Jeopardy! has a plan for its life in syndication while no new episodes are able to get taped in Los Angeles, but the host of the long-running game show is certainly eager to return to the stage. The show is currently out of episodes to run after shutting down production amid the COVID-19 pandemic, airing its last “new” episode on Friday.
In its place will be some special episodes featuring recent greats like James Holzhauer and Emma Boettcher, some slight consolation to eager fans looking for more Alex Trebek content. But it turns out the show’s host is eager to get back to work after the pandemic and is pushing for it to be back in action as soon as possible.
According to TV Line, Trebek wants Jeopardy! to be one of the first shows to resume production once the all-clear is given from government and studio officials to start work again in the industry.
However, a Jeopardy! rep assures TVLine, “Alex is looking forward to resuming production as soon as we are able to do so. He’s told us he wants to be one of the first shows back in production.”
Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune were some of the first game shows to stop allowing a studio audience as the pandemic’s impact became more clear, and days later it officially shut down along with the rest of Hollywood shortly before St. Patrick’s Day.
Unfortunately for Trebek, COVID-19 cases in California and other parts of the country continue to rise significantly and there’s no word on when Jeopardy! can get back to filming, even without a studio audience. But as the weeks turn to months and the show’s studio sits silent, we now know there’s considerable interest from the show’s host to get back to work.