The late Jeopardy! host and icon, Alex Trebek, talked about the show’s unique gift of bringing together people of all ages in an interview with the Television Academy.
Trebek is asked right off the bat about what when on the Jeopardy! timeline did the show become a cultural touchstone.
“I have no idea. Keep in mind that the show was on for ten years, from ’64 to ’74 or ’75,” Trebek answers. “And came back for six months in 1978 and now we’ve been on for 24 years more.”
The late game-show host explains that since the show has been around for so long, that people have grown familiar with it. And he’s not wrong — we can all remember growing up with Jeopardy! on in the background at one point or another.
“So this program in this format basically has been around for over 35 years. That’s a long time — people are familiar with us,” Trebek explains. “They watched us when they were going to school, going to college, and on their lunch breaks. They grew up with it. Now young people are getting into it again and adults are coming back to it. We’re familiar territory.”
You can watch the full interview with Alex Trebek by clicking below:
Alex Trebek Says ‘Jeopardy!’ is a Show For All Ages
As the great Alex Trebek mentions early during the interview, the show is “familiar territory” for many people. The legendary host goes on to explain how the show can unite families, and people of all ages.
“We’re a show that comes into your home every day that doesn’t disturb you,” Trebek says. “It’s the kind of show you can watch with every member of your family. There’s something for kids, something for the grandparents in terms of clues, everyone can play. You can spend a half-hour together without feeling like you have to flee the room to go watch your own show.”
And like Trebek explains, it’s the show’s ability and power to unite people that makes it so special.
“So we’re special in that way — special in a small way, not a big way,” he continues. “It’s not ‘oh, I must watch Jeopardy!’, it’s just, ‘hey, Jeopardy! is on, let’s watch.'”
Alex Trebek, unfortunately, passed away back in October of 2020 after a long fight with pancreatic cancer. And while it has certainly not been easy to replace the iconic show host, Trebek said himself that Jeopardy! is the type of show that can and will live long after him. It would seem that he was right.
For more about Alex Trebek and Jeopardy! be sure to follow along here at Outsider.
