It’s been years since Ken Jennings actually competed on Jeopardy! as a contestant — and in fact he’s now technically banned from playing again — but either way, it’s still somewhat alarming anytime the host admits to not knowing one of the clues. He’s one of Jeopardy!’s biggest winners, after all, with a seemingly unbreakable 74-game win streak. So when Jennings opened up about the category that made him nervous, it definitely wasn’t what I was expecting.

I have absolutely loved seeing Ken Jennings settle into his role as the host of Jeopardy! over the past couple of seasons, and I think it’s delightful that he’s smart enough to often provide context to some of the clues that may elude contestants. So it’s hard to imagine him being stumped by any particular subject, but apparently there was one that made him nervous. Ken Jennings spoke to Fox News Digital, and one pesky category seemed to keep popping up over the course of his time on the show. He said:

Alex Trebek was, indeed, a proud Canadian, and Ken Jennings has continued the tradition of championing our neighbors to the north, often bringing up his iconic predecessor when there’s a Canadian contestant or clue.

So maybe that is why hockey seemed to come up so often, or perhaps it only felt that way because Ken Jennings played 75 games of Jeopardy!, and there are only so many sports to form clues around. Naturally some topics are going to be recycled. I would actually be interested to know how often other major sports came up in comparison to hockey stuff!

Sports and pop culture do tend to be areas where many Jeopardy! contestants have trouble. I suppose those are harder to study than “World Capitals” and “U.S. Presidents,” which Ken Jennings says give you the most bang for your buck when cramming for the show.

To be sure, I’m terrible when I try to play along with hockey questions, and I’m fairly knowledgeable about sports as a whole. But is hockey really less desirable than clues about poetry, world history or (shudders) “The Dreaded Opera Category”? I guess with as much knowledge as the contestant-turned-host has in that noggin, there’s going to be one category that puts him in the penalty box.

Does that reference even make sense? Give me a break, I already told you I’m not great at hockey.

Let’s all brush up on our knowledge of the sport, then tune into one of the best game shows of all time to see when Ken Jennings’ most dreaded category pops up again. Check your local listings to see when Jeopardy! airs, or stream episodes the next day with either your Hulu subscription or Peacock subscription.

At this point, Ken Jennings can most definitely be called a Jeopardy veteran. That’s arguably been the case since 2003/2004 when he had his original record-breaking winning streak on the legendary game show, but he can even be called a veteran as a host now as he goes into his third year with the gig. Even with all of that experience, however, the guy just can’t help but be a total Jeopardy geek, as well-illustrated by a recent social media activity.

Jennings treasures the history of the series and the legacy of the great Alex Trebek, and if you didn’t know that before, you can recognize it in a post he put on Instagram this week. Independently, the photo seems a bit out of left field, as it features the Jeopardy host in a mirror holding up a pink afro pick, but the caption offers delightful context: it’s the hair tool that Trebek used backstage to maintain what is lovingly referred to as “the CanFro (Canadian afro).” You can check out the post for yourself below:

This is such a weird treat. There probably isn’t any actual reason to keep that afro pick backstage, as I imagine that even Alex Trebek himself stopped using it once we got into the 21st century. That being said, it’s stuck around this long, so I can understand the impulse to keep it around as a positive token and a reminder of Jeopardy’s long history.

On another note: it’s really a shame that there aren’t backstage Jeopardy tours. It’s true that ordinary folks can get access to the show by submitting for tickets to be in the live studio audience, and there probably isn’t a whole lot to see beyond the main stage and dressing rooms (they don’t exactly have need for a prop department), but I can’t be the only fan who would be excited to take even a brisk 30-minute look around the set on the Sony Pictures lot. And I also imagine that there are other fun pieces of history that are kept around that are perhaps even cooler than Alex Trebek’s hair maintenance equipment.

While Ken Jennings has been posting about Alex Trebek’s afro pick, this has been a big week for Jeopardy, as it was just last night that contestant Paolo Pasco completed a three game sweep in the finals of the 2026 Tournament of Champions to be declared the big winner (and take home a prize of $250,000). And while that particular competition is now over, a new one begins today, as the 2026 Jeopardy! Invitational Tournament quarterfinal is now set to kick off with a game featuring returning competitors Matt Amodio, Drew Basile, and Karen Farrell.

Jeopardy! may be amongst the toughest and most venerated game shows of all time, but you can’t accuse it of never having any fun. Alex Trebek was even known to wear costumes at times to deliver clues, but on one day in particular, he went in the opposite direction and took the stage wearing no pants. Current host Ken Jennings rewatched that iconic moment and gave some fantastic context to what inspired Trebek’s bold prank.

The game in question occurred in 2005 during the taping of the Ultimate Tournament of Champions, with Ken Jennings, Brad Rutter and Jerome Vered competing. The current host took a trip down memory lane recently and seemed almost as surprised to see a bottomless Alex Trebek as he must have been that day 20 years ago. Check out Jeopardy!’s video on Instagram:

Look at Alex Trebek, so ahead of his time in what would come to be called the “Zoom Mullet” (business on top, party on the bottom) 15 years later.

Ken Jennings noted that home viewers didn’t get as much of an eyeful as those in the studio did that day. The family-friendly quiz show cameras filmed the iconic game show host from the waist-up, not giving America the answer to the question they’d never thought to ask: Does Alex Trebek wear boxers or briefs?

But it wasn’t like the host simply stood up too fast from a WFH meeting. This look was an attempt to relieve some tension during a cutthroat competition that featured two of the would-be winningest champions in Jeopardy!’s history. As Ken Jennings explained:

Can I assume Ken Jennings’ classic “What is a hoe?” response is a close-second favorite memory? No?!

I absolutely love that Alex Trebek caught wind of the contestants discussing how no one could see them from behind the podium and decided to take matters into his own hands. As Ken Jennings pointed out in the video, they left Trebek high and dry, because:

It was worth it to see such gleeful expressions on Ken Jennings' and Brad Rutter’s faces, with the former even giving a “Wooo!” to the host for breaking some of the tension on a super stressful taping day.

Ken Jennings has said he does his best as the host to help contestants get over their nerves and loosen up to enjoy the moment (and saying “These nuts” so many times is probably also effective), but I doubt Jennings will ever go as far as to take the stage with no pants on. Alex Trebek was truly one of a kind.

Check your local listings to see when Jeopardy! plays in your area, or catch episodes streaming the next day with either a Hulu subscription or a Peacock subscription.

I’ve been a Jeopardy! fan for years, regularly watching during my elliptical sessions at the gym, or with my mom and husband at home. I don't watch every single day, but I watch a lot, and I thought I knew quite a bit about the show. I know a lot about Ken Jennings’ tie wardrobe, for example, and even more about Johnny Gilbert’s recollections of late host Alex Trebek. But I did not realize one major fact about Jeopardy!: Contestants must pay their one way while on the show.

It was Jennings himself that illuminated this fact for me this week. He posted about the motel he’d stayed at in Culver City when he was a young and broke contestant on the show. The motel is closing now, so will no longer be a cheap spot for game show contestants moving forward, marking the end of an era.

I’d never even considered the idea that contestants pay their own way once in Tinseltown for taping, but Ken Jennings confirmed it was true when he was a contestant in 2004. And it remains true more than 25 years later as he has shifted into hosting duties.

Apparently, those involved with Jeopardy! have spoken out about this in the past, and in more recent years, with costs rising after Covid, the show has mentioned they are open to re-evaluating the way the show works. However, per what Jennings mentioned here, contestants are still having to get themselves to the show and take care of themselves during the duration of their respective runs, except in certain cases like tournaments.

Some Jeopardy! contestants have spoken about having to pay to get to the Sony Lot in Los Angeles, as well. So there’s info out there to be found if you are curious. However, despite being a fan of the long-running game show, this factoid had escaped my grasp. I think it’s fascinating anytime I learn an interesting behind-the-scenes fact about how a show works, and this cost-cutting measure is a really among the more interesting ones, in my opinion.

Not that I'd be able to even pass the Jeopardy! test to qualify, but this is the sort of fact that does make me less likely to want to go out for a game show. Now I'm looking into it, too, it's apparently common for certain other shows like Wheel of Fortune for contestants to be asked to pay their way. Though it’s worth mentioning Jennings ultimately won more than $4 million during his run, so sometimes there is a payoff in a big way, at least for Jeopardy''s biggest winners.

Anyway, I’m sure Ken Jennings is probably not missing the days when he stayed at Deano’s, particularly given he joked he was thankful he “never got murdered' there. But I’d be willing to bet hearing the motel had closed was still a little bittersweet.

I think it’s safe to say that of all the best game shows in TV history, Jeopardy! holds itself to a certain standard. Fans are constantly fact-checking the clues, contestants are called out if they’re perceived as too cocky or disrespectful, and heck, even Matt Amodio — one of Jeopardy!’s biggest winners — once had to fight off the pitchforks for responding to clues with “What’s …?” instead of “What is …?” Well, throw all that decorum out the window, because it turns out the show is all about “These nuts.”

What a strange sentence to write, especially in regards to Jeopardy!, but it is the truth. Someone on the game show’s team had the utterly brilliant idea to pull every clip of hosts Alex Trebek and Ken Jennings saying, “These nuts,” and I think somebody deserves a raise. Please channel your inner 12-year-old and enjoy the following piece of media:

I love that they kept the full clues in, as well as the contestants’ responses, because the context actually makes it funnier when the phrase in question is uttered (and we all learn a little something, right?). The longer the video plays, the more I giggled when Ken Jennings or Alex Trebek said, “These nuts,” especially hearing the different inflections required by the clue.

This is proof to me that you do your best work when you love your job. Nobody who’s trudging through another day at the office, counting down the minutes of their shift, is pitching a “These nuts” compilation video.

The Jeopardy! clue writers have often allowed their sense of humor to sneak into the show, whether that’s reminding Ken Jennings of his iconic “What is a hoe?” moment, having announcer Johnny Gilbert recite lyrics from rap songs, or getting Alex Trebek to present clues in costume. It’s rare, though, to see them go this blatantly juvenile, and I think it's great.

Fans also seem to be on board with the game show’s descent into this brand of humor, with YouTube comments including:

• That was utterly juvenile. I started laughing after the fourth or fifth one, and they got better after that – peterbyrne7348
• OMG, i died, i can't handle Alex Trebek saying "these nuts" so many times, but i also love it😂😂😂 – theonlymegumegu
• This is what the Jeopardy! fans want – vladiatorfilms4329
• It started out funny and somehow kept getting funnier every time – bassett_green
• Every single one was funny. I laughed EVERY time – BossiMomo
• I love that someone was paid money (hopefully) to do this. Delivering things we didn't even know we wanted like a true hero. – DJBillyQ
• I feel immature af for having laughed at every single time I heard Alex say it.😂😂😂😂😂 – supermcfly100

A lot of Jeopardy! fans seem to be realizing their sense of humor isn’t as mature as they thought.

Yes, Ken Jennings may show up in an impeccably paired suit and tie, requiring contestants to know everything from World Capitals to Opera to U.S. Presidents, but clearly nobody’s above having a little fun. Future contestants should be sure they’re up to par on their “Much Ado About Nutting” facts.

Check your local listings to see when Jeopardy! airs in your area, or stream episodes the next with your Hulu subscription or Peacock subscription.

It’s hard to believe nearly five years have passed since we lost one of the greatest game show hosts of all time in Alex Trebek. Since then, we’ve settled nicely into the Ken Jennings era of Jeopardy!, with the game’s greatest champion bringing his inexhaustible knowledge as the host. There’s one thing, though, that fans would love to see from Jennings in the late host’s honor.

The Jeopardy! Instagram page kicked off spooky season with a post honoring Alex Trebek and some of the fun costumes he wore on the show over the years. From Kiss rocker Gene Simmons to a sad clown, this man was an “absolute icon,” as noted by omgitsbowtie in the comments. Check out the post below:

Alex Trebek took the game of Jeopardy! seriously, but the videos above prove he didn’t shy away from having a little fun. In addition to setting the mood for October and hopefully inspiring some viewers’ own costumes, this Instagram post also inadvertently reminded fans of how long it’s been since we’ve seen cosplay from our host. Instagram user winstondrawart commented:

He wasn’t alone, either! Many fans of one of the all-time best game shows took the comments with similar requests, which included:

• I love this but it also makes me want to start a petition to see Ken Jennings in more costumes! – hannah.romero.21
• Alex has left a huge legacy including the many times he appeared in costume. We definitely need to see Ken do some dressing up too. – glenncooney
• Excited to see what Ken’s cooking up👀 – emma.nicole.g
• Ken Jennings, bring back the costumes! – ayeitsrj
• Can we get Ken in some costumes???!! – kl3pt0c4t

Looks like they’ve thrown down the gauntlet, Ken! Will you accept the challenge?

Just because Ken Jennings hasn’t dressed up in costume since he’s become the solo Jeopardy! host doesn’t mean he doesn’t have fun. He’s got no problem roasting himself — particularly his wardrobe on old 2004 episodes when he was in the midst of his 74-game win streak en route to becoming one of the biggest winners in Jeopardy! history.

He’s also a pretty good sport anytime his infamous “hoe-ment” gets a mention, which is probably more often than you’d think.

But that doesn’t mean we wouldn’t love to see him dress up for Halloween, or in service of a clue he might be able to deliver. I have to think any guy into dad jokes as much as Ken Jennings wouldn’t be so hard to convince — especially since it would be a tribute to Alex Trebek.

I’m not sure how far in advance Jeopardy! episodes are taped, but hopefully Ken Jennings saw this post before the Halloween taping and had time to prepare a costume. We’ll certainly be keeping our fingers crossed.

Check your local listings to see when Jeopardy! airs in your area, or you can catch episodes streaming the next day with either a Hulu subscription or a Peacock subscription.

Jeopardy! continues to be one of the best game shows ever, even after Alex Trebek’s death in 2020. Most people love the current host, Ken Jennings, who is a long-running Jeopardy! champ himself. That being said, the series still keeps Trebek’s legacy alive by filming at the stage named after him and doing things like celebrating his birthday with a funny video that would make anyone emotional. Now Jennings is sharing another sweet Easter Egg that honors the former host's legacy, and it's making me emotional.

Jennings has opened up in the past about what it’s been like to host Jeopardy! after Trebek, and even admitted he thought that the late game show host would not have loved the hosting brouhaha that happened before Jennings was picked as his permanent replacement. Luckily, there are a lot of things that Trebek would have probably definitely loved, including Jennings occasionally wearing his ties, as he shared on Instagram:

It’s such a small gesture, but it’s so significant. The fact that the wardrobe department even still has some of Trebek’s ties after all this time, and that Jennings sometimes wears them, is getting me in my feels. Of course, while Trebek’s presence is likely felt throughout the stage regardless, the current host wearing one of his ties makes it all the more special. Plus, it’s like he is truly there still behind the podium, even though he isn’t.

How many ties the wardrobe department has that belong to Trebek is unknown, but it seems to be enough to have them on rotation every once in a while. It also wouldn’t be surprising if some items of Trebek’s were still lying around the stage as another layer to the atmosphere to make it feel like he’s still around.

Now, I feel like every time I watch Jeopardy! I’m going to wonder if the tie Jennings is wearing belongs to Trebek. And I think that guessing game will be very fun. However, I also hope that the current host gives us a tie haul at some point, so we can get a good look at the various Trebek ties he wears during tapings.

Alex Trebek is one of the best game show hosts ever, and to see Jeopardy! carrying on his legacy in different ways is sweet. The series has been around for a long time, and Jennings has only been hosting for less than five years. However, another part of Trebek’s lasting legacy is that Jeopardy!’s format will not be changing under Jennings’ watch, and that makes me happy.

Meanwhile, Ken Jennings is creating his own legacy at Jeopardy! Although there are still some people who don’t really care for him, he has proven to be a good replacement. He even had a cameo in Happy Gilmore 2. Obviously, no one is able to replace Trebek, but Jennings was certainly the right fit and knows how to keep his predecessor’s memory alive.

Jeopardy! is one of the best game shows ever, and it is still going strong after all these years, even after Alex Trebek’s passing. The show has been keeping his legacy alive, however, whether it’s Ken Jennings opening up about hosting after him or keeping the format the same. As one of the best game show hosts, Trebek was the blueprint for a lot of hosts, and after the show celebrated his birthday with a special and funny video, I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.

On Tuesday, the official Jeopardy! YouTube channel celebrated what would have been his 85th birthday with a video of his funniest moments. The 10-minute video looked back at behind-the-scenes moments, impromptu dances on set, interactions with the contestants, and even pants-less moments, and it’s truly making me miss him more and more:

Even just watching a few clips in the video, I’m definitely leaning more towards crying because it really feels like I didn’t get enough time with Trebek. Even though he was 80 when he died, and had hosted Jeopardy! for 37 seasons, I still would have loved to see more of him. But the video just proves how great of a host he was, as if that needed any confirmation.

Emotions aside, this compilation is also a great way to look back at some of Trebek’s best moments on Jeopardy! and it’s enough to get anyone in a good mood. That is, if they aren’t crying that much.

Many fans took to the comments of the video, and they seem to be feeling the same way. Some are happy that Jeopardy! never forgot about Trebek, which would be hard to do, while others are still finding it hard to get over his death and pointing out their favorite moments included in the video. Fans may have had mixed feelings over Ken Jennings taking over as host, but at least they can all agree that Trebek was special.

As previously mentioned, the host's legacy is still very much felt on Jeopardy! In 2023, Jennings got choked up over a contestant recalling competing on Trebek’s final episode. It’s hard to believe that it’s been nearly five years since Trebek died and Jennings has now been hosting the program for years. Even though no one is able to replace Trebek, he's doing a good job, and the show is excellent at honoring the legacy of his predecessor.

Of course, there are plenty more great Alex Trebek moments, and it makes me wonder how producers were able to choose for the video. Personally, I would have taken an hour-long video of his finest and funniest instances; however, these ten minutes will suffice. And now I feel like crying and laughing once again.

The idea that we’re coming up on five years without Alex Trebek is likely mind-boggling to many Jeopardy! fans. Trebek’s 37-year run on the historic game show made the program a nightly staple for millions, which continued even after his passing. As Jeopardy! eventually sorted through its guest-host brouhaha, and dropped Mayim Bialik as co-host in late 2023, Ken Jennings ultimately emerged as the sole successor, and is weighing in on those turbulent times and what it was like to take over for the beloved late icon.

The syndicated game show definitely found its footing since, and is going strong, with Jeopardy! Masters debuting its latest season on the 2025 TV schedule. #2 on the list of all-time biggest Jeopardy! winners, Jennings revealed to People that mini-era was complex to maneuver because of everyone mourning Trebek’s tragic passing, himself included, and knowing that no one could be a true one-to-one replacement. As he put it:

He’s not wrong. Trebek’s death was hard to process, and led to many conversations about how the show could move forward without hiim. I can’t imagine being in a position similar to the 50-year-old Jennings at the time, with many fans calling for him to take over, even though the studio wasn't immediately on board. And even though he was initially skittish about taking over arguably the best game show ever, Jennings took the plunge and hasn't really looked back.

Jennings jumped into his more intimate perspective at the time, sharing he wasn’t ready to let go of the legend. In the end, though, he knew he’d watch the late entertainer enough that he could use his knowledge of what Trebek would’ve done to pick up the hosting torch. And now that it’s been a few years, he’s feeling more confident than ever before:

Since the new job duties were assigned, we’ve seen Jennings slowly become more confident behind that podium. Even still, fans have varying opinions of him as lead, and he’s okay with that because he knows this demographic is notoriously tuning in for what they become famliar with over the years decades. We all knew this period would be an odd feeling and new, and it’s great to know he also recognized it wouldn’t be a quick process. But there continues to be plenty of good signs for this new age continuing to bridge the gap, and he has no plans of changing Jeopardy!’s format.

Be sure to tune into Jeopardy! Masters' new episodes airing on ABC every Wednesday at 9:00 p.m. ET.

Ken Jennings has been at the forefront of Jeopardy!’s hosting duties by his lonesome since late 2023, when former co-host Mayim Bialik was dropped for the sole host model. So far, he hasn’t seen anyone come close to breaking his 74-game win streak, but anything can happen on this show. Well, so long as it doesn’t radically alter the format that the late, great Alex Trebek stuck with for his 37-season run.

Indeed, while Jennings is certainly quippier behind the lectern than Trebek was in his later years (or possibly ever), and asks contestants sillier questions during the mid-round meet-and-greet, his reign on the all-time great game show has largely resembled that of his predecessor. Sure, there are more tournaments now, but that’s the handiwork of executive producer Michael Davies, and not Jennings himself. In fact, when asked by People about any potential changes on the way, Jennings was quick to point out why the show shouldn't change, saying:

I totally get his point. Even though the Jeopardy!'s production as a whole has evolved over time — with changes made to the podiums, the backgrounds, the clue board and more — the basics of the game have remained the same without many fan requests to alter that streak. The 30-clue rounds and question-based answering have been tenets since Alex Trebek's earliest days, and not even announcer Johnny Gilbert's delivery has changed much in the past 40 years.

I suppose one of the biggest swings that Jeopardy! has taken with format and gameplay adjustments came when Celebrity Jeopardy! added a third round with $300-$1,500 clue amounts. But that's only for the primetime spinoff, where all of the prize winnings go to charity, so it makes beneficial sense to up the ante there.

As far as daily syndicated episodes go, however, expect more of the same Jeopardy! we've come to know and love. Which just so happens to be the way Ken Jennings wants it as well. In his words:

Now, would I stop watching the show altogether if Jennings suddenly did have a new catchphrase that he shoe-horned into every episode? Of course not. In fact, I've come to consider "What appeals?" to be as close to a catchphrase as we'll get, and I find myself repeating it every so often.

Jennings also talked in the interview about being more comfortable now than ever in the driver's seat, especially after the guest-host brouhaha that followed Trebek's death. But hopefully we won't have to worry about anything vaguely close to that happening again. Or if it does happen, just make it a tournament.

Ken Jennings is a busy man these days, pulling double duty on syndicated Jeopardy! as well as hosting Celebrity Jeopardy!, which airs Wednesdays on the 2025 TV schedule. When it was announced in late 2023 that Mayim Bialik would not return as co-host, many wondered why it had taken so long to settle on what seemed like the obvious choice to succeed Alex Trebek. The hosting carousel that followed Trebek’s 2020 death felt like a circus at times for viewers — and certainly for contestants — and even Jennings admits that his predecessor would have looked down his famous mustache at the brouhaha.

While Ken Jennings took the reins immediately following the passing of one of the best game show hosts of all time, then-executive producer Mike Richards invited several celebrities to guest host but ultimately named himself Alex Trebek’s permanent replacement. That, however, lasted only a day when former podcast comments led Sony to part ways with the EP, and Jennings and Mayim Bialik were named co-hosts. In a game where Trebek had insisted the contestants were more important than the host, Jennings told Rolling Stone he doesn’t think Trebek would be too happy about how things played out, saying:

There were definitely things that were enlightening about the rotation of guest hosts. Celebrities, contestants and fans all had a bigger appreciation for how easy Alex Trebek made that job look, and — as Ken Jennings pointed out — we got to see hosts deliver clues with different cadences, rhythms and tones.

