Alex Trebek is getting some victory lap after 36 years on “Jeopardy.”
For the last two nights. the prime time version of the game show has scored 14.8 million viewers for its “Greatest of All Time” showdown among mega champions James Holzhauer, Ken Jennings, and Brad Rutter.
Trebek is battling stage IV pancreatic cancer and refuses to stand down. I’m sure the audience is watching as much for him as for the contestants. They know Trebek’s run is coming to an end, so the interest level is very high.
Prime time “Jeopardy” has so far yielded shockingly high numbers that recall the days before there was cable. Getting 15 million people means it’s twice as much as NBC’s “Chicago” shows. It’s almost three times as much as “The Conners,” which usually airs on Tuesdays at 8pm. The “Jeopardy” audience is also staying for the rest of the ABC lineup.
Trebek told reporters yesterday that when he decides to leave, he will give his producers almost no notice. He’ll just tell them at the top of a show that he needs 30 seconds at the end to say goodbye and that will be it. He’s handled his situation so far with so much grace and dignity that he’s really going to leave a lovely legacy.
“GOAT Jeopardy” will continue this week and next until the final winner is decided. But the final winner is Trebek. He’ll take COURAGE for $500.
