For the past 36 years, “Jeopardy!” started the same way for most contestants. You arrived at the studio. Met with the contestant coordinator. Had a short rehearsal on set. The anticipation would build before suddenly lights, camera, action: Alex Trebek walked out onstage.
That was when it finally hit them.
“That was the ‘Oh, this is really happening’ moment.”
“It was the emotional peak.”
“As far as the contestant experience goes, he was the cherry on top of the ‘Jeopardy!’ sundae.”
When the longtime “Jeopardy!” host died on Nov. 8 at 80, tributes poured in worldwide as fans mourned the loss of a television icon. But those who competed on the show hold a special connection to Trebek, whom they describe as “everyone’s Canadian uncle,” and “someone who feels like a close family friend or neighbor,” and “a politely encouraging, firm-but-fair teacher.” He valued curiosity and knowledge and was a comforting, steady presence on TV, forming a close bond with both players and the viewing audience.
We talked to nearly 30 contestants from the past four decades — ranging from a player in the first episode to one whose winning moment went viral just earlier this month — about how Trebek became America’s most beloved game-show host.
1980s
When the Trebek-hosted “Jeopardy!” started airing in September 1984 (two previous iterations that aired in the ’60s and ’70s were hosted by Art Fleming), the 1950s quiz-show cheating scandals still loomed over the TV industry. Producers were consequently adamant that Trebek — the affable Canadian newscaster who had been hosting short-lived American game shows for a decade — steer clear of the contestants on filming days until cameras started rolling in the Los Angeles studio. But even though players only got to speak to him during the quick “contestant chat” segment and as the credits rolled, Trebek was a towering presence from the start.
Elise Beraru, 1984, the show’s first five-game champion: I lived in L.A., so I was always looking for game shows that I could try to be on. And I saw a blurb in the paper that “Jeopardy!” was returning. . . . When we went for the first round of tests, Alex was there and actively working with the production team at the beginning. He was always very hands-on.