It also proved that Alex Trebek was right — the game would survive regardless of who was behind the lectern. Despite some benefits to seeing different people in that position, there was an air of instability that rubbed many the wrong way. Amy Schneider, who along with Ken Jennings is one of the biggest winners in Jeopardy! history, didn’t like the tour of guest hosts, saying:

Of all the contestants who competed during that time, Matt Amodio was most affected. During his 38-game win streak and the tournaments that followed, he played under seven different Jeopardy! hosts and has spoken candidly about the “frustrating” thing about Mayim Bialik’s hosting.

Matt Amodio thinks the quiz show landed with the right host, and while opinions will certainly vary about the Ken Jennings era of Jeopardy!, many other fans and former players think so too. Check your local listings to see when the show airs in syndication in your area, or catch Celebrity Jeopardy! at 9 p.m. ET Wednesdays on ABC. You can also fire up your Amazon Prime subscription to see Colin Jost crushing it as the host of Pop Culture Jeopardy!.

Somehow it’s been nearly four years since Alex Trebek passed away, ultimately passing the torch to one of the biggest winners in Jeopardy! history, Ken Jennings. It wasn’t necessarily an easy road for Jennings to get from champion to host, but now that Season 41 is off and running on the 2024 TV schedule, fans finally feel like they can sit back and assess the current state of the quiz show. Let’s just say not everyone’s in agreement, after a viewer started a conversation that dived deep into everything from the categories to the vibe of Jennings’ era of Jeopardy!.

Season 41 of one of the best game shows ever is Ken Jennings’ second as its full-time host. Alex Trebek died in the middle of Season 37, and with no clear successor, the show endured a bit of turbulence before reaching its current state of consistency. Redditor Sea-Rush445 asked fellow fans of their opinion of the post-Trebek era of Jeopardy!, saying:

As noted, there are quite a few factors that play into the show’s evolution, but Ken Jennings being the host is an obvious one. While bmann1111 says “Jeopardy will never be as great as it was” without Alex Trebek, others like Cultural_Salad_2933, are more than happy to move forward with the GOAT. They wrote:

As a Jeopardy! fan myself, I’d tend to agree with the above statement. I loved Alex Trebek, and I love Ken Jennings, especially now that he’s gotten more comfortable in the position. However, I sometimes question if there are inconsistencies in some of the more controversial rulings when it comes to pronunciation or a contestant being able to change their answer before the host rules them incorrect.

That may speak to the different vibe mentioned by the OP, as some said they weren’t as into the show as they used to be:

• Yes, this is so true to me. It is weird. I feel like it's all about the quest for the next "super champion" - not as interesting to me as people with different, sometimes interesting or just regular backgrounds competing. I never missed a night, now sometimes I do. – celtica98
• I also think that there is something off because my interest in the show is significantly diminished. I cannot define what is off; it could be me or the show, but it has taken effect. – DotAccomplished5484

Meanwhile, Alison Betts, a five-game winner and future Tournament of Champions contestant would have to disagree, naturally, as she wrote:

The categories were another thing that some took issue with, commenting that there seems to be more of a pop culture presence these days. Despite others' protestations that there is no more pop culture in today’s clues than there was in Ken Jennings’ playing days, this comment from Comfortable-Policy70 is hilariously spot on:

I have to admit, I love all the Triple Rhyme Time and Before & After categories, but that is only because I have the privilege of pausing the episodes to figure the clues out. I might not be too impressed as a contestant trying to play those word games.

As for when Jeopardy! started to lose its luster, the critics don’t seem to be blaming Ken Jennings or the hosting brouhaha. It was all those damn tournaments. In the words of logaruski73:

Tournament fatigue was real last year, when the writer’s strike prevented new clues from being crafted, but like the commenter above, now that we’re back in the regular-season swing, the negativity is a distant memory.

I actually really enjoy seeing the familiar faces return, and the gameplay is phenomenal more often than not. My sole complaint continues to be with the Jeopardy! Invitational Tournament — and that’s for its abbreviation, not the tournament itself. I just can’t keep from cringing when Ken Jennings says, “JIT.”

Jeopardy! has been on quite a journey since we lost one of the best game show hosts of all time in Alex Trebek. That’s not a knock on the Ken Jennings era, but many of the quiz show’s fans agree there’s just something that’s been lost in the years since we last saw our mustachioed hero.

Family Feud is undoubtedly among the best game shows of all time, but in its current era, I’m tuning in to see Steve Harvey and his hilarious interactions with the contestants as much as I am for the game itself. The most recent episode of Celebrity Family Feud pitted Robin Thicke against Anthony Anderson to win money for charity, and Harvey was certainly set up for an ego boost when one question asked about TV hosts people had romantic fantasies about. His reaction was, of course, A+, but we have got to talk about some of the other answers.

It does seem like a no-brainer that when Steve Harvey asked: “Admit it — What TV host, past or present, have you had romantic fantasies about?,” someone would name the Family Feud host, and Team Robin member Ava did not disappoint. Neither did Harvey’s immediate response to the answer, as they had this exchange:

• Steve Harvey: Watch yourself right there. Watch yourself. How old are you, Ava?
• Ava: I’m sorry! 24.
• Steve Harvey: Oh God no. Please don’t be up there.
  

However, Steve Harvey was actually the No. 1 answer, and I’ve got to say — in my humble opinion — he didn’t have much competition. Robin Thicke’s friends and family went on to strike out immediately with guesses of Pat Sajak, Alan Thicke and Nick Cannon.

Robin Thicke naming his colleague from The Masked Singer I get, because with the number of Cannon children running around, there are apparently a lot of people having romantic fantasies about him. I even love how they honored Robin’s father, Alan Thicke, who passed away in 2016. Pat Sajak? Sure, he’s not a bad-looking fellow by any means, but I’ve personally never gotten all hot and bothered when he suggests players “give the wheel a spin.”

Anthony Anderson’s team was able to bring home the steal by guessing the No. 2 answer — Jimmy Fallon. Really? Is Jimmy Fallon the best we can do there? I love Fever Pitch probably more than most, but I never considered the talk show host to be on the level of romantic fantasy. No shade, though, to each his own. The rest of the list included some of the best game show hosts of days gone by — Alex Trebek (that sexy, mustachioed silver fox), Bob Barker and Regis Philbin. You can check out the full clip below:

I'm going to have to assume the 100 people surveyed were just trying to think of any male TV host they could think of, rather than tapping into their actual fantasies.

That wasn’t the first time a Family Feud question set Steve Harvey up to be flattered. In a 2023 celebrity episode, he asked the contestants which female celebrities they’d set him up with if he weren’t married. Let’s just say his reactions to the Beyoncé and Oprah responses are worth checking out for yourself.

When it comes to fantasizing about TV hosts, maybe I was wrong for thinking more Ryan Seacrest than Donny Osmond, but hey, it bought us another classic Steve Harvey reaction, and that’s at least part of the reason we’re all here, right? You can see new episodes of Celebrity Family Feud at 9 p.m. ET Tuesdays on ABC, and check out what other premieres are coming soon with our 2024 TV schedule.

The world lost a true icon when beloved Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek died at the age of 80 in 2020. Trebek passed away following a battle with pancreatic cancer, which he disclosed to the general public. Amid the longtime TV personality’s treatments, fans were incredibly vocal, sharing their love for the man in various ways. Those who knew Trebek (who still stands as one of the best all-time game show hosts) well have shared their remembrances of him in the years since his death. Ken Jennings, the current host of the show, recently did just that when he recalled how fans helped Trebek stay positive amid his cancer diagnosis.

Alex Trebek has received a number of posthumous honors, and the latest way in which he’s being celebrated is through his own commemorative postage stamp.The dedication ceremony was recently held at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City. Additionally, the postal service also shared a video, which featured anecdotes from Trebek’s wife, Jean, as well as Ken Jennings. It was during that video (which was shared to YouTube) that Jennings recalled his interactions with Trebek after the latter had been diagnosed with cancer. Jennings recalled that amid the unfortunate situation, Trebek found a silver lining, thanks to his fans:

Chances are that not many people would disagree with the assertion that the former Double Dare host was one of a kind. His calm and cerebral demeanor was incredibly refreshing and more than apt for hosting an intellectual-based game show. His wit and warm personality were also attributes that helped the star endear himself to viewers over the course of his decades-long career. I think it’s fair to say that there was truly no one else like him on TV and, even now, few people come close.

Alex Trebek announced his cancer diagnosis in 2019 by way of an emotional video. From there, he provided updates on his condition, even opening up about the struggles with his treatment. Trebek also discussed concerns about losing his skills due to cancer treatments. As hard as it was for Trebek at the time, the support he received was immense and led to a few memorable (and viral) moments. One that stands out the most happened during a game and saw a Jeopardy! contestant drop a touching message instead of an answer to a question. With that, it’s easy to see just why Trebek thought so much of his fans’ well wishes.

Ken Jennings honored his late predecessor shortly after his death and has done so on multiple occasions since then. Even on his first day hosting the show, Jennings kept a special memento in his pocket – an audience ticket from Mr. Trebek’s first episode of Jeopardy! While Jennings has since found his own groove since becoming the sole host of the show, it has seemed that he’s sought to channel his mentor as he performs his duties.

It honestly still hurts a bit to know that Alex Trebek is no longer around but, if there’s any comfort that we can take in it, it’s that he received his flowers before he passed away. Not too many people are able to leave an impression on the public that’s so indelible that they receive copious amounts of love from strangers. That’s a testament not only to Trebek’s skills as a game show host but to his character as a human being.

Fans can watch Ken Jennings carry the torch as the host of Jeopardy!, which airs in syndication alongside other entries on the 2024 TV schedule.

The feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar has a long history that’s taken some entertaining turns lately (including the rom-com 10 Things I Hate About You being used in a response). Never to be outdone, however, Jeopardy! Masters star James Holzhauer is kindly reminding people that brutal beefs can also play out on the stage of classic quiz shows, as he shared one of the sickest burns in Jeopardy! history in response to a social media commentary about diss tracks.

One X (Twitter) user's musing about beef between people in the music industry caught the eye of the self-proclaimed “final boss” of the quiz show world James Holzhauer this week. In response to the sentiment that feuds such as the one between Kendrick Lamar and Drake don’t work in other genres, one of Jeopardy!’s biggest winners had the best response, posting: 

This, ladies and gentlemen, is why James Holzhauer is THE resident troll of Jeopardy! This absolute demolishing of Brad Rutter came during 2020’s Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time tournament, which pit the 2019 Tournament of Champions winner (who holds every spot in the Top 10 of single-game winnings) against Ken Jennings — record-holder of most consecutive games won — and Rutter, who has earned more money than any other Jeopardy! champion.

In the clip, the trio was about to begin a new game, with Ken Jennings leading the way with previous winnings of 65,600 points. James Holzhauer trailed with 34,181, and Brad Rutter unfortunately had no points. When Alex Trebek — one of the greatest game show hosts of all time — reset the scores, Rutter’s obviously stayed the same, leading Holzhauer to jokingly whine: 

That truly is as harsh as any diss track I’ve ever heard, and the audience reacted like they’d just witnessed a mic drop at a rap battle. Ken Jennings doubled over in laughter before proclaiming, “Wow!” and poor Brad Rutter could do nothing but smile through the pain. Alex Trebek said it best with his response: 

James Holzhauer can talk a good game, but Ken Jennings bested him in the GOAT Tournament, creating a friendly rivalry between the two. Holzhauer has been gunning for a rematch ever since, but according to Jennings that’s unlikely to happen, as the current-day host isn’t pressing his luck after saying he thinks he “got some breaks” in that tournament against his contemporaries.

Although The Chase star has actually been known to give sweet advice to his fellow contestants, he’s still taken playful shots at Jeopardy! and its players over the years. The game show’s plan for continuing through the entertainment industry strikes led to some of that signature James Holzhauer snark, and the hosting debacle that followed Alex Trebek’s death has been a rich source of comedy for the Las Vegas sports gambler.

James Holzhauer had jokes about Wheel of Fortune so easily replacing outgoing host Pat Sajak. He also trolled his competition in last year’s Jeopardy! Masters by quoting a Brad Pitt movie, and he couldn’t even get through a congratulatory message to Amy Schneider without dragging Brad Rutter (again) and Ken Jennings a little.

You can see how the beef between James Holzhauer and Ken Jennings continues to develop — and if there will be any shots fired that are as brutal as the one against Brad Rutter in the GOAT Tournament — as Jeopardy! Masters continues at 8 p.m. ET Monday, Wednesday and Friday on ABC. Be sure to see what else is premiering soon with our 2024 TV schedule.  

Jeopardy! is finally settling into its 40th season, with regular episodes having resumed after months of tournament play and Ken Jennings serving as the quiz show’s first solo host since Alex Trebek in 2020. The consistency is likely not only a comfort to viewers, but to Jennings, who seems to be beginning to step out of his predecessor’s shadow and develop his own identity behind the lectern. When the host was asked if that identity might include an homage to Trebek’s epic mustache, Jennings had a hilarious response.

During a conversation on the Inside Jeopardy! podcast, executive producer Michael Davies brought up Alex Trebek and Ken Jennings’ past comments that there are things Trebek did as one of the greatest game show hosts of all time that Jennings will never achieve. One might have expected the former super-champ to get sentimental, as he’s been known to do when talking about Trebek, but instead Jennings replied: 

Ken Jennings is not wrong — Alex Trebek was certainly a handsome gentleman. Men can only aspire to reach that level of silver fox in their older years, and Jennings does not believe that particular look is in the cards for his future. So what about some facial hair, asked Michael Davies? Might we see the younger host try a mustache? Jennings said: 

We’ve all seen Ken Jennings be self-deprecating when it comes to how smart he is or how talented of a Jeopardy! player he was (he’s one of Jeopardy!’s biggest winners, after all), but somehow I’m inclined to believe him when he says we wouldn’t want to see him with a mustache. As for if ratings would drop, I can’t say I agree with that, because who wouldn’t tune in to see a mustachioed Jennings pay tribute to Trebek in such a way? 

Because make no mistake, Alex Trebek’s mustache was nothing short of iconic. It was one of the most masculine mustaches in TV history. For the early years of his Jeopardy! career, Trebek was known for his prominent facial hair, until he went clean-shaven in 2001. He sported that look for 13 years before allowing it to grow back in 2014, allowing the audience to decide the ‘stache’s fate. Unfortunately, they voted for the razor. 

In 2018, the mustache returned, bringing along a friend, and Jeopardy! fans were obsessed with the new beard. Then, in the midst of the pandemic in summer 2020, the beard made another appearance, as Alex Trebek was looking sharp in a video update he posted about the quiz show.

I love to see Ken Jennings coming into his own as the host of Jeopardy!, and while there’s one aspect of the game he has over Alex Trebek, it’s probably best Jennings doesn’t attempt to match his predecessor in the specific arena of facial hair.

Check your local listings to see when and where to find Ken Jennings’ clean-shaven face on Jeopardy!’s syndicated episodes, and Jeopardy! Masters is set to return at 8 p.m. ET Wednesday, May 1, on ABC. Check out our 2024 TV schedule to see what other premieres are coming soon. 

For much of television’s history, game shows have been an ever-evolving part of the daily viewing cycle, right up through the streaming era. From trivia competitions to guessing games to skill battles and beyond, they’re among TV’s most delectable comfort foods, and many familiar favorites having their recipes rebooted time and again. Audiences love watching both big winners and big losers, we love playing along, and who doesn’t love a great host? (Read our list of the best hosts.) To celebrate this prize-heavy genre, we’ve ranked the 30 best game shows of all-time, with certain caveats.

The round-up below is almost entirely focused on traditional 30-minute game show formats here in the U.S., largely of the syndicated variety, and without series that are geared around competitions, elimination-driven seasons, giant stunts, or anything that also slots into “reality” or “children’s TV.” We’re talking games here that feasibly anyone can play. So everyone grab your buzzers, and don’t let the clock hit zero before you reach the end.

30. Chain Reaction

Hosts:: Bill Cullen, Blake Emmons, Geoff Edwards, Dylan Lane, Mike Catherwood

Many all-ages activity books worth their salt will feature chain reaction puzzles, in which the challenge is parsing through clues to get from one word to another completely unrelated word. That concept has been brought to life quite a few times over the years, with five different iterations of Chain Reaction airing across NBC (1980), USA (1986-1991), and Game Show Network (2006-07, 2015-16, 2021-22) for a total of 12 seasons and around 1,400 episodes combined.

• Standout Element: Every version of Chain Reaction is an equally fun option for an entire family or group of friends to yell answers at.

29. The Newlywed Game

Hosts: Bob Eubanks, Jim Lange, Paul Rodriguez, Gary Kroeger, Carnie Wilson, Sherri Shepherd

The show that ushered the phrase “making whoopee” into the TV lexicon, The Newlywed Game was co-created by Howdy Doody creator E. Roger Muir, with the legendary Chuck Barris as producer, back in 1966. It’s a more enjoyable romance-driven series than The Dating Game, which debuted the previous year, with a lot of the fun coming from watching couples who so very clearly are not meant to be together. Such marital chaos is so interesting to TV viewers that there have been six different versions of The Newlywed Game, from ABC’s runs (1966-74, 1984) to the syndicated versions (1977-80, 1985-89, 1996-99) to GSN’s sole revival (2009-2013), at least so far.

• Standout Element: The couples are usually a joy to watch, but recurring host Bob Eubanks had the magnetism to keep audiences tuned in, to the point where he held hosting duties across five different versions of the show.

28. Win, Lose Or Draw

Hosts: Vicki Lawrence, Bert Convy, Robb Weller, Marc Price, Justin Willman

Essentially the TV version of the home game Pictionary — and existing long before that game’s 2022 series — Win, Lose or Draw is one of few shows where contestants’ artistic abilities are most important, although only as important as well others can guess. Several versions of the series existed in a short window, with NBC’s daytime take (1987-89) airing at the same time as the syndicated version (1987-90), which predated Disney Channel’s Teen Win, Lose or Draw (1989-92) and another youth-oriented version (2014) that dropped the “Teen” from the title. Did I mention Win, Lose or Draw was co-created by Burt Reynolds?

• Standout Element: The best artists = the worst artists, in my book, and I also always loved when there was still enough time at the end of an episode for someone in the audience to try their own hand at earning extra money.

27. @midnight

One of two Comedy Central game shows to last beyond two seasons, the joke-laden @midnight debuted in 2013 laser-focus on Internet culture, from dank memes to Yahoo Answers to The Iron Sheik’s tweets. Like Whose Line Is It Anyway?, the actual competition quickly becomes irrelevant, and the point was for each episodes’ three comedian contestants to make the host and audience laugh as much as possible with a barrage of ridiculous headlines, hashtags and more. With over 600 episodes produced, and CBS’ revamped After Midnight keeping things alive, it’s a smorgasbord of comedy greats.

• Standout Element: Episodes with cast and crew from the same TV show competing against each other, from Archer to The Walking Dead to Rick and Morty.

26. Hollywood Squares

Hosts: Peter Marshall, Jon Bauman, John Davidson, Tom Bergeron

In case anyone had any reservations about whether Hollywood Squares slots more as a heady quiz show or a comedic game show, one only needs to know two things: it employs true/false questions, and Paul Lynde was a big part of it for a while. The tic-tac-toe series has seen various incarnations throughout the years, starting with its NBC run (1966-80) and into its various syndicated spans (1971-81, 1986-89, 1998-2004), as well as a few spinoffs such as Hip Hop Squares and Nashville Squares. The show’s biggest strength is indeed the lineup of nutty comedians and celebs brought in across the 5,000+ episodes, from “Weird” Al Yankovic to Vincent Price to Joan Rivers to Whoopi Goldberg to Martin Mull and many more.

• Standout Element: Arguably the most exciting Bonus Round of any version of Hollywood Squares is when the contestant chooses a car key to use on one of the on-stage vehicles, with the hopes that the key turns the vehicle on. There’s nothing like the moment when it’s successful.

25. Idiotest

Host: Ben Glieb

As much as I’d already love a reboot, Idiotest only boasts the lone four-season stretch on Game Show Network (2014-2017) with comedian Ben Gleib as its splendidly smarmy host. Rather than focusing on either general knowledge or esoteric trivia, Idiotest instead has its contestants utilizing (or not) their critical thinking skills for all manner of brain teasers and word puzzles. It’s a show where, as the name implies, people can often walk away feeling pretty dumb, and Gleib is excellent at poking plenty of good-natured fun without going too far.

• Standout Element: The puzzles are so well-crafted from season to season, with the writers putting a lot of effort into keeping things fresh, so that every single episode is automatically worth watching.

24. Remote Control

Hosts: Ken Ober, Colin Quinn

MTV’s first piece of original programming that wasn’t musically focused, Remote Control remains a singular snapshot of the era in which it aired (1987-1990), with the majority of its focus hooked to popular music videos and artists at the time, as well as other slices of pop culture. The crown jewel of Remote Control, however, was the stellar set design that resembled a messy basement, complete with La-Z-Boy recliners for the contestants that flipped backwards into the rear wall whenever someone was eliminated. With lots of celebrities appearing as both guests and contestants, the series spawned a few big names of its own, including host Ken Ober’s sidekick announcer Colin Quinn, with other segments featuring Adam Sandler and Denis Leary.

• Standout Element: The TV game board rocked, but it’s hard to deny the endless pleasure of seeing an unlucky loser being physically removed from the set to the audience singing “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye.”

23. Lingo

Hosts: Michael Reagan, Ralph Andrews, Chuck Woolery, Bill Engvall, RuPaul Charles

A fun and quizzical mix of bingo chance and mystery words, Lingo arrived on the scene in 1987 for a one-season syndicated run, but the game show truly became a household staple during its first Game Show Network run (2002-07), with Chuck Woolery heading things up. The latter two versions —- GSN (2011) and CBS’ primetime version in 2023 — aren’t quite on the same level, as fine as they are, and it seems pretty clear that Lingo played a big part in everyone getting obsessed with Wordle for a while.

• Standout Element: It’s definitely the Wordle challenge of figuring out short words with limited chances, but there’s also a strange pleasure in watching contestants hold up their balls all wrong.

22. Win Ben Stein's Money

Hosts: Ben Stein, Jimmy Kimmel, Nancy Pimental, Sal Iacono

This Daytime Emmy-winner from Comedy Central is a solid trivia game show in and of itself, with oodles of wordplay on display. But a lot of the show’s fun comes from Ferris Bueller vet Ben Stein flipping from host to competitor midway through each episode, as he tries to thwart the remaining two contestants from winning the money in his “bank.” Stein’s dry comedy complemented well against Man Show vets Kimmel and Iacono. Fairly low stakes for a major game show — $5,000 grand prizes, with latter-day Ben Stein’s Cup episodes inviting past winners to vie for a $25,000 prize — but that’s possibly how it stayed on the air for 6 seasons and more than 700 episodes from 1997-2003.

• Standout Element: As a winking jab at Jeopardy!, the show would “punish” players who accidentally answered in the form of a question by making them wear a dunce cap until the current round ended. Gotta love a gimmick.

21. Concentration / Classic Concentration

Hosts: Hugh Downs, Jack Barry, Bob Clayton, Ed McMahon, Jack Narz, Alex Trebek

First produced in 1958 by NBC, Concentration took its inspiration from the children’s memory game, with contestants matching numbers across a board with a rebus puzzle hiding behind it. Its initial run lasted 14 years, with nearly 3,800 episodes filmed, and immediately gave way to the syndicated version (1973-1978), with the Alex Trebek-hosted iteration airing on NBC from 1987-1991. While memory games may not be the most challenging, the various prizes and ability to steal an opponent’s winnings changed things up enough.

