After one of the longest game show droughts in all of recorded history – except for that whole "before game shows existed" time period – TV audiences can finally look forward to Alex Trebek and Jeopardy! coming back to our daily lives. That's right, the series' recent return to production is apparently going quite smoothly for all involved, as Jeopardy! has revealed not only a new premiere date, but also the exciting news that GOAT champ Ken Jennings is officially part of the show now.
First thing's first, fans can anticipate Jeopardy!'s highly anticipated re-arrival on Monday, September 14. The exact time of the fall premiere depending on your local listings, since the game show airs in syndication. If you're like me, though, you record them on DVR and test your intelligence via binge-viewings. That way, if one game's categories are terrible, there's a chance for the next game to get some redemption, though I'm still waiting on a board filled with only TV-related clues.
Speaking of the clue process, Jeopardy! revealed that longtime super-champ Ken Jennings has joined the show in a behind-the-scenes capacity that will still put him in front of viewers' faces every so often. Jennings is now serving as a consulting producer, which means he will not only get to craft his own signature video categories for episodes, but he'll also work on developing other Jeopardy!-related projects while also helping with contestant outreach. Beyond that, he'll also serve in a general ambassador role for the game show, seeing as how Alex Trebek's health issues in recent years limits his availability.
All that said, fans shouldn't be too worried about Ken Jennings attempting to usurp the role of Jeopardy! host from Alex Trebek. He'd previously stated he's not interested in being the face of the show in that capacity, and while that opinion could certainly change, Trebek is still the star of the show at this point. He even jokingly points that out in the video announcement seen below.
Alex Trebek also spoke out about how pumped he is to be back in the swing of things while taping new episodes of the show. (The filming process is a little different now thanks to all things COVID-related.) Here's his statement on the matter (via TVLine).
I feel good, and I feel excited because once again Jeopardy! has demonstrated that it’s at the forefront of television programming. I believe we are the first quiz show to come back on the air in the COVID-19 era. On a personal level, I’m excited because it gets me out of the house. It gives me something to do on a regular basis, and I was missing that.
Sadly, it looks like Alex Trebek's summer beard apparently won't be making a comeback with everything else, which is something that deserves a moment of silence for, but that can happen later. For now, we're too pumped for Jeopardy! to be a daily part of our lives again to be quiet about it. And the judges say they're allowing it.
Jeopardy! will be back on Monday, September 14, and remember to check your local listings to see when it will air in your area. And in the meantime, hit up our Fall 2020 TV premiere schedule to see what else is coming to primetime and beyond in the near future.
