‘Jeopardy!’ Fans Heap Praise on Ken Jennings as Season 40 Starts
This… Is… Jeopardy!
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The landmark 40th season of Jeopardy! kicks off today, Monday, September 11, with returning host Ken Jennings back at the helm.
Things will look a little different this season because of the changes made due to the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike. Rather than new contestants and new questions, the season will begin with a Second Chance tournament featuring Season 37 players and using recycled material and material written pre-strikes.
The winner(s) of the Second Chance tournament will then move on to the Champions Wild Card to face off against returning Season 38 champs, with the winner of that earning a spot in the next Tournament of Champions. The Wild Card series is set to air following the conclusion of Second Chance and will run through to December.
It’s now or never 👊 The road to redemption starts TOMORROW on the Season 37 #JeopardySecondChance competition, brought to you by Moderna. pic.twitter.com/uXdH3TkMjZ
— Jeopardy! (@Jeopardy) September 10, 2023
One thing that will stay the same is Jennings, who is returning as full-time host while Mayim Bialik remains on the sidelines. The Big Bang Theory alum stepped away from the show in May in solidarity with the strikers and isn’t due to return until the strike negotiations have been resolved.
While there has been some backlash regarding Jennings’ decision to continue hosting amid the strikes, many fans are excited to see him back. The Jeopardy! GOAT will also be hosting the new season of Celebrity Jeopardy!, which returns on Wednesday, September 27.
“Great to see Ken, love him hosting,” wrote one fan on the official Jeopardy! Instagram page, while another added, “Glad to hear Ken is hosting.”
The show’s superfans have also praised Jennings as a host over the past few months, with one user on the Jeopardy! Reddit forum writing, “I’m just so glad at how good he’s been at host. He’s the perfect man for the job. He understands the rhythm and just makes the close back and forth games that much more invigorating.”
Others agreed, with one fan stating, “His timing and thinking on this feet have been impeccable, as is his ability to banter with contestants.”
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“I’ve loved him as host from Day 1,” said another. “I thought it would be super weird & off-putting to watch post-Alex [Trebek], and it was a little weird, but he made it a lot less so. Having such a familiar face and voice to steer us into the new era was a great choice, and he just truly exudes a love & respect for the game.”
“Ken is a fantastic host! We enjoy his professionalism, and also his keen sense of humour. He is perfect for the job,” added another viewer.
One fan even went so far as to say Jennings is a better host than the late Trebek. “Watching Ken on the Masters [tournament] was unreal. He is so tuned into the questions and answers that he can slide multiple observations in without breaking flow at all,” they said. “Of course he is also very familiar with the champions — he is one — and makes the interpersonal banter look effortless as well.”
“It’s a completely different game and is far beyond anything Alex ever achieved,” the commenter continued. “Alex was much more likable, more welcoming and more handsome, but Ken is better in every other way. It’s time to end the co-parenting of Jeopardy.”
Others somewhat agreed, with one fan writing, “Ken isn’t nearly as polished [as Trebek], doesn’t have the best voice, but he has charm and is genuine. Alex almost seemed destined to be a game show host, while I bet nobody thought Ken would ever be but, man is he pulling it off.”
Another user added, “It is not my intention here to bash Mayim, but to express my appreciation for Ken. Obviously Mayim is highly intelligent too, so she also brings gravitas to the role. But Ken, as the GOAT among J! players, provides a special level of gravitas that no one else can match.”
“Tempo is a great skill and he has mastered it. Sadly, this makes it all the more jarring when they switch hosts,” said another.
Another wrote, “He does well in all areas but for me personally I appreciate the added context and depth he adds and does it with zero interruption or hesitation. He knows the right answers, he knows alternate answers and he knows why wrong answers were guessed. That is something only a few people can do, maybe nobody can do. That well anyway.”
“He was always my sentimental favorite, but I thought in his first stint he did not stand out more than now-forgotten candidates like e.g. David Faber,” said another. “But once he got the job for real, he has been incredible. His humor and his rapport with the contestants have been off-the-charts great.”
“Ken is incredibly sharp and nuanced,” another commented. “Adds a lot to the game. Any football fans here? I compare Ken to Tony Romo. I will watch a football game just to enjoy Tony’s insightful commentary.”
“I like how, even with one time contestants, Ken seems legitimately interested in their get-to-know-you stories and asks a follow up question or makes a comment or joke,” wrote another.
Another simply wrote, “Ken’s destiny was to host Jeopardy!”
What do you think of Jennings as host? And will you be watching the new Jeopardy! season? Let us know in the comments below.
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