• Standout Element: Figuring out a rebus puzzle before all of the numbers were gone yet is a good way to feel like a mild genius for part of an afternoon.

20. America Says

Host: John Michael Higgins

A quasi-fusion of Family Feud and Match Game mechanics, Game Show Network’s America Says is similarly as enjoyable and easy to get into as both of the aforementioned classics. The simple concept involves players attempting to guess the top 7 answers to a variety of survey questions, with the first letter revealed for each word, as well as its estimated length based on blank-space size. Longtime comedy vet John Michael Higgins (Best in Show, Pitch Perfect) is an easy-breezy peach of a frontman, with plenty of quips and self-deprecating roasts to keep things amusing during its five seasons (2018-2022).

• Standout Element: The consistent balance between somewhat easy answers and less obvious ones, both within the main game and during the Bonus Round.

19. Supermarket Sweep

Hosts: Bill Malone, David Ruprecht, Leslie Jones

Grocery shopping may not always sound like a grand idea, but if it was anything like Supermarket Sweep, we’d likely never stop. The consumer-focused game show first aired on ABC from 1965-1967, but many fans are no doubt most familiar with the Lifetime (1990-95) and PAX TV (2000-03) versions, for which more than 1,100 episodes were produced. ABC’s reboot (2020-21) hosted by Leslie Jones didn’t quite hit the same highs, but definitely still made me want to start running up and down grocery aisles looking for marked items for higher prize money.

• Standout Element: Game-planning one’s own Super Sweep round and comparing it to what the contestants actually do, while wondering why so many people seemed to only add giant high-price items instead of smaller goods.

18. Weakest Link

Hosts: Anne Robinson, George Gray, Jane Lynch

Based on the UK series, the American take on Weakest Link hit a few years after Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, and brought a similar high-stakes approach to the quiz format, only with contestants needing to work together for bigger winnings. For those who enjoy quiz-play over dramatics, the syndicated era (2002-03) is probably more ideal than NBC’s surprisingly short-lived first interaction (2001-02) or its most current version (2020-present). As well, this show features one of the most hardcore catchprases in all of game show TV: “You are the weakest link. Goodbye.”

• Standout Element: Whenever a group of contestants was actually smart enough to know how to properly bank the biggest totals, and also managed to get the right answers.

17. You Bet Your Life

Hosts: Groucho Marx, Buddy Hackett, Bill Cosby, Jay Leno

Kicking off its 75+-year lifespan as a radio series, You Bet Your Life’s transition to TV was a huge success in large part due to its initial host Groucho Marx entering his post-Marx Brothers solo era. In fact, much of the show’s legacy is tied to its lengthy NBC run (1950-1961) with Marx cracking audiences and contestants up left and right with both his witty banter and his trademark facial stylings, with the quiz questions taking a backseat. The syndicated versions of You Bet Your Life (1980-81, 1992-93, 2021-23) similarly opted for past-their-prime comedians as hosts, though with lesser results.

• Standout Element: Groucho Marx’s no-brainer questions were fun and empathetic, but nothing beats seeing the comedy legend chatting it up with other icons such as genre writers Ray Bradbury and William Peter Blatty, boxers Joe Louis and Rocky Marciano, actors Ernie Kovacs and Jayne Mansfield, and more.

16. To Tell The Truth

Hosts: Bud Collyer, Garry Moore, Joe Garagiola, Robin Ward, Gordon Elliott, Lynn Swann, Alex Trebek, John O'Hurley, Anthony Anderson

To date, more than 4,000 episodes of To Tell the Truth have been produced since the franchise debuted on CBS (1956-68), and at least one version of the series has aired in every decade since. Which goes to show just how popular this game show was and largely still is, with Anthony Anderson hosting the most recent primetime run (2016-2022). The gameplay has remained largely the same throughout its many decades, with a set of challengers each posing as the same person while answering questions from a panel of celebrities who are trying to figure out the real deal.

• Standout Element: While To Tell the Truth deserves pop culture props for giving “The Real Slim Shady” a source for its hook, a big draw here is nearly eight decades of celebrities, such as Johnny Carson, Betty White, Nipsey Russell, Dave Coulier, and Nikki Glaser. And Anthony Anderson’s mom.

15. Name That Tune

Hosts: Red Benson, Bill Cullen, George DeWitt, Richard Hayes, Dennis James, Tom Kennedy, Jim Lange, Jane Krakowski

Though music is a common category in quiz shows, Name That Tune (not to mention its radio show influences) is on a different plane, with questions coming in the form of song snippets that contestants must bet on recognizing. Transitioning from radio to TV in 1953, where it aired on both NBC (1953-54) and CBS (1953-59), before later enjoying syndicated runs (1970-71, 1974-81, 1984-85) and its current incarnation on Fox (2021-present), whose third season featured celebrities as the contestants. That it continues getting rebooted is a sign of the format’s appeal, which certainly helped inspire Jamie Foxx’s Beat Shazam.

• Standout Element: Loudly guessing correct Rice-a-Roni prices and Ibsen plays is fun for other game shows, but it’s a special kind of pride that comes with identifying a song in three or fewer notes.

14. Card Sharks

Hosts: Jim Perry, Bob Eubanks, Bill Rafferty, Pat Bullard, Joel McHale

Card Sharks’ various mechanics largely come from other game shows, such as Family Feud’s group-surveyed questions and answers as well as Price Is Right’s higher-or-lower wagering system. But that doesn’t stop the combination of elements from being a winner, and just about everyone has cashed in. NBC launched it from 1978-81, and it later flipped to CBS (1986-89) and its first run in syndication (1986-87), followed by another (2001-02) ahead of an extended dorman phase that ended with the Joel McHale-hosted stint on ABC (2019-21). The rule changes have helped freshen things up between versions, though all the show really needs is oversized playing cards, and the rest works itself out.

• Standout Element: Card Sharks is another A+ example of Bob Eubanks’ charm, but it deserves credit for helping put future Night Court co-star and regular game show contestant Markie Post in front of TV audiences as a card dealer.

13. Cash Cab

Hosts: Ben Bailey, Beth Melewski, Adam Growe

Another one of many successful American game shows spun out of a UK format, Cash Cab is also one of the longest-running, with always genial comedian Ben Bailey driving the titular quiz-mobile for the bulk of its run across Discovery (2005-12, 2017-18) and Bravo (2019-20); though not the locational spinoff Cash Cab: Chicago or the 2024 AXS revival Cash Cab Music. The premise is simple enough, with myriad New York residents shocked to discover they’re in a traveling game show. Unlike many others in the genre, this isn’t a game show people get rich from, with pretty low-level takeaways even for the highest earners. Rather, Cash Cab boasts randomly timed rounds, depending on trip times, and one of the most hilarious forms of TV elimination: after three wrong answers, the cab stops and the contestants have to find a new ride.

• Standout Element: The final double-or-nothing round, should the riders choose to partake, is a great way to add some gambling-esque risks into the mix, since they players got a free ride out of it no matter what.

12. Match Game

Hosts: Gene Rayburn, Ross Shafer, Michael Burger, Alec Baldwin

One of the first game shows that truly thrived on the bawdy nature of double entendres, Match Game delivered easy-to-understand but not always easy to master gameplay, especially with panels featuring slightly more off-kilter panelists. Gene Rayburn and his signature mic fronted the fan-fave series for the bulk of its early runs on NBC (1962-69), CBS (1973-79), and syndicated (1975-81, 1979-82), with a plethora of familiar faces regularly filling up the panel seats, such as fellow host Richard Dawson, Charles Nelson Reilly, Brett Somers and more. Later versions — syndicated (1998-99) and another ABC run (2016-21) — brought back a lot of the early era’s classic guests while mixing in others. Its latest iteration, hosted by Alec Baldwin, was canceled in April 2022.

• Standout Element: Many of the question scenarios and answers posed in Match Game can be groaners to say the least, but when they pair up completely in the comedy’s favor, and you get a moment like Betty White snorting with laughter, all the groans were worth it.

11. What's My Line?

Hosts: John Charles Daly, Wally Bruner, Larry Blyden

While many of the earliest episodes of What’s My Line? have been lost or destroyed, its success kept it on the air from 1950-67 on CBS, and from 1968-75 in syndication, so more than enough episodes survived to have maintained its status and legacy as a hilarious game show. The gameplay traditionally has a panel of regulars attempting to guess the occupation of the episode’s guests, with one round featuring a mystery celebrity that must be identified, with a huge number of Hollywood legends appearing such as Alfred Hitchcock, Doris Day, Lucille Ball, the Rat Pack, Fred Astaire, Ava Gardner and many more as mystery guests. (Even Salvador Dali appeared, with Random House co-founder Bennett Cerf as a longtime regular panelist.) Despite not having aired a new episode since 1975, reruns somehow don’t feel nearly as aged as one might expect, although the use of the phrase “Is it bigger than a breadbox?” will make it feel just a bit dated.

• Standout Element: The fact that the format somehow hasn’t successfully been revived in the decades since it ended, though attempts were made with Harry Anderson in 2000 (with that pilot being skipped over in place of Survivor, which is while), and with David Hasselohoff in 2008.

10. The Chase

Hosts: Brooke Burns, Sara Haines

Based on the British series of the same name, the American take on The Chase started off on GSN (2013-2015) featuring the UK version’s Mark Labbett. But it was with ABC’s primetime iteration (2021-present) that it entered the quiz format’s upper echelon, thanks to additional chasers such as Jeopardy vets Ken Jennings, James Holzhauer, Brad Rutter, Buzzy Cohen, Victoria Groce and Brandon Blackwell. The individual chases are fun enough, but this is the rare series whose final round brings the contestants together as a team, which adds that much more variety to the format.

• Standout Element: Anytime contestants are able to best the chasers and pull out the win feels as earned as any game show victory possible.

9. Password

Hosts: Allen Ludden, Bert Convy, Regis Philbin, Steve Zaragoza, Keke Palmer

An absolute classic game show format that has been built upon by many other shows, as well as a few of its own spinoffs, Password featured memorable host Allen Ludden across its initial CBS run (1961-67), its shift to ABC (1971-75), and its flip to NBC as Password Plus (1979-82). The word association game featured numerous game show regulars like Richard Dawson and Vicki Lawrence in the early days, with Regis Philbin’s Million Dollar Password (2008-09) welcoming comedians such as Norm Macdonald and Chelsea Handler. The latest version for NBC, which debuted in 2022 with Jimmy Fallon as an executive producer, has featured celeb contestants such as Martin Short, Jon Cryer, Heidi Klum and more.

• Standout Element: Even with all the format tweaks over the years, the wildly easy gameplay is key to this show’s long-lasting appeal.

8. Let's Make A Deal

Hosts: Monty Hall, Bob Hilton, Billy Bush, Wayne Brady

The fast-paced and off-the-wall Let’s Make a Deal was co-created by Monty Hall, the very entertainer who served as its host for nearly 25 years across its runs on NBC (1963-68), ABC (1968-76) and its various syndicated runs that spanned on and off between 1971 and 1986. So many elements of this show have remained memorable through to the CBS iteration hosted by Wayne Brady (2009-present), from the bizarre assortment of costumes worn throughout the crowd of potential contestants to the endless number of ways the hosts attempt to get players to trade increasing amounts of money for mystery prizes hidden behind doors and boxes. The show remains unpredictable, as it’s never clear when competitors are going to successfully swap $250 for a brand new car, or when they’re going to foolishly trade out $500 for a lackluster prize like a live burro or a hundred pineapples. I’m also quite fond of the instant-gratification moments where Hall or Brady (or one of the others) will give an audience member a $100 bill if she has a mint in her purse.

• Standout Element: The game’s keep-or-trade offer took on a new life of its own within the world of probability theory as the “Monty Hall problem,” which dictates that it’s always the best bet to take the trade, at least in a game without host manipulations.

7. The $100,000 Pyramid

Hosts: Dick Clark, Bill Cullen, John Davidson, Donny Osmond, Mike Richards, Michael Strahan

No matter what dollar amount shows up in front of the titular structure, just about every version of Pyramid that pops up on TV is worth stopping on, though with Dick Clark as the GOAT host, and Michael Strahan in second place. The gameplay is so solid in this franchise that it’s pretty much stayed the same from its original $10,000 Pyramid run on CBS (1973-74) through to ABC’s ongoing $100,000 Pyramid. Contestants and celeb partners try to land 7 answers for a bevy of themed categories, culminating in bonus rounds within the instantly recognizable chair set-up in front of the giant gameboard. While this series is slightly harder to play at home with ease, since the answers appear on the bottom of the screen, the rounds are quick enough that they’re fun to watch even without doing any guessing.

• Standout Element: Few game show rounds are quite as satisfying to watch as a perfectly in-sync celebrity-partner pairing who demolish the Winner’s Circle in hardly any time.

6. Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

Hosts: Regis Philbin, Meredith Vieira, Cedric the Entertainer, Terry Crews, Chris Harrison, Jimmy Kimmel

A series that helped revitalize the primetime game show, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? was a runaway ratings smash in the early days of its ABC run (1999-2002), which helped spark the long-running syndicated version (2002-19) and eventually the short-lived ABC revival (2020-21). A quiz show like no other — well, except for the original UK format — Millionaire gave contestants a feasible shot at winning the titular grand prize by answering just 15 questions, with a variety of lifeline options over the years to latch onto. That immense hype for the show, helped along by Regis Philbin’s enjoyably low-key hosting, wasn’t for the long-haul, but it was strong enough to make “That’s my final answer?” and “Phone a Friend” everyday phrases. This modern-day update to the $64,000 Question concept also remains notable for introducing such highly dramatized camerawork and in-studio lighting, as well as its frequent pregnant pauses that inspire contestants to offer the most delightfully banal exposition behind why they’re choosing an answer.

• Standout Element: Given that contestants are only facing their own lack of knowledge in Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, it’s always ideal to see someone go the distance and earn the big prize, especially given how un-fun it can be when players lose on the fifth or sixth question, leading to another cycle of insultingly easy multiple-choice questions.

5. Family Feud

Hosts: Richard Dawson, Ray Combs, Louie Anderson, Richard Karn, John O'Hurley, Steve Harvey

Family Feud has been a TV staple since 1976, with original host Richard Dawson earning quite the lippy reputation throughout his ABC run, which lapsed in 1985, and during his one-season return from 1994-95.. The game show’s formula, which hinges on surveyed answers from 100 men and women, has barely changed a bit since that time, with only ancillary ideas like the Bullseye and Bankroll rounds coming and going.

Its ongoing syndicated run, which started in 1999, has been fronted by the fan-adored comedian Steve Harvey since 2010, after past host John O’Hurley left due to an increase in sexually charged questions. (A fair complaint.) Outside of such mature material, Family Feud remains a show that just about anyone can sit down and play from home as a viewer without feeling the need to study anything first. And the introduction of the Celebrity Family Feud spinoff has only made the star-studded installments even more fun to keep up with.

• Standout Element: No host before Steve Harvey was known for highly animated reactions to contestants’ answers, but the Think Like a Man author will regularly lose all composure and decorum whenever someone’s guess skews overtly naughty or completely illogical.

4. Press Your Luck

Hosts: Peter Tomarken, Todd Newton, Elizabeth Banks

Given how often reruns aired for CBS’ Press Your Luck throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s, one might have assumed its run lasted far longer than just three seasons (1983-86). But its admittedly massive 750+-episode stretch was the only show with Big Bucks until GSN’s short-lived reboot (2002-03), to be later followed by the Elizabeth Banks-fronted primetime revival on ABC (2019-present).

Though partly a quiz show, most viewers would probably agree the core part of the Press Your Luck viewing experience is watching players try to avoid going bankrupt or worse on the big board, aiming to seek out giant sums of money without landing on one of the endlessly frustrating Whammies, which are also admittedly always fun to watch. This particular game show is also somewhat infamous for contestant Michael Larson, who took home a fortune during his 1984 appearances after having memorized the board’s repeated patterns at home.

• Standout Element: The 2019 revival’s introduction of the final bonus round, in which the episode’s winner gets a solo shot at potentially winning $1,000,000, raises the stakes quite considerably, to the point where a Whammy can go from being merely annoying to literally life-altering, if the contestant has a big enough total banked.

3. Wheel Of Fortune

Hosts: Chuck Woolery, Pat Sajak, Rolf Benirschke, Bob Goen, Susan Stafford, Vanna White

One of producer Merv Griffin’s greatest creations, Wheel of Fortune is as much an American institution as most contact sports and Starbucks, with word puzzles based on the children’s game Hangman and a weighted wheel sliced into various dollar amounts. Though the long-gone daytime edition featured several hosts including Chuck Woolery, the evening version of Wheel of Fortune has always featured Pat Sajak as its frontman, and will until his retirement following Season 43. And that longevity goes a long way in cementing WoF as one of the best game shows of all time, as it implies a kind of consistency that few small-screen competitors can commit to.

Which is to say nothing of the always enjoyable gameplay, the crafty (though occasionally questionable) puzzles, and the variety of on-wheel prizes for contestants to vie for, all while avoiding the dreaded Bankrupt space. The series has spawned a plethora of commercial board games, video games, and more ways to enjoy the puzzle-solving life from one’s own couch, if without the stars of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune.

• Standout Element: Watching a contestant pull off a majestical solve based on a single letter is only slightly less awesome than being the one to make that superb solve. But I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t fun watching players offer up the worst guesses humanly possible.

2. The Price Is Right

Hosts: Bill Cullen, Bob Barker, Dennis James, Tom Kennedy, Doug Davidson, Drew Carey

The daytime TV staple The Price Is Right originally ran on NBC from 1956-63 before last two more seasons on ABC(1963-65) — and featured both Don Pardo and Johnny Gilbert as announcers — but it’s the 1972 revival hosted by Bob Barker that most TV viewers above a certain age will always hold as the most classic iteration. The show has produced more than 10,000 episodes across all iterations, including the New Price Is Right syndicated edition (1994-95) and the continued daytime run with Drew Carey taking over as host in 2007.

It’s a series that remains go-to programming for bored retirees and homemakers, as well as those home sick from school or work, with viewers’ valuation skills being put to the test through a variety of different games and gimmicks. (Many would agree that Plinko remains a #1 part of the show, despite being based far more on chance than more intuitive challenges.) From the iconic visual of the big wheel to crafty wagering in the Showcase Showdown, every level of The Price Is Right is gamified for players’ and viewers’ enjoyment. The phrase “closest without going over” is also a memorable takeaway from this series’ existence, though perhaps not so much as Johnny Gilbert's signature "Come on down!"

• Standout Element: While I could probably watch a game show that was wholly fixated on the big wheel, I think possibly the best thing about watching The Price is Right is how unfiltered and authentic some of the contestants’ reactions are, even before they actually win anything.

1. Jeopardy!

Hosts: Art Fleming, Alex Trebek, Mike Richards, Mayim Bialik, Ken Jennings

For over 36 years, Jeopardy! and Alex Trebek went together like peanut butter and chocolate, with the oft-mustachioed host taking the reins in 1984 following prior NBC iterations (1964-75, 1978-79) fronted by Art Fleming. (As depicted in “Weird” Al Yankovic’s famed single and music video “I Lost on Jeopardy.”) It’s in part because of Trebek’s stoic and honorable run that Jeopardy!’s popularity surged over time, pulling in some of its biggest modern-day ratings during James Holzhauer’s win streak.

Though the show’s quality took a temporary dip after Trebek’s death in 2020, as producers went through a revolving door of guest hosts before giving the job to executive producer Mike Richards for a single day, the ship mostly righted itself thereafter. First with the record-breaking champ Ken Jennings sharing duties with The Big Bang Theory vet Mayim Bialik, and then with Jennings being promoted to lone host in December 2023. It’s already the greatest American quiz show, but by focusing more on tournaments centered on former champions’ returns, Jeopardy! continues thriving and evolving into an even more challenging series. And it would be easy enough to argue that the extended edition of Celebrity Jeopardy! and its six total Daily Doubles are a welcome charitable reprieve from the daily games.

• Standout Element: Though not everyone will agree on this, Jeopardy! became a far more competitive and unpredictable viewing experience once players such as Arthur Chu and James Holzhauer turned the Forrest Bounce into the new normal for incoming hopefuls, where only big wagers are welcomed.

There you have it, game show fans. Maybe in the near-to-distant future, more recent series such as Mario Lopez's Blank Slate, the Rob Lowe-hosted trivia show The Floor, or a show that hasn't even premiered yet will make the final cut. But for now, in the immortal words of Bob Barker: "Have your pets spayed or neutered."

Longtime Jeopardy! fans are being treated to an embarrassment of riches with the Invitational Tournament that’s currently airing in syndication. Some of our favorite contestants of the current and past eras are returning to Sony Pictures Studios to face off against one another for the opportunity to advance to Jeopardy! Masters, and for some of them, that means they’re competing for the first time without Alex Trebek as the host. One returning champion, Celeste DiNucci, shared her opinion about how Ken Jennings is doing, and she pointed out one thing the GOAT has that his predecessor didn’t. 

Celeste DiNucci first competed on Jeopardy! in 2006, winning five games (and $83,601) to advance to the Tournament of Champions, which she won in 2007. Her recent appearance in the Jeopardy! Invitational Tournament was her first time back since Alex Trebek’s death, and she shared her opinion on how Ken Jennings is holding up behind the lecturn, telling TV Insider: 

Saying that Ken Jennings is a better host than she expected is no dig at the current host. Celeste DiNucci has been around the game long enough to know just how hard that job actually is. Jennings has spoken about how easy Trebek made it look, not to mention Jennings has the added pressure of carrying on the legacy of one of the greatest game show hosts of all time.

Alex Trebek is indeed a legend, but Celeste DiNucci pointed out one thing Ken Jennings has that Trebek didn’t — knowledge of what it’s like to be on the other side of things. This allows him to have a different rapport with the current players, she said, pointing out:

Ken Jennings is possibly more casual in his approach than Alex Trebek was, and he can needle the contestants in a way that doesn’t come off as mean-spirited because he’s been there. However, Jennings knows the show isn’t about him, and he said he at least attempts to keep a straight face (which apparently is particularly hard on Celebrity Jeopardy!).

Season 40 is the first since Alex Trebek’s 2020 death to feature just one host. A revolving door of celebrities guest-hosted for a while, before Ken Jennings and Mayim Bialik were designated to share co-hosting duties. Ahead of the current season, it was decided that moving forward with just one host was the right thing to do, and Jennings won the job, executive producer Michael Davies said.

Check your local listings to see how to catch Ken Jennings in syndication, and keep up with all of the upcoming premieres with our 2024 TV schedule. 

In the months following Alex Trebek’s death in 2020, Jeopardy! was thrown into upheaval as the powers that be worked to decide who would take on the herculean task of replacing one of the greatest game show hosts of all time. After quite a bit of controversy regarding previous lawsuits and controversial podcast comments, Mike Richards was let go from his position as executive producer and newly appointed Jeopardy! host, and two years later, he has broken his silence with words about the incredible fight he saw Trebek endure.

