Free Republic

Longtime fans of “Jeopardy!” are threatening to boycott the show since Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings are splitting hosting duties. On Wednesday, the beloved game show announced that the two interim hosts would keep their jobs, with Jennings hosting from September to January and Bialik taking over from January through the end of the season.

Ken Jennings returned for a second stint as guest host. In the episodes that aired last week, he appeared more willing to open up a bit.An old axiom states that no news is good news. For “Jeopardy!,” that mantra has certainly applied to the last several weeks.In August, the sense of stability and solidity the program cultivated over decades evaporated seemingly overnight. Within days of naming Mike Richards as its permanent host to replace Alex Trebek, it had to replace him as host for making a series of offensive remarks, eventually firing Richards as the show’s executive producer too.The show...

Last week, Jeopardy! executive producer Mike Richards, who was slated to succeed Alex Trebek as the show’s new permanent host, stepped down from the on-camera role after offensive comments he made on a 2014 podcast about women, Jewish people and other minority groups came to light. After his resignation, the show announced it would resume using guest hosts for the time being while it continues its search for a permanent host. But could that search be a relatively quick one? According to several reports, former contestant Ken Jennings is the new frontrunner for the job. As former Hollywood Reporter editorial...

One of the biggest voices in sports will get a chance to host "Jeopardy." Broadcaster Joe Buck will guest host the program, putting himself in contention for the permanent job, according to Andrew Marchand of the New York Post. The program is cycling through guest hosts following the death of long-time host Alex Trebek. A number of celebrities, including Katie Couric, Ken Jennings and Dr. Oz, have taken a shot at the role. It's assumed the program will hire a new full-time host eventually. Buck's episodes will air during the summer, according to the Post. It's unclear how long Buck...

Opening an episode of “Jeopardy!” originally scheduled to air on Christmas Eve, Alex Trebek noted the proliferation of online shopping over the years. While those changes mean many people now do their holiday shopping online rather than in stores and malls, Trebek observed, “Jeopardy!” has stayed the same.Until now. The episode proved the penultimate one of Trebek’s 36-year-long stint as host, due to his death shortly after its late October taping, forcing producers to find a new host, and face, of “Jeopardy!” for the first time since Ronald Reagan’s first term.Former champion Ken Jennings, who joined the “Jeopardy!” production staff...

In what has become a highly fractured political climate, it’s perhaps hard to find someone who everyone likes, appreciates and didn’t seem to ever be on a political side, but seemed to be on the side of all Americans, attempting to enrich and uplift all with the simple joy of his show, Jeopardy. That of course was Alex Trebek, a man universally loved and appreciated for all the years he entertained America. Trebek died on November 8 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer, which he fought with dignity and grace. Trebek was 80. But even at 80, he seemed...

Following the death of “Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek early this month, former champion Ken Jennings was named on Monday as the first interim host of the popular game show. A perfect selection, given that Jennings holds the record for the longest winning streak at 74 of any contestant in the 37-year history of the show, right? Yeah, no.According to the cancel culture, that is.Less than 24 hours after the announcement, a questionable 2014 tweet “resurfaced,” in which Jennings wrote: “Nothing sadder than a hot person in a wheelchair.”Interim ‘Jeopardy!’ host Ken Jennings under fire for insensitive tweet https://t.co/qbKsDo6myK pic.twitter.com/FP4uPqSxAO— New...

Because he made them feel at home, Americans welcomed Alex Trebek into their homes, night after night, for good-natured entertainment. The audience takes its seats, members murmuring amongst themselves. Some comment on how the soundstage looks smaller in person than on the small screen, an optical illusion caused by wide-angle lenses. Others note the set’s cool temperatures, intended to offset the stage lights’ heat. As the production staff provide information and instructions about what they are about to see, the guests just take it all in. Preliminaries concluded—audience briefed, crew in position—the theme music starts, the lights come up, and...

For weeks, the “Jeopardy!” phenomenon James Holzhauer had been unstoppable. He set the record for the most money won in one episode, holds the second spot on the list, and the next 14. Eleven times during his winning streak, he went a whole game without buzzing in incorrectly. For fans, the question was not whether he would surpass the $2.52 million Ken Jennings won during his record 74-game winning streak in 2004, but when. The correct response: What is never? In the prerecorded episode that aired on Monday, Holzhauer’s “Jeopardy!” reign came to an end with his 33rd game, a...

Like most people who are extremely cool, I'm a huge Jeopardy! fan and have been in awe of the recent dominant run by James Holzhauer. The 34-year-old professional sports gambler has piled up $1.7 million in just 22 games, through a combination of remarkable knowledge, fast buzzing, and lucrative betting. He's averaging more than $76,000 per game. To give an idea of how impressive that is, when current winnings record-holder Ken Jennings set the one-day record in 2004, he won just over $75,000. Like former champ Arthur Chu, Holzhauer doesn't select dollar amount answers in neat rows, but rather he...

"Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek revealed in a YouTube video Wednesday that he has been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Trebek said in the video he was given the health update this week. "Now normally, the prognosis for this is not very encouraging, but I’m going to fight this, and I’m going to keep working," he said. "And with the love and support of my family and friends and with the help of your prayers also, I plan to beat the low survival rate statistics for this disease."

Ken Jennings, the ‘Jeopardy!” champ who holds the longest winning streak for the game show, took to Twitter Wednesday to mock President Donald Trump’s 11-year-old son. “Barron Trump saw a very long necktie on a heap of expired deli meat in a dumpster. He thought it was his dad & his little heart is breaking,” wrote Mr. Jennings shortly before 2:30 p.m. Eastern time. The tweet appears to be a reference to a report by TMZ.com that young Barron cried when he saw a photo of comedian Kathy Griffin holding what looked like the bloody, severed head of the nation’s...

Brad Rutter has a lot to be happy about. The "Jeopardy!" Battle of the Decades Tournament contestant ended up defeating Ken Jennings and Roger Craig to take home a $1 million grand prize in an episode that aired on May 16. When he entered the competition, Los Angeles-based actor and producer Rutter was the top money winner in "Jeopardy!" history with $3,355,102 in career winnings. With this added $1 million, his new total is $4,355,102. "It's really hard to describe how proud I am, not just that I won, but to be associated with a first-class operation like 'Jeopardy!,'" Rutter...

Meet Arthur Chu, Jeopardy's latest and greatest star, who has used Jeopardy game theory to become nightly must-see TV. But his unorthodox methods — though correct by the numbers — have made him a polarizing figure in the Jeopardy community. Arthur first appeared on the show on Tuesday, and has gone on a nice run of three straight wins. Thus far, he's been quick and confident with his answers and has a good brain on his shoulders. But the story is firmly on how he's playing, as his game theory strategies have made for a frustrating television experience for viewers. Those...

Suddenly Obama doesn't seem so unqualified... Top Senate Democrats sought to recruit Ken Jennings to challenge Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch (R) back in 2004, the "Jeopardy!" contestant revealed Thursday. Jennings is famous for holding the record for consecutive wins on the quiz show. His streak of 74 straight victories brought him to the attention of the Democratic Senate leadership in 2004..... More at The Hill According to the article Harry Reid and Chuck Schumer PERSONALLY reached out to Jennings to run. Do you think Sharon Angle would've won if she was able to run ads showing how Reid thought...

NEW YORK (AP) - "Jeopardy!" ace Ken Jennings, who won $2.5 million during his 74-game winning streak, has a few unkind words to say about the show - and dapper host Alex Trebek. "I know, I know, the old folks love him," Jennings writes in a recent posting, titled "Dear Jeopardy!" on his Web site. "Nobody knows he died in that fiery truck crash a few years back and was immediately replaced with the Trebektron 4000 (I see your engineers still can't get the mustache right, by the way)." Jennings also takes aim at the show's "effete, left-coast" categories and...

Dear Jeopardy!, Hey, I hope you remember me. It’s been a while since we talked. We were a bit of an item a couple years back, in all the papers, but I think we both know that was just a summer thing. The last time we saw each other…well, the magic just wasn’t there. That’s why I don’t mind when I see you with a new special someone. Or two. Nearly every night! … I’m sorry, is this sounding passive-aggressive? I don’t mean to badger you. I remember that, when we were together, it seems like all I ever did...

Ken Jennings, the most successful "Jeopardy!" player in the show's long history suddenly earned as asterisk next to his name Wednesday night: He was badly beaten in the final round of the "Ultimate Tournament of Champions," losing to Brad Rutter, who now stands as "Jeopardy's" leading money winner. By winning Wednesday night, Rutter earned $2 million, which - added to his previous winnings on the show - means he's got a grand total of $3.1 million. Jennings, who came in second, earned $500,000, and that added to his record total of $2.5 million won last fall means he's at $3...

WHEN Kenneth W. Jennings III, '00, first learned he had been selected to compete in the long-running television game show Jeopardy!, the Murray, Utah, software engineer had three weeks to prepare. He began by watching the program while standing behind his recliner to get the feel of a podium and working on his timing by holding a child's toy about the same size as a buzzer. That simple strategy offers a small glimpse into the seemingly mild- mannered but highly competitive player who, in an unmatched six-month winning streak, became a game-show legend, smashing a bevy of records and sending...

Questions asked over the defeat of trivia titan Robert Lusetich December 03, 2004 WHEN Ken Jennings, trivia titan and nerd role model, was breaking every record in the long history of US television game show Jeopardy!, conspiracy theories abounded that he was being allowed to win to boost flagging ratings. As millions tuned in every night to see if the 30-year-old Mormon computer programmer could keep winning, some believed he was being given answers in advance, just like in the Robert Redford film Quiz Show. Others insisted he had cranial implants. Now that he has been dethroned, with his 74-episode...