It’s hard to imagine anyone but the late Alex Trebek hosting Jeopardy! (no offense to Art Fleming), but after his final episode airs this Friday, the game show will continue with “a series of interim guest hosts from within the Jeopardy! family, starting with Ken Jennings.” He will be followed by Katie Couric, who will take over for a weeklong stint, the Los Angeles Times reported on Wednesday.
The producers of Jeopardy! have previously stated their plans to have guest hosts after the final Trebek episodes air until a permanent replacement is chosen… It’s likely that the guest host stints will play a role in determining who will succeed Trebek, who fronted the syndicated version since its launch in 1984.
Trebek was a broadcaster before he became a game show host, as was Couric. It’s a solid-if-unspectacular choice (I’m still holding out hopes for Weird Al), as after years spent on the Today show, Couric is a pro at awkward human-interest interviews.
Bean Dad defender Jennings has previously said that he’s not interested in hosting Jeopardy! beyond a few episodes. “I don’t want to have it because it means we don’t get Alex,” he told USA Today. “It’s just sad for me to go out there, in a way, because I know that, like the audience, I wish it was Alex walking out at the top of the show.”
(Via Los Angeles Times)