Alex Trebek hosted Jeopardy! for 37 seasons before ultimately succumbing to pancreatic cancer at age 80, and for over a year after his diagnosis, he continued to fulfill his duties to the quiz show while undergoing treatment. Mike Richards, who was the show’s executive producer at the time, recalled Trebek’s battle, telling People: 

Referring to Jeopardy! as a sport rather than a game seems like something you’d hear from its current EP Michael Davies, or even Ken Jennings, the man who ultimately landed the sole hosting position. Regardless, it’s a perfect description of what Alex Trebek was able to do in his final seasons, and Mike Richards is not the first to acknowledge Trebek’s fight.

Former contestant Yoshie Hill recalled not too long ago what it was like to compete on Alex Trebek’s final episode, which aired two months after his death on January 8, 2021. She said it was “remarkable” how professional and engaged he was, despite being so sick.

Ken Jennings has made similar comments, talking about how much pain Alex Trebek would be in backstage but then push through it once he got in front of the contestants and audience. The current host — who is also one of the biggest winners in Jeopardy! history — even recalled his last conversation with Alex Trebek, confirming that he fought until the very end and “he was still very much Alex” in his final days.

Mike Richards’ comments come over two years after he was removed as executive producer of both Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune. There was instant backlash about him being appointed Alex Trebek’s successor back in 2021, as it appeared “the fix was in” (as LeVar Burton put it) and none of the other guest hosts auditioning for the gig had ever had a chance. 

The situation became more serious when several discrimination lawsuits from his time at The Price Is Right resurfaced, along with many offensive remarks he made on a 2013 podcast. The then-EP went on to host for just one day (one week’s worth of episodes) before stepping down, with Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings being named co-hosts. 

Jeopardy! has been through a lot over the past few years, so it’s nice amidst all of that any time we can look back and remember Alex Trebek and how much the quiz show meant to him. 

Seeing A-list celebrities on SNL is certainly nothing out of the ordinary, considering there is a different one hosting the show each week, even including non-actors who end up nailing it. Lorne Michaels and company have still managed to shock the Studio 8H audience numerous times by bringing out a public figure whom no one could have guessed was going to be part of the show. The following are some of our all-time favorite Saturday Night Live celebrity cameos.

Leonardo DiCaprio (Season 39)

In Jonah Hill’s third SNL monologue, the Academy Award nominee is bombarded by questions about working with Leonardo DiCaprio before trying to convince the audience that the future Oscar winner was not even supposed to be in The Wolf of Wall Street initially. Just then, the Titanic cast member himself walks on to knock some sense into his co-star before agreeing to recreate the famous “We’re flying!” scene from the Best Picture Oscar winner. 

Barack Obama (Season 33)

In the cold open for SNL’s 2007 Halloween show, a spooky party hosted by Bill (Darrell Hammond) and Hilary Clinton (Amy Poehler) is crashed by an unexpected guest in a Barack Obama mask. The stranger removes the rubber face to reveal he is actually the future 44th President of the United States in the flesh.

Barbra Streisand (Season 17)

A recurring topic in Mike Myers’ “Coffee Talk” sketches was Linda Richman’s obsession with Barbra Streisand, who shocked the host and her guests (played by Madonna and Roseanne Barr) by briefly walking on the set to greet them in one sketch. According to Barbra Archives, Myers had been informed that the Oscar-winning Funny Girl star might show up, but Madonna and Barr’s shocked reactions were completely genuine.

Robert De Niro (Season 26)

Academy Award winner Robert De Niro never hosted SNL until 2002, but made multiple surprise appearances beforehand, such as the time he showed up on “Weekend Update.” The cameo was in response to Jimmy Fallon’s unfavorable review of 2000’s Meet the Parents, which Fallon tries to defend with his impersonation of the acting legend, who turns the tables by imitating him at the end.

Kel Mitchell (Season 48)

A pre-taped segment imagines a reboot of the classic Nickelodeon comedy, Kenan & Kel, but with host Keke Palmer as a new character named Kelly. However, the bit ends wonderfully with an appearance of Kenan Thompson’s original co-star, Kel Mitchell, who actually auditioned for SNL once before, to no avail

Judge Judy (Season 24)

Cheri Oteri made an impact on SNL in a short time with memorable characters and hilarious impersonations — especially that of Judge Judy. However, the honorable TV personality herself proved that no one “rules” like the original when she interrupted one of Oteri’s parodies of her court show.

Sarah Paulson (Season 48)

In a sketch poking fun at his internet persona, host Pedro Pascal plays a teacher whose students have made viral videos honoring him as a surrogate “daddy” and another teacher name Ms. Jenny as “mommy.” Entering the room to the crowd’s surprise as Ms. Jenny is the Last of Us cast member’s good friend, Emmy winner Sarah Paulson.

Taylor Swift (Season 49)

Even after her boyfriend — one of the funniest pro athletes to host SNL, Travis Kelce — made a surprise appearance in the same episode (hosted by Pete Davidson), no one anticipated Taylor Swift would show up in the Season 48 opener to introduce musical guest Ice Spice’s second performance. Reportedly, neither of these cameos were planned and were put together last minute when the Grammy-winning superstar and Kansas City Chiefs tight end happened to show up at 30 Rock.

Jason Momoa (Season 45)

In a courtroom-style sketch starring Chance the Rapper as a judge who rules purely by first impressions, one of the defendants is played by Jason Momoa, who already has the host in stitches with his ridiculous wardrobe. However, the Aquaman actor suddenly cannot stop laughing after accidentally referring to himself as a “paraplegic,” when he meant to say “paralegal.”

Eminem (Season 46)

Pete Davidson plays a young man named Stu who writes a series of increasingly erratic letters asking Santa Claus (Jason Bateman) for a PlayStation 5 in this holiday parody of “Stan” by Eminem. As we learn at the end of the bit (which original video star Devon Sawa loved), the Real Slim Shady is the one who ended up getting the PS5 under his tree.

The Property Brothers And Tony Hawk (Season 48)

Kenan Thompson plays the host of an international beauty pageant that is close to going off the rails when he makes note of the random selection of Property Brothers’ Drew and Jonathan Scott and Tony Hawk as the judges before introducing them. Much to the surprise of Thompson’s character (and the audience), the twin renovation reality show stars and the pro skateboarder are appearing as themselves.

Jeff Probst (Season 48)

At first, the only joke this wedding-set sketch has going for it is the repeated utterance of the word “Joker," in reference to the best man’s choice of Halloween costume, modeled after Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight. What transcends the SNL sketch from terrible to amazing is when Survivor host Jeff Probst shows up to announce if the guests voted in favor of the best man (Andrew Dismukes) keeping on his makeup or in favor of the bride (Heidi Gardner), who thinks his costume has ruined the ceremony.

Conan O'Brien (Season 47) 

When John Mulaney’s induction into SNL’s Five-Timers Club doesn’t seem to be going well, with veterans like Steve Martin and Candice Bergen believing he doesn’t fit the quality standards, coming to his aid is none other than Conan O’Brien. The beloved late-night host-turned-podcaster’s surprise appearance was not only special because he starred in the first Five-Timers Club sketch while working as a writer, but because he previously severed ties with NBC after 2010’s embarrassing Tonight Show debacle.

The Hunger Games Cast (Season 40) 

After starting his third SNL monologue with a song about the year 1989 modeled after Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space,” Woody Harrelson is suddenly joined by his Hunger Games movies co-stars Liam Hemsworth and Josh Hutcherson. When Academy Award winner Jennifer Lawrence shows up, Harrelson initially mistakes her for “the real Taylor Swift.”

Eugene Levy (Season 46) 

Host Dan Levy offers a glimpse of what Studio 8H looks like backstage in a post-Covid environment. During the tour, he is shocked to learn his father and fellow Schitt’s Creek cast member, Eugene Levy, flew from L.A. to New York to support him, but pandemic protocols have forced the comedian to watch the show from a clear, protective case.

Matt Damon (Season 44)

Matt Damon is the face behind many of the most amazing celebrity cameos in movies, but the Oscar-winning writer and star of Good Will Hunting has worked his magic on the small screen as well. For instance: his surprise appearance on SNL as Associate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh in a hilarious cold open recreating his senate hearing.

Julia Stiles (Season 49)

On “Weekend Update,” Chloe Fineman demonstrates her most romantic holiday gift idea: recreating the balletic performance from the end of one of the best dance movies, Save the Last Dance. Fineman and the crowd are suddenly starstruck when the film’s star, Julia Stiles, shows up to help bring the tribute to a grand finale.

Arnold Schwarzenegger (Season 14)

When an overly excited Danny DeVito interrupts his monologue and requests to re-do the show’s opening, he asks his good friend and Twins co-star, Arnold Schwarzenegger, to launch things with the famous catchphrase while he is sitting in the audience. The Terminator movies star would show up in the episode again to pay a visit to his cousins, Hans (Dana Carvey) and Franz (Kevin Nealon).

Bryan Cranston (Season 42) 

In a funny cold open, CNN reporter Jake Tapper announces that then-President Donald Trump has selected a new head of the DEA. The person in question is former high school chemistry teacher Walter White, played by former Breaking Bad cast member Bryan Cranston reprising his legendary, multi-Emmy-winning role.

Paul McCartney (Season 32) 

This sketch is already crawling with amazing cameos when Alec Baldwin, in the Platinum Lounge at SNL’s Five-Timers Club, runs into Martin Short (working as a server) and Steve Martin, who attempts to murder his It’s Complicated co-star under the impression he is tying his hosting record. However, the biggest surprise comes when Paul McCartney walks in, whom Martin initially mistakes for fellow club member, Paul Simon. 

Melissa McCarthy (Season 42)

One of SNL’s all-time best hosts, Melissa McCarthy, showed up to play then-White House press secretary Sean Spicer during an episode hosted by Kristen Stewart. While then-President Donald Trump did not care for the sketch, Spicer did not seem bothered by the impersonation (save McCarthy’s amount of gum chewing), and the big became one of SNL’s most popular YouTube clips, later inspiring the Oscar nominee to reprise the role once more.

The Office Cast (Season 44)

When an audience member interrupts Steve Carell’s third SNL monologue to ask if an Office reboot is in the works, he initially says the beloved NBC sitcom might be best left alone. However, fellow Office cast members Ellie Kemper, Ed Helms, and Jenna Fischer pop in to convince him otherwise.

Barry Gibb (Season 39)

Arguably Jimmy Fallon’s single funniest SNL sketch is “The Barry Gibb Talk Show,” in which he and Justin Timberlake, as Bee Gees members Barry and Robin Gibb, discuss pressing topics with public figures. One of the later editions featured Madonna appearing as herself, but when the real Barry Gibb shows up at the very end is an all-time classic moment.

Larry David (Season 41)

While he never was an SNL cast member (but did perform sketch comedy on Fridays), Larry David had a brief stint at Studio 8H as a writer years before returning to the show in a legendary way. In a cold open recreating the 2016 Election’s Democratic presidential debate, the Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm creator drove the crowd crazy with his first of many appearances as Bernie Sanders, who, it turns out, is a distant cousin of the comedian, as they would later discover (per Time). 

Brad Pitt (Season 24)

Brad Pitt is, surprisingly, one of many celebrities who have never hosted SNL, but he has popped in on the show a couple of times. The first time was in a cold open for an episode hosted by David Spade, as the Tommy Boy actor’s therapist, for some reason.

Alex Trebek (Season 27)

One of SNL’s best “Celebrity Jeopardy!” sketches comes from Will Ferrell’s final episode as a cast member, particularly for the surprise guest at the very end. After Ferrell’s Alex Trebek announces the “Final Jeopardy!,” the real, late Alex Trebek appears to bid his impersonate adieu.

James Gandolfini (Season 30)

When reporting on then-New Jersey governor Jim McGreevey’s scandal on “Weekend Update,” Amy Poehler and Tina Fey introduce a native to New York’s neighboring state to comment on the topic. The guest turns out to be played by the late James Gandolfini of the Sopranos cast fame, whose commentary turns out to be filled with stereotypes at the expense of his own community and others.

Chris Rock (Season 42)

A highlight of Dave Chappelle’s Emmy-winning debut hosting gig was the appearance of his friend and collaborator, Chris Rock. The ‘90s SNL icon shows up in a sketch set on the night of the 2016 Presidential Election to bond with Chappelle’s character over their anticipation of the inevitable results.

Jake Gyllenhaal (Season 45)

One of the most dazzling cameos in one of John Mulaney’s best comedy specials, John Mulaney & the Sack Lunch Bunch, was Jake Gyllenhaal as Mr. Music. The Academy Award nominee later reunited with the beloved comedian in one of Mulaney’s best musical SNL sketches as a pajama-clad traveler at LaGuardia Airport.

Janet Reno (Season 26)

Before Jane Lynch played Janet Reno in a true crime series, she was portrayed by Will Ferrell on SNL for years in “Janet Reno’s  Dance Party.” The final edition of the hard-partying sketch, amid the end of Reno’s sting as U.S. Attorney General, went out with a bang when the real Reno crashed through the wall to greet her doppelganger.

Mick Jagger (Season 49)

Musician and actor Bad Bunny’s SNL hosting debut was pretty cameo-heavy, including appearances by Pedro Pascal, former cast member Fred Armisen, and Lady Gaga. However, it was Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger who brought the house down with his bewildering parts in two sketches — first as a telenovela actor and later as a man posing as a nun.

Mark Zuckerberg (Season 36)

Host Jesse Eisenberg’s monologue is interrupted by Andy Samberg’s impersonation of Mark Zuckerberg, whom Eisenberg portrayed to Academy Award-nominated acclaim in the Social Network cast in 2010. Little do they know that the real Facebook founder is backstage, but goes against Lorne Michaels’ suggestions and joins Eisenberg onstage for an “awkberg” first meeting.

Sometimes what makes SNL really fun is waiting to see which celebrities might show up for a surprise appearance this time.

I’m a huge trivia nerd and a big fan of game shows. Jeopardy! has been on my DVR list since TiVo was invented. While shows like that one and Wheel of Fortune have stood the test of time, the list of game shows you’ve probably forgotten existed is long, so here are a few that might jog your memory. 

Tic-Tac-Dough

Wink Martindale, one of TV's most notable game show hosts, is a legend. Over the years, he hosted a lot of shows, but one of his biggest was Tic-Tac-Dough. By combining the ancient game of tic tac toe and trivia questions, the Martindale-hosted version of the program aired over 8 seasons in syndication from 1978 to 1986. It was a staple for all game show fans at the time, but it’s hardly remembered today. 

Win Ben Stein's Money

Ben Stein is most famous for his role as the boring economics teacher in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, but his career is as varied as anyone (as he even worked as a speechwriter for President Richard Nixon). He also had a spell as a game show host, of sorts. Stein wasn’t really the host, that was Jimmy Kimmel in his first television gig. Stein was a guru whom contestants would challenge in a trivia matchup, trying to “win” his money. 

Trashed

In the early ‘90s, MTV decided the future of Music Television was in programming other than music. One of the results of that change was an increase in game shows. Trashed debuted in February of 1994 and was hosted by a newcomer to TV, Chris Hardwick, who you probably know better as the host of Talking Dead on AMC. The show was kind of hilarious, as it saw two contestants competing in a trivia-like contest. And if they answered wrong, a piece of personal property they brought along would be destroyed. 

1 Vs 100

The huge ratings of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire opened up a new era of primetime game shows. Shows like Deal or No Deal (which was one of Meghan Markle's earliest gigs), and others joined in on the fad. 1 Vs. 100, hosted by the late Bob Saget, was one such show. It was a trivia contest between “The One” and “The Mob” of 100 people. Money was earned as “The One” eliminated members of “The Mob”. It was a fun concept, but only lasted three seasons.

Card Sharks

Card Sharks was an odd game. Like a lot of game shows, it had several different versions in syndication over the years, but the iteration of the mid-80s, with legendary host Bob Eubanks, was the most popular. While it’s been revamped and rebooted over the years, none of those versions lasted long, including the latest overseen by Joel McHale from 2019 to 2021. 

Debt

This has to be the most depressing show on this list. Simply called Debt, it was a show where contestants, rather than winning money, answered questions that would reduce their actual personal debt. This forgotten game show aired for two seasons on Lifetime and was marred by bad reviews, poor ratings and, unsurprisingly, sharp criticism. 

Truth or Consequences

The legendary, late Bob Barker is most famous for being the longtime host of The Price Is Right but, before that, he hosted Truth Or Consequences for almost 20 years, starting in 1956. The show itself goes all the way back to radio, starting in 1941 on NBC Radio. Yet it’s never been rebooted and is hardly remembered at all. 

Minute to Win It

Sometimes it feels like Guy Fieri hosts every single show on TV. You’d need NASA scientists to calculate exactly how many hours a day the rowdy chef is on. One show that’s nearly been forgotten, though, is the old game show he hosted called Minute To Win It. The show aired for two staggered seasons in 2010 and 2011 (with a brief revival on GSN in 2014 with host Apolo Ohno). The format was successful though, as there have been dozens of international versions in countries all over the globe. 

Stump the Schwab was a really fun show for sports nuts. Speaking as one, I can say it was also really hard. Not only were none of the questions or categories layups but “The Schwab” (ESPN stat guru Howie Schwab) has an unbelievable amount of sports knowledge in his head. Over the show's 80-episode run, only 16 players "stumped" him. It was one of the sports networks few forays into sports game shows that is nearly completely forgotten today. 

Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?

Based on the wildly popular computer game of the same name, Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? ran for five seasons on PBS in the early '90s. It was hosted by the great Lynne Thigpen, the DJ in the quintessential ‘70s film The Warriors, which was only one of her many roles. If you weren’t a kid in the early 90s, or if you hated geography, there’s a good chance you’ve forgotten about the show, if not the computer game. 

What's My Line?

What's My Line? has been hailed as one of the greatest TV shows of all time yet, today, it’s nearly forgotten. The CBS game show ran for 17 years from 1950-1967 and had some of the biggest celebrities of the day both as players and as guests, yet it’s almost completely lost to the annals of time. It could be a huge hit if someone could reboot it with the same caliber celebrity today. 

Bowling for Dollars is a bit different than most game shows. There wasn’t a nationally broadcasted version of the game show, instead each city had its own version of the show. The premise was exactly what it says in the name, contestants trying to win money by bowling well. The boon time for the show was the late ‘70s when it seemed every major city was airing the show, usually hosted by local news people, or popular sports figures in town. It’s hardly remembered at all today but, for a time, it was a phenomenon. 

Gambit

Wink Martindale hosted the short-lived game show Gambit in the early ‘70s and again in 1980 and 1981. It combined a trivia contest with Blackjack. Appropriately, the show was filmed in Vegas during its second run on NBC in the ‘80s. 

The Wizard of Odds

While the show itself may not be remembered at all, The Wizard of Odds’ host will never be forgotten. It was, after the late, great Alex Trebek and it was the first show the Jeopardy! icon ever hosted in the USA. The Wizard of Odds was a slight twist on the traditional trivia contest formula, as it included questions about statistics and, as you might have guessed, odds. It’s so forgotten, however, that it’s likely only one full episode still exists anywhere, as NBC wiped the tapes clean decades ago. 

Jackpot

Despite three different versions of the show, one in the 1970s and one in the 1980s, Jackpot is completely forgotten about today. It was a pretty standard game show, with trivia questions and riddles that contestants had to answer and solve that led to more and more money in the jackpot. 

Concentration

Concentration is one of those forgotten game shows that had multiple versions over the years. There were four different runs, between 1958 and 1991, and six different hosts, including Ed McMahon, Hugh Downes, and, in its final version, Alex Trebek. 

The Singing Bee

The Singing Bee was not a well-received show, so it's not a surprise that it's hardly remembered, despite airing in the mid-2000s. Hosted by former *NSYNC member Joey Fatone the show mixed trivia about music and song lyrics with singing. Kind of like Name That Tune crossed with karaoke. Honestly, it was not very good, which explains why it only lasted one season on NBC. It was revived on CMT and lasted four seasons, but it still was far from a hit. 

Remote Control

MTV’s first foray into game shows was the great, yet forgotten Remote Control. If you were a kid in the 1980s and early ‘90s, you might remember it, but what is far more remembered are the future stars that were part of the cast. Four stars got their big break on Remote Control. Former SNL cast member Colin Quinn was the sidekick to host Ken Ober. Kari Wuhrer was the hostess. Both Adam Sandler and Denis Leary were writers and occasionally on-screen personalities as well.

Name That Tune

30 Rock star Jane Krakowski is the host of the latest version of Name That Tune, but many might not realize that the game goes way, way back. The original version started in 1952 on NBC Radio, before the program transitioned to TV in 1954 and has been revived many times over the years. Though there have been numerous versions of it, both in the U.S. and abroad, most have been forgotten about this small-screen treasure.

Shop 'Til You Drop

Shop 'Til You Drop was a wholesome show the whole family could enjoy together, which explains its long run on PAX TV. The fact that it aired on PAX (and Lifetime for a bit) probably explains why so few remember it, even if they remember the catchy name. 

Split Second

Like many other shows, Split Second has had multiple versions going back decades. In the '70s, there were two versions, including one hosted by Monty Hall. The Game Show Network revamped it and launched a new version in 2023, hosted by Christopher Guest-directed movies mainstay John Michael Higgins, but we won't be surprised if you've still never heard of it. 

Battle of the Network Stars

Someone needs to figure out how to make Battle of the Network Stars a hit again. The show ran for eight and a half seasons in the late '70s and early '80s and had some of TV's biggest stars. Today, you can't find it anywhere and it seems to have been relegated to the dustbin of history, which is too bad because it was awesome. 

Singled Out

It's the show that launched the mainstream careers of Jenny McCarthy and Carmen Electra, yet no one really remembers what it was all about. Hosted by Chris Hardwick, the MTV show was a dating game for Gen X, and it was wild and raunchy, as you might expect with a cast like that. 

Sale Of The Century

The legacy of Sale of the Century lasted far longer than the memory of it did. While the show had a few different incarnations, it really seemed to have an impact on future productions like it. It basically utilized a format of winning money with trivia, then spending that money on prizes. It had to be an influence on early Wheel of Fortune and even the Survivor auction. 

Chain Reaction

For a show that has had a total of 12 seasons across various versions, it's amazing how few people remember it. The fact that it had so many variations may actually be the problem. It's never been a cultural staple like other game shows, despite its longevity. 

Bumper Stumpers

The fact that Bumper Stumpers made it three seasons is amazing. It has to be one of the silliest premises to a game show over. Contestants "read" license plates just like anyone would on a street, to figure out the clue that pointed to the answer. It could only have worked in a decade of excess like the 1980s. 

Nickelodeon Guts

Nickelodeon found a real niche early on with kids' game shows. Some, like Double Dare, are legendary. Others, like Nickelodeon Guts, are not as much. The show lasted just four seasons and 60 episodes and has never been revived, though maybe some remember it as a part of their childhood, right? Maybe not. 

Scrabble

It seems like a no-brainer. Take a beloved board game and turn it into a TV show with someone like the legendary Chuck Woolery as the presenter. That has to be a sure-fire hit, right? Well, sort of. The show ran for seven seasons from 1990-1993 but almost no one remembers it, probably because it's just more fun to play the game at home. 

Win, Lose or Draw was on all the time in the late '80s. It was wildly popular, which makes sense because it was essentially just the TV version of the also wildly popular home game Pictionary. No one seems to remember what made it so fun to watch though. 

