Alex Trebek’s Best Moments from ‘Jeopardy,’ ‘SNL’ & More (VIDEO)
As the world mourns longtime Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek after his passing from pancreatic cancer on Sunday, November 8, we take a look back at some of his most memorable moments on our TV screens.
Trebek began hosting the trivia game show in 1984 and, over the years, he appeared on several TV shows as himself, including The X-Files. Saturday Night Live also does a popular parody of Jeopardy!, with Will Ferrell portraying the host. Trebek himself even appeared in one of the sketches.
Check out some of Trebek’s best moments on TV.
Trebek’s First Jeopardy!
“Welcome to America’s favorite answer-and-question game, Jeopardy!” With that, on September 10, 1984, Trebek began hosting, and would go on to do so for over 8,000 episodes. Watch the video above to see his introduction, which re-aired on July 20, 2020, as part of the show’s trip into its vault.
Trebek’s French
If you’re looking for someone to correctly pronounce answers in French, look no further.
Trebek Owns a Contestant
Trebek never shied away from a good dig. When the contestant in the clip above, for instance, spoke about her favorite type of music, nerdcore hip-hop — “It’s people who identify as nerdy, rapping about the things they love: video games, science fiction, having a hard time meeting romantic partners” — he had something to say. “Losers, in other words,” he quipped.
Trebek Announces His Cancer Diagnosis
The host was the one to share the news of his diagnosis, via a video posted to the game show’s YouTube channel on March 6, 2019. “It’s in keeping with my longtime policy of being open and transparent with our ‘Jeopardy!’ fan base,” he explained. “I also wanted to prevent you from reading or hearing some overblown or inaccurate reports regarding my health. So therefore, I wanted to be the one to pass along this information.”
Trebek’s Emotional Reaction to a Contestant’s Answer
During the round of Final Jeopardy in the November 11, 2019, episode, one of the contestants’ responses was “We love you, Alex!” “That’s very kind of you,” the host said, choking up. “Thank you.”
Trebek’s Birthday Message for “a Longtime Fan,” His Mother
Trebek changed things up when he kicked off a 2016 show by sending “out birthday greetings to a longtime fan of Jeopardy!, a woman named Lucille, who, today, celebrates her 95th birthday. Way to go, Ma!”
Trebek Joins SNL‘s Spoof
The late-night sketch comedy, as noted, has spoofed Jeopardy! many times over the years, but it was in 2002 that the real host joined Ferrell’s role playing during Final Jeopardy. “And so this was the final Jeopardy,” Trebek said stepping out. “And what a ride it has been, from Burt Reynolds to Minnie Driver, but boy, oh boy, oh boy, those celebrities did not know the right answer to any of your questions.”
Trebek on The Simpsons
When the family needed money, Marge went on Jeopardy! and ended up down quite a bit. When she and the others tried to leave, however, the host stopped her.
Trebek on The X-Files
In the Season 3 episode, “Jose Chung’s From Outer Space,” Mulder (David Duchovny) crossed paths with someone who looked a whole lot like Trebek (played by the host) during an investigation. Now, as Scully (Gillian Anderson) puts it, “Mulder didn’t say that it was Alex Trebek. It was just someone who looked incredibly like him.”
Cheers Goes on Jeopardy!
The game show headed to Boston in the eighth season of the comedy, and Cliff Clavin (John Ratzenberger) appeared as a contestant. Watch the clip above to see how that goes.
