, as if I expected the show to just broadcast straight into my brain.
Long Live Alex, Long Live Jeopardy.
98
@Jeffrey Schantz
Your comment made me laugh. I suspect millions of viewers play Jeopardy the same way you do: shouting answers at the television. That's how I play it, too.
12
A huge fan of Alex Trebek and Jeopardy! "forever", I'd like to know the answer to this question: Why do bad things happen to good people? Of course, no one knows the answer but the idea of Alex and pancreatic cancer in the same sentence is so devastating to comprehend. His announcement was appropro of his confidence, dignity and determination to handle this news in front of the camera in light of the seriousness of this disease.
Thank you, Ken Jennings, for expressing your thoughts about Alex. Makes me love him even more.
30
@JayBee "Why do bad things happen to good people?"...not to put too fine a point on it, but he's old and everyone dies...My parents died in their 70s...my kid sister when she was 17 (that would be a time for that question)...Alex Trebek deserves any and all accolades (I've watched Jeopardy for years)...I wish him well in the time he has left...
8
Only when something is gone, or might be gone, do we truly appreciate it. Jeopardy is a game show that works, one no one has to be ashamed of watching, of testing oneself against the knowledge and agility of the contestants. Years ago, I got hooked on it for a time period and, like a lot of people I presume, really enjoyed the idea that I could do as well or better than those actually in the studio. Its fun to imagine, right? (The show also exposed my own knowledge gaps here and there, inspiring new found humility.)
Only two questions: how does Trebek manage to stay so handsome at the age of 78 and whatever happened to his plan to return home to Canada and run for Parliament?
I can only hope that the massive outpouring of appreciation and concern for Alex reaches his head and heart in these days, even though a lot of it is just friend to friend, family member to family member, thoughts that will never be noted in the public realm. He has made a difference and been a positive force, and still is, in millions of lives. I assume he has also been very well paid, too, as he deserves.
37
I agree wholeheartedly with the author - we need to celebrate Alex every day that he has left. Nobody can really replace him.
In recognition of his creation of so many jobs, I feel the same about President Trump. He's old enough that we should realize the clock is still moving for him, too.
While he gets the already-jaundiced upset, he has turned out to be the mae the workers needed the MOST in the White House.
So hats off to two great guys, both performing at the top of their professions!
4
@The Observer - trump is not and never will be in the same league as Trebek. trump has created nothing (other than the myths one hears on fox) but chaos and division.
Trebek has created a legacy.
194
@The Observer: Both you, a Trump supporter, and I, not a Trump supporter, like Alex Trebek and wish him well. That is a great tribute to him.
36
@The Observer Was it necessary to name "That who shall not be named" here? Let´s focus on the subject: a real GENTLEMAN and a long career making people feel good. Enough with Trump! Why even bring his name up? I can´t find the relation at all. Let´s hope Mr. Trebek finds the strength to fight the disease. That is what matters now.
25
Thanks so much for writing this Ken Jennings. Your tribute is thoughtful and heartfelt. In this era of tweets and snark, Alex Trebek reminds us how much satisfaction and happiness can come to the self and others by doing a job steadfastly & thoughtfully, with balanced humor, humility, and pride. Alex Trebek has proven that one can moderate a spirited competition while gently inspiring the spirit and thoughtfully protecting the dignity of the participants. Godspeed to you both.
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ken writes as well as he thinks and perfectly captures what i had hoped mr. trebek was like. lets all hope the best.
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Terrific piece. Beautifully written.
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What a nice homage -- thoughtful, funny and perceptive.
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Thank you Ken Jennings for sharing your thoughts on Alex Trebek in a very touching tribute. My thoughts and prayers are with him at this time as he battles this terrible disease. If anyone can beat the odds, it’s Alex. I hope to see him hosting Jeopardy for a long time to come.
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Thank you Mr. Jennings for your thoughtful and respectful insights into “what’s Alex like”. He certainly seems like a secure person, very comfortable in his own skin, who despite being a television icon keeps his celebrity status well under control and in perspective. I think that Mr. Trebek personally embodies those positive qualities that Canadians, as a whole, are known and admired for. He truly has had a remarkable career, which all of his millions of admirers hope will continue for years to come.
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Wishing you all the best, Alex!
You know, if tv shows were sold a la carte, I'd not only have a tv, but I think that most of my cable cash would be spent on Jeopardy! I've always found it a marvelous way to spend a half hour.
39
We wish you all the best, Alex. Thank you for being the voice of knowledge for our entire lives.
It's ok if things become difficult. We're always here for you.
We hope to see you on Jeopardy as soon as you're able!
41
I had the privilege of being on the “Double Dare” quiz show with Alex Trebeck. He was kind, professional and always a gentlemen. It was more than fun to do well and win, but to do it alongside Mr. Trebeck has been a wonderful lifelong memory.
