Alex Trebek’s final “Jeopardy!” episodes air next week. The five-night run will begin Monday, Jan. 4, 2021 with a “powerful message about the season of giving” and conclude Friday, Jan. 8, 2021 with “a special tribute to the life and work of the man who captained America’s Favorite Quiz Show with skill, style, and sophistication for 36+years.”
That info — and the specific wording — comes directly from the Sony TV game show.
Trebek’s final five episodes of “Jeopardy!” were taped in late October. At the time, no one knew they would be his last.
Trebek passed away on Sunday, Nov. 8, 2020 following a public battle with pancreatic cancer. He is survived by his wife of 30 years, Jean, and children Matthew, Emily, and Nicky.
Trebek’s final “Jeopardy!” episode was originally supposed to air on Christmas Day, but “due to anticipated preemptions” around the holidays, his final week of episodes was pushed back “in order to give his millions of fans a chance to see his final appearances,” according to Sony.
“Jeopardy!” will continue airing new episodes on Monday, Jan. 11 with interim host Ken Jennings behind the podium.
“A long-term replacement host will not be named at this time,” the Sony series said last month. All future guest hosts will come from “within the ‘Jeopardy!’ family,” the quiz show said.
At the time, “Jeopardy!” stated that additional guest hosts will be announced in the weeks ahead — we haven’t heard any names beyond Jennings’, however.
“Alex believed in the importance of ‘Jeopardy!’ and always said that he wanted the show to go on after him,” said “Jeopardy!” Executive Producer Mike Richards said on Nov. 23. “We will honor Alex’s legacy by continuing to produce the game he loved with smart contestants and challenging clues. By bringing in familiar guest hosts for the foreseeable future, our goal is to create a sense of community and continuity for our viewers.”
Earlier this year, Jennings claimed the title of “Greatest of All Time” in a primetime showdown with other legends of the buzzer. Jennings also holds the all-time records for most consecutive “Jeopardy!” games won (74) and highest winnings in regular-season play ($2,520,700).