Ready...Set...Cook!

While food game shows have been popular for years now, that hasn't always been the case. While the original Japanese Iron Chef may be the OG, Ready...Set...Cook! on the Food Network goes back almost as far. It debuted in 1995 and aired for six more years yet, today, it's not in the public consciousness despite being a trailblazer. 

Legends of the Hidden Temple

One of the many game shows for kids on Nickelodeon was Legends of the Hidden Temple. It kind of took what was popular from Double Dare and turned it into a whole with kids competing on a huge obstacle course. Where it differs from Double Dare is that it was never as popular. The CW tried to revive it in 2020, but that fell flat, too. 

Smush

The completely forgettable Smush only aired for one season, way back in 2001. The gameplay was a little confusing, and it was not very fun to play along with the contestants trying to create a portmanteau out of the answers to the clues. Yeah, don't bother. 

The genre has been a staple of television programming since the medium was invented, so it's unsurprising that there are so many game shows you've probably completely forgotten existed. 

When you’re discussing pop culture icons, you definitely have to include the great Alex Trebek in the conversation. He made a name for himself as a broadcaster early in his career, but he truly struck gold as a game show host in the ‘70s. Despite his many credits, it was his 37-season stint at the host of the Jeopardy! revival that made him a household name. Trebek sadly passed away in 2020 after a battle with pancreatic cancer, but his legacy lives on through those who knew him. Jeff Probst is one of the people who was fortunate enough to have befriended him and, three years after Trebek’s passing the Survivor host spoke about their relationship.

November is Pacreatic Awareness Month and, amid that, Stand Up to Cancer promoted the Alex Trebek Fund. Dedicated to the beloved TV personality, the purpose of the initiative is to expand research on the disease in order to improve treatment methods. In conjunction with this, the organization released a video promoting it, which featured interviews from Trebek’s wife, Jean, one of his professional successors, Ken Jennings and more. Jeff Probst shared a snippet of it on his Instagram story along with a sweet comment about his bond with Trebek: 

Leave it to the late host to impart his wisdom to those who would follow in his footsteps. While the bulk of us can’t say that we knew the Jeopardy! host personally, the CBS veteran’s description of him surely falls in line with what many of us imagined him to be like off camera. That “grace” the Canadian-American exuded while struggling with his cancer treatments was nothing short of remarkable. I also agree that the tribute created by Stand Up To Cancer in his honor is definitely befitting of him. Check out the Survivor star’s post down below:

After he died at the age of 80, Alex Trebek was widely mourned, with countless fans and celebrities alike paying their respects to him. Some of the biggest Jeopardy! winners in history – including Ken Jennings and James Holzhauer – honored him. Additionally, actor Ryan Reynolds penned a tribute to Trebek while also revealing at the time that the late star cameoed in his film Free Guy.

It’s particularly sweet to see Jeff Probst share his recollections of his colleague now, considering that the reality competition star is carrying the torch (no pun intended) in a sense. Like his old buddy, Probst is now one of the longest-serving hosts in the history of TV. He’s endeared himself to loyal viewers, providing them and contestants with keen information on the key to winning Survivor.

Though Alex Trebek is no longer with us, it’s wonderful to see that his legacy lives on in such a beautiful way. He’ll surely remain in our hearts, as people continue to share their memories of him. 

Jeopardy! airs daily in syndication, while Survivor airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on CBS as part of the 2023 TV schedule. Episodes are subsequently available to stream using a Paramount+ subscription.

It’s hard to believe we’re coming up on the third anniversary of Alex Trebek’s death. The Jeopardy! icon — one of the all-time best game show hosts — passed away on November 8, 2020, after battling pancreatic cancer, but he was a professional to the end. In fact, a recent contestant on the classic quiz show can attest to that fact personally, as Yoshie Hill was one of the players on Trebek’s final show. She returned to the Alex Trebek Stage last week for the Champions Wildcard Tournament, and her recollection of Trebek’s “remarkable” last episode had quite an impact on current host Ken Jennings.

Jeopardy! is currently running its first Champions Wildcard Tournament, which features winners from Seasons 37 and 38 competing for a spot in this season’s Tournament of Champions. That means that some of these contestants originally competed when Alex Trebek was still the host. Yoshie Hill was a two-day champion going into the episode that aired January 8, 2021, and she recalled Trebek’s energy and professionalism, telling Ken Jennings during the October 26 game: 

It’s heartbreaking to think of how much pain Alex Trebek was actually in on what would be his final day of taping, but he didn’t let the contestants or the audience down, remaining fully engaged when the cameras were rolling. He died just 10 days later.

Ken Jennings was visibly affected by Yoshie Hill’s story, as he himself has recalled his final conversation with Alex Trebek just days before he passed away. Jennings got choked up as he concurred with Yoshie Hill, saying: 

Ken Jennings seemed to pause for the briefest of moments to collect himself, before summoning some of the professionalism of his predecessor and turning the players’ attention back to the board to resume the game. You can watch the emotional video below: 

Ken Jennings took over for Alex Trebek — something Trebek had apparently been thinking about for quite a while — after his death, and then a revolving door of celebrities were brought in as an audition of sorts. Following some hosting controversy and the eventual ouster of executive producer Mike Richards, Jennings was brought back as a co-host to share duties with Mayim Bialik. 

Ken Jennings has been the man behind the lectern so far for Season 40, after Mayim Bialik left Season 39 early amid the WGA writer’s strike. It’s unknown when she’ll make her Jeopardy! return, but she has started to appear in the promos, so it could be sooner than later. Check your local listings to see when syndicated episodes play in your area, and tune into Celebrity Jeopardy!, which airs at 8 p.m. ET Wednesdays on ABC. 

Over the years, WrestleMania has given us some of the electrifying matches of all time, iconic moments that we’re still talking about years (and decades) later, and more pageantry than anyone could ever imagine. But the one thing that separates the “Granddaddy of Them All” from your normal wrestling show is the event’s history with celebrity guests, who do everything from make brief appearances or participate in unforgettable matches.

Below is a list of the 35 celebrities who have appeared at WrestleMania, which dates back to WWE’s first pop culture event in 1985 and going all the way to its most recent running in April 2023. From WWE Hall of Famers to guests you may have forgotten, this is quite a list… 

Mr. T (WrestleMania)

We couldn’t kick off our list of WrestleMania celebrity guests with anyone but Mr. T., the star of The A-Team and Rocky III who sided with Hulk Hogan in the main event of the first “Showcase of the Immortals” back in 1985. His tag match with the Hulkster vs. “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff wasn’t a wrestling clinic, but the spectacle of the headlining bout helped make WrestleMania the success story we know today.

Mike Tyson (WrestleMania XIV)

Mike Tyson may have had the quickest three-count in WWE history when he served as the guest enforcer in the WrestleMania XIV match that saw “Stone Cold” Steve Austin dethrone Shawn Michaels for the championship, but it’s still an outstanding moment 25 years later. The controversial boxing figure certainly made the 1998 event one to remember, even before he turned on his D-Generation X ally.

Cyndi Lauper (WrestleMania)

Cyndi Lauper, who was instrumental in the Rock 'n' Wrestling boom of the mid 1980s, also played a key role in the inaugural WrestleMania event. From her great backstage promo with the late “Mean” Gene Okerlund to standing in the corner of Wendi Richter when she defeated Leilani Kai to win the WWE Women’s Championship, the “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” singer was everywhere that night.

Snoop Dogg (WrestleMania 39)

Snoop Dogg has played a role in four different WrestleMania events over the years, but his most recent appearance at the 2023 “Super Bowl of Wrestling” has to be his best. There’s a case to be made for WrestleMania 39 being the best of all time, and the prolific West Coast rapper was key to that success. After Shane McMahon injured himself entering the ring, Snoop saved the segment when he pulled an audible and hit the Miz with a ridiculous “People’s Elbow.”

Muhammad Ali (WrestleMania)

Mike Tyson wasn’t the first boxer to make his presence felt at WrestleMania. That honor falls on the late, great Muhammad Ali, who served as the guest referee in the event’s first headlining bout. There’s even a moment where the boxing legend was standing in the ring with Hulk Hogan, Mr. T, and Liberace. Wrestling is wild sometimes.

Ozzy Osbourne (WrestleMania 2)

WrestleMania 2, which was the only edition in the event’s history to take place in three separate cities, saw a great number of celebrity guests throughout the night. One of the best definitely has to be Ozzy Osbourne, who served as the British Bulldogs’ manager when the team of Davey Boy Smith and the Dynamite Kid captured the gold in the Chicago’s Rosemont Horizon.

Pete Rose (WrestleMania XV)

One of the best running WrestleMania gags of the late 1990s and early 2000s was Pete Rose getting tombstoned by Kane. The controversial Cincinnati Reds legend, who was barred from MLB after a gambling scandal, showed up as the San Diego Chicken at WrestleMania XV in 1999 and was once again confronted by the “Big Red Machine,” who quickly put him in his place to the roar of the Philadelphia crowd.

Johnny Knoxville (WrestleMania 38)

The Jackass crew has a long history with WWE, and one of the genuinely best chapters in that story is Johnny Knoxville’s bout against Sami Zayn at WrestleMania 38. The “Anything Goes” match, which was one of the most memorable contests on the two-day card, had no business being so good. Combining old school wrestling storytelling with Jackass gags (like a giant hand and a mouse trap), the showdown became an instant classic.

Ray Charles (WrestleMania 2)

Some of the greatest singers of all time have lent their voices to WWE over the years, including Ray Charles. The beloved singer known for hits like “Georgia on My Mind,” “Hit the Road Jack,” and “I Got a Woman” performed “America the Beautiful” to kick off WrestleMania 2.

Bob Uecker (WrestleMania IV)

Milwaukee Brewers radio broadcaster (and Major League star) Bob Uecker has quite the history at WrestleMania, as he has popped up three times in the event’s history. It all started with WrestleMania III when “Mr. Baseball” helped out on commentary, but the next year's event saw one of the most classic moments in WWE history when Andre the Giant gave Uecker an interview he'll never forget.

Aretha Franklin (WrestleMania III)

In addition to all her hit songs, iconic movie moments, and other achievements, Aretha Franklin appeared at two WrestleMania events throughout her life, both of which were held in or near her hometown of Detroit, Michigan. The late singer performed “America the Beautiful” at WrestleMania III in the Pontiac Silverdome and then again 20 years later at Ford Field.

Bad Bunny (WrestleMania 37)

Rapper-turned-wrestler-turned-actor Bad Bunny made his in-ring wrestling debut at WrestleMania 37 where he teamed with Damian Priest to take on the Miz and John Morrison in a winning effort. He has since returned to the ring on multiple occasions and continues to improve as a performer.

Gladys Knight (WrestleMania IV) 

Seven-time Grammy winner Gladys Knight is another legendary singer who has been a part of the WrestleMania festivities over the years. Knight showed up at WrestleMania IV in 1988 to perform the customary “America the Beautiful” to nearly 20,000 fans in attendance at Trump Plaza in Atlantic City.

Run-D.M.C. (WrestleMania V)

A few years before WWE superstars performed the “WrestleMania” song, hip hop legends Run-D.M.C. hit the ring with a rap of their own at WrestleMania V in April 1989. The “WrestleMania Rap” was created for the event and was performed by the group in the middle of the ring in front of thousands of screaming fans. 

Pat McAfee (WrestleMania 38)

Former Indianapolis Colts punter and current sports talk legend Pat McAfee has had quite the history in WWE the past few years, including some pretty stellar in-ring moments. Perhaps the biggest came at WrestleMania 38 when he challenged Vince McMahon to a match after defeating Austin Theory. Though Mr. McMahon won the bout (due to some shenanigans), McAfee, with the help of Steve Austin, got the last laugh.

Shaquille O'Neal (WrestleMania 32)

Shaquille O’Neal and professional wrestling was a match made in heaven, and WWE fans got to see that become a reality when the Pro Basketball Hall of Famer entered the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 32. Was it a display of in-ring talent? No, but it was an unforgettable moment seeing him stand face-to-face with Big Show in the middle of the 20-man match.

Regis Philbin (WrestleMania VII)

WrestleMania VII is best remembered for being the beginning of the Undertaker’s historic streak as well as the main event championship match between WWE Champion Sgt. Slaughter and Hulk Hogan. The night also included an appearance by Regis Philbin, who stepped in and helped provide commentary in the high-profile headlining bout. 

Alex Trebek (WrestleMania VII)

Alex Trebek, the longtime host of Jeopardy, was another major celebrity guest for WrestleMania VII where he served as the ring announcer during the main event match. The beloved TV figure, who passed away in 2020, also conducted multiple backstage interviews throughout the event.

Rob Gronkowski (WrestleMania 36)

Four-time Super Bowl champion Rob Gronkowski has had two appearances at the “Granddaddy of Them All” over the years, including WrestleMania 36 where he served as the host of the event taped behind closed doors at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The former tight end for the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers previously took part in WrestleMania 33 where he helped friend Mojo Rawley win the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.

Al Roker (WrestleMania 33)

WrestleMania 33 is best remembered for John Cena proposing to Nikki Bella in the middle of the ring after defeating the Miz and Maryse in a mixed-gender tag team match. But who was the ring with Cena and his former girlfriend? None other than Al Roker, the longtime weatherman and personality on NBC’s Today show.

Reba McEntire (WrestleMania VIII)

Reba McEntire made an appearance at WrestleMania VIII in April 1992. The celebrated country singer and actress took to the Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis, Indiana, to perform the “Star-Spangled Banner” in front of a massive 60,000-strong crowd of screaming wrestling fans.

Burt Reynolds (WrestleMania X)

WWE returned to Madison Square Garden for WrestleMania X in March 1994, an event that featured multiple celebrity guests like Donnie Wahlberg, Rhonda Shear, and Jennie Garth. The biggest actor to appear, and the man who served as ring announcer in the main event match involving Bret Hart and Yokozuna, was none other than Burt Reynolds.

Little Richard (WrestleMania X)

Another celebrity guest featured at WrestleMania X was legendary R&B trailblazer, Little Richard, who was on hand to perform “America the Beautiful” to kick off the historic event.

Pamela Anderson (WrestleMania XI)

Pamela Anderson, who was all the rage at the time thanks to her role on Baywatch, was one of the multiple celebrity guests on hand at WrestleMania XI in April 1995. The pop culture sensation served as Diesel’s, aka Kevin Nash, valet in his bout against Shawn Michaels.

Lawrence Taylor (WrestleManina XI)

WWE has a long history of bringing in big-named athletes for marquee events, and that includes Pro Football Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor, who took on Bam Bam Bigelow in the WrestleMania XI main event. The two-time Super Bowl champion was joined by a half-dozen other NFLers in a winning effort.

Floyd Mayweather (WrestleMania XXIV)

Boxer Floyd Mayweather is another big-name celebrity who has appeared at the “Showcase of the Immortals.” The decorated boxer, who took home a big paycheck for a 2021 fight with Logan Paul, entered the squared circle to take on Big Show in no DQ match at WrestleMania XXIV back in 2008.

Donald Trump (WrestleMania 23)

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has made many appearances over the years, including a “Battle of the Billionaires” match at WrestleMania 23. Trump’s night ended after taking a Stunner from Steve Austin.

Ice-T (WrestleMania 2000)

Rapper-turned-actor Ice-T showed up at WrestleMania 2000 where he performed “Pimpin’ Ain’t Easy” for the Godfather’s entrance.

Limp Bizkit (WrestleMania XIX)

Limp Bizkit, still one of the bigger nu-metal bands at the time, performed a pair of tracks at WrestleMania XIX in March 2003: that year’s official song, “Crack Addict,” and their own hit track, “Rollin,” for the Undertaker’s entrance.

Mickey Rourke (WrestleMania XXV)

After appearing in The Wrestler, one of the best movies of the 2000s, Mickey Rourke entered the ring for real when he confronted Chris Jericho at WrestleMania XXV. Though he didn’t participate in a match, he did give Y2J a knockout punch.

Paul Reubens As Pee-Wee Herman (WrestleMania XXVII)

The Rock may have been the biggest name in the house when he hosted WrestleMania XXVII in April 2011, but he wasn’t the only celebrity on hand that night. The late Paul Reubens, as his famous Pee-Wee Herman character, showed up throughout the night in one of his numerous WWE appearances over the years.

Sean 'Diddy' Combs (WrestleMania 29) 

Sean “Diddy” Combs appeared at WrestleMania 29 where he performed “Coming Home,” one of the event’s official theme songs.

Kid Rock (WrestleMania XXV) 

Kid Rock performed not one, not two, but a whole medley of tracks at WrestleMania XXV back in 2009, including smash hit songs “Bawitdaba” and “Cowboy.”

Colin Jost And Michael Che (WrestleMania 35)

After teasing it in the leadup to the event, Saturday Night Live stars Colin Jost and Michael Che showed up at WrestleMania 35 where they participated in the Andre the Giant Battle Royal. They weren’t successful or anything, but they did look extra ridiculous, especially when Braun Strowman got involved.

Machine Gun Kelly (WrestleMania XXVIII) 

About a decade before Machine Gun Kelly started his whirlwind romance with Megan Fox, the rapper showed up at WrestleMania XXVIII to perform “Invincible,” that year’s official theme song.

You can go back and watch these celebrity appearances and other great WrestleMania moments with a Peacock subscription. And with WrestleMania XL, as well as other upcoming WWE events on the way, there’s a chance we’ll see even more names on this list in the coming months. 

Ever since Ken Jennings and Mayim Bialik started sharing co-hosting duties on Jeopardy!, fans have been vocal about who they prefer, with many people arguing that the former champion was the clear choice to succeed the late, great Alex Trebek because of his success as a contestant. It turns out, though, that the actress also had a connection to Jeopardy!, and while it might not be as immediately obvious — and she admits to not being a loyal viewer growing up — her history with Trebek actually goes back even further than Jennings’.

At tapings of Jeopardy!, the audience is given the opportunity to participate in a Q&A with the host, and during one of those sessions — which aired on the Inside Jeopardy! podcast — Mayim Bialik revealed her unique childhood connection to Alex Trebek after being asked if she’d watched the quiz show growing up. In Bialik’s words: 

The actress/neuroscientist may have only been a casual viewer of Jeopardy! as a child, but she definitely has bragging rights that most youngsters don’t when it comes to the quiz show! The series she is likely referring to is, of course, Blossom, on which Mayim Bialik landed the title role at age 14, and the episode that featured Alex Trebek — “Who’s Not on First” — came in the show’s final season five years later.

In the Season 5 episode, Joey (Joey Lawrence) fantasized that he was competing on Jeopardy! against his sister Blossom (Mayim Bialik) and Albert Einstein. Even though this was apparently all happening in Joey’s subconscious, it still meant that Bialik got to stand on a Jeopardy!-esque stage and have her character introduced by the iconic game show host. The actress paid homage to the full-circle moment when she first guest-hosted in Season 37: 

Mayim Bialik may not have shared the stage with Alex Trebek nearly as many times as Ken Jennings, who compiled 74-straight wins on top of several tournaments to follow, but her 1995 encounter beat the longtime host’s first meeting with Jennings by a decade.

Regardless of your preference in Jeopardy! host, it looks like the Call Me Kat actress won’t be back behind the lectern for even longer than we expected. Mayim Bialik chose to stand in solidarity with the quiz show’s writers amidst the WGA strike by not recording last season’s final episodes — despite all of the clues being finalized before the strike started. It’s likely that once that and the SAG-AFTRA strikes end, Bialik will have to juggle her acting commitments with Jeopardy! hosting, and who knows how complicated that will be? 

For now, Ken Jennings continues to hold down the fort, with the show kicking off Season 40 with its Second Chance Tournament. Check your local listings to see when to catch those episodes. Meanwhile, Celebrity Jeopardy! is also set to kick off its second season — this one led by Jennings as well — with famous faces including Christopher Meloni, Dulé Hill, Mark Duplass and many more, starting at 8 p.m. ET Wednesday, September 27. 

Something bothered me after the iconic Bob Barker died in August. First, it broke my heart that Hollywood lost an icon, who lived to the ripe old age of 99 and carved out an indelible mark on a generation of television audiences. But in the wake of Barker’s death, almost everyone immediately linked him to his unforgettable cameo in Adam Sandler’s Happy Gilmore, where the two fought to the death on the golf course. And it should be mentioned. But not at the expense of Barker’s legendary run as the host of the daytime game show The Price is Right. 

That’s wrong. 

Game shows are a staple of the television medium, dating back to Melody Puzzles in 1937, Battle of Sexes in 1938, The Ask-It Basket in 1939. They grew to grand stature in the 1960s and 70s courtesy of hit game shows such as Jeopardy, The Gong Show, The $10,000 Pyramid, and Wheel of Fortune, to name just a few. It was during that stretch that Barker took over as host of The Price is Right (in 1972), and it’s a position that he held for 35 years before retiring in 2007. His influence still can be felt in the game-show environment to this day, from the advice Barker gave to replacement host Drew Carey to the energy and attitude that’s reflected in modern hosts like Steve Harvey or Michael Strahan. 

With all of that in mind, I started to think about where Bob Barker would rank in the grand pantheon of game show hosts. And I realized that I knew way more about game show hosts than I ever assumed. Now, I’m keeping this focused on traditional game shows, not reality competitions (sorry, Jeff Probst). And so, here are the 15 greatest game show hosts of all time.

15. Pat Sajak 

Pat Sajak makes it onto this list due to his longevity. The man has presided over Wheel of Fortune for more than four decades, which is a LONG time to be listening to people guess the same letters over and over, five nights a week. I preferred Wheel of Fortune when the contestants used to shop in between rounds, their floating heads purchasing items off of a set. At least then, Sajak had time to interact with his winners. Because my biggest knock on Sajak is that he’s vanilla, and his lack of viral moments in that 40+ year career tells you exactly how boring he managed to be. With all due respect, props to the man for keeping the wheel spinning, but maybe the show would have been more entertaining with Vanna White in the hosting role? It’s not too late to find out.

14. Marc Summers

If you are nodding your head at this placement (or even challenging that it needs to be higher), then you are amongst the millions of readers who spent time after school cheering on families as they competed in outrageous physical challenges that usually involved finding a flag in the messiest situations possible. Marc Summers presided over Double Dare on Nickelodeon, and stood out because he didn’t mind embracing the chaos that came with the clever competitions invented for the show. It was fun watching parents and kids clawing through life-sized bowls of spaghetti and sauce in hopes of winning a prize. But it was uproarious seeing the affable Summers coated in the same goop by the end of almost every episode, doing whatever it took to get the laugh. Trebek would never. 

13. Regis Philbin / Dick Clark (tie)

Here’s the thing about the two men I have tied for 13th place on this list: Neither of them needed to be the host of a game show. They already were extremely popular (and successful) thanks to other endeavors. Both Regis Philbin and Dick Clark were staples in the homes of Americans thanks to other work they did on television. I’d put them in the same category as Michael Strahan, Elizabeth Banks, Jane Lynch, or Ben Stein. I don’t think of them as game show hosts first. They are entertainers who happened to host a show at some point in their career. But Philbin and Clark were so memorable as hosts of extremely popular primetime game shows (Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and The $10,000 Pyramid, respectively), that leaving them off of the list would be wrong. 