39
@NinaK Were you the same Nina won won on Jeopardy with Fleming in the short lived 1978-79 revival
2
Thank you for the compliment - but, that wasn’t me. I was on “21” with Jack Barry and “Name that Tune” with Sam Riddle. Fun times!
Thank you for the compliment - but that wasn’t me. I was on “21” with Jack Barry and “Name that Tune” with Sam Riddle...
Well said, Ken, and I don't think I could say it better, but I would like to add a couple of things. First, as far as Alex's onstage work goes, people sometimes focus on those times his comments to competitors fall flat or he comes off as condescending. It should be kept in mind that Jeopardy! is filmed in real time. All of those interviews, all of those intros, all of those pick ups and prompts are basically ad-libbed. And when a contestant gives only a last name for "Who is Johnson?" Alex seamlessly replies, "Correct, it's Lyndon Johnson," to let the audience know which Johnson the clue concerned. Alex is a true pro at what he does, and for those who understand the nuances, it's a pleasure just watching him work. During one of my games, when we went to commercial break, he turned to me, knowing I'm from Georgia and asked if he'd pronounced "Altamaha" correctly. He's got a full staff for that kind of info, but he wanted to be sure. My second point, and I'm sure Ken would agree with me here, is that Alex is the public face of the entire group of people who do an amazing job of creating "Jeopardy!" And just about everyone who has appeared on even one show feels like they are an extended member of that family, not simply a former game show contestant. Our hearts go out to the entire "Jeopardy!" family, and we pray that Alex can find the strength to beat this affliction.
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A wonderful tribute from Ken Jennings, a "Jeopardy" star in his own right. The show, and the host of hosts, Alex Trebek, never shined brighter than in the recent All-Stars fortnight playoff of champs. It was easily the most imaginative contest, at the highest-raised bar of difficulty among high achievers in any game ever.
61
Alex Trebek is described just as we think he would be. This is how many of us see him, too. How kind of Mr. Jennings to write this as he knows him better than we do, though, for sure.
To all the faithful “Jeopardy” supporters, you must all still watch every night and guess, and enjoy, and route, and cheer.
For those of us who don’t watch every night, but still enjoy the show, we’ll be routing too. We’ll be helping Trebek, in his words, “fight this thing” from our living rooms or wherever we are at the “Jeopardy” half hour and thereafter. After all, also in his words, he’s signed up for three more years!
43
OK, I'm sure Alex is a great guy, but please do not compare him to CBS news anchor Walter Cronkite, who jumped into Europe to cover WWII, covered Kennedy's assassination, and the moon landings ... and maybe most important of all, told America we were not getting the truth about the Vietnam War from our government. Clearly, Walter was more to this country than a TV host, no matter how nice and how familiar he has been and still is to a great swath of America.
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@Berkshire Brigades
Sweet Mr. Jennings and sweet Mr. Trebeck, and yes, his pleasant normalcy adds to our pleasure in living and wards off the darkness a little and that is worth something, but W Cronkite took this nation through huge and serious events, each so disturbing that Cronkite's gravitas helped us feel sane in the middle of chaos, that maybe there was a strong Dad who could fix things, whereas Alex would be the funny Dad at Birthday parties. If Trebeck were covering Trump himself and traveling to Korea or what not, all the what not, which awful as this time is, it is not (acknowledged) war, at least not on a world scale, and we are not landing someplace outside of our known galaxy, there is a difference of degree - necessarily to make the comparison make sense.
6
@Berkshire Brigades: In fairness, of course Walter Cronkite and Alex Trebek are two very different people with very different public faces - but perhaps Ken Jennings's respectful and delightful essay was more of a reflection on how Trebek affects many of us.
35
I think that for some of us of a certain age, the gravitas of Cronkite may not be comparable to others, but the fact is that both people have been 'trusted' icons of facts, honesty, and courtesy. And Mr. Trebek deserves the accolades. Arguing about comparisons is a little trite and perhaps missing the point.
35
Great article Ken and best wishes to Alex Trebek to be hosting many more Jeopardy Shows.
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Very nice tribute, Ken. As for your last sentence, "Who else could it be?":
When the time comes for Alex to pass the baton -- and I hope against the odds that it will not be for quite some time to come -- you, Ken, would be a natural to receive that baton and carry on Jeopardy! in the best Trebek tradition. I see a lot of Alex -- his intelligence, his gracious persona, his wit -- in you. While there could never be another Alex Trebek, I can't think of a better way for the Jeopardy! torch to be passed to the next generation.
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@Rich
Yes, Ken Jennings would be GREAT!
21
Beautiful tribute, Ken. Thank you.
