Ken Jennings to host new 'Jeopardy!' episodes as filming resumes after Alex Trebek's death

The show will resume filming with a series of guest hosts, including Ken Jennings.

Credit: Sony/REX/Shutterstock

Jeopardy

type

TV Show

genre

Game Show

Answer: Ken Jennings.

Question: Who will be the next person to host Jeopardy!?

The iconic daytime game show announced Monday that filming will resume in the wake of longtime host Alex Trebek's death earlier this month.

Rather than naming a permanent replacement for Trebek straight away, producers have decided to have "a series of interim guest hosts from the Jeopardy! family."

First up is 74-time winner and fan-favorite Jennings.

Other hosts will be announced at a later date.

"Alex believed in the importance of Jeopardy and always said he wanted the show to go on after him," executive producer Mike Richards said in a statement. "We will honor his legacy by continuing to produce the game he loved."

A series of guest hosts is a frequent move when a production – whether a talk show, game show or news program – isn't yet certain about who will fill a position. It gives the show an opportunity to see different people in the role, to gauge fan reaction to each host, and buys some more time before having to make a permanent decision.

Jennings first gained national attention in 2004 when he went on the longest Jeopardy! winning streak ever. In September, he was hired as a consulting producer for the show, which included reading categories on the air.

Trebek died at the age of 80 after struggling with pancreatic cancer. He hosted more than 8,200 episodes of the syndicated hit.

"Alex wasn't just the best ever at what he did," Jennings wrote on Twitter at the time. "He was also a lovely and deeply decent man, and I'm grateful for every minute I got to spend with him."

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