Katie Couric has a seriously impressive career under her belt. She has worked for all three of the major networks. Couric is a journalist, author, and expert television host. She currently hosts a podcast called Next Question With Katie Couric. Through her production company, Couric is producing scripted shows and documentaries. At the same time, her official website is full of original written content. Speaking of written content, she just finished her memoir titled Unexpected. It hits shelves later this year. Earlier this month, she became the first woman to host Jeopardy!
For the most part, viewers loved seeing her behind the lectern. While some did complain about her performance on the show, no one put forth a petition to have her removed from the position.
Recently, she spoke to Poynter about her time hosting Jeopardy!.
Katie Couric: It Doesn’t Feel Right to Call Jeopardy! a “Game Show”
Katie Couric said that hosting Jeopardy! was a great experience. Going into the guest-hosting gig, she knew she wanted to make it her own. At the same time, she knew she wanted to stay well within the guidelines for the show. So, she knew that she had to find a balance in her performance. Above all, she wanted to truly “respect the institution.”
About this, Couric told Poynter, “Jeopardy! is not really a game show. It doesn’t feel right to call it a game show. It is an American institution.”
She expanded on that statement by saying that Jeopardy! has become such a big part of so many peoples’ lives over the years. So much so that she knew she didn’t want to come in and try to stand out too much. Couric hit the nail on the head with that statement. It is so much more than a game show. There are people who have been faithfully watching the show for decades. At the same time, others use the show to learn about the world. In fact, Jeopardy! champ Ken Jennings watched the show regularly as a kid and it sparked his love of trivia.
Couric said she had a great time hosting Jeopardy!. However, don’t look for her to return to do it full-time. She told Poynter that she definitely doesn’t want the full-time hosting slot. At the moment, she is her own boss. Therefore, she has almost unlimited flexibility. She said that she was grateful for the opportunity but she loves what she is doing right now and doesn’t want to give that up.