62
How nice to hear from Ken Jennings, who has been seen more often on "Jeopardy!" than anyone other than Alex Trebek. (If there's been a glimpse of Johnny Gilbert, who's been the show's announcer since 1984, I haven't seen it.) This essay has the perfect tone. Whenever Mr. Trebek, whoops, Alex, departs the show, hopefully at the end of his current contract, it will never be the same. It may be as good, thanks to the hard working staff that writes the questions, the set designers, lighting and camera people and others, but never the same.
68
Art Fleming was great too and I remember watching Jeopardy as a kid while eating lunch at home on school days. (Yes, we came home for lunch!)
69
@Meighan Corbett Thank you Dom Pardo, thank you players, thank you one and all. The very smooth Art Fleming.
10
@Meighan Corbett Me, too, Meighan in Warwick, RI in the 50's. My mother worked then and she would call us when "Jeopardy" was over to go back to school.
5
@Meighan Corbett
Me too--I walked home for lunch from Stoddert Elementary in Washington DC to watch Jeopardy with Art Fleming and announcer Don Pardo on a small black-and-white portable TV. My grandmother watched along with me while I ate soup and saltines.
4
Thanks for writing this, Mr. Jennings. You and Mr. Trebek are surely a class act.
58
I’m glad you acknowledged Art Fleming. I grew up watching the Jeopardy he hosted.
38
What a lovely piece. Well written Mr. Jennings (and I write this as a fan of both you and Mr. Trebek).
91
To get more of an idea of what a good guy Alex Trebek is, google "Trebek Open Space." In 1998 he donated 74 acres of land to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. I take my dog there almost every week. It's prime real estate- had it would have been worth hundreds of millions, easily. Now it serves as a nice place to walk dogs and a nice wildlife corridor for deer, coyotes, and even mountain lions. Thank you, Alex!
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@Kevin
When one makes $15 million a year for 50 days work a year 78 acres in 1998 aint a big deal--besides all he did was read cue cards and as the show went on he continually acted like he knew all the answers,,,comparing him to conkrite is ridiculous--like comparing my golf game to Jack Nicklaus' game.
11
@James T ONeil
Questioning whether Alex Trebek's millions are warranted is valid; but the "Anyone with vast wealth could do that" argument misses the point. The man sacrificed the chance to make HUNREDS of millions for a greater good - the coyotes howl thanks at least.
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@James T ONeill
Except that most rich people wouldn't have donated it. Also, while I am a huge fan of Cronkite, and miss him tremendously, one has to admit that the jobs are not that different (except when breaking events are being reported live, like the JFK assassination).
64
Well said, Ken. If Mr Trebeck reads these comments, I hope he finds the respect and admiration that we in the US feel for our Canadian brother. He has brought class and intelligence to daytime TV. Thanks for that Alex. Miracles happen. Here’s hoping for another 35 years of Jeopardy with you at the helm.
172
Our family is among the millions of viewers whose nightly ritual starts with watching Jeopardy. More than a game show — the fairness of the rules, the diversity of the contestants, and the consistent classy demeanor of Alex Trebek make it a comforting ritual when so much social change can lead to feeling adrift.
The comparison to Cronkite is apt. You can trust Alex, he doesn’t change, he does the job with respect for the participants and audience.
I always laugh when he shows off his knowledge of French, so do I, probably to my family’s despair.
I wish him well, strength and peace.
210
@MG
Alex grew up in Sudbury, Ontario in a bilingual family; his mother was French Canadian. He attended the University of Ottawa which is a bilingual institution. He does not "show off" his knowledge of French. It comes naturally. Otherwise, I agree with all that you wrote.
15
Thank you for such a lovely portrait of Mr. Trebek.
106
This is a very sweet piece, “Ken”. (As with Alex, we feel we have come to know YOU too on a first name basis! When I think of Alex, I think one word: classy. And I think every female who watches the show is in love with him!
47
@Boswell
My 94-year old Mom sure was when she passed away!
2
Mr. Jennings, a wonderful essay about an American institution. I've been an avid follower of Jeopardy since Art Fleming hosted the show. Alex Trebek entered the show seamlessly, showing the grace, professionalism and courtesy that has been his trademark for some thirty-five years now.
I, too, wish Mr. Trebek many, many more years, and I'm sure I'm speaking on behalf of many, many people who are rooting for his successful treatment. He is one of our gems.
Mr. Trebek, all the best to you and your family, and I look forward to watching many more Jeopardy episodes with you as host.
219
I was born and raised in the U.S., but as far as I'm concerned this article might as well pertain to the planet Mars.
Nothing against Alex Trebek, who suffers from an extremely serious illness. I wish him well.
3
A wonderful--and thoughtful comment on Alex Trebek. Thanks for the care in crafting it, Ken.
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