12. Bob Eubanks

Where Regis and Dick Clark were known well outside the realm of their respective game show gigs, Bob Eubanks basically had The Newlywed Game as his badge of honor. But he was so effective at getting couples to talk about “making whoopee,” it immediately cemented him in the pantheon of game show hosts. Eubanks succeeded as a radio deejay before helping to launch The Newlywed Game in 1966, and his ability to disarm his contestants with open and candid conversation likely came from his early years on live radio. And because Eubanks kept returning to the format during several revivals, he became the only person in the entertainment industry to host the same game show in six consecutive decades (from the 1960s through the 2010s). 

11. Anne Robinson

Do you know one thing that a game show host can do to cement their legacy? Come up with a catchphrase. “Have your pet spayed or neutered!” belongs to Bob Barker. “Survey says…” is linked forever to Richard Dawson. And during her run as the host of The Weakest Link, Anne Robinson locked her place on this list with her cruel, cold, and deliciously dismissive, “You are the weakest link. Goodbye.” She didn’t have to be great beyond that, and she’d still get placement on this list. But because Robinson had tight chemistry with her contestants that I put her JUST outside the Top 10. 

10. Howie Mandel

I almost lumped Howie Mandel into the same category as Regis Philbin and Dick Clark, because I remember him as an extremely successful stand-up comic who used to put rubber gloves over his head and blow them up using only his nose. It was a gimmick, but it worked! Over the years, though, the notorious germaphobe graduated to full-time contest host, and while he’s known for his current run on America’s Got Talent, I think he deserves a call out on this list for his tremendous work on Deal Or No Deal. Mandel’s gift as a stand-up allowed him to have tremendous conversations with the contestants, the banker, and the models holding the cases that were opened during the game. It made for a wildly entertaining, energetic primetime competition that also soared in syndication. Good deal!

9. Jim Lange

Of all the people showcased on this list, Jim Lange might be the most prolific in the game show field. A radio disc jockey (like so many other TV hosts before him), Lange stayed incredibly busy by hosting Oh My Word, $100,000 Name That Tune, Bowling for Dollars, Bullseye, Triple Threat, and others. But his masterpiece has to be The Dating Game, which he presided over for 15 years, charming beautiful bachelorettes with his banter while they fielded questions and answers from hopeful bachelors. Lange was a pro’s pro with a real gift for pacing, and knowing how to keep the flirtatious game show on the right side of the line.  

8. Ken Ober

A few people on this list landed one seminal gig, and made it into a career. That list has to include the brilliant Ken Ober, a comedian and actor who bounced around to a couple of gigs (and even hosted a few other game shows) but forever will be known for his outstanding work on the loose, freestyling, rowdy, and twisted MTV game show Remote Control. It catered to the kids who were tuning into the network on a daily basis. It was low-budget. It was goofy. And Ober was cool, offering snack breaks for the contestants, and introducing Adam Sandler and Colin Quinn to the world. This show needs a reboot, with Ober, Sandler, and Quinn back in their roles.

7. Wink Martindale

Some people were just born to host game shows. And if you embrace the stage name Wink Martindale on behalf of your professional career, you basically accept the fact that this is going to be your lot in life… and it’s best that you try to become the best of the best at it. And that’s what Wink Martindale did, primarily on Tic-Tac-Dough from 1978-85. Martindale made a basic game of tic-tac-toe entertaining and suspenseful, though adding a fire-breathing dragon behind one of the squares probably helped. Basically, though, if you mention the name “Wink,” we immediately think of Tic-Tac-Dough, and that shows real power and influence. 

6. Steve Harvey

Here’s where we start getting into the cream of the crop. Steve Harvey is outstanding as the host of Family Feud and Celebrity Family Feud. And as you’ll see with the list progressing, he had enormous shoes to fill as host of this long-running game show. But Harvey has mastered the art of viral videos, whether they come from emotional surprises in the audience, or hilariously inappropriate answers from clueless contestants. Harvey makes fun without ever insulting, spotlights the absurd for the right amount of time, and has earned the “Uncle Steve” nickname that so many players have lovingly adopted. With Harvey, it’s all in the Family.    

5. Chuck Barris

The top five is filled with heavy hitters. And if you believe Chuck Barris, it’s filled with professional hitmen, as well. Barris once claimed in his autobiography that he had worked for years in the CIA. He retracted that claim years later, then gently retracted the retraction, never revealing the truth before his death in 2017. What we DO know about Barris is that he created two wildly popular game shows in The Dating Game and The Newlywed Game, then turned himself into a household name as the ring leader of the televised circus known as The Gong Show. The acts were increasingly bizarre on that program, and Barris was the idea host, keeping things moving and perpetually entertaining. He was both dependable and unpredictable, in the same package. What a gift. 

4. Gene Rayburn

Play the game with me. “Gene Rayburn was so talented at his job, he could BLANK, and still not get fired!” Cue the unforgettable Match Game theme song. The great Rayburn hosted the classic Match Game, and the best part about him was the way that he interacted with the celebrity panel… which was usually the funniest content on daytime television. Match Game made household names of Charles Nelson Reilly, Brett Somers, Betty White, Vicki Lawrence, Nipsey Russell, and the legendary Rip Taylor. It took a razor-sharp wit and quick mind to keep up with the ball-breaking comics on that show, and Rayburn was magnificent with his timing, comebacks, and banter. Match Game wouldn’t have succeeded without him.

3. Richard Dawson

No one in the game show universe was cooler than Richard Dawson. Dudes admired his humor and style. Every woman on the Family Feud set wanted to kiss him (and usually did). He was a rock star game show host who treated Family Feud like a world tour. He read mildly suggestive clues, fielded bizarre answers from families competing for cash, and he wrung the sharpest jokes out of the entire endeavor. Dawson was a comedic actor on Hogan’s Heroes as well as a beloved panelist on Match Game. But survey says it is his stint on the original Family Feud that turned him into a legend. 

2. Alex Trebek

The late, great Alex Trebek changed the game when it came to hosting a game show. The majority of hosts prior to Trebek treated guests with respect. They were happy to have them there, and usually encouraged them to succeed. Trebek? Not so much. At best, Trebek seemed to tolerate the Jeopardy contestants, a tone that best reflected the intellectual challenge of the program. We wanted to be really good at Jeopardy because we thought it might please Alex Trebek. That attitude probably only works on one show, but Jeopardy was the one to use it on. It turned Trebek into a game show god. 

1. Bob Barker

Bob Barker had it all. The host of The Price is Right was witty, warm, and wise. He could be charming with guests, or impatient (when the contestants warranted it). In time, as Barker grew older and more generations welcomed him into their homes, the television personality felt more like a family member we’d check in on daily, rather than a “character” on a show. Barker would trade his unusually thin Price is Right microphone for celebrated cameos like the one opposite Adam Sandler in Happy Gilmore. And he made controlling the pet population his charitable mission. But basically, the skilled Barker made the act of guessing grocery prices into an art, and every other game show host we see from this point forward will owe a debt of gratitude to him.

Ken Jennings may hold the Jeopardy! record for most consecutive games won, and Brad Rutter stands as the biggest winner in Jeopardy! history, but when it comes to the best to ever play the game, Matt Amodio is at the top of a pretty unique statistic: He’s competed under seven different hosts. The super-champ recently reflected on what it was like to be a part of the quiz show following Alex Trebek's death, and he joked about why he might want one of those guest hosts to come back.

The majority of Jeopardy! contestants over its four-decade history competed with Alex Trebek as the host, and more current participants have seen either Ken Jennings or Mayim Bialik. However, Matt Amodio’s 38-game win streak came amid the hosting shakeup that followed Alex Trebek’s passing. Many fans took issue with the uncertainty of that era, but Matt Amodio explained on Inside Jeopardy! why it was an honor to witness, saying: 

When Buzzy Cohen pointed out that Matt Amodio’s only losses have come from episodes led by either Ken Jennings or Mayim Bialik, the Jeopardy! Masters contestant said that when he returns for the spinoff’s second season, maybe he’d like to see a different face behind the lectern. Amodio joked:

In addition to Joe Buck, Matt Amodio participated in Jeopardy! games guest-hosted by Robin Roberts, LeVar Burton and David Faber. Then-executive producer Mike Richards then came in after appointing himself the permanent host. However, that lasted only a day, before scandals forced Sony to part ways with Richards, and Mayim Bialik was called to fill in. 

That's a lot of star power that Matt Amodio crossed paths with, but it was Ken Jennings who he most wanted to field clues from. However, he didn’t get that chance until the 2022 Tournament of Champions, where he was eliminated in the semifinals. He saw Jennings again on Jeopardy! Masters, where he placed third behind James Holzhauer and Mattea Roach. Did those experiences sour Amodio’s impression of Jennings as a host? The champ said: 

It's interesting to hear Matt Amodio’s recollection of that turbulent time in Jeopardy!’s history, since his experience of seeing seven different hosts is one that (hopefully) no other contestant is ever likely to experience. You can see Amodio in action, as ABC is re-airing Jeopardy! Masters at 9 p.m. ET Tuesdays on ABC, with all episodes also available to stream with a Hulu subscription. 

It was a long and messy road to get there, but when Jeopardy! announced that Ken Jennings would be joining Mayim Bialik as the official hosts of the classic quiz show, many people saw it as the Jeopardy! GOAT finally ascending to his rightful place behind the lectern following Alex Trebek’s death in 2020. And while we now know that Jennings and Trebek had spoken about the former contestant stepping in as host — at least temporarily amid Trebek’s battle with pancreatic cancer — a resurfaced Jeopardy! clip seems to prove that the hosting icon had thought about that succession plan years before it was necessary to put one into action.

A Jeopardy! fan happened upon an episode from 2014’s Battle of the Decades, in which Ken Jennings had returned to compete against 44 other former champions. There was inarguably a lot of talent to cross the stage over those five weeks, but Alex Trebek made an interesting comment to Jennings, as this fan pointed out: 

Interestingly, Ken Jennings did not go on to win the Battle of the Decades — he came in second to Brad Rutter, who is still the biggest winner in Jeopardy! history — however, he was likely a more familiar face to fans, after becoming game show royalty in 2004, when he won 74 games of the quiz show in a row. His “celebrity” factor may have played into Alex Trebek’s futurecasting, as he and Jennings had the following exchange:

• JENNINGS: I've been behind this podium a lot, and I feel really at home here.
• TREBEK: How would you feel over [motions toward the host's lectern]... No we won't talk about that.

Ken Jennings revealed his final conversation with Alex Trebek, which occurred just a couple of days before he died. They spoke about Jennings going into the studio to rehearse, with the plan being for the former contestant to fill in for Trebek for a while, with the hopes that the host would be able to regain some strength and return. That never happened.

The former champ was the first person to take over Jeopardy! hosting duties in the aftermath of Alex Trebek's passing, and he even hosted the episode that fell on the anniversary of the host's death — a fact the producers kept a secret from Ken Jennings until after filming was complete. Despite many fans wanting Jennings to remain the host — and former champion Arthur Chu pointing out that’s what Trebek had wanted as well — a number of celebrities were brought in for a turn at guest-hosting. 

The show then became embroiled in controversy surrounding then-executive producer Mike Richards, who named himself permanent host before discrimination lawsuits and offensive comments he’d made on an old podcast resurfaced. Richards was fired by Sony after just one day of filming as Jeopardy!’s host, and Ken Jennings was called back to share duties with Mayim Bialik. 

It’s safe to say that’s not exactly how Alex Trebek envisioned things going down, but especially after seeing that old clip from the Battle of the Decades, it certainly does seem like Jeopardy! has achieved the outcome that the iconic host foresaw nearly a decade ago.

The state of Jeopardy!’s upcoming season is unknown due to the WGA writer’s strike, but you can see Ken Jennings in action as the host of Jeopardy! Masters, which is currently re-airing on ABC at 9 p.m. ET on Tuesdays. All episodes are also available to stream with a Hulu subscription. 

Ken Jennings has had as big of a role on Jeopardy! as anybody following the death of longtime host Alex Trebek. The record-holding Jeopardy! champion served as the quiz show’s first guest host ahead of a long and controversial search for a permanent replacement, before he and Mayim Bialik were granted full-time co-hosting duties for Season 39. Jennings’ relationship with the proud Canadian began back in 2004, when he was a contestant, and lasted for over a decade, as the new host recalled his last conversation with Trebek, which occurred just days before he passed away from pancreatic cancer.

The title-holder for Jeopardy!’s “Greatest Of All Time” revealed in an interview with Vulture that even ahead of Alex Trebek’s death, Ken Jennings had been asked to fill in for the host. The two spoke on the phone in regards to the handoff of duties, and Jennings opened up about how the iconic host sounded at the time. He said: 

Alex Trebek’s voice is so familiar to fans of the classic game show, and especially for people like Ken Jennings, who got to speak to him outside of the studio setting, I can imagine it was jarring to hear Trebek not at full strength. But it’s comforting to know that the host was still himself, and I love to think about those two discussing old movies together. Jennings continued: 

I can only imagine how meaningful that was for Ken Jennings to get the opportunity to express those words to Alex Trebek before he passed, and it sounds like the host knew he was leaving the show in capable hands.

The relationship that the show formed between the two men was one of the reasons many fans wanted to see the former champion take over the hosting role permanently. Arthur Chu, another former champ, pointed out that Alex Trebek had gifted Jennings his cufflinks and chosen him to narrate his audiobook, possibly tipping his hand to who he wanted as his successor. Super champ Mattea Roach also threw their support behind Jennings, as he — like Trebek — was considered Jeopardy! royalty among the contestants, and said it was special to be able to share the stage with him.

Ken Jennings did open the quiz show’s 39th season behind the lectern, and he’ll also host the upcoming Second Chance tournament, as well as the Tournament of Champions. Mayim Bialik, meanwhile, can be seen hosting Celebrity Jeopardy! at 8 p.m. ET Sundays on ABC. She’ll also take over duties on the daytime episodes in January. Be sure to check out our 2022 TV schedule to see what premieres are coming soon. 

Alex Trebek is an icon for a reason. Before his death from pancreatic cancer in 2020, Jeopardy! fans took for granted the myriad ways that Trebek made hosting look easy. The pacing of the game, the tone of the host’s responses, and the crazy amount of math that’s required are all factors fans rarely paid much attention to until there was someone other than Trebek behind the lectern. Nobody is more willing to admit just how hard a job hosting Jeopardy! really is than Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings, and they opened up about the pressure they feel in following Trebek.

Jeopardy! is such a revered game show, and its fanbase is extremely passionate. It’s definitely not an easy situation for Ken Jennings and Mayim Bialik to have stepped into after Alex Trebek’s impressive 37-season stint. The newly announced permanent Jeopardy! hosts opened up on the Inside Jeopardy! podcast about the intensity of the job, with the Call Me Kat actress telling Jennings how much pressure she puts on herself to get everything right. Bialik said: 

Mayim Bialik said there are so many moving pieces, with trying to move the game along but still give each clue and response its fair weight — all while listening to the producers’ instructions in her ear. 

Ken Jennings empathized, comparing the gig to being a sportscaster, saying they have to not only serve the players as part of leading the game, but also to interpret the action for the viewers at home. Especially with the amount of intelligence he’s surrounded by, Jennings said it’s especially humiliating when he makes a silly mistake:

Both co-hosts may be starkly aware of Alex Trebek’s legacy, but Ken Jennings is inarguably a major part of Jeopardy!’s lore as well. He won the title of Greatest of All Time in the 2020 GOAT Tournament against Brad Rutter and James Holzhauer and is one of Jeopardy!’s biggest winners, holding the record for most consecutive games won with 74. That fact is definitely not lost on Mayim Bialik, who said: 

The Big Bang Theory alum certainly seems to feel the intensity of the situation, but that only shows how much she cares about her role and how much she respects the history of the game show and its loyal fans. The same goes for Ken Jennings, who said even when he was a contestant watching Alex Trebek up close, he had no idea everything the host was juggling. 

There will be plenty of opportunities to see both hosts in action with Jeopardy!’s upcoming 39th season, which Ken Jennings will kick off on Monday, September 12. The GOAT will also lead the Second Chance Tournament (starting October 17) and the Tournament of Champions (premiering October 31 with big changes to its format). Mayim Bialik, meanwhile, will host Celebrity Jeopardy!, which premieres at 8 p.m. ET Sunday, September 25, on ABC. Check out our 2022 TV Schedule for more premiere dates. 

It's pretty amazing to think back to all of the big names Jeopardy! has produced in the past four decades as arguably the best game show ever. It's even more exciting to know the list of Jeopardy!'s biggest winners is always at risk of changing. You never know — the next Ken Jennings or James Holzhauer could be competing right now on the 2026 TV schedule.

So who has won the most money on Jeopardy!'? Is anyone close to nabbing a spot on the Leaderboard of Legends? In this story we'll look at:

• Jamie Ding’s Historic Run
• 2027 Tournament of Champions Qualifiers
• Top 10 All-Time Winnings
• Top 10 Highest Winnings - Regular Season
• Top 10 Single-Game Winnings
• Top 10 Consecutive Games Won

Jamie Ding - Where Does He Stand In The Record Books?

Jamie Ding's run came to an end April 27, 2026, after earning $882,605 in 31 victories. The orange-loving law student and bureaucrat from Lawrenceville, New Jersey, secured his place in the record books during his impressive run. Where did he land in comparison to the other Jeopardy! greats? Ding worked his way into three of the quiz show's four Top 10 records lists, including longest win streak. In fact, some thought Jamie Ding might be the one to break Ken Jennings' record of 74 wins.

Here's where he stood at the end of his streak:

• With $882,605, Jamie Ding holds 7th place in All-Time Winnings on Jeopardy!. He'll have the chance to add to this total when he competes in the 2027 Tournament of Champions.
• Ding's final total is good for 5th place in Highest Winnings, which counts only regular-season earnings, outside of tournaments.
• With 31 victories, Jamie Ding is No. 5 in Consecutive Games Won.

2027 Tournament Of Champions Qualifiers

A contestant on Jeopardy! officially qualifies for the Tournament of Champions after five victories, but the field can be rounded out by players with fewer wins, as determined by producers.

Below are the contestants eligible for the 2027 Tournament of Champions, per Jeopardy!'s postseason tracker, which notes that one's presence on this list does not guarantee an invitation to compete in the TOC.

Top 10 All-Time Winnings

A Note About The Totals 

The winnings attributed to the top 10 winners of all time on Jeopardy! include everything they won as a contestant on the standard game as well as in various tournaments. However, the official Jeopardy! totals do not include consolation prizes (which are sometimes significant amounts of money), so those have been noted separately on this list. Here are the winningest Jeopardy! contestants of all time:

10. David Madden ($763,733) 

David Madden, an art historian from Ridgewood, New Jersey, earned cash winnings totaling $430,400 in 2005. Following his 19-day run on the show, he also split the $1 million prize for being part of the 2019 All-Star team that included Larissa Kelly and Brad Rutter, for an additional $333,333. Not included in the official total are $10K from the 2024 JIT, the $10K consolation prize from his Tournament of Champions, and the $2,000 consolation from the loss in his 20th game. In total, Madden took home $785,733.

9. Victoria Groce ($772,801)

Victoria Groce made her initial appearance on Jeopardy! back in 2005, when she won just a single game and earned $22,801. What was notable about the appearance, however, was that she was the player who ended the 19-game win streak of David Madden. Because of that and her continued success in the world of trivia — she appears with other Jeopardy! alums on The Chase — Groce was invited to compete in the inaugural Jeopardy! Invitational Tournament in 2024, which she won to earn $100,000 and a ticket to Jeopardy! Masters. There, she defeated reigning champ James Holzhauer and 2024 TOC winner Yogesh Raut to earn $500,000, and she added $150,000 more by placing third in the 2025 Masters tournament.

8. Mattea Roach ($810,983)

Mattea Roach, who was 23 years old when they started their streak in 2022, is the youngest player on this list. The tutor from Toronto compiled $560,983 in 23 victories. As well as becoming the winningest Canadian in the game show’s history — an honor that would make Alex Trebek proud — Roach also became one of just three contestants to reach their age in Jeopardy! victories. Roach came in second to James Holzhauer in the 2023 Jeopardy! Masters tournament to earn a cool $250,000, and when you add in the $75,000 parting gift from 2024’s Jeopardy! Masters, $10,000 from the 2022 Tournament of Champions and their initial $2,000 consolation prize, they’ve taken home a total of $897,983.

7. Jamie Ding ($882,605) 

Jamie Ding is the most recent champion to join the Top 10 all-time biggest winners of Jeopardy!, going on a 31-game run that spanned from March 13 to April 27, 2026. During that time he won $882,605, plus the $3,000 consolation prize. I can't wait to see if he can add to this in tournament play!

6. Yogesh Raut ($1,096,403)

In 2023, Yogesh Raut won $96,403 in three Jeopardy! victories, becoming just the second contestant to advance to the TOC with so few wins. He made the most of it, too, winning the 2024 Tournament of Champions to collect $250,000 and advance to Jeopardy! Masters Season 2, where his second-place finish earned him another $250,000. He returned to Masters in 2025 and defeated Victoria Groce and Juveria Zaheer for the $500,000 grand prize, making him the sixth millionaire in Jeopardy! history. He also earned a $2,000 consolation prize from his initial run.

5. Amy Schneider ($1,682,800)  

Second behind only Ken Jennings with 40 consecutive games won, Amy Schneider made history during her win streak in 2022. Early in her run, she became the first openly transgender champion to qualify for the Tournament of Champions, and she just kept winning! She crossed the million-dollar mark in regular-season play, earning $1,382,800, even before appearing in the Tournament of Champions. She went on to win that too, adding an extra $250,000 to her total, and in 2024 she earned another $50,000 as runner-up of the Jeopardy! Invitational Tournament.

Though it doesn't count toward her official total, Schneider also received $100,000 for fourth place in 2024’s Jeopardy! Masters, $75,000 for her fifth-place finish on the 2023 Jeopardy! Masters, and with the $2,000 consolation prize from her regular season loss, Schneider has taken home a total of $1,859,800.

4. Matt Amodio ($1,818,601)

Matt Amodio’s 38-game win streak in 2022 ended just a couple of months before Amy Schneider’s first appearance. He won $1,518,601, and almost as impressive as that is the fact that Amodio has competed under seven different hosts, as his time on the show came when Jeopardy! was auditioning guest hosts following Alex Trebek’s death.

In 2025 he won the JIT to earn $150,000, which followed his sixth-place finish on 2024 Jeopardy! Masters for $50,000 and third in 2023’s Jeopardy! Masters to win $150,000. Not counting toward his official winnings are the $10,000 consolation prize for the 2026 JIT, $75,000 from 2025's Masters, $10,000 for his 2022 TOC appearance, and the $1,000 consolation prize from his regular-season loss. Altogether he's taken home $1,964,601 to date.

3. James Holzhauer ($3,612,216)

A sports gambler from Las Vegas, Nevada, whose 32-day cash winnings totaled $2,462,216, Holzhauer took the Jeopardy! world by storm in 2019, bringing in record ratings with his swashbuckling style and the odd, but daring, amounts of his bets on Daily Doubles and Final Jeopardy.

Holzhauer was not the first to bounce around the board in search of the Daily Double, but he was especially good at keeping control until he found it. His gesture of going "all in" to make it a True Daily Double has been picked up and copied by numerous contestants since, but his ability to double huge amounts of money stands unrivaled. He finished his 33-day run with 21 of the 25 highest single-day scores, including the biggest one-day total ever: $131,127 on April 17, 2019.

He went on to add $250,000 as the 2019 Tournament of Champions winner, another $250,000 as the runner-up in the 2020 Jeopardy!: The Greatest of All Time tournament, $500,000 in the 2023 Jeopardy! Masters tournament and $150,000 for third place in 2024’s Masters. Adding in the $2,000 consolation from his regular-season loss, he took home a total of $3,614,216.

2. Ken Jennings ($4,370,700) 

The mighty Ken Jennings! A computer scientist from Seattle, Washington, compiled 74-day cash winnings totaling $2,520,700 plus another $500K for a second-place finish in 2005's Ultimate Tournament of Champions and $1 million (plus the title of “Greatest of All Time”) in 2020’s GOAT Tournament. As the 2019 All-Star Games captain whose team was first runner-up, he won $100,000, got another $100K as the 2014 Battle of the Decades first runner-up and won $150,000 as first runner-up in the 2011 IBM Challenge. Small potatoes now, but he also took home $2,000 as a consolation from the loss in his 75th-consecutive game.

Ken Jennings was Jeopardy!'s first true celebrity contestant, expanding his popularity beyond just the show’s hardcore fans and into pop culture when he went on his almost unfathomable 74-day win streak in the summer of 2005. He parlayed his Jeopardy! celebrity into a career, writing trivia books, appearing on other game shows, and co-hosting the podcast Omnibus.

The GOAT would also serve as the first guest host to take over following Alex Trebek’s death in November 2020, a position he ultimately made permanent. Now, as the host, Ken Jennings is technically banned from ever returning as a player, but EP Michael Davies has suggested he'd be willing to make an exception if Jennings ever got the itch.

1. Brad Rutter ($4,938,436) 

So, at number one is someone you might not have expected: Brad Rutter, a record store employee from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, whose 5-day cash earnings in 2000 totaled $55,102. Yes, you read that right. Rutter was a 5-day Champion who had to retire after his first run. His winnings have primarily come in tournaments, proving his place as one of the best players of all time.

In the years since being a 5-day champ, Brad Rutter has won $2 million in the 2005 Ultimate Tournament of Champions, $1 million in the 2002 Million Dollar Masters Tournament, another $1 million in 2014’s Battle of the Decades, and hundreds of thousands more in the 2001 Tournament of Champions, the IBM Challenge, 2019’s All-Star Tournament and the Greatest of All Time tournament in 2020.

After a five-year hiatus, he returned to the Alex Trebek Stage (thanks to James Holzhauer) for Jeopardy! Masters Season 3, where he placed 7th out of 9 and earned $15,000 (not counted toward his official total).

Top 10 Highest Winnings

These totals include the contestants' Regular Season winnings only, without tournaments.

Top 10 Single-Game Winnings

Consecutive Games Won

Who will be the next Jeopardy! contestant to crack into one of these Top 10 lists? Will anyone ever top Ken Jennings' 74-game win streak, or break into James Holzhauer's dominance of the Single-Game earnings? Will anyone crack $4 million to challenge Brad Rutter as the winningest champion ever? Keep tuning in to find out.

Jeopardy! fans are in a holding pattern now, as Ken Jennings and Mayim Bialik continue to swap hosting duties in their agreed-upon semi-permanent roles to finish out the classic quiz show’s 38th season. Nobody knows who’s going to continue to host full-time after the current season wraps in July, and if they do, nobody’s talking. The lack of knowledge about what'll happen next has led to a lot of speculation and opinions about who’s best for the job, and now even Jeopardy!’s latest super-champ Mattea Roach has taken a side. 

Mattea Roach, the winningest Canadian in Jeopardy!’s history, has had the opportunity to play under both co-hosts as she continues what is now a 23-game win streak. She put her support behind fellow champion Ken Jennings to get hired for the permanent role, and she explained her reasoning to Vulture:

Mattea Roach’s support of Ken Jennings is based largely on the fact that Jennings is a Jeopardy! superstar. After the late, great Alex Trebek, Jennings is arguably the game show’s most recognizable celebrity, and has presumably been on that stage more times than anyone beyond Trebek. For contestants who are also big fans of the show, as well as being extremely smart, having the trivia master leading the game brings a particular “wow” factor that Mayim Bialik can’t (through no fault of her own). Of course, contestants who are huge Big Bang Theory and Blossom fans have different viewpoints, but I digress.

As the 23-year-old tutor said, it’s not that Mayim Bialik isn’t great, it’s just that Ken Jennings is on another level when it comes to the question-and-answer game show, its format, and everything else Jeopardy!-related. Another former champion, Arthur Chu, has also voiced his support for the GOAT, pointing out that Jennings was likely the successor that Alex Trebek would have chosen.

For what it’s worth, Mayim Bialik has said she’d love to continue hosting permanently, and that she had received the blessing of Alex Trebek’s family to do so if she was given the chance. Some people think the decision has already been made, and that the executives are waiting until the end of the season to make an announcement, but that's more based on speculation than rumored leaks. 

Ken Jennings left the ABC game show The Chase ahead of its third season, leading some fans to believe he was clearing up his schedule to make room for more Jeopardy! Similarly, some fans thought that Mayim Bialik might be the pick, as Johnny Gilbert introduces her as “the host of Jeopardy!” while Jennings gets a slightly different “hosting Jeopardy!” intro. 

Mattea Roach’s opinion makes a lot of sense, which should come as no surprise, since she’s been impressing audiences with her smarts since her first episode aired April 5. Her 23-game win streak is good for fifth-place all-time (Ken Jennings holds the record with 74 consecutive wins), and her $560,983 so far has already pushed her into the Top Ten for all-time winnings. 

We’ll keep watching to see how far Mattea Roach can go as we wait for an official update on the hosting situation. Season 38 is set to end July 29. Check your local listings to see when Jeopardy! plays in your area, and be sure to take a look at our 2022 TV Schedule to see what shows are premiering soon.

Jeopardy! is rewriting its history books again! So soon after celebrating the impressive runs of Amy Schneider and Matt Amodio, Mattea Roach is adding her name to the list of all-time Jeopardy! greats. On April 22, the 23-year-old tutor won her 14th straight game to bring her total winnings to $320,081. Not only does that push Roach into the Top Ten all-time for consecutive games won and highest non-tournament cash winnings, this particular win carries a little extra meaning — and it’s something that former host Alex Trebek would surely appreciate.

Mattea Roach, who hales from Toronto, Ontario, has become the winningest Canadian contestant in Jeopardy! history. Alex Trebek, who also came from Ontario, would have undoubtedly been proud for her to do so well on the game show. The iconic host, who died in November 2020 of pancreatic cancer, was never shy about his Canadian pride, and I can’t help but think of how happy he would be to see Roach’s accomplishments.

Those accomplishments are certainly impressive. Mattea Roach answered 93% of clues correctly en route to 14 straight wins, putting her eighth on the all-time consecutive games list. Her latest win pushed her ahead of 2015 champion Matt Jackson. In her April 22 victory, the champ collected a cool $34,000, bringing her total to $320,081 — good for 10th place in all-time regular season winnings. Austin Rogers (who’s also infamous for making Alex Trebek say “dick tree”) sits at ninth place with $411,000, and she surpassed Arthur Chu to knock him out of the Top Ten.

The tutor from Toronto said that with all of the long win streaks the game show has seen over the past couple of years, she had pretty low expectations for an extended stay. She even thought she might be going up against one of those record-breaking champions. Mattea Roach said:

That’s a champion’s attitude if I’ve ever heard one! Mattea Roach missed crossing paths with Amy Schneider by a few months, as her 40-game win streak ended in late January. You never know, though, because there’s always the Tournament of Champions! 

As Mattea Roach starts to work her way up the Jeopardy! Hall of Fame, Amy Schneider is certainly up there, but she’s also pretty familiar with the guy at the top. Current semi-permanent host Ken Jennings holds the record for consecutive games won with 74 (Schneider’s 40 is second place), as well as the top spot for highest winnings in non-tournament play with $2,520,700. 

She has a ways to go, but maybe she’ll get a boost of Canadian pride when her journey resumes on Monday, April 25. Check your local listings to see when Jeopardy! plays in your area, and check out our 2022 TV schedule to see what shows are premiering soon.

It’s been over a year since iconic Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek passed away from pancreatic cancer, and while a lot of people have had a lot of opinions on who his permanent replacement should be, a single candidate has yet to rise to the surface. The two top picks seem to be the duo tapped for co-hosting duties through the end of Season 38. The Big Bang Theory actress and real-life neuroscientist Mayim Bialik and former Jeopardy! champion Ken Jennings have been passing the baton back and forth while the powers that be seek a more permanent solution. But some fans think a decision has already been made.

Nothing’s been announced to the public, but Jeopardy! fans are as smart and observant as they are passionate, and they're questioning some moves that have been happening around the semi-permanent hosts that might hint at who is getting the promotion to full time — they just don’t agree on which one it is. Mayim Bialik or Ken Jennings? Let’s take a look at each theory supporting fans’ suspicions that the Jeopardy! host search has come to a close.

Fans Think Mayim Bialik Has Been Chosen As ‘The Host Of Jeopardy!’

Is it possible that announcer Johnny Gilbert has been telling us the answer all along? Fans who have seen both Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings host episodes in the current season picked up on a difference in the way they’re introduced. Gilbert announces that Ken Jennings is “hosting Jeopardy!” while he welcomes Bialik as “the host of Jeopardy!” Fans on Twitter have asked if the discrepancy means a decision has already been made:

The most reasonable answer to the question seems to be that Mayim Bialik was already hired as a host, back when she was chosen to share duties with since-fired executive producer Mike Richards. Why, then, has executive producer Michael Davies and all involved remained tight-lipped about answering fans’ questions?

Mayim Bialik said she “would love” to continue to host the classic quiz show past its current season and even has received the blessing of Alex Trebek’s family to do so. However, others think the pendulum is swinging in the other direction.

Fans Think Ken Jennings Is Clearing His Schedule

Ken Jennings, arguably Jeopardy!’s most famous champion and inarguably the record-holder for most consecutive games won, was the first guest host to take over following Alex Trebek’s death. Many fans — and at least one former champion — threw their support behind Jennings to get the full-time gig, as it was believed that’s who Trebek would have chosen. However, the trivia master had other obligations, as he appeared on The Chase with other former Jeopardy! greats James Holzhauer and Brad Rutter. 

With the recent news that Ken Jennings is leaving The Chase, some Twitter users thought this might be a sign that he’s clearing his schedule for another position: 

The timing certainly is interesting, with Season 38 of Jeopardy! set to wrap in July and a host announcement expected soon thereafter. Perhaps Ken Jennings knows more than he lets on about his future with the game show.

Will Ken Jennings And Mayim Bialik Continue To Co-Host?

There’s also the chance that both of the above scenarios are correct. When Mayim Bialik was hired, she was assigned to primetime episodes and tournaments, while MIke Richards was to handle the daytime. It’s possible that Ken Jennings could simply fill the daytime role, and Bialik would return to the role she originally signed on for. Only time will tell, but it’s fun to see the fans’ passion for their favorite host candidate. 

Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more updates on the Jeopardy! hosting situation, and be sure to check out our 2022 TV Schedule to see what shows are premiering soon.

Nobody expected the job of replacing the iconic Alex Trebek as Jeopardy! host to be an easy one, but we couldn’t have foreseen just how tough such an undertaking would be. Even with the current semi-permanent solution of having Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings share duties for the rest of Season 38, it’s unknown what the future holds. Meanwhile, Bialik and Jennings are just trying to evolve their bearings in a position that had been mastered by the man who previously stood behind the podium for 37 seasons. It’s definitely a learning process, and Bialik recently revealed one aspect of her hosting skills that sparked producers to request a change. 

Fans of Jeopardy! are so passionate — and Alex Trebek was so respected in the position he held until his death in late 2020 — that it was to be expected that Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings would face comparisons and criticisms when taking over hosting duties. Bialik, in particular, took some heat and has had to apologize for changing up some of the show’s verbiage, among other things. She’s admitted that hosting is “very difficult,” and she recently revealed to The Daily Beast a note she was given regarding her tone:

It's interesting to think about how having a woman reading the clues and reacting to answers, rather than a man, could change any aspect of the game because of the different ways their tones are interpreted. In trying not to sound too stern, Mayim Bialik may have gone too far on the side of sounding excited for the contestants who correctly answered a question. Which, to be fair, she generally is. With the fast-paced, straight-forward nature of the answer-and-question game, constant excitement and jubiliation would definitely be a departure from so many years of Alex Trebek's semi-monotonous vocal patterns.

The Call Me Kat star sounded grateful to receive the feedback, at least, as she likely understands that she could come across as impartial for celebrating certain contestants doing well, and not others. It's far better for hosts to be as objective as possible in these cases, as not to spark outlandish conspiracy theories. It seems that Bialik is happy to do whatever makes producers (and the fanbase) happy, as she hopes to continue her hosting duties past Season 38.

Former Jeopardy! champion Arthur Chu previously voiced his support for fellow champ Ken Jennings to take over the hosting position full time, as he was seemingly who Alex Trebek wanted as his successor. Mayim Bialik, however, noted that she had met Trebek’s family and received their blessing to continue, should the offer come. And if it does, I don't think the producers would be mad about her excitement in that context.

Stay tuned for yet more news about who will continue hosting Jeopardy! past its current season, and check your local listings to see when the classic game show plays in your area. Be sure to also take a look at our 2022 TV Schedule to see what new and returning shows are premiering soon.

Finding a replacement for iconic Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek has proven to be a far more complicated undertaking than anyone saw coming. For the remainder of the current 38th season, former Big Bang Theory star Mayim Bialik and Jeopardy! great Ken Jennings were tapped to share hosting duties, but what happens next? No official word has come out regarding the full-time host for Season 39 and beyond, but Mayim Bialik knows what her response would be if she were asked.

The Call Me Kat actress was among the guest hosts who “auditioned” for the job following Alex Trebek’s death in November 2020. Speaking at the Critics’ Choice Awards, Mayim Bialik said even she doesn’t know the plan for who will host Jeopardy! following Season 38, but she’s certainly interested in keeping the position full time. She told ET: 

Mayim Bialik was a child actress, who along with working in movies like Pumpkinhead (her first film, released in 1988), appeared on TV series including The Facts of Life and Webster, before starring in Blossom. She’s been living her whole life year-to-year, in regards to what job she’s going to have, so not knowing her future on Jeopardy! likely isn’t causing her too much stress. It does sound like it’s a job she’s interested in keeping, though, and of course it would be nice if she knew sooner rather than later whether or not she’ll be asked to continue her hosting duties.

Prior to his death, beloved host Alex Trebek talked about who his eventual replacement would be, joking that it would be Betty White, because he said whoever came next would probably be a woman, “and she’ll have to be bright, she’ll have to have a good sense of humor…” Unfortunately the ship has kind of sailed on that option, as White passed away December 31, 2021, just weeks shy of her 100th birthday. The rest of the description, however, actually fits Mayim Bialik pretty perfectly.

The Call Me Kat star, who holds a doctorate in neuroscience, said she already has the blessing of Alex Trebek’s family:

It’s important to many fans that Jeopardy!’s next host continues to honor the man who held the job for 36 years — it’s one of the reasons former champion Arthur Chu was hoping Ken Jennings would follow Alex Trebek as host. So it’s nice to know Mayim Bialik has received that blessing from his family.

We’ll have to wait and see what the powers that be decide to do with the hosting position going forward, but one thing’s for sure: Mayim Bialik has a newfound respect for the difficulties that hosting entails, and the passion longtime fans have for the game, after being called out for referring to the opening round of the show as “Single Jeopardy!” While pointing out that Alex Trebek also used that phrasing occasionally, she apologized and promised fans she’d never do it again.

Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for any hosting announcements going forward, and check your local listings to see when you can catch Jeopardy! in your market.

Jeopardy! is searching for a permanent host to replace the iconic Alex Trebek. Until said person is found though, the show has settled into Season 38 with former champion Ken Jennings and The Big Bang Theory’s Mayim Bialik sharing hosting duties. But if you think the nature of their positions is making fans go easier on them in regards to how the show is traditionally hosted, you’d lose money on that question. Bialik has taken some heat over her use of the phrase “Single Jeopardy!”, but her response should allow everyone to walk away satisfied.

Fans of the long-running quiz show are sticklers for the rules. From Matt Amodio’s answering strategy to ensuring the accuracy of the clues, viewers hold the game to a high standard. Mayim Bialik drew their ire by referring to the first round of clues as “Single Jeopardy” on a recent episode. Speaking to Yahoo!, Bialik defended the phrase, pointing out that she only said it one time and, while admittedly rare, it was even a phrase that Alex Trebek used from time to time:

I wonder if the Jeopardy! sticklers were surprised to hear that the late, great host had also used the offending phrase? Either way, Mayim Bialik seemed to understand how important her phrasing was, and she promised not to do it again. Even if it’s in the script, she said, she will not say it again. That brought up another point though — the script. Bialik reads what is written for her. The host (who also also leads Fox's Call Me Kat) promised that when she’s said things incorrectly, they made her redo it:

She’s really got a point there. Even though the game is pretty fast-paced, it’s obvious that there’s communication happening between the producers, researchers and the host.  She further assured viewers that when she says something incorrectly, she’s made to re-tape it:

Even if you don’t agree with the “Trebek defense,” I think we can all walk away from this satisfied that she’s not going to mislabel the “Jeopardy!” round again. She probably also learned that this fandom isn’t one you want to cross. Will we continue to see Mayim Bialik as host beyond Season 38? Only time will tell, but she seems to enjoy the job, having called it “super fun,” despite being undoubtedly difficult. 

Check your local listings to catch Mayim Bialik and/or Ken Jennings in action weekdays on Jeopardy!, and check out our 2022 TV Schedule to see what new and returning shows are premiering soon.

Jeopardy! is a pop culture phenomenon. That’s a pretty unique claim to make about a game show that made its debut in 1964, but the franchise is as strong as ever — even despite the drama that surrounded its search for a new host to replace Alex Trebek following the legend’s death. How many other shows could center so simply around trivia and still have people clamoring to buy its merchandise? Even Trebek himself was known to carry a specific Jeopardy! item, as evidenced by a throwback social media photo. Current co-host Ken Jennings, however, isn’t quite sure he can get on board with doing the same.

A Twitter user this week posted a photo of longtime host Alex Trebek globetrotting with the Clue Crew. As he took in the picturesque views, the host wore a Jeopardy! tote slung over his shoulder. Ken Jennings, the famed Jeopardy! champion who now shares hosting duties with Mayim Bialik, retweeted the photo, commenting that he owns the same bag but perhaps lacks the casual confidence to pull off using it in public. 

I understand Ken Jennings’ reluctance. It could be seen as tacky to wear the merchandise of your own franchise. Musicians don’t wear their own band T-shirts (at least they shouldn’t). Tom Holland’s not walking around in a Spider-Man cap. Alex Trebek shouldn’t pack his sunscreen in a tote emblazoned with his iconic game show’s title? Sacrilege! Trebek seemed to have the attitude that he could and would do as he pleased, and I actually think he pulled it off. 

Plus, who can argue with the sensibility of a good bag? For the Clue Crew traveling the world to bring the audience their clues straight from location, they’re going to need something to carry their belongings in, and you know they’ve got that merchandise lying around. That’s just good economic sense.

Now, could Ken Jennings pull it off? He may hold the all-time record for consecutive games won at 74 (Amy Schneider comes in a distant second with her recent 40-game streak), and he may now serve as part-time host, but I’m not sure if that gives him quite the same gravitas as Alex Trebek, who hosted Jeopardy! from 1984 until his death in 2020. On the other hand, Jennings has become synonymous with the trivia show much like Trebek was, and he should be proud of all of his accomplishments. I say, if you’ve got it, flaunt it! 

Ken Jennings and Mayim Bialik are taking turns behind the podium through the end of Jeopardy!’s current season. The decision was made to make the former champ and The Big Bang Theory actress semi-permanent hosts after executive producer and would-be Trebek replacement Mike Richards was fired for resurfaced offensive comments. It’s unknown if the duo will continue to share duties past Season 38 or if the game show will see more guest hosts audition for the job, as it did after Alex Trebek died. 

The longtime host died November 8, 2020, at the age of 80 after battling pancreatic cancer. Check your local listings to see Ken Jennings and Mayim Bialik in action on the current season of Jeopardy!

Amy Schneider’s historic showing on Jeopardy! came at an interesting time for the longtime quiz show. Not only has the show seen an unusual number of extended runs in the past couple of years, it’s still trying to permanently replace legendary host Alex Trebek, who died in November 2020. Schneider, the only woman in Jeopardy! history to surpass the million-dollar mark and first out transgender contestant to qualify for the Tournament of Champions, was supposed to appear on the show long before she made her debut November 17, 2021 — in fact, she was first scheduled to be on when Trebek was still the host. 

When Jeopardy! contestants pass their last round of interviews, they go into an active pool, Amy Schneider recently recalled to EW, after her winning streak ended at 40 games. In the next 18 months, you either get the call to be on the show, or you start the application process all over again. Schneider got the call in 2020, and she recalled how COVID delays kept her out of the game until after Alex Trebek’s passing.

What a strange kind of limbo Amy Schneider and all of the other potential Jeopardy! contestants must have felt at that time. Alex Trebek had been the show’s host for 37 years, and all of a sudden, not only did those in the pool not know if or when they’d make it on the show, but they didn’t know whether or not it would be Trebek reading them the clues. It must have been especially disappointing for those like Schneider, who were scheduled to be on before COVID wreaked havoc on normal life as we knew it.

In the aftermath of Alex Trebek’s death, Jeopardy! went through a number of guest hosts before settling on executive producer Mike Richards to fill the spot. However, Richards came under fire for offensive statements he’d made on a podcast, and he was removed as host and EP from both Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune. At the time Amy Schneider threw her support behind LeVar Burton — as many of us did — to replace Trebek, but she said she liked both of the show’s current co-hosts, as former champion Ken Jennings and Call Me Kat star Mayim Bialik were tapped as the semi-permanent replacements.

That delay between when Amy Schneider was first scheduled to appear on Jeopardy! and when she actually did may have prevented her from meeting Alex Trebek, but it also might have helped her complete such a successful run on the show. Jeopardy! has seen extended runs in the past couple of years, not just from Schneider, but also from Matt Amodio — who won 38 games — and Jonathan Fisher, who won 11. As one Jeopardy! producer shot down the idea that the clues are getting easier, another theory for the cluster of streaks is that the current contestants had that extra time to study. 

Hopefully that cool $1.4 million in Amy Schneider’s bank account is enough to make up for any lingering disappointment she feels about not meeting the legend. The Jeopardy! National College Championship begins at 8 p.m. ET Tuesday, February 8, on ABC, which will be hosted by Mayim Bialik, and be sure to check out our 2022 TV Schedule to see what other premieres are coming soon.

It’s a weird for Jeopardy! Fans in what has been a series of weird weeks for fans of the long-running game show. This week might be peak weirdness, however, as fans will be served a full set of episodes hosted by Mike Richards, who once, for a short while, was the successor to Alex Trebek. That announcement was marred in controversy and Richards ultimately resigned… but he’d still filmed a set of episodes before that happened.

This week is the week. Mike Richards has been on our TV screens for a couple of nights now as Jeopardy’s 38th season gets into the swing of things. The first episode, the short-lived host did nod to Alex Trebek, noting it was the “Alex Trebek stage” the contestants were about to play on. That didn’t stop one fake Jeopardy! account from roasting the first episode with the soon-to-be-gone host, noting,

(This did not happen, but lol.) 

It’s a weird thing to reconcile. As a host, Mike Richards isn’t actually so bad at the job, though he lacks the same vibe as Alex Trebek. If it wasn’t for all of the other stuff surrounding his appointment, we might even be saying that Richards doing something different than what Trebek did is a good thing, who knows? (Although it’s worth pointing out different seems to be what the people wanted, just more in a diverse way.) Instead, allegations surrounding Richards’ character and not his performance are what ousted him from the job. I’m not the only one to mention this, however.

Basically if you’ve missed what’s going on here, Mike Richards stepped down from Jeopardy! after reports allege he basically came up with a reason to make himself one of the guest hosts on the series, which later came off poorly when the news came to light. Couple this with a lawsuit from his time running Price is Right and some comments the host had previously made (and had to apologize for) and the short-lived host ultimately decided to step down as host. He was later ousted from the show as an executive producer as well.

Having said this, the now-former executive producer had already actually filmed episodes of the game show before all of this went down. There are agreements in place to air episodes in syndication already and also it would have been weird for continuity in game play if we had simply been missing the first episodes of the season, given the winner of the previous episode returns for the next episode.

This is particularly true given Jeopardy! contestant Matt Amodio is currently on a tear in the series, a run a lot of fans would want to see play out in full, no matter what.

So here fans of Jeopardy! are, stuck with Mike Richards, but only for a week. We can try the James Holzhauer route of simply missing Alex Trebek as a new season is beginning. Holzhauer had previously blasted Richards on social media.

Or we can try the Matt Amodio route and just focus on the game for the next few days. Amodio recently noted he’s gone through four hosts during his tenure on the show, but recently told the Washington Post, “Frankly, the last thing I'm thinking about when I'm in the middle of a game is who's hosting.” Not a bad attitude to have as a fan right now either. The good news? This is our future.

And the future is female.

Jeopardy! has had a rollercoaster of a year, as the iconic game show has sought to find a new host to replace the late, great Alex Trebek. In doing so, numerous celebrities were brought on as guest hosts, which culminated in executive producer Mike Richards being tapped for the job. However, Richards was soon forced to step down after a wave of controversy. But as it turns out, the fiasco was nearly avoided, as former champ Ken Jennings was apparently being eyed for the job -- that is until some controversial tweets cost him the job.

At the beginning of this year, Ken Jennings became the first person to serve as guest host following Alex Trebek’s passing. He was ultimately well-received by viewers and, according to The Wall Street Journal (via Woman’s Day), the show’s producers had essentially agreed on hiring Jennings for the job, despite the fact that he was light on hosting experience. Though ahead of his hosting debut, the aforementioned tweets began to resurface. Many of the posts saw Jennings making inappropriate jokes about certain incidents and, in one of the most publicized messages, he made a disparaging remark regarding people in wheelchairs.

The former Jeopardy! champ ultimately apologized for the posts, admitting that in the past, he had tweeted “some unartful and insensitive things.” But according to WSJ, the execs at Sony Pictures Entertainment were not comfortable moving forward with him as the new permanent host due to the backlash from the tweets.

Even ahead of the tweets coming back into the public eye, some seem unenthused about the prospect of Ken Jennings hosting the game show. The TV personality even provided a response to one commentator on the web.

His tenure on the series did come with a few memorable moments, including an incredibly rare ending to one game of Jeopardy!. The host even found himself getting trolled hard as the result of a contestant’s hilarious answer during Final Jeopardy!. And believe it or not, a toddler also seemed to cry when learning that his hosting stint had reached its end.

Sony’s decision not to move forward with Ken Jennings as host is understandable, given the circumstances. It’s also quite similar to the studio’s approach to the Mike Richards situation, which elicited even more controversy. While Richards was criticized for past comments, many also made note of the fact that he was embroiled in a work-related lawsuit. And apparently, it was the strength of this backlash that led to Sony severing ties with him entirely, after he had already stepped down as the new host.

Mayim Bialik, who was tapped to host Jeopardy!’s primetime and spinoff series on a part-time basis, is currently set to host the main show for three weeks following Mike Richards’ firing. The show has yet to make any indication as to when it might find a permanent person for the job. Yet it’s probably a safe bet that fans are going to continue to campaign for their favorites, particularly Reading Rainbow and Star Trek's LeVar Burton.

Jeopardy! returns for Season 38 on Monday, September 13, in syndication.

Free Guy has been one of the most entertaining summer movies, and fans love the video game-inspired film. The Ryan Reynold’s led movie is jam-packed with references and incredible cameos, including one from Captain America himself, Chris Evans. One of the coolest cameos in Free Guy is when the late Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek introduces a question on the game show about Ryan Reynold’s Guy. The director of Free Guy has explained the cool reason behind the cameo and how it was filmed.

Director Shawn Levy, appearing on the ReelBlend podcast, discussed one of the best and most effective cameos in Free Guy. Alex Trebek played himself in a clip from Jeopardy! that provides some important context to the film and adds to the sensation that guy becomes within the world of Free City. Shawn Levy explains why the cameo was critical, saying:

Shawn Levy explains what went into filming the cameo, using a small crew and the show’s equipment. Becoming an answer to a question on Jeopardy! means that something is really popular or a hot topic, and that’s precisely what Trebek's cameo is supposed to convey. Blue Shirt Guy is becoming a sensation in the real world, and as his fame grows, he gets the ultimate acknowledgment of his popularity, and that’s being a question on Jeopardy!.

The idea came from Ryan Reynolds, who came up with the cameo in the editing room with Shawn Levy. They needed to make Guy famous and that he is blowing up in popularity, and Jeopardy! was the perfect way to show that. Ryan Reynolds apparently came up with a lot of ideas in the editing process that made it into the movie, including a hilarious scene involving Levy’s daughters. Free Guy looks like it was a blast to make, and the director and star weren’t afraid to try anything.

Free Guy dominated the box office its opening weekend, dethroning The Suicide Squad and making its mark on the summer movie landscape. Ryan Reynolds revealed that Disney already wants a Free Guy 2, and after years of pitching it as an original idea IP, he now has a new franchise.

Free Guy joins a list of 6 other great movies that take place within a video game, taking its premise and running with it, resulting in a creative and super fun film. Free Guy was a big surprise, and more of it is music to fans’ ears. Being set in a video game world means the possibilities for what's to come, and all the future cameos and pop culture references are endless. We cant wait to see what’s next for Blue Shirt guy after the movie’s epic ending.

LeVar Burton’s Jeopardy! guest host stint has been one of television’s most anticipated events. Watching the birth of a fan petition blossom into Burton quizzing the contestants has been a bright spot in 2021. While his fans have been in awe, his loved ones have kept him humble about the whole experience. And one of the ways they've done this is by showing off his reaction to his Jeopardy! debut. And believe me when I say that watching LeVar Burton watch himself during his first week is classic LeVar Burton.

Having a relative experience such a big moment would be exciting for anyone’s family, though some clans can express their pride in other ways. The LeVar Burton's wife decided to serve her husband a slice of humble pie when it came to his Jeopardy! debut, for instance. There’s nothing like your significant other being real with you, even in your biggest moments, but his offspring took his guest stint in another direction.

LeVar Burton’s daughter, Mica, found a great way to commemorate the occasion. She shared a recent TikTok post (via her Twitter account), which showed her father’s fans that the Star Trek alum is just like the rest of us. While chronicling her father's genuine reaction to watching his game show hosting debut, she can be heard saying “he is here, and he is here.” To see Burton’s reaction to his Jeopardy! debut, check out the post below:

Like any parent, LeVar Burton was, of course, annoyed by his daughter’s trolling. But honestly, he seemed to be so mesmerized by his debut that you would think he was studying the episode for notes. Of course, Burton would want to study his episodes in preparation for possible permanent hosting duties (if he were to land the job). Regardless of how he reacted though, it's a safe bet that Mica Burton was going to poke fun at him anyway. But of course, It’s just her way of showing her love and admiration for her father.

It wouldn't be surprising if LeVar Burton was indeed thinking ahead to the future while watching his first episode. After all, he has already stated his belief that the Jeopardy! hosting gig would be a natural progression in his career. Considering that he's been an education and literacy advocate, Burton would be a great fit for Jeopardy!, and it would be nice to get to see him on TV regularly again following his lengthy Reading Rainbow tenure. He even has the backing of his Star Trek family and other celebrities. Hopefully, watching the episodes will be of some help to the actor because, if he does get the permanent job, he'll want to avoid the kinds of flubs made by certain contestants.

At this point it remains to be seen whether LeVar Burton's campaign paid off, so we'll just have to wait for the producers to make their official announcement. Unfortunately, Burton’s Jeopardy! guest stint ended on July 30, but fans can still be excited for next week’s episodes. CNBC host David Faber will be the guest host from Aug. 2-6, with sports Fox sportscaster Joe Buck hosting from Aug. 9-13.

To say that Jeopardy! is a cultural institution would be a bit of an understatement. The original incarnation of the show started airing in 1964 with Art Fleming as host, but the version of Jeopardy! that we all know and love premiered in 1984 with none other than the beloved Alex Trebek. Since Trebek’s passing in 2020, Jeopardy! has continued with a variety of guest hosts, including grand champion and reigning GOAT Ken Jennings, The Big Bang Theory's Mayim Bialik, and most recently, Reading Rainbow and Star Trek veteran LeVar Burton.

After a petition to get LeVar Burton his dream job as host of Jeopardy! went viral, the Roots actor snagged a week-long stint as guest host. It’s not the permanent position he’s always wanted, but LeVar Burton seems to have enjoyed himself nonetheless. However, as he told The Grio, it wasn’t all fun and games, since there’s a ton of pressure to live up to Alex Trebek’s legendary reputation. And according to Burton’s wife, makeup artist Stephanie Cozart, his first episode was...a bit rough. According to Burton:

Stephanie Cozart’s advisory admission ended up being a boon to Levar Burton. For the rest of his Jeopardy! filming time, LeVar Burton decided to simply relax and try to have fun. Here's how he put it:

It’s true - no one can really replace Alex Trebek, nor should anyone try to. All a host can do is try to build on the foundations their predecessor laid before them. LeVar Burton has plenty of his own experiences, plus a unique point of view, to bring to the Jeopardy! stage. After a long career focused on educating as well as entertaining, a Jeopardy! guest host spot seems like the natural next step for Burton. And if the producers decide to bring him on as a permanent host? I’ll take ‘Yes, Please’ for $400.

When The Conners sent Laurie Metcalf's Jackie over to Jeopardy! to display her innate smarts on the beloved game show opposite guest host Aaron Rodgers, things didn't go as well as one might have expected. Not only did she botch her way right out of the Final Jeopardy! round, but she also shamed herself on national TV, to the prophetical delight of her mother. The story behind The Conners' big Jeopardy! moment is a bit more touching and sentimental than Jackie's unfortunate experience, though just as heartbreaking in some ways.

When CinemaBlend spoke with The Conners' co-creators and executive producers Bruce Helford and Dave Caplan ahead of the big Season 3 finale, I was shocked to learn that the creative team's original goal was actually to get Alex Trebek himself on the sitcom prior to the inspirational game show legend's death in November 2020. Here's how Helford put it:

I don't think I'm overstating things to say it would have been a singular slice of TV history to see Alex Trebek delivering his iconic "No" after all of Jackie's wrong answers. It would have been even more wowzers to see Trebek chilling on the iconic living room couch, since I feel like I've never seen that guy sit down, but that probably wouldn't have been possible anyway, due to COVID restrictions. Sadly, it wasn't meant to be, with Trebek succumbing to pancreatic cancer at some point not so long after the agreement was made.

Once it became clear how Jeopardy! would continue in Alex Trebek's absence, Bruce Helford said the Conners team reached back out to see if they could make the connection happen for Laurie Metcalf to visit the set.

While it might have been a fine enough time had one of Jeopardy!'s other early guest hosts appeared on The Conners, such as game show GOAT Ken Jennings or journalist Katie Couric, the fact that Aaron Rodgers spent his entire NFL career so far with the Green Bay Packers added an extra bit of creative energy to having him on the cameo. As a Packers fan myself, I hated that he had to see Laurie Metcalf's Jackie in such a frazzled state, though I would have been 100% into seeing him dunk on Bev.

Of course, as special as it is to bring Jackie Harris to Jeopardy!, it was a wholly different kind of special for Bruce Helford to visit the hallowed halls of the game show's studio. In his words:

If anybody on The Conners needs to be on a game show, it's the constantly stressed-out Darlene, and she needs to win a trip to Hawaii to make up for the one that she had to forfeit, despite it being a kind, posthumous gift from Danielle Harris' Molly. Perhaps Bruce Helford can get something going with Pat Sajak and the Wheel of Fortune execs for Season 4.

There's just one proposal-filled episode left of The Conners, so be sure to tune into the Season 3 finale on ABC on Wednesday, May 19, at 9:00 pm. ET. And while waiting for the already renewed Season 4 to arrive, take note of all the awesome new and returning shows heading to the 2021 Summer TV schedule.

While not enough time has passed for "Who should permanently replace Alex Trebek as Jeopardy!'s host?" to have become an age-old question, that inquiry has indeed been debated on scales large and small since even before Trebek's death in November 2020. (The icon's own jokey pick was for Betty White.) Now that the latest, and likely final, batch of upcoming guest hosts has been revealed, Jeopardy! fan Ryan Reynolds weighed in on who he thinks should take over for the long haul.

Luckily enough, Ryan Reynolds' presumably ideal Jeopardy! host is someone from the newly announced group: Star Wars: The Next Generation vet LeVar Burton. Check out how Reynolds made his voice heard on the matter, even if he didn't phrase his support in the form of a question.

LeVar Burton, who is just as much known for his Reading Rainbow efforts as his Star Trek legacy, arguably inspired the most well-received reactions to any of the guest hosts, considering his name had been at the top of many fans' lists as a perfect candidate for the high-profile hosting gig. Once he showed his own support for the fan-fueled efforts, it was apparently only a matter of time before the powers that be at Jeopardy! decided to go forward with the idea. I like to think there was a "new" exec in the office that day that looked suspiciously like Ryan Reynolds, only with a big bushy mustache and large-framed glasses.

Not that Ryan Reynolds alone will be enough to convince the game show's decision-makers that LeVar Burton is an ideal choice to take over Jeopardy! going forward. One major element - one might even say the most important element - is that Burton isn't a full-blown disaster as a Jeopardy! host. No one expects that to be the case, to be sure, but how crushing would it be if he just froze up and made honking noises as soon as the camera's started rolling?

Starting with Jeopardy! mastermind Ken Jennings, the game show has already given viewers a growing variety of temporary hosts, from the surprisingly aces NFL superstar Aaron Rodgers to the unsurprisingly polarizing Dr. Oz. And with The Big Bang Theory vet Mayim Bialik coming to the podium soon, LeVar Burton has his work cut out for him when it comes to competition.

While Ryan Reynolds' Jeopardy! fandom obviously isn't exclusive to him, with million around the U.S. tuning into new episodes on a daily basis, he is rather unique for his connections to Jeopardy! ahead of Alex Trebek's death. For one, Reynolds actually appeared on the show to deliver a video clue tied to his yet-to-premiere feature Free Guy. As well, the actor revealed later that Trebek actually has a cameo appearance in Free Guy, which is currently slotted for an August 13 debut.

So while Ryan Reynolds obviously isn't the Grand Decider of all things Jeopardy!, which actually utilized executive producer Mike Richards when scheduling issues came up, here's hoping all the attention surrounding LeVar Burton's upcoming hosting stint will be enough to win everyone over .

As a game show host, Alex Trebek was known for certain trademarks. His decision to shave his signature mustache in the 2000s was a shocking moment for many Jeopardy! fans, but the host always kept his sharp array of suits and ties. Recently, Trebek's family decided to donate his wardrobe following his passing. But as it so happens, before the clothes were sent off, Trebek’s son actually kept a sweet item to remember his father.

Aside from his clothes and mustache, Alex Trebek was also known for his exceptional generosity, so his family’s decision to donate his wardrobe isn't surprising in the least. But donating a loved one’s clothes can be hard and family and friends may still feel compelled to do hold onto something, and Trebek’s son, Matt, revealed to Entertainment Tonight what he decided to keep:

Matt Trebek’s reason for keeping the tie speaks to his warm bond with his father. By donating his wardrobe, Alex Trebek’s family was able to do two things at once. They can move through the grieving process and provide something vital for those in need. In this case, Trebek’s son donated his wardrobe to the Doe Fund to benefit the homeless and formerly incarcerated. The younger Trebek actually worked with the Jeopardy! to make it all happen and. as he mentioned, they're actually still sorting through Trebek's wardrobe for more donations. It’s nice to know that the late Jeopardy! host’s influence continues to live on in through those who knew him best.

While Alex Trebek’s son used charity to remember his father, others have remembered the game show host in other fitting ways. Recently, Trebek’s cancer announcement anniversary circled back around with his daughter making a sweet Instagram post to pay tribute to him. She also used the opportunity to spotlight the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and the work it's doing. Even Jeopardy! champ James Holzhauer commemorated the moment by sharing when he learned about the host’s cancer diagnosis. While the public still feels Trebek's loss, the tributes to him and the support given to his family have definitely been moving to see.

When we lose someone, we lose their physical presence, yet we still hold onto the memories linked to that person, and those memories will continue to live on for many years to come. Alex Trebek's family is sure to know this and, hopefully memories will provide them comfort during this time and moving forward.

Jeopardy! has aired for over 8,000 episodes, with the majority hosted by the late Alex Trebek. Since his passing, many were left wondering who could possibly fill Trebek’s shoes and become the new host of the iconic game show. The Jeopardy! team eventually decided that famous celebrities and former champions would be invited to sit in as limited time guest hosts. However, a recently released video featuring TV personality Dr. Mehmet Oz as an upcoming guest host has been met with some less than-stellar fan feedback.

When the official Jeopardy! Twitter account shared a video hyping up Dr. Mehmet Oz as the latest guest host, fans were quick to share their blunt thoughts on the video and the producers' decision to even invite the so-called doctor in the first place. Check out the initial tweet:

From the post, it looks like Dr. Oz is quite excited to host the coming episodes of the long-running show. On the other hand, some fans weren’t nearly as happy. There were a number of tweets condemning Dr. Oz’s involvement:

One fan tweeted that Dr. Oz has a history of sharing misinformation. Another chimed in to called the decision a disgrace:

Those weren’t the only strong worded tweets shared in response to the video. This fan issued a formal objection:

Even a former contestant shared their disappointment with the situation:

Dr. Oz isn’t the first interim Jeopardy! host to have been scrutinized online. Shortly after it was announced that 74-time winner Ken Jennings would be the first guest host, he had to issue an apology for a series of offensive tweets. After his six week run ended, Katie Couric, who is being replaced by the doctor, faced criticism for her comments on Real Time With Bill Maher.

Since Alex Trebek passed, fans have been clamoring for Star Trek veteran LeVar Burton to appear as a guest host. Instead, it was announced that Big Bang Theory star Mayim Bialik and NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers would each take over hosting duties for a limited time. CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, Today host Savannah Guthrie, 60 Minutes correspondent Bill Whitaker and CNN medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta are also set to host later this year.

While fans don’t seem to be thrilled by the decision to feature Dr. Oz, it’s by no means permanent. He is currently set to host until April 2nd, and will be replaced by Aaron Rodgers on April 5th. Perhaps his signature discount double-check will be enough to win fans back over.

It’s certainly no easy task to take over from Alex Trebek. Hopefully these guest appearances will help track down the perfect replacement. And if not, I don’t mind seeing a new face every couple of weeks. I’m just holding out for everyone's favorite bartender Austin Rogers to take over hosting duties.

Jeopardy! has entered a new era in its illustrious history, as hosting duties have now been bestowed upon a revolving door of notable names, from former show champion Ken Jennings to Big Bang Theory alum Mayim Bialik. Still, both fans and the show’s employees can’t help but think about the life and legacy of the great Alex Trebek. The late host made quite an impression on people and, since his passing, numerous tributes have been penned in his honor. Most recently, his daughter, Nicky Trebek, penned a sweet message to mark the two-year anniversary of his cancer announcement.

From what we’ve seen in the past, Alex and Nicky Trebek shared a very special father/daughter relationship. The younger Trebek recently took to Instagram to share a picture of her and her dad together and, in the caption, she recalled the moment her father announced to the world that he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer:

Trebek then went on to praise her father for the way he carried himself during his cancer battle. And she also made a powerful promise in his honor:

Following this, Nicky Trebek took a moment to spotlight the work of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and encouraged her followers to donate to the organization. You can check out Trebek’s sweet post down below:

Many were shocked and saddened to learn of Alex Trebek’s cancer diagnosis back in early 2019. While the host didn’t sugarcoat the seriousness of the disease, he did express hope and a willingness to fight it to the best of his ability. He would indeed continue to do so, working to get back and working even harder when he was on the set again.

During his final Jeopardy! episodes, Alex Trebek continued to experience pain but, according to executive producer Michael Richards, Trebek was "a warrior." This was further evidenced by the powerful, posthumous messages he left his viewers with.

Nicky Trebek is certainly doing her father proud through her work with the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. Trebek may no longer be with us, but he will certainly live on for years to come, thanks to the efforts of people like his daughter as well as those who continue to share their fond memories of him.

Jeopardy!, which is currently being hosted by Katie Couric, airs in syndication daily.

Game show whiz James Holzhauer remembers exactly where he was when he found out Alex Trebek was battling stage 4 pancreatic cancer. He was in the green room, waiting to go on and actually play Jeopardy. He was in the midst of a tremendous winning streak when a producer released the devastating statement about the longtime host’s health. It was a lot to take in, but Holzhauer eventually got himself together and watched as Trebek himself performed as perfectly as ever.

James Holzhauer hit up social media this past week and told the story, both because it was the two year anniversary of the announcement and because it was the perfect jumping off point to announce he’s raising money to help fight pancreatic cancer in honor of the dearly departed game show legend. You can check out his version of events below. It’s really obvious how much he cared for Alex Trebek…

The money is being raised through the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, and thankfully, Holzhauer has already reached his goal. He was hoping to raise $8,244, which is one dollar for every episode Alex Trebek hosted. He’s already blown past that and is now at over $10,000. As all of it is for a great cause, however, I’m sure he would certainly be grateful if he could raise more. You can donate here.

Jeopardy will never be the same without Alex Trebek, but much to the delight of fans and as per the wishes of the former host himself, the show will continue after his passing. We’re currently in the midst of a series of guest hosts. The plan is to eventually settle on someone to carry the mantle long-term. Right now, it looks like that final decision will be put off for a while though.

As a big Jeopardy fan, that’s honestly fine with me. I’m having fun watching different people try to fill Trebek’s shoes, and this gives fans some time to adjust to hearing different voices. It should also ease some of the pressure on whoever gets the gig long-term as they’ll already be familiar to audiences.